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4.D.63.

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little * lower than the Angels, for the suffering of death,crowned with glory and honour, that he by the grace of God fhould taite death for every man.

9. Whereas they exactly answer to Jefus our Meffiah, the fecond Adam; who though in his Human State*, while by the Wife and Merciful Difpenfation of God, he was to fuffer Death, for the Redemption of Mankind, He was indeed in a State inferior to that of Angels; yet in Reward of those Sufferings, is that Human Nature of his now exalted to the highest Degree of Heavenly Glory and Majefty; and this God-Man become the Lord, and Governour, and Saviour of all Men.

10 For it became

10. The Generality of the Jews, indeed, expected Chrift under the Character of a Temporal Monarch, and a Conqueror for their particular Nation. And think it a great Objection against our Jefus, that he was a fuffering + Meffiah: But the Divine Wisdom faw further and better. The Happiness he was to beftow on his Difciples, was not Temporal, but Spiritual and Heavenly And, for the Encouragement and Support of fuch as were to go through a World of Sufferings and Temptations, as the Condition of that Happiness; this (among others) was one Inftance of the Divine Wisdom, that he that was to be both our Saviour and Example, fhould work our Salvation by, and be himself Crowned and Rewarded for, his Sufferings.

him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things,in bring ing many fons unto glory, to make the captain of their falva+ See 1 Cor. tion perfect thorow i. 18,23,24, fufferings. 25. and Cap. ii. 2.

.11 For both he that fanctifieth, and they who are fanctified, are all

11, 12 & 13. Thus it pleafed God, that the Redeemer of Mankind should condefcend to take on him the fame Nature

Ver. 9. Made a little lower than the Angels little while lower than the Angels.

Βραχύ τις for

+ Make the Captain perfect through Suffering. TEASINGαl, in a Sacrificial Senfe, is either to Confecrate, or to purge perfectly from Sin. In an Agonifical Sence. it is to Crown and Reward. I fhall diftinguish them as clearly as I can, by the Connexion of the feveral Paffages in which it occurs in this Epistle.

all of one: for which cause he is not afhamed to call them brethren,

12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midft of the church will I fing praise unto thee.

13 And again, I will put my truft in him and again, Behold, I, and the children which God hath given me.

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood; he alfo himself

likewife took part of the fame, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil :

15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage.

the certain Hope of a

16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels: but he took on him the

feed of Abraham.

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto

his

Nature with thofe he was to Re- A.D.63.
deem: According to thofe Prophetical
Expreffions of Scripture, concerning
the Meffiah; wherein He vouchlafes
to own us for his Brethren, as in Pfal.
XXII. 22. and is reprefented as paying
the fame humble Duties to God the Fa
ther with the rest of the holy and tru
ly religious Part of Mankind: And
in another Place calling us His Chil-
dren, as in Ifa. viii. 17, 18. I will
wait upon the Lord- Behold I and the
Children which God hath given me, are
for Signs, and for Wonders in Ifrael,
from the Lord of Hofts.

14 & 15. Thus it seemed good
to the Divine Wisdom to reconcile
and make us his Children, by the
Sufferings of Chrift in that very Na-
ture that had Tranfgreffed; as the
moft proper Way of Conquering that
prevailing Power of the Devil, that
had tempted us to Sin, and drawn
us into Death; and, by this Means,
to give to all Mankind (especially
the Gentile World, that were en-
flaved with the Senfe of Guilt, and
the Fear of Death, without any
Profpect of a Recovery from it ;)
future and happy Life.

16 & 17. For Chrift is to be confider'd, not as a Redeemer of Angels and Fallen Spirits, but of Mankind; *of all thofe, who like true Children of Abraham, are fubject to Tempta tions and Sufferings, and are to be advanced to Pardon and Happiness Q 2

by

* Ver. 16. But the Seed of Abraham, according to the great Promife, In thy Seed fhall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed.

A. D. 63.

his brethren, that he
might be a merciful
and faithful high priest,
in things pertaining to
God, to make recon-
ciliation for the fins of
the people :

by imitating him, in a patient Submiffion to that Divine Will which they had Tranfgreffed. Upon which Account, it was highly expedient for Chrift, our Great Prieft and Sacrifice, to Live and Suffer in our Nature, as the moft Perfect Method both to Attone for our Sins, and to Support and Encourage us under Our present Sufferings for His Religion; whom we know to have had a fellow-feeling with us, and so to bear a compaffionate Regard towards us.

18 For in that he himself hath fuffered, being tempted, he is able to fuccour them that are tempted.

18. For nothing is fuch an im mediate Comfort to a Chriftian, as to know he fuffers for the Sake of a Saviour, who is touch'd with the Experience of what he undergoes, as well as with a full Power to relieve and support him.

