3. That is the crowning act of faith, the great trial of its vigor and wisdom,-what it doth in our dying.

4. Hence it is, that many of the saints, both of old and of late, have evidenced the most triumphant actings of faith in the approach of death.

5. The due understanding of the whole Old Testament, with the nature of the faith and obedience of all the saints under it, depends on this one truth-that they believed things that were not yet actually exhibited nor enjoyed. This is the line of life and truth, that runs through all their profession and duties. Christ in the promise, even before his coming, was the life of the church in all ages.

6. God would have the church from the beginning of the world to live on promises not actually accomplished. For although we do enjoy the accomplishment of the great promise of the incarnation of the Son of God, yet the church continues still to live on promises, which in this world cannot be perfectly fulfilled.

7. We may receive the promises as to the comfort and benefit of them, when we do not actually receive the things promised.

8. As our privileges in the enjoyment of the promises are above theirs under the Old Testament, so our faith, thankfulness, and obedience ought to excel theirs also.

9. No distance of time or place can weaken faith as to the accomplishment of divine promises. There are still left us upon record, some promises that are, it may be, afar off; such as those which concern the destruction of antichrist, and the glory of the kingdom of Christ in the latter days. The rule of faith concerning them is given us, Heb. ii, 3, 4.

10. Quiet waiting for the accomplishment of prom

ises at a great distance, and which most probably will not be in our days, is an eminent fruit of faith. He that believeth will not make haste.

11. This firm persuasion of the truth of God in the accomplishment of his promises to us, upon a discovery of their worth and excellency, is the second act of faith, wherein the life of it doth principally consist.

12. This avowed renunciation of all other things besides Christ in the promise, and the good will of God in him, as to the repose of any trust or confidence in them for our rest and satisfaction, is an eminent act of that faith whereby we walk with God; Jer. iii, 23; Hos. xiv, 3, 4.

VERSE 14.

For they that say such things, declare plainly that they seek a country.

$1. The words an inference from their foregoing account; the exposition. $2, Obs. 1. The proper way of interpreting Scripture is to consider the words. themselves, with relation to the persons speaking, and all their circumstances. $3. 2. Some Scripture proofs are uncontrollably evident only from a due regard to peculiar circumstances.

§1. FROM the profession of these patriarchs, that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth, the apostle makes an inference from what is contained. therein.

"For they that say such things," &c. (Oi yap) for they, be they who they will, that speak such things as these sincerely; or, these persons in their circumstances saying such things, as recorded in scripture (EuPavil8o1v) declare plainly; they make it manifest to all, that they did seek a country, or "a city for themselves," as the Syriac expresseth it; (E) they diligently inquired after it, as the word signifies. There is an entrance in these words on a train of evident

consequences.

From their profession he concludes that they desired a country; and if they did so, it must be either that from whence they came, or some other: that from whence they came it could not be, for the reason he assigns; and if some other, it must be a bet ter than either that from whence they came, or that where they were; which could be no other but an heavenly country, that is, heaven itself.

§2. Obs. 1. This is the genuine and proper way of interpreting scripture; when, from the words themselves, considered with relation to the persons speaking them, and all their circumstances, we declare what was their determinate mind and sense. And on the due apprehension of the literal sense of the words themselves, the studious exercise of reason, in all proper ways of arguing, is required.

§3. Obs. 2. The inference of the apostle from these words of the patriarchs is so evident and uncontrollable, that he affirms themselves to declare plainly, what he declares to be their sense contained in their words. And indeed, take the words precisely, without a consideration of the mind wherewith, the circumstances in which, and for what end they were spoken, they do not express any peculiar act or fruit of faith. For the very heathen had an apprehension that this life is but a kind of pilgrimage. But under their circumstances, there must be another sense in the words. For they speak them not as the common condition of mankind, but as their peculiar portion in the world, with respect to the promises of God. Most men meet with, and are sensible of sundry wants; yet they are such as may be supplied in the place where they are; and their great desire with their utmost endeavor is, that they may be here supplied. Such persons, be they never so poor, sɔ indigent, so harborless, are not

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 objeetion fully answered. §3. Observations.

$1. WHEREAS these patriarchs thus expressed their desire of a country, and diligently sought after it, was ît 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 habita tions? 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 pil grims, they had not respect to this country; fór (ɛi Exporevov) if they had been mindful; that is, remem bered it with a mind and desire after it, they might

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 ay naipov) 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 opportu nity, return thither, Gen. xxiv, 5, 6; and therefore it could not be that with respect to which they professed