Ten Sermons, Collection of sermons · Sermon 1
Abraham's Sacrifice:
SERMON I.
Gen. xxii. 7, 8.
And Isaac spake to Abraham his Father, and said, My Father: And he said, Here am I my Son. And he said, Behold the fire and wood; but where is the Lamb for the Burnt-offering? And Abraham said, My Son, God will provide himself a Lamb for a burnt-offering: And they went both of them together.
SAint Paul was saying to the Galations, ch. 3.1. that before their eyes Christ had been evidently set forth crucified among them; And yet Christ had been crucified at Jerusalem, not at Galata. But St. Pauls preaching had so painted Christ to the life unto them, that Christ was crucified, not only among them, but in them; foreign, saith the Text: Their hearts were stampt with the image of Christ's passion. Truly, should Paul now revive, and do in this Audience, as he did in Thessalonica, Act. 17. reason out of the Scripture to lay open Christ's sufferings, he could not pick out a more pregnant Scripture than this to set forth evidently Christ crucified. I hope that the life of the Text, notwithstanding the weakness of the Speaker, will so evidently set forth Christ crucified among us, that unless our hearts be bewitched, as the Galatians were, we shall obey the truth; and for his death's sake, lead a godly life.
In a good Picture the two commendable things are the goodness of the Colours, and the lively Representation. These two things you have here; Abraham and Isaac with their Faith and Obedience make up the Colours, and with their Affliction the Shades, which set off the colours of their Vertues: And these were so used by the high art of Divine Wisdom, that they are a lively representation of the meritorious Sacrifice of the Son of God.
Or if you will have it in two words. In this History there is the Letter and the Figure: The first and example of Faith and Obedience: The second a mystery of our Redemption.
Litera.
For the Literal and Historical part, I must give you a general view of the History, before I examine the particular passage of my Text.
Abraham being old, with a Wise past childbearing, and having no Child by her; it pleased God to send to that old couple, a Son beyond hope, and beyond nature, that precious Son Isaac, with a promise that God would establish his Covenant with him for an everlasting Covenant, Gen. 17.and with his Seed after him.
Now might Abraham call himself happy, rich in God's gifts, and richer in the giver: He had a plentiful Estate, and a good Heir to leave it to: And in that precious Son, he saw the promised perpetuity and glory of his name; He saw the only holy and blessed Seed of the World in his Family: Yea, he saw the day of the Lord Jesus, and rejoyced in it, Joh. 8.saith the Lord Jesus himself.
In that blessed state God made him taste the bitterest Pill of affliction that ever man tasted. Temporal felicity is like tall Trees, the highest tops are most subject to shake. Take now thy Son, (saith God to him) thine onelyonly Son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt-offering.
At such a fearful Injunction, who would not have started? for Nature and Reason were against it.
Nature first, the love of a precious only Son: Him to lose, was a deep affliction to a Father; But to have him killed, but to see him killed, but to kill him himself, and mangle him like a Bullock with a Butcher's Knife (foreign in Hebrew) and after such an horrible fact grant not so much as the ground to the torn Limbs of his miserable Corpse, but burn him to ashes, wipe him quite and clean from the Earth, as a cursed and contagious Carkase; Was not that enough to make Abraham say, Lord, far be it from me? My Son's Ghost would haunt me: Furies would pursue me; A very Hell would kindle in my Conscience, and not let me rest, till my guilty hands had used the same fatal knife for a juster execution, and even revenged the murther upon my self.
These objections of Nature might have been strengthened with those of Reason moving two questions: The one, Whether it was well done? The other, Whether it could stand with God's promises?
That it was well done, God's command did justifie it. But the nature of the command might have made him doubt, whether it came from God indeed. For would God imbrue the Father's hands in the Son's bloud? Would he accept of such Sacrifices? Would he give me a command so contrary to his own Law written in every Man's heart? Neither seems this contrary to his Laws only, but also to his Promises. Is this that Son with whom God would establish an everlasting Covenant, and with his Seed after him? And now I must in one blow cut off all that numerous Posterity. Here is my hope, here is God's promise, here is the love he bears me! Go! made me a Father only that I might be an Executioner of my Son! He made a Covenant with me only to break it and my heart together!
