the father hid his face from him; at which period there was more than
the withdrawing of his sensible presence, the powers of darkness were
suffered to terrify and afflict him--"It was their hour"--God had left
him in their hands. So Abram on this occasion.

Just before God had smiled upon him--"Fear not, Abram: I am thy
shield, and thy exceeding great reward." Then all was light and love.
"The candle of the Lord shone on his head." When he complained that he
had no child to comfort him, or inherit his possessions, God promised
him an heir, and countless progeny--"Look now toward heaven and tell
the stars, if thou be able to number them--So shall thy seed be. And
he believed the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness."
What an occasion of joy? What strange manifestation of divine favor?
They are scarcely paralleled in the history of man. But how sudden the
reverse? The same day--_when the sun was going down_; lo! the
brightness disappears, and _an horror of great darkness fell upon
him_.

A deep _sleep fell upon Abram_. This was not a natural sleep. There is
no probability that he would have given way to weakness, and fallen
into a common sleep, while engaged in covenanting with God; binding
himself with solemn engagements, and receiving tokens of the divine
favor, and the promise of blessings for a great while to come. If he
could have slept while receiving such manifestations of the divine
friendship, it is not probable that his dreams would have been
terrifying: His situation would rather have inspired joyful
sensations, and exciting pleasing expectations. THAT which for want of
language more pertinent and expressive, is here termed sleep, seems to
have been divine ecstasy--such influence of the holy spirit operating
in the soul, as locked it up from everything earthly, and shut out