VII.] THE NEW COVENANT RENEWS PROBATION.

former

247

plied the

but imMan's old Probaand which the

tion of

end was

engagement. What Scripture calls a Covenant made between God and man is that which is ordered by the Divine mind, fixing for man the law of just probation. So the Old Covenant implies, so to speak, a order of Probation appointed for our race. first probation assured him, we know, of life peace with God, on the condition of righteousness death, and obedience to Him the Supreme, who 'made man upright.' To become unrighteous and disobedient to God would then necessarily be to fall from the Supreme Good, and that is to perish. Death could but be the inevitable result of a moral creature departing from the living God. But there was no clear prospect of a life eternal given to man in that first probation. That which we call the New Covenant' brings to us a new order of Probation, for which life and immortality have been brought to light.' Death is not now the conclusion, as it seemed before: there is in this new creation the power of an endless life.' The covenant of the old probation 'made nothing perfect;' that of the new probation is full of grace and truth,' and is the bringing in of a 'better hope whereby we draw nigh to God;' it is a 'better covenant founded on better promises.' The old had priests, all subject to death at last; the new maketh the Son of God to be man's High Priest, in Heaven, consecrated for evermore,'' perfecting for ever them that are sanctified 9.' That sanctifying of course has to proceed here The work under the Covenant of which He is Mediator; and He tion here. has 'committed to His Apostles the Ministry of the

q See Note I.

and the new, of which the end is life

and im

mortality.

of Media

248

IV.

Christ's work is carried on

in His Church.

APOSTLES ITS SUFFICIENT MINISTERS' [LECT. Reconciliation,' and it is for them to warn every man and teach every man that they may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.' They are not to slay fresh victims, as the Aaronic priests had done; but 'to minister the new Covenant in His Blood;' and 'Do this,' and 'Show forth His death,' till He comes.

IV. In urging on the Hebrew believers whom S. Paul now addressed this final surrender of Jewish sacrifice and worship, let it be again observed that he adds no directions as to the ritual or worship of the New Covenant. In fact, they must find this in the Churches. And he had no ideal magnificence of the Church militant, no orbis terrarum to point to. Heb. x. 25. No, in the Communion of the faithful, in the living Church around them, and in obeying the leading of the Spirit there simply guiding them to Apostolic teaching, all would soon be clear. If there were aught 'lacking,' the Grace and Providence of God would supply it. Only be patient.' Such is his teaching. Gifts of the Spirit doubtless were among them; and the rule of Christians had ever been to submit all gifts to the Apostolate; if any man seem to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write, as Apostle, are commands of the Lord." And so S. Paul had only to bid these Hebrews to leave the Levitical w rship, and not wander off from Adherence the Apostolic Communion of fellow believers, (as Church is the manner of some is,' he adds,)—that is, keep to the Church, and avoid 'the tabernacle.' 'Not for

to that

a duty.

saking the assembling of yourselves together, but

VII.]

THE CHURCH THEIR SPHERE,

249

urging one another to a common adherence to the Christian body alone.' He seems indeed just to Heb. x. 24. allude to their Agapæ, and its attendant charities; but no more. If he had not said enough now, he must leave it. For there soon would be no more sacrifice Heb. x. 26. for sin,' however much they might cling to the Levitical rites-but fearful judgment' to be poured out Heb. x. 27. on Jerusalem, and on the adversary' of Christ.

32-38.

Were they indeed prepared by obstinate Judaizing to forfeit all the past? is the further pleading of the Apostle with his brethren,-ready to forget their first 'illumination' by the Spirit, their severe persecutions, Heb. x. and once tranquil hope of heaven? O, live still the life of faith; be righteous, with your eye on God To fall of -for the Lord will surely come and will not tarry.' is to lose Such is the tone of loving remonstrance. But were given, and any of them fearful, lest by separating from Judaism from all now, they parted from the long line of holy and levers. faithful men of whom their Scriptures told?

from Christ

the grace

to separate

true be

The bare supposition excites the ardent Apostle to a very rhapsody of faith, in which he pours forth, in series, the triumphs of those who in days of obscurity and difficulty, with everything incomplete, and pro- ch. xi. mises all unattained, conquered in faith all the trials of the present, and lived and died as 'pilgrims on earth,' not having received the promises, since they without us could not reach Perfection.’

I-39.

Perfection

Here his view expands, and he contemplates a Christian 'Perfection' not only of the individual, but of the includes the whole Body of all true believers in God,—from Adam of the men to Abraham, from Abraham to the Prophets, from of faith.

whole body

250

ch. xii. 1.

Heb. xii. 5-11.

Heb. xii. 16.

The Church

of the future.

TILL THE WOrld of the PERFECT IS [LECT.

the Prophets to Christ. He sees them all around him, as a great cloud of witnesses,' watching the struggle here, and encouraging us by their examples of old. But amidst them all, his loving faith discerns the King of saints; and while bidding the Hebrews to look unto Jesus,' Who began and will yet finish our salvation, he is abashed at the cowardice which shrank back, forgetting all the contradiction of

sinners,' and endurance even to death, that their Master had gone through! He tells these doubters that they might well reflect whether all their present trials might not be taken as just chastisements on them as rebellious children. Perhaps they now were like Esau, parting with their birthright for a present gratification! And might they not find hereafter that they had no place of repentance'-even though they should 'seek it carefully with tears?'

For the Church of the Future is that to which we all are indeed approaching, whether we realize it, or not; not only perfect men, but a perfect world, 'new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.' HE who is the 'Head of all principality and power,' will bring together the moral past, in a wonderful unity and perfection. 'The future Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of God,' will be the home also of the myriads of angels and the great reassembling of holy Israelites, and others of former days, (as enumerated by the Apostle), and of the departed spirits of the just of every nation, and tribe, and tongue,' 'to reign in perpetual life, by Christ,' and with Christ.

VII.]

REACHED, AND PROBATION ENDED.

bation

251

but abiding

and with

It is the voice of the Church to all the past, and to all the far off,' that they without us will not be made Perfect.' We have received the Kingdom that cannot be moved,' and it is for us to Serve in reverent faith before our God,' and patiently await the End. The present only is our time of anxiety; for hereafter we shall be complete in Christ.'-It has some- No Protimes been questioned by the moral enquirer, whether hereafter: the future of the righteous will be a future of proba- in Christ tion? But the Priesthood of Christ, securing as it Christ. does the Perfection of His Body when it is all brought together, shall ever keep it from falling.' No possibility of sin hereafter, is the Divine result of the Priesthood for ever.' HE will make us kings and priests to God'-mutually serving, mutually blessing each other, and He Himself, our High Priest, be the pervading life of the world of the Perfect. Our everlasting perfection as creatures of the All-perfect will not be continuance of deliberation for good, such as choice now is in all our trial. Rather, Probation ended, our volition towards good will be like God's, only sustained in goodness by our Priest for ever.'

therefore of

duty.

Calmly, from his lofty contemplations of that Urgency 'endless life,' that 'Kingdom which cannot be moved,' present that for ever with the Lord,' the Apostle turns to the duties of the immediate present, pressing on those to whom he was writing. He looks from the Church triumphant hereafter to the Church militant here; from the Eternal Priesthood on high to the law of Priesthood pervading the whole body of the elect, the law of mutual help, and Special Gifts, and