Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/707

Rh of fire. This we have in Ps. 104. 4. where it seems to be more immediately spoken of the winds and lightning but is here applied to the angels, whose agency the Divine providence makes use of in the winds, and in thunder and lightning. Here, [1.] The office, of the angels; they are God's ministers, or servants, to do his pleasure; it is the glory of God that he has such servants; it is yet more so that he does not need them. [2.] How the angels are qualified for this service; he makes them spirits and a flame of fire, he endows them with light and zeal, with activity and ability, readiness and resolution to do his pleasure: they are no more than what God has made them to be, and they are servants to the Son as well as to the Father. But,

(2.) Observe, How much greater things are said of Christ by the Father. Here two passages of scripture are quoted, one out of Ps. 45. 6, 7. where God declares of Christ, [1.] His true and real divinity, and that with much pleasure and affection, not grudging him that glory; Thy throne, O God. Here one Person calls another Person God, O God. And if God the Father declares him to be so, he must be really and truly so; for God calls persons and things as they are. And now let who will deny him to be essentially God at their peril, but let us own and honour him as God; for if he had not been God, he had never been fit to have done the Mediator's work, or to have worn the Mediator's crown. [2.] God declares his dignity and dominion, as having a throne, a kingdom, and a sceptre of that kingdom. He has all right, rule, authority, and power, both as the God of nature, grace, and glory, and as Mediator; and so he is adequate and sufficient to all the intents and purposes of his mediatorial kingdom.

[3.] God declares the eternal duration of the dominion and dignity of Christ, founded upon the divinity of his person; Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, from everlasting to everlasting, through all the ages of time, maugre all the attempts of earth and hell to undermine and overthrow it, and through all the endless ages of eternity, when time shall be no more. This distinguishes Christ's throne from all earthly thrones, which are tottering, and will at length tumble down; but the throne of Christ shall be as the days of heaven. [4.] God declares of Christ the perfect equity of his administration, and of the execution of his power, through all the parts of his government; A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom, v. 8. He came righteously to the sceptre, and he uses it in perfect righteousness; the righteousness of his government proceeds from the righteousness of his person, from an essential eternal love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity, not merely from considerations of prudence or interest, but from an inward and immovable principle; Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest iniquity, v. 9. Christ came to fulfil all righteousness, to bring in an everlasting righteousness; and he was righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. He has recommended righteousness to men, and restored it among them, as a most excellent and amiable thing. He came to finish transgression, and to make an end of sin as a hateful as well as hurtful thing. [5.] God declares of Christ how he was qualified for the office of Mediator, and how he was installed and confirmed in it; (v. 9.) Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

First, Christ has the name Messiah from his being anointed. God's anointing of Christ signifies both his qualifying of him for the office of the Mediator with the Holy Spirit and all his graces, and likewise his inauguration of him into the office, as prophets, priests, and kings, were by anointing. God, even thy God, imports the confirmation of Christ in the office of Mediator by the covenant of redemption and peace, that was between the Father and the Son. God is the God of Christ, as Christ is Man and Mediator. Secondly, This anointing of Christ was with the oil of gladness, which signifies both the gladness and cheerfulness with which Christ undertook and went through the office of Mediator, (finding himself so absolutely sufficient for it,) and also that joy which was set before him as the reward of his service and sufferings, that crown of glory and gladness which he should wear for ever after the suffering of death. Thirdly, This anointing of Christ was above the anointing of his fellows; God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fel- lows. Who are Christ's fellows } Has he any equals .-' Not as God, except the Father and Spirit, but these are .not here meant, jis Alan, he has his fellows, and as an aiiointed Pei eon; but his unction is beyond all their's. 1. Above the angels, who may be said to be his fellows, as they are the sons of God by creation, and God's messengers, whom he employs in his service. 2. Above (ill prophets, priests, and kings, that ever were anointed with oil, to be employed m the service of God on earth. 3. Above all the saints, who are his brethren, children of the same father, as he was a Partaker with them of flesh and blood. 4. Above all those who were related to him as Mayi, above all the house of David, all the tribe of Judah, all his brethren and kinsmen in the flesh. All God's other anointed ones had only the Spirit in a certain measure; Christ had the Spirit above measure, without any limitation. None there- fore goes through his work as Christ did, none takes so much pleasure in it as Christ does; for he was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. The other passage of scripture in which is the superior excellence of Christ to the angels, is taken out of Ps. 102. 25 — 27. and is thus recited here. 10. And, Thou, Lord, m the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands : 1 1. They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a gar- ment; 12. And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed : but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. In these verses the omnipotence of the Lord Jesus Christ is declared, as it appears both in creating the world, and in changing it. 1. In creating the world; {v. 10.) Jnd. Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thy hanas. The Lord Christ had the original right to govern the world, because he made the world in the beginning; his right, as Mediator, was by commis- sion from the Father; his right, as God with the Fa- ther, was absolute, resulting from his creating power. This power he had before the beginning of the world, and he exerted it in giving a beginning and being to the world. He must therefore be no part of the world himself, for then he must give himself a be- ginning. He was tirpo i^dtrctr — before all things, and by him all things consist, Col. 1. 17. He was not onlv above all things in condition, but before all things in existence; and therefore must be God, and self- existent. He laid the foundations of the earth, did not only introduce new forms into pre-existent mat- ter, but made out of nothing the foundations of the earth, the primordia rerum — the first principles of things; he not only founded the earth, but the hea- vens too are the work of his hands, both the habita- tion and the inhabitants, the hosts of heaven, the an