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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
farther and assign the rise of this difference unto some other Copies of the Hebrew Text used by the LXX varying from those which now remain Thus in particular in that place of Jeremy before mentioned he conjectures that for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I despised them as another doth that they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the same purpose for of such conjectures there is no end But as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may well signifie as the Apostle expounds it and in other places doth so as we shall see afterwards so this boldness in correcting the Text and fancying without proof Testimony or probability of other antient Copies of the Scripture of the Old Testament differing in many things from them which alone remain and which indeed were ever in the world may quickly prove pernicious to the Church of God We must therefore look after another expedient for the removal of this difficulty § 20 I say then it is highly probable that the Apostle according to his wonted manner which appears in almost all the Citations used by him in this Epistle reporting the sense and importance of the places in words of his own the Christian Transcribers of the Greek Bible inserted his expresions into the Text either as judging them a more proper Version of the Original whereof they were ignorant than that of the LXX or out of a preposterous zeal to take away the appearancâ— of a diversity between the Text and the Apostles citation of it And thus in those Testimonies where there is a real variation from the Hebrew Original the Apostle took not his words from the Translation of the LXX but his words were afterwards inserted into that Translation And this as we have partly made to appear already in sundry instances so it shall now briefly be farther confirmed For § 21 First Whereas the Reasons of the Apostle for his Application of the Testimonies used by him in his words and expressions are evident as shall in particular be made to appear so no Reason can be assigned why the LXX if any such LXX there were who translated the Old Testament or any other Translators of it should so render the words of the Hebrew Text. Neither Various Lections nor ambiguity of signification in the words of the Original can in most of them be pleaded For instance The Apostle in applying those words of the Psalmist Psalm 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the humane nature and body of Christ wherein he did the will of God did certainly express the design and intention of the Holy Ghost in them But who can imagine what should move the LXX to render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of a known signification and univocal by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they had translated it an hundred and fifty times that is constantly elsewhere by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ear which alone it signifies or what should move them to render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to prepare when the word signifies to digg or to bore and is alwayes so elsewhere rendred by themselves Neither did any such thing come into their minds in the Translation of those places whence this Expression seems to be borrowed Exod. 21.6 Deut. 15.17 When any man then can give a tolerable conjecture why the LXX should be inclined thus to translate these words I shall consider it In the mean time I judge there is much more ground to suppose that the Apostles expressions which he had weighty cause to use were by some inserted into the Greek Text of the Old Testament than that a Translation which those that made it had no cause so to do evidently forsaking the proper meaning of very obvious words and their sense known to themselves should be taken up and used by the Apostle unto his purpose § 22 Secondly It is certain that some Words used by the Apostle have been insâ—rted into some Copies of the Greek Bibles which being single words and of little importance prevailed not in them all as may be seen in sundry of the foregoing instances And why may we not think that some whole sentences might on the same account be inserted in some of them which being of more importance found a more general acceptance And how also by other means that Translation was variously changed and corrupted of old and that before the dayes of Hierom Learned Men do know and confess § 23 It is further evident that one place at least in this Epistle which it may be some could not conjecture from whence it should be taken yet finding it urged by the Apostle as a Testimony out of the Old testament is inserted in another place of the Text than that from which the Apostle took it and that where there is not the least colour for its insertion This is the Testimony out of Psalm 95. v. 7. which the Apostle cites Chap. 1. v. 6. in words much differing from those wherewith the Original is rendered by the LXX This some of the Transcribers of the Bible not knowing well where to find have inserted in the very syllables of the Apostles expression into Deut. 32. v. 43. where it yet abides though Originally it had no place there as we shall in the Exposition of the Words sufficiently manifest The same and no other is the cause why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 49. And may we not as well think nay is it not more likely that they would insert his words into the places from whence they knew his Testimonies were taken with a very little alteration of the antient Reading than that they would wholly intrude them into the places from whence they were not taken by him which yet undeniably hath been done and that with success Nay we find that many things out of the New Testament are translated into the Apochryphall Books themselves As for instance Ecclesiasticus chap. 24. v. 3. we have these words in the Latin Copies Ex ore altissimi prodii primogenita ante omnem Creaturam which are cited by Bellarmine and others in the confirmation of the Deity of Christ whereas they are taken from Col. 1.15 and are in no Greek Copies of that Book Upon these Reasons then which may yet be rendered more cogent by many other § 24 instances but that we confine our selves to this Epistle I suppose I may conclude that it is more probable at least that the Apostles interpretations of the Testimonies used by him all agreeably unto the mind of the Holy Ghost were by some of old inserted into the Vulgar Copies of the Greek Translation of the Old Testament and therein prevailed unto common acceptation than that he himself followed in the Citation of them a Translation departing without Reason from the Original Text and diverting unto such senses as its Authors knew not to be contained in them which must needs give
called a Prodigie an eminent sign of Gods giving a thing that he should take upon his own power to perform when within the same space of time hundreds of Sons were born to other Women in the same Country And it is ridiculous what the Jews pretend namely that it was great in this that the Prophet should foretell that Conception as also that it should be a Son that should be born and not a Daughter for the work and sign intimated doth not consist at all in the Truth of the Prophets prediction but in the Greatness of the thing it self that was foretold The Jews cannot assign either Virgin or Son that is here intended Some of them § 29 affirm that Alma was the Wife of Ahaz and the Son promised Hezekiah but this is rejected by Kimchi himself acknowledging that Hezekiah was now eight years old being born four years before his Father came to the Kingdom in the fourth year of whose Reign this promise was given unto him Others would have the Alma to be the Wife of the Prophet and the Son promised to be Maker-shalal-hasbaz whose birth is mentioned in the next chapter But neither hath this any more colour of reason For besides that his Wife is constantly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prophetess and could on no account be termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Virgin having a Son some years old at that time accompanying his Father that Son of hers in the eighth chapter is promised as a sign quite to another purpose nor could for any reason be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immanuel whose the Land should be which is said to belong unto this promised child And for what they lastly add concerning some Virgin then standing by who was shortly after to be married it is as fond as any other of their imaginations for besides that the Prophet sayes not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Virgin as he would have done had he directed his speech unto any one personally present it is a more arbitrary invention no way countenanced from the Text or Context such as if men may be allowed in it is easie for them to pervert the sense of holy Writ at their pleasure On all which considerations it appeareth that none can possibly in this promise be intended but he whose birth was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a miraculous sign as being born of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Virgin and who being born was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God with us both in respect of his person uniting the Natures of God and Man in one and of his Office reconciling God and Man that God might dwell with us in a way of favour and grace and he whose the Land should be in an everlasting Kingdom § 30 I have insisted the longer on this particular because it comprizeth all that the Prophecy is cited for by the Evangelist and all that we are concerned in it This being proved and confirmed undeniably that it is the Messiah whose birth is here foretold as also that he was to be born of a Virgin all other passages whatever difficulty we may meet withall in them must be interpreted in answer thereunto And we have shewed before that by reason of the Typical State and Condition of that people many of the Promises of the Messiah were so mixed with things of thâ—ir then present temporal concernment that it is often a matter of some difficulty to distinguish between them It is enough for us that we prove unquestionably that those passages which are applyed unto him in the New Testament were spoken of him intentionally in the Old which we have done in this place and what belonged unto the then present state of the Jews we are not particularly concerned in However we shall manifest in answer to the remaining exceptions of the Jews that there is nothing mentioned in the whole Prophecy that hath any inconsistency with what we have declared as to the sense of the principal point of it nay that the whole of it is excellently suited unto the principal Scope already vindicated § 31 That then which in the second place is objected by the Jews against our Application of this Place and Prophecy to Jesus Christ is that the birth of the Child here promised was to be a sign to Ahaz and the House of David of their deliverance from the two Kings who then waged war against them And this they say the birth of the Messiah so many hundred years after could give them no pledge or assurance of And 1. We do not say that this was given them as a peculiar sign or token of their present deliverance Ahaz himself had before refused such a sign But God only shews the Reason in general why he would not utterly cast them off although they wearied him but would yet deliver them as at other times And this was because of that great work which he had to accomplish among them which was to be signal marvelous and miraculous And this he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sign in its absolute not relative sense as denoting a work wonderfull such as sometimes he wrought to evidence his great power thereby In this sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signs are joyned unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prodigies Deut. 26.22 Jer. 32.20 Nehem. 9.10 where the works so called were great and marvellous not signs formally of any thing unless it were of the wonderful power of God whereby they were wrought So the Miracles of our Saviour and the Apostles in the New Testament are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signs for the same and no other cause And the Word is thus absolutely used very often in the Old Testament Besides that which is Secondly alledged that a thing that shall come to pass many ages after cannot be made a sign of that which was to be done many ages before is not universally true The thing it self in its existence it is true cannot be made so a sign but it may in the Promise and prediction of it And many instances we have of things promised for signs which were not to exist in themselves untill after the accomplishment of the things whereof they were signs as Exod. 3.12 1 Sam. 11.34 Isa. 37.10 1 Kings 22.25 God intending by them the confirmation of their faith who should live in the time of their actual accomplishment Thirdly This sign had the truth and force of a Promise although it was not immediately to be put in execution and that is the reason that the words here used are one of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conceive in the preterperfect Tense the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in benoni or Participle of the present Tense to intimate the certainty of the events as is usual in the prophetical Dialect Their assurance then from this sign consisted herein that God informs them that as surely as he would accomplish the great promise of bringing forth the Messiah and would put forth his marvelous power therein that
is the same word whereby the reverential Obedience of that people unto the preaching of Philip is expressed v. 6. An Attendance then with a mind ready for Obedience is that which the word imports 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Auditis to the things heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. in eo quod audivimus in that which we have heard To the things heard that is by us who are required to attend unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Word is no where else used in the New Testament In other Authors it is as much as praeterfluo to run by So Xenoph. Cyropaed lib. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to drink of the River running by pereffluamus V.L. ne forté pereffluamus lest perhaps we should run out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ne fortè lest perhaps improperly it respects times and seasons lest at any time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ne forte cadamus decidamus lest we fall fall down that is perish So is the word also interpreted by Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we perish not that we fall not And he confirms this sense from that saying in the Proverbs Chap. 3.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Son fall not So he interprets the word In the Original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them not depart the word respecting not the Person spoken unto but the thing spoken of Nor do the LXX in any other place render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the next Chapter v. 21. and words of the like signification to decline draw back give over by negligence or weariness Other Antient Translations read nè decidamus ab honestate that we fall not from Honesty and nequaquam rejicias and by no means to reject What sense of the Word is most proper to the Place we shall afterwards consider Verse 1. Therefore for this cause the more abundantly ought we to attend or give heed to the things heard by us lest at any time we should flow out or pass away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this Cause as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore wherefore There is in the words an Illation from the precedent Discourse and the whole Verse is an hortatory Conclusion from thence From the Proposition that he hath made of the Glory and Excellency of the Author of the Gospel he draws this inference therefore ought we for the reason and causes insisted on And thus the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flow out expresseth their losing by any wayes or means the Doctrine of the Gospel wherein they had been instructed and the Benefits thereof Seeing the Gospel hath such a blessed Author we ought to take care that we forfeit not our interest in it But if we take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sense chosen by Chrysostom to express the fall and perishing of them that attend not as they ought unto the Word which Interpretation is favoured by the Syriack Translation Then the word therefore for this cause respects the Commination or Threatning included therein As if the Apostle had said therefore ought you to attend that is look to it that you do attend lâ—st you fall and perish I rather embrace the former sense both because the Interpretation of the word used by Chrysostom is strained as also because the Apostle doth evidently in these words enter upon an Exhortation unto Obedience upon his former discourse about the Person of Christ nor without an especial regard thereunto had he laid any foundation for such a Threatning unto Disobedience as is pretended to be in the words of which yet farther afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ought we the Persons unto whom he makes the Application of his Doctrine and directs his Exhortation Some think that Paul joyns himself here with all the Hebrews upon the account of Cognation and Countrey as being himself also an Hebrew Phil. 3.8 and therefore affectionately respecting of them Rom. 9.3 But the Expression is to be regulated by the words that follow all we who have heard the Gospel preached and made profession thereof And the Apostle joyns himself with them not that there was any danger on his part lest he should not constantly obey the Word or were of them whose wavering and Instability gave Occasion to this Caution but 1. To manifest that the Duty which he exhorts them unto is of general concernment unto all to whom the Gospel is preached so that he layes no singular burden on them and 2. That he might not as yet discover unto them any jealousie of their Inconstancy or that he had entertained any severe thoughts concerning them Apprehensions whereof are apt to render Exhortations suspected the minds of men being ready enough to disregard that which they are perswaded unto if they suspect that undeserved blame lyes at the bottom of the Exhortation The like Condescension hereunto upon the like account we may see in Peter 1 Pet. 4.3 These are the Persons spoken unto That which is spoken to them consists in an Exhortation unto a duty and an especial Enforcement of it The Exhortation and Duty in the first words the more abundantly to attend unto the things heard and the Enforcement in the close of them lest at any time we should flow out In the Exhortation is expressed an especial Circumstance of it the Duty it self and the manner of its performance The first is included in that Word more abundantly which may refer either unto the Causes of the attendance required or unto the manner of its performance In the words as they lye in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more abundantly is joyned unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore for this cause and seems immediately to respect it and so to intimate the excellent and abundant Reason that we have to attend unto the Gospel But if we transpose the words and read them as if they lay thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more abundantly respects the following word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to attend unto and so expresseth somewhat of the manner of the performance of the Duty proposed And so our Translators report the sense We ought to give the more diligent heed or give heed the more diligently The Reader may embrace whether sense he judgeth most agreeable to the scope of the place The former construction of the word expressing the necessity of our attention to be intimated from the cogency of the reasons thereof before insisted on is not without its probability And this the meaning of the word agrees unto whether we take it absolutely for so as Chrysostome observes it may be taken though of it self it be of another form or comparatively in which form it is Take it absolutely and the Apostle informs them that they have abundant cause to attend unto the things spoken or heard because of him that spake them
for concerning him alone came that Voice from the excellent glory This is my beloved Son hear him So also in the other sense the Apostle is not comparing the manner of their attending unto the Doctrine of the Law which certainly they ought to have done with all diligence and their attendance unto the Gospel but shews the reasons which they had to attend unto the one and the other as the following verses clearly manifest This then may be that which the Apostle intimates in this word namely that they had more abundant cause and a more excellent reason for their attending unto the Doctrine of the Gospel than they had unto that of the Law on this account that he by whom the Gospel was immediately preached unto us was the Son of God himself But the other application of the word is more commonly received wherein it intends the duty enjoyned In reference unto the Duty exhorted unto there is expressed the Object of it The things heard Thus the Apostle chuseth to express the Doctrine of the Gospel with respect unto the way and manner whereby it was communicated unto them namely by preaching for faith cometh by hearing and hearing is of the word preached Rom. 10.14 15. And herein doth he magnifie the great Ordinance of preaching as every where else he maketh it the great means of begetting faith in men The Lord Christ himself first preached the Gospel Acts 1.1 and verse 4. of this chapter Concerning him it was said from heaven Hear him Matth. 17.5 as he who revealed the Father from his own bosome Joh. 1.18 From him the Gospel became to be the Word heard When he had finished the course of his Personal Ministery he committed the same work unto others sending them as the Father sent him They also preached the Gospel and called it the Word that is that which they preached See 1 Cor. 1. So in the Old Testament it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 53.1 Auditus an hearing or that which was heard being preached So that the Apostle insists on and commends unto them not only the things themselves wherein they had been instructed but also the way whereby they were communicated unto them namely by the great Ordinance of preaching as he farther declares verse 4. This as the means of their believing as the ground of their profession they were diligently to remember consider and attend unto The Duty it self directed unto and the manner of its performance are expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to attend or give heed What kind of attendance is denoted by this word was in part before declared An attendance it is with Reverence Assent and Readiness to obey So Acts 16.14 God opened the heart of Lydia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to attend unto the things that were spoken not to give them the hearing only there was no need of the opening of her heart for the meer attention of her ear but she attended with readiness humility and resolution to obey the Word The effect of which attention is expressed by the Apostle Rom. 6.17 To attend then unto the Word preached is to consider the Author of it the Matter of it the Weight and concernment of it the Ends of it with Faith Subjection of spirit and Constancy as we shall with our Apostle more at large afterwards explain The Duty exhorted unto being laid down a Motive or Enforcement unto it is subjoyned taken from the danger that would ensue the neglect thereof And this is either from the Sin or Punishment that would attend it according unto the various interpretations of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flow out or fall before mentioned It it signifies to fall or perish then the punishment of the neglect of this Duty is intimated We shall perish as water that is poured on the earth Thereunto is the frail life of man compared 2 Sam. 14.14 This sense of the word is embraced by few Expositors yet hath it great countenance given unto it by the ensuing discourse verse 2 and 3. and for that reason is not unworthy our consideration For the design of the Apostle in those verses is to prove that they shall deservedly and assuredly perish who should neglect the Gospel And the following particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and if in verse 2. may seem to relate unto what was before spoken and so to yield a reason why the Unbelievers should so perish as he had intimated which unless it be expressed in this word the Apostle had not before at all spoken unto And in this sense the Caution here given is That we should attend unto the word of the Gospel left by our neglect thereof we bring upon our selves inevitable ruine and perish as water that is spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again But the truth is that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prefixed will not be well reconciled unto this sense and interpretation unless we should suppose it to be redundant and insignificative and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest at any time we should flow out should be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absolutely that we fall not But there is no just reason to render that word so useless Allow it therefore significative and it may have a double sense 1. To denote an uncertain time quando aliquando at any time 2. A conditional event fortè ne fortè lest it should happen In neither of these senses will it allow the words to be expounded of the Punishment that shall befall Unbelievers which is most certain both as to the Time and the Event Neither doth the Apostle in the next Verses threaten them that neglect the Gospel that at some time or other they may perish but le ts them know that their destruction is certain and that from the Lord. It is then our sinful losing of the Word and the benefits thereof which the Apostle intendeth And in the next verses he doth not proceed to prove what he had asserted in this verse but goes on to other Arguments to the same purpose taken from the unquestionable event of our neglect of the Word and losing the benefits thereof The especial reason therefore why the Apostle thus expresseth our losing of the doctrine of the Gospel by want of diligent attendance unto it is to be enquired after Generally the expression is looked on as an allusion unto leaking vessels which suffer the water that is poured into them one way to run out many As he speaks in the Comedian who denied that he could keep secret some things if they were communicated unto him Plenus rimarum sum huc atque illuc effluo I am full of chinks and flow out on every side And the word relates unto the persons not to the things because it contains a crime It is our duty to retain the word which we have heard and therefore it is not said that the Word flows out but that we as it
