Never before had such an announcement been made. But now the great work was done, the battle over, the victory gained, the foundation of the new edifice laid; and Mary Magdalene was made the herald of the most glorious tidings that ever fell on mortal ears.
Wonderful words! let the reader ponder them. Let him specially note the vast, yea, the immeasurable difference between these two words "Sanctifier and sanctified." Such was our blessed Lord, personally, intrinsically, in His humanity, that He was capable of being the Sanctifier. Such were we personally, in our moral condition, in our nature, that we needed to be sanctified. But--eternal and universal homage to His name!--such is the perfection of His work, such the "riches" and the "glory of His grace" that it can be said, "As He is so are we in this world"--"the Sanctifier and the sanctified are all of one"--all on one common ground, and that for ever.
Nothing can exceed this as to t.i.tle and standing. We stand in all the glorious results of His accomplished work, and in all the acceptance of His Person. He has linked us with Himself, in resurrection-life, and made us sharers of all He has and all He is as man--His deity, of course is incommunicable.
But let us note very particularly all that is involved in the fact that we _needed_ to be "sanctified." It sets forth in the clearest and most forcible manner the total, hopeless, absolute ruin of every one of us. It matters not, so far as this aspect of the truth is concerned, who we were or what we were in our personal history or our practical life. We may have been refined, cultivated, amiable, moral, and, after a human fashion, religious; or we may have been degraded, demoralized, depraved, the very sc.u.m of society. In a word, we may have been morally and socially as far apart as the poles; but inasmuch as all needed to be sanctified, the highest as well as the lowest, ere we could be addressed as "holy brethren," there is evidently "no difference." The very worst needed nothing more, and the very best could do with nothing less. Each and all were involved in one common ruin, and needed to be sanctified, or set apart, ere we could take our place amongst the "holy brethren." And now, being set apart, we are all on one common ground; so that the very feeblest child of G.o.d on the face of the earth belongs as really and truly to the "holy brethren" as the blessed apostle Paul himself. It is not a question of progress or attainment, precious and important as it most surely is to make progress, but simply of our common standing before G.o.d, of which the "First-born" is the blessed and eternal definition.
But we must here remind the reader of the vast importance of being clear and well-grounded as to the relationship of the "First-born"
with the "many brethren." This is a grand foundation-truth, as to which there must be no vagueness or indecision. Scripture is clear and emphatic on this great cardinal point. But there are many who will not listen to Scripture. They are so full of their own thoughts that they will not take the trouble to search and see what Scripture says on the subject. Hence you find many maintaining the fatal error that incarnation is the ground of our relationship with the First-born.
They look upon the Incarnate One as our "Elder Brother," who, in taking human nature upon Him, took us into union with Himself, or linked Himself on to us.
Now such an error involves most frightful consequences. In the first place, it involves a positive blasphemy against the person of the Son of G.o.d--a denial of His absolutely spotless, sinless, perfect manhood.
He, blessed be His name, was such in His humanity that the angel could say to the virgin of Him, "That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of G.o.d." His human nature was absolutely holy.
As a man He knew no sin. He was the only man that ever lived of whom this could be said. He was unique. He stood absolutely alone. There was, there could be, no union with Him in incarnation. How could the Holy and the unholy, the Pure and the impure, the Spotless and the spotted ever be united? Utterly impossible! Those who think or say they could, do greatly err, not knowing the Scriptures or the Son of G.o.d.
But further: those who speak of union in incarnation are most manifestly the enemies of the cross of Christ; for what need was there of the cross, the death or the blood of Christ, if sinners could be united to Him in incarnation? Surely none whatever. There was no need of atonement, no need of propitiation, no need of the subst.i.tutionary sufferings and death of Christ, if sinners could be united to Him without them.
Hence we see how entirely this system of doctrine is of Satan. It dishonors the person of Christ, and sets aside His precious atonement.
And in addition to all this, it overthrows the teaching of the entire Bible on the subject of man"s guilt and ruin. In short, it completely sweeps away the great foundation-truths of our glorious Christianity, and gives us instead a Christless, infidel system. This is what the devil has ever been aiming at; it is what he is aiming at still; and thousands of so-called Christian teachers are acting as his agents in the terrible business of seeking to abolish Christianity. Tremendous fact for all whom it may concern!
But let us reverently harken to the teaching of Holy Scripture on this great subject. What mean those words which fell from the lips of our Lord Jesus Christ, and are repeated for us by G.o.d the Holy Ghost, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and _die_, it abideth alone"? Who was this corn of wheat? Himself, blessed be His holy name.
