(Acts xiii.), by the resurrection. It was based, however, on what was fit and proper. It was not arbitrary. There was a reason why he should thus be exalted rather than a man or an angel; and this was, that he was the God incarnate, and had a nature that qualified him for universal em pire, and ho was thus appropriately called " THE Son of God." f And again, I will be to him a Father. This j passage is evidently quoted from II Sam. vii. 14. A sentiment similar to this is found in Ps. Ixxxix. 20—27. As these words were originally spoken, they referred to Solomon. They occur in a promise to David that he should not fail to have an heir to sit on his throne, or that his throne should be perpetual. The promise was particularly designed to comfort him in view of the fact that God would not suffer him to build the temple because his hands had been defiled with blood. To console him in reference to that, God promises him far greater honour than that would be. He promises that the house should be built by one of his own family, and that his family and kingdom should be established for ever. That in this series of promises the Messiah was included as a de scendant of David, was the common opinion of the Jews, of the early Christians, and has been of the great body of interpreters. It was cer tainly from such passages as this, that the Jews derived the notion which prevailed so universally in the time of the Saviour that the Messiah was to be the son or the descendant of David. See Matt. xxii. 42—45; ix. 27; xv. 22; xx. 30, 31; Mark x. 47, 48; Luke xviii. 38, 39; Matt. xii. 23; xxi. 9.; John vii. 42; Rom. i. 3; Rev. v. 5; xxii. 16. That opinion was universal. No one doubted it; and it must have been common for the Jews to apply such texts as this to the Messiah. Paul would not have done it in this instance unless it had eth in the first-begotten into been usual. Nor was it improper. If the Messiah was to be a descendant of David, then it was natural to apply these promises in regard to his pos terity in an eminent and peculiar sense to the Messiah. They were a part of the promises which included him. and which terminated in him.; The promise, therefore, which is here made is, that God would be to him, in a peculiar sense, a Father, and he should be a Son. It does not, as I suppose, pertain originally exclu sively to the Messiah, but included liim as a descendant of David. To him it would be applicable in an eminent sense; and if applicable to him at all, it proved all that the pas sage here is adduced to prove — that the name Son is given to the Mes siah—a name not given to angels. That is just the point on which the argument turns. What is implied in the bestowment of that name is another point on which the apostle discourses in the other parts of the argument. I have no doubt, there fore, that while these words originally might have been applicable to Solo mon, or to any of the other descend ants of David who succeeded him on the throne, yet they at last terminated and were designed to — in the Mes siah — to whom pre-eminently God would be a Father. C omp. Introduc tion to Isaiah, § 7, iii. (3), and Notes onlsa. vii. 16.
6. And again. Marg. When he bringcth in again. The proper con struction of this sentence probably is, ' But when, moreover, he brings in,' &c. The word ' again' refers not to the fact that the Son of God is brought again into the world, implying that he had been introduced before; but it refers to the course of the apostle's argument, or to the declaration which is made about the Messiah in another place. ' The name -Son is not only given to him as above, bu6 also in another place, or on another occasion when he brings in the first - the world, he saith, And a let begotten into the world.' ^[ When he bringeth in. When he introduces. So far as the language here is con cerned this might refer to the birth of the Messiah, but it is evident from the whole connexion that the writer means to refer to something that is said in the Old Testament. This is plain because the passage occurs among quotations designed to prove a specific point — that the Son of God, the Author of the Christian system, was superior to the angels. A decla ration of the writer here, however true and solemn, would not have an swered th6 purpose. A proof-text was wanting; a text which would be admitted by those to whom he wrote to bear on the point under consideration. The meaning then is, 'that on another occasion different from those to which he had referred, God, when speaking of the Messiah, or when introducing him to man kind, had used language showing that he was superior to the angels. The meaning of the phrase " when he bringeth in," therefore, I take to be, when he introduces him to men; when he makes him known to the world — to wit, by the declaration which he proceeds immediately to quote. ^ The first-gotten. Christ is called the ' first-begotten' with re ference to his resurrection from the dead, in Rev. i. 5. and Col. i. 18. It is probable here, however, that the word is used, like the word first-born, or first-begotten among the Hebrews, by way of eminence. As the first born was the principal heir, and had peculiar privileges, so the Lord Jesus Christ sustains a similar rank in the universe of which God is the Head and Father. See Notes on John i. 14, where the word 'only-begotten' is used to denote the dignity and honour of the Lord Jesus. *§ Into the world. When he introduces him TO mankind, or declares what he is to be. t I!e saith, And let all the angels of God tcorship him. Much all the angels of God worship difficulty has been experienced in re gard to this quotation, for it cannot be denied that it is intended to be a quotation. In the Septuagint these very words occur in Dent, xxxii. 43, where they are inserted in the Song of Moses. But they are not in the Hebrew, nor are they in all the copies of the Septuagint. The He brew is, "Rejoice, 0 ye nations with his people; for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries." The Septuagint is, " Rejoice ye heavens with him; and let all the angels of God worship him. Let the nations rejoice with his people, and let all the sons of God be strong in him, for he has avenged the blood of his sons." But there are objections to our sup posing that the apostle had this place in his view, which seem to me to settle the matter. (1.) One is, that the passage is not in the Hebrew; and it seems hardly credible that in Avriting to Hebrews, and to those re siding in the very country where the Hebrew Scriptures were constantly used, he should adduce as a prooftext on an important doctrine what was not in their Scriptures. (2.) A second is, that it is omitted in all the ancient versions except the Septua gint. (3.) A third is, that it is im possible to believe that the passage in question in Deuteronomy had any reference to the Messiah. It does not relate to his ' introduction' to the world. It would not occur to any reader that it had any such reference. The context celebrates the victory over the enemies of Israel which God will achieve. After saying that ' his arrows would be drunk with blood, and that his sword would devour flesh with the blood of the slain and of captives from the time when he begins to take vengeance on an enemy,' the Septuagint (not the He brew) immediately asserts, " let the heavens rejoioe at the same time with him, and let all the angels of God worship him." That is, ' Let the inhabitants of the heavenly world rejoice in the victory of God over the enemies of his people, and let them pay their adoration to him.' But the Messiah does not appear to be alluded to anywhere in the context; much less described as ' introduced into the world.' There is, moreover, not the slightest evidence that it was ever supposed by the JCAVS to have any such reference; and though it •might, be said that the apostle merely quoted language that expressed his meaning — as we often do when we are familiar with any well-known phrase that will exactly suit our pur pose and convey an idea — yet it should be remarked that this is not the way in which this passage is quoted. It is a proof-text, and Paul evidently meant to be understood as saying that that passage had a fair reference to the Messiah. It is evi dent, moreover, that it would be ad mitted to have such a reference by those to whom he Avrote. It is mo rally certain, therefore, that this was not the passage which the writer in tended to quote. The probability is, that the writer here referred to Psalm xcvii. 7 (in the Sept. Ps. xcvi. 7). In that place, the Hebrew is, " worship him all ye gods"— D^nbW.-b2 — all ye Elokim. In the Septiiagint it is. "Let all his angels worship him;" where the translation is literal, except that the word God — ' angels of God' — is used by the apostle instead of his—1 all his angels' — as it is in the Septuagint. The word 'gods' — Elohl,n — is rendered by the word angels — but the word may have that sense. Thus it is rendered by the Lxx.; in Job xx. 15; and in Psalm viii. 6; cxxxvii. 1. It is well known that the word Elohim may denote kings and magistrates because of their rank and' dignity; and is there any thing improbable in the supposition that, for a similar reason, the word may "be given also to angels? The fair interpretation of the passage then =would be, to refer it to angelic beings
— and the command in Ps. xcvii. is for them to do homage to the being there referred to. The only question then is, whethei the Psalm can be regarded properly as having any re ference to the Messiah? Did the apostle fairly and properly use this language as referring to him? On this we may remark, (1.) That the fact that he uses it thus may be re garded as proof that it would be ad mitted to be proper by the Jews in his time, and renders it probable that it was in fact so used. (2.) Two Jewish Rabbins of distinction — Raschi and Kimchi — affirm that all the Psalms from xciii. to ci. are to be re garded as referring to the Messiah. Such was, and is, the opinion of the Jews. (3.) There is nothing in the Psalm which forbids such a reference, or which can be shown to be incon sistent with it. Indeed the whole i Psalm might be taken us beautifully | descriptive of the ' introduction'' of! the Son of God into the world, or as! a sublime and glorious description of his advent. Thus in ver. 1, the earth is called on to rejoice that the Lord reigns. In vs. 2 — 5, he is in troduced^ or described as coming in the most magnificent manner — clouds and darkness attend him; a fire goes before him; the lightnings play; and the hills melt like wax— a sublime description of his coming, with ap propriate symbols, to reign, or to judge the world. In ver. 6, it is said that all people shall see his glory; in ver. 7, that all who worship graven images shall be confounded, and all the angels are required to do him ho mage; and in vs. 8 — 12, the effect of his advent is described as filling Zionwith rejoicing, and the hearts of the people of God with gladness. It cannot be proved, therefore, that this Psalm had no reference to the Messiah; but the presumption is that it had, and that the apostle has quoted it not only as it was usually regarded in his time, but as it was designed by the Holy Ghost. If so, then it proves, what the writer intended, that the Son of God should bo adored by
7 And1 of the angels saith,a Who maketh his the angels; and of course that he was superior to them. It proves also more. Whom would God require the angels to adore? A creature? A man? A fellow-angel? To ask these questions is to answer them. He could require them to worship none but God, and the passage proves that the Son of God is divine.