the Covenant between him and the people that the Transgression of it so as to disannul the terms and conditions of it had by Divine Constitution the punishment of death temporal or Excision appointed unto it And this in the next words he proceeds to improve unto his purpose by the way of an Argument à minori ad majus How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation c. There is an Antithesis expressed in one branch as we observed before between the Law and the Gospel namely that the Law was the Word spoken by Angels the Gospel being revealed by the Lord himself But there are also other differences intimated between them though expressed only on the part of the Gospel as that it is in its nature or Effects Great Salvation that is not absolutely only but comparatively unto the benefit exhibited to their fore Fathers by the Law as given on Mount Horeb. The confirmation also of the Gospel by the Testimony of God is tacitely opposed unto the confirmation of the Law by the like Witness and from all these considerations doth the Apostle enforce his Argument proving the Punishment that shall befall Gospel neglecters In the words as was in part before observed there occurrs 1. The Subject matter spoken of so great salvation 2 A further Description of it 1. From its principal Author it began to be spoken by the Lord. 2. From the manner of its propagation it was confirmed unto us by them that heard it 3. From its Confirmation by the Testimony of God Which 4. Is exemplified by a distribution into 1. Signs 2. Wonders 3. Mighty Works and 4. Various Gifts of the Holy Ghost whereof there is 3. A neglect supposed if we neglect and 4. Punishment there intimated wherein 1. The Punishment its self and 2. The manner of its expression how shall we escape are to be considered all which are to be severally explained 1. The subject matter treated of is expressed in those words so great Salvation And it is the Gospel which is intended in that Expression as is evident from the preceding Verse For that which is there called the word which we have heard is here called great salvation As also from the following words where it is said to be declared by the Lord and farther propagated by them that heard him And the Gospel is called Salvation by a Metonymy of the Effect for the Cause For it is the Grace of God bringing salvation Titus 2.11 The Word that is able to save us The Doctrine the Discovery the instrumentally efficient Cause of Salvation Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.20 21. And this Salvation the Apostle calls Great upon many accounts which we shall afterwards unfold And calling it so great salvation he refers them unto the Doctrine of it wherein they had been instructed 〈◊〉 whereby the Excellency of the Salvation which it brings is declared Now though the Apostle might 〈…〉 pressed the Gospel by the word which was declared unto us by the Lord as 〈…〉 the Law by the word spoken by Angels yet to strengthen his Argument 〈◊〉 Moâ—â—â— unto Obedience which he insists upon he chose to give a brief Description of iâ— from its principal Effect it is great Salvation The Law by reason of sin proved the Ministry of Death and Condemnation 2 Cor. 3.9 yet being fully published only by Angels Obedience was indispensibly required unto it And shall not the Gospel the Ministry of life and great salvation be attended unto 2. He farther describes the Gospel from its principal Author or Revealer it began to be spoken by the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words may have a twofold sense for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may denote either principium temporis the beginning of time or principium operis the beginning of the work In the first way it asserts that the Lord himself was the first Preacher of the Gospel before he sent or employed his Apostles and Disciples in the same work In the latter that he only began the work leaving the perfecting and finishing of it unto those who were chosen and enabled by him unto that end And this latter sense is also true for he finished not the whole Declaration of the Gospel in his own person teaching vivâ voce but committed the work unto his Apostles Matth. 10.27 But their teaching from him being expressed in the next words I take the words in the first sense referring unto what he had delivered Chap. 1.1 Of Gods speaking in these last dayes in the Person of the Son Now the Gospel hath had a threefold beginning of its Declaration First In Prediction by Promises and Types and so it began to be declared from the foundation of the world Luke 1.70 71. Secondly In an immediate Preparation and so it began to be declared in and by the Ministry of John the Baptist Mark 1.1 2. Thirdly In its open clear actual full Revelation so this work was begun by the Lord himself and carried on to perfection by those who were appointed and enabled by him thereunto Joh. 1.17 18. Thus was it by him declared in his own person as the Law was by Angels And herein lyes the stress of the Apostles Reasonings with reference unto what he had before discoursed concerning the Son and Angels and his Preheminence above them The great Reason why the Hebrews so pertinaciously adhered unto the Doctrine of the Law was the glorious Publication of it It was the word spoken by Angels they received it by the disposition of Angels If saith the Apostle that were a sufficient cause why the Law should be attended unto and that the neglect of it should be so sorely revenged as it was though in it self but the Ministry of death and condemnation Then consider what is your Duty in reference unto the Gospel which as it was in its self a Word of life and great salvation so it was spoken declared and delivered by the Lord himself whom we have manifested to be so exceedingly exalted above all Angels whatever 3. He farther describes the Gospel from the way and means of its conveyance unto us It was confirmed unto us by them that heard him And herein also he prevents an Objection that might arise in the minds of the Hebrews inasmuch as they at least the greatest part of them were not acquainted with the Personal Ministry of the Lord they heard not the word spoken by him For hereunto the Apostle replyes that though they themselves heard him not yet the same word which he preached was not only declared but confirmed unto them by those that heard him And herein he doth not intend all of them who at any time heard him teaching but those whom in an especial manner he made choice of to employ them in that work namely the Apostles So that this expression those that heard him is a Periphrasis of the Apostles from that great priviledge of hearing immediately all things that our Lord taught in his own
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
which as they are contained in the first Promise so that they were allowed of by the Hebrews of old we have fully proved else-where And by all these doth the Apostle yield a reason of his former concession that the Messiah was for a little while made lower than the Angels the Causes and Ends whereof he here declares There are in the words First A supposition of a two-fold state and condition of the children to be brought unto glory First Natural or their natural state and condition they were all of them in common partakers of flesh and bloud For as much then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood Secondly Moral their moral state and condition they were obnoxious unto death as it is poenal for sin and in great bondage through fear of it them who through fear of death were all their life time subject unto bondage Secondly There is a double inference with respect unto this supposition on the part of Christ the Captain of salvation First As to their natural condition that he did partake of it he was so to do He himself also did partake of the same Secondly As to their moral condition he freed them from it and deliver them Thirdly The means whereby he did this or this was to be done evidencing the necessity of his participation with them in their condition of nature that he might relieve them from their condition of trouble he did it by death that by death Fourthly The immediate Effect of his death tending unto their delivery and freedom and that is the destruction of the devil as to his power over and interest in death as poenal whereof their deliverance is an infallible consequent and destroy him c. In the first place the Apostle expresseth as by way of supposition the natural condition of the children that is the children whom God designed to bring unto glory those who were given unto Christ they were in common partakers of flesh and blood I shall not stay to remove the conceit of some who yet are not a few among the Romanists who refer those words unto the participation of the flesh and blood of Christ in the Sacrament whereunto also as we observed the Aethiopick Version gives countenance For not only is there not any thing in the expression that inclines unto such an imagination but also it enervates the whole design of the Apostles discourse and argument as from the former consideration of it doth appear Flesh and blood are by an usual Synecdoche put for the whole humane nature not as though by blood the soul was intended because the life is said to be in it as not acting without it but this expression is used because it is not humane nature as absolutely considered but as mortal passible subject unto infirmities and death it self that is intended And it is no more than if he had said the children were men subject unto death For he gives his reason herein why the Lord Christ was made a man subject unto death That he and the children should be of one nature he had shewed before for as much then as this was the condition of the children that they were all partakers of humane nature liable to sufferings sorrow and death he was so also And this is thus expressed to set forth the love and condescension of Jesus Christ as will afterward appear The second thing in these words is the moral condition of the children and there are sundry things partly intimated partly expressed in the description that is here given us of it as 1. Their estate absolutely considered they were subject to death 2. The consequences of that estate 1. It wrought fear in them 2. That fear brought them into bondage 3. The continuance of that condition it was for the whole course of their lives First It is implied that they were subject obnoxious unto guilty of death and that as it was poenal due to sin as contained in the curse of the Law which what it comprehendeth and how far it is extended is usually declared On this supposition lies the whole weight of the Mediation of Christ. The children to be brought unto glory were obnoxious unto death the curse and wrath of God therein which he came to deliver them from Secondly The first effect and consequent of this obnoxiousness unto death concurring unto their state and condition is that they were filled with fear of it for fear of death Fear is a perturbation of mind arising from the apprehension of a future imminent evil And the greater this evil is the greater will the perturbation of the mind be provided the apprehension of it be answerable The fear of death then here intended is that trouble of mind which men have in the expectation of death to be inflicted on them as a punishment due unto their sins And this apprehension is common to all men arising from a general presumption that death is poenal and that it is the judgment of God that they which commit sin are worthy of death as Rom. 1.32 chap. 2.15 But it is cleared and confirmed by the Law whose known sentence it is The soul that sinneth shall die And the troublesome expectation of the event of this apprehension is the fear of death here intended And according unto the means that men have to come unto the knowledge of the righteousness of God are or ought to be their apprehensions of the evil that is in death But even those who had lost all clear knowledge of the consequents of death natural or the dissolution of their present mortal condition yet on a confused apprehension of its being poenal always esteemed it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most dreadful of all things that are so unto humane nature And in some this is heightned and increased until it come to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as our Apostle speaks chap. 10.27 A fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries And this is the second thing that is in this description of the estate and condition of the children to be brought unto glory being obnoxious unto the sentence of death they could not but live in fear of the execution of it Thirdly They are by this means brought into bondage The troublesome expectation of death as poenal brings them into bondage into the nature whereof we must a little enquire Sundry things concur to make any state a state of bondage as 1. That it be involuntary no man is in bondage by his will that which a man chuseth is not bondage unto him A man that would have his ear bored though he were always a servant was never in bondage for he enjoyed the condition that pleased him Properly all bondage is involuntary 2. Bondage ingenerates strong desires after and puts men on all manner of attempts for liberty Yokes gall and make them on whom they are desire ease So long as men are sensible of bondage which is against nature for that
and all our opinions must be judged But it being manifest at length that no colour was given unto the unjust severities of the Novatians by any thing in this Epistle it was generally embraced And by the conquest of this opposition established its Authority for the future § 17 Bellarmin chargeth Luther Brentius Chemnitius and the Centuriators with the rejection of this Epistle But because I know that some of them are falsly accused by him I am apt to suspect the same of the rest which I have not the opportunity to consult And so I shall not reckon them amongst the opposers of this Epistle The matter is more certain concerning Cajetan and Erasmus the former in his Preface unto the other in his last Annotation on this Epistle denying it to be St. Pauls and questioning yea indeed rejecting its Canonicall Authority To them we may add Eniedinus proceeding upon the same principles and making use of their Arguments to the same purpose These are the chief if not absolutely all who have at any time made any scruple at the Authority of this Epistle The reasons they make use of to justifie themselves in their conjectures are amassed together by Erasmus in his Note on the 24. Verse of the last Chapter of it But because he mixeth together the Arguments that he insists on to prove St. Paul not to have been the Penman of it and the exceptions he puts in unto its Canonicall Authority which are things of a diverse consideration I shall separate them and first take out those that seem absolutely to impeach its Authority leaving them that oppose its Penman to our ensuing Discourse on that question in particular § 18 The first thing generally pleaded is the uncertainty of its Author or Penman Sola omnium Pauli nomen non praefert saith Erasmus How unjust and groundless this pretence is we shall afterwards fully manifest At present I shall only shew that it is in generall of no importance in this cause The Author of a Writing being certainly known may indeed give some light unto the nature and Authority of it When it is confessed that the Penman of any Book was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or divinely inspired and that by him it was written for the use of the Church there can be no question of its Authority But this last of his design directed by the Holy Ghost must be no less known than the former For a man may write one Book by inspiration and others by a fallible humane Judgement as Solomon seems to have done his Philosophicall Discourses that are lost Again when the Penman of any Writing pretending unto Divine Authority is not esteemed nor doth manifest himself in any thing to have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immediately acted by the Holy Ghost the writing it self must needs be lyable unto just Exception Wherefore it is confessed that when the Author of any Writing is certainly known much light into its Authority and Relation unto the Canon of the Scripture may be thence received But when this is doubtfull nothing can thence satisfactory on either side be concluded And therefore it hath pleased the Holy Ghost to keep the names of the Penmen of many parts of the Scripture in everlasting obscurity for he borrows no Countenance or Authority unto any thing that proceeds by Inspiration from himself from the names of men There is not then the least strength in this exception for be it granted that we are altogether uncertain who was the Penman of this Epistle yet no impeachment of its Authority can thence be taken unless it can be proved that he was not Divinely inspired But yet to shew the insufficiency every way of this Objection we shall abundantly evince that indeed the very ground and foundation of it is feeble and false The Penman of this Epistle being as well and certainly known as those of any portion of Scripture whatever that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some whereof were never doubted nor called into question And at least we shall so far evince St. Paul to have been the Author of it as although we shall not from thence take any Argument to prove its Canonicall Authority because it hath it self been called into question yet as to render an Objection from the uncertainty of its Author altogether unreasonable § 19 The remaining Objections are more particular and direct to their purpose by whom they are pleaded As First that the Author of this Epistle cites sundry things out of the Old Testament which are not therein contained Such are many of the Stories related unto in the 11. Chapter and that in particular in Chap. 12. verse 21. where he affirms that Moses upon the Terror of the sight that appeared unto him said I exceedingly quake and tremble This place Erasmus supposeth Hierom to have intended when he sayes that some things are mentioned in this Epistle that are not recorded in the Old Testament And Aquinas perplexeth himself in seeking for a Solution unto this difficulty For First he would refer the place to Moses sight of the Angell in the Bush and not the giving of the Law contrary to the express Discourse of the Context And then he adds dixit saltem facto though he said not so yet he did so And lastly worst of all vel fortè Apostolus aliâ utitur literâ quam nos non habemus or it may be the Apostle used another Text that we have not But there is no need of any of these evasions The Author quotes no Book nor Testimony of the Old Testament but only relates a matter of fact and one circumstance of it which doubtless he had by Divine Revelation whereof there is no express mention in the place where the whole matter is Originally recorded Thus in the beginning of the Chronicles sundry particular Stories as that about the Children of Ephraim Chap. 7.21 no wher 's before written are reported from the same infallible directions that others of the same time were written withall when they were omitted And it is uncouth way of proving an Author not to write by Divine inspiration because he writeth Truths that he could no otherwise be acquainted withall Neither is it unmeet for him that writes by Divine inspiration to mention things recorded in other Stories whose Truth is unquestionable as those are related unto Chap. 11. It seems to be of more importance that if the Objectors may be believed the § 20 Writer of this Epistle citeth Testimonies out of the Old Testament that are no wayes to his purpose nor at all prove the matter that he produceth them for discovering at least that he wrote with a fallible spirit if not also that he dealt scarcely bona fide in handling the cause which he undertook Cajetan insists on that of the first Chapter verse 5. I will be unto him a Father and he shall be unto me a Son taken from the 2 Sam. 7.14 or 1 Chron. 17. ◠which words as he supposeth no
Law is perfect and requiring no more in his Worship but what is in that Law prescribed See Psal. 19.8 Prov. 30.5 6. Deut. 4.1 2. And this perfection of the Written Law though it be perfectly destructive to their Tradions not only the Karaei among themselves do earnestly contend for but also sundry of their Gemarists do acknowledge especially when they forget their own concernments out of a desire to oppose the Gospel And to this head belong all the Arguments that Divines make use of to prove the perfection of the Scripture against the New Talmudists in Christianity 5. God every where sends his people to the Written Law of Moses for the Rule of their Obedience no where unto any Kabal Deut. 11.32 and chap. 10.12 13. Chap. 28.1 Josh. 1.7 8. Chap. 23.6 2 Chron. 30.18 Isa. 8.20 If there be such an Orall Law it is one that God would not have any man to observe which he calls none to the Obedience of nor did ever reprove any man for its Transgression And many more Arguments of the like nature may be added to prove the vanity of § 14 this pretence And yet this Figment is the bottom of the present Judaical Religion and obstinacy When the Apostle wrote this Epistle their Apostacy was not yet arrived at this rock of offence since their falling on it they have increased their blindness misery and ruine Then they were contented to try their cause by what God spake to their Fathers in the Prophets which kept open a door of hope and gave some advantages for their Conversion which are now shut up and removed untill God shall take this vail away from their faces that they may see to the end of the things that were to be done away By this means principally have they for many generations both shut out the § 15 Truth and secured themselves from Conviction For what ever is taught and revealed in the Scripture concerning the Person Office and Work of the Messiah seeing they have that which they esteem a Revelation of equall Authority herewithall teaching them a Doctrine quite of another nature and more suited unto their carnal Principles and Expectations they will rather rest in any evasions than give way to the Testimony thereof And whilest they have a firm perswasion as they have received by the Tradition of many Generations that the written Word is imperfect but an half Revelation of the mind of God in its self unintelligible and not to be received or understood but according to the sense of their Orall Law now recorded in their Talmuds what can the most plain and cogent Testimonies of it avail unto their Conviction And this hath been the fatall way and means of the grand Apostacy of both Churches Judaical and Christian. How far that of the Jews was overtaken with it in the dayes of our Lords Conversation on the Earth the Gospel doth abundantly declare and how they have brought it unto its height we have given now some brief account That of the Roman Church hath been the very same and hath at length arrived unto almost the same issue by the same degrees This some of them perceiving do not only defend the Pharisaical Opinion among the Jews about the Orall Law and Succession of their Traditions as consonant to the pretensions of their own Church but also openly avow that a very great number of their several respective Traditions are either the same or that they nearly resemble one another as doth expresly Josephus de Voysin in his Proaemium to the Pugio fidei of Raimundus Martini And because it is evident that the same have been the way and means whereby both the Judaical and Roman Church have apostatized and departed from the Truth and that they are the same also whereby they maintain and defend themselves in their Apostacy and refusal to return unto the Truth I shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifest their Consent and Agreement in this Principle about their Traditions and Authority of them which have been the Ruine of them both First The Jews expresly contend that their Orall Law their Mass of Traditions was § 16 from God himself Partly they say it was delivered unto Moses on Mount Sinai and partly added by him from Divine Revelations which he afterwards received Hence the Authority of it with them is no less than that of the Written Word which hath all its Authority from its Divine Original and the usefulness of it is much more For although they cannot deny but that this and that particular Tradition that is Practice Custom or Exposition of any place of Scripture was first introduced expressed and declared at such or such seasons by such Masters or Schools amongst them yet they will not grant that they were then first invented or found out but only that they were then first declared out of the Cabalistical Abyss wherein they were preserved from their first Revelation as all of them agree who have written any thing about the nature propagation and continuance of their Orall Law And this is the perswasion of the Romanists about their Cabal of Traditions They plead them to be all of a Divine Original partly from Christ and partly from his Apostles What ever they have added unto the written Word yea though it be never so contrary thereunto still they pretend that it is part of the Orall Law which they have received from them by living Tradition Let one Convention of their Doctors determine that Images are to be adored another that Transubstantiation is to be believed a third add a New Creed with an equall number of Articles unto the old let one Doctor advance the Opinion of Purgatory another of Justification by Works all is one these things are not then first invented but only declared out of that unsearchable Treasure of Traditions which they have in their Custody Had they not inlaid this Perswasion in the minds of men they know that their whole Fabrick would of its own accord have long since sunk into Confusion But they highly contend at this day that they need no other Argument to prove any thing to be of an Heavenly Extract and Divine Originall but that themselves think so and practise accordingly § 17 Secondly This Orall Law being thus given the Preservation of it seeing Moses is dead long ago must be enquired after Now the Jews assign a threefold Depository of it First The whole Congregation Secondly The Sanhedrim and Thirdly The High Priest To this End they affirm that it was three times repeated upon the descent of Moses from Mount Sinai as to what of it he had then received and his after additions had the same promulgation First It was repeated by himself unto Aaron Secondly By them both unto the Elders and Thirdly By the Elders unto the whole Congregation or as Maimonides in Jad Chazakah Moses delivered it unto Eleazar Phineas and Joshuah after the Death of Aaron by whom the Consistory was instructed therein who taught the People
