its principles and practice

We learn from Scripture that Abraham is the pattern man of faith in God. He is there called "The father of all them that believe"(Rom. 4:16). We know that there were others before him who believed God, as Abel, Enoch, Noah, but in Abraham first, God revealed His purpose to establish a "house" for Himself which is to outlast the ages, because built upon the foundation which He has provided for faith as a secure and abiding resting-place.

The martyr Stephen reminded the Council at Jerusalem that, "The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, and said unto him:Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I will show thee. Then came he out," etc. (Acts 7:1-8). God's first communication with Abraham was not long after the boasted attempt, but dismal failure, of Babel to concentrate its forces in "the city and the tower which men builded." Evidently, God's desire for man was that rural and pastoral life which leads toward dependence upon Himself; and thus He appointed that man "should spread" upon the surface of the earth. But man, in rejection of God's will, sought to centralize himself in commercial and religious enterprise. But not having God with him in this design, it came to nothing. In like manner it is said of "all that is in the world" that it "passeth away and the lust thereof," while "he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."

God's call to His servant Abraham tested him as to finding his heart's sufficiency in God Himself-His character and glory. As Stephen said "The God of glory appeared" to the patriarch. And the revelation God gave of Himself to His called one, enabled him to endure all that followed. By this means he was enabled to turn his back upon all that nature might claim from him, though, until Haran was passed, there were hindrances to this in its fulness. But God knew that the faith which He implants and inspires, though an exotic in the world, is able to find its strength and nourishment in drawing upon His resources, and so, though Abraham at times sadly failed, his "faith failed not." In Abraham, therefore, God has taught mankind what a beautiful thing is faith, as a plant of renown, not indeed of earth, but of heaven.

Thus, though faith is as insignificant in the eyes of the world as is a "grain of mustard seed" (Matt. 17:20; Luke 17:6), yet it accomplishes through laying hold upon GOD, that which all the schemes of men, united though they be, fail in carrying through. But the shame is, that even though we have the same faith as that which Abraham had, faith which is in the same GOD, we so little avail ourselves 'of its powers and resources laid up for us in the "living God." Ought we not in our day, as did Abraham in his day, manifest to the world that our GOD is One who maketh "not ashamed" those who trust in Him?

It was after the flood that Satan sought to corrupt the "seed of the woman," when he saw that he could not destroy it. God preserved that seed in Noah and his family, when He was compelled to destroy the earth. But Satan had his jealous eye upon it, and caused a great union of the families of men to take place, intending to hold them together by those ingredients which the enemy supplied. But "brick and slime" are not the material with which faith builds its structure, though the world affords nothing better. Prominent in Babel was not only idolatry but adulteration, 1:e., the mingling of things which have in reality nothing in common. The result of this is to nullify the power of what is pure and render it impure and obnoxious. Plainly, to attempt to institute communion between "light" and "darkness" is to efface the former and establish the latter. "Light" and "darkness" cannot commingle so as to bring about a pure offspring. Yet this is just what Babel stands for, and it is well-named "confusion." It is this, and nothing else, which marks every system of worship the world has ever known, save that only which builds faith's altar, and worships there. Hence we find Abraham leaving not only his native country (his politics) and his kindred (his natural ties) but also his father's house (his religious connections) in order that he might enter the "house of God" and worship according to faith. In Canaan Abraham builds his altar after the pattern of those of Abel and Noah; not after the pattern of Babel.

But it was not only adulteration, or compromise between truth and error (which in reality cannot be), for which Babel stood. As we have said, the other principle which comes out prominently there is Idolatry, the worship of the creature. In Babel the worship of man is especially in view, although Satan's ultimate object is to deflect all worship to himself, that he might become the "god of this age." In a subjective sense, he has been worshipped in all ages since the fall. But his aim is to have that accomplished which he daringly proposed to the Son of Man-"Fall down and worship me" I And it is one of the surest signs of the end drawing near, that men openly advocate within certain widening circles, the worship of Satan. During this "present evil age" Satan has advanced his cause to that extent that he not only has led the world to deny the true God, as witnessed in the rejection of Christ, but has substituted, in the thoughts of the world-leaders, those principles and institutions which are headed up in himself. As yet, he has done this by "blinding the minds of the unbelieving," so as to lead his dupes, Eve-like, into complicity with himself. At the opportune moment, which seems just upon us, he will lead men open-eyed, as he did Adam, into open rebellion against the true God. But this will be the signal for evil men and the arch-rebel to receive their just doom.

