of the Hebrews; incomparably superior to them, being in fact the only true and efficacious Priest, acting with God on man's behalf; and the exercise of whose office, in grace, power, and glory, shall continue for ever. With what gratitude and encouragement ought we to reflect, that we have SUCH a High Priest over his own house: the Son of God, the Lord of glory, the Author and Finisher of our faith; the Minister of the heavenly sanctuary, doing in that exalted state every thing that is necessary for completing the purposes of his sacrifice offered on earth, and for conveying all the blessings of salvation to all who apply for them sincerely and in his name; the Surety and Mediator of the new and better covenant, confirming its declarations, pledging himself for the fulfilment of its promises, and bestowing its blessings; by whose blood we have liberty to draw nigh to God, in all the acts of direct devotion, in the habitual reflections and communings of the soul, and in the last moments of our mortal course; who, having offered the one sacrifice to propitiate for sins, is sat down for ever on the right hand of the throne of God, the state of the highest dignity, authority, and power for all the objects of benignity and righteousness; merciful and faithful in condescending to all our wants, and adapting his blessings to our circumstances, thus sympathizing with us in our infirmities and sorrows, succouring the tempted and distressed, and saving to the uttermost those who come unto God by him! For the discharge of this momentous office, the Lord Jesus possesses a perfect fitness, on account of the union of the human and the divine natures in his mysterious person. Being to act on the behalf of men, he is a real and proper MAN. "It behoved him to be made, in all things, yet without sin, like unto his brethren;" a partaker of flesh and blood, as the rest of the children of Adam. "Such a High Priest became us; holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners." If, however, we rested here, we should only "know Christ after the flesh :" a knowledge of little profit, compared with the vast extent of our necessities, and the high import of his character and work as the Saviour of mankind. It is a striking declaration of the eternal God, "I, even I, am Jehovah; and besides me there is no SAVIOUR."* But the very intention of our Lord's priesthood is to "SAVE to the uttermost," to the fullest extent of time, and consequently in the highest sense, "them that come unto God by him." If he performs the work which belongs to God alone, he must have the nature of God. Accordingly, at the very commencement of this epistle, the design of the apostle is unfolded, to show the value of Christianity by arguing from the dignity of its Author. Our great High Priest is there described as not only the messenger of God, but the Brightness of his glory, and the Express Image of his manner of existence : all the other messengers of *Isa. xliii. 11. See Supplementary Note XVII. After considerable research and consideration, I have been brought to the opinion that this periphrasis is the nearest : God are commanded to adore him and to him are addressed the magnificent words, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thy hands. They shall perish, but THOU remainest and they all shall wax old as doth a garment, and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but THOU art the same, and thy years shall not fail !" It was necessary thus to mention this great truth of Christianity, so much opposed and not seldom misrepresented; though it would be improper here to digress so far as to submit even an outline of its various evidence. I would only, in passing, make one remark upon the course of proceeding which seems the most likely to lead to a rational conclusion on this important question. Since all Christians receive Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah whom the approach to expressing the exact meaning of vπóστaσis in this passage. See Budæi Comment. Ling. Gr. p. 688, 689, ed. Bas. 1557. Michaelis translates it (Abdruck seines Wesens) impression of his Essence. Dr. Leander Van Ess, who is very judicious in his selection of phraseology, has (Ebenbild s. W.) copy or model of his Essence. The same was probably the intention of Le Maistre de Sacy, whose felicitousness of expression, as well as his fidelity to the meaning, in his Version of the Scriptures, especially of the New Testament, are truly admirable. The elder Rosenmüller, who was not likely to have given such a comment if not induced by insurmountable evidence, gives this explanation: "It denotes God himself. The Son is called the absolutely perfect Image of the Father, because he is like him in power, wisdom, goodness, &c., since, by a son, we understand one of the same nature as the father." Schleusner paraphrases the two appellations, "The express resemblance of the Essence or Nature of God, and of his unchangeable Majesty." Jewish prophets predicted, it would appear a fair and unexceptionable method to collect all the characters and circumstances under which they represented the Messiah, and to compose our description of him from the whole of this antecedent evidence. We should then come the better prepared to the careful study of the New Testament, the writers of which were so thoroughly imbued with the information and sentiments of the ancient prophecies, that they evidently presuppose in their readers an acquaintance with. "all that is written in Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning the Christ." Such is the glorious Person who presented the great sacrifice," who was made of the seed of David, according to the flesh, but is over all, God blessed for ever." II. The SUBJECT of the sacrifice, or that in which it properly consists, is expressed by the term "HIM The Father of mercies hath provided this Lamb for a sacrifice. "God so loved the world, that HE GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him might not perish, but might have everlasting life." It was in obedience to this gracious will and appointment, that the Messiah devoted himself for us. "Therefore doth my Father love me," said our compassionate Redeemer," because I lay down my life." So unjust is the calumny often cast upon our doctrine of atonement, as if we represented the benevolence of the Son to be superior to that of the Father! From this appointment, we may infer the propriety of the sacrifice of Christ, as a measure of the divine government; and its validity for all the purposes of divine mercy. Our text affirms that Christ offered himself WITHOUT SPOT: a sacrifice, in every sense, pure, unblemished, and perfectly holy. On this circumstance the sacred writers lay particular stress; as, without it, the sacrifice would have been altogether in vain. Had Christ been personally a sinner, in any respect or degree, he would have been utterly disqualified to achieve the work of salvation.; he would have needed for himself that blessing which he came to confer upon others. The Levitical law made men high priests that had infirmity; but he was "holy, harmless, and undefiled. He needed not to offer, first for his own sins. He was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. We are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." ""* In those respects in which the sacrifice of the Messiah implied suffering, it could attach only to his human nature. The Divinity is not susceptible of pain or death. Inconsiderate language, seeming to imply the contrary to this, has done much harm to the cause of Scriptural truth. All THAT, in the Redeemer of mankind, which was capable of suffering, did suffer all that he possessed of finite and dependent nature. But it appears reasonable to con * Ch. vii. 26, 27. 1 John iii. 5. 1 Pet. i. 19. Also, Supplementary Note XVIII. |