The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 291

se.nctunry, the very hea.rt of God." And we may do this without the intervention of any hnrne.n priesthood, or the presente.tion of any materie.l sRcrifice. Hereafter we may enter into his presence in person. Already our Lord is there. And he prayed for his disciples, " Father, I will that where I am, they also may be with me." Admission into the manifested presence of God is the exalted privilege await- ing «?very true Christian in the future. "We shall see him even as he ie." "I will behold thy face in righteousness," etc. "In thy presence is fulness of joy," etc. (2) Confidence in approaching the presence of God. We have" boldness to enter into the holy place." 'l'his boldness is not rashness, or irreverence, or unrevercnce. It is rather e. holy freedom of access to God because of our assurance that we shall be graciously received b_v him. See this in the exercise of prayer. We may freely express our wants and wishes to our hea.venly Father; for, being our Father, he will not resent our filial confidence, but will welcome us the more because of it. 2. How the privilege has been obtained for us. " By the blood of Jesus." It is by the sacrifice of Christ that we have the right of access to the presence of God, And it is by the infinite love of God manifested in that sacrifice that we have confidence in availing ourselves of this right. In a word, this great privilege has been obtained for us throuf!:h the mediation of our Lord and Saviour. This is here represented as a way: "By the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way," etc. The description is instructive. (1) The characteristics of the way. It is a new way; i.e. newly made, recent, or newly opened. Truly and beautifully Stier says, "No believer under the Old Testament dared or could, though under a dispensation of 11reparatory grace, approach God so freely and openly, so fearlessly and joyfully, so closely and intimately, as we now, who come to the Father by the blood of Jesus, his Son.'' It is a livinq way. "The way into the sanctuary of the Old Testa- ment was simply a lifeless pavement trodden by the high priest, and by him a\Qne; the way opened by Jesus Christ is one that really leads and carries all who enter it into the heavenly rest, being, in fact, the reconciliation of mankind with God, once and for ever effected by him through his ascension to the Father-' a living way,' because one with the living person and abiding work of Jesus Christ" (Delitzsch). "Jesus saith, I am the Way,"etc. (cf. John xiv. 1-6). (2) 'fhe inauguration of this way. "Which he dedicated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh." There is a comparison between the flesh of our Saviour and the veil which separated the most holy from the holy place. " While he was with us here below," says Delitzsch, "the weak, limit-bound, and mortal flesh, which he had assumed for our sakes, hung like a curtain between him and the Divine sanctuary into which he would enter; and in order to such entrance, this curtain had to be withdrawn by death, even as the high priest had to draw aside the temple veil in order to make his entry to the holy of holies." In his death our Lord put off the weak, mortal flesh; and at his death" the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom," laying open the holy of holies. Dying, our Lord laid aside those conditions of body which could not be taken into heaven itsell~ and removed the barriers which kept us from Gori. (cf. Col. i. 21, 22). (3) 'l'he encouragement to tread this way. "And having a great Priest over the house of God." The description is suggestive. "A great Priest." One who is bQth Priert and King; " a royal Priest and priestly King." He is " over the house of God," i.e. the Church; the one great communion of saints both in heaven and upon earth; the Church triumphant above and the Church militant below. Here is encouragement to tread the new and living way. Our great Priest has trod the way before us. He has entered the heavenly sanctuary, and abides in the glorious and blessed Presence. He is there on our behalf; as our Representative, as our Forerunner, and as an attrac- tion to draw his people thither also. II. AN EXHORTATION TO AVA.Il, OURSELVES OF THIB PRIVILEGE. "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith," etc. Consider how we are to avail ourselves of this privilege. 1. With perfect sincerity. " With a true heart." A heart free from hypocrisy and from self-deception. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." 2. With assured confidence. "In full assure.nee of faith." Not questioning our right of access, or the certainty of our gracious ncceptance, through Christ. Not with divided confidence, but" in fulness of faith" in Christ. The full uwlivided fa.ith ii required, as Ebrard says," not a faith such as the readers oI the oli. ,r, 1-39.] 'nlE EPISTLM TO THE HEBREWS. 281