Attonement and Reconciliation and that some such thing was signified in their Sacrifices they do each one for himself torture slay and offer a Cock on the day of Expiation to make attonement for their sins and that unto the Devil The Rites of that Diabolical Solemnity are declared at large by Buxtorfius in his Synagog Judaic cap. 20. But yet as this folly manifests that they can find no rest in their consciences without their Sacrifices so it gives them not at all what they seek after And therefore being driven from all other hopes they trust at length unto their own Death for in Life they have no hope making this one of their constant Prayers Let my Death be the Expiation of all Sins But this is the curse and so no means to avoid it Omitting therefore these horrid follies of men under despair an effect of that wrath which is come upon them unto the uttermost the thing its self may be considered That the Sacrifices of Moses's Law in and by themselves should be a means to deliver men from the guilt of sin and to reconcile them unto God is contrary to the Light of Nature their own proper use and express Testimonies of the Old Testament For First Can any man think it reasonable that the blood of Bulls and Goats should of its self make an Expiation of the sin of the souls of men reconcile them to God the Judge of all and impart unto them an Everlasting Righteousness Our Apostle declares the manifest impossibility hereof Heb. 10. v. 4. They must have very mean and low thoughts of God his Holiness Justice Truth of the Demerit of Sin of Heaven and Hell who think them all to depend on the blood of a Calf or a Goat The Sacrifices of them indeed might by Gods appointment represent that to the minds of men which is effectuall unto the whole End of appeasing Gods Justice and of obtaining his Favour but that they should themselves effect it is unsuitable unto all the Apprehensions which are imbred in the heart of man either concerning the nature of God or the Guilt of Sin Secondly Their Primitive and proper use doth manifest the same For they were to be frequently repeated and in all the Repetitions of them there was still new mention made of sin They could not therefore by themselves take it away for if they could they would not have been reiterated It is apparent therefore that their use was to represent and bring to remembrance that which did perfectly take away sin For a perfect work may be often remembred but it need not it cannot be often done For being done for such an End and that End being obtained it cannot be done again The Sacrifices therefore were never appointed never used to take away sin which they did not but to represent that which did so effectually Besides there were some sins that men may be guilty of whom God will not utterly reject for which there was no Sacrifice appointed in the Law of Moses as was the case with David Psal. 51. v. 16. which makes it undeniable that there was some other way of Attonement besides them and beyond them as our Apostle declares Acts 13. v. 38 39. Thirdly The Scripture expresly rejects all the Sacrifices of the Law when they are trusted in for any such End and Purpose which sufficiently demonstrates that they were never appointed thereunto See Psal. 40 v. 6 7 8. Psal. 50. v. 8 9 10 11 12 13. Isa. 1. v. 11 12 13. Chap. 66. v. 3. Amos. 5.21 22. Micha 6. v. 6 7 8. and other places innumerable Add unto what hath been spoken that during the Observation of the whole Law § 22 of Moses whilest it was in force by the Appointment of God himself He still directed those who sought for Acceptance with him unto a New Covenant of Grace whole Benefits by faith they were then made partakers of and whole nature was afterwards more fully to be declared See Jerem. 31. v. 31 32 33 34. with the inferences of our Apostle thereon Heb. 8.12 13. And this plainly everts the whole Foundation of the Jews Expectation of Justification before God on the account of the Law of Moses given on Mount Sinai For to what purpose should God call them from resting on the Covenant thereof to look for Mercy and Grace in and by another if that had been able to give them the help desired In brief then the Jews fixing on the Law of Moses as the only means of delivery from sin and death as they do thereby exclude all mankind besides themselves from any interest in the Love Favour or Grace of God which they greatly design and desire so they cast themselves also into a miserable restless self-condemned condition in this world by trusting to that which will not relieve them and into Endless misery hereafter by refusing that which effectually would make them Heirs of Salvation For whilest they perish in their sin another better more glorious and sure Remedy against all the Evils that are come upon mankind or are justly feared to be coming by any of them is provided in the Grace Wisdom and Love of God as shall now farther be demonstrated The first intimation that God gave of this work of his Grace in Redeeming mankind § 23 from sin and misery is contained in the Promise subjoyned unto the Curse denounced against our first Parents and their Posterity in them Gen. 3. v. 15. The seed of the Woman shall bruise the Heaa of the Serpent and the Serpent shall bruise his Heel Two things there are contained in these words A Promise of Relief from the misery brought on mankind by the Temptation of Satan and an intimation of the Means or Way whereby it should be brought about That the first is included in these words is evident For First If there be not a Promise of Deliverance expressed in these words whence is it that the execution of the sentence of Death against sin is suspended Unless we will allow an Intervention satisfactory to the Righteousness and Truth of God to be expressed in these words there would have been a truth in the suggestion of the Serpent namely that whatever God had said yet indeed they were not to dye The Jews in the Midrash Tehillim as Kimchi informs us on Psal. 92. whose Title is a Psalm for the Sabbath Day which they generally assign unto Adam say that Adam was cast out of the Garden of Eden on the Evening of the sixth day after which God came to execute the Sentence of Death upon him but the Sabbath being come on the Punishment was deferred whereon Adam made that Psalm for the Sabbath Day Without an interposition of some external Cause and Reason they acknowledge that Death ought immediately to have been inflicted and other besides what is mentioned in these words there was none Secondly The whole Evil of sin and Curse that mankind then did or was to suffer under proceeded from the
Promise because he was Childless and said Behold unto me thou hast given no seed as knowing that therein lay the Promise Chap. 15. v. 3. God tells him that he who should come forth of his own Bowels should be his Heir ver 4. which was afterwards restrained unto Isaac chap. 17.21 Thus he is called and separated as from his own family and kindred so from all other Nations and a peculiar portion of the earth assigned unto him and his for their habitation Now the especial End of this Divine dispensation of this Call and Separation of Abraham was to be a means of accomplishing the Former Promise or the bringing forth of him who was to be the Deliverer of mankind from the Curse that was come upon them for their sin For First It is said that Abraham hereupon should be a blessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou shalt be a Blessing not only blessed thy self which is expressed in the former words I will bless thee but the means of conveying Blessings the great Blessing unto others And how was this done in and by Abraham In his own Person he conversed but with few of them unto some whereof through their own sins he was an occasion of Punishment as to the Aegyptians Chap. 12. v. 17. and to the Philistins Chap. 20. v. 4 7. Some he destroyed with the sword Chap. 14.15 and was not in any thing signally a blessing unto any of them So his Posterity extirpated sundry Nations from the face of the Earth were a scourge unto others and occasioned the Ruine of many more He must needs then be made a Blessing unto the world on some other Account And this can be nothing but that he was separated to be the peculiar channel by which the promised blessing Seed should be brought forth into the world Secondly It is said that all the Families of the Earth should be blessed in him Chap. 12. v. 3. that is not in his Person but in his seed as it is expounded Chap. 22. v. 18. that is in the Promised Seed that should come of him Chap. 12.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be blessed in the passive Conjugation of Niphal referring solely unto the Grace and Favour of God in giving the Seed Chap. 22. v. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hithpael so blessed in the Seed when exhibited as that they shall come for the blessing by faith and so in him obtaining it bless themselves And this is spoken of all Nations all Families the Posterity of Adam in general They were all cursed in Adam as hath been declared and God here promiseth that they shall be blessed in the seed of Abraham and by him the seed of the Woman And this blessing must enwrap in it all the good things whereof by the Curse they were deprived or it will be of no use or benefit unto them a Blessing indeed it will not be For a while he intended to leave mankind to walk in their own wayes partly that he might shew his Severity against sin partly that he might evidence the Soveraignty and undeserved Freedom of that Grace wherein he had provided a Deliverer and partly that they might try and experiment their own Wisdom and Strength in searching after a way of Deliverance But in this Promise was the Ore laid up which after many Generations was brought forth and stamped with the Image of God Thirdly The Curse unto Satan is here again renewed I will bless them that bless thee and I will Curse HIM that curseth thee The Blessing is to many but the Curse respecteth one principally that is Satan as the Scripture generally expresseth the opposite Apostate Power under that name Neither is there any just cause of the variation of the number unless we look on the words as a pursuit of the first Promise which was accompanied with an especial Malediction on Satan and who acts his enmity in all obloquie and cursing against the blessed Seed and those that are blessed therein And this change of the number in these words is observed by Aben Ezra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that bless thee many He that curseth one as though many should bless and few curse the contrary whereof is true And Baal Hatturim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that bless thee in the plural Number he â—hat curseth thee in the singular and an interpretation is given of the last word becoming those Annotations which are immeasurably Judaical that is sottish and superstitious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that curseth thee I will Curse that is by Gematry Balaam that cometh to curse thy Sons The Numeral Letters of each making up 422. of which fantasticall work amongst some of them there is no end But one Single Person in which way Satan is usually spoken of they saw to be intended which is passed over as far as I have observed by Christian Expositors § 30 After the giving of this Promise the whole Old Testament beareth witness that a Person was to be born of the Posterity of Abraham in and by whom the Nations of the Earth should be saved that is delivered from sin and Curse and made eternally happy Abraham died himself without one foot of an Inheritance in this world nor did he concern himself personally in the Nations of the Earth beyond his own Family Another therefore is to be looked after in whom they may be blessed And this we must further demonstrate to evince the perversness of the Jews who exclude all others besides themselves from an interest in these Promises made to Abraham at least unless they will come into subjection unto them and dependance upon them So high conceits have they yet of themselves in their low and miserable condition The next time therefore that he is mentioned in the Scripture it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him shall be the gathering of the Peoples Gen. 49.10 concerning which place we must treat afterwards at large The People of the world distinct from Judah shall gather themselves unto him that is for safety and deliverance or to be made partakers of the Promised Blessing Hence Balaam among the Gentiles Prophesied of him Num. 24. v. 17 19. And Job among the children of the East that were not of the Posterity of Isaac professed his faith in him Chap. 19. v. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I know that my Redeemer liveth or is living and afterwards he shall stand on the earth or rise on the Dust. He believed that there was a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Redeemer promised one that should free him from sin and misery Aben Ezra by my Redeemer understandeth a man that would assist him or judge more favourably of his Cause than his friends at that time did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And his Comment on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very fond 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is at present Living or he shall be born hereafter But is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
he that hath Dominion shall not be taken from the House of Judah And Jonathan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kings and Rulers shall not cease from the House of Judah The same words are used by that called of Jerusalem The Authority of these Paraphrases among the Jews is such as that they dare not openly recede from them And therefore Manasse in his Conciliator where he endeavours to enervate this Testimony passeth over these Targums in silence as having nothing to oppose to their Authority which is a sufficient evidence that he saw the desperateness of the cause wherein he was engaged Solomon and Bechai acknowledge Rule and Dominion to be intended in the words but according to the latter they are not to be erected untill the coming of the Messiah which is no less expresly contrary to the Targum then to the Text it self affirming plainly that then it was to end and not begin Add hereunto further to manifest the consent of the Antient Jews unto this sense of the words that in their Talmuds they affirm the Law-giver here mentioned to be the Sanhedrim whose power continued in Judah untill the Shilo came whereof we have spoken before § 26 Unto these Reasons and Testimonies we may subjoyn the use of the words themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is originally and properly a rod or staff all other significations of it are Metaphoricall Among them the principall is that of Scepter an Ensign of Rule and Government Nor is it absolutely used in any other sense in that very frequently Psalm 45. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Scepter of uprightness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom Numb 24.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Scepter shall arise out of Israel that is a Prince or a Ruler Targum Christ shall rule out of Israel And this sense of the words is made more evident by its conjunction with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Law-giver he that prescribes and writes Laws with Authority to be observed Deut. 33.2 in a portion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Law-giver hidden that is Moses the great Scribe saith the Targum for as they suppose the Sepulchre of Moses was in the Lot of Gad. Mechokek saith Aben Ezra that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great President or Ruler Psal. 108.19 Judah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Law-giver with Allusion to this Prediction of Jacob. Isa. 33.22 The Lord is our Judge the Lord is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Law-giver These two words then in conjunction do absolutely denote Rule and Dominion The latter Masters of the Jews to avoid the force of this Testimony have coined § 27 a new signification for these words Shebet they say is only a rod of Correction and Mechokek any Scribe or Teacher which they would refer to the Rabbins they have had in every Generation Some of them by Shebet understand a staff of supportment which they were to enjoy in the middest of their troubles so I remember Manasse Ben Israel not long since made it one of his reasons for their admission into England that therein this Prophesie might receive somewhat of accomplishment by this countenance and encouragement in this Land But the most of them adhere to the former sense of the words So they call the story of their calamities and sufferings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rod of Judah But this evasion is plainly and fully obviated in the former opening of the words and confirmation of their genuine importance For 1. It is openly contrary to the whole Context and Scope of the Place 2. To the meaning and constant use of the words themselves especially as conjoined 3. To the Targums and all old Translations 4. To the Talmud and all their own Antient masters 5. To the truth of the Story Judah having been long in a most flourishing and prosperous condition without any such signal calamity as that which they would intimate to be intended in the words namely such as for sixteen hundred years they have now undergone 6. The supportment they have had hath not been National nor afforded to Judah as a Tribe or People but hath consisted meerly in the greatness and wealth of a few individual persons scattered up and down the world neither themselves nor any else knowing unto what Tribe they did belong And 7. This hath been in things no way relating to the Worship of God or their Church-state or their spiritual good 8. Their Scribes were not formerly of the Tribe of Judah and their latter Rabbins wholly of an uncertain extraction so that this pretence proves nothing but the misery of their present State and condition wherein they seek a refuge for their infidelity in vanity and falshood Our second enquiry is concerning the subject of the Promise under consideration § 28 which is the Shilo whereby we say the promised Seed is intended About the derivation and precise significations of the word we have no need to contend Most learned men look upon it as derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be quiet safe happy prosperous whence also is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 122. safety peace prosperity Abundance Hence Shilo sayes Mercer sonat tranquillum prosperum pacatum felicem Augustum victorem cui omnia prospere succedunt signifies one quiet prosperous peaceable happy honourable a Conqueror to whom all things succeed well and happily To this Etymologie of the word agrees Galatinus Fagius Melancthon Pagninus Prusius Schindler Buxtorfius Armama and generally all the most learned in the Hebrew tongue The Vulgar Latin rendring the words qui mittendus est who is to be sent as if it were from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corrupts the sense and gives advantage to the Jews to pervert the words as both Raymandus and Galatinus observe Neither is there any thing nearer the truth in the derivation of the word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so making it as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae ei which to him whereunto yet that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Greeks the first mentioned by Eusebius the latter in the present Copies both by Justin Martyr do relate or allude Others suppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie a Son from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which denotes the after birth or Membrane wherein the Child is wrapt in the Womb. Thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shilo should be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not unusual saith Kimchi But Galatinus supposeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be a foeminine affix denoting that the Messiah was to be the seed of the Woman or to be born of a Virgin Neither is his conjecture absolutely to be rejected Although Mercer pronounce it to be against the rule of Grammar for we know they hold
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prophet for Prophecy the concrete for the abstract The expression being Metaphorical is capable of a triple Interpretation or Application every one of them proper unto the Messiah his work and the times wherein he came and to no other 1. To seal is to consummate to establish and confirm Things are perfected compleated established and confirmed by sealing Jer. 34. v. 44. Isa. 8. v. 16. John 3. v. 34. Rom. 4. v. 11. In this sense Vision and Prophecy were sealed in the Messiah They had all of them respect unto the coming of the Just One the promised seed God had spoken of him by the mouths of his Holy Prophets from the foundation of the world In the bringing of him forth he sealed the Truth of their Predictions by their actual accomplishment The Law and the Prophets were untill John and then they were to be fulfilled This was the season wherein all Vision and Prophecy centred this the Person who was the principal subject and End of them He therefore and his coming is here foretold 2. To seal is to finish conclude and put an end unto any thing Isai. 29. v. 11. Thus also were Vision and Prophecy then sealed among the Jews They were shut up and finished The Priviledge Use and Benefit of them were no more to be continued in their Church And this also fell out accordingly By their own confession from that day to this they have not enjoyed either Vision or Prophet That work as unto them came wholly to an end in the coming of the Messiah 3. By sealing the confirmation of the Doctrine concerning the Messiah his Person and Office by Vision and Prophecy may be intended The Visions and Prophecies that went before by reason of their darkness and obscurity left the people in sundry particulars at great uncertainty Now all things were cleared and confirmed The Spirit of Prophecy accompanying the Messiah and by him given unto his Disciples foretold by Joel Chap. 2. v. 28 29. was in his Revelations express clear and evident directing unto and confirming every thing belonging unto his Person and Doctrine Neither had these words any other accomplishment but what is contained in these things Sixthly It is affirmed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Messiah shall he cut off Not occidetur shall § 35 be slain as the Vulgar Latin renders the word but excidetur shall be cut off that is poenally as one punished for sin For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when it includes death constantly denotes a poenal excision or cutting off for sin See Gen. 17. v. 14. Exod. 12. v. 15. Numb 15. v. 30. This the Jews themselves acknowledge to be the meaning of the Word So Rab. Suadias Gaeon in Haemunâ—th cap. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not used for slaying unless it be of him who is slain by the sentence of the Judge or is judicially cut off as it said every one that eats of it shall be cut off Levit 17. v. 14. It is then foretold that the Messiah shall be cut off poenally for sin which he was when he was made a curse for sin all our iniquities meeting upon him And this also is intimated in the ensuing particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not to him For an Objection is prevented that might arise about the poenal excision of the Messiah for how could it be seeing he was every way Just and Righteous To this it is answered by way of concession that it was not on his own account not for himself but for us as is at large declared Isa. 51. Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to him may be a farther declaration of of his state and condition namely that notwithstanding those carnal Apprehensions which the Jews would have of his outward Splendour Glory Wealth and Riches yet in Truth he should have nothing in or of this world none to stand up for him not where to lay his head And this is that part of the Prophecy for the sake whereof the Jews do so pertinaciously contend that the true Messiah is not here intended For say they he shall not be poenally cut off But who told them so Shall we believe the Angel or them Will they not suffer God to send his Messiah in his own way but they must tell him that it must not be so To cast off Prophecies when and because they suit not mens carnal lusts is to reject all Authority of God and his Word This is that which hath proved their ruine temporal and eternal they will not receive a Messiah that shall suffer and be cut off for sin though God foretold them expresly that it must be so It is added Seventhly concerning the person here spoken of and whose coming is § 36 foretold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall confirm or strengthen the Covenant unto many The Covenant spoken of absolutely can be none but that everlasting Covenant which God made with his Elect in the promised seed The great Promise whereof was the foundation of the Covenant with Abraham And hence God sayes that he will give him for a Covenant unto the people Isa. 42. v. 6. Chap. 49. v. 8. And the Salvation which they looked for through him God promiseth through the blood of the Covenant Zech. 9. v. 11. This Covenant he strengthened unto many in the Week wherein he suffered even unto all that believed in him This everlasting Covenant was ratified in his blood Heb. 9. v. 15. and after he had declared it in his own Ministry he caused it to be proclaimed in and by his Gospel At the time here determined the especial Covenant with Israel and Judah was broken Zech. 11. v. 10. and they were thereon cast off from being a Church or people Nor was there at that season any other ratification of the Covenant but only what was made in the death of the Messiah § 37 Then also Eighthly did he cause to cease the Sacrifice and Gift or Offering First He caused it to cease as unto force and efficacy or any use in the Worship of God by his own accomplishment of all that was prefigured by it or intended in it Hereby it became as a dead thing useless unprofitable and made ready to disappear Heb. 8. v. 13. And then shortly after he caused it utterly to be taken away by a perpetual desolation brought upon the place where alone Sacrifices and Offerings were acceptable unto God according unto the Law of Moses And this is the third evidence that this Prophecy affords unto our Assertion namely that it is the true promised Messiah and none other whose coming and cutting off is here foretold The great things here mentioned were fulfilled in him alone nor had they ever the least respect unto any other And the Jews do not in any thing more evidently manifest the desperateness of their cause then when they endeavour to wrest these words unto any other sense or purpose § 38 Moreover
entrance of the High Priest into the Most Holy Place observed to the very destruction of the second House if neither Ark nor Mercy Seat were there Neither is this impeached by what Tacitus affirms Histor. lib. 5. that when Pompey entred the Temple he found nullas Deum effigies vacuam sedem inania arcana for as he wrote of the Jews with shameful negligence so he only intimates that they had no such images as were used among other Nations nor the head of an Ass which himself not many Lyes before had affirmed to be consecrated in their Sanctuary For ought then appears to the contrary the Ark might be in the second House and be carried thence to Rome with the Book of the Law which Josephus expresly mentions And therefore the same Abarbinel in his Comment on Joel tells us that Israel by Captivity out of his own Land lost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three excellent gifts Prophecy Miracles and Divine Knowledge Psal. 74.9 all which he grants were to be restored by the Messiah without mention of the other things before recited And they confess this openly in Sota distinc Egla hampha 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the death of the latter Prophets Haggai Zechariah and Malachy the holy Spirit was taken away from Israel It is then confessed that God ceased to speak to the Church in Prophets as to their Oral teaching and writing after the dayes of Malachy which reason of the want of Vision though continuing four hundred years and upwards is called by Haggai Chap. 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unum pusillum a little while in reference to the continuance of it from the dayes of Moses whereby the Jews may see that they are long since past all grounds of expectation of its restauration all Prophecy having left them double the time that their Church enjoyed it which cannot be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little while in comparison thereof To return This was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these the times wherein God spake in the Prophets which determines one instance more of the comparison namely the Fathers to whom he spake in them which were all the Faithful of the Judaical Church from the dayes of giving the Law until the ceasing of Prophecy in the dayes of Malachy In answer to this first Instance on the part of the Gospel the Revelation of it is affirmed to be made in these last dayes hath spoken in these last dayes the true stating of which time also will discover who the Persons were to whom it was made hath spoken to us Most Expositors suppose that this expression the last dayes is a Periphrasis of the times of the Gospel But it doth not appear that they are any where so called nor were they ever known by that name among the Jews upon whose principles the Apostle proceeds Some seasons indeed under the Gospel in reference to some Churches are called the last dayes but the whole time of the Gospel absolutely is no where so termed It is the last dayes of the Judaical Church and State which were then drawing to their period and abolition that are here and else where called the last dayes or the latter dayes or the last hour 2 Pet. 3.3 1 John 2.18 Jude 18. For 1. As we before observed the Apostle takes it for granted that the Judaical Church-State did yet continue and proves that it was drawing to its period Chap. 8. ult having its present station in the patience and forbearance of God only without any necessity as unto its Worship or preservation in the world And hereunto doth the reading of the words in some Copies before intimated give testimony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the end or extremity of these dayes which as the event hath proved can no way relate to the times of the Gospel 2. The personal Ministry of the Son whilest he was upon the earth in the dayes of his flesh is here eminently though not solely intended For as God of old spake in the Prophets so in these last dayes he spake in the Son that is in him personally present with the Church as the Prophets also were in their several generations Chap. 2. v. 3. Now as to his personal Ministry he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Mat. 15.24 To whom also alone in his own dayes he sent his Apostles Mat. 10.5 6. and is therefore said to have been a Minister of the Circumcision for the Truth of God Rom. 15.5 being in the last place sent to the same Vineyard unto which the Prophets were sent before Mat. 21.37 The words there used last of all he sent unto them his Son are exegetical of these he spoke in the Son in the last dayes 3. This Phrase of Speech is signally used in the Old Testament to denote the last dayes of the Judaical Church So by Jacob Gen. 49.1 I will tell you what shall befall you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the last dayes which words the LXX rendâ—ed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words here used by the Apostle The dayes pointed unto by Jacob being those wherein the Messiah should come before Judah was utterly deprived of Scepter and Scribe Again by Balaam the same words are used to signifie the same time Numb 24.14 where they are rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the end of the dayes as many Copies read in this place And in all the Prophets this is the peculiar notation of that season 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mich. 4.1 Isa. 2.1 in the latter or last dayes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the He hajediah prefixed noteth that course of dayes that were then running as Deut. 31.29 Evil will overtake you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the end of those dayes and the promise of the Conversion of some of the Jews by David their King is annexed to the same season Hos. 3.5 From these places is the expression here used taken denoting the last times of the Judaical Church the times immediately preceeding its rejection and final ruine Hence Manasse lib. 3. de Resurrect cap. 3. tells us out of Moses Gernudensis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every place that mentions the latter dayes the dayes of the Messiah are to be understood which saying of his is confirmed by Menasse himself though attended with a gloss abominable and false that is purely Judaical The dayes of the Messiah and the dayes of the end of the Judaical Church are the same And these words are expresly also used by R.D. Kimchi Comment in Isa. 2. v. 2. who honestly refers all the words of that Prophesie unto the Messiah It is not for nothing that the Apostle minds the Hebrews that the season then present was the last dayes whereof so many things were foretold in the Old Testament Many of their concernments lay in the knowledge of it which because they give great light unto the whole cause as stated then between him and them must be opened and
