VoL, XX. 23
354 AN EXPOSITION OF THE ee (o:0.0 btn
they had seen with their eyes, or had been otherwise taught concern- ing his low estate and humiliation: ‘ These things,’ saith he, ‘we see, —they are evident unto us, nor can be denied whilst the gospel is acknowledged.’ Now this confession, on the evidences mentioned, he applies to both parts of the testimony.
[1.] Saith he, “ We see that for a little while he was made lower than the angels,” or brought into a state and condition of more exi- gency and want than they are or can be exposed unto, And hereby he evidently declares that those words in the psalm do not belong unto the dignity of man spoken of, as if he had said, ‘ He is so ex- cellent that he is but little beneath angels;’ for as he ascribes unto him a dignity far above all angels, inasmuch as all things without exception are put under his feet, so he plainly declares that these words belong to the depression and minoration of Jesus, in that he was so humbled that he might die. And therefore he proceeds to show how that part of the testimony concerned his present purpose, not as directly proving what he had proposed to confirmation con- cerning his dignity, but as evidently designing the person that the whole belonged unto. As also, he takes occasion from hence to enter upon the exposition of another part of Christ’s mediation, as pro- phesied of in this place; for though he was so lessened, yet it was not on his own account, but that “by the grace of God he might taste death for every man.”
[2.] For the other part of the testimony, ‘We see,’ saith he, upon the evidences mentioned, ‘that he is “crowned with glory and honour,” and consequently that “all things are put under his feet.”’ So that the whole testimony, in both parts of it, is verified in him, and in him alone. And hereby he fully evinceth what he had before proposed unto confirmation, namely, the pre-eminence of Jesus, the Messiah, above the angels, or principal administrators of the law, in this especial instance, that “the world to come” was put into subjection unto him, and not unto them, And therefore in the state of the church intended in that expression are his teach- ings, his doctrines, his worship, diligently to be attended unto, by all those who desire to be partakers of the promises and good things thereof.
(2.) There seems to be a obyxvors in the words, by a trans- position of some expressions from their proper place and coherence, which must be removed: Tiv d: Bpayd v1 wup’ ayyérous irarrapmévov Basromer "Inoodty, die rd rcdnue rod Savdrou, d6&y nal rimm eorepevamevorr drug yepirs Osod iatp ravrog yelonrar Javérov. Some would have these words, riv Bpaxt v1 jrarrauévor, to belong to the subject of the pro- position, whose predicate alone is, “crowned with glory and honour,” whereof the suffering of death is inserted as the meritorious cause: 80 reading the words to this purpose, “ We see that Jesus, who was
VER. 5-9. ] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 355
for a little while made lower than the angels, for his suffering of death is crowned with glory and honour.’ Others would have Jesus alone to be the subject of the proposition; of whose predicate there are two parts, or two things are affirmed concerning him,— first, that he was “made lower than the angels,” the reason whereof is added, namely, “that he might suffer death,’ which is further explained in the close of the verse by the addition of the cause and end of that his suffering, “that by the grace of God he might taste death for every man:” so reading the words to this purpose, “ We see Jesus, made lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned” (or, “and crowned”) “with glory and honour.” The dif- ficulty principally consists in this only, namely, whether the apostle by di: +) rdbnwa rod Savérov, “for the suffering of death,” intend the final end of the humiliation of Christ,—‘he was made low that he might suffer death; or the meritorious cause of his exaltation,— ‘for,’ or ‘ because he suffered death, he was crowned with glory and honour.’ And the former seems evidently the intention of the words, according to the latter resolution of them, and our application of the testimony foregoing. For,—[1.] If the cause and means of the exaltation of Christ had been intended, it would have been ex- pressed by Asa rod radjuaros rod Javdrov, dé requiring a genitive case, where the cause or means of any thing is intended; but Ard +d aébnua expresseth the end of what was before affirmed. [2.] These words, “ For the suffering of death,’ must express either the minora- tion and humiliation of Christ, or the end of it. If they express the end of it, then we obtain that which is pleaded for,—he was made less that he might suffer. If they express his minoration it- lf, then the end of it is contained only in the close of the verse, “That he might taste death for every man;” in which exposition of the words the sense would be, that ‘he suffered death, that by the grace of God he might taste death,—which is no sense at all. [8.] If these words denote only the means or meritorious cause of the exaltation of Christ, I inquire what is the medium intended of that end in the close," Orw; ydpir1, “That he by the grace of God might taste death?” The word érws, “that so,” plainly refers unto some preparatory means preceding, which in this way can be no- thing but the crowning him with glory and honour, which we know was not the means, but the effect of it. He was humbled, not exalted, that he might taste of death. [4.] The apostle doth not merely take it for granted that Jesus was for a little while made — lower than the angels, but asserts it as proved in the testimony in- sisted on; whereunto he subjoins the end of that his comparative minoration, because he intended it as the especial subject of his ensuing discourse. This, therefore, is the importance and natural order of the words, “ But we see Jesus crowned with glory and