ABRAHAM'S OFFERING UP HIS SON ISAAC.
GENESIS XXII. 12.
"And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou
any thing unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing
thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me."
The great apostle Paul, in one of his epistles, informs us,
that "whatsoever was written aforetime, was written for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the holy scrip-
ture might have hope." And as without faith it is impossible to
please God, or to be accepted in Jesus, the Son of his love: we
may be assured, that whatever instances of a more than common
faith are recorded in the book of God, they were more immediately
designed by the Holy Spirit for our learning and imitation, upon
whom the ends of the world are come. For this reason, the author
of the epistle to the Hebrews, in the eleventh chapter, mention a
noble catalogue of Old Testament saints and martyrs, "who subdued
kingdoms, wrought righteousness, stopped the mouths of lions, &c.
and are gone before us to inherit the promises." A sufficient
confutation, I think, of their error, who lightly esteem the Old
Testament saints, and would not have them mentioned to Chris-
tians, as persons whose faith and patience we are called upon
more immediately to follow. If this was true, the apostle would
never have produced such a cloud of witnesses out of the Old
Testament, to excite the Christians of the first, and consequent-
ly purest age of the church, to continue steadfast and immovable
in the possession of their faith. Amidst this catalogue of
saints, methinks, the patriarch Abraham shines the brightest, and
differs from the others, as one star differeth from another star
in glory; for he shone with such distinguishing luster, that he
was called the friend of God, the father of the faithful; and
those who believe on Christ, are said to be sons and daughters
of, and to be blessed with, faithful Abraham. Many trials of his
faith did God send this great and good man, after he had command-
ed him to get out from his country, and from his kindred, unto a
land which he should show him; but the last was the most severe
of all, I mean, that of offering up his only son. This, by the
divine assistance, I propose to make the subject of your present
meditation, and, by way of conclusion, to draw some practical
inferences, as God shall enable me, from this instructive story.
The sacred penman begins the narrative thus; verse 1. "And
it came to pass, after these things, God did tempt Abraham."
"After these things," that is, after he had underwent many severe
trials before, after he was old, full of days, and might flatter
himself perhaps that the troubles and toils of life were now
finished; "after these things, God did tempt Abraham." Chris-
tians, you know not what trials you may meet with before you die:
notwithstanding you may have suffered, and been tried much al-
ready, yet, it may be, a greater measure is still behind, which
you are to fill up. "Be not high-minded, but fear." Our last
trials, in all probability, will be the greatest: and we can
never say our warfare is accomplished, or our trials finished,
till we bow down our heads, and give up the ghost. "And it came
to pass, after these things, that God did tempt Abraham."
"God did tempt Abraham." But can the scripture contradict
itself? Does not the apostle James tell us, that God tempts no
man; and God does tempt no man to evil, or on purpose to draw him
into sin; for, when a man is thus tempted, he is drawn away of
his own heart's lust, and enticed. But in another sense, God may
be said to tempt, I mean, to try his servants; and in this sense
we are to understand that passage of Matthew, where we are told,
that "Jesus was led up by the Spirit (the good Spirit) into the
wilderness, to be tempted by the devil." And our Lord, in that
excellent form of prayer which he has been pleased to give us,
does not require us to pray that we may absolutely be led into
temptation, but delivered from the evil of it; whence we may
plainly infer, that God sees it fit sometimes to lead us into
temptation, that is, bring us into such circumstances as will try
our faith, and other Christian graces. In this sense we are to
understand the expression before us, "God did tempt or try Abra-
ham."
How God was pleased to reveal his will at this time to his
faithful servant, whether by the Shechinah, or divine appearance,
or by a still small voice, as he spoke to Elijah, or by a whis-
per, like that of the Spirit to Philip, when he commanded him to
join himself to the Eunuch's chariot, we are not told, nor is it
material to inquire. It is enough that we are informed, God said
unto him, Abraham; and that Abraham knew that it was the voice of
God: for "he said, behold, here I am." O what a holy familiarity
(if I may so speak) is there between God and those holy souls
that are united to him by faith in Christ Jesus! God says, Abra-
ham; and Abraham said, (it should seem without the least sur-
prise,) "Behold, here I am." Being reconciled to God by the
death and obedience of Christ, which he rejoiced in, and saw by
faith afar off; he did not, like guilty Adam, seek the trees of
the garden to hide himself from, but take pleasure in conversing
with God, and talketh with him, as a man talketh with his friend.
