meet or equal. Others, wherefore it was due, it was conve- Tois adepois oμosenvas, Vulg. Fratribus simulari: Eras. similis reddi: Beza, similis fieri, as ours, to be made like.' The article prefixed to adps restrains the name brethren unto those whom he had before discoursed of, under the names of children, disciples, sanctified ones. Ίνα ελεημων γένηται και πιστος αρχιερευς, ut misericors fieret (or esset) pontifex; so Vulg. Eras. Bez. The Syriac somewhat other ,that he might be merciful *,,הנהוא מרחמנא ורב כומרא ,wise and a great priest,' or chief priest,,faithful in the things of God,' so making his mercifulness an attribute of his person absolutely, and faithfulness only to respect him as a high priest. So also the Arabic and Ethiopic. And the word whereby nu is rendered, signifies tenderly merciful,' with that kind of mercy which is called bowels of compassion, from 6 . And it may be here observed, that that interpreter throughout the epistle renders agxeigus by No 27, Rab Comara; though that word be always used in an ill sense in the Old Testament. Three times it occurs therein, 2 Kings xxiii. 5. where we render it idolatrous priests,' Zeph. i. 4. the name Chemarims is retained, Hos. x. 5. we express it by priests, but place Chemarim in the margin. For it principally denoted the priests of Baal and Moloch, and their blackness, (as the word is rendered, Job iii. 5.) not from the garments they wore, but from the colour they contracted in their diabolical sacrifices in the fire. Hence wherever the word is applied unto a priest of a false god, or one engaged in false worship, the Targumists constantly render it by 1, see Judg. xvii. 5. xviii. 4. 30. But this translator respected not so much the use, as the original and extraction of the word: for from, in Niphal, is to wax hot,' and to be moved with internal heat, whence it is taken to signify compassion and pity, the shall give thee tender mercy,' bowels of compassion, is render and ונתן לך רחמים .17 .hence Deut. xiii ;רחם same with and ויכמור עליכון רחמין וירחם עליכון ,ed by Ben Uzziel ⚫ shall wax hot towards you with compassion, and shall have compassion on you.' He shall be warmed and moved with compassion towards you. In like manner is the word used, Psal. lxxvii. 10. With respect unto this heat of affections and abundant compassion, the word may well be applied unto the Lord Christ our High Priest. 6 Ta xeos Toy Osoy, Vulg. ad Deum, Pontifex ad Deum, an high priest towards God.' Very defectively. Eras. In his quæ apud Deum forent agenda, in the things that were to be done before God; so also Beza, noting forent agenda, as a supplement unto the text. So Vatablus and others. Syr. 7, in the things of God.' The apostle explains his own meaning, chap. v. 1. where he tells us that every high priest, xabiσtatai Tα TROS Tov Orov iva whoopien, is set over the things appertaining unto God, that he may offer sacrifice.' In things appertaining unto God, what he hath to do with God, is in their behalf for whom he ministers in his office before him. Arab. res nostras apud Deum peragens. Εις το ίλασκεσθαι τας άμαρτιας τα λάου, Vulg. ut repropitiaret delicta populi: aiming to express the sense of the Original, it falls upon a barbarous word, yielding no tolerable sense, though that which seems to be intended in it, is to make propitiation or atonement. Ar. Vatab. Eras. Bez. ad expiandum: Syr. xDIT gay mon by, expians super peccata populi; so the word is constantly translated, though it rather signifies to shew mercy or pity. aonqua, is commonly used actively, for propitium facio, or propitio, to please, appease, atone, turn away anger;' and when it is taken in a passive or neuter sense, it signifies to be merciful, appeased, reconciled,' as Luke xviii. 13. Otos iraoFATI μol TW äμagraλw, God be merciful unto me a sinner.' I much doubt whether any instance can be given of its signifying to expiate, though because of the construction of it in this place, it be generally so rendered. If it be taken in its first proper sense, then sin cannot be the next object of the act denoted by it. Ours, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people,' of the sense whereof we shall deal afterwards at large. Er yag, In eo enim, Vulg. for in that: Eras. nam ex hoc, for from hence;' Beza, nam ex eo; Vat. ex eo, ob id; ours, for in that,' that is, inasmuch; not in that thing wherein he was tempted,' but, whereas, inasmuch, seeing that;' Arab. for from those things which happened unto him when he was tempted.' Пstorder adras #sigerdue, Vulg. passus est ipse tentatus, in which 6 himself suffered and was tempted.' Et, Erasmus tells us, is not in many ancient copies: Ar. in quo passus est ipse tentatus, in that he suffered himself being tempted: Bez. ex eo quod perpessus ipse fuit, quum est tentatus; for that which he suffered when he was tempted. But the words rather signify his sufferings by being tempted,' or from his temptations, than his suffering on other accounts when he was tempted. Syr. for in that he suffered and was tempted;' as the Vul. Eras. quod ipsi contigit tentatum esse,that it befel him to be tempted.' Laying the whole upon temptation, because in the latter clause mention is made of them that are tempted, without any addition of sufferings. It is not certain whether or be from Tax, or from wow, from whose active on the middle signification in ova is found, and wiñola, by an usual pleonasm of Theta; and if so, not his suffering, but his labouring under temptation is intended. If, as it is commonly thought, it be from wax, I confess that word is sometimes used as it is here rendered by Erasmus, accidit, contigit, usu venit, it happened, it befel;' but it is but rarely, and that not without regard unto suffering. But it being evident that the suffering of Christ is here intended, his temptation being mentioned only as an instance of that whereby he suffered, that is, not to be passed over, and the sense carried on unto his temptation only. Пugarus, he suffered being tempted.' Пuga, is in itself but to Πειραζω, make a trial or experiment. But this being done from various principles by sundry means, for different ends and upon divers subjects, there is a great difference in such trials, and great variety in the nature of temptations. How the Lord Christ was tempted, by whom, and of what sort his temptations were, we shall consider