Vera. 11-14.-D!Llness of spiritual perception. I. THERE JS A REPROOF FOB THESE BELIEVERS BECAUSE THEY CANNOT HEAR, AND THEREFORE CANNOT TEAOH, THE TRUTHS OF THE GOSPEL. They had become, through slackness , and yielding both to the attractions of the temple-worship llild the opposition of their countrymen, unable to hear the weighty truths connected with Melchizedek, the illustrious type of Christ. To be dull of hearing the sweet sounds of joyous nature in spring, or to catch imperfectly the strains of sacred music, would be a loss ; but how more serious is the loss of being unable to receive inspired communications respecting Jesus Christ, who is the Alpha and Omega of our faith and hope I 'l'be painful result was that they could not teach others, and "give a reason foe the hope that was in them with meekness and. fear." They must, therefore, go back to the Christian alphabet and !cam their letters afresh, and begin again their course of discipleship. They needed some one who was advanced in the knowledge of the Saviour; but he need not be an apostle, a prophet, or an evangelist. Considering how much the diffusion of the gospel at that time depended upon the living voice, their inability to teach was a loss to themselves and many others. II. THEY ARE REPROVED FOR TllE NON-IMPROVEMENT OF LONG-CONTINUED PRIVILEGES. When for the" time," which word signifies a considerable period, during which they had had many who were pastors, and spoke the Word of God. '!'hey had had public worship, in which Christ was set forth evidently crucified before them. They hud often been invited to the Lord's Supper, and had been reminded of bis matchless fidelity to their interests, even when bis holy soul encountered billows of distress, m;1d deep called unto deep, and. the awful sorrows of the cross darkened and crushed him. Miracles bad been wrought; prophecies interpreted by their glorious fulfilment; and prayer and prai8e had diffused a hallowed influence. Notwithstanding the richneSB of the soil the re"'ularity 0 of the rains, and the bright shining of the sun, the vineyani produced grapes which were small, acid, and unacceptable. And all these advantages, which were crowned by the willingness and love of the Divine Spirit to encourage anu bless them, they were "dull of hearing and could not teach." 111. 'l'HE REPROOF AFFIRMS THE SERIOUS PERSONAl, DISADVANTAGES OF NEGLECT. 'lliey arc described as bahe~ which need simple nourishment and must be fed with milk, which signilies the rudimentary truths of the gosl'el. AJJ babes they are Ulll!kil- on. v. 1-14.] 'l'llE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 1 .- - ..._,J,)
Cul, and cannot speak the Word of righteousness with distinct and powerful utterance; fot he who would speak with power must do so from a full mind and a lat"e experience. S11ch as these believers,.who had so unprofitably used the time which had elapsed from their conversion, are only fit for the elementary truths of the gospel, and are _conse- quently unacquainted with the vast and unsearchable treasures of strength laid up in Christ for the comfort and joy of his disciples. The perfect and full-1(rown men who use their senses and spiritual powers aright are privileged to" eat of fat thin"s full of marrow, and drink wine on the lees well refined." The stronger they are, the ~ore they can enjoy of the rich and solid comfort~ and supports o~ D)vin_e gr~ce; a~d are thereby fittod for the arduous work of professrng the gospel, vrnd1catrng its claims, and illus- trating its power.-B. Vers. 1-6.-The qualifications and functions of the true priest. I. Hz IS TAXEN FROM AMONG MEN. It is not an angelic ministry. The true humanity of Jesus must ever be emphasized. A perfect man is needed to be the true priest, but be must be a man. And the reason of this is found in the kind of work he has to do. Especially in that part of it which concerns the sin offering. He has to act for those who, begirt with infirmity, are continually showing their ignorance, and continually wandering into forbidden paths. He should have imagination enough to enter measurably into the extent of their sin. II. HE IS TAKEN FROM AMONGST MEN BY DIVINE APPOINTMENT. As to sacrifices, God gave through Moses general instructions, enough to secure the people from a blunder- ing and slovenly presentation. And with respect to the prieat, he might have pointed out certain qualifications and left the people to select. .But that there might be no dispute as to fitness, he chose the man himself. And then the succession to the office '1..-ent on as easy a process as any-that of natural descent. God only can choose, con• secrate, and qualify the true priest. III. HE IS AN OFFERER OF GIFTS AND BA.ORIFICES FOR SIN. He is the habitual channel through which man recognizes his double duty to God. Man has to present gifts to God; expressions of thanksgiving and signs of service; tokens that the harvest which man gathers is the result of Divine bounty as well as of human effort. Anci inasmuch as these gifts, material things, were not usable by God directly, they had to go to the use of his priests, away for ever from the common use of men. '!'hen along with the gifts had to be sacrifices for sin, the recognition of how imperfect the very best gift must be. To make the gift without the sin offering was presumption; it argued a conceited satisfaction with what one had done. Nor must the sin offering be without the gift, on pretence that nothing could be given worthy of God's acceptance. Tbat would have been adding sin to sin. We must give our best to God through Christ, however poor that best may be.-Y.