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"to-day, and for ever," the whole idea conveyed to the mind is that of perfection and perpetuity. The entire expression is a well-known Hebraism, denoting the past, the present, and the future, to which, in this case, no limits are fixed, and it may be regarded as equivalent to the significant words, "who was, and is, and is to come. Every one conversant with the Jewish writings and antiquities, would be prepared to understand these terms in their largest latitude of meaning.* "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday," comprehending the whole eternity past, when "his goings forth were of old from everlasting;" to-day, embracing the whole space of time present, in which he has been described as "rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth," and having his "delights among the sons of men:" for ever, through the untold cycles of ages yet to come. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, before the world was created; to-day, while the world continues in being: for ever, when this world shall be no more. Yesterday, under the ancient Jewish economy: to-day, during the gospel dispensation on earth: for ever, in the unbroken successions and continuity of the heavenly state. This representation therefore of Christ, as "the same,” throughout all past, present, and future duration, without any restriction, involves that Immutability which is an attribute of God himself.

• "Through all times and ages," for as Philo observes, Tρepns yàp o xpovos ἐκ παρελολυθότος καὶ ἐνεστῶτος, καὶ μέλλοντος. Time consists of three parts, past, present, and to come, and these three signify, äravта τòv auva, all time, or the whole compass of it: so that as the same doctrine of Christianity, must always be professed by all Christians, so the same Jesus is always ready to assist and reward the sincere professors of it.-Whitby in loc.

Professor Stuart supports this view of the text. "ó avrós corresponds with ev ó avros EL, Ps cii. 28, [Septuagint ci. 27] which there designates immutability or eternity; for the parallel distich is, “Thy years shall not come to an end.” To refer the expression to Christian doctrine, and unite this verse with the one which follows, seems to me plainly a desertion of the obvious intentions of the writer. Dr. Schulz construes the passage as I have done; x0eç kai σýμepov Tovs aiwvac, is a Hebraism used to express the past, the present, and the future, and ó avros joined with these, denotes immutability.”—Stuart in loc.

That the Apostle intended all this, and did not limit the phrase to the Saviour's doctrine, as some would have us believe, may be inferred from his use of similar terms in the first chapter. His object throughout, is to shew the essential glory of Christ, as superior in nature and office to all creatures. Thus he directly applies to our Lord, in accordance alike with Jewish anticipation and Christian testimony, the memorable language of the forty-fifth Psalm, " And unto the Son he saith, thy throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever." And in continuation of the same argument, he also applies to him the sublime language of the hundred and second Psalm, "And thou Lord, in the beginning, hast laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thine hands; they shall perish, but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment, 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." This we deem a proof, beyond all contradiction, of what the inspired writer really intended. when he said, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day and for ever." Upon this quotation by the Apostle, from Ps. cii. Calvin justly remarks, "All the other things that are contained in this Psalm, agree aptly with the character of Christ, and this among others, that he is God eternal, Creator of Heaven and Earth, that everlastingness without change is attributed to him; whereby both his majesty is exalted to the highest pinnacle, and he himself is taken out of the order of all created things."*

2. The same truth may be confirmed by considering the analogous and coincident testimony of other scriptures. To these, however, our space allows only a brief reference. A full enumeration of the passages, even in the Old Testament, which bear upon this subject would require a volume. We

"Quum Jesus Christus sit idem (ó avròs) heri, et hodie, et in secula, consequens est ipsum esse verum Deum: quippe quum sit immutabilis et eternus: hæ enum sunt proprietates essentiales Dei."-Piscator in loc.

cannot, however, overlook the prophecy of Micah, quoted by St. Matthew. "And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that shall be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." This last expression is in exact coincidence with the doctrine deduced from our text, and appears irreconcilable with any other."*

In the visions of the Apocalypse our Lord says of himself, and we contend for the rigid Jewish acceptation of the terms, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." And again, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." The conjunction of the first and last letters of the alphabet, was the well known Jewish symbol of perfection, whatever might be the subject to which it related; and the Greeks employed it in a similar sense, as inclusive of all wisdom and excellence. As these two letters are comprehensive of the rest, and thus include the sum of all that language contains, the phrase expresses the absolute perfection of Christ, "in whom dwelleth all the fulness of wisdom and knowledge." Our Lord describes himself as being the Amen, † the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the Creation of God:"-not the beginning

• Dr. Pocock remarks on this passage, "Here it is observed two goings forth are mentioned, with respect to the two natures of Messiah; as a man, he goes forth from Bethlehem; as a divine being, he is from everlasting, an eternal emanation from God."

