matter manner of writing and present usefulness between any of the books that being written by divine inspiration are given out for the Churches rule they are all equall as to their canonical authority being equally interested in that which is the formal reason of it so whatever usefulness or respect in the Church any other writing may have they can no way give them any interest in that whose formal reason they are not concerned in In the sense explained we affirm the Epistle to the Hebrews to be Canonical that is § 10 properly and strictly so and of the number of them which the Antients called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every way genuine and Catholick In the confirmation whereof we shall first declare by whom it hath been opposed or questioned and then what reasons they pretend for their so doing which being removed out of our way the arguments whereby the Truth of our assertion is evinced shall be insisted on We need not much insist on their madness who of old with a sacrilegious licentiousness § 11 rejected what portion of Scripture they pleased The Ebionites not only rejected all the Epistles of Paul but also reviled his person as a Greâ—k and an Apostate as Irenaeus and Epiphanius inform us Their folly and blasphemy was also imitated and followed by the Helescheitae in Eusebius Marcion rejected in particular this Epistle to the Hebrews and those also to Timothy and Titus as Epiphanius and Hierome assure us who adds unto him Basilides And Theodoret as to the Epistle unto the Hebrews joyns unto them some of the Arians also Now though the folly of those Sacrilegious persons be easie to be repelled as it is done by Petrus Cluniacusis yet Hierome hath given us a sufficient reason why we should not spend time therein Si quidem saith he redderent causas cur eas Apostoli non putant tentaremus aliquid respondere sorsitan satisfaciere lectori nunc vero cum haeretica autoritate pronunciant dicunt illa Epistola Pauli est haec non est ea autoritate refelli se pro veritate intelligant qua ipsi non crubescant falsa simulare They did not so much as plead or pretend any cause or reason for the rejection of these Epistles but did it upon their own head and Authority so they deserve neither answer nor consideration It is of more importance that this Epistle was a long time though not rejected by § 12 yet not received in the Church of Rome Eusebius informs us that Cains a Presbyter of that Church whom he much commends for his learning and piety admitted but of thirteen Epistles of St. Paul rejecting that unto the Hebrews as Photius also affirms And the same Photius acquaints us with the same Judgement of Hippolitus another eminent member of that Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among other things not exactly answering the truth he saith also that the Epistle to the Hebrews was not Pauls And Eusebius adds unto his information of the Judgement of Cains that it was not generally received in the Church of Rome in his time Neither is it any way acknowledged as St. Pauls by either Tertullian Cyprian Lactantius or Macrobius Yea the same Eusebius affirms that some excepted against it upon this account because it was opposed as none of St. Pauls in the Roman Church Hierome grants that Latinorum consuetudo non recepit Epistolam ad Hebraeos inter Canonicas Scripturas The custome of the Latines that is the Roman Church did not receive this Epistle among the Canonical Scriptures And speaking elsewhere of it he adds the same words Licet eam latina consuetudo inter Canonicas Scripturas non recipiat And elsewhere also he confirms the same Assertion It cannot then be denied but that it was four hundred years at least after the writing of this Epistle before it was publickly received and avowed as Canonical by the Româ—n Church Nor will the quotation of it by Hilary and Ambrose prove any general admission of it as such it being their custome not to restrain the Testimonies they made use of unto Books absolutely Canonical § 13 Baronius ad An. 160 labours to take of this failure of the Latine Church The testimony of Eusebius he rejects because as he sayes he was Arianorum gregalis of the Arian faction and willing to call the authority of this Epistle into Question in complyance with them who some of them as we observed before refused it n. 42. The Judgement of Caius he resolves into the Testimony of Eusebius which because of his partiality as he pleads is not to be admitted And lastly opposeth the witness of Hierome as a person who had suffered himself to be imposed on by Eusebius whose words in his reports of Caius he makes use of n. 50. Concluding upon the whole matter that it was a meer false calumny of Eusebius against the Church of Rome which Hierome by too much facillity gave credit unto But I must acknowledge that these Answers of his which indeed are nothing but a rejection of as good witnesses in matters of fact as any we have upon the Roll of Antiquity are not unto me satisfactory no more than the testimony of its acceptance which he produceth in the Epistle of Innocentius to Exuperius which is justly suspected supposititious with the Council at Rome against Apollinaris under Damasus wherein no such thing appears Though I will not