7. And of the angels he saith, Who mahetli his angels spirits. He gives to them an inferior name, and assigns to them a more humble office. They are mere ministers, and have not ascribed to them the name of Son. They have a name which implies a more humble rank and office — the name " spirit," and the appella tion of a "flame of fire." They obey his will as the winds and the lightnings do. The object of the apostle in this passage is to show that the angels serve God in a min isterial capacity — as the winds do; while the Son is Lord of all. The one serves him passively as being wholly under his control; the other acts as a Soverign, as Lord over all, and is addressed and regarded as the equal with God. This quotation is made from Ps. civ. 4. The passage might be translated, 'Who maketh his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire;' that is, 'who makes his angels like the winds, or as swift as the winds, and his ministers as rapid, as terrible, and as resistless as the lightning.' So Doddridge, renders it; and so did the late Rev. Dr. J. P. Wilson. MS. Notes. The rssage in the Psalm is susceptible, think, of another interpretation, and might be regarded as meaning, • 'who makes the winds his messen gers, and the flaming fire his minis ters;' and perhaps this is the sense which would most naturally occur to a reader of the Hebrew. The He brew, however, will admit of the con struction here put upon it, and it cannot be proved that it was the rels spirits, and his ministers a lame of fire.
original intention of the passage to show that the angels were the mere servants of God, rapid, quick, and prompt to do his will — like the winds. The Chaldee Paraphrase renders the passage in the Psalm, ' Who makes his messengers swift as the wind; his ministers strong like a flame of fire.' Prof. Stuart maintains that the passage in the Psalms cannot mean, 'who makes the winds his messengers,' but that the intention of the Psalmist is to describe the in visible as well as the visible majesty of God, and that he refers to the an gels as a part of the retinue which goes to make up his glory. This does not seem to me to be perfectly certain; but still it cannot be demon strated that Paul has made an im proper use of the passage. It is to be presumed that he, who had been trained in the knowledge of the He brew language, would have had a better opportunity of knowing its fair construction than we can; and it is morally certain that he would employ the passage in an argument as it was commonly understood by those to whom he wrote— that is, to those Avho were familiar with the Hebrew language and literature. If he has so used the passage; hMie has— as no one can disprove — put the fair con struction on it, then it is just in point. It proves that the angels are the attendant servants of God; employed to grace his train, to do his will, to accompany him as the clouds and winds and lightnings do, and to oc cupy a subordinate rank in his crea tion. ^[ Flame of fire. This probably refers to lightning — which is often the meaning of the phrase. The word 'ministers' here, means the same as angels, and the sense of the whole is, that the attending retinae of God, when he manifests himself with great power and glory, is like the winds I and the lightning. His angels are i like them. They are prompt to do
8 But unto the Sou he saith, \ RThy throne, O God, is for ever
h 3 will— rapid, quick, obedient in his service; they are in all respects sub ordinate to him, and occupy, as the \vinds and the lightnings do, the place of servants. They are not ad dressed in language like that which is applied to the Son of God, and they must ail be far inferior to him.
8. Bui unto the Son he saith. In Psalm xlv. 6, 7. The fact that the writer of this epistle makes this ap plication of the Psalm to the Messiah, proves that it was so applied in his time, or that it woxild be readily ad mitted to be applicable to him. It has been generally admitted, by both Jewish and Christian interpreters, to have such a reference. Even those who have doubted its primary appli cability to the Messiah, have regarded it as referring to him in a secondary sense. Many have supposed that it referred to Solomon in the primary sense, and that it has a secondary reference to the Messiah. To me it seems most probable that it had an original and exclusive reference to the Messiah. It is to be remembered that the hope of the Messiah was the peculiar hope of the Jewish people. The coming of the future king, so early promised, was the great event to which they all looked forward with the deepest interest. That hope inspired their prophets and their bards, and cheered the hearts of the nation in the time of despondency. The Messiah, if I may so express it, was the hero of the Old Testament — more so than Achilles is of the Iliad, and ^Eneas of the ^Eneid. The sacred poets were accustomed to employ all their most magnificent imagery in describing him, and to present him in every form that Avas beautiful in their conception, and that would be gratifying to the pride and hopes of the natk.i'. Every thing that is gorgeous and splendid in de scription is lavished en him, and they were never under any apprehension of attributing to him too great magnificence in his personal reign; toogreat beauty of moral character; or too great an extent of dominion. That which would be regarded by them as a magnificent description of a monarch, they freely applied to him; and this is evidently the case in this Psalm. That the description may have been in part derived from the view of Solomon in the magnifi cence of his court, is possible, but no more probable than that it was de rived from the general view of the splendour of any Oriental monarch, or than that it might have been the description of a monarch which was the pure creation of inspired poetry. Indeed, I see not why this Psalm should ever have been supposed to be applicable to Solomon. His name is not mentioned. It has no peculiar applicability to him. There is no thing that would apply to him which would not also apply to many an Oriental prince. There are some things in it which are much less ap plicable to him than to many others. The king here described is a conquer - or. He girds his sword on his thigh, and his arrows are sharp in the hearts of his foes, and the people are sub dued under him. This was not true of Solomon. His was a reign of peace and tranquillity, nor w^as lie ever distinguished for war. On the whole, it seems clear to me, that this Psalm is designed to be a beautiful poetic description of the Messiah as king. The images are drawn from the usual characteristics of an Orienj tal prince, and there are many things! in the poem — as there are in parai bles — for the sake of keeping, or veri- \ similitude, and which are not, in the j interpretation, to be cut to the quick,! The writer imagined to himself a | magnificent and beautiful prince; — a prince riding prosperously in his conquests; swaying a permanent and wide dominion; clothed in rich and splendid vestments; eminently up right and pure; and scattering bless- sind ever: a sceptre of right-
» Tightness or straightness.
eousnessa is the sceptre of thy kingdom:
ings everywhere — and that prince -was the Messiah. The Psalm, there fore, I regard as relating originally and exclusively to Christ; and though in the interpretation, the circumstan ces should not be unduly pressed, nor an attempt be made to spiritualise them, yet the whole is a glowing and most beautiful description of Christ as a King. The same principles of interpretation should be applied to it which are applied to parables, and the same allowance be made for the introduction of circumstances for the sake of keeping, or for finishing the story. If this be the correct view, then Paul has quoted the Psalm in conformity exactly with its original intention, as he undoubtedly quoted it as it was understood in his time. ^[ Thy throne. A throne is the seat on which a monarch cits, and is here the symbol of dominion, because kings when acting as rulers sit on thrones. Thus a throne becomes the emblem of authority or empire. Here it means, that his rule or dominion would be perpettial— "/or ever and ever" — which assuredly could not be applied to Solomon. ^[ O God. This certainly could not be ap plied to Solomon; but applied to the Messiah it proves what the apostle is aiming to prove — that he is above the angels. The argument is, that a name is given to him which is never given to them. They are not called God in any strict and proper sense. The argument here requires us to understand this word as, used in si sense more exalted than any name which is ever given to angels, and though it may be maintained that the name C^nb$, Elohim is given to magistrates or to angels, yet here the argument requires us to understand it as used in a sense superior to what 'it ever is when applied to an angel — or of course to any creature, since it was the express design of the argu ment to prove that the Messiah was superior to the angels. The word God should be taken in its natural and obA'ious sense, unless there is some necessary reason for limiting it. If applied to magistrates (Ps. Ixxxii. 6), it must be so limited. If applied to the Messiah, there is no such neces sity (John i. 1; Isa, ix. G; I John v. 20; Phil. ii. 6), and it should be taken in its natural and proper sense. The form here — 0 Qebs — is m the vocative case and not the nominative. It is the usual form of the vocative in the Septuagint, and nearly the only form of it. — Stuart. This, then, is a direct address to the Messiah, calling him God; and I see not why it is not to be used in the usual and proper sense of the word. Unitarians proposed to translate this, "God is thy throne;" but how can God be a throne of a creature! What is the meaning of such an expression? Where is there one parallel? And what must be the nature of that cause Avhich ren ders such an argument necessary? — This refers, as it seems to me, to the Messiah as king. It does not relate to his mode of existence before the in carnation, but to him as the magnifi cent monarch of his people. Still, the ground or reason why this name is given to him is that he is divine. It is language which properly ex presses his nature. He must have a divine nature, or such language would be improper. I regard this passage, therefore, as full proof that the Lord Jesus is divine; nor is it possible to evade this conclusion by any fair interpretation of it. It cannot be wrong to address him as God; nor addressing him as such, not to regard him as divine. 0J Is for ever and ever. This could not in any proper sense apply to Solo mon. As applied to the Messiah, it means that his essential kingdom will be perpetual. Luke i. 33. As Mediator his kingdom will be given up to the Father, or to God without reference to a Mediatorial work, (I
9 Thou hast loved righteous- ness, and hated iniquity; thcre-
Cor. xv. 24. 28. — see Notes on these verses), but his reign over his people will be perpetual. There never will come a time when they shall not obey and serve him, though the peculiar form of his kingdom, as connected with the work of mediation, will be changed. The form of the organised church, for example, will be changed, for there shall be no necessity for it in heaven, but the essential dominion and power of the Son of God will not cease. He shall have the same domi nion which he had before he entered on the work of mediation; and that will be eternal. It is also true that, compared with earthly nionarchs, his kingdom shall be perpetual. They soon die. Dynasties pass away. But his empire extends from age to age, und is properly a perpetual dominion. The fair and obvious interpretation of this passage would satisfy me, were there nothing else, that this Psalm had no reference to Solomon, but was designed originally as a descrip tion of the Messiah as the expected King and Prince of his people, ^f A sceptre of righteousness. That is, a right or just sceptre. The phrase is a Hebraism. The former expression described the pcrpetuiti/ of his king dom; this describes its equable nature. It would be just and equal. See Notes on Isa. xi. 5. A sceptre is a staff or wand usually made of wood, five or six feet long, and commonly overlaid with gold, or ornamented with golden rings. Sometimes, however, the sceptre was made of ivory or wholly of gold. It was borne in the hands of kings as an emblem of authority and power. Probably it had its origin in the staff or crook of the shepherd — as kings were at first regarded as the shepherds of their people. Thus Agamemnon is commonly called by Homer the shep herd of the people. The sceptre thus becomes the emblem of kingly office and power — as when AVC speak of swaying a sceptre; — and the idea kere is, that the Messiah would be a king, and that the authority which he would wield would be equitable and just. He would not be governed, as nionarchs often are, by mere ca price, or by the wishes of courtiers and flatterers; he would not be con trolled by mere will and the love of arbitrary poAver; but the execution of his laws would be in accordance with the principles of equity and justice. — How well this accords with the character of the Lord Jesus we need not pause to show. Comp. Notes on Isa, xi. 2—5.
