LIB. II. Of Is A A c focrijiced. A defpifes her, he is fure thot whatGod commands, is good; thot whot hepromifes is infallible, ond therefore is carelelf~ ofthe meanes, and trulrs to the end. In mattersofGod , whofoever coufulrswith fUh ond blood !hall never offerup his IJ44t to Qod ; there needs no counfellor when we knowGod is the Commander ; here is neither grudging nor delibeming, nor delaying: His faith would nor futfer him fomu:h osro be forie forrhar hemulr doe. s Jr4h her felfe moy nor know ofGodscharge, and her hufbmdspurpofe, lefl: her affccrion fhould haveovercome her faith ; lefl: her weaknetfe now growneimporrun•te, fhonld hove faid, Difobey Cod and dye. That which he mull: doe, hewill doe; he thlt bath !eorned not to regard the lifeof his !Onne, hod lelrned nor w regard theforrowofhis wife. It is too much rendernetfe to refpetl:rhecenfures andconfl:ruCl:ionsgfothers, whenwe hove B a direCl:word from God. The good Patriarch rifes eorly, and addreffes himlelfe to his fad journey. And nowmull: he rravdl threewholedayes to this execution; and fl:ill mnfl: If~qc be in his eye, whomall this while he feemes to fee bleeding upon rhe pileof wood which he corries ; there is nothing fo milerable as to dwell under the expectationofa grelt evill: Tharmifery whi<:h mull: be,ismirigHedwith fpeed, and aggravatedwithdelay. All thiswhile if Ahrabqm hod repented him, he had leifure to rerume. There is no fmoll rryaJI even in the very time oftryall : nowwhen they are comewithin fight ofrhechofenMoumaine, rhefervantsare difmiffcd ; what l devotion is this that will ::.<>idc no wirneffes ? hewill nor fuffer tWQ ofhis c.wne Vaffals ro fee him doe thatwhich foone afreraU the world mull: know he bathdone; yet is nor Aht•hqm afraid of that piety which rhe be~olders could not fee without C horror , with::mrrefirtance ; which no eare could heare ofwithoul abomination. What fl:ranger could have endured to fee the FJther carie the knife and fire, infl:rumenrsofthat death, which he had rather fuffer then infliCt? The fonne fecurely carrying that burden which mull: carry him? IJurif Ahr4hams heart could haveknowne how torelent, tharquefl:ion of his deare, innocent, and religiousfonne hadmelted ic into compaffion ; MJ F athu, Nehold thefire andtbe 'll'ood, hHt where is the fiuriftce? I know nor whether that word,MJ Father , did norfl:rike Ahrah•m as deepe as the knife of Ahrahqmcou!d !hike his fonne: yet dorh he nor fo much as thinke (0 miferableman, that may nor at oncebe aSonne to fuch aGod, and aFather to fuch a Sonne) Still heperfi!ts,and conceales, andwherehemeanr not, prophefies; MJ fomu, Godfh•l~ provide•L4rn~efor the 0 burnt-offiring. Theheavyridin~s wss loath rocome forth: It waso death to A~rah•m to fay what hemull:doe: He knoweshis owne faith roatl: this,he knowes not I{44cs to endure ir.Burnowwhen I{aac harh helped to build the Altar,whereon he mull: be confumcd;he heorc<.(nor without afl:onifhmenr)the Change command ofGod,the finall will ofhis Farher!My (onne, rhouarr rhe lambe which God harh provided forrhis bumr-ofteting : Ifmy bloodwould hl ve excufed rhee, howmany rhoufand times had Iratherrogil'e thee mineowne life, then take thine! Ala!\, I am fullofdayes, and now of Ion~, lived nor bm in thee; .Thou migh"fl: have preferved the lifeof thy Fathu, a~d have comfortedhis death,but rheGod of usbmhharh chofen thee: He that govc thee untome miraculouOy, bidsmeby on unufuall meanes return thee E untohim. I need nor tell thee, that I facrifice all my worldly joyes, yeo and my lelfe in thee; burGod mull: beobeyed; neither art thou roodeare for him that calls thee: Comeon my Sonne, reftore the life thatGod bath r,iven thee byme: ol!errhy felfe willingly to thefeflames ; lend up rhy foule chetrefullyuino thy glory; and know thsr God loves thee above others, fince he requires thee alone to be contecrared in facrifice to himfelfe. Who cannot imagine with what perplexed mixrurrs of paffions, with what changesofcoumenance, whltdoubts, whadi:ares, whatamazement, goodiJ•ac received this fudden meffigefrom the mourh ofhis Farher,how he que!lioned,how he pleaded? Burwhenhe had fomewbar digefl:ed his thoughts, and conlidered that theAuthorwasGod, theaCl:or Ahrabam, theatl:ionafacrifice, he now approve1 himfelfthe fonne of Abraha"; nowhe encourages the tremblinghand ofhis Father, Yy with
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