HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-11.-The last days of Abraham. I. AnnAHAM's OLD AGE. 1. The talcing of a second wife. ( 1) Her name: Keturah, recorded because of her relationship to Abraham. Connection with God's people confers honours as well as privileges. (2) Her marriage: of the second degree. Succeeding to Sarah's mr.!riage bed, Ketural, did not succeed to her social status. Neither did her issue possess legal claim to Abraham's inheritance. Concubinage, though permitted, was not necessarily approved by God. (3) Her children: numerous and (in some instances) dis- tinguished. The common seed of the flesh may often be more enlarged than the 11pecial seed of grace; but the descendants of good men, other things being equal, • are likelier to come to honour than the families of the wicked. 2. The making of his will. (1) Isaac, the son of Sarah, be constitutes his heir, in accordance with tho Divine counsel, not attempting to interpose on behalf of Ishmael, his first-born. Primogeniture may involve certain rights in the world ; it bas no superiority in grace, or in the Church. (2) The sons of Hagar and Keturah he endows with portions from his ample pastoral wealth before he dies, and sends away to settle as inde- pendent nomads in the unoccupied territory lying on the east of Palestine, thus providing for the prosperity of his children and the peace of his family after he is gone-two things which pious parents should as far as possible secure before they die. II. .ADRAHAM's DEATH. 1. Before deatk The age to which the patriarch had attained was-( 1) Numerically great, viz., 175 years. Mark the tendency of piety to prolong life (Pa. miv. 12). (2) Morally good. Neither beautiful nor desirable in itself, when associated with corresponding ripeness in grace old age is both delightful to look upon and pleasant to enjoy (Prov. xvi. 31). (3) Completely satisfying. He had experienced the Divine goodness and mercy for 175 y~ars, hnd God's covenant established with himself and family, beheld Isaac born, married, and, the father of two promising sons, and seen Sar~h away before him to the better !and; now he had no desire left unfulfilled but one, v1z. 1 to depart. 2. At deatli. His end was peaceful; he "breather! out bis spirit''. into the ~ar,de o~ Jehovah. .~o did Isaac (eh. xx..xv. 29), Jacob (ch.xlix. 33), David (Pe. m1. 5), Chnst (Luke xxm. 46). "Mark tlte perfect, and behold the upright" (Pe. xxxvii. 37) .. 3. After. d~atli. He was gathered to hie people-a significant intimation of (1) the immntenahty ?f the soul; (2) the conscious existence of the soul nfter death ; (3) the g~~hennp of pious souls into one society beyon~ tho grav?; (4) the mutual r~cogn1t10n of tho glorified·1 (5) the complete separation of the nghteous from the w10ked. III. A BRAIIAM's FUNERAL. 1. The chief mournen. Whether Kotural1's boys were present at the n:ffecting ceremonial iR not stnted, but the prominent positions were occupied by Ishm 1cl and Isaac. It is a duty which surviving children ?~e deceased parents to see their remains deposited with reverence in the gra...-e, nnd 1t IS beautiful when fr,i.ternal estrangements arc removed round I\ father's tomb. 2. The place of sepulture. The cave of Machpelah had three attractions for the CII. XXV. 12-18.] 'fln} BOOK Oli' GENESlS.
patriarch: it was in the p:.-oin:ecd land, it was his own tomb, and it container! the dust of Sarah. 3. The bereaved son. Isaac, from his sensitive disposition and the unexciting character of his occupation, would feel hie father's loss more keenly than Ishmael. Perhaps this explains the statement of ver. 11. It is God's special care to comfort orphans (Ps. xxvii. 10). Learn-I. That though secondary wives are not agreeable to the word of God, second marriages are not against the will of God. 2. That good men ought to mako a just disposition of their temporal affairs before they die. 3. That whether God's saints die soon or late, they are always satisfied with living. 4. That in whatever sort of tomb a saint's dust may lie, his immortal spirit goes to join the company of just men made perfect. 5. That the loss of earthly parents is more than com• pensated by the blessing of a father's God.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vera. 1-18,...:._The line of blessing. Although Abraham has many descendant~, he carefully distinguishes the line of the Divine blessing. His peaceful end at 175 years set the seal upon a long life of faith and fellowship with God. His t,vo sons, Isaac and Ishmael, met at their father's grave, although living apart. The influence of such a character as .Abraham's is very elevating and healing, even in the sphere of the world. Ishmael is not entirely forgotten, but Isaac, as the trno heir of Abraham, hands on the blessing of the covenant.-R.