Canaan, styled the Land of Promise, that dom, and immutable counsel of God. 2. By the maker and builder of it, God; he is the contriver, framer, and erecter of this city; and as he is the maker, so he is the disposer of it also; please God, and he will give it thee, none can give it thee without him, and he will never give it thee without pleasing of him. 11 Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Our apostle having spoken of Abraham's faith before, makes an honourable mention of his wife Sarah's faith here. It is a blessed thing when husband and wife are one in the faith, as well as one flesh; when the constant companion of our life draws with us in the same yoke of religion. Note, 1. The person whose faith is here commended, Sarah herself, a woman, a barren woman, and a barren woman well stricken in age; a woman weak in sex may be strong in faith. Though Sarah at first laughed, yet she afterwards firmly believed. And the apostle takes no notice of the former, but applauds the latter. Oh! with what great indulgence doth God cover the failings of his children, but proclaims aloud their graces to the world! Men do not thus: they will overlook all that is good in others, and report only what is amiss. Sarah's laughing, Rahab's lie, Job's impatience, are not mentioned, but their graces are remembered. Who would not serve such a gracious master, that winks at our failings, but accepts and rewards our weak services and sincere graces? Note, 2. The commendation and fruit of Sarah's faith, she received by it strength and ability for conception; probably she recovered her youthful vigour, and received a general restoration of nature, to an ability for all its primitive operations, which was before decayed by age; she received strength to conceive sced when past age. Learn, That it is the property of faith to expect a blessing absolutely above the use of means, when we have a particular and special warrant from God so to do, as Sarah had in this case. Note, 3. The ground of Sarah's faith, Because she had judged him faithful that had promised; that is, she resolved her faith into, and rested upon, the veracity of God in the accomplishment of the promise, which is the proper and immediate object of faith. Learn, That wher ever we exercise and put forth faith, we must take care and be sure that we have a promise to exercise it upon, otherwise it is not faith, but fancy; God's promise, and not God's power, is the ground of faith; it is not what God can do, but what he will do, and what he has engaged and promised to do, that is the ground of faith; he can quench all the fire in hell; but where has he said he will do it? She judged him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea-shore innumerable. These words acquaint us with that gratuitous remuneration and gracious reward which God gave Abraham and Sarah, as the fruit of their faith, namely, the blessing of a numerous posterity; there sprang of them, and both of them as good as dead, with reference to the procreation of children, a numerous issue like the stars of heaven, and the sand of the sea. Hence learn, That the God of nature, at his own pleasure, works things above the power of nature in its ordinary efficacy and operations; by weak and dead means he often produces mighty effects. Learn, 2. That whatever difficulties and oppositions lie in the way of the accomplishing of God's promises, they shall have an assured accomplishment on God's part, if faith be kept up in lively exercise on our part. 13 These all died in faith, That is, all the before-mentioned saints, Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah, they all died in the faith of the promised Messiah, believing he should come, and expecting salvation by his coming. It is not enough for a christian to live in the faith, but he must also die in the faith; and to die in the faith is an honourable happy manner of dying; it is a greater happiness to die in the Lord, than to die for the Lord; if a man die for the Lord, and be not in the Lord, he is not blessed in his death: a man may die for the Lord's cause, yet not for the Lord's sake, but out of vain glory. -Not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Observe here, The great trial which the faith of the Old-Testament saints was put unto: they died, not having received the promises; that is, they went to their graves before the great blessings God had promised were accomplished. Faith is contented with the promise, though it wants actual possession of the good things promised. God would have believers in all ages of the church to live by faith, and promises not actually performed: and it is a great honour to God, when we are ready to die, to go to the grave with assurance, and to profess our confidence that God will make them good: These all died not having received the promises. Yet observe, The actings and exercise of their faith towards these promises, which they had not yet received in their accomplishment: 1. They saw them afar off: at a great distance: it is the property of faith to eye the blessings promised at a distance; so that no distance of time or place can weaken faith as to the accomplishment of divine promises. 2. They were persuaded of them: this imports the mind's satisfactory acquiescing in the truth of God for the accomplishing of his promises; a firm persuasion of the truth of God's promises, and a quiet waiting for the accomplishment of them at a great distance, is an eminent fruit of faith. 