Sermons Preached on Several Occasions Volume 2, Sermon 2
The Second Sermon.
GEN. XXII. 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.
IT now follows that I speak of the Third thing before mentioned, the Matter of the Temptation, in those words, 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 off. Moriah was the name of the Mountain in which the Threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite was, where David offered Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings after that God had been provoked by his Numbring the People;2 Chron. 3.1. and where Solomon afterwards builded the Temple. Wherefore some have thought, That God long before enjoyning Abraham to Offer up his Son in that very place, did therefore appoint him to do it there, rather than any where else, because it was the place which in after-times he intended to make the fixed Seat of his publick Worship; so that Abraham's Sacrificing there, did, as it were, handsel and in a manner Consecrate the place for the Service of God in future Ages. Whether there were any such Mystery intended in Abraham's being commanded to Offer up his Son there, I cannot say; but whether there were or no, 'tis a very remarkable thing, that in the same place, and upon the same plat of ground, so many hundred years after, David should Offer Sacrifice, and Solomon's Temple should be raised. But this by the way. Abraham is here Commanded to get him into the Land of Moriah; so it seems the Countrey adjoyning was from the Mount Moriah called. This Countrey was well known to Abraham before by that name; for God bids him go thither as unto a place which he knew. But whereas there were divers Hills in that Countrey, Abraham knew not on which of them he was to Sacrifice his Son until he came thither, or at least till he came near the place; for God had only commanded him to get him into the Land of Moriah, and to offer up his Son upon one of the Mountains which he should tell him of; and so accordingly 'tis said, v. 4. that when he had gone three days journey, he lift up his eyes, and saw the place afar of: Then, and not till then, did God make known to him the particular place where he was required to offer up his Son. But to come a little nearer the matter; there are here two things which I shall consider and briefly speak unto: The consistency of this Command with the Justice of God; And the greatness of Abraham's trial therein. As to the first of these. That God might justly require such a Sacrifice to be offered up unto him, cannot be denied by any man that acknowledgeth the Supreme and Absolute Dominion and Sovereignty that God hath over his Creatures. He gave them all their Being, and may without any injury take it away again at his pleasure; and take it away in what manner, and by what instruments he pleaseth. If Man had never sinned, if he had still continued in the estate of his primitive Innocence and Integrity, yet God was no more obliged to continue and uphold him in his Being, than he was to give him a Being. 'Tis true, he could not justly inflict any thing on him in way of punishment, unless he had first sinned; for punishment relates to sin, and is unjust where there had been no offence. But if God, not intending to Punish, but only to shew his Power, or exercise his Dominion and Sovereignty over the work of his hands, should take away the Life of his innocent Creature, he should in that action do his Creature no wrong, unless in case he hath by some Promise freely obliged himself to continue him in Being. But now Man having sinned, and thereby made himself obnoxious to his Justice, Who can rationally question but that he may take away the Life of any man? But here two things may be Objected.
1. It may be said, That the Offering of Human Sacrifices, is that which God hath declared himself highly offended with, as may be seen Psal. 106.37, 38. Jer. 7.31. and in divers other places. To this I Answer,
1. That in those and other places, 'tis said, they Sacrificed their Children to Idols, and to Devils, which was an high aggravation of their sin.
2. Though in other places God hath declared that he would not be so worshipped, yet if he had thought fit to require such Sacrifices to be ordinarily offered to him, he might very justly have done it; for he hath power to determine the Circumstances of his Worship as he pleaseth; and he that shall say otherwise, 1. Must necessarily entrench upon the Sovereignty of God. 2. He would thereby make this Command given unto Abraham to be unjust, 3. This was an extraordinary and singular Command laid upon Abraham; and therefore though else he would not ordinarily be so worshipped, yet he reserved a Prerogative to himself still, according to which he acted in this extraordinary Injunction laid upon Abraham. And so much to that first Objection.
2. It may be Objected, That this seems to be an act of Cruelty and Unnaturalness in Abraham, thus to take away the Life of his own Child.
A. To have done it as the Idolatrous Jews and the Heathens did, to have done it without a Command, had been Cruel and Unnatural; but the express Command of God alters the whole nature of the thing, and makes that to be an high act of Obedience and Self-denial, which without such a Command had been Unnatural and Barbarous. God hath indeed planted natural affections in Parents towards their Children, but their affections which he hath put into them must be in subjection to God, yielding, stooping, and giving way to his Commands and Providence. Where his good pleasure once appears, there natural affection must not have a word to say against it, but silently and humbly submit.
