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I. Observe, then, in the first place — ABRAHAM IS DECLARED TO BE FAITHFUL AND BLESSED. Truly he may well be called faithful Abraham; for though there are some evident marks of want of faith in Abraham, yet this is saying no more of him than of any one of God's people. In those the most excellent — standing forth the most prominently in God's Word — it is remarkable, that in the very point in which the Holy Ghost made them peculiarly excellent — gave a peculiar beauty in their character — you will find in that very point are they distinguished, in some few stages of their journey, for that which is the direct opposite; and if that teaches us no more than this, than Abraham was not saved for his faith's sake — that Job was not saved for his patience" sake — that David was not saved for his courage' sake — it leads us to this, to say that by grace they were saved, and not by anything wrought in them or done by them. When we look at the character of this eminent servant of God, truly he was distinguished for this most excellent gift — the faith of God's elect. But observe: the passage also asserts that faithful Abraham was "blessed," Faithful Abraham had temporal blessings. That's one proof, among many, why I cannot think that Abraham's covenant is the same with our gospel covenant. There was the act of circumcision that entitled him to a blessing; and there was the promised land — the temporal good. Surely this does not savour of the unearthly gospel. The gospel covenant gives no promise of any temporal blessing, except, indeed, in this way"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these shall be added unto you." All these things shall be thrown in. Ye shall find riches in your poverty, and health in your sickness. Ye shall find that God, who worketh by contraries, shall give you real good even out of evil. But His covenant gives no assurance of earthly blessings, though the covenant of Abraham did; and that's one reason, among ten thousand, why I never could consider it the same with the gospel covenant. But besides this, Abraham was especially blessed in spiritual things. He inherited the promise — the great promise. He inherited the promise of Isaac, and saw through him the Messiah that was to be cut off, but not for Himself.

II. But now observe, secondly, that "THEY WHICH BE OF FAITH ARE BLESSED WITH HIM." When it is said that "they which be of faith," we are not to understand that they have the same measure of faith as Abraham. My dear friends, we are oftentimes accused of laying too great stress on faith. I never heard a believer think we laid too much stress upon faith. I hear of those who talk of faith as a blind man talks of colours, unable to describe or truly to understand that of which he speaks. I have heard. them saying we lay too much stress upon faith; but the Apostle Paul wrote two whole Epistles especially on this subject; and you will find, throughout the whole of the Romans, and throughout the whole of the Galatians, how great and how continued a stress he lays on this most important point; and how is that? He knew well this grand subject of faith sinks everything else. As faith is strong, so every thing is strong. When our views of faith rise, so our views of God rise; and when such is the case, obedience to the law of God flows as a stream, pervades the heart, and worketh by love — subjecteth the will, and leadeth a man upwards to his salvation. All the blessings are received by faith. They are as much received by faith as I receive the bread I eat. That bread becomes mine as I eat it, it becomes mine by appropriation, as it were — it becomes my own, to nutrify and sustain me; and so, by faith, Christ becomes the support of my spiritual frame. I now come to that part of the subject which opens a great and glorious prospect: "they are blessed." They who have Christ are blessed; they inherit the promise — the great promise — Christ — Jehovah — Jesus the Saviour. They have Him in the glory of His person, the perfection of His work, and all the fulness of His grace. Oh I what a blessing has that man who has Christ for his portion. Does any one doubt it? They are blessed because they are hastening to that world where they shall be superlatively blessed.

(J. H. Evans.)

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KJV: So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

WEB: So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.