offered, have an evidence in our souls that w^e are in favour with God ? Will not the very exercise of such grace demon- strate to us the truth and efficacy of the grace we have re- ceived? And, when we have shewn such love to God, can we entertain any doubt of God's love to us ? Shall we feel any difficulty in concluding, that, if we have so chosen and loved God, " he has first chosen and loved usP?" Moreover, God will give unto us the witness of his Spirit, assuring us that we are indeed his children, and his friends i. This is what St. Paul has plainly taught us to expect: He tells us, that "tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience""; (that is, an evidence arising from trial, such an evidence as the gold has of its purity after having stood the trial of the fire ;) and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us^" Fear not then, any of you, to sacrifice your very Isaac to the Lord, if called to it. The trial may be painful at the time, but " it shall be to your praise and honour and glory, as well as unto the praise and honour and glory of your God, at the appearing of Jesus Christ*."]
4. From the tyjncal aspect of the whole, the trans- cendent love of God to man —
[It is said, that " Abraham received Isaac from the dead in a figure^" This expression many interpret as importing that the whole of this history was a type or figure of our redemption by Christ. Whether that be the true import of the expression or not, I can have no doubt but that the whole transaction was typical of that most astonishing and incom- prehensible mystery, the gift of God's only-begotten Son to " die for our sins, and to be raised again for our justification." Behold, then, the love of God in this ! Do we admire the obedience of Abraham to the Divine command ? O ! what shall we say of the love of Almighty God, who, without any necessity on his own part, or any solicitation on ours, gave his only-begotten Son, not to die by a wound which infiicted pain only for a moment, but \inder the curse due to sin, even to the sins of the whole world ? From all eternity did he ordain thi-s sacrifice ; and never drew back from his purpose. When his Son entreated with strong crying and tears to have the cup taken away from him, it was not removed ; but was given him to drink, even to the dregs. With his own hand too did the Father inflict the fatal wound : yes, " it pleased the Lord Jehovah to bruise him^." For Isaac, the Lord accepted a
P John xvi 16. 1 John iv. 10. ^ Rom. viii. 16. 1 John iii. 24.
"^ hoKijxtiv. s Horn. V. 3 — 5.
' 1 Pet. i. 7. u ly, TrapaftoXi],
^ Isai. Hii. 10.
2326.1 MOSEs' CHOICE. 407
substitute, a ram caught in the thicket: but no substitute was found for the Lord Jesus Christ, seeing that he himself was the substitute for a guilty world : and, in token that his sacrifice had made a full atonement for sin, he was raised from the dead, and exalted to heaven, to carry on and perfect there the work which he had begun on earth. What shall we say to this love? The height, the depth, the length, the breadth of it, how unsearchable! how utterly incomprehensible! Turn then your eyes from Abraham to Abraham's God : or, if you look at Abraham at all, let it be not so much to admire, as to imitate, his obedience. " He saw by faith the day of Christ, and seeing it, he rejoiced ;" and counted no sacrifice too costly wherewith to honour him. Your views of Christ, and of the Father's love in him, are incomparably clearer than ever Abraham's were : and therefore, if it be possible, your obe- dience should be proportionably more prompt, more self- denying, and more firm. Let then every lust be sacrificed to God without reserve, and every interest too that may stand in the way of your duty to him. So shall you be children of Abraham indeed, and be acknowledged the friends of God by him, who will reward every man according to his works.]