O that Christless sinners knew what it is to have fellowship with
the Father and the Son! They would envy the happiness of saints,
and count it all joy to be termed enthusiasts and fools for
Christ's sake.
But what does God say to Abraham: verse 2. "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 shall tell thee of."
Every word deserves our particular observation. Whatever he
was to do, he must do it now, immediately, without conferring
with flesh and blood. But what must he do? Take now thy son.
Had God said, take now a firstling, or choicest lamb or beast of
thy flock, and offer it up for a burnt-offering, it would not
have appeared so ghastly: but for God to say, "Take now thy son,
and offer him up for a burnt-offering," one would have imagined,
was enough to stagger the strongest faith. But this is not all:
It must not only be a son, but thine only son Isaac, whom thou
lovest. If it must be a son, and not a beast, that must be of-
fered, why will not Ishmael do, the son of the bond-woman? No,
it must be his only son, the heir of all, his Isaac, by interpre-
tation laughter, the son of his old age, in whom his soul de-
lighted; whom thou lovest, says God, in whose life his own was
wrapped up: And this son, this only son, this Isaac, the son of
his love, must be taken now, even now without delay, and be
offered up by his own father, for a burnt-offering, upon one of
the mountains of the which God would tell him.
Well might the apostle, speaking of this man of God, say,
that against hope he believed in hope, and, being strong in
faith, gave glory to God: For, had he not been blessed with faith
which man never before had, he must have refused to comply with
this severe command. For how many arguments might nature suggest
to prove that such a command could never come from God, or to
excuse himself from obeying it? "What! (might the good man have
said) butcher my child! it is contrary to the very law of nature:
Much more to butcher my dear son Isaac, in whose seed God himself
has assured me, that all the families of the earth shall be
blessed. But supposing I could give up my own affection, and be
willing to part with him, though I love him so dearly, yet, if I
murder him, what will become of God's promise? Beside I am now
like a city built upon a hill; I shine as a light in the world,
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation: How then shall
I cause God's name to be blasphemed, how shall I become a by-word
among the heathen, if they hear that I have, committed a crime
which they abhor! But, above all, what will Sarah my wife say?
How can I ever return to her again, after I have imbued my hands
in my dear child's blood? O that God would pardon me in this
thing, or take my life in the place of my son's!" Thus, I say,
Abraham might have argued, and that to seemingly with great
reason, against complying with the divine command. But, as
before by faith he considered not the deadness of Sarah's womb,
when she was past age, but believed on him, who said, "Sarah thy
wife shall bear thee a son indeed;" so now being convinced that
the same God spoke to, and commanded him to offer up that son,
and knowing that God was able to raise him from the dead, without
delay he obeys the heavenly call.
O that unbelievers would learn of faithful Abraham, and
believe whatever is revealed from God, though they cannot fully
comprehend it! Abraham knew God commanded him to offer up his
son, and therefore believed, notwithstanding carnal reasoning
might suggest many objections. We have sufficient testimony,
that God has spoken to us by his Son; why should we not also
believe, though many things in the New Testament are above our
reason? For, where reason ends faith begins. And, however infi-
dels may style themselves reasoners, of all men they are the most
unreasonable: For is it not contrary to all reason, to measure an
infinite by a finite understanding, or think to find out the
mysteries of godliness to perfection?
But to return to the patriarch Abraham: We observed before
what plausible objections he might have made; but he answered not
a single word: No, without replying against his Maker, we are
told, ver. 3. that "Abraham rose up early in the morning, and
saddled 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 of which God had told him."
From this verse we may gather that God spoke to Abraham in a
dream, or vision of the night: For it is said, he rose up early.
Perhaps it was near the fourth watch of the night, just before
break of day, when God said, Take now thy son; and Abraham rises
up early to do so; as I doubt not but he used to rise early to
offer his morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. It is
often remarked of people in the Old Testament, that they rose
early in the morning; and particularly of our Lord in the New,
that he rose a great while before day to pray. The morning be-
friends devotion: and if people cannot use so much self-denial as
to rise early to pray, I know not how they will be able to die at
a stake (if called to it) for Jesus Christ.