So we have seen, that 'twas neither unjust in God to command Abraham to offer up his Son, nor cruel or unnatural in Abraham to yield Obedience to that Command.
I come now to shew how great a trial this Was to Abraham, which was the second thing to be spoken to. Something hath already been said concerning it, when I spake to the first thing in the Text, the circumstance of time, when God thus Tempted Abraham. To be required to Sacrifice his Son Isaac immediately after that he had been commanded to dismiss Ishmael; and after God had told him that in Isaac his Seed should be called, and that in him, in his Off-spring, and not in Ishmael's, he must expect the fulfilling of that great Promise, That in his seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed; I say, immediately after this to be required to Offer up Isaac for a Burnt-offering, might seem to overthrow all that God had said, and to make the fulfilling of the Promise to be impossible, and consequently to make the Promise it self utterly void and of none effect. But besides this circumstance of the time when Abraham was thus tempted, there are divers other things that manifest the greatness of this trial. There is indeed scarce any thing to be found among all the circumstances of this trial, which doth not contribute something towards the greatning of it. The several things considerable in it are these; The matter of the Sacrifice to be offered: The Minister or the Priest by whom it was to be offered: The kind of Sacrifice enjoyned; And the place where what was enjoyned must be put in execution.
1. The matter of the Sacrifice was Isaac his Son; and him not one Son among many, but his only Son, now that Ishmael was by God's special Command sent away; and his only Son whom he loved, whom he most dearly and tenderly loved, and that upon all accounts that might endear a Son to the Father.
1. He was both his only Son, and his only Child; by Sarah his Wife he had no other.
2. He was the Son of their old Age, a Child long waited for, and prayed for, no doubt, and at last given them, when in respect of their great Age they were hopeless of Children.
3. It was the Son of the Promise, the Son in and with whom God promised to establish his Covenant with Abraham; the Son from whom He was to descend in whom all the Families of the Earth were to be Blessed.
4. A most Dutiful and Obedient Son, as in the sequel of this History will appear. Now to part with such a Son, and in such a manner to have him taken away, and to be deprived of him, not by a natural, but by a violent Death; to have him Killed and made a Sacrifice; How great a trial was this!
2. The Priest or Minister by whom this Sacrifice was to be offered up to God was the Father himself. If God had only commanded that he should have been offered in Sacrifice by any other hand, and if only Abraham's consent thereunto had been required, it had been a sore trial; but how much more when the Father himself was commanded to Sacrifice his Son, when he must do it with his own hand?
3. The kind of Sacrifice enjoyned did further add to Abraham's trial. He must offer his Son for a Burnt-offering: In which kind of Sacrifices these things were required: First, the Sacrifice must be Killed, then it must be cut in pieces, and lastly, it must be laid upon the Altar and burnt till it were wholly consum'd. Now how grievous a thing was this, that the Father himself should with his own hand kill his Son, and then cut his dead Body in pieces, and burn it to Ashes! To have been only the Spectator of all this done by another, had been a great trial; How much greater then, when the Father must be not the Spectator, but the Actor!
4. And lastly, The place where Abraham was commanded to offer this strange Sacrifice, did yet further heighten his trial. It was on an Hill in the Land of Moriah, which was a great way off from the place of Abraham's present habitation; he came not to be in view of the place till the third day of his Journey. Now to be so long musing on what he was to do unto his Son, and to have his Son that was to be Sacrificed ever before his eyes, and in his thoughts all that long Journey, was no small addition to the greatness of this his trial. If he had been enjoyned to do it immediately, so as there might have been no time for rolling it in his mind, and afflicting himself with the thoughts of it before he was to put the Command of God in execution, it might have been less grievous to him, than to be so long pondering in his mind a thing so frightful and amazing, and that seemed to offer such violence to natural affection.
Thus I have shewed how great a trial this was upon all accounts, in all the circumstances of it, which way soever we look, and whatsoever we consider in it. Hence divers things may be observed.
