that Covenant Jer. 31 31 32 33. The foundation of the New Covenant lyes in this that the people had disannulled and broken the former made with them Now surely they do not disannul that Covenant if they are righteous according to the tenor of it and unless they are so they say the Messiah will not come that is the New Covenant shall not be made unless by them it be first made needless Again the nature of the Covenant lyes in this that God in it makes men righteous and holy Ezekiel 11.19 So that righteousness and holiness cannot be the Condition of making it unless it be of making it useless This then is the contest between God and the Jews he takes it upon himself to give men righteousness by the Covenant of the Messiah they take it upon themselves to be righteous that he may make that Covenant with them Lastly If the coming of the Messiah depend on the Righteousness and repentance § 24 of the Jews it is not only possible but very probable that he may never come Themselves conceive that the world shall not continue above six thousand years Of this space they do not suppose that there is any more then five hundred remaining the time past since the expiration of the dayes determined for the coming of the Messiah is at least sixteen hundred years seeing that they have not repented all this while what assurance have we nay what hope may we entertain within the four or five hundred years that are behind Greater Calls to Repentance from God greater motives from themselves and others they are not like to meet withall And what ground have we to expect that they who have withstood all these Calls without any good fruit by their own confessions will ever be any better Upon this supposition then it would be very probable that the Messiah should never come Nothing can be replyed hereunto but that God will either at length effectually by his Grace give them that Repentance which they make necessary for his coming or that he will send him at last whether they repent or no But if either of these may be expected what reason can be imagined why God should so deal at any season concerning which he had made no promise that the Messiah should come therein and not do so at the time concerning which he had so often promised and foretold that he should come therein Exercitatio XVII The Third general Dissertation proving Jesus of Nazareth to be the only true and promised Messiah Jesus whom Paul preached the true Messiah First Argument from the time of his coming Foundation of this Argument unquestionable Coming of Jesus at the time appointed proved by Scripture Record and Catholick Tradition By the testimonies of Heathen Writers By the confession of the Talmudical Jews Jesus Christ intended by them in their story of Jesus the Son of Pandira and Stada No other came at that season by them owned Force of this Argument Characteristical notes of the Messiah given out in the Old Testament His Family Stock or Lineage confined unto the posterity of Abraham Isaac Jacob Judah David Our Lord Jesus of the posterity of Abraham and Tribe of Judah also of the Family of David Testimonies of the Evangelists vindicated Jesoes exceptions in general answered In particular the Genealogie not proved answered The Genealogie of Matthew declared and of Luke The place of the Birth of the Messiah Bethlehem Micah 5.2 Circumstances enforcing this consideration The Evangelists Citation of the words of the Prophet vindicated The Messiah to be born of a Virgin Isa. 7.10 11. and Matth. 1.21 22. Jews convinced that Jesus was born of a Virgin Jews exceptions to the Application of this Prophecy Their weight The answer of some unto them unsafe needless True sense of the words Exceptions answered The signification and use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greatness of the sign promised No other Virgin and Son designed but Jesus Christ and his Mother The Prophecy cleared in this instance In what sense the Birth of the Messiah a sign of present deliverance Remaining Objections answered Other Characters of the Messiah He was to be a Prophet Deut. 18.19 A Prophet like unto Moses Expected by the Jews Jesus Christ a Prophet That Prophet The nature of the Doctrine which he taught It s perfection The works of the Messiah revealed only in the Gospel of Christ also the nature and end of Mosaical Institutions Threatnings unto the disobedient fallen upon the Jews Sufferings are an other character of the Messiah his Passion foretold Psal. 22. The true Messiah therein intended Expositions of Kimchi and others confused Sufferings peculiar unto the Messiah The Psalm exactly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Objections of the Jews from the principles of Christians answered Isa. 53. Prophecy of the suffering of the Messiah Consent of the Antient Jews Targum Bereshith Rabba Talmud Ashech Invalidity of exceptions of latter Rabbins Applications to the Lord Jesus vindicated Other Testimonies concerning the sufferings of the Messiah Jews Traditions to the same purpose Other Arguments proving Jesus to be the true Messiah Miracles The nature of them wrought by Christ proved Testimony of the Gospel Notoriety of Tradition Miracles of Christ compared with those of Moses Excelling them in number in manner of their being wrought in their nature in his giving power to others to effect them in his resurrection from the Dead continuance of them in the World Jews self-conviction evinced Causes of the miracles of Christ assigned by them Art Magical retorted removed The name of God Testimonies of his Disciples Success of the Doctrine of Jesus Last Argument THe third branch of that great supposition and fundamental Article of faith § 1 whereon the Apostle builds his Arguments and Reasonings wherewith he deals with the Hebrews is that Jesus whom he preached was the true and only promised Messiah who came forth from God for the accomplishment of his work according to the time determined and foretold The confirmation of this foundation of our faith and profession is that which now in the third place we must engage in A subject this is whereon I could insist at large with much satisfaction to my self nor have I just cause to fear that the matter treated of would be irksom to any Christian Reader But we must have respect unto our present design for it is not absolutely and of set purpose that we handle these things but meerly with respect unto that further end of opening the springs of the Apostles Divine reasonings in this Epistle and therefore must contract as much as may be the Arguments that we have to plead in this case And yet neither can this be so done but that some continuance of discourse will be unavoidably necessary And the course we shall proceed in is the same we have passed through in our foregoing demonstrations of the promise of the Messiah and of his coming Our Arguments are first to be produced and vindicated from the
Lyranus Cajetan Estlus Ribera A Lapide all desert their own Text and expound the words according to the Original The Antients also as Chrysostom Theophilact and Oecumenius lay the chief weight of their whole Exposition of this place on the words omitted in that Translation The doctrine of purging our sins by Christ is deep and large extending its self unto many weighty heads of the Gospel but we shall follow our Apostle and in this place pass it over briefly and in general because the consideration of it will directly occur unto us in our progress Two things the Apostle here expresseth concerning the Messiah and one which is the foundation of both the other he implyeth or supposeth First He expresseth What he did he purged our sins Secondly How he did it he did it by himself That which he supposeth as the foundation of both these is that he was the Great High Priest of the Church they with whom he dealt knowing full well that this matter of purging sins belonged only unto the Priest Here then the Apostle tacitely enters upon a Comparison of Christ with Aaron the High Priest as he had done before with all the Prophetical Revealers of the Will of God and as he named none of them in particular no more doth he here name Aaron but afterwards when he comes more largely to insist on the same matter again he expresly makes mention of his name as also of that of Moses And in both the things here ascribed unto him as the great High Priest of his Church doth he prefer him above Aaron First In that he purged our sins that is really and effectually before God and in the Conscience of the sinner and that for ever Whereas the Purgation of sins about which Aaron was employed was in its self but typical external and representative of that which was true and real both of which the Apostle proves at large afterwards Secondly In that he did it by himself or the offering of himself whereas what ever Aaron did of this kind he did it by the offering of the blood of Bulls and Goats as shall be declared And hence appears also the vanity of the Gloss of a learned man on these words postquam saith he morte sua causam dedisset ejus fidei per quam à peccatis purgamur quod nec Moses fecerat nec Prophetae For as we shall see that Christs purging of our sins doth not consist in giving a ground and cause for faith whereby we purge our selves so the Apostle is not comparing the Lord Christ in these words with Moses and the Prophets who had nothing to do in the work of purging sin but with Aaron who by Office was designed thereunto Let us then see what it is that is here ascribed unto the Lord Christ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth most frequently denote real actual Purification either of outward defilements by healing and cleansing as Mark 1.40 Chap. 7.19 Luke 5.12 or spiritual defilements of sin by sanctifying Grace as Acts 15.9 2 Cor. 7.1 Ephes. 5.26 But it is also frequently used in the same sense with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to purge by Expiation or Attonement as Heb. 9.22 23. And in the like variety is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also used But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make a Purgation or Purification of our sins cannot here be taken in the first sense for real and inherent sanctifying First Because it is spoken of as a thing already past and perfected having purged our sins when Purification by Sanctification is begun only in some not all at any time perfected in none at all in this world Secondly Because he did it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by himself alone without the use or Application of any other medium unto them that are purged When real inherent Sanctification is with washing of Water by the word Ephes. 5.26 or by Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Titus 3 5. And the gloss above mentioned that Christ should purge us from our sins in his death by occasioning that Faith whereby we are cleansed is excluded as was in part shewed before by the Context That is assigned unto the death of Christ as done really and effectually thereby which was done tipically of old in the Legal Sacrifices by the Priests as is evident from the Antithâ—sis couched in that Expression by himself But this was not the way whereby sins were of old purged by Sacrifices namely by the begetting a perswasion in the minds of men that should be useful for that purpose and therefore no such things is here intended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then is such a purging as is made by Expiation Lustration and Attonement That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propitiatio Attonement Propitiation So is that Word rendered by the LXX Exod. 29.36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of Attonement or Expiation They do indeed mostly render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to propitiate to appease to attone but they do it also by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to purge as Exod. 29.37 and Chap. 30 10. So also in other Authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is expiatio expiamentum piaculum Expiation Attonement diversion of guilt So Lucian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We cast him down headlong for an expiation of the Army or as one that by his death should expiate bear take away the guilt of the Army And such Lustrations were common among the Heathen when Persons devoted themselves to destruction or were devoted by others to purge lustrate bear the guilt of any that they might go free such were Codius Menaeceus and the Decii whose stories are known This purging then of our sins which the Apostle declareth to have been effected before the Ascension of Christ and his sitting down at the Right Hand of God consisteth not in the actual Sanctification and Purification of believers by the Spirit in the Application of the blood of Christ unto them but in the Attonement made by him in the Sacrifice of himself that our sins should not be imputed unto us And therefore is he said to purge our sins and not to purge us from our sins And where ever sins not sinners are made the Object of any Mediatory acts of Christ that act immediately respecteth God and not the sinner and intends the removal of sin so as that it should not be imputed So Chap. 2.17 of this Epistle he is a merciful High Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to reconcile the sins of the people that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make Attonement or Reconciliation with God for the sins of the people And again He underwent death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the redemption of Transgressions under the first Covenant that is to pay a price for them that transgressors might be set free from the sentence
