LECTURE I.

ON THE CHARACTER AND

OFFICES OF THE

SON OF GOD, AS THEY ARE SET FORTH IN

THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

W

I.

E read, in the 24th chapter of St. LECT. Luke's gofpel, that as two of the difciples were walking to Emmaus, on the day of Christ's refurrection, an unknown perfon joined them on the way, and entered into difcourfe with them. After fome questions had paffed between them, this unknown perfon (who was no other than Jefus himself) began to fhew them, how all the circumftances, fo lately fulfilled in Jefus of Nazareth, had been forefhewn in the fcripture: and, beginning at Mofes and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the fcriptures the things concerning himself. Who can read this without wishing to have overheard that expofitory difcourfe, which, as the difciples faid of

I.

LECT. it afterwards, made their hearts burn within them? Such a difcourfe is the Epistle to the Hebrews, to thofe whofe hearts are open to understand it; not conceived in the fame words, perhaps, nor laid down exactly in the fame method; but consisting of the fame matter, and all tending to produce the fame effect.

All the doctrine contained in this epistle relates to one or other of these three heads;

First, to the Perfon of the Son of God, as it had been defcribed in the Old Tefta

ment.

Secondly, to the Religion of the Gospel, as being the fame under both Teftaments.

Thirdly, to the Church of Ifrael, as a figure of the Church of Christ.

Under the first of thefe heads, I fhall extract and arrange the doctrine of the Old Teftament relating to the person of the Son of God; taking the Epiftle to the

Hebrews

I.

Hebrews as my authority: wherein the LECT. apostle begins with fhewing the divine character of the Son of God, as diftinct from, and fuperior to, the nature of Angels; those invifible and exhalted beings, who are between the nature of men and the nature of God.

For, first, his name is greater than theirs; it being said to him, never to them, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee*• And, fecondly, he is an object of worship to angels-when he bringeth in his first begotten into the world, he faith, and let all the angels of God worship him. And farther, he is celebrated in the Pfalms as the King of heaven, and the Creator of the world-Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever-Thou, Lord, in the beginning haft laid the foundation of the earth: &c. these things are faid, as the apoftle witneffes, to the Son; who being alfo commanded to fit at the right hand of God, which was never faid to any angel, his perfon was not of a created angelic nature, as the Hebrews

LECT. might fuppofe, who had been used to that I. term in Mofes and the prophets (and per

haps took it generally in fuch a fenfe) but ftrictly divine, and himself the Lord and God of men and angels, the coaffeffor of the Father in glory everlafting.

Such indeed is the character of the Son in the Hebrew fcriptures, that it is the fame in all respects with those titles which the apoftle fubjoins to his name in the fecond verse of this first chapter: whom (faith he) God hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our fins, fat down on the right hand of the Majefty on high. Great as thefe expreffions are, they are the fame in fubftance with what the Old Teftament had declared before concerning the Son of God; who being called the Glory of God, has that relation to him which the light that comes down from heaven has to the fun, from whence it proceeds; who being

truly