Paradisus Genesis in quo pullulant Patriarcharum virtutes Ambr. Epist. 41. THis booke of Moses , is resembled by St. Ambrose not unfitly unto Paradise . Genesis ( saith he ) is a Paradise , wherein spring forth the virtues of the Patriarchs ; For as in Paradise there were variety of trees , which brought forth variety of excelent fruits , both pleasant to behold and good to eate : Gen. 2.9 . So in this Paradise , this book of Genesis are many worthy plants , Gods Children and Servants , whose fruits of Faith , of Love and obedience , are both delightfull for us to read , and profitable to imitate . Now of all these plants , the chief are the Patriarchs , of all the Patriarchs the most fruitfull is Abraham , and of all the fruits which he ever brought forth , we have here the worthiest without all comparison , his wonderfull Faith and Obedience to God , in offering his Sonne ; For this Chapter containes that admirable History of Abrahams offering his Sonne Jsaac unto God ; wherein three things are especially set down .

First , The cause which moved Abraham to offer his Sonne ; namely , the commandement of God in this second verse .

Secondly , Abrahams obedience to Gods commandement , to the 11. verse .

And thirdly , Gods approbation and acceptance of Abrahams obedience , in the 12 , and 13. verses .

For the first , which is , the cause that moved Abraham to offer his Sonne , namely the Commandement of God , it was the most grievous Commandement that ever was given ; and it was given , as appears in the ●ver . for the tryall of Abraham . A strange tryall of so holy a man , Lippoman in Cate. in Gen. which as Zeno the Bishop of Ver●na said , Ant e●●m sacrilegum faceret si contemneret Deum , a●t crudelem si occideret filium ; would make him either guilty of sacriledge if he contemned God , or of great cruelty if he killed his Sonne . So that Abraham is here brought into wonderfull straits ; for if he do not that which God Commands him , God will condemn him of great impiety ; and yet if he do it , 5. Difficulties in this Commandement . all the world will condemn him of extreame cruelty . Now the difficulty and grievousnesse of this Commandement appears especially in these five things , which are all comprized and couched together in this second verse .

First , In regard of the sacrifice it self which is to be offered , and that is Isaac , not Abrahams Servant , but his Sonne : not one out of many , but his onely Sonne : not one that he cares not for , but his beloved Sonne . Take now thine onely Sonne , Jsaac whom thou lovest .

Secondly , I regard of the party that must offer this sacrifice , and that is Abraham , Abraham a Father must sacrifice his Sonne , he must do it himself and no other for him ; Take now thine onely Sonne and ( do thou ) effer him .

Thirdly , In regard of the manner how he must sacrifice his Son , He must offer him to God ( in holocaustums ) for a burnt-offring . So that first he must kill him , then hew him in pieces , and when that is done , he must lay him upon the fire and he must burne him to ashes ; for all this is required in a burnt-offring .

Fourthly , In regard of the place where he must sacrifice his Son , and that is set down two waies , 1. More generally , in the Land of Moriath , a place ( as appears in the fourth verse ) that was distant from him three daies journy , that all the while he is travelling thither with his Sonne , his affection might have time to work within him , 2. More specially , upon one of the Mountaines ( saith God ) that I will tell thee of . Though it be a most unnaturall and monstrous act which he is to persome , yet he may not do it in secret ; but he must do it upon a Mountaine where he may the les●e conceale it .

And fifthly , In regard of the time when he must sacrifice his Son , he must not stand to deliberate it ; but he must go presently about it , Take now thine onely Sonne . Nay , now when he is old and his wife past bearing ; and therefore hopelesse of having any other children ; now he must take this his onely Sonne : he must post into the land of Moriah , and there upon one of the Mountaines , he himself must offer him , and that for a burnt-offring .

Difficulty . 1 And thus we see , the difficulty and grievousnesse of this Commandement ; I will now come to handle the particulars , in the same order as I have propounded them . And first , of the first difficulty , in regard of the sacrifice it self which is to be offered , that is Isaac ; the Sonne and onely Sonne of Abraham .

