AbrahRm, there would be no difficulty Rl)ont It." I think the way to meet that difficulty is this. Snturate your mind with the spirit of the gospel, with the teachings of tho Word of G,>d, with the spirit of Christ. A ChristiRn is one who hos the spirit of Christ. And, while there will be inconsistencies, as a rule we can depend upon the Ohristian, A remarkable illustration of this wl\S given in Abraham's oirn case. Defore Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, the Lord said, " Shall I bide from Abraham that thing which I do? . . . For I know him, that he will command his children and his house- hold &fter him, and they shall keep the Wll.Y of the Lord" (Gen. xviii. 17, 19). God had confidence in Abraham doing what was right, although in one case Abraham acted sinfully and inconsistently. So we can trust the Christian to act in a Christian way, There will be mistakes, inconsistencies, in his life. But there are some things we know lie V1ill not do. He will not be among the sabbath-breakers, among the profane, the foul and filthy speakers, among the intemperate, among those who defraud or those who defame their neighbour. And all this we know, because we know him to have the spirit of Christ. We must culfrrnte this spirit, then, if we would know what the path of duty is. 2. .Abraham's faith l.ed him to unflinching self-sacrifice. There are two grand 800Iles in his life that illustrate this. One was when he gave Lot the permission to choose what portion of the land he would have. Abraham had the right to choose, but he relinquished bis mm rights in favour of his nephew. The other was when God called on him to offer up as a sscrifice his son Isaac. What a spirit of faith Abraham showed then! He trusted God, and so he took God's way. He had himself said once before, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen.xviii. 25). And now when God, who gave him his son, asks him to give him back again, his faithful servant is ready to do what God asks. It was enough. The Lord himself had provided a lamb for the burnt offering. But Abraham showed the greatness of his faith by the sacrifice he was ready to make. There is a process in mathematics called the elimination of factors. The factor self had been eliminated from Abraham's character and life. So it will be with the true Christian. The spirit of self-sacrifice is the spirit of Christ, the spirit of Christianity. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himse~ and take up his cross daily, and follow me." We must be ready to make sacrifice of self for Christ's sake. Such, then, was Abraham's faith. It was a reasonable faith, and a faith that resulted in unfaltering obedience and in unflinching self-sacrifice. He trusted God's word, anci he took God's way. That is the way of salvation for every sinner. Such faith is the condition of all righteousness. If we are to please God, if we are to get to heaven, we must take God's way. The manner of .Abraham's fustijication is an encouragt:mentfor every sinner, whether Jew or Gentile. If salvation had been b_y the Law, only those who had the Law, or who kept it, could be saved. But it is "of faith, that it might be of grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed ; not t-0 that only which is of the Law, but to that also which is of the faith of .Abraham" (ver. 16). The Jewrl boast that they were Abraham's seed showed a narrow idea of what the promise was. Abraham was "the father of many nationR" (vers.17, 18), .Abraham'• true ,pirittl,(l) children are those who imitate .Abraham'sfaith.-C. H. I. Vera. 1-8.-.A tut case. Abraham was their father (John viii.)-this they were proud to acknowledge; but what was his relationship to God? L A.BaAllill'B RIGHTEOUSNESS, Righteousness must be either absolute or imputed; e4. a servant m employ, on the one hand tried and true, on the other hand false, but penitent and received again. Which was Abraham's? 1. If of works, it was absolute, and iaerefore he was in a position of proud integrity before God. Was it so? The whole history proved the contrary. Humble dependence. 2. If imputed, it could only be u be accepted God's promises, and lived by faith in them. And so saith the 8aripture (ver. 8). 11. .A1n1.A1u.1's F.ilTIL What was the faith which was reckoned to him for rigMeouaneae? 1. BentvMUI,twn of Bil/. (Gen. xv., xvil,) He could do nothing, 2, luUaatJe • God. (Gen. xv., and implied in xvil.) God could do all things. 8ueh the general principle : faith ie the laying hold of all God's mighty love. Hence the llpring of all righteowmeu. In Abraham's case, faith in promises for the future i:,e_rtailling w tlie killgdom of God. Virtually, li waa the faith of hlll spiritual salvation, w.. not. David'11 ~ the -.mef 'fhere are 1.niquWe,, 1iQB; man ou ~ever ~n4o ott, 1\'. 1-26.] THE EPIS'l'LE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 111
them; God can cover them, Bo '!ith ue. No~ c,,f debt, but of gre.ce-on God's part; therefore, not of works, but of fe.1th-on me.n II part. And hence no arbitrary con• diUon; the appropriation of all the wealth of good offered in God e.nd by God. Well is it said," Blessed are they," eto.-'f. F. L.