HOMILETICS. ~·crs. 29-60.-A bride for the lteir.-3. Eliezer and_La_ban_, or proposals Joi· the hrule. I. THE UOSPITADLE BROTHER. I. Tlie eager invitation. 11 Uome in 1 thou blessed of the Lord!" (1) The speaker was Laban, Tiebekah'e brother w ho on h~nring his siste_r's call _had hurried to the well. (2) The !flOtive which' impelled 1nm was not unlikely a little greed of filthy lucre, the nppetite for which a. sight of llebekah"s jewels may have whetted; a little feeling of friendship, since he would learn from Ilebekah that the stranger had come from Abraham; and a. little sense of religion, as the family of Nahor appear still to have retained the knowledge of JehoYah. Most people's motives are mixed, and so probably were Laban's. 2. Tlte kindly reception. (1) Eliezer's camels were unpacked, stalled, and feel-a proof of Laban's humanity (Prov. xii. 10). (2) Hie men's feet a.nd hie own wern refreshed by washing-a necessary part of Oriental hospitality, evincing Laban's thoughtfulness (cf. Luke vii. 44). (3) Meat and drink were set .before himself and his companions-the crowning act of an Eastern reception, showing that Laban and the other members of the household were accustomed to "use hospitality without grudging." 11. THE AGED WOOER. 1. Impatunt. The nature of his mission urged him to despatch, ae knowing well that hIB master wae old, that Isaac was needful of a bride, that coy maidens are soonest caught by fervent suitors, and that successful wooing brookG no cielay. 2. Skilful. The first recorded speech in the Bible, Eliezer's hride-wooing cannot fail to be admired for its wisdom. (1) He secures the sympathy of hie auditors by declaring_ himself to be the servant of Abraham ; (2) he details to them the wealth of his maA'ter, reasoning probably that no mother would ever think of sending a.way her daughter into a foreign country to be a poor man's bride; (3) lie advances to the great religious consideration that Isaac's wife must be a wor- Rliipper of God; and ( 4) he narrates the singular providence that had pointed out Hebekah as the destined bride. 3. Piom. The religious character of this wooing is apparent from the reverent use of the Divine name throughout the old man's speech, the importance assigned to piety as one of the bride's qualifications, the devout recog- nition of God's hand in prospering hie journey, and the impression he conveys that Jeliovah has himself selected Ilebekah. III. TnE CONSENTINO RELATIVES. The acquiescence of Laban, Bethuel, and the mother of Rebekah was-I. Unhesitating['!/ given. "Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy masters son's wife." A little reluctonce on their part would not have been surprising. 2. Piously dictated. "The thing proceedeth frorn the Lord I" Not the eligibility of the match, but the approbation of li&aven, secured their consent. 3. Thankfully acL"1Wwledged. 11 Abroham's servant wor- 6li.ipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth." How eminent the piety which traces every blessing to its primal source; how beautiful the religion which, the more it gets, the more it stoops I 4. Richly rewarded. "The servant brought forth jewels of silver," &c. (ver. 53). While o.doring the original Giver, he did not negleet the second cause. Young men who receive fair Rebekah& in marriage should not forget to recompense with love and gifts the fa.there ond mothers who have given them np. ~v. T~r. WILLIJ:0 MAJJiE:,;'. 1. Tlte j)l"OJIOSed delay. 11 Let the <lnmecl nbiue with cl:t. xuv. 2!".1- GO.) 'Urn BOOK OF GENE81S.
ue a few days, at least ten." This was natural, and would be convenient both for the preparation of the bride's trousseau and for the gratification of friends wlio might wish to bid her farewell. 2. The urgent request. "Hinder me not; send me away." The old man accepted his prosperity in wooing as an indication that God intended his immediate return. 3. The imporlant question. "Wilt thou go with this man'(" No maiden, however urged by relatives and friends, should contract a forced and unwilling marriage. 4. The decisive answer. "I will go." After this there could be no mistaking how Rebekah's heart inclined. It augured well for the coming marriage that it would prove a union of love, and not simply of convenience. 5. The fraternal benediction. " Thon art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions."