to carry our Christian profession without earnestness, and to do our Christian work without energy. 2. "Show the same diligence." (Ver. 11.) The Hebrews had bestirred themselves in bestowing sympathy and succour upon their afflicted brethren, and the apostle longs to see them equally energetic in other departments of Christian duty. Success in spiritual life, as in any other sphere, can only be attained in connec- tion with diligence. 3. Seek" the full assurance of hope." (Ver. 11.) They must not waver between Christianity and Judaism, but cherish an unfaltering persuasion of the reality of gospel blessings, notwithstanding that the full fruition of these is reserved for the future life. II. So:ME ENCOUBAOElllENTS. In this paragraph the apostle does not prolong the terrific strain of the preceding verses. 'l'o continue it longer would have but depressed the hearts of his readers, and defeated his own benignant purpose towards them. So, after we have, as it were, trodden (vers. 4-8) upon the hot lava of a volcano, we now enter (ver. 9) upon a smiling and beautiful landscape, all carpeted with green and blossoming with flowers. "A bruised reed shall he not break," expresses the spirit of the passage now before us. We have here a variety of encouragements. I. The fruit which their faith had borne already. (Vers. 9, 10.) Brotherly love is a principal trait of the Christian character; and the Hebrews had been kind to their afflicted fellow- believers, for Jesus' sake. God had not forgotten their liberality; and to the apostle it had seemed as an evidence of the reality of their conversion. The spiritual attainments which a believer has already reached should encourage him to perseverance. 2. ThtJ example of their sainted ancestors. (Ver. 12.) Imitation occupies a principal place in our life, and is an important factor in the development of character. It wields immense power in the domain of morals and religion. So, the Bible is very largely a Book of biographies ; and these are given us to incite us to follow the footsteps of the good and true. We, as well e.s these Hebrew converts, should be" imitators" of the peerage of Old Testament heroes (eh. xi.). And we of this century should imitate, besides, the great soul-stars of Christendom, the fathers of our ow11 Church, the sainted men of our town, the departed of our own se.nctuary, and of our own fireside. 3. God:s faith- fulness to his word and oath. (Vers. 13-18.) Having singled out particularly the steadfastness of Abraham, and quoted God's oath to him (Gen. x.xii. 16-18), the author shows that this oath is still a strong encouragement to Abraham's children who have embraced Christianity. For the Divine promise and oath to Abraham were spiritual rather than temporal; they have been continued to us; and they have been confirmed by the cross of Christ, and sealed by his resurrection and ascension (2 Cor. i. 20). 4. The greatness of the Christian's hope. (Vers. 19, 20.) The Jewish temple and the institutions of the theocracy were very soon to pass a.way for ever; so that it was unreasonable to place reliance upon them. The one sure anchorage of spiritual hope is i11 that he1wenly sanctuary which Jesus has entered for us as our everlasting High Priest,
Vers. 19, 20.-Our anchor and anchorage. This text suggests, first of all, that the Christian life is a life of storm. It is exposed to storms of persecution, of doubt, of remorse, of inward corruption, of outward adversity, and to the last great storm of death. But, blessed be God, believers possess complete security in tho midst of these storms. I. CHRISTIAN HOPE IS OUR ANCHOR. Of the three great abiding µaces-faith, hope, love-hope is the one which often receives least prominence in our thoughts. Faith i~ the root, and love the full-blown flower, of piety; whereas hope occupies an inter- mediate position. Hope is, in fact, just one of the first developments of faith-a sprout from the root of faith. The object of faith may be either good or bad; but the object of hope is always good. Hope in its essence is just the desire of good, with the expec- tation of by-and-by obtaining it. Now, hope has this blessed function-it soothes aud cnlms and cheers the mind in the midst of storm and trouble. Even natural hope is "as nn anchor of the soul." What drudgery would the world's business be a.part from hope I Where would our great statesmen, our inventors and discoverers, come from, were it not for hope? "Every gift of noble origin Is breathed upon by Hope's perpetual breath." (Wordswortb.) lGG THE EPISTLE TO TIIE mmrmws. (ell. VI. 1-20,