Obs. 1. That God may sometimes exercise his Children that are dearest to him with sore trials, and with trials of an unusal and extraordinary nature. Though Abraham was the friend of God, Isa. 41.8. the father of the faithful, Rom. 4.11. A man who had such interest in the favour of God, that he had prevailed with him in Prayer for the rescuing of so filthy and abominable a place as Sodom from destruction,Gen. 18.…1. if but ten righteous Persons could have been found in it: Yet God here …i…s him in so strange a manner, that we can hardly read or hear it without horror and astonishment. So though Job had the testimony of God himself,Job ….8. that there was none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feared God and eschewed evil; yet how sore were his trials? Though, I grant, of a far different nature from that of Abraham. And those eminent and heroick Persons mentioned Heb. 11.36, 37. Of whom the world was not worthy; they had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, of bonds and imprisonment; they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. These trials also were indeed of another nature, and as different from that of Abraham, as Job's were. But however by these signal instances, we see that in various ways and several kinds God exerciseth his dearest Children oftentimes with trials of an extraordinary nature. The reasons and ends of this dispensation are these among others.
1. That God may by those extraordinary trials draw forth and discover the Graces which he hath wrought in them.
2. That by exercise he may further improve and increase those Graces in them.
3. That by their gracious deportment under their trials, he may make them rare patterns and examples to others for their imitation. Thus for all these several ends was Abraham's trial; and for the same ends were Job's trials, although they were of another kind.
4. That he may honour them by their being called forth and singl'd out to bear witness to his Truth, and by their patient, constant, and undaunted sufferings for it, to confirm and strengthen, settle and establish others in the belief and profession of it. And to these ends were the trials of those Worthies in the Eleventh of the Hebrews, last mentioned.
The Uses of this point may be these.
1. If God doth sometimes exercise his dearest Children with sore trials, and trials of an unusual and extraordinary nature, then let none upon account of their interest in God's favour, look upon themselves as secured against such trials, and exempted from them. If neither Abraham, nor Job, nor those eminent Saints in the Hebrews, were exempted from them, Who are you, or whom do you take your self to be, that you should think your self secur'd against them?
2. Judge not others rashly; censure them not as such as belong not to God, merely upon the account of the greatness or extraordinary nature of their trials. These things are such as God may exercise the best of men, the dearest of his Children, with: And mostly he calls forth such, above others, to exercise them in an extraordinary manner; either because he hath already bestowed on them a greater measure of Grace to bear such trials and answer his designs in them, or because by them he intends the furbishing and brightning, the strengthning and improvement of his Graces in them.
3. Seeing God sometimes exerciseth his own Children, and such among them as he loveth most, with great trials, and trials of an extraordinary nature; let all, even the best men, the most sound and sincere Christians, whatever measures of Grace they have attained, whatever interest they make account they have in God's Favour, be still in a readiness to entertain trials, trials of all sizes and sorts, even great and sore trials, trials of an unusual and extraordinary nature, as well as those that are common and ordinary, seeing they are no more secured against them, or exempted from them, than other men; yea, seeing the better they are, the stronger, the more able to bear and improve such trials, the more likely they are to be exercised with them, 'tis most safe that they should be always prepared for them. And to the end they may be so:
1. They must be ever watchful over themselves, and careful to keep themselves free from the guilt of all wilful and presumptuous sins; their sins, especially presumptuous sins, put a sting into their sufferings. Most sad therefore will their condition be, who when sore trials come, shall be found indulging themselves in sin, or lying under the guilt of any former enormities not repented of; but happy are they who are found watching and keeping their garments. Rev. 16.15.Trials never come amiss to such as these.
2. They must give themselves much unto Prayer. The more any man prays, the fitter will he be to entertain all sorts of Providences. Nothing that can befal a man will much surprize him or discompose him, if he be one whose constant practice 'tis to pray much, and if trials, whatsoever they be, or whensoever they come, can never find him out of that course. But unto profane and prayerless People, Oh, how surprizing and dreadful will great trials be, when suddenly they fall upon them as an armed man, and they are not in a posture to entertain them! These two, Watching and Prayer, our Saviour hath recommended to us as the best preparatives for whatever evils may be coming upon us.Mark 13.33.
So much touching that Observation.
