MORNING.

THE

HE Word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram : I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed: and lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the Word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir. And He brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness.-Genesis xv. 1, 3—6.

ANY years have passed since Abram received the earth should be blessed." As yet, however, no son was given him, as yet a slave born in his house was his heir. Still Abram's faith fails not. He never doubts that God will fulfil His promise. He may have been perplexed, yea, even grieved, and doubtless ponders deeply over all the circumstances. In the midst of his perplexity God encourages him. He appears to him in a vision." This is the first occurrence of the expression in the Bible, and it was probably a new and hitherto unknown means of intercourse between God and man. He comforts him with a renewal of the promise, and tells him again that his seed should be as the stars. Abram believes God's Word. He trusts Him, and it is "counted for righteousness." We learn from this brief insight into God's dealings with Abram, the goodness of God. He will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able to bear. When He sees us perplexed, He will comfort us, and we may, if we will, hear the encouraging words, "Fear not." We learn also the value of faith. Let us trust God, He will never leave us or forsake us. One thing more we learn, just as God entered into covenant with Abram, so He has entered into covenant with us. In the glory of the only-begotten Son who passed through between God and us, we, who are baptized, have, like Abraham, a sign or pledge in the gift of the Spirit whereby we may know that we are heirs of the heavenly Canaan.

MORNING.

WHLON Abrened to Abram, and said unto him, I

HEN Abram was ninety years old and nine, the

am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face and God talked with him, saying, As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.-Genesis xvii. 1-5.

WO very important epochs in the great patriarch's

cision is given as the sign of the covenant, and Abram's name is changed. Thirteen years have passed since the birth of Ishmael. During this interval Abram without doubt enjoyed communion with God, but does not seem to have been favoured with any special revelation. Now, however, the Lord appears, He appears visibly and talks with Abram. God calls Himself by a new Name, The Al mighty God. He does so to encourage His servant. He who promised was "all-mighty" to perform. Precious privi. leges were conferred on Abram by the covenant; but privi. leges have corresponding responsibilities. He should walk before God, walk as in His Presence, and be perfect. He must be sincere in heart, and thought, and upright in his outward demeanour and conduct. As a sign of this new relationship, Abram's name is changed. He is no longer to be called Abram, "lofty Father," but Abraham, the "Father of a multitude." As circumcision was the sign in the Old Testament Church, so baptism is in the New. If Abraham was introduced by the former into many and great privileges, far greater and more precious are the privileges into which we have been introduced by Christian baptism. In proportion as our privileges are great, so are our responsibilities. Ours is a high calling, we should strive to live up to it. We should walk as in the Presence of God, making diligent use of all our privileges. We should observe to do all that God commands, relying on His promise to help in every time of need.

MORNING.

HE sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered

upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.Genesis xix. 23-26.

H slaves

OW fearful is the burden and slavery of sin! The

Satan, and thus called down on themselves the just judgment of Heaven. Sin enslaves men. It makes men subject to death when they ought to be blessed with life, subject to punishment when they ought to inherit the Kingdom. Who that is free from such a yoke does not shudder at the thought of being subject to it? How earnestly should we pray that the consciousness of our sins may bring us to sincere repentance, lest we altogether fall under the power of sin, and become its slave. Let us remember that each sin we commit adds yet another thread to the cords that will inevitably bind us in the worst slavery, unless we burst our bonds in time. Not only do we become slaves here in this world, but we render ourselves liable to eternal punishment here. after. The punishment of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah was indeed severe, how much severer will our punishment be if we continue in sin. They had but little light and knowledge, we have the bright light of the Gospel shining around us. We know that the Son of Man was manifested to destroy sin. If we yield to sin we are, as far as lies in our power, counteracting His work. Oh, let us not be found fighting against God! Let us rather be fellow-workers with Him. Let us ask for the Spirit of Christ to free us from the burden of sin. When freed, let us not look back with a longing, lingering look, lest the evil from which we have just escaped catch us up, and we be whelmed in the fiery destruction that fills the air.

MORNING.

AND

ND the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.-Genesis xxi. 1—7.

NE of the commonest errors of men is the measure

by own

ings and by what seems to them probable. Errors like this are founded in what may be termed "narrow-mindedness," and strike with deadly effect against true faith. Naturally we limit what we may expect from God by what are called the laws of Nature, and when anything is held out to us by God as a thing for the realization of which we may and ought to look, if what we call the laws of Nature seem to stand in the way of its accomplishment we are conscious of a special tendency to unbelief. Such was the case with Sarah when it was intimated to her that she should have a son. But God is "wont to give more than we desire or deserve," and even want of faith fails to bar the way to the fulfilment of His gracious purposes to His people. Sarah, in point of fact, not only had the promised son, but lived to see him reach to man's estate. Let us seek to be more large-minded than she was, receiving instruction from her error. Let us abstain from measuring what we may expect from God by the rule of probability, and leave all the intervening means in His hand, assured that what He promises He is able to perform, however improbable it may seem to us. Let us consider the importance of faith, and pray that God would grant us faith in His promises and holiness to attain unto them.

MORNING.

Anto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

FTER these things, God did tempt Abraham, and said

And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.-Genesis xxii. 1-3.

AB

BRAHAM'S faith had often been tried. All former trials were as nothing in comparison with this. What can God demand that Isaac-he for whom the patriarch had waited so long, he in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed-can God demand that he should be offered up for a burnt sacrifice? Doubtless Abraham was perplexed. What effect would the tidings of Isaac's death produce on Sarah? How would the heathen around regard the murderer of his own son? Such thoughts must have passed through his mind, but his faith had taught him not to argue but to obey. He 'rose up early," that there might not be even an appear. ance of delay or reluctance on his part. He makes every preparation for the sacrifice before setting out. How full of a simple pathos is the description of the journey of the father and son! Abraham so patient, the painful secret pent up in his bosom for two long days; Isaac so natur. ally questioning him about the victim, and, when he knows all, yielding himself up a willing sacrifice. What a blessed agreement between father and son! what a holy emula. tion of faith! This scene has ever been considered un⚫ paralleled for the clear and definite exhibition which it presents of the " offering of Christ once for all." In the surrender of his only son by the loving father, we have an image of the still greater surrender made by the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Isaac submitting, without resistance, to be bound and laid on the altar, we see the more wonderful submission of our Redeemer to death, even "the death of the Cross."