2. Concerning this obedience, it is said that. tuaés, he “ learned” it. Maviévw is to learn as a disciple, with a humble, will- a ing subjection unto, and a ready reception of the instruc- ¢ tions given. But of the Lord Christ it is said here, “he learned
524. AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. Vv.
obedience,” not that he learned to obey; which will give us light into the meaning of the whole. For, to learn obedience may have’ a threefold sense:—(1.) To learn it materially, by coming to know that to be our duty, to be required of us, which before we knew not, or at least did not consider as we ought. So speaks the psalmist, “ Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I learned thy commandments.” God by his chastisements, and under them, ’ taught him the duties he required of him, and what diligent attend- ance unto them was necessary for him. But thus our Lord Jesus learned not obedience, nor could so do; for he knew beforehand all ' that he was to do, or undergo,—what was proposed unto him, what was to come upon him, in the discharge of his office and performance of the work he had undertaken. And the law of the whole of it was in his heart; no command of God was new to him, nor ever for-: gotten by him. (2.) To learn it formally; that is, to be guided, instructed, directed, helped, in the acts and acting of the obedience required of him. This is properly to learn to obey; so is it with us, ° who are rude and unskilful in holy obedience, and are by supplies of light and grace gradually instructed in the knowledge and prac- ° tice of it. This wisdom do we learn, partly by the word, partly by’ afflictions, as God is pleased to make them effectual. But thus. the Lord Christ neither did nor could learn obedience. He had a- fulness of grace always in him and with him, inclining, directing, ° guiding, and enabling him unto all acts of obedience that were re- quired of him. Being full of grace, truth, and wisdom, he was never at a loss for what he had to do, nor wanted any thing of a perfect readiness of will or mind for its performance. Wherefore, (3.) He can be said to learn obedience only on the account of having an’ experience of it in its exercise. So a man knoweth the taste and savour of meat by eating it; as our Saviour is said to “ taste of’ death,” or to experience what was in it, by undergoing of it. And it was one especial kind of obedience that is here intended, as was declared before, namely, a submission to undergo great, hard, and © terrible things, accompanied with patience and quiet endurance under them, and faith for deliverance from them. This he could have no experience of, but by suffering the things he was to under- go, and the exercise of the graces mentioned therein. Thus learned he obedience, or experienced in himself what difficulty it is attended withal, especially in cases like his own. And this way of his learn- + ing obedience it is that is so useful unto us, and so full of consola- tion. For if he had only known obedience, though never so per- fectly, in the notion of it, what relief could have accrued unto us - thereby? how could it have been a spring of pity or compassion towards us? But now, whereas he himself took in his own person a full experience of the nature of that especial obedience which is
VER. 8.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 525
yielded to God in a suffering condition, what difficulty it is attended withal, what opposition is made unto it, how great an exercise of grace is required in it, he is constantly ready to give us relief, as the matter doth require.
3. The way or means of his learning obedience is lastly expressed: "AQ diy trade,—“From the things which he suffered.” It is a usual saying, Madjuara, wudjuare,— Sufferings” (or “corrections”’) are instructions.” And we cannot exclude from hence any thing that Christ suffered, from first to last, in the days of his flesh, He suffered in his whole course, and that in great variety, as hath been showed elsewhere. And he had experience of obedience from them all, in the sense declared. But seeing the apostle treats concerning him as a high priest, and with especial respect to the offering himself unto God, the suffering of death, and those things which immediately led thereunto, are principally in- tended: “He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,” Phil. 1i.8. Now we may be said to learn from sufferings objec- tively and occasionally. In their own nature and formally they are not instructive. All things that outwardly come upon us are éx ray wéowv, and may be abused, or improved unto a good end. But in them that believe, they give a necessity and especial occasion unto the exercise of those graces wherein our obedience in that season doth consist. So from them, or by them, did the Lord Christ himself learn obedience; for by reason of them he had occasion to exercise those graces of humility, self-denial, meekness, patience, faith, which were habitually resident in his holy nature, but were not capable of the peculiar exercise intended but by reason of his sufferings. But, moreover, there was still somewhat peculiar in that obedience which the Son of God is said to learn from his own sufferings, namely, what it is for a sinless person to suffer for sinners, “the just for the unjust.” The obedience herein was peculiar unto him, nor do we know, nor can we have an experience of the ways and paths of it.