leled the trial! We read indeed in heathen stories, and in holy writ with reference to Moloch, that some in overwhelming distresses have sacrificed some of their children in a kind of rage and fury, out of hopes to be gainers by it; but this was not the case of Abraham; he was at perfect peace with God and man, with an affluence of all other things to the utmost of his desires; on all accounts his son was dear to him, to as great an height as it is possible perhaps for natural affection to arise; besides, the holy patriarch was quite sedate in his mind; had no hope of advantage; yea, what could be expected but the utter ruin of his family and posterity? Yet he complies with the unequivocal divine mandate to offer him, with his own hands, a bloody sacrifice unto God. 3. He did as much for the trial of his faith, as if his son had been actually slain. There could not have been a greater assault upon it in case he had been offered; he looked on him as dead under his eye; and thence, as we shall see, is said to "receive him in a figure;" he was, as to his faith, in the same condition as if he had been dead. Wherefore, 4. In compliance with the command of God, he shut his eyes, as it were, against all difficulties and consequences; resolving to venture Isaac, posterity, truth of promises, &c. upon the authority of God, wherein he is principally proposed as our example. §4. The next thing to be considered is the amplification of this obedience of Abraham in the various circumstances of it; and to begin with the person of Isaac; he was his "only begotten," that only son in whom the promise of the seed should be accomplished; farther to clear the reason of this expression, it may be observed, that the sons of Abraham by Keturah were not yet born; Ishmael was, by the command of God himself, put out of his family, as one that should not be the heir of his family, by whom his seed should be reckoned he was his only begotten by Sarah, who was concerned in all this affair between God and him no less than himself; and the Holy Ghost taketh into consideration the whole state of things between God and Abraham, in his call, his separation from the world, in the covenant made with him, in the promise made him concerning the blessed seed; in all which Isaac alone had any concernment; therefore as Abraham alone was placed in these circumstances, he was his "only begotten son." Finally, this expression is used in scripture sometimes for as much as peculiarly and entirely beloved above all others, Prov. iv, 2, to which there is here great respect. Abraham was very remote from being savage or cruel, nor did he design that stoical apathy which was so falsely and foolishly boasted of by some of old; nor was he (aclopyos) without natural affections, which the apostle reckons amongst the worst vices of the heathens, Rom. i, 31; yea, he was such a tender and affectionate father, that the sending of Ishmael out of his family was more than he could well bear, until God comforted him in it, Gen. xxi, 11-13; what now must the workings of his heart needs be towards Isaac, a son whom he had so long waited and prayed for, the only child of his dear wife, (who was the companion of all his wandering troubles and trials) and who was now grown up (as is most probable) to the age of sixteen or seventeen years, and had engaged his affections by all ways possible, being the stay of his age, the life of his family, his only hope and comfort in the world? And how was he to deal with him? Not to send him out of his family, with some provision, and a guide, as he sent Ishmael; not to part with him for a time into a foreign country; but to take him himself, to bind him, slay him with a knife, and then burn him to ashes. Who can conceive what convulsions in nature must needs be occasioned hereby? The advantaalso which Satan might hence take to excite unges belief with respect to the command of God, are obvious to all: "Can it be thought that he who is infinitely good, benign, and gracious, should command one who fears and loves him, thus to tear and rend his own bowels, to devour his own offspring, his only son? Hearken a little to the out-cries of love, fear, and sorrow, and be not too hasty to be the executioner of all thine own joy." Here then the divine power of faith manifested itself; "it is the Lord," prevented all murmurings, silenced all reasonings, and preserved his mind in a frame fit to approach God in his holy worship. $5. His obedience farther appears, in that he had "received the promises." It is twice said in this chapter, that neither he nor any other believers under the Old Testament, received the promise; verse 18—39, but here it is affirmed, that he did receive the promises. The solution is easy; for in those two other places, by the "promise," the thing promised is intended. And this sufficiently discovers the vanity of those expositors who would have these promises to respect principally, yea only, the land of Canaan, with the numerous posterity of Abraham therein. For this was fully enjoyed by them under the Old Testament, as much as ever it was to be enjoyed, when the apostle affirms concerning them that they "received not the promise." But Abraham is said to receive the promises formally, inasmuch as God made and gave them unto him, and he believed them, or received them by faith. The scripture calleth the same thing indif ferently the promise or the promises, see Expos. on chap. vi, 13-18. §6. "Of whom it was said, that in Isaac shall thy seed be called;" (pòs ov) of whom or concerning whom; the word "whom," immediately relates to. Isaac. (Hλaλon) It was said; that is, it was expressly spoken to him by God himself, on the occasion of sending Ishmael out of his family; that he might have full assurance of the accomplishment of the promises in him. And this was that which gave the greatest exercise to his faith. In Isaac ( σ σREρμа) shall a seed be called unto thee;" that is, the seed promised from the beginning shall be given in him; the traduction of it into the world shall be through him and no other. The principal subject matter of the promise was no other than Christ himself, with the whole work of his mediation for the redemption and salvation of the church. This is so evident, Acts ii, 38, 39; Gal. iii, 16, that it needs no confirmation. Supposing therefore what we have spoken before concerning the exercise of faith, occasioned by his natural affections, with reference to his only son; and who can conceive with what heart Abraham received the thunder of this command? what perplexities he was cast into, or at least would have been so, had not faith carried him through them all? He seems to be pressed unavoidably with one or the other of the greatest evils in the world; either he must disobey the command of God, or he must let go his faith in the promise; either of them filled with eternal ruin. §7. "Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." The immediate object of his faith in general was the power of God, that God was able. Abraham firmly believed, not only the immor ! tality of the soul, but also the resurrection from the dead. Had he not done so, he would not have betaken himself into this relief in his distress. It is in vain to inquire what special revelation Abraham had of these things; for the resurrection from the dead, which includes the other, was an essential part of the first promise, or no relief is tendered therein against the curse, which was a return into the dust. He owned the omnipotency of God, as able to produce inconceivable effects. He did not limit God as they did in the wilderness, as the psalmist at large describes their unbelief, Psalm Ixxviii, 19, 20, 40, 41. He rested on this, that the power of God could extend itself to things by him incomprehensible. This was the life and soul, as it were, of the faith of Abraham; he believed that the power of God was infinitely sufficient to secure his truth and veracity in his promises. though he could not conceive the way whereby it was to be done. And this is the life of faith at present in all true believers. Abraham still firmly believed the accomplishment of the great promise, although he could not discern the way whereby it should be fulfilled. Had his faith failed herein, his obedience had been useless. This is the last anchor of faith; it cleaves unto, and rests upon the truth of God in his promises, against all objections, temptations, and oppositions, although they are such as reason in its highest exercise cannot conquer. God, who cannot lie, hath promised, Tit. i, 2. On these principles, which were immoveably fixed in his mind, he reasoned within himself as to the way and manner whereby the power of God would make good his truth in the accomplishment of the promise. Accounting (oyicoμevos) computing, reasoning in himself from the principles of faith, that "God would raise him from the dead," or more em |