Chapter 48—Abraham and His Children
If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to
the promise.
Galatians 3:29
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Of Abraham it is written that “he was called the friend of God,” “the
father of all them that believe”....
It was a high honor to which Abraham was called, that of being the father
of the people who for centuries were the guardians and preservers of the
truth of God for the world—of that people through whom all the nations of
the earth should be blessed in the advent of the promised Messiah.
Abraham was honored by the surrounding nations as a mighty prince
and a wise and able chief. He did not shut away his influence from his
neighbors. His life and character, in their marked contrast with those of
the worshipers of idols, exerted a telling influence in favor of the true faith.
His allegiance to God was unswerving, while his affability and benevolence
inspired confidence and friendship, and his unaffected greatness commanded
respect and honor.
His religion was not held as a precious treasure to be jealously guarded
and enjoyed solely by the possessor. True religion cannot be thus held; for
such a spirit is contrary to the principles of the gospel. While Christ is
dwelling in the heart, it is impossible to conceal the light of His presence,
or for that light to grow dim. On the contrary, it will grow brighter and
brighter as day by day the mists of selfishness and sin that envelop the soul
are dispelled by the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness.
The people of God are His representatives upon the earth, and He intends
that they shall be lights in the moral darkness of this world. Scattered all
over the country, in the towns, cities, and villages, they are God’s witnesses,
the channels through which He will communicate to an unbelieving world
the knowledge of His will and the wonders of His grace. It is His plan that
all who are partakers of the great salvation shall be missionaries for Him.
The piety of the Christian constitutes the standard by which worldlings judge
the gospel. Trials patiently borne, blessings gratefully received, meekness,
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