HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Yer. 21.-0overing. God's chief promises generally accompnnied by visible sign ■ or symholi~al acts; e. g., bow in the_ cloud, furnace and lamp (Gen, xv, 17), passover, &c. The time here spoken of spec1ally called for such n sign. Man had fallen ; n Deliverer was promised; it was the beginning of n state of grace for sinners. Notioo four fact.s :-1. Man unfallen required no covering. 2. Man fallen became con- scious of need, especially towards God. 3. Ile attempted himself to provide clothing. 4. God provided it Spiritual meaning of clotlnng (Rev. iii. 18; vii. 14; 2 Cor. v. 3). And note that the root of "atonement" in Hebrew is II to cover." Thus the covering is a type of justification; God's gift to convicted sinners (cf. Zech. iii 4, 5; Luke xv. 22; and the want of this coverir-g, l\Iait. xxii. 11). With Adam's attempt and God's gift compare the sacrifices of Cain and Abel. Abel's sacrifice of life accepted through faith (Heh. xi. 4), i. e. because ho believed and acted upon God's direction. Thus atonement, covering, through the sacrifice of life (cf. Levit. xvii. 11), typical of Christ's sacrifice, must have been ordained of God. And thus, though not expressly stated, we may conclude that Adam was instructed to sacrifice, and that the skins from the animals thus slain were a typo of the cover- ing of sin through the one great sacrifice (Rom, iv. 7). We mark then- I. THE HELPLESSNESS OF MAN TO SAVE HIMSELF FROM SIN. The natural thought of a heart convicted is, "HaYe patience with me, nnd I will pay thee all.'' Yain endc-,wour. The "law of sin" (Rom. vii. 21, 24) is too strong; earnest striving only makes this more clear (cf. Job iL 30; Isa. !xiv. 6). History is full of man's efforts to cover sins. Hence have come sacrifices, austerities, pilgrimages, &c. But on all merely human effort is stamped failure (Rom. iii. 20). II. THE LOVE OF Goo FOB SINNERS (Hom. v. 8). A common mistake that if we love God be will love ns. Whereas the truth is, 1 John iv. 10-19. \Ve must bclie,·e his free gift before we can serve him truly. The want of this belief leads tu serYice in the spirit of bondage. III. THE rnovrsrnN MADE BY Goo (John iii. 14-17). That we mig-ht be not rnerely forgiven, but renewed (2 Cor. v. 21 ). The consciousness that "Ch1·ist hath reJeemed us" is the power that constrains to willing service (1 John iii. 3).-M.
Ver. 24.-Tlte dispensation of redemption. Notice- 1. THE MEBCY WITH JUDGMENT. He did not destroy the garden; he did not root up its trees and flowers. 11. He II DROVE OUT THE MAN" into hie curse that he might pray for and seek for and, at last, by Divine grace, obtain once more bis forfeited blessing. Ill. AT THE EAST OF THE GARDEN HE PLACED THE CHERUBIMS AND THE FLAMING SWOBD TURNING EVERY WAY, emblems of his natural and moral governments, which, as they execute his righteous will amongst men, do both debar them from pe!"1'ect ltappiness and yet at the same time testify to the fact that there is such happmess for those wlw nre prepared for it. Man outside Eden is man under law, but man under law is man JJre&erved by Divine mercy. IV. The PBESEBVlNG MEBCY IS THE REDEEMING Ml!ROY. The redemption is more than del~verance f!om <:ondemna~ion and death; it is restoration to .eternal lif_e. "Pa7:adis,~ lost" 1s not paradu;e destroyed, but shall be hereafter "paradise 1·eyained. V. There is a special significance in the description of" THE WAY OF THE TREE OF LIFE" as closed and guarded, and therefore a way which can be afterwards opened and made/ree. \'I. Without pressing too closely figurative language, it is impossible, surely, to i•more in such a representation the reference to a POBI1'IVE REVELA'l'ION as the MEDIUM o°F HUMAN DELIVERANCE AND BESTO~ATION. The whole of the S_crir,tur«: te9:chin~ _rests upon that foundation, that there 1s "a way, a trutli, and a life wluch 1s D1vmely distinguished from all others. Gradually that eastward gate of Eden has been open,,d, that road leading into the centre of bliss has been made clear in II tlie man Christ Jesu,."-R. 0B JV. 1-16.] THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 77