HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 2.-An essential qualification for S'IJ,(X(Jsiful ministry. "Who can have com- passion on the ignorant," etc. According to our reading of the New Testament, the Christian ministry is not a priesthood except in the sense that, being Christians, ministers belong to that "holy priesthood," that "royal priesthood," of which every true Christian is a member. Yet there were certain qualifications of the .Aaronic priesthood which_ a.re i~dispensable 1? the useful~ess of the Christian ministry. One of these is mentioned m our text; its ns.ture will appear as we proceed. The text sug(Tests- { THAT sim; DIFFER IN THE DEGREE OF 'l'HEIB. GUILT. In this respect several things have to be taken into account. 1. There are differences in the sins themselves. 'l'he wickedness of sins of presumption is far greater than that of sins of ignorance (cf. Numb. xv. 27-31). Sins of rebellion a.re far removed from sins of error. 'l'he persons mentioned in our text are not those who have sinned "with a high hand," but "the ignorant and erring "-those who have sinned by reason of moral "infirmity," or who have wandered from the way of truth and duty because of their own spiritual negli- gence. Such sinners are by ~o means _guiltless, b'!-t. they are ';Duch less gui_lty th~n some others. 2. There are d~(ferencu in the conditions and circumstances in which sins are committed. '!'he force of the soHcitation to sin, the strength of inherited tendency to certain forms of moral_ evil, the quality of the '?oral a.tmospher~ sur- rounding the sinner,-these greatly differ amongst men; and this and other considera- tions must be carefully weighed before the guilt of any ein can be fairly estimated. "Two persoD.B way commit the same identical crime, yet the guilt may be inco11.ceivabl.J OIL V, 1-14.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBltEWS. 145
greater in the one case than the other. The one may have bad no instruction 1,0 benefit from parental culture, no faithful admonitions, no holy example to direct 'aml regulate, no warning to restrain, no encouragement to animate in the path. The other may have been surrounded by all the helps and inducements to right consideration-to holy fear, to correct conduct-and therefore his sin is marked with a far higher degree of aggravation than the sin of the other; and thus, in the sight of God, the jud"e on the bench often may be far more guilty than the criminal at the bar.n ° II, THE WISE AND GOOD MINISTEB TO SOULS WILL PRACTICALLY RECOGNIZE THESE DIFFEBENOJ!.s IN THE GUILT OF BINS. Only the Omniscient can perfectly discriminate in this respect, yet the text indicates a discrimination and consideration which every one who would minister helpfully to souls will endeavour to exercise. 1. Be will, not harshly condemn sinners. He is µ•-rp1w11.91js. On the one hand, he is not unfeeling ; on the other, he is not carried away by his feelings, but he regulates and moderates his feelings; he has control over his passions. 2. He will endeav(J'IJ,r to discriminate sins of ignorance and error from sins of a darker hue. He will deal thoughtfully with souls, not regarding all sinners as equally guilty or all sins as equally heinous. In so doing he will be following precedents of unquestionable authority. Our Lord and bis apostles thus discriminated, and made merciful allowance for the ignorance and error of sinners (see Luke x.xiii. 34; Acts iii. 17; 1 'l'im. i. 13; 1 Pet. ii. 25). 3. He will treat the ignorant and the erring with gentleness. He will "have compassion on the igno- rant," etc.; margin, "reasonably bear with;" Revised Version, "who can bear gently with the ignorant and erring." How beautiful and sublime is our Saviour's example in this respect I For his crucifiers he prayed, " Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Ill. THE OONSOIOUSNESB OF ms OWN MORAL INFIRMITY SHOULD DIDUOE THE CHBIBTIAN IDNISTEB TO DEAL THUS GENTLY WITH THE IGNORANT AND THE ERRING. "For that he himself also is compassed with infirmity." 1. His own moral infiNn,ity qualifies Mm, to understand the moral ignorances and errors of others. He has had to contend against sinful inclinations and Satanic temptations. He knows from his own experience how easily the soul is sometimes led astray, and he c11n enter into the moral wanderings and sorrowful returnings of others. 2. His own moral infirmity sNJvJ,d, lead him to be patient and gentle with the ignorant and erring. He has himself required and received forbearance at the hands of both God and man, He will very probably need similar forbearance in time to come. How, then, can he be intolemnt or harsh with others? Our own need of mercy and patience from others, and pre-eminently from God, should lead us to be merciful and patient with others. The chieflesson of our subject is applicable to all who would render spiritual services to their fellow-men. Let parents, and instructors of the young, and preachers of the gospel, and pastors of Churches, ever remember that if they would benefit the ignorant and erring they must be forbearing and gentle with them. Sternness and severity will repel and discourage, and probably aggravate moral infirmity into moral perversity. But p11tience and charity will encourage worthy hopes in the breasts of those who have gone astray, and restore them to the path of ·truth and duty, and inijpire them to more earuest and patient efforts in Christian lifo and service. De it ours, not, to condemn the ignorant, and erring, but to instruct, and restore them.-W. J.
Vers. 7, 8.-The suffering Saviour. "Who in the days of his flesh, when he hnJ. offered," etc. Our text suggests the following observations : - I. JN THE DAYS OF HIS FLESH OUB LORD ENDURED SEVEREST SUFFERINGS. "The things which he suffered" induced the agonizing prayer, the "strong crying and tears." He bore the common sufferings of our humanity; e.g. hunger, thirst, weariness, etc. He suffered from the cruel ingratitude of men, from the base slanders of his enemies, and from the subtle and sinful solicitations of Satan. His sensitive and holy soul suffered keenly from his contact with so much of sin and sorrow and pain in this world. But the particular reference in the text is to his anguish in Gethsemane. How sore was his sorrow, how terrible his agony, upon that occasion I "He began to be greatly amazed and sore troubled: and he saith, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death.n II. IN ms SUFFERINGS oua LoBD SOUGl!T BELIEF IN PIIAYEB. "He offered up ll]!jDBEWS, "' 1-16 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.