tained a good report (literally, hm•ing been believcre, still future (for cf. oh. :r. 88, u,itne11,ed of, as in ver. 2) through f&ith, fva ,coµ.ln,o-8• .,.~., l,ran••'-lav). Nov, it la received not the promille: God having pro- future also in its fulness, even to tho sBinta vided (or ,jorMeen) 1ome better thing for (liter- at rest; for in the pe.ssf\ge just quotc,l it is al Iy, concerning) 'Ill, that they without u plainly intimated that the entire fulfilment 11hould not be made perfect. There is no con- will not be till " he that shall come" comes r tradiction between the Rl!llertion here made, i.e. till the second advent. The redeemed that none of the ee.ints of old "received the whose probation on earth is over are indeed, promi11e ( e,coµ.lua.,,.,.o ..-,i., ~...an•'-lav)" and its in one sense, said to be already "perfected" being said of Abraham (eh. vi. 15) that he (of. eh. x. 14 ; xii. 23) ; but still the " per- did "obt.e.in the promise (,'.,.frux• .,-;;, ,.,,.. fect ooneummation and bliss both in body an•'-las)." For though in both p&ssages and soul" is nowhere in the New Testament " the promise," i.e. the great Messianic contemplated till "the end." In the mean promise (not "promises," as in ver. 33, time, even the saints under the heavenly rupra), is spoken of-or at Rny rate, in the altar still cry, "Lord, how long?" and the co.BC of Abraham, ult.imately referred to- Spirit and the bride s11y, " Come, Lord Yet the verbs used nre different and have Jesus." The full idea, then, of ver. 40 mu.y different meanings. He "obtained " or at- be that, ncoording to the eternal Divine pur- tained to it, in the sense of having it con- pose, the promise of redemption should not firmed and assured to him and his seed be fully realized till the number of the eleot (see note on ('.h. vi. 15); but he did not shall be accomplished, and all the redeemed actually get it so os to reduce it to posses- of all ages since the world began sbnll be sion and enter into the enjoyment of it. gathered together through Christ in one, The realization of all that is meant by the and God shall be all in all. word here used is, indeed, even to Christian
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-3.-77u nature and power offaith. In the close or the previous chapter, the apostle has spoken of faith as the principle of spiritual life, and the spring of patient endurance. He has quoted a great saying from Habakkuk, "The just shall live by faith;" and he now proceeds to vindicate its truth in a series of brilliant biographical illustrations. First of all, however, the apostle supplies a theoretic definition or descrip- tion of saving faith. I. Tm: NATURE OF FAITH. (Ver. 1.) Faith is a natural principle of the mind. All men exercise it with regard to earthly things. But spiritual faith has for its objects a higher class of realities-the truths of religion revealed in the Bible. In the text this faith is looked at in the most general and comprehensive way. It is viewed, not so much as an act, but as a state of mind, and as antithetical to sight. 1. Faith is the eye of the soul. It is "the conviction of things not seen "-the organ by which we look upon the invisible and the eternal And, if faith is the eye, the Bil,le is the eye-glass through which faith looks. The objects of spiritual faith are all supernaturally revealed truths-" the things of God," "the things of the Spirit." These embrace all the great truths concerning God, man, the way of salvation, the Church, the last things. The believer's conviction of these "things not seen" rests upon the testimony of God, given not only ontwardly-by the lips and pens of inspired men, but inwardly-by the witness of the Spirit himself within the soul. "Seeing is believing" in the world of sense; but in the domain of faith this maxim is reversed, for in spiritual things "believing is seeing." 2. Faith is" the hand ef the soul. It is "1;he confidence of things hoped for." The universe of the unseen contains those glorious realities which are the objects of spiritual hope. And those realities faith grasps. Saving faith is appropriating faith. 'J'he "things hoped for" are all involved in the coming of Christ's kingdom, which shall bring with it the final triumph of truth over error, and of good over evil. 'l'hey include al.so, in subordination to this crowning hope, whatever is necessary for the spiritual cleansing and culture and comfort of the individual believer; as e.g. the forgiveness of sins, peace with God, victory over indwelling evil, growing_ likeness to Christ, the com- munion of saints, and the prospect of a blel!l!ed immortahty. The man whose heart reposes on these hopes will be DO longer dominated by the things "which are seen'' and "temporal." He will become heavenly-minded. His faith will make him the longer the more humble, pure, laborious, COlU'Bgeoi.u,, m@ek, long-su1ferh:1g, forgiving. " Tl.ta just shall live by faith." • Ott. XI, 1-40,] THE EPIS'fLE TO THE HEBREWS. 30D