deny but that about that time it came to be publickly owned by that Church and was reckoned unto the Canon of the Scripture by Ruffinus § 14 But wherein doth it in the least appear that Eusebius reports the Judgement of Caius or the Roman Church in complyance with the Arians He himself evidently admits the Epistle to be Canonical and confirms it by the testimonies of Clemens Origen and others What would it advantage him or the cause which some pretend he favoured by reporting the opposition of others to a part of divine writt which himself accepted Besides they were not the Arians of the first rank or edition for an inclination unto whom Eusebius is suspected but some of their off-spring which fell out into such Sacrilegious opinions and practices as the first leaders of them owned not that are accused in this matter much less can he be thought to design the reproach of the Roman Church Nay these answers are inconsistent as any one may perceive He could not at the same time design the rejecting of the Epistle in complyance with the Arians and the calumniating of them by whom it was rejected and on whose Authority his intentions must be founded But indeed his words plainly manifest that he gives us a naked account of matter of fact without either prejudice or design It is yet more incredible that Hierome in this matter should suffer himself to be imposed on
evident but also by all acknowledged who are able to judge of them Want of Catholick Tradition in all Ages of the Church from the first giving forth of § 39 any Writing testifying unto its Divine Original is another impeachment of its pretence unto Canonical Authority And this Argument ariseth fatally against the Apochryphal Books before mentioned Some of them are expresly excluded from the Canon by many of the antient Churches nor are any of them competently testified unto The Suffrage of this kind given unto our Epistle we have mentioned before The Doubts and Scruples of some about it have likewise been acknowledged That they are of no weight to be laid in the ballance against the Testimony given unto it might easily be demonstrated But because they were levied all of them principally against its Author and but by consequence against its Authority I shall consider them in a Disquisition about him wherein we shall give a further confirmation of the Divine Original of the Epistle by proving it undenyably to be Written by the Apostle St. Paul that eminent Penman of the Holy Ghost Thus clear stands the Canonical Authority of this Epistle It is destitute of no evidence § 40 needful for the manifestation of it nor is it obnoxious unto any just exception against its claim of that priviledge And hence it is come to pass that what ever have been the fears doubts and scruples of some the rash temerarious Objections Conjectures and Censures of others the Care and Providence of God over it as a parcel of his most holy Word working with the prevailing evidence of its Original implanted in it and its Spiritual Efficacy unto all the ends of holy Scripture hath obtained an absolute Conquest over the hearts and minds of all that believe and setled it in a full possession of Canonical Authority in all the Churches of Christ throughout the world Exercitatio II. Of the Penman of the Epistle to the Hebrews Knowledge of the Penman of any part of Scripture not necessary Some of them utterly concealed The Word of God gives Authority unto them that deliver it not the contrary Prophets in things wherein they are not actually inspired subject to mistake St. Paul the Writer of this Epistle The haesitation of Origen Heads of Evidence Vncertainty of them who assign any other Author St. Luke not the Writer of it Nor Barnabas The Epistle under his name Counterfeit His Writing of this Epistle by sundry Reasons disproved Not Apollos Nor Clemens Nor Tertullian Objections against St. Pauls being the Penman Dissimilitude of Style Admitted by the Antients Answer of Origen rejected Of Clemens Hierom c. rejected likewise St. Paul in what sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His Eloquence and Skill Causes of the difference in Style between this and other Epistles Coincidence of Expressions in it and them The Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answer of Hierom Rejected Of Theodoret. Of Chrysostome Prejudice of the Jews against St. Paul Not the Cause of the Forbeâ—rance of his Name The true Reason thereof The Hebrews Church State not Changed Faith Evangelical educed from Old Testament Principles and Testimonies Thâ—se pressed on the Hebrews not meer Apostolical Authority Haesitation of the Latin Church about this Epistle answered Other Exceptions from the Epistle it self removed Arguments to prove St. Paul to be the Writer of it Testimony of St. Peter 2 Epist. 