concubine (cf. vor. 15)-whioh she bare unto his grace (i.e. the free favour which be.~tow~) Nabor. This appears to have been tho stage and his truth (i. e. the faithfulness which Rt which the jewels W01"0 presented (ver. 47). implements promises)/rCi77! (=from the honso She said moreover UDto him, We have both of, as in Exod. viii. 8, 25, 26 ; Gesenius) my straw and provender enough, and room to master (cf. Ps. lvii. 3 ; cxv. l ; Prov. :xx. lodge in. It was now conclusively deter- 28)-1 being in the way, the Lord led (or, mined, by her answering all the pre-nrrangcd hath led) me to the houae of my master's criteria, that the Lord had heard his prayer brethren. a.nd prospered his way, and thnt the hcnven- Yer. 28.-And the damsel-1JliiJ (vide on appointed bride stood before him. And the ver. 16)-ran (leaving the venerable stranger man bowed down his head, and worshipped in the act of devotion), and told them of the Lord. The first verb expressing rever- her mother's house-a true touch of nature. ent inclination of the head, and the second With womanly instinct, discerning the possi- complete prostration of the body, and both bility of a love-suit, she imparts the Joyful combining "to indicate the aged servant's intelligence neither to her brother nor to her deep thankfulness for the guidance of the father, but to her mother and the other Lord." And he said, Blessed be the Lord females of the household, who lived separately God of my master Abraham (on the import from the men of the establishment-these of ';J~,i1 vide eh. ix. 26), who bath not left things - in particular of th11 arrival of a destitute my master of his mercy and his messenger from Abraham. Perhaps also tho truth :-literally, who hat!,, not taken away nose-jewel would toll its o,vn tale.
HOMILETICS. Vere. 10-28.-A bride for tlie heir.-2 . .Eliezer and Rebekali, or the jindinr, of tlie bride. I. THE MATRIMONIAL EMBASSY, I. The departure from Hebron. With promptitude and alacrity, as became a servant executing the instructions of a master -attended by a cavalcade of ten camels and their drivers, as ambassadors of princes are wont to signalise their dignity by ample retinues; and laden with the choicest of his master's goods as presents for the bride, since they who go to woo must not neglect to carry gifts-the venerable steward issued forth upon his mission. 2. The iourney northwards. Up the Jordan valley towards II the Eye of the East" would probably be the route followed by Eliezer of Damascus ; thence closely skirting the spot whore in after yeors Tadmor in the wilderness arose with its palaces and tem- ples, now magnificent in their ruins, till at length, crossing the Euphmtes, he would reach Aram of the Two Rivers. 3. Tlie arrival at Haran. If the time at which the patriarchal envoy reached the city of Nabor, viz., at sunset, when the maidens sally forth to draw, was an indication of the guiding hand of Providence, perhaps the spot at which he halted and partially unloaded his weary camels, viz., at the well, was a testirnoniol to his own shrewd sagacity, which discerned that for meeting with the virgins of the district, and in particular the females of Nahor's family, no better place could be selected than the city well, which was besides the customary resting- pince for travellers. II. Tm: PRAYER AT THE WELL. I. Iu reverent humility. Not only does he adore the Divine greatness, but, leaving himself altogether out of account, he be- spenks an interest in the Divine favour entirely as an act of kindness to his master. 2. Its childlike simplicity. He proposes a test by which he may be able to recog- nise the bride whom God has selected for his master's son. In doing so he prac- tically casts the matter over upon God, asking him in the fashion indicated to point out the object of his search, thus exemplifying the very spirit of the Christian rnle, "In everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God." 3. Its immediate answer. "Before he had done speaking, Rebekoh came out" to the well, and acted precisely os he had desired that the bride should do. It was a striking illustration of the promise, 11 Whiles they are yet speaking I will hear." III. THE MEETING WITH IlEDEKAH. 1. A description of licr person. As to parentage, the daughter of Bethuel; in respoct of condition, of virgin purity; with regard to appearance, very fair to look upon; concerning education, trained to domestic duties. 2. An account of lu:1· kindness. Coming up from the well, she graciously complios with the servant's request to be allowed to tako a draught from 'l'HE BOOK OF GE~ESIS. [rn. XXII'. 10-28.
her pitcher. _Then ~ith w:inning sweetness she promptly offers to fill the stone troughs for his weaned ammals. And finally, when asked her namo, she with in- genuous frankness tells it, aQding, in reply to a request for lodging, that in Bethuel'B house there was not only room for him~elf and camels, but sumptt1ous hospitality for both. Such spontaneous acts of kindness to an unknown and nged stranger hPspoke a tender and susceptible heart within the breast of the fair Hebckah. 3. T/1,! imrresswn which she made on Eluz~. (1) Her appearance arrested him and mado him run t~ meet h~r (ver. 17) with his pre-arrang·ed request. Clearly this o!d man !~ad a singular chs~ernment of cl~ara~ter a~ well as a quick eye for beauty. (2) Her kmdness touched _!nm, and made lum silent m wonder (ver. 21), struc,k. dumb with amazement at her mmute fulfilment of every one of his stipulated conditions. (3) Her invitati~n overp~wered him, ?ausing ~im to bo:V his _head and worship (ver. ~G), admowledgmg Gods goodness m so quickly leadmg !um to the house of his master's brethren, and so unmistakably pointing out the bride. Learn-1. The fidelity and devotion to the interests of masters and mistresses "hich should be evinc,ed by servants. 2. The spirit of prayer and supplication wliich Christians should display in all the perplexing and difficult paths of life. ;I, Tl,c kind of brides which young men should select, viz., maidens distinguished hy Hrhekah's amiable and obliging disposition, eYen should they not be a-ifted with ncbckab's grace of form. .,