hath something of difficulty and obscurity in it and to vindicate the Holy Scripture and the Divine Revelation therein contained from one of the most specious Objections of Infidelity But I had a farther design in this Text And that is to make some Observations and Inferences from it that may be of use to us As First That Humane Nature is capable of clear and full satisfaction concerning a Divine Revelation for if Abraham had not been fully and past all doubt assured that this was a Command from God he would certainly have spared his Son And nothing is more reasonable than to believe that those to whom God is pleased to make immediate Revelations of his Will are some way or other assured that they are Divine otherwise they would be in vain and to no purpose But how Men are assured concerning Divine Revelations made to them is not so easy to make out to others Only these two things we are sure of 1. That God can work in the Mind of Man a firm persuasion of the Truth of what he Reveals and that such a Revelation is from him This no Man can doubt of that considers the great power and influence which God who made us and perfectly knows our Frame must needs have upon our Minds and Understandings 2. That God never offers any thing to any Man's belief that plainly contradicts the Natural and Essential Notions of his Mind Because this would be for God to destroy his own Workmanship and to impose that upon the understanding of Man which whilst it remains what it is it cannot possibly admit For instance We cannot imagin that God should Reveal to any Man any thing that plainly contradicts the Essential Perfections of the Divine Nature for such a Revelation can no more be supposed to be from God than a Revelation from God that there is no God which is a downright Contradiction Now to apply this to the Revelation which God made to Abraham concerning the Sacrificing of his Son This was made to him by an audible Voice and he was fully satisfied by the Evidence which it carried along with it that it was from God For this was not the first of many Revelations that had been made to him so that he knew the manner of them and had found by manifold experience that he was not deceived and upon this experience was grown to a great Confidence in the Truth and Goodness of God And it is very probable the first time God appeared to Abraham because it was a new thing that to make way for the credit of future Revelations God did shew himself to him in so glorious a manner as was abundantly to his Conviction And this St. Stephen does seem to intimate Acts 7. 2. The God of glory appeared to our Father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia Now by this glorious Appearance of God to him at first he was so prepared for the Entertainment of after Revelations that he was not staggered even at this concerning the Sacrificing of his Son being both by the manner of it and the assurance that accompanied it fully satisfied that it was from God Secondly I observe from hence the great and necessary use of Reason in matters of Faith For we see here that Abraham's Reason was a mighty strengthning and help to his Faith Here were two Revelations made to Abraham which seemed to clash with one another and if Abraham's Reason could not have reconciled the Repugnancy of them he could not possibly have believed them both to be from God because this natural Notion or Principle that God cannot contradict himself every Man does first and more firmly believe than any Revelation whatsoever Now Abraham's Reason relieved him in this strait so the Text expresly tells us that he reasoned with himself that God was able to raise him from the Dead And this being admitted the Command of God concerning the Slaying of Isaac was very well consistent with his former Promise That in Isaac his Seed should be called I know there hath a very rude clamour been raised by some persons but of more Zeal I think than Judgment against the use of Reason in matters of Faith but how very unreasonable this is will appear to any one that will but have patience to consider these following particulars 1. The nature of Divine Revelation That it doth not endow Men with new Faculties but propoundeth new Objects to the Faculties which they had before Reason is the Faculty whereby Revelation is to be discerned for when God reveals any thing to us he reveals it to our Understanding and by that we are to judge of it Therefore St. John cautions us 1 Jo. 4. 