3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a 'man's wife.

4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? 5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself, said, He is my brother: In the integrity of my heart, and innocency of my hands, have I done this.

6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning *against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch

but relapse into the same sin, through the surprise and strength of temptation, and the infirmity of the flesh. Let backsliders repent then, but not despair, Jer. 3. 22. (2.) That Sarah, as it should seem, was now with child of with promised seed, or, at least, in expectation of being so quickly, according to the word of God; he ought therefore to have taken particular care of her now, as Judg. 13. 4.

3. The peril that Sarah was brought into by this means; The king of Gerar sent, and took her to his house, in order to take her to his bed. Note, The sin of one often occasions the sin of others; he that breaks the hedge of God's commandments, opens a gap to he knows not how many; the beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water.

V. 3-7. It appears by this, that God revealed himself by dreams, (which evidenced themselves to be divine and supernatural,) not only to his servants, the prophets, but even to those who were out of the pale of the church and covenant; but then, usually it was with some regard to God's own people, as in Pharaoh's dream, to Joseph, in Nebuchadnezzar's, to Daniel, and here in Abimelech's, to Abraham and Sarah, for he reproved this king for their sake, Ps. 105. 14, 15.

I. God gives him notice of his danger, (v. 3,) his danger of sin; telling him that the woman was a man's wife, so that if he take her, he wrongs her husband; his danger of death for this sin, Thou art a dead man; and God's saying so of a man, makes him so. Note, Every wilful sinner ought to be told that he is a dead man. As the condemned malefactor, and the patient whose disease is mortal, are said to be so: If thou art a bad man, certainly thou art a dead man.

II. He pleads ignorance, (v. 4, 5,) that Abraham and Sarah had agreed to impose upon him, and not to let him know that they were any more than brother and sister. See what confidence a man may have toward God, when his heart condemns him not, 1 John 3. 21. If our consciences witness to our integrity, and that, however we may have been cheated into a snare, we have not knowingly and wittingly sinned against God, it will be our rejoicing in the day of evil. He pleads with God as Abraham had done, eh. 18. 23, Wilt thou slay a righteous nation? Not such a nation as Sodom, which was indeed justly destroyed, but a nation which, in this matter, was

innocent.

III. God gives a very full answer to what he had said. 1. He allows his plea, and admits that what he did, he did in the integrity of his heart, v. 6, Yea, I know it. Note, It is matter of coinfort to those that are honest, that God knows their honesty, and will acknowledge it, though perhaps men that are prejudiced against them, either cannot be convinced of it, or will not own that they are.

2. He lets him know that he was kept from proceeding in the sin, merely by the good hand of God upon him. I withheld thee from sinning against me. Abimelech was hereby kept from doing wrong, Abraham from suffering wrong, and Sarah from both. Note, (1.) There is a great deal of sin devised and designed, that is never executed. As bad as things are in the world, they are not so bad as the Devil and wicked men would have them. (2.) It is God that restrains men from doing the ill they would do; it is not from him that there is sin, but it is from him that there is not more sin, either by his influence upon men's minds, checking their inclination to sin, or by his providence, taking away the opportunity to sin. (3.) It is a great mercy to be hindered from committing sin; of this God must have the glory, whoever is the instrument, 1 Sam. 25. 32, 33. 3. He charges him to make restitution, v. 7, Now therefore, now that thou art better informed, restore the man his wife. Note, Ignorance will excuse no longer than it continues, if we ignorantly did wrong, that will not excuse us, if we knowingly persist in it, Lev. 5. 3-5. The reasons why he must be just and kind to Abraham are, (1.) Because he is a prophet; near and dear to God, for whom God does in a particular manner concern himself. God highly resents the injuries done to his prophets, and takes them as done to himself. (2.) Being a -prophet, he shall pray for thee; that is a prophet's reward, and a good reward it is. It is intimated that there was great VOL. 1.-12

thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom ŝa great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

12 And yet indeed she is my "sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

A Ps. 51. 4. i 1 Sam. 7. 5. Job 42. 8. Jam. 5. 16. * Ex. 52. 21. Josh. 7. 25. I c. 34. 7. m Neh. 5. 15. Ps. 36. 1. Prov. 16. 6. n c. 11. 29.

efficacy in the prayers of a prophet, and that good men should be ready to help those with their prayers, that stand in need of them, and should make, at least, this return for the kindnesses that are done them. Abraham was accessary to Abimelech's trouble, and therefore was obliged in justice to pray for him. (3.) It is at thy peril, if thou do not restore her; know thou that thou shalt surely die. Note, He that does wrong, whoever he is, prince or peasant, shall certainly receive for the wrong which he has done, unless he repent and make restitution, Col. 3. 25. No injustice can be made passable with God, no, not by Cæsar's image stamped upon it.

