Men little think it they do but swallow their own Damnation 'till their Eyes discern the Lord's Body in his own light those that have Eat and Drunk in his Presence shall be turned off at the last Day with a doleful Discedite Depart from me for I know you not Prayer it self unless selvidg'd by Resolution ravels out into nothing so little trust is there to the best of external Priviledges where they are not accompanied with the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power He is not a Jew which is one outwardly Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of Men but God. Though the Ordinances in themselves are ineffectual without God yet being of Divine Institution they bind us to a constant and faithful waiting upon him in the Use of them for who knows when or how soon he may work by them The pretence of their invalidity give us no License to depart from them or to lay them by since here we see utter Excision menaced against every Child of Abraham that should not bleed by the Circumcising Knife There are some benefits which the most wicked Men enjoy together with the Holy in the outward Communion of the Church for which they shall pay their Homage and yield a subjection such as it is though hypocritical and involuntary they shall sit before him as his People do and make some shews at least of a real Conformity and Union with Him though their Hearts run after Covetousness and they are as Traiterous as Judas who yet had his Sop dipt in the same Dish with Jesus God who had hitherto feasted his Abraham with a Banquet of Promises which only his Faith is to feed on all his Life long and must depart the World in Assurance of their Truth when his Eyes should be shut up in Death will yet present him with one Dish which himself shall see and all his Senses ravished with the very taste of Sweet Meats are kept for the last Course and help to digest all the rest the better Judge Reader with what Ears Abraham receives the Tydings of an Heir from the Body of his dearest Sarah who at once is made a Lady and a Lady Mother She shall have a Son that shall own and double that Honour together 'T is Astonishing News and Abraham's Feet can hold him no longer he embraces the Mercy of a Saviour and a Son with a lowly Prostration Blessings multiply upon him as Duties are multiplyed by him No Man shall ever lose by a munificent God. Adam parts with a Rib and behold a Wife Abraham with a superfluous Skin and behold a Son. The Heart of Man cannot bear the Kisses of Divine Love without dissolving into Joy and Abraham's Soul is so full of it now that it forces a vent at his Mouth He laughs out the excess of that Comfort which seems so pleasingly to oppress him And God himself is so delighted to see his Abraham thus humbly and innocently Merry at the Thoughts of Sarah's Breeding that while the Name of Isaak liveth it shall never be forgotten that Abraham laughed thus reverently in Faith and as sometimes one who finds that he hath gratified his Company by telling a Story which hath proved so acceptable and affecting beyond expectation will repeat it again in Assurance of that Virtue in the repetition that will still keep up the Humour so God disdains not to make a Rehearsal of what he saw sounded so sweetly in the Ears of his dearest Friend Sarah thy Wife shall bear thee a Son Indeed she shall v. 19. Tho thine Age of an Hundred and hers of Ninety Years may make it seem impossible to Nature yet I have revealed to thee mine Almighty Power to give it an Evidence in this Grace God is already teaching Abraham the exercise of his Faith in his Alsufficiency and he is no dull Schollar but presently takes out the Lesson and is dandling Isaak in the Arms of his Faith before he is Conceived in the Womb of his Mother Could we Believe with Abraham's Faith we should Rejoyce with Abraham's Joy. There is no true Pleasure but what is Spiritual all the Worlds Huzzah's but as the Noise of Thorns which Crackle themselves into Nothing Solomon commits the Vanity to Bedlam the proper place for the Franticks that distractedly Laugh while they are little sensible what Tears they shall Weep in Hell Eccl. 2.2 Canst thou be Merry Canst thou Play Silly Soul who Sinn'd to Day In Heaven where there is no Sin there is Fulness of Joy In Hell where there is nothing but Sin there is nothing but Sorrow but on Earth Men Sin and rejoyce in it too yet feel no Sorrow and no wonder when they feel no Sin as the Distemper'd are sensible of no Madness These are pack'd away by Abraham's Great Heir into their own Place to see if they can be as Jolly there too Woe unto you c. The Merry Frolick of a short day dying into an Everlasting Night of Horror and Torment But for a greater Increase of Abraham's Joy he receives not the News of a Son only but an Heir of the Covenant He shall inherit the Blessings of Grace and Glory God intends Isaac for Heaven e'er ever he had Life or Conception Where are those that quarrel at the comfortable Doctrine of Election which God himself Preaches to Abraham Well might he Laugh again for so good a Son maketh a glad Father 'T is well when Parents and Children go not two ways in the dreadful Day Isaac is sure of a place in his Fathers Bosom in the everlasting Kingdom When