"For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman.

"Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar." —Gal. 4:22, 24.

I would not have been authorized to say that the experience in the household of Abraham was a type of spiritual experience, unless the apostle said so; but, under the light of the Holy Ghost, the apostle presents very strong arguments to illustrate the spiritual life, the beginning and perfecting of that life, and he draws this illustration of the patriarch's family from the Old Testament. In Abraham's family we see the difference between the spiritual life and the carnal life: he "had two sons": one, a child of the bondwoman, who was "born after the flesh," the other the child of "promise," born from above. Hagar represents the legal Church, the Church of Mount Sinai; Sarah, the true spiritual Church, the Church of Pentecost, the Church of the Holy Ghost. Hagar's child is in bondage. The apostle draws a comparison between the children of Hagar, in bondage, and those of Sarah, which are the spiritual children, free, liberated by the Holy Ghost. The child of the carnal side persecutes the child of the spiritual side. We might apply this lesson by showing that in all ages there has been a legal Church, a Church in bondage; a Papal Church; an infidel Lutheran Church; a worldly, ecclesiastical Church; and by showing the difference between the revival and the legal Church. There has always been a revival Church; throughout all ages there has been a remnant; and, right along side, the overshadowing of the cold Church of formality and spiritual slavery. And what is true of the whole Church is true of its individual members, as a rule. We have in our own selves a miniature Abrahamic family: we have in ourselves that depraved nature of which Ishmael is the type; when we get converted we have the impartation of the spiritual life, of which Isaac is the type; in their coming together, their clash, we have the same conflict as those two boys; and in our complete deliverance from all sin we have the "casting out," like that of Ishmael. The first part bears on conversion. I always preach the first blessing as an infallible prerequisite to the second; the second would be absolutely useless without the first. I will notice, first, the "new life."

When Isaac was born, there came into Abraham's family a new life — spiritual, God-given by promise, by faith — of dominant power and authority and influence; and in the birth of Isaac we have one of the most perfect illustrations of regenerating grace in our hearts. If you want to understand the nature of the new birth, you have it here. The new life that came was a supernatural one: God told Abraham, when a hundred years old, and Sarah past age, that they should have a son, and that he should be the true heir, and that "in him should all the nations of the earth be blessed." So you need not expect anything of Ishmael; I will give you an heir out of whom shall come David and Jesus and the salvation of the world. It was to be such a remarkable life that it came contrary to the laws of nature. So you receive in your heart, at conversion, a life produced by supernatural power, as Isaac in Abraham's household. If Abraham had gone to scientists or philosophers or physiologists, they would have said that it was against universal history and law, and was impossible. They talk so about your conversion. Tell a worldly man the great current and bent of your sinful nature, and he will say that for such a being to become pure and gentle and kind and loving is contrary to natural law; and so it is. When God converts a sinner He goes right in the face of natural law in matter and mind. It is a miracle.

A great many people get the notion that conversion is being "patched up," an outgrowth of morality, and some say that holiness preachers underrate conversion; but the ones who do that are the ones who are not too much converted themselves. We teach that it is a miracle; it is coming down into the machinery of darkness and life, and introducing Christlikeness contrary to the instincts and laws of nature. When He converts a soul He does a greater miracle than in raising a dead man from the grave, for one is a change of material condition and the other a change of the spiritual nature. You say, " Oh, but I am such a bad case! " But when God converts you there will be a miraculous change in all your nature.

The second point is, he was born "by faith." If Abraham had doubted God's promise, Isaac would never have come into the world. He believed God without stopping to consider the difficulties in the way. The instant a promise is held out to you, you go to arguing, and while you are arguing your faith evaporates and is gone. Abraham believed God without stopping to argue, and so Isaac was born. If you want a new life it will come by faith. God says, "I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." When God promises to change your heart, it is your place to believe God. Don't stop to reason about the difficulties in the way; just say, "Thou didst make me, and Thou canst make me over again." It is your place to believe, in spite of everything. Though hell and earth has piled up difficulties, yet if you will believe you will receive a new life in your heart as Abraham in his home. Isaac, when born, was the dominant ruler in that home. When only a clay old he had more authority than Ishmael at sixteen years of age. Before, Ishmael had everything his own way, he was the heir; but when Isaac was born the scepter was taken from his hand, and every bit of wealth and honor and glory went over to the newborn child. So until you get converted, depravity is your boss, but from the moment God converts your soul the Holy Ghost life becomes the dominant power. From the moment you are born of God your spiritual life is the controlling life. A man may have been a swearer from boyhood, but in one moment the new life is stronger than all those years of depravity, his feelings, his friendships, his wealth, his power, all he has, is handed over to a new life. Depravity may still linger in the heart, but it is stripped of its power; it is repressed; it may exist, but it don't have authority. There is a great difference between having sin in the heart and having it to control the heart. Brother McDonald wrote a verse in which occurred the words, —

"Long has evil dwelt within."

Some one changed it to, —

"Long has evil reigned within,"

It is a bad change, for there is a vast difference; it is one thing to have inbred sin on the throne, and another to have him sitting waiting to have you carry him to execution.