I will wait for him so that their words seem to be taken from this place of the Apostle as apprehending his Testimony to be cited from the Prophet which that it is not we shall prove evidently afterwards The same Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold I and the children which God hath given me From Isa. 8.17 CHAP. III. § 6 VEr 7 8 9 10 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the day of Provocation in the day of Temptation in the Wilderness when your Fathers tempted me proved me and saw my Works forty years wherefore I was grieved with that Generation and said they do alwayes err in heart and they have not known my wayes so I swore in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest From Psalm 95. v. 7 8 9 10 11. The Translation of the LXX agrees with the words of the Apostle both of them answering the Original Only the Apostle clearly to express the Reason of Gods Judgements on that people in the Wilderness distinguisheth the Words somewhat otherwise than they are in the Hebrew Text. For whereas that saith When your Fathers tempted me proved me and saw my Works Forty years long was I grieved with that Generation The Apostle adds that season of forty years to the mention of their sins and interposing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherefore refers his Speech unto the words foregoing as containing the cause of the ensuing Wrath and Judgement And although our present Copies of the Greek Bibles distinguish the Words according to the Hebrew Text yet Theodoret informs us that some Copies made the distinction with the Apostle and added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which also is observed by Nobilius and this could arise from no other cause but an attempt to insert the very words of the Apostle in that Text as did the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also reckoned amongst its various Sections though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remain in the vulgar Editions CHAP. IV. § 7 VEr 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And God râ—sted on the seventh day from all his works From Gen. 2. v. 2. The Apostle adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Text to complâ—â—t his Assertion and leaves out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he had made as to his purpose The LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and otherwise also differing from the Apostle CHAP. V. VEr 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou art a Priest for ever after § 8 the Order of Melchisedech From Psalm 110. v. 4. So also the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Jod superfluous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mos. There is nothing of Variety remaining in these words from any other Translations Ver. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee From Gen. 22. v. 17. The LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will multiply thy seed CHAP. VIII VEr 9 10 11 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 9 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold the dayes come saith the Lord when I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Aegypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Laws in their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them For I will be mercifull to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquity will I remember no more From Jer. 31. v. 32 33 34 35. Instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his neighbor ver 11. the LXX read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his fellow Citizen But some Copies of the LXX read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some of this Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which makes it evident that there hath been tampering to bring them to Vniformity But the greatest difficulty of this Quotation ariseth from the Agreement of the Apostles words and the Translation of the LXX where both of them seem to depart from the Original For those words in the Hebrew Text v. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which my Covenant they made void and I was an Husband unto them or ruled over them are rendered by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not The Reason of the Apostles Translation of those words we shall manifest and vindicate in our Exposition of the Context At present the coincidence of it with that of the LXX and that wherein they both seem to differ from the Original and all Translations besides the Syriack and the Arabick which are made out of it though the Syriack follow it not in the confused transpositions that are made of Jeremiah's Prophesies from Chap. 25. to Chap. 40. as the Arabick doth is only to be considered which shall be done so soon as we have recounted the remaining Testimonies whereof some are attended with the same difficulty CHAP. IX § 10 VEr 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the blood of the Covenant which God hath enjoyned unto you From Exod. 24.8 The sense of the Hebrew Text is alluded unto not the words absolutely The LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with much difference from the words of the Apostle CHAP. X. § 11 VEr 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldst not have a Body thou hast prepared me From Psalm 40. v. 6. So also the LXX both with great difference from the Original For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my ears hast thou digged or bored is rendered a Body thou hast prepared me Of the Reason of which difference and agreement we shall treat afterwards Ver. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast not required the Apostle expresseth exactly the sense of the Holy Ghost but observes not the first exact signification of the word The LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in some copies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soughtest not Ver. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold I come in the Head or beginning of the Book it is written of me to do thy will O God That is Gen. 3. v. 15. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the roll of the Book Symmachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
offence unto them with whom he had to do It appears then that from hence no light can be given unto our enquiry after the Language wherein this Epistle was Originally written though it be clear enough upon other Considerations Exercitatio VI. Oneness of the Church Mistake of the Jews about the Nature of the Promises Promise of the Messiah the Foundation of the Church But as including the Covenant The Church confined unto the Person and Posterity of Abraham His Call and Separation for a double End Who properly the Seed of Abraham Mistakes of the Jews about the Covenant Abraham the Father of the faithful and Heir of the world on what account The Church still the same § 1 THe Jews at the Time of writing this Epistle and their posterity in all succeeding Generations follow their Example and Tradition were not a little confirmed in their obstinacy and unbelief by a misapprehension of the true sense and nature of the Promises of the Old Testament For whereas they found many glorious Promises made unto the Church in the dayes of the Messiah especially concerning the great access of the Gentiles unto it they looked upon themselves the posterity of Abraham on the account of their being his children according to the flesh as the first proper and indeed only subject of them unto whom in their accomplishment others were to be proselyted and joyned the substance and foundation of the Church remaining still with them But the Event answered not their expectation Instead of inheriting all the Promises meerly upon their carnal interest and priviledge which they looked for and continue so to do unto this day they found that themselves must come in on a new account to be sharers in them in common with others or be rejected whilest those others were admitted unto the inheritance This filled them with wrath and envy which greatly added to the strengthening of their Unbelief They could not bear with patience an intimation of letting out the Vineyard to other Husbandmen With this Principle and Prejudice of theirs the Apostle dealt directly in his Epistle to the Romans Chap. 9 10 11. On the same grounds he proceedeth with them in this Epistle And because his Answer to their Objection from the Promises lyes at the foundation of many of his reasonings with them the nature of it must be here previously explained Not that I shall here enter into a consideration of the Jews Argument to prove the Messiah not yet to be come because the Promises in their sense of them are not yet accomplished which shall be fully removed in the Close of these Discourses but only as I said open the nature in general of that Answer which our Apostle returns unto them and builds his Reasonings with them upon § 2 We shall have occasion afterwards at large to shew how after the entrance of sin God founded his Church in the Promise of the Messiah given unto Adam Now though that Promise was the supportment and incouragement of mankind to seek the Lord a Promise absolutely considered proceeding from meer Grace and Mercy yet as it was the foundation of the Church it included in it the nature of a Covenant vertually requiring a re-stipulation unto obedience in them who by faith come to have an interest therein And this the nature of the thing its self required for the Promise was given unto this end and purpose that men might have a new bottom and Foundation of Obedience that of the first Covenant being disannulled Hence in the following Explications of the Promise this condition of Obedience is expresly added So upon its renewall unto Abraham God required that he should walk before him and be upright This Promise then as it hath the nature of a Covenant including the Grace that God would shew unto sinners in the Messiah and the Obedience that he required from them was from the the first giving of it the foundation of the Church and the whole Worship of God therein Unto this Church so founded and built on this Covenant and by the means thereof the Redeeming Mediatory Seed promised therein were all the following Promises and the Priviledges exhibited in them given and annexed Neither hath or ever had any individual Person any Spiritual right unto or interest in any of those Promises or Priviledges whatever his outward condition were but only by vertue of his Membership in the Church built on the Covenant whereunto as we said they do all appertain On this account the Church before the dayes of Abraham though scattered up and down in the world and subject unto many changes in its worship by the addition of New Revelations was still but one and the same because founded in the same Covenant and intrusted thereby in all the Benefits or Priviledges that God had given or granted or would do so at any time unto his Church In process of time God was pleased to confine this Church as unto the ordinary visible § 3 dispensation of his Grace unto the Person and Posterity of Abraham Upon this restriction of the Church Covenant and Promise the Jews of old mannaged a Plea in their own Justification against the Doctrine of the Lord Christ and his Apostles We are the children the seed of Abraham was their continual cry on the account whereof they presumed that all the Promises belonged unto them and upon the matter unto them alone And this their perswasion hath cast them as we shall see upon a woful and fatal mistake Two Priviledges did God grant unto Abraham upon his Separation to a special interest in the Old Promise and Covenant First That according to the flesh he should be the Father of the Messiah the promised seed who was the very Life of the Covenant the Fountain and Cause of all the Blessings contained in it That this Priviledge was temporary having a limited season time and end appointed unto it the very nature of the thing it self doth demonstrate For upon this actual Exhibition in the flesh it was to cease In pursuit hereof were his posterity separated from the rest of the world and preserved a peculiar people that through them the promised seed might be brought forth in the fulness of time and be of them according unto the flesh Rom. 9.5 Secondly Together with this he had also another Priviledge granted unto him namely that his faith whereby he was personally interested in the Covenant should be the Pattern of the faith of the Church in all generations and that none should ever come to be a member of it or a sharer in its Blessings but by the same faith that he had fixed on the seed that was in the Promise to be brought forth from him in the world On the account of this Priviledge he became the Father of all them that do believe For they that are of the faith the same are the children of Abraham Gal. 3.7 Rom. 4.11 as also Heirs of the World Rom. 4.13 in that all that should believe