1. Not to believe every spirit but to try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world That is there are many that falsly pretend to Inspiration but how can these pretenders be tryed and discerned from those that are truly inspired but by using our Reason in comparing the evidence for the one and the other 2. This will farther appear if we consider the nature of Faith Faith as we are now speaking of it is an assent of the Mind to something as revealed by God Now all assent must be grounded upon evidence that is no Man can believe any thing unless he have or thinks he hath some reason to do so For to be confident of a thing without reason is not Faith but a presumptuous persuasion and obstinacy of mind 3. This will yet be more evident if we consider the method that must of necessity be used to convince any Man of the truth of Religion Suppose we had to deal with one that is a Stranger and Enemy to Christianity What means are proper to be used to gain him over to it The most natural method surely were this to acquaint him with the Holy Scriptures which are the Rule of our Faith and Practice He would ask us why we believe that Book The proper answer would be because it is the Word of God this he could not but acknowledge to be a very good reason if it were true But then he would ask Why we believed it to be the Word of God rather than Mâ—homet ' s Alchoran which pretends no less to be of divine Inspiration If any Man now should answer that he could give no reason why he believed it to be the word of God only he believed it to be so and so every man else ought to do without enquiring after any further reason because reason is to be laid a side in matters of Faith would not the Man presently reply that he had just as much reason as this comes to to believe the Alchoran or any thing else that is none at all But certainly the better way would be to satisfie this Man's reason by proper arguments that the Scriptures are a divine Revelation and that no other Book in the world can with equal reason pretend to be so and if
can be given of any man it is the solid foundation of all Virtue the Heart and Soul of all Piety and Goodness it is in Scripture called perfection and frequently joyned with it and throughout the Bible there is the greatest stress and weight laid upon it it is spoken of as the sum and comprehension of all Religion Only fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth says Joshua to the people of Israel Jos. 24. 14. God takes great pleasure in it so David assures us 1 Chron. 29. 17. I know my God that thou tryest the Heart and hast pleasure in uprightness And again Thou lovest truth in the inward parts To this disposition of mind the promises of divine favour and blessing are particularly made Psal. 15. 1 2. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy Hill He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth from his Heart Psal. 32. 2. Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth no sin and in whose Spirit there is no guil And 't is observable that this Character of our Saviour here given of Nathaniel is the only full and perfect commendation that we read was ever given by him of any particular person He commends some particular acts of Piety and Virtue in others as St. Peter's confession of him the Faith of the Centurion and of the Woman that was healed by touching the Hem of his Garment the Charity of the Woman that cast her two Mites into the Treasury and the Bounty of that other devout Woman who poured upon him a Box of precious Oyntment But here he gives the particular Character of a good Man when he says of Nathaniel that he was an Israelite indeed in whom was no Guil And the Apostle mentions this quality as the chief ingredient into the Character of the best Man that ever was our blessed Saviour who did no Sin neither was Guil found in his mouth Secondly The rarity of this Virtue is a farther commendation of it A sincerely pious and good Man without any guil or disguise is not a sight to be seen every day Our Saviour in the Text speaks of it as a thing very extraordinary and of special remark and observation and breaks out into some kind of wonder upon the occasion as if to see a Man of perfect integrity and simplicity were an occurrence very rare and unusual and such as calls for our more especial attention and regard Behold saith he an Israelite indeed in whom there is no Guil. Thirdly The want of Sincerity will quite spoil the virtue and acceptance of all our Piety and Obedience and certainly deprive us of the reward of it All that we doe in the service of God all our external obedience to his Laws if not animated by Sincerity is like a Sacrifice without a Heart which is an abomination to the Lord. Fourthly Hypocrisy and Insincerity is a very vain and foolish thing it is designed to cheat others but is in truth a deceiving of our selves No Man would flatter or dissemble did he believe he were seen and discover'd an open Knave is a great Fool who destroys at once both his design and his Reputation and this is the case of every Hypocrite all the disagreement which is between his Tongue and his Thoughts his Actions and his Heart is open to that Eye from which nothing can be hid for the ways of Man are before the Eyes of the Lord and he seeth all his goings there is no darkness nor shadow of Death where the workers of Iniquity may hide themselves Fifthly Truth and Reality have all the advantages of appearance and many more if the shew of any thing be good for any thing I am sure Sincerity is better for why does any man dissemble or seem to be that which he is not but because he thinks it good to have such a quality as he pretends to for to counterfeit and dissemble is to put on the appearance of some real excellency Now the best way in the world for a man to seem to be any thing is really to be what he would seem to be Besides that it is many times as troublesome to make good the pretence of a good quality as to have