These are the suggestions of Nature and Reason against the Command of God; Yet was not Abraham staggered by any. Will you know what he answered? Never a word. No great matter what you say to God's precepts, so you do them. Give me a Servant that bestirs himself, not one that stands reasoning. This was Abraham's answer, a real one, and to the purpose: He rose up early in the morning, and sadled his Asse, and took two 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.
Three days he travelled with that woful purpose. Being near the place, he leaves his Servants, takes the knife and the fire, gives the Wood to his Son to carry; And when his Son asketh for the Lamb for a burnt-offering, he doth silence him, saying, God will provide. Then raising an Altar in the appointed place, he layeth the Wood in order, binds his Son, layeth him upon the wood, takes the knife, makes ready for the blow; And there the Angel stayeth him: He was gone far enough for God, who asketh Obedience and not Sacrifice.
Without exclamations, without amplifications, is not the bare relating of this enough to make Heaven and Earth amazed at this Faith and Obedience, against which neither the manifest contradiction of Reason, nor the yerning of the tenderest Affections could prevail any thing? Never doubt but that when he clave the Wood for that lamentable sacrifice, he clave his own heart: That in that journey of three days, all the words, all the looks of his dear Son were so many spears to his soul: That the knife he carried, went through his entrails: That he would have chosen to be the Sacrifice, because he should not be the Priest. Wherefore it must needs be a very strong Motive that won him to such a hard Obedience.
The Motive was double; a fervent love and a strong faith.
His love was such as Christ would have it. He that loveth children, or wife, more than God, is not worthy of him. For as Gun-powder fired will put out Candles; so a violent passion of love will put out and drown a lesser: The love of God was so strong in Abraham's soul, that: the love to his Son must needs give place. My Brethren, love God with all your heart and soul, and him only: Take him for your portion: Have nothing in Heaven but him; desire nothing in Earth besides him. Then it will not grieve you to part with a Son, no not to part with all the World for his sake.
You know that the fire from Heaven, the Thunder, breaks all, to make to it self a way. The heavenly fire of God's love would master all in Abraham's soul. No natural interest could stand against that violence. God asked him his Son for a burnt-offering; Abraham thought his Son and his own hearts bloud well bestowed, being given to God. They are far from his mind, who think that lost which is given to God, and allow nothing for his service but what they cannot keep from it. Abraham gave God his Son more freely than many give him their offerings: He was more willing to lose his Son for God's service, than others to miss a sinful profit or pleasure.
Now because Abraham loved God, therefore he believed on him: for perfect love casteth out fear. 1 Joh 4.'Tis true, sacrificing of his Son seemed to be directly against the promises of God: But against hope he believed in hope, Rom. 4. Herein being of a stronger faith than all the Martyrs that ever suffered; for they all saw the promises of God plain before them, and were sustained by them. But Abraham believed against the promises, which were all cut off in his Son's death. And upon that assurance that God was good and wise, He took no care to reconcile God's promises with his command: He did only that which falls to Mens share to do, He believed, he obey'd, and held his peace.
But I shall have more occasion to speak of this; and so from the general consideration of the History, I look to the particular passage of my Text.
It contains four things: I. The first a loving Preface to a Dialogue, And Isaac spake to Abraham his Father, and said, My Father: and he said, Here am I my Son. II. Then Isaac moveth a difficulty, And he said, Here is the fire and wood, but where is the Lamb for the burnt-offering? III. To that difficulty Abraham gives this resolution, My Son God will provide himself a Lamb for the burnt-offering. IV. And lastly, you have their mutual consent in that faithful resolution, And they went both of them together.
I. The Preface hath but two words, My Father, and My Son. My Father, said Isaac. Poor Son! he little knew that his words were bitter to his Father, and of all words the sweetest of all, My Father: This word alone (saith Chrysostome) was enough to launce the good Man's bowels; for it put him in mind what a Father he should prove to him presently. Quid, mi pater, quasi tu hujus indigeas patris? Yet to that loving word he answereth no less lovingly, Here am I, my Son. Here am I, and that's my grief; My Son, I am too near thee: Here am I for thy present calamity, and my endless sorrow.
