V. 16.— But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city. It is apparent from their history that they desired a better country, even an heavenly, and God had prepared for them a city. Here we are expressly taught that the attention of the patriarchs was directed to a better, even a heavenly country, and that God had provided for them a city, which is elsewhere described as having foundations, whose builder and maker is God. This is illustrated by our Lord putting to silence the Sadducees, who denied that there was a resurrection, by quoting God's declaration to Moses, in which He describes Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He would have been ashamed of describing Himself as standing to them in this relation had He bestowed on them nothing better than this world can afford. An earthly king would be ashamed of any of his near relations being placed in a low or subordinate situation. And the King of kings would have been ashamed of permitting him whom he acknowledges as His friend, and whom He had promised to bless, to be put off with the perishing enjoyments of this present life. God is unchangeable, the same yesterday, today, and for ever; and the relation between Him and those to whom He described Himself as standing in the relation of a God must be eternal, not confined to the brief period of our present life.