Notes on the Old and New Testaments

14 For we are made partak ers of Christ, ifa we hold the

priety of mutual exhortation, that they may always have the right feel ing, and may always listen to the commands of God. ^[ The deceitfulness of sin. Notes on Eph. iv. 22. Sin is always deceitful. It promises more than it performs. It assures us of pleasure which it never imparts. It leads us on beyond what was sup posed when we began to indulge in it. The man who commits sin is always under a delusion; and sin, if he indulges it, Avill lead him on from, one step to another until the heart becomes entirely hardened. Sin puts on plausible appearances and pre tences; it assumes the name of vir tue; it offers excuses and palliations, until the victim is snared, and then spell-bound he is hurried on to every excess. If sin was always seen in its true aspect when man is tempted to commit it, it would be so hateful that he would flee from it with the utmost abhorrence. What young man would become a drunkard if he saw when he began exactly the career which he would run? What young man, now vigorous and healthful, and with fair prospects of usefulness and happiness, would ever touch the in toxicating bowl, if he saw what he would be when he became a sot? What man would ever enter the room of the gambler if he saw just where indulgence would soon lead him. and if at the commencement he saw ex actly the woe and despair which would inevitably ensue? Who would be come a voluptuary and a sensualist, if he saw exactly the close of such a career? Sin deceives, deludes, blinds. Men do not, or will not, see the fear ful results of indulgence. They are deluded by the hope of happiness or of gain; they are drawn along by the fascinations and allurements of plea sure until the heart becomes hard nnd the conscience seared — and then they give way without remorse.

From such a course the apostle would have Christians guarded by kind and affectionate exhortation. Each one should feel that he has an interest in keeping his brother from such a doom; and each Christian thus in danger should be willing to listen to the kind exhortation of a Christian brother.

14 For we are made partakers of Christ. We are spiritually united to the Saviour. We become one with him. We partake of his spirit and his allotments. The sacred writers are accustomed to describe the Cliristian as being closely united to the Sa viour, and as being one with him. See Notes on John, xv. 1 — 7; xvii. 21. 23; Eph. v. 30; I. Cor. xii. 27. The idea is, that we participate in all that pertains to him. It is a union of feeling and affection; a union of prin ciple and of congeniality; a union of dependence as well as love; a union where nothing is to be impart ed by us, but every thing gained; and a union, therefore, on the part of the Eedeemer of great condescension. It is the union of the branch to the vine, where the branch is supported and nourished by the vine, and not the union of the ivy and the oak, where the ivy has its own roots, and merely clings around the oak and climbs up upon it. What else can be said so honourable of man as that he is « a partaker of Christ;' that he shares his feelings here, and that he is to share his honours in a brighter world? Compared with this, what is it to participate with the rich and the gay in their pleasures; what would it be to share in the honours of conquer ors and kings? *§ If we hold the begin ning of our confidence steadfast. See Note ver. 6. If we continue to maintain the same confidence which he had in the beginning, or which we showed at the commencement of our Christian life. At first they had been firm in the Christian hope. They evinced true and strong attachment to the Re deemer. They were ardent and de voted to his cause. If they continued to maintain that to the end, that is, the end of life; if in the midst of al temptations and trials they adhered inflexibly to the cause of the Saviour, they would show that they were true Christians, and would partake of the blessedness of the heavenly world with the Redeemer. The idea is, that it is only perseverance in the ways of religion that constitutes cer tain evidence of piety. Where piety is manifested through life, or where there is an untiring devotion to the cause of God, there the evidence is clear and undoubted. But where there is at first great ardour, zeal, and confidence, which soon dies away, then it is clear that they never had any real attachment to him and his cause. It may be remarked here, that the 4 beginning of the confidence' of those who are deceived, and who know no thing about religion at heart, is often as bold as where there is true piety. The hypocrite makes up in ardour what he lacks in sincerity; and he who is really deceived, is usually de ceived under the influence of some strong and vivid emotion, which he mistakes for true religion. Often the sincere convert is calm, though de cided, and sometimes is even timo rous and doubting; while the self-de ceiver is noisy in profession, and cla morous in his zeal, and much dis posed to blame the lukewarmness of others. Evidence of piety, therefore, should not be built on that early zeal; nor should it be concluded that because there is ardour, there is of necessity genuine religion. Ardour is valuable, and true religion is ar dent; but there is other ardour than that which the gospel inspires. The evidence of genuine piety is to be found in that which will bear us up under trials, and endure amidst persecution and opposition. The doc trine here is, that it is necessary to persevere if he would have the evi dence of true piety. This doctrine 10 taught everywhere in the Scrip-

! tures. Persevere in what? I answer, not (1.) merely in a profession of re ligion. A man may do that and have no piety. (2.) Not in zeal for party, or sect. The Pharisees had that to the end of their lives. (3.) Not in

I mere honesty, and correctness of ex ternal deportment. A man may do that in the church, as well as out of it, and yet have no religion. But we should persevere (1.) in the love of God, and of Christ — in conscious, ar dent, steady attachment to Him to whom our lives are professedly de voted. (2.) In the secret duties of religion. In that watchfulness over the heart; that communion with God; that careful study of the Bible; that guardianship over the temper; and in that habitual intercourse with God in secret prayer which is ap propriate to a Christian, and which marks the Christian character. (3.) In the performance of the public du ties of religion; in leading a Chris tian life — as distinguished from a life of worldliness and vanity; a life of mere morality, and honesty; a life such as thousands lead who are out of the church. There is something which distinguishes a Christian from one who is not a Christian; a reli gious from an irreligious man. There is something in religion; something which serves to characterise a Chris tian, and unless that something is manifested, there can be no evidence of true piety. The Christian is to be distinguished in temper, feeling, de portment, aims, plans, from the men of this world — and unless those cha racteristics are shown in the life and deportment, there can be no wellfounded evidence of religion. Learn (1.) that it is not mere feeling that furnishes evidence of religion. (2.) That it is not mere excitement that constitutes religion. (3.) That it is not mere ardour. (4.) That it is not mere zeal. All these may be tempo rary. Religion is something that lasts through life. It goes with a man everywhere. It is with him in trial. It forms his plans; regulates his tem per; suggests his words prompts to

15 While it is said, a To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden

his actions. It lives with him in all his external changes, and goes with him through the dark valley of death, and accompanies him up to the bar of God, and is with him for ever.

15. While it is said, To-day, &c. That is, persevere as long as life lasts, or as long as it can be said ' to-day;' and by persevering in this manner you will have evidence that you are the friends of the Redeemer. This is a quotation from Ps. xcv. 7. Paul means, undoubtedly, to make use of this language himself as a direct ex hortation to the Christians to whom he was writing. He entreats them, therefore, as long as it could be said * to-day,' or as long as life lasted, to take care lest they should harden their hearts as had been done in the temptation in the wilderness.

16. For some. Some of the He brews who came out of Egypt. The truth was that a large proportion of them rebelled against God, and pro voked him to indignation. It is some what remarkable that though all the Hebrews seem to have joined in the provocation — except a very small number — Paul should have used lan guage which would seem to imply that the number which rebelled was comparatively small. Another ver sion, therefore, has been given to this passage by some of the most eminent critics, consisting merely in a change in the punctuation, by which a dif ferent view is given of the whole sen tence. According to this it would be a question, and would mean, ' But who were they who when they had heard did provoke? Were they not all indeed who came out cf Egypt under Moses? And with whom was he angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose car cases fell in the wilderness?' This version was adopted by Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others of the Fathers; and is adopted by Bosenmiiller,

Clarke, Stuart, Pyle, and some others. In favour of it, it maybe alleged, (1.) that the Greek will bear it, all the change required being in the punctu ation; (2.) that it avoids the difficulty which exists in the other interpreta tion, of supposing the apostle to imply that but few of them rebelled, when the truth was that it was nearly all; (3.) it thus accords with the remainder of the exhortation, which consists in a series of questions; and (4.) it agrees with the scope and design of the whole. The object was not to state that it was not all who came out of Egypt that rebelled, or that the number was small, but that the great body of them rebelled and fell in the wilderness, and that Christians should be admo nished by then* example. These rea sons seem to be so strong as to make it probable that this is the true con struction, and the sense then will be, ' For who were they that having heard did provoke? Were they not all who came out of Egypt under Moses?' ^ When they had heard. Had heard God speaking to them, and giving them his commands *§ Did provoke. Provoked him to anger; or their conduct was such as was fitted to produce indignation. See Note on ver. 8. ^[ Howbeit. AAA« But. This particle " in a series of questions, and standing at the head of a question, means but, further. It serves to connect, and give intensity to the interrogation." Stuart. Paul means to ask with emphasis whether the great mass of those who came out of Egypt did not apostatise? At the same time he means to intimate that there is no security that they who have witnessed remarkable ma nifestations of the greatness of God, and who have partaken of extraordi nary mercies, will not apostatise and perish. As the Hebrews, who heard God speak from Mount Sinai, revolted and perished, so it is possible that; heard, did provoke: howbeit not j with them that had sinned, all that came out of Egypt by j whose carcases a fell in the wil-

17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not

they who witness the mercies of God in redemption, may be in danger of abusing all those mercies, and of pe rishing, By the example, therefore, of the disobedient Israelites, he would admonish professed Christians of their danger. ^[ Not all, &c. According to the interpretation proposed above, * Were they not all who came out of Egypt?' Or, ' did not all who came out of Egypt?' The word all here is not to be taken in the strict sense. It is often used to denote the great body; a large proportion; or vast multitudes. Thus it is used in Matt, iii. 5. " Then went out to him Jerusa lem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan." So in John iii. 26. " The same baptiseth, and all mwi came to him." So Phil. ii. 21. " For all seek their own." II. Cor. iii. 2. " Ye are our epistle, known and read of all men." In fact there were two exceptions — and but two — of the adults who came out of Egypt — Caleb and Joshua. Num. xiv. 30. All the others murmured against the Lord, and were prohibited from entering the promised land. Of the great multitudes who came out of Egjrpt, and who murmured, the exception was so small that the apos tle had no scruple in saying in general that they were all rebellious.

