The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 44

God bath spoken. Then find your creed in it, and base your life on it makin<> it in all matters the final and authoritative court of appeal. It must be m~ness i:, oppose personal opinion or expediency to what the Lord says. 3. If God hlls spoken, irreverence and neglect of Sci·ipture are man's loss and shame. "God bath spoken!" Then with what solemnity should we listen to his voice; with what constancy should we draw near to this temple to hear his will; and with what awe, taking our shoes from our feet, as on holy ground! Think of God speaking, and no "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth," rising from our heart I Are you neglecting Scripture? Remember God has no other voice after this; Ghrist is his laBt appeal to men. "Having, therefore, one Son, his well-beloved, he sent him last uoto them, saying, They will reverence my Son." "God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son; " to be deaf to that last appeal is to have God speechless to us for ever.-C. N. Vers. 2, 3.-The surpassing glory of Christ, who is the Substance of the Christian revelation. I. 'l'HIB PASSAGE BETS FORTH THE PERFECT DEITY OF CBllIST. If the doctrine of the Trinity is not here, it is at least implied that in the Godhead there are more Persons than one. "God bath spoken by his Son;" "God bath appointed him;" "Through him God made," etc. Then the Father and Son are distinct Persons. But, as clearly, they are one God, for there are statements here with reference to the Son which could not be made of one less tnan Deity. The Deity of Christ is here set forth in three particulars. 1. In his possession of the Divine nature. " The effulgence of his glory, the very image of his substance." Not" the brightness of his glory," as though there were one point where God's glory is greatest, and that point Christ; but "the effulgence," the shining forth of what else would be hidden. The beams of light are the effulgence of the sun ; without them we could not see the sun or know he is there. So Christ is" God manifest in the flesh." Not" the image of God," as though parallel with" Let us make man in our image;" but" the very image of his substance." 'fhe idea is that of a showing forth what else would be concealed. 11 The Image of the invisible God;"" No mo.n bath seen God," . . . the only begotten ... hath declared him." Christ is the 1,howing forth, shining forth on man of God, so that "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father." But this would be impossible unless he were himself God. A created being can utter something about God, or bear faint resemblance to him, but he who reveals God perfectly must be God's coequal self. 2. In his fulfil- ment of the Divine work. "Through whom he made the worlds, . . . upholding all things by the word of his power." Only God can create. But II o.11 things were made by Christ; without him was not,'' etc. Take the hundred and fourth psalm, "the natural theology of the Jews,'' and in every verse in which David speaks of the natural world subsisting on God's bounty you may insert the word" Jesus." Where Coleridge, in his 'Ode to Sunrise in the Vale of Chamounix,' makes snow-clad peak, and thundering avalanche, and mysterious glacier, and verdant valley, aod azure sky, echo back the one word "God," we may substitute the word "Jesus." Isaiah heard the angels sing," Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." But " this spako he of Jesus;" that greatness is that of Deity. 3. In hia occupation of the Divine position. " Whom he bath appointed Heir of all things." Christ on the throne of the universe, " Lord of all." That involves a right to the homage of all, the position of Controller of all, and the end for which all things exist. That can only be true of God. "Jehovah reigneth: he doeth his will,'' eto.; "'l'hou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only;"" The Lord bath made all things for himself.n Christ can look abroad on everything that is and happeos, and say," It is mine." And when the end comes, ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands of angels will be heard crying, "Worthy is the Lamb to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing;" and every creature which is in heaven and on the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, will respond, "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne." II. Tms PASSAGE BETS FORTH THE UNION 01!' DEITY AND HUllANITY IN ONE GLORIOUS PBRBON. No word about Christ's humanity, but the idea is here. 'l'he passage could no, have been written hod not God become man. For it declares his Godhead. 'l'hen he was God from everlasting. But mark the expressions : ".A.ppointed Heir of all things; " "Made better than the angels." Neither of those expressions can you apply to Deity. HEDREWS, D 34 THE EPIS1'LE TO THE HEBREWS. [cu. 1, 1-14.