LECTURE IX.

Hebrews x.

NOTES.

66 a

(P. 164.) Volume of prophecy.]—See Bishop Horne on Ps. xl. where also may be found a valuable note on the expression, body hast thou prepared."

(P. 165.) The solemn contract.]—See Hammond on Ps. xl. (P. 165.) Satisfaction of the divine law.]-See Expos. of the Ep. to the Rom. Lect. V. notes (p. 98.)

(P. 165.)—We are sanctified through the offering. ver. 10.]Bishop Lloyd, in his Oxford edit. of the New Testament, adopts the reading ἡγιασμένοι ἐσμὲν οἱ διὰ τῆς προσφορᾶς; which Bishop Middleton (in his work on the Greek Article) translates " we of the sacrifice," &c. are [or rather, have been] sanctified; illustrating it by Rom. ii. 27. ròv dià yρáμμaros. It is possible, however, that the oi crept in by inadvertence in transcribing : aoμɛvo, just before, might easily lead a transcriber to write εσμɛvo; and another, unable to reconcile o to its place, might put it, as in some copies, before yaoμέvo Griesbach omits it altogether.

(P. 166.) Virtually a denial of the only and all-sufficient sacrifice.]-Such are masses and the doctrine of transubstantiation. (P. 166.) To be abolished.]—¿yyès åpavioμoỡ, viii. 13.

(P. 166.) Invitation to draw near.]—Addressed, perhaps, more particularly to the unbelieving Jews; as ver. 23, &c. is to the believing excepting that " sprinkled" and "washed" (in the Greek) are both in the past tense, signifying the “ having been" thus privileged. Some put a colon after "conscience;" which gives great emphasis to the exhortation :-" Let us,

having had our hearts sprinkled, &c., draw near with a true heart, &c.; and having had the body washed with pure water" at our first profession of the faith, "let us hold fast the profession of our hope."-(Most copies read "hope," not "faith.")

(P. 170.) Full assurance of faith. ver. 22.]—i. e. with a full confidence (see ver. 19 ) in God's readiness, through Christ, to forgive and receive us; not in our own irreversible election, or infallible perseverance. Had those been the points of which, in St. Paul's opinion, the Hebrews ought to have been fully persuaded, he would never have written this letter expressly to warn them of the danger of apostasy, after they had suffered so much for the Gospel.-See particularly ver. 34, 35.

(P. 176.) The day approaching.]-Possibly (for I think it is questionable [see 1 Cor. iii. 13.] but possibly) St. Paul alluded primarily, both in ver. 25. and 37. to the approaching destruction (which took place about twelve years later) of Jerusalem, with the temple and all its services: but that was but a type of "The Day" (of judgment), to which it is that we must now look.

LECTURE X.

CONSTANCY IN THE FAITH ENFORCED BY EXAMPLES.

HEB. xi. 1-16.

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ver. 13.

AMIDST the trials of this probationary being, which more or less await every Christian in his passage through it to eternal glory, some powerful principle is evidently necessary, to enable him patiently to endure until all his trials shall be at an end. That principle, the Apostle has told us, is faith. "The just shall live by faith." And again, "We are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." This faith, necessary to final perseverance, St. Paul charitably presumes to be the ruling principle of all to whom he is writing. Lest, however, the language of kindness and affection should lull the Hebrews into a false security, or in any way cause them to relax in their piety, the Apostle proceeds immediately to set before them what it is to

live by faith; that so they might judge whether they were really doing so or not. Thus would we also act, in humble imitation of the apostolic example, towards the congregations to whom we preach: we would speak the language of charity; yet far be it that our expressions of charitable hope should lead any one astray into self-delusion. To guard against so fatal a result, let us, with the Apostle, consider well the nature of that principle, by which we shall live unto righteousness, that so, by viewing ourselves in the mirror of God's word, and comparing ourselves with the examples of faith which that word presents, we may both learn what a living faith really is, and be animated to a patient perseverance therein to our eternal salvation.

What, then, is the Apostle's account of faith ? "Faith," he says, "is the substance," the ground, or confidence)-in other words, it is a confident persuasion-" of things hoped for," (or expected) "the evidence," (or conviction)" of things not seen."

It is not, observe, the mere circumstance of being numbered amongst the people of God: that places men within the sound of the word; but, if the word be not heard, or read, or attended to, clearly there is no faith, no substantial confidence or conviction, but ignorance, and that of the worst kind-darkness in the midst of light.

Nor again does faith consist in the mere rehearsing of creeds, however orthodox. Men may do this without understanding, without, perhaps, acknowledging them, and certainly without feeling the truth and value of what they say. Confession is made with the mouth; but it is in the heart that we believe. The act of the

tongue, unaccompanied by concurrence of the inner man, is not faith, but formality.

to present expe

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,-ver. 1.

Faith, then, is something beyond either profession or confession. First of all, as opposed rience, it is, as already stated, a confident, well-supported substantive persuasion of things expected, whether good or evil; of a heaven, for instance, for the righteous, of a hell for the impenitent. It makes what is future practically present; so far as to give it a serious influence upon our passing conduct. Men may entertain a notion of a world to come, without living for it; but they cannot have a lively or living faith, without being influenced by it in their practice: at least, such perversity would indicate wickedness of the most desperate character, a corruption of heart more than human'. It is want of faith, which in general leads to the neglect of the great future. Observe how the case stands as to the futurities of this life in regard, for instance, to the reversion of an earthly possession. How do men act who confidently expect a valuable inheritance? Do they not live with a view to it, form their plans accordingly, wait patiently, and keep up their spirits under hardships? Is it thus you feel and act, my Christian friends and co-heirs in the Gospel, in regard to your spiritual expectancies, your hope of an inheritance under the testament of Christ? If not, you have still to pray for, and still to cultivate, the faith, of which we are now speaking, as essential to salvation.

1" The devils believe and tremble." Jam. ii. 19.