9. Thou hast loved righteousness. Thou hast been obedient to the law of God, or holy and upright. Nothing can be more truly adapted to express the character of any one than this is to describe the Lord Jesus, who was "holy, harmless, undefiled," who ' did no sin, and in whose mouth no guile was found;' but it is Avith diffi culty that this can be applied to So lomon. Assuredly, for a considerable part of his life, this declaration could not Avell be appropriated to him; and it seems to me that it is not to be re garded as descriptive of him at all. It is language prompted by the Avarm and pious imagination of the Psalm ist describing the future Messiah — and, as applied to him, is true to theletter. ^[ Therefore God, even thy do//. The Avord even inserted here by the translators, weakens the force of the expression. This might be translated, '() God, thy God hath nnointed thce.' So it is rendered by Doddridge, Clarke, Stuart, and others The Greek Avill bear this construc tion, as Avell the Hebrew in Ps. -x.lv. 7. In the margin in the Psalm it is rendered " O God." This is the most natural construction, as it accords with what is just said before. ' Thv throne, O God, is for ever. Thou art just and holy, therefore, O God, thy God hath anointed thee,' &c. It is not material, hoAveA'er, Avhich con struction is adopted. ^[ Hath anointeathee. Anciently kings and priests
fore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Avere consecrated to their office by pouring oil on their heads. See Lev. •viii. 12; Num. iii. 3; I Sam. x. 1; II Sam. ii. 7; Ps. ii. G; Isa. Ixi. 1; Acts iv. 27; x. 38; Note Matt. i. 1. The expression ' to anoint.,' therefore, comes to mean to consecrate to of fice, or to set apart to some public work. This is evidently the meaning in the Psalm, where the whole lan guage refers to the appointment of the personage there referred to to the kingly office. *|[ The oil of gladness. Tiiis probably means the perfumed oil that was poured on the head, at tended with many expressions of joy and rejoicing. The inauguration of the Messiah as king would be an occasion of rejoicing and triumph. Thousands would exult at it — as in the coronation of a king; and thou sands would be made glad by such a consecration to the office of Messiah. •*|[ Above thy fellows. Above thine associates; that is, above all who sus tain the kingly office. He woiild be more exalted than all other kings. Doddridge supposes that it refers to angels, who might have been asso ciated with the Messiah in the go vernment of the world. But the more natural construction is, to suppose that it refers to kings, and to mean that he was the most exalted of all.
10. And. That is, 'To add another instance;' or ' to the Son he saith in another place, or in the following language,' This is connected with ver. 8. ' Unto the Son he saith (ver. 8), thy throne,' &e. — and (ver. 10) he also saith, ' Thou Lord,' &c. That this is thu meaning is apparent, be cause (1) the object of the whole quo tation is to show the exalted charac ter of the Son of God, and (2) an address here to JEHOVAH would be Avholly irrelevant. Wby, in an ar gument designed to prove that the Son of God was superior to the an gels, should the writer break out in an address to JEF IAII in view of the fact that he had laid the foundations of the world, and that he himself would continue to live when the hea vens should be rolled up and pass away? Such is not the manner of Paul, or of any other good writer, and it is clear that the writer here designed to adduce this as applicable to the Messiah. Whatever difficulties there may be about the principles on which it is done, and the reason why this passage was selected for the pur pose, there can be no doubt about the design of the writer. He meant to be understood as applying it to the Messiah beyond all question, or the quotation is wholly irrelevant, and it is inconceivable why it should have been made, ^f Tl.ou Lord. This is taken from Ps. cii. 25—27. The quotation is made from the Septuagint with only a slight variation, and is an accurate translation of the He brew. In the Psalm there can be no doubt that JEHOVAH is intended. This is apparent on the face of the Psalm, and particularly because the name JEHOVAH is introduced in vs. 1. 12, and because he is addressed as the Creator of all things, and as imi mutable. No one, on reading the Psalm, ever would doubt that it re ferred to God, and if the apostle meant to apply it to the Lord Jesus it proves most conclusively that he is divine. In regard to the difficult inquiry why lie applied this to the Messiah, or on what principle such an application can be vindicated, we may perhaps throw some light by tho folloAving remarks. It must be ad mitted that probably few persons, if any, on reading the Psalm, would suppose that it referred to the Mes siah; but (1.) the fact that the apostle thus employs it, proves that it was understood in his time to have such a reference, or at least that those to whom he wrote would admit that it had such a reference. On no other principle would he have used it in an tion of the earth; and the hea- argument. This is at least of some consequence in showing what the prevailing interpretation was. (2.) It cannot be demonstrated that it had no 'such reference — for such was the habit of the sacred writers in making the future Messiah the theme of their poetry, that no one can prove that the writer of this Psalm did not design that the Messiah should be the sub ject of his praise here. (3.) There is nothing in the Psalm which may not be applied to the Messiah; but there is much in it that is peculiarly applicable to him. Suppose, for ex ample, that the Psalmist (vs. 1 — 11), in his complaints, represents the people of God before the Redeemer appeared — as lowly, sad, dejected, and afflicted — speaking of himself as one of them, and as a fair representa tive of that people, the remainder of the Psalm will well agree with the promised redemption. Thus having described the sadness and sorrow of the people of God, he speaks of the fact that God would arise and have mercy upon Zion (vs. 13, 14), that the heathen would fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth would see his glory (ver. 15), and that when the Lord should build up Zion he would appear in his glory. Ver. 16. To whom else could this be so well applied as to the Messiah? To what time so well as to his time? Tl^'s. too, in ver. 20. it is said that the Lord wouiu loci:: ^O-WTI from heaven •** to hear the groaning of the prisoner, and to loose them that are appointed to death" — language remarkably re sembling that used by Isa. ch. Ixi. 1, which the Saviour applies to him self, in Luke iv. 17—21. The pas sage then quoted by the apostle (,*s, 25 — 27 of the Psalm) is designed to denote the immutability of the Messiali, and the fact that in him all the interests of the church were safe. lie would not change. He had formed all things, and he would remain the «ame. His kingdom would be per- vens are the works of thine hands;
manent amidst all the changes oc curring on earth, and his people had no cause of apprehension or alarm. Ver. 28. (4.) Paul applies this lan guage to the Messiah in accordance with the doctrine which he had stated (ver. 2), that it was by him that God " made the worlds." Having stated that, he seems to have felt that it was not improper to apply to him the passages occurring in the Old Testament that speak of the work of creation. The argument is this. 'He was in fact the creator of all things. But to the Creator there is applied language in the Scriptures which shows that he was far exalted above the angels. He would remain the same, while the heavens and the earth should fade awaj7. His years are enduring and eternal. Such a being MUST be superior to the angels; such a being must be divine.' The words "Thou Lord" — ^ Kvpic — are not in the Hebrew of the Psalm, though they are in the Septuagint. In the Hebrew, in the Psalm (ver. 24), it is an address to God—" I said, O my God — ^S — but there can be no doubt that the Psalmist meant to address JEHOVAH, and that the word God is used in its proper sense, de noting divinity. See vs. 1. 12, of the Psalm. ^[ In the beginning. See Gen i. 1. When the world was made. Comp. Notes on John i. 1, where the same phrase is applied to the Messiah — " In the beginning was the word." ^[ Hast laid the foundation of the earth. Hast made the earth. This language is such as is common in the Scrip tures, where the earth is represented as laid on a foundation, or as sup ported. It is figurative language, derived from the act of rearing an edifice. The meaning here is, that the Son of God was the original cre ator or founder of the universe. He did not merely arrange it out of pre existing materials, but he was pro perly its creator or founder, ^f And
1 1 They shall perish, but thou rernainest: and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
12 And as a vesture shalt
shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not mil.
the hcttvens are the works of thine hands. This must demonstrate the Lord Je sus to be divine, lie that made the vast heavens must be God. No creature could perform a work like that; nor can we conceive that power to create the vast array of distant worlds could possibly be delegated. If that power could be delegated, there is not an attribute of Deity which may not be, and thus all our notions of what con stitutes divinity would be utterly con founded. The word " heavens" here must mean all parts of the universe except the earth. See Gen. i. 1. The word hands is used because it is by the hands that we usually perform any work.
il. Tliey shall perish. That is, the heavens and the earth. They shall pass away; or they shall be de stroyed. Probably no more is meant by the phrase here, than that impor tant changes will take place in them, or than that they will change their form. Still, it is not possible to foresee what changes may yet take place in the heavenly bodies, or to say that the present universe may not at some period be destroyed, and be succeeded by another creation still more magnificent. lie that created the universe by a word can destroy it by a word; and he that formed "the present frame of nature can cause it to be succeeded by another not less wonderful and glorious. The Scrip tures seem to hold out the idea that the present frame of the universe shall be destroyed. See II Pet. iii. 10— 13; Matt. xxiv. 35. ^f But thou remainest. Thou shalt not die or be destroyed. What a sublime thought! The idea is, that though the heavens and earth shall suddenly disappear, or though they should gradually wear out and become extinct, yet there is one infinite being who remains un affected and unchanged. Nothing can reach or disturb him. All these changes shall take place under his direction and by his command. See Rev. xx. 1 1. Let us not be alarmed then at any revolution. Let us not fear though we should see the heavens rolled up as a scroll, and the stars falling from their places. God the Creator and Redeemer presides over all. lie is unchanged. He ever lives; and though the universe should pass away, it will be only at his bid ding, and under his direction. ^[ And they shall all wax old. Shall giow or become old. The word wax is an old Saxon word, meaning to grow, or in crease, or become. The heavens here are compared with a garment, mean ing that as that grows old and de cays, so it will be with the heavens and the earth. The language is evidently figurative; and yet who can tell how much literal truth there may be couched under it? Is it ab surd to suppose that that sun which daily sends forth so many countless millions of beams of light over the universe, may in a course of ages become diminished in its splendour, and shine with feeble lustre? Can there be constant exhaustion, a con stant burning like that, and yet no tendency to decay at some far dis tant period? Nor unless the material for its splendour shall be sup plied from the boundless resources of the Great Source of Light — God; — and when he shall choose to withhold it, even that glorious sun must be dimmed of its splendour and shine with enfeebled beams.
