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hath highly exalted him-being exalted to the right hand of God. Heb. 7: 26, "who was exalted above heaven itself (and the most elevated inhabitants of it).”

V. Eph. 1: 20, (God) set him on his right hand in heavenly places. To be "seated at the right hand of God," signifies, to be exalted on the throne of the supreme God;3 to rule1 with God, to govern, to act, as God governs and acts. Compare Acts 2: 34, where the same passage from Psalm 110: 1, is adduced, with Acts 2: 36, where his being seated at the right hand of God is explained thus: "God hath made him both Lord and Christ." In the Comm. on Heb. 1: 3, note k, the signification of the phrase "sitting at the right hand of God," is more particularly explained; and in the Dissert. De notione regni coelestis, the meaning of the phrase "right hand" is given. See also Schleusner on the word dɛğıα, and Knapp's programma de Christo ad Dei dextram sedente, where parallel passages are adduced from other authors, and the reasons stated why this expression must be referred to the exaltation of the man Jesus.

VI. Adoration of Jesus.-Phil. 2: 10, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, This divine honour could not be paid to Jesus if he were a mere man, and if God, to whom alone adoration belongs, were not united to him in a peculiar See the work on the Design of the Gospel of John, p. 506 &c. The phrase x¤μлτɛ yovv bend the knee, is applied to the worship of the one God, in Rom. 11: 4. 14: 11.

manner.

VII. Ephes. 1: 21. Phil. 2: 9, 11, wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of

1 Matth. 22: 42-44. comp. Psalm 110: 1. Col. 3: 1.

3 Matth. 26: 64. Heb. 1: 3.

2 Rev. 3: 21. Heb. 12: 2. 8: 1. 41 Cor. 15: 25; in this passage, the phrase, sit at my right hand, until" (Psalm 110: 1. Heb. 1: 13), is explained by de avtov Basilev

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those in heaven and those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 1 Cor. 15:27, 28, he hath put all things under his feet. Heb. 1: 2, όν έθηκε κληρονομον παντων, whom he constituted Lord over all things. Peter also calls Jesus Lord over all (Acts 10: 36), and not only Lord over the human family, but Lord over all, in that comprehensive sense, which embraces angels and archangels within its sphere. Ephes. 1: 22, and hath put all things under his feet. Heb. 1: 4, he is as much superior to (greater than) the angels, as the peculiar name (or dignity) which he hath obtained, is more excellent than theirs.

VIII. Matth. 28: 18, all power is given unto me in heaven and on earth. The words "heaven and earth" cannot possibly mean the church collected from among Jews and gentiles; for of this signification the words can by no means admit (§ 42). But according to the usus loquendi of the language, they mean the world. This is also evident from those passages which clearly ascribe to Christ dominion not only over the Jews and gentiles, but over the whole world, over the angels, and in short, over all things which God governs, God himself alone, who put all things under him, being excepted. Phil. 2: 10. Rev. 5: 13. Psalm 135. 1 Cor. 15:27. Moreover, in Ephes. 1: 22, the church is specifically mentioned as a part of the whole (v. 20 -22), over which Christ is placed as ruler. dwxv avtov εδωκεν

ύπερ παντα τη εκκλησια, ήτις εστι το σωμα αυτου “he appointed him to be Lord especially over the church, with which he stands in a peculiarly close union." Col. 1: 18.1

IX. John 17:24, which (glory) thou (God the Father) gavest me, because thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. Comp. § 42. Col. 1: 15 compared with v. 16, 18, 19.

1 Comp. Dissert. I, in Epist. Coloss,

(§ 76. Ill. 1). Rom. 1: 4, and powerfully evinced to be the Son of God, according to the spirit of holiness, i. e. according to, or on account of the spirit of majesty, on account of that in Christ, which is invisible and supremely excellent. In the technical phraseology of systematic doctrinal theology, the subject of discussion in § 78, is termed genus axiomaticum communicationis idiomatum [Bekriwois], and includes those propositions of Scripture in which divine attributes are predicated of the human nature of Christ.2

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The design of the diversity of states in Jesus.

The reason why Jesus did not obtain an exalted dignity immediately after his union with the divine nature, is to be sought in the work which he was destined to accomplish on earth. In like manner, the reason why he now makes full use of his exalted perfections, is to be sought in that higher destination which he is now fulfilling; and which he could not fulfil without the full use of the perfections of his divine nature (§ 78). But the divine nature of the man Jesus could, by virtue of his union with the Godhead, at any time have displayed itself in the most splendid manner, if such a display had not been inconsistent with the plan of God. And his higher, his divine nature, really was displayed as far as comported with the divine purposes (Phil. 2: 6. §§ 81, 82).

› Comment. on Hebrews 1: 2, Note f.

2 Sartorii Compend. § 238.

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Description of Jesus' state of humiliation.

As it was necessary for the welfare of the human family (Pt. II. ch. I.), that Jesus should live upon earth as a man perfectly like ourselves (1), sín only excepted (§ 75), that he should experience the afflictions of every kind to which man is subject, and even submit to a death of the most cruel nature (2); so also it was the will of God, that his Son should be placed in such a situation (Phil. 2: 7, 8)—that is, the higher nature, with which the man Jesus was most closely united, did not exert as great an influence on this man, as it might have done (Phil. 2: 6. §79) and as it afterwards really did (§78). For example, his divine nature did not exert its power to elevate and extend the human knowledge (4) of Jesus, (who was destined to pass through the state of childhood like other persons,) to a degree which would not have comported with his childhood, or generally with the state in this world for which God had designed him. The divine nature forbore to exert any influence, by which the situation of Jesus would have been rendered more splendid than it was intended to be during that particular time (5); i. e. it did not produce, in and by the man Jesus, who was united to it, those effects which it now produces, and will hereafter produce.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

I. Rom. 8: 3, for, what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and on account of sin, condemned sin in the flesh. Heb. 4: 15, a high priest who can be touch

ed with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

II. Matth. 20:28. Luke 24: 25, 46, thus it behooved Christ to suffer. 1 Pet. 1: 10. Heb. 2: 14-18.

III. Rom. 8: 3. 1 John 4: 10. John 3: 16, "God appointed his Son unto death (sent him into the world for the purpose that he should die)." Gal. 4: 4, 5, "God sent his Son, as a man like unto us, that he might by his death purchase for us the right to become children of God, and to obtain future salvation."2

IV. Luke 2: 40, 52, and the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom-And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature. Mark 13: 32, but of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

V. Heb. 2: 9, but we see Jesus, who, for a little while, was put lower than the angels, who for the suffering of death was crowned with glory and honour that according to the gracious purpose of God, he might taste death for every man.

§ 81.

Jesus voluntarily submitted to this state of humiliation.

When we contemplate Jesus in respect to his human nature, we perceive that his obedience to God (1) and love to men (2) were so strong, that he very willingly engaged in the accomplishment

1 See the proof of this explanation, in the work on the Design of the death of Jesus, p. 429.

2 Programma de consensu Epistolarum Pauli ad Hebr. et Gal. p. 22.

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