Two discourses I. of the punishment of sin in hell, demonstrating the wrath of…

2. Paul's Collection from the same Promise, is, That God had provided in the mean time for Abraham's Soul afore the Resurrection, a City, and an House therein for him. Thus Heb. 11. 16. But now they desire a better Country, that is, an heavenly: ⟨p. 323⟩wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a City. To give light to this, Paul had represented the Story and Case of Abraham, and the rest of the Patriarchs, in the verses afore, to have been this; That God had indeed promised the Land of Canaan to him and them, ver. 8, 9. whereupon, ver. 13. it is said, That these all died in Faith, not having received the Promises, being Strangers in the Land; yea, not having a foot of Land in the Land of Promise, as Stephen speaks, Acts 7. 5, 6, 7. And also Paul, in the 9th verse of this Heb. 11. Now then, when they died, what was it their Faith expected in stead thereof? The 10th verse tells us, He looked for a City whose Maker and Builder is God. From which compared, observe, That when he died, his Faith was thus pitched to look for this City, in stead of that Land of Canaan promised. This was the expectation of their Faith on their part. Well, but how doth it appear, that this flowed from God's having professed himself to be the God of Abraham, &c. his Reward, and his Friend? You have this clear in the 16th verse, where you have the whole summed up as the Conclusion of the Story, and as the proof and ground hereof; but now they desire ⟨p. 324⟩a better Country, that is, an heavenly: there is their faith and expectation when they should come to die. Then it follows, Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a City; which spoken in full answer to that their expectation at their deaths, to show, that God in professing himself to be their God, he had thereby engaged himself according to his own intent in that promise, to make this provision for them at their death: The words are express, Wherefore God is not ashamed; what should this mean in this Coherence, but that his declaring himself to be their God, did import and carry this with it, That he had provided this Estate for them at their death, even an heavenly; and, that otherwise (as the Apostle glosseth upon it) he had not come up unto the amplitude of, nor filled full this covenanted Engagement and Profession of His being their God.