T
HE
C
HRIST FULFILS THE DESTINY OF MAN THOUGH FALLEN
,
AND REALISES THE TYPES OF KING
,
PROPHET
,
LAWGIVER
,
HIGH
-
PRIEST
,
SERVANT
.
T
HE ABSENCE OF REFERENCES TO
I
SA
. 53
IS REMARKABLE
.
T HE BROAD PRINCIPLES OF THE INTERPRETATION OF S CRIPTURE , AND THE VIEW OF THE GRADUAL UNFOLDING OF THE COUNSEL OF G OD THROUGH THE EDUCATION OF THE NATIONS AND OF THE PEOPLE , WHICH ARE CONTAINED IN THE E PISTLE TO THE H EBREWS , ARE OF PRESENT IMPORTANCE TO OURSELVES . T HE LESSONS OF THE O LD T ESTAMENT TO THE C HURCH THE LESSONS OF THE L AW AND THE P ROPHETS AND THE P SALMS , HAVE NOT AS YET BEEN COMPLETELY LEARNT . E ACH AGE MUST FIND IN THE DIVINE RECORD NEW TEACHING . O UR FATHERS WERE NOT IN A POSITION TO LEARN THE SOCIAL LESSONS WHICH THE O LD T ESTAMENT CONTAINS FOR US . T HEY COULD NOT DISTINGUISH THE MANY SOURCES FROM WHICH PRECIOUS FRAGMENTS WERE BROUGHT TOGETHER TO CONTRIBUTE TO ITS REPRESENTATIVE FULNESS . T HEY COULD NOT COMPARE THE S ACRED B OOKS OF I SRAEL , EITHER AS TO THEIR CONTENTS OR AS TO THEIR HISTORY , WITH THE
S
ACRED
B
OOKS OF OTHER NATIONS
. F
RESH MATERIALS
,
FRESH METHODS OF INQUIRY
,
BRING FRESH PROBLEMS AND FRESH TRIALS
. D
IFFICULTIES OF CRITICISM PRESS UPON US NOW
. I
T IS WELL THEN TO BE REMINDED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES OF TRIAL AT LEAST AS SHARP AS OUR OWN
. W
HEN THE
E
PISTLE TO THE
H
EBREWS WAS WRITTEN
,
IT MIGHT HAVE SEEMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING FOR THE
C
HRISTIAN TO DO BUT EITHER TO CLING TO THE LETTER OF THE
J
EWISH
B
IBLE OR TO REJECT IT ALTOGETHER
. B
UT THE
C
HURCH WAS MORE TRULY INSTRUCTED BY THE VOICE OF THE
S
PIRIT
;
AND THE ANSWER TO THE ANXIOUS QUESTIONINGS OF THE FIRST AGE WHICH THE
E
PISTLE CONTAINS HAS BECOME PART OF OUR INHERITANCE
. W
E KNOW NOW
,
WITH AN ASSURANCE WHICH CANNOT BE SHAKEN
,
THAT THE
O
LD
T
ESTAMENT IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR
C
HRISTIAN
B
IBLE
. W
E KNOW THAT THE
L
AW IS NEITHER A VEHICLE AND A VEIL FOR SPIRITUAL MYSTERIES
,
AS
P
HILO THOUGHT
,
NOR A DELUSIVE RIDDLE
,
AS IS TAUGHT IN THE
E
PISTLE OF
B
ARNABAS
(
COMP
. I
NTROD
. § XII.). W
E KNOW THIS THROUGH THE TRIALS OF OTHER MEN
.
F OR THAT NEW VOICE ON WHICH THE A POSTLE DWELLS IN THE L ETTER WAS NOT HEARD WITHOUT DISTRESSING DOUBTS AND FEARS AND SAD EXPECTATIONS OF LOSS . S UCH INDEED IS THE METHOD OF THE DISCIPLINE OF G OD AT ALL TIMES .
M ANY MUST FEEL THE TRUTH BY THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE IN THE PRESENT DAY , WHEN , AS IT SEEMS , H E IS LEADING H IS PEOPLE TOWARDS A FULLER APPREHENSION OF THE CHARACTER OF THE WRITTEN WORD THAN HAS HITHERTO BEEN GAINED .
N
EW VOICES OF
G
OD ARE HEARD
TO
-
DAY
AS IN OLD TIME
,
AND THERE IS STILL THE SAME DANGER OF NEGLECTING TO HEAR THEM
. T
HE
H
EBREWS HAD DETERMINED IN THEIR OWN MINDS THE MEANING WHICH THE DIVINE MESSAGE SHOULD BEAR
:
THEY HAD GIVEN A LITERAL AND OUTWARD PERMANENCE TO THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE
O
LD
C
OVENANT
;
AND WHEN THE VOICE CAME TO THEM TO LEAVE THAT WHICH THEY HAD IDENTIFIED WITH THEIR NOBLEST HOPES
,
THEY WERE IN DANGER OF APOSTASY
.
I T MAY STILL BE SO WITH US , AND THAT TOO IN RESPECT TO OUR VIEW OF THE O LD T ESTAMENT . I T IS LIKELY THAT STUDY WILL BE CONCENTRATED ON THE O LD T ESTAMENT IN THE COMING GENERATION . T HE SUBJECT IS ONE OF GREAT OBSCURITY AND DIFFICULTY WHERE THE SOURCES OF INFORMATION ARE SCANTY . P ERHAPS THE RESULT OF THE MOST CAREFUL INQUIRY WILL BE TO BRING THE