that is the Creation of the whole world and all things contained in it hath been elsewhere proved and must be granted or we may well despair of ever understanding one line in the Scripture or what we ordinarily speak one to another 3. John doth not mention any particular of the old Creation affirming only in general that by the Word all things were made whereof he afterwards affirms that it was the Light of men not assigning unto him in particular the Creation of Light as is pretended 3. He tells us the Article preposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intimates that it is not the old Creation that is intended but some new especial thing distinct from it and preferred above it Answ. 1. As the same Article doth used by the same Apostle to the same purpose in another place Acts 14.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who made the Heaven the Earth and Sea which were certainly those created of old 2. The same Article is used with the same word again in this Epistle Chap. 11.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith we understand that the worlds were made where this Author acknowledgeth the old Creation to be intended 4. He adds that the Author of this Epistle seems to allude to the Greek Translation of Isa. 9.6 wherein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father of Eternity or eternal Father is rendred the Father of the world to come Answ. 1. There is no manner of Relation between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father of the world to come and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom he made the worlds unless it be that one word is used in both places in very distinct senses which if it be sufficient to evince a cognation between various places very strange and uncouth interpretations would quickly ensue Nor 2. Doth that which the Apostle here treats of any way respect that which the Prophet in that place insists upon his name and nature being only declared by the Prophet and his works by the Apostle And 3. It is presumption to suppose the Apostle to allude to a corrupt Translation as that of the LXX in that place is there being no ground for it in the Original for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eternal Father and what the Jews and LXX intend by the world to come we shall afterwards consider 5. His last refuge is in Isa. 51.16 Where the work of God as he observes in the reduction of the people of the Jews from the Captivity of Babylon is called his planting the Heavens and laying the foundation of the Earth And the Vulgar Latin Translation as he farther observes renders the word ut corlum plantes ut terram fundes ascribing that to the Prophet which he did but declare and in this sense he contends that God the Father is said to make the worlds by his Son Answ. 1. The work mentioned is not that which God would do in the reduction of the people from Babylon but that which he had done in their delivery from Aegypt recorded to strengthen the faith of Believers in what for the future he would yet do for them 2. The expressions of planting the Heavens and laying the foundation of the Earth are in this place of the Prophet plainly Allegorical and are in the very same place declared so to be First In the circumstance of time when this work is said to be wrought namely at the coming of the Israelites out of Aegypt when the Heavens and the Earth properly so called could not be made planted founded or created Secondly By an adjoyned Exposition of the Allegory I have put my words into thy mouth and said unto Zion thou art my people This was his planting of the Heavens and laying the foundation of the Earth even the erection of a Church and Political State amongst the Israelites 3. It is not to the Prophet but to the Church that the words are spoken and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not ut plantes ut fundes but ad plantandum to plant and ad fundandum to lay the foundation and our Author prejudicates his cause by making use of a Translation to uphold it which himself knows to be corrupt 4. There is not then any similitude between that place of the Prophet wherein words are used Allegorically the Allegory in them being instantly explained and this of the Apostle whose discourse is didactical and the words used in it proper and suited to the things intended by him to be expressed And this is the substance of what is pleaded to wrest from believers this illustrious Testimony given to the eternal Deity of the Son of God We may yet further consider the reasons that offer themselves from the Context for the removal of the interpretation suggested 1. It sinks under its own weakness and absurdity The Apostle intending to set out the Excellency of the Son of God affirms that by him the worlds were made that is say they Christ preaching the Gospel converted some to the faith of it and many more were converted by the Apostles preaching the same Doctrine whereupon blessed times of Light and Salvation ensued Who not overpowered with prejudice could once imagine any such sense in these words especially considering that it is as contrary to the design of the Apostle as it is to the importance of the words themselves This is that which Peter calls mens wresting the Scripture to their own perdition 2. The Apostle as we observed writes didactically plainly expressing the matter whereof he treats in words usual and proper To what end then should he use so strained an Allegory in a point of Doctrine yea a fundamental Article of the Religion he taught and that to express what he had immediately in the words foregoing properly expressed For by whom he made the worlds is no more in these mens apprehensions than in him hath he spoken in these latter dayes Nor is this Expression any where used no not in the most allegorical Prophecies of the Old Testament to denote that which here they would wrest it unto But making of the world signifies making of the World in the whole Scripture throughout and nothing else 3. The making of the worlds here intended was a thing then past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he made them that is he did so of old and the same word is used by the LXX to express the old Creation But now that which the Jews called the world to come or the blessed state of the Church under the Messiah the Apostle speaks of as of that which was not yet come the present worldly State of the Judaical Church yet continuing 4. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are so rendred taken absolutely as they are here used do never in any one place in the Scripture in the Old or New Testament signifie
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
Forma Figura Expressa Forma Figura expressa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. the Character Image Form Figure express Form express Figure so variously is the word rendered by Translators with little difference It is no where used in the New Testament but only in this place In other Authors it hath many significations Sometimes they use it Properly and Naturally sometimes Metaphoricalâ—y and Artificially as when it denotes several forms of Speech or Orations Properly from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to engrave with a Tool or Style is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is firstly and properly the note or mark cut by a Tool or Instrument into Wood or any other subject capable of such impression or the stamp and sign that is left in the coyning of money The Mark or scarr also left by a Wound is by the LXX termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lev. 13.25 It is in general an express Representation of another thing communicated unto it by an impression of its likeness upon it opposed unto that which is umbratile and imaginary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Substantiae Subsistentiae Personae Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substantiae ejus Hypostasis Substance Subsistence Person The word is four times used in the New Testament Thrice in this Epistle In this place and Chap. 3.14 and Chap. 11.1 as also 2 Cor. 9.4 every where in a different sense so that the meer Use of it in one place will afford no Light unto the meaning of it in another but it must be taken from the Context and subject treated of The Composition of the word would denote substantia but so as to differ from and to add something unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Substance or Being which in the Divine Nature can be nothing but a special manner of subsistence But the Controversie that hath been about the precise signification of these words we shall not here enter into the Discussion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agens Regens Moderans acting disposing ruling governing also Portans Bajulans Sustinens bearing supporting carrying upholding which of these senses is peculiarly intended we shall afterwards enquire into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Word of his Power by his powerful word Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Power of his Word changing the order of the words but not the meaning of them by the Power of his Word or the Word of his Power that is his powerful Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some would read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and refer it unto the Father by the powerful Word of him that is of the Father by whose Power they say the Son disposeth of all things But all Copies with Accents have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constantly none 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor will the disposition of the Words bear that reference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by himself in his own Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Purgationem faciens Purgatione factâ Having purged cleansed expiated or purified us from our sins Having made a Purgation or Purification of our sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used both neutrally and actively answering to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in Kal and Hiphil signifying to sit down and to cause to sit down Chrysostom seems to have understood the Word in the latter sense referring it to God the Father causing the Son to sit down But it is hard to find any Antecedent Word whereby it should be regulated but only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who in the beginning of the verse that is he himself And as Erasmus observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the following Words will not Grammatically admit of this Construction for if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be to be understood actively and transitively it must have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Apostle clears the neutral sense of the word Chap. 8.1 It is well then rendered by our Translators he sate or sate down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 110.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Plural Number so is the same thing expressed Acts 7.55 and by Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 16.5 Our Apostle constantly keepeth the singular number with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 1.13 Chap. 8.1 Chap. 12.2 The same thing in both Expressions is intended only that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural number is more eminently destructive of the folly of the Anthropomorphites for they cannot hence pretend that God hath a right hand unless they will grant that he hath many which were not only to turn the Glory of the invisible God into the likeness of a man but of a Monster And Austin well observes that in the Psalm where that expression is first used sit on my Right Hand it is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord on thy right hand at the Right hand of him who sate on his right hand which removes all Carnal Apprehensions from the meaning of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is seldom used in other Authors twice in this Epistle here and Chap. 8.1 once by Jude v. 25. and no where else in the New Testament by the LXX not at all The Apostle evidently expresseth by it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as they are used appellatively for Glory Power or Majesty but as they are names and denote the essential glory of God the glorious God So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is God himself not absolutely considered but with reference unto the Revelation of his Glory and Majesty in Heaven God on his Throne as our Apostle declareth Chap. 8.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Highest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Highest God himself See Luke 1.35 Verse 3. Who being the Brightness of Glory and the express image of his Person and upholding or disposing of all things by the word of his power having by himself purged our sins sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high THe Apostle proceeds in his Description of the Person in whom God spake in the Revelation of the Gospel ascending unto such a manifestation of him as that they might understand his Eminency above all formerly used in the like Ministrations as also how he was pointed out and shaddowed by sundry Types and Figures under the Old Testament Of this Description there are three Parts The first declaring What he is the second What he doth or did and the third the Consequent of them both in what he enjoyeth Of the first Part of this Description of the Messiah there aâ—e two Branches or it is two wayes expressed For he affirms of him First That he is the Brightnâ—ss Beam or Splendor of the Glory and Secondly the express image or character of his Fathers Person In the second also there
unto us in him alone can we attain a saving Acquaintance with him On this account he tells Philip Joh. 14.9 He that hath seen me he hath seen the Father the reason of which assertion taken from the mutual inbeing of Father and Son and his expression of his mind and glory he asserts in the next verses He then is the only way and means of coming unto the knowledge and enjoyment of God because in and by him alone is he fully and perfectly expressed unto us And therefore this secondly is our great Guide and direction in all our endeavours after an acceptable access unto him Would we come to that acquintance with the Nature Properties and Excellencies of the Father which poor weak finite creatures are capable of attaining in this world which is sufficient that we may love him fear him serve him and come unto the enjoyment of him would we know his Love and Grace would we admire his Wisdom and Holiness let us labour to come to an intimate and near acquaintance with his Son Jesus Christ in whom all these things dwell in their fulness and by whom they are exhibited revealed unfolded unto us Seek the Father in the Son out of whom not one Property of the Divine Nature can be savingly apprehended or rightly understood and in whom they are all exposed to our faith and spiritual contemplation This is our Wisdom to abide in Christ to abide with him to learn him and in him we shall learn see and know the Father also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unto the Description of the Person the Apostle returns unto an Assertion of the Power of Christ the Son of God and therein makes his Transition from the Kingly and Prophetical unto his Sacerdotal Office on all which he intends afterwards to inlarge his Discourse He shâ—wed before that by him the Worlds were created whereunto as a farther evidence of his glorious Power and of his continuance to act suitably unto that beginning of his exercise of it he addes that he also abides to uphold or rule and dispose of all things so made by him For the Explication of these words two things are to be enquired after First How or in what sense Christ is said to uphold or rule all things Secondly How he doth it by the Word of his power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken by Expositors in a double sense and accordingly variously rendred in Translations Some render it by upholding supporting bearing carrying And these suppose it to express that infinite Divine Power which is exerted in the conservation of the Creation keeping it from sinking into its Original of confusion and nothing Hereof our Saviour saith My Father worketh hitherto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or yet and I work that is in the providential sustentation of all things made at the beginning And this saith Chrysostom on this place is a greater work than that of the Creation By the former all things were brought forth from nothing by the latter are they preserved from that return unto nothing which their own nature not capable of existence without dependance on their first cause and their perpetual conflict by contrariety of Qualities would precipitate them into 2. Some take the word to express his ruling governing and disposing of all things by him made and which is supposed sustained and so it may denoâ—e the putting forth of that power over all things which is given unto the Son as Mediator or else that providential rule over all which he hath with his Father which seems rather to be intended because of the way expressed whereby he exerciseth this Rule namely by the Word of his Power The use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not so obvious in this latter sense as it is in the former As in the Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I see no reason why we should suppose an inconsistency in these senses and not rather conclude that they are both of them implyed For as absolutely it is the same Divine Power and Providence which is exercised in the upholding and the ruling or disposing of all things so all Rule and Government is a matter of weight and burden and he who rules or governs others is said to bear or carry them So Moses expresseth his Rule of the People in the Wilderness Numb 11.11 12. Thou hast put saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the weight or burden of this people upon me and thou hast said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bear or carry them in thy bosome And hence from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bear or carry is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Prince or Ruler that is one that carries and bears the burden of the people that upholds and rules them To bear then or uphold and to rule and dispose may be both well intended in this word as they are both expressed in that Prophesie of Christ Isa. 9.6 The rule or government shall be on his shoulder that together with his Power and Rule he may sustain and bear the weight of his people Only whereas this is done amongst men with much labour and travel he doth it by an inexpressâ—ble facility by the Word of his Power And this is safe to take the expression in its most comprehensive sense But whereas the phrase of speech it self is no where else used in the New Testament nor is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applied unto any such purpose else where though once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be taken for actus or agitatus 1 Pet. 1. we may enquire what word it was among the Hebrews that the Apostle intended to express whereby they had formerly been instructed in the same matter 1. It may be he intended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a participle from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sustain to bear to endure as Mal. 3.2 it signifies also to feed nourish and cherish 1 King 4.7 Ruth 4.15 Zech. 11.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sustinens nutriens omnia sustaining and cherishing all things But this word hath no respect unto Rule or disposal And in this sense as the work of Creation is eminently ascribed unto the Father who is said to make all things by the Son so that of the preservation and cherishing of all things is here peculiarly assigned unto the Son And this is not unsuitable unto the analogy of faith For it was the power of God that was eminently exalted and is conspicuously seen in the work of Creation as the Apostle declares Rom. 1.20 although that power was accompanied also with infinite wisdom and it is the wisdom of God that is most eminently manifested in the preservation of all things though that wisdom be also exercised in power infinite At least in the contemplation of the works of the Creation we are lead by the wonder of the infinite Power whereby they were wrought to the consideration of the Wisdom that accompanied it and that which in the works of Providence first
they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or perform the Duty and Homage denoted by this Word unto any but God it is remembred as their Idolatry Rev. 13.12 16. 2. And unto this sense was it restrained of old by the Spartans who denyed that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lawfull for them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to fall down to or to adore a man Herodot in Polym And in this sense it is exceedingly restrained from the use and importance of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea and from that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hithpael though that alwayes signifie a bowing down with Respect and Reverence for it is employed to denote Civil as well as Religious Worship But for several sorts of Religious Worship diversified by its Objects the Scripture knows nothing The word properly denotes to bow down and when it is referred unto God it respects the inward Reverence and Subjection of our minds by a Metonymie of the Adjunct See it for Civil respect Gen. 27.29 Chap. 133.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elohim is rendered Angels by the LXX Gen. 31.24 Job 38.7 Psal. 8.6 Psal. 96.8 Psal. 137 1. of which Interpretation of the word we shall treat in the ensuing Exposition This is the second Argument used by the Apostle to confirm his Assertion of the Preference of the Son above Angels and is taken from the command of God given unto them to worship him For without Controversie He who is to be worshipped is greater than they whose duty it is to worship him In the words we must consider 1. The Apostles Preface 2. His Proof And in the latter must weigh 1. The Sense of it 2. The Suitableness of it to his present Purpose His Preface or the manner of his producing of this second Testimony is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words have been exposed unto variety of Interpretations for if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which immediately follows they are to be rendered and when he bringeth in again into the world if with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which follows it after the Interposition of sundry other words then is it to be rendered as by our Interpreters and again when he brings he saith Moreover it is not clear in what sense Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the First-born who is elsewhere termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Only Begotten Son of the Father We must also enquire what is the Introduction or bringing in here intended How and When performed as also what is the world whereinto he was brought The difficulties about all which must be severally considered 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again may be joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And then the sense of the words must run as above intimated namely when he bringeth in again the first-born into the world And it is evident that most Expositors both Antient and Modern embrace this sense So do Chrysostom Theodoret Ambrose Oecumenius Thomas Lyra Cajetan Ribera Camero Gomarus Estius A Lapide our Mede with many others But about what this bringing in again or Second bringing in of the first-born into the world should be they are greatly divided The Antients refer it to his Incarnation affirming somewhat harshly that he was brought before into the world when all things were made by him 2. Others refer it to the Resurrection which was as it were a second bringing of Christ into the world as David was brought into his Kingdom again after he had expelled by the Conspiracy and Rebellion of Absolom 3. Others refer it unto his coming forth in the Effectual Preaching of the Gospel after his Ascension whereby he was brought forth in another manner and with another kind of Power than that which he appeared in in the Dayes of his flesh 4. Some suppose the Personal Reign of Christ on the earth for a thousand years with his Saints is intended in these words when God will bring him again with Glory into the world of which judgement was Mede and now many follow him 5. Others again and they the most assign the Accomplishment of what is here asserted to the General Judgement and the Second Coming of Christ in the Glory of the Father with all the holy Angels attending him to judge the quick and the dead 6. Some of the Socinians refer them unto the Triumphant Ascension of Christ into Heaven after his Resurrection he having as they fancy once before been taken into it there to be instructed in the Mind and Will of God Now all these Assertions concerning the bringing in of Christ into the world have a Truth in them absolutely considered but whether any of them be here intended by the Apostle we must enquire by an Examination of the common Foundation that all their Authors proceed upon with the Reasons given for its Confirmation Now this is that which we observed before namely that in the Construction of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again is to be joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he bringeth in and so to be rendered when he brings in again or a second time the first-born which must needs point to a second coming of Christ of one kind or another And to this purpose they say 1. That the Trajection of the words in the other sense is hard and difficult and not to be admitted but upon very cogent Reasons It is to suppose that the Apostle by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When Again intends 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again when And besides the Interposition of the many words between it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith will not admit that they should be conjoyned in Sense and Construction But this Reason is not cogent for 1. Most of the antient Translations acknowledge this Transposition of the words so the Syriack reading thus and again when he bringeth in so the Vulgar Latin and the Arabick omitting the term again as not designing any new thing but meerly denoting a new Testimony And they are followed by Valla Erasmus Beza and the best of Modern Translators 2. Such Trajections are not unusual and that in this place hath a peculiar Elegancy For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again being used in the head of the Testimony foregoing this Transposition adds to the Elegancy of the words and that there was cause for it we shall see afterwards 3. The Apostle having immediately before used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again as his note of producing a second Testimony and placing it here in the entrance of a third it must needs be used Equivocally if the Trajection opposed be not allowed 2. They deny that the Angels worshipped Christ at his first coming into the world that is that they are recorded so to have done and therefore it must needs be his second coming that is intended when he shall come in Glory with all his holy Angels openly worshipping him and performing his commands This Reason is especially suited unto