the Seed of Free Grace is Sown into a good Field it never fails of a Crop but where it falls in Barren Ground expect nothing but Weeds Too many want the Ingenuity to make Grateful Returns for Spiritual Mercies Men are not only Evil because God is Good but that very Goodness makes them Worse they tire his Patience and adventure to make trial to what length the Dimensions of his Long-suffering may be extended But the brave Abraham under the fore-knowledge of Gods Decree is so far from slackening his Duty in the careful Education of Isaac into Piety that looking on him as an Heir of Heaven he was ever dressing him up in such Robes as he knew would be worn and could be never out of Fashion there He endeavours to make him a greater Proficient if possible than himself And methinks Isaac's whole Life was nothing else but a lively Comment on the distinguishing Mercy of God towards him True Grace hath that excellent Property to inlarge the Heart into an Universal Concern for General Good and wisheth Epidemical Happiness to all Some quarrel at that charitable Supplication of the Church in the Litany That it might please thee to have Mercy upon all Men Never remembring that God would have All Men to be saved and hath Sworn That he hath no pleasure in the death of a Sinner
Sighs to have that Promise more particularly express'd Generals in Religion leave the Affections Dull and Cold and are but as the Embers upon the Hearth which more explicite Revelation blows up into Flames of Spiritual Heat and Joy. All the rich Legacies of the New Testament do but meanly Affect us till they are translated into the Heart by the Finger of God. Then O how I love thy Law 'T will never be well with us till we Pray and Sigh too with Abraham for a more express Illumination and accomplishment of the Promise I will write my Law in their inward parts General Promises satissie well enough a dead and General Faith all whose Hopes are on the Paper but a Lively Faith is ever Restless till they be transcribed thence and engraven in legible Characters within The Law of his God is in his heart That is the Fleshly Table upon which it is fairly written Salvation is secure to all whose Names are written in the Book of Life but 't is a Lamp from the Sanctuary the Spirit of Revelation that must clear up the Evidence to the Soul of its own Name being there inserted Abraham's true Faith Sighs after more explicite Demonstration 'T is a dreadful thing to leave the Concerns of Eternity under Fear and Doubts Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Abraham's Soul was at stake and longed till he were better secured of the promised Seed which should make himself and all the Nations of the earth happy He Pants (*) (*) (*) Quodnam donum oblectationi aut consolationi mihi erit quâ—â—diu non video prâ—missionem tuam completam de semine meo ex quo Messias est procreandus till he see that natural Root from whence the Blessed Branch of Righteousness should in Gods good time be most happily derived What could he beg less than this In vain would all other Blessings be heap'd on his Head. But to pass down into the Chambers of death Childless and all the Memoirs of his Faith and Obedience to be buried with him in the same Sepulchre This is matter of Grief to him under all the Royal Largesses of Divine Bounty towards him Progeny is the natural desire of Man whose Ambition is to see himself survive in others springing from him and Children are but the living Images of their deceased Parents who so long as They live are not altogether dead Besides Abraham foresees his great Name might be interred in Oblivion if God should not inscribe it on a more lively Monument than his Steward Eliezer of Damascus was like to make who although he were a good Man and by being adopted his Heir might be raised to bear some Figure and Resemblance of his State in the World yet he sears he would prove but a dark Representative of the Great Abraham's Spirit and no Express Image of his Masters Person Too dark a Region for his Illustrious Vertues to shine in The Sence of this Infelicity lay so heavy upon his troubled Spirits that now he sights for Life and reduplicates his stroaks The Roâ—k had not yet yielded him one comfortable Drop which in an instant shall gush out in Floods of living Water he renews the complaint and piteously laments his condition To me hast thou given no Seed None yet appears though thou tellest me of a numberless One. I find no Accomplishment of thy Promise God sometimes makes as if he did not hear and seems to shut his Ears while yet his Heart is open He loves to put a Value on his own Mercies which we so much the more esteem as they cost us dear in purchasing and waiting for Blessings too cheaply gotten are too meanly priz'd Abraham's Soul is in Travel for an Heir he must not hope to be delivered by one poor single Pang In vain do we knock at Heavens Gates without watching there till Answer comes and if that be delayed our Requests are to be enforced by new Arguments and more pathetick workings of Heart And though our Prayers be answered before we cry yet must we call again and again for that Answer And Jesus taught us a Parable to this end that we ought always to pray and not to faint Let Abraham