[3.] His constancy. You may observe in Abraham an unwearied con- stancy in obeying God and believing his promises, though all things seemed contrary. He sojourned where God would have him, and waited for what God would give him. Observe, that true faith adhereth to God, though it find not what it believeth, but is often disappointed, and seeth no probability of the thing promised. Abraham leaveth Ur of the Chaldees ; had not a foot of land in Canaan ; sojourneth among the Canaanites ; thence by a famine is driven into Egypt ; is often burdened with envy ; at length is told that the land belongeth to his seed ; yet he remaineth without issue for a long time, till he was a hundred years old ;
Vers. 9, 10.] sermons upon Hebrews xi. 253
his seed tlireatened to suffer a long captivity, yet he hopeth against hope. Faith doth not look on the things promised, but on God ; if it alto- gether looked on the things promised, it would soon fail and wax faint. Abraham's case was just like David's ; the Canaanites were strong and mighty, and dwelt in cities, as wicked men, in David's time, when he was atiiicted, * prosper in the world, and increase in riches,' Ps. Ixxiii. 12 ; but yet read verses 23-26, ' ISTevertheless I am continually with thee ; thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth : but God is the strength my heart and my portion for ever.' They have God, and they have heaven, and thence ariseth this constancy of faith. Thus through all temptations must we be constant to the end. When difficulties arise, we think of returning into Egypt, still bear up.
Obj. But this is the property of strong faith.
Ans. No, but of all faith ; strong, faith overcometh temptations with less difficulty ; but yet weak faith, if true, persevereth to the end through a thousand temptations. The disciples were oXc^/ottlo-toi, of little faith ; yet saitii Christ to them, Luke xxii. 28, 29, ' Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me.' Now though we have not such clear grounds to hope as Abraham, yet we have God's promises, and his word is as sure as an oracle. We trust in the same God, and look for the same heaven ; therefore do not draw back, but continue with God, and own his cause in all trials.
Secondly, Let us look upon this expression of Abraham's sojourning in the land of promise as in a strange land ; as it implieth the disposi- tion of Abraham^s heart, and not only the condition of his life. Canaan was assigned to Abraham, not only as a place of trial, but as a figure and pledge of heaven ; therefore, because he expected a better country, and cities not built by the Amorites, but a city that hath foundations, built by God himself, therefore he is said to dwell there as in a strange country ; he looked for another home, and therefore in Canaan he lived as a stranger. Thus the expression is taken elsewhere. When Abraham's seed was in a settled condition, and had taken possession of that land of which Abraham had only the promise, God tells them they were but strangers and sojourners : Lev. xxv. 23, ' Tlie land shall not be sold for ever : for the land is mine ; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me ; ' not only the wandering patriarchs, who flitted from place to place, but their posterity, even in the time of their greatest happiness and settled abode. David was a king ; yet he saith, Ps. xxxix. 12, ' I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner as all my fathers were.' Now, lest this should seem an expression suited to David's case, when he was chased like a flea, or hunted like a partridge upon the mountains, you shall see ; when he was settled in his kingdom towards the end and close of his life ; when he had gotten so many victories, and his people lived quietly in their own possessions ; and they offered so many cart- loads of gold and silver, yet then he confesseth, 1 Chron. xxix. 15, ' We are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers : our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.' The land never enjoyed greater peace, never flowed in greater wealth ; the
254 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XLII.
people never seemed to be more at home, everyone sitting and singing under his own vine and fig-tree, yet saith he, ' We are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as all our fathers were.' So we are taught in the gospel, 1 Peter, ii. 11, ' Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.' They to whom Peter wrote were strangers in a literal sense : 1 Peter, i. ] , ' To the strangers scattered thoughout Pontus,' &c. But it is there taken in a spiritual sense, as appears by the exhortation. Out of all —