Vere. 18, 19.-A request for prayer. Here is a new and unexpected relation between the shepherd and the sheep; for as a shepherd the author of this Epistle must be viewed, whoever he may be. The shepherd instinct, striving to guard Christians from error and backsliding, is manifest in every page, But while there is authority, the authority of one who sees with a clear eye right into truth, there is also, as expressed in this request, a most touching sense of need. The guiding and comforting of Chris- tians is an awful burden. 'l'o be in any way charged wit.h the diffusion and enforce- ment of the truth keeps the heart continually on the strain. There are so many things to say, BO little time in which to say them, and such lack of the best words, as makes one say, "Who is sufficient for these things?" Hence the earnestness with which one who is busy from the heart in working for Christ asks for the intercession of others. Only a man himself knowing the power of prayer could utter such a request. A prayerless man will never have an inward impulse prompting him to say, "Pray for us." Note where this request comes in-just at the end of the Epistle. As if the writer intended his friends to feel that he would first of all do all he could for them before he asked anything from them. If indeed they had profited by his instrnctions then, both intellectually and spiritually, they would be in the fittest mood to pray for him.-Y. Vers. 20, 21.-A most comprehensive wish. This is both a. wish and a prayer. None the less a prayer because referring to God in the third person. The writer both prays that God may prosecute a course of operations in the hearts of these Christians, and indirectly solicits them at the same time to make this course possible by their submis- sion and co-operation. This prayer-wish, it will be noted, was peculiarly correspon- dent with the position of Hebrew Christians. I. THE REFEBEN0E TO THE COVENANT. There had been a covenant, not everlasting, seeing there was no possibility of everlastingness in it. But now there is a new cove- nant, stable and consecrated by the blood of Jesus himself. The very Lord's Supper, in which these Hebrew Christians must repeatedly have taken part, made it impossiblo for them to forget the blood of the new covenant. This new covenant was really established in the raising of Jesus from the dead. And well might God be called a God of peace in connection with it. As God of the old covenant he had too frequently to be a God of wrath and of hostility to those transgressing the terms of the covenant. II. THE COMFORTING REFERENCE TO GoD's l'OWEB AND DISl'OSITION. Great as the troubles through which these people were passing seemed, yet they were not as the troubles of ancient Israel, idolatrous and apostate from the living God. It is a matter of the greatest importance to be assured that one is not contending with the Divine wrath. If God be against us, all comforts and hopes, however promising, are only delusions. But here is the proof that God is for us, in raising Jesus from the dead. Jesus had been the great Benefactor of men, a true Shepherd. Had he not compassion on the crowd, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd? And when hi: died, how many lost their hope and comfort then ! But God raises him from the dead, brings him back from among the corpses, and so constitutes him in a higher sense than ever the great Shepherd of the sheep. ill. THE GREAT THINGS YET TO BE EXPECTED AND PREPARED FOB. A risen Saviour is not only to secure us immortality, but to confirm us in a new life in every way. Things are prnyed for that belong to the very essence of the Christian life, whatever it~ external circumstances may be. We need to be properly placed and endowed for every J!OOd work; we need to be fitted to carry out the will of God. The Divine intent is that we should in o.11 ways be strong for usefulness as well as strong to bear trial. The God of the resurrection can work in us all that is acceptable to himself, and he will do it through Jesus Christ. IV. THE DOXOLOGY. How fittingly it comes in after this recita.l of the Divine power and ability I All true praise must be based upon a real and deep apprehension of the grace of God in Christ Jesus.-Y. THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [cH, XIII, 1-25,
Ver. 22.-Sujfering the word of etrho,·tation. The writer wishes to be prepl\red for every etnte of mind in those to whom he writes. He knows very well that much of what he hRB said will not be welcome upon the first reading of it. He may seem not to be sufficiently sympathetic, not sufficiently alive to the present troubles of others. More than that, in the midst of their troubles he calls them to exercises of thought and feeling which run counter to old hopes 1111d old associations. And now, in conclusion, he letR them know how he quite unden<te.nds their attitude of mind towards his letter. Ho does not expect his exhortations to commend themselves at first. But, knowing the word of truth to be in them, he knows they will guide his friends to higher duties and higher hopes, if only they will consider them. Thus he 11huws at the same time regard for the feelings of his frienils, and anxiety that truth may 11ot be rel)elled because at first it does not look serviceable.-Y. HOMILETICAL INDEX TO
THE EPISTLE OF
ST. PAUL TO THE HEBREWS.