the hardened wretch was hard no longer. He started, turned pale, and trembled in every joint. Even fuch a circumstance makes no impreffion on Abraham; neither alters his purpofe, nor changes his countenance. He measures his Ifaac; measures thofe limbs, which he had fo frequently and fo tenderly carefled; and if not for the coffin, yet for immediate flaughter.

Having bound him-furprising refolution!-bound him for the fword and for the flame, he lays him upon the al tar, on the wood. There, now, lies Ifaac; the dear, the dutiful, the religious Ifaac! Abraham's joy: Sarah's delight: the heir of the promises! there he lies, all meek and refigned; expecting every moment the ftroke of death to fall. O parents! parents! do not your bowels yearn? is not humanity itfelf diftreffed at the fcene?" Say, thou who art a father, what thinkeft thou of Abraham's obedience? couldst thou, to fuch a fon, have acted fuch a part?

See the father, refolute to the very last, unsheathes the murdering blade; makes bare the innocent bosom; and marks the place, where life may find the fpeedieft exit. His heart is fixed! he ftretches his arm, and now, even now is aiming the mortal blow; when, rejoice, O ye worshippers of a gracious God! break forth into fing-ing, ye that are in pain for the tried parent! the Lord Almighty interpofes, in this article of extreme need ** The angel of the covenant fpeaks from heaven, and with-

**Upon this moft feasonable interpofition, the inspired historian makes a very judicious and edifying remark; which feems to be greatly obfcured, if not entirely fpoiled, by our tranflation; In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. I must confess, I have always been puzzled to find, not only a pertinent fenfe, but any fenfe at all, in these words. Whereas the original is as clear in its fignis fication, as it is appofite to the purpose." "In the mount, the Lord will be feen:" or, "In the mount, the Lord will provide." q. d. "This memorable event gave rife to, at least is an eminent exemplification, of that proverbial expreffion, which is commonly used at this day. In the mount of difficulty, or in the ve ry crisis of need, when matters feem to be irretrievable and defperate, then the Lord appears as a prefent help. Man's extre mity is God's opportunity." See Gen. xxii. 14.

holds the lifted hand, in the very act to ftrike. God, who only intended to manifeft his faith, and make it honourable, bids him defift. God applauds his obedience; fubstitutes another facrifice in Ifaac's ftead; renews his covenant with the father; and not only reprieves the life of the fon, but promifes him a numerous and illustrious iffue; promises to make him the progenitor of the Meffiah, and thereby a public bleffing to all the nations of the earth.

Tell me now, Theron, was there ever such an astonishing effort of obedience? fuch a perfect prodigy of refignation? Yet this hath faith done *. If you should ask, How was it poffible for Abraham to perform all this, in the manner defcribed? the answer is obvious: Because Abraham believed; or, in other words, was fully perfuaded, that the God who had given him this fon from the barren womb, was able to raise him again from the fmoking afhes. As the fame God who required this

*Heb. xi. 17. By faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Ifaac. The faith, of which fuch glorious things are fpoken, to which fuch admirable atchievements are afcribed, throughout this whole chapter, was a faith in " the feed of the woman," the promised Meffiah. Or, could it be demonstrated, (which, I will venture to conclude, is impoffible,) that, in all thefe heroic inftances of obedience, there was no believing regard to Chrift; no apprehension of his unspeakable love; no application of his tranfcendent merits! our argument would not lofe its force, but ftrike with redoubled energy. For, if a belief in very inferior manifeftations of the divine goodness, faithfulness, and power, wrought fo efficacioufly on thofe ancient worthies; how much more victorioufly muft the fame principle act, under far brighter difplays of all the fupreme perfections, in the perfon of Jefus Chrift! I would only add, that fo long as this chapter remains in the Bible, it will furnish an unanfwerable confutation of thofe objections, which suppose the doctrine of faith to have an un kindly influence on religious or virtuous practice. Against all fuch cavils, it will fland faft for evermore as the moon, and as the faithful witness in heaven.

+ He feems to have expected not only the certain, but the immediate reftoration of his flain fon; that he fhould be revived on the very spot, before he left the place, fo as to accompany his return. For he fays to his fervants, Not I, but we will go, and worship, and return, ver. 5.

facrifice, had exprefsly declared, In Ifaac fhall thy feed be called, the patriarch doubted not, but the promise would, in a way known to infinite wisdom, be punctually accomplished. Hence he made no difpute, and felt no reluctance. His faith banished every uneafy apprehenfion, and neither fear nor forrow had place in his breaft. By faith he was enabled, fpeedily and chearfully, without fo much as a parting tear, to obey this unparalleled pre

cept.

