g their prayers because of his eagerness to be "restored"[416]
to them. He means much more than to return to them. He wishes to be
"restored," or "refitted." Their prayers will put an end to the
perturbation of his mind, and bring back the happiness of their first
love.

He, too, prays for them. His prayer is that God may furnish them with
every gift of grace to do His will, and His will is their
consecration,[417] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once. God will answer his prayer and provide in them that which is
pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ. For He has not left His
Church without a Shepherd, though it is in the wilderness. He has
brought up from the dead, and restored out of the ignominious death
without the gate, our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd, Who is ever
with them, whatever may become of the undershepherds. That He has been
raised from the dead is certain. For, when He was crucified in ignominy
without the gate, His blood was at the same time offered in the true
holiest place. That blood has ratified the new and final covenant
between God and His people. It was through His own blood of this eternal
covenant that He was raised from the dead, and it is in virtue of the
same blood and of the same covenant that He is now the Shepherd of His
Church.

Here, again, we must not draw too broad a distinction between the
resurrection of Christ and His ascension to heaven. On the one hand, we
must not say that by the words "bringing up from the dead" the Apostle
means the ascension; on the other hand, the words do not exclude the
ascension. The resurrection and the ascension coalesce in the notion of
Christ being living. The only distinction present, we think, to the
writer's mind was that between the shame of Christ's death without the
camp and the offering of His blood by the living Christ in the holiest
place. He Who died on the Cross through that death liveth evermore. He
lives to be the Shepherd of His people. Therefore to Him must be
ascribed the glory for ever and ever.

The Apostle once more begs his readers to bear with the word of
exhortation. Let them remember that he has written briefly in order to
spare them. He might have said more, but he has refrained.

He hopes to bring Timothy with him, unless his friend tarries long. In
that case he will come alone, so great is his anxiety to see them.

He sends his greetings to all the saints, but mentions the leaders.
Brethren