17. But ivith whom was he grieved forty years? With whom was he angry. See Notes on ver. 10. ^[ Was it notwitk them that had sinned. That had sinned in various ways— by re bellion, murmuring, unbelief. As God was angry with them for tJieir sins, we have the same reason to ap prehend that he will be angry with us if we sin; and we should, there fore, be on our guard against that un belief which Avould lead us to depart from him. Ver. 12. ^1 Whose carcnsts fell, £c Num, xiv. 29. That

18 And to whom sware b he

is, they all died, and were left on the sands of the desert. The whole gene ration was strewed along in the way to Canaan. All of those AV!IO had seen the wonders that God had done " in the land of Ham;" who had been rescued in so remarkable a manner from oppression, were thus cut down, and died in the deserts through which they were passing. Num. xxvi. 64, 65. Such an example of the ef fects of revolt against God, and of unbelief, was well fitted to admonish Christians in the time of the apostle, and is fitted to admonish us now, of the danger of the sin of unbelief. We are not to suppose that all of those who thus died were excluded from heaven. Moses and Aaron were among the number of those who were not permitted to enter the promised land, but of their piety there can be no doubt. Beyond all question, also, there were many others of that gene ration who were truly pious. But at different times they seem all to have partaken of the prevalent feelings 01 discontent, and were all involved in the sweeping condemnation that they should die in the wilderness.

18. And to whom sware lie. Note ver. 11. ^[ But to them that believed not. That did not confide in God. Deut. i. 32. " Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God." In consequence of this want of faith, God solemnly sAvare unto them that they should not enter into the pro mised land. Deut. i. 34, 35. " And the Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying, Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation, see that good land which I sware to give unto your fathers, save Caleb," &c. The distinct reason, therefore, as signed by Moses why they did not enter the promised land, was a want

that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that be lieved not?

of faith, and this accords directly with the design of the apostle here. He is exhorting those whom he addressed to beware of an evil heart of unbelief. Ver. 12. He says that it was such a heart that excluded the Hebrews from the promised land. The same thing, says he, must exclude you from hea ven — the promised home of the be liever; and if that firm confidence in God and his promises which he re quires is wanting, you will be excluded from the world of eternal rest.

19. So we see, fyc. We see from the direct testimony of the Old Tes tament that unbelief was the reason why they were excluded from the promised land. Let us learn in view of the reasoning and exhortations here,

(1.) The evil of unbelief. It ex cluded that whole generation, consist ing of many hundred thousand souls, from the land of promise — the land to which they had looked with ardent hopes, and with warm desires. It will exclude countless millions from heaven. A ivant of confidence in God is the great source of evil in this world, and will be the cause of wretch edness to all eternity of unnumbered hosts. But surely that was not a small or unimportant thing which strewed the desert with the bones of that whole generation whom God had in so remarkable a manner res cued from Egyptian servitude. And that cannot be a small matter which will cause multitudes to sink down to infinite wretchedness and despair.

(2.) Let us who are professed Christians be cautious against in dulging unbelief in our hearts, Our difficulties all begin there. We lose confidence in God. We doubt his promises, his oaths, his threatenings. In dark and trying times we begin to have doubts about the wisdom of his dealings, and about his goodness. Unbelief once admitted into the heart

19 So a we sec that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

is the beginning of many woes. When a man loses confidence in God, he is on a shoreless ocean that is full of whirlpools, and rocks, and cnicksands, and where it is impossible to find a secure anchorage. There is nothing to which he niay moor his driven bark; and he will never find safety or peace till he comes back to God.

(3.) Let us live a life of faith. Let us so live that we may say with Paul,. " The life that I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." So living, we shall have peace. The mind will be at rest. Storms and tempests may blow, but we shall be secure. Others may be troubled in the vicissitudes of life, but our minds will be at peace.

(4.) Let us live expecting the future ' rest ' that remains for us. Let us keep our eye fixed upon it. To us there is a rest promised, as there was to the Hebrews whom God had de livered from the land of oppression;. and we may by faith attain to that ' rest ' as they might have reached the land of Canaan.

(5.) Let us persevere to the end. He that draws back must be lost. He that does not endure to the end of life in the ways of religion can never have been a Christian. There is nothing which will furnish certain, evidence of religion unless our piety is such as to lead us to persevere till death. The man who enters on the professed Christian life expecting to fall away, or who can look upon the possibility of falling away without concern, has never known any thing of the nature of true religion. He can not be a Christian. He may have had raptures and visions; he may be a loud professor and a noisy and zeal ous partisan, but he has no evidence that he has ever known any thing about religion. That religion which.

is not connected with a firm and de termined purpose by the grace of God to persevere to the end of life, is no true religion; and a man who expects to fall away and go back again to the world, or who can look at such an idea without alarm, should regard it as a settled matter that he has no true knowledge of God.

(f 'j No man should delay the work of salvation to a future time. To day is the accepted time; to-day the only time of which we have any se curity. God speaks to-day, and to-day his voice should be heard. No man on any subject should defer till to morrow what ought to be done to-day. He who defers religion till a future time neglects his own best interest; violates most solemn obligations; and endangers his immortal soul. What security can any one have that he will live to see another day? What evidence has he that he will be any more disposed to attend to his salva tion then than he is now? What evidence can he have that he will not provoke God by this course, and bring condemnation on his soul? Of all delusions, that is the most wonderful by which dying men are led to defer attention to the concerns of the soul to a future period of life. Nowhere has Satan such advantage as in keep ing this delusion before the mind; and if in respect to any thing the voice of warning and alarm should be lifted loud and long, it is in refe rence to this. O why will not men be wise to-day? Why will they not embrace the offer of salvation now? Why will they not at once make sure of eternal happiness? And why, amidst the changes and trials of this life, will they not so secure the everlasting inheritance as to feel that that is safe —that there is one thing at least that cannot be shaken and disturbed by commercial embarrassment and dis tress; one thing secure though friends and kindred are torn away from them; one thing safe when their own health fails, and they lay down on the bed where they will bid adieu to all earthly comforts, and from which they will never rise?

This chapter comprises two parts. In the first (vs. 1—13), the apostle pursues and completes the exhortation which he had commenced in the pre vious chapter, drawn from the compa rison of the Saviour with Moses (see the analysis of ch. iii.); and in the second part (vs. 14 — 16), he enters on the consideration of the character of Christ as a high priest, which is pur sued to the end of the doctrinal part of the epistle.

In the first part (vs. 1 — 13), he de scribes more at length the character of the ' rest ' to which he had referred in the previous chapter. He shows (ver. 1) that the promise of a 'rest* yet remains, and that there is still danger, as there was formerly, of coming short of it, or of losing it. He affirms that such was the nature of that promise, that it is applicable to us as well as to those to whom it was first made, and that the promise of rest as really pertains to Christians now as it did to the Hebrews of old. Ver. 2. The reason, he add?-, (ver. 2.) why they did not enter into that rest •vas, that they had not faith. This he had established in the previous! chapter, ver. 18. In vs. 3—6, he pro ceeds to demonstrate more at length that there is a 'rest' remaining for those who believe. The great object in this part of the chapter is to prove that a ' rest ' remains for "believers now; a rest of a spiritual character, and much more desirable than that of the land of Canaan; a rest to which Christians may look forward, and which there may be danger of losing. Addressing Hebrew Christians, he, of course, appeals to the Old Testa ment, and refers to several places where the word ' rest ' occurs, and ar gues that those expressions are of such a character as to show that there re mains a ' rest ' for Christians yet. It would have been easy to have affirmed this as a part of the Christian reve lation, but throughout the epistle he is bringing his illustrations from the

Old Testament, and showing to the Hebrew Christians to whom he wrote that there were abundant considera tions in the Old Testament itself to constitute an argument why they should adhere inviolably to the Chris tian religion. He says, therefore, ver. 4, that God himself had spoken of his own rest from his works; that when he had finished the work of creation he had instituted a rest which was characterised by the peace, and beauty, and order of the first Sabbath after the work of creation, when all was new. and lovely, and pure. That might be called the rest of God — a beautiful emblem of that which dwells around his throne in heaven. The meaning of this ver. (verse 4) is, that the Bible spoke early of a rest which appertained to God himself. In ver. 5, he goes on to say that the prospect of entering into his rest was spoken of as a possible thing; that some were excluded, but that there was a place deserved to be called ' the rest of God' — " My rest" — to which all may come. Of course, that rest must be of a spi ritual nature, and must be different from that of the promised land. That 'rest' the apostle implies it was pos sible to attain. He does not argue this point at length, but he assumes that God AArould not create a place of rest in vain; that it was made to be enjoyed; and that since those to whom it was at first offered were excluded, it must follow that it remained still; and as they were excluded by the want of faith, it would follow also that it was reserved for those who had faith. Of course, therefore, it is of fered to Christians now. Ver. 6.

This view he proceeds to confirm by another consideration. Vs. 7, 8. It is that David, who lived nearly five hundred years after the land of pro mise had been occupied by the Israel ites, spoke then of the possibility of entering into such a < rest.' He says (Ps. xcv. 7\ that, in his time, the peo ple were called to hear the voice of God; that he warned them against the guilt and danger of hardening their hearts; that he reminded them that it was by that that the Israelites were excluded from the promised land, and that he said that the same thing would occur if those in his own time should harden their hearts. It fol lowed, therefore, that even in the time of David there was a hope and pro mise of 'rest;' and that there was something more intended for the true people of God than merely entering into the promised land. There must be something in advance of that; something that existed to the time of David— and it must be, therefore, a spiritual rest. This, the apostle adds, ver. 8, is conclusive; for, if Joshua had given them all the ' rest' that was contemplated, then David would not have spoken as he did of the danger of being excluded from it in his time. He, therefore (ver. 9), comes to the conclusion that there must still re main a 'rest' for the people of God, a 'rest' to which they were invited, and which they were in danger of losing by unbelief. He adds (ver. 10), that he who enters into that ' rest' ceases from toil, as God did from his when he had finished the work of creation. Since, therefore, there is such a ' rest,' and since there is dan ger of coming short of it, the apostle urges them (ver. 11), to make every effort to enter into it. He adds (vs. 12, 13), as a consideration to quicken them to earnest effort and to anxious care lest they should be deceived, and should fail of it, the fact that God cannot be deceived; that his word penetrates the heart, and that every thing is naked and op^n before him. There should, therefore, be the most faithful investigation of the heart, lest they should fail of the grace cf God, and lose the hoped-for rest.

