CHAP. I. 3. Hooker, Eccl. .... sins of the whole world, this giveth it a presence of force and efficacy throughout all generations of men there is no stint, which can be set, to the value or merit of the sacrificed body of Christ; it hath no measured certainty of limits; bounds of efficacy unto life it knoweth none; but is also itself infinite in possibility of application." "Yet a general intent, true and sincere, doth not annul or impeach a particular and more reserved purpose: hence we read of people of acquisition, of appropriation, of approximation, taken from the total lump and mass of mankind; such was Israel in the days of old; such are now the called by grace to participation of God in Christ;" and such and Monuments, appears implied by the limitation, "purged our sins," &c. Montagu's Acts p. 4. Amyraud. Moreover, we may consider, in this mystery, not only the person of Christ as constituted of the two natures, but also his office, by virtue of which he made his oblation. As his person is of glory ineffable, so the dignity of his office is proportioned to the glory of his person. Considering him then as the appointed victim for expiation, his person makes his passion inestimable. So, in like manner, if you consider Christ the agent in offering himself to God, neither can his action be estimated, because of the dignity of his office. But though the office of Messiah must pre-suppose his person, for no one but a person so constituted could CHAP. I. 3. perform his office; and though, with respect to effecting the purgation of our sins, his person must be contemplated in connexion with his office, yet I think it might with propriety be said, "that he," considered officially, "by himself" personally "effected the purgation of our sins;" for the propriety of his actions consisted in being called of God to his office; but the sufficiency of his passion depended on the constitution of his renders the pas person. The first edition of sage, "He in his own person, &c." The purgation of our sins embraces a period from its commencement on earth, when a body was prepared instead of the offerings appointed by the Law, until its con- Heb. x. 5 and 8. summation in heaven, when Christ, after his resurrection, offered up himself in the holy place, so that here is intimated the fulfilment Heb.is 12 and 21. of the types of the Aaronic Priesthood, as also his installation into the Melchisedec Priesthood, which commenced at the resur- Heb. v. 5 and 6. rection. "Sat down on the Right Hand, &c." “This term,‹ The right hand,' sometimes Amyrand. signifies the power, by which God acts, as when David says, the right hand of the Ps. xviii. Lord has supported him, and elsewhere, "The right hand of the Lord has done wonderful things;" but, when employed conjointly with that of sitting, it signifies, not that power of God, by which he executes his will, but the participation in his dignity and CHAP. I. 3. Ps. cx. So that the Son is now not even sub ... the rank of equality, which our Lord takes, The communication of dignity, which is implied by sitting at the right hand, may be considered either as simply an honour received, without being accompanied by any office, which implies actions or functions, as when Solomon made his mother sit at his right hand, which he did only to testify the respect, in which he held her, without, however, communicating to her any administration in his kingdom; or it may be, that, in participating in the honour, some office is received in the government, and some great authority in the direction of affairs; as, for example, in addition to the honour of riding in his second chariot, Pharaoh gave Joseph an absolute power over all parts of his kingdom. The expression here drawn from Ps. cx. signifies the institution of our Lord not only into a sovereign dignity, but also into sovereign power; for by that he is constituted monarch of all the universe, and vicegerent of his Father in the administration of his empire over heaven and earth. "Of the Majesty on High." "As I before said, that God calls himself by the name of Glory, in regard of his attributes, I must here add, that he also calls himself by the name of Majesty, in regard of the sovereign and absolutely independent authority, which naturally results from them; for as the attributes of God, being full of lustre, give him a title, which represents an extraordinary and radiant light, this empire, which he has over heaven and earth and all things therein, gives him another title, emphatically expressive of sovereign power. And in fact we often use this word to imply the authority of our sovereign princes; thus conveying it in an abstract form, without mentioning the person, we give a peculiar emphasis to the idea. Now that is just what the Apostle would here do; his object being to display the glory of our Lord; for, as has been remarked, that sitting at the right hand of God is entering into the participation of the dignity of Deity, and, by consequence, being God; so, sitting at the right hand of the Majesty is entering into the participation of the sovereign authority, which rules all the universe, and, by consequence, being the Majesty itself." "No mortal could venture upon entering CHAP. I. 3. ject to the Father, for he shall be sub. ject only when he gives up the kingdom to the Father. Amyraud. "The Majesty on High." Amyraud. CHAP. I. 4. Michaelis. Ch. i. 4. the most holy place, except the High Priest 'Being in so much superior to angels, by how "much he hath inherited a more excellent name " than they." A comparative comparison; announcing, that he is constituted as much mightier than the angels in his official capacity, as the title of Son, which he has inherited, declares concerning his personal dignity. Thus, whatever be the glory implied in any of the foregoing expressions, as belonging to the person of Christ, a glory commensurate is, |