12. And as a vesture. A garment; — literally something thrown around — TTfpifioKaiov— and denoting pro perly the outer garment, the cloak or mantle. See Notes Matt. v. 40. ^ Shah thou fold them up. That is, the hea vens. They are represented in the Scriptures as an expanse, or some*
13 Pmt to which of the angels said he at any time, a Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
thing spread out (Heb. in Gen. i. 7); as a curtain, or tent (Isa. xl. 22), and as a scroll that might he spread out or rolled up like a book or volume. Isa. xxxiv. 4; Kev. vi. 14. Here they are represented as a garment or mantle that might be folded up — language borrowed from folding up and laying aside garments that are no longer fit for use. ^[ And they shall be changed That is, they shall be exchanged for others, or they shall give place to the new heavens and the new earth. II Peter, iii. 13. The meaning is, that the present form of the heavens and the earth is not to be permanent, but is to be succeeded by others, or to pass away, but that the Creator is to remain the same. ^[ Thou art the same. Thou wilt not change. 1" And tin/ years shall not fail Thou wilt exist for ever un changed. What could more clearly prove that he of whom this is spoken is immutable? Yet it is indubitably spoken of the Messiah, and must de monstrate that he is divine. These attributes cannot be conferred on a creature; and nothing can be clearer than that he who penned the epistle believed that the Son of God was di vine.
13. But to which of the angels. The apostle adduces one other proof of the exaltation of the Son of God above the angels. He asks where there is an instance in which God had addressed any one of the angels, and asked him to sit at his right hand until he should subdue his ene mies under him? Yet that high honour had been conferred on the Son of God; and he was therefore far ex alted above them. ^[ Sit on my right hand. See Notes on ver. 3. This passage is taken from Ps. ex. 1, — a Psalm that is repeatedly quoted in this epistle as referring to the Mes-
14 Are they not all miuisteririgb spirits, sent forth c to minis ter for them who shall be heirs (l of salvation?
I siah, and the very passage before is j applied by the Saviour to himself, in! Matt. xxii. 43, 44, and by Peter it is! applied to him in Acts ii. 34, o.j. | There can be no doubt, therefore, of its applicability to the Messiah. ^[ Until I make thine enemies ihy I footstool. Until I reduce them to enj tire subjection. A footstool is what is placed under the feet when we sit | on a chair, and the phrase here! means that an enemy is entirely sub dued. Com p. Notes on I Cor. xv. 25. The phrase to ma he an enemy a foot stool, is borrowed from the custom of ancient warriors who stood on the necks of vanquished kings on the oc casion of celebrating a triumph over them as a token of their complete prostration and subjection. See Notes on Isa. x. 6. — The enemies here re ferred to are the foes of God and of his religion, and the meaning is, that the Messiah is to be exalted until all those foes are subdued. Then he will give up the kingdom to the Father. See Notes on I. Cor. xv. 24 —23. The exaltation of the Re deemer, to which the apostle refers here, is to the Mediatorial throne. In this he is exalted far above the an gels.. His foes are to be subdued to him, but angels are to be employed as mere instruments in that great work.
14. Are they not aU. There is not one of them that is elevated to the high rank of the Redeemer. Even the most exalted angel is employed in the comparatively humble office of a ministering spirit appointed to aid the heirs of salvation. *f Ministering spirits. A ministering spirit is one that is employed to execute the will of God. The proper meaning of the word here — \€tTovpyiKa — (whence our word liturgy} is, pertaining topubhc service, or the service of the people
(XaosO; an(i is applied particularly to those who were engaged in the pub lic service of the temple. They were those who rendered aid to others who were helpers, or servants. Sue i.s the meaning as used here. The are employed to render aid or assist once to others — to wit, to Christians ^ Sard forth. Appointed by God fo this. They are sent; are tinder hi control; are in a subordinate capa city. Thus Gabriel was sent fortl to convey an important message t Daniel. Dan. ix. 21 — 23. ^[ 7} "minister. For the aid, or succour o such. They come to render them assistance — and, if employed in this humble office, how much inferior to the dignity of the Son of God— the Creator and Ruler of the worlds *f Who shall be heirs of salvation. To the saints; to Christians. They are called ' heirs of salvation' because they are adopted into the family of God, and are treated as his sous. See Notes on Rom. viii. 14 — 17. The main point here is, that the angels are employed in a much more hum ble capacity than the Son of God; and, therefore, that he sustains a far more elevated rank. But while the apostle has proved that, he has inci dentally stated an exceedingly in teresting and important doctrine, that v;he angels are employed to further the salvation of the people of God, and to aid them in their journey to heaven. — In this doctrine there is nothing absurd. It is no more im probable that angels should be em ployed to aid man, than that one man should aid another; certainly not as improbable as that the Son of God should come down " not to be minis tered unto but to minister" (Matt. xx. 23), and that he performed on earth the office of a servant. John xiii. I — is. Indeed it is a great principle of the divine administration that one class of God's creatures are to minister to others; that one is to aid another— to assist him in trouble, and to provide for him when poor, and to counsel him in perplexity. We are constantly deriving benefit from others, and are dependent on their counsel and help. Thus God has appointed parents to aid their chil dren; neighbours to aid their neigh bours; the rich to aid the poor; and all over the world the prin ciple is seen, that one is to de rive benefit from the aid of others. Why may not the angels he employed in tliis service? They aro pure, be nevolent, powerful; and as man was ruined in the fail by the temptation offered by one of an angelic, though fallen nature, why should not others of angelic, unfa-lien holiness come to assist in repairing the evils which their fallen guilty brethren have in flicted on the race? To me there seems to be a beautiful propriety in bringing aid from another race,.as ruin came from another race; and that as those endowed with angelic might, though with fiendish malig nity, ruined man, those with angelic might, but heavenly benevolence, should aid in his recovery and salva tion. Farther, it is, from the neces sity of the case, a great principle, that the weak shall be aided by the strong; the ignorant by the enlight ened; the impure by the pure; the tempted by those who have not fallen ay temptation. All over the world see this in operation; and it con stitutes the beauty of the moral ar rangements on the earth; and why shall not this be extended to the ini.ibitants of other abodes? Why hall not angels, with their superior nteliigence* benevolence, and power, •ome in to perfect this system, and how how much adapted it is to gloify God? — In regard to the ways in vliich angels become ministering pirits to the heirs of salvation, the Scriptures have not fully informed s, but facts are mentioned which 'ill furnish some light on this inuiry. What they do now may be earned from the Scripture accouat f what they have done — as it seems o be a fair principle of interpretation that they are engaged in substantially the same employment in which they have ever been. The following methods of angelic interposition in be half of man are noted in the Scrip tures. (!.) They feel a deep interest in man. Tims the Saviour says, "there is joy in heaven among the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Luke xv. 10. Thus also he says, when speaking of the "little ones" that compose his church, "in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in hea ven." Matt, xviii. 10. (2.) They feel a special interest in all that relates to the redemption of man. Thus Peter says of the things pertaining to redemption, "which things the angels desire to look into." I. Pet. i. 12. In accordance with this they are represented as praising God over the iields of Bethlehem, where the shepherds were to whom it was an nounced that a Saviour was born (Luke ii. 13); an angel announced to Manr that she would be the mother of the Messiah (Luke i. 26); an angel declared to the shepherds that he was born (Luke ii. 10); the angels came and ministered to him in his temptation (Matt. iv. 11); an angel strengthened him in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke xxii. 43); angels were present in the sepulchre where the Lord Jesus had been laid, to an nounce his resurrection to his disci ples (John xx. 12); and they re-ap peared to his disciples on Mount Oli vet to assure themthat hewould return and receive his people to himself. Acts i. 10. (3.) They appear for the de fence and protection of the people of God. Thus it is said (Ps. xxxiv. 7), " The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivercth them." Thus two angels came to hasten Lot from the cities of the Plain, and to rescue him from the impending destruction. Gen. xix. 1. 15. Thus an angel opened the prison doors of the apostles and delirered them when they had been con fined by the Jews. Acts v. 19. Thus the angel of the Lord delivered Peter from prison when he had been con fined by Herod. Acts xii. 7, S. (4.) Angels are sent to give us strength to resist temptation. Aid was thus furnished to the Ecdeemcr in the garden of Gethsemane, when there "appeared an angel from heaven strengthening him." Luke xxii. 43. The great trial there seems to have been somehow connected with temp tation; some influence of the power of darkness, or of the Prince of evil. Luke xxii. 53; comp. John xiv. 30. In this aid which they rendered to the tempted Redeemer, and in tho assistance which they render to u& when tempted, there is a special fit ness and propriety. Man was at first tempted by a fallen angel. Ko small part— if not all the temptations in the world — are under the direction now of fallen angels. They roam at large 'seeking whom they may devour.' I. Pet. v. 8. The temptations which occur in life, the numerous allure ments which beset our path, all have the marks' of being under the control of dark and malignant spirits. What, therefore, can be more appropriate than for the pure angels of God to interpose and aid man against the skill and whiles of their fallen and malignant fellow-spirits? Fallen an gelic power and skill — power and skill far above the capability and the strength of man — are employed to ruin us, and how desirable is it for like power and skill, under the guid ance of benevolence, to come in to aid us! (5.) They support us in af fliction. Thus an angel brought a cheering message to Daniel; the an gels were present to give comfort to the disciples of the Saviour when he had been taken from them by death, and when he ascended to heaven. Why may it not be so noAv, that im portant consolations, in some way, are imparted to us by angelic influ ence? And (6.) they attend dying saints, and conduct them to glory. Thus the Saviour says of Lazarus that when he died he was "carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." Luke xvi. 22. Is there any impro priety in supposing that the same thing may be done still? Assuredly if anywhere heavenly aid is needed, it is when the spirit leaves the body. ] If an v where a guide is needed, it is I when I he ransomed soul goes up the j unknown patli to God. And if angels j are employed on any messages of j mercy to mankind, it is proper that j it should be when life is closing, and j the spirit is about to ascend to heaven. [ Should, it be said that they are invi sible, and that it is difficult to con ceive how we can be aided by be ings whom we never see, I ansAver. 1 know that they are unseen. They no longer appear as they once did to be the risible protectors and defenders of the people of God. But no small part of the aid which we receive from others comes from sources unseen by us. We owe more to unseen bene factors than to those whom we see, and the most grateful of all aid, per haps, is that which is furnished by a hand which we do not soe, and from quarters which we cannot trace. How many an orphan is benefitted by some unseen and unknown bene factor! So it may be a part of the great arrangements of divine Provi dence that many of the most needed and acceptable interpositions for our welfare should come to us from invi sible sources, and be conveyed to us from God by unseen hands.