In the second portion of the chap ter (vs. 14 — 16), he enters on the con sideration of the character of Christ, as High Priest, and says that since we have such an High Priest as he is, we should be encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace. We have encouragement to persevere from the fact that we have such a High Priest, and in all our conscious weak ness and helplessness we may look to him for aid.

LET us,a therefore fear, lest a promise being- left us of

1. Let us therefore fear. Let us be apprehensive that we may possibly fail of that rest. The kind of fear vhich is recommended here is that which leads to caution and care. A man who is in danger of losing his life or health should be watchful; a seaman that is in danger of running on a lee-shore should be on his guard. So we who have the offer of heaven, and who yet are in danger of losing it, should take all possible precautions lest we fail of it. ^[ Lest a promise being left us. Paul assumes here that there is such a promise. In the sub sequent part of the chapter, he goes more into the subject, and proves from the Old Testament that there is such a promise made to us. It is to be remembered that Paul had not the New Testament then to appeal to, as we have, which is perfectly clear on the subject, but that he was obliged to appeal to the Old Testament. This he did not only because the New Testament was not then written, but because he was reasoning with those who had been Hebrews, and who re gard >d the authority of the Old Testame t as decisive. If his reasoning to us appears somewhat obscure, we shouH put ourselves in his place, and should remember that the con verts then had not the full light which •«re have now in the New Testament. ^[ Of entering into his rest The resfc of God— the rest of the world where \ he dwells. It is called his rest, be cause it is that Avhich he enjoys, and which he alone can confer. There can be no doubt that Paul refers here to heaven, and ii^oans to say that there is a promise.eft to Christians of being admitted to the enjoyment of that blessed world where God dwells, ^f Any of ijou should seem to come short of it. The word "seem" here is used as a form of gentle and mild address, implying the possibility of thus coming short. The word here — Soxeco — is often used so as to appear to give no essential addition to the sense of a passage, though it is probable that it always gave a shading to the meaning. Thus the phrase esse videatur is often used by Cicero at the end of a period, to de note merely that a thing was — though he expressed it as though it merely seemed to be. Such language is often used in argument or in conversation as a modest expression, as when we say a thing seems to be so and so, instead of saying ' it is.' In some such sense Paul probably used the phrase here — perhaps as expressing what we would by this language — * lest it should appear at last that any of you had come short of it.' The phrase « come short of it' is probably used with reference to the journey to the promised land, where they who came out of Egypt came short of that land, and fell in the wilderness. They did not reach it. This verse teaches the important truth that, though hea ven is offered to us, and that ' a rest' is promised to us if we seek it, yet that there is reason to think that many may fail of reaching it who had expected to obtain it. Among those will be the following classes: — (1.) Those who are professors of reli gion, but who have never known any thing of true piety. (2.) Those who are expecting to be saved by their own works, and are looking forward to a world of rest on the ground of what their own hands can do. (3.) Those who defer attention to the subject from time to time until it be comes too late. They expect to reach heaven, but they are not ready to give their hearts to God now, and the sub ject is deferred from one period to another, until death arrests them un prepared. (4.) Those who have been awakened to see their guilt and dan ger, and who have been almost but not quite ready to give up their hearts

2 For unto us was the gos pel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached 1

to God. Such were Agrippa, Felix, the young ruler (Mark x. 21), and such are all those who are almost but not quite prepared to give up the world and to devote themselves to the Redeemer. To all these the promise of ' rest' is made, if they will accept of salvation as it is offered in the gos pel; all of them cherish a hope that they will be saved; and all of them are destined alike to be disappointed. "With what earnestness, thensfore, should we strive that we may not fail of the grace of God!

2. For unto us was the yospel preached as well as unto them. This translation by no means conveys the sense of the original. According to this, it would seem that the gospel, as we understand it, or the whole plan of salvation, was communicated to them, as well as to M.S. But this is by no means the idea. The discussion has reference only to the promise of rest, and the assertion of the apostle is, that this good news of a promise of rest is made to us as really as it was made to them. 'Rest' was pro mised to them in the land of Canaan — an ernbleiTi of the eternal rest of the people of God. That was un questioned, and Paul took it for granted. His object now is, to show that a promise of ' rest' is as really made to us as it was to them, and that there is the same danger of fail ing to secure it as there was then. It was important for him to show that there was such a promise made to the people of God in his time, and as he Avas discoursing of those who were Hebrews, he of course made his appeal to t he Old Testament. The lite ral translation would be, ' For we are evangelised — as well as they.' The word evan gelise means to communicate good iiews, or glad tidings; and the idea here is, that the good news, or glad j tidings of « rest' is announced to us i

did not profit them,2 not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

as really as it was to them. This the apostle proves in the following verses. ^ But the word preached. Marg. Of hearing. The Avord preach we also use now in a technical sense as denoting a formal proclamation of the gospel by the ministers of reli gion. But this is not the idea here. It means, simply, the word wldch they heard; and refers particularly to the promise of ' rest' which was made to them. That message was communicated to them by Moses. f Did not profit them. They derived no advantage from it. They rejected and despised it, and were, therefore, excluded from the promised land. It exerted no influence over their hearts and lives, and they lived and died as t Lough no such promise had been made. Thus many persons live and die now. The offer of salvation is made to them. They are invited to come and be saved. They are as sured that God is willing to save them, and that the Redeemer stands with open arms to welcome them to hea ven. They are trained up under the gospel; are led early in life to the sanctuary; are in the habit of attend ing on the preaching of the gospel all their days, but still what they hear exerts no saving influence on their hearts. At the close of life all that could be truly said of them is, that they have not been profited; it has been no real advantage to them in regard to their final destiny that the, have enjoyed so many privileges ^[ Not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Marg. ' Or, because they were not united by faith to' There are some various readings on this text, and one of these has given occasion to the version in the margin. Many MSS. instead of the common reading — o-vyKexpauevos — by which the word mixed would be united to o Xoyos — ' the word,' have another read ing — (rvyK€Kpap.evovs — according t J which the word mired would refer ts ' them,' and would mean that they who heard the word and rejected it were not mixed, or united with those who believed it. The former reading makes the best sense, and is the best sustained; and the idea is, that the message which was preached was not received into the heart by faith. They were destitute of faith, and the message did not profit them. The word mixed is supposed by many of the best critics to refer to the process by which food is made nutritive, by being properly mired with the saliva and the gastric juice, and thus con verted into chyme, and chyle, and then changed into blood. If suitably mixed in this manner, it contributes to the life and health of the bodily frame; if not, it is the means of dis ease and death. So it is supposed the apostle meant to say of the mes sage which God sends to man. If properly received; if mixed or united with faith, it becomes the means of spiritual support and life. If not, it furnishes no aliment to the soul, and will be of no advantage. As food when properly digested incorporates itself with the body, and gives it support, so those critics suppose it to be of the word of God, that it in corporates itself with the internal and spiritual man, and gives it sup port and life. It may be doubted, however, whether the apostle had any such allusion as this, and whether it is not rather a refinement of the critics than of Paul. The word used here properly denotes a mixing or mingling together, like water and wine, II. Mac. xv. 39; a uniting to gether in proper proportions and or der, as of the body, I. Cor. xii. 24; and it may refer here merely to a proper union of faith with the word, in order that it might be profitable. The idea isr that merely to hear the message of life with the outward ear will be of no advantage. It must be believed, or it will be of no benefit. The message is sent to mankind at large. God declares his readiness to save alL But this message is of no advantage to multitudes — for such; reasons as these. (1.) Many do not attend to it at all. They do not even listen respectfully to it. Multitudes go not near the place where the gos pel is proclaimed; and many, when there, and when they seem to attend, have their minds and hearts on other things. (2.) Many do not believe it. They have doubts about the whole subject of religion, or about the par ticular doctrines of the gospel — and while they do not believe it, how can they be benefited by it? How can a man be profited by the records of history if he does not believe them? How can one be benefited by the truths of science if he does not believe them? And if a man was assured that by going to a certain place he might close a bargain that would be a great advantage to him, of what use would this information be to him if he did not believe & word of it? So of the knowledge of salvation; the facts of the history recorded in the Bible; the offer of eternal life. (3.) Men do not allow the message of life to influence their conduct, jtnd of course it is of no advantage to them. Of what use can it be if they steadily resist all the influence which it would have, and ought to have, on their lives? They live as though it were ascertained that there is no truth in the Bible; no reason for being in fluenced by the offered hope of eter nal life, or alarmed by the threatened danger of eternal death. Resolved to pursue a course of life that is at va riance with the commands of God, they cannot be profited by the message of salvation. Having no faith which influences and controls the heart, they are not in the leu^t benefited by the offer of heaven. When they die, their condition is in no wise made better by the fact that they were trained up in a pious family; that they were instructed in the Sabbathschool; that they had the Bible in their dwellings, and that they sat re gularly under a preached gospel. For any advantage to be derived from all this in the future world, they

3 For we which have be lieved do enter into rest; as he said, a As I have sworn in my

might as well have never heard the message of life. Nay, it would have been better for them. The only effect of these privileges is to harden them in guilt, and to sink them deeper in hell. Notes, II. Cor. ii. 16.

