The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 389

how different are they from even the best of men in this world! Many an imperfection will be put off by us nt death; many an error will be corrected Roon as we see thin"'s in the clcn.r light of eternity, "We are come , , . to the spirits of just men made perfect." '£hey 111·0 not lost to us, Life and immortality are brought to light in the gospel. Deep and tender is their interest in us. We are one with them in sacred and blessed sympathy, "E'en now by faith we join our hands With those that went before; And greet the bloocl-besprinkled b11nda On the eternal shore." (C. Wesley.) IV. THEY IIAVE onACIOUB ACOESS TO THE GREAT GOD. "Ami to God the Judr,e or all," At Sinai the I6raelites were terrified at the signs of his presence as Lawc;iver; but in this later dispensation sincere Christians draw near to him with confidence even as the Judge of all. Nay, there is a sense in which this aspect of his bein,; attracts them. They are yet in the world. They have enemies to contend against and wrongs to endure; and they look up to God as their righteous Judge, who will vindicate their right and their cause. We are come unto him. He is not a cold, impassive, remote being. He is near to us; he loves us, draws us to himself, and blesses us with his gracious presence. We confide in him, and realize our holiest impulses and most blessed experiences in fellowship with him. V. THEY ABE BAVINGLY BELATED TO JEsua CHBIST. "And to Jesus the Mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel." 1. We are come to him as our Medmtor. By him God is brought so near to us, and we are reconciled to God. Through him we enter into the possession of all our exalted and rich privileges. 2. We are come to him who effected his medi,atorial work by the sacrifice of his own life. The blood of sprinkling is his own precions blood, which he shed for us. "We have our redemption through his blood," etc. And this blood speaks of the infinite love of God, and the full and free forgiveness of sins, and spiritual perfection, and endless progress and blessedness. CoNOLUBION. Great privileges involve great responsibilities.-W. J, Ver. 28.-The kingdom which cannot be moved. "We receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved." " A kingdom which cannot be moved." Is there such a thing? What is it? Where is it? The great empires of antiquity-Egypt, Assyria, Greece, Rome-are all gone. Where is the immovable kingdom? Is there anything that cannot be changed, shaken, and destroyed? Physical comforts are torn away from their possessors. Health is not immovable. Wealth is not a lasting kingdom. Property is "unstable as water." What is the "kingdom that cannot be shaken"? Men are removed from earth and from the dwellers thereon. Entire families some- times pass away. Generations are carried hence into the invisible world. Even whole races of men have completely disappeared from the earth. With all these changes, where shall we find the unchangeable and the permanent? The oak that has braved the storms of centuries, and the cedar and the yew whose years must be counted hy thousands, will one day crumble into dust which will be scattered by the breeze. But the mountains and rocks-surely they abide? The sacred Scriptures speak of them as "the everlasting mountains, the perpetual hills." 'l'hose Scriptures also say, "Surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place. The waters wear the stones." " The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed." Geology proclaims the same truth. Even the very Churches pass away. The Jewish Church has departed, or only a feeble and faded remnant of it is left. And Christian Churches are planted, flourish, decay, and die. Is there anything here that is immu- table-anything "that cannot be moved"? The kingdom which our text says is immovable is Christianity. In other places it is called "the kinguom of God," " the kingdom of Christ,"" the kingdom of heaven." We also read, "'l'he kinguom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." And again, "'l'he Law," i.e. the Jewish economy," was given by Moses; grace and truth," i.e. Christianity," came by Jesus Christ." "Grace and truth,"" righteousness and peace and joy in the Huly Ghost," are immutable and eternal; these arc the clemcuts which constitute the  THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [ CH, XII, 1-2!),