164 xvi. By faith Abraham sojourned in a strange land; that he is a rewarder of SECT. must, as the foundation of that intercourse, cometh to God, must sings upon them. For where there are no such 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the sav the which he con by faith. By faith the patriarch Noah, the second com- 8 By faith, that illustrious patriarch Abraham, plied in the Greek classics, to coming to God that 8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place, which he should atter receive i Condemned the world.] It is plain that here, as in many other places, a person is said to condemn those against whom he furnishes out matter of accusation, in which view Titus iii. 11, may be understood. See the note there. k Heir of the righteousness.] Bishop Cumberland observes, that Noah is the first to whom the name of righteous man is applied in scripture. Cumb. Orig. Gent. p. 418. With whither he went. And Sarai was delivered of a child when past age. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise, 165 xvi. Heb. receive for an inherit that he should afterwards receive for an inherit- SECT. ance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing ance, obeyed without disputing or murmuring, and went out, though he knew not at all whither he was going, or to which part of the world he XI. 8. was to steer his course, humbly resigning himself to Divine Providence to mark out his journey and his abode. By faith, he sojourned all 9 the remainder of his days in the land of promise, when he knew it to be so, as [in] a strange country, without having any property there, unless it was that of a sepulchre towards the close of his life; dwelling in tents, easily moved from one place to another, some part of the time with Isaac and Jacob'; who, in their succession, were heirs with him of the same promise, and depositaries of it, yet led the same kind of wandering life. But he passed from place to place 10 with cheerfulness; for he expected at length to be led on to a city, and that not such an one as he had left his native land, or such as he saw in Canaan, or even in Egypt, grand and populous as some of their buildings were; the object of his joyful and confident expectation, was that city, which alone hath firm and immoveable foundations, in comparison with which they were but like a frail tabernacle; a city, of which God [is] the builder and former, who drew and executed the grand plan, and laid out upon it all the richest ornaments, which might raise it to a magnificence, worthy of his own abode, and the inheritance of his beloved children. 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, be cause she judged him faithful who had pro mised. By faith, Sarai herself, notwithstanding some 11 mixture of suspicion, at length, as the worthy consort of such an husband, and worthy mother of such an offspring, received strength for the conception of seed, and brought forth a child beyond the due time of age for such a purpose, when she was ninety years old, and in the course of nature absolutely incapable of being a mother; because she accounted him who had promised, to be the faithful and Almighty God, who could with infinite ease accomplish an event, which then seemed to be, and indeed was unpa12 Therefore sprang ralleled. Therefore by this mighty principle of 12 there even of one, and faith in her, and in Abrahamn, there sprang even him 1 With Isaac and Jacob.] It is plain from the account of the lives of these patriarchs, that Jacob was born fifteen years before Abrahang died; and the oracle from given to Isaac before the birth of his chil- 166 Heb. These all desired a better country, that is, an heavenly. so many as the stars of SECT. from one father, and he in this respect, as it were, him as good as dead, xvi. dead, [a posterity] in multitude as the stars of the sky in multitude, the heaven, and as the sand upon the sea-shore and as the sand which X1. 12. innumerable", according to that Divine pro- is by the sea-shore inmise, which carried its efficacy into so many remoter ages, and retains it even to this day. 13 numerable. ceived the promises, braced them, and con on the earth. 14 For they that say such things, declare plainly that they seek a country. Now all these worthy and excellent persons, 13 These all died in of whom I have here been speaking, died in faith, faith, not having renot having received the blessings exhibited in the but having seen them promises; but having seen them afar off, and hav- afar off, and were pering been fully persuaded [of them,] and embraced suaded of them, and em[them] with the most cordial affection, and fessed that they were greatest ardour of mind, and having, through the strangers and pilgrims whole course of their lives, confessed that they were strangers and sojourners on earth; as we know that these holy patriarchs, and some of their most eminent descendents did. (Gen. xxiii. 4; xlvii. 9; 1 Chron. xxix. 15; Psal. xxxix. 12; 14 cxix. 19. 54.) For they who say such things as these, and speak of themselves as strangers and pilgrims, plainly express that they seek a country, different from that in which they 15 dwell, when they use such language. And as for these excellent men, if indeed they had had been mindful of been mindful of that country from which they whence they came out, that country from come out, they might sure have had an opportuni- they might have had ty of returning to it; for they were a consider- opportunity to have able body, and they might have marched back returned: without the probability of meeting with any resistance, and might have expected a subsistence among the relations of their family, who were themselves in a prosperous state, and often expressed on proper occasions, their regard to these 16 their illustrious kinsmen. Now therefore it appears, that they were desirous of a better, that desire a better country, is, an heavenly [country o;] for