afterwards. The Ethiop. reads, when he tempted him, and afflicted him; that is, God. Avvala. Contrras. Vulg. potens est et eis qui tentantur auxiliari. (Et) again is added, but retained by Beza, as not copulative, but emphatical; potest et eis qui tentantur succurrere, he can,' or is able to help, relieve, succour.' Bond is properly Bonn , to run in to the cry of any one,' that is, to help and relieve him in his distress, to come speedily, and as it were in haste to the help of him that crieth out in danger. So Thucidides, ουτοι δε τοις Αθηναίοις εβεβοηθηκεσαν, • these came in to the help of the Athenians,' in their distress. And this is the direct sense of the word in this place, as it respects them that are distressed under the power of temptation, crying out for help. And it is plainly expressed in the Latin succurrere, and our succour taken from thence. So Chrysostom interprets these words, δυναται βοήθησαι, μετα πολλής προθυμίας ορέξει χειρα, * he gives out his hand unto them with all readiness." VER. 17, 18.-Wherefore (hence) it behoved him to (it was meet he should) be made like unto his (the) brethren in all things, (every manner of way) that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the things of (pertaining unto) God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that (whereas) he hath suffered being (when he was) tempted, he is able to succour, (come in to the help of) them that are tempted. In these two verses, the apostle illustrates what he had taught before, and confirms what he had asserted concerning the Son's participation of flesh and blood, in like manner with the children, from one especial end thereof. And this end is, his being a high priest, which that the Messiah was to be, both the Hebrews granted, and he himself intended more largely afterwards to demonstrate. Moreover, he was to be such a high priest, as was settled and suited for the discharge of his office, unto the benefit of them, for whose good he was to minister therein. This the wisdom of God, and the nature of the thing itself doth require. Now they being persons obnoxious unto temptations and sufferings of all sorts, he must in an especial manner be able to help, relieve and save such persons. And all this the apostle declares in these verses, in the opening whereof we may consider, 1. The importance of the illative expression in the entrance, 'wherefore, or hence. 2. The necessity intimated of what is here assigned to the Messiah, it behoved him,' or it was meet that he should. 3. What the apostle repeats and re-asserts; namely, that he was in all things,' or every manner of way, to be made like unto his brethren; or, 4. The general end of this his necessary conformity unto the brethren; that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest.' 5. The especial work and end of that office, which he was so prepared for; in the things of God, to make reconcilia. tion for the sins of the people.' 6. A farther enforcement of the necessity of the foregoing assertion, taken from a double consideration. 1. Of what he did, or what befel him, in the condition wherein he was made like unto the brethren; he suffered being tempted, or when he was tempted. 2. Of the blessed effect and consequence thereof, both in his own preparation unto the farther discharge of his office, and the benefit of them whom he ministers in it for, he is able to succour them that are tempted.' First, There is the illation intimated in the word ów, 'where fore. Now, this may respect either what had been before discoursed, or what is farther insisted on in the words ensuing. In the first way, the apostle would seem to infer the necessity of his being made like unto his brethren in all things, from what he had before proved of his participation of human nature; but this seems not to be the meaning of the word. That expression, to be made like unto his brethren in all things,' is only a recapitulation of what the apostle had before taught concerning his incarnation and sufferings; and here, his design is to shew the reason or end thereof; namely, that he might be a high priest, and discharge his office unto the benefit of the people. He gives therefore an account of what he had delivered, and declares the end of it: "Wherefore," or therefore, "ought he thus to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful high priest." And thus did Chrysostom understand the connection of these words, iva xv, saith he, goresan buriar duraμevne ήμας καθαριστεί, δια τουτο γεγονεν ανθρωπος, ο Therefore was he made man, that he might be a sacrifice able to purge our sins.' . Secondly, The necessity of the matter of the apostle's assertion is expressed in the word pus, he ought-it must be so; it could not be otherwise, on supposition that he was to be a high priest. God having designed him unto that office, and the work thereof, it was indispensably necessary for him to be made like unto his brethren in all things. Thirdly, That which the apostle thus asserts, is his being made like unto his brethren in all things. The proposition is of the nature of them that are καθολου ὡς μη καθολου, "universal, but not to be understood universally. For that expression, xaтa xarτa, is capable of sundry limitations. As, first, It respects only all those things which are necessary unto the end assigned; and, secondly, In them also, there may be a great difference. The things it respects are nature, with the essential 'properties thereof, attended with temptations and sufferings. But whereas the brethren are sinners, he was not made like unto them in sin, which exception the apostle elsewhere puts in unto this assertion, ch. iv. 15. For this would have been so far from conducing unto the end aimed at, that it would have been utterly destructive thereof. In the things also wherein he was made like unto them, still the regulation from the end is to be carried along with us. That therein which was needful thereunto, this assimulation or conformity extends unto; that which was otherwise, it supposeth not. And as the first part of this double limitation is made evident in the instance of sin, so the truth and necessity of the latter will appear in the consideration of the things wherein this conformity doth consist. As, First, He was made like unto them in the essence of human nature, a rational spiritual soul, and a mortal body, quickened |