"I'm but a stranger here, Heaven is my home; Heaven is my home; Trial and sorrow stand Heaven is my fatherland, Heaven is my home." Yes, and while he had that thought to comfort him, he would be ready, like Abraham, to give up all for God-like Abraham, to do God's will, though it seemed only to lead to grief and loss -and, like Abraham, to wait calmly through many a weary day, until God should see fit to give him happiness on earth, or to take him home to heaven. We may also notice Abraham's companions. First, when he went from his old home he had his father and wife with him, his wife's father Nahor, and her brother Lot. His brother Haran was already in his grave. Perhaps all his nearest living relatives accompanied him. Must not this have made him happy? Most of all, it must have given him joy that he was able to persuade his father to give up idols, and to become a pilgrim like himself. But there have been even young children who have had as great a joy. Little girls and boys who have loved Jesus themselves have spoken of his love to their parents, and these parents have learned to love him too. And pious children who have not been able to speak much about Christ have yet G been so gentle, so obedient, so loving, and so truthful, that ungodly fathers and mothers have said, "There must be something very wonderful and beautiful in our children's religion; we, too, will seek the Saviour." Oh, how delightful is this! Abraham must have felt, as he arose to travel to the far-off, unknown land of promise, "I cannot go alone." So every one who is truly in the way to heaven feels, "I cannot go alone:" "Father! mother! come with me To yon bright land; Brother sister! come with me To yon bright land.” But Abraham was only to have these companions for a little while. Before reaching Canaan, he and they stayed a long time in Haran. There his father died; to go, we hope, to the better country, for which his son had already learned to look. Nahor, too, the brother of Abraham, and father of Sarah and Lot, left them here. The three then-Abraham, Sarah, and Lot-arose at God's command, and travelled on by themselves.* By-and-bye Canaan was *Such at least seems the most likely account, although, as every student of the narrative knows, it has some difficulties. In Genesis xi. 26 we read, "Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran ;" in verse 32, "The days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran." If Abram, therefore, was the eldest son, he was 130 years of age when his father died. But, in chap. xii. 4, we find that Abram was but "seventy-five years old when he departed out of Haran." trust him always, Other friends may reached; but new sorrows came, of which I cannot now tell, and in the end it was found that even Abraham and Lot could not stay happily together. So they, too, parted, and Abraham with his wife was now left alone. But God was with them still. Let us obey him, and he will never leave us. leave us; earthly parents may die; we may be all alone in the world; but even the poorest, loneliest orphan, who has given himself to Jesus, may raise his eyes above, and say with holy joy, "I have a Friend in Heaven." We must conclude, therefore, either that Abram left Haran sixty years before Terah's death, abandoning his aged parent in a strange land—a supposition most unlikely-or that he was not Terah's eldest son. In the latter conjecture, indeed, there is little improbability. Certainly Abram's name is placed in rank before those of his brothers; but just so we read of Noah's children as 66 Shem, Ham, and Japheth ;" although Japheth was in fact the eldest. A Selfish Choice and its End. GENESIS xiii. Four pictures-An old man and his nephew-The partingThe selfish youth made prisoner-The rescue- -EscapeA fiery storm-The dwelling in a cave-The Dead SeaLessons-Selfishness is folly-Boys and girls whom nobody loves-We should beware of bad company-" Only just saved" -We should try to do good to our companions—What Lot might have done-Abraham's prayer too late-We should think upon the end of sin-A more fearful judgment than that of Sodom. THIS chapter may be described as containing four pictures. Let us try to draw them. First, we see two men-an old, white-haired uncle and his younger nephew-standing upon the side of a hill, silently together looking at the beautiful valley beneath them. They are thinking of the good-bye they will soon have to say to each other; for, after having lived together nearly all their lives, they are now obliged to part. The reason is, they are both so rich. They have so many sheep, and oxen, and asses, that no one place is large enough to give food and water for all. So now the uncle and the nephew are going to choose which way each may go. Which of the two should have the first choice? Why, the old man, to be sure. The younger one ought to wait, and say, "Lead your flock and herds, my uncle, whichever way you please. Take the richest land, the fairest pastures, the deepest and purest water-springs; when you have chosen to go one way, I will go the other." No, I am sorry to say, he was not so generous. It was the aged man, whose name was Abraham, that said to his nephew Lot, "Do you choose first ;" and then Lot, too selfish to think of anything but his own gain, looked down the lovely valley, and saw the green fields and spreading trees, and the beautiful bright stream of the Jordan rolling down from between the distant mountains, and said, "That shall be my home." So Abraham travelled westward, and Lot went down towards the east, to live in the fair valley of Sodom. But the selfish nephew was soon punished for what he had done. He had never thought to ask, What kind of company shall I have down there in that lovely place? And he soon found to his sorrow that the people were all very, very wicked. This troubled him much; but other troubles were to come. Being wicked, Lot's new companions were quarrelsome too, and he himself suffered for it. The second picture shows him as a prisoner. Wild and savage soldiers have seized him, and are carrying him away, with all his servants, his sheep and cattle, far from the pleasant pastures |