3. For ive which have believed do enter into rest. That is, it is a cer tain fact that believers ivill enter into rest. That promise is made to ' be lievers;' and as we have evidence that we come under the denomination of believers, it will follow that we have the offer of rest as well as they. That this is so, the apostle proceeds to prove; that is, he proceeds to show from the Old Testament that there was a promise to ' believers' that they would enter into rest. Since there was such a promise, and since there was danger that by unbelief that *rest' might be lost, he proceeds to show them the danger, and to warn them of it. ^[ As he said, &c. See ch. Hi. 11. The meaning of this passage is this. ' God made a promise of rest to those who believe. They to whom the offer was first made failed, and did not enter in. It must follow, therefore, that the offer extended to others, since God designed that some should enter in, or that it should not be provided in vain. To them it was a solemn declaration that unbelievers should not enter in, and this implied ihat believers would. As we now,' says he, ' sustain the character of *ielievers, it follows that to us the pro mise of rest is now made, and we Jiay partake of it.' ^ If they shall enter, £c. That is, they shall not enter in. See ch. iii. 1 1. The "rest" here spoken of as reserved for Chris tians must be different from that of the promised land. It is something that pertains to Christians now, and it must, therefore, refer to the ' rest' that remains in heaven, ^f Although the works were finished, &c. This is

wrath, if they shall enter into my rest; although the works were finished from the founda tion of the world.

a difficult expression. What Avorks are referred to? it may be asked. How does this bear on the subject under discussion? How can it be a proof that there remains a ' rest' to those who believe now? This was the point to be demonstrated; and this passage was designed clearly to bear on that point. As it is in our trans lation, the passage seems to make no sense whatever. Tindal renders it, " And that spake he verily long after that the works were made from the foundation of the world laid;" which makes much better sense than our translation. Doddridge explains it as meaning, " And this may lead us further to reflect on what is elsewhere said concerning his works as they were finished from the foundation of the world." But it is difficult to see why they should reflect on his works just then, and how this would bear on the case in hand. Prof. Stuart supposes that the word "rest" must be understood here before "works," and translates it, " Shall not enter into my rest, to wit, rest from the works which were performed when the world was founded." Prof. Ro binson (Ze.r.) explains it as meaning, " The rest here spoken of, ' MY rest' could not have been God's resting from his works (Gen. ii. 2), for this rest, the Sabbath, had already existed from the creation of the world." Dr. J. P. Wilson (MS. Notes) renders it, " For we who have believed do enter into rest (or a cessation) indeed (KCUTOI) °f the works done (among men) from the beginning of the world." Amidst this variety of interpretation it is difficult to determine the true sense. But perhaps the main thought may be collected from the following remarks. £1.) The Jews as the people of God had a rest promised them in the land of Canaan. Of that they failed by their unbelief. (2.) The

4 For he spake i/i a certain place of the seventh day on this wise,a And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

purpose of the apostle was to prove that there was a similar promise made to the people of God long subsequent to that, and to which all his people were invited. (3.) That rest was not that of the promised land, it was such as God had himself when he had finished the work of creation. That was peculiarly his rest— the rest of God, without toil, or weariness, and after his whole work was finished. (4.) His people were invited to the same rest — the rest of God — to par take of his felicity; to enter into that bliss which he enjoyed when he had finished the work of creation. The happiness of the saints was to "be like that. It was to be in their case >also a rest from toil — to be enjoyed at the end of all that they had to do. To prove that Christians were to at tain to such a rest, was the purpose which the apostle had in view — show ing that it was a general doctrine pertaining to believers in every age, that there was a promise of rest for them. I would then regard the mid dle clause of this verse as a parenthe sis, and render the whole, ' For we who are believers shall enter into rest — [the rest] indeed which occurred when the works were finished at the foundation of the world — as he said £in one place] as I have sworn in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest.' That was the true rest — such rest or repose as God had when he finished the work of creation— such as he has now in heaven. This gives the highest possible idea of the dig nity and desirableness of that ' rest' to which we look forward — for it is to be such as God enjoys, and is to elevate us more and more to him. What more exalted idea can there be of happiness than to participate in the calmness, the peace, the repose, the freedom from raging passions, "from wearisome toil, and from agi-

5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

tating cares, which God enjoys? Who, torn with conflicting passions here, wearied with toil, and distracted with care, ought not to feel it a pri vilege to look forward to that rest? Of this rest the Sabbath and the pro mised land were emblems. They to whom the promise was made did not enter in, but some shall enter in, and the promise therefore pertains to us.

4. For he spake. Gen. ii. 2. «f And God did rest. 'At the close of the work of creation he rested. The work was done. That was the rest of God. He was happy in the con templation of his own works; and he instituted that day to be observed as a memorial of his resting from his works, and as a type of the eter nal rest which remained for man.' The idea is this, that the notion of rest of some kind runs through all dispensations. It was seen in the finishing of the work of creation, seen in the appointment of the Sab bath; seen in the offer of the pro mised land, and is seen now in the promise of heaven. All dispensations contemplate rest, and there must be such a prospect before man now. When it is said that " God did rest," of course it does not mean that he was wearied with his toil, but merely that he ceased from the stupendous work of creation. He no more put forth creative energy, but calmly con templated his own works in their beauty and grandeur. Gen. i. 31. In carrying forward the great affairs of the universe, he always has been actively employed ( John v. 17), but he is not employed in the work of creation properly so called. That is done; and the sublime cessation from that constitutes the ' rest of God.'

5. And in this place again. Ps. xcv. 11. ^ If they shall enter. That is, they shall not enter. See Notes ch. iii. 11. The object of quoting

6 Seeing therefore It remaineth that some must enter there in, and they a to whom l it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief.

this here seems to be two-fold. (1.) To show that even in this Psalm God spoke of his rest, and said that they should not enter into it; and (2.) it is connected with ver. 6, and is designed to show that it was implied that a rest yet remained. ' That which de serves to be called the divine rest is spoken of in the Scriptures, and as they did not enter into it, it follows that it must be in reserve for some others, and that the promise must still remain.'

6. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein. That is, ' Since there is a rest spoken of in the Scriptures, implying that it is to be enjoyed by some, and since they to whom it was first promised did not inherit it, it follows that it must still be in reserve.' This is the conclu sion which the apostle draws from the argument in the previous verses, and is connected with ver. 9, where he says that " there remaineth a rest to the people of God" — the point to which the whole argument tended. The statement in vs. 7, 8, is to be re garded as an interruption in stating the conclusion, or as the suggestion of a new thought or a new argument bearing on the subject, which he sets down even while stating the conclu sion from his argument. It has the appearance of being suggested to him as a new thought of importance, and which he preferred to place even in the midst of the summing up of the argument rather than omit it alto gether. It denotes a state of mind full of the subject, and where one idea came hastening after another, and which it was deemed important to notice, even though it should seem to be out of place. The position in this (Terse 6) is, that it was a settled or

7 Again, he limiteth a cer tain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; (as it is said) b To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

indisputable matter that some would enter into rest. The implied argu ment to prove this is, (1.) that there was a ' rest' spoken of which deserved to be called a divine rest, or the ' rest of God;' (2.) it could not be supposed that God would prepare such a rest in vain, for it would follow that if he had fitted up a world of rest, he de signed that it should be occupied. As he knew, therefore, that they to whom it was first offered would not enter in, it must be that he designed it for some others, and that it remained to be oc cupied by us now. ^[ And they to whom it was first preached. Marg. The Gospel Gr. Evangelised; that is, to whom the good news of the rest was first announced — the Israelites. ^[ Entered not in because of unbelief. See Notes, ch. iii. 19.

7. Again, he limiteth. He desig nates, or definitely mentions. The word rendered limiteth — 6pi£ei — means to bound, to set a boundary — as of a field, or farm; and then to determine or fix definitely, to designate, appoint. Here it means, that he specifies par ticularly, or mentions expressly. ^[ A certain day. A particular time; he mentions TO -DAY particularly. That is, in the time of David, he uses the word "to-day" as if there was then an offer of rest, and as if it were then possible to enter into it. The object of the additional thought was to showthat the offer of rest was not confined to the Israelites to whom it was first made; that David regarded it as ex isting in his day; and that man might even then be invited to come and par take of the rest that was promised. ' Nearly five hundred years after the time when the Israelites were going to the promised land, and when the offer of rest was made to them, we

8 For if l Jesus had given them rest, then would he not

hear David speaking of rest still; rest which was offered in his time, and which might then be lost by hardening the heart. It could not be, therefore, that the offer of rest pertained merely to the promised land. It must be some thing in advance of that. It must be something existing in the time of Duvid. It must be an offer of hea ven.' A Jew might feel the force of this argument more than we do; still it is conclusive to prove the point un der consideration, that there was a rest spoken of long after the offer of the promised land, and that all the promises could not have pertained to that. ^[ Saying in David. In a Psalm composed by David, or rather perhaps, saying by David; that is, God spake by him. ^f To-day. Now: — that is, even in the time of David. ^f After so long a time. That is, so long after the first promise was made; to wit, about five hundred years. These are the words of Paul calling attention to the fact that so long a time after the entrance into the pro mised land there was still a speaking of " to-day" as if even then they were called to partake of the rest. *§ As it is said. To quote it exactly; or to bring the express authority of the Scriptures. It is expressly said even after that long time, ' to-day — or NOW. if you will hear his voice.' All this is to prove that even in that time there was an offer of rest.

