Genesis 17:2

), I will make my covenant. Note, The covenant of grace is a covenant of God's own making; this he glories in ( as for me ), and so may we. It is promised to Abraham that he should be a father of many nations; that is, 1.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

And I will make my covenant between me and thee,....

WE COMMENCED our exposition of the life of Abram with his calling, when he was brought out of Ur of the Chaldees, and separated unto the Lord in Canaan. We then passed on to his justification, when he believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness; and now you will bear with us if we continue to the same subject to a further stage, and attempt to describe the fuller development of Abram’s vital godliness in the open and clear revelation of his consecration to God. In the chapter before us we see his sanctification unto the Lord, his ordination to service, and purification as a vessel fitted for the Master’s use. All the called are justified, and all the justified are by a work of the Holy Ghost sanctified, and made meet to be afterwards glorified with Christ Jesus. Let me remind you of the order in which these blessings come. If we should speak of sanctification or consecration, it is not as a first thing, but as an elevation to be reached only by preceding stepping-stones. In vain do men pretend to be consecrated to God before they are called of God’s Spirit; such have yet to be taught that no strength of nature can suffice to serve the Lord aright. They must learn what this meaneth, “Ye must be born again,” for assuredly until men are brought into spiritual life by effectual calling of the Holy Spirit, all their talk about serving God may be answered in the words of Joshua, “Ye cannot serve the Lord.” I speak of consecration, but it is not as a first thing, nor even as a second thing, for a man must be justified by faith which is in Christ Jesus, or he will not possess the grace which is the root of all true sanctity; for sanctification grows out of faith in Jesus Christ. Remember holiness is a flower, not a root; it is not sanctification that saves, but salvation that sanctifies.

BELOVED, all Scripture is the Word of God but some Scripture is expressly so. Much of its teaching comes through inspired men but some of it was spoken by God's own mouth, directly and without instrumentality. Such are the Words now before us which were of old spoken to Abram by the Almighty God. These sentences ought for this reason to be regarded with peculiar reverence and considered with double attention. The glow of Divinity is fresh upon the lines— bend, then, your souls to the understanding of them. If a letter were written to you when you were far from home, you would value every line of it. If your fond mother had asked a friend to write it in her name and had dictated the expressions which he should employ—and if there were inserted in the body of the letter several sentences with this preface, "and your mother expressly says"—then you would treasure up the exact words and repeat them to yourself again and again, would you not? All God's Words in Scripture are pearls, but this is one of the fairest of them! They are all diamonds, but such Words as God speaks from His own mouth I may call the crown jewels of Scripture! Look, then, at the text. We will read it again: "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be you perfect. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." Happy was Abram to have such intimate communion with God! These sacred visits were the grand events of his life. But we need not envy him, for God has appeared unto us in a yet more glorious manner and the appearance is abiding. Behold, in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ the tabernacle of God is among men and He does dwell among them! And, in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit the Believer has obtained an intimacy with God which none of the older dispensation attained.

WE COMMENCED our exposition of the life of Abram with his calling, when he was brought out of Ur of the Chaldees, and separated unto the Lord in Canaan. We then passed on to his justification, when he believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness; and now you will bear with us if we continue to the same subject to a further stage, and attempt to describe the fuller development of Abram’s vital godliness in the open and clear revelation of his consecration to God.