performance of duty. God's blessing is Abraham's great reward, cmd n mnn was its rnoutl1piece. Because God's npproYal was his reward he would not retain the spoil, although nr~ed by _the kin~ of Sodom to keep the goods, and simply hand over tl11l' persons of his cuptn-e subJects. The approval of God expressed through conscience or the words of the good should be the Christinn's one desired reward. The bless- ing ":ill always come in the wny of duty. 3. Melchizedek claimed the honour of the 'l'Jctory for God. "Blessed be the most high God, who hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand." Before the king of Sodom Abraham is reminded of his dependence on God; thus before the world the Christinn shows forth his dependence on the Spirit's help and "on the Lord's death till he come." We may never be ashamed to confess Christ. Abraham readily recognised the claim of God. He gtwe r,s a thank offering a tenth part of all he had taken. That which he gnve, was !1is by custom and right. He gi'l'es it to God. God would not accept that whicrr 1s ,nnng, hy force, from another. He would say, "Who hath required this nt your hand?" "I hate robbery for burnt offering." God only accepts that which is righteously and willingly offered. If taxes are imposed men pay them, but often when it is left to tl1eir conscience they neglect their duty. Better, however; that :io tenth or titbings, no ratings and taxings, should be paid thnn that God'.s cause should be sustained unwillingly. As God gives us all we possess in love, as he irnstains and pardons us in love, the lenst we can do is to love him and readily s.erve in return. We sliould devote all we are and have to Christ. Talents and pos- sessions are his, and should be held in stewardship as from \1im. Let us not, how- c'l'er, make the mistake of thinking that it is by our gifts or good works we are saved. Many err here. It is only through Christ that our doings or persons can he accepted, even as Abraham's gifts were through Melchizedek. Christ is our Priest and Sacrifice. Do not attempt to slight him. Trust in Ilia merits, work, and intercession. Let him have the pre-eminence. Christ must rule in our hearts and lives. The will must be given into his bands. Life must be held as a gift frorri him, nnd eternal life will be his certain bestowal hereafte.r.. 4. Melchizedek gave to Abrnham cheering words nnd stimulus. ·This was more almost than the refresh- ment. Here, as we meet in communion with. one another and with Christ, we have grent joy. Christ cheers us. We feel we can go forth boldly, and thl\t when sin meets us we can, in Christ's strength, say, "Stand aside;" when hopes are cut off, ns Lot was from his home, we can recover them through the cross. Thus our arms are nerved and hearts made strong for the future conflict. All the joy, however, is only a foretaste of that which will be ours when Christ shall meet us at the gate of the New Jerusalem, and shall lead us in to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Melchizedek, and all those who have been faithful to him. What will be our joy when we shall enter to abide in the "city of peace" with the "King of righteous- ness" for ever I May none of us know what will be the bitter pain of those who shall vainly call from without, because the door is shut, and the Master has entered in witli those who were rcady.-H. Ver. 19.-Mdchizedek blessi,ng .Abraham. "And he blessed him, and said, "Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth." Wher- ever in Scripture Melchizedek is spoken of, it is as a type of Christ (Ps. ex. 4 ; Heh. v., vi., vii.). We may so regard him here, and consider his act in its typical light; Outwardly the transaction was of little mark. A band of men unde~ Clied?rluomer carried off Lot, along with other spoil, from Sodom. Abram, on le~mmg this, arme_d his household, pursued the invaders, routed them, and set the captives free. On Ins return Melchizedek, the head of a tribe near the line of march, came out to offer refreshment to his men· and as priest of his tribe he blessed Abram. Whether the type was understood' by Abram or Melchizedek matters not. These things are written for our learning. We see in them Christ bestowing bis blessing. I. THE OCCASION OF THE llLESSING. After conflict. Our Lord the antitypo of Melchizedek, as Kmg of peace (Isa. ix. 6; cf. Luke ii. 14; John xiv. 27). Yet the Cliristian life is emphatically one of warfare (Ephes. vi. ff--13 ; 2 Tim. ii. 3; cf. G~n. :u::xii. 24; 1 Pet. v. 8; also Rev. ii., iii.-" to him that overcometh," f!z-c.). ~ue nat11re of th11t fight is against .temptations to unbelief. The fight of faith (1 Tun, l,'}1, XIV, 17-24.] 'l'HE BOOK OF GEN£S1S. 216
vi, 12), 'l'ho ronewal undcr Christ of the battle lost in Eden (2 Tim. iY, 7 ; 1 ,Job v, 4). Circumstances may vary, The trial mny be apparent or not. There mQy be no outward suffering, no visible hindrance. But what a struggle is implied in 2 Cor. x. 5. It is the struggle against unbelief; to resist the power of things seen ; to overcome "How can these things be?" to realise habitually the "city which hatli foundations" (cf. Phil. iii. 20); to rest on God's promises in simplicity (Phil. iii. 7). As often as this struggle is honestly waged a blessing is bestowed (James i. 2; cf. Matt. vii. 13; xvi. 24; Acts xiv. 22). We naturally love spiritual ease, but trial is better (Ps. cxix. 71). II. THE SOURCE OF THE DLESSINO. "The most high God, possessor," &c. 1. All blessing is froni God. We acknowledge this ; but Isa. x. 13 is a nntural feeling. W c instinctively look to second causes; yet without this "looking upward" we cannot truly pray, "Thy will be done;" we cannot really live a God ward life. Compare Melchizedek's wc,rds with our Lord's (John xiv. 13-16; xvi. 23), and their fulfil- ment in his receiving for meri (Pa. lxviii. 18) all needful gifts-forgizeness, sonship, right to pray, mee.nB of grnce, opportunities of work. 2. All creation used by him as means of bestowing his blessing (cf. Rom. viii. 28). Sorrows (Rom. v. 3; Heh. xii. 11) and joys (Rom. ii. 4) 11re alike instruments of good (cf. Ps. cxvi. 12; cxix. 67). III. THE FRUIT OF THE BLESSING. Closer walk with God. The e,ents of this chapter were followed by mqre vivid spiritual manifestations to Abram. And thn~ our spiritual life advances. The blessing is God's free gift; but throngh conflid ,vith evil the soul is prepared to receive it (cf. Ps. xcvii. 10). As in natural life powers a·re increased by exercise, or rather by God's gift on this condition, so in the spiritual the conflict of self-denial, our Saviour's blessing, and the" spirit of adop- tion" are inseparably linked together. "Grace for grace" should be the Christian's n10tto ; ever pressing onwards. And 11s we c11n assign no limits to God's blessing, so neither is there any limit to our nearness to him.-M.