Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

A. He took Sarah, Abraham's Wife, into his House; but being warned of God, he reftored her again, Gen. xx. 2, 6, 14.

39 Q. How came Abimelech to take Abraham's Wife?

A. Because he was a beautiful Woman, and Abraham did not call her his Wife, but his Sifter; and by this Means he expofed her to be taken by other Men, Gen. xx. 2.

40 Q What Sons had Abraham?

A. The two chief were Ishmael and Ifaac, Gen xxy. 9.

41 Q. What was Ifhmael?

A. He was the Son of Abraham by Hagar his Servant-Maid, Gen. xvi. 15.

42 Q. How came Abraham to take his Maid to be his Concubine?

A. God had promifed him a Son, and he thought his Wife Sarah was too old to have a Child, and therefore by her Advice he took Hagar, Gen. xvi. 1,2.. 43 Q. What became of Ithmael?

4. Abraham, by the Command of God, turned Ifhmael and his Mother out of his Houfe into the Wildernefs, becaufe they mocked and abufed his. younger Son Ifaac, Gen. xxi. 9, &c.

44 Q. Did Ifhmael perifh in the Wilderness?

A. The Angel of God appeared to Hagar, and fhewed her a Spring of Water when they were dying with Thirft: And Ifhmael grew up to be a great Man, and the Father of a large Nation, Gen. xxi. 1620. and xxv. 16.

45 Q. Who was Ifaac's Mother?

: Ifaac was the Son of Abraham, by Sarah his Wife, according to the Promise of God, when they were both grown old, Gen xxi. 1, &c. Rom. ix. 7, 8.. 46 Q. Why is Abraham called the Father of the Faithful, that is, of the Believers?

A. Because he believed the Promifes of God against all probable Appearance, and was a Pattern to other Believers in all Ages, Gen. xv. 16. Rom. iv. 11, 12.

47 Q. What were the three chief Promifes which God gave Abraham?

A. (1) That he fhould have a Son when he was a hundred Years old. (2) That his Children fhould poffefs the Land of Canaan, when he had not Ground enough to fet his Foot on there. And (3) That all the Families of the Earth fhould be bleffed in him and his Offspring, when he was but a private Perfon, Gen. xvii. 8, 16, 17. and xii. 3. As vii. 5.

48 Q. What did this laft Promife mean?

A. That Jefus Chrift the Saviour of Men fhould come from his Family, Gal. iii. 8, 16.

49 Q. What did God appoint to Abraham for a Token of thefe Promifes and this Covenant, and of his own Acceptance with God?

A. He commanded him and all his Sons to be circumcised in all Generations, Gen. xvii. 7-102 Rom. iv. II.

*

[ocr errors]

50 Q. What was the Religion of Abraham?

A. The fame with the Religion of Adam after the Fall in Chap. I. 2. 30. and the Religion, of Noah under Chap. II. 2. 6. with the Addition of Circumcifion, and the Expectation of Canaan to be given to his Seed, as a Type of Heaven; and Truft in the Promife of the Saviour who fhould fpring from him, and blefs all Nations.. Note, This was called the ABRAHAMICAL DISPENSA❤ TION, but it was confined to the Family of Abraham, in the literal Sense of it; with thofe temporal Precepts and Promifes, of Circumcifion and the Inheritance of Candan: Ihough in the fpiritual Senfe of it,

it

it reaches to every good Man; and thus Abraham is their Father, Rom. vi. 16, 17.

51 Q. How did Abraham further and moft em nently fhew his Obedience to God?

A. In his Readiness to offer up his Son Ifaac in Sacrifice at God's Command, Gen. xxii. 12.

52 Q. And did he offer him in Sacrifice? A. No, God withheld his Hand, and fent a Ram to be facrificed in his Stead, Gen. xxii. 13. 53 Q What further Favours did Abraham receive from God?

A. God vifited him, and converfed with him as a Friend several Times in a visible Manner, and changed his Name from Abram to Abraham, Gen. xv. and chap. xvii, and xviii. James ii. 23.

54Q What is written concerning Sarah, Abraham's Wife?