Obs. 2. A Second Observation may be this; That God sometimes tries his Children in that which is most dear to them, and lies nearest their hearts. So he dealt with Abraham; scarce any thing in all the world was dearer to him than Isaac; and yet Isaac is commanded to be Sacrificed. And so he dealt with Jacob; of all his Children none was so dear to him as Joseph; and yet amongst all his Sons Joseph must be pitched on to be sold to the Ishmaelites, and after that to the Egyptians; and the matter in the mean time is so represented by his Brethren, as if a wild Beast had torn him in pieces, and devoured him, to the unspeakable anguish and heart-breaking of his Father, who so dearly loved him. So questionless there was nothing dearer to Jephthah than his Daughter and only Child,Judg. 11.34, 35. and yet she must be the matter of that sad trial which God saw good to exercise him with. The reasons of which dispensation are principally these Three:
1. Sometimes God sees in his People an excess of affection towards that thing which is so dear to them; he takes notice that they love it inordinately, and set their hearts too much upon it; for the cure of which distemper, he either rends away that thing from them, or by some severe Providence or other imbitters it to them.
2. God tries his People in what is dearest to them, because they are there most tender and sensible, and so their trials will work most kindly and effectually upon them. If he should open another Vein, they would scarce bleed, and so no good would be done upon them.
3. God tries them in what is dearest to them, that the strength and lustre of their Faith, Patience, Self-denial, and other Graces, may be more conspicuous, as here in Abraham's case.
The only Uses which I shall make of this Observation are,
1. To call upon all God's People to look out for, and expect trials in what is dearest to them; for there are they most likely to meet with them.
2. To caution them to beware that they suffer not any thing in this world to lye too near their hearts, or to gain too great an interest in their love and affections. For as nothing is surer than that they shall meet with some affliction in that very thing, so any affliction that shall touch them in so tender a part, will be so much the more grievous to them.
Obs. 3. A Third Observation may be, That where God hath been pleased to bestow any Grace in an eminent degree, he finds a time to draw it forth and act it: God had given an extraordinary measure of Faith to Abraham, and here he gives an occasion of acting it to the full. So he had given Job an high degree of Patience; and he laid those afflictions on him in his Estate, his Children, and his Body, as gave him an occasion of using all that he had received. He had wrought in Hezekiah's heart an eminent degree of holy trust and confidence in God, insomuch that 'tis said of him, That he trusted in the Lord God of Israel, 2 Kings 18.5.so that after him was none like him, among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him; and this Grace also he exerciseth in an extraordinary manner, when Senacherib King of Assyria sent Rabshekeh with a puissant and formidable Army against Jerusalem, threatning him and his People with the utmost extremities of War, unless they should come forth and submit themselves to him as Conqueror, 2 Chron. 32. Isa. 36. and the 37th
Now God is thus pleased to find a time to draw forth and exercise those eminent Graces which he hath wrought in any of his; partly, that he himself may not lose the honour of that Grace which he hath bestowed on them; and partly, that they may not lose either the honour or comfor of it.
Wherefore to make no other Application of this point, let it be your care to endeavour to grow in Grace, and to get still greater measures of it; and let God alone to offer occasions, and give you opportunities of acting it.
Thus I have done with the first thing in this History, God's Command laid upon Abraham to offer up his Son for a Burnt-offering, in the first and second Verses of the Chapter. Now follows Abraham's Obedience thereunto, from thence to the end of the Tenth Verse. In which we have;
1. His addressing himself to go towards the place where he was commanded to offer up his Son, in the Third and Fourth Verses.
2. His dismissing his Servants, or at least his leaving them behind him when he came near to the place, in the Fifth Verse.
3. His laying the Wood for the Burnt-offering on his Son, and his taking the Fire in his hand, and a Knife; and the dialogue between the Father and the Son upon occasion thereof; in the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Verses.
