hopeless, fly disheartened, or crestfallen, out of the field."* The continuators of Pool, expound the place thus: "Lest faintness, languishing, or deficiency of soul, that is, of vigour, strength, and activity of heart should befal them, and so they should LIE DOWN and CEASE to run the christian race." Suicerus says, Kauve, signifies to faint, and also to die, whence the departed are also called xaμvovies.‡

Now this was really the case. These Hebrews had entered the list on their first receiving the gospel, and for a while had couragiously carried on the encounter; but when they saw that instead of drawing to an end, it was still growing heavier and heavier, they were so disheartened, as to think of yielding, and of giving up all for lost. And therefore to fortify them against this the apostle lays before them the example of Christ, who not only took up the cross, but also en

EN

* See Hammond on the place, Notes (b) and (c). Pool's Comment. Thes. Ecch

μέχρις

DURED it, verse 2. that is, who not only exposed himself, for the present, or only for a short time, to the contradiction af sinners; but ENDURED, patiently ENDURED it, to the end. Now, says the apostle, consider him, and Jearn from his example; so you shall not grow weary, but endure to the end, as he did before you.-Again, he tells them, verse 4. "Ye have not resisted, μxpis asuals, as far as blood, striving against sin." As if he had said, You ought not to be disheartened by your present sufferings; for you have not gone so far as the Athlete of old did in the Olympic games, who did not give over after brandishing their weapons, nor after slight skirmishing; but went on to that part of the combat which was often attended with blood and death. Now your past and present conflicts, are only like their slight skirmishes; and as the prize which you contend for, is so much better than theirs, it would be very absurd for you to grow weary, and give up the encounter before you

go so far as they did. It is therefore certain, from what has been said, that FALLING AWAY was the evil which the apostle intended by growing weary and faint in their minds.

16. The next proof of the point we have in the 12th and 13th verses of this chapter. "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees: and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be TURNED OUT OF THE WAY; but let it rather be healed." From these words it is certain, that TURNING OUT OF THE WAY was the evil which the apostle apprehended these Hebrews to be in danger of.-Now the question is, What he meant by turning out of the way? The Greek word, exTpan, may be taken either for spraining a joint or sinew, by which means walking is rendered impracticable: or else it may be taken for turning out of, and leaving the right way. The former of these significations agrees best with the metaphors of lameness and healing, which are mentioned presently

after; but the other agrees best with the preceding words concerning making straight paths for the feet, lest that which is lame ALREADY be turned out of the way. To understand the words in the former sense, would be to make nonsense of the passage: for it would suppose the apostle to say, Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is sprained already be sprained! lest that which is lame already be made lame! lest that which already halteth be made to halt! But if we take the words in the other sense, the meaning is easy, clear, and regular. Make straight paths for your feet-Remove, so far as in you lies, every impediment and difficulty out of the path, or way of duty, lest that which is lame-the tempted, the feeble, the halting soul, who has not courage enough to surmount many and great difficulties, be turned out of the way which leads to heaven,And to this agrees Dr. Loddridge's paraphrase: Make straight paths for your feet. Regulate matters so,

that the

way of duty may be as obvious and easy as possible, that the infirm, the lame, and the decrepit, may not by discouragements and temptations, be turned out of the way, or thrown down; but that every such feeble traveller in the way to Zion, may rather be healed; recovered from falls or weakness, and strengthened to a course of more strenuous and PERSEVERING piety."*

Diodati

expounds it thus: "Make straightmake the way of the gospel plain and easy for you, by your voluntary obedience, and using it--lest those who have neglected to strengthen themselves in christian virtues be, through GOD's just punishment, put out of the way into APOSTASY." The continuators of Pool expound it thus: "Lest being lame, or halting in their minds between Judaism and Christianity, because of the violent persecution of them by their infidel brethren, they Diodati on

* See Doddridge on the place.

the place