1. The Christian religion has a claim on the attention of man. God has $pol:en to us in the Gospel by his Son. Vs. ], 2. This fact constitutes a clxhn on us to attend to what is spoken in the New Testament. When Uod sent prophets to address men, endowing them with ir.ore than hu man wisdom and eloquence, and commanding them to deliver solemn Messages to mankind, that was a reason why men should hear. But how much more important is the message which is brought by his own Son! How much more exalted the Messenger! How much higher his claim to our attention and regard! Comp. Matt. xxS. 37. Yet it is la mentable to reflect how few attended to him when he lived on the earth, and how few comparatively regard him now. The great mass of men feel no interest in the fact that the Son of God has come and spoken to the human race. Few take the pains to read what he said, though all the records of the discourses of the Sa viour could be read in a few hours. A newspaper is read; a poem; a novel; a play; a history of battles and sieges; but the New Testament is neglected, and there are thousands even in Christian lands Avho have not CA'cn read through the Sermon on the Mount! FCAV also listen to the truths which the Redeemer taught Avhen they are proclaimed in the sanctuary. Multitudes never go to the place where the gospel is preached; multi tudes when there are engaged in thinking of other things, or are wholly inattentive to the truths which are proclaimed. Such a reception has the Son of God met with in our Avorld! The most Avonderful of all events is, that he should have come from heaven to be the teacher of mankind; next to that, the most Avonderful event is, that Avhen he has come men feel no interest in the fact, and refuse to listen to Avhat he says of the unseen and eternal Avorld. What a man Avill say about the possi bility of making a fortune by some wild speculation will be listened to Avith the deepest interest; but what the Redeemer says about the certainty of heaven and eternal riches there, excites no emotion: what one from the dead might say about the unseen world Avould excite the profoundes*. attention; what he has said who has always dAvelt in the unseen Avorld, and Mrho knows all that has occurred there, and all that is yet to occur aAvakens no interest, and excites no inquirj'. Such is man. The visit, too, of an illustrious stranger — like Lafayette to America — wilt rouse a nation, and spread enthusiasm every - Avhere; the visit of the Son of God to the earth on a great errand of mercy is regarded as an event of no import ance, and excites no interest in the great mass of human hearts.
2. Christ is divine. In the view of the writer of this epistle he was undoubtedly regarded as equal with God. This is so clear that it seems wonderful that it should ever have been called in question. He who made the worlds; who is to be wor shipped by the angels; who is ad dressed as God; who is said to have laid the foundation of the earth, and to have made the heavens, and to be unchanged when all these things shall pass a\vay, must be divine. These are the attributes of God, and belong to him alone. These things could not be spoken of a man, an an gel, an archangel. It is impossible to conceive that attributes like these could belong to a creature. If they could, then all our notions of what constitutes the distinction between God and his creatures are con founded, and we can have no intelli gible idea of God.
3. It is not improbable that Christ is the medium of communicating the knowledge of the divine essence and perfections to all worlds. He is the brightness of the divine glory — the showing forth — the manifestation of God. Yer. 3. The body of the sun is not seen — certainly not by the naked eye. We cannot look upon it. But there is a shining, a brightness, a glory, a manifestation which is seen. It is in the sunbeams, the manifestation of the glory and the existence of the sun. By his shining the sun is known. So the Son of God incarnate or not — may be the ma nifestation of the divine essence. And from this illustration, may we not without irreverence derive an illustration of the doctrine of the glorious Trinity? There is the body of the sun — to us invisible— yet great and glorious, and the source of all light, and heat, and life. The vast body of the sun is the source of all this radiance, the fountain of all that warms and enlivens. All light and heat and life depend on him, and should he be extinct all would die. Thus may it not be with God the Father; God the eternal and nn- changing essence— the fountain of all light, and life in the universe. — In the sun there is also the manifes tation — the shining — the glorious light. The brightness which we see emanates from that — emanates at once, continually, always. While the sun exists, that exists, and can not be separated from it. By that brightness the sun is seen; by that the world is enlightened. Without these beams there would be no light, but all would be involved in dark ness. What a beautiful representa tion of the Son of God— the bright ness of the divine glory; the medium by which God is made known; the source of light to man, and for aught we know, to the universe! When he shines on men, there is light; when he does not shine there is a* certain moral darkness as there is night when the sun sinks in the west. And for aught we can see, the manifestation which the Son of God makes may be as necessary in all worlds to a proper contemplation of the divine essence, as the beams of the sun are to understand ita na ture. Then there are the warmth and heat and vivifying influences of the sun — an influence which is the source of life and beauty to the ma terial world. It is not the mere shining— it is the attendant warmth and vivifying power. All nature is dependent on it. Each seed, and bud, and leaf, and flower; each spire of grass, and each animal on earth, and each bird on the wing, is depen dent on it. Without that, vegetation would decay at once, and animal life would be extinct, and universal death would reign. What a beautiful illus tration of the Holy Spirit, and of his influences on the moral world! " The LORD GOD is a Sun" (Ps. Ixxxiv. 11); and I do not see that it is improper thus to derive from the sun an illus tration of the doctrine of the Trinity. I am certain we should know no thing of the sun but for the beams that reveal him, and that enlighten the world: and I am certain that all animal and vegetable life would die if it were not for his vivifying and | quickening rays. I do not see that it may not be equally probable that the nature — the essence of God would t>e unknown were it not manifested by the Son of God; and I am certain that all moral and spiritual life would die were it not for the quickening and vivifying influences of the Holy Spirit on the human soul.
4. Christ has made an atonement for sin. Ver. 3. He has done it by "himself." It was not by the blood of bulls and of goats; it was by his own blood. Let us rejoice that we have not now to come before God with a bloody offering; that we need not come leading up a lamb to be slain, but that we may come con fiding in that blood which has been shed for the sins of mankind. The great sacrifice has been made. The victim is slain. The blood has been offered which expiates the sin of the world. We may now come at once to the throne of grace, and plead the merits of that blood. How different is our condition from that of the an cient Jewish worshippers! They were required to come leading the victim that was to be slain for sin, and to do this every year and every day. We may come with the feeling that the one great sacrifice has been made for us; that it is never to be repeated, and that in that sacrifice there is merit sufficient to cancel all our sins. — How different our condition from that of the heathen! They, too, lead up sacrifices to be slain on bloody altars. They offer lambs, •and goats, and bullocks, and captives taken in war, and slaves, and even ihe'r own children! Hut amidst these horrid offerings, while they show their deep conviction that some sacrifice is necessary, they have no promise -no evidence whatever, that i he sacrifice will be accepted. They away nnpardoned. They repeat.no offering with no evidence that their sins are forgiven, and at last they die in despair! We come as sured that the ' blood of Jesus Christ ( cleanseth from all sin,' and the soul «i rejoices in the evidence that all past sins are forgiven, and is at peace with God.
5. Let us rejoice that the Lord Jesus is thus exalted to the right hand of God. Vs. 3, 4. He has gone into heaven. He is seated on the throne of glory. He has suffered the last pang, and shed the last drop of blood that will ever be necessary to be shed for the sins of the world. No cold tomb is again to hold him; and no spear of a soldier is again to enter his side, lie is now happy and glorious in heaven. The angels there render him homage (ver. c), and the universe is placed under his control.
6. It is right to wor*h:p the Lord Jesus. When he came into the world the angels were required to do it (ver. 6), and it cannot be wrong for us to do it ROW. If the angels in heaven might properly worship him, we may. If they worshipped him, he is divine. Assuredly God would not require them to worship a fellow-an gel or a man! — I feel safe in adoring whore angels adore; I do not feel that I have a right to withhold my homage where they hare been re quired to render theirs.
7. It is right to address the Lord Jesus as God. Ver. 8. If lie is so addressed in the language of inspira tion, it is not improper for us so to address him. We do not err when Ave adhere closely to the language of the Bible; nor can we have a stronger evidence that we are right than that we express our sentiments and our devotions in the very language of the sacred Scriptures.
8. The kingdom of the Redeemeris a righteous kingdom. It is founded in equity. Vs. 8, 9. Other king doms have been kingdoms of cruelty, oppression, and blood. Tyrants have swayed {in iron sceptre over men. But" not thus with the Redeemer in his kingdom. There is not a law there which is not equal and mild; not a statute which it would not pro mote the temporal and eternal wel fare of man to obey, Happy is the man that is wholly under his sceptre; happy the kingdom that yields entire obedience to his laws!
9. The heavens shall perish; the earth shall decay. Vs. 10, 11. Great changes have already taken place in the earth — as the researches of geolo gists show; and we have no reason to doubt that similar changes may have occurred in distant Avorlds. Still greater changes may be expected to occur in future time?, and some of them we may be called to witness. Our souls are to exist for ever, and far on in future ages — far beyond the utmost period which we can now compute — we may witness most im portant changes in these heavens and this earth. God may display his power in a manner which has never been seen yet; and safe near his throne his people may be permitted to behold the exhibition of power of which the mind has never yet had the remotest conception.
10. Yet amidst these changes, the Saviour will be the same. Ver. 12. He changes not. In all past revolu tions, he has been the same. In all the changes which liave occurred in the physical world, he has been un changed; in all the revolutions which have occurred among kingdoms, he has been unmoved. One change succeeds another; kingdoms rise and fall, and empires waste away; one generation goes off to be succeeded by another, but he remains the same. No matter what tempests howl, or how wars rage, or how the pestilence spreads abroad, or how the earth is shaken by earthquakes, still the Redeemer is the same. And no matter vhn.t are our external changes, he is the same. We pass from childhood to youth, to manhood, to old age, but he changes not. We are in pros perity or adversity; we may pass from affluence to poverty, from ho nour to dishonour, from health to sickness, but he is the same. We may go and lie down in the cold tomb, and our mortal frames may de cay, but he is the same during our long sleep, and he will remain the same till he shall return and summon iis to renovated life. I rejoice that in all the circumstances of life I have the same Saviour. I know what he is. I know, if the expression may be allowed, 'where he may be found.' Man may change by caprice, or whim, or by some new suggestion of interest, of passion, or ambition. I go to my friend to-day, and find him kind and true— but I have no abso lute certainty that I shall find him such to-morrow. His feelings, from some unknovrn cause, may have be come cold towards me. Some enemy may have breathed suspicion into hi 3 ear about me, or he may have formed some stronger attachment, or he may be sick, or dead. But nothing like this can happen in regard to the Re deemer. He changes not. I am sure that he is always the same. No one can influence him by slander; no new friendship can weaken the old; no sickness or death can occur to him to change him; and though the hea vens be on fire, and the earth be con vulsed, he is THK SAME. In such a Saviour I may confide; in such a friend why should not all confide? Of earthly attachments it has been too truly said,
" And what is friendship but a name,
A charm thar lulls to sleep; A sliade that follows we <-!tli or faive lint leaves the wretch to weep!"
