by this comparison, attributed to his official CHAP. I. 1–4. capacity, and vice versa. For example, if by his session at the right hand of God, a derived omnipotency in his Priestly office is asserted, the same omnipotency is in his In like manner as, by the expresperson. sion, the engraved character of the subsistence of God, self-subsistence is attributed to his person, so equally do we learn that, in his office, he has all the efficacy of an unchangeable Priesthood.

Thus, by an analysis of these four introductory verses, it will be seen, that they contain the substance of those mysteries, which are more largely prosecuted in the body of the Epistle, the greatest part of which is the description of Christ, his excellency and dignity; for the argument of the whole Epistle is, to advance the doctrine of the Gospel above the doctrine of the Law, and that by reason of Christ revealed in the Gospel, and the Gospel revealed by Christ.

Christ is set forth either explicitly, or by implication.

Heb. vii. 23, 24, 25.

Analysis of ver.

1-4.

D

CHAP. 1. 4.

Benuit.

"Let us," says Benuit, "follow him, my brethren, in the meditation of these sublime matters; they are difficult, but they are beautiful, consoling, salutary; what is there more beautiful, than the glory of the Son of God; what more consoling, than to see carried to the highest degree, the excellency of the Redeemer, whose supreme dignity is the foundation of our most precious hopes; what more salutary, than to know him well, the knowledge of whom is the true way of life and of salvation."

APPENDIX A.

Verses 1-4.

Various ways have been proposed of interpreting these four verses, in direct support of the Deity of Messiah. Benuit, from some general considerations on the doctrine of the passage, argues Messiah's dignity, and then proposes, ingeniously enough, to interpret each clause alternately of the Deity and Humanity of our Lord; but, though I do think that the Deity may more evidently shine forth in some, and the Humanity be more clearly implied in others, yet I think the whole Person of the God-man is intended in all; I however subjoin some extracts from that scarce work.

"The first object of St. Paul being to persuade the Jews, that the Gospel is infinitely above the Law, he employs for that purpose two principal arguments; the first is taken from the very substance of these two covenants, the one of which has only figures, types, shadows, imperfect expiations, a blood, the virtue of which does not reach the

conscience: but the other has the lively image of the APPENDIX A.

things; the truth of these figures; the original of these types; the body of these shadows; a true and real propitiation, the blood of a victim, which purifies the conscience from dead works. The other argument is derived from the person of the Mediator, whose dignity surpasses all that can be imagined in creatures. The Apostle places him above High Priests, above Prophets, above Moses, even above Angels. It is already much to place him in so high a degree; to be greater than all creatures, is to be very near God, but there is more. And I remark, in the second place, that the covenant of Grace derives its dignity from the Mediator, who has transacted it; if this Mediator were only a man, it would not be from him that would come the preciousness and value of the Gospel, it would be he, on the contrary, who would be honoured by the quality of Mediator of such a treaty. There is an absurdity in causing the perfection of the covenant of God to depend on the dignity of a man; on the contrary, the quality of the man rather derogates from the preciousness of the divine covenant, and takes away something from its value; it is even naturally the glory of man to be employed on the part of God, as bearer of his powers, and dispenser of his graces, not the Glory of the Word of God to be preached by the mouth of a man. The Law was not so perfect as the Gospel; nevertheless, it was not Moses who did honour to the Law, it was the Law, on the contrary, which did honour to Moses. The value of the Law did not depend upon its having been given by God, through Moses, on the contrary, it lost something thereby; this was one of the reasons which rendered it less than the Gospel, that Moses had been its minister, but the diguity of Moses was founded upon God's having employed him to give the Law through his ministry. Whence then does it come, that the Apostle, quite on the contrary, here makes the dignity of the new covenant to depend upon the Mediator, who has transacted it with us? That it is above the Law, because it has been given to us through the Son of God? That comes, my brethren, from this circumstance, that the Son of God is something else than man; he is of a dignity above man, since he is the source of the excel

APPENDIX A. lence of the Gospel; otherwise, if he were only a man, it would be natural, that this Gospel, preferable to the Law on so many accounts, should not receive its preciousness solely from the ministry of this new envoy, as the Law (imperfect as it was) did not receive its preciousness from the quality of its minister." So far, I think he is excellent; but, when he descends to particulars, I think he is more ingenious and beautiful, than just.

"After a feature, which represents to us the Son of God in all the glory of his Divinity, he passes suddenly to another, which shews that glory, softened by the veil of humanity. It is thus, that the Holy Spirit generally speaks to us concerning him. As soon as he has struck our eyes with a ray of this infinite light, with which the Son of God shines from all eternity, he begins suddenly again to speak of him as of a man. Thus the Word of God displays, if I may so express myself, this glorious Son entire, and all at once; such as he is in himself, and such as he is with us. He would be incomprehensible, if we only viewed him in reference to his Eternal Grandeur; it would even be dangerous to sound this inaccessible Majesty, under the weight of which the human understanding easily succumbs; but when these flashes are only transient, they enlighten without dazzling, and the softened ray, which succeeds, filling the soul with the pleasure of knowing its Saviour through this salutary cloud, opens to it a thousand sources of consolation, and spiritual joy. There is nothing more sweet for the soul, than to contemplate, even in the abasement of the Son of God, the rays of his grandeur, and to discern through the darkness of his mortal condition the glorious light of his eternal generation."

APPENDIX B.

As Col. i. 15-19, is in a great degree parallel with the APPendix b. introductory verses of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and as, therefore, the interpretation of the one would be much biassed by that of the other, I subjoin a concise view of the passage in question, in the main agreeing with Dr. Thos. Goodwin.

The Glories of Christ God-man, as relative to the counsels and works of God, touching the things that were to be brought forth into being by him; and the dependance they all have upon his being God-man. And how undertaking to be made man, he withal became,

1. The Beginning of the creation of God, v. 15; The Upholder of the whole creation in his Father's purposes, v. 16; yea, and virtually was the Creator as so considered, v. 16.

II. The Upholder and Governor of them when thus created, v. 17.

III. All other of his works (besides redemption) are committed to him, v. 19.

I. As he is "the first-begotten of every creature," he is the eldest before all the rest, and by inheritance their Lord and King, and the sole Heir of heaven and earth, and a King with such a pre-eminence of title and prerogative, as that he is Maker of all his subjects, yea, their Upholder, by whom all consist, and, therefore, by just right, their final cause and end. "All things were created by him, and for him," v. 16.

II. The universal influence he hath into all God's works; 1. As Creator," By him all things were created," v. 16. 2. As Upholder, "By him all things consist," v. 17.

III. That he is the head of his Church, that precious body of a generation, elect and chosen by God out of all the rest, v. 18. "He is the Head of his Body the Church." And that in two respects;

1. Of their union to God, which was God's primitive design towards them, intended in those words, Who is

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