A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 93. Of yielding the dearest to God.

FRom all the fore-mentioned relations betwixt Abraham and Isaac, & circum∣stances about Abraham's going to sacrifice Isaac, we may well infer•…•… that the dearest are to be yielded up to God: for that which was to be offered up, was,

• 1. A Child. A Child is one of the dearest things that one can have. A Child* 1.1 comprizeth under it all love. Of all temporal blessings none more desired, (Gen. 15. 2. & 30. 1.) None more lamented when it is taken away (Gen. 37. 35. Ier. 31. 15.) For what do men take more care? about what do they take more pains? on what do they bestow more cost?
• 2. A Son. Among Children a Son hath the preheminency. A Son is most de∣•…•…ed, most cared for, and the loss of it most lamented, 1 Sam. 1. 14. 2 King. 4. 14. All Children of Promise have been Sons.
• 3. His own Son: begotten of him, not an adopted Son. Such a Son is as a Mans own Bowels. Very Nature draws a Parents heart to his own Son. What, •…•…y Son? and what, the Son of my womb? Prov. 31. 2. He that shall come forth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of thine own bowels, shall be thine Heir, saith God to Abraham, Gen. 15. 4.
• 4. His onely begotten Son. This was more than one of many. Where there are many, a Parents love is divided: one onely Child dra•…•…s all love to him.
• 5. A Son of his old age: even when he was out of hope of having a Child▪ Gen. 15. 3. & 18. 12. In this respect he must needs be the deare•…•…. Parents use most to affect such Children. Ioseph and Benjamin were of all Ia∣cob's Children the dearest to him; not onely because they were the Children of his choycest Wife, but also of his old age, Gen. 37. 3.
• 6. He was grown to some years: for he was able to carry such a burthen of wood as required the strength of a young man, even so much as might consume a burnt-offering to ashes, and that up an Hill. Thus it appears, that the greatest

• pains, care, and fear of his education, was past. He was not onely a Child of hope, but also a Child of proof. Good hope worketh a deep impression in a Pa∣rent about the loss of a Child: but good proof a far deeper. Very good proof had this young man Isaac given of his good disposition and conversation: for this it was that profane Ishmael scoffed at him, Gen. 21. 9. Gal. 4. 29.
• 7. A beloved Son, Gen. 22. 2. Had his Father hated him, or not most en∣tirely loved him, the force of all the former degrees had lost their force▪ For nothing, not loved, can be deemed dear: but any thing, be it never so mean, if it be loved, is accounted dear and pretious.
• 8. An Isaac. A Child, that, when first he was promised, made Abraham through great joy to laugh, Gen. 17. 17. A Child that made Sarah laugh, as being a thing too good to be true, Gen. 18. 12. A Child that made not onely his Mother when he was born, but also all that heard of him, to laugh for joy, Gen. 21. 6.
• 9. A Child promised to be a Stock of a numerous Seed, which should be multiplyed as the Stars and Sand, Gen. 22. 17. and from whom Kings should descend, Gen. 17. 6.
• 10. A Child of promise: of the greatest promise that ever was made to man, a promise of blessing, and of blessing to all Nations, Gen. 22. 18.

Another like instance cannot be given among men. The instance of Iob's* 1.2 blessing God when he took away his Cattel, Servants, Children, and all, cometh the nearest to this. Though they were taken away by other means, and not offered up by Iob's own hands, yet Iob's willing submitting of himself to the good guiding providence of God, was as much accepted of God, as if he had offered up all to God with his own hands: and thereupon, as God returned Isaac to Abraham, so he returned other Children, Servants, and Goods, to Iob. Another instance may be, of the Disciples, who forsook all, and followed Jesus, Mat. 19. 27. Thus much is required▪ of all, Mat. 10. 37. Luk. 14. 26.

The grounds of our yielding thus far to God, are such as these.

• 1. The supreme Soveraignty of God, whereby he hath power to command us,* 1.3 and all ours: and what he may command, we must yield, 1 Chron. 29. 11.
• 2. The right that God hath to all we have. All comes from him. We hold all from him, and for him, to be at his dispose, 1 Chro. 29. 14. Rom. 11. 36.
• 3. The might and power that God hath to take away all, wil we, nil we, D•…•…. 4. 35. Willingly to yield what he will have, is to make a vertue of necessity.
• 4. The due which in way of gratitude we owe unto God. Besides our being, life, health, and every other good thing which we have received from him, he hath given us his Son; who is infinitely more worth than all we can give to him. In this respect they that hold any thing too dear for God, are not worthy of God.
• 5. The bounty of God, who can, and will beyond comparison recompence whatsoever is given to him, Matth. 19. 29. None shall lose by giving to God.

• 1. This discovereth the folly and impiety of such as hold any thing too d•…•… for the Lord: who are loth to let go such things as they delight in, though they be intreated for the Lords sake. Such are most in the world, who entertain some▪ lust or other. Can it be imagined that such would offer up an Isaac?
• 2. It manifests the weakness of their faith, who are discontent and impati∣ent upon the loss of goods, Children, Husbands, Wives, Friends, or any thing deer unto them. As Gods Word declareth his approving will; so Events his de∣terminable will and Counsell. To be discontent at that, which by the divine pro∣vidence falleth out, is to do as much as in us lyeth, to withhold it from God▪ i•…•… sheweth what we would do, if we could. But patience and contentedness, is a kind of obedience, God accepteth it, as if we our selves offered up to him what is taken from us.
• 3. This pattern of Abraham teacheth us, to deny our selves in every thing which is as deer to us as our selves, for the Lords sake, Matth. 16. 26.
• 4. We ought hereupon to observe, what God would have of us. This we may

• know partly by Gods Word, and partly by his ordering providence. What we 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to withdraw our hearts from God, we ought to withdraw our hearts from. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 God be poysed against all things els, we shall finde no comparison betwixt 〈◊〉〈◊〉. All other things are as the small dust of the ballance compared to him. They are as nothing, and are counted to him, less than nothing, and vanity, 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 40. 15, 17.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Degrees of Dearness.
• * 1.2

  Iob yielded all to God.
• * 1.3

  Why all to be yielded to God.