This is that which the apostle partly asserts, partly takes for granted, as the head and spring of his whole ensuing discourse. And this shall now be a little further cleared and confirmed; to which end we may observe,—
1. That the whole mystery of his will, antecedently to the reve- lation of it, is said to be hid in God; that is, the Father, Eph. iii. 9. It lay wrapped up from the eyes of men and angels, in his eternal wisdom and counsel, Col. i. 26, 27. The Son, indeed, who is, and from eternity was, “in the bosom of the Father,” John i. 18, “as one brought up with him,” his eternal delight and Wisdom, Prov. viii. 29, 30, was partaker with him in this counsel, verse 81; as also his eternal Spirit, who searches and knows all “ the deep things of God,” 1 Cor. ii 10,11. But yet the rise and spring of this mystery
VER. 1, 2.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 35
was in the Father; for the order of acting in the blessed Trinity follows the order of subsistence. As the Father, therefore, is the fountain of the Trinity as to subsistence, so also as to operation. He “hath life in himself;” and “he giveth to the Son to have life in him- self,” John y. 26. And he doth it by communicating unto him his subsistence by eternal generation. And thence saith the Son, “ As my Father worketh, so I work,” verse 17. And what he seeth the Father do, that doeth the Son likewise, verse 19; not by imitation, or repetition of the like works, but in the same works in order of nature the will and Wisdom of the Father doth proceed. So also is it in respect of the Holy Ghost, whose order of subsistence denotes that of his operation.
2. That the revelation of the mystery of the will of God, so hidden in the counsel of his will from eternity, was always made and given out in the pursuit and for the accomplishment of the purpose of the Father, or that eternal purpose of the will of God which is by the way of eminency ascribed unto the Father: Eph. i. 8, 9, “He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good: plea- sure which he hath purposed in himself,” It is the Father of whom he speaks: Verse 3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now, he abounds to us-ward in wisdom and pru- dence, or abundantly manifests his infinite wisdom in his dealing with us, by the revelation of the mystery of his will, And this he doth in pursuit of “his good pleasure which he purposed in himself,” or that purpose of his will which had its foundation solely in his
good pleasure. This is the purpose of election, as is declared, verses 3-5; and this purpose is peculiarly assigned unto him, John xvii, 6; 2 Thess. ii. 13. For the accomplishment of this purpose, or the bringing of those predestinated thereby to the end purposed for them by the means ordained, for the praise of God’s glorious grace, is the whole revelation of the will of God, first and last, made, He
_ spake in his Son, and he spake in him that he might manifest his
- name (himself and will) to the men whom he gave him; for saith
the Son, “ Thine they were” (‘set apart for thee in thine eternal
purpose’), “and thou gavest them me,” John xvii. 6, And there- fore Paul tells us, that in preaching of the gospel he “endured all things for the elect’s sakes,” 2 Tim. ii, 10; knowing that it was for their salvation that the mystery of it was revealed from the bosom
of the Father, as God also had before taught him, Acts xviii. 10. See Rom. xi. 7, viii. 28, ete.
3. This purpose of God being communicated with and unto the Lord Christ, or the Son, and so becoming “the counsel of peace be- ' tween them both,” Zech, vi. 13, he rejoicing to do the work that was incumbent on him for the accomplishment of it, Prov, vili. 30, 31,
36 ‘AN EXPOSITION OF THE [ CHAP. I.
Ps. xl. 7,'8, it ‘became peculiarly the -eare and work of the Father to see that the inheritance promised him upon his undertaking, Isa. lili. 10-12, should be given unto him. This is done by the revelation of the will of God unto men concerning their obedience and salvation; whereby they are made the lot, the seed, the portion and inheritance of Christ. To this end doth the Lord, that is the Father, who said unto the Lord the Son, “Sit thou at my right hand,” Ps. cx. 1, “send the rod of his strength out of Zion,” verse 2; and that by it to declare his rule-even over his enemies, and to make his people, those given unto him, willing and obedient, verse 3. The inheritance given by the Father unto Christ being wholly in the possession of another, it became him to take it out of the usur- per’s hand, and deliver it up to him whose right it was; and this he did and doth by the revelation of his mind in the preaching of the word, Eph. i. 12, 13. And from these considerations it is that,—