The humility, as well as piety of the patriarch, is observa-
ble: He saddled his own ass (great men should be humble;) and to
show his sincerity, though he took two of his young men with him,
and Isaac his son, yet he keeps his design as a secret from them
all: Nay, he does not so much as tell Sarah his wife: For he knew
not but she might be a snare unto him in this affair; and, as
Rebecca afterwards, on another occasion, advised Jacob to flee,
so Sarah also might persuade Isaac to hide himself; or the young
men, had they known of it, might have forced him away, as in
after ages the soldiers rescued Jonathan out of the hands of
Saul. But Abraham sought no such evasion, and therefore, like an
Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile, he himself reso-
lutely "clave the wood for the burnt offering, rose up and went
unto the place of which God had told him." In the second verse,
God commanded him to offer up his son upon one of the mountains
which he would tell him of. He commanded him to offer his son
up, but would not then directly tell him the place where: This
was to keep him dependent and watching unto prayer: For there's
nothing like being kept waiting upon God; and, if we do, assured-
ly God will reveal himself unto us yet further in his own time.
Let us practice what we know, follow providence so far as we can
see already; and what we know not, what we see not as yet, let us
only be found in the way of duty, and the Lord will reveal even
that unto us. Abraham knew not directly where he was to offer up
his son; but he rises up and sets forward, and behold now God
shows him; and he went to the place of which God had told him.
Let us go and do likewise.
Ver. 4. Then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes,
and saw the place afar off.
So that the place, of which God had told him, was no less
that three days journey distant from the place where God first
appeared unto him, and commanded him to take his son. Was not
this to try his faith, and to let him see what he did, was not
merely from a sudden pang of devotion, but a matter of choice and
deliberation? But who can tell what the aged patriarch felt
during these three days? Strong as he was in faith, I am per-
suaded his bowels often yearned over his dear son Isaac. Me-
thinks I see the good old man walking with his dear child in his
hand, and now and then looking upon him, loving him, and then
turning aside to weep. And perhaps, sometimes he stays a little
behind to pour out his heart before God; for he had no mortal to
tell his case to. Then, methinks, I see him join his son and
servants again, and talking to them of the things pertaining to
the kingdom of God, as they walked by the way. At length, on the
third day, he lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off.
And, to show that he was yet sincerely resolved to do whatsoever
the Lord required of him, he even now will not discover his
design to his servants, but said, ver. 5. to his young men, (as
we should say to our worldly thoughts when about to tread the
courts of the Lord's house) "abide you here with the ass; and I
and the lad will go up yonder and worship, and come again to
you." This was a sufficient reason for their staying behind;
and, it being their master's custom to go frequently to worship,
they could have no suspicion of what he was going about. And
Abraham's saying, that he and the lad would come again, I am apt
to think he believed God would raise him from the dead, if so be
he permitted him to offer his child up for a burnt offering.
However that be, he is yet resolved to obey God to the uttermost;
and therefore,
Ver. 6. "Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and
laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and
a knife, and they went both of them together." Little did Isaac
think that he was to be offered on that very wood which he was
carrying upon his shoulders; and therefore, ver. 7, Isaac inno-
cently, and with a holy freedom (for good men should not keep
their children at too great a distance) spake unto Abraham his
father, and said, My father; and he (with equal affection and
holy condescension) said, Here am I, my son. And to show how
careful Abraham had been (as all Christian parents ought to be)
to instruct his Isaac how to sacrifice to God, like a youth
trained up in the way wherein he should go; Isaac said, Behold
the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offer-
ing? How beautiful is early piety! How amiable, to hear young
people ask questions about sacrificing to God in an acceptable
way! Isaac knew very well that a lamb was wanting, and that a
lamb was necessary for a proper sacrifice: Behold the fire and
the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Young men
and maidens, learn of him.
Hitherto, it is plain, Isaac knew nothing of his father's
design: but I believe, by what his father said in answer to his
question, that now was the time Abraham revealed it unto him.
