A commentary on the whole Epistle to the Hebrews. By M. John Calvin. Translated…A commentarie on the vvhole Epistle to the Hebrevves. By M. Iohn Caluin. Translated…

To the heirs of promise.] It seems he specially speaks of […] ⟨p. 132⟩who take hope in this place for the thing hoped for: but we rather add hereunto, that the Apostle speaks not of a naked promise hanging in the air, but of a promise which we receive by faith: or to speak in one word, hope here signifies the promise apprehended by faith. By this word to obtain, as also by the word hope, he notes out such a constancy as he hath touched heretofore.

To the heires of promise.] It seemes he specially speaks of 〈…〉 ⟨p. 132⟩who take hope in this place for the thing hoped for: but we rather adde hereunto, that the Apostle speakes not of a naked promise hanging in the aire, but of a promise which we receiue by faith: or to speake in one word, hope here signifies the promise apprehended by faith. By this word to obtaine, as also by the word hope, he notes out such a constancie as he hath touched heretofore.

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, Vers. 19 &c.] It is a goodly similitude in that he compares faith to an anchor cast out and fast rooted in the word of God. For the truth is, that whilst we float up and down in the salt sea of this world, we are not stayed upon sure and firm ground, but we reel as a ship to and fro in the middest of the sea, yea even in a troublesome sea tossed with floods and waves. For the devil he ceaseth not to raise up infinite storms and tempests that might at once overturn and drown our ship, if so be our anchor be not deeply fastened even to the very bottom. And indeed let us turn our cies whither soever we will, we shall perceive no firm land whereupon to stand safely: but which way soever our senses do turn them, we shall see nothing but water: yea such waters, whose waves do swell, and roar, lifting up themselves on high, & threatening our destruction. But as the anchor is cast into the middest of the water, into an obscure and hidden place, and whilst it lieth so hidden, it keeps the ship in safety, that it is not drowned of the waves, unto which it is exposed and laid open: so ought we to fix and fasten our hope in God, who is invisible. Herein stands the difference; that the anchor is cast downwards, because it finds fastening in the earth: and our hope is raised up on high, and flieth into heaven, because it finds nothing upon earth,