4. Abraham's preparing and ordering all things for offering up his Son, in the Ninth Verse.
5. His attempting to put the Command of God in execution, by sacrificing his Son, Verse the Tenth. Of these in order.
The first thing is, his addressing himself to go to the place where he was to offer up his Son, in the third and fourth Verses, And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and sadled 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 which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lift up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. That which in these words is most remarkable, is Abraham's speedy compliance with the command of God: 'Tis said, that having been commanded to go to the Land of Moriah, and offer his Son for a Burnt-offering, he rose up early in the morning to address himself thereunto; the very next morning after that he had received the command from God, as 'tis probable. 'Tis not to be doubted, but that as the command was strange and extraordinary, so God was pleased to give Abraham most clear and full satisfaction concerning his good pleasure therein; God did, no doubt, make it out to him beyond all exception, that it was he himself that appeared to him, and that it was his own express injunction, and peremptory command to him that he should Sacrifice his Son. This was so clearly revealed to him, that there was no place for hesitation or doubting: Else the strange and extraordinary nature of the command could not but have occasioned many scruples, jealousies, and fears in his mind, lest it might be a delusion, and lest the enemy of Souls might have taken upon him thus to personate God. But he being fully satisfied that there was no such imposture, neither disputes the Command nor the Author of it, but immediately applies himself to contrive the putting of it in execution. And to the end that nothing might hinder him therein, he imparted it not to his servants, nor to Isaac himself, till he was come to the place where he was to be Sacrificed, as we shall see afterwards.
And whereas Sarah his Wife, and Isaac's Mother, seems to have been then alive, (for we read of her Death and Burial in the next Chapter) it doth not appear that he acquainted her with it, but kept it within his own breast; if Sarah had known it, 'tis likely that her tender and motherly affection towards her Son, might have made such vehement opposition against it, as might have created much trouble and disturbance to Abraham, and have been a great hinderance to him in the performance of what was enjoyned him. Wherefore, perhaps, he thought that to have advised with Sarah in this case, had been but to consult with flesh and blood, and to expose himself to such temptations as would make a difficult duty much more difficult. And indeed so often it is, that our consulting with others in matters of clear and unquestionable duty, doth but lay rubs in our way, and many times weaken our good resolutions, and draw us off from our duty.
Now from the example of Abraham in this matter, we may also learn, speedily to address our selves to the performance of our duty when 'tis once made known unto us. In so hard a service Abraham demurs not, he consults not with flesh and blood, he excepts not against the strangeness and difficulty of what was enjoined him, he quarrels not with the command of God, he opposeth not his own carnal wisdom or natural affection against the will and good pleasure of God, but immediately sets himself to the performance of what was now by the command of God made his duty, though such a duty as seemed to offer violence to Nature it self. How widely different is our disposition from this of Abraham! How do we dispute the commands of God whenever they are such as cross the corrupt inclinations of our hearts! How many artifices and devices do we invent and frame to free our selves from the obligation of them! Or if by no arts we can avoid or decline the force of them, how slowly do we come on to yield Obedience to them! How many demurs and procrastinations, how many shiftings off and delayings are there, before we can be prevailed with to buckle to our duty! 'Tis true, in matters of a doubtful nature, consultation and deliberation are needful; there we must take heed that precipitancy and hastiness do not hurry us on to act, before we are sufficiently satisfied concerning our duty: But where our duty is fully discovered and made out to us, there is then no place for deliberation, unless how we may best, most speedily, and effectually discharge it. Abraham having received an express command to Sacrifice his Son, deliberates not whether or no he should put in execution what God had enjoined him; but being fully bent, and unalterably resolved to put the command of God in execution, all his thoughts are taken up in contriving how he might do it most speedily, and how he might manage the business so as nothing might either divert him from his purpose, or hinder him. Could we be as quick and speedy in the performance of our known duty, the advantages thereof would be divers and considerable.
1. Such Obedience would be much more acceptable to God, than when we come on to the performance of our duty by such slow and lingring paces. That which the Moralist saith in another case, is most true here, Qui multùm deliberavit diu noluit. Our long demurring and deliberating about the performance of a known duty, our long delaying it, and putting it off, is a demonstration of our unwillingness, and shews we have no great mind to it. And this is a temper which God cannot endure. He loves and looks after readiness of mind, forwardness, chearfulness, and alacrity in all our services. Then are we in that frame wherein he takes delight, when upon the first discovery of our duty unto us, we can say with our Saviour, Lo I come, Psal. 40.7, 8.I delight to do thy will, O God, thy law is within my heart. 2 Chron. 17.16.When with Amaziah the Son of Zichri, we do willingly offer our selves to be serviceable to him; when God no sooner saith, Whom shall I send, Isa. 6.8.and who will go for us in this or that errand? But we presently answer with the Prophet Isaiah, after his mouth had been touch'd with a coal from the Altar, Here am I, send me.
2. Such ready and speedy Obedience would be much more easy and comfortable to us. For by our putting off and delaying the performance of a known duty, we sundry ways encumber our selves, and clog our selves with impediments and difficulties.
