The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 20

cio.ted with God in his mnjeety, a shnrcr of his everlasting throne. Angels are referred to only as ministering spirits or attendant worshippers at the Son's advent. Interposed ezlwrwtion (eh. ii. 1-5). Interposed ezhortation (eh. iii. 7-iv. 1). This being so, beware of not appreciating Thie being so, beware of ha.rdening your the revelation now given in the SoN. If hearts, like the Israelites nnder Mo.as. If trangression of the Law given througil tboy failed, through unbelief, of entering angels was so severely visited, what will be into the rest offered to them, yon ma.y simi- the consequence of neglecting this, occre- lnrly fail of entering into the rest intended dited to us as it has been? for you. Di'oision 2 (eh. ii. 5-iii. 1). Dfoision 2 (eh. iv. 1-v. 1). The BoN also, but never angels, is denoted A rest, symbolized by thnt of the pro- in prophecy o.s Lord of the coming age. For mised land, is still offered to you, and you the eighth psalm (based on o.nd carrying may enter into it. The ninetieth psalm out the idea of the account in Genesis of shows tha.t the rest into which Joshua led the original creation) assigns a supremncy the Israelites was not the final one intended over all created things to man. Mo.n, as lie for God's people. The true rest is the rest is now, does not fulfil the ideo.l of his des- of God himself(" my rest," P~. xc.), spoken tiny. But Christ, as Son of mnn, in his of in the account of the crention-the s1<b- exaltation, docs. And in him man o.ttains bath rest of eternity. Christ, after sharing his destined dignity forfeited through sin. our human trials, has passed into that eter- His humiliation, suffering and death were nal rest, and won nn entrance into it for for the purpose of thus raising mo.n. His us. Thus, again, o. renewed exhortation humiliation with this end was a design being interposed, Christ, the So~, is agnin worthy of God, and in accordance with tl.ie aet forth as the sympathizing Righ Pri~st purport of Messianio prophecy. For such of humanity. prophecy intimates association and sym- pathy of the Messiah witb. his human brethren. Thus Christ, the Sm,, is the sympathizing High Prie6t of humanity, Ver. 5.-For to whioh of the !l,Ilgell said clpations of the Messiah. This appenrs both he at any time. .Observe the form of the from rabbinice.l literature and olso from question, which ho.a been e.lready noticed. the New Testo.ment itself. For instance, It is not, "When were angels ever co.lied the priests and scribes consulted by Herod sons? " but to this effect : " To whioh of (Matt. ii. 5) referred Micah v. 2 as n matter them did he ever speo.k (individually) in of course to the Mflssiah ; and the Phnrisees the following remarkable terms?" The first (Matt. xxii. 44) never thought of disputing quotation is from Ps. ii. 7; the second from the applicntion of Ps. ex. to him. Aud not 2 Sam. vii. H. The second ho.ving had un- only so, The Old Testnment itself sug- doubtedly a primary reference to Solomon, gests and exemplifies such npplications. and the first presumably to some king of For students of the prophetic writings must Israel, probably to David, we may here be aware how utterances that bo.d o. pri- properly pause to considei- the principle of mary fulfilment in one age are sometimes the npplication of such pnssages to Christ. to.ken up in a subsequent one as though It must be allowed thnt, not only in this yet to be fulfilled, their scope enlarged, Epistle, but in the New Testo.ment gene- and their fino.l reference often thrown for- rally, so.yings which had a primary i-efer- ward to "that day "-the l\lessinnio age cnce to eveuls or personage~ in the past, -which alone termino.tes the view of the nre npplied directly to Christ; nnd in some lo.ter prophets. Now, it ho.a been so.id, in cnses where the justness of the npplication explanation of this mode of treatment, th11t may not be to o.11 of us at first sight prophecy often ho.d o. doublo me1Lning-, re- obvious. With regnrd to this uso.ge, Dengel ferring partly to one thing 11nd pnrtly to so.ye, "Veri interpretes verborum divinorum nnother; or seveml meanings, with refer- sunt apostoli; etinmsi nos sine ill is tnlem ence to severnl different things. But this sentcntiam non assigneremur." Dut such wny of putting tho matter is unsatisfac- applications are plniuly not arbitrary. They tory. Bacon better hit the mark, when, in rest on o. principle of interpretation which it 11 well-known passage in his 'Advancement is of importo.nce for us to understnnd. First, of Lenming' (bk. ii.), he spoke of "that we mny observe that the method was not ori- latitude which is ngrecable und fnmilinr ginnted by the New 'festamont writers; it wns unto Divine prophecies, being of the no.ture 011e received among the Jews of their time, of their Author, with whom I\ thousand years who snw throughout the Old Tcstnment o.uti- nre but ns one day, nod therefore 11m not  10 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [err. I. 1-14.