c'<'"ery man. It is addressed by various voices and at different times; to some it comes agnin and age.in; and it is variously treated by those who hear it, Be it ours liko Abraham to attentiYely hoar, heartily believe, and promptly obey the heavenly mandate. If we have belicvingly received the summons, let us not hesitate to go forward, though the wny be unknown to us. Complying with the Divine command the DiYine conduct will ne'<'"er fail us. ' II. JN ITS CO1''TINUED EXERCISE, NOTWITHSTANDING THE LONG-DELAYED FULFILMENT OF THE PROMISE. "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a stranue coun~ry," etc. ,vhen Abraham arrived in Canaan Jehovah appeared unto him, a;d promised to give that land to him and to his seed (Gen. xii. 7; xiii. 15, 17; xv. 18); yet he never possessed that land. Very forcibly is this fact stated by Stephen: "And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on : and he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child." Once in the life of Abraham the fact that he had no actual possession in that land was very forcibly and feelingly expressed. In his great and sacred sorrow by reason of the death of his beloved wife, he had to purchase a place in which to bury her mortal remains. "And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight." And he paid four huudred shekels of silver for the field and the cave of Machpelah for a possession of a burying-place (Gen. xxiii.). The points which we wish to bring out as taught in ver. 9 are these: 1. Though the land was promised to him, yet he never possessed it. "He sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country;" or, "as in a land not his own." 2. Though he dwelt in the land, it was as a stranger. He became a sojourner there, not a settler or a citizen. He had no home there. He did not attempt to build a fixed dwelling-place, but took up his abode in tents, which could easily and speedily he removed from place to place. 3. Yet he believed God-lived "by faith" in God and in his promise. Now, as Robertson says, "the surprising point is that Abraham, deceived, as you might almost say, did not complain of it as a deception; he was even grateful for the non-fulfilment of the promise; he does not even seem to have expected its fulfilment; he did not look for Canaan, but • for a city which had foundations;' his faith appears to have consisted in disbelieving the letter, almost as much as in believing the spirit of the promise." Abraham's life in Canaan as exhibited in the ninth verse may be viewed (1) as a picture of our life upon earth. There is no abiding-place for man in this world; and the Christian's treasure is in heaven, not upon earth; his inheritance also is not here, but is "reserved in heaven for" him. This part of Abra- ham's life may be viewed (2) as a=pattern for our life upon earth. We should emulate the spirit of the illustrious patriarch. "Seek the things that are above," etc. (Col. iii. 1, 2). IIL IN THE SUBLIME HOPE WHICH IT INBPmED. "For he looked for the city which bath the foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God." We must not attribute to Abraham views of the future state as full and clear as those which are unfolded in the "/ew Testament. Yet it is evident that the writer of this Epistle intended to teach that 1te and the other patriarchs expected the fulfilment of the promise of Canaan in some- thing higher than any earthly city. Abraham believed God's promise; but by faith he looked for even more than its literal fulfilment. His faith hoped for and anticipated a more glorious inheritance than the earthly Canaan, and a fairer, firmer, and diviner city than was ever designed by human skill or constructed by human strength. He looked forward to: 1. A state of social blessedness. "He looked for the city." A city is sug• .,.estive of society. In Canaan Abraham was a sojourner amongst strangers; he antici- ~ated being a citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem, and at home in congenial society. Heaven is a scene of the most delightful fellowships. 2. A state of permanent blessed- 'liess. "The city which hath the foundations." 'l'he inhabitants of the heavenly world are immortal; and their "inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled, and fadeth not away." '!'he crowus which the faithful wear in that high realm are "crowns of glory that fade not away." Its holy enjoyments are everlasting. 3. A state of Divine blesserlnesE, "Whose Builder," or Architect, "and Maker is God." As an edifice illustrates the mind of the architect and the character of the builder; so in the new Jerusalem will bo specially displayed the skill and the strength, the goodness and the glory, of the grca& en. xt. 1-40.) TH~ EPIS'l'LE TO 'l'HE lIEBREWS. 327
God. "He hath prepared for" his people this city. Its securities and snnctitics, it~ occupations and enjoyments, are all from him. "And he shall dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, their God." This 'state Abraham was eagerly expecting. 'l'he sublime hope of it sustained him in his earthly sojourn. To us a. fuller, clearer, brighter revelation of the future is given. If we have obeyed the Divine call and are following the Divine guidance, let us hold fast and cherish the inspiring hope of perfect holiness and perpetual blessedness, in "the city which bath the foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God."-W. J.