1. By our delays, the present strength of our resolutions, and warmth of our hearts, is abated and impaired. We are for the present earnestly bent to the performance of our duty, our resolutions are strong and vigorous; but after a while the edge and force of our resolutions is taken off, and we come to be very indifferent. At first our hearts are warm, and our affections are raised; but anon, that season being not improved, our hearts grow cold, and our affections fall, and such a dulness and flatness seizes on them, as they afford us no furtherance towards the discharge of our duty. He that hath not some experience of these things, hath little acquaintance with himself.
2. When we speedily apply our selves to the performance of our duty, we prevent temptations to hinder us, which by our delays we are sure to meet with. Temptations from within us, through the corruption and deceitfulness of our own hearts; temptations from without us, partly from Satan, and partly from the World.
3. By our speedy Obedience we improve the present opportunity thereof, which many times is either the only, or the fittest opportunity. How often by our delays do we lose an opportunity for the performance of our duty, and never meet with another! An opportunity is irrecoverably lost once for all. Again, How easily might you have done your duty, if you had set about it when you were first convinced of your obligation thereunto? But that opportunity being let slip, and the performance of your duty put off, with how much uneasiness and trouble is it afterwards done, if done at all! Well then, Doth God at any time clearly convince you of your duty? Doth he make you see what in this or that kind he requires of you, by letting in a full and broad light into your Soul, so as you cannot shut your eyes against it? And doth he moreover work in you strong resolutions to put in practice what you apprehend to be your duty? And doth he add wings to your resolutions by warming and enlarging your heart, by quickning and raising your affections? O then get up and be doing, set about your duty immediately while you have these advantages, before your convictions be darkned, your resolutions be weakned, your heart grow cold, and your affections fall; before temptations come in, before the world, the flesh, and the devil interpose to cast a damp upon your spirit, to cast rubs in your way, and to take you off from your duty.
So I go on to the next thing in the Text, Abraham's dismissing his Servants, or at least his leaving them behind him when he came near to the place where he was to Sacrifice his Son, verse 5. and Abraham said unto the young man, Abele you here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. Here two things are to be enquired into; to; to wit, why Abraham left his Servants behind him, and took them not along with him when he was to Sacrifice his Son; and in what sense Abraham was to be understood when he said, I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. As for the former of these, why did Abraham leave his Servants behind him when he was to Sacrifice his Son? His Servants, as some may think, might have been helpful and assistant to him, in carrying the Wood, and binding his Son, and setting things in order for Sacrificing him.
I answer, Abraham, no doubt, left his Servants behind him, that they might not hinder him in the service which he had undertaken. Questionless he apprehended they were more likely to hinder him, than to afford any furtherance to him; when it should appear to them that Abraham intended to Sacrifice his Son, they might possibly interpose, dissuading him from it, or disuading Isaac from consenting and submitting thereunto; and if persuasions would …t prevail, they might perhaps in such an extraordinary case think themselves obliged to rescue Isaac from death by force; for 'tis a question whether any thing that Abraham could say, would satisfy them touching the command of God, and a warrant or commission from Heaven for this strange and extraordinary action. Besides, we know not but that God himself might for these reasons order him to leave his Servants behind him.
Now from this his wise conduct and prudent care to free himself from what might hinder him in the performance of his duty, we are also admonished to use the like Providence: When we address our selves to the performance of our duty, we should consider before-hand what is likely to hinder us, what may cool our zeal, or weaken our resolutions; what may causlesly dishearten or discourage us, and beat us off from our duty, and make the best provision we can against all such impediments, and by a wise forecast free and deliver our selves, as much as in us lies, from whatsoever may either withhold us from, or incumber and clog us in the discharge of our duty. And there are three things, the consideration whereof should make us the more provident and careful this way.
1. We shall hereby shew, that our hearts are set upon the performance of our duty, and that we attend and mind it seriously and earnestly. Thus earthly-minded men, whose hearts are set upon the world, forecast their business, and provide against whatever may hinder them in the pursuit of the world. And thus voluptuous men, who addict themselves to sensual enjoyments, and the pleasures of sin, make provision for the flesh, as the Apostle's phrase is, Rom. 13.14. They carefully look out and provide what may best further them in the enjoyment of their sensual delights, and they as carefully provide against, and avoid whatsoever may give check to their pleasures; and all this because their hearts are set upon them, and eagerly bent after them. If we be as careful and as provident in casting off, and removing out of the way; in declining and avoiding what may probably slack our pace, and hinder us in the performance of our duty, we shall hereby satisfy our selves, and demonstrate to others, that we seriously mind the matters of our duty, that our hearts are set upon them, and that we make Religion our business.
