Heb. ii. 10. It became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferi7igs.
THE Jews expected, that, at the coming of their Messiah, "all things should be subjected to him." But what kind of a dominion his should be, or how it should be obtained, they knew not. They pleased themselves with the idea of a triumphing Messiah ; but quite overlooked what the prophets had foretold respecting the sufferings by which those triumphs should be accomplished. In a word, they neither knew how great he should be, nor to what a state of degradation he should be reduced. But St. Paul in- formed them, that, though he was, in his own nature, superior to angels, he should be brought into a con- dition inferior to them, for the purpose of expiating our guilt, and redeeming a ruined world. And this he declared to be such a dispensation as became the Most High God : " It became him, &c."
From these words I shall take occasion to shew,
I. The grand peculiarity of the Christian dispen-
sation—
God had determined to bring an innumerable mul- titude of sons to glory —
[He had not dealt so with angels. Of them, not so much as one had been saved : but of men, it was God's purpose to restore many to the relation which they had forfeited as his " sons ;" and to the inheritance of " glory," which they had lost ]
This he had ordained to accomphsh through the intervention of his dear Son —
[Man could not effect it for himself; nor could all the angels in heaven have effected it. But Christ, being God equal with the Father, was appointed to be " the Captain of our salvation," and to obtain for us what could never be wrought by any other means ]
It was, however, to be effected solely " through the sufferings" of his Son —
[It was not by any exercise of his power that salvation was to be wrought ; nor by instructing men how they might save themselves. He must become their Surety and Substi- tute, and must die in their place and stead This is
the grand peculiarity of the Gospel: and, if we view not the Gospel in this light, as a redemption wrought by blood, even by the blood of God's only dear Son, we have no just conception of it at all ]
Not content with a bare assertion, the Apostle states,
II. The special reason for this appointment —
God being the One Author and end of all, {'' by whom, and for whom, are all things,") might be ex- pected to accomplish this work by a mere arbitrary appointment of his own. But a very different line of conduct "became him." If he would save men at all, it was expedient that it should be through the sufferings of his Son. This, I say, " became him ;"
1. For the honouring of his law —
[The law had been violated: and if its sanctions were not enforced, both it and the Lawgiver himself would be dis- honoured. But that could not be : God would not suffer it ;