here spoken of totally unfitted them for entering the promised land (see Numb. xiv. 1-4, 22, 23, 26-35). Their unbelief had stripped them of hope and of courao-e, ancl reduced them to humiliating despondency and cowardice. No one can enter u;in any worthy inheritance without the exercise of faith. For the discovery of new countries for the exploration of unknown lands, for the carrying out of great reformations o; ameliorations, for the perfecting of beneficent inventions, for the accomplishment of every worthy and noble enterprise, the possession and exercise of faith is indispensable. The attainment of salvation is impossible apart from faith. Unbelief it is which excludes men from the true rest of the soul 'l'hey are " not able to enter in because oi unbelief." This is the dread disability, the unwillingness to heartily and practically believe in Jesus Christ. "Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life." If any man is not saved, he alone is to blame. He is diseased, yet he turns aside from the remedy. He is condemned, yet he refuses to accept the offered pardon. He i.s self- destroyed.-W. J. Vera. 1-6.-The superiority- of (Jhrist to Moses the reason why they should cleave to (Jhrist. The writer has met the objection to Christianity raised by the supposed want of dignity in its Founder, as opposed to the greatness of the angels through whom the old dispensation was said to be " ordained." He proceeds to deal with another objection. "The Law was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator;" but, he says, however great this mediator was, Christ is greater still. Subject-The superiority qf Christ to Moses the reason why they should cleave to Christ. I. ALL THAT MosEs WAS TO Goo's PEOPLE, CHRIST IS. A very delicate subject. To exhibit Moses in a subordinate position was to touch a point on which the Hebrews were very sensitive. The writer, therefore, begins by simply speaking of Christ as, at least, on a level with Moses. 1. Moses anrl (Jhrist were successively the divinely appointed heads of Israel. "House" equivalent to "household." Both Moses and Christ snccc8sively presided over, administered the affairs of, the household of God on earth. 'l'he New 'l'estament often draws a parallel in some kind between Moses and Christ: "As Moses lifted,u etc.; "The Law was given by," etc.; "They sing the song of Moses," etc. This parallel is more sharply drawn in the affirmation that Moses and Christ occupied this position in the twofold capacity of "Apostle and High Priest." The two aspects of the mediatorial position: an apostle is one seut of God to represent him to the people, and the high priest is one appointed to represent the people before God. Moses fulfilled this dual position with regard to Israel; but the Hebrews had lost nothing in advancing from him to Christ, for they had all this in Jesus. 2. Moses and Of.rut were both faithful in th-.ir fulfilment of the Divine appointment. Not, "Each was personally faithful," but" Each perfectly fulfilled the part allotted to him;" so that if Moses did less than Jesus (as may presently appear), he did all that was incumbent on him as administrator of the old economy. The writer is careful not to sink Moses that he may exalt Jesus. (We need not undervalue any of God's gifts in order to extol Christ.) II. WHILST CHRIST IS ALL THAT MOSES WAB, BE IS ALSO MORE. From the resem- blance he proceeds carefully to the superiority. 1. Moses was but a part of the house- hold; Christ is the Founder of it. Moses was born into the family which existed before him, and had to share its privileges, duties, responsibilities, etc. But God was tho Founder oi thll family, and Jesus has before been shown to be God. He must, therefore, be greater than Moses. (All the beauty in anything we love must be more fully in Christ, because it originates in him.) 2. Moses was but a servant t11 the house; Christ is Lord of it. Moses only did what he was bidden: "The Lord said unto Moses." What he did for the nation was not due to him, but was the carryin~ out of the will of another, and therefore the reverence and thankfulness given to him were really due to the Master whose instrument be was. And that Master was Christ. By so much is Christ better than Moses. (Do we think of that when anything ministers to our well-being, that it is only a servant-all things come of God '?) 3. Moses was but a symbolic witness in the house ; Christ was the 1·ealized Life of it. "Moses was for a testimony of those things which were afterwards to be spoken." He and his work were symbolic of things to come-a clead symbol. Tho contrw;t is drawn in ver. 6: "Christ, whose ho\llie are we, if we hold fast our boldness 100 THE EPISTLE TO 'l'HE HEBREWS. [cH. Ill, 1-19,
and the glorying," etc. ; that is, the Church is a living organism, whose life is Christ; Christ's family are such by a living faith which binds each member of it; to him, Christ is the quickening Spirit to which Moses, as a symbol, pointed. •(Everythinu we Yalue on earth is only a symbol of something better in Christ. Happy we if, er: the c,anescent symbol fades, we have grasped the reality; if, when Moses passes out of sight, Jesus is left!) Ill. THE CONSIDERATION OF TITE SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST IS THE POWER TO CONFIRM TITE WAVERERS IN TIIEin ALLEGIANCE TO HIM. Christ is bP.tter than Moses; therefore, ye wavering Hebrews, cleave to Christ ;-that is the idea. The practical lesson is, that: 1.. Moses, _in the case of Israel, corresponds with any!hing_ which in our case competes with Christ. ,vhat Moses was to them many an obJect 1s to us, and we stand hesi- tating between it and our Lord. 2. Then, ,·emember that all that is to be found in this object is to be found in Christ, and much more. Whatever good it promises us is but the shadow of a greater good in him. 3. Then, when we are tempted to leave Christ for anythi11g, our safety is in considering him. If we leave him it is because we do not know him, and that i~ because we do not reflect upon him. As you" consider him," and he turns on you a sad look, asking, "Will ye also go away?" you will. tp.swer decidedly, joyously," Lord, to whom shall," etc. ?-C. N. ··, Ii"