But this can never be said of the at tachment formed between the Chris tian and the Redeemer. That is un affected by all external changes; that shall live in all the revolutions of material tilings, and when all earthly ties shall be severed; that shall sur* vive the dissolution of all things.
11. We see the dignity of man. Vs. 13, 14. Angels are sent to be his attendants. They come to minister to him here, and to conduct him home ' to glory.' Kings and princes are surrounded by armed men, or by sages called to lie their counsellors; but the most humble saint maybe encompassed by a retinue of beings of far greater power and more elevated rank. The angels of light and glory feel a deep interest in the salvation of men. i They come to attend the redeemed; | they wait on their steps; they sustain them in trial; they accompany them when departing to heaven. It is a higher honour to be attended by one of those pure intelligences than by the most elevate! monarch that ever swayed a sceptre or wore a crown; and the obscurest Christian shall soon be himself conduct e 1 to a throne in heaven, compared with which the most splendid seat of royalty on earth loses its lustre and fades away.
"And is th'Te (are in heaven? and is there love In hi-avpnly spirits to these creatures base, That may cc/n:pa*sion c.f their evils
Of men Uian boasts; But 0! th' exceed ing grace
Of HiuheKt God that loves his crea tures so,
And all his woiksof mercy doth embrace, That bk-ssed angels he sends to and iro, To serve to wicked man, to serve his wicked foe!
" How oft do they their silver bowers leave, To coRie to succour u* that succour
How do they with golden pinions cleave The yielding bkics, like flying pursui vant,
Against foul fiends to aid us militant! They for us fight, they watch and duly ward, Ar.d their bright Fquadrons round about
And all for love and nothing for re ward; O why should Heavenly God to men
12. What has God done for the salvation of man! He formed nn eternal plan. He sent his prophets to communicate his will. He sent his Son to bea-r a message of mercy, and to die the just for the unjust. He exalted him to heaven, and placed the universe under his control that man may be saved. He sent his Holy Spirit; his ministers and mes sengers for this. And last, to com plete the work, lie sends his angels to be ministering spirits; to sustain dispeople; to comfort them in dying;
to attend them to the realms of glory. What an interest is felt in the salva tion of a single Christian! What a value he has in the universe! And how important it is that he should be holy! A man who has been redeemed by the blood of the Son of God should be pure. He who is an heir of life should be holy. He who is attended by celestial beings, and who is soon — he knows not how soon — to be trans lated to heaven should be holy. Are angels my attendants? Then I should walk worthy of my companionship. Am I soon to go and dwell with an gels? Then I should be pure. Are these feet soon to tread the courts of heaven? Is this tongue soon to unite with heavenly beings in praising God? Are these eyes soon to look on the throne of eternal glory, and on the ascended Redeemer? Then these feet, and eyes, and lips should be pure and holy, and I should be dead to the world, and should live only for heaven.
The main object of this chapter is, to ^how that we should attend dili gently to the things which were spoken by the Lord Jesus, and not suffer them to glide away from us. The apostle seems to have supposed that some might be inclined to disre gard what was spoken by one of so humble appearance as the Lord Je sus; and that they would urge that the Old Testament had been given by the interposition of angels, and was therefore more worthy of atten tion. To meet this, he shows that important objects were accomplished by his becoming a man; and that even as a man, power and dignity had been conferred on him superior to that of the angels. In illustration of these points, the chapter contains the following subjects:— (1.) An ex hortation not to suffer the things which had been spoken to slip from the mind — or in other words, to at tend to them diligently and carefully The argument is, that if what was spoken by the angels under the old
THEREFORE we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest
dispensation claimed attention, much more should that be regarded which was spoken by the Son of God. Vs. 1 — 4. (2.) Jesus had been honoured, as incarnate, in such away as to show that he had a right to be heard, and that what he said should receive the profound attention of men. Vs. 5 — 9. The world to come had not been put under the angels as it had been under him (ver. 5); the general principle had been stated in the Scriptures that all things were put under man (vs. 6, 7), but this was fulfilled only in the Lord Jesus, who had been made a little lower than the angels, and when so made crowned with glory and honour. Ver. 9. His appearance as a man, therefore, was in no way inconsistent with what had been said of his dignity, or his claim to be heard. (3.) The apostle then pro ceeds to show why he became a man, and why, though he was so exalted, he was subjected to so severe suffer ings; and with this the chapter closes. Vs. 10 — 18. It was because this was proper from the relation which he sustained to man. The argument is, that the Bedeemer and his people were identified; that he did not come to save angels, and that, therefore, there was a propriety in his assuming the nature of man, and being sub jected to trials like those whom he came to save In all things it be hoved him to be made like his bre thren, in order to redeem them, and in order to set them an example, and show them how to suffer. The humi liation, therefore, of the Redeemer; the fact that he appeared as a man, and that he was a sufferer, so far from being a reason why he should not be heard, was rather an additional reason why we should attend to what he said. He had a claim to the right of being heard not only from his original dignity,but from the friendship which at any time we should: let them slip.
1 run out as leaking vessels, he has evinced for us in taking upon himself our nature, and suffering in our behalf.
1. Therefore. Gr. * On account of this' — Ata Touro— that is, on account of the exalted dignity and rank of the Messiah as stated in the previous chapter. The sense is, ' Since Christ, the author of the new dispensation, is so far exalted above the prophets, and even the angels, we ought to give the more earnest attention to all that has been spoken.' *[[ We ougJit. It is fit or proper (Gr.g€i)that we should attend to those things. When the Son of God speaks to men, every con sideration makes it appropriate that we should attend to what is spoken. ^[ To give the more earnest heed. To give the more strict attention. ^[ To the things which we have heard. Whether directly from the Lord Je sus, or from his apostles. It is pos sible that some of those to whom the apostle was writing had heard the Lord Jesus himself preach the gos pel; others had heard the same truths declared by the apostles. •([ Lest at any time. We ought to attend to those things at all times. We ought never to forget them; never to be in different to them. We are sometimes interested in them, and then AVC feel indifferent to them; sometimes at leisure to attend to them, and then the cares of the world, or a heaviness and dulness of mind, or a cold and languid state of the affections, ren ders us indifferent to them, and they are suffered to pass out of the mind without concern. Paul says, that this ought never to be done. At no time should we be indifferent to those things. They are always important to us, and we should never be in a state of mind when they would be uninter esting. At all times; in ail places; and in every situation of life, we should feel that the truths of religion are of
-more importance to us than all other truths, and nothing should be suffered to efface their image from the heart. ^[ We aliould let them slip. Marg. Hun out as leaking vessels. Tindal renders this, ' lest we he spilt.' The expression here has given rise to much discussion as to its meaning; and has been very differently trans lated. JDoddridge renders it, ' lest we let them flow out of our minds.' Prof. Stuart, ' lest at any time we should slight them.' Wh'itby, ' that they •may not entirely slip out of our me mories.' The word here used — Trapappeo)— occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The Septuagint translators have used the word but once. Prov. iii. 21. ' Son, do not pass by (ur) trapappvfit) but keep my coun sel;' that is, do not pass by my ad vice by neglect, or suffer it to be dis regarded. The word means, accord ing to Passow, to flow by, to flow over; and then go by, to fall, to go away. It is used to mean to flow near, to flow by — as of a river; to glide away, to escape — as from the mind, i. e. to forget; and to glide along— as a thief does by stealth. See Robinson's Lex. The Syriac and Arabic translators have rendered it, that we men/ not fall. After all that has been said on the meaning of the word here (camp. Stu art in toe.), it seems to me that the true sense of the expression is that of flowing, or gliding by — as a river; and that the meaning here is, that wo should be very cautious that the im portant truths spoken by the Kedeemer and his apostles should not be suf fered to glide by us without attention, -or without profit. We should not allow them to be like a stream that glides on by us without benefiting us; that is, we should endeavour to se cure and retain them as our own. The truth taught is, that there is.great danger, now that the true sys tem of religion has been revealed, that it will not profit us, but that we shall lose all the be»efit of it. This danger j may arise from many sources — some j of which are the following: — (1.) We j may not feel that the truths revealed 1 are important— and before their im portance is felt, they may be beyond our reach. So we are often deceived in regard to the importance of objects — and before we perceive their value, they are irrecoverably gone. So it is often with time, and with the oppor tunities of obtaining an education, or of accomplishing any object which is of value. The opportunity is gene before we perceive its importance. So the young suffer the most import ant period of life to glide away be fore they perceive its value, and the opportunity of making much of their talents is lost because they did not embrace the suitable opportunities. (2.) By being engrossed in business. We feel that that is now the most im portant thing. That claims all our attention. We have no time to pray, to read the Bible, to think of religion, for the cares of the world engross a,ll the time — and the opportunities of salvation glide insensibly away, until1 it is too late. (3.) By being attract ed by the pleasures of life. We at tend to them now, and are drawn along from one to another, until reli gion is suffered to glide away with all its hopes and consolations, and we perceive too late, that we have let the opportunity of salvation slip for ever. Allured by those pleasures, the young neglect it; and new pleasures starting up in future life carry on the delusion, until every favourable op portunity for salvation has passed away. (4.) We suffer favourable op portunities to pass by without improv ing them. Youth is by far the best time, as it is the most appropriate time, to become a Christian — and yet how easy it is to allow that period to slip away without becoming interested in the Saviour! One day glides on after another, and one week, one month, one year passes away after another — like a gently-flowing stream — until all the precious time of youth has gone, and we are not Christians. So a revival of religion is a favourable time — and jet many sutler this to pass by without becoming interested in it. Others are converted, and the