God , as appears in the former chapters , had many wayes made tryall of Abrahams obedience . Get thee , saith God unto Abraham in the 12. chapter , 1. verse , Get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred , and from thy Fathers House unto the land that I will shew thee . This was a hard Commandement . Abraham was then almost fourscore years old , and he must begin to travell and which might grieve him the more , he must travell into a farre Country ; but he knowes not whither ; Gen. 12.5 . yet Abraham did it , and so he came into the land of Canaan , as God had appointed him . But it may be when he came thither , this was a place to seate himself in , and better it may be then in his own Country . He was no sooner come thither , Gen. 12.10 . but he was welcom'd into the Land with an extreame famine , insomuch that he was fain to shift for himself , and to fly into Egypt and his wife with him ; yet Abraham was contented , and never murmured against God . But it may be when he came thither his entertainment was better . He was no sooner come thither , Gen. 12.15 . but Sarah his wife was taken from him , and for no other cause ; but because she was so beautifull to look upon . Still Abraham persisted without any murmuring . But it may be that God had extraordinarily blessed him in all other matters . It is true indeed , that God had greatly blest him ; but yet so , as that , that which of all wordly things he chiefly desired , he still wanted , Gen. 15.2 . the comfort of having a Sonne to succeed him . And therefore in the 15. chap. 1. verse , when God had promised Abraham to be his exceeding reward , Abraham takes the opportunity , and presently puts up a Petition to God , Lord , saith he , What wilt thou give me seeing I go childlesse , and the Steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus ; Behold , thou hast given no seed unto me , and therefore my servant must be my heir . This was that which so troubled Abraham : God had given him great wealth and riches , but what should he do with them , he himself was old and might well suppose , that he could not long enjoy them , he was in a Country where he had no Kindred , and he must leave them to a stranger that must succeed him . Gen. 16.15 . God promised him issue ; and first he gave him Jshmael by Hagar the bond-woman : but this was not he that should be his Heir , but another which Sarah his wife should bear him . To be short , Sarah conceived and brought forth Isaac ; Gen. 17.19 . Isaac . God himself had given him his name before he was borne , a name which signified joy and laughter ; because Isaac should be a comfort and joy to his Father . And now old Abrahams soule is revived ; when he seeth his Sonne Isaac , presently he thinks he hath lived long enough now he hath a Sonne to succeed him ; but presently again he checks his thoughts , and wishes to live longer , that he may the longer injoy him . But Abrahams joy may not long continue , God hath another crosse for him in store , and that is this ; Abraham must take Jshmael his first begotten , and cast him out of dores with his mother Hagar . But this , howsoever it was a grief to Abraham ; yet it inflamed his affection the more towards Isaac . For , as when Eliah was taken away , his spirit was doubled upon Elisha : 2 Kings 2.9 , 10. so Jshmael being gone , now Isaac is his Fathers only darling ; and now Abrahams affection is doubled upon him . But when God sees this his deep-setled love , he strikes him as it were with a thunder bolt from Heaven , and commands him to kill this his onely Son . A Commandement more cruell then the Lawes of Draco which were written in blood ; wherein every word stabs Abraham to the heart . Take saith he , thy Son , thine onely Son even Isaac thine onely beloved Son . Was it not enough , O Lord , saith Origen , that thou dost command him to kill his Sonne ; but thou must adde for this further vexation , his onely Sonne , or was not this enough , but thou must put him in mind how dearly he loves him , and was not this yet enough , but the more to kindle and inflame ●is affection , thou must likewise name him ? The parting with a Sonne will move a Father very much , His Sonne . so great is a Fathers affection unto his Sonne : when Jacob heard that his Sonne Joseph was dead , he mourn'd and Iamented , Gen. 37.34.35 . he put on Sackcloth and would not be comforted ; yet Jacob ( ye know ) had many more Sonnes . In Rama saith the Prophet , there was a voice heard , weeping , mourning , and great lamentation ; Jerem. 31.15 . Rachell weeping for her Children , and would not be comforted , because they were not . Yet Rachell was young and might have more Children , 2 Sam. 18.33 . when David heard that his Sonne Absolon was slain , he wept and lamented very bitterly for him ; nay , he wished that himself had died in his roome . O Absolon Absolon , my Sonne my Sonne , I would to God saith he , that I had died for thee my Sonne Absolon . Yet Absolon was a graceless and rebellious Sonne , one that rose up in Armes against his own Father , and sought to deprive him both of life and Kingdom ; and yet because he was his Sonne , David could not but love him , so great is a Fathers affection unto his Sonne , which no man indeed can sufficiently conceive , but he that is a Father , and hath a Sonne .

