Hebrews 6:12

But followers of them, &c.— He means such holy Christians as had persevered in their sincere profession of Christ, as well as such other faithful believers as had lived in a just expectation of his coming, and were now in possession of the promises made to Abraham, which were fully accomplished. The apostle therefore encourages the Hebrews to be imitators of those who had gone before them in faith and hope, since they now saw all the promises made good, and those who perseveringly believed in Christ in possession of that which had been so long expected. Mr. Peirce explains this of the Gentiles who were converted to Christianity. If it be intended as a hint tostir up the Jews to emulation, as he supposes, it is certainly a very obscure one; for, comparatively, it is a low sense in which Christians, in this imperfect state, can be said to inherit the promises. "I rather think," says Dr. Doddridge, "it refers to all good men departed out of our world, whether in former or latter days, and under whatever dispensation they died." Taking it in this view, (which, I am fully persuaded, is just,) it will be, as several have observed, an unanswerable argument against the soul's continuing in a state of sleep during the intermediate period between death and the resurrection.