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Here sovereign grace interposeth. "As to the angels, he spared them not," 2 Pet. ii, 4; and yet for us, "he spared not his own Son," Rom. viii, 32. And if we consider rightly what the scriptures inform us of, the number and dignity of the angels that sinned, and their primitive ability to accomplish the will of God; and compare therewith our own vileness and low condition, we may have matter of eternal admiration. And there was infinite wisdom as well as sovereign grace in this dispensation; sundry branches whereof the apostle afterwards exhibits.

VERSES 17, 18.

Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.

$1. Connexion and dependance of the words. §2. The apostle's inference. $3-8. Explanation of the words. $9-14. Doctrinal, practical, and experimental observations.

$1. HAVING AVING declared the general reasons why the Messiah was "for a little while," to be made “lower than the angels," in his incarnation and sufferings, the apostle proceeds to declare other special ends of this Divine dispensation, and therein makes way for the instructions about the priestly office of Christ, which was the principal foundation of the subsequent part of his inspired reasoning. In these two verses, he illustrates what he had taught before; and confirms what he had asserted concerning the Son's participation of "flesh and blood in like manner with the children," from the special end of his being an high priest. Now, they being persons obnoxious to temptations and sufferings of all sorts, he must in an especial manner

be able to "succor," to help, relieve, and saye such persons.

$2. "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren." "To be made like unto his brethren in all things," is only a recapitulation of what the apostle had before taught concerning his incarnation and sufferings, in which he designs to shew the reason or end thereof; namely, that he might be "a merciful high priest." And thus did Chrysostom understand the connexion of these words: "therefore was he made man, that he might be a sacrifice able to purge our sins:" "Wherefore he ought." The necessity of the matter is expressed in the word (DEIAN). he ought; it must be so; it could not be otherwise, on supposition that he was to be an high priest. God having designed him for that office, and its work, it was indispensably necessary for him to be made like unto his brethren in all things.

§3. "Like unto his brethren in all things:" that expression (xala Tavia) "in all things," is capable of sundry limitations; particularly, whereas the brethren are sinners, he was not made like them in sin. The conformity, therefore, consists in the following partic

ulars:

1. He was made like to them in the essence of human nature, a rational soul, and a mortal body. But that he should take this nature upon him by natural generation, after the manner of the brethren, was not necessary; yea, so to have done, would not have furthered the end of his priesthood, but have enervated its efficacy, and have rendered him incapable of being a perfect priest. Again, it was not necessary that this human nature should have its individuation from itself, and a particular subsistence in itself; for this also would have overthrown his priesthood.

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2. It was also necessary, that with his human nature he should take upon him all the properties and affections of it, so that he might be made like unto the brethren. His soul was not to be freed from the affections which are co-natural to a human soul, as love, joy, fear, sorrow, shame, and the like; nor was his body to be free from being subject to hunger, thirst, cold, pain, and death itself. But now, whereas these things in the brethren are attended with irregular perturbations for the most part, and whereas all the individuals of them have their proper infirmities in their own persons, partly by inordinate passions and inclinations from their tempers and complexions, partly in weaknesses and sicknesses, proceeding from either their original constitutions, or other following inordinacies, it was no way needful, that in any of these he should be like to the brethren; yea, a conformity to them therein would have absolutely impeded his undertaken work.

3. He was like unto us in temptations, for the reason given in the last verse; but herein also some difference may be observed between him and us. For most of our temptations arise from within us, from our own unbelief and lusts; and in those from without, there is somewhat in us to take part with them, which always makes us fail in our duty of resistance, and oftentimes leads us into farther miscarriages; but from these things he was absolutely free. For as he had no inward disposition or inclination to the least evil, being perfect in all graces, and in all their operátions at all times; so when the prince of this world accosted him, he had no part in him, nothing to close with his suggestions, or to entertain his terrors.

4. His sufferings were of the same kind with those of the brethren; yet they had far different effects upon him, from what they would have had on them. For

whereas he was perfectly innocent and perfectly righteous, he was free from all impressions of those sinful consequents which attend the utmost sufferings under the curse of the law by sinners themselves. Now thus to be "made like unto them" it became him; it was meet, just, and necessary, that God should make him so, because of the office assigned him.

§4. The general end of his conformity to the brethren is, "that he might be a faithful and merciful high priest." He was made man, that he might be an high priest; he suffered being tempted, that he might be merciful and faithful. There was no more required than that he might be an high priest, but that he should partake of our nature; but that he might be merciful and faithful, with that kind of mercy and faithfulness which the brethren stood in need of, it was moreover required that he should suffer and be tempted. The qualifications for his office, which by sufferings and temptations he was furnished with, are two; mercifulness, and faithfulness.

Mercifulness; he was (pv) merciful, tenderly compassionate, one that lays all the miseries of his people to heart, so caring for them as to relieve them. Mercy in God is but a simple apprehension of misery, made effective by an act of his holy will to relieve. Mercy in Christ is a compassion, a condolency, and hath a moving pity of sorrow joined with it. And this was in the human nature of Christ a grace of the Spirit in all perfection. But yet neither is this mercifulness in general what the apostle intends; but he considers it, as excited and drawn forth by his own temptations and sufferings. He suffered and was tempted, that he might be merciful; not absolutely, but a "merciful high priest." The relation of the sufferings and temptations of Christ is not to the habit

of his mercifulness, but to the special exercise of it as our high priest.

The other qualification mentioned, is, that he should be (Tilos) faithful; which consists in his exact, constant, careful consideration of all the concernments of his adopted brethren under their temptations and sufferings.

§5. (Ta xрos Tov 0ɛov) "In things pertaining to God;” that is, either in things that were to be done for God with or towards men, as the apostle speaks: "We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us," 2 Cor. v, 20, or things that were to be done with or towards God for men: for there were these two general parts of the high priest's office; but the latter was the principal part, the other being only a consequent of it. And this the apostle manifests in the special limitation which he adjoins to this general assertion; he was an high priest in things appertaining to God (εις το ἱλασκεσθαι τας αμαρτίας τ8 λας) “to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

§6. The object of the priestly action here assigned to Christ, is (aws) the people; that is, say some, the seed of Abraham, whose interest in the mediation of Christ, as their high privilege, the apostle here reminds the Hebrews of; not that the elect among the Gentiles, say they, are excluded, but that he expressly mentions only the first fruits among the Jews. But the apostle's intention is only to illustrate the effect of the priesthood of Christ from the office of the high priest under the Old Testament; for as he had a peculiar people for whom he made atonement, so also hath Christ, that is, all his elect.

The action ascribed to him is, "to make reconciliation for sins." The Greek word (ikasnope) is properly and usually in all writers, sacred, and others, to appease,

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