from an ea:alled spiritual oonditi<m. We have noticed the advanced clcvelopment o( Christian character and the Cull enjoyment of Christian privileges sketched by the writer; and now he speaks of falling away from these great and gracious experiences. 'l'he higher the exaltation attained, the more terrible will be the injury sustained, if one should fall from such e. height. 2. Of incurring the darkest guilt. "They crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, o.nd put him to an open shame." The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus was the blackest crime in all the dark annals of human wron<1-doin<Y. And if any one having really and richly enjoyed the blessings of the gospel of Chri;t should fall back into sin, renouncing Christ and Christianity, he would repeat in spirit that terrible crime. "It is often said," wrote F. W. Robertson, "' My sins nailed him to the tree.' There is a sense in which this contains a deep truth . . . . The crisis of ihe conflict between the kingdoms of good and evil took place in the death of Christ: the highest manifestation of good in him, the highest manifestation of evil in the persons of those who saw the divinest excellence, and called it Satanic evil. To call evil good, and good evil, to call Divine good Satanic wickedness,-there is no state lower than this. It is the rottenness of the core of the heart; it is the unpardonable because irrecoverable sin. With this evil, in its highest development, the Son of man came into collision. He died unto sin. The prince of this world came and fonnd nothing congenial in him. He was his victim, not his subject. So far as I belong to that kingdom or fight in that warfare, it may he truly said, the Saviour died by my sin. . . . I am a sharer in the spirit to which he fell a victim." 1 But is such a fall as this really possible? To us it seems that the teaching of the Bible and the moral nature of mall admit of but one reply as to this possibility. (1) The hypothesis of the text is not an idle one. It is inconceivable that the Holy Spirit of God should have inspired the writer to mention so awful a fall if it had been an utter impossibility. (2) The many warnings against apostasy which are addressed to Christians in the sacred Scripture~ witness to the possibility of such apostasy. This letter to the Hebrews is one long ancl powerful warning, persuasion, and exhortation against falling away from Christ. (3) 'l'be constitution of our nature shows this fall to be possible. \Ve arc free either to loyally serve God or to wickedly rebel against him, and must ever remain so, or mural distinctions would no longer be applicable to ns. III. AN APPALLmG MORAL IMPOSSIBILITY. "It is impossible to renew them nf!:i.in unto repentance." Thie "impossible" may not be enfeebled into "very difficult," or other similar expression, as may be seen by an examination of the other passages of this Epistle in which it is found (eh. vi. 18; x. 4; xi. 6). The reason of this impossibility is the moral character and condition of those of whom (should there ever be any of such character) it is predicated. Having once experienced the Divine renewal, they have utterly fallen away from it, and now scornfully reject the only power by which their renewal could be effected. 'l'he mightiest spiritual influence in the universe, even the love of God in the death of Jesus Christ for the salvation of sinners, is derided by them. "They crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." "They tear him out of the recesses of their hearts where he had fixed bis abode, anu exhibit him to the open scoffs and reproach of the world, as something powerless :rnu common" (cf. eh. x. 29). Dr. Parker forcibly inquires, "If men have insulted God, poured contempt upon his Son, counted the blood of the covenant as an unworthy thing, grieved and quenched the Holy Spirit, what can possibly remain of a remedial kind'/ 'l'he inquiry is one on which reason may expend its powers. What remains after God has been exhausted?" Let the Christian earnestly heed the solemn warning of our text. "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation;" "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for doing these things, ye shall never fall." 'l'he surest way of guarding against this terrible fall is to aim at aud seek to realize constant spiritual progress. "'fherefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let ua go on unto perfection," etc.-W. J.
Ver. 10.-Ministering to tlie saints. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work," etc. Our text leads us to consider the ministry to the saints in three aspects. I. IN ITS EXEMPLARY EXERCISE. "Ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister." 1. T/1e nature of this ministry. (1) Probably pecuniary aid to the poor, 1 • Life and Letl6rs,' i. 205. 1,0 'l'HE EPISTLE 'l'O 'l'HE HEI3HEWS. [c11, VJ. 1-20.