A briefe exposition of such chapters of the olde testament as vsually are redde in the church at common praier on the Sondayes set forth for the better helpe and instruction of the vnlearned. By Thomas Cooper Bishop of Lincolne.

The Exposition vpon the .xxij. Chapter of Genesis.

After these sayings God did tempt Abra∣ham and sayde vnto him,* 1.1 &c.

MOses in this Chapter setteth forth a singuler and rare History, and in deede woonderfull, whether you consider God commaunding y^e thing, or Abraham obeying, and readie to perfourme it. In that he sayth, God tempted A∣braham, we must vnderstande,* 1.2 that God tempteth not * as the Deuill and his Ministers doe,* 1.3 to in∣duce a man to sinne, but to Trie and Prooue hys faith, & that not because he is ignorant, what is euē in the Secrets of mans heart. But eyther that he may knowe his owne weakenesse, as he did to the * Israelites in the desert,* 1.4 or to the ende, that, that thing which is excellent in him, may be notorious∣ly knowne, to the example of all other, and to the aduauncement of his glorie. And so doth he in this place tempt Abraham to set before the eyes of all posteritie a singuler example of Faith and Obe∣dience.

Take thy sonne,* 1.5 thine onely sonne Isahac whome thou louest, &c.

This Tentation ryseth by sundrie degrees to an

exceeding great triall of the fayth of Abraham, to kill any Innocent person may seeme an vniust and cruell thing: much more to kill, not one of his Ali∣ance and kindred onelye, but his owne naturall Sonne, yea, and his Onely sonne, and that onely sonne, that he, at the appoyntment of God, loued so tenderly,* 1.6 and vpon * whom the Fulfilling of the promise and blessing of God did seeme to depende, this, I say, was a marueylous triall of his fayth. And it was no small tentation also, that it might seeme vncredible, that the true and lyuing God should nowe delite in the sacrifice of mans bloud: It was neuer before done. Nor Adam, nor Abel, nor Noe, were willed to doe the like, Yea, God him selfe had shewed,* 1.7 Gen. 9. that he detested the shed∣ding of mans bloud. Therefore Abraham might haue suspected that this commaundement was not of God, but of the Deuill, to drawe him and his sonne to the displeasure of God, and to defeate and ouerthrow the fulfilling of the blessing of all the Nations in earth by his seede.* 1.8 But so * strong was Abrahams faith, as al this could not shake it, no not though both he and his wife were past children by the course of Nature.

Then Abraham rose vp early in the mor∣ning and sadled his Asse,* 1.9 &c.

This is in Abraham an example of a wonder∣full Obedience. It maye appeare, that this man, euen from the beginning of his calling, had setled his minde both constantly to Beleue whatsoeuer

God promised, (were it neuer so vnpossible to hu∣maine reason) and also wyllingly to obey that he was commaunded by him, though it seemed neuer so lothsome, displeasant, and odious in the sight of the worlde.* 1.10 He * forsooke his naturall countrie, He liued wyllingly as an exile in a straunge land, be∣ing pressed with * famine,* 1.11 He bare it paciently and went into Egypt, He by the appointment of God, put from his his elder sonne * Ismaell whome he loued,* 1.12 and setled his hope altogither vpon the yonger. And nowe sheweth himselfe readie to of∣fer his life also at the cōmaundement of the Lord: Such is the fayth and obedience of the saintes of God. For they alwaye cleaue to the sincere and Simple worde and commaundement of God. If there be any thing therein, that seemeth difficulte, straunge, or absurde, that they leaue to the wise∣dome and prouidence of God, to the vnderstanding wherof they are not hable to attaine. And in deede right Faith & Obedience are grounded and stayed vpon these two things, that is, the Truth, and the Omnipotencie of God. If his promise seeme vn∣possible, & thereby shake our faith, it is Staied vp by the consideration of his Truth. For he can not * but speake that is True,* 1.13 seeme it neuer so vnpos∣sible. And againe if we doubt of the truth, we strengthen our selues with his Omnipotency: and therefore appeare it to mans weakenesse neuer so vntrue, yet God is hable to performe it. With these two pyllers did Abraham stay vp his fayth and set forwarde is readie obedience, that is declared in

all this historie.

And Abraham stretching forth his arme tooke the knife to haue killed,* 1.14 &c.

Nowe the purpose of God is opened, and the matter declared, that whatsoeuer GOD caused Abraham hitherto to do, was not to this ende, that his sonne should be Sacrificed, but that his fayth and Obedience toward God should be tried and testified to the worlde. For when Abraham had pre∣pared and done all thinges, and was nowe in rea∣dinesse to haue offered vp his Son in sacrifice, the Angell of God, euen in the very point, staieth him, saying: Lay not thy hande vpon the childe, nowe I knowe that thou fearest God. In which words, he sheweth also, that the feare of God is the Roote of true obedience. God knewe before, that Abraham did feare him: but by this maner of speaking the scripture gyueth vs to vnderstande, that GOD doth not regarde the Shewe and pretence of hys feare and worship,* 1.15 but the true * Practise of the same in deede,* 1.16 that the world also may vnderstand the same and * glorifie God therein.* 1.17 They are de∣testable to God, that pretend to feare and worship him, and doe not in deede but by hipocrisie and dis∣simulation. Therfore doth he extoll here the Faith of Abraham, that shewed so notable proofe therof.