V. 8-13. Abimelech, being thus warned of God in a dream, takes the warning, and, as one truly afraid of sin and its consequences, he rises early to pursue the directions given him. I. He has a caution for his servants, (v. 8;) Abraham himself could not be more careful than he was, to command his household in this matter. Note, Those whom God has convinced of sin and danger, ought to tell others what God has done for their souls, that they also may be awakened, and brought to a like holy fear.

II. He has a chiding for Abraham. Observe,

"Is

1. The serious reproof which Abimelech gave to Abraham, v. 9, 10. His reasoning with Abraham upon this occasion was strong, and yet very mild. Nothing could be said better; he does not reproach him, nor insult over him; does not say, this your profession? I see, though you will not swear, you will lie. If these be prophets, I will beg to be freed from the sight of them:" but he fairly represents the injury Abraham had done him, and calmly signifies his resentment of it. (1.) He calls that sin which he now found that he had been in danger of, a great sin. Note, Even the light of nature teaches men that the sin of adultery is a very great sin: be it observed, to the shame of many who call themselves Christians, and yet make a light matter of it. (2.) He looks upon it, that both himself and his kingdom would have been exposed to the wrath of God, if he had been guilty of that sin, though ignorantly. Note, The sins of kings often prove the plagues of kingdoms; rulers should therefore, for their people's sake, dread sin. (3.) He charges Abraham with doing that which was not justifiable, in disowning his marriage; this he speaks of justly, and yet tenderly; he does not call him a liar and cheat; but tells him he had done deeds that ought not to be done. Note, Equivocation and dissimulation, however they may be palliated, are very bad things, and by no means to be admitted in any case. (4.) He takes it as a very great injury to himself and his family, that Abraham had thus exposed them to sin; "What have I offended thee? If I had been thy worst enemy, thou couldest not have done me a worse turn, nor taken a more effectual course to be avenged on me." Note, We ought to reckon that those do us the greatest unkindness in the world, that any ways tempt or expose us to sin, though they may pretend friendship, and offer that which is grateful enough to the corrupt nature. (5.) He challenges him to assign a cause for his suspecting them as a dangerous people for an honest man to live among, v. 10, "What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? What reason hadst thou to think that if we had known her to be thy wife, thou wouldest have been exposed to any danger by it?" Note, A suspicion of our goodness is justly reckoned a greater affront than a slight upon our greatness. 2. The poor excuse that Abraham made for himself.

(1.) He pleaded the bad opinion he had of the pace, v. 11. He thought within himself, (though he could not give any good reason for his thinking so,) Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and then they will slay me." [1.] Little good is to be expected there, where no fear of God is: see Ps. 36. 1. [2.] There are many places and persons, that have more of the fear of God in them, than we think they have: perhaps they are not called by our dividing name, they do not wear our badges, they do not tie themselves to that which we have an opinion of; and therefore we conclude they have not the fear of God in their hearts, which is very injurious both to Christ and Christians, and makes us obnoxious to God's judgment, Matt. 7. 1. [3.] Uncharitableness and censoriousness are sins that are the cause ( 89 )

13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

14 And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men-servants, and women-servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. 15 And Abimelech said, Behold," my land is before thee dwell where it pleaseth thee.

16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was Preproved.

17 So Abraham prayed unto God and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants; and they bare children.

18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

of many other sins. When men have once persuaded themselves concerning such and such, that they have not the fear of God, they think that will justify them in the most unjust and unchristian practices toward them. Men would not do ill, if they did not first think ill.

(2.) He excused it from the guilt of a downright lie, by making it out, that, in a sense, she was his sister, v. 12. Some think she was own sister to Lot, who is called his brother Lot, ch. 14. 16, though he was his nephew; so Sarah is called his sister. But they to whom he said, She is my sister, understood that she was so his sister, as not to be capable of being his wife; so that it was an equivocation, with an intent to deceive.

