916 Chap. 42. */In Expofition upon the Book of J o s. Vert. 9, before) yet chefe men without difputes and delays went about the work. Abraham received a hard command fromGod, a far harder command to flefh and blood than thefe men received : For, Fitt+, they received a ccmmand to go and offer bullocks and rams in facrifice ; but 4brahans was commanded to offer hisSon in facrifice. Secondly." He was to offer his only Son ; that was harder. Thirdly, He was to offer his only Son Ifaac, whom be loved. A man may havean only ion, who is a vexationand a trou- ble to him : but as he was a fon, and an only ton, fo a fon whom Abraham greatly loved; yet God layed this hard and grievous command upon him, Go and offer up tby fon, thine only fon Iliac, whom thou loveft,upon one of the mountains that 1 (hall peen thee (Gen. 22. 2.) When ,Abraham had received this command fromGod, to offer up his fon for a facrifice, as thefe had received a command tooffer up beats in facrifice ; What did Abraham ? Hero]: up early in the morning (faith the text)and failedhis afs, And took two of the young men with bim,and "Ifaac his fon,and went unto the place which God bad toldhim. As here chefemen went, fo Abraham went, he did not linger,nor lye long in bed,but rofe up early in the morning. This was an amazing work of obedience to the command of God, a very hard and grievous command of '' God. Abraham had (hewed an eminent a& of obedience to the Lord, before this offering up of his fon ; when God called him out. of Vr of the Caldees , he went. The Apotlle faith (Heh. r r. 8.) By faithAbraham when be was called, to go out into a place which he fhouldafter receive for an inheritance, obey- sd, and be went out not knowing whither hewent ; . he followed God as it were blind-fold. So the Apoflle yeilded prefent obe- dience, he made nodiverfions, no flop ; when it pleafed God (laid he) who feparated me frommy mothers womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his fon in me, that 1might preach bim amongfi the heathen ; immediately Iconferred not with fio and blood, net- tier went 1 up to Jerufalem, to them which were Apo files beforeme, but Iwent into Arabia, &c. (Gal. 1, a ç, t 6,17.) He conferred not with flefh and blood, that is, neither with his own heart, or with his own interetl, what would be fafefl andbell for him, nor did he go to confult with other men who were fie(h and blood, but followed his call. Whatever God commands we have no- thing to do but to obey.As the Centurion faid (Mat. 8. 9.) I am a
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