II. But let us hear Isaac's question, Here is the fire and wood, but where is the Lamb for the burnt-offering? Isaac wondred that they had taken such a long Journey for a Sacrifice with all necessary Instruments, and brought the very Wood ready cleft from home; and that the main piece should be wanting, the Lamb for the burnt-offering. He would never have thought, dear Son, that he was the Lamb, and that himself carried the Preparatives of his death. Howsoever he had so much good time. God hath done much for Mankind to hide from them adversities to come. It is a happy ignorance that makes us walk quiet, like Isaac, to our crosses. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
How this question of the Son cut the Father to the heart, I leave it to deem to all the Fathers and Mothers of this Company. His ignorance, his innocency, the warrantable reason of his curiosity; To see only how simply he carried the Instruments of his death, would have moved stones to compassion, much more a tender-hearted Father. Here is the fire and wood: Good Lord, what a heart-burning was that fire and wood to Abraham! What a furious on-set was that of his natural affection to his faith, to his obedience! Blessed be God, who brings us not to such trials. When God takes our Children to himself, we murmur against his will; for what is immoderate sorrow but murmuring? Abraham would have taken the death of his Son for a blessing, if God would have excused him from that woful office, to be the Executioner of that death. Alas! he must not only lose him, but he must kill him; Yet he repines not, quum res erat in integro, when it was in his choice to spare or slay him. But he loved God better than his Son: If God will have his Son, he will let him have him freely. His Son was more God's, than his: Yea, if God will have it so, he will kill him, rather than God should not have his will. God's will was dearer to him than his will, than his bloud. He looks upon the fire and wood inconniventibus oculis, with a constant and resolute eye, and a faith victorious over nature.
III. The other part of Isaac's question, Where is the Lamb for the burnt-offering? cannot be expounded but by the Answer. Abraham answereth him not; My Son, thou art the Lamb; This fire and wood is for thee, and thou for the burnt-offering, and I for the execution. Perhaps he was afraid that Isaac would have run away. It may be also, he mistrusted his own strength. He knew not whether he could be able to perform that unnatural office: Whether the quaking of his heart would leave any ability in his Limbs at that instant. Then he would spare his Son as long as he could. The good Man had enough to do to comfort himself, he would not overcharge his constancy with his Son's affliction.
This was then his answer, My Son, God will provide himself a Lamb for a burnt-offering.
Of this, more than of any passage of Abraham's life, we may say that of Gen. 17. Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness: This is the true language and the right style of faith; And this sentence was so precious in God's sight, that he would have the place to bear the name of it, and be called Jehovah jireh, God will provide, as you have it in the 14. Verse of this Chapter.
These words hit the event so right, that one would think that he knew it before. But his behaviour to the last shewed that he knew nothing of it: Yet so much he knew; He knew that God was good and potent, constant in his love, true in his promises, admirable in his Works. He knew that God's ways are not our ways, and that the faithful Soul must believe where he doth not see, as a Child that holds his Father's hand in the dark. He knew that the best way to keep what we have and what we love best, is to give it to God; yea, to lose it for his sake.
It is like, these were the thoughts of that holy Man: It is true, God promised me blessing in Isaac; but that the Promises should stand and Isaac dye without issue, seems impossible to my reason. But it belongs not to me to rectifie God's counsels, and take an order that he keep his promises. God commands me to offer him my Son for a burnt-offering. This only is my part, this only belongs to me to do, and I will do it. Let him provide for the rest. I see neither the justice of his command, nor the possibility of his promise; but I am sure he looks to both. Credidi Deo filium suscepturus, credam occisurus; so speaks St. Austin in Abraham's name: I believed God when he promised me a Son, I will believe God now he commands me to kill him. And though against nature, though against hope, though against reason; yea, though he kill me; yea, which is worse, though he kill my Son; and, which is worse again, though he make me kill my Son, yet will I hope in him; I will be obedient, God will be provident. My Son, God will provide himself a Lamb.
