teach his people to value his blessings. Abraham obeys the painful command; but Isaac shall not die. His design is accepted, instead of its execution. The lad is restored to his father! And, oh! how must his heart rejoice to receive his son, as it were from the embraces of death! What scenes would he have to disclose to his beloved Sarah after this marvellous deliverance! See this approbation in GoD's providing an offering: thus proclaiming, "In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen," that infinite wisdom and mercy will provide a substitute to die for his people, that he will appear for them in the hour of distress, and that he will abundantly reward those that serve him. While Abraham stood, in silent, grateful surprise, marvelling at the miraculous interposition of the great JEHOVAH in its behalf, he "lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son." God farther showed his approbation of his conduct, by renewing and enlarging the covenant he had formerly made with him. While the MOST HIGH never blesses disobedience, he rewards those who obey him: "By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice." And see, finally, the approbation of GoD in holding up the deed to the admiration of all succeeding ages. So long as the volume of Revelation shall endure, "shall this that he hath done be told for a memorial of him." This is the man whom the Majesty of heaven delighteth to honor; this is the individual he calls upon us to imitate. It only remains that we hint at the lessons which this most interesting subject suggests to us. It presents us with a type of the death of CHRIST. It was to this the SAVIOUR referred, when he said "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad." But how far does the antetype exceed the type! Abraham was ready to offer his son; but GoD spared not his Son, but freely gave him up for us all." Isaac was offered on a mountain; CHRIST on the same mountain, or very near it, yielded up his life. The offering up of Isaac brought blessings to Abraham; the sacrifice of the SAVIOUR opened a channel through which eternal mercies shall flow to man. The narrative farther teaches us, that our dangers cannot be too great for HIM who ruleth in the heavens to deliver us from them. We could hardly have supposed it possible, when Abraham had bound Isaac to the altar, and had already lifted up his hand to strike the fatal blow, that he could have been delivered: but with the GoD of the Christian all things are possible. Who can harm, when he protects? Who will fear, when he is nigh? We see that DEITY enjoins hard duties to try his people. "GOD tempted," or tried, Abraham; not because he was unknown to Omniscience, but to show us the nature of his religion. In all succeeding ages he ever has, and will visit his people with his severe dispensations, to try them and prove them; to see what is in their hearts, and whether they will keep his commandments or no." And finally, the subject illustrates the necessity of faith to our happiness. Had not Abraham possessed faith in the Divine testimony, he had not been happy; nor could he have thus endured the trials he was called to sustain. He could not have glorified his CREATOR, nor been thus held up to the admiration of all holy beings. "All men have not faith." This makes the world full of misery. Let us impress deeply on each of our hearts the important injunction of the SAVIOUR, "HAVE FAITH IN GOD." RAMA. The residence of the prophet Samuel, five miles northwest of Jerusalem. It may well be called "a high place," for it commands a view of all the plain of Sharon, a long extent of the Mediterranean sea, and a large portion of Palestine in all directions. "In Rama was there a voice heard," &c. The prophet is supposed to represent Rachel as coming out of her tomb, and weeping with so loud a voice as to be heard at Rama, the distance of seven or eight miles. THE GOAT. THE usual Scripture name for this animal in a domestic state, is a word which signifies strength or vigor, and it seems the goat is so called on account of its agility and vigor. Dr. Russell and other travellers inform us, that in Syria they have two kinds of goats; one that differs little from the common sort in Britain; the other remarkable for the length of its ears, which are sometimes upward of a foot long, and broad in proportion. To this description of the goat it is, as Mr. Harmer reasonably supposes, that the prophet Amos refers, in expressing the smallness of that part of Israel that escaped from destruction, and were scattered in foreign countries: "As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion, two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria, and in Damascus," Amos iii. 12. The goat was one of the clean animals which the Israelites were permitted to eat, and to offer on the altar (Exodus xii. 5, &c.); and the flesh of the kid is frequently mentioned in terms which show that it was esteemed as a great delicacy, Gen. xxxviii. 16, 17; Jud. xvi. Solomon promises, as a reward to the diligent husbandman, that he shall have goat's milk enough for his food, for the food of his household, and for the maintenance of his maidens (Prov. xxvii. 27); which to us may appear somewhat strange; but Russell assures us, that in Aleppo, these animals are chiefly kept for their milk, of which they yield no inconsiderable quantity; that it is sweet and well-tasted, and frequently used for the making of cheese. This furnishes one among many instances of the importance of historical and local information to a right understanding of the sacred writings. In Lev. xvii. 7, we read, “And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils" (or hairy ones). The word here means the idolatrous images of goats worshipped by the Egyptians. It is the same word that is translated "satyrs," in Isa. xiii. 21; where the LXX render it demons. Maimonides gives light to this obscure passage, by informing us, that the Zabian idolaters worshipped demons under the figure of goats, imagining them to appear in that form; whence they called them by the name of Seirim-hairy or shabby ones-and that the custom being spread among other nations, gave occasion to this precept. There is a precept in Ex. xxiii. 19, repeated in xxxiv. 26, and Deut. xiv. 21, which alludes, no doubt, to some superstitious rite, used by the idolatrous nations in honor of their gods. A Caraite Jew, quoted by Cudworth, affirms, that it was customary among them to boil a kid in the milk of its mother, and with the decoction besprinkle, in a magical manner, the fields and gardens, thinking, by this means, they should make them fructify. There was one ceremonial offering of the goat, under the Mosaic economy, of too extraordinary a character to be passed by unno |