be perfect. The generals do indeed seem, at least by implication, to cover the whole ground of religious truth; for every part of religion relates either to the regulation of the heart, the conduct of the life, or to the future state. But under these general principles we have a part of the details for the whole. And particulars, which were made matters of special instruction, are introduced under each head as specimens. The της αρχής του Χριστου λογον, the beginning of the word of Christ, is the same as της αρχής των λογιων TOV Oεov, the beginning of the words, or oracles of God. Chap. v, 12. I give this rendering, as more literal, though the common version is a tolerable expression of the sense of the original. It seems, in chap. v, 12, to be more than insinuated that these Hebrew Christians had not made that proficiency in first principles which their privileges afforded reasons to expect-that they had been dull scholars, and deserved reproof for their tardiness in becoming acquainted with the great elements of Christian knowledge. But instead of giving them a long time to remedy this deficiency-instead of leaving them still longer in these elements, which it seems they had as yet but imperfectly learned, he urges them on to higher attainments. The great apostle is not of that class of teachers who permit their pupils to be satisfied with themselves when they have but imperfectly learned their lesson, or suffer them to linger and doze over their task His motto is, Onward. He endeavours to arouse to action the dilatory, by pointing them to the vast heights which are before them, and which are to be ascended before they can be "perfect and entire, wanting nothing." The method pursued is, with almost the same breath to rebuke present defectiveness, and spur on to higher attainments: to chide past negligence, and to urge on to future fidelity and diligence. II. Let us inquire in what sense we are required to leave "the principles of the doctrine of Christ." Commentators widely differ as to the sense which should be attached to the words of the apostle in this place. The learned Peirce paraphrases the passage thus: "Wherefore I shall waive to discourse concerning the first and more obscure discoveries that were made of Christ under the old dispensation, and shall go on to offer you somewhat more solid and fit for you as adult persons, rather than feed you with milk as children."* In this view agree Whitby, Hammond, Macknight, Bloomfield, and others. But Professor Stuart, in accordance with the views of Dr. Clarke and some other learned critics, considers the language as "hortatory," and gives us the following very rational paraphrase upon it:-"Wherefore," that is, since, "TEλELOL [the perfect] only are capable of σтepeα тpopη, solid food, viz., of receiving, digesting, and duly appreciating, the higher and more difficult doctrines of Christianity, and since ye are yet but vηnio, [babes,] although ye ought to be advanced in Christian knowledge, if regard be had to the long time that ye have professed the Christian religion, (v. 12–14;) dio, therefore, it becomes you to quit this state of immaturity, this vηmorηta, [infancy,] and advance to a mature state, to TελεLOTηTa," perfection. The meaning of apevtes, leaving, in this place, he thinks to be "quitting the mere initial state of pupilage, advancing forward to a maturer state of instruction and knowledge; or, making such advances, that it shall be unnecessary * See Paraphrases and Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul to repeat elementary instruction in the principles of Christianity."* We are not to understand "leaving" in the sense of abandoning, as prejudicial or useless. As say the Westminster divines: "Not that we are to neglect the first principles of religion, but to labour for a greater measure of knowledge. 2 Pet. iii, 18. It is as if he had said, Seeing it is a shame always to be babes, let us, as men grown, seek after stronger meat. Leaving -Not casting them for ever behind our backs, suffering them to slip quite out of our memories; but, not staying only upon these, let us go forward, as good travellers, in our Christian race."t First, then, we do not understand that we are admonished by the apostle in these words to cease from holding these principles, as parts of the gospel. They are essential principles in the system, which ⚫ no state of Christian knowledge or experience can dispense with. Were they to be set down among Jewish rites, they might now be considered as supersededas constituting a part of a system which is "waxing old, and is ready to vanish away." But they are called "the doctrine of Christ," a designation never given to the shadowy rites of the Jewish dispensation. Macknight says, "I agree with Peirce in thinking 'the principles of Christ' mean the principles of the doctrine of Christ as contained in the writings of Moses and the prophets." And in accordance with this view he translates the passage, "dismissing the discourse of the principles of Christ," &c. But both the translation and the paraphrase, as I conceive, greatly weaken the force of the passage, and give it a wrong sense. * See Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, in loc. Macknight on the Epistles, in loc. For "the principles of the doctrine of Christ, as contained in the writings of Moses and the prophets," are not to be abandoned or dismissed. All of the law and the prophets that is evangelical is so far from being left in the background by Christ and the apostles, that it is brought forward and considered a part of the gospel, and is indeed taught and enforced as all-important, and to be dispensed with under no circum stances. Secondly. Nor do we understand, by these words of the apostle, that we may cease to practise upon these principles. Can we ever cease to repent of our dead works, or to believe in God; or to admit the importance and acknowledge the obligations of our baptism; or to recognise the gift of the Holy Ghost in answer to prayer; or to act with a constant reference to the resurrection of the just and the unjust, and the eternal judgment that is to follow? These principles are identical with Christianity itself, and cannot be put away without repudiating the whole system. As matters of practice, they must be imbodied in the lives of all the members of Christ's mystical body, while their probation continues. Thirdly. Nor may we suppose ourselves authorized from this passage to leave the work of inculcating these principles. Wherever the ambassadors of Christ come, they open their commission by testifying "repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ;" by calling on men to "repent and be baptized for the remission of sins;" assuring them that upon these terms they "shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." A specimen of grouping several of these principles together in a few words, we have in the sermon of Peter, delivered after the cure of the lame man at the Beautiful gate of the temple. Acts iii, 19-21. Says he, "Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Here the duty of repentance, the privilege of pardon, and the refreshings of the Holy Spirit, are connected with the coming of Christ, and the restitution of all those things spoken by the prophets, or the final retribution. These principles are, indeed, far more frequently insisted upon than the higher attainments of grace; doubtless for the reason that the great mass of men still "lie in the wicked one" -have not so much as begun to lay "the foundation of repentance from dead works." We must, then, not neglect to teach these principles in the abstract. We must bring them out fully and frequently. We must enforce them plainly and powerfully. They must have a prominence in all our public and private instructions, such as they had of old in the discourses and epistles of the holy apostles. But there is still a sense, an important sense, in which we must leave these "first principles." We must not rest in them. Being mere elements, we must not suppose that, abstractly considered, they constitute the whole system. From the abstract we must proceed to consider them, and act upon them in the concrete; that is, in their connections and relations with other parts of the perfect whole. For illustration: We must leave these "first principles." as the pupil leaves the alphabet, when he is brought to the process of combining letters into syllables, and syllables into words, and of words constructing sen |