a great nation wil I make him. 19And God opened her eyes: who seing a wel of water, went, and filled the bottle, and gaue the boy to drinke. 20And God was with him: who grew, and abode in the wildernes, and became a young man archer. 21And he dwelt in the wildernes of Pharan, and his mother tooke a wife for him out of the land of Ægypt. 22The same time said Abimelech, and Phicol the General of his armie, to Abraham: God is with thee in al things which thou doest. 23Sweare therfore by God, not to hurt me, and my posteritie, and my stocke: but according to the mercie, that I haue done thee, thou shalt doe to me, and to the land wherin thou hast liued a stranger. 24And Abraham said: I wil sweare. 25And he rebuked Abimelech for the wel of water, which his seruants had taken away by force. 26And Abimelech answered: I knew not who did this thing: yea and thy selfe didest not tel me, and I heard not of it but to day. 27Abraham therfore tooke sheepe and oxen, and gaue to Abimelech: and both of them made a league. 28And Abraham set seauen ewe lambs of the flocke apart. 29To whom Abimelech said: What meane these seauen ewe lambs, which thou hast made to stand apart? 30But he said: Seauen ewe lambs shalt thou take at my hand: that they may be a testimonie for me, that I digged this wel. 31Therfore was that place called wel of oath* Bersabee: because there both did sweare. 32And they made a league for the wel of oath. 33And Abimelech arose, and Phicol the General of his armie, and they returned to the land of the Palestines. But Abraham planted a groue in Bersabee, and called there vpon the name of our Lord God eternal. 34And he was a seiourner in the land of the Palestines manie dayes.
ANNOTATIONS.
CHAP. XXI.
Separation to be made in families, when iust cause requireth.12. Let it not.) It seemed so hard, inhumane, and vniust to cast Agar and Ismael out of the house, that Abraham would not haue done it, vnles God had commanded him in this to heare the voice of Sara. But when he knew Gods wil therin, not respecting flesh and bloud, nor disputing further of the lawfulnes of the fact, sent them both away, commending them to Gods protection: and so by this separation the familie was made quiet. Mystical sense.It represented also a notable Mysterie of the Synagogue of the Iewes and Church of Christ. li. 15. c. 2. ciuit.As S. Augustin doth excellently expound the same, according to S. Paul (Gal. 4.) That Ismaels playing with Isaac was persecution, because it tended to peruert him, shewing it to be a greater iniurie to delude and deceiue anie, The true Church doth not persecute but iustly punisheth offenders.in drawing them to new and particular companies, Epi. 84. & 50.then corporally to persecute them: and that the Church and Catholike Princes punish heretikes for their good, to make them returne to the truth, or finally to cease from seducing others. Tract. 11. in Ioan.Ecce libera afflixit ancillam, & non illam vocat persecutionem Apostolus, ludit seruus cum domino, & persecutionem vocat. Afflictio ista non vocatur persecutio, & lusio illa vocatur persecutio.