And indeed he was not ashamed of his hope. A Lamb he had instead of his Son to offer: And his Love, Faith, and Obedience, were taken for a better burnt-offering than that typical Lamb. All this is exprest in that Golden Text, Heb. 11.17. By faith Abraham when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises, offered his only begotten Son; of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be blessed, from whence also he received him in a figure.
IV. It remaineth to see the consent of Father and Son in this resolution, to rely upon God's providence. It is contained in these words, And they went both of them together.
The mention of God's providence silenced Isaac's curiosity: Which silence, wiser than any speech, shewed in him a most religious discretion. He was no Child. Rabbi Shalmo saith, he was 37. years old: But he had not his wisdom from his years. It was the wisdom from above, pure, peaceable and gentle, that made him thus go quietly with his Father, and hold his peace upon the allegation of God's providence: And the truth is, there is nothing to be said to it. Reason must have nothing to say either against or after this resolution, God will provide.
They went on. Here is their obedience; of the Father, to God; of the Son, to God and his Father. Both of them together. Here is their concord, and both effects of faith: For this resolution, God will provide, being well apprehended and fixed by faith, will set Men at rest both with God, and among themselves. Do but believe so much in your calamities and straits, God will provide; you may go on calmly, and never need to trouble your Neighbours, or disquiet your minds, to find out shifts, and devise By-ways, but follow those ways only which you shall see fairly offered by God's providence. For as winds blowing from the West, do not hinder the Sun's course; and blowing from the East, do not further it, because the Sun runs above the Elementary Region: So all our cares will neither help nor stop the great course of God's providence. The circles and motions thereof are in Heaven, and by their influences we are moved; but we cannot move them by all our endeavours: It is well if we can observe their motions; Which if we cannot, Howsoever let us firmly believe that there is an unmoved providence moving all things, for our good, if we do, like Abraham, say, God will provide, and go forward in the execution of his Commandments. And it is a main point of those Commandments, that we go together in charity and unanimity. Truly the whole duty of the Christian is contained in these words, to say, God will provide, and go together in God's ways: For herein you have Faith in God's assistance, Obedience to God's Commandments, and Charity one to another.
Figura.
So much of the Letter of this History. The Figure will afford a more exact and high consideration. I keep my first division, and go over it afresh. I. A Preface to a Dialogue between the Father and the Son. II. Isaac's question. III. Abraham's resolution. IV. And lastly, their consent and going together.
In these, God willing, we shall see a clear Figure of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the work of our Redemption.
I. The Preface is this, And Isaac spake to Abraham his Father, and said, My Father; and his Father answered him, Here am I, my Son. Observe the persons, and their words.
The persons, Abraham and Isaac, bear each of them a double figure.
Abraham representeth God the Father, not sparing his only Son, but lifting his own hand upon him to slay him. He representeth also all the faithful, being in this heroick action, The Father of all Believers.
Isaac representeth God the Son carrying the wood of his own cross, and yielding himself to death: He representeth also all sinners, by God's justice bound for the fire, and appointed to death, but rescued from it by that holy Lamb, whom God provided for the burnt-offering instead of Man.
Now that double figure doth not hold all along the history, but sometimes one alone, sometimes both together.
Let us hear what they say. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his Father, and said, My Father; and Abraham answered him, Here am I, my Son: And that while they were going to the Mount of execution. This is a figure of Christ in the Night in which he was betrayed, praying to his Father in the Mount, and his Father comforting him from Heaven. No sooner hath the Son said, My Father; but the Father answers him, Here am I, my Son: To agree with this truth, Joh. 11. Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me, and I knew that thou hearest me always.
That relation of Father and Son between Abraham and Isaac, was as near that between God the Father and God the Son, as humane things can be. This is exprest in the second Verse of this Chapter, Where God gives to Isaac three titles, Take me now thy Son, thine onelyonly Son, whom thou lovest. These three meet in Christ: The Son he is, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, Psal. 2. And the only Son, The only begotten of the Father, Joh. 1. and the Son whom he loveth, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, Matth. 3.