(3.) He clears himself from the imputation of an affront designed to Abimelech in it, by alleging that it had been his practice before, according to an agreement between him and his wife, when they first became sojourners, v. 13, " When God caused me to wander from my father's house, then we settled this matter." 19 Note, [1.] God is to be acknowledged in all our wanderings. [2.] Those that travel abroad, and converse much with strangers, as they have need of the wisdom of the serpent, so it is requisite that that wisdom be ever tempered with the innocence of the dove. It may, for aught I know, be suggested, that God denied to Abraham and Sarah the blessing of children so long, to punish them for this sinful compact which they had made, to deny one another; if they will not own their marriage, why should God own it? But we may suppose that, after this reproof which Abimelech gave them, they agreed never to do so again, and then presently we read, ch. 21. 1, 2, that Sarah conceived.

V. 14-18. Here is,

1. The kindness of a prince, which Abimelech showed to Abraham. See how unjust Abraham's jealousies were; he fancied that if they knew that Sarah was his wife, they would kill him; but, instead of that, when they did know, they were kind to him, frightened at least to be so, by the divine rebukes they were under. (1.) He gives him his royal license to dwell where he pleased in his country; courting his stay, because he saw that God was with him, v. 15. (2.) He gives him his royal gifts, v. 14, sheep and oxen, and v. 16, a thousand pieces of silver. This he gave when he restored Sarah, either, [1.] By way of satisfaction for the wrong he had offered to do, in taking her to his house; when the Philistines restored the Ark, being plagued for detaining it, they sent a present with it. The law appointed, that when restitution was made, something should be added to it, Lev. 6. 5. Or, [2.] To engage Abraham's prayers for him; not as if prayers should be bought and sold; but those, whose spiritual things we reap of, we should endeavour to be kind to, 1 Cor. 9. 11. Note, It is our wisdom to get and keep an interest with those that have an interest in heaven; and to make those our friends, who are the friends of God. (3.) He gives to Sarah good instruction, tells her that her husband (her brother, he calls him, to upbraid her with calling him so) must be to her for a covering of the eyes, that is, she must look at no other, nor desire to be looked at by any other. Note, Yokefellows must be to each other for a covering of the eyes. The marriagecovenant is a covenant with the eyes, like Job's, ch. 31. 1.

2. The kindness of a prophet, which Abraham showed to Abimelech; he prayed for him, v. 17, 18. This honour God would put upon Abraham, that though Abimelech had restored Sarah, yet the judgment he was under should be removed upon the prayer of Abraham, and not before. Thus God healed Miriam, when Moses, whom she had most affronted, prayed for her, Num. 12. 13, and was reconciled to Job's friends, when Job, whom they had grieved, prayed for them, (Job 42. 8-10,) and so did, as it were, give it under his hand, that he was reconciled to them. Note, The prayers of good men may be a kindness to great men, and ought to be valued.

NOTES TO CHAPTER XXI.

CHAPTER XXI.

In this chapter, we have, 1. Isaac, the child of promise, born into Abraham's family, v. 1-8. II. Ishmael, the son of the bondwoman, cast out of it, v. 9-21. In. Abraham's league with his neighbour Abimelech, v. 22-32. IV. His devotion to his God, v. 33.

AND the LORD did unto Sarah as he had LORD "visited Sarah as he had said,

spoken:

2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.

4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 And Abraham was an hundred years old when his son Isaac was born unto him.

6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh,f so that all that hear will laugh with me.

7 And she said, Who would have said unto

b c. 17, 19. 18. 10, 14. e Heb. 11. 11. d c. 17, 19. e Ex. 12. 48. Lev. 12. 3. Acts 7.8. f Ps. 126. 2. Is. 54. 1. g Num. 23. 23. Ps. 86. 10. Eph. 3. 20.

cerning the promised seed is for an appointed time, and now at the end, it speaks, and does not lie; few under the Old Testament were brought into the world with such expectation as Isaac was; not for the sake of any great personal eminence at which he was to arrive, but because he was to be, in this very thing, a type of Christ, that Seed which the holy God so long promised, and holy men so long expected. In this account of the first days of Isaac, we may observe,

I. The fulfilling of God's promise in the conception and birth of Isaac, v. 1, 2. Note, God's providences look best and brightest, when they are compared with his word, and when we observe how God in them all, acts as he has said, as he has spoken. 1. Isaac was born according to the promise. The Lord visited Sarah in mercy, as he had said. Note, No word of God shall fall to the ground; for he is faithful that has promised, and God's faithfulness is the stay and support of his people's faith. He was born at the set time which God had spoken to him, v. 2. Note, God is always punctual to his time; though his promised mercies come not at the time we set, they will certainly come at the time that He sets, and that is the best time. 2. He was born by virtue of the promise; Sarah by faith received strength to conceive, Heb. 11. 11. God therefore, by promise, gave that strength. It was not by the power of common providence, but by the power of a special promise, that Isaac was born. A sentence of death was, as it were, passed upon the second causes ; Abraham was old, and Sarah old, and both as good as dead; and then the word of God took place. Note, True believers, by virtue of God's promises, are enabled to do that which is above the power of human nature, for by them they partake of a divine nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4.

