THE

Cottager's Monthly Visitor.

SEPTEMBER, 1825.

REMARKS ON THE TWENTY-SIXTH CHAPTER OF GENESIS.

"Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar."

Ver. I. THE same land in which Abraham had sojourned in time of famine, and ruled by a king of the same name, (Gen. xx. 2.) and where, alas, we find him practising the same base and cowardly policy, for his own personal protection, into which his father was before betrayed, and aggravated by the circumstance of his dwelling in the land at the express command of God, who we find in v. 2-5. appearing to him, and renewing the promise made to Abraham of an innumerable posterity. Well may such mournful instances of weakness, make the Christian cry out, "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe. Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins." Well may they, in the conviction of his own infirmity, cause him to look for His help, who was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without

sin."

Ver. 14. "The Philistines envied him." How vain it is to depend on any thing in this world for happi

ness! What among earthly pursuits, appears more innocent, or more likely to afford satisfaction, than the success arising from the exertions of honest industry? and yet if Isaac had looked to it for happiness, it would have been marred by the envy of the Philistines, for our minds are so formed, that our earthly possessions will not afford us satisfaction, unless we have the sympathy of others in the enjoyment of them. "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." There is but one portion which never palls and never dissappoints; permission to live to God here, and the hope of eternity hereafter. Ask any man, however prosperous, who is making the things of time his object, if he is happy, and you will always find that there is something wanting. He may be the favourite of a king, glorying in riches, and advanced above princes, but there will be some Mordecai, who will refuse to do him reverence; or even the king himself, but there will be a Naboth refusing to give up the inheritance of his fathers. But if the glory of God, and the advancement in sanctification of our own souls, by living to him as his children and servants be our aim, nothing can greatly or lastingly move us, because we know that he can, and does overrule all events to his own glory and his people's good. The same spirit which animated St. Paul, who regarded not his bonds or imprisonment because they fell out to the furtherance of the Gospel, and would turn to his salvation, dwells in the true Christian also.

Ver. 22. "Blessed are the meek, "says our Lord, "for they shall inherit the earth." Meekness is gentleness of temper towards men, produced by a desire to do the will of God. They who are meek and humble, and really sensible that they have deserved nothing

Remarks on Genesis xxvi.

387

at the hands of God, will not be foremost to exact all that a stander by may see to be plainly their due, from their fellow-creatures. Yet it is said that they shall inherit the earth, and it is true; for though they may have less in actual possession, they enjoy the little that they have, more than those proud spirits who can never rest unless they obtain all that they imagine to be their right, and whose happiness is continually embittered by the imagination, that some disrespect or injustice is done them. Must not the mind of Isaac have been more at rest, in thus yielding to the Philistines, till he could say, "Now the Lord hath made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land," than if he had continued the possession of the wells with them? "The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." "Better is it to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud." Ps. xxxvii. 11. Prov. xvi. 19.

Ver. 24. "Fear not, for I am with thee," &c. I have often thought that we rob ourselves of much comfort, by not considering that whatever God was in the days of old to his people, He is still to us. Abraham and Isaac were not dearer to him then, than his children now are; his dealings with them are recorded for our encouragement and instruction, "that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." And think what it is for <6 man that is a worm, and the son of man that is a worm," to be thus regarded by Omnipotence, that Jehovah should thus condescend to be his God, his friend who careth for him, whose eyes are ever upon him, and whose ears are open to his prayers. not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord, which exercise loving

"Let

kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight saith the Lord."

Ver. 26, 27. "When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." Isaac by his conduct on this occasion, in not resisting evil, so evidently shewed that he was a servant of God and under his especial protection, that the Philistines now desired to make a covenant with him, and to become friends with him.

Ver. 35. " Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and Rebekah;" for could Esau possibly connect himself with two idolatrous women,-women who worshipped not the true God? Could he live with such women as these and not be led by them farther from the way of God than he was before? Nothing goes so near the heart of a pious parent, as to see a child careless about its everlasting good. It must be a grief of heart to any such parent to see a child united in marriage to one who has no religious principle, and who has therefore no support amidst the trials and distresses of this world, and no comfort in the thoughts of the next; and who, instead of training up a family in the way they should go, and being the head of a race which shall fear God, shall lead them out of the right path, and prepare them for destruction.

T. B. P.

ELI.

(See 1 Samuel, chap. iii, and iv.)

THE character of Eli affords important instruction to parents.-Eli was a holy and devout man, but he was a weak parent; he allowed his sons to indulge in all the sins to which their natural incli

The Character of Eli.

389

nations led them, and he neglected to use that authority which belonged to him as a parent, to restrain them in their wicked courses. He spoke to them indeed mildly,-and this is right; but, if this should fail, something more is required. We often see religious parents who are, like Eli, not sufficiently attentive to the bringing up of their children. We hear them sometimes saying," the child is going on sadly, but we must leave it to the Lord, he will turn the child's heart when he sees fit: the work must be His." Now it is perfectly true that "every good gift cometh of the Lord," and that "to graft in our hearts the love of His name" must be his work. But we know also, that the Lord works by means, and that instruction, and admonition, and watchfulness, and (when need requires) authority are the usual means by which the evil dispositions of the heart are driven out, and good desires planted there instead. And this task is given to parents, the natural guardians of their children. And we see how Eli was punished for neglecting this. "I will judge his house for ever, saith the Lord, "for the iniquity that he knoweth, for his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not." And we must observe that it was for this particular crime that the punishment was pro`nounced, and executed, on the family of Eli; for in other respects, the character of Eli was good-he was a devout man. His submission to his punishment affords a perpetual lesson to us under every dispensation. "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." And when he hears of the dreadful news of the affliction with which his country, and his family are visited, he could bear it all, till he was told that the honour of GOD had suffered.

A messenger came from the battle, and told him that his countrymen were put to flight." Israel is fled before the Philistines." Then he tells him of their loss," there hath been a great slaughter