Hebrews 1

Hebrews 1:1-14

In this chapter we have a twofold comparison stated. (1.) Between the evangelical and legal dispensation, and the excellency of the gospel above that of the law is asserted and proved, vers. 1, 2, 3. (2.) Between the glory of Christ, and that of the highest Creatures, the angels; where the preeminence is justly given to the Lord Jesus Christ, and clearly demonstrated to belong unto him, from vers. 4, to the end of the chapter.

1. GOD, who at sundry times, * and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2. Hath * in these last days: spoken unto us by his Son, * whom he hath appointed heir of all things, * by whom also he made the worlds. 3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and * upholding all things by the word of his power, when * he had by himself purged our sins, * sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: 4. Being made so

much better than the angels, as * he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, ‘Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, * I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6. And again, when he bringeth in * the First-begotten into the world, he saith, And * let all the angels of God worship him. 7. And of the angels he saith, * Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8. But unto the Son he saith, * Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom: 9. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore ‘God, roes thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 10. And, * Thou, Lord, in the beginning hath laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11. They shall perish, but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12. And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall

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shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. 13. But to which of the angels said he at any time, “Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foosfowl? 14. “Are they not all ministring spirits, but forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

The excellence of the gospel dispensation above the Medieval opens this beautiful epistle. The apostle shews, 1. The different ways in which God communicated his will to the church of old, and to his people at present. God, who at sundry times, by degrees, with increasing clearness, and in at-wars manner, by types, visions, dreams, audible voices, and immediate inspiration, spoke in time past unto the father by the prophet, both in their last days, at the close of the Jewish ceremony, and in that dispensation of grace which is the last which will be ever vouchsafed to the sons of men, and under this title at the last days hath been foretold by the inspired yeomen, God hath, I say, now spoken unto us by his Son, the most glorious meditator who was ever yet employed in communicating the revelation of his will to man; in nature one with the Father, in majesty coterminal.

2. He enlarges on the surpassing excellence of this Son of God, who had appeared in the human nature. (1.) It is He whom he hath appointed heir of all things as Mediator, making him to the sovereign and universal dominion over the works of his hands, and especially giving him to be head over all things to his church, in and through whom every member of it can only be entitled to the eternal inheritance. (2.) He whom also he made the world, exerting his co-agency and co-operation with the Father, not as an instrument, but as the great Creator. (3.) Who being the brightest of his glory, Light of Light, and very God of very God, possessing the essential attributes of Deity; and the express image of his person, bearing his exact resemblance to every divine perfection, appears his visible representative. And, (4.) As he is the Creator, so he continues upholding all things by the word of his person, supporting and governing them by his providence. (5.) When he had by himself purged our sins, Himself, the great High-priest and Sacrifice, expiating the transgression of his people, which the blood of bulls and goats, shed by the levitical priests, could never take away, and by one oblation of himself, once offered, obtaining eternal redemption for us. (6.) When he had thus made the all-meaning sacrifice on the cross, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, in virtue of his own blood entering into the holy place not made with hands, and, as a priest upon his throne, (Zech. vi. 13.) he is exalted to the highest dignity and glory in the human nature. (7.) He hath the pre-eminence, not only above the greatest prophets, but over the highest of the heavenly hosts; being made he must better than the angels; in his character as Mediator, as well as in the transcendent excellence of his divine nature, he infinitely surpasses the most glorious of all created beings, as he hath by inheritance obtained a mere excellent name than they, even the name of Son of God, in a sense peculiar to himself, and which appears evident from the transcendent exaltation which in virtue of his sufferings he hath now by right obtained.

3. In support of his argument, to prove the infinite pre-eminence of the incarnate Son above the highest of the angelic hosts, he brings the strongest proofs from those scriptures which the Jews admitted as of divine authority. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, the same in effectual Deity; this day have I begotten thee, even from eternity, which to God is one permanent unfracereous day; or this refers to his resurrection from the dead, whereby his eternal Sonship was manifested, (Rom. 1. 4.) And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son, treated with peculiar and distinguishing love, and visited to the eternal throne of glory. And again, unless he bringeth in the First-begotten, the appointed Heir of all things, into the world, in his miraculous conception, he faith, And let all the angels of God worship him, and pay him that divine honour which is due to their Creator alone, and is the unalienable right of Deity. And of the angels he faith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire; their highest honour and dignity is to be servants of the great Jehovah, and as flames of fire, with such activity and powerful agency, to execute his will and pleasure. But unto the Son, as their eternal King, he faith, Thy throne, O God, who art the effectual Jehovah, is far over and over, from everlasting unchangeably the same, and to eternity must endure; a stupor of righteousness is the stupor of thy kingdom; Thou hast the most indorsed title to reign; thy bosom is the fear of justice, and thy administration is marked with unfailled truth, holiness, and equity. Thou hast loved righteousness, fulfilling it in thy own person and approving it in thy people, and heard iniquity, about to punish it with everlasting pendition; therefore God, even thy God, thy covenant God as the incarnate Mediator, hath anointed thee to the office of prophet, priest, and king, with the aid of gladness, with the most unquestionable fulness of spiritual gifts and graces, above thy fellesse, whether angels or saints, kings, priests, or prophets. And then, Lord, in the beginning, before any creature yet had a being, by thy omni-porous creature power, hath laid the foundation of the earth; and the

heavens are the works of thine hands; all the creatures, spiritual or corporeal, animate or inanimate, from the highest to the lowest, own thee their great Creator. They shall perish, this visible creation of heaven and earth shall decay; but thou remainest, unchangeable, immortal; and thy all shall ever aid or deth a garment, the creatures of this lower world are moulding daily, and nature’s affiliations is at hand; and at a welfare shall thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the same, immutably, eternally, and thy years shall not fail, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. But to which of the angels said he at any time, as he did to his incarnate Son, Sit thou on my right hand, enthroned in supreme majesty, and I make thine enemies thy foosfowl, and raise thee triumphant over every foe, when sin, Satan, death, and hell, shall be for ever put under thy feet? Such language belongs not to the highest of the angelic host: for are they not all ministring spirits, servants to the great Mediator, and sent forth, under his command, to minister for them, in every kind office, who shall be heirs of salvation, appointed to the eternal inheritance in virtue of their relation to their exalted Head? From the whole we may observe, 1. The transcendent glory of the Lord Jesus: (1.) In his divine nature. (2.) In his mediatorial capacity. The great Creator—the self-existent Jehovah—the eternal, immutable God—the object of adoration to the highest beings, angels as well as men—and reigning and to reign for ever and ever. 2. The honour and office of the angelic hosts; to adore their King, to obey his mandates with delight and vigour, and to leave those highly distinguished sons of men who are appointed to be heirs of salvation. 3. The dignity of God’s children, standing in this high and holy relation to him as adopted by his grace and designed for the enjoyment of his glory, attended by ministers of flame, and shortly to be conducted by them to their eternal honor. 4. Valt and amazing as this visible creation now appears, the day approaches when, like the baskets taboo of a vision, all shall be dissolved, and by almighty power shall arise a new heaven and earth, to be the best abode of the redeemed. 5. Jesus must reign on his mediatorial throne till all his enemies are finally subdued, and his triumphant people shall come to reign with him in glory everlasting.