[2.] The second circumstance in the text is the nature of the call, where there is a command to go out of his country, and a promise to come into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance.
(1.) For the command — 'To go out.' In Genesis the words are more emphatical — ' Get thee out of thy country, from thy kindred,
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and from thy father's house.' All which are cutting and killing words to flesh and blood ; to leave our dearest comforts, our nearest relations, or native soil. Go from thy country, saith God to him, a hard saying to flesh and blood. The soil in which we first drew breath seems to lay claim to a man's affections ; certainly by long custom it enchants us into a secret love, so that a homely cottage in our country seems sweeter than a palace in a strange land. It is very hard to part with things and places to which we are accustomed. What saith Austin, Dulcia limina, atque amahilem larem, quem et parenticni memoria, atqne ipsius ijifantice rudimenta confirmant? The sweet air where he was wont to converse with his father, friends, kinsfolk, must all these be left ? The smoke of our country seems more briglit and comfortable than fire in a strange place ; yet God saith to Abraham, Go out of thy country. It is harder to Abraham than to another because of his blood and birth, and because he had great possessions there. Many may leave their country out of necessity and inconvenience when it is not well with them, or so well as they could wish at home ; but to rich Abraham it is said. Go out of thy country. And it followeth, ' From thy kin- dred, and from thy father's house.' Go thou, or go thyself. Though he should have no company with him, yet he was to go out of that idolatrous place. If we must needs leave our native soil, yet it were some comfort to have some of our friends and companions with us to solace our exile and erect a new home and country ; but Abraham was to forsake all his kindred. He did indeed labour all that he could with his kindred to make them sensible of the oracle and command of God, but he could not prevail. Some of them he got as far as Charran the borders of Canaan. For God's command did not exclude them in case they would follow him, but in case they refused ; then Abraham was to go alone. Lot went with him throughout, and Terah his father as far as Charran, and there died : Gen. xi, 31, ' And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot, the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarah, his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife ; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan ; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.' And though there be no mention of Abraham's brother, yet certainly he went as far as Charran too, as may be collected from other places of scripture. But this is not all, it follows, ' Unto a land which I shall show thee.' Abraham was not acquainted with the fixed place of his abode, he had no visible, certain hopes upon his removal. It is irksome to leave our country and father's house ; but if it were for better conveniences, it might be digested ; but who would change a certainty for an uncertainty, and leave that which was in hand for wide and unknown hopes ? But thus it must be ; we must obey God, and not regard what flesh and blood can say to the contrary
[2.] For the promise — ' Unto a land which he should afterward receive for an inheritance.' Abraham did not follow God for nought, he was no loser by God, there was an inheritance ; but however, faith for a gi'eat while was to conflict with much difficulty, before he should receive the inheritance. Consider how God tried Abraham's faith in his promise. It was long ere the place of his inheritance was fixed, ere God told him Canaan should be the land. The command and the promise were first made to him in Ur of the Chaldees in Mesopotamia,
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before he dwelt in Charran, Acts vii. 2. Well Abraham depends upon this promise, goes towards Canaan from Charran. And when he comes into Canaan, he had not a foot of land : Acts vii. 5, ' Ho gave him no inheritance, no, not so much as to set his foot on : jet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as j'et he had no child.' The promise was to his posterity ; he had not one foot himself till he purchased the cave of Machpelah to bury his dead wife in. Well, if his posteiity might enjoy it, this was a comfort ; but yet, for a great while he had no seed. And when he had seed, Grod told him his seed was to be four hundred years in Egypt under miserable servitude and bondage, and then they should come and inherit the land. Acts vii. 6. And in the meantime the land was possessed with mighty kings, giants, men of renown and honour, but Abraham was a stranger there. All this is said to show that faith is contented with God's word ; it leaves God to the accomplishment of the promise, and minds present obedience. He went out, and that was a great trial ; and what was his encouragement ? the promise that he should receive it for an inheritance.