VI.

The sixth covenant is with Abraham at his tent-door I (Gen. 18:) in the plains of Mamre, when visited by the three men. He was privileged to entertain the Lord Himself ; and this tells us he was walking in communion with God ; and no sooner are we ready to receive the Lord than is He in grace and love ready to visit us, and assure our hearts of His fellowship and approval. "We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him." (Jno. 14:23.) And Enoch " had this testimony, that he pleased God." (Heb. 11:5.) "And if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with Me." (Rev. 3:20.) "I will come in to him, and will sup with him" comes first-before "and he with Me." This is grace. So Mary goes to Elizabeth,-the one who has the greater revelation and honor to the other. So the one who knows most of grace and fellowship is the one who will be the first to manifest love and fellowship to others, and kindle in other hearts an answering warmth-a manifestation of what it is to "dwell in God" (i Jno. 4:12), and "walk in love," as "imitators of God." (Eph. 5:i-R. V.)

May we have the door open, then, to fellowship with God, and we shall have the heart open toward one another. We shall truly love one another, and have the wisdom of God in all our ways with one another.

Let us note that Abraham was " in the plains of Mamre" -that place where he dwelt and worshiped after he had gained a victory over the temptation that drew Lot away to Sodom (Gen. 13:18).

It is holy ground-associations of victory and communion-"Mamre," "in Hebron," meaning "vigor in company" or, may we not say, "communion" (Young's Concordance). Thus "the plains of Mamre" link the third and sixth covenants together in some way; and is it not (in this, at least,) prominently that God is the God of resurrection? s to the third, the number suggests it. As to this one-the sixth, the assurance of a son when naturally there was no hope, because nothing was " too hard for the Lord" very plainly declares it. Where, then, is the difference between the two covenants as to their teaching? Is it not this, that in the third it is simply the complete manifestation of the power, of God (promised), whereas in the sixth it is the assurance of this manifestation in the face of death(Abraham and Sarah being beyond hope,) and of unbelief (Sarah's laughter), as at the grave of Lazarus there was the groaning and the weeping and unbelief, but just there and then the word of the Son of God went forth, " Lazarus, come forth!" Man comes forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes, the evidence of the awful power that had been holding him captive-the power of an enemy; but the power of a greater delivers, and in the hour of his apparent victory Satan is overwhelmingly defeated.

Thus in the sixth covenant the evil significance of this number is very clearly present; it is short of seven, it is imperfection-sin-Satan's work. But in this portion, as elsewhere, the prominent thing is nevertheless the power of God above sin and Satan; to keep within bounds, and reap glory to Himself by entire victory and blessing at last.
This good side in the meaning of the number may be reached as suggested (in "Numerical Structure,") by the meaning of 2 (strife, division, evil,) multiplied by 3,- that is, evil subject to the power of God. But however it may be, this position in Gen. 18:is certainly, as a matter of fact, the sixth covenant. It is a sixth, and its teaching is surely distinctly and prominently the power of
God over sin and death and unbelief-the work of the enemy.

Another thing to note is, that man is here brought into fellowship with God about all this; which agrees too with its occurring under the last four covenants, not under the first three. But whatever the teaching numerically, there is an interesting comparison between this scene at the tent-door and the one at the grave of Lazarus as to this point. However different the circumstances, the scenes are after all similar in their teaching, naturally enough of course. Abraham is a pilgrim and a stranger, and, according to nature, has no hope; so those at Bethany are brought face to face with death and the grave. But there where hope is gone, and hearts are smitten and broken, the Lord draws near, and brings man into fellowship with His power and His love. The enemy seems to be about to carry all before him, but it is only that his defeat may be the more signal and overwhelming.

