EXCELLENCY OF CHRIST's PERSON AND GOVERNMENT.
Heb. i. 8. Unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever : a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
IN the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Apostle's main object is to shew, that the Jewish ritual was com- pletely fulfilled in Christ, and was therefore super- seded by the Christian dispensation. But before he comes to the argumentative part, wherein this sub- ject is regularly discussed, he shews how great and glorious a person Christ was : for, as the Jews had a high regard for Moses, and as they had received their law from God, it was necessary that they should be informed who Christ was ; that he was greater than Moses, yea, than the very angels in heaven ; and that therefore he had full authority to introduce the religion which was now established amongst his followers, and which the Jews were every where called upon to embrace. This, however, he takes care to ground upon their own Scriptures. He speaks of nothing as now, for the first time, revealed to himself; but appeals to the writings of their own prophets, in proof of every thing that he asserts.
The Psalm from whence the text is cited, relates chiefly to the Messiah. Whatever relation it may have to Solomon, it confessedly cannot be altogether applied to him. The ancient Jews understood it as speaking of the Messiah : and of the propriety of applying it to him, there can be no doubt. The words before us are addressed by the Father to the Messiah : and they lead us distinctly to notice two things ; namely,
I. The dignity of his person —
Many there are, both Jews and Christians, who deny that the Divinity of Christ is here asserted —
[Jews have said, that the word Elohim is applied in Scrip- ture to creatures, and therefore cannot be justly interpreted as