He had to die in order to "bring forth much fruit." If He was to surround Himself with His "many brethren," He had to go down into death in order to take out of the way every hindrance to their eternal a.s.sociation on the new ground of resurrection. He, the true David, had to go forth single-handed to meet the terrible foe, in order that He might have the deep joy of sharing with His brethren the spoils of His glorious victory. Eternal halleluiahs to His peerless name!
There is a very beautiful pa.s.sage bearing upon our subject in Mark viii. We shall quote it for the reader: "And He began to teach them, that the Son of man _must suffer_ many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He spake that saying openly. And Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him." In another Gospel we are told what Peter said: "Pity Thyself, Lord: this shall not be unto Thee." Mark the Lord"s reply; mark His att.i.tude: "But when He had turned about and _looked on His disciples_, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind Me, Satan, for thou savorest not the things that be of G.o.d, but the things that be of men."
This is perfectly beautiful. It not only presents a truth to the understanding, but lets in upon the heart a bright ray of the moral glory of our adorable Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, eminently calculated to bow the soul in worship before Him. "He turned and looked upon His disciples." It is as though He would say to His erring servant, "If I adopt your suggestion, if I pity myself, what will become of these?" Blessed Saviour! He did not think of Himself. "He stedfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem," well knowing what awaited Him there. He went to the cross, and there endured the wrath of G.o.d, the judgment of sin, all the terrible consequences of our condition, in order to glorify G.o.d with respect to our sins, and that He might have the ineffable and eternal joy of surrounding Himself with the "many brethren" to whom He could, on resurrection ground, declare the Father"s name. "_I will_ declare Thy name unto _My brethren_." He looked forward to this from amid the awful shadows of Calvary, where He was enduring for us what no created intelligence can ever fathom.
If ever He was to call us "brethren," He must _all alone_ meet death and judgment on our behalf.
Now why all this if incarnation was the basis of our union or a.s.sociation?[6] Is it not perfectly plain to the reader that there could be no link between Christ and us save on the ground of accomplished atonement? How could there be a link with sin unatoned for, guilt uncanceled, the claims of G.o.d unanswered? Utterly impossible. To maintain such a thought is to fly in the face of divine revelation and sweep away the very foundations of Christianity; and this, as we very well know, is precisely what the devil is ever aiming at.
[6] We do not mean that union with Christ as Head of the body is taught in Heb. ii. 11. For the unfolding of that glorious truth we must look elsewhere. It comes not within the range of the epistle to the Hebrews. See Eph. i. 22, 23; v. 30. But whether we view Him as Head of the body, or as the First-born among many brethren, Scripture most distinctly and emphatically teaches us that His death on the cross was absolutely essential to our union, or a.s.sociation, with Christ. _No death, no union._ The corn of wheat had to fall into the ground and die, in order to bring forth much fruit.
However, we shall not pursue the subject further here. It may be that the great majority of our readers are thoroughly clear and settled on the point, and that they hold it as a great cardinal and essential truth. Still, we feel it of importance just now to bear a very distinct testimony to the whole Church of G.o.d on this most blessed subject. We feel persuaded that the error which we have been combating--the notion of union with Christ in incarnation--forms an integral part of a vast infidel and antichristian system which holds sway over thousands of professing Christians, and is making fearful progress throughout the length and breadth of Christendom. It is the deep and solemn conviction of this that leads us to call the attention of the beloved flock of Christ to one of the most precious and glorious subjects that could possibly occupy their hearts, namely, their t.i.tle to be called "holy brethren."
We shall now turn for a few moments to the exhortation addressed to the "holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling." As we have already observed, we are not exhorted _to be_ holy brethren: we are _made_ such. The place and the portion are ours through infinite grace, and it is on this blessed fact that the inspired apostle grounds his exhortation, "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Jesus."
The t.i.tles bestowed on our blessed Lord in this pa.s.sage present Him to our hearts in a very wonderful manner. They take in the wide range of His history from the bosom of the Father down to the dust of death; and from the dust of death back to the throne of G.o.d. As the Apostle, He came from G.o.d to us; and as the High Priest, He has gone back to G.o.d for us. He came from heaven to reveal G.o.d to us, to unfold to us the very heart of G.o.d, to make us know the precious secrets of His bosom. "G.o.d, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."
What a marvelous privilege to have G.o.d revealed to us in the person of Christ! G.o.d has spoken to us in the Son. Our blessed Apostle has given us the full and perfect revelation of G.o.d. "No man hath seen G.o.d at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." "G.o.d, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of G.o.d in the face of Jesus Christ" (John i.; 2 Cor. iv.).
All this is unspeakably precious. Jesus has revealed G.o.d to our souls.
