pilgrims on the earth; this is their home, although they are but ordinarily provided for. Much less are they so who have an affluence of all things to their satisfaction, though they sometimes meet with a pinch or loss. They only are so, who live always in a sense of such wants as this world cannot supply.

VERSE 15.

And truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

$1, The words an answer to an objection that might be raised. §2. The objection fully answered. §3. Observations.

§1. WHEREAS these patriarchs thus expressed their desire of a country, and diligently sought after it, was it not because they had lost their own country, their relations and enjoyments? Was it not, because of the difficulties of a wandering course of life, a desire to return home again, where they might have quiet habitations? No, for,

§2. 1. They had a country of their own, to which they might have gone; Ur of the Chaldees, Gen. xi, 32; called also Mesopotamia, Acts vii, 2; Gen. xxiv, 10; the country on the other side of the flood, Josh. xxiv, 2.

2. They departed from it upon the command of God, and not for want, nor to increase their riches; nor were they driven out by external force or persecution, but went in an obediental compliance with the call of God; and this secured them from all desires of a return.

3. In their profession of being strangers and pilgrims, they had not respect to this country; for (ɛi εμvμovεvov) if they had been mindful; that is, remembered it with a mind and desire after it, they might 24

VOL. IV.

have had an opportunity of returning. It is natural for all men to remember and desire their own country; nothing is more celebrated among the ancients, nor more illustrated by examples, than the love of men to their own country, and their fervent desire after it.

But this love, this desire after their native country, was mortified in these holy persons by faith, acting in obedience to the call of God; so that no remembrance of their first enjoyments, no impressions from their native air and soil, no bonds of consanguinity among the people, nor difficulties they met with in their wanderings, could kindle in them any peculiar love and attachment to their native place. "They minded it not." Besides,

4. That they had not respect to this country, in the profession they made, the apostle proves from hence, that they might have returned to it, if they had been desirous of it. If this were their object, why should they thus complain, when they might have gone home when they would?

(Eixov av xaipov) they might have had an opportunity; or, as some copies read, only (exov) they had, which better expresseth the mind of the apostle; for not only they might have had, but they really had sundry opportunities of returning. For from the call of Abraham to the death of Jacob there were two hundred years; so that they had time enough for a return if they had had a mind to it; there was no external difficulty in their way by force or opposition; the way was not so far, but that Abraham sent his servant thither out of Canaan; and Jacob went the same journey with his staff. But they gave sundry evidences also that they would not, on any opportunity, return thither, Gen. xxiv, 5, 6; and therefore it could not be that with respect to which they professed

themselves to be strangers and pilgrims; that was not the country which they sought and desired.

§3. Hence observe:

1. It is in the true nature of faith to mortify not only corrupt and sinful lusts, but our natural affections and inclinations, though in themselves innocent, if they are any way uncompliant with duties of obedience to the commands of God. Yea, herein lies the principal trial of the sincerity and power of faith, Our lives, parents, wives, children, houses, possessions, our country, are the principal, proper, lawful objects of our natural affections. But when any of them stand in the way of God's command, if they are hindrances to the doing or suffering any thing according to his will, faith does not only mortify, and take off that love, but gives us a comparative hatred of them, Matt. x, 37; Luke xiv, 26; John xii, 25.

2. When the hearts and minds of believers are fixed on things spiritual and heavenly, it will take them off from inordinate cleaving to things otherwise greatly desirable.

VERSE 16.

But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly, Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.

$1. Connexion and design. The subject stated. $2. First, what their faith was exercised in. $s, 4. Secondly, the consequent of it. $5. Thirdly, the ground and evidence of their privilege. §6, Observations.

§1. THE apostle here draws another inference wherein he expresseth the real object of their faith and desires, with the great advantage and dignity which they obtained therein.

"But now," &c. Here we see what was the acting of their faith in that confession they made, that they

were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For it was not a mere complaint of their state and condition; nor a desire after any other earthly country; but it must be a country of another sort that they desired and fixed their faith upon, "that is an heavenly."

There are three things in the words,

1. What their faith was exercised in, under the profession which they made; they "desired a better country, that is, an heavenly.'

2. What was the consequent thereof; "God is not ashamed to be called their God."

3. The ground and evidence of that professed relation; for he hath prepared for them a city."

$2. First, (opeyoula) "they desire a better" in the midst of the world, and against the world, which contemns things future and invisible in comparison of those which are of present enjoyment, they lived in a desire and expectation of a future, invisible, heavenly country. And in this profession, testimony is borne to the truth and excellency of divine promises.

(Nuv) now, is here an illative particle; and joined with (de) but, signifies an adversative inference; they desired not a return into their country, but they desired an heavenly; they had an earnest active desire, which put them on all due ways and means to attain it. Slothful unactive desirès after things spiritual and heavenly, are of little use to the souls of men. And this kind of earnest desire includes a sense of want and dissatisfaction in things present; just apprehension of the worth and excellency of the things desired; a sight of the way and means whereby it may be attained, without which all desire will quickly fade and fail. Such a desire in any is an evidence of faith working in a due manner.

i

That which they thus desired was (npalovos) a better

country. Was it a country better in degrees, with better air, better soil; more fruitful, more peaceable? No; but a country of another kind, that is, an heavenly.

He had before declared, that they looked for "a city that had foundations, whose framer and builder is God," ver. 10. Here he expresseth where and what that city is, viz. heaven itself, or an habitation with God in the everlasting enjoyment of him.

The apostle here clearly ascribeth to the holy patriarchs a faith of immortality and glory after this life, and that in heaven above with God himself, who prepared it for them; whereas if we believe the papists, they were deceived in their expectation, and fell into a limbus they know not where. Again, if our inspired author proves not that their faith wrought in the desire and expectation of heavenly things, he proves nothing at all to his purpose. Or shall we think, that those who were testified unto, that they lived by faith, walked with God, gave themselves continually to prayer and meditation, denied themselves as to all worldly accommodations, and whose faith produced inimitable instances of obedience, rose no higher in their faith, hope, desire, and expectations, than to those earthly things, wherein their posterity were to have no share, comparable to that which many of the worst enemies of God possessed; the whole of it being at this day one of the most contemptible provinces of the Turkish empire? I no way doubt, but on the promise of the blessed seed, they lived in that faith of heaven and glory, which some that oppose their faith were never acquainted with.

$3. Secondly, The consequent or effect of their faith, acting itself in their earnest desires of an heavenly country, is, that "God is not ashamed of being called their God." Ile doth not say, that he would be their