the Apostle as spoken of him that is so spoken to him as to continue a Description of him and his State or Kingdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 45.7 is the place from whence the words are taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The LXX render these words as the Apostle Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy Throne O God for ever and yet Symmachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy Throne O God is everlasting and yet and that because it is not said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absolutely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the Translation of Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Kingly Throne nor is it ever used in Scripture for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Common Seat Metonymically it is used for Power and Government and that frequently The LXX almost constantly render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athenae lib. 5. A free open Seat with a Foot-stool And such a Throne is here properly assigned unto the Lord Christ mention of his Foot-stool being immediately subjoyned So God says of himself Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Foot-stool as the Heathen termed Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Throne of God Thy Throne O God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In seculum usque in sempiternum perpetuo in seculum seculorum The Duration denoted by the conjunction of both these words is mostly an absolute perpetuity and a certain uninterrupted continuance where the subject spoken of admits a limitation Many of the Greek Interpreters render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attending to the sound rather than the use and signification of the word so is yet in our language This we express by For ever and ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the variation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first place before mentioned takes off from the Elegancy of the Expression and darkens the sense for the Article prefixed to the last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 declares that to be the subject of the Proposition The words of the Psalmist are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shelet is Virga and Sceptrum and in this place is rendred by Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Rod a Staff a Scepter always a Scepter when referred to Rule as in this place it is called the Scepter of the Kingdom A Scepter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rectus fuit to be right streight upright principally in a moral sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Uprightness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly such a Rectitude as we call streight opposed to crooked and Metaphorically only is it used for moral uprightness that is Equity and Righteousness Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boderianus Sceptrum erectum a Scepter listed up or held upright The Paris Edition Sceptrum protensum a Scepter stretched out and the stretching out of the Scepter was a sign and token of mercy Esth. 5.2 Tremelius Virga recta which answers mischor in both its acceptations Erpenius to the same purpose Sceptrum rectum a right Scepter Thou hast loved Righteousness and hated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iniquity Unrighteousness Wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propterea propter quod quare ideo idcirco Wherefore for which cause Some copies of the LXX and Aquila read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to have been taken into the LXX from this rendring of the words by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God thy God hath anointed thee The words in Greek and Hebrew are those from whence the Names of Christ and Messiah are taken which are of the same importance and signification the Anointed one And the same is expressed by the Targumist Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hath anointed thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Instrument in doing of the thing intended expressed by the Accusative Case whereof there are other instances in that Language Of old the LXX read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Oil of delight or Ornament so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came also into the Greek Version from this place of the Apostle and is more proper than the old reading the Oil of rejoycing Joy or Gladness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before or above those that partake with thee Thy fellows or companions so Symmachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 8 9. But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a Scepter of Righteousness Thou hast loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity wherefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the Oil of gladness above thy fellows This testimony is produced by the Apostle in answer unto that fore-going concerning Angels Those words saith he were spoken by the Holy Ghost of the Angels wherein their Office and Employment under the Providence of God is described These are spoken by the same Spirit of the Son or spoken to him denoting his Praeexistence unto the Prophesies themselves There is little or no difficulty to prove that this Testimony belongs properly unto him by whom it is applied by the Apostle The antient Jews granted it and the present Doctors cannot deny it One of them sayes indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Psalm is spoken of David or the Messiah These are the words and this is the opinion of Aben-Ezra who accordingly endeavours to give a double sense of the chief passages in this Psalm one as applied unto David another as applied unto the Messiah which he enclines unto Jarchi turns it into an Allegory without any tollerable sense throughout his discourse But though it might respect them both yet there is no pretence to make David the subject of it the Title and whole Contexture of it excluding such an Application The Targum wholly applies the Psalm to the Messiah which is somewhat a better evidence of the Conception of the antient Jews than the private Opinion of any later Writer can give us And the Title of the Psalm in that Paraphrase would make it a Prophesie given out in the days of Moses for the use of the Sanedrin which manifests what account it had of old in their Creed concerning the Messiah Some Christian Interpreters have so far assented unto the latter Rabbins as to grant that Solomon was primarily intended in this Psalm as a Type of Christ and that the whole was an Epithalamium or Marriage-song composed upon his Nuptials with the Daughter of Pharaoh But there want not important Reasons against this Opinion For 1. It is not probable that the Holy Ghost should so celebrate that Marriage which as it was antecedently forbidden by God so it was never consequently blessed by him she being among the number of those strange women which tuâ—ned his heart from God and was cursed with barrenness the first forreign breach that came upon his Family and all
and Works of God are ascribed unto him Nor was it now in question whether Christ was God or no but whether he were more Excellent than the Angels that gave the Law And what more effectual course could be taken to put an end to that Enquiry than by proving that he made the Heaven and Earth that is producing a testimony wherein the creation of all things is assigned unto him is beyond the wisdom of man to invent 3. He addes That Christ might be spoken of in this place either in respect of his Human◠Nature or of his Divine if of the former to what end should he make mention of the creation of Heaven and Earth Christ as a man and as made above the Angels made not Heaven and Earth If as God how could he be said to be made above the Angels But the answer is easie Christ is said to be made above and more excellent than the Angels neither absolutely as God nor absolutely as man but as he was God-Man the Mediator between God and man in which respect as Mediator for the discharge of one part of his Office he was a little while made lower than they and so the Creation of Heaven and earth does demonstrate the Dignity of his Person and the Equity of his being made more excellent than the Angels in his Office And this fully removes his following exceptions that the remembring of his Deity could be no argument to prove that the Humanity was exalted above the Angels for it is not an argument of the Exaltation of his Humanity but the demonstration of the Excellency of his Person that the Apostle hath in hand 4. He alledgeth That it is contrary to the perpetual use of the Scripture to affirm absolutely of Christ that he created any thing When any creation is ascribed unto him it is still applied to him as the immediate cause and said to be made by him or in him he is no where absolutely said to create And if he created the world why did not Moses as plainly attribute that unto him as the Writers of the New Testament do the new Creation Answ. Were it affirmed in this only place that Christ made all things yet the words being plain and evident and the thing it self agreeable to the Scripture in other places and not repugnant to any testimony therein contained there is no pretence for them who truly reverence the Wisdom and Authority of the Holy Ghost in the Word to deny the words to be spoken properly and directly Nor if we may take that course will there be any thing left sacred and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture Besides we have shewed already the vanity of that distinction of God's making things by Christ as though it denoted any subordination in causality nor will the Socinians themselves admit of any such thing but confute that notion in the Arians But this is not the only place wherein it is affirmed that Christ made all things that are in the Heaven and the Earth Joh. 1.1 2. Col. 1.16 v. 3. of this Chapter with sundry other places affirm the same For what they exact of Moses did we not believe that God knew what Revelation of himself became that dark dispensation better than they we might consider it But yet there are even in Moses himself many and his Expositors the Prophets more Testimonies of the Creation of the world by the Word that is the Son of God which have elsewhere been opened and vindicated 5. He concludes That the Order and Method of the Apostles procedure do evince that this Creation of Heaven and Earth is not attributed unto him For we see that he proves the excellency of Christ above Angels from his name that he is by the way of eminency called the Son of God and then he proceeds to his adoration by Angels and in the third place he goes on to the Kingly Honour and Throne of Christ after which he produceth the testimony we insist upon and then adds the end of that Kingdom which Christ now administreth in the Earth to what end in this discourse should he mention the Creation of Heaven and Earth when if that be omitted all the series of the discourse agrees and hangs well together For having declared the Kingdom of Christ with the continuance of his person for ever he asserts an eminent effect of the Kingdom in the abolition of Heaven and Earth and then the end of that Kingdom it self But this Analysis of the Apostles discourse agreeth not to the mind of the Apostle or his Design in the place nor to the Principles of the men that formed it nor is indeed any thing but vain words to perswade us that the Apostle did not say that which he did say and which is written for our instruction It is not first agreeable to their own Principles For it placeth the naming of Christ the Son of God and his Adoration by the Angels as antecedent to his being raised to his Kingly Throne both which especially the latter they constantly make consequent unto it and effects of it Nor is it at all agreeable to the Apostles design which is not to prove by these Testimonies directly that Christ was exalted above Angels but to shew the Dignity and Excellency of his person who was so exalted and how reasonable it is that it should be so which is eminently proved by the Testimonie under consideration For the proof of this Excellency the Apostle produceth those Testimonies that are given unto him in the Old Testament and that as to his Name his Honour and Glory and his Works in this place Neither is there any Reason of ascribing the Destruction of Heaven and Earth unto the Kingly Power of Christ excluding his Divine Power in their Creation for the Abolition of the world if such it is to be or the change of it is no less an effect of Infinite Power than the Creation of it nor doth it directly appertain to the Kingdom of Christ but by accident as do other works of the Providence of God These Exceptions then being removed before we proceed to the Interpretation of the words we shall see what Evidence may be added unto what we have already offered from the Psalm to evince and prove that this whole Testimony doth belong unto him which were there no other as there are very many Testimonies to this purpose were abundantly sufficient to determine this Controversie 1. We have the Authority of the Apostle for it ascribing it unto him the word And in the beginning of the Verse relates confessedly unto but unto the Son he saith v. 8. as if he had said but unto the Son he saith thy Throne O God is for ever and ever and to the Son he said Thou O God in the beginning hast founded the earth Again the whole Testimony speaks of the same person there being no colour of thrusting another person into the Text not intended in the beginning so that if any
of it contradicted his own light out of hatred unto the Gospel there are sundry Psalms with this Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 le David which are expresly affirmed to be composed and sung by him unto the Lord as Psal. 18. whose Title is To the chief Musician 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Prefix is repeated to David the servant of the Lord who spake unto the Lord the words of this song So directly do the modern Rabbins contradict their own light out of hatred unto the Gospel Evident then it is that David is not treated of in this Psalm in that he being the Pen-man of it calleth him his Lord concerning whom he treats Besides to omit other instances of alike cogency how or when did God swear unto David that he should be a Priest and that for ever after the order of Melchisedeck The Jews knew well enough that David had nothing to do with the Priesthood So that David had no concernment in this Psalm but only as he was the Pen-man of it He was not herein so much as a Type of the Messiah but speaks of him as his Lord. Wherefore others of them as Jarchi and Lipman and Nizzachon affirm that it is Abraham who is spoken of in this Psalm of whom the one says it was composed by Melchizedech the other by his servant Eliezer of Damascus But the fondness of these presumptuous figments is evident Melchizâ—dech on all accounts was greater than Abraham above him in Degree Dignity and Office as being a King and Priest of the High God and therefore blessed him and received Tithes of him and on no account could call him his Lord. Eliezer did so being his servant but how could he ascribe unto him the sitting at the Right Hand of God how the sending forth the rod of his power from Sion how being a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck or indeed any one thing mentioned in the Psalm These things deserve not to be insisted on but only to manifest the woful pretences of the present Judaical infidelity It appears from the Dialogue of Justin Martyr with Trypho that some of them of old applied this Psalm to Hezekiah But not one word in it can rationally be conceived to respect him especially that Which is spoken about the Priesthood utterly excludes him seeing his Great Grand-father a man of more power than himself was smitten with Leprosie and lost the Administration of his Kingdom for one single attempt to invade that Office 2 Chron. 26. It remains then that this Psalm was written concerning the Messiah and him alone for no other subject of it can be assigned And this use in our passage we may make of the Targum that whereas those words The Lord said do not intend a word spoken but the stable purpose or decree of God as Psal. 2. v. 7. its Author hath rendred them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord said in or by his word that is his Wisdom his Son with whom and to whom he speaks and concerning whom his Decree and Purpose is here declared It remaineth only that we consider the Objections of the Jews against our Application of this Psalm unto the Messiah And these are summed up by Kimchi in his Exposition of the Text. The Hereticks saith he expound this Psalm of Jesus and in the first verse they say the Father and Son are designed and they read Adonai with Camets under Nun in which use the true God is signified by that Name And verse the third in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they read Chirick under Ain so making it signifie with thee And what is there said of the beauty of Holiness they ascribe unto that which is from the womb But in all Copies that are found from the rising of the Sun to the going down of it Chiric is with Nun in Adoni and Patha with Ain in Hammeka And Gerolmus Hierom erred in his Translation And for the errour if the Father and Son be the God-head how doth one stand in need of the other and how can he say unto him Thou art a Priest He is a Priest who offers sacrifice but God doth not Of the like nature are the rest of his exceptions unto the end of his Notes on that Psalm To this Lipman addes a bitter blasphemous discourse about the application of those words from the womb v. 3. unto the womb of the blessed Virgin Answ. Our cause is not at all concerned in these mistakes whether of Jews or Christians For the Jews their chief enmity lies against the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore what ever testimony is produced concerning him they presently imagine that it is for the proof of his Divine Nature This lies at the bottom of these exceptions of Kimchi Hence he conceives that our argument from this place lies in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the pointing it with Camets Adonai so making it to be the proper Name of God when we acknowledge that it is Adoni pointed with Chiric and signifies my Lord so it is rendred by the Evangelist Matth. 22. v. 45. so by the LXX and by Hierom Domino meo And the argument of our Saviour lies not in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that he being the Son of David was also then the Lord of David which he could no otherwise be but upon the account of his Divine Nature In the words reflected on by Kimchi it is confessed that there have been mistakes amongst Translators and Expositors Those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are rendred by the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Vulgar from them tecum principium with thee is the beginning which hath misled many Expositors But Kimchi knew that Hierom had translated them Populi tui duces spontanei Thy people shall be willing leaders giving both the significations of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though one would suffice Thy people are or shall be willing But this pertains not to the cause under consideration In like manner have those other words been misrendred by the same Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the LXX and the Vulgar Exutero ante luciferum genui te From the womb before the morning Star have I begotten thee which gave occasion to many uncouth Expositions in Justin Martyr Tertullian Epiphanius Austin and others But the words are rightly rendred The dew of thy birth is from the womb of the morning and express the rise and flourishing of the Kingdom of the Messiah These things prove indeed that it is dangerous to interpret the Scripture without heedful attending unto the Original Text but that the Messiah is not intended in this Psalm they prove not For what they farther object on our supposition of the Divine Nature of Christ That there was no need that God should promise God his assistance it is but an open effect of their ignorance or malice Assistance is not promised the Messiah as God but as made Man for our sakes
and so as a Priest did he offer that Sacrifice without an interest wherein both they and we must eternally perish To conclude this discourse we have many of their own Masters concurring with us in the assignation of this Psalm unto the Messiah and to that purpose they freely express themselves when their minds are taken off from the consideration of the difference that they have with Christians Thus the Author 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his signs of the coming of the Messiah Armillus shall stir up all the world saith he to war against the Messiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom the holy God shall not compel to war but shall only say unto him Sit thou at my right hand referring unto this place So Saadias Gaon on Dan. 7.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is Messiah our righteousness as it is written The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou on my right hand They affirm the same in Midrash Tehillim on Psal. 18. v. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rabbi Joden said In the world to come the holy blessed God shall cause Messiah the King to sit on his right hand as it is written The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou on my right hand And to the same purpose are the words of R. Moses Haddarsan in Bereshith Rabba on Gen. 18. v. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rabbi Berechia in the name of Rabbi Levi opened that which is spoken Thou shalt give me the shield of thy salvation and thy right hand shall sustain me Psal. 18.36 In the world to come the holy blessed God shall cause Messias the King to sit on his right hand as it is written The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou on my right hand And Abraham shall sit at his left hand and the face of Abraham shall be pale and he shall say The Son of my Son sits on the right hand and I on the left But God shall appease him and say unto him The Son of thy Son sits at my right hand and I am at thy right hand as it is written Thy loving kindness shall encrease me And so on Psalm 17. Rabbi Joden in the name of R. Chijah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The holy blessed God shall place Messiah the King at his right hand as it is said The Lord said unto my Lord. Thus setting aside the mixture of their follies and impieties wherein we are not concerned we have a sufficient suffrage from the Jews themselves unto our assignation of this Prophetical Psalm to the Messiah which is enough to stop the mouths of their modern gain-sayers who neither are able to assign any other Person unto whom it should belong Having then removed their Objections we may return unto the Interpretation of the words The matter intended in the first part of these words or sitting at the right hand of God hath been somewhat spoken unto already and I shall adde but little in the further Explanation of it in this place Some things controverted on these words we may well omit the consideration of as whether were the more honourable place of old the right hand or the left besides they have been sufficiently spoken unto already on verse 3. For whereas there is no mention made any where of sitting at the left hand of God as was observed there is no comparison to be feigned between the one and the other Besides the pretence of the left hand to have been the most honourable place of old is most vain insisted on by some who had a desire to vent new observations of old matters to little purpose And Bellarmine shews what good leisure he had in managing of Controversies when he spent more time and labour in answering an Objection against the Popes Supremacy from Peters being placed in old Seals on the left hand of Paul than of many Texts of Scripture plainly overthrowing his pretensions Neither shall we consider their claim unto this testimony who understanding the Human Nature of Christ to be to be only intended and spoken to affirm that its sitting at the right hand of God consists in a real communication of all Divine Properties and Attributes unto that Nature a pretence very remote from the Apostles design and importance of the words For the Introductory Preface of this Testimony Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time we have already considered it In the testimony it self we must consider 1. The Person speaking the Lord. 2. The Person spoken unto my Lord. 3. The Nature and Manner of this speaking said 4. The thing spoken Sit on my right hand 5. The end hereof as to Work and Operation make thine enemies thy foot-stool 6. The Limitation of it as unto duration until 1. The Person speaking is the Lord The Lord said In the Greek both the Person speaking and the Person spoken unto are expressed by the same name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord only the person spoken unto is not absolutely called so but with relation to the Psalmist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to my Lord David calls him his Lord Matth. 22.43 But in the Hebrew they have different denominations the Person speaking is Jehovah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is God the Father for though the Name be often used where the Son is distinctly spoken of and sometimes in the same place each of them are mentioned by that name as Gen. 19. v. 24. Zech. 2. v. 8 9. because of their equal Participation of the same Divine Nature signified thereby yet where Jehovah speaketh unto the Son or of him as here it is the Person of the Father that is distinctly denoted thereby according as was shewed at the entrance of this Epistle 2. The Person spoken unto is the Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord David's Lord in what respect we must now enquire The Lord Christ the Son is in respect of his Divine Nature of the same Essence Power and Glory with the Father Joh. 10. v. 30. Absolutely therefore and naturally in that respect he is capable of no Subordination to the Father or Exaltation by him but what depends on and flows from his Eternal Generation Joh. 5. v. 26. By dispensation he humbled himself and emptied himself of this Glory Phil. 2. v. 7 8. not by a real parting with it but by the Assumption of Humane Nature into personal Vnion with himself being made flesh Joh. 1. v. 14. wheren his Eternal Glory was clouded for a season Joh. 17. v. 5. and his Person humbled to the discharge of those Acts of his Mediation which were to be performed in th◠Humane Nature Phil. 2. v. 9 10. This Person of Christ is here spoken unto not in respect of his Divine Nature only which is not capable of Exaltation or Glory by the way of free gift or donation nor in respect of his Humane Nature only which is not the King and Head of the Church but with respect unto his whole Person wherein the Divine Nature exerting its Power and Glory with the