hold out but one throw more and the Child shall come to the Birth Christian thou hast been in long Labour for a Saviour the next Groan may bring him from the Womb of Gods Decree and thine own Prayers into thy joyful Arms wilt thou dye before thou see thy Saviour Born in thy Heart Christ in thee the hope of Glory Behold God this very Moment appearing to cancel all the Evidences of the Strangers Pretensions and breaking for ever the Heart of Eliezer's Hopes See the Seals of those despairing Conveyances making over thine Estate and Soul to the Forreigner all lying on the Ground torn off and himself sneaking away in utter Desperation at the first breaking out of the true Isaac Go Father Abraham and teach all the World the profit of patient waiting at the Throne of Grace for by thine Importunity and Perseverance hast thou prevailed with God. Since the pains of thine Heart have turned even Gods within him and caused his very Bowels to roll in the Sounding whereof thou hearest the joyful Tidings of a Son which shall issue from those very Bowels that have stirred in so violent Motions against which his pity hath no strength any longer to withstand thee and hath all this while made but a feigned Resistance while thou hast been shewing a Tryal of thy Skill how well thou canst manage thy Shield and how prosperously God himself may be attack'd when it shall please him to yield up himself to be conquered by his Creature Abraham hath been in Travel and Behold a Troop cometh What a prolifick Grace is Prayer which brings forth Thousands and ten Thousands in our Streets and makes Parents of an Incomprehensible Seed The Off-spring of that Grace are all the Innumerable Productions of Eternity which all the Arts of Arithmetick must for ever despair to sum up Can the Great God give any thing little Hath Abraham wrought all this while but for one Son Come all ye glittering Lamps of Heaven your mighty Creator sends you a Summons to make your Appearance here in your clearest Shine not the One thousand three hundred twenty five chief Commanders that seem to exceed the rest in Glory but give your Orders to the Minor Lights to make up all the Force and with all your united Numbers make some Figure to the Great Abraham of the infinite Issue that I will bless him in who from one Son shall multiply into Myriads to bespangle the lower Firmament of my Church For so shall his Seed be God had employed him before â—o the endless work of accounting the numbers of the little Dust of the Earth Now will he have him to enumerate the Stars of Heaven with the like impossible Imposition Some critically observe that by the former God pointed out
but rather that they turn themselves and Live If they will not yet shall they not want the Sacred and Hearty Prayers of the Church that they might Neither can God take it ill of any that wisheth no more than himself doth nor doth Man know what Individual Person shall miscarry Abraham had the Grace of a Publick Spirit who doing what he could to further the Happiness of each Servant in his Family could not be without working of Heart for any Child of his Bowels And no wonder then that hearing of all the Mercies of the Covenant transferred to Isaac he seems to entertain some Jealous Apprehensions of the future Estate of Ishmael and falls on his Knees to intreat that the whole Shower of Divine Grace might not so fall on the One but that some sprinklings of his Favour may Sanctifie the Other also God forbid that any thing descending from the Body of Abraham should fall short or miscarry of the Great Salvation Therefore intending to give a Charge upon Heaven he sharpens the Point of his Arrow with an acute Passion that it might with deeper Penetration enter the Heart of God and bring back thence a Blessing upon his Child O that Ishmael might live before thee O that he may Prayers shot from our own seldom miss the Bosom of God when those that are sent at Random lose their way and act no Execution He desires not that God would break the Links of that Golden Chain to which his Decrees have fastened the Salvation of all or that Ishmael might be dispens'd with from the Duties of the Covenant to which his Mercies are annexed But O that Ishmael might live before thee be indued with those holy Principles of Grace and Spiritual Life which might enliven all his Affections and Consecrate all his Actions to his Glory and might be such a one as himself sincere and upright before him through all the whole course of his Pilgrimage in the World. 