what can be said for it (cf. Rom. :tiv. 4) _; or he has £~lien into self-sufficiency. Then reser,e towards God. The hidden hfe becomes disordered. 'No longer tho desire that he should know all and guide all. And thus uneasiness, reserve, dis- tance.. Then follow ~Ian~ to quiet the uneasiness-;busin_ess, cere!'1ony, t~eology, or work m some other dnection. But no real commumon with God m all tins,· II. THE REMEDY. "Walk before me." Recognise the evil. Believe the cause, De not faithless. Bear in mind God's presence ( cf. Ps. lxii. l-,-7). Seek not to hid~ from him, or to justify self. And" be perfect," i'. e. matured; not in any high 01 strange attainment, but in that which a child may learn_:_in trusting God's truth and love ; in bringing thoughts, wants, and wishes before him. Towards this active obedience and following Christ are means; and, above nil, sincerity and a reol definite dedication of the life to God. ' • III. ENCOURAGEllENT. "I am the Almighty God "-all-powerful (Isa. !ix. 1· Luke i. 37) and all-loving (Ps. xxxvii. 5; Rom. viii. 32). This, really .believed' would remove anxious care. \Vhat is it that leads thee to seek another way? Th~ consciousness of having wandered. Has he not made provision for this? (1 Tim. i. 15; 1 John ii. 1). Or is it that the blessing long desired is not given.?. Sarne power, some opportunity for God's work, and still the door is closed; or -it may be some spiritual gift, some token of growth in grace, and still the evil of thy nature is nnsubdned. De patient (James i 4). Thy Father in heaven w:ill not fail thee (Rom. vi. 14). Walk before him. Tell him all that is in. thy mind. In hie time thou shalt find peace (Phil. iv. 6; 1 John v. 4; Rev. xxi. 7).-M VerA. 1, 2.-Tlte true life of faitli set furth. I. COMMENCING WITH GRACIOUS AP· PEARANCE OF Goo TO HIS CREATURE. 1. The revelation one in a.continued series of pro• qressive manifestations. 2. Accompanied with direct promise; which in the form of covenant appeals to reciprocal fellowship and confidence. 3 .. Embracing both pre- sent and future blessedness. The blessing upon the earthly lot, as preparatory tv the higher blessedness, a foundation on which the higherlife is built up., II. The METHOD of the life of faith. Walk before me; be perfect, &c. 1. Con- stant reference to God-his will, hie truth, his covenant. 2.. Di,stinction from the world. Abram the pilgrim. Walk among the heathen; and yet before me. The con- i;ciousness of a chosen aim a great preservative. The sust11ining fovour o,f• God. Development of the Divine in the human. 3. A life which is worked out as a trust for others. The representative man holds a special position -towards God not for his own sake alone, but as the depositary of the blessing. Great help to walk before God and be perfect, that we are called to be the channel through which blessings flow. Confinnation of the covenant will be sent to us in the way, when there is lack of promise in appearances, notwithstanding the evidence of our own infirmity. We walk in the light towards a future which shall abundantly rew11rd patient continuance in well doing.-R.
EXPOSITION, Yer. ]5.-A.ll God said unto Abraham, As mother of the Church (Joromo,. Augustine), for Sarai thy wile,-who, not having hitherto or as princess to the Lord, the Jotter h bei11g l.ocen mentioned in any of the promises, is taken from the name Jehovah, as in the IJOW expressly taken into covenant, and ac- chauge of Abram into Abraham (the Rabbis); cor,lingly receives a ne,v name (cf. ver. 5; though Ikeni.us and Roscnmiillcr dedve eh. xxxii. 28; Rev. iii. 12)-thou shalt not from an Arabic root, _sara, to have a numernus call her name Sarai,-" my princess" (Ge- progeny-shall her name be. • senius) • "princely, noble" (lkenius, Rosen- Ver. 10.-And I will bless her, and give miiller ' Keil Delitzsch); "the heroine"' thee a son also of her (the first intimation (Knol;~l); ,', strife, contention" (Ewald, that the promised seed was to bo Snrai'e Mm·phy), with special reference to her strug- child), and she shall be a mot;her of nations; gle against sterility (Kalisch)-but Sara~- -literally, she shall become nations (cf, ver. " princess" (Gesenius), the meaning bemg 4)-kinga of people shall be of her. that, whereas formerly she ,vae Abram's Ver, 17.-Then Abraham fell upon his face princess ouly, she wa.s henceforth to be recog- (vide vcr. 3), and laughed. pr;qt'], from nised as a princess generally, i. e. a~ the en. xvu. 15--27.) THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 237