it is interspersed with beautiful spots, and fruitful valleys. One part was anciently distinguished by the name of Arabia the happy. But were it utterly worthless, it would seem to be the interest of the neighbouring states to extirpate such a pestilent race of robbers; and in fact, it has often been attempted, but never accomplished. They boast of their descent from Abraham, have still some customs in common with the Jews, and justify their robberies, as travellers have told us, by the plea, that their progenitor was turned out of doors to take whatever he could get.

After these things had happened, the patriarch removed from Beer-Sheba, and again pitched his tents in the plain of Mamre, where he had formerly dwelt. Here, Sarah died, and was buried in a piece of ground which he purchased at that time for a burial place for his family.

The particulars of this incident afford a beautiful example of mutual politeness equal to any thing in our own refined days. Abraham is represented as weeping over the companion of many years, and although he stood on the ground which had been assured to his family by a better bond than any human compact could confer, he attempts not to appropriate even a sepulchre for his wife, but respectfully offers to purchase of the natives a burial place for his family. Highly venerated by them, the afflicted patriarch is solicited to make a choice, and the spot is repeatedly pressed upon him without a price. But the just and independent spirit of the sojourner, refusing to lie under an obligation to strangers, he pays the greatest sum intimated as the value of the ground, and receives a deed in due form, in the presence of all the people.

The education of Isaac had ever been the most interesting concern of Abraham. It now remained to secure him from the pernicious influence of a connexion with the idolatrous families of Canaan. To this end he called the principal servant of his house, one who had the charge of all his affairs, and directed him to go down to Mesopotamia in Syria, the native country of his master, and bring thence a wife for his son. "The Lord God of Heaven," he told this person, "would send his angel before him" to guide and prosper him.

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ISAAC AND REBEKAH.

Fanny. Why did not Abraham send Isaac to choose a wife for himself?

Mother. Princes, you know, in our own times, send ambassadors to bring their wives from foreign_states: and Abraham was a prince of high standing. Besides, he had been commanded to leave forever the land of his nativity, and go into the country which his children should inherit. Accordingly, he charges his servant-" Beware that thou bring not my son thither again; but go thou to my country, and to my kindred, and bring thence a wife for my son Isaac."

Thus instructed, the servant took ten camels,—" for all the property of his master was in his hand"—and valuable presents in silver, and in gold, and in raiment, and departed. "As he approached the city, where Nahor, his master's brother, resided, he came to a well, about the time in the evening when the women of the place came thither to water their flocks. Here he waited; and while he was yet praying, that his journey might be prospered, and that she to whom he should first speak, might be the appointed wife of Isaac-Rebekah, a beautiful young woman, came out to the well, with a pitcher on her shoulder. He requested a drink from her pitcher, which she readily gave him, addressing him respectfully, "Drink, my lord, and I will draw water for thy camels also."

Charles. And did this servant allow a young woman to perform so menial an office for him?

Mother. This servant, you must recollect, was an officer of dignity; he was the steward of all Abraham's possessions, and very probably was "that Eleazar of Damascus," who, before the birth of Isaac, had been selected for his master's heir. Nor was the watering of flocks considered in those days a menial employment. The customs of different ages and nations are so various, that we cannot estimate them by our own. But this practice was not confined to remote times: Dr. Clarke, who very lately travelled through the Holy Land-the same of which we are now speaking, saw the women come out from the town of Nazareth, with pitchers on their heads, to carry water, and numerous flocks of camels with their drivers reposing beside the well. In the neighbouring islands too,

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he found that the porters and water-carriers were females. With us it would seem a violation of propriety, for any man to look on inactively while a young lady drew water for his beasts; but this traveller seems to have accepted the offer of Rebekah as a common civility, whilst he stood musing, and wondering whether this meeting were an answer to his prayer. When the camels had finished drinking, he presented her with ear-rings and bracelets, inquiring whose daughter she was; and whether there was room in her father's house to lodge him and his attendants. She replied, that she was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, and assured him that there was sufficient room for the whole of his company.

Catherine. The very house he was seeking! how providential the seeming accident!

Mother. Abraham's servant so understood it, and instantly acknowledged the goodness of God, in directing his steps to his master's brethren; thus intimating to Rebekah whence he came.