And if all this, which would otherwife have been utterly impracticable, was wrought by faith; you need not fufpect of weakness and infufficiency, fo approved a prin

:

*This account is fo very extraordinary, that I fhall not be furprised, if the reader finds fome difficulty in giving his affent to it cfpecially, as he may have accustomed himself to form very different conceptions of this remarkable affair: and may poffibly be confirmed in a different train of ideas, by feeing a reprefentation of the story in a celebrated print, where the father appears clafping his fon in a tender embrace; bedewing him with tears, and suffering as much through grief, as the devoted youth is going to fuffer by the knife. But the engraver, I apprehend, had not fo attentively examined the circumftances of the facred narrative, nor fo carefully compared them with other paffages of scripture, as a judicious and worthy friend of mine; from whom I learned to confider this wonderful tranfaction in the above-reprefented view. And I must confefs, the more I revolve it in my mind, the more I am convinced of its propriety.

I flatter myfelf, the reader will be of the fame opinion, if he pleases to confult the tenth chapter of Leviticus; where Nadab and Abihu, the fons of Aaron, are devoured by fire from before the Lord. Yet Aaron is not allowed to mourn, even at fuch a terrible and afflictive vifitation. And when, through the frailty of human nature, he could not wholly refrain, he durft not prefume to eat of the fin- offering. "Such things, fays he, have befallen me; if I had eaten of the fin-offering, fhould it have been accepted in the fight of the Lord?" Let me add, that we find not the least indication of fuch agonizing forrow, nor indeed of any forrow at all, in the history, as related by Mofes. Neither could Abraham have been a proper type of the eternal Father, making his only begotten Son a facrifice for fin, if he had not willingly offered up Ifaac. Indeed to offer willingly, feems to have been abfolutely neceffary, in every acceptable oblation, and every religious fervice. See 2 Cor. ix. 7. 1 Chron. xxviii. 9.

ciple. Far from enervating, it will invigorate every good difpofition; and instead of damping, will give life to every religious duty. Cherifh faith, and you will of courfe cultivate obedience. Water this root, and the branches of univerfal godlinefs will affuredly partake the beneficial effects; will fpread their honours, and bring forth their fruits. Through the power of faith, the faints have wrought righteousnefs, in all its magnanimous and heroic acts. The doctrine of faith is called by, St. Paul, a doctrine according to godliness, 1 Tim. vi. 3. exquifitely contrived to answer all the ends, and fecure every interest of real piety. The grace of faith St Jude ftyles, our most holy faith, Jude 20. intimating, that it is not only productive of holiness, but that the most refined and exalted holinefs arifes from this flock.

Let us then be diligent to exercife, and careful to increase, faith in Jefus Chrift. Let us maintain the fame zealous folicitude for this leading capital grace, as 3 the renowned Epaminondas expreffed for his fhield. When that gallant general was, in an engagement with the enemy, ftruck to the ground; his foldiers carried him off, breathlefs and fainting, to his tent. The very moment he opened his eyes, and recovered the use of fpeech, he asked-not whether his wound was mortal? not whether his troops were routed? but whether his fhield was fafe?May we be enabled my dear friend, keep our fhield fafe 4 May we be ftrong, be steady, be lively in faith! Then, I doubt not, we fhall give glory to God, receive comfort to ourselves, and abound in the works of the Lord.

to

Nothing can be more pertinent to my purpose, than the apoftle's prayer, That we may know what is the hope of our calling in Chrift Jefus, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to themward who believe And nothing can be more expreffive of the very foul of

Your affectionate

ASPASIO.

IT

LETTER XII.

ASPASIO TO THERON.

T is very probable, while I am reading yours, you are perufing mine. But how unlike is my friend to the representation he receives? How unlike the fatisfied, unfufpecting chearful Abraham? Why this dejected air in your temper? Why those pensive strokes in your letter?Let me anticipate your reply, and make anfwer to myself.This gloom, I truft, is a fign of approaching day. Juft before the morning dawn, the nocturnal darkness is blackeft. And just before the appearance of the Sun of Rightcoufuefs, the penitent's diftrefs is frequently the deepest. I promise myself, the hour is at hand, which will put off your fackcloth, and gird you with gladness.

Another favourable prefage is, that you take the direct and certain way to obtain fubftantial comfort. The righteousness of our Lord Jefus Chrift, after which you enquire, about which you are folicitous, is a never-failing fpring of confolation; because it acquits from all fin; fecures from all condemnation; and renders the believer unblameable and unreprovable in the fight of God. Therefore fays the Holy Ghost, His name is as intment poured forth, Cant. i. 3. even that divinely-precious name-by which he has been celebrated in the preceding epiftles; by which he is diftinguished in the fcriptures of truth; by which, I hope, he will be more and more revealed in my Theron's mind-The Lord our righteousness. The discovery of him under this most aamiable and glorious capacity, will indeed be like breaking open a vial of the richest unguents: which not only fill the room, and regale the fenfe, with their delightful fragrance; but refresh the fpirits, and rejoice the very heart. Might my writing, or my discourse, be as the alabafter box; to contain, to convey, and prefent thefe reviving odours; how highly fhould I think myself honoured, and how fignally my endeavours bleffed?