A FEW LINES ON A PASSAGE FOUND IN HEBREWS II. IO.

" For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."-Heb. 2:10.

Here we have One who is made perfect through sufferings. Some may ask, Was He not, then, perfect before ? The answer is, that personally He was perfect; officially He was not, till He had finished His work. It refers to Christ as our great sacrifice and High Priest. The same expression is used in Heb. 5:9:"And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him." Again, in chapter 7:28:"For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore." Here "consecrated" is, as the margin reads, perfected. It was the official perfecting, which could only be acquired by His sufferings. Thus He suffered in life, endured temptations, proved Himself the perfect One in a scene of evil which brought out His perfectness, yet also gave Him the practical acquaintance with the difficulties of the path, that He might sympathize with His people in the trials of :he way, and administer timely help when called upon. But there is no divine sympathy for sin. The word of God everywhere judges it. Even the thoughts and intents of the heart are exposed for judgment by the Word.

The sympathy of Christ is for those who are striving against sin, and whose weakness claims from Him the well-timed succor He is competent and ready to afford. For this His life down here gave Him practical acquaintance-a precious truth for the believer who is seeking to walk with God.
R. T. G.