all over the East expected And they acknowledge in their Talmud that they were made prodigiously obstinate in the War they had undertaken against the Romans by their continual expectation every day and moment that their Messiah who was to come about that time would appear for their relief For because of some expressions in this Prophecy they alwayes looked for his coming in some time of great distress But this through their lusts and blindness was hid from them that their distress indeed arose from their rejâ—ction of him who was come and had actually callâ—d them unto that Repentance which alone would have prevented it And this perswasion that the Mâ—ssiah was to come at or about the end of Daniels Weeks and that those weeks were now come to an end was so fixed in their minds that when they found that he came not as they thought according unto their expectation they attempted to make a Messiah themselves even the famous Barcoshi which proved the means and cause of their utter extirpation out of the Land of Canaan as hath been declared Thus was it with them of old whose posterity through obstinacy in their unbelief do now curse all that compute the time of his coming and confounding it with his second appearance at the end of the world cast it off to the last day or a small proportion of time immediately preceding it The Prophecy its self that we may return to its consideration contains a mixture § 25 of things good and desirable with those that are terrible and dreadful That there is a prediction of things terrible and poenal in destructions and desolations upon or after the close of the LXX weeks is both plain in the Text and acknowledged by the Jews That there is any thing of Mercy Love and Grace contained in the words some of them deny This course takes Abarbinel in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Springs or Fountains of Salvation But this figment is directly contrary to the whole Prophecy the context and express words of the Text. The Vision its self was granted unto Daniel in answer unto his prayer That the design of his solemn supplication was to obtain Mercy and Grace for Israel is also plainly set down The Answer is given him in a way of Mercy and Love and for his Consolation in his great distress And is it not strange that the Spirit of God should direct him to pray solemnly for Grace and Mercy and give him a blessed Answer for his comfort and supportment which should contain nothing at all of the Mercy prayed for but only terrifie him with Wars Desolations and Destructions As such an Apprehension hath nothing in the Scripture to warrant it so it is altogether dissonant from Reason Besides the things mentioned and summed up v. 24. contain the very extract of all the good things that ever were promised unto the Church from the foundation of the world and which it had for many Ages been nourished with the expectation of But these things will be more particularly evinced in our â—nsuing Dâ—scourse For the Computation its self the Jews universally acknowledge that the Sevens § 26 here denote sevens of years So that the whole duration of the LXX sevens comprizeth four hundred and ninety years This is granted by R. Sâ—adias Hagaon Jarchi and Kimchi on the place Here we have no difference with them nor others For it were lost labour to divert unto tho consideration of the fancy of Origen who Homil. 29. in Matthew would have â—very seven to contain LXX years ten years to each day and the account to begin at the creation of the world making the whole summ of years to be 4900. which expired as he thought at the coming of Christ. Apollinaris also indulged to a more vain imagination supposing the Prophecy to give an account of the whole space of time from the death of our Saviour unto the end of the world But these fancies are exploded by all both Jews and Christians are generally agreed that the precise duration of the time determined is four hundred and ninety years and not to extend farther then the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus whether it reach so far or no shall afterwards be discussed That which we have to prove and establish from this Prophecy against the Jews is First That the true and only Messiah promised unto the Fathers is here spoken of and the time of his coming limited Secondly That he was to come and to discharge his work before the expiration of the LXX weeks or four hundred and ninety years from their proper date that is before the Sacrifice and Oblation were caused to cease in the destruction of the City and Temple These things if we clearly evince from the Text we have satisfied our Argument and confirmed that the Messiah is long since come Nâ—ither are we as to the importance of the Testimony its self concerned in that Chronological computation of the timâ— limited which we shall afterwards enquire into The first thing incumbent on us is to prove that it is the true and only Messiah and his coming that is here spoken of And this we shall do 1. From the Context and scope of the Prophecy 2. The Name whereby he is called 3. The Work assigned unto him 4. The general confession of the Jews of old 5. The follies and open mistakes of the latter Jews in substituting any other thing or Person in his stead First The Context and scope of the place evidence him to be intended This in § 27 general was before declared It was about the greatest concernmâ—nt of that people that Daniel had newly made his supplications The Answer given him is as the Angel declarâ—s suited unto his desires and requests and it contained an account of their state and condition untill the consummation of all things that concerned them The End of that people or that for whose sake they were a Church and people was as we have demonstrated the bringing forth of him in whom all the Nations of the earth should blessed Untill this was accomplished it was impossible from the Decree and Promise of God that they should fall under an utter rejection or final desolation But this is plainly foretold as that which should come to pass at the end of the time here determined or instantly upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall cause the Oblation and Sacrifice to cease that is utterly and everlastingly putting thereby a period and final end unto their Church State and Worship But what thâ—n shall become of the people By a Wing of abominations he shall make them desolate or cause them to be wasted and laid desolate by overspreading Armies either in themselves abominable or abhorred by them And in both these senses were the Roman Armies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Wing of Abominations Neither was this to endure for a season only but unto a consummation of the whole v. 27. Now it was inconsistent with all the Promises
some of them pretend to adhere unto to this day the folly of which blasphemy both reflects upon themselves and is demonstratively removable from him whom to their eternal ruine they seek to reproach For 1. Do they not know that their own Moses was generally esteemed by the wisest of the Heathen to have been skilled and exercised in Magick So Pliny and Apuleius testifie and that he wrought wonders by vertue thereof as Celsus contends at large And can they fix on a readier course to confirm such a suspicion in the minds of Atheistical Scoffers then by their own taking up the same accusation against the Author of more and greater miracles then those wrought by Moses What colour of answer can they return unto his reproaches whilest themselves with more open impudence manage the same accusation against the Lord Jesus Besides as is confessed Aegypt was the spring of Magical incantations the worlds Academy for that diabolical cunning where almost alone it was had in honour and reputation There in the Kings Court had Moses his education and conversation forty years How much more just then though sufficiently unjust might a suspicion seem concerning him of his being skilled in that falsly called Wisdom then concerning our Lord Jesus who was persecuted thither and returned thence in his infancy which they childishly object unto him So that in this whole vain pretence they do nothing but attempt to cast down their own foundations 2. Neither indeed do they account the skill in and use of Magical incantations a crime but an Excellency Josephus would have us believe that the Art of Magick and the invention of incantations was part of the Wisdom of Solomon And their Talmudical Doctors do expresly approve of that diabolical Art Nothing then but extream malice and desperation would put them upon inventing this Cloke for their infidelity which not only casts down the foundation of their own Profession but involves also a contradiction unto those Principles which at other times they avouch So that Rabbi Achor was mistaken when he gave out that as a Prophecy which was indeed an history namely that a generation of ungodly men among the Jews would not believe the things that the Messiah should do but should affirm that he doth them by Art Magical § 73 For the blasphemy its self there needs no other answer be given unto it but what was returned by our Lord Jesus of old If these things had been done by Magical incantations and consequently the assistance of the Devil it must needs be upon a division of those wicked spirits among themselves and that upon the main design of their Kingdom Dominion and Interest in this world The open and proclaimed work of our Lord Jesus in this world was by all wayes and means to overthrow the Kingdom of Satan and his works This he privately taught this he publickly declared to be the main end of his coming into this world The Works and Miracles which he wrought were very many innumerable of them exercised on Devils themselves to their shame terror and dispossession of the habitations they had invaded In and during this work he declares them to all the world to be evil wicked malicious unclean and lying spirits reserved for everlasting destruction in Hell under the wrath of the great God For this cause they on the other side ceased not to oppose him and to stir up all the world against him untill they thought they had prevailed in his death If men therefore shall imagine or fancy that the works of Christ against the interest of Satan upon his Person unto his shame wrought to confirm a Doctrine teaching all the world to avoid him abhor him fight and contend against him commending every thing that he hates with promises of life eternal unto them who forsake him and maintain his quarrel against him threatning every thing that he loves and labours to promote in the world with eternal vengeance were wrought by his help and assistance they had more need to be sent unto the place where the maladies of those distracted of their Wits are attended then to have an answer given unto their folly § 74 They have yet another pretence to preserve themselves from the efficacy of this self-conviction But this is so perfectly Judaical that is so full of monstrous ridiculous figments that nothing but an aim to discover their present desperate folly and with what unmanly inventions they endeavour to cover themselves from the light of their own conviction can give countenance unto the repetition of it Besides the Fable its self is vulgarly known and I shall therefore only give a brief compendium of it seeing it may not be wholly avoided The story they tell us is this There was a stone in the Sanctum Sanctorum under the Ark wherein was written Shem Hamphorash so the Cabalists call the Name Jehovah He that could learn this Name might by the vertue of it do what miracles he pleased Wherefore the Wise men fearing what might ensue thereon made two Brazen Dogs and set them on two Pillars before the door of the Sanctuary And it was so that when any one went in and learned that Name as he came out those Dogs barked so horribly that they frighted him and made him forget the Name that he had learned But Jesus of Nazareth going in wrote the Name in Parchment and put it within the skin of his leg and closed the skin upon it so that though he lost the remembrance of it at his coming out by the barking of the brazen Dogs yet he recovered the knowledge of it again out of the Parchment in his leg and by vertue thereof he wrought miracles walked on the Sea cured the lame raised the dead and opened the eyes of the blind That alone which from hence we aim to evince is the conviction that the most stubborn of the Jews had of the miracles of our blessed Saviour Had they not been openly performed and undeniably attested no Creatures that ever had the shape of men or any thing more of modesty then the Brazen Dogs they talk of would have betaken themselves to such monstrous foolish figments for a countenance and pretence unto the rejection of him and them He that should contend that the Sun did not shine all the last year and should give this reason of his Assertion because a certain man of his acquaintance climbed up to Heaven by a Ladder and put him in a Box and kept him close in his Chamber all that while would speak to the full with as much probability and appearance of truth as the grand Rabbins do in this Tale. Every word in their story is a Monster The stone the writing of the name of God in it the vertue of the pronuntiation of that name the Brazen Dogs the entrance of a private man into the Sanctum Sanctorum the barking of the Dogs are Dreams becoming men under a poenal infatuation and blindness not much distant from
