bond-woman will I make a great nation, because he is thy seed."

No longer does Abraham hesitate, but with entire reliance on Jehovah's promise, and submission to His will he prepares to obey. Early in the morning he arose, and taking bread and water for her journey, and putting her son into her hand, after one long embrace and one heartfelt blessing he sent them away.

Whither must Hagar direct her footsteps where shall her aching head be laid? Or who now shall dry the tears she sheds? Yet has Hagar caused her own inisery, by her pride and jealous discontent.

She cast her eyes upon the smiling and beautiful country before her, yet its very beauty but increased her sadness; she looked on the other side--the wilderness of Beer-sheba met her view, with its dark stony rocks and tangled shrubs frowning as if to repcl. But to her this seemed a spot in which to hide her grief and shame, after her expulsion from a home where she might have been happy. Thither she directed her steps, and wandered in the dark shadows of the rocks with her

son by her side, scarcely wishing for life. At length the water in her bottle was spent, her son asked for water, but she could not give it. Vainly did she search, and then exhausted with the fruitless effort sat down beneath the rock; but thirst consumed her. Ishmael too, whose youth could not sustain the fatigues and privations which surrounded him, sat beside his mother and strove to cheer and comfort her. But whilst he spoke his voice grew faint, his parched lips refused to separate, and his burning tongue to form the words he wished to utter. He tried to raise his eyes to the face of her who gave him life, but the lids were heavy and fell upon the orbs, which so recently sparkled with indignation at the fancied wrongs of his mother, but which now were dull and lustreless. His head drooped, and his burning temples pressed the bosom of Hagar.

She looked for a moment upon her boy lying upon her breast, like a fair flower snapped from its stem, and withered by the mid-day sun. She thought upon her own sinful folly which had caused this wreck of so young and fair a being, her child, her loved, her only

child was perishing, and through her. She cannot watch him longer, her heart is breaking. "Let me not see the death of the child," she cries in an agony of grief, and removing him from her bosom, she places him tenderly beneath a shrub, where, at least, in his dying moments, the burning sun may no longer scorch him. Then pressing upon his fevered brow and burning lips a mother's last long kiss, she went and sat down over against him, at some distance off, and in an uncontrollable burst of despairing anguish, she lifted up her voice and wept.

Whilst Hagar in her sorrow weeps aloud, the dying moan of Ishmael, though too feeble to reach her ear, yet rises up to heaven. Jehovah hears, and he remembers His promise to Abraham. A voice from heaven,-a voice of Mercy and Power-breathes gently over the wild tempest of Hagar's mind. Her distraction is stilled; she listens, and hears "What aileth thee Hagar? fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is."

Oh! sweet words of comfort! Oh! Heavenly Love:

"As spring the winter day the night,
Joy sorrows' gloom doth chase away,
And holy joy and heavenly light
Attend her steps-

Whilst she is pouring out her thanksgivings for so great, so undeserved a remembrance, the Angel bids her," Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make of him a great nation."

Hark! what new and delighful sound is it that strikes her ear as the voice of the Angel ceases! Oh! it is water, and how pricelessly precious is it in her eyes! She hastens to fill the bottle, and flies to moisten the dying lips of her boy; she stays not even to put one drop upon her own; all her sufferings are forgotten in the gushing love and overflowing tenderness of a mother's heart.

As the cool drops touch his lips and pass over his parched throat, he moves, he speaks,he opens his eyes,-where is he? Oh! in his mother's arms! folded to her bosom,-her life, her only treasure. And as he feels her warm embrace, those full blue eyes are turned upon

her with a gaze of fondness so deep and eloquent as to fill her breast with thankfulness and joy.

They still continued in the wilderness, for Hagar wished for none other but her son. And God was with him, and he grew and became an archer. And his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt, from her own kindred.