Ver. 8. "And Abraham said, my son, God will provide himself
a lamb for a burnt offering." Some think that Abraham by faith
saw the Lord Jesus afar off, and here spake prophetically of that
Lamb of God already slain in decree, and hereafter to be actually
offered up for sinners. This was a lamb of God's providing
indeed (we dared not have thought of it) to satisfy his own
justice, and to render him just in justifying the ungodly. What
is all our fire and wood, the best preparation and performances
we can make or present, unless God had provided himself this Lamb
for a burnt offering? He could not away with them. The words
will well bear this interpretation. But, whatever Abraham might
intend, I cannot but think he here made an application, and ac-
quainted his son with God's dealing with his soul; and at length,
with tears in his eyes, and the utmost affection in his heart,
cried out, "Thou are to be the lamb, my son; God has commanded me
to provide thee for a burnt offering, and to offer thee upon the
mountain which we are now ascending." And, as it appears from a
subsequent verse, Isaac, convinced that it was the divine will,
made no resistance at all: for it is said, "they went both of
them together;" and again, ver. 9, when we are told that Abraham
bound Isaac, we do not hear of his complaining, or endeavoring to
escape, which he might have done, being (as some think) near
thirty years of age, and it is plain, was capable of carrying
wood enough for a burnt offering. But he was partaker of the
like precious faith with his aged father, and therefore is as
willing to be offered, as Abraham is to offer him; and so they
went both of them together.
Verse 9. At length "they came to the place of which God had
told Abraham. He built an altar there and laid the wood in order,
and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the
wood."
And here let us pause a while, and by faith take a view of
the place where the father has laid him. I doubt not but the
blessed angels hovered round the altar and sang, Glory be to God
in the highest, for giving such faith to man. Come, all ye
tender hearted parents, who know what it is to look over a dying
child: Fancy that you saw the altar erected before you, and the
wood laid in order, and the beloved Isaac bound upon it: Fancy
that you saw the aged parent standing by weeping. (For, why may
we not suppose that Abraham wept, since Jesus himself wept at the
grave of Lazarus?) O what pious endearing expressions passed now
alternately between the father and the son! Josephus records a
pathetic speech made by each, whether genuine I know not; but
methinks I see the tears trickle down the patriarch Abraham's
cheeks; and, out of the abundance of the heart, he cries, Adieu,
adieu, my son; the Lord gave thee to me, and the Lord calls thee
away; blessed be the name of the Lord; adieu, my Isaac, my only
son, whom I love as my own soul; adieu, adieu. I see Isaac at
the same time meekly resigning himself into his heavenly Father's
hands, and praying to the most High to strengthen his earthly
parent to strike the stroke. But why do I attempt to describe
what either son or father felt? It is impossible; we may indeed
form some faint idea of, but shall never fully comprehend it,
till we come and sit down with them in the kingdom of heaven, and
hear them tell the pleasing story over again. Hasten, O Lord,
that blessed time! O let thy kingdom come!
And now, ver. 10. The fatal blow is going to be given.
"And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay
his son. " But do you not think he intended to turn away his
head, when he gave the blow? Nay, why may we not suppose he
sometimes drew his hand in, after it was stretched out, willing
to take another last farewell of his beloved Isaac, and desirous
to defer it a little, though resolved at last to strike home? Be
that as it will, his arm is now stretched out, the knife is in
his hand, and he is about to put it to his dear son's throat.
But sin, I heavens! and rejoice, O earth! Man's extremity
is God's opportunity: for behold, just as the knife, in all
probability, was near his throat, ver. 11. "the angel of the
Lord, (or rather, the Lord of angels, Jesus Christ, the angel of
the everlasting covenant,) called unto him, (probably in a very
audible manner,) from heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham. (The
word is doubled, to engage his attention; and perhaps the sudden-
ness of the call made him draw back his hand, just as he was
going to strike his son.) And Abraham said, Here am I."
And he said, verse 12. "Lay not thine hand upon the lad,
neither do thou any thing unto him: for now know I that thou
fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only
son from me."
