VER. 1, 2.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS, 505
God, in the Revelation, was of so great concernment that “no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth,” that is, no crea- ture, “was able to open it, or look thereon,” Rev. v. 3, until the Lamb himself undertook it, verses 6-8, how much less was any creature meet or worthy to open the eternal secret counsels of the bosom of the Father, concerning the whole work of his love and grace, but the Son only! The grace of this message was too great for sinners to receive, without the immediate attestation of the Son of God.
2. There is a greatness in the work itself that is incumbent on the apostle of God, which required that the Son of God should be engaged therein; for, (1.) As the ambassador or apostle of the Father, he was perfectly to represent the person of the Father unto us. This an ambassador is to do; he bears and represents the per- son of him by whom he is sent. And no king can more dishonour himself than by sending a person in that employment who, by reason of any defect, shall be unmeet so to do. God had, as was said, sent other messengers unto the children of men; but they were all but envoys of heaven, “anteambulones,”’—some that ran. before as particular messengers, to give notice of the coming of this great apostle or ambassador of God. But themselves were not to represent his person, nor could so do. See Mal. iii, 1. Indeed he once, in a particular business, made Moses his especial legate, to re- present him to Pharaoh; and therefore he says to him, DYN yan rine) , Exod, vii. 1,—that is, “instead of God,” ‘one that may repre- sent me in my terror and severity unto him:’ but this was in one particular case and business. But who could fully represent the person of the Father unto sinners in this great matter? None, cer- tainly, but he who is in himself “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,” Heb. i. 3; and so represents unto us the holiness, the goodness, the grace, the love of the Father, by whom he was sent. Hence he tells his disciples that he who hath seen him hath seen the Father, John xiv. 9; and that because he is so in the Father, and the Father in him, that he represents him fully unto us, verse 10. He is “the image of the invisible God,” Col. i. 15; that is, the Father, who in his own person dwells in light, whereunto no creature can approach, hath exhibited and expressed the glorious properties of his nature unto us in the person of his Son, as our apostle expresseth it, 2 Cor. iv. 4. None, then, was fit to be this great apostle but he, for he only could fully represent the Father unto us. Any creature else undertaking this work would, or might, have led us into false notions and apprehensions of God. And the great wisdom of faith consists in teaching us to learn the Father, his nature and will, his holiness and grace, in the person of the Son incarnate, as his apostle and ambassador unto us; for beholding his glory, “ the glory of the only-begotten Son of God, full of grace and
506 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. III.
truth,” we behold the glory of his Father also. So he and the Father are one.
(2.) The greatness of the work requires that he who undertakes it be intimately acquainted with all the secret counsels of God that lay hid in his infinite wisdom and will from all eternity. None else could undertake to be God’s apostle in this matter. But who must this be? It is true that God was pleased to reveal sundry particu- lar things, effects of his counsels, unto his servants the prophets; but yet it is concerning them that the Holy Ghost speaks, John i. 18, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” The best of them had but a partial acquaintance with God. Moses saw but a glimpse of his back parts in his passage before him; that is, had but a dark and obscure revelation of his mind and will,—sufficient for his work and employment. This will not suffice him who is to manage the whole treaty between God and sinners. Who, then, shall do it? “The only-begotten Son, who isin the bosom of the Father.” “In his bosom;” that is, not only in his especial love, but who is par- taker of his most intimate and secret counsels. This the design of the place requires to be the meaning of it: for so it follows, “ He hath declared him ;”’—‘ He hath revealed him; he hath made him known, in his nature, his name, his will, his grace; he hath exhi- bited him to be seen by faith: for he only is able so to do, as being in his bosom; that is, acquainted with his nature, and partaker of his most intimate counsels.” Without this none could in this matter be God’s apostle; for the work is such as wherein God will reveal and make known, not this or that portion of his will, but himself, and all the eternal counsels of his mind, about all that he will have to do with sinners in this world, and the whole glory which he aims at therein to eternity. This knowledge of God and his counsels no creature was capable of. The Son alone thus knows the Father and his mind, If it were otherwise,—if our apostle did not know the whole counsel of God in this matter, all that is in his heart and mind,—it is impossible but that in this great concern sinners would have been left under endless fears and doubts, lest some things might yet remain, and be reserved in the unsearchable abyss of the divine understanding and will, that might frustrate all their hopes and ex- pectations. Their sin, and guilt, and worthlessness, would still sug- gest such thoughts and fears unto them. But in this embassy of