V.

ISAAC.

BY REV. G. W. BETHUNE, D.D.

THE life of Isaac, apart from the history of his father and that of his sons, has few passages of much interest; yet the character of Isaac is eminently beautiful and instructive. Without any of that selfish ambition which seeks aggrandizement at the expense of others, or that feverish restlessness which craves continual excitement, or that jealous irritability which fires at every semblance of affront, or that revengeful tenacity which contends for the shadow of right, he lived retired from public gaze in the bosom of his family and the fellowship of his God.

He was a man of strong affections. An only son, and much caressed by his parents, their indulgent tenderness seems only to have fed, the flame of his filial piety. With respectful and confiding obedience, he accompanied his father to the mountain of sacrifice, and was bound for death unresistingly, not shrinking even from the upraised knife. With sincere and affectionate sorrow he long mourned the loss of his doting mother. With deferent and grateful humility he received a wife of his father's choice, to a love fond, changeless, and undecaying. The welfare of his children was the happiness he chiefly sought; and, although he showed a sinful partiality for Esau, his love for Jacob poured itself forth in unbounded blessings. The trials by which he was disciplined were those of the affections, for there the divine Chastener saw that the strength of his character lay. Isaac, the man of God, was a man of love. A strong example that the religion

which God approves, instead of souring the heart and restraining its charities, denies the appellation of believer to those who do not delight in the reciprocities of familiar and social kindness. Love, the name and character of God, is the imitation of their heavenly Father by his intelligent children. Love, in its outgoings and extensions, comprises all our duty. He, who made us, gave us to each other, and regards well pleased the relations he has ordained between us. He has bound the links of affection around our hearts by his own hand. The tie which unites us to Him, unites us to all his human family. When our hearts are full of love to God, they will gush forth love to our fellow-creatures, as surely as waters flow from their higher source to bless the plains beneath. Jesus Christ, the Divine Perfection of humanity, condensed the ten precepts into Love for God, and Love for man for God's sake. His incarnation was an incarnation of love. God so loved the world as to send Him; He so loved the world as to come; and, when He had given that proof of love than which there is none greater,-" laying down his life for his friends,"He left with his people another Comforter as divine as himself— the Spirit of love. Jesus loved the world; in one strain of affection He rose far above the highest morals of earth-taught philosophy-He loved his enemies; but He loved with peculiar tenderness the mother of his human nature, and the chosen companions of his life. Love was the characteristic that won his warmest regard. He loved the zeal of Peter, the industry of James, the guilelessness of Nathaniel, but John "rested on his bosom." He entered many a house to bless its inmates and accept their hospitality, but the homeless One was most at home with Lazarus and his sisters. So, while the primitive Church retained the odour of the Pentecostal unction, its distinguishing marks were love for the world which persecuted them, and especially love for the household of faith. What sight on earth so rich in moral beauty as a family dwelling together in love, when all have a common weal

and a common happiness, weeping in each other's grief, rejoicing in each other's joy! Could such love be extended throughout a nation, one brotherhood embracing all its citizens, and one interest uniting all hearts, how would the beauty of the scene be magnified! But if the world were thus interlinked, and man looked upon man only as a member of the same family, fed, sheltered, instructed, and blessed by one heavenly Father, would earth lack anything of Paradise? There is such a family,-there is such a world,—

"For Love is Heaven, and Heaven is Love."

To fit us for that heaven, the Gospel has been sent; therefore does it hallow the attachment of wedlock, inspire parental devotion and filial piety, rivet the golden chain of friendship, and prompt the far-reaching aims of philanthropy. He who on earth. feels most of such sacred love, anticipates most of the heavenly excellence and bliss. Never does the Christian rebel more against the law of his nature, the law of the moral universe, the law of his God and Saviour, than when he permits enmity or even coldness towards others in his heart; never can he write a worse libel upon the character of the faith he professes, than when he refuses to "lay aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envyings, and evil-speakings ;" and especially when those hellish mischiefs work in the church of God, or the family. If Charity begin not at home, how can she go forth into the world? Where love rules not, God does not dwell.

The character of Isaac at home was his character abroad He was a man of peace. He preferred peace above all worldly possessions, and for peace he was willing to give up everything but principle. He digged one well; but when the herdsmen of Gerar strove for it, he called it Esek (contention), and left it to them. He digged another; they strove for it also; he called it Sitnah (hatred), and left it also to them. The God of peace

honoured his forbearance, and by the waters of Rehoboth (space) he found room and quiet.

This the world would call mean-spiritedness and cowardice; but God approved and rewarded it, "for the fruit of peace is sown of them that make peace." Such will ever be the conduct of the true Christian. He will rather yield his rights than his serenity, and submit to wrong rather than contend. It is the instinct of the brute to seek revenge; it is God-like to forgive. They took from our beloved Master all, even his life, adding insult and torture to the robbery, yet He prayed for them with his last breath. Alas! how few Isaacs there are among us now; and how much more do we love to linger near the waters of Esek and Sitnah, than to seek a Rehoboth in the providence of God! How much might we do for God and his cause in the time we lose contending with men for our own! Surely the Divine glory should be most precious in our estimation; and God will take care of ours, while we devote ourselves to taking care of His.

There is, indeed, an extent to which we may carry such passive endurance of wrong, which, like all other extremes, becomes censurable. The allowance of gross, palpable injustice against ourselves, without an endeavour to bring the offender under rebuke of the law he has violated, may be to betray the rights of the community, to endanger social peace, and to foster crime; the yielding of our lives when assailed by a brutal assassin, without attempting defence, is an unfaithful abandoning of a treasure committed to our keeping by God himself; yet, even in these cases, we should act from conviction of duty, not the fury of anger or vengeance.

Neither should the proper defence of truth be ever abandoned on the plea of peace. The love of true peace, which flows only from true religion, will prompt every true believer earnestly to contend for "the faith once delivered to the saints." While there never should be enmity against the errorist, there never should

be truce with error. To dream of peace, while false doctrines abound, "leading men's souls to perdition," is to deceive ourselves, by crying "Peace! peace! when there is no peace." It may be observed, that none are so anxious for the silence of those who hold established truth, as those most busy in spreading new or revived heresies. Busy themselves in sowing error, they demand that all others shall sleep in silence, on pain of being denounced as disturbers of the Church. No matter how bold the attack which they make on doctrines dear to our own and our fathers' hearts, we are accused of persecution, or, at least, illiberality, if we resist the inroad. Nothing can be more unfair. The one who introduces occasion of offence is guilty of breaking the peace; and he who alarms the honest fears of the Church for the purity of her doctrines, has upon his conscience the shame of her discord.

If the matter in dispute be so unimportant as not to justify defence, it does not justify attack, and it is worse than idle to agitate the minds or consciences of others by unnecessary speculations. How should the controversialist, who has risked his standing upon novel doctrines, complain if his standing shares the fate of his innovation? If he had succeeded, he would have added to his fame; he must not murmur if he experiences the reverse. We are bound by the highest obligations never to yield the principles of our faith. Our zeal in defence should even outwork the errorist in attack. Yet should no bitterness against those whom God will judge, sully our zeal for his truth; and in most cases an earnest didactic spread of truth is the best polemical method, offensive and defensive, against error. The truth is never well spoken except when spoken in love. We may win our erring brother with kindness, but must make him only more obstinate if we take him by the throat. Religious controversy is necessary while error lasts, but is acceptable to God and profitable to man, only when love for the souls of men is its motive. The moment