'T were Rudeness indeed to impose upon God for Salvation to such a one that should make no Care or Conscience of living before him But O that Ishmael may Glorifie thee here 'T is Holiness that Abraham begs for his Son he knows that God would not pass out of his usual Road to save him in an extraordinary manner And what less could a Father do that was so well acquainted with the Happiness attendant on the Faithful Discharge of every Duty and Service to God Eyes that â—ierce into the Glories of Eternity and know they are attainable by Prayer quickly get the consent of the Knees to bend for them while the Heart enflamed with all the Ardencies of Passion and Zeal makes its Pursuits after them He knows not what Salvation means that makes but slow and heavy Motions towards it Cold and indifferent Petitions teach but God to deny them We are but in Jest for Heaven till God give us Eyes to see and know how great the Hope of his Calling is and how unsearchable the Riches of the Glorious Inheritance of the Saints are When the Light Shone from Heaven upon Paul then Behold he prayeth he had made many a Pharisaical Prayer to little purpose but now he prayeth Indeed Those are the best Intercessors at the Throne of Grace for others that have prevailed there already for Themselves The Parent that hath prayed down Mâ—rcy upon his own Soul is most likely to speed for his Child Abraham had so often made his Attacks upon Heaven that he knew how to Sling the Stone of his Devotions to an Hand-breadth that it could not miss And indeed God had set himself as his Mark and given him to fair an Advantage against him that it was impossible for him not to Hit I will be a God unto thee to do all that a God can do for thee was such a Broadside as might well secure him from Despair of Execution Abraham pleads the Articles already and it being the first Claim since the Sealing of them he left it to God himself to consider how little Honour it would be to him to deny it And Abraham doth but humbly plead for what God had granted him already and his Faith might reverently draw out from him So amazing is the Priviledge of the Covenant that God seems to own that he hath left himself without Power to with-hold from any Heir the reasonable Requests of his Soul. Concerning the work of mine hands command ye me So Omnipotent a Grace is humble Prayer While they are yet speaking I will answer See Abraham thy Petition comes flying back already with Gods Fiat upon it As for Ishmael I have heard thee behold I have blessed him He is thine by Nature and shall be mine by Grace He shall become a Nation and the Great Father of Twelve Princes but these degenerous and all of them together not comparable to One of the Kings Issuing from Isaac's Loyns How sweet and obliging is the present return of our Prayers Arbaham is the Type of the Great Intercessor He sees the Travel of his Soul and is satisfied The fervent Prayer of this Righteous Man is effectual and prevailing Hence our Divines conclude the Salvation of Ishmael as Lyra c. though his Posterity were cut off from partaking of the Fatness of the Root and true Olive and grew naturally Wild and too Sowre for Heaven but for Ishmael himself I have heard thee What Faithful Son of Abraham bears not his Fathers Heart yearning after the same Blessing for the Children of his own Bowels and can the Mother forget her sucking Child that she should not travel again in a second Birth until Christ be formed in him Monica's Prayers and Tears brought forth an happy Son to her self and Glorious Father to the Church We are not more bound to Feed and Cloath than to Intercede for them To little purpose do Men Sweat and Labour to provide and hoard up Estates for them while they are unconcerned in the One thing needful the better part which shall never be taken from them Abraham knew what a Rich Portion an All-sufficient God was without whose Favour the whole World could not make up an Happiness to his Ishmael Blessed are those Children whose Fathers have Abraham's Spirit and Interest in God and miserable are those Children who are not dutiful to such Parents and thankful for that Interest Behold a Felicity Great as this Life is capable of A Favourite of Heaven dress'd up into all the Perfections of Blessedness by the infinite Bounty of God The Treasures of Providence flowing in upon him in streams of Riches and Wealth Those attended by Honour and Greatness and all crowned with a Gracious Heart to improve them His Soul brim full of Spiritual Comfort not a Fear or Doubt that clouds the Serenity of his Thoughts ravished with the sweet Sense of Divine Love and Assurance of endless Happiness as secure as the Word and Oath of a God can make it Blessed with One Son already growing up to
made his Oratory and took many a delightful walk with his God by Contemplation and Prayer here also he used to entertain his Guests that visited him making themselves more happy by his Company than his Cheer which yet was ever such as spoke the great Heart of a generous Abraham from whom they never departed without Invitation to take share with him of a greater Felicity in Heaven always plying them with such prevailing Arguments from his endearing Lips as made many of them hunch away their unprofitable Idols to make room for the Worship of the True God. Mark Reader what a busie Trade is the great Abraham dâ—â—ving on for the glorious Eternity does he live to himself in the Affluence and abundance of all his Riches and Honours Are his Aims or the Ends of his Life any other than such as tend to the glory of his God and the good of Souls Even Pagans and Infidels flock in to him to embrace his Kindness and Counsells together they are Courted and Feasted into his Religion his very courtesies Convert them they cannot but be convinced that Abraham's God must be the only True one who had polished him up into all the perfections of a sweet Nature and such ravishing Grace that dragg'd all the World after it and envassal'd