The name of Abraham, her relation, was familiar to Rebekah. Delighted to see one of his household, she ran to tell her family all that had occurred at the well; describing particularly the grateful piety of the servant. Her brother, whose name was Laban, hastened out to conduct him to the house, accosting him by the high appellation of "Blessed of the Lord," and kindly reproved him for standing without, while all things within were ready for his accommodation. But when he had entered, and refreshments were placed before him, more careful of his master's interest than his own convenience, he declared he would not eat until he had communicated his business. He then recited briefly the history of Abraham, his eminent condition and great riches; the birth of Isaac, the commission with which he was honoured, to make a suitable alliance for the heir of so many endowments; his jour. ney into Syria; his providential meeting and conversation with Rebekah. And now, said he, "If ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand or to the left." Perceiving plainly the hand of providence, the relations of Rebekah acquiesced in the divine appointment.

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ISAAC AND REBEKAH.

Presents are universally the accompaniments of a visit in the East. They are the tributes of respect to a superior, and the expression of kindness to an equal. According to this custom Abraham's servant was provided with sumptuous gifts, of jewels, of gold, and of silver, of wearing apparel for the bride, and for her family. These were brought forth and distributed, and he and his servants, in their turn, were hospitably entertained. The next day, he requested that they would permit him to depart. The mother of Rebekah very naturally desired that their separation might be delayed for a few days, but the man entreated that he should not be detained; and Rebekah consenting to go, they were affectionately dismissed, with the blessings and prayers of her family.

Fanny. Isaac, I remember, however, went out to meet his bride.

Mother. You cannot say so much, my dear. Isaac, it is said, "went out to meditate in the field at eventide." Perhaps it was his daily custom, and on no occasion of his life was meditation and prayer more suitable than on the present, when he was about to receive as a companion, a stranger on whose character his future peace was suspended. It is not even said that he expected to meet her. But as he walked, he lifted up his eyes, and beheld the train. Rebekah, discovering him at a distance, inquired who he was; and being told that that was Isaac, her destined husband, she alighted from her camel, put on her veil, and prepared to meet him with modesty and respect. The tent of Sarah was prepared for the nuptials; thither Isaac conducted Rebekah, and she became his wife, (B. C. 1856,) and consoled him for the loss of his mother.

The marriage of Isaac thus happily accomplished, Abraham took to himself another consort, and had other sons besides Isaac and Ishmael. To these he gave portions, and sent them away to the countries east of Canaan; whilst Isaac remained with his father, and became the chief heir of his temporal possessions; and to him, as they had been to his father, these were abundantly multiplied. He was, too, the inheritor of his virtues, for, in his long life, which is, however, related with brevity, we hear of but one deviation from rectitude. In several circumstances of their

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history, there was a striking resemblance. Driven, like his father, by famine to Gerar, the same fear of losing his wife, induced Isaac to employ an artifice similar to that into which the pious Abraham had suffered himself to be betrayed, and similar acts of justice and generosity were extended to him by the reigning monarch. Isaac indeed did not suffer the inconvenience which resulted to his father, of being separated from his wife, but he brought himself into the humiliation of being reproved by Abimelech, who nevertheless treated him with great respect, extending his protection so far as to annex even the punishment of death to any injury done to Isaac or Rebekah.

Isaac had come down to Gerar, in obedience to a divine command, accompanied by a repetition of the promise in favour of his posterity-that they should possess the land of Canaan, and transmit the spiritual blessing to all nations. Thus honoured, and thus protected, the patriarch and his wife remained near the court of Abimelech until his possessions became immensely great. Their flocks were innumerable; the produce of their fields exceeded that of the Philistines, beyond all calculation, and the servants of their household were like the retinue of a prince. Such splendour of prosperity at length awakened the jealousy of the people, although the conduct of Isaac afforded no cause of complaint. They were obliged, therefore, to tell him plainly, that they dreaded his increasing power, and desired his removal. Nor were they satisfied by his compliance in returning to Beer-sheba, until Abimelech and some of his principal officers had paid him a visit, and persuaded him to enter into a permanent treaty of friendship; the "Well of the Oath" bearing witness to their covenant, as it had done many years before to that of their fathers.

Charles. How many years did Abraham live?

Mother. Many more than we do now; yet the life of man had been greatly abridged after the flood, and was still gradually decreasing. Abraham died at the age of one hundred and seventy-five years, (B. C. 1810) and his father, Terah, had lived two hundred and five.

Catherine. Lives so very long must have been checkered with a great variety of entertaining events.