June 22

God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. - Hebrews 11:16.

IT is true that sometimes in his dealings with his people the Lord would seem to indicate that he has forgotten and forsaken them. But this is impossible; for he hath said, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Sometimes their enemies, seeing! them in their perplexities and difficulties, begin to insult them, and to ask, “Where is now thy God?” But, walking by faith and not by sight, they are enabled to answer, “We know where he is; we know that he is at the helm, steering us through the storm; we know that he is at the head of all concerns, making all things to work together for our good. He is turning the shadow of death into the morning, and is fulfilling his promise:- “I will bring the blind by a way which they know not, and I will lead them by paths which they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight: these things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”

Having himself condescendingly and graciously entered into such a relation with his people as to become their God, we may be assured he will never do any thing unworthy of it; and therefore the apostle here says, “God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he hath prepared for them a city;” as if he should say, Though God does much for his people here, he would be ashamed to be known as their God, he would be ashamed of the relation in which his people have been induced to confide and glory, unless he did more for them hereafter. Another system, therefore, must be spread abroad for its development. Time is too short, and this world too narrow, for the dignified relation to be glorified and exemplified in. Glory must succeed grace, eternity must succeed time, another world must succeed this; and thus, according to his promise, “we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Then the relation in all the munificence of it will be displayed. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.” But they shall in due time be displayed and realized.