3: CHRIST THE PEACEMAKER. tianity, St. Paul rarely quotes passages from the Old Testament Scriptures, while in this epistle the quotations from them and allusions to them are numerous and pointed, harmonising with the peculiar privileges enjoyed by the Ephesian Church in having had instruction in those Scriptures from the lips of the apostle himself for a period of nearly three years. But if St. Paul, as the pupil of Gamaliel, addressed himself to the educated Jews with whom he had so much in common, and for whom his heart's desire was that they should be saved, he also, as a Christian and a philosopher, addressed his arguments to the accomplished but idolatrous Greeks, with whom, as well as with the Jews, "he disputed daily in the school of one Tyrannus," the subject of those disputations being the word of the Lord Jesus; "so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks,"-heard that word which "is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." And in accordance with this teaching, the whole tenor of the epistle, addressed to the same persons, is that union to God and to each other in Christ Jesus, of both Jew and Gentile, who, before his advent and incarnation, were estranged from God and from one another, "for he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." 749 say with equal truth, "Our Father who art in heaven." Our Father-not only because thou hast created both, but our Father, too, because thou hast redeemed both through the blood of Him who was not only the Messiah of the Jew, but the Messiah of the universe! This is announced to have been effected by the abolition of the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances-that is, in the ceremonial law as distinguished from the moral which it enshrined, which latter from its nature must be unchangeable and incapable of abolition; the former being but the scaffolding of the building, to be taken down when the edifice was complete; the latter the edifice itself, whose foundations are in God, and whose completion in Jesus Christ is eternal. The ceremonial law had reference to the fasts, the sacrifices, the festivals, the food, the dress, the marriages, the forms of religious worship; and this law served, and was designed by God to serve, a twofold purpose-and, strange to say, it was in the very serving and fulfilling of the twofold purpose that the enmity between Jew and Gentile was fostered and kept alive. First, the ceremonial observances were intended to be the outer signs and badges stamping the Jews as a peculiar nation, those peculiarities tending to keep them separate and distinct from other nations; which was necessary, as by them God intended to educate the world for a higher revelation. The "law was a schoolmaster," and on the principle-so self-evident in its wisdom, and so universal in its employment by God in his moral and spiritual government of the world-the principle of the few being rendered trustees and guardians for the benefit of the many, God did not entrust his revelation to all nations at once, among whom it would most probably have been lost, but entrusted it to the custody and keeping of one nation, by whom it would-through these very peculiarities-be preserved for the future benefit of the world at large, when "in the fulness of time" God should see fit to make it universal. The allusion here is evidently to the wall of partition in the Jewish temple, by which the court of the Gentiles was separated from that of the Jews. And on the occasion on which our Lord overturned the seats of the money-changers, and drove out those who attended the festivals for the purpose of trafficking in the animals and gifts for the sacrifices, he said, in the language of prophecy, while standing in this court of the Gentiles, "My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer;"—that is, the true worshippers of God shall henceforth no longer be limited to one race, one language, one country, but "in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." And similar is the idea which the apostle would here convey, that that was now broken down which had long kept Jew and Gentile estranged and enemies in their minds each to the other; that the Gentile was to have the same access to the Lord of the temple as the This twofold purpose of the ceremonial law Jew; that the days of religious exclusion and tended, as has been said, to create and continue ascendency were over for ever; that in virtue of animosity between Jew and Gentile, because, in the sacrifice of the Redeemer, Gentiles were to be the first place, the Jews thus separated, thus admitted to the same spiritual privileges, to share marked out, thus privileged-the subjects of special the same immortal hopes, and to look forward to providences, and special miracles-looked upon the day when the feet of both would tread the themselves as the favourites of Heaven, and as the courts of the temple above in the heavenly Jeru- possessors of the knowledge of the only way of salem; that Gentile no less than Jew could now salvation: Instead of being humbled by these look up to heaven, and feel with equal love, and very privileges-which they had turned to so little Secondly, these ceremonial ordinances were designed to point to the Messiah, who in his own person was to combine, to fulfil, and to exhaust the threefold offices of