II. Abraham's obedience to God's precept concerning Isaac. 1. He named him, as God commanded him, v. 3. God directed him to name him for a memorial, Isaac, laughter; and Abraham, whose office it was, gave him that name, though he might have designed him some other name of a more pompous signification. Note, It is fit that the luxuriancy of human invention should always yield to the sovereignty and plainness of divine institution; yet there was good reason for the name. (1.) When Abraham received the promise of him, he laughed for joy, ch. 17. 17. Note, When the sun of comfort is risen upon the soul, it is good to remember how welcome the dawning of the day was, and with what exultation we embraced the promise. (2.) When Sarah received the promise, she laughed with distrust and diffidence. Note, When God gives us the mercies we began to despair of, we ought to remember with sorrow and shame our sinful distrusts of God's power and promise, when we were in pursuit of them. (3.) Isaac was himself, afterward, laughed at by Ishmael, v. 9, and perhaps his name bid him expect it. Note, God's favourites are of the world's laughingstocks. (4.) The promise which he was not only the son but the heir of, was to be the joy of all the saints in all ages, and that which would fill their mouths with laughter. 2. He circumcised him, v. 4. The covenant being established with him, the seal of the covenant was administered to him; and though a bloody ordinance, and he a darling, yet it must not be omitted; no, nor deferred beyond the eighth day. God had kept time in performing the promise, and therefore Abraham must keep time in obeying the precept.

III. The impressions which this

mercy made upon Sarah.

child, and sent "her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow-shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the lad: and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19 And God opened her reyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

23 Now, therefore, swear unto me here by God, *that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

24 And Abraham said, I will swear.

25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it but to-day.

27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.

28 And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves.

be full fed in Abraham's house, where he waxed fat and kicked, now fainted and sunk, when he was brought to short allowance. Hagar is in tears, and sufficiently mortified; now she wishes for the crumbs she had wasted, and made light of, at her master's table; like one under the power of the spirit of bondage, she despairs of relief, counts upon nothing but the death of the child, (v. 15, 16,) though God had told her, before he was born, that he should live to be a man, a great man. We are apt to forget former promises, when present providences seem to contradict them; for we live by sense.

2. In this distress, God graciously appeared for their relief; he heard the voice of the lad, v. 17. We read not of a word he said; but his sighs, and groans, and calamitous state, cried loud in the ears of mercy. An angel was sent to comfort Hagar, and it was not the first time that she had met with God's comforts in a wilderness; she had thankfully acknowledged the former kind visit which God made her in such a case, ch. 16. 13, and therefore God now visited her again with seasonable succours. (1.) The angel assures her of the cognizance God took of her distress; God has heard the voice of the lad where he is, though he is in a wilderness: for wherever we are, there is a way open heavenward; therefore lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand, v. 18. Note, God's readiness to help us when we are in trouble, must not slacken but quicken our endeavours to help ourselves. (2.) He repeats the promise concerning her son, that he should be a great nation, as a reason why she should bestir herself to help him. Note, It should engage our care and pains about children and young people, to consider that we know not what God has designed them for, nor what great use Providence may make of them. (3.) He directs her to a present supply, v. 19, he opened her eyes, which were swollen, and almost blinded, with weeping; and then she saw a well of water. Note, Many that have reason enough to be comforted, go mourning from day to day, because they do not see the reason they have for comfort. There is a well of water by them in the covenant of grace, but they are not aware of it; they have not the benefit of it, till the same God that opened their eyes to see their wound, opens them to see their remedy, John 16. 6, 7. Now the apostle tells us, that those things concerning Hagar and Ishmael are anyooovμeva, Gal. 4. 24, they are to be allegorized; this then will serve to illustrate the folly of those, [1.] Who like the unbelieving Jews, seek for righteousness by the law and the carnal ordinances of it, and not by the promise made in Christ, thereby running themselves into a wilderness of want and despair. Their comforts are soon exhausted, and if God save them not by his special prerogative, and by a miracle of mercy open their eyes, and undeceive them, they are undone. [2.] Their folly also, who seek for satisfaction and happiness in the world and the things of it. Those that forsake the comforts of the covenant and communion with God, and choose their portion in this earth, take up with a bottle of water, poor and slender provision, and that soon spent; they wander endlessly in pursuit of satisfaction, and, at length, sit down short of it.

