and this chapter tells us as much, for when the Lord said to him, "fear not," he replied, "What wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless ? " As though he had said, How will this promise be fulfilled to me?--I cannot see where my descendents, and their enjoyment of blessings, are all to come from, since here I am getting old, without a child, and a stranger, Eliezer, my steward, is the only one I can see to whom my possessions will descend. This was Abraham's feeling at this time. The Lord read his thoughts, and knew that he needed encouragement. He gave it him by repeating the promise, and also as we read in this chapter, by the sign of a covenant He made with him.

There are several points of interesting instruction in God's intercourse with Abraham at this time, and there is the great blessedness which his faith obtained for him, which is called being justified, or accounted righteous, all which demand our fixed attention.

The first point we will notice is, the words of encouragement, "Fear not, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." There is no doubt implied in the expression "fear not," a command to put away doubts, for doubt brings fears, as to the fulfilment of the Lord's word. The cause for removing fears and

of the pro

"His truth It is by

doubts is, "I am thy shield, and I am thy great reward," that is, I will ward off from thee all evils which seem to surround thee, and I will be such an object to thee as shall completely satisfy all thy wants. The promise of God being a shield to His people is by no means uncommon in His word. It is frequent in the Psalms, and is an idea full of comfort. "The Lord God is a sun and a shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly." (Psalm lxxxiv. 11.) The way to enjoy this promise is by a diligent use mises and precepts of His word. shall be thy shield and buckler." faith in His word that every fiery dart of the enemies of our salvation may be warded off, and we may lay hold of "the shield of faith." This also is the way we may find God to be that satisfaction to our souls that is implied in the words, "I am thy exceeding great reward.' As David said, so should we, "Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart." If we did but give ourselves up more to the searching and the dwelling upon some portions of Scripture, we should know more of this great joy in God, and the happy experience of saying, "thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors."

We may remark next, that God here taught Abraham that true faith relies upon God's promise, in the entire absence of any thing of sight or sense. Abraham looked about, as it were, for something on which to prop up his faith in the promise of an heir. He could see nothing but his steward. "Lo, one born in my house is heir." But God replied, “This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir." And that there might be no mistake, and that Abraham might see the extent of the wonderful promise, God made him fix his eyes on the multitude of bright stars that filled the spangled heavens of an Eastern sky, and said, "So shall thy seed be." It is thus that God would ever have His people trust His word. We are too often tempted to look about for some more solid help to our faith than the bare promise of the Lord.

We want to see how these things can be, we would fain see something which makes it more easy to understand how God will bring about what we are desiring. But God is honoured by our trusting His bare word. Real faith is leaning only upon a promise, and believing that it will bear us up, and will not break underneath us. It is this faith which Abraham had, and which glorifies God. Let us

read the Apostle Paul's comment on this point. (Rom. iv. 18-22.) “Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what He had promised he was able also to perform; and therefore it was imputed to him for righteous

ness.

This is the secret of persevering confidence in God's promises, whether of any special deliverance, or any gift, or blessing which we are wanting, namely, that we be FULLY PERSUADED that what God has PROMISED He is ABLE to perform. All things are possible to God. Nothing is too hard for Him. If therefore we can only say, such and such a thing is promised me in God's word,-God has said He would do this or that,-He would provide this,--or He would help in such a case, then it matters not what difficulties are in the way of performance, that is not our business, but His who can move mountains,

"who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were." Our part is only to believe, only to go on waiting, and trusting, and expecting, and verily "there shall be a performance of those things which were told us from the Lord."

But see next how God further assisted the faith of the Patriarch, by the sign of an outward and visible covenant. When the Lord said, "To thee will I give this land," Abram said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it."

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This he said, enquiring spirit. The Lord gave him a token. (9-12.) He took certain animals, of a certain age. He divided them, and laid each piece one against another. He watched them, that no birds of prey might devour them; they were sacred to the Lord, and the Lord had not yet answered him by them.

not doubtingly, but in an

The only other reference to a covenant like this is in Jeremiah xxxiv. 18.

dividing and leaving a space pieces seems to have been in

The reason of

between the order that the

persons who made the covenant might pass through the pieces, and signify that so might they be cut asunder if they broke the covenant. As the sun set a deep sleep came upon Abraham ;-in this state God revealed to him