it and if a man have it not it is ten to one but he is discovered to want it and then all his pains and labour to seem to have it is lost There is something unnatural in Painting which a skilful Eye will easily discern from native Beauty and Complexion It is hard to personate and act a part long for where truth is not at the bottom nature will always be endeavourring to return and will peep out and betray herself one time or other therefore if any man think it convenient to seem Good let him be so indeed and then his Goodness will appear to every body's satisfaction for Truth is convincing and carries it 's own light and evidence along with it and will not only commend us to every Man's Conscience but which is much more to God who searcheth and seeth our Hearts so that upon all accounts Sincerity is true Wisdom Particularly as to the affairs of this World Integrity hath many advantages over all the fine and artificial ways of Dissimulation and Deceit it is much the plainer and easier much the safer and more secure way of dealing in the world it hath less of trouble and difficulty of entanglement and perplexity of danger and hazard in it it is the shortest and nearest way to our end carrying us thither in a straight line and will hold out and last longest The Arts of Deceit and Cunning do continually grow weaker and less effectual and serviceable to them that use them whereas Integrity gains strength by use and the more and longer any Man practiseth it the greater service it does him by confirming his Reputation and encouraging those with whom he hath to do to repose the greater Trust and Confidence in him which is an unspeakable advantage in the business and affairs of life But a Dissembler must always be upon his guard and watch himself carefully that he doth not contradict his own pretence for he acts an unnatural part and therefore must put a continual force and restraint upon himself Truth alwayes lies uppermost and if a Man do not carefully attend he will be apt to bolt it out Whereas he that acts sincerely hath the easiest task in the world because he follows Nature and so is put to no trouble and care about his words and actions he needs not invent any pretences before-hand nor make excuses afterwards for any thing he hath said or done But Insincerity is very troublesome to manage a Man hath so many things to attend to so many ends to bring together as make his life a very perplext and intricate thing Oportet mendacem esse memorem A lyar had need have a good memory lest he contradict at one time what he said at
not staggered so as to call this Revelation of God in question Secondly The grievous scandal that might seem almost unavoidably to follow upon it was another great objection against it the report of such an action would in all appearance blemish the reputation even of so good a Man amongst all sober and considerate persons who could hardly forbear to censure him as a wicked and unnatural Man And this was a hard case for a Man to be put to Sacrifice at once two of the dearest things in the world his Reputation and his Son nor could he have easily defended himself from this imputation by alledging an express Revelation and Command of God for it for who would give credit to it A Revelation to another Man is nothing to me unless I be assured that he had such a Revelation which I cannot be but either by another immediate revelation or by some Miracle to confirm it The act had an appearance of so much horrour that it was not easily credible that God should command it and if every Mans confident pretence to revelation be admitted the worst actions may plead this in their excuse So that this pretence would have been so far from excusing his fault that it must rather have been esteemed a high aggravation of it by adding the boldest Impiety to the most barbarous Inhumanity But Abraham was not stumbled at this nor at the advantage which the Enemies of his Religion would make of such an occasion who would be ready to say Here is your excellent good Man and likely to be a Friend of God who was so cruel an Enemy to his own Son All this 't is probable he might consider but it did not move him being resolved to obey God and to leave it to his Wisdom to provide against all the inconveniencies that might follow upon it Thirdly The strongest Objection of all was the horrible consequence of the thing which seemed to clash with former Revelations and to make void the promise which God had before made to Abraham That in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed which promise was expresly limited to Isaac and his Posterity who had then no Son And of this difficulty the Apostle takes express notice in the Text that he that had received the promises that is was persuaded of the truth and faithfulness of them offered up his only begotten Son of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy Seed be called And this Objection is really so strong that if Abraham could not have given himself satisfaction about it he might justly have questioned the truth of the Revelation for no Man can possibly entertain two contradictory Revelations as from God but he must of necessity question one or both of them but so strong was Abraham's