ous race of descendants, from one of whom should be born the Saviour of the world. But a much more afflicting trial was still reserved for Abraham, the most severe of all which he experienced. God was pleased once more, as the Scriptures express it, to tempt him; that is, to make a trial, whether his faith was as great in prosperity, after the promise of God to him had been fulfilled, as it was while the completion of it was delayed. Five and twenty years had elapsed, from the time when that promise was first made till it was fulfilled; and now at the same distance of time, after its completion, when Isaac was 25 years of age, God required his Father, to offer him for a burnt-offering, upon a mountain in the land of Moriah.

What must have passed in the wretched Father's mind, upon receiving this dreadful command, is easier to conceive than to describe. Scripture is silent upon that head, though the command itself points out the circumstances, which made it so peculiarly afflicting, in a most beautiful

climax ;

**

climax ;. take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest. But his ready obedience is sufficiently evident, for we are told that he rose up early in the morning, made the necessary preparations, and went. And to make the trial more complete, and the Patriarch's faith more distinguished, he did not arrive at the place, which God had pointed out to him, till late on the third day; so that his compliance was no sudden start of enthusiasm or despair, but the calm dictate of a mind accustomed to consider the commands of God as the only rule of his conduct.

Though God therefore prevented the sacrifice, and restored the son to the Father, he accepted and praised the pious confidence which prompted the obedience; he renewed his promises of temporal prosperity to him, and his numerous descendants, and again repeated that from among them the Redeemer should be born.

* i. e. only son by Sarah his wife. Ishmael was by a Concubine. This climax is noticed in the Gemara (Sanhedrin c. x. 14.) but another reason assigned.

6

But

But this great and extraordinary event, thus told in the 22d chapter of Genesis, was not recorded solely to commemorate the faith of Abraham, or the submission of Isaac. It has an allegorical meaning in an important reference to Jesus Christ. For it has always been believed by the best Commentators that the sacrifice of Isaac was typical of that of Christ; that is to say, that some of the principal circumstances of this narrative are so similar to those which attended our Saviour's death, as to leave no room. to doubt, that they were meant as shadows of things to come; and, as it were, a prophecy of what was to happen, in things, not in words.

In order to shew this more plainly, it may be observed, First, that as Isaac was his Father's only son, whom he loved *, so

* Only legitimate son; for the children whom he had by concubines, were not reckoned with Isaac, nor inheritors with him. See Gen. xxv. 6; from whence it appears that Keturah was only a' concubine, (See Grot. annot. in loc.) and Ishmael, being in a certain sense the child of Saralı, Gen. xvi. 2, had a higher rank in the house than the children of Keturah, and next to Isaac, Gen. xxv. 9.

2

was

was Christ the beloved son of God, in whom he was well pleased, Matt. iii. 17. and his only begotten son, John iii. 16. Secondly, Isaac was the Lamb appointed for sacrifice; my Father, said he, where is the Lamb for a burnt-offering? And Abraham said, my son, God will provide himself a Lamb, for a burnt-offering. So was Christ the Lamb of God (John i. 29.) who put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, Heb. ix. 26. Thirdly, Isaac willingly submitted himself to be offered. This indeed is not said in words, but must evidently have been the case; for the two servants, whom Abraham had brought with him, were left behind afar off, and it cannot be supposed, that an old. man, then 125 years of age, could bind a man in the prime of his life, and lay

* So called probably in allusion to the Lamb of the daily sacrifice, which was offered to take away the sins of the people, and was a type of Christ who was offered to bear the sins of many. Heb. ix. 28.

Twenty-five years old says Josephus, who makes Abraham address his son in a very affecting speech, and the son willingly comply. Antiq. Jud. Lib. 1. Cap. 14.

The Talmudic writers suppose that this happened soon after Isaac was weaned. Sanhedrim x. iv. But this is sufficiently contradicted by the text itself.

him on the Altar, unless he consented to it, of his own free will. So our blessed Lord says of himself, I lay down my life,no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. John x. 17 and 18.

Fourthly, Though the age of Isaac is said by Josephus and others, to have been only twenty-five, yet some of the most distinguished commentators, among whom is the learned Lightfoot, calculating the age of the Patriarchs in a different manner, suppose Isaac to have been at this time about 33 years old, which is the very time of life, at which our Saviour suffered. But very great exactness in the chronology of these early times, is not to be obtained; and therefore, though this circumstance also seems to be probable, and certainly may be true, yet it should not be very strongly insisted on, nor is it at all necessary to the force of the argument.

Fifthly, We find that Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; that very wood upon which

he was to be sacrificed. So did our Lord