2 For if the word spoken by j received a just recompense of reangels "• was steadfast, and b every j ward.
f rancrpraasinn find t\ isnViPmPnofi ' heavenly influences descend all around i u.'i. but "we arc unaffected, and the j season so full of happy and heavenly influences is gone — to return no more. (5.) We let the favourable season slip, because we design to attend to it at some future period of life. So youth defers it to manhood — manhood to old age — old age to a death-bed — and then neglects it— until the whole of life has glided away, and the soul is not saved. Paul knew man. He knew how prone he was to let the things of religion slip out of the mind — and hence the earnestness of his caution that we should give heed to the subject now — lest the opportunity j of salvation should soon glide away. When once passed, it can never be recalled. Learn hence ( 1.) the truths of religion will not benefit us un less we give heed to them. It wi'l not save us that the Lord. Jesus has come and spoken to men, unless we are disposed to listen. It will not benefit us that the sun shines, unless we open our eyes. Books will not benefit us, unless we read them; medi cine, unless we take it; nor will the fruits of the earth sustain our lives, however rich and abundant they may be, if we disregard and neglect them. So with the truths of religion. There is truth enough to save the world. — but the world disregards and despises it. (2.) It needs not great sins to destroy the soul. Simple neglect will do it as certainly as atrocious crimes. Every man has a sinful heart that will destroy him unless he makes an •effort to be saved; and it is not merely the great sinner, therefore, who is in danger. It is the man who negkcfs his soul — whether a moral or an im moral man— a daughter of amiableness, or a daughter of vanity and vice.
2. Far if the word spoken ly angels. The revelation in the Old Tes tament. It was indeed given by Je hovah, but it was the common opinion of the Hebrews that it was by tho ministry of angels. See Note? c:i Acts vii. 38. 53, and Gal. iii. 19,— where this point is fully consider;.';!. As Paul was discoursing here of tl:o superiority of the Redeemer to tho angels, it was to the point to refer to the fact that the law had been given by the ministry of angels. ^[ f'V'.v steadfast. Was firm — flefiaios — s°:-~ tied—established. It was not vacil lating and fluctuating. It determin ed what crime was, and it was frin in its punishment. It did not yield to circumstances; but if not obeyed in all respects, it denounced punish ment. The idea here is npt that every thing vrasfulfiHed, but it is, that the law so given could not be violated with impunity. It was not safe to violate it, but it took notice of the slightest failure to yield perfect obe dience to its demands, ^f And ei-cry transgression. Literally, going bcj yond, passing by. It means every! instance of disregarding the law. j *[ And disobedience. Every instance: of not hear ing \\\Q, law— r.-apaxor/— I;n(l j hence every instance of disobeying it. The word here stands opposite to | tearing it, or attending to it— and the sense of the whole is, that the slightest infraction of the law was sure to be punished. It made no pro- I vision for indulgence in sin; it de manded prompt, 'implicit, and entire obedience, *}\ Received a just recom pense of reward. Was strictly pun- I ished. Subjected to equal retribution. | This was the character of the law. i It threatened punishment for each and j every offence, and made no allowance i for transgression in any form. Coin p. I Num. xv. 30, 31.
3. How shall ice escape 9 Plow shall j we escape the just recompense due to | transgressors? What way is there we neglect so great salvation; whica a at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; of being saved from punishment, if we suffer the great salvation to be neglected, and do not embrace its of fers? The sense is, that there is no other way of salvation, and the neg lect of this will be followed by cer tain destruction. Why it will, the apostle proceeds to show, by stating that this plan of salvation was pro claimed first by the Lord himself, and had been confirmed by the most de cided and amazing miracles. *|[ If we neglect. It is not merely if we commit great sins. Not, if we are atheists, scoffers. It is, if we merely neglect this salvation — if we do not embrace it — if we suffer it to pass unimproved. — Neglect is enough to ruin a man. A man who is in busi ness need not commit forgery or rob bery, to ruin himself; he has only to neglect his business, and his ruin is certain. A man who is lying on a bed of sickness, need not cut his throat to destroy himself; he has only to neglect the means of restoration, and he will be ruined. A man float ing in a skiff above Niagara, need not move an oar or make an effort to destroy himself; he has only to neg lect using the oar at the proper time, and he will certainly be carried over the cataract. Most" of the calamities of life are caused by simple neglect.
By neglect of education children grow up in ignorance, by neglect a farm grows up to weeds and briars; by neglect a house goes to decay; by neglect of soAving, a man will have no harvest; by neglect of reaping, the harvest would rot in the fields. No worldly interest can prosper where there is neglect; and why may it not be so in religion? There is nothing in earthly affairs that is valuable that will not be ruined if it is not attended to — and why may it not be so with the concerns of the soul?
Let no one infer, therefore, that be cause he is not a drunkard, or an adulterer, or a murderer, that, there fore, he will be saved. Such an in ference would be as irrational as it would be for a man to infer that be cause he is not a murderer his farm will produce a harvest, or that be cause he is not an adulterer there fore his merchandise will take care 'of itself. Salvation would be worth nothing if it cost no effort — and there will be no salvation where no effort is put forth. ^[ So great sal vation. Salvation from sin and from hell. It is called great because (1.) its author is great. This is perhaps the main idea in this passage. It ' began to be spoken by the Lord;' it had for its author the Son of God. who is so much superior to the an gels; whom the angels were required to worship (ch. i. 6); who is expressly called God (ch. i. 8); who made all things, and who is eternal. Ch. i. 10 — 12. A system of salvation promul gated by him must be of infinite im portance, and have a claim to the attention of man. (2.) It is great be cause it saves from great sins. It is adapted to deliver from all sins, no matter how aggravated. No one is! saved who feels that his sins are small, or that they are of no conse quence. Each one sees his sins to be black and aggravated, and each one who enters heaven, will go there feeling and confessing that it is a great salvation which has brought such a sinner there. Besides, this salvation delivers from all sin — no matter how gross and aggravated. The adulterer, the murderer, the blasphemer, may come and be saved, and the salvation which redeems such sinners from eternal ruin /s great. (3.) It is great because it saves from great dangers. The dan-; gcr of an eternal hell besets the path of each one. All do not see it; and all will not believe it when told of it. But this danger hovers over the path of every mortal. The danger of an
4 God a also bearing them witness, both with signs and
eternal hell! Salvation from ever lasting btirnings! Deliverance from unending ruin! Surely that salvation must be great which shall save from such a doom! If that salvation is neglected, that danger still hangs over each and every man. The gospel did not create that danger — it came to deliver from it. Whether the gospel be true or false, each man is by nature exposed to eternal death — just as each one is exposed to temporal death whether the doctrine of the immor tality of the soul and of the resurrec tion be true or false. The gospel comes to provide a remedy for dan gers and woes — it does not create them; it comes to deliver men from great dangers— not to plunge them into them. Back of the gospel, and be fore it was preached at all, men were in danger of everlasting punishment, and that system which came to pro claim deliverance from such a danger, is great. (4.) The salvation itself is great in heaven. It exalts men to infi nite honours, and places on their heads an eternal crown. Heaven with all its glories is offered to us; and such a deliverance, and such an elevation to eternal honours, deserves to be called GREAT. If that is neg lected there is no other salvation; and man must be inevitably de stroyed. (5.) It is great because it was effected by inlinite displays of power, and wisdom, and love. It was procured by the incarnation and humiliation of the Son of God. It was accomplished amidst great suf ferings and self-denials. It was at tended with great miracles. The tempest was stilled, and the deaf were made to hear, and the blind to see, and the dead were raised, and the sun. was darkened, and the rocks were rent. The whole series of won ders connected with the incarnation and death of the Lord Jesus, was such as the world had not elsewhere seen, and such as was fitted to hold the race in mute admiration and astonishment. If this be so, then re ligion is no trifle. It is not a matter of little importance whether we em brace it or not. It is the most mo mentous of all the concerns that per tain to man; and has a claim on his attention which nothing else can have. Yet the mass of men live in the neglect of it. It is not that they are professedly Atheists, or Deists, or that they are immoral or profane; it is not that they oppose it, and ridi cule it, and despise it; it is that they simply neglect it. They pass it by. They attend to other things. They are busy with their pleasures, or in their counting-houses, in their work shops, or on their farms; they are engaged in politics, or in bookmaking, and they neglect religion NOW as a thing of small importance — proposing to attend to it hereafter, as if they acted on the principle that every thing else was to be attended to before religion. ^[ Which at the first. Gr. Which received the beginning of being spoken. The meaning is correctly expressed in our transla tion. Christ began to preach the gospel; the apostles followed him. John prepared the way; but the Sa viour was properly the first preacher of the gospel. *f Bij the Lord. I>y the Lord Jesus. See Notes on Acts i. 24. ^[ And was confirmed unto T/.V, &c. They who heard him preach, that is the apostles, were witnesses of what he said, and certified us of its truth. When the apostle here saj-s " us" he means the church at large. Christians -were assured of the truth of what the Lord Jesus spake by the testimony of the apostles; or the apostles communicated it to thoee who had not heard him in such a manner as to leave no room for doubt.