Besides, both Jesus and Isaac were conceived beyond the Laws of Nature: Isaac of an old Father, and of a dead and barren Womb; and Jesus without the agency of Man, and of a Virgin: Both were begotten, not by the vertue of Man, but by that of the Promise: Both are called the blessed Seed, but Isaac for Christ his sake. And the conception of both was disposed by the Ministery of Angels.
II. Isaac's question to his Father will shew more resemblances. And he said, Behold the fire and wood. In these words, Isaac was a double figure; First of Christ going to his Passion, Christ might say, Behold the fire, the fire of God's wrath, for fire was kindled in his bones from above, as Jeremy said of himself, a figure of Christ, Lam. 1. In his bones; for there it melted his marrow and flesh into a sweat of bloud. From above; for it was the wrath of the Father which is in Heaven. As Isaac saw the fire and knife in his Father's hands; So Jesus saw fiery indignation and terrible judgment in his Father, when he cryed, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And as for the wood, as Isaac carried it, so did Christ; And that wood, the wood of his Cross, lay so heavy upon him, that his very murtherers got Simon the Cyrenian to help him to carry it.
Also in the same words, Isaac was a figure of the sinner. Mark how Abraham and Isaac shared the burden of the Implements for the Sacrifice. Abraham carried the fire and the knife, both Instruments of vengeance: Isaac carried the wood, and that wood cleft, fit only for burning. The sinner carrieth neither fire nor knife; Vengeance belongs unto me, saith the Lord. Whatsoever the Papists talk of Saint Anthony's fire, it is the Father only that hath fire in his hand. That God hath fire in his hand it is evident, at this time; So many burning Vials of wrath are poured by him upon the Earth, especially upon this Western world; that we have reason to say, Ecce ignem; Behold the fire. But that fire is more yet out of this world, in that Lake burning with fire and brimstone, where the worm dyeth not, and the fire is not quenched. Behold the fire. And I beseech God we may so behold it afar off that our knowledge never pass beholding.
So this is the Father's burden, He carrieth the knife and the fire: Isaac's burden is the wood, and that is the burden of every sinner. Truly we carry wood continually for the fire of God's wrath. Poor frail sinners that we are, what are we but wood before God, who is a consuming fire? Behold (said God of Israel, Jer. 5.) I will make my words fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them. Lust, drunkenness, treachery, profaneness, hypocrisie, putting on a form of godliness, and denying the power thereof, covetousness, griping, cruelty, lying, cosening, swearing, forswearing: Ecce lignum, Behold the wood, Behold the fewel of God's wrath; And the fire is so near, and the wood so dry, that it is a thousand wonders it doth not take fire more often. This is then that which the sinner beholdeth, Fire in the Father's hand, and wood on his own shoulder. In God, just anger; In himself, just matter of anger: Behold the fire and wood.
But a burnt-offering there must be, The Father will not bear the fire and the knife in vain. Wheresoever there is sin, there must be punishment, or an offering to make propitiation for the sinner. For without blond, there is no remission, Heb. 9.22. But now, where is the Lamb for the burnt-offering? My brethren, this is the great question, This is the great perplexity of the guilty conscience: Where is one that can, Where is one that will be a burnt-offering instead of me? A Lamb in the literal sense cannot; For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins, Heb. 12.4, and no more the blood of Lambs. Angels, though they had a body, cannot be a burnt-offering for me; for Man hath sinned, and Man must suffer. No meer man can; for man hath neither deserts to please, nor strength to overcome. What! will nothing in Earth, nothing in Heaven serve? O Lord, behold the fire and wood; Behold the Father with the knife in his hand; Behold the Mount of the Sacrifice; Behold divine Justice craving execution and satisfaction. But where is the Lamb for the burnt-offering? Dic quibus in terris? Where, how, by what means shall I come by one that will suffer, and can satisfie for me? You see by this where of Isaac, that man of himself is far from giving to God a fit burnt-offering; he knoweth not so much as where to find it: And judg you, what despair, what terrours, what hell may be in a conscience that sees the fire and wood, and cannot find the Lamb.
