A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 44. Of Abraham's abiding in a strange Land.

THE aforesaid Land of promise is also called a 1.1 a strange Country.

This n•…•…un, Country, is not in the Greek. For this adjective, strange, hath reference to the former substantive, Land; and both these words, strange Land, are joyned together, Act. 7. 9. But Land and Country set forth one and the same thing. So as the true sense is rendred in our English.

The adjective translated strange, is the same that is turned others (Chap. 9. v. 25. §. 127. See there.)

That which is strange to one, is not his own. And he that is in a place which is not his own, is in a place strange to him: yea such as are not free of a place, and thereupon have no right thereto, are Strangers, Mat. 17. 25.

The Land or Country here intended, is called strange, in a double respect.

• 1. In reference to the Land of his nativity whence he came; For herein he* 1.2 had never been before: So as for the present it was strange to Abraham.
• 2. In reference to that possession which his Posterity had thereof in and after I•…•…huah's time. Abraham himself, and his Son, and Grandson, abode therein, but not as in their own Inheritance: For they sojourned among the People of the Land, who then were the proper Inhabitants thereof.

This particle b 1.3 As, doth much qualifie that epithite, strange. He doth not simply say, A strange Land, but As a strange Land: It was strange upon the grounds before mentioned; yet because he had a promise of it, and his Po∣sterity had the actual possession of it, it was but As a strange one. He had a true •…•…ght unto it, which was the gift of the great Possessor of Heaven and Earth, who hath all Lands to dispose as it pleaseth him.

Thus are we that believe on Christ, As Strangers in this world; and the places of our abode are as a strange Land to us: yet have we a good right to that which God by his providence bestows upon us.

It is further said, that Abraham dwelt there: The word translated c 1.4 dwelt, is a compound of the same d 1.5 simple verb, that was before translated e 1.6 so∣•…•…ed, §. 4. but with another preposition, which intends an abiding in a place, and is fitly translated, dwelt.

Though that particle f 1.7 As, having reference to Gods promise, doth much qualifie the matter, yet the Country being to Abraham himself, and that all his ca•…•…es, a strange Country, he could not but meet with many difficulties; at least he might fear many dangers, in regard of the Inhabitants of the Land where he then dwelt. Yet his Faith passed over all. For Faith overcomes all difficulties:* 1.8 and the Historie giveth instance of many that he met withall, whereby he was forced twice in a kind to deny his Wife, at least to dissemble her; both among the Egyptians, Gen. 12. 14, &c. and also among the Philistins, Gen. 20. 2, &c. He was also forced to arm all that were able in his House, and to get others to joyn with him, for rescuing of Lot. But in all these difficulties, his eye was on God that had promised that Land, and so his Faith remained in∣•…•…cible.

Notes

• a 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  What Strange signifieth.
• b 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• c 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• d 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• e 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• f 1.7

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.8

  Faith over∣cometh all difficulties.