It is a strange Occurrence that my Text refers unto. The Father of the Faithful, once and again falling into the Errors of Unbelief. His Life was filled with Trials; But in them all, the Faithfulness of the Glorious God unto His Promises, was marvellously illustrated. The Blessed God, had once and again promised, That He would be a God unto the Offspring of Abraham. And yet this famous Patriarch, did […] and again after some sort Alienate the Promises, and by his own Act, exposed his Wife to such Hazards, that he had lost the Fulfilment of the Promises, if God had not in a way of Sovereign Grace marvellously stepped in for his Deliverance. Formerly in the ⟨p. 3⟩Court of Egypt, and now in the Court of G•rar, our Patriarch dissembled his Relation to his Wife, apprehending that his Life might be in danger among so debauched a people, if it had been known, how he was related unto her▪ It is not now a Time, nor is it here a Place, to declare at large, the Judgment which the Ancients, as well as the Moderns, have passed upon this Action of Abraham; an Action Looking so like a prostitution; how severely some have Condemned it, how plausibly some have Defended it. Were […] Empannel'd on the Jury, I should not consent that either the one or the other draw up the Verdict; with my Consent, my dear Calvin should […] Foreman, tho' I am aware, how […] Jesuits reproach him for his Verdict upon it, which after all the Cand••• he can use, yet says, When we had done all, we must own, […], he was really Guilty of […] Unbelief, not relying so much on the Providence of God, in a way of plain ⟨p. 4⟩dealing, as he should have done. The Compassion of God unto His Poor, Frail, Distressed Servant on this occasion was wonderful! Had the Intention of Abimelek to Marry this Lady, been accomplished, he had been plunged into a Criminal Adultery; A Crime whereof, as much a Pagan as he was, he yet owned, It would have been a Great Sin upon him, and upon his Government. But while the Sin was yet only intended, and under the alleviating Circumstance of, A mistake of the Person too, God smote Abimelek with a Fit of Illness, and his Court also with Plagues which had in them something Extraordinary. While he was in much concern about these things, God in a Dream informed him of the Cause why these Plagues were come, & of the way to remove them.
It is a strange Occurrence that my Text refers unto. The Father of the Faithful, once and again falling into the Errors of Unbelief. His Life was filled with Trials; But in them all, the Faithfulness of the Glorious God unto His Promises, was marvellously illustrated. The Blessed God, had once and again promised, That He would be a God unto the Offspring of Abraham. And yet this famous Patriarch, did 〈…〉 and again after some sort Alienate the Promises, and by his own Act, exposed his Wife to such Hazards, that he had lost the Fulfilment of the Promises, if God had not in a way of Sovereign Grace marvellously stept in for his Deliverance. Formerly in the ⟨p. 3⟩Court of Egypt, and now in the Court of G•rar, our Patriarch dissembled his Relation to his Wife, apprehending that his Life might be in danger among so debauch'd a people, if it had been known, how he was related unto her▪ It is not now a Time, nor is it here a Place, to declare at large, the Judgment which the Ancients, as well as the Moderns, have passed upon this Action of Abraham; an Action Looking so like a prostitution; how severely some have Condemned it, how plausibly some have Defended it. Were 〈…〉 Empannel'd on the Jury, I should not consent that either the one or the other draw up the Verdict; with my Consent, my dear Calvin should 〈…〉 Foreman, tho' I am aware, how 〈…〉 Jesuits reproach him for his Verdict upon it, which after all the Cand••• he can use, yet says, When we had done all, we must own, 〈…〉, he was really Guilty of 〈…〉 Unbelief, not relying so much on the Providence of God, in a way of plain ⟨p. 4⟩dealing, as he should have done. The Compassion of God unto His Poor, Frail, Distressed Servant on this occasion was wonderful! Had the Intention of Abimelek to Marry this Lady, been accomplished, he had been plunged into a Criminal Adultery; A Crime whereof, as much a Pagan as he was, he yet own'd, It would have been a Great Sin upon him, and upon his Government. But while the Sin was yet only intended, and under the alleviating Circumstance of, A mistake of the Person too, God smote Abimelek with a Fit of Illness, and his Court also with Plagues which had in them something Extraordinary. While he was in much concern about these things, God in a Dream informed him of the Cause why these Plagues were come, & of the way to remove them.
