short their final perseverance in

that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and pa

tience inherit the promises. vi. 9—12.

the faith of the Gospel, that they might not, through the influence of any temptations, become dull and insensible to spiritual things, but instead might imitate the blessed Father of the faithful, the patriarch Abraham, who not only believed the promises, but persevered long in his faith through many temptations, and so became at length an heir of the promised blessing.

For when God made

promise to Abraham,

because he could swear

by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply

To justify and support this patient perseverance in the faith, it has pleased the Almighty to confirm his promise even with an oath. It was thus he dealt with Abraham; and in full reliance on such a promise the patriarch, persevering, obtained the blessing. It is thus too he has dealt with the Christian; that depending upon two things, in which we cannot be deceived, namely, the unimpeach- thee. And so, after he able veracity of God's word and the solemnity of his oath, we might by the greater: and an have the strongest possible encouragement, in fleeing to such a sanctuary, to lay hold on the hope proposed to us. Let us then hold it fast. Let no trials prevail with

us to abandon it. When tost with

had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear

oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God,

willing more abundantly

to shew unto the heirs of

promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed

it by an oath that by two immutable things

in which it was impossible for God to lie, we

might have a strong

consolation, who have

fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope

we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. vi. 13—20.

the billows of temptation, or driven by the storms of persecution, let us only cling the more closely to this anchor of the soul. For an anchor it is, firm and sure, fully able to bear all the stress which our faith can lay upon it; being fixed in the word and oath of God:-an anchor placed where no storms can affect it, even in heaven itself, within the vail of mortality, in the true holy of holies, where all is pure and tranquil, free alike from sin and sorrow, from temptation or trial. For thither has Christ, our Forerunner, gone before us to prepare a place for his persevering followers. There has he entered as our everlasting High-Priest, on whom all our hopes depend; and there, by an enduring faith in Him, must our souls be secured. If once we part from this anchor, our lives are at stake, our souls must be lost, unless by a miracle of mercy we recover our hold.

Earnestly, then, let me exhort you, my brethren, to continual proficiency unto final perseverance in Christian faith and holiness. Remember such perseverance is by no means a matter of course. St. Paul, at least, supposed that those who had experienced much of the power of religion, might still fall away; and deemed it not unnecessary to exhort every one to show unto the end the same diligence with which he had begun. Think not, then, such an admonition superfluous as regards yourselves, however advanced any one may be in Christian piety. "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall." Reckon

not all danger to be over, whilst the day of your probation lasts. Slacken not your exertions in the Christian race: but go on to perfection, seeking, by fresh advances continually in faith and holiness, in the knowledge and love of Christ, to secure to yourselves, through his prevailing merits, an abundant entrance into his heavenly kingdom.

Hebrews v. 11—14; vi.

NOTES.

(P. 90.) The elements with which they began.]—σroixεĩa τñs ἀρχῆς. ν. 12.

(P. 90.) Having need of milk, &c. v. 12.]—This is like the language of St. Paul, (see 1 Cor. iii. 1, 2.); and as such, this and other similar passages have been adduced as part of the evidence to show that he was the writer of the Epistle.

(P. 91.) Animal man.]—¥vxıòç äveρwπоç, 1 Cor. ii. 14. See note on ch. iv. 12.

66

(P. 91.) They require a spiritual frame of mind.]-Even the heathen philosophers were fully aware, that to moral wisdom intellectual ability was insufficient, unaccompanied by a moral aptitude of character. Accordingly, Aristotle excludes from his school of ethics persons of dissolute manners, as incapable of receiving any benefit there : (τοῖς γὰρ τοιούτοις ἀνόνητος ἡ γνῶσις yivera, Ethic. Nicom. L. i. c. 3.) He who would be a competent hearer respecting what is virtuous and right, should be a person of well-regulated conduct:" (dei rois Oεoi xoai kaλws K. T. X. Ibid. c. 4.) His moral growth must correspond with that of his knowledge (dɛĩ yàp ovμpõvaɩ, Ibid. 1. vii. c. 3.) It is a similar principle, of still higher application, which the Scriptures recognise, as stated in the exposition.

(P. 97.) Preaching of the first principles of the Christian religion.]—τὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγον. vi. 1.

(P. 99.) Powers of a world to come, vi. 5.]—μéλλovтog aiwvos, not οἰκουμένης.

(P. 101.) Full completion of his hope.]—λnpopopiav rñs ἐλπίδος ἄχρι τέλους. vi. 11.

(Ρ. 101.) With an oath.]—Λέγων Η μὴν κ. τ. λ. vi. 14. (P. 101.) The strongest possible encouragement.]—παρáкλnow, vi. 18.

(P. 101.) In fleeing to such a sanctuary.]—кarapvyóvtes, ib. (P. 101.) Let us then hold it fast.]—кρaтñσaι, ib.

LECTURE VI.

THE EVERLASTING PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST, AS TYPIFIED IN MELCHISEDEC.

HEB. vii.

For the law maketh men high-priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

ver. 28.

To enter fully into the force and beauty of this Epistle, we must continually keep in mind, that it was addressed to Jews. True it is, they were converts to Christianity; but they seem to have still retained many of those lofty prejudices in favour of their own temporary dispensation, which proved to so large a majority of their nation a stumbling-block and a rock of offence. Add to this, the persecutions to which the Christian Jews were exposed from their unconverted fellow-countrymen; and we shall not wonder at the inclination to judaize, that is, to retain the Jewish together with the Christian faith, which was so prevalent among them. Such were the persons to whom this Epistle was written: Jewish Christians, who, through prejudice or fear of persecution, or both, endeavoured to unite with their