8. For if Jesus. Marg. 'That is, Joshua.' The Syriac renders it, * Joshua the Son of Nun.' Jesus is the Greek mode of writing Joshua, and there can be no doubt that Joshua is here intended. The object is to prove that Joshua did not give the people of God such a rest as to make it improper to speak of a ' rest' after that time. 'If Joshua had given them a complete and final rest; if by his conducting them to the promised land all had been done which had been contemplated by the promise, then it would not have been alluded to again, as it Avas in the time of Da vid.' Joshua did give them a rest in the promised land; but it was not all which was intended, and it did not exclude the promise of another and more important rest, ^f Then would fie not. Then God would not have spoken of another time when that rest could be obtained. The 'other day here referred to is that which is mentioned before by the phrase 'to day,' and refers to the time in which it is spoken of long after Joshua, to wit, in the time of David.

9. There remaineth, therefore, a rest. This is the conclusion to which the apostle comes. The meaning is this, that according to the Scriptures there is now a promise of rest made to the people of God. It did not pertain merely to those who were called to go to the promised land, nor to those who lived in the time of David, but it is still true that the promise of rest per tains to all the people of God of every generation. The reasoning by which the apostle comes to this conclusion is briefly this. (1.) That there was a rest — called 'the rest of God' — spoken of in the earliest period of the world — implying that God meant that it should, be enjoyed. (2.) That the Israelites, to whom the promise was made, failed of obtaining that which was promised by their unbelief. (3.) That God intended that some should enter into his rest — since it would not be provided in vain. (4.) That long after the Israelites had fallen in the wilderness, we find the same refer ence to a rest which David in his time exhorts those whom he addressed to endeavour to obtain. (5.) That if all that had been meant by the word rest, and by the promise, had been accomplished when Joshua conducted the Israelites to the land of Canaan, •we should not have heard another day spoken of when it was possible to forfeit that rest by unbelief. It fol lowed, therefore, that there was some thing besides that; something that pertained to all the people of God to which the name rest might still be given, and which they were exhorted still to obtain. The word rest in this verse — cra/S/Sarioyios- — Sabbatism, in the margin is rendered keeping of a Sabbath. It is a different word from crdfBfBaTov — the Sabbath, and it occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, and is not found in the Septuagint. It properly means a keeping Sabbath — from (ra/3/3an'£a> — to keep Sabbath. This word, not used in the New Tes tament, occurs frequently in the Sep tuagint. Ex. xvi. 30; Lev. xxiii. 32; xxvi. 35; II. Chron. xxxvi. 21; and in III. Esdr. i. 58; II. Macca. vi. 6. It differs from the word Sabbath. That denotes the time — the day; this, the keeping, or observance of it; the fes tival. " It means here a resting, or an observance of sacred repose — and refers undoubtedly to heaven, as a place of eternal rest with God. It can not mean the rest in the land of Ca naan—for the drift of the writer is to prove that that is not intended. It cannot mean the Sabbath, properly so called — for then the writer would have employed the usual word a-dftfiarov — Sabbath. It cannot mean the Chris tian Sabbath— for the object is not to prove that there is such a day to be observed, and his reasoning about be ing excluded from it by unbelief and by hardening the heart would be irre levant. It must mean, therefore, hea ven — the world of spiritual and eter nal rest; and the assertion is, that there is such a resting, or keeping of a Sabbath in heaven for the people of God. Learn hence, (1.) that heaven is a place of cessation from wearisome j toil. It is to be like the 'rest' which God had after the work of creation (ver. 4, Note J, and of which that was the type and emblem. There will be employment there, but it will be with out fatigue; there will be the occu pation of the mind, and of whatever powers we may possess, but without weariness. Here we are often worn down and exhausted. The body sinks under continued toil, and falls into the grave. There the slave will rest from his toil; the man here oppressed and broken down by anxious care will cease from his labours. We know but little of heaven; but we know that a large part of what now oppresses and crushes the frame will not exist there. Slavery will be un known; the anxious care for sup port will be unknown, and all the ex haustion which proceeds from the love of gain, and from ambition, will be unknown. In the wearisome toils of life, then, let us look forward to the rest that remains in heaven, and as the labourer looks to the shades of the evening, or to the Sabbath as a period of rest, so let us look to hea ven as the place of eternal repose. (2.) Heaven will be like a Sabbath. The best description of it is to say it is an eternal Sabbath. Take the Sab bath on earth when best observed, and extend the idea to eternity, and let there be separated all idea of imper fection from its observance, and that would be heaven. The Sabbath is holy; so is heaven. It is a period of worship; so is heaven. It is for praise and for the contemplation of heavenly truth; so is heaven. The Sabbath is appointed that we may lay aside worldly cares and anxieties for a lit tle season here: heaven that we may lay them aside for ever. (3.) The Sabbath here should be like heaven. It is designed to be its type and em blem. So far as the circumstances of the case will allow, it should be just like heaven. There should be the same employments; the same joys; the same communion Avith God. One of the best rules for employing the Sabbath aright is, to think what heaven will be, and then to endeavour to spend it in the same way. One day in seven at least should remind us of what heaven is to be; and that day may be, and should be, the most happy of the seven. (4.) They who do not love the Sabbath on earth, are

10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased

not prepared for heaven. If it is to them a day of tediousness; if its hours move heavily; if they have no delight in its sacred employments, what would an eternity of such days be? How would they be passed? Nothing can be clearer than that if we have no such happiness in a season of holy rest, and in holy employments here, we are wholly unprepared for hea ven. To the Christian it is the sub ject of the highest joy in anticipa tion that heaven is to be one long un broken SABBATH — an eternity of suc cessive Sabbath hours. But what to a sinner could be a more repul sive and gloomy prospect than such an eternal Sabbath? (5.) If this be so, then what a melancholy view is furnished as to the actual pre paration of the great mass of men for heaven! Plow is the Sabbath now spent? In idleness; in business; in travelling; in hunting and fishing; in light reading and conversation; in sleep; in visiting; in riding, walk ing, lounging, ennui; — in revelry and dissipation; in any and every way except the right way, in every way except in holy communion with God. What would the race be if once trans lated to heaven as they are! What a prospect would it be to this multi tude to have to spend an eternity which would be but a prolongation of the Sabbath of holiness! (6.) Let those who love the Sabbath rejoice in the prospect of eternal rest in heaven. In our labour let us look to that world where wearisome toil is unknown; in our afflictions, let us look to that world where tears never fall; and when our hearts are pained by the violation of the Sabbath all around us, let us look to that blessed world where such violation will cease for ever. It is not far distant. A few steps will bring us there. Of any Christian it may be said that perhaps his next Sabbath will be spent in heavcai— near the throne of God.

from his own works, as God did from his.

10. For he that is entered into rest. That is, the man who is so happy as to reach heaven, will enjoy a rest similar to that which God had when he finished the work of creation. It will be (1.) a cessation from toil; and (2.) it will be a rest similar to that of God — the same kind of enjoyment, the same freedom from care, anxiety, and labour. How happy then are they who have entered into heaven! Their toils are over. Their labours are done. Never again will they know fatigue. Never more will they feel anxious care. Let us learn then (1.) not to mourn improperly for those who have left us and gone to heaven. Happy in the rest of God, why should not we rejoice? Why wish them back again in a world of toil. (2.) Let us in our toils look forward to the world of rest. Our labours will all be over. The weary man will lay down his burden; the exhausted frame will know fatigue no more. Rest is sweet at night after the toils of day; how much more sweet will it be in heaven after the toils of life! Let us (3.) labour while it is called to day. Soon we shall cease from our work. All that we have to do is to be done soon. We shall soon cease from our work as God did from his. What we have to do for the salvation of children, brothers, sisters, friends, and for the world, is to be done soon. From the abodes of bliss we shall not be sent forth to speak to our ki/.dred of the blessedness of that world, or to admonish our friends to escape from the place of despair. The pastor will not come again to warn and invite his people; the parent will not come again to tell his children of tha Sa viour and of heaven; the neighbour will not come to admonish his neigh bour. Comp. Luke xvi. 24 — 29. We shall ALL have ceased from our work as God did from his; and never again shall we speak to a living friend to invite him to heaven.

11 Leta us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same exam ple of1 unbelief.

12 For the wordb of God it quick, and powerful, and sharp er than any two-edged sword, c piercing- even to the dividing

11. Let us therefore labour. Let us earnestly strive. Since there is a rest whose attainment is worth all our efforts; since so many have failed of reaching it hy their unbelief, and since there is so much danger that we may fail of it also, let us give all diligence that we may enter into it. Heaven is never obtained but by diligence, and no one enters there who does not earnestly desire it, and who does not make a sincere effort to reach it. ^[ Of unbelief. Marg. disobedience. The word un belief best expresses the sense, as the apostle was showing that this was the principal thing that prevented men from entering into heaven. See Notes ch. iii. 12.