Here then it was that Abraham received his son Isaac from
the dead in a figure. He was in effect offered upon the altar,
and God looked upon him as offered and given unto him. Now it was
that Abraham's faith, being tried, was found more precious that
gold purified seven times in the fire. Now as a reward of grace,
though not of debt, for this signal act of obedience, by an oath,
God gives and confirms the promise, "that in his seed all the
nations of the earth should be blessed," verse 17, 18. With what
comfort may we suppose the good old man and his son went down
from the mount, and returned unto the young men! With what joy
we imagine he went home, and related all that had passed to
Sarah! And above all, with what triumph is he exulting now in the
paradise of God, and adoring rich, free, distinguishing, elect-
ing, everlasting love, which alone made him to differ from the
rest of mankind, and rendered him worthy of that title which he
will have so long as the sun and the moon endure: "The father of
the faithful!"
But let us now draw our eyes from the creature, and do what
Abraham, if he was present, would direct to; I mean, fix them on
the Creator, God blessed for evermore.
I see your hearts affected, I see your eyes weep, (and
indeed, who can refrain weeping at the relation of such a story?)
But, behold, I show you a mystery hid under the sacrifice of
Abraham's only son, which, unless your hearts are hardened, must
cause you to weep tears of love, and that plentifully too. I
would willingly hope you even prevent me here, and are ready to
say, "it is the love of God, in giving Jesus Christ to die for
our sins. Yes, that is it." And yet perhaps you find your
hearts at the mentioning of this, not so much affected. Let this
convince you, that we are fallen creatures, and that we do not
love God or Christ as we ought to do: for, if you admire Abraham
offering up his Isaac, how much more ought you to extol, magnify,
and adore the love of God, who so loved the world, as to give his
only begotten Son, Christ Jesus our Lord, "that whosoever belie-
veth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life?" May
we not well cry out, Now know we, O Lord, that thou hast loved
us, since thou hast not withheld thy Son, thine only son from us?
Abraham was God's creature, (and God was Abraham's friend) and
therefore under the highest obligation to surrender up his Isaac.
But O stupendous love! Whilst we were his enemies, God sent forth
his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that he might
become a curse for us. O the freeness, as well as the infinity,
of the love of God our Father! It is unsearchable: I am lost in
contemplating it; it is past finding out. Think, O believers,
think of the love of God, in giving Jesus Christ to be a propiti-
ation for our sins. And when you hear how Abraham built an
altar, and laid him on the altar upon the wood; think how your
heavenly Father bound Jesus Christ his only Son, and offered him
upon the altar of his justice, and laid upon him the iniquities
of us all. When you read of Abraham's stretching forth his hand
to slay his son, think, O think, how God actually suffered his
Son to be slain, that we might live for evermore. Do you read of
Isaac carrying the wood upon his shoulders, upon which he was to
be offered? Let this lead you to Mount Calvary, (this very mount
of Moriah where Isaac was offered, as some think,) and take a
view of the antitype Jesus Christ, that Son of God, bearing and
ready to sink under the weight of that cross on which he was to
hang for us. Do you admire Isaac so freely consenting to die,
though a creature, and therefore obliged to go when God called?
O do not forget to admire infinitely more the dear Lord Jesus,
that promised seed, who willing said, "Lo, I come," though under
no obligation so to do, "to do thy will," to obey and die for
men, O God! Did you weep just now, when I bid you fancy that you
saw the altar, and the wood laid in order, and Isaac laid bound
on the altar? Look up by faith, behold the blessed Jesus, our
all-glorious Immanuel, not bound, but nailed on an accursed tree:
see how he hangs crowned with thorns, and had in derision of all
that are round about him: see how the thorns pierce him, and how
the blood in purple streams trickles down his sacred temples!
Hark! how the God of nature groans! See how he bows his head,
and at length humanity gives up the ghost! Isaac is saved, but
Jesus, the God of Isaac dies; a ram is offered up in Isaac's
room, but Jesus has no substitute; Jesus must bleed, Jesus must
die: God the Father provided this Lamb for himself from all
eternity. He must be offered in time, or man must be damned for
evermore. And now where are all your tears? Shall I say, re-
frain your voice from weeping? No, rather let me exhort you to
look to him whom you have pierced, and mourn, as a woman mourneth
for her first born: for we have been the betrayers, we have been
the murderers of this Lord of glory; and shall we not bewail
those sins, which brought the blessed Jesus to the accursed tree?
Having so much done, so much offered for us, so much forgiven,
shall we not love much? O! let us love him with all our hearts,
and minds, and strength, and glorify him in our souls and bodies;
for they are his. Which leads me to a second inference I shall
draw from the foregoing discourse.