3. v. 15 16. Considerations upon that Testimony The second Epistle of St. Peter Written to the same Persons with the First The First Written unto the Hebrews in their Dispersion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what S. Paul wrote an Epistle unto the same Persons to whom St. Peter wrote That this Epistle Not that to the Galathians Not one lost The Long-suffering of God how declared to be salvation in this Epistle The Wisdom ascribed unto St. Paul in the Writing of this Epistle wherein it appears The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it Weight of this Testimony The suitableness of this Epistle unto those of the same Author Who competent Judges hereof What required thereunto Testimony of the first Churches or Catholick Tradition Evidences from this Epistle its self The general Argument and Scope Method Way of Arguing All the same with St. Pauls other Epistles Skill in Judaical Learning Traditions and Customs Proper to St. Paul His Bonds and Sufferings His Companion Timothy His Sign and Token subscribed SECOND DISSERTATION § 1 THE Divine Authority of the Epistle being vindicated it is of no great Moment to enquire scrupulously after its Penman Writings that proceed from Divine Inspiration receive no addition of Authority from the Reputation or Esteem of them by whom they were written And this the Holy Ghost hath sufficiently manifested by shutting up the Names of many of them from the knowledge of the Church in all Ages The Close of the Pentateuch hath an uncertain Pen-man unless we shall suppose with some of the Jews that it was written by Moses after his Death Divers of the Psalms have their Penmen concealed as also have the whole Books of Joshua Judges Samuel Kings Ruth Esther Job and the Chronicles are but guessed at Had any prejudice unto their Authority ensued this had not been For those whose Authors are known they were not esteemed to be given by Prophesie because they were Prophets but they were known to be Prophets by the Word which they delivered For if the Word Delivered or Written by any of the Prophets was to be esteemed Sacred or Divine because delivered or Written by such Persons as were known to be Prophets then it must be because they were some other way known so to be and Divinely Inspired as by Working of Miracles or that they were in their dayes received and testified unto as such by the Church But neither of these can be asserted For as it is not known that any one Penman of the Old Testament Moses only excepted ever wrought any miracles so it is certain that the most and chiefest of them as the Prophets were rejected and condemned by the Church of the dayes wherein they lived The only way therefore whereby they were proved to be Prophets was by the Word it self which they delivered and wrote and thereon depended the Evidence and Certainty of their being Divinely inspired See Amos 7.14 15 16. Jer. 23.25 26 27 28 29 30 31. And setting aside that actual Inspiration by the Holy Ghost which they had for the Declaration and Writing of that Word of God which came unto them in particular and the Prophets themselves were subject to mistakes So was Samuel when he thought Eliab should have been the Lords Annointed 1 Sam. 16.6 and Nathan when he approved the purpose of David to build the Temple 1 Chron. 17.2 and the great Elijah when he supposed none left in Israel that worshipped God aright but himself 1 Kings 19.14 18. It was then as we said the Word of Prophesie that gave the Writers of it the Reputation and
Exception insisted on though perhaps not containing the true at least the whole Cause of the Omission of an Apostolical Salutation in the entrance of it If then we would know the True and Just Cause of the Omission of the Authors § 19 name and mention of his Apostolical Authority in the entrance of this Epistle we must consider what were the Just Reasons of prefixing them unto his other Epistles Chrysostome in his Proem unto the Epistle to the Romans gives this as the only Reason of the mentioning the Name of the Writer of any Epistle in the Frontispiece of it otherwise than was done by Moses and the Evangelists in their Writings namely because they wrote unto them that were present and so had no cause to make mention of their own Names which were well enough known without the premising of them in their Writings whereas those who wrote Epistles dealing with them that were absent were necessitated to prefix their Names unto them that they might know from whom they came But yet this Reason is not absolutely satisfactory for as they who prefixed not their Names to their Writings wrote not only for the use and Benefit of those that were present and knew them but of all succeeding Ages who knew them not so many of them who did Preach and Write the Word of the Lord unto those that lived with them and knew them yet prefixed their Names unto their Writings as did the Prophets of Old and some who did write Epistles to them who were absent omitted so to do as St. John and the Author of this Epistle The real cause then of prefixing the Names of any of the Apostles unto their Writings was meerly the Introduction thereby of their Titles as Apostles of Jesus Christ and therein an Intimation of that Authority by and with which they wrote This then was the true and only reason why the Apostle St. Paul prefixed his Name unto his Epistles sometimes indeed this is omitted when he wrote unto some Churches where he was well known and his Apostolical Power was sufficiently owned because he joyned others with himself in his Salutation who were not Apostles as the Epistle to the Philippians chap. 1. and the second of the Thessalonians Unto all others he still prefixeth