Faith as not to be shaken by the seeming contradiction of these two Revelations II. We will consider the constancy of his Resolution to obey God notwithstanding the harshness and difficulty of the thing Tho Abraham were firmly persuaded that this Command to kill his Son was really from God yet it is no easie matter for a Man to bring himself to obey God in so difficult a case and out of meer reverence to the Divine Authority to divest himself of his Nature and to thwart the strongest inclinations of it a Man would be very apt to confer with flesh and blood in such a case Let but any Man that knows what it is to be a Father lay his hand upon his heart and consider his own Bowels and he will be astonished at Abraham's Obedience as well as his Faith To take his Son his only Son his Son whom he loved and in whom he placed all his hopes of a happy Posterity and with his own hands to destroy him and all his hopes together it must be a strong Faith that will engage a Man to Obedience in so difficult an instance There is one circumstance more especially which renders Abraham's Obedience very remarkable The deliberateness of the action It had not been so much if so soon as he had received this Command from God he had upon a suddain impulse and transport of zeal done this But that his Obedience might be the more glorious and have all the circumstances of advantage given to it God would have it done deliberately and upon full consideration and therefore he bad him go to the Mountain three daies Journey from the place where he was and there to offer up his Son It is in acts of Virtue and Obedience as in acts of Sin and Vice the more deliberate the Sin is and the more calm and sedate temper the Man is in when he commits it the greater is the fault whereas what is done by surprize in the heat of Temptation or transport of Passion hath some excuse from the suddainness and indeliberateness of it So is it in acts of Virtue and Obedience especially if they be attended with considerable difficulty the more deliberately they are done the more virtuous they are and the greater praise is due to them Now that Abraham's Obedience might want nothing to highten it God seems on purpose to have put so long a space betwixt the Command and the performance of it he gives him time to cool upon it to weigh the command and to look on every side of this difficult duty he gives scope for his reason to argue and debate the case and opportunity for natural affection to play its part and for flesh and blood to raise all its batteries against the resolution which he had taken up And now we may easily imagin what conflict this good Man had within himself during those three daies that he was travelling to the Mountain in Moriah and how his heart was ready to be rent in pieces betwixt his duty to God and his affection to his Child so that every step of this unwelcome and wearisome journey he did as it were lay violent hands upon himself He was to offer up his Son but once but he Sacrificed himself and his own Will every moment for three days together and when he came thither and all things were ready the Altar the Wood and the Fire and the Knife it must needs be a stabbing Question and wound him to the Heart which his Innocent Son so innocently askt him Where is the Lamb for a Burnt-Offering It must be a strong Faith indeed and a mighty Resolution that could make him to hold out three days against the violent Assaults of his own Nature and the charming Presence of his Son enough to melt his Heart as often as he cast his Eyes upon him and yet nothing of all this made him to stagger in his Duty but being strong in Faith he gave glory to God by one of the most miraculous acts of Obedience that ever was exacted from any of the Sons of Men. III. In the Third and last place I come to consider the Reasonableness of his Faith in that he was able
to give satisfaction to himself in so intricate and perplext a case The constancy of Abraham's Faith was not an obstinate and stubborn Persuasion but the result of the wisest reasoning and soberest consideration So the Text says that he counted the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he Reasoned with himself that God was able to raise him up from the Dead so that he debated the matter with himself and gave himself satisfaction concerning the Objections and Difficulties in the case and being fully satisfied that it was a Divine Command he resolved to obey it As for the Objections I have mentioned 1. The horrid appearance of the thing that a Father should Slay his Innocent Son Why should Abraham scruple the doing this at the Command of God who being the Author of Life hath power over it and may resume what he hath given and take away the Life of any of his Creatures when he will and make whom he pleaseth instruments in the execution of his Command It was indeed a hard case considering natural affection and therefore God did not permit it to be executed But the question of God's Right over the lives of Men and of his authority to command any Man to be the instrument of his pleasure in such a case admits of no dispute And the God hath planted strong affections in Parents towards their Children yet he hath written no Law in