Abraham offereth Isaac on the altar.

1 And it came to pass after 6 And Abraham took the wood these things that God did tempt of the burnt offering, and laid Abraham, and said unto him, it upon Isaac his son; and he Abraham and he said, Behold, took the fire in his hand, and a here I am. knife; and they went both of them together.

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, come again to you.

and

7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

LECTURE 42.

And it

That we must be ready to make any sacrifice to God. God did prove Abraham: these are the words of an old version of the Scriptures; and this is the meaning of our present version, "God did tempt Abraham." It was a trial of his faith. abounds unto praise, and honour, and glory. See 1 Pet. 1. 7. It was indeed a severe trial. But "whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." Heb. 12. 6. He was commanded to take his son, his "only son," the only son by Sarah, the only son by promise, the son in whom he had been assured that his seed should be called; see ch. 21. 12; and to offer him for a burnt offering on "one of the mountains" in the land of Moriah. He was commanded. And he obeyed. He "rose up early in the morning," so anxious was he to have no delay in fulfilling the will of God. He took with him two servants, "and Isaac his son," thus mentioned as a matter of course; as if even this most costly sacrifice that he could possibly be required to offer unto God, was yielded up without the least of hesitation, and freely given, as freely as received. The like calmness and steadiness of purpose

appears in his cleaving the wood beforehand for the fire, in his uninterrupted journeying till he came within sight of the place, in his leaving the servants and the ass behind him, when he was satisfied that he could reach the spot without their help; nay, and also in his saying to them, "I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." For though he purposed to slay his son upon the altar, we know from the Epistle to the Hebrews, that he accounted "that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead." Heb. 11. 19. But shall this persuasion that they should both return alive seem to lessen the costliness of the sacrifice he had to make? Far from it. Else what sacrifice of cost could we ever be able to offer unto God? For what is there that we can give to Him, which He will not abundantly recompense, far beyond our utmost expectations? Our treasure? Moth and rust consume it, and thieves break through and steal; whereas that which is prepared for us in heaven will endure for ever and ever. Our lives? Nay these are short, and full of trouble, and yet how few will devote them unto God? though we have as good ground for faith as Abraham, that ground the promise of God, as good ground for believing, that whosoever will lose his life for Christ's sake, shall find it to all eternity.

66

And now behold Isaac carrying the wood for the burnt offering, like our Lord bearing his own cross. Hear him asking in simplicity of heart, "where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" and the father replying with faithfulness of purpose, "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering." See them going "both of them together," arriving at the place appointed by God; and there observe the father building the altar, laying "the wood in order," binding "his son," laying him upon the altar upon the wood," and stretching "forth his hand," and taking "the knife to slay his son." Will not this example move us to yield up unto God our Isaac, be it what it may, whatsoever we have most longed for, whatsoever we most dearly love on earth, the very moment He demands it at our hands? What favorite possession can we henceforth spare, what cherished affection can we any longer indulge, with this instance of Abraham before our eyes, to teach us how faith works by love?

Or if this example be not enough, let us turn our thoughts to that other sacrifice, more marvellous beyond all comparison, which this did but foreshadow and foreshew. Let us behold Christ dying on the cross. Let us consider how God spared not his own Son. Let us remember how Christ gave Himself to make atonement for our sins, how in the full apprehension of all that He had to suffer He was ready to say, "Lo, I come, to do thy will, O God." Heb. 10. 7. Let us think of these things as done for us, and for our salvation. And then how can we one moment hesitate to do stedfastly all that He commands? How can we one moment doubt that all the loss which we suffer for his sake will prove our endless gain?

Isaac is spared, Abraham blessed, Rebekah born.

11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will

multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.

20 And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also borne children unto thy brother Nahor;

21 Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,

22 And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.

23 And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.

24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

LECTURE 43.

The harmony of faith, and works, fear, and love.

It is remarkable that the same passage in the history of Abraham is referred to by St. Paul, to prove the power of lively faith, and by St. James, to shew that faith without works is dead. See Heb. 11. 17. James 2. 21, 22. And in harmony with their united doctrine, God here bears this testimony on the occasion, "now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." Away then with all foolish and vain questions, as to the comparative efficacy of faith and works, of fear and love. Let us but fear God as did Abraham, fear his displeasure, fear to disobey his commandments; let us but love

God as did Abraham, love to do his will; let us but believe in God as did Abraham, believe his promises of mercy and grace, in Christ our Saviour; let us but work for God, as did Abraham, work that which we know to be his will; and behold, we have beyond all controversy the sum and substance of religion; our hope no man taketh from us, Satan himself in vain disputes our victory.

The obedience of Abraham is unquestionably the reason here assigned by God, for the mercy shewn to him in sparing his son, and for the blessing repeated and renewed, the blessing of a seed countless "as the stars of heaven," and "as the sand which is upon the sea shore," a seed in which "all the nations of the earth" should be "blessed." And yet at the moment when obedience is so highly honoured, so abundantly rewarded, when Abraham is blessed, and Isaac spared, a ram must notwithstanding be slain, a burnt offering must be offered up by Abraham, "in the stead of his son." And this might signify, both to him and us, that no faith or works, no fear or love, of ours, can avail, without the merits of a Saviour, without remission of sins by shedding of blood, without the shedding of the blood of Christ, that Lamb without spot; who, in our stead, was taken, that we might escape; and died, that we might live for ever. Whilst therefore we persevere in well doing; let us be on our guard against trusting in our good deeds. Whilst we endeavour and pray for help, to grow in the belief of all that God has revealed; let us also watch that we trust not in our faith. There is no other name given under heaven, whereby we may be saved, but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are justified, it is true, by faith in Him. See Gal. 2. 16. But it is for his sake that we are justified. And our father Abraham, it is true, was justified by works. See James 2. 21. But it was for Christ's sake that his works were accepted. It was Christ who shed his blood. It is in the everlasting Son that the Father is well pleased. It is by Him that He is reconciled to us. It is through Him that we have "access by one Spirit unto the Father." Eph. 2. 18. And therefore it is profitable for us to know even the slightest circumstances connected with the earthly parentage of our Saviour. And probably for this end it is here recorded, how Abraham was told of children born to his brother Nahor; that we might be apprised of the birth of Rebekah, afterwards the wife of Isaac, and one of the mothers in the lineage of our Lord. God, who was thus providing a wife for Isaac, and a mother for Jacob, seems to turn our attention from the most devout act of faith and obedience ever recorded of man, to the infinitely more marvellous revelation of mercy and love, in the redemption of mankind by Christ. Lord, what is man, that we should think any thing of works of ours, when we are allowed to contemplate dealings of thine? What are we, that we can bear to dwell upon our own doings, when we might be adoring and glorifying Thee?

8

Sarah dieth. Abraham purchaseth a burying place.

1 And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall with hold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead. 7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. 8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the Son of Zohar,

9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.

:

10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,

11 Nay, my lord, hear me: the

field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead. 12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.

16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

17 And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure

18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.

19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the sons of Heth.