worn about them They are sanctified in the Law and in a word the Targum on the Canticles Chap. 8. v. 3. tells us that God chose them above all people because they wore the Phylacteries So just cause had our Lord Jesus Christ to reprove their hypocrisie superstition and self-justification in the use abuse and boasting of these things Mat. 23.5 All their works they do for to be seen of Men they make broad their Phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments This about the borders of their garments was an after Institution yet because of its answerableness unto this we may add it in this place To this purpose God gives his command Num. 15.38 39 40. Speak unto the Children of Israel and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a Ribband of blâ—w and it shall be unto you as a fringe that ye may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them and that you seek not after your own heart and your own eyes after which ye use to go a whoring that you may remember and do all my commandments and be holy unto your God which Law is repeated again Deut. 22.12 Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy Vestures wherewith thou coverest thy self These 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 locks or fringes made of thread fastened unto the wings or skirts of their garments with a Ribband 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a blew colour which how to make at present the Jews confess they know not but suppose it was made with the blood of a Fish called Chalazon mixt with Vermilion had vertue and efficacy from the institution of God who alone is able to bless and sanctifie things in themselves indifferent unto Sacred Use to the keeping of their hearts in a due reverence unto himself and their eyes from wandering after false Worship and Superstition which being now removed and taken away the things themselves are among the present Jews turned into the greatest superstition imaginable Their principal vanities about these things having been represented by others out of Maimonides his Treatise on that subject need not here be repeated The last appointment of God occasioned by the mercy solemnly remembred in the § 22 Passover was the dedication of all the first-born Males unto himself The Law of this dedication is recorded Exod. 13.12 13. and the manner of its performance is farther added Numb 18 15 16 17. Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh which they bring unto the Lord whether it be of men or beast shall be thine nevertheless the first-born of man shalt thou surely redeem and the first firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem and those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem according to thine estimation for the mony of five shekels after the shekel of the Sanctuary which is twenty Gerahs But the firstling of a Cow or the firstling of a Sheep or the firstling of a Goat thou shalt not redeem they are holy thou shalt sprinkle their bloud upon the Altar and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire for a sweet savour unto the Lord. The whole dedication of the first-born Males is distributed into three parts 1. Children who were to be redeemed with five shekels twenty Gerahs to one shekel that is about twelve shillings of our mony 2. Clean beasts such as were appointed to be offered in sacrifice on other occasions as the Kine the Sheep and the Goats These were to be offered unto God in a Sacrifice of burnt-offering without redemption or commutation after they had been kept a month with the dam. 3. Vnclean beasts whereof an instance is given in the Ass which were either to be redeemed with mony by an agreement with the Priest or to have their necks broke at the choice of the owner And all of this to call to remembrance the mercy of God in sparing them and theirs when the first-born of man and beast clean and unclean in Egypt were destroyed For hence a peculiar right of especial preservation arose unto God towards all their first-born and this also not without a prospect towards the Redemption of the Church of the first-born by Jesus Christ. Heb. 12.23 And this gave a period to the first dispensation of God towards the Church in the § 23 posterity of Abraham for the space of 430 years With the provision and furniture of these Ordinances of Worship they left Egypt and passing through the Red-sea came into the Wilderness of Sinai where they received the Law and were made perfect in the beauty of Typical holiness and worship Unto these Ordinances succeeded the Solemn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or giving of the Law on § 24 Mount Sinai with the Precepts and Sanctions thereof mentioned in several places by our Apostle as chap. 2.2 For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward Chap. 1O 28 He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses Chap. 12.18 19 20 21. For ye are not come unto the Mount that might be touched and that burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words which they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more for they could not endure that which was commanded and if so much as a beast touched the mountain it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart And so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake ver 25. They escaped not who refused him that spake on earth And in other places Three things must be explained in reference unto this great and solemn foundation § 25 of that Judaical Church state which our Apostle treateth about in this whole Epistle First The Preparations for it Secondly The Manner of the giving of it Thirdly The Law it self For the preparations for it they are either more remote or immediately preceding it The former were those temporary occasional instructive Ordinances which God gave them at their entrance into the Wilderness before they came to receive the Law on Sinai The first mentioned of this nature is Exod. 15.23 24 25 26. And when they came to Marah they could not drink of the waters of Marah for they were bitter therefore the name of it was called Marah And the people murmured against Moses saying What shall we drink And he cried unto the Lord and the Lord shewed him a tree which when he had cast into the waters the waters were made sweet There he made a Statute and an Ordinance and there he proved them and said If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God and wilt do that which is right in his sight and wilt give ear to
done to them which they would have done unto others or brought upon them Deut. 19.19 10. That a Calf be slain where a dead Body is found the Murtherer not known Deut. 21.1 11. That six Cities of refuge for the Man-slayer be appointed and the wayes to them be prepared Deut. 19.2 12. That the Levites have Cities and Suburbs granted them Numb 35.2 13. That the tops of the Houses have a battlement about them Deut. 22.8 The Ninth Family of Affirmative Precepts respects truth and Doctrines comprehending § 14 twenty five Commands 1. That the Idolatry of the Gentiles be extirpated out of the Land Deut. 12.2 2. That the City and Citizens which fall to Idolatry be utterly destroyed Deut. 13.16 3. That the seven Nations of Canaan be blotted out Deut. 20.16 4. That the Israelites remember what Amalek did unto them Deut. 25.15 16. 5. That the memory of Amalek be blotted out from under Heaven Exod. 17.14 6. That War be undertaken and managed according to the Law Deut. 20.1 7. That a Priest be annointed to go forth to the War Deut. 20.2 8. That every one carry a Paddle with his arms Deut. 23.13 9. That a place be assigned for covering of ejections of nature v. 12. 10. That what is stolen be restored Lev. 6.4 11. That an Hebrew servant be well rewarded at the end of his service Deut. 15.14 12. That we lend freely to the poor and needy Exod. 22.25 13. That the pledge be restored unto the owner Deut. 24.13 14. That the Labourer be paid his hire or wages the same day Deut. 24.15 15. That the hire-ling working in the Field or Vine-yard may eat of the fruits to his satisfaction Deut. 23.24 25. 16. That we help the Beast of our Neighbour fallen under his burden Exod. 23.5 17. That we help our neighbour in leading his Beast by the way Deut. 22.4 18. That what is lost by one and found by another be restored to the owner Deut. 22.1 19. That we rebuke our neighbour when he sinneth or offendeth Lev. 19.17 20. That we love our neighbour Lev. 19.18 21. That we love a Stranger Lev. 10.19 22. That weights and measures and scales be exact Lev. 19.36 23. That Wise Men or Men skilful in the Law be honoured or had in reputation Lev. 19.32 24. That Father and Mother be honoured Exod. 20.12 25. That they be feared Lev. 19.3 The Tenth Family concerns Women and Matrimony in twelve Precepts 1. That § 15 marriage be entered into by all Gen. 1.28 2. That a Contract or betroathing precede marriage Deut. 24.1 3. That the new married Man rejoyce with his Wife the first year Deut. 24.5 4. That the Male Children of Israel be circumcised Gen. 17.10 Lev. 12.5 5. That the Widow of a Man dying without Children marry unto her Husbands Brother Deut. 25.5 6. That he who refuseth so to take the Widow of one dying without Children being next of kin have his shooe pulled off and be spit upon Deut. 25.7 7. That he who hath violated the Chastity of a Virgin by force be compelled to marry her Deut. 22.29 8. That He who hath defamed his Wife without cause keep her without hope of divorce Deut. 22.19 9. That he who seduceth a Virgin to Fornication pay fifty shekels Exod. 22.16 10. That a fair Woman taken in War be dealt withall according to the Law Deut. 21.11 11. That divorces be made by a Writing or Bill of divorcement Deut. 24.1 12. That a Woman suspected of adultery be dealt withall according to the Law Numb 5.30 The Eleventh Family concerneth criminal Judgements and Punishments and hath § 16 eight Precepts belonging unto it 1. That criminal persons not guilty of sins deserving capital punishments be beaten with stripes Deut. 24.3 2. That he who slew a man at unawares be banished from conversing among the people Numb 35.25 3. That those guilty of it be hanged or strangled Lev. 20.10 4. That others as is appointed be slain by the Sword Exod. 20.21 5. Others to be burned 20.14 6. That those who deserve it by the Law be stoned with stones 7. That those appointed thereunto be hanged up after death Deut. 21 22. 8. That all who suffer death be buryed the same day Deut. 21.23 § 17 The Twelfth and last Family of this sort of Precepts which is about Judgements in Civil Causes contains seventeen Precepts 1. That the Hebrew servant be dealt withall according to the Law Exod. 21.2 2. That an Hebrew Maid Servà nt be married to her Master or his Son if humbled by either of them Exod. 21.8 3. That an Hebrew Maid Servant may be redeemed Exod. 21.8 4. That only Canaanites or Heathens may be made perpetual Servants or brought into bondage for ever Lev. 25.46 5. That he who procures the hurt of any one do repair it by a pecuniary mulct 6. That hurt done by a Beast be repaired Exod. 21.28 29. 7. That loss or hurt from the not covering or safeguarding of a pit be repaired Exod. 21.23 8. That theft be judged according to the Law Exod. 22.1 9. That the dammage done by one Mans Beasts in other Mens Fields be repaired Exod. 22.5 10. That dammage by sire voluntarily be repaired Exod. 22.5 11. That judgement be made of any thing deposited or trusted without reward according to the Law Exod. 22.6 12. That what is lent or hired for gain if lost be judged according unto the Law Exod. 22.10 13. Also what is borrowed for use v. 14. 14. That things concerning buying and selling be judged according to the Law Lev. 25.14 15. That the cause of the Plaintiff and Defendant be judged according to the Law Exod. 22.9 16. That a Man pursued by his Enemy to death may be delivered with the death of his pursuer Deut. 25.12 17. That the rights of Inheritances be determined according to the Law Numb 27 8 9 10 11. § 18 These are the Precepts which they gather out of the Law as Affirmatively expressed That some of them are by no means rightly educed from those Texts which they draw them from will appear at first view unto him that shall examine them It is also justly questionable whether sundry of them be indeed Precepts of God or no especially as by them explained But that this is the just number of the Affirmative Precepts of the Law that there are no more of that kind and that these are all so many distinct precepts is vain to imagine Only whereas in general the most of the particular commands that belong unto the same things are gathered by them into certain heads wherein they are summarily represented I thought not unmeet to give them here in their order § 19 The Negative Precepts also are by them in like manner cast into twelve distinct Families which with the same brevity we shall pass through § 20 The First Family of these Precepts relates unto False Worship concerning which they gather up forty seven Prohibitions 1. That we have no other God but