11, 12, 13.

CHA P. III.

The CONTENTS.

The Second Branch of the Apoftle's firft Argument for their Steddiness to the Chriftian Profeffion; viz. The Dignity of Chrift, as a Lawgiver, above Mofes. A Warning from thence against Infidelity and Apoftacy. As alfo from the Inftance of the obftinate Ifraelites, that were denied Entrance into the Land of Canaan, for the fame Mif : carriage.

• Chap. ii. Brethren, partaHerefore holy 1. W kers of the heavenly calling, confider the † μέτοχοι. apofle and high prief of our profeffion Chrift Jefus.

Wherefore, * dear Brethren,

of Christ, and Children of Abraham, Members of the Holy Church of God (tho' you only Partaket of it with other People) confider well the exceeding great Dignity of Chrift's Perfon, who as a

Prophet

Prophet has given you the most compleat Rules of Life; A. D. 63. as a High Prieft, by fuffering in your own Nature, has procured the perfect Pardon of your Sins; and by his Religion, obtained fuch Spiritual and Heavenly Bleffings for you, as far furpaffes thofe of the Jewish Law.

2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as alfo Mofes was faithful in all his house.

2. Remember that God the Father has appointed and established Him the Lord and only High Priest over his Church: And that he has as perfectly performed every Part of his great Office for the Chriftian Church, as you can wish imagine, or the Scripture declare, Mofes to have done to- orra. ward the Jewish one, when it ftiles him Faithful in all his Houfe; i. e. the Church of God (Numb. xii. 7.)

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3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Mofes, in as much as he house, hath more ho

who hath builded the

nour than the house.

4 For every houfe is builded by fome man, but he that built all things is God.

and the Supream God the Father.

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† Κατασκευάζει.

3 & 4. But you must confider too, that as a Substitute and Deputy + Go- + Karao vernour, who is himself but a Mem- xuáσas. ber of the Houfe or Society he Governs, is inferior to the Lord that appoints him; fo much is Mofes inferior to Chrift: For Mofes acted in the Jewish Church only as a Servant of God; whereas Chrift, as the Son of God, is Lord and Governour both of the Jewish and Chriftian Church; Governour or Houfholder over All is

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fignifies either to Build, or to Order and Go

Moreover, six
Material House,

vern. The Former Sence is most commonly received, but the
Latter feems, in this Place, to be moft natural.
the House, here feems clearly to fignify not the
but the Inhabitants or Family dwelling in it.
Compare 1 Cor. xi. 3, 12.

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A.D. 63. things which were
to be fpoken after.
6 But Chrift as a Sen
over his + own house,
whose houfe are we, if
we hold faft the confi-

dence, and the rejoy
cing of the hope firm

unto the end.

Deputy, employed to deliver a Difpenfation that plainly pointed out another more perfect one, that was to fucceed it. But we Chriftians are now under the immediate Government

of Chrift Himself, + the Lord over all Churches and Divine Dispensations, as the Son of God: And fhall not fail to enjoy the final Fruits of fo great a Privilege, on Condition of our fteddy Adherence to his Religion, under all our Preffures and Perfecutions.

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8 Harden not your
hearts, as in the pro-
vocation, in the day
of temptation in the
wilderness:

9 When your fathers
tempted me, proved
me, and faw my works
forty years.
voked the Wrath of

10 Wherefore I was
grieved with that ge-
neration, and faid,
They do alway err in
their hearts, and they

have

7, 8 & 9. Let therefore that infpired Leffon of the Pfalmift, (Pfal, xcv.) be heartily confidered by you now: Wherein he exhorts the Jewih People, To hearken to the Divine Command while Opportunity was afforded them; and not to harden their Hearts and become incurable, by an obftinate and wilful Difobedience, as their Forefathers did in the Wildernefs; where they diftrufted the Di vine Power and Providence, and proGod, for forty Years together.

10 & 11. The Confequence of which habitual Course of Impiety, was, That they became utterly unworthy of the Continuance of the Divine Favour and Protection, and caused God

Ver. 5. For a Teflimony of thofe Things that were to be Spoken after, that is, the Religion or Difpenfation of Chrift, as appears moft clearly from John v. 46, 47. Luke xxiv. 44. A&ts xxvi. 22, and many like Paffages.

+ Ver. 6. Chrift as a Son over his own Houfe. A very wrong Tranflation. It is, over bis, viz. God's House; izì tòv oixov άutê ; the aur plainly is to be referred to God [Ver. 4] as it is in the 5th Verfe: Agreeably to 1 Tim. iii. 15. 1 Cor, iii. 9. Te art God's Building.

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