refusing that grace which would have saved us had we let it. 2. To drift away from <Jhrist is to disregard the supreme dignity of him who offers the salvation to us. "So great sa.l vntion, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord." The point is the dignity of him who brings the snlva.tion to us. Angels were employed in the ministrations of the old dispensation ; "The Law was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator." But he who has brought the word in these last days is God the Son. He l1as spoken it by being it; and then by uttering it-uttering it to our hearts by his Spirit. The overtures of salvation are not made by man to God, but by God to man; it is not the condemned rebel tha.t appeals to the offended Sovereign for salvation, but the offended Sovereign appealing to the rebel. What a spectacle-God, as it were, on his knees before men, beseeching them to be saved! "As though God did beseech you," etc. See how that adds to man's guilt, and the certainty of his ruin if he drifts away from Uhrist. 3. To drift away from Ghrist is to close our eyes wilfully to the urgency of his claims. "Which, having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto," etc. (vers. 3, 4). The abundant proof they had received as to the divinity of this Word of salvation is the point here. Man has received the utmost evidence of the truth of the gospel. What he has seen of its results in the lives and characters of others is, of itself, overwhelming assurance that it is of God ; and when he hears it preached he knows it is from above, he knows its worth, he knows its claim. 'l'hink of what it is to leave Christ after that ; to depart from him, though yon know the right he has to you, and the blessings he wants to impart; to be lost, not in the dark, but in the light! The apostle gathers up these arguments against leaving Christ, in this earnest appeal to reason and conscience: "How sha.11 we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" There is no answer to that. "Friend, how earnest thou in hither without a wedding garment? And he was speechless." Ill. 'fo DBIFI' AWAY FROM CHRIST 1B PREVENTED BY EARNEST HEED TO HIS WORD. "We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away." Faith is the cable which alone can moor us to Christ; but the Word of God has a vital bearing on faith; therefore, where the Scriptures are neglected, there is the utmost peril of drifting away. 1. Only by earnest heed to Divine truth ca·n you discover whether, in your soul, faith exists. You think it does, but you may be deceived ; then search here for the fruits and evidences of faith ; then see if they exist in your heart and life. If you would know whether you ho.ve faith, you must bring yourself to the test this Book affords. 2. Only by earnest heed to Divine tru.th can you create faith where it does not exist. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by tho Word of God." To make light of this Book is to remain faithless. 3. Only by ear11est l1eed to Divine ti-uth can faith be maintained where it does exist. How does Christ mo.intain faith in the soul, but by tho means he ho.s appointed? He gives graco through the means of ~ace. To neglect the meo.ns, therefore, is to lose the grnce. Scriptllre declares the Divine Word to be the means employed for our so.nctification. Fo.ith is the cable that holds the soul to the Redeemer. The Word creates o.nd mo.intnins the fo.ith. "Therefore we ought to give," etc. "Drift o.wo.y I" Away from Christ, the only Haven ; drift away into the wild, wintry, shoreless sea of doom- drifted away by the currents of worldliness and care. \Vo drift o.way silently o.uJ imperceptibly; arc you sure you are securely moored to the Rock of ages ?-C. N.
Vere. 5-10.-T/ie dignity of human nature shows that the Incarnation was not degrading to the Godhead. 'l'he apostle proceeds with his argument broken off o.t end of the first chapter. The first chapter deals with the Deity of Christ ; the second with his humanity; thus the Epistle is based on the fact of the dual nature of our Lord. Having spoken of tho Godhead of Christ, he hns to meet the objection which presented itself with great force to the Hebrews. Why should this gloriou/f Being stoop to the humiliation of Jesm of Nazareth P To the Jew, Christ crucified was a stumbling-block (see John x. 30-33; xii. 32-34). The writer needs t? justify the Incarnation. (Observe, he does not attempt to provo the real humnmty of Jesus. Clearly the Hebrews did not ebo.re subsequent doubts on this point, for there is not a word in the Epistle-though it is based on the fact-to prove th_at Jesu~ was man; it is assumed, than which thero can be no stronger evidenco of 1t, for if lho Hebrews, Christ's contemporaries, cherished no doubts with regard to it, the la.ter doubts of other;, 70 'l'HE EPIS'i:LE 'l'O 'l'ilE IIEBHEWS. [a.El. II, 1-18.