The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-11-13
HEBREWS TX, 81, %.

DR.. Manley gave very lucid exposi-
ton of this Scripture in the July Quar-
terly, to which DR.. Atwood in "brief''
was supposed to object. To this DIR.
Manley replied in THE UNIvERsALIsT
of Oct. %, giving further reasons for
his view. DR.. Manley has not said all
that properly belongs to his exposition;
and he will probably excuse friend
much interested in knowing the truth,
and in his exposition, if we add further
suggestions. The point to be made
clear in his exposition is, that the men
appointed once to die were the high
priests, and not all mankind. He sees
a comparison between the high priests
set apart by the Mosaic law to die typ
ically for the people, in the death of the
animal sacrifice, and Christ who was
"offered for the sins of many" To see
this comparison as DR.. Manley sees it we
must go back to chapter iv, Is, where
Christ is first called high priest, and
read continuously to about the middle
of chapter x, where the comparison
runs into an exhortation. The appoint
ment of the high priests is thus stated,
chapter v, 1, ''For every high priest
taken from among men is ordained for
men in things pertaining to God, that
he may offer both gifts and sacrifices
for SINS" In the fourth verse it is
said, "And no man taketh this honor
unto himself, but he that is called of
God, as was Aaron" This makes it
clear that the high priests were men
appointed to their offices. In the sew
enth chapter, eighth verse, we read
"And here men that die receive tithes."
In the fourth verse it is said that the
priests take tithes. This makes it
clear that the high priests of the Levitt
ical law were appointed" "to die"
In chapter viii, 8, their appointment is
further stated, For every high priest
is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices. :"
The sacrificial death the high priests
were ordained" or appointed" to
die, is stated in chapter tx, 25: "the
high priest entereth into the holy place
every year with the blood of Others"
that is, of the animals he sacrifices.
The death of the animal is spoken Of
as the death of the priest. Sand, as it
is appointed unto men once to die, !"
that is, unto the high priests once to die
in their year of duties, $50 Christ was
once offered to bear the sins of many"
1t is interesting to go back and trace
the Christ side of the comparison. He
was appointed too, not in the Levitical
order, but in special, peculiar order,
like Melchisedec. Who was Melchise-
dec? priest Of the most high Cod"
liking of righteousness" and liking of
peace, without father, without mother,
without descent, having neither begin
ming of days, nor end of life; but made
like unto the Son of God; abideth a
priest continually" That is, as the
context intimates, he was not of any
priestly line; had no record Of his an
cestry,-no account of the beginning or
ending of his priesthood was priest
on his merits; approved of God; worthy
of the tithes which Abraham gave him;
an antitype of the Son of God, indi-
Gated in the sixth verse of the seventh
chapter: But he whose descent is not
counted from them, THAT is, from the
Levitjcal priests), received tithes of
Abraham, and blessed him who had the
promise" So Christ was not of the
Levitical line, but of Juda, not of the
priestly order; was king of righteous
ness and peace; approved OF God; a
high priest on his merits; priest of
priests ; able to forgive sin to the utter
most. AS the priests forgave all Jew
ish sins, SO he will forgive all human
sins.
On the whole, DR.. Manley has revived
and worthily set forth the only exposi-
ton that has any harmony with these
chapters and the New Testament.
G. S. W.