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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


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