full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the Mysterie of God and of the Father and of Christ Chap. 2.2 that is that they might have a spiritual and saving acquaintance with the Mysterie of this great salvation the Love Grace and Wisdom of God therein which without this Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation from above we shall not attain unto This then in the first place is to be sought after this are we to abide in constant Prayers and supplications for the teaching instructing revealing enlightning Work and Efficacy of this Spirit that we may be enabled to look into these deep things of God that we may in some measure with all Saints comprehend them and grow wise in the Mysterie of salvation Solomon tells us how this wisdom is to be obtained Prov. 2.3 4 5. If thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voyce for understanding if thou seekest for her as for silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God It is by praying crying supplications with diligence and perseverance that we attain this Wisdom abide herein or all other attempts will prove but vain How many poor souls otherwise weak and simple have by this means grown exceeding wise in the Mysterie of God And how many more wise in this world through the neglect of it do walk in darkness all their dayes Secondly Diligent study of the Word wherein this Mysterie of God is declared and proposed unto our faith and holy contemplation but this hath been spoken unto in part already and must again be considered and so need not here to be insisted on Thirdly Sincere love unto and delight in the things that are by the Spirit of God revealed unto us is another part of this duty Herein our Apostle declares what was his frame of heart Phil. 3.8 How doth his heart triumph in and rejoyce over the knowledge he had obtained of Jesus Christ and then indeed do we know any thing of the Grace of God aright when our hearts are affected with what we know Peter tells us that the Saints of old in their believing rejoyced with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Ep. 1.8 They discovered that in Christ which maâ—â— their hearts leap within them and all their affections to overflow with delight and joy And this is an Essential part of this Holy Admiration which distinguisheth it from that barren fruitless notional speculation of it which some are contented withall This are we to stir up our hearts unto in all our Meditations of the Grace of God and not to rest untill we find them affected satisfied and filled with an holy complacency which is the most eminent evidence of our interest in and Union unto the things that are made known unto us Fourthly All these things are to be attended with thankfulness and praise This the Apostle was full of and brake forth into when he entred upon the description of this Grace Eph. 1.3 4. and this will be the frame of his heart who is exercised unto an holy admiration of it When our Lord Jesus Christ considered the Grace of God in revealing the mysteries of this salvation unto his Disciples it is said of him that he reioyced in Spirit Luke 10.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Spirit leaped in him and he breaks forth into a solemn Doxologie giving Praise and Glory unto God And is it not their duty to whom they are revealed to do that which out of love unto them our Lord Christ Jesus did on their behalf Thankfulness for the things themselves thankfulness for the Revelation of them thankfulness for the Love of God and the Grace of Jesus Christ in the one and the other is a great part of this duty Secondly This will teach us what esteem we ought to have of the Word of the Gospel by which alone this great salvation is revealed and exhibited unto us the great means and instrument which God is pleased to use in bringing us unto a participation of it This one consideration is enough to instruct us unto what valuation we ought to make of it what price we should set upon it seeing we cannot have the pearl without the purchase of this Field Some neglect it some despise it some persecute it some look upon it as foolishness some as weakness but unto them that believe it is the power of God and the wisdom of God To further us in this duty I shall take up some of those considerations which the words we insist upon do offer unto us and thereby also pass through what yet remains for our instruction in them And we may consider 1. The Excellency and Preheminence of the Gospel which ariseth from the first Revealer that is the Lord Christ the Son of God It was begun to be spoken unto us by the Lord Herein the Apostle prefers it before the Law It is that Word which the Son came to reveal and declare from the bosome of the Father and surely he deserves to be attended unto Hence it is so often called the Word of Christ and the Gospel of Christ not only because it treateth of him but because it proceedeth from him and on that account is worthy of all Acceptation And 2. To neglect the Gospel is to neglect and despise the Son of God who was the Author of it and consequently the Love and Grace of God in sending him So the Lord Christ tells them that preach the Gospel he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Neglect of the Gospel reflects immediately upon the Lord Christ and the Father and therefore our Apostle bids us take heed that we despise not him who spake from Heaven which can be no otherwise done but by neglect of his word Some pretend to honour Christ but they have no regard for his Word yea they may say of it as Ahab of Micaiah that they hate it and have therefore some of them endeavoured to extirpate the preaching of it out of the world as the Papists have done at least have looked on it as an useless thing that the Church might be well enough without But such men will find themselves mistaken when it is too late to seek after a remedy the true Cause of their hatred unto the word is because they can find no other way to express their hatred unto Christ himself Neither did ever any man hate or loath the Gospel but he that first hated and loathed Jesus Christ but against the Word they have many pretences against the Person of Christ none that are as yet passable in the world This makes the Word to bear that which is intended against Christ himself and so will he interpret it at the last day 3. Consider that this Word was confirmed and witnessed unto from Heaven by the mighty Works and Miracles which attended the dispensation thereof So our Apostle here informs us and
other duty or service what ever may he not justly expect that such a one will be diligent in the observation of all his commands especially considering also the Honour and Advantage that he hath by being taken near unto his person employed in his affairs And shall not God much more expect the like from us considering how exceedingly the priviledge we have by this relation unto him surpasseth all that men can attain by the favour of earthly Princes And if we will choose other Lords of our own to serve if we are so regardless of our selves as that we will serve our lusts and the world when God hath had such respect unto us as that he would not suffer us to be subject unto the Angels of heaven how inexcusable shall we be in our sin and folly You shall be for me saith God and not for any other what ever And are we not miserable if we like not this agreement 2. For the manner of our obedience how ought we to endeavour that it be performed with all holiness and reverence Moses makes this his great argument with the people for Holiness in all their Worship and services because no people had God so nigh unto them as they had And yet that nearness which he insisted on was but that of his Institutions and some visible Pledges and Representations therein of his Presence among them now much more cogent must the considerations of this real and spiritual nearness which God hath taken us unto himself in by Jesus needs be to the same purpose All that we do we do it immediately unto this holy God not only under his Eye and in his Presence but in an especial and immediate relation unto him by Jesus Christ. Verse VI. THe Apostle hath shewed that the World to come which the Judaical Church looked for was not made subject unto Angels no mention of any such thing being made in the Scripture That which he assumes to make good his Assertion of the Preheminence of the Lord Jesus above the Angels is that unto him it was put in subjection And this he doth not expresly affirm in words of his own but insinuateth in a Testimony out of the Scripture which he citeth and urgeth unto that purpose And this Way he proceedeth for these two ends 1. To evidence that what he taught was suitable unto the Faith of the Church of old and contained in the Oracles committed unto it which was his especial way of dealing with these Hebrews 2. That he might from the Words of that Testimony take occasion to obviate a great Objection against the Dignity of Christ and Mysteries of the Gospel taken from his Humiliation and Death and thereby make way to a farther Explication of many other Parts or Acts of â—is Mediation many Difficulties there are in the Words and Expressions of these Verses more in the Apostles Application of the Testimony by him produced unto the Person and End by him intended all which God assisting we shall endeavour to remove And to that End shall consider 1. The way and manner of his introducing this Testimony which is peculiar 2. The Testimony it self produced with an Explication of the meaning and importance of the Words in the Place from whence it is taken 3. The Application of it unto the Apostles purpose both as to the Person intended and as to the especial End aimed at And 4. Farther unfold what the Apostle adds about the death and sufferings of Christ as included in this Testimony though not intended as to the first use and design of it And 5. Vindicate the Apostles Application of this Testimony with our Explication of it accordingly from the Objections that some have made against it All which we shall pass through as they present themselves unto us in the Text it self First The manner of his citing this Testimony is somewhat peculiar One testified in a certain place Neither person nor place being specified As though he had intended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certain Person whom he would not name But the Reason of it is plain both Person and Place were sufficiently known to them to whom he wrote And the Syriack Translation changeth the Expression in the Text into but as the Scripture witnesseth and saith without Cause The Hebrews were not ignorant whose words they were which he made use of nor where they were recorded The one there mentioned is David and the certain place is the eighth Psalm whereof much need not to be added A Psalm it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the High Praises of God and such Psalms do mostly if not all of them respect the Messiah and his Kingdom as the Jews themselves acknowledge For the time of the Composure of this Psalm they have a conjecture which is not altogether improbable namely that it was in the Night whilest he kept his Fathers sheep Hence in his Contemplation of the Works of God he insists on the Moon and Stars then gloriously presenting themselves unto him not mentioning the Sun which appeared not So also in the Distribution that he makes of the things here below that amongst others are made subject unto man he fixeth in the first place on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flocks of Sheep which were then peculiarly under his care So should all the works of God and those especially about which we are conversant in our particular Callings excite us to the Admiration of his Glory and Praise of his name And none are usually more void of holy thoughts of God than those who set themselves in no way acceptable unto him This is the place from whence this Testimony is taken whose especial Author the Apostle omitteth both because it was sufficiently known and makes no difference at all who ever was the Penman of this or that Portion of Scripture seeing it was all equally given by Inspiration from God whereon alone the authority of it doth depend 2. The Testimony it self is contained in the words following v. 6 7. What is man c. Before we enter into a particular Explication of the words and of the Apostles Application of them we may observe that there are two things in general that lye plain and clear before us As First That All things whatsoever are said to be put in subjection unto man that is unto Humane Nature in one or more Persons in opposition unto Angels or nature Angelical To express the former is the plain Design and Purpose of the Psalmist as we shall see And whereas there is no such Testimony any where concerning Angels it is evident that the meaning of the word is unto man and not unto Angels which the Apostle intimates in that adversative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but but of man it is said not of Angels Secondly That this Priviledge was never absolutely nor universally made good in or unto the nature of man but in or with respect unto the Person of Jesus Christ the Messiah This the Apostle call us to the
more indigent condition than the Angels are or ever were obnoxious unto 2. The general end of that Exinanition and Depression of Jesus it was that he might suffer death 3. His Exaltation unto Power and Authority over all things in particular the world to come crowned with glory and honour 4. A numerous Amplification subjoyned of the end of his depression and the death that it tended unto 1. From the Cause of it the Grace of God 2. The Nature of it he was to taste of death 3. The End of it it was for others And 4. its extent for all That he by the grace of God might taste death for all 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Adversative intimating the introduction of one singular person in opposition to him or them spoken of in the end of the fore-going verse We see not all things put under his feet which some against the whole context apply unto Christ but we see Jesus Had the same person been spoken of in both verses the expression would have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but we see him but a new Antecedent being here introduced but we see Jesus another person is substituted as the subject spoken of as the Syriack version declares we see him that it is Jesus How and in what sense he was made lower than the Angels hath been declared in opening the words as they lie in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprized in that testimony of the Psalmist Only it may be enquired whether this Exinanition of Christ or Minoration in respect of Angels did consist meerly in his Incarnation and participation of Humane Nature which in general is esteemed beneath Angelical or in the misery and anxiety which in that nature he conflicted withall And the Apostle seems not absolutely to intend the former 1. Because he speaks of Jesus as the subject of this Minoration now that name denotes the Son of God as Incarnate who is supposed so to be when he is said to be made less than the Angels 2. Because the Humane Nature in the very instant of its union unto the Person of that Son of God was absolutely advanced above the Angelical and might have immediately been possessed of Glory if other works in it had not been to be performed And yet neither doth it intend the low condition wherein he was placed exclusively to his Incarnation though that be afterwards verse 14. particularly spoken unto but his being Incarnate and brought forth and in that condition wherein he was exposed to suffering and so consequently to death it self And thus was he made less than Angels in part in that nature which he assumed he was obnoxious unto all the infirmities which attend it as Hunger Thirst Weariness Pain Sorrow Grief and exposed unto all the miseries from without that any person partaker of that nature is obnoxious unto and in summe death it self from all which miseries Angels are exempted This we see know and grant to have been the state and condition of Jesus But saith he this was but for a little while during his conversation with us on the earth ending at his death The Apostle knew that he had now fixed upon that which of all things the Jews most stumbled at the low and mean despised condition of Jesus they having inveterate prejudicate opinions of another manner of state and condition for the Messiah wherefore he immediately subjoyns the end why he was humbled into this condition which he first explains and then vindicates the necessity of it The end then is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the suffering of death he was so humbled that he might suffer death This yet more displeased the Jews the necessity whereof he therefore immediately proves Adding by the way 3. To complete the application of the testimony produced his Exaltation upon his suffering he was crowned with glory and honour referring us to the testimony it self to declare what was contained in that Exaltation namely an absolute Dominion over all things God only excepted and so consequently over the world to come that was not put in subjection to Angels And in these words the Apostle closeth his argument for the excellency of Christ above the Angels from the subjection of all things unto him and proceeds to the amplification of that kind of the Humiliation of Christ which he had before intimated and that in four things 1. In the impulsive and efficient cause which in the acts of God's will are coincident 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoting the final cause of what was before asserted relating to the whole clause following That which is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grace of God is else-where explained by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 2.11 the saving grace of God And sometimes it is termed his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 3.4 his Goodness Kindness Benignity and love of mankind absolutely his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 3.16 Rom. 5.8 1 Joh. 3.8 9. Love intense love also his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 1.5 his good-pleasure from the riches of his grace verse 1. and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 9. Rom. 8.28 or purpose of his will being the same with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.29 30. his prae-designation and predestination of men unto Grace and Glory From all which it appears what this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or grace of God is that was the moving and impulsive cause of the death of Christ even the gracious free sovereign Purpose of the Will of God suited unto and arising from his natural Grace Love Goodness and Benignity Pity Mercy Compassion exerting themselves therein It was not out of any anger or displeasure of God against Jesus in whom his soul was always well pleased not out of any disregard unto him whom he designed hereby to be crowned with glory and honour but out of his Love Kindness and Goodness towards others who could no otherwise be brought unto Glory as in the next verses the Apostle declares that he thus appointed him to die In the manner of his death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he should taste of death so die as to experience the sorrows bitterness and penalties of death To taste of death is first Really to die not in appearance or pretence in opinion or shew as some foolishly of old blasphemed about the death of Christ which could have had no other fruit but a shadow of Redemption a deliverance in opinion See the phrases used Mark 9.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall not taste of death that is not die And that which is called to see death Joh. 8.51 is called to taste of death v. 52. where the Phrase is applied to the second death or death eternal And it being death which was threatned unto those for whom he dyed and which they should have undergone he really tasted of that death
integrity who how he can be called the Son of man I know not besides how was his Honour not to be thought of or mentioned without the remembrance of his sin and shameful fall such a cause of rejoycing and Exaltation unto the Psalmist Some man in his corrupted condition which how far he is from the things here mentioned need not be declared Can we suppose the Apostle would prove the subjection of the world to come unto Christ by a Testimony principally respecting them who have no interest in it Some believers as restored in Christ which is true consequentially and in respect of Participation Rev. 2.26 27. but not antecedently unto the investiture of the Honour that they are made partakers of in the Person of Christ. Besides which is the great absurdity of this Interpretation they all affirm that the same words are used to express and confirm things directly contrary and adverse unto one another For those words in the Psalmist Thou hast made him little less than the Angels they would have to signifie the Exaltation of man in his Creation being made nigh unto and little less than Angels and in the Application of them by the Apostle unto Christ they acknowledge that they denote depression minoration humiliation or exinanition How the same words in the same place can express contrary things prove the exaltation of one and the depression of another is very hard if not impossible to be understood Besides they are compelled to interpret the same phrase in divers senses as well as the same sentence in contrary for those words in the Psalmist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as applyed unto man they make to denote quantity or quality as unto Christ time or duration which that in the same place they cannot do both is needless to prove But as we said our Exposition is wholly free from these entanglements answering the words of the Psalmist suited to the words and Context of the Apostle throughout Schliclingius or Crellius in his Comment on these words would faign lay hold of an objection against the Deity of Christ p. 112. Hinc videmus saith he cum D. Author adeò sollicitè laboret Scripturae dictis pugnet eum qui Angelis suerit ratione naturae minor nempe Christum debuisse suprema gloria bâ—nore coronari angelosque dignitate longè superare nec ipsi Authori nec cuipiam Christianorum ad quos scribit divinae praeter humanam in Christo naturae in mentem venisse nam si hanc in Christo agnovissent nullo negotio etiam Christum Angelis longé praestare naturamque humanam ei minime obstare vidissent quid quaeso tanto molimine tantoque argumentorum apparatu ad rem omnibus apertissimam persuadendam opus fuisset Quid argumentis aliunde conquisiâ—s laborat author cum uno ictu unica naturae istius divinae mentione rem totam conficere potuisset The whole ground of this fallacy lyes in a supposition that the Apostle treateth of the Person of Christ absolutely and in himself considered which is evidently false he speaks of him in respect of the Office he underwent as the Mediator of the New Covenant in which respect he was both made less than the Angels not only on the account of his nature but of the Condition wherein he discharged his Duty and also made or exalted above them by grant from his Father whereas in his Divine Nature he was absolutely and infinitely so from the instant of the creation And whereas those to whom he wrote did hear that he was in the discharge of his Office for a little while made much lower than the Angels it was not in vain for him to prove by Arguments and Testimonies that in the Execution of the same Office he was also exalted above them that part of his work being finished for which he was made lower than they for a season And most needful it was for him so to do in respect of the Hebrews who boasting in the Ministry of Angels in the giving of the Law were to be convinced of the Excellency of the Author of the Gospel as such in the discharge of his work above them And the express mention of his Divine Nature was in this place altogether needless and improper nor would it have proved the thing that he intended for how easie had it been for the Jews to have replyed that notwithstanding that they saw in how low an outward condition he ministred upon the earth and therefore that would not prove his Exaltation above Angels in the discharge of his Office seeing notwithstanding that he was evidently made lower than they in that Office It would also have been improper for him in this place to have made any mention thereof seeing the proof of the Excellency of his Person absolutely considered was nothing unto the business he had now in hand And it was likewise every way needless he having so abundantly proved and vindicated his Divine Nature in the Chapter foregoing Now to take an Argument against a thing from the Apostles silence of it in one place where the mention of it was improper useless and needless he having fully expressed the same matter elsewhere yea but newly before is an evidence of a bad or barren cause Of the like importance is that which he afterwards adds p. 15. Quemadmodum autem Jesus homo verus naturali conditione caeteris hominibus fimilis esse debuit neque enim eorum Servator est qui natura dii sunt homines sed hominum tantum For we shall demonstrate that it was needful he should have a Divine Nature who was to suffer and to save them who had only an humane And if this man had acknowledged that End and Effect of his suffering without which we know it would have been of no advantage unto them for whom he suffered he also would believe the same We say not any thing of the sense of the Jews on this place of the Psalmist They seem wholly to have lost the design of the Holy Ghost in it and therefore in their accustomed manner to embrace fables and trifles The Talmudists ascribe those words what is man unto some of the Angels expressing their envy and Indignation at his honour upon his first Creation The latter Doctors as Kimchi and Aben Ezra make Application of it unto man in general wherein they are followed by too many Christians unto whom the Apostle had been a better guide But we may here also see what is farther tendered unto us for our Instruction As I. The Respect Care Love and Grace of God unto mankind expressed in the Person and Mediation of Jesus Christ is a matter of singular and eternal Admiration We have before shewed from the words of the Psalmist that such in general is the Condescension of God to have any regard of man considering the infinite Excellency of the Property of his nature as manifested in his great and glorious Works That now proposed