We could know absolutely nothing of G.o.d if the Son had not come and spoken to us. But--thanks and praise to our G.o.d!--we can say with all possible certainty, "_We know_ that the Son of G.o.d is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true: and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true G.o.d, and eternal life." We can now turn to the four Gospels; and as we gaze upon that blessed One who is there presented to us by the Holy Ghost, in all that lovely grace which shone out in all His words, and works, and ways, we can say, That is G.o.d. We see Him going about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; we see Him healing the sick, cleansing the leper, opening the eyes of the blind, unstopping the ears of the deaf, feeding the hungry, drying the widow"s tears, weeping at the tomb of Lazarus, and say, That is G.o.d.
Every ray of moral glory that shone in the life and ministry of the Apostle of our confession was the expression of G.o.d. He was the brightness of the divine glory, and the exact impression of the divine essence.
"Thou art the everlasting Word, The Father"s only Son; G.o.d manifest, G.o.d seen and heard, The heavens" beloved One.
"In Thee most perfectly expressed, The Father"s self doth shine; Fulness of G.o.dhead too; the Blest-- Eternally Divine."
How precious is all this to our souls! To have G.o.d revealed in the person of Christ, so that we can know Him, delight in Him, find all our springs in Him, call Him Abba Father, walk in the light of His blessed countenance, have fellowship with Him and with His Son Jesus Christ, know the love of His heart, the very love wherewith He loves the Son--what deep blessedness! what fulness of joy! How can we ever sufficiently praise the G.o.d and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for His marvelous grace in having introduced us into such a sphere of blessing and privilege, and set us in such a wondrous relationship with Himself in the Son of His love! Oh, may our _hearts_ praise Him!
May our _lives_ praise Him! May it be the one grand aim and object of our whole moral being to magnify His name!
But we must now turn for a little to another great branch of our subject. We have to "consider the High Priest of our confession."
This, too, is fraught with richest blessing for every one of the "holy brethren." The same blessed One who, as the Apostle, came to make Him known to our souls, has gone back to G.o.d for us. He came to speak to us about G.o.d; and He is gone to speak to G.o.d about us. He appears in the presence of G.o.d for us; He bears us up on His heart continually; He represents us before G.o.d to maintain us in the integrity of the position into which His precious atoning work has introduced us. His blessed priesthood is the divine provision for our wilderness path.
Were it merely a question of our standing or t.i.tle, there would be no need of priesthood; but inasmuch as it is a question of our actual state and practical walk, we could not get on for one moment if we had not our great High Priest ever living for us in the presence of G.o.d.
Now there are three most precious departments of our Lord"s priestly service presented in the epistle to the Hebrews. In the first place we read, in chap. iv., "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is pa.s.sed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of G.o.d, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, except sin."[7]
[7] "Yet without sin," as given in the "Authorized Version," does not convey the correct thought of the original, which is, "tempted in all things in like manner [to us], sin apart," or "sin excepted." Ed.
Christian reader, only think of the deep blessedness of having One at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens who is _touched_ with the feeling of your infirmities, who enters into all your sorrows, who feels for you and with you in all your exercises, trials, and difficulties! Think of having a Man on the throne of G.o.d--a perfect human heart, One on whom you can count in all your weakness, heaviness, and conflict; in everything, in short, except sin! With this, blessed be His name, He can have no sympathy.
But oh, what pen, what human tongue, can adequately set forth the deep, deep blessedness of having a Man in the glory whose heart is with us in all the trials and sorrows of our wilderness path! What a precious provision! What a divine reality! The One who has all power in heaven and on earth now lives for us in heaven. We can count on Him at all times. He enters into all our feelings in a way that no earthly friend could possibly do. We can go to Him and tell Him things which we could not name to our dearest friend on earth, inasmuch as none but He can fully understand us.
But our great High Priest understands all about us. He has pa.s.sed through every trial and sorrow that a perfect human heart could know.
Hence He can perfectly sympathize with us, and He delights to minister to us in all our seasons of sorrow and affliction, when the heart is crushed and bowed beneath a weight of anguish which only He can fully enter into. Precious Saviour! Most merciful High Priest! May our hearts delight in Thee! May we draw more largely upon the exhaustless springs of comfort and consolation that are found in Thy large and loving heart for all Thy tried, tempted, sorrowing, suffering brethren here below!
In Hebrews vii. 25 we have another very precious branch of our Lord"s priestly work, and that is His intercession--His active intervention on our behalf, in the presence of G.o.d. "Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto G.o.d by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."