We see then that it was as much a new beginning, in God's ways with man, when He called out Abraham from this-denial of Himself of which Babel bore the double-stamp, as when He severed Noah and his family from the wicked generation about them, so as to preserve them through the flood. But in Abraham God established a principle, ever since active wherever faith has had its unchecked flow, that of a true separation in heart and life from the world. "Get thee out" has been the call of God to faith from that day, wherever it has found itself surrounded by principles or practices which deny or dishonor God. Nor can the abuse of this principle, through well-meaning or over-zealous advocates, misguided by following their own judgment in these things, reverse or set aside the command of God. Coming from His lips, it must apply in all ages, wherever faith finds itself hindered or thwarted in its purpose to glorify God. There has been no divine movement through man's history since Abraham's day which has not been in obedience to God's call to that separation to Himself and from the evil surrounding, such as the patriarch heard ere he left Ur. Therefore, the attempt on the part of some to suggest that the family of faith can worship and serve in common with those who are manifested as of Babel-character, is clearly a denial of God Himself in His true character, for how can He be "Light, in whom is no darkness at all," and have His people worship or serve at the shrine where darkness is honored?

The "living stones" with which God builds His house are patterned after the heavenly One. We read of these in 1 Pet. 2:4, "To whom coming as unto a Living Stone .. .ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ." This One who was "counted worthless indeed by man" is the "Chosen of God and precious." They who are of faith are built upon the Foundation laid by God, even upon Him who has been exalted to heaven, when man sought to dishonor Him, and to cover His name with shame and reproach. It is that Name which God has singled out from all others, making it the gathering-point for faith during this age when He is unseen by the world. When the great Babel-edifice upon which Satan and man have bestowed so much labor and admiration shall totter and fall, it will manifest to the intelligent universe that those who, being "taught of God" have come unto the "Living Stone" and been built upon Him, have been the true children of Wisdom.

We do not mean to say that Abraham knew the things which only since the death and resurrection of Christ have been the subjects of revelation; but in his faith, we have (in germ, at least) the principles by means of which God was about to carry out His purposes of love and grace among men. And we must not forget that those purposes are very large and far-reaching. The mistake the Jews made was in supposing that they, as the natural seed of Abraham, were the sole heirs of God's blessing. But not only has God in mind that His blessings in grace should reach out to all the "families of the earth," on the same principle of faith as evidenced in Abraham, but it is also according to His sovereign purpose that "no flesh shall glory before Him."Therefore, before Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah, circumcision must bear witness of this very thing. Hence the cry of the unbelieving Jews,"We are Abraham's seed," showed that they had entirely lost sight of the real meaning of the rite in which they boasted. If it meant anything at all, it was that Abraham must go (along with all the rest of mankind, as a man after the flesh), to give place to the man of faith. To boast therefore, as did the Jews, in their natural relationship with Abraham, was as if one put his boast in a decayed and worthless house, upon which judgment had been passed. Abraham knew better than this, for he did not build his hopes upon himself, but upon Isaac, that is, upon the Seed of Promise, of whom Isaac was but the type. And if Abraham, after entering Canaan under the leadership of God Himself, saw in that country a figure of "a better, that is, an heavenly," in Isaac too-may we not say?-he also saw a figure of the true Isaac. In this One indeed, "all that hear" with the ear of faith can "laugh" with Abraham and Sarah, since they, like that aged man and wife, are in possession of the true "Heir," now risen from among the dead, and about to enter upon His inheritance in company with those children of faith given to Him by His Father. -Wm. Huss.