¢
VER. 5-10.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 471
plished, God had hid in his own bosom from the beginning of the world, Eph. iii. 8, 9; so as that it was beyond the wisdom and indagation of all angels and men to make a discovery of. How- beit, even from the beginning he declared that such a work he had graciously designed; and he gave in the first promise, and other- wise, some obscure intimations of the nature of it, for a founda- tion of the faith in them that were called. Afterwards God was pleased, in his sovereign authority over the church, for their good, and unto his own glory, to make a representation of this whole work in the institutions of the law, especially in the sacrifices thereof. But hereon the church began to think (at least many of them did so) that those sacrifices themselves were to be the only means of accomplishing this will of God, in the expiation of sin, with the salvation of the church. But God had now, by various ways and means, witnessed unto the church that indeed he never appeinted them unto any such end, nor would rest in them; and the church itself found by experience that they would never pacify con- science, and that the strict performance of them was a yoke and burden. In this state of things, when the fulness of time was come, the glorious counsels of God, namely, of the Father, Son, and Spirit, brake forth with light, like the sun in its strength from under a cloud, in the tender made of himself by Jesus Christ unto the Father, “ Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.” This, this is the way, the only way, whereby the will of God might be accom-
_ plished. Herein were all the riches of divine wisdom displayed, all ‘the treasures of grace laid open, all shadows and clouds dispelled, and
the open door of salvation evidenced unto all.
(3.) This will of God Christ came to do, rot soijou, to effect, “to establish and perfectly to fulfil it’ How he did so |. ae the apostle fully declareth in this epistle. He did it in : the whole work of his mediation, from the susception of our nature in the womb, unto what he doth j in his supreme agency in heaven at the right hand of God. He did all things to accomplish this eternal purpose of the will of God.
This seems to me the first sense of the place. Howbeit I would not, as I said before, exclude the former mentioned also; for our Lord in all that he did was the servant of the Father, and received especial command for all that he did. “This commandment,” saith he, “have I received of my Father.” Hence in this sense also he came to do the will of God. He fulfilled the will of his purpose, by obedience unto the will of his command. Hence it is added in the psalm, that he “delighted to do the will of God;” and that “his law was in the midst of his bowels.” His delight in the will of God, as unto the laying down of his life at the command of God, was neces- sary unto this doing of his will, And we may observe,—
472 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. X
Obs. XV. The foundation of the whole glorious work of the salva- tion of the church was laid in the sovereign will, pleasure, and grace of God, even the Father. Christ came only to do his will.
Obs. XVI. The coming of Christ in the flesh was, in the wisdom, righteousness, and holiness of God, necessary to fulfil his will, that we might be saved unto his glory.
Obs. XVII. The fundamental motive unto the Lord Christ, in his undertaking the work of mediation, was the will and glory of God: “Lo, I come to do thy will.”
5. The last thing in this context is the grownd and rule of this
Fea undertaking of the Lord Christ; and this is the glory pieriov 4. Of the truth of God in his promises recorded in the Word: ypurras wep “In the volume of the book it is written of me, that I asi should fulfil thy will, O God.” There is a difficulty in these words, both as to the translation of the original text and as unto the application of them. And therefore critical observations have been multiplied about them; which it is not my way or work to repeat. Those that are learned know where to find them, and those that are not so will not be edified by them. What is the true meaning and intention of the Holy Spirit in them is what we are to inquire into.
The Socinian expositors have a peculiar conceit on this place. They suppose the apostle useth this expression, év xepwa/dr, to denote some especial chapter or place in the law. »This they conjecture to be that of Deut. xvii. 18, 19: “And it shall be, when he” (the king to be chosen) “sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall. write him a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the priests the Levites: and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear the Lorp his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them.” David, they say, spoke those words in the psalm; and it is nowhere said that he should come to do the will of God but in this place of Deuteronomy, as he was to be the king of that people. But there can be nothing more fond than this empty conjecture. For,—