3. The words, therefore, in this place are the words whereby the apostle expressed the sense and meaning of the Holy Ghost in those used in the psalmist, or that which was intended in them. He did not take them from the translation of the LXX., but used them himself, to express the sense of the Hebrew text. Tor al- though we should not adhere precisely unto the opinion that all the quotations out of the Old Testament in the New, which agree in words with the present translation of the LXX., were by the scribes of that translation transferred out of the New Testament into it,—which yet is far more probable than the contrary opinion, that the words of the translation are made use of in the New Tes- meut, even when they differ from the original,—yet sundry things herein are certain and acknowledged; as, (1.) That the penmen of the New Testament do not oblige themselves unto that translation, but in many places do precisely render the words of the original text, where that translation differs from it. (2.) That they do often- times express the sense of the testimony which they quote in words of their own, neither agreeing with that translation nor. exactly answering the original Hebrew. (3.) That sundry passages have been unquestionably taken out of the New Testament, and inserted onto that translation ; which I have elsewhere proved by undeniable instances. And I no way doubt but it hath so fallen out in this place, where no account can be given of the translation of the LXX. as the words now are in it. Wherefore,—
4. This is certain, that the sense intended by the psalmist and that expressed by the apostle are the same, or unto the same pur- pose. And their agreement is both plain and evident. That which is spoken of is an act of God the Father towards the Son. The end of it is, that the Son might be fit and meet to do the will of God
—s
VER. 5-10.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 459
in the way of obedience. So it is expressed in the text, “ Mine ears hast thou bored,” or, “A body hast thou prepared me...... Then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.” This is the sole end why God so acted towards him. What this was, is so expressed in the psalmist, “ Mine ears hast thou bored,” with a double figure: (1.) A metaphor from the ear, wherewith we hear the commands we are to obey. Obedience being our compliance with the outward commands of God, and the ear being the only means of our receiv- ing those commands, there is nothing more frequent in the Scrip- ture than to express obedience by “hearing” and “ hearkening,” as is known. Wherefore the ascription of ears unto the Lord Christ by an act of God, is the preparation of such a state and nature for him as wherein he should be meet to yield obedience unto him. (2.) By a synecdoche, wherein the part is put for the whole. In his divine nature alone it was impossible that the Lord Christ should come to do the will cf God in the way whereby he was to do it. Wherefore God prepared another nature for him, which is expressed synecdochically, by the ears for the whole body; and that significantly, because as it is impossible that any one should have ears of any use but by virtue of his having a body, so the ears are that part of the body by which alone instruction unto obedience, the thing aimed at, is received. This is that which is directly expressed of him, Isa. 1. 4, 5, “ He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.. The Lord Gop hath
_ opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious;” or, ‘I was obedient.’ And so it is all one in what sense you take the word 2; whether
2
in the more common and usual, to “dig” or “bore,” or in that whereunto it is sometimes applied, to “fit and perfect.” For I do not judge there is any allusion in the expression unto the law of boring the ear of the servant that refused to make use of his liberty at the year of release. Nor is the word used in that case 73, but ys), Exod. xxi. 6. But it respects the framing of the organ of hearing, which is as it were bored; and the internal sense, in readi- ness unto obedience, is expressed by the framing of the outward instrument of hearing, that we may learn to obey thereby.
Wherefore this is, and no other can be, the sense of the words in the psalmist, namely, that God the Father did so order things towards Jesus Christ, that he should have a nature wherein he might be free and able to yield obedience unto the will of God; with an inti- mation of the quality of it, in having ears to hear, which belong only unto a body.
This sense the apostle expresseth in more plain terms now, after the accomplishment of what before was only declared in prophecy; and thereby the veil which was upon divine revelations under the old testament is taken away.
460 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. X.