be turned out of the way." The word rendered, "turned out of the way," may with equal propriety be rendered, 'be dislocated:' 'Proceed straight onward; for if you go into bye-paths, the joints which are already lame may be dislocated, and you prevented from prosecuting the course altogether.' The meaning of that is, 'Beware of moving, even in a slight degree, from the path of duty; for that may end in final apostasy.' On the contrary, let what is lame "rather be healed"-let the feeble joint be bandaged and strengthened: i.e., in plain words, 'By turning your minds to the truths which I have been pressing on your attention, let every disposition to halt in or abandon the onward way of well-doing be removed.'

The force of the connective particle is obvious. For these reasons, since your great Leader endured such contradiction of sinners; since your sufferings are not so severe as those of many who have gone before you; since it is so far from being true that your sufferings are proofs that God does not love you, that an entire exemption from these sufferings would have given you ground to doubt if you belonged to His family; since these afflictions come from your spiritual Father, and are intended for your spiritual benefit; since, in one word, however painful at present, they certainly will, if rightly received by you, promote your spiritual improvement,-surely you ought not to abandon the cause of Christ. On the contrary, you should persevere with increasing determination and ardour, removing and disregarding all obstacles which obstruct your progress, and keeping straight forward, as the only way of reaching the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.'

The exhortation seems so expressed as to point out the duty of the Hebrew Christians not only to themselves, but to each other. We are to use the statements furnished us by the Apostle not only for our own special improvement, but also for that of our brethren. Let us all take care not to be the cause of stumbling to our brethren. The best way of doing this is by making "straight paths for our own feet." The fear of offending or making to stumble a brother, must not make us neglect our duty.

It seems universally agreed among expositors that the practical part of the Epistle to the Hebrews divides itself into two parts: the first consisting of a general exhortation to perseverance

in the faith, profession, and practice of Christianity, notwithstanding all the difficulties and dangers in which this might involve them; and the second embracing a variety of particular exhortations suited to the circumstances of the Hebrew Christians at the time this Epistle was written.

There is not the same harmony of opinion as to where the first of these divisions terminates, and the second commences. In the judgment of some interpreters, the 13th verse of this chapter closes the first division, and the second opens at the 14th. It appears to me more probable that the first division reaches to the close of this chapter, and the second commences with the beginning of the following one. The comparative view of the two economies, the Mosaic and the Christian, and the impressive warning with which this chapter closes, form a most appropriate termination to the hortatory discourse commencing with the 19th verse of the tenth chapter, to "hold fast the profession of their hope without wavering," and seem plainly to mark the conclusion of one of the divisions of the Epistle.

This is not a mere question of arrangement-it has an important bearing on the interpretation of the passage which lies before us; as, on the supposition that it forms a part of the general exhortation to stedfastness, the particular duties here enjoined must be considered as urged with a peculiar reference to their circumstances, as exposed to temptations to apostasy, and under obligations to resist these temptations. The Apostle had placed before their minds the fearful consequences of apostasy; he had also presented them with abundant evidence, that persevering faith, as it was absolutely necessary, was completely sufficient, to enable them to perform all the duties enjoined on them, to undergo all the trials allotted to them, and to obtain all the blessings promised to them as Christians. He had shown them that the afflictions to which they were exposed on account of their Christian profession, instead of operating as temptations to apostasy, ought to be felt as motives to perseverance; and in the words which follow, he instructs them as to the course of conduct which in their circumstances they ought to follow, in order to their continuing "stedfast and unmoveable" in the faith, and profession, and practice of the religion of Christ.

Taking this general view of the paragraph, let us proceed to examine somewhat more minutely its various parts. Ver. 14.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

It is the duty of Christians to be at peace among themselves, to be on their guard against all alienation of affection towards each other; and there can be no doubt that the maintenance of this brotherly-kindness is well fitted to promote stedfastness in the faith and profession of the Gospel. But in the words before us there seems to be a reference not so much to the peace which Christians should endeavour to maintain among themselves, as that which they should endeavour to preserve in reference to the world around them. They are to "follow peace with all men."

