nnd a wnnt of patience in not calmly waiting for the accomplishment of God's word in God's own time and way. • III. TIIE SORROWFUL nEBULT, 1. Humili,atwn to Sarai. Elated by the prospect of maternity, the young Egyptian slave-girl despised her mistress; by haughtiness of carriage, perhaps silently discovering contempt for Sarai's sterility, and possibly nssuming e.irs of superiority, e.s if, in consequence of approaching motherhood, antici- pating her displacement from the throne of Abram's love (Prov. xxx. 23). 2. Misery to Abram.· The womanly nature of Sarai, stung to jealousy by the success of her own plan, and incapable of longer enduring the scornful triumph of a maiden whom her own hands bad transformed into a favoured rival, with something like vindictive hee.t turned upon.her meek, snbmissive, and in this matter wholly innocent lord, reproaching' him as, if not the cause of her barrenness, at least the patient and half-satisfied witness of her. humiliation; she almost called down upon him the judgment of Heaven. To a noble spirit like that of Abram the anguish of Sarai must have been distressing to behold; and the pain which it occasioned must have been intensified when be came to realise the painful dilemma in which he stood between her and Hagar. 3. Oppression to Hagar. Reminding Sarai that Hagar, though a wife to bim,·we.s still -a me.id .to her, the patriarch unwisely extended sanction to whatever remedy the heated breast of Sarai might devise. The result was that the favoured maiden was at once thrust back into her original condition of servitude, deprived of whatever tokens of honour and affection she had received as Abram's wife, and subjected to injurious treatment at the hands of her incensed mistress and rival, from which she ultimately soug·ht refuge in flight. Learn-I. That eminent saints may lapse into grievous sins. 2. That a child of God is specially liable to temptation after seasons of high religious privilege. 3. That the.strongest temptations sometimes proceed from the least expected quarters. 4.' That trying to anticipate the Divine promise ie not an uncommon form of tempta- tion. 5. That when God's people take to crooked ways, nothing but evil can come of it. HOMILIES DY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ch. xvi.-Hagar. The history of Hagar bas its two sides-that which is turned towards God and illustrates Divine grace, that which is turned towards man and illus- trates human infirmity and sinfulness. Jehovah brought forth compassionate bestow- mente of revelation and promise .out of his people's errors. .Abram and Sarah both sinned. Hagar sirtned. The angel of the Lord, representative of the continuous gracious revelation of Jehovah as a covenant God, appeared in the cloud of fnmily sorrow, drawing once more upon it the rainbow of promise. Until the heir came there was a call for patience. .Unbelief appeared at work-in the patriarch's weak- ness, in Sarah's harshness, in Hagar's pride and rebellion, for she was, 11s a member of the household, partaker of the covenant. In tho wilderness appeared the messenger of grace. l.. THE NAME OF THE LORD WAS THE TESTIMONY. Thou God seest me; or, Thou God of vision, The idea is that the sight of God was deliverance. Hagar's seeing God was God seeing her. The vision was both objective and subjective. So the world has wearied itself in the wilderness of its own ignorance and moral helplessness (cf. Gal. iv. 22-31). The unspiritual, carnal mind is the bond slave, which must give way to the true heir. .All true religious life is a response to revelation. In his light we see light. li. THE REVELATION TO HAGAR MAY BE CONNECTED WITH IIER PERSONAL HISTORY. She turned back with a new light in her heart. Submission and obedience are com- manded, but abundant reward is promised: Our life is under the eye of Jehovah and in bis· i1and. "Thou Go·d .sees~ me" is the cry of a grateful memory, the note of a bright .future. .The nearness of God, his knowledge, may be not terror, but blessing, cmgels round about u~, gracious sunshine of love in which wo are invited to w11lk as children of light.-R.
Vera. 1-6.-1''/ze maid, the mistress, (tnd the master. 1. Pride. 2. Contempt. 3. Insubordination. 4. Flight. 228 THE BOOK OF GENESIS. (en. XVI. 7--16,