April 26

Genesis xviii. — 1. And the Lord appeared unto Abraham in the plains of Mamre; and he sat in the tent-door in the heat of the day;

2. And he lifted up his eyes, and looked: and, lo, three men stood by him: and, when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent-door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3. And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 4. Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched; and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5. And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do as thou hast said. 6. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. 7. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hastened to dress it. 8. And he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

The promise of Isaac to Abraham had special reference to the covenant of grace. Ishmael was the son of a bond woman, and, as such, could not fitly become the type of that free spiritual community which was to be founded upon the faith of Abraham. The Bible always speaks of children as precious gifts of God; and in the Old Testament they were the more prized as giving hope of the Messiah in the line of God's special promise.

There is hardly a more lovely spot in Palestine than the valley along which lies the city of Hebron, — creeping up the hills upon either side, and imbosomed in vineyards, for which the locality is still famous, as the ancient "Ethel." About a mile from the city, in the midst of the vineyards, stands a venerable tree, which tradition honors as the oak of Abraham, and which may mark the site of Mamre, where he so long

9. And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. 10. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent-door, which was behind him. 13. And the Lord said unto Abraham, . . . 14. Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life; and Sarah shall have a son.

Psalm cxxviii. — 1. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

2. For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 3. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house; thy children like olive-plants round about thy table. 4. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. 5. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion; and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 6. Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

pitched his tent. The passage gives a beautiful picture of patriarchal hospitality. As Abraham was reposing at noon-tide in the shade, three travellers appeared before him; and he hastened to show them attentions, — perhaps with a vague suspicion that these might be heavenly visitants. As the sandals worn in the East exposed the feet to the dust of the way, the first thing was to provide water for the guests. Then, speaking modestly of his provision, he hastened to prepare for them the best that tent and herd afforded. According to custom, the calf was cooked and eaten as soon as killed; and Abraham in token of respect for his guests, stood to serve them while they sat to eat. His delicate and generous hospitality was followed by the choicest promises of divine favor. So the grace of God may come as a daily guest to our hearts and homes, if we are ever ready to welcome it.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 85, 124, 125.

O God, the Father of all the families of men! we thank thee for thy great love in the gift of children; for all the joy they bring with them; for all the good thou dost prepare for them and by them. [May the children of this family be thine in the covenant of thy love, and grow up in the household of faith!]

O Lord! we adore thee as God over all, blessed forevermore. Thou art the Former of our bodies, and the Father of our spirits. All we are and all we have is derived from thee. There is nothing which we have that we have not received. Oh! give us the blessing of grateful hearts. Let thy Spirit be our teacher; let thy Word be our guide; let thy will be our sovereign motive; let thy glory be our final end.

Heavenly Father, we bring thee thanks for the rest and refreshment of sheep, and for the comforts of the morning. Bless us at our table, in our domestic occupations, and in all the business of life. Oh! gladden this home with thy presence. Guide, keep, and prosper us this day. Bless all connected with us by whatever tie. May our ever-present God be with them, guiding them by his grace, defending them from temptation, and fitting them by his providence for the varied duties of the present life!

Bless the lambs of thy flock. We commend them to the Great Shepherd of the sheep, beseeching him to make them perfect, and to fold them in the arms of his mercy. And to thy name be ascribed all the praise. Amen.