3. There is in these words intimated the principal means that God fixed on for the accomplishment of this design of his, for the bringing of many sons unto glory; it was by appointing a “captain of their salvation.” The Jews generally granted that the Messiah was to be the captain of their salvation; but misunderstanding that salvation, they also mistook the whole nature of his office. The apostle doth here evidently compare him unto Joshua, the captain and leader of the people into Canaan (as he had before preferred him above the angels, by whose ministry the law was given unto the people in the wilderness), which was a type of their salvation, as he further declares, chap. iv. All the sons of God are put under his conduct and guidance, as the people of old were put under the rule of Joshua, to bring them unto the glory designed for them, and promised unto them in the covenant made with Abraham, And he is called their dpynyés, “prince,” “ruler,” and “captain,” or “author” of their salvation, on several accounts:—(1.) Of his authority and right to rule over them in order unto their salvation. So he ap- peared unto Joshua as M77 NIYTW, Josh. v. 14, “The captain of the Lorp’s host;” intimating thus that there was another captain and other work to do than what Joshua had then in hand,—the general of all the people of God, as Joab was to Israel, S237. (2.) Of his actual leading and conduct of them, by his example, Spirit, and grace, — through all the difficulties of their warfare. So he was promised as _. 12, Isa. lv. 4, “ princeps,” “dux,” ‘antecessor,” &pynyés,—“a leader and commander of the people,” one that goes before them for their direction and guidance, giving them an example in his own person
VER. 10.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 388
of doing and suffering the will of God, and so entering into glory. So he is their wpédpoz0s, Heb. vi. 20, “antecessor,” “ forerunner;” or, as Daniel calls him, 72 12, Dan. ix. 25, “ Messiah the prince,” or “guide.” (3.) As he is unto them airig owrnpiag aiaviov, as Heb. v. 9, “the author” (or “cause”) “of eternal salvation ;” he procured and purchased it for them. So that the expression denotes both his acquisition of salvation itself, and his conduct or leading of the people of God unto the enjoyment of it. And the Holy Ghost hereby also intimates, that the way whereby God will bring the sons unto glory is full of difficulties, perplexities, and oppositions, as that of the Israelites into Canaan was also; so that they have need of a captain, leader, and guide, to carry them through it. But yet all is rendered safe and secure unto them, through the power, grace, and faithfulness of their leader. They only perish in the wilderness and die in their sins, who, either out of love unto the flesh-pots of Egypt, the pleasures of this world, or being terrified with the hardships of the warfare which he calls them unto, refuse to go up under his command.
4, There is expressed in the words the especial way whereby God fitted or designed the Lord Christ unto this office, of being a captain of salvation unto the sons to be brought unto glory. To understand this aright, we must observe that the apostle speaks not here of the redemption of the elect absolutely, but of the bringing them to glory, when they are made sons in an especial manner. And therefore he treats not absolutely of the designation, consecration, or fitting of the Lord Christ unto his office of mediator in general, but as unto that part, and the execution of it, which espe- cially concerns the leading of the sons untolory, as Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan. This will give us light into what act of God towards the Lord Christ is intended in this expression, reAsidous adrdy di rabyudrwv. And sundry are here pleaded by expositors, not without some probability; as,—(1.) Some think that his bringing him to glory is intended: it became him reAsidéieou, to bring him to glory, by and through sufferings, so to perfect him. But besides that the word is nowhere so used, nor hath any such signification, the apostle doth not declare what God intended to bring him unto, but by what in and about him he intended to bring many sons to glory. (2.) Some would have it to denote the finishing of God’s work about him; whence in his sufferings on the cross he said Teré- Aeoras, “It is finished,” John xix. 30. This answers, indeed, the sense of the word reAéw, used in that place by our Saviour, but not of rsdet6w, the word here used by the apostle, which never signifies to end or finish, or to perfect by bringing unto anend. (3.) Some think God made the Lord Christ perfect by sufferings, in that he gave him thereby a full sense and experience of the condition of his people,
TerAciaous.
384 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. II.
whence he is said to “learn obedience by the things which he suffered,” Heb. v. 8. And this is true, God did so; but it is not formally and directly expressed by this word, which is never used unto that pur- pose. This is rather a consequent of the act here intended than the act itself. T:As:doas, then, in this place signifies to “consecrate,” “ de- dicate,” to “ sanctify” unto an office, or some especial part or act of an office. This is the proper meaning of the word. TAy are “ mys- teries;” and reAera/, “ sacred acts and offices;” rereAsouévor are those who are initiated and consecrated unto sacred offices or employ- ments. See Exod. xxix. 33, 35, im the LXX. Hence the ancients called baptism reAc;wrfs, or consecration unto the sacred service of Christ. And é&yiéZw, the word next insisted on by our apostle, is so used by Christ himself, John xvii. 19: ‘Yap adrév tye ayidla guauréy— For their sakes I sanctify” (that is, “ dedicate, consecrate, separate”) “ myself” to be a sacrifice. And his blood is said to be that 2 § yyidéo0dn, Heb. x. 29, “wherewith he was so consecrated.” Nor is this word used in any other sense in this whole epistle, wherein it is often used, when applied unto Christ. See chap. v. 9, vii. 28. And this was the use of the word among the heathen, sig- nifying the initiation and consecration of a man into the mysteries of their religion, to be a leader unto others. And among some of them it was performed, through the instigation of the devil, by great sufferings: Oux dv sig Midpay duvgouiro rig rercodjvor ef ah Oi rive Badu rapsrday rav xokacwar, dsiEn saurdy doior xal deradH, saith Gregory Nazianzen, Orat. cont. Jul. i.;—“ No man could be consecrated unto the mysteries of Mithra” (the sun) “unless he proved himself holy, and as it were inviolable, by passing through many degrees of pun- ishments and trials”’ Thus it became God to dedicate and conse- crate the Lord Christ unto this part of his office by his own suffer- ings. He consecrated Aaron to be priest of old, but by the hands. of Moses, and he was set apart to his office by the sacrifice of other things. But the Lord Christ must be consecrated by his own suf- ferings and the sacrifice of himself. And thence it is that those very sufferings which, as antecedaneous unto his being a captain of salva- tion, to this end that he might lead the sons unto glory, are the means of his dedication or consecration, are in themselves a great part of that means whereby he procures salvation for them. By all the sufferings, then, of the Lord Christ in his life and death,—by which sufferings he wrought out the salvation of the elect,—did God. consecrate and dedicate him to be a prince, a leader, and captain of salvation unto his people; as Peter declares the whole matter, Acts v. 30, 31, and chap. i. 86. And from these things last mentioned, of the Lord Christ being the captain of our salvation, and being dedicated unto that office by his own sufferings, it appeareth,—