any Man's heart to the prejudice of his own Soverign Right This is a case alwaies excepted and this takes away the objection of Injustice 2. As to the scandal of it that could be no great objection in those times when the absolute power of Parents over their Children was in it's full force and they might put them to Death without being accountable for it So that then it was no such startling matter to hear of a Father putting his Child to Death nay in much later times we find that in the most ancient Laws of the Romans I mean those of the 12 Tables Children are absolutely put in the power of their Parents to whom is given jus vitae necis a power of Life and Death over them and likewise to sell them for Slaves And tho amongst the Jews this paternal power was limited by the Law of Moses and the judgment of Life and Death was taken out of the Fathers hands except in case of Contumacy and Rebellion and even in that case the Process was to be before the Elders of the City yet it is certain that in elder times the paternal power was more absolute and unaccountable which takes off much from the horror and scandal of the thing as it appears now to us who have no such power And therefore we do not find in the History that this Objection did much stick with Abraham It being then no unusual thing for a Father to put his Child to Death upon a just account And the Command of God who hath absolute Dominion over the Lives of his Creatures is certainly a just reason and no Man can reasonably scruple the doing of that upon the Command of God which he might have done by his own Authority without being accountable for the Action to any but God only 3. As to the Objection from the horrible consequence of the thing Commanded that the Slaying of Isaac seemed to overthrow the Promise which God had made before to Abraham That in Isaac his Seed should be called This seems to him to be the great difficulty and here he makes use of Reason to reconcile the seeming Contradiction of this Command of God to his former Promise So the Text tells us that he offered up his only begotten Son of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy Seed be called Reasoning that God was able to raise him up from the Dead So that tho' Isaac were put to Death yet he saw how the Promise of God might still be made good by his being raised from the Dead and living afterwards to have a numerous Posterity There had then indeed been no Instance or Example of any such thing in the World as the Resurrection of one from the Dead which makes Abraham's Faith the more wonderful but he confirmed himself in this Belief by an Example as near the case as might be He Reasoned that God was able to raise him from the Dead from whence also he had received him in a Figure This I know is by Interpreters generally understood of Isaac's being delivered from the Jaws of Death when he was laid upon the Altar and ready to be Slain But the Text seems not to speak of what happend after but of something that had passed before By which Abraham confirmed himself in this peruasion that if he were Slain God would raise him up again And so the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought to be rendred in the past time from whence also he had received him in a Figure So that this Expression plainly refers to the miraculous Birth of Isaac when his Parents were past the Age of having Children which was little less than a Resurrection from the Dead And so the Scripture speaks of it Rom. 4. 17. Abraham believed God who quickeneth the Dead and calleth the things which are not as if they were and not being weak in Faith he considered not his own Body which was Dead and a little before the Text speaking of the miraculous Birth of Isaac and therefore sprang there of one and him as good as dead as many as the Stars of Heaven From whence as the Apostle tells us Abraham Reasoned thus That God who gave him Isaac at first in so miraculous a manner was able by another miracle to restore him to life again after he was Dead and to make him the Father of many Nations He Reasoned that God was able to raise him up from the Dead from whence also he had received him in a Figure Thus you see the reasonableness of Abraham's Faith he pitched upon the main difficulty in the Case and he answered it as well as was possible And in his reasoning about this matter he gives the utmost weight to every thing that might tend to vindicate the Truth and faithfulness of God's Promise and to make the Revelations of God consistent with one another and this tho' he had a great Interest and a very tender concernment of his own to have biassed him For he might have argued with great appearance and probability the other way But as every Pious and Good Man should do he reasoned on God's side and favoured that part Rather than disobey a Command of God or believe that his promise should be frustrate he will believe any thing that is credible and possible how improbable soever Thus far Faith will go but no farther From the believing of plain Contradictions and Impossibilities it alwayes desires to be excused Thus much for explication of the Words which I hope hath not been altogether unprofitable because it tends to clear a point which