4. God also bearing them- witness. By miracles. Giving them the sanc tion of his authority, or showing that they were sent by him. No man can work a miracle by his own
racles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own
5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the
power. When the dead are raised, the deaf made to hear and the blind to see by a word, it is the power of God alone that does it. He thus be comes a witness to the divine ap pointment of him by whose instru mentality the miracle is wrought; or furnishes an attestation that what he says is true. See Notes on Acts xiv. 3. ^[ With signs and wonders. These words are usually connected in the New Testament. The word rendered signs — o-rjp,?iov — means any miraculous event that is fitted to show that what had been predicted by a prophet would certainly take j place. See Matt. xii. 38. Comp. Note on Isa. vii. 11. A wonder — repas — denotes a portent, or prodigy — something that is fitted to excite wonder or amazement — and hence a miracle. The words together re- j for to the various miracles which were performed by the Lord Jesus and his apostles, designed to con firm the truth of the Christian reli gion. ^[ And icith divers miracles, Various miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, &c. The mi racles were not of one class merely, but were various, so that all pretence of decention should be taken away. f And gifts ofthc Holy Ghost. Marg. Distributions. The various influen ces of the Holy Spirit.enabling them £0 speak different languages and to perform works beyond the power of man. See Notes on I. Cor. xii. 4 — 1 1. ^[ According to his will. As he j chose. He acted as a sovereign in this. He gave them where he pleased, and imparted them in such measure j as he chose. The sense of this whole i passage is, 'The gospel has been j promulgated to man in a solemn j manner. It was first published by! the Lord of glory himself. It wa"s j confirmed by the most impressive and I solemn miracles. It is undoubtedly I a revelation from heaven; was given in more solemn circumstances than the law of Moses, and its threatening* are more to be dreaded than those of the law. Eeware, therefore, how you trifle with it, or disregard it. It can not be neglected with safety; its neglect or rejection must be attendeJ with condemnation.
5. For unto the angels hat'i lie net put in subjection. In this verse the apostle returns to the subject winch he had been discussing in ch. i. — the superiority of the Messiah to the angels. From that subject he had been diverted (ch. ii. 1 — 4), by show ing them what must be the conse quences of defection from Christi anity, and the danger of neglecting it. Having shown that, he now proceeds with the discussion, and shows that an honour had been conferred on the Lord Jesus which had never been be stowed on the angels — to wit, the su premacy over this world. This he does by proving from the Old Tes tament that such a dominion was given to man (vs. 6 — 8), and that this dominion was in fact exercised by the Lord Jesus. Ver. 9. At the same time, he meets an objection which a Jew would be likely to make. It is, that Jesus appeared to be far inferior to the angel?. lie was a man of a humble condition. He was poor, and despised. JIe had none of the external honour which was shown to Moses — the founder of the Jewish economy; none of the apparent honour which belonged to angelic beings. This implied objec tion he removes by showing the rea son why he became so. It was proper, since he came to redeem man, that he should be a man, and not take on himself the nature of angels; and for the same reason it was proper that he should be sul jectcdto suflerings, and be made a man of sorrows. Vs.
6 But one in a certain place j that thou art mindful of him? testified, say ing, a What is man, j or the son of man, that thou » PS. s. 4. &c. visitcst him?
10 — 17. The remark of the apostle in the verse before us is, that God had never put the world in subjection to the angels as he had to the Lord Jesus. They had no jurisdiction over it; they were mere ministering spirits; but the world had been put under the dominion of the Lord Jesus. ^[ The world to come. The word here rendered world— oiKovpevr) — means properly the inhabited or inhabitable world. See Matt. xxiv. 14. Luke ii. 1; iv. 5; xxi. 26. (Gr.) Acts xi. 28; xvii. 6. 31; xix. 27; xxiv. 5. Bom. x. 18. Heb. i. 6. Rev. iii. 10; xii. 9; xvi. 14 — in all which places, but one, it is rendered world. It occurs nowhere else in the New Tes tament. The proper meaning is the world or earth considered as ha bitable — and here the jurisdiction refers to the control over man, or the dwellers on the earth. The phrase j 'the world to come,' occurs not unfrequently in the New Testament. Comp. Eph. ii. 7. I. Cor. x. 11. Heb. vi. 5. The same phrase ' the world to come,' — S2n sb ^—occurs often in the Jewish writings. According to Buxtorf (Lex. Ch. Talm. Eab.) it means, as some suppose, 'the world which is to exist after this world is destroyed, and after the resurrection of the clead, when souls shall be again united to their bodies.' By others it is supposed to mean ' the days of the Messiah when he shall reign on the earth.' To me it seems to be clear that the phrase here means, the world under the Messiah —the world, age, or dispensation which was to succeed the Jewish, and which was familiarly known to them as 'the world to come,' and the idea is, that that world, or age, was placed under the jurisdiction of the Christ, and not of the angels. This point the apostle proceeds to make out. Comp. Notes on Isa, ii. 2. ^T IVIiereof we speak, 'Of which I am vrnlfcgg? that is, of the Christian religion, or the reign of the Messiah.
G. Si/t one in a certain place testijjcd. The apostle was writing to those who were supposed to be fami liar with the Hebrew scriptures, and where it would be necessary only to make a reference in general without mentioning the name. The place which is quoted here is Ps. viii. 4 — 6. The argument of the apostle is this, that there stood in the sacred Scrip tures a declaration that 'all things were placed under the control and jurisdiction of MAN,' but that that had not yet been accomplished. It was not true (ver. 8) that all things were subject to him, and the complete truth of that declaration would be found only in the jurisdiction conferred on the Messiah — THE MAN by way of eminence — the incarnate Son of God. It would not occur to any one pro bably in reading the Psalm that the verse here quoted had any reference to the Messiah. It seems to relate to the dominion which God had given man over his works in this lower world, or to the fact that he was made lord over all things. That do minion is apparent to a considerable extent, everywhere, and is a standing proof of the truth of what is recorded in Gen. i. 26, that God originally gave dominion to man over the crea tures on earth, since it is only by this supposition that it can be ac counted for that the horse, and the elephant, and the ox, and even the panther and the lion, are subject to the control of man. The argument of Paul seems to be this. ' Originally this control was given to man. It was absokite and entire. All things were subject to him, and all obeyed. Man was made a little lower than the angels, and was the undisputed lord of this lower world. He was in a state of innocence. But he rebelled, and this dominion has been in some measure lost. It is found complete only in the second man the Lord from heaven (I. Cor. xv. 47.), the Lord Jesus to whom this control is absolutely given. lie comes up to the complete idea of man— man as he was in in nocence, and man as he was described by the Psalmist, as having been made a little lower than the angels, and having entire dominion over the worlJ.' Much difficulty has been felt by commentators in regard to this passage, and to the principle on j which it is quoted. The above seems j to me to be that which is most pro- | bably true. There are two other methods by Avhich an attempt has been made to explain it. One is, that Paul uses the words here by way of allusion or accommodation (Doddridge), as words that will express his meaning, without designing to say that the Psalm originally had any reference to the Messiah. Most of the later commentators accord Avith! this opinion. The other opinion is, j that David originally referred to the Messiah— that he Avas deeply and j gratefully affected in A^iew of the ho nour that God had conferred on him; and that in looking doAvn by faith on the posterity that God had promised him (see II. Sam. vii. 14), he saAv one among his own descendants to whom God Avould give this Avide do minion, and expresses himself in the elevated language of praise. This j opinion is defended by Prof. Stuart. See his Com. on the Hebrews, Ex cursus IX. *j[ H'hat is man, £c. 'What is there in man that entitles him tc so much notice? Why has God conferred on him so signal ho nours? Why has he placed him over the Avorks of his hands? He seems so insignificant; his life is so much like a vapour; he so soon disappears, that the question may Avell be asked why this extraordinary dominion is given him? lie is so sinful also, and so umvorthy; so much unlike God, and so passionate and revenge ful; is so prone to abuse his domi nion, that it may Avell be askecl Avhy God has given it to him? Who would suppose that God Avould give such a dominion over his creatures to one Avho Avas so prone to abuse it as man has shoAvn himself to be? He is so feeble, also, compare 1 with other creatures — even of tho.-e which are made subject to him— that the question may Avell be asked Avhy God has conceded it to him? Such ques tions may be asked when AVC contem plate man as he is. 13ut similar ques tions may be asked, if, as was pro bably the case, the Psalm here be supposed to have had re'erence to man as he was- crcaldl. Why Avas one so fe.'ble, and so cjmpaiM lively Avithout strength, placed over this loAver world, and the earth made sub ject to his control? Why is it that Avhen the heavens are so vast and glorious (Ps. viii. 3), God has taken such notice of man? Of what consequence can he. be amidst Avorks so wonderful? ' When I look on the heavens and survey their great n es.s and their gloiy,' is the sentiment of David, 'why is it that man lias at tracted so much notice, and that lie has not been AV holly overlooked in the vastness of the Avorks of the Al mighty? Why is it that instead of this he has been exalted to so much dignity and honour?' This question, thus considered, strikes us Avith more force noAv than it could have struck David. Let any one sit down and contemplate the heavens as they are disclosed by the discoveries of modern astronomy, and he may Avell ask the question, ' What is man that he should have attracted the attention of God, and been the object of so much care?' The same question would not have been inappropriate to David if the Psalm be supposed to have had refer ence originally to the Messiah, and if he Avas speaking of himself particu larly as the ancestor of the Messiah. 4 What is man; what am I; what can any of my descendants be, Avho must be of mortal frame, that this dominion should begiArenhim? Why should any one of a race so feeble, so ignorant, so imperfect, be exalted to such honour?' We may ask the question hero, and it mar be asked
7 Thou madest him l a little lower than the angels; thou
crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: in heaven with pertinency and with power, ' Why was man so honoured as to be united to the Godhead? Why did the Deity appear in the human form? What was there in man that should entitle him to this honour of being united to the Divi nity, and of being thus exalted above the angels?' The wonder is not yet solved; and we may well suppose that the angelic ranks look with amazement — but without envy — on the fact that man, by his union with the Deity in the person of the Lord Jesus, has been raised above them in rank and in glory. ^[ Or the son of man. This phrase means the same as man, and is used merely to give variety to the mode of expression. Such a change or variety in words and phrases, when the same thing is intended, occurs constantly in He brew poetry. The name ' son of man' is often given to Christ to denote his intimate connexion with our race, and the interest which he felt in TIS, and is the common term which the Saviour uses when speaking of him self. Here it means man, and may be applied to human nature every where — and therefore to human na ture in the person of the Messiah. ^ That thnu visitest him. That thou shouldst regard him, or treat him with so much honour. Why is he the object of so much interest to the divine mind?
7. Thou madest him a little lower than the an gals. Marg. A little while inferior to. The Greek may here mean a little inferior in rank, or in ferior for a little time. But the pro bable meaning is, that it refers to inferiority of rank. Such is its ob vious sense in Psalm viii., from which this is quoted. The meaning is, that God had made man but little inferior to the angels in rank. He was infe rior, but still God had exalted him almost to their rank. Feeble, and