the new Creation or state of the Church under the Gospel but the whole world and all things therein contained they do in this very Epistle Chap. 11.3 5. Wherever the Apostle in this Epistle speaks in the Judaical Idiom of the Church-State under the Messiah he never calls it by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but still with the limitation of to come as Chap. 2.5 Chap. 6.5 And where the word is used absolutely as in this place and Chap. 11.3 it is the whole world that is intended 6. The Context utterly refuseth this Gloss. The Son in the preceeding words is said to be made Heir or Lord of all that is of all things absolutely and universally as we have evinced and is confessed Unto that Assertion he subjoyns a reason of the equity of that transcendent Grant made unto him namely because by him all things were made whereunto he adds his upholding ruling and disposing of them being so made by him he upholdeth all things by the word of his power That between the all things whereof he is Lord and the all things that he upholds there should be an interposition of words of the same importance with them expressing the Reason of them that go afore and the foundation of that which follows knitting both parts together and yet indeed have a signification in them of things utterly heterogeneous to them is most unreasonable to imagine We have now obtained liberty by removing the entanglements cast in our way to proceed to the opening of the genuine sense and importance of these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom not as an Instrument or an inferiour intermediate created Cause for then also must he be created by himself seeing all things that were made were made by him Joh. 1.3 but as his own eternal Word Wisdom and Power Prov. 8.22 23 24. Joh. 1.3 The same individual creating act being the work of Father and Son whose Power and Wisdom being one and the same individed so also are the works which outwardly proceed from them And as the joint working of Father and Son doth not inferr any other subordination but that of subsistence and order so the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not of it self intimate the subjection of an instrumental Cause being used sometimes to express the work of the Father himself Gal. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created so the Apostle expresseth that word Acts 17.24 26. And the LXX most commonly as Gen. 1.1 though sometimes they use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as our Apostle also doth Chap. 10. He made created produced out of nothing by the things not seen Chap. 11.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that word is constantly rendered by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to hide or to be hid kept secret close undiscovered Whence a Virgin is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one not yet come into the publick state of Matrimony as by the Greeks on the same account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one shut up or a recluse as the Targumists call an Harlot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a goer abroad from that description of her Prov. 7.10 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her feet dwell not in her own house one while she is in the Street another while abroad As the Mother of the Family is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dweller at home Psalm 68.13 Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the Ages of the world in their succession and duration which are things secret and hidden what is past is forgotten what is to come is unknown and what is present passing away without much Observation See Ecclesiastes 1. v. 10. The world then that is visible and a spectacle in its self in respect of its continuance and duration is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing hidden So that the word denotes the fabrick of the world by a Metonymie of the Adjunct When the Hebrews would express the world in respect of the substance and matter of the Universe they do it commonly by a distribution of the whole into its most general and comprehensive parts as the Heavens Earth and Sea subjoyning all things contained in them This the Greeks and Latins from its Order Frame and Ornaments call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and mundus which principally respects that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that beauty and ornament of the Heavens which God made by his Spirit Job 26.13 And as it is inhabited by the Sons of men they call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 8.30 The world of the earth principally the habitable parts of the Earth As quickly passing away they call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in respect of its successive duration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here used 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Plural number the worlds so called Chap. 11.3 by a meer Enallage of number as some suppose or with respect to the many Ages of the worlds duration But moreover the Apostle accommodates his expression to the received opinion of the Jews and their way of expressing themselves about the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes the world as to the subsistence of it and as to its duration in both these respects the Jews distributed the world into several parts calling them so many worlds R.D. Kimchi on Isa. 6. distributes these worlds into three on the account of which he sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy was three times repeated by the Seraphims There are saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three worlds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the upper world which is the world of Angels and Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world of the Heavens and Stars and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this world below But in the first respect they generally assign these four 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lower world the depressâ—d world the Earth and Air in the several regions of it 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world of Angels or Ministring Spirits whom they suppose to inhabit in High Places where they may supervize the affairs of the Earth 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world of Spheres and 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the highest world called by Paul the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 and by Solomon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Heaven of Heavens 2 Kings 8.27 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Olam hanneshamoth the world of Spirits or souls departed In respect of duration they assign a fivefold world 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called by Peter the old world or the world before the Flood the world that perished 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the present world or the state of things under the Judaical Church 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world of the coming of the Messiah or the world to come as the Apostle calls it Chap. 2.5 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world of the Resurrection
by him as incarnate that the Suitableness and Correspondency of all things in them might be evident The Word was with God saith he in the beginning and all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made v. 1 2 3. But what was this unto the Gospel that he undertook to declare Yes very much for it appears from hence that when this Word was made flesh and came and dwelt among us v. 14. that he came into the world that was made by him though it knew him not v. 10. he came but to his own what ever were the entertainment that he receeived v. 11. For this End then God made all things by him that when he came to change and renew all things he might have good right and title so to do seeing he undertook to deal with or about no more but what he had originally made The Holy and Blessed Trinity could have so ordered the work of Creation as that it should not immediately eminently and signally have been the work of the Son of the Eternal Word But there was a farther design upon the world to be accomplished by him and therefore the work was signally to be his that is as to immediate Operation though as to Authority and Order it peculiarly belonged to the Father and to the Spirit as to Disposition and Ornament Gen. 1.2 Job 26.13 This I say was done for the End mentioned by the Apostle Ephes. 1.10 All things at first were made by him that when they were lost ruined scattered they might again in the appointed season be gathered together into one head in him of which place more at large else-where And this mysterie of the Wisdom of God the Apostle at large unfoldeth Col. 1.15 16 17 18 19. Speaking of the Son by whom we have Redemption he informs us that in himself and his own nature he is the Image of the invisible God that is of God the Father who until then had alone been clearly revealed unto them and that in respect of other things he is the first-born of every creature or as he terms himself Rev. 3.14 the Beginning of the creation of God that is he who is before all creatures and gave Beginning to the Creation of God For so expresly the Apostle explains himself in the next verses By him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and he is before all things and by him all things consist But this is not the full design of the Apostle He declares not only that All things were made by him but also that All things were made for him v. 16. so made for him that he might be the Head of the Body the Church that is that he might be the fountain head spring and original of the new Creation as he had been of the Old So the Apostle declares in the next words Who is the beginning the first-born from the dead As he was the Beginning and the First-bâ—rn of every creature in the old Creation so he is the Beginning and First-born from the dead that is the Original and Cause of the whole new Creation And hereunto he subjoyns the End and design of God in this whole mysterious work which was that the Son might have the preheminence in all things as he had in and over the works of the old Creation seeing they were all made by him and all consist in him so also he hath over the New on the same account being the Beginning and First-born of them The Apostle in these words gives us the whole of what we intend namely that the making of the worlds and of all things in them in the first Creation by the Son was peculiarly subservient to the Glory of the Grace of God in the Reparation and Renovation of all things by him as incarnate It is not for us to enquire much into or after the reason of this Oeconomy and Dispensation we cannot by searching find out God we cannot find out the Almighty unto perfection Job 11.7 It may suffice us that he disposeth of all things according to the counsel of his own will Ephes. 1.12 This Antecedently unto the consideration of the Effects of it we cannot we may not search into Deut. 29.29 What are the Effects and Consequences of his infinitely holy wise Counsel wherein his Glory shines forth unto his Creatures those we may consider and contemplate on and rejoyce in the light that they will afford us into the treasures of these counsels themselves Now herein we see first that it was the Eternal Design of God that the whole Creation should be put in subjection unto the Word incarnate whereof the Apostle also treats in the second Chapter of this Epistle 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 things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2.9 10 11. God hath put all things in subjection unto him not only the things peculiarly redeemed by him but all things what ever as we shall shew in the next words of our Epistle See 1 Cor. 15 24. Heb. 2.8 Rom. 14.11 Hence John saw every creature which is in heaven and earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea even all that are in them ascribing blessing and honour and glory and power unto the Lamb for ever and ever Rev. 5.13 that is owning and avowing their Duty Obedience and Subjection unto him This being designed of God in the Eternal Counsel of his Will before the world was 1 Pet. 1.2 Tit. 1.2 He prepared and made way for it in the Creation of all things by him so that his Title and right to be the Ruler and Lord of all Angels and Men the whole Creation in and of Heaven and Earth might be laid in this great and blessed foundation that he made them all Again God designed from Eternity that his great and everlasting Glory should arise from the new Creation and the work thereof Herein hath he ordered all things to the praise of the glory of his grace Ephes. 1.6 And this praise will he inhabit for ever It is true the works of the old Creation did set forth the glory of God Psal. 19.1 they manifested his eternal power and Godhead Rom. 1.20 But God had not resolved ultimately to commit the manifestation of his glory unto those works though very glorious and therefore did he suffer sin to enter into the world which stained the beauty of it and brought it wholly under the curse But he never suffered spot nor stain to come upon the work of the new Creation Ephes. 5.6 nothing that might defeat eclipse or impair the glory that
