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. $3, 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 relâtion; for he hath prepared for them a city."

$2. First, (opeyovia) "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.

(Nov) now, is here an illative particle; and joined with (dɛ) but, signifies an adversative inference; they desired not a return into their country, but they desir ed an heavenly; they had an earnest active desire, which put them on all due ways and means to attain it. Slothful unactive desires 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.

That which they thus desired was (upalovos) a better

A

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." He doth not say, that he could be their

God, for that he was absolutely in the first call of Abraham; but that he would be so called, he would take that name and title to himself; so the word signifies, (Tabai, not vocari, but cognominari.) And the apostle respects what is recorded Exod. iii, 6-15. "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial to all generations." He assumes to himself this title, whereby he will be known and called on as by his own name. And this was the greatest honor that they could be made partakers of. He who is the greatest possessor of heaven and earth, the God of the whole world, of all nations and of all creatures, would be known, styled, and called on as their God in a peculiar manner, and distinguisheth himself thereby from all false gods whatever. It is true, he hath revealed himself to us by a far greater and more glorious name; he hath taken another title to himself, to the manifestation of his own glory, and the comfort of his church far above it; namely, "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Nevertheless, by reason of the covenant made with them, he is yet known by this name; and whilst it stands upon record, there is yet hope of their posterity being recovered from their present forlorn, undone condition.

$4. (Oun εTαιoXxvvela) he was not ashamed to be so called; to take that name upon himself. And sundry things are intimated in this expression; as,

1. Infinite condescension. Though it seem to be a thing infinitely beneath his glorious majesty, yet he is not ashamed of it. It is a condescension in God to behold the things that are done in heaven and earth,” Psalm cxiii, 5, 6. How much more doth he so hum ble himself in taking this title on him!

2. That it would be to him a matter of reproach. Innumerable gods were set up in opposition to him; all agreed to reproach and despise the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, three poor pilgrims on the earth. Whilst those idols multiplied to themselves great swelling titles of vanity, their best conceptions of him were, that he was "the unknown God." But notwithstanding all the reproaches and contempt of the world, God was not ashamed of them, nor of the title which he had assumed to himself; nor did he lay it aside till he had famished all the gods of the earth, and vindicated his own glorious being and power. But,

3. It is usual in such negative enunciations to include the contrary positive. So the apostle affirms that he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, Rom. i, 16; that is, he gloried in it, or the faith and knowledge of it was his honor, as he every where expressed himself. So God took this title to himself as his honor and glory. If it be asked, how it could be any glory to God? I answer; it was in virtue of this title, and to fill it up, he glorified his grace, his goodness, his truth, and power, above all he did besides in the world. He will be for a "crown of glory and a diadem of beauty" to his people, Isa. xxviii, 5; and his owning of them shall be their crown and diadem, they shall be a "crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of their God," Isa. lxii, 3. He will, by his Spirit and graces in them, make them his crown and diadem, which he will hold in his hand to shew it to all the world. Well therefore it is said, that, "he is not ashamed to be called their God."

$5. Thirdly, The ground and evidence of this privilege; "for he hath prepared for them a city." The words either give a reason why he was not ashamed