Ver. 1. And the Lord visited Sarah.] God pays not his people with words only, as Sertorius did his soldiers, He fools them not off with fair promises, as Ptolemy (surnamed therefore Δωσων) did his favourites; but is real, yea, royal in his promises and performances. Of many promisers it may be said, as Tertullian of the peacock, all in changeable colours: as oft changed as moved. Italians all; as Aeneas Sylvius said of Italy; Novitate quadam, nihil habet stablile. Not so their ancestors, the Romans. They had a great care always to perform their word; insomuch, that the first temple built in Rome was dedicated to the goddess Fidelity. Great men’s words, saith one, are like dead men’s shoes: he may go barefoot that waits for them. Not so good men; they will stand to their oath, though it tend to their loss. (Psalms 15:4) They are children that will not lie. (Isaiah 63:8) Their Father is a God that cannot lie. (Titus 1:2) He is the God of Amen, as Isaiah calleth him; (Isaiah 65:16) and “all his promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus,” (2 Corinthians 1:20) “the faithful and true witness”. (Revelation 3:14) Judah would not break promise with the harlot, lest he should be shamed. (Genesis 38:23) One of the laws of the knights of the band in Spain was, that if any of them broke his promise, he went alone by himself, and nobody spake to him, nor he to any. When God serves any so, let him be so served. But the promises are ancient. (Titus 1:2) And not any tittle of them, as yet, ever fell to the ground. Wherefore, “gird up the loins of your minds, and trust perfectly on the grace that is brought unto you”. (1 Peter 1:13) “Faithful is he that hath promised, who also will do it”. (1 Thessalonians 5:24) Zonaras. Pollicitis dives quilibet esse potest.— Plutarch.
Ver. 2. For Sarah conceived.] By the force of her faith, though at first she faltered. (Hebrews 11:11) And bare Abraham a son in his old age.] Beatae senectutis et emeritae fidei filium, as one well calleth Isaac. St Paul, for this, saith he was “born after the Spirit”. (Galatians 4:29) Bucholcer.
Ver. 3. And Abraham called the name, &c.] A ridiculous name, but such as God had imposed. All God’s ways are foolishness to the world, -Christ and all. But—as old men use to say to young—they think us fools, we know them to be so. It will not be long ere they shall wail and howl out, Nos insensati, we fools held their life madness, &c. Say therefore with David, If this be to be vile, we will be more vile. God hath a barren womb for mocking Michal. He is a fool, we say, that would be laughed out of his coat; but he is a double fool that would be laughed out of his skin, that would hazard his soul, because loath to be laughed at. Caligula socerum Scyllanum, molestum ei propter virtutem et affinitatem, ad mortem sibi consciscendam ludibriis adegit. More fool he.
Ver. 4. And Abraham circumcised his son.] At circumcision, as now at baptism, names were given. Let them be such as are significant, and may immind us of some good, either person or thing; all will be found little enough, Optima nomina, non appellando fieri mala, faenerator Alfius dixisse verissime fertur. We read of a good woman, that had named her three daughters, Faith, Hope, and Charity. And when she was to be condemned by Bonner; My lord, said she, if you burn me, I hope you will keep Faith, Hope, and Charity. No, by my truth, will I not, quoth the bishop; keep them who will, I’ll take no charge of them. We read also of another, that, courting a harlot, asked her name: she answered, Mary; whereupon, remembering Mary Magdalene, that penitent harlot, he repented him of his evil purpose, and, advising the courtesan to repent by her example, departed, and lived honestly. We cannot have too many monitors to mind us of our duty. Columel., De Re Rust., lib. i. cap. 7.—Horat., epod. ii. line 66. Act. and Mon., 1798. Strange Viney. in Palest.
Ver. 5. And Abraham was a hundred years old.] After twenty years’ praying, and waiting the fulfilling of the promise; besides thirteen of those years’ silence, for aught we read, after the promise of a child. This was a sore trial; but God knew him to be armour of proof, and therefore tried him thus with musket-shot. Well might the apostle say, “Ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God,” and suffered it too, “ye might receive the promise”. (Hebrews 10:36) The “spoiling of their goods” required patience: but this waiting much more. Good men find it easier to bear evil, than to wait till the promised good be enjoyed. This waiting is nothing but hope and trust lengthened; which they that cannot do, like children, they pull apples afore they are ripe, and have worms bred of them; as those hasty Ephraimites, that set upon the Philistines, and were slain in Gath. They had indeed a promise of the land, but the time was not yet come. They were weary of the Egyptian bondage, and would have thus got out; but they were too hasty. Fugientes ergo fumum, incidebant in ignem. (1 Chronicles 7:21,22 Psalms 78:9) Importuno tempore poma decerpunt.— Cyprian. See my Love-tokens, p. 94.