They live amidst men whose modes of thinking, and feeling, and acting are very different from—are in many points directly opposite to theirs. They have been fairly warned, that "if they would live godly in this world, they must suffer persecution." They have been told that "if they were of the world, the world would love its own; but because they are not of the world, but Christ has chosen them out of the world, therefore the world hateth them." "In the world," says their Lord and Master, "ye shall have tribulation." But this, so far from making them reckless as to their behaviour towards the men of the world, ought to have the directly opposite effect. If the world persecute them, they must take care that this persecution has in no degree been provoked by their improper or imprudent behaviour. They must do everything that lies in their power, consistent with duty, to live in peace with their ungodly neighbours. They must carefully abstain from injuring them; they must endeavour to promote their happiness. They must do everything but sin in order to prevent a quarrel.

This is of great importance, both to themselves and to their unbelieving brethren. A mind harassed by those feelings which are almost inseparable from a state of discord, is not by any means in the fittest state for studying the doctrines, cherishing the feelings, enjoying the comforts, or performing the duties of Christianity; and, on the other hand, the probability of our being useful to our unbelieving brethren is greatly diminished when we cease to be on good terms with them. As far as lies in us, then, if it be possible, we are to "live peaceably with all

men."

But while the Christian Hebrews were, by a harmless, kind, and useful behaviour towards their unbelieving neighbours, to cultivate peace with them, they were never to forget that there was something more valuable still-something which must not be sacrificed even to secure peace, i.e., holiness. "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord;" i.e., Endeavour to live at peace with all mankind, so far and no further than that is compatible with the holiness without which no man can see the Lord.'

The proper meaning of the word holiness is 'devotedness to God.' Christians "are not their own; they are bought with a price;"-they have been consecrated to God "by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." They have voluntarily devoted themselves to Him. Holiness is that temper of mind and that course of conduct which correspond to this state and character.

To "follow holiness," is to live like persons devoted to God, as the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; to make it evident that we are His, and are determined to serve Him; that to promote His interests and to advance His glory are our great objects in life.

Without this spiritual devotedness to God we shall never "see the Lord." By the Lord, I apprehend we are here to understand our Lord Jesus Christ; and by seeing Him, we understand, the being with Him where He is, and beholding His glory-the enjoyment of the celestial happiness, the essence of which consists in more intimate knowledge of, more complete conformity to, more intimate fellowship with, Jesus Christ. Without sincere, habitual devotedness to God through Christ Jesus, we can never attain the heavenly happiness; and that for two reasons: (1.) Such is the unalterable determination of God; and (2.) this unalterable determination of God is not an arbitrary arrangement, but corresponds with the nature of things. A person not sanctified, not devoted to God, is entirely unfit for the celestial enjoyments. It is equally true that we must be like Him in order to our seeing Him as He is, and that the seeing Him as He is shall make us more and more like Him.

We must, then, at all events "follow holiness;" at all hazards we must act the part of persons sincerely and entirely devoted

to God. If, in consistency with this, we can live in peace with all men, it is so much the better; but if peace with men cannot be purchased but at the expense of devotedness to God, then we must-we must willingly-submit to the inconveniences arising from having men to be our enemies, knowing that it is infinitely better to have the whole world for our enemies and God for our friend, than to have the whole world for our friends. and God for our enemy.

The whole exhortation seems to us equivalent to-Beware of unnecessarily provoking the resentments of the men of the world. If possible, live at peace with them; but never act a part inconsistent with your character as persons devoted to God in order to secure yourselves from their persecutions: if you do, you will act a very unwise part, for you will shut yourselves out from the enjoyment of the celestial blessedness."1

As a further means of preventing apostasy, the Apostle exhorts the Christian Hebrews to watch over each other with a holy jealousy. Vers. 15-17. "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."

The natural order in explaining such a passage as that now before us, is to attend, first, to the evils against which the Apostle exhorts the Hebrew Christians to guard; and then to the manner in which they are to guard against them. The evils to be guarded against are: "any man's failing of the grace of God"-" any root of bitterness which should trouble and defile. them"-"any profane" or sensual "person" rising up among them, who should for present enjoyment sacrifice future happiness.

The Hebrew Christians are exhorted to guard against "any

1 "Follow peace with all men' (i.e., Do not think it necessary to enter on hostile aggressions against any man, not even the heathen Romans), and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord;' i.e., but at the same time do not so mix yourselves up with them as to lose that purity, ayaqμ, which is to Christians what ceremonial holiness was to the Jews."-STANLEY.