XXXVII.

HEB. ii. 10.

IT BECAME HIM, FOR WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, " AND BY WHOM ARE ALL THINGS, IN BRINGING MANY SONS TO GLORY, TO MAKE THE CAPTAIN OF THEIR SALVATION PERFECT THROUGH SUFFERINGS.

THIS

HIS paffage feems to have been fometimes misunderstood, as if the character of Jefus Christ could be made more perfect by fufferings. In the words, no doubt, there is some ambiguity, but none in the fenfe.

The great dignity of Chrift, as the fon of God, is fet forth in the beginning of the chapter in the strongest manner. The world is put in fubjection to him; he is crowned with glory and honour, and fet over all the works of God. Such a being, therefore, had no need to be made perfect through fufferings.

It is evident, the apoftle, therefore, speaks of our Saviour in the paffage before us, merely as the redeemer of mankind. In the first light, Chrift wanted nothing to perfect his nature. It was in the second light only-that of being the captain of our falvation, that he needed to be made perfect through fuffering-particularly the suffering of death; as it was necessary, in this great work, that he should taste of death for every man.

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XXXVIII.

MATT. V. 17.

THINK NOT I AM COME TO DESTROY THE LAW OR THE PROPHETS; I AM NOT COME TO DESTROY, BUT TO FULFIL,

THI

HIS expreffion of our bleffed Saviour contains the whole connection of the Old and New Teftament.

The subject may be difcuffed, by confidering, firft, in what the Law differed from the Gospeland, fecondly, how the former was fulfilled by the latter.

The Law may be explained as an inftitution requiring perfect obedience, and threatening judgment on every tranfgreffion; at the fame time, accepting, in mercy, certain facrificial atone

ments.

The

The Gospel, on the other hand, with the mildnefs of a kind indulgent father, ipeaks in a gentler language; and fhews us, that the Law was only a preparatory inftitution to a full and complete revelation of God's will.

We may examine, fecondly, in what way it is thus preparatory; or how the Law was fulfilled by the Gospel.-In the firft place, our Saviour refined the morality of the Jewish law. Many roughneffes, if I may fo exprefs myself, deformed it. The Jews were a ftiff-necked race; and our Saviour mentions feveral things, particularly the latitude between the fexes, which was suffered by Mofes only for the hardness of their hearts. And St. Paul tells us, God winked at them in those early days.—All these things the Gospel morality refined, and feated religion where it ought to be feated, in a purified heart.

The next point, in which our blessed Lord fulfilled the Jewish inftitution, was in the completion. of those prophecies which related to the Meffiah. These prophecies are among the most remarkable parts of the Bible, and, having been authenticated by the completion of many occafional and temporary prophecies, relating merely to the captivities, and other events among the Jews themselves, they preferved

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preferved the hopes of the Meffiah, till he himfelf appeared. Afterwards the completion of those prophecies which related to Chrift, confirmed the faith of all fuch as were feriously and honeftly difpofed.

many

Jefus, laftly, fulfilled the law and the prophets by fulfilling the ceremonies of the Jewish ritual The mysterious meaning of the various facrifices, and other parts of it, were probably hidden from of the Jews themfelves. They were a fort of dead carcafe, till the coming of Chrift put life, as it were, into them; and fhewed plainly, they were all intended to figure out the great facrifice and atonement, which he made for the fins of mankind.