s." But, in addition to this, the author's mind seems to be still
lingering with the remembrance of Him Who was Son of God. For discipline
is the lot and privilege of all sons. Who is a son whom his father does
not discipline? There might have been One. But even He humbled Himself
to learn obedience through sufferings. Absolutely every son undergoes
discipline.

Furthermore, the fathers of our bodies kept us under discipline, and we
not only submitted, but even gave them reverence, though their
discipline was not intended to have effect for more than the few days of
our pupilage, and though in that short time they were liable to error in
their treatment of us. How much more shall we subject ourselves to the
discipline of God! He is not only the God of all spirits and of all
flesh,[348] but also the Father of our spirits; that is, He has created
our spirit after His own likeness, and made it capable, through
discipline, of partaking in His own holiness, which will be our true and
everlasting life. The gardener breaks the hard ground, uproots weeds,
lops off branches; but the consequence of his rough treatment is that
the fruit at last hangs on the bough. We are God's tillage. Our conflict
with men and their sin is watched and guided by a Father, The fruit
consists in the calm after the storm, the peace of a good conscience,
the silencing of accusers, the putting wicked men to shame, the
reverence which righteousness extorts even from enemies. In the same
book from which our author has cited far-reaching instruction, we are
told that "when a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies
to be at peace with him."[349]

Here, again, the Apostle addresses his readers as members of the Church
in its conflict with men. He tells them that, in doing what is incumbent
upon them as a Church towards different classes of men, they secure for
themselves individually the discipline of sons and may hope to reap the
fruit of that discipline in peace and righteousness. The Church has a
duty to perform towards the weaker brethren, towards the enemy at the
gate, and towards the Esaus whose worldliness imperils the purity of
others.

1. There were among them weaker brethren, the nerves of whose hands and
knees were unstrung. They could neither combat a foe nor run the race.
It was for the Church to smooth the ruggedness of the road before its
feet, that the lame things[350] (for so, with something of contempt, he
names the waver