From whence we may learn the nature of true justifying
faith. Whoever understands and preaches the truth as it is in
Jesus, must acknowledge, that salvation is God's free gift, and
that we are saved, not by any or all the works of righteousness
which we have done or can do: no; we can neither wholly nor in
part justify ourselves in the sight of God. The Lord Jesus
Christ is our righteousness; and if we are accepted with God, it
must be only in and through the personal righteousness, the
active and passive obedience of Jesus Christ his beloved Son.
This righteousness must be imputed, or counted over to us, and
applied by faith to our hearts, or else we can in no wise be
justified in God's sight: and that very moment when a sinner is
enabled to lay hold on Christ's righteousness by faith, he is
freely justified from all his sin, and shall never enter into
condemnation, notwithstanding he was a fire brand of hell before.
Thus it was that Abraham was justified before he did any good
work: he was enabled to believe on the Lord Christ; it was ac-
counted to him for righteousness; that is, Christ's righteousness
was made over to him, and so accounted his. This, this is gos-
pel; this is the only way of finding acceptance with God: good
works have nothing to do with our justification in his sight. We
are justified by faith alone, as saith the article of our church;
agreeable to which the apostle Paul says, "By grace ye are saved,
through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of
God." Notwithstanding good works have their proper place: they
justify our faith, though not our persons; they follow it, and
evidence our justification in the sight of men. Hence it is that
the apostle James asks, was not Abraham justified by works,
(alluding, no doubt, to the story on which we have been discours-
ing,) that is, did he not prove he was in a justified state,
because his faith was productive of good works? This declarative
justification in the sight of men, is what is directly to be
understood in the words of the text: "Now know I," says God,
"that thou fearest me, since thou hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son from me." Not but that God knew it before; but
this is spoken in condescension to our weak capacities, and
plainly shows, that his offering up his son was accepted with
God, as an evidence of the sincerity of his faith, and for this,
was left on record to future ages. Hence then you may learn,
whether you are blessed with, and are sons and daughters of
faithful Abraham. You say you believe; you talk of free grace,
and free justification: you do well; the devils also believe and
tremble. But has the faith which you pretend to, influenced your
hearts, renewed your souls, and, like Abraham's, worked by love?
Are your affections, like his, set on things above? Are you
heavenly minded, and like him, do you confess yourselves strang-
ers and pilgrims on the earth. In short, has your faith enabled
you to overcome the world, and strengthened you to give up your
Isaacs, your laughter, your most beloved lusts, friends, pleas-
ures, and profits for God? If so, take the comfort of it; for
justly may you say, "We know assuredly, that we do fear and love
God, or rather are loved of him." But if you are only talking
believers, have only a faith of the head, and never felt the
power of it in your hearts, however you may bolster yourselves
up, and say, "we have Abraham for our father, or Christ as our
Savior;" unless you get a faith of the heart, a faith working by
love, you shall never sit with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or Jesus
Christ in the kingdom of heaven.
But I must draw one more inference, and with that I shall
conclude.
Learn, O saints! from what has been said, to sit loose to
all your worldly comforts; and stand ready prepared to part with
every thing, when God shall require it at your hand. Some of you
perhaps may have friends, who are to you as your own souls, and
others may have children, in whose lives your own lives are bound
up: all I believe have their Isaacs, their particular delights of
some kind or other. Labor, for Christ's sake, labor, ye sons and
daughters of Abraham, to resign them, daily in affection to God,
that, when ye shall require you really to sacrifice them, you may
not confer with flesh and blood, any more than the blessed patri-
arch now before us. And as for you that have been in any measure
tried like unto him, let his example encourage and comfort you.
Remember, Abraham your father was tried so before you: think, O
think, of the happiness he now enjoys, and how he is incessantly
thanking God for tempting and trying him when here below. Look
up often by the eye of faith, and see him sitting with his dearly
beloved Isaac in the world of spirits. Remember, it will be but
a little while, and you shall sit with them also, and tell one
another what God has done for your souls. There I hope to sit
with you, and hear this story of his offering up his son from his
own mouth, and to praise the Lamb that sitteth upon the throne,
for what he hath done for all our souls, for ever and ever.
George Whitefield../