much in the way of confirmation, but not so with God's
oath. An oath ought to be sacred, and should be the end of doubt and
strife. God made a promise to Abraham, and because He could swear by no
greater, He sware by Himself. And Abraham lived to see the promise begin
to fulfil, and to-day the heirs of Abraham may look and see the same
promise fulfilling, for, as Paul says in Heb. vi. 17: "Wherein God,
willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the
immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath."

Who are the heirs of promise? For to them belong many and precious
promises, both spiritual and temporal. Spiritually, they are to lead and
be responsible for the evangelisation of the world. Temporally, they are
to be a numerous seed, a powerful people. They are to occupy the ends of
the earth, the uttermost parts of the earth, the coasts of the earth, the
waste and the desolate places of the earth, the isles of the sea, the
heathen, as an inheritance. They are to inherit the Gentiles, and make
the desolate cities to be inhabited; they are to be the chief of nations;
they are to be a company of nations; they are to be a great people; they
are to possess the gates of their enemies. Surely such a people should
be found, for all these things make it impossible for them to be hid in a
corner. One cannot help saying with the Psalmist: "Blessed is the nation
whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own
inheritance."

In the English Court of Chancery are vast sums of money, large fortunes
waiting for heirs. The court frequently advertises for them, and many in
every land respond and are eager to prove their claims; they are anxious
to be known and accepted as the descendants and lawful heirs of certain
testators. It is oftentimes difficult to establish their claims and
prove satisfactorily their identity. The court demands that the
evidences of heirship be very definite. In this they are right. But we
venture to say that even the English Court of Chancery would not turn
away a claimant who had all the distinct marks and abounding evidence of
identity that mark and characterise the children of Abraham, especially
so in the latter day, for then these characteristics are to be clearer
and fuller.

The Jews are known; they have been known all down the centuries; they
have not been able to hide themselves. In keeping with the Word of God
they have fulfilled up to the present