"Hoc loco significat Michæus Messiam quod humanitatem attinet, nasciturum Bethlehemæ; quod ad Divinitatem autem non esse nasciturum, quippe qui sit sempiternus."--Castalio in loc.

Grotius applies the text to Zerubbabel, though he was born in Babylon, for says he, Natus ex Bethlehemo recte dicitur, quod ex Davidis familia esset quæ orta ex Bethlehemo." But in this way of interpreting Scripture, says Bishop Chandler, "every descendant from David might as well be predicted here, as Zerubbabel, and any thing may be said of any thing or person."

This term, the AMEN, is a very expressive one in the opinion of the Jews. It has the force of the most solemn oath; aud is one of the titles given to God himself. See Isaiah lxv. 16, where it is said, "that he who blesseth himself

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in the sense of his being the first creature, but in the sense of his being the Author of Creation. He is the first, before all beginning; he is the last, continuing without end; thus claiming that uniform and unalterable existence, which agrees only with a being whose nature is self derived and independent.

In perfect accordance with these representations, we find that the same forms of expression used to describe the claims and perfections of Jehovah in the Old Testament, are applied without restriction to Christ in the New. If Moses says,

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth;" John says, "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God; all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made." If it be said in the Psalms, "Worship him, all ye gods;" we read in the Hebrews, "And when he bringeth in his only begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the Angels of God worship him." If in Jeremiah, God is represented as saying, "I the Lord, search the heart, I try the reins to give every man according to his own ways;" in the Apocalypse, Jesus says, "And all the Churches shall know that I am He that searcheth the reins and hearts, and I will give unto every one of you according to your works." If Isaiah says, "I saw the Lord high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple, and the posts of the door moved at the voice

in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth, and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth." The words may be rendered, shall bless himself in God Amen, that is, in God who is the Amen. Dr. Gill, whose opinion is entitled to some weight, from his knowledge of Jewish antiquities, observes, "the word Amen is the name of a divine person with the Jews and it seems, the second person; for so on those words in Prov. 8, 30, 'Then I was by him, as one brought up with him,' they observe do not read Amon, the word there used, but Amen; and a little after they say is the notaricon, or sign of the Hebrew words for "God the faithful King." They make Amen to be one of the names of the second Sephira, by whom the second person in the Godhead seems to be designed, and they say that the word Amen, by Gematry, (or numerically,) answers to the two names, Jehovah and Adonai.Gill on Rev. iii. 14.

of him that cried;" a New Testament Commentator tells us that this glory was the glory of Christ. "These things" said Esaias, "when he saw HIS GLORY, and spake of Him."* If it be said by Malachi, "I the Lord change not, therefore, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed;" it is also said by St. Paul, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for

ever."

We proceed to show that Christ is unchangeable,

II. IN THE RELATIONS AND OFFICES WHICH HE SUSTAINS IN THE ECONOMY OF REDEMPTION.

The Epistle to the Hebrews not only attests, as we have seen, the doctrine of the divinity of Christ, but furnishes a key to all preceding dispensations of religion. It presents Christ as the centre of divine designs, and exhibits the great and paramount fact that he has always been the medium of communication between earth and heaven. From the moment of the apostacy, an institute of mercy was provided, by a wisdom that was infinite, and a great Deliverer promised by whom that plan should, in the progress of ages, be carried into its full effect. The history of the Church, from the transactions of Eden to the close of time, is nothing more nor less than the development of this purpose; all Providence being" in the hand of a Mediator." Christ has been, therefore, from the first dawn of hope to man, "the way, and the truth, and the life;" and equally so under all dispensations.

This one idea of Mediation, gives the true explanation of the ancient economies, and of the successive manifestations of God to man. Christ was the Prophet, whom Moses announced; the Priest, after the order of Melchizedec, whom

"If any words are clear and definite, those here used are so to express that the object presented in vision to the prophet, whether seen or foreseen, was the glory of the Lord Jehovah, the Being whom the hosts of heaven adore. It would be useless to reason with any one who could read the passage and deny this. We find then, that the Apostle John did not hesitate to make a direct application to the person of his Lord and master of the loftiest style of Deity that the Old Testament could furnish."-Scripture Testimony, Dr. Pye Smith. Vol. 1, p. 265. ed. 1818.