prophet, priest, and king. account-they became unduly exalted, prided them- | for Christ, as man, was in his human nature a selves over those not so highly favoured, and, Gentile as well as a Jew. Descended from the forgetting the golden law that they who have Hebrew David, he was also descended from most of the truth should manifest most of the David's Gentile ancestress, Ruth. love, they provoked feelings of jealousy and hatred on the part of the surrounding nations, who on their part and in their turn looked with contempt and ridicule on those peculiar institutions, laws, and practices which characterised and distinguished the Jews. And for the second reason, that these ceremonies pointed to a coming Messiah-a coming Deliverer, one whom Jewish imagination and Jewish hope pictured as a conquering King, surrounded with all the circumstance of earthly greatness, earthly power, and universal earthly jurisdiction; one from whom and in whom the Jews expected mighty benefits —benefits which they fondly and selfishly believed would not be shared by any other race or people upon earth. This, too, provoked the enmity between Jew and Gentile. This enmity, this cause of hatred, Christ is said by the apostle to have abolished; and not only abolished, but abolished in his flesh-that is, by "offering one sacrifice for sins for ever." But finally and for ever Christ abolished "the enmity" by his death in that flesh,-by being both victim and priest-the lamb led to the slaughter, dumb before his shearers-the high priest, sprinkled with that lamb's redeeming blood ere he entered into the holy of holies to appear as intercessor for his Church. By that death in human flesh, wherein all types were satisfied, all prophecies fulfilled, he finished, consummated, and exhausted the whole of the sacrificial types and ceremonies of the Levitical law, which derived their meaning from the fact that they pointed to him, and therefore lost all their meaning when he had finished and fulfilled everything which they foreshadowed and foretold. And thus, by removing that legal ceremonial fence which severed Gentile from Jew, he joined them together in himself, the second Adam-from twain he made one new man, and for both opened up a new and living way to God, through the veil, that is, through his flesh, that Jew and Gentile might be reconciled each to the other, and both to God, "that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, or in himself." This, the doctrine of the cross, is the teaching which pervades the New Testament Scriptures. It is the burden of the mighty argument throughout the Epistle to the Hebrews. To this great truth Christ himself with his dying breath bore undying witness when he said, "It is finished." To this great truth of a common priesthood and common brotherhood for all men in Christ, the veil of the Temple rent in twain on that day of Christ's finished sacrifice, spake in its silent but significant acting as no human tongue could speak, because that rent veil opened to the gaze of Jew and Gentile alike a view of the holy of holies, into which no Jew even, save the high priest once each "In his flesh!" Not merely by being the world's greatest Prophet and greatest Teacher, declaring to mankind the Divine will, and instructing, by the purest example, mankind to "live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world," in anticipation of a future judgment in the presence of God in the world to come ;-not merely by this-for this would never have abolished the enmity-nor merely by becoming the undisputed Head of a vast and world-wide kingdom; a King over his Church, administering its laws, executing its judgments, attesting his right to rule by miracle and by marvel-this would not, could not, have abolished the enmity between Jew and Gentile, and still less the greater enmity between man and God. But it was "in his flesh," by the sacrifice of himself. Now, if we bear in mind that the whole life no less than the death of Christ contributed to and made up that sacrifice-that Beth-year, dare heretofore even look; and this was but lehem no less than Calvary-Capernaum no less than Gethsemane-the marriage supper of Cana no less than the grave of Bethany-were scenes of great acts in the awful drama of Divine sacrifice, it may be clearly seen what the apostle would have his readers understand by the words, " in his flesh." First, that by taking into his Godhead that human nature whch had been defiled by the lusts of the flesh, and by sanctifying it through that union, and uniting it to God in his own person, Christ drew together, in that mystical union, those whom sin had severed-drew man to God and man to manhe abolished the enmity. Secondly, by perfect obedience to the law-by fulfilling all righteousness in that flesh common alike to Jew and Gentile; as a silent, acted prophecy on that day-that through the blood and priesthood of Christthrough the rent veil of his flesh, all men-Jew, Turk, infidel, heretic-might hope and might have the right to enter the holy of holies in the Temple of the Jerusalem which is above. And that thus it was intended to be St. John the Divine learned amid the glories of apocalyptic vision, when forth from that holy of holies there fell upon his ear, in strains of richest music, swept from their golden harps, the song, the new song of the redeemed, elected