them, but from their end and use, which are blessed and glorious. VERSES 12, 13. 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. $1. Introduction. $2, 3. (1.) The several parts of the words explained. (4-6. Making straight paths for our feet, what. §7. The enforcement of the duty. §8, 9. (II.) Observations. §1. In these verses an entrance is made to the second part of the chapter, which is designed for the application of the doctrine concerning sufferings, afflictions, and chastisements, before insisted on; for the right understanding of the mind of the Holy Ghost in the words, we must take notice, that there is a supposition included of some failure in the Hebrews as to their courage and constancy in suffering; at least that they were in great danger of it, and that it began to affect the minds of many; and perhaps greatly to prevail in some among them; this he had insinuated before in the entrance of his discourse on this subject, ver. 3—5, and now resumes it as the ground of his address. That part of the exhortation which is contained in ver. 12, is taken from Isaiah xxxv, 8; and the way of its proposal is in continued metaphors, in answer to the first prescription of duty which was to run a race, or strive for a victory, ver. 1. Wherefore, the exhortation is applied to those parts of the body which are of principal use in the gymnastic exercises, viz. the hands, the knees, and the feet, whereby the body putteth forth all its strength, to obtain the prize; the hands and knees being the principal seat of strength and activity. §2. (I.) "Lift up the hands that hang down;' (Tapeipɛvas) weakened and dissolved in their strength, whence of course they hang down; which is an evidence of being weary, faint, unready, and on the point of giving over. "And the feeble knees;” (τapaλɛλuμeva, soluta, dissoluta, labantia,) debilitated, weak, whose nervous vigor is dissolved; so in great weakness, fear, and despondency, the knees are said to smite together, Nah. ii, 10; Dan. v, 6. In both expressions we have a description of a man heartless, or slothful, or so faint in running a race, as to be ready to cast off all hopes of success, and to give over. §3. It is the same kind of distemper which affects these several parts; and therefore the apostle prescribes the same remedy to both; (avoplacate, surripite, erigite) raise them up to a due state and posture; set them right again; apply them to their duty; so in the cure of the woman who had the infirmity, wherewith she was bowed down, we render the same word "made straight," Luke xiii, 13; or upright again. Wherefore the spiritual sense of the words, or meaning of the similitudes, is plain, and there is no necessity to make a distribution of parts, as to what is particu larly and separately intended by the hands and knees; for by the same kind of defect in both, the fault of the whole is described; which is such a decay in Christian courage and resolution, as brings along with it a great weakness and unreadiness for duty; proceeding from a despondency as to success, and weariness of duty; in them do our hands hang down, and our kness grow feeble. §4. "And make straight paths for your feet." The first part of the exhortation concerned the inward frame of our minds; that which now follows looks to our ways, walking, and conversation with respect to others; according as our path is, right and straight, or erooked and uneven, so will our course be. It is therefore highly incumbent on us to look well to the paths wherein we are going. The direction seems to be taken from Prov. iv, 26. "Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established;" or rather, "all thy ways shall be ordered aright;" which is the sense of this place. In order to discover the duty here prese ribed, we must consider;—what are the paths of our feet; and -how we are to make them straight. $5. (Tpoxias) Our paths; the original word signifies (των τροχων καραξις) the mark made by wheels; so though it be taken for (semita,) a path, yet it is (orbita) such a path as is marked out for others, that leaves a track that may be followed. Our obedience to God is called our walking before him, Gen. xvii, i. The first divine testimony giv en to any man was with respect to his faith in sacrifice, Gen. iv, 4; expressing the atonement to be made by Christ; and the second was to obedience under the name of walking with God; "Enoch walked with God," Gen. v, 24; in these two, thus exemplified from the beginning, faith and obedience, doth the life of God in the church consist; and every one's course of actions, with respect to God and his will, are his paths. The path of our obedience may be considered, ei-ther objectively, denoting the will of God revealed to us; the canon or rule which we are to walk by; in which sense the path of all men is one and the same; absolutely and perfectly straight in itself; or, it may be considered subjectively, with respect to them that walk in it, and so there are degrees of straightness; men may continue in it, yet fail variously as to its universal rectitude. So Peter and others with him did not (oplore SELV, Gal. ii, 14, walk with a right foot;) they continued in the path of gospel truth, but they stumbled in it, they warped in one instance from it. §6. And hereby we may understand what is here enjoined by way of duty, viz. to make these paths straight. For there are two things herein; 1. That we walk uprightly in the paths of obedience; then are our paths straight when we walk uprightly in the paths of God. And as this respects our universal obedience; so, I doubt not, but regard is had to halting, or taking some crooked steps in profession during trial; deserting of church assemblies, forbearing of sundry necessary duties, irregular compliance with the Jews in their worship; though they utterly forsook not the path of the gospel, yet they walked not in with a right foot; they failed in the way, though they fell not from it; these things the apostle would have rectified, 2. That we walk visibly in these paths; this is included both in the signification of the original word (Tpoxia) paths, and in the precept, to make our paths staight. And this is necessary to the end of preserving others from being turned out of the way, or their recovery from their wandering. Therefore, the duties especially intended in this precept, are courage, resolution, constancy in profession, with a diligent watch against all crooked compliances, or fearful relinquishment of duties. §7. The enforcement of the duty required, is, "lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed." He that is lame can make but slow progress, and is often ready by his halting to stumble out of the way. Lameness, therefore, is some defect that is distinguished from external hinderances, and from mere fainting or weariness, (whereof the apostle had spoken before, and which may befall them that are not lame) which obstructs men in their progress, and makes them be easily turned out of the way; besides, it includes an inward disease in particular, whence the apostle says, it is to be healed. §8. Hence observe; 1. Despondency and weariness are the great evils which, in all our sufferings and afflictions, we are with all attention of mind to watch against; this is the way whereby multitudes have entered into scandalous backslidings, and many into cursed apostasies. We do well to pity others who are weary and faintng in their courage, and under their burdens, for they have spent all their strength, and have no way of supply; but we are to be no way gentle towards ourselves in our spiritual weariness and decays, because we have continual supplies of strength ready for us, if we use them in a due manner, see Isa. xl, 28-31. 2. We ought to confirm our minds against all discouragements and despondencies, by the consideration of God's design in all our sufferings and afflictions, and the blessed success with which he will crown them. 3. The recovery of this frame, or the restoration of our spiritual "hands and knees" to their former vigor, is by stirring up all grace to its due execise, which is torpid and desponding under this slothful frame. 4. It is our duty not only to be found in the ways of God in general, but to take care that we walk carefully, circumspectly, uprightly, and diligently in them. It is a sad thing when some men's walk in the ways of God shall deter others from them, or turn them out. 5. To make halts or baulks in our way of profession; or our paths being crooked in the neglect of duty; or dastardly compliances with the world in time of |