HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. ',' Vera. 10-20.-The Clmrcli and the world. The genesis of intercourse and con- troversy between the kingdom of God and the world power, as represented in the great southern kingdom of Egypt. I. THE PRESSURE OF EARTHLY NECESSITIES FORMS THE OCCASION OF THE SOJOURN Il'I EGYPT .. We are not told that Abram was sent by Divine direction amongst the temptations of the South; still there is providential protection even where there i~ not ~ntir~ Divine approval. ~he I:ord suffers his peop1e to mingle with the world for t_heu trrnl, nnd out of the evil brmgs ultimate good. Abram went for corn, but obtnmed much more-the wealth nnd civilisation of Egypt. II, SOJOURN IN THE MIDST OF WORLDLY POWER GENERALLY INVOLVES S0JIE CO)[PR0ilIIS!I 01' SPIRITUAL LIBERTY! some lowering of spiritual principle. Jehovnh's servant condescends to prevoncation nnd dissemblino· not for protection only but "that it may be well with Iiim," The danger to Sar;\ and to Abram was 0 Tc~t. All com- p,omi8o is danger, " 192 THE BOOK OF GENESIS. [OH. XII, 10-20,
III, IN THE SUllORDINATE SPHERE OF SOCIAL MORALITY 'l'HERE HAVE DEEN MA.NY INSTANCES OF CONSCIENCE ACTING MORE POWERFULLY WHERE THE LIGHT OD' TRUTE BAS SHONE LERS ~EARLY. Pharaoh was a heathen, but he compares to ndvantnge with Abrnm. Notice that these early plagues of Egypt mentioned in ver. 17 were very difl'erent from the later, altl1ough they illustra,te the same truth, tlrnt by menne of jndgments God preserves his people and carries forward his kingdom which is the truth exhibited in every apocalypse. ' IY. The dismission of the little company of believers from Egypt was AT THll SAME T:-'IE JUD~~IENT AND MERCL The beginning of that sojourn WI\S wrong, the ~nd of 1t was disgraceful. A short stay among the world's temptations will leo.,·e its results among the people of God, as the subsequent history testifies. Abram became very rich, bnt his riches had been wrongly obtained. There wae trouble in store for him. God's method is to perfect his people not apart from their own ch~racte.r and ways, bnt by the gracious ordering of their history, so that while good 1111d evil are mingled together, good shall yet ultimately be triumphant.-R.
Yer. 10.-Famines. 1. Not even the Holy Land is exempt from famine. Neither is the saint's condition free from suffering, nor the believer's portion on earth from defects. 2. Lands naturally fertile can be rendered barren by a word from God. So circumstances that mi~ht conduce to tl1e Church's comfort can be made to disappear when God wills. 3. The drought was sent on Canaan just as Abram arrived. So God often sends his judgments on the world for the sake of hie people, and can ahrnys time them to meet their spiritual necessities. 4. Famines never come in all lands together, for that were a violation of the covenant; and so neither do God's judgments fall on all men or all saints at once, for that too were to gainsay his promise.-W. Ver. 13.-.Abraham and, carnal poli,cy. "Say, I pray thee, that thou art my sister: that it may be well with me." These words were partially true (eh. xi. 20). Abraham had real ground for saying that Sarah was hie sister, but he hid the fact that she was his wife. He asked her to consent to llil equivocal statement and to repeat it. I. CONTEMPLATE THE NATURE OF CARNAL POLICY. A truth which is part a lie is ever a dangerous lie. The temptation to this carnal policy came (I) from his mingling with the worldly Egyptians on equal terms, (2) from his very prosperous state, and (3) from his having lately come from a religious observai:ice _ii:1 which he had_ ~ad bigh spiritual revelations. Possibly he presumed upon his v1s1ons and the D1vme promises. David fell also shortly after he had attained the kingdom and been delivered from great dangers. - II. SEE BOW ALL CARNAL POLICY IS SURE IN THE LONG RUN 'l'O FAIL. Abraham did not foresee all the consequences of bis equivocations. He even ma.de the path clear for Phare.oh to ask for Sarah. He bad afterwards to know that hie name was a by- word among the Egyptians. (I) He lost self-respect; (2) he had to be rebuked by a Pharaoh, and (3) to feel that God was dishonoured by his a.et. Abraham repeated his sin. That God d_elivered A~rab:tm should teach us that we are not to reject others, who have committed a special em, as past hope. God does not cast ue off for one si..-tful action. Still Divine forbearance and love should never lend to presumption and to a tampering with carnal policy.-H. Ver. 20.-.Abram and, Israel,· a parallel. 1. Both were driven into Egypt by a famine. 2. To both the land of Egypt proved a house of bondage. 3. In each case the Pharaoh of the time was subjected to plague'!. 4. Both were sent aw;iy by the alarmed monarchs who were made to suffer for their sakes. 5. Both weut up from Egypt lad'c!n with the spoils of those among whom they had sojourned. 6. On le:ivin&' Ei;ypt both directed their steps to Canaail•-V Ott. XIII. 1-!l,] TIIE BOOK OF GJ<;NE81S. 193
EXPOSITION.