2. Hast thou the spirit of an heir ? What is the spirit of an heir ? Then—
[1.] Thy main care will be carried out to make the birthright sure. This will be the first and early design of the soul : Mat. vi. 33, ' Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof ; ' this is the great work you drive on in the world. All the children of (jrod cannot come to assurance, but they all labour after it ; and they make it their care to seek the kingdom of God, and make out their interest in him. A carnal man, if he can thrive and prosper in the way of his trade, he looks for no more, li.e gives God a discharge. But now an heir cannot be content till his title to the heritage be sure. Now can you live upon your reversion ; Avait in hope, and be godly without secular encourage- ment ? Servants must have wages, but an heir can live upon the reversion.
[2.] An heir will not easily part with his inheritance ; and therefore, have you honourable thoughts of your portion in Cln-ist, and of the con- solation of the Spirit. It is said of Esau, Heb. xii. 16, he was 'a pro- fane person, and for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.' It is the highest protaneness in the world to have cheap thoughts of the consola- tions of the Holy Ghost : Job xv. 9, ' Are the consolations of God small with thee ? ' It is not profaneness only to be drunk, whore, and commit adultery ; but the greatest profaneness is to have cheap thoughts of spiritual privileges. An heir values his birthright ; he is loath to sell the joy and comfort of his soul for carnal satisfactions and gratifications of the flesh. Nabotli would not part with his inheritance when the king comes to bai-gain with him : 1 Kings xxi. 3, ' The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.' So if thou art an heir, thou wilt not part with thy portion in Christ for so vile a matter as thriving in the world. Never part with the consolations of God for worldly pleasure.
[3.] An heir is much taken with his heritage, always looking for it when it will fall into his hands. Therefore men that build their nests in the world as if they never looked for a better portion, which lavish out their strength upon the world, and never send any messengers, any spies into the land of promise, never send a believing thought into heaven, they liave not the spirit of an heir : Rom. viii. 23, ' We ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies.' He that is a spiritual heir is always groaning, When shall I be with God and Christ, and he is feasting and entertaining his thoughts with suppositions of his future glory, and of the goodly heritage and portion that is made over to him in Christ ; he is waiting, groaning, and looking for it. If thy heart be not taken up herewith, so as to favour things above, it is a sign thou hast not the spirit of an heir.
224 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XL.
SEKMON XL.
By faith Abraham, when he loas called to go out into a place ivhich he should after receive for an inlieritance, obeyed ; and he luent out. not knowing ivhither he ivent. — Heb. xi. 8.
The scope of the npostle in this chapter is to prove that the doctrine of faith is an ancient doctrine and that faith liath been always exercised about things not seen, not liable to the judgment of sense and reason. He had proved both points by instances of the fathers before the flood, and now he comes to prove them by the examples of those that were eminent for faith after the flood. And in the first place he pitcheth upon Abraham — a fit instance ; he was the father of the faitlit'ul, and a person of whom the Hebrews boasted ; his life was nothing else but a continual practice of faith, and therefore he insisteth upon Abraham longer than upon any other of the patriarchs. The first thing for which Abraham is commended in scripture is his obedience to Grod, when he called him out of his country ; now the apostle shows this was an effect of faith.
In the words there are these circumstances —
1. The ground of Abraham's faith — When he ivas called.
2. The nature of that call — To go out into a 2-)lace which he should after receive for an inheritance. Wherein there is intimated a command and a promise : a command to go out of his country into a cei-tain place ; then a promise that he should afterward receive it for an inheritance.
3. The effect and influence of his faith upon that call — He obeyed, and ivent out.
4. The excellency and amplification of that obedience — Not knowing ivhither he loent.
[1.] For the ground of his faitli — ' Abraham, when he was called.' Some read it iriarTeL 6 KaXovjxevo^ 'A^paa/u., by faith he that was called Abraham obeyed. Abram's name was changed by special occasion. Now some of the fathers would make the apostle in this place to ascribe it to his faith. But this exposition would offer manifest violence to the words and scope of the apostle, we translate it better — ' By faith Abraham, when he was called,' for the apostle alludes to the call of God, -which is set down in the book of Genesis, chap. xii. 1, ' Now the Lord said to Abraham, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land which I shall show yon.' This was God's first call to Abraham, wherein he would exercise and try his faith. And this calling was not as the ordinary way of calling is now, by the ministry of man, but by some extra- orclinary vision and oracle, which was God's ancient way ; and there- fore it is said, Acts vii. 2, ' The God of glory appeared to our lather Abraham,' viz., in vision, and then gave him his call.