from no one nation, but gathered out of all the world, enslaved and ruined by the fall, but ransomed and restored by the cross-"Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to TAKE CARE OF NUMBER ONE. 751 So making peace." Not only is he the dispenser but the creator of peace; not only the river of peace, making glad in its pure and crystal streams the city of our God, and reflecting on its bosom the bright beauties of that heavenly love which alone banks it in, but the fountain, the source, the spring of those streams, those beauties, and that love, which flow and bloom and shine through that cross by which he is ever declaring, ever making, ever giving peace! God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, no care to bring others to that cross to which and people, and nation" (Rev. v. 9). the heart is a stranger. As the essence, the intention of the cross was and is to remove enmity, to make men one with Christ as he is one with God, so the essence of peace among men is oneness-oneness of hope, oneness of interest, oneness of joy; and where that oneness with Christ, that peace, has been realised by the heart-when the heart can say, "My Beloved is mine and I am his"-when the Church, under the Holy Spirit's power, is alive to the blessedness and the virtue and the necessity of peace with Christ, there is at once awakened a zeal, a desire, a love to extend the knowledge of that peace to others, to proclaim near and far away that gospel of reconciliation by which alone men can be drawn to God and to one another, and whereby alone the enmity of the human heart to God and to its fellows can be slain; there is then ever the like desire, embodied in the like prayer which fell from the lips of the Prince of Peace," that they all may be one." Those who are reconciled by the blood of the cross, are led, through the power of that cross, to be tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as, and because, God for Christ's sake hath forgiven them. Where there is no love for Christ, no oneness with him, there will be no love, no oneness with man. Where Christ by his cross does not reign, there no peace is found; and where there is no peace there can be no love A TAKE CARE OF NUMBER ONE. A TALE FOR BOYS. GROUP of boys, excited and noisy, were | in a flogging, if it comes to that? Will you go shares standing together in the field behind in detention, or in a cube root of ten figures, if I have Dr. Henry's school. Evidently some- one? Haven't we a rule that no boy tells upon thing had happened, for all were angry, another, and what's that good for if we have to tell and each was throwing the blame upon upon ourselves? I'll do no such thing." another, when a tall, pale lad came up and asked, very quietly indeed, what was the matter. "We were throwing the ball," said one of them, "and it has gone into the Doctor's garden and smashed some glass." "Well, but you all knew where the glass was, and you were cautioned half-a-dozen times, and now the Doctor will shut up this field entirely if you don't confess. Who was in fault?" "Hartley was in fault, for the ball was his." "No, I wasn't; Thompson was the first that threw it toward the garden." "It's shabby to tell on another,” said Black; “but it's shabby not to tell on yourself when very likely you will rob us all of our field, and turn the cows back into it, after our petition and all our trouble to get the run of it. And old Harry"-for I grieve to say Dr. Henry went by this sad name among his devoted lads-" old Harry never came down heavy on anybody for being a gentleman." "I won't do it," said Campbell, sulkily; "I mean to take care of Number One!" "Three groans for Campbell!" shouted Hartley (a ringleader in all groaning, cheering, and schoolboy "I didn't throw it in though; Campbell did that, accomplishments), "and let us see what 'Number and he should bear the blame." At once all eyes turned to Campbell, a fat, heavylooking boy, with ill-brushed clothes, and watery, unwholesome eyes. Campbell looked down. "What do you say, Campbell," asked the newcomer; "will you give yourself up or no? Don't let us all be robbed of our best field for the sake of the imposition of a fine." "That's a good fellow, Campbell," shouted they; "do as Black says, and we'll club and go shares in the fine." One' will do for him." The boys groaned with a will, Campbell rushed off, as red as a turkey-cock, and the bell rang for them all to dress for dinner. The field in question was a very long and somewhat narrow strip that ran from the back of the conservatories to the river. Its shape made it a capital place for races, bows and arrows, quoits, flying kites, and a few other sports of that kind; but perhaps its main charm was that it had not belonged to the boys until this quarter, being reserved for grazing Then Campbell looked up, with some fierceness and cattle. They had got up a petition to Dr. Henry, a good deal of sulkiness about his ugly face. and as the school was flourishing, and the boys and he upon splendid terms, he had let them have it upon one condition. No cricket was to be played there, nor anything done which would endanger his flowers -his pleasure and his pride. And now they had distinctly heard the clink of something broken, and the culprit would not surrender himself, and the field would be lost! It was too bad, and