of his mercifulness, but to the special exercise of it as our high priest. The other qualification mentioned, is, that he should be (os) faithful; which consists in his exact, constant, careful consideration of all the concernments of his adopted brethren under their temptations and sufferings. $5. (Tα Tрos TOY BEov) "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 έλασκεσθαι τας αμαρτίας το λας) “to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." §6. The object of the priestly action here assigned to Christ, is (aus) 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 (iñasnopa) is properly and usually in all writers, sacred and others, to appease, to atone, to please, to propitiate, to reconcile. But how can any one be said to please, or atone, or reconcile sin? The difficulty pretended from the construction is not of any moment. The sense and constant use of the word being established, there must be an ellipsis supposed, and the apostle's phrase (inaoneodai tas αμαρτίας) is the same in sense with (ἱλασκεσθεον τον θεον περι των αμαρτιων) “to make reconciliation with God for sins;" as the same phrase is in other places explained. §7. "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted." (Ev yap) "For in that," that is, whereas, inasmuch, seeing that. Now it is here affirmed of Christ that (TETOVDE TELPAS BEIS) "he suffered being tempted." It is not his sufferings absolutely considered, nor his being tempted, that is peculiarly designed, but "his suffering in his temptation." To know then what were those sufferings, we must inquire, what were his "temptations," and how he was affected with them. Temptations are things in themselves of an indifferent nature, having no moral evil in them absolutely considered; whatever attends them of that kind, proceeds either from the intention of the tempter, or the condition of them that are tempted. Hence God is said to "tempt" men, but not to induce them to sin; Gen. xxii, 1; James i, 13; and therefore whatever evil ensues, in this cause, is from the tempted themselves, Moreover, though temptation seems to be of an active import, yet in itself it is merely, for the most part, neutral. Hence it compriseth any thing, state, or condition, whereby a man may be tried, exercised, or tempted: and this will elucidate the various temptations under which the Lord Christ suffered. For although they were all external, yet they were not confined to the assaults of Satan, which are principally regarded under that name; for he was tempted even from his very state and condition in this world: he was poor, despised, persecuted, reproached, especially from the beginning to the end of his public ministry. Herein lay one continued temptation or trial of his obedience, by all manner of hardships. Hence he calls this whole time the time of his temptations; "You have abode with me in my temptations," or in the work that he carried on, in a constant course of temptation, arising from his outward state and conditions: and thence innumerable particular temptations befell him, under all which he suffered. For instance, he had temptations from his relations in the flesh; from his followers, his chosen disciples not excepted, all of whom left him: one denied him, and another betrayed him; to which we may add, the anguish of his mother, when a sword pierced through her soul in his sufferings. He had temptations from his enemies of all sorts, from all which his sufferings were inexpressible: in these Satan had a principal hand, he set upon him in the entrance of his ministry immediately in his own person, and followed him in the whole course of it, by the instruments he set on work; and he had also a season, an hour of darkness allowed him, when he was to try his utmost strength and policy against him; under which assault he suffered, (as was foretold from the foundation of the world) the "bruising of his heel," or his temporal and corporal ruin. And, to crown all his trials and sufferings, the mysterious fact of God's desertion of him was the most perplexing. §8. Hence, "he is able to succor them that are tempted;" wherein we have the description of them for whose sake Christ underwent this condition, the ability that accrued to him thereby for their relief, and, the advantage they are thereby made partakers of. They, for whose sake he underwent this condition, are those whom he reconciled to God by his sacrifice as an high priest; and are here described as those who stand in continual need of aid and assistance, (o TεipasoμLEVO) "tempted ones." Notwithstanding their reconciliation to God by the death of Christ, they have a prescribed course of obedience in which they meet with many difficulties, dangers, and sorrows. They maintain a continual inward warfare against those temptations that spring from the remainder of their own corruptions, during the whole course of their lives. Moreover, besides this perpetual conflict, there are permitted, in the order of a holy and wise providence, certain seasons wherein temptations grow high, strong, impetuous, and are even ready to ruin them. As Christ had an "hour of darkness" for his encounter, so have they. As Satan, from what he doth, is called "the tempter;" so they, from what they endure, may be called "tempted ones." Their calling is to oppose temptations, and their whole lives are a conflict with them. The high priest having suffered the like things with them, they have an assured ground of consolation in all their temptations and sufferings, which he confirms by what is added of his ability to succor them. (Avvala) "He is able." Now this ability is such as ariseth from that peculiar mercifulness, to which he is disposed from his experience of suffering under temptation: not a natural, but a moral power; not a power of the hand, but a compassion of the heart that moves and excites him to their relief and succor. This is the proper effect of mercy and compassion; it sets power on work for the relief of them with whose condition it is affected: thus Dido, in her pathetic address to Eneas and his friends, "Haud ignara mali miseris succurrere disco." "And touch'd with miseries myself have known, Lastly, The advantage of the brethren from hence lies in the "succor" that he is thus able to afford them; which consists in a speedy coming in with relief, strength, consolation, or deliverance; by his word, promises, or providence for them, who, being in distress, call for it. §9. Obs. 1. The assumption of our nature, and his conformity to us therein, was principally necessary for the Lord Jesus, on account of his being an high priest for us. It "behoved" him to be made like unto us, "that he might be an high priest." Such, without the assumption of our nature, he could not be, because without this he had nothing to offer; and of necessity, saith the apostle, he must have somewhat to offer. A priest without a sacrifice is a king without a subject. Had not God prepared him a body, he could have had nothing to offer. He was to have a self to offer to God, or his priesthood had been vain. $10. Obs. 2. Such was the unspeakable love of Christ to the brethren, that he would refuse no condition needful for the discharge of the work he had undertaken for them. He knew what this would cost him, what trouble, sorrow, and suffering he must undergo; what miseries he must conflict with all his life; what a close was to be put to his pilgrimage on earth; what woful temptations he was to pass through; all lay naked and open before him. But such was his love, shadowed out by that of Jacob to Rachel, that he was content to submit to any terms, to undergo any |