and consequently to be preferred above them do not at all prove that Solomon of whom they were spoken meerly as he was a Type should be esteemed to be preferred above all Angels seeing he did only represent him who was so and had these words spoken unto him not absolutely but with respect unto that Representation And this removes the fourth Objection made in the behalf of the first Interpretation excluding Solomon from being at all intended in the Prophecy for what was spoken of him as a Type required not a full accomplishment in his own person but only that he should represent him who was principally intended 5. That there is a two-fold Perpetuity mentioned in the Scripture the one limited and relative the other absolute and both these are applied unto the Kingdom of David First there was a Perpetuity promised unto him and his Posterity in the Kingdom as of the Priesthood to Aaron that is a limited perpetuity namely during the continuance of the typical state and condition of that People whilst they continued the Rule by right belonged unto the House of David There was also an absolute perpetuity promised to the Kingdom of David to be made good only in the Kingdom and Rule of the Messiah and both these kinds of Perpetuity are expressed in the same words giving their sense according as they are applied If applied to the successors of David as his Kingdom was a Type of that of Christ they denote the limited Perpetuity before mentioned as that which respected an Adjunct of the Typical state of that People that was to be regulated by it and commensurate unto it but as they were referred to the Kingdom of Christ represented in the other so an Absolute Perpetuity is expressed in them And this takes away the third Reason excluding Solomon from being intended in these words the Perpetuity promised being unto him limited and bounded These considerations being premised I say the words insisted on by the Apostle I will be unto him a Father and he shall be unto me a son belonged first and nextly unto Solomon denoting that fatherly Love Care and Protection that God would afford unto him in his Kingdom so far forth as Christ was represented by him therein which requires not that they must absolutely and in all just consequences from them belong unto the person of Solomon principally therefore they intend Christ himself expressing that eternal unchangeable Love which the Father bore unto him grounded on the Relation of Father and Son The Jews I confess of all others do see least of Typicalness in Solomon But the reason of it is because that his sin was the Occasion of ruining their carnal earthly Glory and Wealth which things alone they lust after But the thing was doubtless confessed by the Church of old with whom Paul had to do and therefore we see that the Writer of the Book of the Chronicles written after the return of the People from their Captivity when Solomon's line was failed and Zerubbabel of the house of Nathan was Governour amongst them yet records again this Promise as that which looked forward and was yet to receive its full accomplishment in the Lord Christ. And some of the Rabbins themselves tell us that Solomâ—â— because of his sin had only the name of peace God stirring up Adversaries against him the thing it self is to be looked for under Messiah Ben-david The allegation of these words by the Apostle being thus fully and at large vindicated I shall now briefly enquire into the sense and meaning of the words themselves It was before observed that they are not produced by the Apostle to prove the Natural Sonship of Jesus Christ nor do they signifie it nor were they urged by him to confirm directly and immediately that he is more excellent than the Angels of whom there is nothing spoken in them nor in the place from whence they are taken But the Apostle insists on this testimony meerly in confirmation of his former Argument for the preheminence of the Son above Angels taken from that more excellent Name which he obtained by inheritance which being the Name of the Son of God he hereby proves that indeed he was so called by God himself Thus then do these words confirm the intention of the Apostle For to which of the Angels said God at any time I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son The words contain a great and signal priviledge they are spoken unto and concerning the Messiah and neither they nor any thing equivalent unto them were ever spoken of any Angel especially the Name of the Son of God so emphatically and in way of distinction from all others was never assigned unto any of them And this as hath been already shewed proves an Eminency and Preheminence in him above all that the Angels attain unto All this I say follows from the peculiar signal Appropriation of the Name of the Son of God unto him and his especial Relation unto God therein expressed Briefly we may adjoyn the intention of the words as in themselves considered and so complete the Exposition of them Now God promiseth in them to be unto the Lord Christ as exalted into his Throne a Father in love care power to protect and carry him on in his Rule unto the end of the world And therefore upon his Ascension he says that he went unto his God and Father Joh. 20.17 And he rules in the Name and Majesty of God Mic. 5.4 This is the importance of the words they intend not the Eternal and Natural Relation that is between the Father and Son which neither is nor can be the subject of any Promise but the Paternal care of God over Christ in his Kingdom and the dearness of Christ himself unto him If it be asked on what account God would thus be a Father unto Jesus Christ in this peculiar manner it must be answered that the radical fundamental cause of it lay in the Relation that was between them from his Eternal Generation but he manifested himself to be his Father and engaged to deal with him in the love and care of a Father as he had accomplished his work of Mediation on the Earth and was exalted unto his Throne and Rule in Heaven And this is the first Argument of the Apostle whereby he proves that the Son as the Revealer of the Mind and Will of God in the Gospel is made more excellent than the Angels whose Glory was a refuge to the Jews in their adherance to Legal Rites and Administrations even because they were given unto them by the Disposition of Angels According unto our proposed method we must in our progress draw hence also some Instructions for our own use and edification As 1. Every thing in the Scripture is instructive The Apostles arguing in this place is not so much from the thing spoken as from the manner wherein it is spoken even that also is highly Mysterious So are
â—â—â—e and immortality were brought to light by the Gospel so death and hell the punâ—â—â—ment of sin under the wrath of God are more fully declared therein The Nature of the judgment to come the duration of the penalties to be inflicted on unbelievers with such intimations of the nature and kind of them as our understandings are able to receive are fully and frequently insisted on in the New Testament whereas they are very obscurely only gathered out of the Writings of the Old 2. The punishment threatned in the Gospel is as unto degrees greater and more sore than that which was annexed to the meer transgression of the first Covenant Hence the Apostle calls it death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 by reason of the sore aggravations which the first sentence of death will receive from the wrath due unto the contempt of the Gospel Separation from God under eternal punishment was unquestionably due to the sin of Adam and so consequently unto every transgression against the first Covenant Gen. 2.17 Rom. 5.12 13 14. But yet this hinders not but that the same penalty for the nature and kind of it may receive many and great aggravations upon mens sinning against that great Remedy provided against the first guilt and prevarication which it also doth as shall farther afterwards be declared And this ought they to be well acquainted withall who are called unto the Dispensation of the Gospel A fond conceit hath befallen some that all denunciations of future wrath even unto unbelievers is Legal which therefore it doth not become the Preachers of the Gospel to insist upon so would men make themselves wiser than Jesus Christ and all his Apostles yea they would disarm the Lord Christ and expose him to the contempt of his vilest enemies There is also we see a great use in these Evangelical threatnings unto believers themselves And they have been observed to have had an effectual ministery both unto Conversion and Edification who have been made wise and dextrous in managing Gospel Comminations towards the consciences of their hearers And those also that hear the Word may hence learn their duty when such threatnings are handled and opened unto them II. All punishments annexed unto the transgression either of the Law or Gospel are effects of God's vindictive Justice and consequently just and equal A meet recompence of reward What it is the Apostle doth not declare but he doth that it is just and equal which depends on the Justice of God appointing and designing of it Foolish men have always had tumultuating thoughts about the judgments of God Some have disputed with him about the equity and equality of his ways in judgments temporal Ezek. 18. and some about those that shall be eternal Hence was the vain imagination of them of old who dreamed that an end should be put after some season unto the punishment of Devils and wicked men so turning hell into a kind of Purgatory Others have disputed in our days that there shall be no hell at all but a meer annihilation of ungodly men at the last day These things being so expresly contrary to the Scripture can have no other rise but the corrupt minds and affections of men not conceiving the reasons of God's judgments nor acquiescing in his Sovereignty That which they seem principally to have stumbled at is the assignation of a punishment infinite as to its duration as well as in its nature extended unto the utmost capacity of the subject unto a fault temporary finite and transient Now that we may justifie God herein and the more clearly discern that the punishment inflicted finally on sin is but a meet recompence of reward we must consider First That God's Justice constituting and in the end inflicting the reward of sin is essential unto him Is God unjust saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anger or wrath is not that from whence punishment proceedeth but punishment it self God inflicteth wrath anger or vengeance And therefore when we read of the anger or wrath of God against sin or sinners as Rom. 1.18 the expression is metonymical the cause being designed by the effect The true fountain and cause of the punishment of sin is the Justice of God which is an Essential property of his Nature natural unto him and inseparable from any of his works And this absolutely is the same with his Holiness or the infinite Purity of his Nature So that God doth not assign the punishment of sin arbitrarily that he might do so or otherwise without any impeachment of his Glory but his Justice and his Holiness indispensibly require that it should be punished even as it is indispensibly necessary that God in all things should be just and holy The holy God will do no iniquity the Judge of all the earth will do right and will by no means acquit the guilty This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the judgement of God that which his Justice requireth that they which commit sin are worthy of death Rom. 1.32 And God cannot but do that which it is just that he should do See 2 Thess. 1.6 We have no more Reason then to quarrel with the Punishment of sin than we have to repine that God is Holy and Just that is that he is God for the one naturally and necessarily followeth upon the other Now there is no Principle of a more uncontrolable and Soveraign Truth written in the hearts of all men than this that what the Nature of God or any of his Essential Properties require to be is holy meet equal just and good Secondly That this Righteousness or Justice of God is in the Exercise of it inseparably accompanied with infinite Wisdom These things are not diverse in God but are distinguished with respect unto the various manners of his actings and the variety of the Objects which he acteth towards and so denote a different Habitude of the Divine Nature not diverse things in God They are therefore inseparable in all the works of God Now from this Infinite Wisdom of God which his Righteousness in the constitution of the punishment of sin is eternally accompanied withal two things ensue 1. That He alone knoweth what is the true desert and demerit of sin and but from his Declaration of creatures not any And how shall we judge of what we know nothing but from him but only by what he doth We see amongst men that the guilt of crimes is aggravated according to the Dignity of the Persons against whom they are committed Now no creature knowing him perfectly against whom all sin is committed none can truly and perfectly know what is the desert and demerit of sin but by his Revelation who is perfectly known unto himself And what a madness is it to judge otherwise of that we do no otherwise understand Shall we make our selves Judges of what sin against God doth deserve Let us first by searching find out the Almighty unto Perfection and then