2. To make us the more careful to provide against, and avoid whatsoever may be an hinderance to us in the performance of our duty, let us consider that we have hinderances enough within us from the evil frame of our corrupt hearts, from our natural slothfulness, backwardness, and indisposition to what is good, though there were nothing without to hinder us. Though we could perfectly free our selves from all impediments without, yet our inward corruption would sufficiently clog and incumber us; that would be a continual burthen and heavy weight to stop our course, and retard our motion.
3. When we have done all we can, and used our utmost diligence to provide against, prevent, and remove whatsoever we can foresee may hinder us in the performance of our duty; we shall never be wholly freed from all impediments, we can never foresee and provide against all that may hinder us; the Devil and the World will be ever and anon casting in such obstacles as we thought not of, and laying such rubs in our way, as our greatest circumspection and most exact care could never foresee or prevent; wherefore we are so much the more concerned to make the best provision we can against whatever we can foresee may hinder us. If we can never be freed from all impediments, it will be our wisdom to lessen the number of them as much as we can; the fewer we have, the more easy will our Obedience be, and the more nimbly and chearfully, shall we go on with our work.
And this may suffice to have been spoken upon occasion of Abraham's leaving his Servants behind him, lest they might hinder him in the service in which he was engaged.
Now let us all reflect upon our selves, and put the question to our own hearts, Whether we have been careful to make use of Abraham's Providence in quitting and dismissing, in casting off and laying aside whatever might prove an hinderance to us in the discharge of our duty? Alas! Have we not rather voluntarily sought out sinful divertisements, and many times wilfully exposed our selves to those temptations which we could not but foresee would draw us off from our business, and make us neglect our duty? Have we not been glad when any thing came in our way to take us off from it? Have not temptations when they offered themselves, been welcome and acceptable to us? Instead of casting aside and throwing off what might retard or stop us in the course of our duty, Have we not voluntarily loaded and incumbred our selves with those things to hinder us, which we might have been rid off if we would?
Again, when our duty lay clear and plain before us, so as no question could be made of it, Have we not consulted with flesh and blood? Have we not betaken our selves to them for counsel and advice, who would be sure to pervert us and draw us aside; who would make use of all arguments, persuasions and allurements to turn us out of the right way?
And lastly, whereas Abraham, when he was to worship God, was careful to dismiss what might distract or hinder him, Have we who are this day come to wait on God in his House, lest the world behind us? Have we taken pains to empty our hearts of our earthly business, and the cares and distractions of the world? Or rather, are not many of us come hither with our hearts so full of these things, that we have no room there for better things? Doth not the world, even now, so take up our minds and imploy our thoughts, so incumber and discompose us, so disturb and disquiet us, as we have no liberty or freedom of spirit for the proper duties of this day and place?
But here a question may be moved, How Abraham alone, having none with him to assist him, could have any confidence that he should be able to Bind and Sacrifice his Son?
For 1. He had not as yet acquainted him with it, and knew not how he might resent so strange a thing in which his own Life was concerned.
2. As for Abraham himself, he was above an Hundred years old, and therefore it may well be presumed that his strength at that age was much impaired, whereas Isaac was now in the prime of his strength and vigour. Wherefore if Abraham should find him averse from complying with what he should propound to him, he had not strength to force him; he might easily resist his Father, or run away from him. To all this I Answer,
1. That Abraham, questionless, had an high confidence touching his Son's tractableness and Obedience; he had so trained him up from his Childhood, so inured him to the yoke of Obedience from his tender years, and all along kept up such a reverence of his Parental Authority in his heart, that he made no doubt but that he could prevail with him in any thing that he should persuade him unto, the Son being well assured that such a Father would not put him upon any thing but what was fit for him to consent unto.