We read in the Ecclesiasticall Histories , Sozomen . lib. 7. cap. 24. That a certain Merchant in Theodosious time , hearing that two of his Sonnes were taken prisoners , at the day appointed that they should be executed , he came in all haste to Thessalonica where his Sonnes were , & hearing the matter why his Sonnes were to suffer , he first offered a great summe of money for his Sonnes Ransome , and when that would not be taken , he offered his own life , and made sute that he himself might die in their roome . They who had the charge of the Prisoners committed unto them , made him this answer , that his death could not possibly excuse them both , because a set number were appointed to suffer ; but offered withall , that if he would die for any one of them , his death should be taken . The Father presently accepted their offer , and mourning and lamenting over both his Sonnes , he would willingly have died for either of them , but he knew not whether : so great was this Fathers affection unto his Sonnes , that though it were equally divided between them both , yet he was willing to have saved either of their lives , even with the losse of his own . His onely Sonne . But now if a Father have but one Sonne , then all his care , all his love , all his affection is wholly set upon him , and then it is the greatest grief in the world to lose him . And therefore the Prophet Jeremy in the sixt of his Prophesie speaking of the great mourning which the Jewes should make , when their most cruel enemies the Chaldeans , and Assyrians should come to destroy them , Jerem. 6.26 . he knew not how to express the greatness of their sorrow , but by the sorrow of a Father , who having but one Sonne is to part with him : make , saith he , lamentation and bitter mourning , as for thine onely Son , shewing thereby , that there is no sorrow like the sorrow of a Father , who having but one Son , is to be deprived of him . And therefore our Saviour John 3. to set forth Gods infinite love towards us ; John 3.16 . he saith , That God so loved the world , that he gave his onely begotten Son . If a Father have many Sonnes , Pluta●ch . de multitud . Amicorum . his affection is divided among them all , and therefore the lesse towards any one ; like a River , which being cut into many Channels , his current ye know must needes be the weaker . If a Father have many Sons , the losse of one cannot be so grievous unto him , because he finds comfort in those which are left him ; but having but one , if he loose him ( especially when he is old as Abraham was ) this must needes be an extraordiraly grief unto him . And yet Abrahams case is far more grievous . His beloved Sonne . Many a Father , though he have but one Son , yet his grief is the lesse , when he is taken away ; because while he lived he was a grief unto him . But Abraham must loose not his Son onely , and his onely Son , but Isaac his onely joy and comfort , Isaac his onely beloved Son . And indeed there was never any Father , that had the like cause to love his Sonne . Parents do commonly love their Children , either because they are their own flesh and blood , or because they continue their name after them ; for so long as their Children and Posterity continue , they seeme in a manner to live in them . But besides these Abraham had many other causes , and far more forcible to love his Sonne . Abraham as we heard before ( out of the 15 of Gen. ) even longed as it were to have a Sonne ; after that God had promised him a Sonne , many a year past before he had him . In the mean time , God to make him as it were amends for his long expectation , had given him many comfortable promises concerning this Sonne ; as that his seed should be called in Isaac , Gen. 17.19 . that he would multiply his seed like the starres of Heaven ; that he would establish his Covenant with Isaac for an everlasting Covenant , and with his seed after him . And hath not Abraham then an extraordinary cause to love his Sonne ? But besides this , Abraham was fully a hundred years old before he had him , Sarah had been barren for a long time , and if she had not been so , yet by reason of her age she was past bearing ; so that God had wrought a double miracle , in giving him a Sonne ; all which did more inflame his affection towards him ; and yet now all upon the suddain , as if God had repented him of his former kindness , he commands him to sacrifice this his onely Sonne ; what now might Abraham think with himself ? he might now suppose that God had but deluded him in all his promises , and that God had given him many faire words concerning his Sonne ; Job . 10.1.2 . but all to no purpose . And surely had it not bin Abraham , he would have offered like Job , in the bitterness of his soule , to have pleaded with God ; he would have stood up in the behalf of his Sonne , and replyed again : And is this that Isaac that should be my comfort ? is this he whom thou hast so often promised , and whom I have so long expected , as a pledge of thy love and favour towards me ? and must I now kill him ? Quid meus hic Isaac in te committere , &c. Alas , what hath Isaac committed against thee ? how hath he offended thee ? who will ever believe that thou wouldest have spared Sodom , had there been ten that were good in it , if thou now takest delight in the blood of the innocent ? doest thou thus reward thy Children and Servants ? and is this the fruit of their love and obedience ? O let it not be known in Gath nor published in Ascalon , lest the uncircumcised Philistins insult over thy people , & say among themselves ; such honour may have all his Saints . But Abraham never opened his mouth for his Sonne , but grace having got the upper hand of nature , and faith of affection , he was glad when God had given him a Sonne ; but more glad that he had a Sonne to give unto God : for so saith Chrysostom , Latus erat Abraham cum silium acciperet , laetior cum sibi imolandum dominus postularet : Abraham rejoyced when he received his Sonne , but he rejoyced more , when God commanded him to offer him unto him . Doct. 1

The Doctrine that may be gathered from hence is this : That God makes tryall of our love and obedience , in those things which of all other are dearest unto us . For so we see he deales here with Abraham , when he sees how dearly he loves his Sonne ; for the better tryall of his love and obedience , he commands him to offer him for a burnt-offring .

