grace, that we may may obtain

a Ep. 3. 12. c. 10. 19-22.

16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace. "The throne of grace! What a beautiful expression. A throne is the scat of a sovereign; a throne of grace is designed to represent a sovereign scated to dispense mercy and pardon. The illustration or comparison here may have been derived from the temple service. In that service God is represented as seated in the most holy place on the mercy-seat. The high priest approaches that seat or throne of the divine majesty with the blood of the atonement to make intercession for the people, and to plead for pardon. See Notes on ch. ix. 7, 8. That scene was emblematic of heaven. God is seated on a throne of mercy. The great High Priest of the Christian calling, having shed his own blood to make expiation, is represented as approaching God and pleading for the pardon of men. To a God willing to show mercy he comes with the merits of a sacrifice sufficient for all, and pleads for their salvation. We may, therefore, come with boldness and look for pardon. We come not depending on our own merits, but we come where a sufficient sacrifice has been offered for human guilt; and where we are assured that God is merciful. We may, therefore, come without hesitancy, or trembling, and ask for all the mercy that we need. ↑ That we may obtain mercy. This is what we want first. We need pardon-as the first thing when we come to God. We are guilty and

should be for mercy-mercy. A man who comes to God not feeling his need of mercy must fail of obtaining the divine favour; and he will be best prepared to obtain that favour who has the deepest sense of his need of forgiveness. And find grace. Favour-strength, help, counsel, direc. tion, support, for the various duties and trials of life. This is what we next need-we all need-we always need. Even when pardoned, we need grace to keep us from sin, to aid us in duty, to preserve us in the day of temptation. And feeling our need of this, we may come and ask of God all that we want for this purpose. Such is the assurance given us; and to this bold approach to the throne of grace all are freely invited. In view of it, let us (1.) rejoice that there is a throne of grace. What a world would this be if God sat on a throne of justice only, and if no mercy were ever to be shown to men! Who is there who would not be overwhelmed with despair? But it is not so. He | is on A THRONE OF GRACE. By day and by night; from year to year; from generation to generation; he is on such a throne. In every land he may be approached, and in as many different languages as men speak, may they plead for mercy. In all times of our trial and temptation we may be assured that he is seated on that throne, and wherever we are, we may approach him with acceptance. (2.) We need the privilege of coming before such a throne. We are sinful

and need mercy: we are feeble, and need grace to help us. There is not a day of our lives in which we do not need pardon; not an hour in which we do not need grace. (3.) How obvious are the propriety and necessity of prayer! Every man is a sinnerand should pray for pardon; every man is weak, feeble, dependent, and should pray for grace. Not till a man

can prove that he has never done any sin, should he maintain that he has no need of pardon; not till he can show that he is able alone to meet the storms and temptations of life, should he feel that he has no need to ask for grace. Yet who can feel this? And how strange it is that all men do not pray! (4.) It is easy to be forgiven. All that needs to be done is o plead the merits of our Great High Priest, and God is ready to pardon. Who would not be glad to be able to pay a debt in a manner so casy? Yet how few there are who are willing to pay the debt to justice thus! (5.) It is easy to obtain all the grace that we need. We have only to ask for itand it is done. How easy then to meet temptation if we would! How strange that any should rely on their wn strength, when they may lean the arm of God! (6.) If men are et pardoned, and if they fall into sin and ruin, they alone are to blame. There Is A THRONE OF GRACE. It is always accessible. There Is A GOD, He is always ready to pardon. There IS A REDEEMER. He is the Great High Priest of men. He is always interceding. His merits may always be pleaded as the ground of our salvation. Why then, O why, should any remain unforgiven and perish? On them alone the blame must lic. In their own bosoms is the reason why they are not saved.

CHAPTER V.

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.