And Abraham lifting vp his eyes looked,* 1.18 and beholde there was, &c.

God of his singuler prouidence, by such meanes

as his wisedome onely knoweth, prepared this Ramme to be their vpon the sodaine, to be offered in the place of Isaac. And Abraham to make a so∣lemne and perpetuall Memoriall not of his owne Doing, but of gods Mercies: chaungeth the name of the place, calling it, The Lorde will see, to signifie, that God is readie, and at hande alwaye to His, and seeth them in their distresse and neede.

And the Angell of the Lorde cryed to Abraham the seconde time.* 1.19 &c.

Thys is the fruite of Abrahams fayth and obe∣dience, that by the Mouth of the Angell of God he hath Confirmed vnto him the great Blessings that God before had promised. But for somuch as the reason why God doth here so blesse Abraham is added in thys wise. Because thou hast done thys thing, and hast not spared thy only sonne, &c. There may seeme two great Doubts to be moued. First, howe this may stande with the Free Promise of the same blessing made to Araham cap. 12.* 1.20 before he shewed this obedience. Secondly, because this part of the blessing (In thy seede all the nations of the earth shall be blessed) doth appertain to the Spi∣rituall and Heauenly blessing in the Sauiour of the world Christ Iesu: It may seeme by the words that the same blessing did depēd vpon this Fact of Abraham, so that, if he had not this done, that pro∣mise had not bene performed. For he sayth, Because thou hast done this thing, &c. and because thou hast heard my voyce. But thys maye seeme verie ab∣surde

and repugnant to the Scriptures that the Sauing of the worlde by Christ, should be graun∣ted because of the Obedience of Abraham and not of the Free mercie of God.

To these doubtes we must answere, that, with out exception, these Promises were made and in dewe tyme performed of the free mercie of God, and loue towarde, not Abraham alone, but all mankinde also: not regarding their Worthinesse, but his Owne goodnesse. And when God sayth, Because thou hast done this thing, and because thou hast heard my voyce, we must vnderstande, that God, for our imbecillitie and weake capacitie in heauenly matters, speaketh in this place, as he doth in manye other, after the Maner of Men. For a man oftentimes hath a fauourable inclina∣tion to loue an other, and that of his owne motion, without any consideration of desert in the person, and vpon the same loue towarde him, doth freely promise him some good benefite and pleasure. But when he seeth the good will of the partie towarde him againe, he is greatly Delited therewith, and the more he doth declare it by his readie seruice, the more he is incensed to performe his Liberall Promise to him, and to assure him of the same.

In y^e like maner doth God deale here with Abra∣ham. The principall Causes of these blessings, and the Performance thereof are the Truth and Free mercie God as it maye appeare in that they were made to Abraham not onely * before he did this,* 1.21 but before Isaac was borne. The second cause

that moueth God here to repeat them, and to con∣firme Abraham in the assurance of them, was his * Faith and obedience in this place declared.* 1.22

After these thinges one tolde Abraham,* 1.23 beholde Milcha, she hath, &c.

This may seeme straunge to the worldly Man, that Abraham forsaking his countrie at the calling of Almightie GOD, and hauing the promise of great increase of his seede: at the length when he was an Hundred peares of age, hath but One sonne, and Nahor his brother, who taried behinde, and had no promise of God, hath by that time a Number of children. So the Blessings and Pro∣mises of God, in this life seeme not to take such force, but the vngodlye be more happie then they. But the onely sonne of Abraham, was not giuen by the Common Course of Nature, as Nahors were, but of the mightie Power of God, aboue all Nature or reason: and, before the birth of the Child, he had the Promises of gods blessings and the assured couenāt of God,* 1.24 that he would be * His God, and the God of his Seede, which was a far greater Felicitie, then the Multitude of Nahors children.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vers. 1.
• * 1.2

  Math. 4. a. 1. 1. Thes. 3. b. 5.
• * 1.3

  Act. 5. a. 3.
• * 1.4

  Deut. 8. a. 2.
• * 1.5

  Vers. 2.
• * 1.6

  Gen. 21. b. 12.
• * 1.7

  Gen. 9, a. 5. 6.
• * 1.8

  Heb. 11. d. 19.
• * 1.9

  Vers. 3. 4. &c.
• * 1.10

  Gen. 12. a 4
• * 1.11

  Gen. 12. b. 10.
• * 1.12

  Gen. 21. b. 14.
• * 1.13

  Titus. 1. a. 2.
• * 1.14

  Vers. 10. &c.
• * 1.15

  Rom. 2. b. 13.
• * 1.16

  Iac. 1. d. 22.
• * 1.17

  Math. 5. b. 16.
• * 1.18

  Vers. 13. 14.
• * 1.19

  Vers. 15. &c.
• * 1.20

  Gen. 1••. a. 2.
• * 1.21

  Gen. 12. a. 3.
• * 1.22

  Iere. 5. a. 3.
• * 1.23

  Vers. 20. &c.
• * 1.24

  Gen. 17. a. 7