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enmity thereby. All mankind are now brought into one family, and are taught to regard each other as brethren: and in proportion as the religion of Jesus gains the ascendant over our hearts, we are united in love to every member of his mystical body.]

3. They are blessed with all spiritual blessings

[There is not any thing that can conduce to our present or future happiness which Jesus will not bestow on his believing people. Adoption into his family, peace in our consciences, holiness in our hearts, and an eternity of glory in the Father's presence, are the certain portion of all his faithful followers. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile; all are admitted to the same privileges, and all shall participate the same enjoyments.]

INFER,

1. The antiquity of the Gospel

[The sum and substance of the Gospel is, that Christ is the only source of all spiritual and eternal blessings. Wherever this truth is strongly urged, men are ready to cry out against it as a new doctrine. But we can trace it, not only to the Reformers of our church, but to the Apostles, yea to Abraham also for St. Paul declares, that when God spake the words to Abraham, he "preached the Gospel to him," even that very Gospel whereby he and all the nations of the earth must be saved. Let this truth then no longer be reviled as novel, but be received as the one ground of all our hopes.]

:

2. The importance of faith

[Abraham's faith in this Gospel was imputed to him for righteousness; and by believing the same divine record we also must be justified. No doctrine whatever is more explicitly declared in Scripture than this. Let us then acknowledge the necessity of faith, and look to the Lord Jesus Christ as that promised seed, through whom alone the blessings of Abraham can flow down upon us.]

3. The connexion between faith and works

[Faith was that principle which produced in Abraham such exemplary obedience: and the same root will bear similar fruits wheresoever it exists. Indeed the pardon of past sins would be utterly insufficient to make us happy, if it were not accompanied with the renovation of our natures. To this effect St. Peter expounded, as it were, the very words of the text, declaring to the Jews, that conversion from sin

d Eph. ii. 14-16.
g Gal. iii. 7, 9.

f Gal. iii. 6.

e Gal. iii. 8.
h Heb. xi. 17.

i Acts xv. 9.

was one of the first blessings which the Lord Jesus was sent to bestowk. Let us then not consider faith and works as opposed to each other, but as possessing distinct offices, the one to justify our souls, the other to honour God, and to manifest the sincerity of our faith.]

k Acts iii. 25, 26.

XXXVIII.

ABRAHAM PURCHASING A BURYING-PLACE IN CANAAN.

Gen. xxiii. 17, 18. And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession, in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

THERE is something in a holy life which wonderfully conciliates the minds of men. At first indeed, like a strong influx of light, it offends their eyes; and the beholders, unable to bear the effulgence of its beams, turn away from it, or perhaps desire its utter extinction. But when it has shone for a long time before them, and they have had sufficient opportunity to contemplate its worth, they are constrained to acknowledge, that "the righteous is more excellent than his neighbour:" and they begin to venerate the character, whose virtues at first were occasions of offence. We have a striking instance of this in the chapter before us. The children of Heth were not acquainted with Abraham's principles: but they had seen his exemplary deportment for many years: and when the death of his wife necessitated him to ask a favour at their hands, they were as glad to confer it, as he could possibly be to receive it. The purchase of a burying-place does not indeed appear at first sight to be an incident worthy of notice: but in the present instance there is much that deserves attention. We would make some remarks upon,

I. The manner in which the agreement was madeNo records, human or divine, afford us a more

VOL. I.

admirable pattern for transacting the common business of life than the history before us. All parties seemed to be penetrated with the same spirit: they vied with each other in all that was amiable and praiseworthy. We may notice in particular,

1. Their courteousness

[Abraham, in his address to the chief persons of the city, testified all the respect due to their character, "standing up before them, and bowing to them :" and they, on the other hand, addressed him as "a mighty prince," whom they were forward and happy to oblige. It were well if, in all our intercourse with mankind, we were careful to maintain a similar deportment. But there are many Christians who seem almost to forget that God has said unto them, "Be courteous." They are arrogant and assuming towards their superiors; they are haughty and imperious towards their inferiors; they are ready to claim as their right what they ought to ask as a favour; and, if they grant a favour, they confer it in so ungracious a way, as to destroy all sense of obligation in him who receives it. Some allowance indeed must be made for natural disposition, and for defects of education: yet, after all, the Christian ought to be the most polite of men, because he ought to feel in his heart all that others express in their conduct: he should "esteem others better than himself," and "prefer them in honour before himself," and make himself the servant of all for his Master's sake. He should have in subjection all that pride and selfishness, that stimulates to contention; and maintain in exercise that divine philanthropy, which is the foundation and cement of all civilized society. "Whatsoever is lovely and of good report," he should revolve it in his thoughts, and manifest it in his actions.]

