10 The salvation of mankind through the death of the Christ, need not surprise you. For it belonged to God, who is the last end as well as the first cause of all things, when bringing his many sons into heaven, to make the Captain of their salvation an effectual Saviour, through sufferings ending in death.

11 Wherefore, that he might be a perfect Saviour, both he who with his own blood sanctifieth or fitteth men for appearing in the glorious presence of God, (ver. 10.) and they who are sanctified, are all of one father, namely Abraham, (ver. 16.) that, being his brethren, he might have a strong affection for them; for which cause, though Jesus be the Son of God, he is not ashamed to love mankind and to call them his brethren.

Ver. 10.-1. It became him, for whom are all things, &c. This is a description of the sovereignty of God. The like description we have, Rom. xi. 36. The apostle in this passage simply affirms, that it belonged to the sovereignty of God, to determine that mankind should be saved through the death of his Son. See the last note on this verse. But, chap. x. 7.—10. he proves from the Jewish scriptures, that God actually determined to save us in that manner, and in no other.

2. When bringing many sons into glory; namely believers, called God's sons, John i. 12. This is an allusion to the introduction of Israel, (whom God dignified with the title of his Son) into Canaan, which was a type of heaven called glory, because there God manifests his presence, by a light far more bright, than that by which he manifested his presence among the Israelites.

3. To make the Captain of their salvation perfect. The word apx #70% here translated, Captain, is rendered a prince, Acts iii. 15. Αρχηγών της

ns, the Prince of life; that is, the Captain, who conducts men to eternal life. Acts v. 31. Him hath God exalted with his right band, to be apyngor nai owonga, a Leader and a Saviour.—Heb. xii. 2. Agxngov tw wisews, the Captain of the faith, that is, of the faithful; faith being put for those who have faith-Micah speaking of Lachish saith, chap. i. 13. She is the beginning of the sin of the daughter of Zion. In the LXX. it is, Apxngo, dμaprias auth 158 th Dugarjı Zır, She is the captain, or leader of six to the daughter of Zion: Lachish marched in the front, like a captain, in the way of sin, and

VOL. V.

12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my

brethren ; in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

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

12 Λεγων Απαγγέλω το όνομα σου τους αδελφοις μου, εν μέσῳ εκκλησίας ὕμνησω σε.

15 Και παλιν Εγω εσομαι πεποιθώς επ' αυτῷ. Και παλιν Ιδου, εγω

δια & μοι εδωκεν

και τα παι

ὁ Θεός.

led on Zion in the same path, as Hallet explains it, in his note on Heb. xii. 2.-Wherefore in the clause under consideration, Apxagon was owTngias avray, the Captain of their salvation, signifies the Captain who leads them to salvation; or, who saves them.-Peirce, in his note on this clause, saith aps signifies, the first inventor, publisher, adviser, or procurer of any thing. In this sense our translators understood the word, Heb. xii. 2. where they have rendered ang or swiss, the author of the faith.-According to this meaning of the word, a gov ons σwinpeces may be translated, the author of our salvation. But I prefer the common translation; because the salvation of which the apostle is speaking here, means the introduction of the sons of God into glory, or heaven. See ver. 3. note 1.-The other word, Tu, translated to make perfect, properly signifies, to make a thing complete, by bestowing upon it, in the highest degree, that perfection which is suitable to its nature. See Heb. v. 9. note 1. Applied to the Captain of our salvation, it signifies, his being made an effectual Captain of salvation, that is, an effectual Saviour.

4. Through sufferings. This verse contains an argument for the doctrine of the atonement, which ought to stop all mouths which reason against it. It belongs to the sovereignty of the Deity, to fix the conditions on which be will pardon sinners. Wherefore, having determined that they are to be pardoned through the death of his Son, Gal. i. 4. and having expressly declared his determination, Psal. cx. 4. Heb. v. 10. note, our duty is to rest satisfied with the knowledge of the fact, and thankfully to acquiesce in the appointment; although God hath neither made known the reasons, which induced him to save mankind through the death of his Son rather than in any other method, nor explained to us, in what manner the death of his Son as a sin-offering hatli accomplished our salvation. See Ess. vii. sect. 1. and Heb. x. 10. note 2.

Ver. 11.-1. They who are sanctified, namely, by the sacrifice of Christ; as is plain from Heb. ix. 14. x. 14. 29. xiii. 12.-As the Mosaic sacrifices and rites of purification, cleansed the Israelites from ceremonial defilement, and qualified them for worshipping God with the congregation. So the blood of Christ, which cleanseth believers from the guilt of sin, qualifies them for worshipping God with his people on earth, and for living with him in heaven eternally.

2. Are all of one Father. I have supplied here the word wargos, Father, because the apostle is speaking of our Lord's becoming flesh, by being

born, like other men, of parents who conveyed to him the human nature; that, as is observed, ver. 17. being made like his brethren in all things, he might be a merciful and faithful high priest.

Ver. 12.—1. I will declare thy name to my brethren. Psal. xxii. from which this passage is cited, was a prophetic description of the sufferings of Christ. For, the apostles and evangelists have applied many passages of that Psalm to him. Also, by repeating the first words of it from the cross, our Lord appropriated the whole of it to himself.-The ancient Jewish doctors likewise interpreted the xxiid Psalm of Messiah.

2. I will sing praise to thee. This our Lord did often during his ministry on earth, when he joined his brethren the Jews in the synagogue worship.

