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A." He took Sarah, Abraham's Wife, into his House ; but being warned of God, he restored her again, Gen. xx. 2, 6, 14.
39 Q. How came Abimelech to take Abraham's. Wife ?
A. Because she was a beautiful Woman, and Abraham did not call her his Wife, but his Sifter ; and-by this Means he exposed her to be taken by other Men, Gen. xx.' 2.
40 l What Sons had Abraham?
Gen xxy. 9,
41 Q. What was Ishmael? 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 promised 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 Ith mael?
4. Abraham, by the Command of God, turned Ishmael and his Mother out of his Houfe into the Wildernefs, because they mocked and abufed his younger Son Isaac, Gen. xxi. 9, &c.
44Q. Did Ishmael perish in the Wildernefs ?
A. The Angel of God appeared to Hagar, and shewed her a Spring of Water when they were dying with Thirst : And Ishmael grew up to be a great Man, and the Father of a large Nation, Gen. xxi. 16-20, and xxv. 16.
45 Q. Who was 'Ifaac's Mother?
A. 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 ?
1. Because he believed the Promises 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 Promises which God gave Abraham ?
A. (1) That he should have a Son when he was a hundred Years old. (2) That his Children should possess 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 should be blessed in him and his Offspring, when he was but a private Person, Gen. xvii. 8, 16, 17. and xii3. Als vii. 5.
48 Q. What did this last Promise mean?
A. That Jesus Christ the Saviour of Men should come from his Family, Gal. iji. 8, 16.
49 Q. What did God appoint to Abraham for a Token of thefe Promises 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. 7-10 Rom. iv. II. - 50 Q. What was the Religion of Abraham ?
A. The fame with the Religion of Adam after the Fall in Chap. 'I. Q: 30. and the Religion of Noah under Chap. II. 2: 6. with the Addition of Circumcision, and the Expectation of Canaan to be given to his Seed, as a Type of Heaven; and a Trust in the Promise of the Saviour who should fpring from him, and bless all Nations. Note, This was called the ABRAHAMICAL DISPENSA”
Tiọn, but it was confined to the Family of Abraham, in the literal Sense of it; with those temporal Precepts and Promises, of Circumcifion and the Inheritance of Candan ; [hough in the spiritual Sense of it,
it reaches to every good Man; and thus Abraham is their Father, Rom. vi. 16, 17,
51 Q. How did Abraham further and most em nently shew his Obedience to God?
1. In his Readiness to offer up bis Son Ifaac in Sacrifice at God's Command, Gen. xxii. 12.
52 Q. And did he offer him in Sacrifice ?
A. No, God withheld bis Hand, and sent a Ram to be facrificed in his Stead, Gen. xxii. 13. : 53 Q What further Favours did Abraham receive from God?
A. God visited him, and conversed 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.
54 Q. What is written concerning Sarah, Abraham's Wife ?
A. She believed God's Promise, and had a Son at ninety Years old, and her Name also was changed from Sarai to Sarah, Gen. xvii. 15, 17, Heb. xi. II. Note, Some learned Men have supposed, that the Adı
dition of the Hebrew Letter h to the names of Abraham and
Sarah, signifies a newRelation to God, whose Name is Fah: Others think it to be a part of the Word Hamon, which signifies a Multitude : because
God promised many Nations to spring from them 4. when he changed their Names, Gen. xvii. 5, 16.
55. Q. What is recorded concerning Isaac 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 Sacrifices to God, Gen. xxiv. 63, and xxvi. 2, 24, 25.
56 Q. Who was Ifaac's Wife?
Wife for him, even Rebecca, out of his own Family in Mesopotamia, because he was unwilling he should marry among the wicked Canaanites, whom God had doomed to Destruation, Gen. xxiv. 3, 4, 51, &c.
57 2. Two Sons, Efau and Jacob, Gen.xxiv.25,26. Sect. III. Of EsAv and Jacob, and their
HAT was Erau?
, up to Hunting rather than Husbandry, who sold his Birthright to his Brother for a Mess of Pottage when he was faint with Hunting, Gen. xxv.31,33.
59 Q. What was Jacob?
A. The youngest Son of Isaac, who by his Mother's Contrivance obtained his Father's Blessing, 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 bis eldest son, Gen. xxvii.
61 Q. How did Efau take this?
A. Efau threatened to kill him, and therefore he left his Father's House, 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.
63 Q. What did he meet with in going thither?
A. He lay down to sleep on a Stone at Bethel, and had a holy Dream of God, and of Angels there ascending and descending between Heaven and Earth, Gen. xviii, 12-14.
64 Q. What did he do in Laban's House?
1. 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? 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 Vision of God as of a Man wrestling with him, Gen. xxxii. 24, &c.
67 Q. Why was Jacob called Ifrael?
A. Because he prayed and prevailed with God for a Blessing, while he wrestled with him in the Form of a Man, Gen. xxxii. 28. Hf. 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 destroy him, Gen. xxxii,
69 Q. What Posterity had Efau ?
A. A large Posterity, 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, because they were the Fathers of the twelve Tribes of Israel, Gen. xxxv. 22. Aets vii. 8. Numb. i. ¿ 71 Q. What were their Names ?
A. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Iflachar, and Zebulun, the Sons of his Wife Leah; Joseph 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,