there was no earthly country, which they seem to have been pursuing. And indeed this is the great excellence of their character, to be governed by such 'm In multitude as the stars of heaven, where be endeavours to account, consist- views 15 And truly if they 16 But now they that is, an heavenly: where. and calleth them all by their names, as if this were the peculiar prerogative of God. n Seek a country: walgida.] The original word is very emphatical; it signifies, as it were, a native country, or a country in which their father dwelt, and is opposed to that in which they were strangers and pilgrims. o Better country, that is, an heavenly.] The argument, according to the turn I have given it, is much the same with that which our Lord urges, Mat. xxii. 32. Reflections on the foregoing instances of faith. ashamed to be called 167 xvi. wherefore God is not views; therefore God determined to bestow this SECT. their God: for he hath happy land upon them, and he is not ashamed prepared for them a to be called their God, in such a peculiar manner, Heb. city. as he has assumed the title, because he hath pre- XL 16. pared them such a city as they sought; whereas if he had done nothing more for them than he did here upon earth, it would have been beneath his dignity to have professed that relation; as the title naturally imports something great and excellent, far beyond what these patriarchs received, and indeed what any can possibly receive in this mortal and transitory life. IMPROVEMENT. LET the many glorious examples of faith, which are here set Ver. before us, animate our souls to imitation, and excite in us a generous desire of acting upon that noble and sublime principle, without which it is impossible to please God. And O, may what 6 we call our faith be not merely a speculative and ineffectual assent 1 to the truth, even of the most weighty propositions; but a firm 2 persuasion of their certainty, and a deep conviction of their importance, that we also may obtain a good report. May we believe in God, as the former and support of universal 3 nature, as most assuredly existing, and as most bountifully reward. 6 ing all that seek him with sincerity and diligence. So shall our sacrifices be acceptable to him, as those of Abel were, while with him we look to that great sacrifice and atonement, of which his victim was the appointed representation. Like Enoch we shall 5 then be animated to walk with God, and favoured with Divine intercourse and communications. And though we cannot expect a translation like his, which should exempt us from the common lot of mortality, we shall be secure of admission into the paradise of God above, and in due time shall ascend to it in our complete per We shall then, like Noah, find our safety in the midst of a 7 dissolving world, and while sinners are condemned, be found the heirs of righteousness. While we wait for this happiness, let us endeavour to approve ourselves the genuine children of Abraham, the father of the faith-8 ful. Ever attentive to the Divine call, may we in obedience to it, be willing to go forth, though we do not particularly know whither; and with an intrepidity like his, may we even be ready to exchange worlds, at the command of God, ignorant as we are of what lies beyond the grave; thinking it enough, that we know it is a land which God hath promised as the inheritance of his children. It 10 is indeed a city that hath foundations, in comparison of which all the 168 By faith Abraham offered up Isaac: SECT. the most magnificent and established buildings of the children of men are but mean and moveable tents. xvi. Ver. God boasts in the title of its builder and maker, having formed and fashioned it for the highest displays of his glory and his love; and in reference to it, he is not ashamed to be called our God; for by bestowing it upon us, he answers all which, that high and 16 glorious title might import. May we ever desire this as our better country, and live as its citizens ought; confessing ourselves, in reference to it, to be pilgrims and strangers upon the earth. And though we here receive not the accomplishment of the promises, may we keep our eyes on the objects they exhibit, how distant soever they may seem; and being persuaded of them, may we embrace them; embrace them even with our dying arms, and breathe out our prepared and willing spirits, in full assurance that we are going to receive and possess them, SECT. SECT. XVII. The Apostle further dilates upon examples and instances of faith in HEBREWS XI. 17. VI HAVE already mentioned some glorious instances of the faith of Abraham, our illus HEBREWS XI. 17. Baithe when he was tried, up his only-begotten son; offered up Isaac: and Heb. trious progenitor; but I should be far from he that had received XI. 17. doing justice to my subject, if I were not to add the promises, offered another, the most celebrated of all. You will remember therefore, that it was by faith that Abraham was supported, when he was tried, in that most severe instance, and at the Divine command offered his son, his only son, Isaac, whom he loved; yea, he who had received the promises, which terminated not only in his seed, but in Isaac by name, offered his only-begotten [son,] in whom they so centred, that they must necessarily have failed if he had perished without any offspring. So that nothing seemed more difficult, on principles of common reason, than the reconciliation of the promise with the com18 mand. Even when he was destined to the altar, concerning whom it was said, In Isaac said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called, (Gen. xxi. 12,) yet his triumphant faith surmounted even such an obstacle, and it was as wise and rational as it was 19 pious and heroic: Reasoning within himself as he did, that God was able even to raise [him] God was able to raise from 18 Of whom it was shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that him |