What continual grief was it to his heart, many a
long day, that he had no child begotten of his own body? He that
doubteth thereof shall find in Genesis Abraham's own moan made to
God. No man doubteth but Ismael was great comfort unto him at his
birth; and was it no grief, then, when he must cast out the mother
and the child both? As for Isaac, who was the child of the promise,
although God kept his life, that was unlooked for. Yet while the
loving father bound him and went about to behead him and offer him
up in sacrifice, who but himself can conceive what heaviness his
heart had then? I should suppose (since you speak of Lazarus) that
Lazarus' own death panged him not so sore. Then, as Lazarus' pain
was patiently borne, so was Abraham's taken not only patiently
but--which is a thing much more meritorious--of obedience
willingly. And therefore, even if Abraham had not far excelled
Lazarus in merit of reward (as he did indeed) for many other things
besides, and especially for that he was a special patriarch of the
faith, yet would he have far surpassed him even by the merit of
that tribulation well taken here for God's sake too. And so serveth
for your purpose no man less than Abraham!
But now, good cousin, let us look a little longer here upon the
rich Abraham and Lazarus the poor.
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