The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 421

Ver. 7.-Treatment of the leaders. In properly treating all Christian leaders and rulers four acts are enjoined, coming in e. regular and appropriate sequence. I. LrsTENING. These men lead and rule because they speak the Word of God. If they spoke their own word then it would not be right to follow them. And because they speak the Word of God we have no choice but to listen. The writer has just been quoting a word of God intended to guard against a great spiritual peril-the love of money. All who really spca k the Word of God are to be reckoned as our leaders Jesus himself in the very front, giving in his own words a sure test whereby every other word is to be tried. II. REMEMBERING. All instructions and promises must be at hand in the mind when they are wanted. Spoken before being wanted, they were ready when the want came. Hence the value of regularly and penetratively reading the New Testament. We cannot go far anywhere in it without coming across the most profitable directions for our daily life. III. STUDTING THE EXPERillNCE OF THE LEADERS. As they spoke they acted. 'l'he Word of God they pressed on others they first of all believed themselves, There was no inculcated duty in which they did not lead by practice as well as by precept. Some of these leaders, at least, had now passed beyond the vicissitudes of earth. 'fheir whole Christian life was open to observation. Results could be seen. Take a life, for instance, like that of Stephen, consummated by a revelation of glory and reward such as might well inspire any follower. And especially the faith oft.he leaders is to be studied. Examine the true riches that have come to men by trusting in God. IV. hnTATIN'G THEM, or rather imitating one particular thing in them-their faith. We are no real followers of any Christian leader unless we do this. It is not pecu- liariti, in a man's teaching, commanding influence of a personality, that should make him a eader. It is the reality of his faith in God. Such a leader we follow most and ·honour most when his example makes us as true believers as himself.-Y. Ver. 8.-The u1nc'/w,nging Jesus. I. THE NEEDS OJ.1' MEN DO NOT CHANGE. No doubt there is change and progress in some respects. Each generatio~ of the human race, lil:e each succeeding wave when the tide is flowing, is au advance on the generation going before it. .AJJ the world grows older this advance is more marked. Our fathers travelled in ste.g~aches, we by express trains; they had to wait weeks for the answer of a letter, we have the telegraph to bring the same answer in an hour. But all these changes, however impressive, are only on the surface of life. Our nature has not changed. It wants the same ministries, though they may come in a different way. i'hough each wave is an advance on the preceding wave, they are all composed of the same elements. We who travel in railway trains are exactly the same sort of beings as those who rode in stage-coaches. 'l'he great facts of existence are the same-birth and death, sin and sorrow, hope and fear. A picture is not altered because you put it in a different frame. Man is the same yesterday, and ter-day, and for ever. II. THE SERVICE OF CHRIST DOES NOT CHANGE. Let the words be taken as true of Christ in his relation to us, that relation arising out of his life among men in the flesh. Be Las come into special relations to us, and it is in those special relations that we havo to consider him as "the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." He came to this world to do a work for all generations. As to us, the closer we keep to the evident and pressing wants of our generation, the better work we shall do. We know not the wants of posterity, and therefore we had better leave it to look after its own wants. l\ut Jesus in his brief life did a work for the whole world-for all who ever have lived or will live on the broad surface of the earth. Because there are sinners still, Christ is etill a Saviour. 'l'he world is still full of Pharisees and Sadducees, publicans and CH, Xlll, 1-26.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 417