eyes, and saw the place afar off.

And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering? And Abraham said, My son, GOD will provide Himself a lamb for a burntoffering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the Angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest GOD, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. And the Angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore: and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy

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seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice.

You hear in this Scripture, dearly beloved, how GOD did prove Abraham, and make trial of his faith. For on former occasions Abraham had shown his faith in God's promises in no common degree: but now God proved his faith by putting it to the severest trial; namely, by requiring the life of his beloved and only son. And if the death of a dear child be to every parent a heavy affliction, consider from the circumstances of the case, what the death of Isaac must have been to Abraham. He was the child of promise, granted to Abraham's faith. The previous trials Abraham had to endure, were all sweetened by this, that a great blessing was to come upon the earth, and to extend to all nations, in and by his offspring. And the Word of GOD which could not fail, had further assured him, that this promise was to be accomplished in Isaac; For in Isaac, it was said, shall thy seed be called. The certainty of the fulfilment of this promise had sustained Abraham through all his previous trials; yet he, through and in whom it was to be fulfilled, was now to die in his childhood. Consider too, the natural affection and love Abraham must have borne to this child, who was born to him in his old age, and when the hope of having children must have all but passed away from him. Consider, too, the requirement that GOD made of him, that he should take the life of this beloved and longed-for child with his own hand. Yet none of these things moved Abraham to repine or to attempt to withhold his child when GOD desired him to yield him up. Doubtless he felt all these things as we should feel them; but he knew that GOD required not such a sacrifice without good reason. Whatever his difficulties were, he knew that GoD would certainly accomplish His promise, even were the external means of its accomplishment removed.

However great his love for his beloved child was, his love for GOD was greater. He felt that what GOD required must be very good, however the present accomplishment of it might grieve or distress him. Wherefore he conferred not with flesh and blood; he hesitated not, but took his son and went his way, resolved to submit to what God required of him, and to do speedily and readily what He commanded. But God's command had been to prove him, for He Himself knew what He would do. He not only restored to him his child, but He twice sent His Angel to assure him of His approval of his ready faith and willing obedience, and to promise him a blessing on account of them. And, dearly beloved, be sure that this blessing was not pronounced for Abraham alone, but that a blessing will also come on all those who, being put to a like trial with Abraham, like him withhold not their beloved children from GOD, but readily and cheerfully obey His voice. Wherefore, in this heavy affliction with which GOD has made trial of your faith, endeavour to imitate the ready submission and patient resignation of Abraham. Remember how much you have to confirm and strengthen your faith which Abraham had not. You have the full assurance of those things of which Abraham had but the promise. GOD has now provided Himself a Lamb for an offering, even His own SON, Whom He gave up for the sins of the world. He has by His Sacrament of Baptism, adopted this your child as His own, and has now summoned him to take possession of that inheritance, which in that holy Sacrament He vouchsafed to him; and has assured us, as you have heard, that of such as little children His heavenly kingdom is composed; and that the Angels of such little ones do always behold the face of their Heavenly FATHER. Wherefore, dearly beloved, do not repine or grieve, but be strong in faith as Abraham was: be willing, as he was, to give up your dear child when GOD calls:

be sure that you have placed him in the arms of his heavenly FATHER; and that if you bear this your trial in faith and patience, He will restore him to you in that day when you come to stand before Him. For if you imitate Abraham's faith and Abraham's obedience, to you is this promise; By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing I will bless thee, because thou hast obeyed My voice.

Then, all kneeling, the Priest shall sav
Let us pray.

LORD, have mercy upon us.

CHRIST, have mercy upon us.

LORD, have mercy upon us.

Our FATHER, &c.

But deliver us from evil.

dren.

Amen.

O ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, Who, withFor future glori. out anything to deserve it on their fication with chil- part, dost grant everlasting life to all little children who depart this life, after having been born again in Thy holy Baptism, as we believe Thee to have done with the soul of the child of these sorrowing parents; Mercifully grant, we beseech Thee, that we may so serve Thee with pure and clean hearts here, that hereafter we may dwell eternally with glorified children; through the merits and mediation of JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen.

ejoicing

O ALMIGHTY and Everlasting GOD, the Lover of For a spirit of holiness and purity, Who hast been graciously pleased now to call the soul of a little child of this family into Thine heavenly Kingdom; so vouchsafe, O LORD, to deal mercifully with us who survive, that through the merits of Thy most sacred Passion, Thou mayest cause us ever to rejoice with all Thy Blessed Saints and Thine Elect,

in the same Thy Kingdom, Who livest and reignest with the FATHER in the unity of the HOLY SPIRIT, One GOD, world without end. Amen.

O LORD JESU CHRIST, Who didst restore the For comfort widow's son to his weeping mother, under affliction. and the daughter of the Ruler of the Synagogue to her lamenting parents; We beseech Thee to have compassion on the [father and mother] of this little child, whom Thou hast now called to his Heavenly FATHER'S Kingdom. Make them know and feel, O LORD GOD, that he is committed to Thy merciful arms, and ever beholdeth Thy blissful presence. Let this assurance assuage their tears and mitigate their present sorrow. And grant, O LORD, that as they have experienced the blessing Thou gavest them in this child, and now feel the affliction Thou hast laid upon them, in taking him from them ; so they may know assuredly that Thou wilt comfort them by restoring him to them in Thine everlasting kingdom; to which vouchsafe to conduct them by Thy merits, O SAVIOUR, who with the FATHER and the HOLY GHOST, livest and reignest, One GOD world without end. Amen.

¶ Then, standing up, the Priest shall prouounce this blessing:

Our LORD JESUS CHRIST Himself, and GOD, even our FATHER, Which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. Amen.