12. For the word of God. The de sign of this and the following verse is obvious. It is to show that we cannot escape the notice of God; that all insincerity, unbelief, hypocrisy, will be detected by him; and that since our hearts are perfectly open before him, we should be sincere and should not attempt to deceive him. The sense is, that the truth of God is all-penetrating and searching, and that the real thoughts and intents of the heart will be brought to light, and that if there is insincerity and self-deception there can be no hope of escape. There has been a great variety of opinion here about the meaning of the phrase 'the word of God.' Some have supposed that it means the Lord Jesus; others, the whole of the divine revelation; others the gospel; others the particular threatening referred to here. The 'word of God' is that which God speaks— whether it be a promise or a threatering; whether it be law or gospel; whether it be a simple decla ration or a statement of a doctrine. The idea here is, that what God had said is fitted to detect hypocrisy and to lay open the true nature of the feelings of the soul, so that there can be no escape for the guilty. His truth is adapted to bring out the real feelings, and to show man exactly what he is. Truth always has this power — whether preacbod, or read, or communicated by conversation, or impressed upon the memory and con science by the Holy Spirit. There can be no escape from the penetrat ing, searching application of the word of God. That truth has power to show what man is, and is like a penetrating sword that lays open the whole man. Comp. Isa. xlix. 2. The phrase 'the word of God' here may be applied, therefore, to the truth of God however made known to the mind. In some way it will bring out the real feelings, and show what man is. ^f Is quick. Gr. fav — living. It is not dead, inert, and powerless. It has a living power, and is energetic and active. It is adapted to produce this effect. ^[ And powerful. Mighty. Its power is seen in awakening the conscience; alarming the fears; lay ing bare the secret feelings of the heart, and causing the sinner to tremble with the apprehension of the coming judgment. All the great changes in the moral world for the better, have been caused by the power of truth. They are such as the truth in its own nature is fitted to effect, and if we may judge of its power by the greatness of the revolutions pro duced, no words can over-estimate the might of the truth which God has re vealed. ^ Sharper than any twoedged sword. Literally, two-mouthed sword— diaro^ov The word mouth was given to the sword because it seemed to devour all before it. It consumed or destroyed as a wild beast does. The comparison of the word asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is of God to a sword or to an arrow, is designed to shoAv its power of pene trating the heart. Eccl. xii. 11. " The words of the Avise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies." Comp. Isa. xlix. 2. " And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword." Rev. i. 16. " And out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword," ii. 12. 16; xix. 15. The comparison is common in the classics, and in Arabic poetry. See Genesius, on Isa. xlix. 2. The idea is that of piercing, or penetrating; and the meaning here is, that the word of God reaches the heart— the very centre of action, and lays open the motives and feelings of the man. It was common among the ancients to have a sword with two edges. The Roman sword was commonly made in this manner. The fact that it had two edges made it more easy to pene trate, as well as to cut with every way. X Piercing even to the dividing asunr. Penetrating so as to divide. ^f Soul and spirit The animal life from the immortal soul. The former word here— i\rvxn~ ^sou^ — *s evidently used to denote the animal life, as dis tinguished from the mind or soul. The latter word— irvevpa — spirit — means the soul; the immaterial and immortal part; that which lives when the animal life is extinct. This distinction occurs in I. Thess. v. 23. "your whole spirit and soul, and body;" and it is a distinction which we are constantly in the habit of making. There is the body in man — the animal life — and the immortal part that leaves the body when life is extinct. Mysteriously united, they constitute one man. When the animal life is separated from the soul, or when the soul leaves the animated body, the body dies, and life is extinct. To separate the one from the other is, therefore, the same as to take life — and this is the idea here, that the word of God is like a sharp sword that inflicts deadly wounds. The sinner "dies:"— that is, he becomes dead to his former hopes, or is " slain" by the law. Rom. vii. 9. ( was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." This is the power referred to here— the power of destroying the hopes of the sinner; cutting him down under conviction; and prostrating him as if a sword had pierced his heart, ^ And of the joints and marrow. The figure is still con tinued of the sword that takes life. Such a sword would seem to penetrate even the joints and marrow of the body. It would separate the joints, and pierce through the very bones to the marrow. A similar effect, Paul says, is produced by truth. It seems to penetrate the very essence of the soul, and lay it all open to the view. «([ And is a discerner of the thoughts. It shows what the thoughts and in tentions are. Prof. Stuart, Bloomfield, and some others, suppose that the re ference here is to God speaking by his word. But the more natural con struction certainly is, to refer it to the word or truth of God. It is true that God searches the heart, and knows the thoughts, but that is not the truth which is prominent here. It is, that the thoughts and intents of the heart are brought out to view by the word of God. And can any one doubt this? See Rom. vii. 7. Is it not true that men are made to see their real character under the exhibi tion of the truth of God? That in the light of the law they see their past lives to be sinful? That the exhibi tion of truth calls to their recollection many long-forgotten sins? And that their real feelings are brought out when the truth of God is proclaimed? Men then are made to look upon their motives as they had never done be fore, and to see in their hearts feel ings whose existence they would not have suspected if it had not been for

13 Neither is there any crea ture that is not manifest in hi sight: but all things are naked

the exhibition of the truth. The ex hibition of the truth is like pouring down the beams of the sun at mid night on a dark world; and the truth lays open the real feelings of the sin ner as that sun would disclose the clouds of wickedness that are now performed under cover of the night Many a man has a deep and fixec hostility to God and to his gospel who might never be sensible of it if the truth was not faithfully proclaimed. The particular idea here is, that the truth of God will detect the feelings of the hypocrite and self-deceiver. They cannot always conceal their emotions, and the time will come when truth, like light poured into the soul, will reveal their unbelief and their secret sins. They who are che- ' rishing a hope of salvation, therefore, should be on their guard lest they mistake the name for 'the reality. Let us learn from this verse, ( 1.) the power of truth. It is fitted to lay open the secret feelings of the soul. There is not an effect produced in awakening a sinner; or in his convic tion, conversion, and sanctification, which the truth is not adapted to pro duce. The truth of God is not dead; nor fitted to make men worse; nor designed merely to show its own weakness, and to be a mere occasion on which the Holy Spirit acts on the mind; — it is in its own nature FITTED to produce just the effects which are produced when it awakens convicts, converts, and sanctifies the soul. (2.) The truth should be preached with the feeling that it is adapted to this end. Men who preach should endea vour to understand the nature of the mind and of the moral feelings, as really as he who would inflict a deadly wound should endeavour to under stand enough about anatomy to know where the heart is, or he who admi nisters medicine should endeavour to know what is adapted to remove cer- and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. »Pr. 15.11.

tarn diseases. And he who has no belief in the efficacy of truth to pro duce any effect, resembles one who should suppose that all knowledge of the human system was needless to him who wished to perform a surgi cal operation, and who should cut at random — piously leaving it with God to direct the knife; or he who should go into a hospital of patients and ad minister medicines indiscriminately —devoutly saying that all healing must come from God, and that the use of medicine was only to show its own weakness! Thus many men seem to preach. Yet for aught that appears, truth is just as wisely adapted to save the soul as medi cine is to heal the sick; and why then should not a preacher be as carefol to study the nature of truth and ts adaptedness to a particular end, as a student of the healing art is to un derstand the adaptedness of medicine to cure disease? The true way of preaching is, to feel that truth is dapted to the end in view; to select;hat which is best fitted for that end; to preach as if the whole result de luded on getting that truth before he mind and into the heart — and ^hcn to leave the whole result with jod— as a physician with right feelngs will exert all his skill to save lis patient, and then commit the vhole question of life and health to od. He will be more likely to praise od intelligently who believes that he las wisely adapted a plan to the end n view, than he who believes that od works only at random.

13. Neither is there any creature hat is not manifest in his sight. There s no being who is not wholly known o God. All his thoughts, feelings, lans, are distinctly understood. Of hie truth of this there can be no doubt "he design of the remark here is, to uard those to whom the apostle was vriting from self-deception — since they could conceal nothing from God. ^f All things are naked. Exposed; uncovered. There is nothing that can be concealed from God. Ps. cxxxix. ll, 12.

"The veil of night is no disguise, No screen from thy all-searching eyes; Thy hanrts can seize thy foes as soon Thro' midnight shades as blazing noon."

f And opened— TfTpaxri\io-p€va. The •word here used — Tpa^^Xi^ — proper ly means (1.) to lay bare the neck, or to bend it back, so as to expose the throat to being cut. (2.) To expose; to lay open in any way. Why the word is used here has been a matter of inquiry. Some have supposed that the phrase is derived from offering sacrifice, and from the fact that the priest carefully examined the victim to see whether it was sound, before it was offered. But this is manifestly a forced exposition. Others have supposed that it is derived from the custom of bending back the head of a criminal so as to look full in his face, and recognise him so as not to be mistaken; but this is equally forced and unnatural. This opinion was first proposed by Erasmus, and has been adopted by Clarke and others. Bloomfield, following, as he says, the interpretation of Chrysostom, Grotius (though this is not the sentiment of Grotius), Beza, Alting, Hammond, and others, suppose the allusion to be to the custom of cutting the animal down the back bone through the spinal marrow, and thus of laying it open entirely. This sense would well suit the connexion. Gro tius supposes that it means to strip off the skin by dividing it at the neck, and then removing it. This view is also adopted substantially by Doddridge. These explanations are forced, and imply a departure more or less from the proper meaning of the Greek word. The most simple and obvious meaning is usually the best in ex plaining the Bible. The word which the apostle employs relates to the rjec\ rpa^T^Xos — and not to the spi nal marrow, or the skin. The proper meaning of the verb is to bend th& neck back so as to expose it in front when an animal is slain. — Passow. Then it means to make bare; to re move every tiling like covering; to expose a thing entirely — as the naked neck is for the knife. The allusion here is undoubtedly to the sword which Paul had referred to in the previous verse, as dividing the soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow; and the meaning is, that in the hand of God, who held that sword, every thing was exposed. We are in relation to that, like an animal whose neck is bent back, and laid bare, and ready for the slaughter. Nothing hinders God from striking; there is" nothing that can prevent that sword from penetrating the heart — any more than when the neck of the animal is bent back and laid bare, there is any thing that can hinder the sacrificing priest from thrusting the knife into the throat of the victim. If this be the true interpretation, then what an affecting view does it give of the power of God, and of the exposedness of man to destruction! All is bare, "naked, open. There is no concealment; no hindrance; no power of resistance. In a moment God can strike, and his dreadful sen tence shall fall on the sinner like the knife on the exposed throat of the victim. What emotions should the sinner have who feels that he is ex posed each moment to the sentence of eternal justice— to the sword of God — as the animal with bent-back neck is exposed to the knife! And what solemn feelings should all have who remember that all is naked and open | before God! Were we transparent \ so that the world could see all we 1 are, who would dare go abroad? i Who would wish the world to read | all his thoughts and feelings for a | single day? Who would wish his j best friends to look in upon his naked i soul as we can look into a room, through a window? O what blushes and confusion; what a hanging down of the head, and what an effort to! escape from the gaze of men would I there be, if every one knew that all his secret feelings were seen by every

