Hence it was necessary that our Surety should be truly man, that he might "fulfil all righteousness" in soul and body; and that by suffering death in both, he might deliver his people from death.b XXXI. Hence the Apostle couples these two inseparably together," made of a woman, and made under "the law;" intimating that the immediate design of Christ's incarnation, was that he might be subjected, in his human nature, to that law which was first given to man. XXXII. The same truth is figuratively suggested by our Lord in the Psalms of David, when he says, "Mine ears hast thou opened;" which the Apostle thus explains, "A body hast thou prepared me.”e The expression carries an allusion to Exodus xxi. 2—6. Although the Hebrew servant was otherwise of the same origin and dignity with his master, yet, if from love to his master, and from love to his wife, though a servant, and to his children, though born in a state of servitude, he voluntarily chose to continue in the service of his master beyond the space of seven years,his ear, according to the injunction of the law, was to be bored through with an awl at the door, or one of the door-posts of his master. Christ transfers this to himself. Being in other respects equal to God his Father, " he took upon him the form of a servant," and from love to God the Father, f to his spouse, and to children born under the servitude of the law,h he came under engagements to a voluntary and lasting service. This a Matt. iii. 15. • Gal. iv. 4. Ephes. v. 25. b Heb. ii. 14. f John xiv. 81. h Gal. iv. 5. was signified by the boring not of one ear only, but of both ears:* which, as done to the Messiah, points out his great alacrity and promptitude in serving, expressed by himself in the fortieth Psalm; and, as the action of the Father, represents the Father's peculiar satisfaction in the voluntary subjection of the Son. Both the one and the other were openly declared, when, according to the will of the Father and the Son, a body was prepared for Christ, in which he might accomplish that voluntary service. Hence we read, "And now "saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to "be his servant."i XXXIII. It was requisite, farther, that our Mediator should be from among men," the Son of man;" that he might be our Kinsman and Brother, and thus our GOEL, or our Redeemer by the right of propinquity.k It was becoming,-it was worthy of God, that "he who "sanctifieth and they who are sanctified, should be all " of one," of one blood, that they might call each other brethren; for it was necessary that the Mediator should be subject to the law of love to our neighbour and our brethren. "Wherefore it behoved him in all 66 things to be made like unto his brethren." "For "verily he took not on him the nature of angels, he "undertook not the redemption of angels,‡ but he took on him the seed of Abraham." 66 XXXIV. The Hebrew word GOEL, as attributed to Christ, is of rich and extensive import; and deserves, therefore, to be here explained a little more particularly. In the Goel of the ancient Hebrews, three things chiefly fall to be considered: 1st, His Person; 2dly, His duties; 3dly, The manner of performing those duties. As to the Person of the Goel or Redeemer, it behoved him to be the nearest relation, or failing him, some kinsman, m To such a one, in virtue of his relationship, a fourfold right belonged; or if you please, a fourfold duty was incumbent upon him. 1. That of redeeming possessions of his brother or kinsman, which had been sold or alienated, as a house or land." 2. That of obtaining his freedom, if he were a captive or a servant. 3. That of avenging him, if murdered; hence he was called "the avenger of blood." 4. That of marrying the wife of a deceased brother or kinsman, to raise up seed to him; as a pledge of which, he spread over her the skirt of his garment; for, amongst the Jews, this was a symbol of conjugal duty, love, and protection." With regard to the manner of performing these offices, three things are observable. 1. That sometimes a price was to be paid, as in the redemption of property that had been sold. 2. That on some occasions power and force were to be employed, as in the avenging of blood. 3. That sometimes kindness was to be shown to a widow, as in the case of marrying a deceased brother's wife. These, when taken together, include almost every thing relative to the Goel, of which we are informed by the Mosaic law. XXXV. Christ was called Goel before the institution and beyond the sphere of the Mosaic polity; and perhaps some rights pertaining to the Goel prevailed in the families of the patriarchs; among whom, some traces at least, of the right of a husband's brother, oceur." But the prophets that flourished after Moses, sometimes distinguish our Saviour by the same name.▾ And all things which the law required in the Goel are found united in Christ. XXXVI. With respect to the person,-Christ, by assuming our nature, became our Brother and Kinsman, that being already possessed of the right of propriety, as God, he might obtain the right of propinquity, as our Relative." Indeed he is in a peculiar manner related to the Jews, as from them he sprung. On this account he is said to have taken on him the seed of Abraham,y and from this Paul gathers that the Jews shall one day be restored. But in a more general view, Christ is also the brother of other men, without distinction of nations;-not indeed of all mankind and of every individual, but of those that belong to "the seed of the woman," who are so called according to the promise, and opposed to "the seed of the serpent." The Israelites, then, are related to the Messiah at once by paternal and maternal extraction,-by their descent as well from mother Eve as from father Abraham; for to him also a promise of the blessed seed was made. The Gentiles are related to the Messiah, at least, by maternal descent. On both sides we ought to consider not the mere carnal alliance, but the 66 t Gen. xlviii. 16. Job xix. 25. u Gen. xxxviii. 6—8. w Heb. ii. 11, 14. x Rom. ix. 5. Heb. vii. 14. y Heb. ii. 16. divine promise, which is the source of a true and beneficial relation.a xxxvII. By virtue of this right of propinquity, Christ has claimed us to himself; of which we have a form in the following words: "But now thus saith the Lord "that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, “O Israel; Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I "have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” b Christ too has omitted none of those duties that could be expected from a GOEL; for, 1st, By his meritorious righteousness he has recovered our lost possessions, and that heavenly inheritance which we had forfeited by our demerit;" having obtained eternal redemption."a 2dly, He hath delivered us who were captives, and in a state of bondage to the devil.e 3dly, He has taken vengeance on our enemies, who had murdered our souls. 4thly, He has dissolved our connexion with our former husband, to wit, the law and covenant of works, and joined us to himself in an everlasting and indissoluble marriage, according to the covenant of grace. For the confirmation of this union, too, he has spread over us the garment of his most perfect righteousness;h which is shadowed forth in Ezekiel, by a naked and polluted female, over whom it pleased God, having entered into a marriage-covenant with her, to spread his skirt.* XXXVIII. Nothing is omitted even as to the manner of performing these offices; for, 1st, He has redeemed * In the first Edition, the Author here refers to Turretin. de Satisf. Christ. Disp. iii. Sect. 30, 31. |