being his fifter and not his wife, thus conniving at an adulterous commerce between her and Abimelech the king of Gerar, which Abraham, it appears, expected to take place, though, as the story fays, it did not: becaufe God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and informed him that he had taken the wife of a man who was a prophet, requiring Abimelech, therefore, to reftore the man his wife, otherwife (as we learn from this curious ftory) God fays, "Thou shalt "furely die; thou and all that is thine. We are further acquainted that God appointed Abraham the prophet to pray for the king that he might live. "So Abra"ham prayed unto God: and God healed "Abimelech (yet it does not otherwise appear that he was fick) and his wife and "his maid fervants; and they bare chil"dren; for the Lord had faft clofed up all "the wombs of the house of Abimelech "because of Sarah, Abraham's wife."-I

fay,

fay, what must we think of fuch a tale as this occupying a place in a facred book? And notwithstanding familiarity has a wonderful power of reconciling us to what is most abhorrent to our natures, furely a person tolerably free from prejudice, cannot fail to fhudder, if he will seriously attend to what is related, Gen. ch. xxii. where we are told that God commanded Abraham to offer up his fon as a facrifice, and that, in obedience to God, Abraham, having provided wood for the fire, and a knife, was juft proceeding to embrue bis hands in his fon's blood, when he was prevented by an angel. That an act in itself fo wicked, for which to be prepared and wrought up, it was requifite for a man to do fuch horrid and unnatural violence to himself, that fuch an act fhould be deemed acceptable to a juft and benevolent Deity, is a fad proof how miferably the human mind may be perverted. This inftance, however, of Abraham's obedience is reprefented.

prefented by the hiftorian as fo meritori

*

ous as to have obtained the divine bleffing folemnly pronounced, and even fworn, by God himself; and a declaration that, in Abraham's feed all the nations of the earth should be blessed. And truly it has been very generally believed that, in this declaration, Chrift was foretold, and the gospel preached to Abraham: for which belief, it must be owned, there is what is called apoftolical authority. And by the unthink

* It cannot be denied that, if Ifaac had been taken from his father by a natural death, Abraham would have had an equal opportunity of displaying his faith and pious refignation, as in the cafe related. His peculiar merit then, muft confift in his doing, or being ready to do, an act of horrid and unnatural wickednefs at the command of God. One may add a remark which presents itself on this occafion, viz. That the trial feems to have been intended not fo much for Abraham's improvement and benefit as for the information of the Omnifcient Being, who is made to fay, by the mouth of the angel, "Now, I know that thou fearest God: feeing thou haft not witheld thy fon, thine only "son, from me."

ing

ing many, that authority will be esteemed quite fufficient to fantify the above fuppofed tranfaction: while the difciples of reafon and of nature, will never cease to execrate the impious fable as worse even than the former story.

In the book of Exodus, ch. xxxii. we have the history of the golden calf, which Aaron made at the request of the Ifraelites, and which they worshipped. Wherefore we are told, "The Lord faid unto "Mofes, I have seen this people, and be"hold it is a stiff necked people. Now,

«

therefore, let me alone, that my wrath.

may wax hot against them, and that I

may confume them: and I will make of "thee a great nation." The hiftory then acquaints us that "Mofes befought the "Lord his God, and faid, Lord, why doth "thy wrath wax hot against thy people, " which thou haft brought out of the land of "Egypt?" &c. wherefore fhould the Egyp<tians

6

❝tians fpeak and say, For mischief did he "bring them out, to flay them on the "mountains, and to confume them from "the face of the earth? Turn from thy

"fierce wrath, and repent of this evil

against thy people. Remember Abra"ham, Ifaac, and Ifrael, thy fervants, to "whom thou fwareft by thine own felf, " and faidft unto them, I will multiply your "feed as the ftars of heaven, and all this "land that I have fpoken of will I give "unto your feed, and they fhall inherit it "for ever. And the Lord repented him "of the evil which he thought to do unto "his people." A very extraordinary reprefentation this of the true God! and, when the reader has confidered it well, he will decide whether it is more fuitable to his character, or to the character of a frail, irritable, vain-glorious mortal. The immutable Deity is here reprefented as liable to depart from his purpose; and, when in great danger, from provocation, of break-.

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