that he might look on his precious child a little longer? No. There was one thought in Abraham's heart, stronger than any other, and that thought was OBEDIENCE. Sacrifice is

nothing without OBEDIENCE. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice; and to hearken, than the fat of lambs. God loveth a cheerful giver. And Abraham knew in his heart that God had promised to give His only Son to die for his sins, and for the sins of the whole world, and should Abraham keep back his child when God required the gift? No. God had given him Isaac, and Abraham knew that God could give him Isaac back again, even from the dead; he knew that the promise of God could not be broken and whatever God commanded, that Abraham would do. The Lord hath said "He that loveth father or mother, son or daughter, more than me, is not worthy of me."

Abraham rose up early in the morning, and clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and saddled his ass, and took two of his servants with him, and Isaac his son, and rose up

and went unto the place of which God had told him. Three days they travelled on their way. Isaac did not know what his father was going to do with him,-his father had not told him, but his father knew. Abraham's heart must have ached as he looked upon his child, and heard his voice speaking to him. No doubt his father talked to him of holy things, of the fear and love of God-to strengthen the heart of his child, when he should have to tell him he must die.

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place of which God had told him, afar off. And Abraham said unto his servants, "Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder, and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering and laid it upon Isaac his son; and Abraham took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and they went both of them together. Isaac had often seen his father offer up a lamb for a burnt-offering to God, so he was not surprised; he knew what the wood and the fire and the knife were for, but he

wondered how his father could find a lamb on the mountain-top. So as they walked together up the mountain-side, he said,-"My father." And his father said-"Here am I, my son." And Isaac said-" Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burntoffering?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burntoffering." So they went both of them together. When they reached the mountain-top, Isaac helped his father to build the altar of stones, and to lay the wood in order on the altar; and then his father told him that he was the offering God required. Abraham was obedient to God, and Isaac was obedient to his father Abraham, in all things. Isaac loved his father, and he loved his mother, and he had all things to make life happy; but he was ready to meet God's holy will, and to die by his father's hand. O happy child, who loved the will of God more than he loved his life! O happy father, who had such a child to render back to God!

Then Abraham bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood; and

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Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called unto him out of Heaven, and said Abraham, Abraham!" And Abraham said "Here am I." And God said to Abraham -"Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him, for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me." And Abraham looked, and saw behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went, and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son. And the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham the second time out of Heaven, 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