Hebrews 4:1 Fear and Rest. I. The worldly man neither fears nor loves God. He sometimes imagines he loves God, because he is not afraid, because he is not awed by the holy majesty of God, and does not tremble at the righteous condemnation of the law. The soul which is roused and convinced of sin f... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 4:9 The Earthly Sabbath: a Type of the Heavenly. I. The heavenly blessedness is Sabbath blessedness, because it includes rest. The fundamental idea of the Sabbath is rest; and this is the idea which the Apostle makes most prominent in this place, because he uses Sabbatism, interchangeably... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 4:9 Entrance into God's Rest. We have here: I. The Divine rest: "He hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His." (1) Rest belongs necessarily to the Divine nature. It is the deep tranquillity of a nature self-sufficing in its infinite beauty, calm in its everlasting strength, plac... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 4:12 Life a Dialogue. There is a Word of God to us; there is also a word of ours to God. The Divine word and the human. The word which speaks, and the word which answers and makes reply. I. The Word of God. There are many such words. There is a word of God in nature. There is a word of God... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 4:12 I. The Word of God judges the Christian below. We are familiar with the Word of God. Like Israel, we possess the treasure in our country, in our families. Do we know that in possessing, reading, and knowing the Scriptures we are under a mighty, solemn and decisive influence, and that th... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 4:15 The Sympathy of Christ. I. Few persons are aware of the extent to which the mind is influenced by sympathy. It may be doubted whether there was ever anything done in the world, greatly bad or greatly good, which did not owe itself, in part, to sympathy. When the ignorant multitude led... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 4:15 The Sympathetic Saviour. We have her I. Christ's power of sympathy asserted. Sympathy was the heritage which earth gave Him to enrich His heavenly state. II. The conditions guaranteeing the power. (1) His exposure to temptation. Just as the light becomes tinged with the hues of the g... [ Continue Reading ]
Hebrews 4:16 I. We have here the idea of majesty. God is seated upon a throne. His estate is royal. To Him belongs kingly authority. He is to be approached as a monarch, with reverence and worship. The royal majesty of Jehovah rests not only on His power, but still more on His perfection, especiall... [ Continue Reading ]