this Title declaring himself thereby to be one so authorized to reveal the Mysteries of the Gospel that they to whom he Wrote were to acquiesce in his Authority and to resolve their faith into the Revelation of the Will of God made unto him and by him the Church being to be built on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles And hence it was that when something he had taught was called in question and opposed Writing in the Vindication of it and for their establishment in the Truth whom before he had instructed he doth in the entrance of his Writings singularly and Emphatically mention this his Authority Gal. 1.1 Paul an Apostle neither of man nor by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father that raised him from the dead so intimating the absolute obedience that was due unto the Doctrine by him revealed By this Title I say he directs them to whom he wrote to resolve their assent into the Authority of Christ speaking in him which he tenders unto them as the proof and foundation of the Mysteries wherein they were instructed In his dealing with the Hebrews the case was far otherwise They who believed amongst them never changed the old foundation or Church-State grounded on the Scriptures though they had a new addition of Priviledges by their Faith in Christ Jesus as the Messiah now exhibited And therefore he deals not with them as with those whose Faith was built absolutely on Apostolical Authority and Revelation but upon the common Principles of the Old Testament on which they still stood and out of which Evangelical Faith was educed Hence the beginning of the Epistle wherein he appeals to the Scripture as the foundation that he intended to build upon and the Authority which he would press them withal supplies the Room of that intimation of his Apostolical Authority which in other places he maketh use of And it serves to the very same purpose For as in those Epistles he proposeth his Apostolical Authority as the immediate reason of their Assent and Obedience so in this he doth the Scriptures of the Old Testament And this is the true and proper cause that renders the prefixing of his Apostolical Authority which his Name must necessarily accompany needless because useless it being that which he intended not to ingage in this business And for himself he sufficiently declares in the close of his Epistle who he was for though some may imagine that he is not so certainly known unto us from what he there sayes of himself yet none can be so fond to doubt whether he were not thereby known to them to whom he wrote so that neither hath this Objection in it any thing of real weight or moment § 20 We have spoken before unto the Haesitation of the Latin Church which by some is objected especially by Erasmus and given the Reasons of it manifesting that it is of no force to weaken our Assertion unto which I shall now only add that after it was received amongst them as Canonical it was never questioned by any Learned Man or Synod of old whether St. Paul was the Author of it or no but they all with one consent ascribed it unto him as hath been at large by others declared The remaining Exceptions which by some are insisted on are taken from some passages in the Epistle it self that principally of Chap. 2. and the Third where the Writer of it seems to reckon himself among the number not of the Apostles but of their Auditors But whereas it is certain and evident that the Epistle was written before the Destruction of the Temple yea the beginning of those Wars that ended therein or the death of James whilest sundry of the Apostles were yet alive it cannot be that the Penman of it should really place himself amongst the generation that succeeded them so that the Words must of necessity admit of another Interpretation as shall be manifested in its proper place for whereas both this and other things of the same nature must be considered and spoken unto in the places where they occurr I shall not here anticipate what of necessity must be insisted on in its due season especially considering of how small importance the Objections taken from them are And this is the summ of what hath as yet by any been objected unto our assignation of this Epistle unto St. Paul by the consideration whereof the Reader will be directed into the Judgement he is to make on the Arguments and Testimonies that we shall produce in the Confirmation of our Assertion and these we now proceed unto under the several Heads proposed in the entrance of our Discourse § 21 Amongst the Arguments usually insisted on to prove