go against their Convictions But the mind that was in Christ will lead us unto it out of Love unto him with freedom and enlargedness of heart which is required of us III. The blessed issue of the abasement of Jesus Christ in his exaltation unto honour and glory is an assured pledge of the final glory and blessedness of all that believe in him what ever difficulties and dangers they may be exercised withal in the way His Humiliation and Exaltation as we have seen proceeded out of Gods condescension and love to mankind His Electing Love the eternal gracious purpose of his Will to recover lost sinners and to bring them unto the enjoyment of himself was the ground of this dispensation And therefore what he hath done in Christ is a certain pledge of what he will do in and for them also He is not crowned with Honour and Glory meerly for himself but that he may be a Captain of Salvation and bring others unto a Participation of his Glory IV. Jesus Christ as the Mediator of the New Covenant hath absolute and supream authority given unto him over all the works of God in Heaven and Earth This we have so fully manifested and insisted on upon the foregoing Chapter that we shall not here farther pursue it but only mind by the way that blessed is the state and condition great is the spiritual and eternal security of the Church seeing all things are under the very feet of its Head and Saviour V. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Lord of the Gospel state of the Church called under the Old Testament the world to come and therefore he only hath Power to dispose of all things in it relating unto that Worship of God which it is to perform and celebrate It is not put into subjection unto any other Angels or men This priviledge was reserved for Christ this honour is bestowed on the Church He is the only Head King and Law-giver of it and nothing is it to be taught to observe or do but what he hath commanded But this will fall more directly under our consideration in the beginning of the next Chapter VI. The Lord Jesus Christ in his death did undergo the poenal sentence of the Law in the room and stead of them for whom he dyed Death was that which by the sentence of the Law was due unto sin and sinners For them did Christ dye and therein tasted of the bitterness of that death which they were to have undergone or else the fruit of it could not have redounded untô them for what was it towards their discharge if that which they had deserved was not suffered but somewhat else wherein the least part of their concernment did lye But this being done certain deliverance and salvation will be the lot and portion of them of all them for whom he dyed and that upon the rules of Justice and righteousness on the part of Christ though on theirs of meer Mercy and Grace Verse X. THE Apostle in the Verses fore-going made mention of that which of all other things the Jews generally were most offended at and which was of the greatest importance to be believed namely the sufferings of the Messiah wherein a great part of the discharge of his Sacerdotal Office whereunto he here makes a Transition did consist This his own Disciples were slow in the belief of Matth. 16.22 chap. 17.22 23. Luke 24.25 26. and the Jews generally stumbled at They thought it strange that the Messiah the Son of God the Saviour of his people and Captain of their salvation concerning whom so great and glorious things were promised and foretold should be brought into a low despised condition and therein to suffer and die Hence they cried unto him on the Cross If thou be the Christ come down and save thy self intimating that by his suffering he was assuredly proved not to be so for why any one should suffer that could deliver himself they saw no reason Besides they had inveterate prejudices about the Salvation promised by the Messiah and the way whereby it was to be wrought arising from their love and over-valuation of temporal or carnal things with their contempt of things spiritual and eternal They expected a deliverance outward glorious and Kingly in this world and that to be wrought with Arms Power and a mighty hand And what should they expect from a Messiah that suffered and died Wherefore the Apostle having asserted the sufferings of Christ saw it necessary to proceed unto a full confirmation of it with a declaration of the Reasons Causes and Ends of it partly to evert that false perswasion which prevailed amongst them about the nature of the salvation to be wrought by Christ partly to shew that nothing would thence ensue derogatory unto what he had before delivered about his preheminence above Angels but principally to instruct them in the Sacerdotal Office of the Messiah the Redemption which he wrought and the means whereby he accomplished it which was the great business that he had designed to treat with them about For the Salvation it self he declares that it was not to be of the same kind with that which they had of old when they were brought out of Egypt and setled in the Land of Canaan under the conduct of Joshua but spiritual and heavenly in a deliverance from sin Sathan death and hell with a manuduction into life and blessedness eternal The way whereby this was to be wrought he informs them that it was to be by the sufferings and death of the Messiah and that no other way it could be accomplished on which account they were indispensibly necessary And the first reason hereof he expresseth in this tenth verse Verse 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One or two Copies read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the sense and design of the place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is needlesly repeated unless put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then it disturbs the whole meaning of the verse and is inconsistent with the passive Verb following in this Reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the singular number relates only unto death expressed in the verse foregoing by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but here All the sufferings of Christ as well those antecedent unto death as death it self are intended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Passive is followed by some Copies of the Vulgar Translation reading consummari both inconsistent with the sense of the place as we shall see Translations differ but little about these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most Decebat enim cum For it became him Beza Decebat enim ut iste For it was meet that he to make the following words flow regularly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propter quem omnia Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cui omnia for whom are all things Beza Propter quem sunt haec omnia expressing the Article as restrictive to the things spoken of For whom are all these things One Syriack Copy
the Apostles rejoyced thâ—t they had the honour to suffer shame for his Name Acts 5.41 that is the things which the world looked on as shameful but themselves knew to be honourable They are so in the sight of God of the Lord Jesus Christ of all the holy Angels which are competent judges in this case God hath a great cause in the world and that such a one as wherein his Name his Goodness his Love his Glory is concerned this in his infinite Wisdom is to be witnessed confirmed testified unto by sufferings Now can there be any greater Honour done unto any of the sons of men than that God should single them out from among the rest of mankind and appoint them unto this work Men are honoured according to their riches and treasures And when Moses came to make a right judgment concerning this thing he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt Heb. 1â— 29 We believe that God gave great honour unto the Apostles and Martyrs of old in all their sufferings Let us labour for the same spirit of faith in reference unto our selves and it will relieve us under all our trials This then also hath Christ added unto the way of sufferings by his consecration of it for us All the glory and honour of the world is not to be compared with theirs unto whom it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for him 1 Pet. 4.14 15 16. Thirdly He hath thereby made them usâ—ful and profitable Troubles and afflictions in themselves and their own nature have no good in them nor do they tend unto any good end they grow out of the first sentence against sin and are in their own nature poenal tending unto death and nothing else Nor are they in those who have no interest in Christ any thing but effects of the wrath of God But the Lord Christ by his consecrating of them to be the way of our following him hath quite altered their nature and tendency he hath made them good useful and profitable I shall not here shew the usefulness of Afflictions and sufferings the whole Scripture abundantly testifieth unto it and the experience of Believers in all ages and seasons confirms it I only shew whence it is that they become so and that is because the Lord Christ hath consecrated dedicated and sanctified them unto that end He hath thereby cut them off from their old stock of wrath and the curse and planted them on that of Love and Good-will He hath taken them off from the Covenant of works and translated them into that of Grace He hath turned their course from death towards life and immortality mixing his Grace Love and Wisdom with these bitter waters he hath made them sweet and wholesome And if we would have benefit by them we must always have regard unto this consecration of them Fourthly He hath made them safe They are in their own nature a Wilderness wherein men may endlesly wander and quickly lose themselves But he hath made them a way a safe way That way-faring men though fools may not erre therein Never did a Believer perish by afflictions or persecutions never was good Gold or Silver consumed or lost in this Furnace Hypocrites indeed and false Professors fearful and unbelievers are discovered by them and discarded from their hopes But they that are Disciples indeed are never safer than in this way and that because it is consecrated for them Sometimes it may be through their unbelief and want of heeding the Captain of their salvation they are wounded and cast down by them for a season but they are still in the way they are never turned quite out of the way And this through the grace of Christ doth turn also unto their advantage Nay it is not only absolutely a safe way but comparatively more safe than the way of Prosperity And this the Scripture with the experience of all Saints bear plentiful witness unto And many other blessed ends are wrought by the consecration of this way for the Disciples of Christ not now to be insisted on There remains yet to be considered in the words of the Apostle the Reason why the Captain of our salvation was to be consecrated by sufferings and this he declares in the beginning of the Verse It became God so to deal with him which he amplifies by that description of him For whom are all things and by whom are all things Having such a design as he had to bring many sons unto glory and being he for whom are all things and by whom are all things it became him so to deal with the Captain of their salvation What is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here intended and what is the importance of the word was declared before This Becomingness what ever it be it ariseth from hence That God is he for whom are all things and by whom are all things It became him not only who is so but as he is so and because he is so There is no reason for the addition of that consideration of God in this matter but that the cause is in them contained and expressed why it became him to do that which is here ascribed unto him We are then to enquire what it is that is principally regarded in God in this Attribution and thence we shall learn how it became him to bring the Lord Christ unto suffering Now the description of God in these words is plainly of him as the first Cause and last End of all things neither is it absolutely his Power in making all of nothing and his Sovereign Eternal Being requiring that all things tend unto his glory that are intended in the words But he is the Governour Ruler and Judge of all things made by him and for him with respect unto that Order and Law of their Creation which they were to observe This Rule and Government of all things taking care that as they are of God so they should be for him is that which the Apostle respects This then is that which he asserts namely that it became God as the Governour Ruler and Judge of all to consecrate Christ by sufferings which must be farther explained Man being made an intellectual Creature had a Rule of Moral Obedience given unto him This was he to observe to the glory of his Creator and Law-giver and as the condition of his coming unto him and enjoyment of him This is here supposed by the Apostle and he discourseth how man having broken the Law of his Creation and therein come short of the glory of God might by his grace be again made partaker of it With respect unto this state of things God can be no otherwise considered but as the Supreme Governour and Judge of them Now that Property of God which he exerteth principally as the Ruler and Governour of all is his Justice Justitia regiminis the Righteousness of Government Hereof there are
two branches for it is either Remunerative or Vindictive And this Righteousness of God as the Supreme Ruler and Judge of all is that upon the account whereof it was meet for him or became him to bring the sons to glory by the sufferings of the Captain of their salvation It was hence just equal and therefore indispensibly necessary that so he should do Supposing that man was created in the Image of God capable of yielding Obedience unto him according to the Law concreated with him and written in his heart which Obedience was his moral being for God as he was from or of him supposing that he by sin had broken this Law and so was no longer for God according to the primitive Order and Law of his Creation supposing also notwithstanding all this that God in his infinite Grace and Love intended to bring some men unto the enjoyment of himself by a new way Law and appointment by which they should be brought to be for him again Supposing I say these things which are all here supposed by our Apostle and were granted by the Jews it became the Justice of God that is it was so just right meet and equal that the Judge of all the world who doth right could no otherwise do than cause him who was to be the Way Cause Means and Author of this Recovery of men into a new condition of being for God to suffer in their steed For whereas the Vindictive Justice of God which is the respect of the Universal Rectitude of his Holy Nature unto the deviation of his rational creatures from the Law of their Creation required that that deviation should be revenged and themselves brought into a new way of being for God or of glorifying him by their sufferings when they had refused to do so by Obedience it was necessary on the account thereof that if they were to be delivered from that condition that the Author of their deliverance should suffer for them And this excellently suits the design of the Apostle which is to prove the necessity of the suffering of the Messiah which the Jews so stumbled at For if the Justice of God required that so it should be how could it be dispensed withall Would they have God unjust Shall he fore-go the glory of his Righteousnâ—ss and Holiness to please them in their presumption and prejudices It is true indeed if God had intended no salvation of his sons but one that was temporal like that granted unto the people of old under the conduct of Joshua there had been no need at all of the sufferings of the Captain of their salvation But they being such as in themselves had sinned and come short of the glory of God and the salvation intended them being spiritual consisting in a new ordering of them for God and the bringing of them unto the eternal enjoyment of him in Glory there was no way to maintain the Honour of the Justice of God but by his sufferings And as here lay the great mistake of the Jews so the denial of this condecency of Gods Justice as to the sufferings of the Messiah is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Socinians Schlictingius on this place would have no more intended but that the way of bringing Christ to suffer was answerable unto that design which God had laid to glorifie himself in the salvation of man But the Apostle says not that it became or was suitable unto an arbitrary free decree of God but it became himself as the Supreme Ruler and Judge of all he speaks not of what was meet unto the execution of a free Decree but what was meet on the account of Gods Holiness and Righteousness to the constitution of it as the description of him annexed doth plainly shew And herein have we with our Apostle discovered the great indispensible and fundamental cause of the sufferings of Christ. And we may hence observe that V. Such is the desert of sin and such is the immutability of the Justice of God that there was no way possible to bring sinners unto glory but by the death and sufferings of the Son of God who undertook to be the Captain of their salvation It would have been unbecoming God the Supreme Governour of all the world to have passed by the desert of sin without this satisfaction And this being a truth of great importance and the foundation of most of the Apostles ensuing discourses must be a while insisted on In these Verses that fore-going this and some of those following the Apostle directly treats of the Causes of the sufferings and death of Christ. A matter as of great importance in it self comprizing no small part of the mystery of the Gospel so indispensibly necessary to be explained and confirmed unto the Hebrews who had entertained many prejudices against it In the fore-going Verse he declared the cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inducing leading moving cause which was the Grace of God by the grace of God he was to taste death for men This grace he farther explains in this Verse shewing that it consisted in the Design of God to bring many sons to glory All had sinned and come short of his glory He had according to the exigence of his Justice denounced and declared Death and Judgment to be brought upon all that sinned without exception Yet such was his infinite Love and Grace that he determined or purposed in himself to deliver some of them to make them sons and to bring them unto glory Unto this end he resolved to send or give his Son to be a Captain of salvation unto them And this Love or Grace of God is every where set forth in the Gospel How the sufferings of this Captain of salvation became useful unto the sons upon the account of the manifold union that was between them he declares in the following Verses farther explaining the Reasons and Causes why the benefit of his sufferings should redound unto them In this Verse he expresseth the cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the procuring cause of the death and sufferings of Christ which is the Justice of God upon supposition of sin and his purpose to save sinners And this upon examination we shall find to be the great cause of the death of Christ. That the Son of God who did no sin in whom his soul was always well pleased on the account of his obedience should suffer and die and that a death under the sentence and curse of the Law is a great and astonishable mystery all the Saints of God admire at it the Angels desire to look into it What should be the cause and reason hereof why God should thus bruise him and put him to grief This is worth our enquiry and various are the conceptions of men about it The Socinians deny that his sufferings were poenal or that he died to make satisfaction for sin but only that he did so to confirm the Doctrine that he had taught and to set us an
example to suffer for the truth But his Doctrine carried its own evidence with it that it was from God and was besides uncontrollably confirmed by the Miracles that he wrought So that his sufferings on that account might have been dispensed withall And surely this great and stupendous matter of the dying of the Son of God is not to be resolved into a Reason and Cause that might so easily be dispensed with God would never have given up his Son to die but only for such causes and ends as could no otherwise have been satisfied or accomplished The like also may be said of the other cause assigned by them namely to set us an example It is true in his death he did so and of great and singular use unto us it is that so he did But yet neither was this from any precedent Law or Constitution nor from the nature of the thing it self nor from any property of God indispensibly necessary God could by his grace have carried us through sufferings although he had not set before us the example of his Son so he doth through other things no less difficult wherein the Lord Christ could not in his own Person go before us as in our conversion unto God and mortification of indwelling sin neither of which the Lord Christ was capable of We shall leave them then as those who acknowledging the death of Christ do not yet acknowledge or own any sufficient cause or reason why he should die Christians generally allow that the sufferings of Christ were poenal and his death satisfactory for the sins of men but as to the cause and reason of his so suffering they differ Some following Austine refer the death of Christ solely unto the Wisdom and Sovereignty of God God would have it so and therein are we to acquiesce Other ways of saving the Elect were possible but this God chose because so it seemed good unto him Hence arose that saying That one drop of the blood of Christ was sufficient to redeem the whole world only it pleased God that he should suffer unto the utmost And herein are we to rest that He hath suffered for us and that God hath revealed But this seems not to me any way to answer that which is here affirmed by the Apostle namely that it became God as the Supreme Governour of all the world so to cause Christ to suffer nor do I see what demonstration of the glory of Justice can arise from the punishing of an innocent Person who might have been spared and yet all the ends of his being so punished to have been otherwise brought about And to say that one drop of Christs bloud was sufficient to redeem the world is derogatory unto the Goodness Wisdom and Righteousness of God in causing not only the whole to be shed but also his Soul to be made an offering for sin which was altogether needless if that were true But how far this whole Opinion is from truth which leaves no necessary cause of the death of Christ will afterwards appear Others say that on supposition that God had appointed the Curse of the Law and death to be the penalty of sin his faithfulness and Veracity were engaged so far that no sinner should go free or be made partaker of glory but by the intervention of satisfaction And therefore on the supposition that God would make some men his sons and bring them to glory it was necessary with respect unto the engagement of the truth of God that he should suffer die and make satisfaction for them But all this they refer originally unto a free constitution which might have been otherwise God might have ordered things so without any derogation unto the glory of his Justice or Holiness in the Government of all things as that sinners might have been saved without the death of Christ. For if he had not engaged his Word and declared that death should be the penalty of sin he might have freely remitted it without the intervention of any satisfaction And thus all this whole work of death being the punishment of sin and of the sufferings of Christ for sinners is resolved into a free purpose and Decree of Gods Will and not into the exigence of any essential property of his Nature so that it might have been otherwise in all the parts of it and yet the glory of God preserved every way entire Whether this be so or no we shall immediately enquire Others grant many free Acts of the Mind and Will of God in this matter as 1. The Creation of man in such a condition as that he should have a moral dependance on God in reference unto his utmost end was an effect of the Sovereign Pleasure Will and Wisdom of God But on supposition of this Decree and Constitution they say the Nature Authority and Holiness of God required indispensibly that man should yield unto him that obedience which he was directed unto and guideâ— in by the Law of his Creation so that God could not suffer him to do otherwise and remain in his first state and come unto the end first designed unto him without the loss of his Authority and wrong of his Justice Again they say that God did freely by an Act of his Sovereign Will and Pleasure decree to permit man to sin and fall which might have been otherwise But on supposition that so he should do and would do and thereby infringe the Order of his dependance on God in reference unto his utmost end that the Justice of God as the Supreme Governour of all things did indispensibly require that he should receive a meet recompence of reward or be punished answerably unto hiâ— crimes so that God could not have dealt otherwise with him without an high derogation from his own Righteousness Again they say that God by a meer free Act of his Love and Grace designed the Lord Jesus Christ to be the way and means for the saving of sinners which might have been otherwise He might without the least impeachment of the glory of any of his Essential Properties have suffered all mankind to have perished under that penalty which they had justly incurred but of his own meer Love free Grace and good pleasure he gave and sent him to redeem them But on the supposition thereof they say the Justice of God required that he should lay on him the punishment due unto the sons whom he redeemed it became him on the account of his Natural Essential Justice to bring him unto sufferings And in this Opinion is contained the truth laid down in our Proposition which we shall now farther confirm namely that it became the Nature of God or the Essential Properties of his Nature required indispensibly that sin should be punished with death in the sinner or in his surety And therefore if he would bring any sons to glory the Captain of their salvation must undergo death and sufferings to make satisfaction for them For First Consider that description
frequent use when respecting God as its Object it is to praise by Hymns or Psalms as the Apostle here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tibi hymnos câ—nam or te hymnis celebrabo I will sing hymns unto thee or praise thee with hymns which was the principal way of setting forth Gods praise under the Old Testament It is not certain whence the second Testimony is taken Some suppose it to be from Isa. 8.17 from whence the last also is cited The words of the Prophet there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are rendered by the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words here used by the Apostle But there are sundry things that will not allow us to close with this supposal First The Original is not rightly rendered by the LXX and as we shall see the Apostles words do exactly express the Original in another place Besides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is never but in this place and once more turned into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the LXX but is constantly rendered by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that it is not improbable but that these words might be inserted into the Greek Text out of this place of the Apostle there being some Presumptions and likelihoods that it was the place intended by him especially because the next Testimony used by the Apostle consists in the Words immediately ensuing these in the Prophet But yet that yields another Reason against this supposition For if the Apostle continued on the words of the Prophet to what end should he insert in the midst of them that constant note of proceeding unto another Testimony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and again especially considering that the whole Testimony speaks to the same purpose We shall then referr these words unto Psal. 18.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the LXX render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will hope in him the Apostle more properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will put my trust in him And that that Psalm had respect unto the Lord Christ and his Kingdom our Apostle sheweth elsewhere by citing another Testimony out of it concerning the calling of the Gentiles Rom. 15.9 Nor was the latter part of the Psalm properly fulfilled in David at all The last Testimony is unquestionably taken out of Isa. 8.17 where the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rendered by the LXX as here by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly nati 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that are begotten or born of any one whilest they are in their tender age But it may be rendered by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is by the LXX Gen. 30.36 Chap. 32.22 Chap. 33.1 2. which is children in a larger sense Verse 11 12 13. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren saying I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee And again I will put my trust in him And again behold I and the children which God hath given me The words contain First A farther Description of the Captain of salvation and the sons to be brought unto Glory by him mentioned in the Verse foregoing taken from his Office and Work towards them and the Effect thereof upon them He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified which is the subject of the first Proposition in these words Secondly An Assertion concerning them they are all of one Thirdly A natural consequence of that Assertion which includes also the scope and design of it He is not ashamed to call them brethren Fourthly The confirmation hereof by a Triple Testimony from the Old Testament First He describes the Captain of salvation and the Sons to be brought unto glory by their mutual Relation to one another in sanctification He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that sanctifieth and they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that are sanctified That it is the Son the Captain of salvation that is intended by the sanctifier both what the Apostle affirms immediately of him and them and the ensuing Testimonies whereby he confirms it do make evident And as in the Verse foregoing giving an account why God would have Christ to suffer he describes him by that Property of his Nature which includes a necessity of his so doing so setting forth the Causes on our part of that suffering and the grounds of our advantage thereby he expresseth him and the children by those terms which manifest their Relation unto one another and which they could not have stood in had they not been of the same nature as he afterwards declares Now the same word being here used actively and passively it must in both places be understood in the same sense the one expressing the Effect of the other As Christ sanctifies so are the children sanctified And the Act of Christ which is here intended is that which he did for the Sons when he suffered for them according to Gods appointment as v. 10. Now as was said before to sanctifie is either to separate and to dedicate unto sacred Use or to purifie and make realâ—y holy which latter sense is here principally intended Thus when the Apostle speaks of the effects of the Offerings of Christ for the Elect he distinguisheth between their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or consummation and their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sanctification Chap. 10.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by one offering he consummated or perfected the sanctified First He sanctifieth them and then dedicates them unto God so that they shall never more need any Initiation into his Favour and service This work was the Captain of salvation designed unto the children that were to be brought unto glory being in themselves unclean and unholy and on that account separated from God he was to purge their natures and to make them holy that they might be admitted into the favour of and find acceptance with God And for the Nature of this work two things must be considered 1. The Impetration of it or the Way and Means whereby he obtained this Sanctification for them and 2. The Application of that Means or real effecting of it The first consisteth in the sufferings of Christ and the merit thereof Hence we are so often said to be sanctified and washed in his blood Eph. 5.25 Acts 20.32 Rev. 1.5 and his blood is said to cleanse us from all our sins 1 John 1.7 As it was shed for us he procured by the merit of his Obedience therein that those for whom it was shed should be purged and purified Titus 2.14 The other consists in the effectual workings of the Spirit of Grace communicated unto us by vertue of the bloodshedding and sufferings of Christ as the Apostle declares Tit. 3.4 5 6. And they who place this sanctification meerly on the Doctrine and Example of Christ as Grotius on this place
