WITH HOPE UPON THE CHEQUERED ANNALS OF C HRISTENDOM WITHOUT EXTENUATING THE SINS AND ISSUES OF SIN BY WHICH THEY ARE DEFACED .
I
N THIS RESPECT THE
E
PISTLE TO THE
H
EBREWS BRINGS BEFORE US A FORGOTTEN ASPECT OF THE DIVINE WORKING
. I
T MARKS
,
AS WE HAVE SEEN
,
THE OFFICE OF THE
M
ESSIANIC NATION NO LESS THAN THE OFFICE OF A PERSONAL
M
ESSIAH
. B
Y DOING SO ITS TEACHING FALLS IN WITH THE TENDENCY OF MODERN THOUGHT
. O
NCE AGAIN THE SOCIAL
,
THE CORPORATE VIEW OF LIFE IS GAINING POWER IF NOT PREDOMINANCE
. B
Y THE HELP OF THIS
B
OOK WE CAN SEE HOW THE VIEW WAS RECOGNISED IN THE APOSTOLIC OUTLINE OF THE
F
AITH
,
AND GAIN ENCOURAGEMENT FOR STUDYING IT WITH CONFIDENCE AND HOPE
.
I
N THE PURSUIT OF THIS INQUIRY THE
E
PISTLE REMINDS US THAT THERE IS A CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE
W
ORD OF
G
OD IN THE HEART
,
AND THE WRITTEN
W
ORD
:
THAT BOTH DEAL WITH THE FULNESS OF HOPE IN MAN AND IN NATURE
(H
EB
. 4:11, 13). T
RUSTING TO THIS LIVING
W
ORD THEREFORE WE MUST GLADLY ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE
BORNE FORWARD
TO FURTHER KNOWLEDGE
,
LEAVING THAT WHICH WE HAVE ALREADY GAINED
,
OR RATHER REGARDING IT AS OUR STARTING
-
POINT
(6:1). O
UR HIGHEST JOY IS TO RECOGNISE THE DIVINE LAW THAT EACH FULFILMENT OPENS A VISION OF SOMETHING YET BEYOND
. T
HE
W
ILDERNESS
,
J
ORDAN
, C
ANAAN
,
NECESSARILY TAKE A NEW MEANING AS THE EXPERIENCE OF MAN EXTENDS
. T
HE OUTWARD RITUAL
,
THE EARTHLY KINGDOM
,
SUGGESTED HOPES WHICH THEY COULD NOT SATISFY
. S
O PERHAPS IT IS STILL
. A
T LEAST THE WORDS OF THE
P
SALMIST AS THEY FALL ON OUR EARS EVERY MORNING HAVE AN APPLICATION WHICH IS NEVER EXHAUSTED
:
T
O
-
DAY IF YE WILL HEAR
H
IS VOICE
(3:14, 15). A
S YET WE DO NOT SEE THE END
.
FOOTNOTES
CONTENTS
The following summary enumeration of the chief patristic Commentaries may be of some use:
i. Greek. ORIGEN. Of his xviii Homilies and Books ( tovmoi ) on the Epistle only meagre fragments remain; but it is not unlikely that many of his thoughts have been incorporated by other writers. An investigation into the sources of the Latin Commentaries is greatly to be desired.
THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA. The Greek fragments have been printed by Migne, P. G. lxvi, pp. 651 ff.
CHRYSOSTOM. xxxiv Homilies. These were translated into Latin by Mutianus Scholasticus at the request of Cassiodorus (c. 500), and this translation was largely used by Western writers. THEODORET. Migne, P. G. lxxxii. JOHN OF DAMASCUS. Migne, P. G. xcv. OECUMENIUS. Migne, P. G. cxix. EUTHYMIUS ZIGABENUS, ed. N. Calogeras, Athens 1887.