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed ainto the heavens, Jesus the Son

person whom he met! Social enjoy ment would end; and the now gay and blithe multitudes in the streets •would become processions of down cast and blushing convicts. And yet all these are known to God. He reads every thought; sees every feel ing; looks through the whole soul. HOAV careful should we be to keep our hearts pure; how anxious that there should be nothing in the soul that we are not willing to have known! ^f With whom we have to do. Literally, With whom is our account. Our ac count; our reckoning is to be Avith him before whom all is naked and open. We cannot, therefore, impose on him. We cannot pass off hypo crisy for sincerity. He will judge us according to truth, not according to appearances; and his sentence, there fore, will be just. A man who is to be tried by one who knows all about him, should be a pure and holy man. 14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest. The apostle here resumes the subject which had been slightly hinted at in ch. ii. 17, iii. 1, and pur sues it to the end of ch. x. The object is to show that Christians have a great High Priest as really as the Jews had; to show wherein he surpassed the Levitical priesthood; to show how all that was said of the Aaronic priesthood, and all the types pertain ing to that priesthood, were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus; and to state and illustrate the nature of the consola tions which Christians might derive from the fact that they had such an High Priest. One of the things on which the Jews most valued their religon, was the fact that it had such a minister of religion as their high priest — the most elevated functionary of this dispensation. It came there fore to be of the utmost importance to show that Christianity was not in ferior to the Jewish religion in this respect, and that the High Pries, of the Christian profession would not of God, let us hold b fast our pro fession.

suffer in point of dignity, and in the value of the blood with which he would approach God, and in the effi cacy of his intercession, when com pared with the Jewish lu^li priest. Moreover, it was a doctrine of Chris tianity that the Jewish ritual was to pass away; and its temple services cease to be observed. It was, there fore, of vast importance to show why they passed away, and how they were superseded. To do this, the apostle is led into this long discussion re specting their nature. He shows that they were designed to be typical. He proves that they could not purify the heart, and give peace to the con science. He proves that they were all intended to point to something future, and to introduce the Messiah to the world; and that when this ob ject was accomplished, their great end was secured, and they were thus all fulfilled. In no part of the Bible can there be found so full an account of the design of the Mosaic institu tions, as in chs. v. — x. of this epistle j and were it not for this, the volume of inspiration would be incomplel/fc We should be left in the dark ot some of the most important subjects in revelation; we should ask ques tions for which we could find no cer - tain answer. The phrase 'great high priest' here is used with reference to a known usage among the Jews. In the time of the apostles the name high priest pertained not only to him who actually held the office, and who had the right to enter into the holy of holies, but to his deputy, and to those who had held the office but who had retired from it, and perhaps also the name was given to the head of each one of the twenty-four courses of classes into which the priests were divided. Comp. Notes Luke i. 5; Matt, xx vi. 3. The name ' great high priest' would designate him who actually held the office, and was at the head of alt the other priests; and

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched a with the feeling of our intir-

the idea here is, not merely that the Lord Jesus was a priest, but that he was at th<i head of all; in the Chris tian eco/-jmy he sustained a rank that corresponded with that of the great high priest in the Jewish. ^f That is passed into the heavens. Ch. ix. 12. 24. The Jewish high priest went once a year into the most holy place in the temple, to offer the blood of the atonement. Notes on ch. ix. 7. Paul says that the Chris tian High Priest has gone into hea ven. He has gone there also to make 5satercession, and to sprinkle the blood Jtf the atonement on the mercy-seat. Kotes, ch. ix. 24, 25. If Jesus the Son of God. Not a descendant of Aaron, but one much greater — the Son of God. Notes, ch. i. 2. f Let us hold fast our profession. See notes, ch. x. 23; iii. 14. Note,ch. iii. 1. This is the drift and scope of the epistle — to show that Christians should hold fast.their profession, and not apostatise. The object of the apostle now is to show why the fact that we have such a. High Priest, is a reason why we should hold fast our professed attach ment to him. These reasons — which are drawn out in the succeeding chap ters — are such as the following. (1.) We may look to him for assistance — since he can be touched with the feel ing of our infirmities. Ch. iv. 15, 16. (2.) The impossibility of being re newed again if we should fall away Ifrom him, since there is but one such jTigh Priest, and since the sacrifice for sin can never be repeated. Ch. vi. (3.) The fact that all the ancient types were fulfilled in him, and that every thing which there was in the Jewish dispensation to keep men from apostacy, exists much more power fully in the Christian scheme. (4.) The fact that they who rejected the laws of Moses died without mercy, and much more any one who should re ject the Son of God must expect more

mities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet with out1* sin.

certain and fearful severity. Ch. x. 27 — 30. By considerations such as these, the apostle aims to show them the danger of apostacy, and to urge them to a faithful adherence to their Christian profession.

15. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched. Our High Priest is not cold and unfeeling. That is, we have one who is abun dantly qualified to sympathise with us in our afflictions, and to whom, therefore, we may look for aid and support in trials. Had we a high priest who was cold and heartless; who simply performed the external duties of his office without entering into the sympathies of those who came to seek for pardon; who had never experienced any trials, and who felt himself above those who sought his aid, 'we should necessarily feel disheartened in attempting to over come our sins, and to live to God. His coldness would repel us; his stateliness would awe us; his dis tance and reserve would keep us away, and perhaps render us indiffer ent to all desire to be saved. But tenderness and sympathy attract those who are feeble, and kindness does more than any thing else to en courage those who have to encounter difficulties and dangers. See Notes, ch. ii. 16—18. Such tenderness and sympathy has our Great High Priest. ^[ But was in all points tempted like as we are. Tried as we are. See Notes, ch. ii. 18. He was subjected to all the kinds of trial to which we can be, and he is, therefore, able to sympathise with us and to aid us. He was tempted— in the literal sense; he was persecuted; he was poor; he was despised; he suffered bodily pain; he endured the sorrows of a lingering and most cruel death. ^[ Yet without sin. I. Pet. ii. 22. " Who did no sin." Isa. liii. 9. " He had done no violence, neither was there any deceit in his

16 Let us therefore come boldly a unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain

mouth." Heb. vii.26. "Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from shiners." The importance of this fact— that the Great High Priest of the Christian profession was ' without sin,' the apostle illustrates at length in chs. vii. — ix. He here merely alludes to it, and says that one who was ' without sin' was able to assist those who were sinners, and who put their trust in him.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace. * The throne of grace!' What a beautiful expression. A throne is the seat of a sovereign; a throne of grace is designed to re present a sovereign seated to dispense mercy and pardon. The illustration or comparison here may have been derived from the temple service. In that service God is represented as seated in the most holy place on the mercy-seat. The high priest ap proaches that seat or throne of the divine majesty with the blood of the atonement to make intercession for the people, and to plead for pardon. See Notes on ch. ix. 7, 8. That scene was emblematic of heaven. God is seated on a throne of mercy. The great High Priest of the Christian calling, having shed his own blood to make expiation, is represented as ap proaching God and pleading for the pardon of men. To a God willing to show mercy he comes with the merits of a sacrifice sufficient for all, and pleads for their salvation. We may therefore, come with boldness and look for pardon. We come not de pending on our own merits, but we come where a sufficient sacrifice has been offered for human guilt; and where we are assured that God is mer ciful. We may, therefore, come with out hesitancy, or trembling, and ask for all the mercy that we need. ^ That we may obtain mercy. This is what we want first. We need pardon — as the first thing when we come to God. We are guilty and

mercy, and find grace to help in time of need

self-condemned — and our first cry should be for mercy— mercy. A man who comes to God not feeling his need of mercy must fail of obtaining the divine favour; and he will be best prepared to obtain that favour who has the deepest sense of his need of forgiveness. <f And find grace. Fa vour — strength, help, counsel, direc tion, support, for the various duties and trials of life. That is what we next need— we all need — we always need. Even when pardoned, we need grace to keep us from sin, to aid us in duty, to preserve us in the day of temptation. And feeling our need of this, we may come and ask of God all that we want for this purpose. Such is the assurance given us; and to this bold approach to the throne of grace all are freely invited. In view of it, let us (1.) rejoice that there is a throne of grace. What a world would this be if God sat on a throne of justice only, and if no mercy were ever to be shown to men! Who is there who would not be overwhelmed with despair? But it is not so. He is on A THRONE OF GRACE. By day and by night; from year to year; from generation to generation; he is on such a throne. In every land he may be approached, and in as many different languages as men speak, may they plead for mercy. In all times of our trial and temptation we may be assured that he is seated on that throne, and wherever we are, we may approach him with acceptance. (2.) We need the privilege of coming before such a throne. We are sinful — and need mercy: we are feeble, and need grace to help us. There is not a day of our lives in which we do not need pardon; not an hour in which we do not need grace. (3.) How obvious are the propriety and necessity of prayer! Every man is a sinner — • and should pray for pardon; every man is weak, feeble, dependent, and hould pray for grace. Not till a man can prove that he has never done any sin, should he maintain that he has no need of pardon; not till he can show that he is able alone to meet the storms and temptations of life, should he feel that he has no need to ask for grace. Yet who can feel this? And how strange it is that all men do not pray! (4.) It is easy to be for given. All that needs to be done is to plead the merits of our Great High Priest, and God is ready to pardon. Who would not be glad to be able to pay a debt in a manner so easy? Yet how few there are who are willing to pay the debt to justice thus! (5.) It is easy to obtain all the grace that we need. We have only to ask for it — and it is done. How easy then to meet temptation if we would! How strange that any should rely on their own strength, when they may lean on the arm of God! (6.) If men are not pardoned, and if they fall into sin and ruin, they alone are to blame. There is A THRONE OF GRACE. It is always accessible. There is A GOD. He is always ready to pardon. There is A REDEEMER. He is the Great High Priest of men. He is always interceding. His merits may always be pleaded as the ground of our salva tion. Why then, O why, should any remain unforgiven and perish? On them alone the blame must lie. In their own bosoms is the reason why they are not saved.

