-1. Ilo built o.n nltnr, i. e. mode open confession of his faith. 2. "Called on the name," &c., i.e. spoke to God as n living person, n ree.l helper. I. WHAT 1s IT TO 0ONFESB Goo? I. In the l,eart; firmly to believe what he hns revealed. His promises were given to be trusted. The fool puts away belief (Pe. xiv. 1). It moy be from dislike of truth (cf. Rom. i. 28); it may be despond- ingly (cf. Gen. xiii. 36), afraid to take God at hie word. The voice of trne wisdom, Ps. lxii. 1, 2. 2. In the life; acting upon "ye are not your own." We cannot go for without being tried: ia business, in companionship, in bearing what we do not like, in resisting self-will and self-seeking, in standing firm against the world's scorn or well-meant persuasions. Passing events constantly put the question whom we serve ( cf. Dan. iii. 15; Acts v. 28, 29). And not merely in matters that seem gree.t. Little things show whom we have first in our hearts II. CLOSELY CONNECTED WITH THIS IS CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD. '\Ve must look below the surface. Among professing Christians some prayer is a matter of course; but is it used as a real means to obtain? It is one thing to believe the doctrine of God's providence, and of the use of prayer, and another to pray as a practical power and to feel our Fnther's care. Yet St. Paul connects prayer and peace (Phil. iv. 6, 7). When Hannah had prayed she was no more sad (1 Sam. i. 18). The Bible has many encouragements to pray, but not one warning against asking too much. III. EFFECT OF THIS ON THE CBARA(')TER. Abraham's character as eminently faithful was built up by exercising faith. He walked with God not by any con• straining power, nor by reason of special manifestations; then he would be no example for us. Each acknowledgment of God increased his communion. Each altar marked a step in hie own life, and a work in the world. He who is faithful in little gains more power (cf. Matt, xiii. 12).-M.
EXPOSITION, Ver. 10. -And there was e. famine. :iv,, 15, 16). To sojoum there. To tany as 11 from a root signifying to huuger, the primary stranger, but not to dwell. Whether this idea appearing to lie in that of an ample, journey was undertaken with the Divine i. e. empty, stomach (Gesenius, Fiirst). 'fhe sanction and ought to be regarded as an act term is used of individuals, men or nni- of faith, or in obeclience to his own fears and mals (Ps. xx.xiv. 11; 1. 12); or of regions should be reckoned as a sign of unbelief, (Ps. xli. 55), In the land. Of Canaan. does not appear. Whichever way the patri- which, tl1ough naturally fertile, was, on ac: arch elected to act in bis perplexity, to leave count of its imperfect cultivation, subject to Canaan or reside in it, there was clearly a. visitations of dearth (cf. eh. xxvi. 1 ; xli. strain intended to be put upon his faith. 56), especially in dry seasons, when the No- For the famine was grievous ( literally, vember and December rnins, on which Pales- heavy) in the land. tine depended, either failed or were scanty. Vera. 11-13.-And it came to pass (liter- 'l'he occun-ence of this famine just at the nlly, it was), when he was come near to enter time of Abram's entering the land was an into Egypt (that he had bis misgivings, additional trial to his faith. And Abram arising probably from his own eminence, went dowu to Egypt. :Mizraim (vide eh. which could scarcely fail to nttmct attention x. 6) was lower than Palestine, and cele- among strangers, but chiefly from the beauty brated then, as later, as a rich and fruitful of his wife, which was calculated to inflame country, though sometimes even Egypt suf- the cupicJ..ity and, it might be, the violence of fered from a. scarcity of corn, owing to a the warm-blooded Southrons, and) that be said failure in the annual inundation of the Nile. unto Sarai his wife. The armngemeut here Eichhorn notes it as an authentication of referred to nppears (eh: xx. 13) to hnvo been this portion of the Abrahamic history that preconcerted on first sottin~ out from Ur or the patriarch proposed to take himself and Haran, so that Abram's alldress to his wife his household to Egypt, since at that time on o.pproachin"' Egypt may bo viewed as no corn tmde existed between tho two simply a reminder of their provious corn pact. countries such as prevailed in the days of Behold now, I know that thou art e. fair Jacob (vide Havcra1ck's Introduction, § 18). woman to look upon. Literally, fair of The writer to the Hebrews remarks it us an aspect (cf. 1 Sum. xvii. 42). Though now instance of the pa tliarch's faith that ho did upwards of sixty-five years of ago, she was not return to either Haran or Ur (Heb. xi. still in middle life (eh. xxiii. 1), and her 188 '!'HE BOOK OF GENEStS. ton. xt,. 10-20,