XLII. A GOOD ANCHOR.

ISAAC, ignorantly going along to be offered, propounded to his father a very hard question, Gen. xxii. 7: Behold the fire and wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?

Abraham returned, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering.

But was not this gratis dictum of Abraham? Did not he herein speak without book? Where and when did God give him a promise to provide him a lamb?

Indeed, he had no particular promise as to this present point, but he had a general one, Gen. xv. 1: Fear not, Abraham, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Here was not only a lamb, but a flock of sheep, yea, a herd of all cattle promised unto him.

It hath kept many an honest soul in these sad times from sinking into despair, that though they had no express in Scripture that they should be freed from the particular miseries relating to this war, yet they had God’s grand charter for it, Rom. viii. 28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.