2. Their equity

[Gladly would Ephron have given to Abraham both the sepulchre which he desired, and the field in which it was contained: but Abraham entreated that he might be permitted to pay for it a valuable consideration. Accordingly the price was fixed on the one part with perfect equity, and paid, on the other, with perfect cheerfulness. Would to God that all men would adopt this mode of dealing, and buy and sell according to this pattern! Would to God that even professed Christians would copy after this example! How much falsehood, how much imposition, would then be avoided! Solomon has drawn to the life the characters of many, who depreciate every

a 1 Pet. iii. 8.

e Eph. iv. 31, 32.

b Phil. ii. 3. c Rom. xii. 10.
f Col. iii. 12-14.

d 1 Cor. ix. 19.

g Phil. iv. 8.

thing which they wish to buy, and then go away boasting of the advantageous bargains they have made; "It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer; and when he is gone his way, he boastethh." But this is beneath the character of a good man. We should not wish to obtain more, or to pay less, for a thing, than it is worth. We should not advance the price on account of the purchaser's necessity, or refuse what is right on account of the necessity of the seller: but, whether we buy or sell, should act towards our neighbour as we in a change of circumstances would have him do to us.]

3. Their prudence

[To Abraham especially it was of importance that the purchase should be known and ratified. Had he accepted the sepulchre as a present, or bought it in a private way, his title to it might at some future period have been disputed, and his descendants been deprived of that which he was desirous of securing to them. But all fears of this kind were effectually prevented by the publicity of the transaction. The chief persons of the city were not only witnesses of it, but agents, by whose mediation Ephron was induced to conclude the bargain. Moreover, all who went in or out of the gate of the city, were witnesses; so that, after possession was once taken, no doubt could ever arise respecting the transfer of the property, or the title of Abraham's descendants to possess it.

How unlike to Abraham are many who call themselves his children! They embark in business, and enter into contracts, without due consideration: they transact their affairs without order, and leave them in confusion: and thus by their indiscreet conduct they involve their names in disgrace, and their families in ruin. Let us learn from him: let us act with caution: let not even affliction itself render us inattentive to the welfare of our posterity let us conduct ourselves conformably to that sage advice of Solomon, "Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house." In other words, Let deliberation and foresight so regulate our conduct, that they who succeed us may applaud our wisdom, and reap the benefit of our care.]

If the manner of forming this agreement is profitable, much more shall we find it profitable to consider,

II. The ends for which it was made

There was much more in the mind of Abraham than was known to the people among whom he sojourned. Besides the immediate and ostensible

h Prov. xx. 14.

i

ver. 8.

k Prov. xxiv. 27.

reason of making that purchase, he had others that were no less important. We shall mention them in their order. He bought the field,

1. To bury his wife

[Sarah had lived with him to a good old age. But the dearest relatives, how long soever their union may continue, must part at last. And when the time of separation is come, the most beloved object ceases to please. The soul having taken its flight, the body hastens to putrefaction; and we are as glad to have it removed out of our sight, as ever we were to enjoy communion with it. To give it a decent interment, and drop a tear over it at the grave, is the last office of love which we are able to shew to our dearest friend: and he who lives the longest, has only to perform this painful office the more frequently, till he sees himself, as it were, forsaken by all, and left desolate, unknowing, and unknown. O that we could all bear this in mind! We are born to die: the moment we drew our breath, we had one breath less to draw. Every hour we live, we approach nearer and nearer to our grave. If we continue our course, like the sun, from its rise to the meridian, and from its meridian to the close of day, still every moment shortens our duration; and while we are speaking to you now, we are hastening to the chambers of death. Let husbands and wives, parents and children, and friends who are to each other as their own soul, remember this. Let them sit loose to each other; and let the time that they enjoy the society of their friends, be regarded by them as the interval allotted to prepare for their interment.]

2. To express his confidence in the divine promise

[God had promised to him and to his seed the land wherein he sojourned. But Abraham had continued there above sixty years without gaining in it so much as one foot of landm. But was the promise therefore to be doubted? No. It was not possible that that could fail. Abraham was as much assured that the promise should be fulfilled, as if he had seen its actual accomplishment. Under this conviction, he purchased the field as a pledge and earnest of his future inheritance. In the prophecies of Jeremiah we have a similar compact made with precisely the same view. The prophet had foretold the speedy desolation of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and the restoration of the Jews to their own land after a captivity of seventy years. His uncle's son, alarmed, as it should seem, by the

1 This idea is judiciously put into the mouths of both the parties at the time they betroth themselves to each other at the altar; " Till death us do part.” m Acts vii. 5.

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