3. They embraced them; the word signifies, they saluted and hugged them. Whence note, That faith is an act of the will, as well as of the understanding; there is in faith adherence as well as assent; an embracing as well as a persuasion; the heart cleaves to the promise with love, delight, and complacency. And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth; so they were in outward condition, wandering from place to place; so they were in affection and disposition, looking upon this world as their pilgrimage, and heaven as their home and proper country, because thence they are born; there lies their inheritance, there are all their kindred, there is their longest abode. Christians should not only account, but confess themselves pilgrims, and discover it by their journeying and mending their pace heavenward. 14 For they that say such things, declare plainly that they seek a country. 15 And truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might As if the apostle had said, "They that was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises, offered up his only-begotten son, 18 Or whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. The next person instanced in, for the fame of his faith, is Abraham, who was deservedly styled the father of the faithful; him God tries in a very extraordinary manner, by putting him upon offering up his son Isaac. Where note, That where God gives much grace, he tries grace much; the greater the faith, the greater the trial; strong faith must prepare for strong trials. Here Abraham's faith was tried, whether he would depend upon God's promise above reason; his obedience was tried, whether he would yield to God's command against nature; his love was tried, whether his affection was not more warm towards his son than to his God; and his fear was tried, whether he did reverentially acknowledge and stand in awe of God, by adoring his sovereignty and dominion over him. Trials are the best touchstone of faith; without which men will want the best evidence of its sincerity: and great trials in believers are an evidence of great faith. Observe farther, The excellency of Abraham's faith and obedience upon this trial: he offered up his son Isaac: that is, he did it in part, and was ready to have done it thoroughly, had not God countermanded him. Learn hence, That where there is a divine command obliging us to obedience, it is the wisdom and duty of faith to close its eyes against all insuperable difficulties and dangers. Abraham objected not against the horrid nature of the command to kill a son, his own son, his only son, the son of the promise, but deliberately, and upon due consideration, was ready to execute what God required. Lord! what a strong faith was here, fortified with an impregnable resolution, that could make Abraham hold out three days against the violent assaults of his own nature, and the charming presence of his son, enough to melt his heart; yet nothing made him stagger in his duty, but he performs a most miraculous act of obedience, in defiance of all difficulties. Observe, lastly, The fruit and success of Abraham's faith: he believed God could 17 By faith Abraham, when he and would raise Isaac from the grave, and he receives him again in a figure, as one snatched out of the very jaws of death. There is no such way to enjoy the continuance of an earthly comfort, as by resigning it up to God; Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. Note, That there is a blessing by way of prayer, and a blessing by way of prophecy, foretelling what shall befall persons in time to come; of this kind is Isaac's blessing. The patriarchs were in a peculiar manner directed and guided by God, and their blessing was a conferring of a right to the parties blessed. Thus Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come, that is, concerning the great and future things which should happen to their posterity after them. Note here, Esaus, wicked men, have their portion in outward blessings as well as Jacobs, as well as the best and holiest of men; partly, as they are God's creatures, partly as they descend from parents in covenant with God, and partly because they make some profession of the name of God. And God will be behindhand with none, but so far as they do good they shall see good. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. Observe here, in dying Jacob, the frame and carriage of holy men in their dying seasons to bless their children, and worship their God. Jacob blessed Joseph and his two sons, laying hold on the covenant made with Abraham. It is no small privilege to be born of parents taken into visible covenant with God, and no small comfort, when God comes to take such parents away from us, to have the benefit of their blessings and prayers. Jacob, when dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph: and as he blessed them, so he worshipped God with religious worship, and in a devout manner, leaning upon the top of his staff. Learn hence, That our addresses to God ought to be exceedingly reverent, both as to the frame of our souls, and also to the gesture of our bodies; we cannot always be affectionate in prayer, for affection depends upon the vigorous motions of the bodily spirits; but we should always be reverent and serious in prayer, otherwise it is no worship. Learn farther, That where faith gives a willing mind, bodily infirmities shall be no let and hinderance from duty. 22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones. Here we have a two-fold instance of Joseph's faith when dying. 