not alwayes in things mysterious He that would be further satisfied about the importance of the word may consult Reymandus Porchetus and Galatinus in their Discourses against the Jews on this subject Kimchi Pagnin Mercer Schindler Philip ab Aquino and Buxtorf in their Lexicons Munstâ—r Fagius Drusius Grotius in their Annotations on the Text Helvicus Rivet Episcopius Boetius Hornebecke in their Discourses from it The weight of our Argument lyes not in the precise signification of the word The Messiah it is who is intended in that expression § 29 For first this is manifest from the Context and words themselves The promise of the Messiah was the foundation of that Nation and people the reason of the Call of Abraham and of the erection of a Kingdom and a State in his posterity This we have elsewhere demonstrated This promise concerning him and Covenant in him was alwayes the chief matter and head of the Patriarchal Benedictions when they blessed their Children and posterity Now unless we grant him to be intended in this expression there is no mention of him at all in this Prophetical Eulogie of Jacob. Besides his posterity being now to be distributed into twelve distinct Tribes or Families and each of them having this peculiar blessing appropriated unto him wherein it is certain and confessed by all the Jews that this priviledge of bringing forth the Messiah was henceforth impaled unto Judah It must be done in this place or there is no footstep of it in the Scripture And it is very strange that Jacob in reckoning up the priviledges and advantages of Judah above his Brethren should omit the chief of them from whence all the rest did flow And the very tenour of the words manifest this intention fixing on that which was the fountain and end of all blessing in the promised seed he passeth over his Elder Children and determines it on Judah with the continuance of Rule to the coming thereof § 30 Secondly That which in the Text is affirmed concerning this Shilo makes it yet more evident who it was that is intended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him the gathering of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the expectation of the Nations that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to expect or look for So the Vulgar Expectatio Gentium Onkelos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and him shall the people obey or to him they shall hearken Ben Vzziel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of him the people shall faint that is â—ease their opposition and submit unto him Targum Hierusal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to him shall all the Kingdoms of the Earth be subject all to the same purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in construction from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hear attend obey The word is but once more used in the Scripture Prov. 30.17 where it is rendered Doctrine or Teaching given out with Authority and therefore to be obeyed So that primarily it may seem to denote obedience unto Doctrines which because men gather themselves together to attend unto it it signifies also that gathering together and so is rendered by Rashi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gathering together Collection or Congregating And also is it by others who seem to look on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as its root which signifies to gather and collect as well as to hope expect and look after That which in all these Interpretations is aimed at wherein they all agree is one and the same thing namely That the Gentiles People Heathen should be called and gathered unto the Shilo should hear his Doctrine obey his Law and be made subject unto him Now as this was eminently contained in the great fundamental Promise concerning the Messiah made to Abraham namely that in him all the Nations of the earth should be blessed So there is not any description of him in the following Prophets more eminet then this that unto him the gathering of the people should be which in many places is made the Characteristical Note of his Person and Kingdom Hence some of the Jews themselves interpret this place as Rabbi Solomon by that of Isaiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him shall Gentiles seek and that of Chap. 42.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Isles shall wait for his Law The sense also of the words given by the LXX and that vulgar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expectatio Gentium have good countenance given unto it in other places of Scripture For as he is called Hag. 2.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the desire of all Nations that which they desire and expect so speaking of himself Isa. 60.9 he sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Isles the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gentiles shall wait for me or expect me Now he to whom the Gentiles shall seek whose Doctrine they shall learn whose Law they shall obey to whom they shall be subject in whom they shall be blessed and to whom they shall be gathered for all these ends and purposes is the true and only Messiah and this is the Shilo here mentioned § 31 We have the concurring assent of all the Targums unto this application of the word Shilo Ben â—V zziel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntill the time wherein the King Messiah shall come The same are the words in that of Jerusalem both of them as we saw before interpreting the next words also of the Messiah And Onkelos to the same purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vntill the Messiah shall come whose is the Kingdom Now after the Scripture it self there is no greater evidence of the persuasion of the Old Church of the Jews then what is found in the consent of these Targums and of how little validity the exception of the modern Jews are against