might have said, that she had done nothing- but what Abraham himself had done, the very last time that the divine purpose respecting a son had been announced to hima : but though the external act of laughing was the same both in her and in him, the principle from which it sprang was widely different: Abra- ham's was a laugh of admiration and joy ; Sarah's was a laugh of unbelief and distrust. But instead of attempting to exte- nuate her fault, she denied the fact altogether. Alas! how awfully prolific is sin ! it never comes alone : it generally brings a multitude of others to justify or conceal it. But it is in vain to cover our iniquities : God sees through the cobweb veil, and will charge upon us the aggravated guilt which we thus fool- ishly contract. And sooner or later he will call every one of us to account, ' Wherefore we did so or so ? ' and especially, ' Wherefore we disbelieved his word ? ']
2. A convincing interrogatory —
[Unbelief has not respect so much to the veracity, as to the power of God. " He has given water indeed, but can he give bread also ; can he provide flesh for his people ? " Even Moses doubted how God could supply the Israelites with flesh in the wilderness, since it would require all the flocks and herds that they possessed, to feed them one single month b. But God has given abundant evidence of his power, so that no apparent impossibilities ought at all to shake the steadfastness of our faith. Did he not form the universe out of nothing, by a simple act of his will ? Did he not give laws to all the hea- venly bodies; and does he not still preserve them in their orbits ? Does he not also supply the wants of every living crea- ture upon earth ? Is he not moreover the true and proper Father of all who are born into the world, and especially " the Father of their spirits ? " How absurd then was it to suppose, that her age, together with that of her husband, was any effec- tual obstacle to the accomplishment of God's word? " Can any tiling be too hard for the Lord?" One moment's reflection on his omnipotence should banish unbelief from the heart for ever.]
3. A reiterated assurance —
[It is most humiliating to think what a necessity our un- belief imposes upon God to repeat and renew his promises to us : and the earnestness with which the promise so often given, is here repeated, shews the just displeasure which Sarah's un- belief had excited in the bosom of her God. We cannot in- deed but be filled with amazement that he did not rather say, ' Since you treat my promises with profane derision, you shall never be made a partaker of them.' But God well knows the weakness of the human heart ; and therefore, in condescension
a Gen. xvii. 17. b Numb. xi. 22.