on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of the doctrine of baptisms," &c.

The design of the apostle here appears to be, to excite his brethren, to go on unto perfection, i. e. to make continual proficiency in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ, and of the gospel dispensation; and to give diligence, that they might be rooted, grounded, and built up in the truth, in order thatthey might be kept from apostacy. That this was the design of the apostle, is evident from his going on to set before them as a motive, the hopeless situation which they would be in should they, after having been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, &c. apostatize to Judaism or infidelity. "For" says he "it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come," i. c. of the gospel dispensation" if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth, which drinketh in the rain, that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned."

As this passage is connected with the text, it may be useful to pause here a moment, and consider its import. The opinions of commentators upon it have been various. Some have supposed, that in order to render it consistent with the doctrine of the certainty of the saint's perseverance, it must be considered as a description, not of the Christian character, but of something short of it, to which the unregenerate may attain, to which, if they once apostatize they will be no more renewed. But, it may be enquired, how is the supposition that the passage des

cribes real Christians, inconsistent with the doctrine of the saint's certain perseverance. If it is inconsistent with the docrine at all, it must be because cautions and warnings against apostacy, and exhortations to perseverance, are inconsistent with it. But these are not inconsistent with the doctrine; for though nothing is more certain from Scripture, than that all real Christians will finally persevere, yet they will not persevere without their own constant care, watchfulness, and exertion. Yea what is their perseverance in following the Lord, but the continuance of their exertions to follow him? At least it necessarily implies and includes these. But if watchfulness and exertions are necessary in Christians, it is proper to state the necessity of them-and to point out as a motive the consequences of failing to persevere. This statement, and the sense which it may give to Christians of the fearful consequences of apostacy, may be, and always are, among the means which God uses to accomplish his promise of causing them to persevere.

For illustration :

Paul, and the ship's company with him, when he was shipwrecked, had an absolute promise that they should all be saved from the death which threatened them. This promise however (as is the case with all other divine promises) connected the means with the end. Nor is it improper to say, that if they had not attended to the means, they would have perished.

Therefore, it was proper for Paul to warn the centurion and soldiers, as he did, that except the sailors abode in the ship they must all perish. And it was a sense of the certainty of this, which excited them to those exertions which prevented their perishing. It was before absolutely certain, and made known to them, that not one of them should perish. Yet it was absolutely certain, that their sense of the fatal consequences of suffering the sailors to leave the ship, and the exertions to which this roused them, were the

only means, or way in which the divine, immutable promise respecting their lives, was to be made good. And thus the divine promise, respecting the perseverance and salvation of all who are real Christians, which is immutable, is to be accomplished only by a sight of the danger and fatal consequences of apostacy, and that humble watchfulness and exertion which it excites in them. But if these things are so, if Christians are proper subjects of warning and caution against apostacy, and these are among the means by which God causes them to persevere-then there is no difficulty in understanding the passage which has been read to respect real Christians, and to be addressed to them, as a mean of preserving them from apostacy. Nor is this supposition inconsistent with the verse following, as some have supposed, but is rather supported by it: "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you," better than that you should thus apostatize, and crucify the Son of God afresh," and things which accompany salvation, though we thus speak"-though we thus set before you the fatal consequences of apostacy, and urge you in view of it, to diligence that you may persevere. "For God is not unrighteous," is not unfaithful to his promise, "to forget your work and labor of love, &c." Here we have the ground of the apostle's assurance that all real Christians will persevere, notwithstanding the danger in themselves of apostacy, viz. the promises of the covenant of grace. God is not unfaithful; he has promised, and he will perform. And this also is all the encouragement or prospect which Christians, who have any true knowledge of their own hearts, can have, that they shall ever be enabled to persevere. For there is nothing in themselves, nor in the nature of grace, which secures them; they are kept only by the mighty power of God. And it is on the ground of the necessity of watchfulness and exertion in Christians to prevent them from falling away; and also in view of the encouragement there

is to this, from the promise of God, confirmed by an oath, that the apostle exhorts Christians in the text, to continue their diligence and exertions even to the end, in order to inherit the promises: and in order to make their calling and election sure, or obtain a comfortable assurance of salvation, in the present life: And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end the same diligence as those did who have gone to inherit the promises; for it is added, "that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

Having made these explanatory observations concerning the spirit of the context, I shall now discourse more particularly upon the text, and the subject suggested by it, viz. the assurance of hope :which the apostle seems to introduce here, as a motive to diligence, in order to persevere. And surely if diligence and exertion are necessary to persever ance and to obtain salvation; and if this be the way, and the only way, to obtain a comfortable hope and assurance of salvation in this life, there is a double motive.

I propose in the

I. Place, to observe a few things upon hope, and the full assurance of hope.

II. Show that it is attainable.

III. Point out some things necessary to a rationalor well grounded and full assurance of hope, and the way in which it is to be attained.

Under the first general head, I would observe,

1. That by hope in the scriptural use of the word, we undersand sometimes the object, and sometimes the grace of hope. It is to be understood in the lat ter sense in the words of the text. Considered as a

Christian grace, it includes an exercise of the understanding, and an affection of heart towards the object. It implies a desire for the object, and an expectation of obtaining it. The object of a Christian's hope is salvation. Hence it is called in scripture, the "hope of salvation," and "the helmet of salvation." The salvation however which the Christian hopes for, is more especially and directly a salvation from sin, a deliverance from the dominion of it, and from all remains of sinful affection. Hence Christ, considered as a saviour from sin, and the object in and by whom God is to be enjoyed, may be, and often is in scripture represented as the object of the Christian's hope. An instance of this we have in verse 18 of the context, where the apostle says, "That we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope, set before us." By hope here we are to understand the object of hope, which principally and directly is Christ. He is that hope which is said in the words following, to have entered into that within the vail; i. e. into the invisible heavens, where we by faith, and in the exercise of the grace of hope, follow him, and fasten upon him, so that he becomes the anchor, the stay, and support of the soul. And in the first epistle of John iii. 2. we are taught that Christ is the object of the Christian's hope, and in what respect he is so. "We know that when he," (Christ,) "shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him" (a hope of seeing the Saviour as he is, and being made like him)" purifieth himself."

The hope of the Christian therefore is a hope of salvation. It is a desire, and well grounded expectation, of being admitted to the beatific and transforming vision and enjoyment of Christ in his glory -of being perfectly freed from sin, and brought into a glorious nearness and union with Christ, and through him with God and all holy beings.