Ver. 13.-1. I will put my trust in him. Ez aquas Beweidas a' duty. Because this is not precisely the LXX. translation of Isa. viii. 17. Peirce supposes, that the quotation is made from 2 Sam. xxii. 3. where the LXX. have the same words as here.-Our translators have rendered Isa, viii. 17. I will look for him, which, though different in words from those used by the apostle, is the same in sense: To look for a person to help one, being the same as, to trust in him for help.-Now since the Son, in his original state, could be in no situation which rendered looking for God to help him, necessary, this passage is quoted with much propriety to prove, that Messiah was to appear on earth in the flesh, and to be afflicted; and, under his affliction, to behave as a devout man in distress: Just as the former passage from Psal. xxii. 22. in which he is represented as calling believers his bre thren, was quoted to prove that he was to be born into the world after the manner of other men, and to be made like them in all things.-Peirce, imagining that the quotation in this verse was intended to prove Messiah a Son of Abraham, considers it as a prediction of his faith in God, whereby he became a Son of Abraham spiritually. But, I rather think Messiah's relation to Abraham as his Son, which is spoken of in the 11th verse, was his

14 Forasmuch then as

the chidren are partakers

of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

14 Επει ουν τα παιδια κεκοινώνηκε σαρκος και αίματος, και αυτος παραπλησίως με τεσχε των αυτων, ίνα δια του θανατου καταργηση τον το κρατος έχοντα του θανατου, τουτέςι τον διάβολον

relation to him according to the flesh; for the reason mentioned in the commentary on that verse.

2. Behold I and the children whom God hath given me. This passage being well known to the Hebrews, the apostle cites only the first part of it, notwithstanding his argument is founded on what immediately follows, namely, are for signs and for wonders in Israel -The opposers of Christianity affirm, that the prophecy from which this is taken, doth not relate to Messiah; and that in applying it to Jesus, the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews hath erred; and from this they infer, that he was not inspired. But in answer, be it observed, that the application of this prophecy to Messiah, doth not rest on this writer's testimony alone. The 14th verse of the prophecy is applied to Jesus, both by Paul, Rom. ix. 33. and by Peter, 1 Pet. ii. 6. 8. and by Simeon, Luke ii. 34. nay our Lord hath applied the 15th verse to himseif, Matth. xxi. 44. So that if the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews, hath erred in the application of that prophecy, all the others have erred in the same manner. Wherefore, to vindicate Christ and his apostles from this heavy charge, be it observed,-1. That it rests solely on an assumed meaning of the words quoted by Paul, Behold I and the children whom Gul bath given me, are for signs and for wonders in Israel. This passage, it is said, must be understood of Isaiah and his children, Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz. But if so, the whole of the prophecy must be understood of them. Now though it be true that Shear-jashub, Isa. vii. 3. 16. and Maher-shalal-hash-baz, Isa. viii. 3, 4. were signs in Israel, where is it said that they were for wonders in Israel? And where is it said, that Isaiah himself was for a sign and for a wonder in Israel? It is therefore, not at all probable, that they are the subjects of this prophecy. Whereas, understood of Jesus and his disciples, it was exactly fulfilled. He was a sign which was spoken against, Luke ii. 34. And his disciples wrought many wonders in Israel.-2. Let it be observed, that the manner in which the prophecy is introduced at ver. 5. sheweth, that it is a distinct prophecy from the one, in the beginning of the chapter, concerning Isaiah and his son Mahershalal-hash-baz: consequently, from its being placed after that prophecy, no argument can be drawn to prove, that it relates to the same persons.— 3. If Isaiah, or as some pretend, Hezekiah, is the subject of the prophecy, it ought to be shewed, how either of them could be a sanctuary, and at the same time, a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence to both houses of Israel; as the person who is the subject of the prophecy, is said to be, ver. 14.—In Messiah, this part of the prophecy was exactly fulfilled. He was a sanc

14 Since then the children given to the Son to be saved, participate of flesh and blood by being born of parents who are flesh and blood, even he, to be capable of dying for them, in like manner partook of flesh and blood, by being born of a woman, that through death (the very evil which the devil brought on mankind by sin) he might render ineffec tual the malicious designs of him who had the power of bringing death into the world, that is, the devil;

tuary to the believing Gentiles and to a remnant of the Israelites. He was also a stone of stumbling to both houses of Israel; that is, to the greatest part of the Israelites, who were broken or cast off for their unbelief.-4. If Isaiah spake of himself, and of his two sons, when he said, Behold I and the children whom God hath given me, &c. he must have spoken the whole prophecy, and particularly the 16th verse in his own name; Bind up the testimony, and seal the law among my disciples. Now who were Isaiah's disciples, among whom the testimony was to be bound up, and the law sealed! Certainly not the two houses of Israel. For they were Isaiah's disciples, neither by right, nor in fact. This part of the prophecy, therefore, was spoken by Messiah, whose disciples, all who believe the gospel, are. And it is a prediction, that the testimony would be bound up and the law sealed among them, by Christ, and by his apostles who were the children of God, them God had given to him. See John xvii. 6 And as the testimony was to be bound up, in order to its being laid aside, so the law was to be sealed, for the same purpose. This appears from Dan. ix. 24. LXX. where the phrase qgayas ¿uagrias, to seal up sins, is used to denote the removing or abolishing of sins. Wherefore, the binding up the testimony, and the sealing up the law, signify that the whole Mosaic economy was to be laid aside, as of no farther use, having answered its end. But it was to be laid aside in such a manner, as not to invalidate the law and the prophets as revelations from God, on which that economy was at first established. Accordingly, in this manner the testimony was actually bound up, and the law sealed by Messiah. So our Lord told his hearers, Matth. v. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law and the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfil. I am not come to destroy the authority of the law and the prophets as revelations from God: but to put an end to the economy which was founded on them, after shewing them to have been from God, by fulfilling every thing written in them. That this is our Lord's meaning is evident from his adding, ver. 18. I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.-5. If Isaiah spake of himself and of his sons, in the verse quoted by the writer to the