III. The settlement of Ishmael, at last, in the wilderness of Paran, v. 20, 21, a wild place, fittest for a wild man; and such a one he was, ch. 16. 12. They that are born after the flesh, take up with the wilderness of this world, while the children of the promise aim at the heavenly Canaan, and cannot be at rest till they are there. Observe, 1. He had some tokens of God's presence, God was with the lad; his outward prosperity was owing to this. 2. By trade he was an archer, which intimates that craft was his excellency, and sport his business, rejected

31 Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba :† because there they sware both of them.

32 Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba :

to c. 26. 28. 28. 15. 39. 2. Josh. 1. 5, 9.
shall lie unto me. y c. 26. 15-22.
b c. 31. 48. i. e. the well of the oath.

z c. 24.8. Josh. 2. 12. c. 31.44. 1 Sam. 18. 3.

• if thou a c. 33 8.

Esau was a cunning hunter. 3. He matched among his mother's relations; she took him a wife out of Egypt; as great an archer as he was, he did not think he took his aim well in the business of marriage, if he proceeded without his mother's advice and consent.

V. 22-32. We have here an account of the treaty between Abimelech and Abraham, in which appears the accomplishment of that promise, ch. 12. 2, that God would make his name great. His friendship is valued, is courted, though a stranger, though a tenant at will to the Canaanites and Perizzites.

I. The league is proposed by Abimelech, and Phichol his prime minister of state, and general of his army. 1. The inducement to it was God's favour to Abraham, v. 22, “ God is with thee in all thou doest, and we cannot but take notice of it." Note, (1.) God in his providence sometimes shows his people such tokens for good, that their neighbours cannot but take notice of it, Ps. 86. 17. Their affairs do so visibly prosper, and they have such remarkable success in their undertakings, that a confession is extorted from all about them, of God's presence with them. (2.) It is good being in favour with those that are in favour with God, and having an interest in them that have an interest in heaven, Zech. 8. 23, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. We do well for ourselves, if we have fellowship with those that have fellowship with God, 1 John 1. 3. 2. The tenor of it was, in general, that there should be a firm and constant friendship between the two families, which should not upon any account be violated. This bond of friendship must be strengthened by the bond of an oath, in which the true God was appealed to, both as a Witness of their sincerity, and an Avenger, in case either side were treacherous, v. 23. Observe, (1.) He desires the entail of this league upon his posterity, and the extent of it to his people. He would have his son, and his son's son, and his land likewise, to have the benefit of it. Good men should secure an alliance and communion with the favourites of heaven, not for themselves only, but for their's also. (2.) He reminds Abraham of the fair treatment he had found among them, according to the kindness I have done unto thee. As those that have received kindness, must return it, so those that have showed kindness, may expect it.

II. It is consented to by Abraham, with a particular clause inserted about a well. In Abraham's part of this transaction, 1. He was ready to enter into this league with Abimelech, finding him to be a man of honour and conscience, and that had the fear of God before his eyes, v. 24, I will swear. Note, (14.) Religion does not make men morose and unconversable; I am sure it ought not; we must not, under colour of shunning bad company, be sour to all company, and jealous of every body. (2.) An honest mind does not startle at giving assurances: if Abraham say that he will be true to Abimelech, he is not afraid to swear it: an oath is for confirmation. 2. He prudently settled the matter concerning a well, which Abimelech's servants had quarrelled with Abraham about. Wells of water, it seems, were choice goods in that country thanks be to God, that they are not so scarce in our's. (1.) Abraham mildly told Abimelech of it, v. 25. Note, If our brother trespass against us, we must, with the meekness of wisdom, tell him his fault, that the matter may be fairly accommodated, and an end made of it, Matt. 18. 15. (2.) He acquiesced in Abimelech's justification of himself in this matter, v. 26, I wot not who has done this thing. Many are suspected of injustice and unkindness, that are perfectly innocent, which we ought to be glad to be