Hebrews 11:14

The advantages that we have in the gospel for the exercise of this grace above what those had who lived in the times of the Old Testament,

Declare plainly that they seek a country - A man’s country is that in which he has constitutional rights and privileges; no stranger or sojourner has any such rights in the country where he sojourns. These, by declaring that they felt themselves strangers and sojourners, professed their faith in a heavenly country and state, and looked beyond the grave for a place of happiness. No intelligent Jew could suppose that Canaan was all the rest which God had promised to his people.

Believers are a class by themselves, even when they die. It is idle to think that we can mark out a spot in the cemetery where none but saints shall sleep, but yet there is a truth at the bottom of that folly. There is a separation even in death between the righteous and the wicked. The Lord seems to erect a mausoleum in which lie asleep the bodies of His people and He writes this epitaph across the front, "THESE ALL DIED IN FAITH." As for those who died without faith, they indeed, died.

For--proof that "faith" (Heb 11:13) was their actuating principle. declare plainly--make it plainly evident. seek--Greek, "seek after"; implying the direction towards which their desires ever tend. a country--rather as Greek, "a fatherland." In confessing themselves strangers here, they evidently imply that they regard not this as their home or fatherland, but seek after another and a better.

Summary of the characteristic excellencies of the patriarchs' faith died in faith--died as believers, waiting for, not actually seeing as yet their good things promised to them. They were true to this principle of faith even unto, and especially in, their dying hour (compare Heb 11:20).

Believers are a class by themselves, even when they die. It is idle to think that we can mark out a spot in the cemetery where none but saints shall sleep, but yet there is a truth at the bottom of that folly. There is a separation even in death between the righteous and the wicked. The Lord seems to erect a mausoleum in which lie asleep the bodies of His people and He writes this epitaph across the front, "THESE ALL DIED IN FAITH." As for those who died without faith, they indeed, died. But as for His people, a glorious resurrection awaits them— "They sleep in Jesus and are blest, How kind their slumbers are." The characteristics of God's people are peculiar to themselves. They are all alike in that they all lived and all died in faith. They were not all equally believers, for some were strong in faith, and others were weak—but they all had faith and it continued in them even to the end so that, without exception—"these all died in faith." We will speak, first, of dying in faith. Secondly, of the faith according to which they died. Thirdly, of living by faith, for that is mentioned in the text, "They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." And then, fourthly, of the faith by which they lived—"For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a country." I. First, then, here is DYING IN FAITH. What does it mean? Does it not mean that when they came to die they had not faith to seek, but having had faith in life, they had faith in death? I will pronounce no opinion upon deathbed repentance. I have heard judgments far too sanguine. I have heard verdicts far too severe. Where we know little, we had better say little, but this much I may say—I would not like to lie upon a sickbed, much less upon my deathbed and have a Savior to seek there! The pains and dying strife are usually enough to occupy a man's thoughts.

For they that say such things ... - That speak of themselves as having come into a land of strangers; and that negotiate for a small piece of land, not to cultivate, but to bury their dead. So we should think of any strange people coming among us now - who lived in tents; who frequently changed their residence; who became the purchasers of no land except to bury their dead, and who never spake of becoming permanent residents. We should think that they were in search of some place as their home, and that they had not yet found it. Such people were the Hebrew patriarchs. They lived and acted just as if they had not yet found a permanent habitation, but were traveling in search of one.