356 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. II.
honour, who was for a little while made lower than the angels for the suffering of death, that he by the grace of God might taste death for every man.” And the only reason of the transposition of the words consisteth in the apostle’s following the order of the things testified unto by the psalmist, first his humiliation, then his exalta~ tion; and yet connecting that which he would next treat of unto that which was first laid down, passing by the other as now suffi- ciently confirmed.
(3.) The general design of the words and their order being cleared, we shall open them in particular, seeing that besides the application of the testimony of the psalmist unto the Lord Jesus now vindicated, there is an assertion in them containing that which of all other things was of most difficult acceptation with the Jews, upon the account whereof the apostle confirms it with many reasons in the verses following, to the end of this chapter. And, indeed, we have here the sum of the gospel and the doctrine of it, concern- ing the person and office of the Messiah, asserted and vindicated from the prejudicate opinions of many of the Jews, under these two heads:—[1.] That the salvation and deliverance that God had pro- mised and intended to accomplish by the Messiah was spiretual and eternal, from sin, death, Satan, and hell, ending in everlasting glory; not temporal and carnal, with respect unto the world and the con- comitants of it in this life, as they vainly imagined. [2.] That this salvation could be no otherwise wrought nor brought about but by the incarnation, suffering, and death of the Messiah; not in especial by arms, war, and mighty power, as the people were of old led into Canaan under the conduct of Joshua, the captain of that salvation, and as some of them expected yet to be saved and delivered by the Messiah. Now, the apostle strengthening his discourse by multi- plicity of reasons and arguments, he doth not only in these words apply his testimony to what he had before proposed unto confirma~ tion, namely, the subjection of the world to come unto Christ, but also lays in it the springs of those two other principles which we have mentioned, and whose proof and confirmation in the next verses he pursues.
Sundry things, as we have partly seen, are contained in the words; as, [1.] the exinanition and humiliation of Christ: ‘We see Jesus for a little while made lower, and brought into a more indigent condi- tion, than the angels are, or ever were, obnoxious unto.” [2.] The general end of that exinanition and depression of Jesus; it was that he might “suffer death.” [3.] His exaltation unto power and authority over all things, in particular the world to come: “crowned with glory and honour.” [4.] A numerous amplification subjoined of the end of his depression and the death that it tended unto;—Isé¢. From the cause of it,—the “grace of God;” 2dly. The natwre of it,—he was
VER. 5-9. | EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 357
to “taste of death;” 3dly. The end of it,—it was for others; and, Athly. Its extent,—for all: “That he by the grace of God might taste death for all.”
[1.] Ta 62. Aé for dAAc, an adversative, intimating the introduc- tion of one singular person in opposition to him or them spoken of in the end of the foregoing verse, “ We see not yet all things put under his feet” (which some, against the whole context, apply unto Christ), “but we see Jesus.” Had the same person been spoken of in both verses, the expression would have been, airty 62, “but we see him;” but a new antecedent being here introduced, “ but we see Jesus,” another person is substituted as the subject spoken of; as the Syriac version declares, “ We see him, that it is Jesus,”
How and in what sense he was made lower than the angels hath been declared in opening the words as they lie in the zpédeors, com- prised in that testimony of the psalmist. Only it may be inquired whether this exinanition of Christ, or minoration in respect of angels, did consist merely in his incarnation and participation of human nature, which in general is esteemed beneath angelical, or in the misery and anxiety which in that nature he conflicted withal. And the apostle seems not absolutely to intend the former,—1s¢. Because he speaks of “Jesus” as the subject of this minoration. Now that name denotes the Son of God as incarnate, who is supposed so to be when he is said to be made less than the angels. 2dly. Because the human nature, in the very instant of its union unto the person of the Son of God, was absolutely advanced above the angelical, and might have immediately been possessed of glory if other works in it had not been to be performed. And yet neither doth it intend the low condition wherein he was placed exclusively to his incarnation, though that be afterwards (verse 14) particularly spoken unto, but his being incarnate and brought forth, and in that condition wherein he was exposed to suffering, and so consequently to death itself. And thus was he made less than angels in part in that nature which he assumed. He was obnoxious unto all the infirmities which at- tend it, as hunger, thirst, weariness, pain, sorrow, grief; and exposed unto all the miseries from without that any person partaker of that nature is obnoxious unto; and, in sum, death itself: from all which miseries angels are excepted. This we see, know, and grant to have been the state and condition of Jesus.