A. She believed God's Promife, and had a Son at ninety Years old, and her Name alfo was changed from Sarai to Sarah, Gen. xvii. 15, 17, Heb. xi. II.

Note, Some learned Men have supposed, that the Ad dition of the Hebrew Letter h to the names of Abra ham andSarah,fignifies a newRelation toGod, whofe Name is Jah: Others think it to be a Part of the Word Hamon, which fignifies a Multitude: becaufe God promifed many Nations to spring from them when he changed their Names, Gen. xvii. 5, 16. 55 Q. What is recorded concerning Ifaac their Son?

A. He feared the God of his Father Abraham, he had frequent Visions of God, and went out into the Fields to meditate or pray, and offered Sacri fices to God, Gen. xxiv. 63, and xxvi. 2, 24, 25. 56 Q. Who was Ifaac's Wife?

A. His Father Abraham fent afar, and took a

Wife for him, even Rebecca, out of his own Family in Mefopotamia, because he was unwilling he should marry among the wicked Canaanites, whom God had doomed to Destruction, Gen. xxiv. 3, 4, 51, &c.

57 Q. What Children had Ifaac?

A. Two Sons, Efau and Jacob, Gen.xxiv.25,26.

SECT. III. Of ESAU and JACOB, and their Pofterity.

58Q. WHAT was Efau?

A. He was Ifaac's eldeft Son, bred up to Hunting rather than Husbandry, who fold his Birthright to his Brother for a Mefs of Pottage when he was faint with Hunting, Gen. xxv.31,33. 59 Q. What was Jacob?

4. The youngest Son of Ifaac, who by his Mother's Contrivance obtained his Father's Bleffing, though not in a right Way, Gen. xxvii. 27.

60 Q. By what Treachery did he obtain the Bleffing?

A. When his Father Isaac was old and his Eyes dim, by Order of his Mother he put on Efau's Clothes, and told his Father he was Efau his eldest Son, Gen. xxvii.

61 Q. How did Efau take this?

A. Efau threatened to kill him, and therefore he left his Father's Houfe, Gen. xxvii. 41, 43. 62 Q. Whither did Jacob go?

A. To Laban the Syrian, who was his Mother's Brother, Gen. xxviii. 2, 5.

63Q. What did he meet with in going thither? A. He lay down to fleep on a Stone at Bethel, and had a holy Dream of God, and of Angels there afcending and defcending between Heaven and Earth, Gen. xviii, 12-14.

64 Q. What did he do in Laban's House? A. He kept his Uncle Laban's Cattle, and he married his two Daughters Rachel and Leah, Gen, xxix. 15, &c.

65 Q. How long did he live there?

ཏི མ་

A. Twenty Years, till he had got a large Family of Children and Servants, much Cattle, and great Riches, Gen. xxx. and xxxi. 41.

66 Q. What did Jacob meet with in his Return to Canaan?

A. He had a Vifion of God as of a Man wreftling with him, Gen. xxxii. 24, &c.

67 Q. Why was Jacob called Ifrael?

A. Because he prayed and prevailed with God for a Bleffing, while he wrestled with him in the Form of a Man, Gen. xxxii. 28. Hof. xiii. 4.

68 Q. How did his Brother Efau meet him?

A. God turned Efau's Heart, so that he met him with great Civility, though he came out with four hundred Men (as Jacob feared) to deftroy him, Gen. xxxii,

69 Q. What Pofterity had Efau ?

A. A large Pofterity, who chiefly inhabited Mount Seir, and were called Edomites, from their Father's other Name Edom, Gen. xxxvi. 8, 9, 70 Q. How many Sons had Jacob?

A. Twelve, and they were called the twelve Patriarchs, becaufe they were the Fathers of the twelve Tribes of Ifrael, Gen. xxxv. 22. Acts vii. 8. Numb. i.

71 Q. What were their Names ?

A. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Iffachar, and Zebulun, the Sons of his Wife Leah; Jofeph and Benjamin, the Sons of his Wife Rachel'; Dan and Napthali, the Sons of Bilhah his Concubine; and Gad and Afher, the Sons of Zilpah his Concubine, Gen. xxxv. 23—26,

« PreviousContinue »