XII.-Objection to its genuineness, derived from the alleged fact, that Moses was unacquainted with Hebrew, the Egyptian being his vernacular lan- guage, XIII. Alleged impossibility of such a work having been produced in the age of Moses, derived from a consideration of the characters then used in writ- ing, and the substances upon which they were impressed, SERMONS. SERMON I. THE TRIAL OF ABRAHAM'S FAITH. GENESIS Xxii. 2. And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. THE history of which these words form a part, is, in all respects, one of the most remarkable portions of the sacred volume. The persons interested the command given-the result in which it issued, all deserve attention. In order to understand this passage, it will be necessary to turn our attention to the previous incidents in the life of the remarkable man whom it was addressed. No one of their ancestors commanded, in so high a degree, the veneration of the Jewish race, as did the patriarch Abraham. In him, that strong distinction which separated them from the residue of human kind, had its origin. On him, were first bestowed the peculiar privileges in which they excelled. Nor has the reverence and admiration with which he is contemplated, been confined to his own descendants. It is also felt by Christians, who recognize in him one whom the Almighty honored-who was a high example of human virtue, and who was called the friend of God and father of the faithful. In obedience to the divine command, he had left his native country in order that he might dwell as a stranger in a land which should nevertheless become the inheritance of his children. Such was the promise of God, and with it was connected the assurance that an exceedingly numerous posterity should descend from him. Nor was the gratification derived from this hope all that he possessed. His seed was not only to become as the stars of heaven for multitude, but in them all the families of the earth should be blessed. The appointed and glorious Deliverer of human kind was to arise among them. The deferred accomplishment of the promise might have produced distrust in one less confident of the divine faithfulness. The constancy of his faith was rewarded in the birth of Isaac: and near seventeen years had passed since that event to the period at which we have taken up his history. |