1. He made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; he said unto his brethren, Behold I die, but God shall bring you unto the land which he hath sworn unto your fathers. See how the good man dies in the faith of the promise. Thence learn, That it is of singular use and great advan tage to the church, that such believers as have been eminent in profession, should in their dying moments testify their faith in the promises of God; so did Jacob before, so did Joseph now. The second instance or evidence of Joseph's faith was, that he gave commandment concerning his bones; that is, he took an oath of his brethren that they should carry his bones out of Egypt, and bury them in Canaan, thereby owning and professing himself to be of the posterity of Abraham; and thereby also encouraging the faith and expectation of his brethren and their posterity to hope for their deliverance out of Egypt, and be put into the possession of the promised land: so that it is evident that there was faith, much faith, showed by Joseph in disposing of his bones. The papists' plea from hence for paying veneration to their relics, is weak and contemptible: this was a special charge given in faith to do what was done; and to shut them up in a coffin, and decently bury Now to take them, was all that was done. example, from hence, to dig men's bones out of their graves, to enshrine them and place them upon altars, to carry them in procession, to adore them, to ascribe miraculous operations to them, casting out devils and the like, is fond and ridiculous. 23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. In these words the faith of Moses's pa : rents is celebrated the birth of Moses fell out in the very height and fury of Pharaoh's persecution, when the king had given commandiment to destroy all the male children; Moses was then born, and hid by his parents, and preserved as a deliverer of the church of God. Oh! how blind are all the persecutors and opposers of the church of God! When they think all things secure, and their counsels so deeply laid that God himself cannot deliver out of their hands, then doth the Almighty lay in provision for his church's deliverance, and their destruction. Now was Moses, a deliverer, born and hid. But observe a double cause of Moses' hiding: the first external, they saw he was a proper child: they had a persuasion that God would provide a person to be their deliverer; and they saw something divine in Moses to stir up their faith, and raise their expectation, that he might be the person. The second, the internal and moving cause: They were not afraid of the king's commandment, or bloody decree. Learn hence, 1. That the commands of kings and princes have oft-times been a very great trial to the children of God; so was Nebuchadnezzar's command to worship the golden image, and such was Pharaoh's command here. Learn, 2. That kings and princes must not be obeyed in things contrary to the word of God: obedience with out reserve is to be paid to none but God. They were not afraid of the king's commandment. 24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter: 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. The next person whom our apostle instances in, is Moses himself, whose faith and self-denial were most evidently conspicuous in all the instances of them. Observe, 1. His great self-denial, with all the enhancing circumstances of it: When he came to years, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Note here, 1. The circumstance of time, When he came to years; it was no childish act, when he knew not what he did, but when he came to age and understanding; nay, farther, this was when Moses was newly come to age, in the prime and vigour of his time, when he had just began to taste the sweetness of youthful pleasures. The world appears a dead and dry thing in the winter of old age, but looks green and beautiful in the spring of youth: but Moses, when come, just come, to years, refused it. Note, 2. The circumstances of his education; he had been bred from a child in a princely way and manner, he never knew what belonged to a low estate: those that never had much, forsake but little when they forsake all; want will never much pinch those who never understood plenty; but those who have enjoyed fulness all their days, for them to stoop voluntarily from the height of ease and honour, to the depth of affliction and hardship, is admirable. Thus did Moses; he refused honour, and chose affliction. Note, 3. The circumstance of his obligations; Pharaoh's daughter had saved his life, adopted him for her son, given him princely breeding, He was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians: and set her heart upon him as her own. However, Moses breaks through all, and away he goes. But whither went he? Why, to a company of poor bond-men, labouring at the brick-kilns, to take his lot of suffering with them. Note, 4. The circumstance of his expectations; how very fair and certain a prospect he had of enjoying the crown of Egypt; he did not refuse it because he despaired of attaining it, for he was an adopted heir unto it. Note, lastly, That all this was not a rash and sudden determination, but a deliberate and advised choice, Acts vii. 23. St. Stephen said he made this choice when he was full forty years old; that is, when he was of ripest judgment, and in the height of prosperity and reputation: he did not only, as Josephus says, at three years old cast a crown, given him for a play-toy, to the ground, and trample it under his feet; but, as the apostle says here, when he came to be a man, he treated it with no more respect, but refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Behold here Moses' faith, and eminent self-denial, in choosing rather to suffer affliction with the worshippers of the true God, than to gain a kingdom by renouncing God and his holy religion. From whence learn, That faith is a grace which will teach and enable a person openly to renounce all worldly ad |