all his Admirers and should they not be perswaded by him neither would they should one come to them from the Dead CHAP. X. Isaac 's Immolation WHile Abraham is thus passing away his Days in a constant Course of Pleasant and Profitable Duty God is contriving to imploy him in a Service that shall render the Honour of his Obedience more Eximious and Renowned than all he had hitherto done to keep on and trace the High way of vulgar and ordinary Duty is the work of every common Professour But Abraham shall do that at the command of God which none but an Abraham could do besides and what all the World shall admire him for till Time it self shall be no more By Nine Tryals already had God experimented the Integrity of his Loyal Heart yet as if all these were nothing a Tenth shall follow the Bitterest of them all If Abraham's Faith hold out in this Heaven and Earth shall know how worthy he is of the Favour and Goodness of God and how entirely he had observed the Conditions of the Covenant that obliged him to pay an universal Respect to all his Commandments how Severe and Difficult soever let us see with what Gallantry of Spirit he will acquit himself in this last and greatest Encounter 'T was but a little while since he had parted from a Son at the Command of God yet that loss tho' very grievous was made up to him by another which was dearer to him at Home But now comes a Second Summons for This also who must pass not out of his House only but Life and which was yet more afflicting by his own Hands Take now thy Son thine only Son Isaac whom thou lovest and get thee to the Land of Moriah and Offer him there for a Burnt-offering upon one of the Mountains that I will tell thee of Behold all the many Promises of God and all the many hopes and comforts of Abraham's Life perfectly cut off and destroyed at one Blow Strong were the Heart-strings of Abraham that could hold out from Cracking at the breaking out of the First syllables of this Killing Command but could he live so long as to hear out the whole Sentence The Rabbins fancy that God himself doubted it and therefore have feigned that God to give him a breathing time brake it in pieces by many Abruptions framing it into a Dialogue Wherein God is made to begin Abraham take thy Son To which Abraham Answers I am ready Lord well hoping it might have been Ishmael But which of my Sons doest thou call for for I have two Abraham yet little daunted God replies to him Thine only Son To whom Abraham again not willing to understand it of Isaac Each one of them is the only Son of his Mother Nay but saith God The Son whom thou lovest This touches close To whom therefore pantingly Lord thou knowest that I love them both God to end the dispute is fain to discriminate 'T is Isaac thine only Son whom thou lovest thou must take him But whither Lord must I carry him To the Land of Moriah And what to do with him there Offer him up for a Burnt-offering Is the old Man alive If so let him live for ever May we carry on the Dialogue a little without offence to the Glory of Abraham's Obedience who never so much as opened his Mouth in the least to dispute the will of God Lord How long have thine Altars thirsted for humane Blood I have Offered up many a Sacrifice before which have pleased thee well Will nothing satisfie thee now but the Blood of my Child Take I say thy Son Each Infidel can offer up the Blood of Beasts to their Deities but thou must exceed them all in the Sacrifice of thine own Child to thy God. But Lord if nothing less than humane Blood will suffice may not Isaac be exchanged for a Slave or as many of them as thou shalt please to call for No the Blood of Slaves is a slender Offering to that of thine own Son 't is Isaac himself must Bleed and be the Victim If then mine Isaac must die will no hand content thee to Offer him but mine own with what Heart shall I be able to Sacrifice mine own Child Nor will I favour thee in this 't is thine own hand must give the fatal stroak Behold I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord What will become of thy Great Name when the very Heathen shall hear that Abraham's God requires so unnatural a Sacrifice as this Fear not for mine Honour is not subjected to the censures of Men who can raise up a Glory to my self by the Sacrifice of them all to my Justice O let not the Lord be angry and I will speak but this once by whom shall Jacob arise if Isaac be cut off and what shall become of thy Truth and Covenant to thy poor Servant Shall thy Faithfulness and Promises fail for evermore 'T is I that visited Sarah and gave her a Son when she laughed in despair and once thou believedst against Hope Is mine hand shortned that it cannot save May I not raise up another Isaac unto thee or do means fail me to accomplish all my Promises are they confin'd all to the life of this Son Arise therefore and Take him c. Let the base World blush and be confounded that hath learned to Quarrel and wrangle with every trivial Precept of God that crosses their Ease and Interest or seems but a little to break in upon their Carnal Hopes and Confidences When they see the Great Abraham paying an humble and undisputed Obedience to such an Injunction as le ts out the life Blood of all his Joyes and