Isaac was the controlling life. That is the state of a child of God. Your conversion is an incoming of a new life from God, it puts everything else under tribute to it. From the moment we are regenerated we are able to control the remaining evil tendencies in the heart, and while you have wrong tendencies, they don't rule you; your tongue prays instead of swearing, your hands work for God and not for Satan; that is so of every child of God.

Third: These two lives haven't gone far together before there comes another phase, — the time came for Isaac to be weaned. They made a great feast, and Ishmael's jealousy was aroused; he knew Isaac was the true heir. He tantalized and vexed Isaac; and Sarah said to Abraham, "You must cast out this bondwoman and her son." After you have had the new life implanted. in your hearts, by and by God calls every child to come to the weaning time. John Wesley said that he believed a short while after we are born of God, the Holy Ghost made convictions for something higher; the Holy Ghost calls upon us to be "weaned." The young convert lives on emotions, on his friends, etc.; he lives on "milk." He is a baby; can't walk alone; has to lean on external aids, — on recurring revivals, on preachers, on emotion, or some outside "somebody." Now, God calls for every converted soul to be "weaned"; then they will take "strong meat." And you mark: when the day comes for weaning, your depravity will begin to make war in your breast, and you will find that when the Holy Ghost is drawing you out to higher things, this inbred sin, this depraved nature, old " Ishmael," will mock and make fun of you. Hell blow hot and he'll blow cold; if you pray in public, and make a good prayer, he'll flatter you, and if you pray a poor prayer he will make fun of you; he will either try to make you a fool or a coward. If you speak or work for God he will make fun, and if you don't he will accuse you of never being saved, and will tell you how mean you are. No matter how you act, inbred sin will always tantalize; it is an eternal grumbler. No matter if you have an ounce of it or a ton, an ounce of powder on fire will act up to its capacity the same as a ton of it on fire. A little rattlesnake will wriggle his tail and hiss just like an old rattlesnake "fifteen" years old. So you take a refined gentleman or lady, or some lowly, humble person, and if inbred sin is in the heart it will behave the same; it is not the quantity but the quality. As long as you are trying to serve God it will hinder and bother you. always putting objections to you, That bad boy (Ishmael) would take Isaac's toys and make him cry, and then tantalize him because he did so; inbred sin will take your joy from you and then say, "Cry!" and tantalize you. You are a genuine Christian, but look how Isaac is tantalized by Ishmael; he has no rights there, but is a perpetual trouble. So is your inbred sin; and though you have a divine life in you, you find that inbred sin will prevent your progress.

Fourth: Ishmael must be cast out. This hurt Abraham's feelings; he was " grieved." Hagar had her tent, but these women and boys were making trouble for him. Sarah talked and reasoned with him, and nine tenths of his heart were with Sarah though his heart was grieved; but he knew she was led of God. God always is on the side of a pure woman. Sarah represents the spiritual Church; and when the holy Church says, "Cast out Ishmael," we feel grieved and say, "I am willing to give up my idols, etc., but I didn't know of such a tremendous crucifixion." We all want to be holy, but can Ave pay the price? "It will destroy my own notions of propriety, and injure my reputation, etc.; it will 'grieve' me to take Ishmael out of my heart." But the Church keeps pressing you; and God says whatever that sanctified Church tells you to do, do it. The Church bids you " cast him out." God always takes sides with the spiritual Church. Nevermore read about it and argue about it, but cast out the evil thing; if you don't he will damage the life of Isaac.

I fancy that the parents are watching while these two boys are at play, when suddenly Ishmael fires up and strikes Isaac; and Sarah says to Abraham, "Do you see that? that [Isaac] is your heir; from him shall come in David's line the Jesus that shall save the world; do you see how valuable that life is?" "Yes, I see it," says Abraham. "Can you afford to have that child's life in danger? Ishmael will get larger and larger, and some day he will kill Isaac. Hadn't you better cast him out? " Abraham "sees" it, and he calls Hagar and sends them out. You have got good religion in your heart, but your religion is being injured by your depravity. The one was born of God, — that is all right, — the other is born of depravity. You do not want to cast out self-will, but that is your Ishmael, winch may some clay kill your piety. Now, do you want a happy death? Your happy death is in your religion. Your heaven, your resurrection, is wrapped up in your religion. Can you afford to have anything endanger your religion? Though you may not have much, it is worth taking care of; it is divine. You can't afford to have pride and rebellion; can't afford to keep Ishmael in your heart when he may murder your piety. When Abraham cast out Ishmael, then Isaac had everything to himself; he was free. Notice, he was the very same child! before, hindered and bothered, now the same with the hindrances and bother taken away.

Some think that sanctification is a sort of new kind of religion. You have got the only kind you will ever get, only now religion under difficulties — Isaac hindered by Ishmael. Now, when you are "purged from sin" you have the same religion with the hindrances all gone. Then it will be a free religion; nothing to disturb or bother it; it will have the whole house to itself; religion going over the whole mansion, — spirit, soul, and body. It is the same religion. What you want is to remove the hindrances and let piety have full control; you cannot afford to keep anything in your heart that will interfere with your eternal weak The unconverted get a new life, and believers may have the hindrances "cast out" and have joy and comfort in all the house of the Lord.