III. Well, he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If you seek the Lamb with a true heart, and with a sincere faith, you shall find him; My Son, God will provide himself a Lamb for the burnt-offering.
These are Abraham's words, In which he bears a double figure: First he representeth God the Father comforting the sinner with the promise of the Lamb. Also he is a type of all believers: For his praise is not that he prophesied without his knowledge; Saul and Caiaphas did no less, and were never the better Men for it. His praise is, that he believed; for faith is a spirit of prophecy which never deceiveth. Any one that will relie on God in his troubles with a firm faith, and say, God will provide, will find himself a true Prophet. For the promise is infallible. None that waits on him, shall be ashamed, Psal. 25.
The Prophecy which we have in hand contains two things; The thing they expected, A Lamb for the burnt-offering; and the way how they should get it, God will provide.
As for the Lamb so much longed for, They had it at their need. When the Father was ready to strike the Son, God forbad him by his Angel, and shewed him a Lamb behind him caught in a thicket by the horns, and it they took, and offered. We also have a Lamb, but a better, the true Lamb figured by that of Abraham. When God the Father was ready to strike the sinner, behold the Lamb without blemish and without spot, the Lord Jesus Christ laid himself under the knife, and shed his bloud to spare ours: So, instead of that woful behold of Isaac, Behold the fire and wood, we have the proper behold of the Gospel, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World.
Observe how Isaac in this passage was a figure both of Christ and of the sinner. In that he was bound and ready for the blow, He was a figure both of Christ's obedience, and of Man's estate of condemnation. In that he lay on the Altar, he was a figure of Christ only; for none but the Son of God could be a fit offering to God.
But when God sent the Lamb to Abraham, then the Lamb began to be a figure of Jesus; and Isaac remained a figure of the sinner saved by the suffering and offering of the Lamb.
Yet in one point Isaac continued to be a figure of Jesus, even when the Lamb was offered: For St. Austin teacheth us, that the Lamb at that instant was a figure of Christ's humane nature that suffered: Isaac of his divine nature which suffered not. So that as Isaac was sacrificed in the Lamb, so was the Godhead in the Manhood: And Isaac living after the Sacrifice, was a figure of Christ's Resurrection; for he did in a manner out-live his own death.
The Lamb represented Christ three ways.
1. In that he was found unexpected. Could Isaac have lookt there for a Lamb ready to his hand to be offered for him? Could all the World have imagined that the Son of God, God himself blessed for evermore, should have presented himself to be a Sacrifice for Men?
2. Also the Lamb represented Jesus the Lamb of God, in that by him Isaac, who was a figure of all sinners, was exempted from death when the blow was falling upon him.
3. Then the Lamb represented Jesus in that by his blood not only he made propitiation but drew a blessing; For presently God was well pleased, and upon the Sacrifice pronounced a blessing, the very blessing of Salvation to the Church. In thy Seed shall all Nations be blessed.
To which you may add St. Austin's observation, who in the Lamb caught up by the horns in a thicket, finds a figure of Jesus crowned with Thorns.
Truly there is in this Lamb and Sacrifice such an evident figure of the passion of Christ and the mystery of our Redemption, that hence ariseth this excellent doctrine, That the Gospel is more ancient than the Law. Four hundred years afore the Law, Jesus was offered in the Lamb, and Man justified by faith working through love and obedience, and the eternal promise given.
The other part of Abraham's prophecy was, by what means they should get the Lamb; God will provide himself a Lamb. God himself will. For although none ought to give the Lamb for the burnt-offering, but Man; Yet none could give it, but God. Wherefore Abraham's Lamb was not out of his Flocks. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor He-goats out of thy folds, saith God. God had provided for him, the Lamb; God hath provided for us, Jesus his own Lamb: We cannot appease God with any thing of our own; Domine da quod demus, Lord give us that we may give thee. Give us thy holy Son that we may offer thee his merit for ours.
