doubtless did mean to be docile, obedient, an<l patient; and a few at least must have l1een in real accord with Jehovah's aim. But what availed a few, if the bulk of the people sat before Jehovah in carnal indifference? If we would profit by the greater gospel to us- I. WE MUST BELIEVE IT TO BE TRUE. This very thiag \Ve think we do, and yet on inquiry we find we do it not. There is no mistake when a man feels he is dealina with realities. And the way in which we not seldom talk of the gospel or behav~ when it is set before us shows that to us it is no reality. And yet, just because it is a reality, we shall have to deal with it some day. True strength, peace, and blessedness lie in recouciliation with God. To believe the gospel as true is to come to know this in time, But sooner or later we shall have to know that strength, peace, and blessedness lie nowhere else. U WE MUST BELIEVE THE WORK TO BE NEEDFUL, The gospel includes purifica- tion, trial, discipline, service. 'l'he gospel does not always look like a gospel. For instance, Jesus says," It is expedient for you that I go away." The gospel has allowed its heralds and its recipients to be put in prison and to go to death. Trust is needed in the reality of love behind the appearance of indifference; the heart of the believer feeling God to be near when to the worldly spectators it may seem that nothing is near but trouble, pain, loss, confusion. We have to trust God as to his way, his time, or the gospel will be profitless to us. Ill WE MUST GET OUT OF OUR HEARTS A PREFERENCE FOB BELIEVING THE FALSE, As our eyes look out upon the world with its opportunities and its varied scenes, its 1:iaths for ambition and adventure, we make gospels for ourselves out of the things we see. Nature seems full of evangelists, and we believe everything they have to say; and then at last discover the gospel to be one of our own making. For the time the false is more attractive than the true, and we mix strong faith with our hearing of it. But as a true gospel is profitless without faith, so a false gospel is profitless, however strong the faith may be. God's truth cannot do without our faith, nor our faith without God's truth.-Y.
Ver. 9.-The true sa'fibatic rest. Note here the word employed-a-11,8,811T10-µbr. This the only occurrence of the word. It is preceded and followed by another word for rest-- Ko.nl.1rava-,s. There must be something in the abrupt utterance for just once of this word in ver. 9. The different word must emphasize difference of meaning. The difference seems to lie here, that there are two kinds of rest to be thought of-one the rest from toil and exertion, the rest to the weary; the other rest of cessation from work, because something is complete. 'l'hus we have two views of the Christian's future. I, HE IS TO HAVE BEST FROM ALL THAT MAKES LIFE WEARY, 'l'he O'fl,,8,811T10'µ.df must include the 1<11Ttt11Uva-,s: but, then, there may also be the Kt1Td1N1va-1r every day and all day long. To rest the body after toil is very important, but more important is it to be able to rest the heart. There are only too many who get no proper rest of body on Sunday because their hearts are full of unrest. It is more than can be expected from imperfect humanity that we should attain this constant restfulness of spirit; but let it be understood that the cause lies in our imperfections, and not in o.ny absolute necessity of the case. Rest is begun in a trustful heart, and the more trust the more rest. Much of the weariness of life comes from our own needless, useless struggling. We make toilsome work by our ambitions and our fears. People prefer the toiling and the care of the life of sight to the rest of the life of trust. "Return unto thy rest, 0 my soul." II. HE IS TO HAVE BEST AFTER COMPLETED WORK, This is the true O't1,8/311T10'µ/Js, Why is the other kind of rest, the rest from toil, necessary? Because man is fallen. He works not according to the pure, original power of his creation, but under constraint; duty and inclination too often opposed; or, if not in opposition, there is immense friction between them. But if there had been no fall, the work of each individual ma.n would have gone on calmly, equably, till it was done. Then the a-a,8,Bana-µdr would come. Look at man on parallel lines from God. God works out the great scheme and order of creation, and then ceases creating; but he is not weary when the work is done. God makes men in his own imago; and the universal human race has its work to do, with each individual working in his proper place. Then, when the work is clone, comes the i.aLLatism. Let this nobler view of rP"t be ours, In the heat of noonday it is per- OB. IV, 1-16.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEilREWS, 133