The Revelation That Retarded

 "And the Lord appeared unto Isaac and said, Go not down into Egypt." Genesis 26:2.

       We are in the habit of thinking that every revelation of God must expand our vision. It is a mistake. God sometimes reveals Himself by contracting our view. It was so here. He appeared to Isaac in the form of a stone wall. Isaac wanted to branch out - to go into Egypt. Going to Egypt was like going to Paris; it was a seeing of the world. God said "stay where you are; I will not let you go." It was not the sort of thing a young man would expect from a Divine apparition. If he were told God was about to appear to him, he would say in his heart, "I shall now be directed to a wider field of enterprise." What would be his astonishment if the revelation said, ''Go back to your primitive field, your childhood's field!" That is just what happened to Isaac. He had planned the making of his fortune. He was on the road to the land of his dreams - the land of Egypt; doubtless he said to himself, ''Providence leads me." Suddenly Providence appeared and shut the door. God said, ''Keep where you are - in this humble sphere where there are no trappings of wealth, no flights of promotion, no rapid openings into glory; I have decreed for you a village life."
       My brother, never let the obscurity of thy lot tempt thee to say "my way is hid from the Lord." I have heard thee lamenting the gates that were closed to thee. Hast thou lost an appointment? Our disappointments are often God's appointments. Art thou stretched upon a bed of pain while the world sweeps by to take your place, to gather your prizes? So was it with Jacob on the night of Bethel long ago. Doubtless he fretted and fumed, and arraigned the Eternal Justice; doubtless he cursed the pillow that robbed him of his chance in the race. Poor, short-sighted soul! that invalid couch was the birth of thy glory. The night that shut thee in secured thine immortality. The weariness that prostrated thee lifted thee into fame. The sleep that overwhelmed thee redeemed thee from oblivion. Thy silent hour was thy most crowded hour. Men said, '' he is buried underground; " so is the railway train when it makes leaps in its journey. Thine underground moments have been thine accelerated moments. Not by thy days of earthly splendor shall the world remember thee. Not by thy triumphs in the chase, not by thy tradings in the market-place, not even by thy patriarchal birthright, shall men preserve the memory of thy name. Thou shalt be known by that invalid couch, where, in the midst of thy proud career, thy Father's message barred thine onward way. Matheson