June 12th, 19300

We promised again last week that we would write some more on this subject, perhaps this week. So we will try to write a few lines more. This week we will begin by reading  (Hebrews 6:13-20): For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. In this promise to Abraham, which Paul here referred to, God said, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” - (Genesis 22:18). And “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”  This is a promise which the Lord confirmed by an oath. As He could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself that He would fulfill the promise. This promise embraces and includes every heir of promise. “If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” -(Galatians 3:29). If you are a child of God, “If ye be Christ's,”  then you are one of the promised children, embraced in the promise God made to Abraham. Men always swear by the greater. A man placed on the witness stand is requested to hold up his hand and the person authorized to administer the oath will say, “Do you solemly swear or affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, in this case, so help you God?”  He does not say, “So help you, yourself.” But “So help you God.”  Thus the man swears by the greater. If a person in whom you have confidence-you do not believe he would tell a lie, much less swear a lie-is put on the witness stand, and he testifies under oath that a certain thing is a certain way, you would believe it was that way. That would settle the matter with you. That would be an end of all strife with you. You would  be confident the matter was just as the witness stated. That witness might be one who would not lie, but no man is a witness that cannot lie. In this case brought to our attention in our text the one making the promise and who confirmed it by an oath is one who cannot lie-much less swear a lie. Men can, and do, swear by one greater than themselves. But God could not swear by one greater than Himself.

Here are two things God cannot do-He cannot lie, and He cannot swear by one greater than Himself. These are the two immutable things. These two things have stood through all the past ages, and will stand to all eternity. They are always the same. As God could not swear by one greater than Himself, because He is the greatest of all beings, then He swears by Himself. What for? That the heirs of promise, His children, might have strong consolation. That they may have double assurance of the certainty of the eternal joys and happiness of every little child of God. There could not possibly be any consolation in the thought that one of the Lord's children may fall away so as to be finally lost-that one of them might sink down into eternal night, or everlasting perdition. Such a thought would be anything else but consoling. Suppose you could have the certain and sure knowledge that you are a child of God today, but also be assured that you may at last sink down in eternal ruin and despair- could that possibly be any consolation to you? Would it not rather be a terror and a matter of distress and dread to you? But it is not the truth. God has sworn by Himself that He will remember every heir of promise. He has given His oath that you may have strong consolation. Christ is formed in His children the hope of glory. The anointed Saviour is the only hope of heaven and immortal glory for His little children. The hope of the Christian, the child of God, “enereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus.”  Jesus is their hope, and that hope is entered within the veil. This hope is an anchor of the soul. This anchor is entered upward, “into that within the veil.”  This anchor is both sure and steadfast. The vessels that sail over the seas, on the mighty deep, all have anchors. Those anchors enter downward; but this one is entered upward. In time of storm those anchors are cast and go down deep into the sea. As long as the anchor remains steadfast, or sure, the vessel is secure and all the passengers on board the vessel are safe. If the anchor is sure and steadfast it will not give way. Sometimes those anchors give way. When they do give way, it only proves that they were not sure and steadfast. But this anchor is both sure and steadfast. The word sure means “admitting of no doubt, condition, qualification, or the' like; indubitable; positive;- said of things; as, sure evidence; a sure success. Entirely trustworthy or dependable; certain not to fail or disappoint expectation.” -Webster. This blessed hope is entirely trustworthy; it is dependable. What are you hoping for, dear child of God? Are you not hoping for a better home, a better place, beyond this life, beyond death, beyond the grave? Yes; the hope of the poor little child of God reaches out beyond death and beyond the grave. He is looking beyond these to a better home, a better country-hoping for that. Blessed hope! This hope is entirely trustworthy; it is entirely dependable. It is certain not to fail or disappoint of expectation. There is no doubt about that. If a thing is sure it admits of no doubt; and the apostle says this hope is an anchor that is sure. The safety of  the little vessel that is now sailing on the boisterous and stormy sea of life admits of no doubt. It is true that the Lord's dear children have sorrows, trials, troubles, distresses, disappointments, bereavements, sore temptations, and dire conflicts all along the rough and rugged journey. The sea of their lifetime and their journey here below is rough and toilsome. Sorrows sometimes sweep down over the soul like billows. The winds of adversity blow hard and fast; the lightnings of persecution flash vividly; the thunders peal loudly, and sometimes in quick succession.

Sometimes the waves of trouble roll so high, and the clouds of sorrows and distresses are so dark and threatening, that the poor little trembling child almost gives up in utter despair. How poor and helpless he sometimes feels! But the anchor is sure and steadfast. The little vessel sailing on this boisterous sea is safe and secure. The anchor is certain not to fail, and as the anchor is certain not to fail, then the little child of God cannot be lost. Blessed hope! Blessed anchor! Blessed assurance! What a strong consolation amidst all the storms and trials of this life! The lightnings of persecution may flash; the waves of trouble and distress may roll high, the clouds may be black, with all their threatenings; Satan, with all his emissaries, may gather together to battle against one of the Lord's dear little ones, but the eternal God has given them an anchor that remains sure and steadfast. He has pledged under an oath, having sworn by Himself, to engage all His omnipotent powers for their eternal security and safety. They are kept by His power unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. We feel like much more could be said along this same line, but we must stop for this time. May the Lord bless these thoughts to your comfort, and may they bring strong consolation to your poor heart, is our humble prayer. We have received many letters from the Lord's little children telling us they have enjoyed these articles which we have been writing on this subject. Those letters have been much comfort and consolation and encouragement to us, along with the thoughts we have been giving you. Remember us in your prayers. If we still feel impressed that way we will try to write more on this question. C. H. C.