COMMENTARY AND NOTES ON CHAP. III.

Ver. 1. Wherefore,-] As if he had said, Since the Author of the gospel is so greatly superior to all the former prophets, and even to angels themselves, as has been shewn, and since the ends of his incarnation and sufferings are so exceedingly important, and of such unspeakable advantage to us, therefore,

-holy brethren,-] He addresses the believing Hebrews as holy brethren. Believers in general are termed saints, or holy ones, as being sanctified by the blood and Spirit of Christ, separated to God, and devoted to his service; and they are also called holy brethren, 1 Thess. v. 27, which imports their relation to Christ, and to one another. The apostle in the preceding chapter had described Christians as sons of God, children of Abraham, and brethren of Christ; and represents Christ as he who sanctifieth, and them as they who are sanctified, ver. 10—14. This sufficiently accounts for his calling them holy brethren. -and partakers of the heavenly calling-] The calling of Abraham was the foundation of all the Jewish privileges; yet, in its letter, it was only an earthly call, a call to an earthly inheritance, and to the enjoyment of its temporal blessings: but that which is here mentioned is an heavenly calling. When men are converted to the faith of the gospel, they are said to be called, Rom. viii. 30, and God is said to have called them with a holy calling, 2 Tim i. 9. They are called not only to enjoy the present spiritual blessings of the gospel, but to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ-his eternal glory, 2 Thess. ii. 14; 1 Peter v. 10. This is the hope of God's calling, Eph i. 18, the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, Philip iii. 14, and so is termed the heavenly calling. Now the believing Hebrews are said to be partakers of this calling, because it was not confided or pe

culiar to them as the former was; for those whom God effectually calls by the gospel are not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles, Rom. ix. 24, who are equally the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus, Abraham's seed, and heirs of the heavenly inheritance. He bids the Hebrews

He had his mission and au

-consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.-] They were attentively to consider what he had already said, and what he had farther to say, concerning the dignity and authority of Christ Jesus, as the apostle and high priest of the Christian profession. An apostle signifies one sent forth to execute some affair of importance, and is much the same with an ambassador or legate. Christ often speaks of himself as sent of his Father, John v. 38, chap. vi. 29, 39, 40, chap. viii. 42, chap. xvii. 18, chap. xx. 21. thority from the Father, spoke and acted in his name, and is that prophet who was promised to be raised up like unto Moses (Deut. xviii. 18), he being the great founder and lawgiver of the gospel Church, by whom God hath in these last days spoken unto us, chap. i. 2. They were also to consider Christ Jesus under the character of the high priest of our profession. At the end of the foregoing chapter, he had represented him as a merciful and faithful high priest, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people, and as able to sympathize with and succour his brethren in all their trials; but he only states this briefly, having a view to resume and discuss it at large afterwards. Here he terms him the apostle and high priest of our profession, or rather of our (omologias) confession. This is sometimes put for the thing confessed, and may therefore signify our faith or religion. Of this Jesus is the apostle, because sent of God to reveal it; and the high priest, because we receive all its blessings through his mediation.

He begins, in the first place, to treat of Christ as the great apostle and prophet of the New Testament church, in which character he compares him with Moses, the chief

prophet and minister of the law, and sets him forth as greatly superior to that eminent servant of God in dignity and authority. From this he takes occasion to caution the Hebrews against unbelief with respect to Christ, by recalling to their view the awful punishment of their ancestors in the wilderness, who, through unbelief, rebelled against God and his servant Moses, and so came short of the promised rest in the land of Canaan. This discourse he continues to chap. iv. 14, where he resumes the subject of Christ's priesthood. Of Christ, as the Apostle of our profession, he says,

Ver. 2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him,-] He was faithful to God the Father who appointed, or (as the word literally signifies) made him an Apostle. He sought not his own glory, John viii. 5. Declared his word or message to be not his own, but his Father's who sent him, John xiv. 24. Revealed the whole will of God which was committed to him for that purpose, John xv. 15, chap. xvii. 8, and exactly executed his mission respecting the ordering and settling of all things relating to the worship and government of his house or church. —as also Moses was faithful in all his house.] This refers to the testimony which God gave to Moses on occasion of the sedition of Miriam and Aaron, Num. ii. 7, 8, where the Lord distinguishes him from ordinary prophets, to whom he spake only in visions and dreams; "But (says he) my servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold; wherefore, then, were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses." Moses was the greatest of all the ancient prophets; had the most immediate intercourse with God; the most honourable office was committed to him, as the ministerial lawgiver and founder of the Jewish economy; and he most faithfully discharged the work assigned him, in all things relating to the service and worship of God's house, the church of

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Israel. The apostle here produceth the most honourable testimony to Moses, that is to be found in all the Scriptures, and which was given him by God himself, and so grants the Hebrews all they had to plead on that head. But great and honourable as Moses was allowed to be, he shews that Christ was greatly superior to him in dignity and worth, as well as in station and office in the church.

Ver. 3. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses,-] As man is a supplement here, apostle or prophet might be substituted for it, that being the character under which he is here spoken of. Christ was counted worthy of, or (exiptai) was dignified with more glory than Moses. There could be no proper comparison between the essential glory of their persons, the one being God, the other a mere man; but the comparison respects the disparity of their station and offices in the house or family of God. Jesus, the great Apostle and Prophet of the church is superior to Moses,

-in as much as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.] The Lord calls the church of Israel, in which Moses was a faithful servant, his house or family; and our apostle applies the same epithet to the New Testament church, terming it "the HOUSE of God, which is the CHURCH of the living God," 1 Tim. iii. 15. The word translated builded, is a word of some latitude, and is variously rendered according to the nature of the thing to which it is applied; and so the verb katas keuazo signifies to prepare, construct, build, set in order, regulate, or govern. It is used for Noah's preparing the ark, Heb. xi. 7; 1 Pet. iii. 20, and for making the tabernacle, and setting in order the things relating to it, Heb. ix. 2, 6, and likewise for the exercise of John the Baptist's ministry, in preparing the way of the Lord, Matt. ii. 10. Now, as the church is represented under the figure of a house; so Christ, agreeably to this, is represented as (o kataskeuasas), he who hath builded, i. e. prepared and formed it; which

imports the exercise of his prophetical and regal offices, in revealing the doctrine, appointing the laws, and establishing the worship, by which the church is collected, united, formed, and regulated under him as its head. For this end the Father hath given all things into his hand, John iii. 35, all power in heaven and in earth, Matt. xxviii. 18, and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, Eph. i. 22; so that by him, the chief corner-stone, the whole building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, ver. 20, 21. He hath, therefore, more honour than the house, i. e. than the whole church collectively, consequently, than any particular member of it, Moses not excepted. For though he had an eminent office in God's typical church of Israel, yet he needed its services and privileges equally with the rest of the Israelites; and in the church of Christ, which consists of all the redeemed company, Jews and Gentiles, whether in heaven or on earth, Moses ranks only as a member under Christ the Head.

Ver. 4. For every house is builded by (tines) some one ;— -] Whether we understand every house here in a literal, civil, or religious sense, it is a self-evident truth, that every house must be erected, fitted up, and set in order, by some principal founder and proprietor. And this general observation will apply both to the Jewish and Christian churches, of which the apostle is here speaking, as well as to any other kind of house.

-but he that built all things is God.] Commentators differ much in their explanation of these words. According to some, "he that built all things is God" the Father, and by his having built all things, they understand his having created the world. It is true that God the Father created the world; but if it is meant that this is the Father's work exclusive of the Son's, it is not true; nor in this view has it any connection with the apostle's design, which is to shew that Christ was counted worthy of more glory than