IV. One word now of the fourth part of this Text, the consent of Father and Son, And they went both of them together. Abraham and Isaac went together of one mind, where God's providence and command led them: That consent held out to the very last; Yea, so far, that Isaac was bound, and laid on the wood, and suffered his Father to stretch his hand to the knife. Is not that a lively Picture of the profound obedience of Christ's will going along with his Father's will? Isaac might have leapt down from the wood, and shaken off his bonds. Jesus might have called for twelve Legions of Angels to rescue him; Yet as a sheep before the shearer he was dumb, Is. 53. When the horrour of death and torments made him say, Father, if it be possible, let this Cup pass from me; Obedience made him add presently, Yet not my will but thy will be done.
Observe that as between Abraham and Isaac there was a most dear mutual love, notwithstanding the intended execution; So in the Passion of Christ there was both slaying and loving between Father and Son. The mutual love of Father and Son did not hinder the suffering of the Son; The suffering of the Son did not diminish their mutual love: But in all that passage, as in all things else, they went both of them together.
Let us turn this admirable passage to our use. The first thing that offers it self to our consideration is the confirmation of our faith by the incomprehensible ways of the love and wisdom of God, who more than two thousand years before he sent his Son into the World to perform the great mystery of our Redemption by his sufferings, would give a lively Image of the same in this mysterious passage. That in the ages to come, when this History and the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God are compared together, God's children might be strongly built in the faith, and filled with love, thankfulness, and admiration; acknowledging how before so many ages, and indeed before all ages, the ways of their Redemption were predetermined and prepared; And that they might praise God for the riches of his wisdom and goodness, saying, O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! O the breadth, the length, the depth, the heighth of the love of God that passeth all knowledge! Lord, who hast prepared our redemption from all eternity, prepare and frame our hearts to love and praise thee for it, now and to all Eternity.
The next thing for us to consider, is, how we shall enjoy that benefit of the love of Father and Son, and the meritorious Sacrifice of Christ for the sins of the World. My Brethren, if we will enjoy it, we must offer to God another Sacrifice, but Abraham's Sacrifice still. For how were Abraham and Isaac disposed, when God sent them that blessed Lamb which spared the Son's life; and the Fathers sorrow? They had offered unto God another Sacrifice before: They had made to him a burnt-offering of their natural affections: They had cut the throat in a manner of their love to themselves, and let it bleed out before God. And you know what they got by that Sacrifice of themselves. Christ returned to them a Sacrifice of his own self figured by the Lamb, and with him an eternal blessing: They found the truth of Christ's promise, Luk. 17. He that will lose his life for my sake, shall find it.
But God at this time doth not ask your life, nor the killing of your dear children: But kill your lust, burn your pride, cut the throat of your covetousness, envy, malice and uncharitableness; Yea, if needs be, make him a burnt-offering of your dearest and tenderest affections: Silence your reason, when it is question of faith; Master your self love, when it is question of obedience. And this Sacrifice will please the Lord better than an oxe and bullock that hath horns and hoofs. You shall have the Lamb, whose blood doth spare your blood, and whose death gets you eternal life.
Had we the grace to look continually upon that author and finisher of our Faith, we should never be weary and faint in our minds, what tryal soever God send to our faith. What danger soever threaten you, turn your eyes upon the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World; and be ye sure that Christ, who shed his bloud, and spilt his Soul in the extremity of agony for us, did not buy us so dear, to cast us away. Though we were bound and laid upon the wood, like Isaac, ready for the blow; if we have the grace to call upon the Lamb of God with a faithful and truly penitent heart, he will stand between the axe and our neck, and save us; Fear not, believe only.
O God the Father, who hast so loved the World, that thou hast given thine only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. O Eternal Son, who hast loved us so much, that thou hast given thy precious self an offering for our sins. O Holy Ghost, who hast loved us so much as to give us everlasting consolation and good hope thro' grace, by announcing these saving mysteries unto us, and fealing them in our hearts. Grant us Great and Good God, One God in Three Persons, so to love thee for the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God thus freely bestowed upon us, that we …ver present our Bodies and Souls a living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Thee, which is our reasonable service. Amen.
The End of the First Sermon.