with the analogy of that expression in the Psalms, "Thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns," (Psalm xxii. 21), and in harmony with the fact that Christ's prayer in the Garden indicates that even his heroic heart had been seized with fear. But the more natural sense is, by reason of his piety; and, in this view, the statement expresses a sound and important idea, and is somewhat parallel to Malachi ii. 5.
It may seem strange that the sacred writer should say of Christ, that "He learned obedience by the things which He suffered." But assuredly, (1.) As his sufferings were themselves obedience—in accordance with the words, "Obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," (Philip. ii. 8), and his own exclamation, "Lo, I come, I delight to do thy will, God, yea, thy law is within my heart," (Psalm xl. 8; Heb. x. 5-10)—so, in suffering, He was conscious of obeying, and experimentally realized obedience; and, (2.) Although Christ "did no sin," He was, in his human spirit, finite, and as, in early life He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man," (Luke ii. 52), so He was, afterwards, susceptible of new impressions, and capable of fresh attainments, in so far as his human nature was concerned, and may, therefore, by suffering, have acquired more distinct, and vivid, and comprehensive views of the nature, the obligation, the importance, and the means of obedience to his Father's will. O how desirable that, as suffering led to such practical results in Christ's case, it should lead to similar results in ours! Many and precious are the lessons respecting the laws of God, and the duty of men, to be learned in the school of affliction.
In his humanity, as in his Divinity, Christ was, in