What comfort is here for all the "holy brethren!" What strong consolation! What blessed a.s.surance! Our great High Priest bears us upon His heart continually before the throne. All our affairs are in His blessed hands, and can never fall through. He lives for us, and we live in Him. He will carry us right through to the end. Men speak about "the final perseverance of the saints." Scripture speaks of the final perseverance of our divine and adorable High Priest. Here we rest. He says to us, "Because I live, ye shall live also." "If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to G.o.d by _the death of His Son_,"
(the only possible way in which we could be reconciled) "much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life"--that is, His life up in heaven. He has made Himself responsible for every one of the "holy brethren," to bring them through all the difficulties, trials, snares, and temptations of the wilderness, right home to glory. Universal and everlasting homage to His blessed name!
We cannot, of course, attempt to go elaborately into the great subject of priesthood in a paper like this; we can do little more than touch upon the three salient points indicated above, and quote for the reader the pa.s.sages of Scripture in which those points are presented.
In Hebrews xiii. 15 we have the third branch of our Lord"s service for us in the heavenly sanctuary. "_By Him_, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to G.o.d continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name."
What a comfort to know that we have One in the presence of G.o.d to present our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving! How sweetly it encourages us to bring such sacrifices at all times! True, they may seem very poor, very meagre, very imperfect; but our great High Priest knows how to separate the precious from the vile; He takes our sacrifices, and presents them to G.o.d in all the perfect fragrance of His own person and ministry. Every little breathing of the heart, every utterance, every little act of service, goes up to G.o.d, not only divested of all our infirmity and imperfection, but adorned with all the excellency of the One who ever liveth in the presence of G.o.d, not only to sympathize and intercede, but also to present our sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise.
All this is full of comfort and encouragement. How often have we to mourn over our coldness, barrenness, and deadness, both in private and in public! We seem unable to do more than utter a groan or a sigh.
Well, Jesus--it is the fruit of His grace--takes that groan or that sigh, and presents it to G.o.d in all His own preciousness. This is part of His present ministry for us in the presence of our G.o.d, a ministry which He delights to discharge--blessed be His name! It is His joy to bear us upon His heart before the Throne. He thinks of each one in particular, as if He had but that one to think of.
It is wonderful; but so it is. He enters into all our little trials and sorrows, conflicts and exercises, as though He had nothing else to think of. Each one has the undivided attention and sympathy of that large, loving heart, in all that may rise in our pa.s.sage through this scene of trial and sorrow. He has gone through it all. He knows, as we say, every step of the road. We can discern His blessed footprints all across the desert; and look up through the opened heavens and see Him on the throne, a glorified Man, but the same Jesus who was down here upon earth--His circ.u.mstances changed, but not His tender, loving, sympathizing heart: "The same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."
Such then, beloved Christian reader, is the great High Priest, whom we are exhorted to "consider." Truly we have all we want in Him. His sympathy, perfect; His intercession, all-prevailing; His presentation of our sacrifices, ever acceptable. Well may we say, "We have all, and abound."
And now, in conclusion, let us glance for a moment at the precious exhortation in Hebrews x. 24: "Let us _consider_ one another, to provoke unto love and good works."
How morally lovely is the connection! The more attentively we consider Him, the more we shall be fitted and disposed to consider all who belong to Him, whoever and wherever they may be. Shew us a man full of Christ, and we will shew you a man full of love, and care, and interest for every member of the body of Christ. It must be so. It is simply impossible to be near Christ, and not have the heart filled with the sweetest affections for all that belong to Him. We cannot consider Him without being reminded of them, and led out in service, prayer, and sympathy, according to our little measure. If you hear a person talking loudly of his love for Christ, his attachment to Him and delight in Him, and, all the while, having no love for His people--no readiness to spend and be spent for them, no self-sacrifice on their behalf--you may be sure it is all hollow, worthless profession. "Hereby perceive we the love, because he laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world"s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels from him, how dwelleth the love of G.o.d in him?
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth." And again, "This commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth G.o.d, love his brother also" (1 John iii. 16-18; iv.
21).
These are wholesome words for all of us. May we apply our hearts most diligently to them! May we, by the powerful ministry of the Holy Ghost, be enabled to respond with all our hearts, to these two weighty and needed exhortations, to "Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession," and to "Consider one another!" And let us bear in mind, that the proper consideration of one another will never take the form of prying curiosity, or unwarrantable _espionage_--things which can only be regarded as the curse and bane of all Christian society.
No, no; it is the very reverse of all this. It is a loving, tender care, expressing itself in every form of refined, delicate, and seasonable service--the lovely fruit of true communion with the heart of Christ.
JEHOVAH"S DEMAND AND SATAN"S OBJECTIONS
"Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness" (Exodus v. 1).