shalt call, and I will answer Thee. O God, my heart is ready: I will give Thee the best member that I have."

In quiet silent obedience, without any delay, any intreaty to be spared such a bitter sacrifice, Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and made ready the wood that was necessary for the burnt-offering, and called two of his servants, and Isaac his son, and then they set forth to go to the place whither GOD had directed him.

What a journey that must have been! How Abraham's heart must have well nigh burst as he journeyed, feeling that it was the last he was ever to take with that dear companion, his only child-and that at every step they drew nearer to the bitter separation that lay before them! How in the sorrow of his heart he must have gone over every event of Isaac's life, from the time he lay first in Sarah's arms, a new-born baby, filling both their hearts with joy and gladness; through all his childhood and boyhood, up to his present youthful manliness and at each scene and recollection, how the father's heart must have filled! How he must have longed to ask God to let him be the sacrifice, and to spare his child. How as David

cried at a later time, Abraham must have yearned to cry out, "Would GOD that I might have died for thee, my son, my son!"

But no cry, no word, escaped from Abraham. For three days the little company journeyed on in silence, until they came in sight of Mount Moriah. Then Abraham bid the young men his servants to wait with the ass while he and Isaac went up to the mountain to worship GOD. He laid the wood upon Isaac to carry, and himself took the fire, and a knife; and the father and son went on alone upon the last stage of this wonderful journey.

There never was but one other such. That other journey was when our Blessed LORD JESUS CHRIST, the Only Son of Gop, went up to Mount Calvary to die-a Sacrifice for the whole world-and He too bore the wood that was for this Sacrifice, the Cross whereon He should hang.

And now, though it was many hundred years before that Sacrifice was to be made, it was in the power and strength of It that Abraham and Isaac were able thus to go up the Mount in such a calm trusting faith. And it is through the power and strength of That Sacrifice alone that now when God asks loving parents to

give their precious little ones to Him, they are able to part with them without breaking their hearts in the bitterness of the sorrow.

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Now that they were alone together for the first time, Isaac began to ask about what they were going to do. He had all his life assisted his father in offering up sacrifices to God, and he knew what was required; but now the living creature that was needed to be offered up seemed lacking. My father," he asked, "behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?" · Abraham's heart must have almost overflowed when he heard this touching question, and probably Isaac understood the answer in its simple and pathetic faith: "My son, GoD will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt-offering." He did not ask any more, but went meekly on to the place appointed by GOD; and there Abraham built an altar, and laid the wood in order, and then last of all he bound Isaac, (as the custom was to bind the animal that was to be offered,) and laid him unresisting on the wood upon the altar. Then in truth Isaac was very like to that other Only Son, Who, when He was oppressed and afflicted, opened not His mouth, but was brought as a lamb to the slaughter.

All was at length ready; and then Abraham took the knife, and was going to kill his son. But at that moment the Angel of the LORD called to him out of heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham." Then Abraham answered, "Here am I." And GoD's voice spoke the gracious words, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him; for now I know that thou fearest GOD, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me."

With what intense joy Abraham must then have unbound the precious sacrifice that was in heart and will already offered; and how must he have remembered his own words, "GOD will provide Himself a lamb for a burntoffering," when he turned round and saw behind him a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. Then Abraham went and took the and it must indeed have been with a very grateful heart that he offered it up for a burntoffering instead of his son.

ram ;

Then once more the Angel spoke to Abraham, and said, "By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD; for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son that in blessing I will bless thee, and

in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed My Voice."

Then Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh, which means, "The LORD will provide."

So Abraham and Isaac went down again to the young men, and returned back joyfully to Sarah; their hearts full of thankfulness, and joy, and praise. And if Abraham and Sarah had rejoiced over Isaac's birth, we may well believe that they rejoiced still more now over him, when he was given back to them of GOD.

THE DEATH OF SARAH.

SARAH lived some time after this to enjoy her dear son's presence; but at length, when she was a hundred and twenty-seven years old, she died. Isaac was very fondly attached to his mother, and we find that he missed her very much for long, and was not altogether comforted until he had a wife, about three years later. Abra