In this chapter the subject of the priestly office of Christ is continued and further illustrated. It had been introduced ch. ii. 17, 18; eh. iii. 1; ch. iv. 14—17. The Jews regarded the office of high priest as an essential feature in the true religion; and it became, therefore, of the highest importance to show that in the Christian system there was a High Priest every way equal to that of the Jews. In his rank; in his character; and in the sacrifice which he offered, he was more than equal to the Jewish high priest, and they who bad for

saken Judaism and embraced Christianity had lost nothing in this respect by the change, and had gained much. It became necessary, therefore, in making out this point, to institute a comparison between the Jewish high priest and the Great Author of the Christian religion, and this comparison is pursued in this and the following chapters. The comparison in this chapter turns mainly on the qualifications for the office, and the question whether the Lord Jesus had those qualifications. The chapter embraces the following points:

I. The qualifications of a Jewish high priest. Vs. 1-4. They are these. (1.) He must have been ordained or appointed by God for the purpose of offering gifts and sacrifices for sins Ver. 1. (2.) He must be tender and compassionate in his feelings, so that he can sympathize with those for whom he ministers. Ver. 2. (3.) He must have an offering to bring to God, and be able to present a sacrifice alike for himself and for the people. Ver. 3. (4.) He could not take this honour on himself, but must have evidence that he was called of God, as was Aaron. Ver. 4.

II. An inquiry whether these qualifications were found in the Lord Jesus, the great High Priest of the Christian dispensation. Vs. 5-10. In considering this, the apostle specifies the following qualifications in him, corresponding to those which he had said were required by the Jewish high priest. (1.) He did not take this honour on himself, but was called directly by God, and after an order superior to the Aaronic priesthood-the order of Melchisedek. Vs. 5, 6. 9, 10. (2.) He was kind, tender, and com. passionate, and showed that he was able to sympathize with those for whom he had undertaken the office. When on the earth he had evinced all the tenderness which could be desired in one who had come to pity and save mankind. He had a tender, sensitive, huma naturc. He felt deeply as a man, under the pressure

of the great sufferings which he endured, and thus showed that he was abundantly qualified to sympathize with his people. Vs. 7, 8.

III. In verse 10 the apostle had introduced, incidentally, a topic of great difficulty; and he adds (vs. 11 -14), that he had much to say on that subject, but that those whom he addressed were not qualified then to understand it. They ought to have been so far advanced in knowledge as to have been able to embrace the more abstruse and difficult points connected with the doctrines of Christianity. But they needed, he says, instruction even yet in the more simple elements of religion, and he feared that what he had to say of Melchisedek would be far above their comprehension. This point, therefore, he drops for the present, and in ch. vi. states again, and at greater length, the danger of apostasy, and the importance of perseverance in endeavouring to comprehend the sublime mysteries of the Christian religion; and then (ch. vii.) he resumes the subject of the comparison between Christ and Melchizedeck.

1. For every high priest. That is, among the Jews, for the remarks relate to the Jewish system. The Jews had one high priest who was regarded as the successor of Aaron. The word 'high priest' means chief priest; that is, a priest of higher rank and office than others. By the original regulation the Jewish high priest was to be of the family of Aaron (Ex. xxix. 9), though in later times the office was frequently conferred on others.

ing to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

a c. 8. 3.

was at the head of religious affairs, and was the ordinary judge of all that pertained tc religion, and even of the general justice of the Hebrew commonwealth. Deut. xvii. 8-12; xix. 17; xxi. 5; xxiii. 9, 10. He only had the privilege of entering the most holy place once a year, on the great day of atonement, to make expiation for the sins of the people. Lev. xvi. He was to be the son of one who had married a virgin, and was to be free from any corporeal defect. Lev. xxi. 13. The dress of the high priest was much more costly and magnificent than that of the inferior order of

In

the time of the Romans it had become venal, and the Mosaic regulation was disregarded. II. Mac. iv. 7; Jos. Ant. XV. 3. 1. It was no longer held for life, so that there were several persons at one time to whom was given the title of high priest. The high priest