2. Abraham knew that he could make it out to his Son, that it was the command of God that he should offer him up to him for a Burnt-offering; and Isaac knew that so dear he was to his Father, and so tender was his Father's love and affection to him, that nothing but the Command of God could ever have engaged him to do it; yea, that the thing was so strange, and so much against Nature, that it could never have entred into his thoughts to attempt it, unless God had by a peremptory Command required it of him.
3. Abraham knew the heart of Isaac his Son to be throughly seasoned, and soundly principled with the fear of God, which would effectually incline and dispose him to submit to any thing that should appear unto him to be his duty.
4. And principally, Abraham was well assured, that as God had engaged him in this difficult service, and inclined his own heart to comply with the command of God therein, so he would also carry him through it by framing his Son's heart to the like ready and chearful compliance with the command of God. Upon these or the like grounds it was no doubt, that addressing himself to Sacrifice his Son, he left his Servants behind him, and took no care for any other help or assistance. Whence we may observe divers things.
As 1. That when God is pleased to call his People to undertake great and extraordinary services, he doth endue them with an extraordinary measure of holy trust and confidence in himself to enable them. They are often carried above themselves, and above all those discouragements which carnal wisdom may suggest, and strengthned to believe that he who hath set them a work and employed them, will not leave them nor forsake them, but assuredly be with them in those their undertakings which he hath engaged them in. Thus it was with Abraham, he might have been perplexed and disturbed with the consideration of the difficulty of the service he was put upon, and the obstructions he might meet with: He might have questioned his own strength, whether he should not recoil and give back when he should be now in a readiness to stretch forth his hand to kill his Son; he might have questioned whether his natural affection might not be too strong for him, and whether or no when it came to the upshot he should ever endure to put that in execution which he had upon the command of God undertaken. He might also have questioned whether his Son would ever be persuaded to submit thereunto. With these, and other things of like nature, he might have been overpowered and born down. But God, who had imposed that command upon him, carried him above all these things, and made them all of no force to stop or hinder him in the pursuance of what he had undertaken. And thus we may find our selves oftentimes carried above all those fears and discouragements, the least of which are too strong for us when God leaves us to our selves. Which should teach us these two lessons:
(1.) In all our undertakings that are of any special importance or difficulty, to labour to be clearly and fully satisfied that we set not about what we enterprise, without God's warrant, to be sure that he hath engaged us therein, and that we run not on headlong before we know that we have our commission from him.
(2.) That being thus satisfied touching his call, we have our eyes still on him for that help and assistance upon all occasions, that is necessary to carry us through what by his order we have entered upon.
2. Another thing which we may hence observe is, That no difficulties should discourage us from going on where we know that we have God's warrant and authority to countenance and abet our undertakings; having his command or approbation, we have enough to oppose against a thousand discouragements. Abraham having a command from God, sticks at nothing, but on he goes against whatever difficulties might encounter him, or attempt to turn him aside out of the way of his duty.
3. We may further observe, That God hath the hearts of men in his hand, and frames them as he pleaseth, he turns them as the rivers of water whithersoever he will, as Solomon speaks, Prov. 21.1. A great comfort and support to those who in matters of highest importance have to do with men of difficult and perverse tempers, especially when the present necessities and exigencies of their affairs are such as engage them to offer such things to them, or to request such things of them, as they know not how they will resent. It was, we may be sure, very much to the satisfaction and quieting of Abraham's spirit, that he knew God had the heart of his Son Isaac in his hand, and could mould and dispose it as he saw good; that though the matter which he was to lay before him was such as he might startle at, and look upon with the greatest aversation and abhorrence, yet he knew God could so deal with his heart, as that he should most readily accord to it, and entertain it. Are you afraid how you shall speed in your business with such or such a Person, on whose favour the success of some weighty affair in which you are highly concerned, depends? Remember, God hath the hearts of all men in his hands, and they must and shall turn which way soever he shall incline them: Wherefore,
1. Look up to him who is the fashioner and governour of hearts, to incline and dispose the hearts of those with whom your business lies, to do that which shall be most for your good. Be much in your addresses to God, and by Prayer often commend your affairs to his disposal.
2. Walk in Obedience to him, as one that is waiting to find Grace in his eyes. Be careful in all things to please him.
3. Bring your heart, as near as you are able, to a perfect willingness to be at his disposal as to the issue of what you are waiting on him for. So shall you be able quietly and securely to devolve your concernments upon God, and to expect without distraction or thoughtfulness the event of them.