In this chapter the subject of the priestly office of Christ is continued and further illustrated. It had been introduced ch. ii. 17, 18; ch. iii. 1; ch. iv. 14—17. The Jews regarded the office of high priest as an essen tial feature in the true religion; and it became, therefore, of the highest importance to show that in the Chris tian system there was a high Priest every way equal to that of the Jews.

In his rank; in his character; and in the sacrifice which he offered, he was more than equal to the Jewish high priest, and they who had for saken Judaism and embraced Christianity had lost nothing in this re spect by the change, and had gained much. It became necessary, there fore, in making out this point, to in stitute a comparison between the Jewish high priest and the Great Au thor of the Christian religion, and this comparison is pursued in this and the following chapters. The comparison in this chapter turns mainly on the qualifications for the office, and the question whether the Lord Jesus had those qualifications. The chapter embraces the following points: —

I. The qualifications of a Jewish high priest. Vs. 1—4. They are these, (1.) He must have been ordained or appointed by God for the purpose of offering gifts and sacrifices for sins. Ver. 1. (2.) He must be tender and compassionate in his feelings, so that he can sympathise with those for whom he ministers. Ver. 2. (3.) He must have an offering to bring to God, and be able to present a sacrifice alike for himself and for the people. Ver. 3. (4.) He could not take this honour on himself, but must have evidence that he was called of God, as was Aaron. Ver. 4.

II. An inquiry whether these qua lifications were found in the Lord Jesus, the great High Priest of the Christian dispensation. Vs. 5 — 10. In considering this, the apostle specifies the following qualifications in him, corresponding to those which he had said were required by the Jewish high priest. (1.) He did not take this honour on himself, but was called di rectly by God, and after an order su perior to the Aaronic priesthood — the order of Melchizedek. Vs. 5, 6, 9, 10. (2.) He was kind, tender, and com passionate, and showed that he was able to sympathise with those for whom he had undertaken the office. When on the earth he had evinced all the tenderness which could be de sired in one who had come to pity and save mankind. He had a tender, sensitive, human nature. He felt deeply as a man, under the pressure of the great sufferings which he en dured, and thus showed that he was?

T?OR every high priest taken *• from among- men is ordain ed a for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

III. In verse 10 the apostle had introduced, incidentally, a topic of great difficulty; and he adds (vs. 11 — 14), that. he had much to say on that subject, but that those whom he addressed were not qualified then to understand it. They ought to have been so far advanced in knowledge as to have been able to embrace the more abstruse and difficult points connected with the doctrines of Chris tianity. But they needed, he says, instruction even yet in the more sim ple elements of religion, and he feared that what he had to say of Melchizedek would be far above their com prehension. This point, therefore, he drops for the present, and in ch. vi. states again, and at greater length, the danger of apostacy, and the im portance of perseverance in endea vouring to comprehend the sublime mysteries of the Christian religion; and then (ch. vii.) he resumes the subject of the comparison between Christ and Melchizedek.

1. For every high priest That is, among the Jews, for the remarks re late to the Jewish system. The Jews had one high priest who was regarded as the successor of Aaron. The word ' high priest' means chief priest; that is, a priest of higher rank and office than others. By the original regula tion the Jewish high priest was to be of the family of Aaron (Ex. xxix. 9), though in later times the office was frequently conferred on others. In the time of the Romans it had become venal, and the Mosaic regulation was disregarded. II. Mac. iv. 7; Jos. Ant. xv. 3. 1. It was no longer held for life, so that there were several persons at one time to whom was given the title of high priest. The high priest was at the head of religious affairs, and was the ordinary judge of all that pertained to religion, and even of the general justice of the Hebrew commonwealth. Deut. xvii. 8 — 12;. xix. 17; xxi. 5; xxiii. 9, 10. He onljhad the privilege of entering the mos't holy place once a year, on the great day of atonement, to make expiation for the sins of the people. Lev. xvi. He was to be the son of one who had married a virgin, and was to be free from any corporeal defect. Lev. xxi. 13. The dress of the high priest was much more costly and magnificent than that of the inferior order of priests. Ex. xxxix. 1 — 9. He wore a mantle or robe—ma7 — b^tt — of blue, with the borders embroidered with pomegranates in purple and scarlet;

an e/>/iod—TlDS-:-made of cotton, with crimson, purple, and blue, and orna mented with gold, worn over the robe or mantle, without sleeves, and di vided below the arm-pits into two parts or halves, of which one was in 'ront covering the breast, and the other behind covering the back. In the ephod was a breast plate of curious workmanship, and on the head a mitre. The breastplate was a piece of broidered work about ten inches square, and was made double, so as o answer the purpose of a pouch or bag. It was adorned with twelve precious stones, each one having the lame of one of the tribes of Israel. The two upper corners of the breast- >late were fastened to the ephod, md the two lower to the girdle. The Jewish high priest was set apart to his office with great soemnity. See Ex. xxix. *[ In things >ertaining to God. In religious mat ers, or with reference to the worship md service of God. He was not o be a civil ruler, nor a teacher)f science, nor a military leader, but nis business was to superintend

2 Who can * have compas- j for that he a. himself also sion on the ignorant, and on compassed with infirmity. them that are out of the way; 3 And by

the affairs of religion, ^f Ttiat he may offer both gifts. That is thankofferings, or oblations which would be the expressions of gratitude. Many such offerings were nia.de by the Jews under the laws of Moses, and the high priest was the medium by whom they were to 1x3 presented to God. ^| And sacrifices for sins. Bloody offerings; offerings made of slain beasts. The blood of expiation was sprinkled by him on the mercyseat, and he was the appointed me dium by which such sacrifices were to be presented to God. Notes, ch. ix. 6 — 10. We may remark here (1.) that the proper office of a priest is to present a sacrifice for sin, (2.) It is improper to give the name priest to a minister of the gospel. The reason is, that he offers no sacrifice; he sprinkles no blood. He is appointed to " preach the word," and to lead the devotions of the church, but not to offer sacrifice. Accordingly the New Testament preserves entire consis tency on this point, for the name priest is never once given to the apos tles, or to any other minister of the gospel. Among the Papists there is consistency — though gross and dan gerous error — in the use of the word priest. They believe that the minis ter of religion offers up ' the real body and blood of our Lord;' that the bread and wine are changed by the j words of consecration into the ' body and blood, the soul and divinity, of the Lord Jesus' (Decrees of the Coun cil of Trent), and that this is really offered by him as a sacrifice. Ac cordingly they ' elevate the host;' that is. lift up, or offer the sacri fice, and require all to bow before it and worship, and with this view they are consistent in retaining the word priest. But why should this name be applied to a Protestant mi nister, who believes that all this is blasphemy, and who claims to have no sacrifice to offer when he comes to minister before God? The great sa crifice; the one sufficient atonement, has been offered — and the ministers of the gospel are appointed to pro claim that truth to men,- not to offer sacrifices for sin.

2. Who can have compassion. Marg. Reasonably bear with. The idea of that of sympathising with. The high priest is taken from among men, in order that he may have a fellowfeeling for those on whose behalf he officiates. Sensible of his own igno rance, he is able to sympathise with those who are ignorant; and com passed about with infirmity, he is able to succour those who have like infirmities. ^[ And on them that are out of tJie way. The erring, and the guilty. If he were taken from an order of beings superior to men, he would be less qualified to sympathise with those who felt that they were sinners, and who needed pardon. ^[ For that he himself also is com passed with infirmity. See chap. vii. 28. He is liable to err; he is subject to temptation; he must die, and ap pear before God; — and encompassed with these infirmities, he is better qualified to minister in behalf of guilty and dying men. For the same reason it is, that the ministers of the gospel are chosen from among men. They are of like passions with others. They are sinners; they are dying men. They can enter into the feelings of those who are conscious of guilt; they can sympathise with those who tremble in dread of death; they can partake of the emotions of those who expect soon to appear before God.

3. And by reason hereof. Because he is a sinner; an imperfect man. \ As for the people, so also for him self, to offer for sins. To make an expiation for sins. He needs the

4 Andb no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he

that is called of God, as was Aaron.c

5 So also Christ d glorified not himself to foe made an high

same atonement; he offers the sacri fice for himself which he does for others. Lev. ix. 7. The same thing is true of the ministers of religion now. They come before God feeling that they have need of the benefit of the same atonement which they preach to others; they plead the merits of the same blood for their own salvation, which they show to be indispensable for the salvation of others.

4. And no man taketh this honour to himself. No one has a right to enter on this office unless he has the qualifications which God has pre scribed. There were fixed and defi nite laws in regard to the succession in the office of the high priest, and to the qualifications of him who should hold the office. ^ But he that is called of God as was Aaron. Aaron was designated by name. It was neces sary that his successors should have as clear evidence that they were called of God to the office, as though they had been mentioned by name. The manner in which the high priest was to succeed to the office was de signated in the law of Moses, but in the time of Paul these rules were lit tle regarded. The office had become venal, and was conferred at pleasure by the Roman rulers. Still it was true that according to the law, to which alone Paul here refers, no one might hold this office but he who had the qualifications which Moses pre scribed, and which showed that he was called of God. We may remark here, (1.) that this does not refer so mucii to an internal, as to an external call. He was to have the qualifica tions prescribed in the law — but it is not specified that he should be con scious of an internal call to the office, or be influenced by the Holy Spirit to it. Such a call was, doubtless, in the highest degree desirable, but it was not prescribed as an essential qualifi cation. (2.) This has no reference to the call to the work of the Christian ministry, and should not be applied to it. It should not be urged as a proof-text to shoAv that a minister of the gospel should have a ' call' directly from God, or that he should be called according to a certain order of suc cession. The object of Paul is not to state this, whatever may be the truth on this point. His object is, to show that the Jewish high priest was called of God to his office in a certain way, showing that he held the ap pointment from God, and that there fore it was necessary that the Great High Priest of the Christian profes sion should be called in a similar manner. To this alone the compa rison should be understood as appli cable.