SERMON XXI.

THE PILGRIM.

HEB. XI. 13.

These all died in faith 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.

The apostle, in this chapter, was pointing out to the Hebrews the various operations and fruits of faith in the saints of old. A prompt obedience to the commands of God, renunciation of the world, and trust in the promises, were among the most prominent of these. "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.-These all died in faith 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.-By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.-And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Samson and of Jephthae, of David also and Samuel and of the prophets; who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.— And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise."

This was the character and condition of the ancient saints, those favorites of heaven of whom the world was not worthy. They were destitute of worldly good. They were despised, forsaken, persecuted. But they regarded it not, for they felt

themselves not at home, but strangers and pilgrims on the earth. The world was not the portion they sought, but they "looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." I shall,

I. Inquire what it is to feel and conduct ourselves as strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

II. Suggest some reasons for doing this.

III. Urge the duty of believing and trusting in the promises of God.

I. What is it to feel and conduct ourselves as strangers and pilgrims on the earth?

A Christian's pilgrimage is a journey to heaven. To feel and conduct ourselves as strangers and pilgrims on the earth, then, is to feel and conduct ourselves as not being at home in the flesh, but as travelling on a journey to the world above. It is to tread the world beneath our feet and to soar to heaven in our affections. A wise pilgrim will not encumber himself with a load of toys which will only impede his progress towards home; which, instead of adding to his enjoyments, will only perplex him on his journey; and which at last he cannot carry into his Father's house to possess, but must lay down and leave at the threshold. A stranger on earth, if he is wise, will not expend his all in procuring the riches of the country, and in storing up an encumbrance of goods which he cannot carry with him when he returns, as he shortly must, to his native land. His principal object will be, (besides those temporary supplies which will support him by the way,) to lay in copiously those riches VOL. 11.

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which he can carry with him when he returns to his abiding habitation. As he is only passing through the country on a pilgrimage to a distant realm, he will not suffer all his affections to be engrossed by the transient objects which present themselves by the way; but his attention will be principally turned to the pursuit of his journey to the destined land. He will not be disposed, upon every freak and at every difficult passage, to turn back to the land of sorrow he has left behind; but will imitate the pilgrims of old who were unmindful of the country from which they came out, though "they might have had opportunity to have returned." He will not lay aside the manners of the country where he hopes to spend his days, and assume the manners of the uncultivated tribes through which he is passing. He will obey the direction not to be conformed to the world. He will not perplex his mind by interesting himself in all the petty cares of the men he sees in his way; but as Christ cleansed the temple of worldly objects, so he will cleanse his heart, which is the temple of God, of worldly attachments and cares. He knows he cannot cleave to these and pursue his journey, since he cannot serve both God and mammon. He will not be anxious to know what this or that man whom he meets on his journey says of him, or how he likes his appearance, since he only passes by him and is gone to be seen by him no more. If all the country through which he passes is disgusted at his foreign air and strangeness of appearance, it affects him not; since he is at once beyond their reach, and is soon to enter a