which may be ofTered, which ought to be offered, but which can only have value ae they come spontaneously and of free-will. To give them only in response to a Divine commandment would be to alter their character altogether. Their very name indicates this, as being not simply things given, but-6wpa, things given freely. Then there are also sacrifices, the purpose of which is more particularly defined in ver. 1, where they are mentioned as sacrifices for sin. And all this volume of gratitude and penitence, instead of being scattered about in individual manifestations, left to each one's own time and Jlla.ce and manner, was reduced to order, and made a national proceeding. As to gifts, a man was free to settle in his own mind whether he would give or not; but if he 0crave, he must give in a particular wa.y. II. THE SPECIAL APPLICATION TO JESUS. How can be now discharge a priestly office in respect of gifts and sacrifices? With respect to sacrifices the answer is given plainly, not only in this Epistle, but in all apostolic teaching. A reference to eh. ix. 14: may be enough to illustrate this. JesuR, the true High Priest, offered up himself as the true Sacrifice. But what about the gifts? These, be it remembered, we still have to provide. A sacrifice for sin we cannot provide, but it is provided for us. Gifts, however, we are bound to bestow-gifts, more in quantity than ever, and better in quality, seeing that our obligations are added to by Christ's provision of a sacrifice for sins. And we lay these gifts on God's altar when most of all we serve the needy. As it is true that be who gives to the poor lends to the Lord, so he who gives to the needy because of their need, hoping for nothing again, makes an offering to the Lord. It is by the Spirit of Jesus Christ that we are led into that sort of gratitude which is acceptable to God. The gifts which are most acceptable for God to receive are those which indicate our appreciation of his spiritual mercies. It is a poor business if we have not received more from God than the things which he bestows equally on the good and the evil, the just and the unjust. Our best gifts are those which promote the cause of Christ, which are offered with a distinct intention towards the progress of that cause.-Y.
Ver. 6.-A t1erse of comparisons. A more excellent ministry-a better covenant- better promises. How all this illustrates the way of God ! Whatever he appoints and plans is good, and good just because it is exactly proportioned to good ends. But these ends have to be measured by the power of men to fall in with them. Man, with his limited prospect, reckons to be an end what God reckons as only the means to a greater end. God made to Israel promises of a land of inheritance on earth, just that they might thereby be prepared in time to see that there was something much better. Higher demands were made, a completer obedience was possible, and the conditions existed for fulfilling richer promises. And of this new state of things Jesus, as the Mediator, is the central Figw·e; it is his presence and his power that make the new stato of things possible. '!'he better covenant is only better because it can become a reality, and Jesus it is who makes the reality. The old covenant, as we clearly scr, was a broken covenant. God brought his people into the land of promise; but, after all, this could not be called the keeping of his promise. His promise was made upon conditions to be supplied by the people to whom the promise was made. They did not supply these conditions, consequently the promise could not be fulfilled. And now, instead of Moses, the mere proclaimer of law, there comes Jesus to complete law, to expand promises into their spiritual fulness, and, at the same time, act as a Mediator in really receiving these promises for men. If God's laws are to be written upon our hearts, it can only be by the work of Jesus. If we are to be persuaded into a living interest in God's promises, and to care for the things he wants us to care for, it must be by the work of Jesus. He only can inspire us individually with an inclination to set our names to the new covenant. He only can show us the inward realities of which out- ward shows are but the parabolio expression. Real mediation, how rich it is in results! It is not like the wire a.loner which electricity travels, a mere medium of communica- tion. It is a medium of life and growth. Jesus Christ is the real Mediator in living, ,biding, unbreakable, necessary communion with God, and in the same sort of com- nunion with ma.n. The old covenant did nothing more than reveal man'8 utter Jeplorable weakness in himself. 'l'he new covenant reveals m;1n's strength in Jesus (JhriRt. Jesus Christ can make all things new; be oan make the good better; he can HEBREWS, Q 226 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [orr. IX, 1-28,
bring living renlities instead of living, tantalizina- forms; he can make man stand erect in the strength of his renewed nature, disposed to enter into covenant with God, and able to keep the terms of the covenant he has made.-Y.