_ As such the apostle here makes mention of them, and the Scrip- ture signally in sundry places takes notice of it. This account he gives of himself, Rev. i. 18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.” The state of infirmity and weakness, wherein he was obnoxious unto death, is now past; he now liyesfor evermore. “ Henceforth he dieth no more, death hath no more power over him;” nor any thing else that can reach the least trouble unto him. With his death ended the days of his flesh. His revival, or return unto life, was into absolute, eternal, unchange- able glory. And this advancement is expressed by his “ sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on high;” which we have before de- clared. He is therefore now no more, on any account, obnoxious, —1l. Unto the law, the sentence, or curse of it. As he was “made _ of a woman,” he was “ made under the law;” and so he continued all the days of his flesh. Therein did he fulfil all the righteousness it required, and answered the whole penalty for sin that it exacted.
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514 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. V.
But with the days of his flesh ended the right of the law towards him, either as to require obedience of him or exact suffering from him: hence, a little before his expiration on the cross, he said con- cerning it, “It is finished.” And hereon doth our freedom from the curse of the law depend. The law can claim no more dominion over a believer than it can over Christ himself. He lives now out of the reach of all the power of the law, to plead his own obedience unto it, satisfaction of it, and triumph over it, in the behalf of them that believe on him. Nor, 2. Unto temptations. These were his constant attendants and companions during the days of his flesh. What they were, and of what sorts, we have in part before discoursed, He is now freed from them and above them; yet not so but that they have left a compassionate sense upon his holy. soul of the straits and distresses which his disciples and servants are daily brought into by them,—which is the spring and foundation of the relief he communi- cates unto them. Nor, 3. Unto troubles, persecutions, or sufferings of anykind. He is not so in his own person. He is far above, out of the reach of all his enemies ;—above them in power, in glory, in autho- rity andrule. There is none of them but he can crush at his pleasure, and “ dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” He is, indeed, still hated as much as ever, maligned as much as in the days of his flesh, and exposed unto the utmost power of hell and the world in all his concerns on the earth. But he Jaughs all his enemies to scorn, he hath them in derision ; and, in the midst of their wise counsels and mighty designs, disposes of them and all their undertakings unto his ends and purposes, not their own. He is pleased, indeed, as yet, to suffer and to be persecuted in his saints and servants; but that is from a gracious condescension, by virtue of a spiritual union, not from any necessity of state or condition, And some may hence learn how to fear him, as others may and do to put their trust in him.
Obs. IV. The Lord Christ filled up every season with duty, with the proper. duty of it. ;
The days of his flesh were the only season wherein he could “offer” to God; and he missed it not, he did so accordingly. Some would not have Christ offer himself until he came to heaven. But then the season of offering was past. Christ was to use no strong cries, and tears in heaven, which yet were necessary concomitants of his oblation, It is true, in his glorified state, he continually represents in heaven the offering that he made of himself on the earth, in an effectual application of it unto the advantage of the elect; but the offering itself was in the days of his flesh. This was the only sea- son for that duty; for therein only was he meet unto this work, and had provision for it. Then was his body capable of pain, his soul, of sorrow, his nature of dissolution; all which were necessary unto this duty. Then was he in a condition wherein faith, and trust,
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VER. 7.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 515
and prayers, and tears, were as necessary unto himself as unto his offering. This was his season, and he missed it not. Neither did he so on any other occasion during the days of his flesh, especially those of his public ministry; wherein we ought to make him our example. Obs. V. The Lord Christ, in his offering up himself for us, laboured and travailed in soul to bring the work unto a good and holy issue. A hard labour it was, and as such it is here expressed. He went through it with fears, sorrows, tears, outcries, prayers, and humble supplications. This is called iv’52 mY ,—the pressing, wearying, labo- rious “ travail of his soul,” Isa. lili, 11. He laboured, was straitened and pained, to bring forth this glorious birth, And we may take a little prospect of this travail of the soul of Christ as it is represented unto us. 1. All the holy, natural affections of his soul were filled, taken up, and extended to the utmost capacity, in acting and suffer- ing. The travail of our souls lies much in the engagement and act- ings of our affections. Who is there who hath been acquainted with great fears, great sorrows, great desires, great and ardent love, who knows it not? All and every one of these had now their sails filled in Christ, and that about the highest, noblest, and most glorious ob- jects that they are capable of. The sorrows of his holy mother, Luke ii. 35; the danger of his disciples, Zech. xiii. 7; the scandal of the cross, the shame of his suffering, Heb. xii. 2; the ruin of his people according to the flesh for their sin, Luke xxiii, 28-30; with sundry other the like objects and considerations, filled and exercised all his natural affections. This put his soul into travail, and had an influ- ence into the conflict wherein he was engaged. 2. All ‘his graces, the gracious qualifications of his mind and affections, were in a like manner in the height of their exercise. Both those whose imme- diate object was God himself, and those which respected the church, were all of them excited, drawn forth, and engaged: as,—(1.) Faith and trust in God. These himself expresseth in his greatest trial, as those which he betook himself unto, Isa. 1. 7, 8; Ps. xxii. 9,10; Heb. ii. 18. These graces in him were now tried to the utmost. All their strength, all their efficacy, was exercised and proved; for he was to give in them an instance of an excellency in faith, rising up above the instance of the provocation that was in the unbelief of our first parents, whereby they fell off from God. There is no object about which faith can be éxercised, no duty which it worketh in and by, but what it was now applied unto, and in, by Jesus Christ. (2.) Love to mankind. As this in his divine nature was the peculiar spring of that infinite condescension whereby he took our nature on im, for the work of mediation, Phil. ii. 6-8; so it wrought mightily and effectually in his human nature, in the whole course of his obe- dience, but especially in the offering of himself unto God for us.