We must leave on one side then, all discussion of our first lessons in Christ, and pass on to our full growth; no need to lay the foundations all over again, the change of heart which turns away from lifeless observances, the faith which turns towards God,✻

instructions about the different kinds of baptism, about the laying on of hands, about the resurrection of the dead, and our sentence in eternity.✻

Such will be our plan, if God permits it.

We can do nothing for those who have received, once for all, their enlightenment, who have tasted the heavenly gift, partaken of the Holy Spirit,

known, too, God’s word of comfort, and the powers that belong to a future life,

and then fallen away. They cannot attain repentance through a second renewal. Would they crucify the Son of God a second time, hold him up to mockery a second time, for their own ends?✻

No, a piece of ground which has drunk in, again and again, the showers which fell upon it, has God’s blessing on it, if it yields a crop answering the needs of those who tilled it;

if it bears thorns and thistles, it has lost its value; a curse hangs over it, and it will feed the bonfire at last.

Beloved, of you we have better confidence, which does not stop short of your salvation, even when we speak to you as we are speaking now.

God is not an unjust God, that he should forget all you have done, all the charity you have shewn in his name, you who have ministered, and still minister, to the needs of his saints.

But our great longing is, to see you all shewing the same eagerness right up to the end, looking forward to the fulfilment of your hope;

listless no more, but followers of all those whose faith and patience are to bring them into possession of the good things promised them.

Such was Abraham. God made him a promise, and then took an oath (an oath by himself, since he had no greater name to swear by),

in the words, More and more I will bless thee, more and more I will give thee increase;✻

whereupon Abraham waited patiently, and saw the promise fulfilled.

Men, since they have something greater than themselves to swear by, will confirm their word by oath, which puts an end to all controversy;

and God, in the same way, eager to convince the heirs of the promise that his design was irrevocable, pledged himself by an oath.

Two irrevocable assurances, over which there could be no question of God deceiving us, were to bring firm confidence to us poor wanderers, bidding us cling to the hope we have in view,✻

the anchorage of our souls. Sure and immovable, it reaches that inner sanctuary beyond the veil,✻

which Jesus Christ, our escort, has entered already, a high priest, now, eternally with the priesthood of Melchisedech.