tbroug-h, the sacrifices he had made, and the feats he had performed since Jeavinr1 Ur, but hin:iself. God's saints are prone to seek their happiness in God's gift~ rather than rn the Giver. Here they are recalled along with Abram to the sublimo tb?ught that G?d h!mself _is his people's best reward, and that the possession and enJoyment of Ins fnendslup should abundantly compensate for the absence of crea- ture comforts,_ however dearly prized and ardently desired. 3. A son /01' his heir. lns~ad of ~hezer,.whom _in his _perplexity h_e thought of adopting as his son, a ventable child of his own 1s promised. Let samts learn how blind is human reason and how feeble faith becomes when it tries to walk by sight; let them also notic; and consider how sure arc God's promises, and how inexhaustible nre God's resources. III. BELIEYING IN Goo. 1. The obJect of Abram's fnith. That at this stage of the patriarch's history attention is so markedly directed to his faith can only be explained on the supposition that he now for the first time clearly and implicitly received, embraced, and rested in the promise of a seed, and consequently of a Saviour. And the faith which justifies and saves under the gospel dispensation has an outlook nothing different from that of Abram. The object which it contemplates and appropriates is not simply the Divine promise of salvation, but the specific offer of a Sanour. God is the Justifier of him who believes in Jesus (Rom. iii. 26). 2. The ground of Abram's faith. Neither reason nor sense, but the solemnly given, clearly stated, perfectly snfficient, wholly unsupported word of God. And of a like description is the basis of a Christian's faith-God's promise in its naked simplicity, which promise (of a Saviour, or of salvation through Jesus Christ) bas, like that delivered to Abram, been solemnly announced, clearly exhibited, declared to be per- fectly sufficient, but left wholly unsupported in the gospel (John iii. 36). 3. The acting of Abram's faith. It was instantaneous, accepting and resting on the Divine promise the moment it was explicitly made known; full-hearted, without reserva- tion of doubt or uncertainty, implicitly reposing on the naked word of God; and conclusive, not adm.iiting of further opening of the question, "being fully per- suaded that God was able also to perform that which he had promised" (Rom. iv. 21). IV. ACCEPTED WITH Gon. Whatever exegesis be adopted of the clause, "it was counted unto him for righteousness,'' the transaction which took place beneath the starry firmament is regarded in the New Testament as the pattern or model of a sinner's jnstification, and employed to teach-I. The nature of justification, which is the reckoning of righteousness to one in himself destitute of such excellence, and, on the ground of sncb imputed righteousness, the acquittal in the eye of the Divine law of one otherwise obnoxious to just condemnation. Possessing no inherent righteous, ness of his own, Abram had the righteousness of another (not at that time revealed to him) set to his account, and was accordingly justified or declared righteous before God. 2. The conditwn of justification, which is not works, but faith, Abram having been accepted solely on the ground of belief in_ tb~ Divine promise (Ro~. i_v. 2-5)_; not, however, faith as an opus operatum or mentor1ous act, but as a subJechve cond1, tion, without which the act of imputation cannot proceed upon the person. 3. The time of justification, which is the instant a soul believes, whether that soul be cog- nisant of the act or not Abram again being justified, according to the Scripture, from the moment he accepted the Divine promise, though it is not said that Abram at the time was aware of the indemnatory act passed in his favour in the court of heaven. Lessons :-1. God's saints may sometimes be cast down in God's presence (Ps. xliii. 5). 2. It is God's special character and care to comfort those wl!o are cast down (2 Cor. vii. 6). 3. God's promises are the wells of comfort which he has opened for the solace of dejected saints.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Cb. xv.-Faith. The substance of this chapter is the special intercourse between Jeliova,h and Abram. On that foundation faith rests. It is not feeling after G;od, if haply he be found ; it is a livin~ confidence and obedience, based upon rovelalton, promise, covenant, solemn ratification by signs, detailed prediction of the future. God ott. xv. 1-0.J 'I'H}} BOOK OJt' GENESIS. 2i()