of old, that not to angels but to man had God subjected all things; to man, even to that Perfect Man, to Christ Jesus, who is crowned with glory and honour, and under whose feet all things are in subjection.

Ch. ii. 5: For not unto angels did He subject the world to come, whereof we speak. But one hath somewhere testified, saying,

What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

Or the Son of Man, that thou visitest Him? Thou madest Him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst Him with glory and honour, And did'st set Him over the works of Thy hands; Thou did'st put all things in subjection under His feet. But now we see not yet all things subjected to Him.

But we behold Him who hath been made a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that by the grace of God He should taste death for every man.

For it became Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. ...

(Ver. 17) Wherefore it behoved Him in all things to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.

(iii. 1) Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, even Jesus.

If the Hebrew Christians had got into the way of thinking that Christ had come to reform the Old Covenant, and to rest the law upon a firmer basis, they might not unnaturally think that the Reformer of the Law could not be greater than the Giver of

the Law; that Moses, whom they saw through the long vista of the ages of the past, in the dim religious light of age-long veneration, was at any rate not to be surpassed by the Prophet of Nazareth, who had lived to within forty years of the time then present.

In the next passage of his Epistle the writer contrasts the inferior and temporary position of Moses with the supreme and abiding position of Christ. Moses, he argues, though faithful in his position in God's house, was faithful only as a servant, whereas Jesus was faithful to Him that appointed Him as a Son over God's house. And as the Lord had Himself said, the servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the Son abideth ever.

As Moses had been over God's house in former times, so Christ was over God's house now. But the same danger that existed then, existed now. Those who were placed under Moses in God's household hardened their hearts, and provoked God, so that He was constrained to say, "They shall not enter into My rest." So also they who were now, in Christ, and under His authority, adopted into God's family, were in danger of falling away, and so of coming short of His rest. For He with whom they had to do, the Word which would try them, was not indeed a word spoken, as was the Law, from the lightnings and thunderings of Sinai, but was a living Word, piercing asunder to the very thoughts and intents of the heart.

Ch. iii. 1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, even Jesus; who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also was Moses in all God's house. For He hath been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as He that built the house hath more

honour than the house. For every house is builded by some one; but He that built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all God's house as a servant . . . . .; but Christ as a Son, over God's house; whose house are we, if we hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end. . . . .

in

(Ver. 12) Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be any of you (as in Israel of old) an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God. . . . . (iv. 1) Let us fear, therefore, lest haply, a promise being left of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to have come short of it. . . . .

(Ver. 11) Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience.

For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS

(continued).

E must constantly have in mind that the Hebrew Christians to whom this letter was written were in danger of losing their Christian faith altogether; and that the main object of the writer is to show that the things which they most valued in the Jewish Covenant were but shadows of the good things which were to be found in Christ and His Church.

He has already shown that the New Covenant in Christ, the Son of God, was as immeasurably greater than the old law which was ordained by angels, as Christ the God-man was greater than the angels. He has also shown that Moses, in whom they were so inclined to trust, was only over God's household as a servant, whereas Christ was a Son in His Father's house.

In the passage which we are now going to read, the writer applies this principle to the Priesthood of Christ, and shows how, through His perfect intercession and mediation, believers in Him had a free access to the throne of God; and how, though so exalted, the Lord of angels and men, the Son of the Most High God, He was yet a merciful and sympathizing High Priest, One who having Himself suffered, and been Himself tempted, was

able to succour them in their temptations and sufferings.

The writer had already called upon his fellow Christians and fellow Israelites to fix their thoughts upon Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of their confession.

He now urges them to hold fast to that confession, the confession which they had made when they were baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, for that their true High Priest, even Jesus the Son of God, was passed into the heavens.

Then, before he goes on, he meets an objection that might arise in their minds. They might say, It is all very grand and wonderful what you say of the Son of God, who has passed through all heavens, being our High Priest; but how can One who is so high, and so highly exalted, feel for us in our weakness and sinfulness? we want for our High Priest one who is one of us, and one with us, who can feel for us, and understand us.

Yes, but, continues the Apostle, Jesus our High Priest does feel for us, and feels with us; He has been tempted as we have, tempted in all points just as we are tempted.

It is true that He is without sin, it is true that He is the Son of God, it is true that He sits at the right hand of God; but that is just the reason why He is able to introduce us to the very throne of God Himself, that there, in the Fatherly heart of God Himself, we may find peace and grace.

Ch. iv. 14: Having then a great High Priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are,