and is of grace, - that it is not man's doing, but God's working; not in the ordinary manner, but by His special

interposition. Nor should we fail to mark another peculiarity in God's dealings. To use a New Testament

illustration, it was the grain of mustard -seed which was destined to grow into the tree in whose branches all

the birds of the air were to find lodgment. In Abram the stem was cut down to a single root. This root first

sprang up into the patriarchal family, then expanded into the tribes of Israel, and finally blossomed and bore

fruit in the chosen people. But even this was only a means to an end. Israel had possessed, so to speak, the

three crowns separately. It had the priesthood in Aaron, the royal dignity in David and his line, and the

prophetic office. But in the "last days" the triple crown of priest, king, and prophet has been united upon

Him Whose it really is, even JESUS, a "Prophet like unto Moses," the eternal priest "after the order of

Melchizedek," and the real and ever reigning "Son of David." And in Him all the promises of God, which had

been given with increasing clearness from Adam onwards to Shem, then to Abraham, to Jacob, in the law, in

the types of the Old Testament, and, finally, in its prophecies have become "Yea and amen," till at the last all

nations shall dwell in the tents of Shem.

2. We mark a difference in the mode of Divine revelation in the patriarchal as compared with the previous

period. Formerly, God had spoken to man, either on earth or from heaven, while now He actually appeared to

them, and that specially as the Angel of Jehovah, or the Angel of the Covenant. The first time Jehovah

"appeared" unto Abram was when he entered the land of Canaan, in obedience to that Divine call which

singled him out to become the ancestor of the people of God. (Genesis 12:7) After that a fresh appearance of

Jehovah, and of the Angel of the Covenant, in whom He manifested Himself, marked each stage of the

Covenant history. And this appearance was not only granted to Abraham and to Hagar, to Jacob, to Moses,

to Balaam, to Gideon, to Manoah and to his wife, and to David, but even towards the close of Jewish history

this same Angel of Jehovah is still found pleading for rebellious, apostate Israel in these words: "O Jehovah

of Hosts, how long wilt Thou not have mercy on Jerusalem?"(Zechariah 1:12) The more carefully we follow

His steps, the more fully shall we be convinced that He was not an ordinary Angel, but that Jehovah was

pleased to reveal Himself in this manner under the Old Testament. We shall have frequent occasion to return

to this very solemn subject. Meantime it may be interesting to know that of old the Jews also regarded Him

as the Shechinah, or visible presence of God, - the same as appeared in the pillar of the cloud and of fire, and

afterwards in the temple, in the most holy place; while the ancient Church almost unanimously adored in Him

the Son of God, the Second Person of the blessed Trinity. We cannot conceive any subject more profitable,

or likely to be fraught with greater blessing, than reverently to follow the footsteps of the Angel of Jehovah

through the Old Testament.

3. The one grand characteristic of the patriarchs was their faith. The lives of the patriarchs prefigure the

whole history of Israel and their Divine selection. In the words of a recent German writer, amidst all varying

events, the one constant trait in patriarchal history was "faith which lays hold on the word of promise, and

on the strength of this word gives up that which is seen and present for that which is unseen and future."

Thus "Abraham was the man of joyous, working faith; Isaac of patient, bearing faith; Jacob of contending

and prevailing faith." But all lived and "died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen

them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and

pilgrims in the earth." And it is still so. Without ignoring the great privilege of those who are descended

from Abraham, yet, in the true sense, only "they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham;"

"and if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." To adapt the words

of a German poet:

"What marks each one within the fold

Is faith that does not see;

And yet, as if it did behold,

Trusts, unseen Lord, to Thee!"