Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

That he who as a Man had this Law written in his Heart, That he should not kill, should so readily yield to the killing of his Son; and when he was resolved so do, had the Knife in his hand ready stretched out, was under the highest impulse of Faith to do what God commanded him; that he should presently be taken off from it by a counter-command from Heaven: How did God try Abram, as if he had set himself to puzzle him; turns him and winds him this way and that way, backward and forward; he must not kill, and then he must kill; and by and by he must not kill; God was resolved his Faith should move as he would have it, according to his Will; and Abram was as ready to comply, He is my God, says Abram, and I will obey him; Isaac shall die, and Isaac shall live; what God will: He sees further than I do, I'll follow him, though I know not whether I go, nor what I do; God knows, that's enough for me, I'll trust him; Lord, what wilt thou have me do? tell me, and I'll do it; shall I kill my Son, or shall I spare my Son? it shall be as thou wilt, Lord.— Herein Abram excelled all Believers under the New Testament: though they have some experience of God's Power put forth upon their Souls in believing, yet they don't bear only upon this as Abram did; they have the Resurrection of Christ to support their Faith, which Abram had not, and yet believes a Resurrection Power as firmly as they who saw Christ risen from the Grave: God appeared to Abram, and made such immediate Impressions of his Power upon his Heart, that he needs no Sign, no visible Instance to confirm his Faith, he was satisfied without it; he saw that in God himself, that made him never to dispute his Power afterwards.

That he who as a Man had this Law written in his Heart, That he should not kill, should so readily yield to the killing of his Son; and when he was resolved so do, had the Knife in his hand ready stretched out, was under the highest impulse of Faith to do what God commanded him; that he should presently be taken off from it by a counter-command from Heaven: How did God try Abram, as if he had set himself to puzzle him; turns him and winds him this way and that way, backward and forward; he must not kill, and then he must kill; and by and by he must not kill; God was resolved his Faith should move as he would have it, according to his Will; and Abram was as ready to comply, He is my God, says Abram, and I will obey him; Isaac shall die, and Isaac shall live; what God will: He sees further than I do, I'll follow him, though I know not whether I go, nor what I do; God knows, that's enough for me, I'll trust him; Lord, what wilt thou have me do? tell me, and I'll do it; shall I kill my Son, or shall I spare my Son? it shall be as thou wilt, Lord.— Herein Abram excelled all Believers under the New Testament: though they have some experience of God's Power put forth upon their Souls in believing, yet they don't bear only upon this as Abram did; they have the Resurrection of Christ to support their Faith, which Abram had not, and yet believes a Resurrection Power as firmly as they who saw Christ risen from the Grave: God appeared to Abram, and made such immediate Impressions of his Power upon his Heart, that he needs no Sign, no visible Instance to confirm his Faith, he was satisfy'd without it; he saw that in God himself, that made him never to dispute his Power afterwards.