their Authority is known to all And we have also the concession of their Talmuds and most Learned Masters fully § 32 consenting in this cause So in the Talmud Hierusul in Chelekâ— The world say they is created for the Messiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what is his name in the house of Rabbi Shilo They said his name is Shilo as it is written untill Shilo come And in Bereshith Rabba on this place of Genesis The Scepter shall not depart from Judah untill Shilo come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is Messiah the Son of David who shall come to rule the Kingdoms with a Scepter as Psalm 2. And in Beresh Rebanna until the Shilo come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it shall come to pass that the Nations of the World shall bring their gifts unto Messiah the Son of David And Kimchi in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shilo is interpreted his Son and it is a Prophecy of the Messiah and innumerable other Testimonies from them to the same purpose may be produced Yea this sense is so common among them and so known to have been the sense of the Antient Church that
world though usually by that expression they intend the World of future bliss But the world here intended is no other but the promised state of the Church under the Gospel This with the Worship of God therein with especial Relation unto the Messiah the Author and Mediator of it administring its heavenly things before the Throne of Grace thereby rendring it spiritual and heavenly and diverse from the state of the Worship of the Old Testament which was worldly and carnal was the World to come that the Jews looked for and which in this place is intended by the Apostle This we must farther confirm as the foundation of the ensuing Exposition That this then is the intendment of the Apostle appeareth First From the limitation annexed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning which we treat This is the world whereof he treats with the Hebrews in this Epistle namely the Gospel-State of the Church the Worship whereof he had in the words immediately foregoing pressed them unto the observation of And not only so but described it also by that State wherein the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost were given and enjoyed And the mention of them in the words directly preceding is that description of the World to come which the Apostle in these words refers unto concerning which we speak And the Tradition of this New World or the Restauration of all things under the Messiah was one of the principal Reports of Truth received among the Jews which the Apostle presseth them withall Some suppose that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we speak is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have spoken and would have it refer unto Ch. 1.6 But what the Apostle there intendeth by the World we have sufficiently evinced and declared The World there by an usual Synechdoche is put for the habitable earth the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Son of God made and came unto John 1.11 Here a certain state and condition of things in the world about which he treated with the Hebrews is intended Besides they who would thus change the word Grotius Crellius Schlictingius by the world Chap. 1.6 understand Heaven it self the state of Glory which is not here insisted on by the Apostle For Secondly He treats of that which was already done in the crowning of Jesus with Glory and Honor as the words following do manifest This crowning of him was upon his Ascension as we have before proved at large Then was not the state of Glory made subject unto him because it was not then nor is yet in being And therefore they who turn we speak into we have before spoken are forced also to pervert the following words and to interpret he hath made all things subject unto him he hath purposed or decreed so to do both without cause or reason The World whereof the Apostle treats was immediately made subject to Jesus that is the Church of the New Testament when God anointed him King upon his holy Hill of Sion and therefore in the Psalm is there mention made of those other parts of the Creation to be joyned in this subjection that have no Relation unto Heaven Thirdly The Apostle doth not treat directly any where in this Epistle concerning Heaven or the world of the blessed to come he frequently indeed mentions Heaven not absolutely but as it belongs unto the Gospel world as being the place of the constant residence of the High Priest of the Church and wherein also the Worship of it is through faith celebrated Fourthly The Apostle in these words insists on the Antithesis which he pursueth in his whole discourse between the Judaical and Evangelical Church-state for what ever power Angels might have in and over things formerly this World to come saith he is not made subject unto them Now it is not Heaven and Glory that he opposeth to the Judaical Church-state and Worship but that of the Gospel as we shall find in the progress of the Epistle which is therefore necessarily here intended Fifthly If by the World to come the eternal blessed state of Glory be designed to begin at or after the general Judgment then here is