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is said of all mankind that God made them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one blood Acts 17.26 of one common principle which gives an Alliance Cognation and Brotherhood unto the whole Race of Mankind As the making of all mankind by one God gives them all a relation unto him as saith the Apostle We are all his off-spring so their being made of one blood gives them a Brotherhood among themselves See Acts 14.15 And this interpretation differs not in the substance of it from that last preceding in as much as the whole mass of humane nature had its existence in the person of Adam only it refers not the Oneness mentioned formally unto his person but unto the nature it self whereof he was made partaker And this sense the Apostle farther explains verse 14. as he also observes it Rom. 9.5 Secondly By One some understand the same spiritual nature the principles of spiritual life which is in Christ the Head and the children his members And this they say is that which is their peculiar Oneness or being of one seeing all wicked men even Reprobates are of the same common mass of humane nature as well as the children But yet this is not satisfactory It is true indeed that after the children are really sanctified they are of one and the same spiritual nature with their Head 1 Cor. 12.12 and hereby are they differenced from all others But the Apostle here treats of their being so of One that he might be meet to suffer for them which is antecedent unto their being sanctified as the Cause is unto the Effect Neither is it of any weight that the Reprobates are partakers of the same common nature with the children seeing the Lord Christ partook of it only on the childrens account as verse 14. And of their nature he could not be partaker without being partaker of that which was common to them all seeing that of one blood God made all Nations under heaven But the bond of nature it self is in the Covenant reckoned only unto them that shall be sanctified It is then one common nature that is here intended He and they are of the same nature of one mass of one blood And hereby he became to be meet to suffer for them and they to be in a capacity of enjoying the benefit of his sufferings which how it answers the whole design of the Apostle in this place doth evidently appear First He intends to shew that the Lord Christ was meet to suffer for the children and this arose from hence that he was of the same nature with them as he afterwards at large declares And he was meet to sanctifie them by his sufferings as in this verse he intimates For as in an Offering made unto the Lord of the first Fruits of Meat or of Meal a parcel of the same nature with the whole was taken and offered whereby the whole was sanctified Levit. 2. So the Lord Jesus Christ being taken as the first fruits of the nature of the children and offered unto God the whole lump or the whole nature of man in the children that is all the Elect is separated unto God and effectually sanctified in their season And this gives the ground unto all the testimonies which the Apostle produceth unto his purpose out of the Old Testament For being thus of one nature with them he is not ashamed to call them brethren as he proves from Psal. 22. For although it be true that as brethren is a term of spiritual cognation and love he calls them not so until they are made partakers of his Spirit and of the same spiritual nature that is in him yet the first foundation of this Appellation lies in his participation of the same nature with them without which however he might love them he could not properly call them Brethren Also his participation of their nature was that which brought him into such a condition as wherein it was needful for him to put his trust in God and to look for deliverance from hiâ— in a time of danger which the Apostle proves in the second place by a testimony out of Psal. 18. which could not in any sense have been said of Christ had he not been partaker of that nature which is exposed unto all kind of wants and troubles with outward streights and oppositions which the nature of Angels is not And as his being thus of One with us made him our Brother and placed him in that condition with us wherein it was necessary for him to put his trust in God for deliverance so being the principal Head and first Fruits of our nature and therein the Author and finisher of our salvation he is a Father unto us and we are his children which the Apostle proveth by his last testimony from Isa. 8. Behold I and the children which the Lord hath given unto me And further upon the close of these testimonies the Apostle assumes again his Proposition and asserts it unto the same purpose verse 14. shewing in what sense he and the children were of one namely in their mutual participation of flesh and blood And thus this interpretation of the word will sufficiently bear the whole weight of the Apostles Argument and Inferences But if any one list to extend the word farther and to comprize in it the manifold Relation that is between Christ and his Members I shall not contend about it There may be in it 1. Their being of one God designing him and them to be one mystical body one Church he the Head they the Members 2. Their taking into one Covenant made originally with him and exemplified in them 3. Their being of one common principle of humane nature 4. Disigned unto a manifold spiritual union in respect of that new nature which the children receive from him with every other thing that concurs to serve the union and relation between them but that which we have insisted on is principally intended and to be so considered by us And we might teach from hence that III. The agreement of Christ and the Elect in one common nature is the foundation of his fitness to be an Undertaker on their behalf and of the equity of their being made partakers of the benefits of his Mediation But that this will occur unto us again more fully verse 14. And by all this doth the Apostle discover unto the Hebrews the unreasonableness of their offence at the afflâ—cted condition and sufferings of the Messiah He had minded them of the work that he had to do which was to save his Elect by a spiritual and eternal salvation He had also intimated what was their condition by nature wherein they were unclean unsanctifi'd separate from God And withall had made known what the Justice of God as the Supreme Governour and Judge of all required that sinners might be saved He now minds them of the Union that was between him and them whereby he became fit to suffer for
the waster or destroyer and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to waste or destroy as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as John tells us is the Hebrew name of the Angel of the bottomless pit Revel 9.11 as his Greek name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly The latter Jews suppose that this Angel of death takes away the life of every man even of those who die a natural death And hereby as they express the old faith of the Church that death is poenal and that it came upon all for sin through the temptation of Sathan so also they discover the bondage that they themselves are in for fear of death all their days For when a man is ready to die they say the Angel of death appears to him in a terrible manner with a sword drawn in his hand From thence drops I know not what poison into him whereon he dies Hence they wofully houl lament and rend their garments upon the death of their friends And they have composed a prayer for themselves against this terrour Because also of this their being slain by the Angel of death they hope and pray that their death may be an expiation for all their sins Here lies the sting of death mentioned by the Apostle 1. Cor. 15.55 Hence they have a long story in their Midrash or mystical Exposition of the Pentateuch on the last section of Deuteronomy about Samaels coming to take away the life of Moses whom he repelled and drove away with the Rod that had the Shem Hamphorash written in it And the like story they have in a book about the acts of Moses which Aben-Ezra rejects on Exod. 4.20 This hand of Sathan in death manifesting it to be poenal is that which keeps them in bondage and fear all their days Fourthly they suppose that this Angel of death hath power over men even after death One horrible penalty they fancy in particular that he inflicts on them which is set down by Elias in his Tishbi in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the Midrash of Rabbi Isaac the son of Parnaer for when a man as they say departs out of this world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Angel of death comes and sits upon his grave And he brings with him a Chain partly of iron partly of fire and making the soul to return into body he breaks the bones and torments variously both body and soul for a season This is their Purgatory and the best of their hopes are that their punishment after this life shall not be eternal And this various interest of Sathan in the power of death both keeps them in dismal bondage all their days and puts them upon the invention of several ways for their deliverance Thus one of their solemn Prayers on the day of Expiation is to be delivered from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or this punishment of the devil in their graves to which purpose also they offer a Cock unto him for his pacification And their prayer to this purpose in their Berachoth is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it may please thee good Lord to deliver us from evil Decrees or Laws from poverty from contempt from all kind of punishments from the judgment of hell and from beating in the grave by the Angel of death And this supposition is in like manner admitted by the Mahumetans who have also this prayer Deus noster libera nos ab Angelo interrogante tormento sepulchri à via mala And many such lewd imaginations are they now given up unto proceeding from their ignorance of the Righteousness of God But yet from these apprehensions of theirs we may see what the Apostle intended in this expression calling the devil him that had the power of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et liberaret ipsos hos quotquot quicunque and free those who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to dismiss discharge free and in the use of the word unto the Accusative case of the Person the Genitive of the thing is added or understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I free thee from this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristoph to deliver thee from this eye-sore And sometimes the Genitive case of the thing is expressed where the Accusative of the person is omitted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to free or deliver one from fear as here the Accusative case of the person is expressed and the Genitive of the thing omitted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to deliver them that is from death or from fear because of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is obnoxius obstrictus reus damnas He that is legally obnoxious subject liable to any thing that is Law Crime Judge Judgment Punishment in all which respects the word is used He that is under the power of any Law is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subject unto its authority and penalty See Matth. 5.21 22. chap. 26.66 Mark 3.29 1 Cor. 11.27 James 2.10 Now the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 servitude or bondage here mentioned is poenal and therefore are men said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obnoxious unto it Verse 14 15. For as much then as or seeing therefore that the children are were in common partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise after the same manner took part did partake of the same that through by death he might destroy make void the authority of him that had the power of death that is the devil And deliver free discharge them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage In former Verses as was shewed the Apostle declared the necessity that there was on the part of God intending to bring many sons unto glory to constitute such an union between them and the Captain of their salvation as that it might be just for him to suffer in their stead In these he proceeds to manifest in particular what that Nature is in the common participation whereof their union designed did consist wherein they were all of one and what were the especial reasons why the Lord Christ was made partaker of that nature This coherence of these Verses Chrysostom briefly gives us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having shewed the brotherhood that was between Christ and the children he lays down the causes of that dispensation and what they are we shall find here expressed There are sundry things which the Apostle supposeth in these words as known unto and granted by the Hebrews As first that the Devil had the power of death Secondly That on this account men were filled with fear of it and led a life full of anxiety and trouble by reason of that fear Thirdly That a deliverance from this condition was to be effected by the Messiah Fourthly That the way whereby he was to do this was by his suffering All
he could not dye which it was necessary that he should do I desire to know why if the death which he was to undergo was not that death which they were obnoxious unto for whom he dyed how could it be any way more beneficial unto them than any thing else which he might have done for them although he had not dyed There is no ground then to pretend such an Amphibologie in the words as that which some contend for Now as we observed before the Death of Christ is here placed in the midst as the End of one thing and the Means or cause of another the End of his own Incarnation and the means of the Childrens Deliverance from the first we may see VII That the first and principal End of the Lord Christs assuming Humane Nature was not to reign in it but to suffer and dye in it He was indeed from of old designed unto a Kingdom but he was to suffer and so to enter into his glory Luke 24.26 And he so speaks of his coming into the world to suffer to dye to bear witness unto the truth as if that had been the only work that he was incarnate for Glory was to follow a Kingdom to ensue but suffering and dying was the principal work he came about Glory he had with his Father before the world was John 17.5 and therein a joynt Rule with him over all the works of his hands He need not have been made partaker of flesh and blood to have been a King for he was the King immortal invisible the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the only Potentate from everlasting But he could not have dyed if he had not been made partaker of our Nature And therefore when the People would have taken him by force and have made him a King he hid himself from them John 6.15 But he hid not himself when they came to take him by force and put him to death but affirmed that for that hour or business he came into the world John 18.4 5 11. And this farther sets forth his Love and Condescension He saw the work that was proposed unto him how he was to be exposed unto Miseries Afflictions and Persecutions and at length to make his soul an offering for sin yet because it was all for the Salvation of the children he was contented with it and delighted in it And how then ought we to be contented with the Difficulties Sorrows Afflictions and Persecutions which for his sake we are or may be exposed unto When he on purpose took our nature that for our sakes he might be exposed and subject unto much more than we are called unto There yet remains in these Verses the Effects of the Death of Christ that he might destroy sin and deliver wherein we must consider 1. Who it is that had the Power of Death 2. Wherein that Power of his did consist 3. How he was destroyed 4. How by the Death of Christ 5. What was the Delivery that was obtained for the children thereby 1. He that had the Power of Death is described by his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Devil the great Enemy of our salvation the great Calumniator make-bate and false Accuser the firebrand of the creation The Head and Captain of the Apostasie from God and of all desertion of the Law of the creation The old Serpent Prince of the Apostate Angels with all his Associates who first falsly accused God unto man and continues to accuse men falsly unto God of whom before 2. His Power in and over Death is variously apprehended What the Jews conceive hereof we have before declared and much of the Truth is mixed with their fables And the Apostle deals with them upon their Acknowledgement in general that he had the Power of death Properly in what sense or in what respect he is said so to have it Learned Expositors are not agreed All consent 1. That the Devil hath no absolute or Soveraign supream power over death Nor 2. Any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Authority about it de jure in his own Right or on Grant so as to act lawfully and rightly about it according unto his own Will Nor 3. Any judging or determining power as to the Guilt of death committed unto him which is peculiar to God the supream Rector and Judge of all Gen. 2.17 Deut. 32.39 Rev. 1.18 But wherein this Power of Satan doth positively consist they are not agreed Some place it in his Temptations unto Sin which bind unto death some in his Execution of the Sentence of death he hath the Power of an Executioner There cannot well be any doubt but that the whole Interest of Satan in reference unto Death is intended in this Expression This Death is that which was threatned in the beginning Gen. 2.17 Death poenally to be inflicted in the way of a Curse Deut. 27.26 Gal. 3.20 that is death consisting in the Dissolution of soul and body with every thing tending poenally thereunto with the everlasting Destruction of body and soul. And there are sundry things wherein the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Power of Satan in reference unto this death doth consist As 1. He was the means of bringing it into the world So is the Opinion of the Jews in this matter expressed in the Book of Wisdom written as is most probable by one of them not long before this Epistle They tell us Chap. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God made not death it belonged not unto the Original Constitution of all things but Chap. 2.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Envy of the Devil-death entred into the world And that expression of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is retained by the Apostle Rom. 5.12 Only he layes the End of it on the morally deserving cause the sin of man as here it is laid on the efficiently procuring cause the Envy of the Devil And herein consisted no small part of the Power of Satan with respect unto death Being able to introduce sin he had power to bring in death also which in the righteous judgement of God and by the Sentence of the Law was inseparably annexed thereunto And by a parity of Reason so far as he yet continueth to have Power over sin deserving death he hath Power over death it self 2. Sin and Death being thus entered into the world and all mankind being guilty of the one and obnoxious unto the other Satan became thereby to be their Princess as being the Prince or Author of that state and condition whereinto they are brought Hence he is called the Prince of this world John 12.32 and the God of it 2 Cor. 4.4 Inasmuch as all the world is under the Guilt of that sin and death which he brought them into 3. God having passed the sentence of death against sin it was in the Power of Satan to terrifie and affright the consciences of men with the Expectation and dread of it so bringing them into Bondage And many God gives up
which necessarily infers his prae-existence in another nature their perswasion about the Person of Christ is utterly overthrown Their exceptions in their controversial writings unto this place have been else-where considered Those of Eniedinus on this Text are answered by Paraeus those of Castalio by Beza and the objections of some others by Gomarus We shall in the first place consider what is proposed for the confirmation of their sense by Schlictingius or Crellius and then the exception of a very learned Expositor unto the sense before laid down and confirmed And Schlictingius first argues from the Context Praeter ipsa verba saith he quae hunc sensum nullo modo patiuntur ut postea dicemus contextus ratiocinatio authoris id repudiat qui pro ratione argumento id sumere non potuit debuitve quod sibi hoc ipso argumento ratione probandum sumsisset De eo enim erat quaestio cur Christus qui nunc ad tantam majestatem gloriam est evectus non angelicam sed humanam morti variis calamitatibus obnoxiam habuerit naturam bujus vero rei quo pacto ratio redderetur per id quod non angelicam sed humanam naturam assumpserit cum istius ipsius rei quae in hac quaestione continetur nempe quod Christus homo fuit natus nunc causa ratioque quaeratur At vero si haec verba de juvandis non Angelis sed hominibus deque ope iis ferenda intelligamus pulcherrime omnia cohaerent nempe Christum hominem mortalem fuisse non angelum aliquem quod non angelis sed hominibus juvandis servandisque fuerit destinatus But the foundation of this Exposition of the Context is a mistake which his own preceding discourse might have relieved him from For there is no such question proposed as here is imagined nor doth he in his following Exposition suppose it The Apostle doth not once propose this unto confirmation that it behoved the Lord Christ to be a man and not an Angel But having proved at large before that in Nature and Authority he was above the Angels he grants verse 8. that he was for a little while made lower than they and gives at large the reason of the necessity of that dispensation taken from the work which God had designed him unto which being to bring many sons unto glory he shews and proves by sundry reasons that it could not be accomplished without his death and suffering for which end it was indispensibly necessary that he should be made partaker of flesh and blood And this he confirms farther by referring the Hebrews unto the Scripture and in especial unto the great Promise of the Messiah made unto Abraham that the Messiah was to be his seed the love and grace whereof he amplifies by an intimation that he was not to partake of the Angelical nature That supposition therefore which is the foundation of this Exposition namely that the Apostle had before designed to prove that the Messiah ought to partake of humane nature and not of Angelical which is nothing to his purpose is a surmise suited only to the present occasion Wherefore Felbinger in his Demonstrationes Evangelica takes another course and affirms that these words contain the end of what was before asserted verse 14 15. namely about Christs participation of flesh and blood which was not to help Angels but the seed of Abraham and to take them into grace and favour But these things are both of them expresly declared in those verses especially verse 15. where it is directly affirmed that his design in his Incarnation and Death was to destroy the devil and to free and save the children And to what end should these things be here again repeated and that in words and terms far more obscure and ambiguous than those wherein it was before taught and declared For by Angels they understand evil Angels and there could be no cause why the Apostle should say in this Verse that he did not assist or relieve them when he had declared in the words immediately fore-going that he was born and died that he might destroy them Neither is it comely to say that the end why Christ destroyed the devil was that he might not help him or the end why he saved the children was that he might assist them Besides the introduction of this assertion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not allow that here any end is intimated of what was before expressed there being no insinuation of any final cause in them The Context therefore not answering their occasion they betake themselves to the words Verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he significat proprie manu aliquem apprehendere sive ut illum aliquo ducas sive ut sustentes hinc ad opitulationem significandum commodè transfertur quos enim adjutos volumus ne cadant vel sub onere aliquo succumbant aut si ceciderint erectos cupimus iis manum injicere solemus quo sensu Ecclesiastic 4. v. 12. De sapientia dictum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est opitulatur quaerentibus se eadem est significatio verbi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod qui aliquem sublevatum velint illi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adverso manum porrigere solent It is acknowledged that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth frequently signifie as here is alledged namely to help and assist as it were by putting forth the hand for to give relief But if that were intended by the Apostle in this place what reason can be assigned why he should wave the use of a word proper unto his purpose and frequently so applied by himself in other places and make use of another which signifying no such thing nor any where used by him in that sense must needs obscure his meaning and render it ambiguous Whereas therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to help and relieve and is constantly used by our Apostle in that sense it being not used or applied by him in this place to express his intention but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies no such thing nor is ever used by him to that purpose the sense contended for of help and relief is plainly excluded The place of Ecclesiasticus and that alone is referred unto by all that embrace this Exposition But what if the word be abused in that place by that Writer must that give a rule unto its interpretation in all other Writers where it is properly used But yet neither is the word used there for to help and relieve but to take and receive Wisdom suscipit receiveth or taketh unto it self suo more those that seek it which is the sense of the word we plead for and so is it rendred by Translators So the Lord Christ suo modo took to himself the seed of Abraham by uniting it unto his person as he was the Son of God In the very entrance also of his discourse this Author acknowledgeth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