The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 93

idea.. The Author of salvation is now described in relation to his followers as the Sanctifier, and these followe~s as the sanctified. Jesus it is who sets us apart for God, and sets us a.part by making a real difference between us and those who do not believe in him. In other words, if there is no real difference between us and the unbeliever, then we cannot reckon ourselves among the sanctified. Sanctification cannot consist in taking so many, irrespective of character or of any change which may be working in them. Jesus and all mankind a.re of one so far as a common humanity is concerned, and this is a condition for the further unity; but something more is needed. He who sanctifies is first of all sanctified himself-sanctified by the mystery of his birth, and by the Divine testimony at his baptism, and so on by everything that lifted him to a unique eminence among men. And all human beings who have the same Spirit of Go<l working in them are thus reckoned for brethren of Jesus; and" he is not ashamed to call them brethren." Though they be far below him in elevation of character and perception of truth, yet the relation is there, and the very way to make things better is to recognize the relation and found an appeal upon it. Our sanctifying Brother looks upon us in our imperfections, and cheers us with the thought that we shall become like him. He is not ashamed to call us brethren, but how ashamed we ought to be that we are so nnworthy of him! Christ is far more intent on working out the possi- bilities of our life than we are ourselves.-Y. Ver. 14.-Chri.t robbing death of its terrors. I. OBSERVE A REASON FOR THE INcABNATI0N. When we look at all the Son of God achieved by the Incarnation, we see what an eminently reasonable thing it was. This seems to be forgotten by those who stumble at what they feel sure is a natural impossibility-that Jesus should have come into the world as he did. But if great ends were achieved by the Son of G0tl thus stooping from his glory, entering the world as a babe, living a human life aml dying a human death, then, when we remember how God is love, surely such extraordi- nary things become credible. If we can help people, we a.re bound to do everytbiog that lies in our power to help them. And may we not reverently say that a similar obligation lies with the Divine Being? He knows what is most for our help, and clo<'8 everything in bis own wise time and wny ; and when it is done it is for us to search and see how it is just the thing that needed to be done. II. CHRIST BECAME A IIUMAN BEING LIKE US IN ORDER TRAT lIE MIGHT DIE. This strong way of putting the thing is necessary, in order to bring out the greatness of Christ's work with respect to death. With us death is the end of life, but by no means to be looked on as a result of life-a thing to be aimed nt. But in the case of Jesus it was a great end to be reached. Jesus might have lived in the world for many years, teaching men, healing their sicknesses, gladdening their lives in mnny ways, and then, Enoch-fashion, he might have been translated that he should not see death. But if this had happened, the great end would have been missed, III. THE RESULTS ACHIEVED BY THE DEATH OF CHRIST. Not e.11 the results, of course; two are mentioned here. Christ died for men-that is the great general truth; and it is the way of God in the Scriptures to put one aspect of a truth in one place and another in another. 1. Ghrist in dying brings to nothing him who has the might of death. It is the devil who gives death its mighty power. Unseen by us, and by ns incomprehensible, he works out his evil pleasure. And so Jesus had to go into the unseen world and conquer him. \Ve cnn only know thnt there has been a struggle at nll by what we see of the results. We know that he died, we know that he rose again; but nil that happened in order to make his rising practicable is utterly beyoml us. 'l'his is just one of the passages which make us feel bow little we know, and how bumble and diffident and cautious of speech we should be before the great unknown. 'l'he practical thing is that we should have a firm assurance in our hearts of how Christ has mastered the power of death, whencesoever that power may come. 2. The deliverance of those enslaved by the/ear of death. Christ comes to bring liberty. The progress of true Christianity is constentlyenlarging the liberty of the individual. And hero is one way in which the individual is bound, self-fettered; and too often the more he allows himself to think, the more firmly the chains get fastened. Ile asks himself what is to come after death. So far is it from being certain that death means utter discontinuance of life, that many are in trouble just because of the uncertainty. Then others cling to  84 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [oB. m. 1-19,