Thus dealt our Saviour with the Ruler in the Gospell ; Luke 18.22 . for knowing that he was rich , and withall , that his heart was set upon his treasure , he willed him to sell all that ever he had , and to give it to the poor , and so tryed him in that which was dearest unto him .

He , Math. 10.37 . saith our Saviour , that loveth Father , Mother , Sonne or Daughter more then me , he is not worthy of me . It is no ordinary love which God requires of us , but such a love as is able to subdue all naturall affection : So that if our Children were dearer unto us then our own soules ; yet the love of God is to be preferred before them .

And this was prefigured by those milch kine ( 1 Sam. 6. ) which being to carry the Arke of the Lord , it is said , that their Calves were taken from them , and yet they went on , and onely sometimes did low after their Calves , but never turned back to look after them . To note unto us , that Religion must alwayes oversway affection , and though we do naturally love our Children , yet if they be any hinderance unto us in Gods service , we are not to regard them . It is the commendation of Levi ( Deut. 33. ) that he said to his Father and Mother , he had not seen them , and that he knew not his Brethren nor his own Children . For when the Levites were commanded ( Exod. 32. ) to consecrate their hands unto the Lord , every man upon his own Sonne and his own Daughter ; they were so zealous in Gods Cause , that they fought against nature , and had no more compassion on their Parents or Children , then if they had been meer changers whom they had never seene . Hieron . lib. 2. Epist. Select . It is an excellent saying of St. Jerom , Licet pervulus ex collo pendeat nepos , &c. Though thy little Nephew should hang about thy neck , though thy Mother should intreat thee by those her own duggs that gave thee suck , though thy Father should lie upon the Threshold , and cling about thy feete as thou art going out , to stay thee from spending thy life in Gods service , per calcatum perge patrem , &c. Tread thy Father under thy feete , and trample upon him ; Solum in hac re crudelem esse pietatis est genus , Onely in this case it is a kind of piety to use cruelty . This , howsoever it may seeme a very harsh Doctrine unto flesh and blood , yet if our hearts were once throughly inflamed with the love of God ; if we were wholly devoted unto Gods service , and if we did even hunger and thirst after righteousness , then whatsoever it were that God required at our hands , we would be ready with Abraham to perform obedience . Mat. 4.21.22 . And as the Disciples when our Saviour called them , they left both their goods and their Parents to follow him : So whatsoever it were that God required of us , though it were to the losse of all that ever we have . yet we would be willing to resigne it when God commands us .

And thus much concerning the first difficulty in this Commandement , in regard of the sacrifice which is to be offered , Abrahams onely beloved sonne Isaac , I come now to the second .

difficulty . Second The second difficulty is in regard of the Person that must offer this sacrifice , & that is Abraham ; Abraham a Father must sacrifice his Son , he must do it himself and no other for him , Take thine onely beloved Sonne Isaac , and ( do thou ) offer him .

If a Father having but one onely Son , should but hear that he were causeless to be put to death , this ( ye know ) would be a great grief unto him ; but if he were commanded to be present himself , and to be an eye-witnesse and spectator of his death : this must needes be a further vexation . O , but being come thither , if he himself were inforced to be his Sonnes executioner , and with his own hands to kill his Sonne ; this were a torment beyond all comparison . But this is Abrahams case here , If God had commanded him , to deliver his Son to some of his Servants , and that they should kill him ; yet Abraham might have conceived some comfort , for it may be his Servants would have had compassion on him ( as it hath often been seene ) or if they had not , but had put him to death ; yet Abraham should not have been a spectator thereof , but that Abraham may be sure of the death of his Son ; God will have him not onely an eye-witness thereof , but to be the actor himself ; he will have him with his own hands to kill him . Valer. Max. lib. 5. tit. 7. When Caesar commanded Cesetus a Roman , to subscribe but his hand to the bannishment of his Son , he made him this answer . Celerius tu mihi Caesar , omnes meos liberos eripies , quam ex his ego unum mea notá pellam . Thou shalt sooner , saith he , berave me of all my Children , then I will ever set my hand to bnnish any one of them . What would he have answered , if he had been commanded with his own hands to have killed him ? for so must Abraham .