This is illustrated in the pursuit of Pharaoh and his host after Israel-Israel in helpless weakness shut up apparently to a dreadful doom, when suddenly all is changed-the awful waves of God's judgment close in, and the enemy is seen no more. And this portion of Exodus, as has been shown to us of late, is a sixth part among the seven parts into which the divine record of Israel's deliverance naturally falls. All this falls remarkably into line with what we are now considering, and tends to assure us that whatever is real in these numerical teachings will be abundantly confirmed as we get better acquainted with our subject through a deeper acquaintance with the Scriptures, and so with the relationship of its parts to one another in this way.

Another notable illustration of this point is found in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew,-where the Lord, for the sixth time in this gospel, in His path of service, is spoken of as upon a mountain, as already shown in a previous article. That is after He begins His ministry,- after the Temptation.

What, then, is the subject of the Lord's discourse in the twenty-fourth of Matthew, as He sat upon the mount on this sixth occasion ? Just that which is typified by the destruction of Pharaoh at the Red Sea,-that is, the power of Antichrist and of Satan threatens the destruction _of the people of God. The "abomination of desolation " stands in the holy place; and "except those days should be shortened, no flesh should be saved." All is dark and terrible,-woe has followed woe, and distress has continued to increase, and the storm has caused His own to cry out, when, suddenly as the lightning, the judgment has fallen, and their deliverance has come. The Lord appears in the clouds of heaven in power and glory, and the enemy is destroyed with judgment. All this is clearly in harmony, and parallel ; whether the type at the Red Sea, in ,Ex. 14:or in Matt, 24:, the narration of what will answer to the type,-all is a consistent and remarkable testimony as to the meaning of this number.

But how suggestive are these solemn and blessed scenes at the Red Sea, and in Israel's final great deliverance, of God's dealing with us now, individually and collectively ! In these scenes His present dealings are reflected. Ere the repentant soul finds rest, he may seem about to be overwhelmed by Satan; and throughout our pathway here, in conflict with Satan, how often does the Church seem threatened with entire overthrow at one point and another, in one place and another, and in spite of faithlessness and failure, we see the Lord's deliverance at last ! "Always darkest just before dawn " will be fearfully but triumphantly illustrated at the millennial dawn ; but in some measure it is so now with us again and again, by the long-suffering and great mercy of our God. For our sins, we are exposed to chastening; and for our discipline, for our good, the enemy has got a foothold-he is allowed for a time to win :but let the faithful wait,- it is the old experience over again, which will be repeated until the Lord comes-until the final victory and triumph-"shout," "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." But there is more than that:there is an exhortation that precedes. It is this:"Fear ye not."-"Fear ye not. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." (Ex. 14:13.) If our hearts are not steadied by the first exhortation, through faith in God, it is impossible to take heed to the last. We do not stand still ; nor have, in such a case, eyes to see what God is doing. Oh that we might not so quickly distrust Him on the next occasion,-that we might have more rest of heart in Him at all times, and not increase confusion by our own folly and unrest and ignorance ! If we are not habitually waiting on the Lord, we will not do it in the time of testing and fiery trial. May His name be not so much dishonored by us as in the past. Cut His mercy endureth forever.

There is a good comment of Luther's on Mary's song, when God gave him grace to abide in peace in face of the threatening power of Rome :-

" ' He hath showed strength with His arm. He hath put down the mighty from their seats. . . .' 'His arm,' continues she, meaning by this the power by which He acts of Himself, without the aid of any of His creatures. Mysterious power! . . . . which is exerted in secrecy and in silence until His designs are accomplished. Destruction is at hand when no one has seen it coming; relief is there, and no one had expected it. He leaves His children there in oppression and weakness, so that every man says, 'They are lost!' …. But it is then He is strongest; for where the strength of men ends, there begins that of God. Only let faith wait upon Him.

…. And on the other hand, God permits His adversaries to increase in grandeur and power. He withdraws His support, and suffers them to be puffed up with their own. He empties them of His eternal wisdom, and lets them be filled with their own, which is but for a day. And while they are rising in the brightness of their power, the arm of the Lord is taken away, and their work vanishes as a bubble bursting in the air."* *D'Aubigne's "History of the Reformation," in one volume. Page 229.* E.S.L.