belie'l"ers. Fmnll ns well ns grent (using. of of a new covenant had cvon thon nnliqunted couree, the means of grace Rn<l edification the other. It thenceforth survived only provided for them in the Church), should under the category of old as opposed to themselves have inward illumination and new; and further mnrke,1 with the grow- pereone.l communion with God. This is ing dccrcpitu,le which is tho precursor of indeed a peculiar glory of the Christian dissolution. This fnrthcr idol\ is oxpressod religion. The poorest and the simplest by the present pnrtici plo 1rn.\a10Vµ•vov ( else- believer may have spiritual perceptions and where applied to garments that are wearing l!piritual experience of his own, surpassing out; cf. Ps. cii. 27; eh. i. 11; Isa.. 1. 9; Ii. 6; those of his appointed guides, 110d remain- Luke xii. 33), and also by 'Y'Jpdu1tov, a figure ing bis own though priest.s and teachers be taken from the advance of old age in men. unfaithful. •• I am small and despised" (may When tho Epistle wns written, it would the Christian, still more than the ancient not have been spoken of as "waxing old," psalmist, say), "yet do not I forget thy pre- but as defunct. '1.'he temple, indeed, wu cepts." "I have more understanding than still standing, with the old ritual going on; all my teachers ; for thy testimonies are my but it had become but as the stately shrine meditation." Observe, lastly, the ideality of of a lifeless thing. As to the view of the the whole view given of the effects of the antique.tion having begun even in the pro- new covenant. It presents to us the pur- phetic age, we observe that the prophets pose, the potentiality, of the new dispen- themselves show a consciousness of this, sation, rather than resulb! to be fully in that their growing tendency is to de- r&t!ized in this world; though still actually preciate rather than exe.lt the ceremonial realized so far as the "glorious light of Law, and to put mercy above sacrifice. In tl,e gospel" illuminates the Church, e.ud fact, the Old Testament itself, especially in is allowed to •• shine into" tJ1e human its later parts, is replete with the prin- heart. This remark applies to all Messianic ciples of the new covenant, nntici11ated in prophecy. part, though not to be fully revenlecl till Ver. rn.-In the.t he eaith, A new cove- Christ appeared. And so, when he did nant, he hath made the first old. But the.t appear, the old dispensation had already which i.9 becoming old and wueth aged is become obsolete, and the new one prepared :nigh unto vanishing e.we.y. "He hath for; to be rejected in Israel by those only made the first old" ( ,rf,raAa.{c,,,c<) refers to who, "in the reading of the Old Testo.- the time of Jeremie.h's prophecy, not of the ment," had "the veil upon their heart." writing of thtJ Epistle. The very mention
HOMILETICS. Vere. 1-6.-17Le chief point. This passage does not present a recapitulation of the topics already considered· it emphasizes, as the crowning topic in connection with our Lord's priesthood, the tac't that he has been "made higher than the heavens." L THE HEAVENLY MAJESTY OF OUR HIGH PRIEST. (Ver. 1.) He dwells now in heaven, his native home. He occupies there the loftiest place; for he shares t~e sov~- reign authority and the universal dominion of the absolute God. Aaron exercised his priesthood in .an earthly sanctuary made by men's hands ; Christ officiates as our Hi~h Priest in the eternal uncreated heavens. Aaron, when he entered the holy of hohes .Jnce e. year on the great Jewish fast-day, ID:erely stood ~or a short time bef?re the s;vm- bolic throne-his e.ttitude one of lowly service ; but Christ has "sat down· at the right hand of the Eternal-his attitude that of royal government. It is noticeable the.t in this treatise the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus doe11 not receive the prominence which is given to it in almost every Epistle of Paul. Indeed, it is only once mentioned (eh. xiii. 20). But doubtless the reason of this is to be found in the unique desig~ of the treatise. This book alone, of all the books of Scripture, expounds the doctrine of the priesthood of Christ; and it brings into the foreground, accordingly, only those acts which he performed as the Antitype of Aaron-his sacrifice of himself in the outer court of this world and his passing within the blue veil of heaven to sprinkle his blood upon the mercy-~t. So the writer dwells only upon the death and the ascension of the Saviour. II. HIB HEAVENLY MINISTRY. (Vers. 2-6.) The ministry of the Redeemer is not incompatible with his majesty; for he performs it as the Plenipotentiary of the God- head and in virtue of his session at" the right hand of the throne." The heavenly st1nctn~ry in which Christ officiates is here contrasted with the Hebrew sanctuary. W@ en. vm. 1-13.] TUE EPIS'rLE '1.10 'l'IIE HEilREWS. 213