fierce were the murmurs against Campbell as they filed in, slowly and sadly, to dinner. It takes a great deal, however, to spoil a schoolboy's appetite, and they felt greatly comforted for the next forty-five minutes. But at evening roll-call the face of their master told them what was coming. Dr. Henry was kind, and even gentle, in his manner, but ke could be firm when roused, and to touch his garden was to touch the apple of his eye. So he was dangerous-looking enough as he held up the fatal ball and said "Boys, I grieve to say this ball was found in a broken pot of very rare ferns, which it had knocked over upon some quite unique but now ruined azaleas. These would have brought, my gardener expected, ten pounds of prizes at the flower-show next week. The broken glass is not worth naming in comparison, but I would willingly have given him half as much again had he beaten Lord Primrose's gardener. Who did all this mischief, by breaking the clear terms of our bargain when I gave you the long meadow ?” Dead silence answered him; but as his quick eye ranged around the room, three figures caught his attention: Black, Hartley, and Campbell were clearly agitated, and signalling to each other. means for breaking ten pounds' worth of flowers, but for a long train of misbehaviour that came to a head in his disgraceful attempt to throw the blame on Hartley. Dr. Henry said that his rule was to keep no boy unless he was getting some good from the school, and doing some to it, and as Campbell was doing neither, he was reluctantly obliged to sever him from associates whom he might corrupt. This terrible letter came just when Mr. Campbell was recovering from a fever, and it brought back the excitement and delirium, which left him so exhausted that he never rallied. Within a fortnight his unhappy son followed him to his grave. Then came the settlement of affairs. He had been a doctor, just rising into a fine practice; but time had not been given him to put anything by, and as his wife and children had expensive tastes, the insurance upon his life barely paid his creditors. Young Campbell had to go to business, and carrying his bad tricks with him, sank lower and lower, until he became the ticket-seller in a wretched suburban theatre. This was what he got by taking care of no person but Number One. His selfishness expelled him from a school where he might have learned to be useful and respected-a school from which Hartley rose to be a judge and Black an archdeacon. His expulsion killed his father, who had almost shaken off his disease when it threw him back. His father's premature death left his mother and sisters without provision, and himself, with an ill-regulated mind, "Black," said the Doctor, "what do you know among strangers, who heard nothing of him but about this matter ?" what was bad. "Nothing, sir," replied his favourite scholar, in his usual quiet tones, "except what I learned afterward upon being consulted; that, please, sir, was confidential." "Do you know anything, Campbell ?" was the next question, for the Doctor saw his bloated face as red as fire, and his cowardly fingers twitching at his suspender. Now this worthy, as you remember, had pleaded the rule against informing; but, like most selfish people, he did this just because it was most convenient; so now he stammered out in his despair, "Sir, it's Hartley's ball." A subdued groan ran round the schoolroom, and Hartley jumped up in a moment. "Sir," said he, proudly, "I didn't mean to tell upon that pitiful sneak; but the ball is mine, and his own hand flung it over your wall." "Is this true, Campbell? You don't answer such a shameful charge? Must I suppose that silence gives consent? Then go to the housekeeper's rcom, and tell her to pack up your clothes." The next day Campbell's father, who was lying upon a sick-bed, received a short, cold letter from Dr. Henry. It told him that his boy would reach home by the next coach, expelled! This was by no Think, dear boys, whether the best care of Number One-yes, and the pleasantest too-is not, as a rule, care for every one else as well. G. A. C "THE QUIVER" BIBLE CLASS. 315. How was the cedar-wood used in the building of Solomon's Temple conveyed from Lebanon to Jerusalem ? 316. How many of the "strangers in the land of Israel" were sent to assist the servants of the King of Tyre, in cutting down the cedars of Lebanon? 317. When Ezra the scribe expounded the Book of the Law, what posture did the people assume? 18. In what book of the Bible do we find the most awful utterances of human anguish and misery? ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ON PAGE 720. 303. "Take great stones in thy hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln ” (Jer. xliii. 9). 304. Prov. xxvi. 4, 5. 305. Acts xiii. 33. 306. Jonah's gourd (Jonah iv. 10). 307. Three times-Aratus, Acts xvii. 28; Menander, 1 Cor. xv. 33; Epimenides, Titus i. 12. 308. The rising of many saints (Matt. xxvii. 52). RS. DALRYMPLE JONES-for, alas! that into her parties frequently, and with great effect; typical name belonged to the gentleman for she had the imagination as well as the eye of whom Miss Dalrymple of that ilk had espoused-was an artist, and would sometimes hit off in symbol the exceedingly fond of tableaux. She introduced them principal event of the day in the most telling manner. ΤΟΙ. Γ. 259 |