a promise that that blessed estate shall de novo be put in subjection to Jesus Christ as Mediator but this is directly contrary unto what is else-where revealed by the same Apostle concerning the transactions between the Father and the Son as Mediator at that day 1 Cor. 15.28 And when all shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him who put all things under him that God may be all in all Which words if they do not absolutely assert the ceasing of the Kingdom of the Mediator but only the order of all things unto Eternity in their subjection unto God by Christ yet they are plainly exclusive of the grant of a new Power or Authority unto him or of a-new making subject of all things unto him Adde unto all this that the Apostle proves the subjection of this world unto the Lord Christ and not unto Angels by a testimony expressing directly the present things of this world antecedent unto the day of Judgment From what hath been discoursed we conclude that the World to come here expressed is the State and Worship of the Church under the Messiah called so by the Apostle according to the usual appellation which then it had obtained among the Jews and allowed by him until the Mosaical Church-state was utterly removed And he afterwards declares how this comprized Heaven it self also because of the Residence of our High Priest in the Holiest not made with hands and the continual admission of the Worshippers unto the Throne of Grace This is the subject of the Apostles Proposition that concerning which he treats Concerning this World the Apostle first declares negatively that it is not made subject unto Angels The subjecting of this World to come unto any is such a disposal of it as that he or they unto whom it is put in subjection should as the Lord of it erect institute or set it up rule and dispose of it being erected and judge or reward it in the end of its course and time This is denied concerning Angels and the denial proved tacitly because no such thing is testified in the Scripture And herein the Apostle either preventeth an Objection that might arise from the power of the Angels in and over the Church of old as some think or rather proceeds in his design of exalting the Lord Jesus above them and thereby prefers the Worship of the Gospel before that prescribed by the Law of Moses For he seems to grant that the old Church and Worship were in a sort made subject unto Angels this of the World to come being solely and immediately in his power who in all things was to have the preeminence And this will farther appear if we consider the instances before mentioned wherein the subjection of this World to come unto any doth consist First It was
way belong unto that in whose confirmation they are produced by the Author of this Epistle Erasmus upon his Testimony in Chap. 2. produced out of Psalm 8.4 5. which as he saith is urged to the direct contrary of the intention of the Psalmist and scope of the words Eniedinus insists on the same places and others Now two things must be supposed to give countenance unto this Objection First That those who make it do better understand the meaning and the importance of the Testimonies so produced out of the Old Testament than he did by whom they are here alledged This is the foundation of this Exception which if once admitted it may be easily imagined how able some men will quickly think themselves to question other allegations in the New Testament and thereby render the Authority of the whole dubious They must I say take upon themselves to know the true meaning of them and that in the uttermost extent of signification and intention as given out by the Holy Ghost before they can charge their misapplication on this Author How vain unjust arrogant and presumptious this supposition is needs little labour to demonstrate The understandings of men are a very sorry measure of the Truth with the whole sense and intendment of the Holy Ghost in every place of Scripture Nay it may much more rationally be supposed that though we all know enough of the mind and will of God in the whole Scripture to guide and regulate our faith and obedience yet that we are rather ignorant of his utmost intention in every place than that we know it in all There is a depth and breadth in every word of God because his which we are not able to fathom and compass to the utmost It being enough for us that we may infallibly apprehend so much of his mind and will as is indispensably necessary for us to the obedience that he requires at our hands An humble reverential Consideration of all indeed almost any of the Testimonies alledged in the New Testament out of the old is sufficient to evince the truth of this Consideration We know but in part and we prophesie in part 1 Cor. 13.9 Quantum est quod nescimus how much is it that we know not or as Job speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how small is the word that we understand of God Chap. 26.24 One sayes well est Sacra Scriptura veluti fons quidam in bono terrae loco scaturiens quem quo altius foderis eo magis exuberantem invenies ita quo diligentius Sacram Scripturam interpretaris eo abundantiores aquae vivae venas reperies Brent Hom. 36. in 1 Sam. 11. That Objection then must needs be