or Creation and Providence the Sun Moon and Stars showres from Heaven with fruitful seasons are in their judgement Preachers of the salvation of sinners I know not what also they say that the Reason of man by the Contemplation of these things may find out of I know not what Placability in God that may incite sinners to go unto him and enable them to find Acceptance with him But we see what success all the world and all the Wise men of it had in the use and improvement of these means of the salvation of sinners The Apostle tells us not only that by their Wisdom they knew not God 1 Cor. 1.21 but also that the more they searched the greater loss they were at untill they waxed vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkned Rom. 1.21 And indeed whatever they had amongst them which had any semblance of an obscure Apprehension of some way of salvation by Atonement and Intercession as in their Sacrifices and Mediations of inferiour Deities which the Apostle alludes unto 1 Cor. 8.5 6 as they had it by Tradition from those who were somewhat instructed in the Will of God by Revelation so they turned it into horrible Idolatries and the utmost contempt of God And this was the issue of their disquisitions who were no less wise in the principles of inbred Reason and the knowledge of the works of nature than those who now contend for their Ability to have done better Besides the salvation of sinners is a Mysterie as the Scripture every where declareth a blessed a glorious Mysterie Rom. 16.25 The Wisdom of God in a Mysterie 1 Cor. 2.7 Ephes. 1.9 Col. 1.25 26. That is not only a thing secret and marvellous but such as hath no dependance on any Causes that come naturally within our Cognizance Now what ever men can find out by the Principles of Reason and the contemplation of the works of God in Creation and Providence it is by natural scientifical conclusions and what is so discovered can be no heavenly spiritual glorious Mysterie such as this salvation is What ever men may so find out if they may find out any thing looking this way it is but natural science it is not a Mysterie and so is of no use in this matter what ever it be Moreover it is not only said to be a Mysterie but an hidden Mysterie and that hid in God himself as Ephes. 3.9 10. Col. 1.25 26. 1 Cor. 2.7 8. That is in the Wisdom Purpose and Will of God Now it is very strange that men should be able by the the natural means fore-mentioned to discover an heavenly supernatural Wisdom and that hidden on purpose from their finding by any such enquiry and that in God himself so coming unto the knowledge of it as it were whether he would or no. But we may pass over these Imaginations and accept of the Gospel as the only way and means of declaring the salvation of God And therefore every Word and Promise in the whole Book of God that intimateth or revealeth any thing belonging unto this Salvation is it self a part of the Gospel and so to be esteemed And as this is the work of the Gospel so is it in an especial manner its proper and peculiar work with respect unto the Law The Law speaks nothing of the salvation of sinners and is therefore called the Ministry of death and condemnation as the Gospel is of life and salvation 2 Cor. 3.9 10. And thus the Gospel is salvation declaratively Secondly It is Salvation Efficiently in that it is the great Instrument which God is pleased to use in and for the Collation and bestowing salvation upon his Elect. Hence the Apostle calls it the Power of God unto salvation Rom. 1.16 Because God in and by it exerts his mighty Power in the saving of them that believe as it is again called 1 Cor. 1.18 Whence there is a saving Power ascribed unto the Word it self And therefore Paul commits believers unto the Word of grace as that which is able to build them up and give them an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Acts 20.32 And James calls it the ingrafted Word which is able to save our souls Chap. 1.21 The mighty Power of Christ being put forth in it and accompanying of it for that purpose But this will the better appear if we consider the several principal parts of this Salvation and the Efficiency of the Word as the Instrument of God in the communication of it unto us As First In the Regeneration and Sanctification of the Elect the first external Act of this Salvation This is wrought by the Word 1 Pet. 1.23 We are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God Wherein not only the thing it self of our Regeneration by the Word but the manner of it also is declared It is by the Collation of a new spiritual life upon us whereof the Word is the seed As every life proceeds from some seed that hath in its self virtually the whole life to be educed from it by natural wayes and means so the Word in the hearts of men is turned into a vital principle that cherished by suitable means puts forth vital acts and operations By this means are we born of God and quickned who by nature are children of wrath dead in trespasses and sins So Paul tells the Corinthians that he had begotten them in Jesus Christ by the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.15 I confess it doth not do this work by any Power resident in its self and alwayes necessarily accompanying its Administration For then all would be so regenerated unto whom it is preached and there would be no neglecters of it But it is the Instrument of God for this end and mighty and powerful through God it is for the accomplishment of it And this gives us our first real Interest in the Salvation which it doth declare Of the same Use and Efficacy is it in the progress of this work in our Sanctification by which we are carried on towards the full Enjoyment of this salvation So our Saviour prayes for his Disciples Joh. 17.19 Sanctifie them by thy Word as the means and instrument of their Sanctification And he tells his Apostles that they were clean through the word that he had spoken unto them Chap. 15.3 For it is the food and nourishment whereby the spiritual Principle of Life which we revive in our Regeneration is cherished and encreased 1 Pet. 2.2 and so able to build us up untill it give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified Secondly It is so in the Communication of the Spirit unto them that do believe to furnish them with the Gifts and Graces of the Kingdom of Heaven and to interest them in all those Priviledges of this salvation which God is pleased in this life to impart unto us and to entrust us withal So the Apostle dealing with the Galatians about their backsliding from the
that Rest and Satisfaction in them which he had not in himself before for that which is Infinite must necessarily and unavoidably give eternal satisfaction unto that which is Infinite but only by a most free Act of his Will he chose by the Creation of all things to express somewhat of his Power Wisdom and Goodness in something without himself Absolutely he was self-sufficient from all Eternity and that both as to Rest Satisfaction and Blessedness in himself as also in respect of any Operation as to outward Works which his Will and Wisdom should encline him unto being every way able and powerful in and from himself to do what ever he pleaseth And this infinite satisfaction and complacency of God in himself arising from that fulness of Divine Being which is in all the Properties of his Nature is another Object of our holy Admiration and Adoration This God was this God did before the world was created Now what is man that this every way all-sufficient God should mind regard and visit him Hath he any need of him or his services Doth his Goodness extend to him Can he profit God as a man profiteth his neighbour If he sin what doth he against him Or if his transgressions be multiplied what doth he against him That is to his disadvantage If he be righteous what giveth he unto him or what receiveth he at his hand Job 35.6 7. Nothing but Infinite Condescension and Grace is the fountain of all Gods regard unto us Thirdly His Infinite and Eternal Power is by the same means manifested This the Apostle expresly affirms Rom. 1.20 He that made all these things of nothing and therefore can also make and create in like manner what ever else besides he pleaseth must needs be infinite in power or as he is called the Lord God Omnipotent Rev. 19.6 This himself sets forth in general Isa. 40.28 And to convince Job hereof he treats with him in particular instances about some few of his fellow creatures here below in the Earth and in the Waters Chap. 38.39 And if the Power of God in making this or that creature which we see and behold be so admirable declaring his Soveraignty and the infinite distance of man from him in his best condition how glorious is it in the whole Vniverse and in the creation of all things visible and invisible and that by a secret Emanation of Omnipotency in a Word of Command The Art of man will go far in the framing fashioning and ordering of things but there are two things in the least of the creatures of God that make the creating Energie that is seen in them infinitely to differ from all limited and finite power First That they are brought out of nothing now let all Creatures combine their Strength and Wisdom together unless they have some praeexistent matter to work upon they can produce nothing effect nothing Secondly To many of his creatures of the least of them God hath given life and spontaneous motions to all of them an especial inclination and operation following inseparably the Principles of their Nature But as all created Power can give neither life nor spontaneous motion nor growth to any thing no more can it plant in any thing a new natural principle that should encline it unto a new kind of Operation which was not originally connatural unto it There is a peculiar impress of Omnipotency upon all the works of God as he declares at large in that Discourse with Job Chap. 38.39 And this Power is no less effectual nor less evident in his sustentation and preservation of all things than in his creation of them Things do no more subsist by themselves than they were made by themselves He sustaineth all things by the word of his power Heb. 1.3 And by him all things consist Col. 1.17 He hath not made the World and then turned it off his hand to stand on its own bottom and shift for it self But there is continually every moment an emanation of Power from God unto every creature the greatest the least the meanest to preserve them in their Being and Order which if it were suspended but for one moment they would all lose their station and being and by confusion be reduced into nothing In him we live and move and have our being Acts 7.28 and He giveth unto all life and breath and all things verse 25. God needs not put forth any act of his Power to destroy the Creation the very suspension of that constant emanation of Omnipotency which is necessary unto its subsistence would be sufficient for that end and purpose And who can admire as he ought this Power of God which is greater in every particular grass of the field than we are able to search into or comprehend And what is man that he should be mindful of him Fourthly His Wisdom also shines forth in these works of his hands In wisdom hath he made them all Psal. 104.24 So also 136.5 his Power was that which gave all things their Being but his Wisdom gave them their Order beauty and use How admirable this is how incomprehensible it is unto us Zophar declares in Job chap. 11. verse 6 7 8 9 10. The secrets of this Wisdom are double unto what may be known of it infinitely more than we can attain to the knowledge of Searching will not do it it is absolutely incomprehensible He that can take but a little weak faint consideration of the glorious Disposition of the Heavenly Bodies their Order Course Respect to each other their usefulness and influences their disposition and connexion of Causes and Effects here below the orderly concurrence and subserviency of every thing in its place and operation to the consistency use and beauty of the Vniverse will be forced to cry out with the Psalmist O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches But alas what can the best and wisest of men attain unto in the investigation of the Wisdom of God There is not the least creature but considered apart by it self hath somewhat belonging unto it that will bring them unto wonder and astonishment And what shall we say concerning the most glorious concerning the Order of them all unto one another and the whole there must all mens considerations end and among them this of ours Fifthly His Goodness is in like manner manifest in these things There is in the whole and every part of God's Creation a four-fold goodness 1. A goodness of being and subsistence That which is so far forth as it is is good So God saw all things as he made them that they were good The very being of every thing is its first goodness on which all other concernments of it do depend And this ariseth from hence because thereby and therein it participates of the first absolute Goodness which is Being whereunto a nothingness if I may so speak is negatively opposed ad infinitum 2. A
