ashamed to call t~em brethren, saying, I will declare thy Name unto my brethren," etc. Though he 1s "Lord of men as well as angels,'' he calls bis people his brethren. Notwithstanding the lowliness of their condition and the crudeness and imperfection of their character, he graciously acknowledges them as his brethren (cf. Matt. xxviii. 10; John x.x. 17). CoN0LVBI0N. 1. Here is encouragement to address our Lord in our times of need. " Though now ascended up on high, He bends on earth a Brother's eye;" and he has a brother's heart towards us. 2. Here is reason why we should confess him as our Lord and Saviour. Since he acknowledges ns as his brethren, let us humbly and heartily acknowledge him as our Saviour and Sovereign. 3. Here is reason for ru;knowledging the lowliest Christian as our brother. Shall we refuse to recognize as our spiritual kindred those whom our Lord calls his brethren? 4. Here is incitement to the C'U,ltivatiO'fl, of holiness. Since Christ is engaged in our sanctification," let WI cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit," etc. {Z Cor. vii. 1).-W. J. Vers.14, 15.-Theincarnation of the Son of God. "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers," etc. I. THE GREAT FACT OF TBE IN0ABNATION OF TBE SoN OF Goo. IC Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same." These words suggest : 1. The reality of our Lorirs human nature, He partook of our flesh and blood. His body was real, and not merely phenomenal. His physical experiences~.g. weariness, hunger, thirst, pain,death-were real, not pretended. His human soul also, with its sympathies and antipathies, was genuine. 2. .A peculiarity of our Lord's human nature. His human nature was voluntarily assumed. He partook of flesh and blood. We could not apply these words to Moses or to St. Paul without manifest absurdity. We had no choice as to whether we should be or not be, or what we should be; whether we should exist at all, or, if we were to exist, what form of existence should be ours. But he had. We were brought into this world without our will; he "came into the world" of his own will. "He emptied himself, taking tho form of e. servant." This implies : (1) His existence before his incarnation. "His goings forth were from of old, from everlasting." (2) His power over his own existence. Ho could take upon himself what form of existence he pleased. He had power over his life, Ho had "power to lay it down, and power to take it ago.in." (3) His deep interest in human existence. "He was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor," etc. II. THE GRAND DESIGN OF THE IN0ABNATION OF THE SON OF Goo. "'l'hat through death he might bring to nought him that," etc. 1. Our Lord became man in order that hd might die, All other men die because they are human, and their death is unavoidable ; but he assumed our nature for the express purpose of acquiring tho capability of death. His death was of stupendous importance. He looked forward to it; he preannounced it to his disciples; he deliberately advanced to it; he voluntarily endured it. 2. Our Lord died in order that he might vanquish death. " That through. death he might bring to nought him that had," etc. He does this (1) By the abolition of Satan's power over death. Satan may be said to have the power of death, inasmuch as: (a) Death, as we know it, is the result of sin, and he introduced sin into our world, aud is actively engaged in propagating it. "The sting of death is sin." But for sin, it might hnve bettn "a gentle wafting to immortal life." (b) He kindles the passions which lead on to death; e.g. anger and revenge, which often result in murder; lust of territory, which often causes war, etc. (c) He inspires the mind with terror in the anticipation of death. 'l'ho gloomy and dreadful ideas which are frequently associated with death are probably suggested by him. Our Lord died to render this power of Satan ineffective, and in this respect to bring him to nought. How bis death effects this we will inquire shortly. (2) By the emancipation of man from the tbraldom of the dread of death. Men recoil in alarm from death for several reasons; e.g.: (a) The supposed anguish of dying. A good Christian who was drawing near to the river of death said," I have no doubt of going to heaven ; but oh, the crossing, the crossing I" (b) The painful separations which death cause!!. Tennyson truly expresses the feeling Qf me.ny in this respect- 64 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [011. 11. 1-18.
.. For this alone on Death I wreak The wrath that garners in my head; He puts our lives so far apart We cannot hear each other spco.k." (c) 'l'he appalling lllystery as to what lies beyond death- " The dread of something after death, The undisco,er'd country, from whose bourn No trarnller returns," (d) The solemn judgment to which it leads. "It is appointed unto men once to die ~nd after that, judgwent." The dread of death, for these and other reasons, holds me~ m bondage, enslaves them; they cannot shake it off. Our Lord died to set them free from this thraldom. But how does his death effect this? He was "manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." As an atonement for sin, his death removes the guilt of all who heartily believe on him. Death is no longer penal to them. For them •• the sting of death" is taken away. Again, since Christ died and rose again from the dead, death wears a new aspect] to the Christian. It is no lonrrer the end of our existence, but an onward and upward step in our existence. It ~eans not repression, ~ut devel?pment; not loss, but_ g?-in; not the way to darkness and misery, b•1t to light and Joy. Death to the Christian 1s no longer" the kinu0 of tenors" but the kind servaat of the Lord and Giver of life. '