VERSE 7.

Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared.

$1. Connexion of the words. $2. (I.) The first qualification of Christ as a high priest, his temporary infirmity $3 (II) What he did in this capacity. The act of his oblation. $4. The matter of it. $5, 6. The manner of it. $7 Its object. $8 General causes. $9. The true frame of his soul. $10. Its effects. $11. Limitations of those effects. $12. Christ's prayers. $13. His being heard. $14-21. (III.) Observations,

§1. In this verse, two instances of the qualifications.

of an high priest are accommodated to our Lord Jesus Christ, and that in the retrograde order before proposed; first, an high priest according to the law "was compassed with infirmities," ver. 3, which is here applied to Christ, even from the time he entered upon the discharge of his office, "the days of his flesh;" secondly, the acting of the high priest, as so qualified, is accommodated to him. For an high priest was appointed "that he might offer gifts and sacrifices for sins;" and so here it is affirmed of our Savior, that he also "offered" to God; which is expressive of a sacerdotal act.

§2. (I.) Wherein consists the qualifications of Christ here first mentioned? "Who in the days of his flesh." (os) Who, that is (xpolos) Christ, mentioned ver. 4, to whose priesthood thenceforward testimony is given. In the days of his flesh. We may here inquire, what is meant by the flesh of Christ? And what were the days of his flesh?

First, the flesh of Christ is taken two ways, for his whole human nature, John i, 14, "The word was made flesh;" 1 Tim. iii, 16, "God was manifest in the flesh;" Rom. ix, 5, "Of whom was Christ according the flesh;" Heb. ii, 9, 10, "He partook of flesh and

blood, &c." In the flesh, in this sense, as to the substance of it, Christ still continues. The body wherein he suffered and rose from the dead, was altered upon his resurrection and ascension, as to its qualities, but not as to its substance; it consisted still of flesh and bones, Luke xxiv, 39. "This flesh" he carried entire with him into heaven, where he still continues, though exalted and glorified beyond our apprehension, Acts i, 11. And in this flesh shall he come again to judgment. For the union of this "flesh" with the divine nature in the person of the Son of God is eternally indissoluble. And they overthrow the foundation of faith, who fancy that the Lord Christ hath another body in heaven than what he had on the earth; as they (the Papists) also do make him to have such "flesh" as they can eat every day. It is not therefore the flesh of Christ in this sense, as absolutely considered, which is here intended. Again,

"Flesh," as applied to Christ, signifies the frailties, weaknesses, and infirmities of our nature; or our nature as it is weak and infirm, during this mortal life. So is the word often used, Psal. lxxviii, 39, "He remembereth that they are but (2) "flesh;" that is, poor, weak, mortal creatures. Psal. lxx, 2, "Unto thee shall all flesh come;" poor, helpless creatures, standing in need of divine assistance. So flesh and blood is taken for that principle of corruption which must be done away before we enter into heaven, 1 Cor. xv, 50. And that is meant by the flesh of Christ in this place; he was "compassed with infirmities."

Secondly, what were the "days" of his flesh intended? It is evident, that in general his whole course and walk in this world may be comprised herein. From his cradle to his grave he bare all the infirmities of our nature, with all the dolorous and grievous effects of

them. But the season peculiarly intended is the close of those days, in his last sufferings, when all his sorrows, trials, and temptations came to an head. The sole design of this expression is to shew that when he offered up his sacrifice, he was compassed with infirmities, which hath an especial influence on our faith and consolation.

§3. (II.) An account is given of what he did in these "days of his flesh;" which in general, was his acting as a priest, as,

First; the act of his oblation, (πporeveynas) who offered. The word (pooPepw, accedo, appropinquo, or accedere facio) when applied to persons or things in common, is to approach, to draw near. But when applied to things sacred (like p) it signifies (offero) to offer. And although it be sometimes used in the New Testament, in the common sense before mentioned, yet it alone, and no other, is made use of to express an access with gifts and sacrifices, or offering on the altar. Hence it is manifest, that a sacerdotal offering is here intended: he offered as a priest.

§4. Secondly; The matter of his offering is expressed by (denteis na imetypics) "prayers and supplications." Both these words have the same general signification; and they also agree in this, that they respect an especial kind of prayer, which is for averting of impending evils, or such as are deserved or justly feared. The first term, (denreis, preces deprecatoriæ) we properly render supplications, 1 Tim. ii. 1. And supplicationes are the same with supplicia; which term signifies both punishments and prayers for the averting of them, as in the Hebrew, the same word (MOM) is both sin and a sacrifice for the expiation of it.

The other term (pia) is no where used in the scripture but in this place. In other authors it originally signifies a bough, or olive branch, wrapped about with wool or baize, or something of the like nature, which they carried in their hands, and lifted up, who were supplicants to others for obtaining peace, or averting their displeasure. Hence is the phrase (velamenta pretendere) to hold forth such covered branches. HERODIAN calls them (alиpiaç baλλ8) "branches of supplication." Hence the word came to denote a supplicatory prayer. And this sense singularly suits the scope of the place; as having respect to the sufferings of Christ, and the fear which befell him in the apprehension of them, as they were penal.

But it must also be here farther observed, that whenever this last mentioned term is used in heathen authors, with respect to their gods, it was always accompanied with an expiatory sacrifice; or was the peculiar name of those prayers and supplications which they made with those sacrifices. And the Jewish high priest was appointed in the great sacrifice of expiation, to confess, over the head of the scape-goat, "all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions," Levit. xvi, 21; which he did not without prayers for the expiation of them, and deliverance from the curse of the law due to them. And they are not the mere supplications of our blessed Savior that are here intended, but as they accompanied and were a necessary adjunct of the offering up of himself, his soul and body, a real and propitiatory sacrifice to God. And therefore wherever our apostle elsewhere speaks of the offering of Christ, he calls it the offering of himself, or of his body, Ephes. x, 2; Heb. ix, 14, 25, 28; chap. x, 10. Here therefore he expresseth the whole sacrifice of Christ by the "prayers and supplications"

wherewith it was accompanied. And he describes the sacrifice or offering of Christ by this adjunct, for the following reasons:

1. To evince what he before declared, that in the days of his flesh, when he offered up himself to God, he was encompassed with the weakness of our nature, which made "prayers and supplications" necessary for him; when he cried "from the lion's mouth," and "the horns of unicorns," Psalm xxii, 21. He was in earnest, and pressed to the utmost, in the work that lay before him.

2. That we might seriously consider how great a work it was to expiate sin. As it was not to be done without suffering, so a bare suffering would not effect it. Not only death, and a bloody death, was required, but such as was to be accompanied with "prayers and supplications." The redemption of souls was precious, and must have ceased for ever, had not every thing been set on work which is acceptable and prevalent with God. And,

3. To shew that the Lord Christ had now made this business his own; he had taken the whole work, and the whole debt of sin upon himself. He was now therefore to manage it, as if he alone was the person concerned. And this rendered his "prayers and supplications" necessary to his sacrifice. And,

4. That we might be instructed how to plead, and make use of his sacrifice in our stead. If it was not, if it could not, be offered by him but with prayers and supplications, and those for the averting divine wrath, and making peace with God, we may not think to be interested therein whilst under the power of lazy and slothful unbelief. Let him that would go to Christ, consider well how Christ went to God for him; which is yet farther declared,