Exposition of another part of Christs Mediation as prophesied of in this place For though he was so lessened yet it was not on his own account but that by the grace of God he might taste death for every man Secondly For the other part of the testimony We see saith he upon the evidences mentioned that he is crowned with glory and honour and consequently that all things are put under his feet So that the whole testimony in both parts of it is verified in him and in him alone And hereby he fully evinceth what he had before proposed unto confirmation namely the preheminence of Jesus the Messiah above the Angels or principal Administrators of the Law in this especial instance That the world to come was put into subjection unto him and not unto them and therefore in the state of the Church intended in that expression are his Teachings his Doctrine his Worship diligently to be attended unto by all those who desire to be partakers of the promises and good things thereof Secondly There seems to be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the words by a transposition of some expressions from their proper place and coherence which must be removed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some would have those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to belong to the subject of the Proposition whose praedicate alone is crowned with glory and honour whereof the suffering of death is inserted as the meritorious cause So reading the words to this purpose We see that Jesus who was for a little while made lower than the Angels for his suffering of death is crowned with glory and honour Others would have Jesus alone to be the subject of the Proposition of whose praedicate there are two parts or two things are affirmed concerning him First that he was made lower than the Angels the reason whereof is added namely that he might suffer death which is farther explained in the close of the verse by the addition of the Cause and End of that his suffering That by the grace of God he might taste of death for every man so reading the words to this purpose We see Jesus made lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned or and crowned with glory and honour The difficulty principally consists in this only namely whether the Apostle by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the suffering of death intend the final cause of the humiliation of Christ he was made low that he might suffer death or the meritorious cause of his Exaltation for or because he suffered death he was crowned with glory and honour And the former seems evidently the intention of the words according to the latter resolution of them and our application of the testimony fore-going For 1. if the cause and means of the Exaltation of Christ had been intended it would have been expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 requiring a Genitive case where the cause or means of any thing is intended but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresseth the end of what was before affirmed 2. These words for the suffering of death must express either the minoration and humiliation of Christ or the end of it if they express the end of it then we obtain that which is pleaded for he was made less that he might suffer If they express his minoration it self then the end of it is contained only in the close of the verse that he might taste of death for every man In which exposition of the words the sense would be that he suffered death that by the grace of God he might taste death which is no sense at all 3. If those words denote only the means or meritorious cause of the Exaltation of Christ I enquire what is the medium intended of that end in the close 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he by the grace of God he might taste death The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that so plainly refers unto some preparatory means preceding which in this way can be nothing but the crowning him with glory and honour which we know was not the means but the effect of it He was humbled not exalted that he might taste of death 4. The Apostle doth not meerly take it for granted that Jesus was for a little while made lesser than the Angels but asserts it as proved in the testimony insisted on whereunto he subjoyns the end of that his comparative minoration because he intended it as the especial subject of his ensuing discourse This therefore is the importance and natural order of the words But we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour who was for a little while made lower than the Angels for the suffering of death that he by the grace of God might taste death for every man And the only reason of the transposition of the words consisteth in the Apostles following the order of the things testified unto by the Psalmist first his Humiliation then his Exaltation and yet connecting that which he would next treat of unto that which was first laid down passing by the other as now sufficiently confirmed Thirdly The general design of the words and their order being cleared we shall open them in particular seeing that besides the application of the testimony of the Psalmist unto the Lord Jesus now vindicated there is an assertion in them containing that which of all other things was of most difficult acceptation with the Jews upon the account whereof the Apostle confirms it with many reasons in the verses following to the end of this Chapter And indeed we have here the sum of the Gospel and the Doctrine of it concerning the Person and Office of the Messiah asserted and vindicated from the prejudicate opinions of many of the Jews under these two heads 1. That the salvation and deliverance that God had promised and intended to accomplish by the Messiah was spiritual and eternal from death sin Sathan and hell ending in everlasting glory not temporal and carnal with respect unto the world and the concomitants of it in this life as they vainly imagined 2. That this salvation could be no otherwise wrought nor brought about but by the Incarnation Suffering and death of the Messiah not in especial by Arms War and mighty Power as the People was of old led into Canaan under the conduct of Joshua the Captain of that salvation and as some of them expected yet to be saved and delivered by the Messiah Now the Apostle strengthning his discourse by multiplicity of reasons and arguments he doth not only in these words apply his testimony to what he had before proposed unto confirmation namely the subjection of the world to come unto Christ but also lays in it the springs of those two other Principles which we have mentioned and whose proof and confirmation in the next verses he pursues Sundry things as we have partly seen are contained in the words as first the Exinanition and Humiliation of Christ We see Jesus for a little while made lower and brought into a
them as that they might enjoy the blessed effects thereof in deliverance and salvation Thirdly The Apostle lays down an Inference from his preceding assertion in those words For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren In which words we have 1. The respect of that which is here affirmed unto the assertion fore-going for which cause 2. The thing it self affirmed which is That the Lord Christ calls the sons to be brought unto glory his brethren 3. The manner of his so doing he is not ashamed to call them so And herein also the Apostle according to his wonted way of proceeding which we have often observed makes a transition towards somewhat else which he had in design namely the Prophetical Office of Christ as we shall see afterwards For which cause that is because they are of one partakers of one common nature He calls them brethren This gives a rightful foundation unto that Appellation Hereon is built that relation which is between him and them It is true there is more required to perfect the relation of Brotherhood between him and them than meerly their being of one but it is so far established from hence that he was meet to suffer for them to sanctifie and save them And without this there could have been no such relation Now his calling of them Brethren doth both declare that they are so and also that he owns them and avouches them as such But whereas it may be said that although they are thus of one in respect of their common nature yet upon sundry other accounts he is so glorious and they are so vile and miserable that he might justly disavow this cognation and reject them as strangers The Apostle tells us it is otherwise and that passing by all other distances between them and setting aside the consideration of their unworthiness for which he might justly disavow them and remembring wherefore he was of one with them he is not ashamed to call them brethren There may be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the words and the contrary asserted to that which is denied he is not ashamed that is willingly cheerfully and readily he doth it But I rather look upon it as an expression of condescension and love and herein doth the Apostle shew the use of what he taught before that they were of one namely that thereby they became Brethren he meet to suffer for them and they meet to be saved by him What in all this the Apostle confirms by the ensuing testimonies we shall see in the explication of them in the mean time we may learn for our own instruction IV. That notwithstanding the union of nature which is between the Son of God incarnate the Sanctifier and the children that are to be sanctified there is in respect of their Persons as inconceivable distance between them so that it is a marvellous condescension in him to call them brethren He is not ashamed to call them so though considering what himself is and what they are it should seem that he might justly be so The same expression for the like reasons is used concerning Gods owning his people in covenant chap. 11.16 Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God And this distance between Christ and us which makes his condescension so marvellous relates unto a four-fold head First The immunity of the nature wherein he was of one with us in his Person from all sin He was made like unto us in all things sin excepted The nature of man in every other individual person is defiled with and debased by sin We are every one gone astray and are become altogether filthy or abhominable This sets us at no small distance from him Humane nature defiled with sin is farther distanced from the same nature as pure and holy in worth and excellency than the meanest worm is from the most glorious Angel Nothing but sin casts the creature out of its own place and puts it into another distance from God than it hath by being a creature This is a debasement unto hell as the Prophet speaks Thou didst debase thy self-even unto hell Isa. 57.9 And therefore the condescension of God unto us in Christ is set out by his regarding of us when we were enemies unto him Rom. 5.10 that is whilst we were sinners as verse 8. This had cast us into hell it self at the most inconceivable distance from him Yet this hindred not him who was holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners to own us as his brethren He says not with those proud hypocrites in the Prophet Stand farther off I am holier than you but he comes unto us and takes us by the hand in his love to deliver us from this condition Secondly We are in this nature obnoxious unto all miseries in this world and that which is to come Man now is born to trouble all the trouble that sin can deserve or a provoked God inflict his misery is great upon him and that growing and endless He justly in himself free from all obnoxious to nothing that was grievous or irksome no more than the Angels in heaven or Adam in Paradise Poena noxam sequitur Punishment and trouble follow guilt only naturally He did no sin nor was there guile found in his mouth so that God was always well pleased with him What ever of hardship or difficulty he underwent it was for us and not for himself Might not he have left us to perish in our condition and freely enjoyed his own We see how unapt those who are in prosperity full and rich are to take notice of their nearest Relations in poverty misery and distress and who among them would do so if it would cast them into the state of those who are already miserable yet so it did the Lord Christ. His calling us brethren and owning of us made him instantly obnoxious unto all the miseries the guilt whereof we had contracted upon our selves The owning of his alliance unto us cost him as it were all he was worth for being rich for our sakes he became poor He came into the prison and into the furnace to own us And this also renders his condescension marvellous Thirdly He is inconceivably distanced from us in respect of that Place and Dignity which he was designed unto This as we have shewed at large was to be Lord of all with absolute sovereign authority over the whole Creation of God We are poor abjects who either have not bread to eat or have no good right to eat that which we meet withall Sin hath set the whole Creation against us And if Mephibosheth thought it a great condescension in David on his Throne to take notice of him being poor who was yet the son of Jonathan what is it in this King of Kings to own us for Brethren in our vile and low condition Thoughts of his glorious Exaltation will put a lustre on his condescension in this matter Fourthly He is infinitely distanced from us in his