very weak whose fundamental strength consists in so vain a presumption Again they must take it for granted that they are aforehand fully acquainted with the particular intention of the Author in the Assertions which he produceth these Testimonies in the Confirmation of and with all the wayes of arguing and pressing Principles of faith used by men writing by Divine inspiration Neither is this supposition less rash or presumptious than the former Men who bring their own Hypothesis and preconceived senses unto the Scripture with a desire to have them cofirmed are apt to make such conclusions Those that come with humility and reverence of his Majesty with whom they have to do to learn from him his mind and will therein whatever he shall thereby reveal so to be will have other thoughts and apprehensions Let men but suffer the Testimonies and Assertions whose unsuitableness is pretended to explain one another and the agreement will quickly appear And the worst that will ensue will be only the emergence of a sense from them which perhaps they understood not in either of them singly or separately considered Thus infirm on all accounts is this Objection For the instances themselves some light will be given unto them from what we shall afterwards discourse of the Authors wayes and Principles that he proceeds upon in his Citations of Testimonies out of the Old Testament And in particular in our Exposition of the places themselves we shall manifest that his Application of them is every way suitable to the very letter of the Text and manifest intention of the Holy Ghost So false and unjust as well as rash and presumptious is this Objection § 21 Neither is there any more reall weight in that which Erasmus in the next place objects namely that some things in it seem to give Countenance unto some exploded Opinions of Antient Hereticks whereof he gives us a double instance First Quod velum seperans sanctum sanctorum interpretatur coelum that he interprets the Vail separating the Most Holy Place to be Heaven which indeed he neither doth but only affirms that the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle was a Type or Figure of Heaven it self nor if he should have so done had he given the least countenance unto the fondness of the Manichees whom I suppose he intendeth His whole Discourse perfectly exploding their abominations His other Instance is in that vexed place chap. 6.6 favouring as he pretends the Novatians denying recovery by repentance unto them who had fallen into sin after Baptism But the incompetency of this Objection rising meerly from their ignorance of the true meaning of the Holy Ghost that made it as for the end for which it was used hath been demonstrated by many of old and late And the Lord assisting in our Exposition of that place we shall shew that it is so far from giving Countenance unto any error or mistake which any man may fall into contrary to the Gospel that a more plain familiar and wholesome commination is hardly to be found in the whole Book of God And this is the summ of what I can meet withall that is objected against the Canonical Authority of this Epistle which how little it amounts unto beyond an evidence of mens willingness to lay hold on slight occasions to vent their Curiosities and Conceptions the Reader that is godly and wise will quickly perceive § 22 Having removed these Objections out of our way we shall now proceed to demonstrate the Canonical Authority of this Epistle in the strict and proper sense at large before declared Now the summ of what we shall plead in this cause amounts to this that whereas there are many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or infallible evidences of any Writings being given by Divine inspiration and sundry Arguments whereby Books or Writings ungroundedly pretending to that Original may be disproved that of the former there is no one that is not Applicable unto this Epistle nor is it obnoxious unto any one of the latter sort Of what nature in general that evidence is which is given unto the Divine Original of the Scripture by the Characters thereof implanted in it or other Testimony given unto it or what is the assurance of mind concerning it which thereupon we are furnished withall
unto that farther enjoyment of God whereunto he was designed Gen. 1. v. 26 31. Ecclesiast 7. v. 29. For God being infinitely Good Wise Righteous and Powerfull creating man to know love honour and enjoy him and thereby to glorifie those Holy Properties of his nature which exerted themselves in his creation which that he did the nature of those intellectual Perfections wherewith He endowed him doth undeniably evince it was utterly impossible that either He should not delight in the work of his own hands the effect of his own Wisdom and Power or not furnish him with those Faculties and Abilities by which he might answer the Ends of his Creation To suppose a Failure in any of these is contrary to the prime Dictates of Reason For Infinite Wisdom can do nothing in vain nothing not perfectly suited unto the End whereunto it is designed Neither can Infinite Goodness allow of any defect in ought that proceedeth from it Gen. 1. v. 31. God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very Good Hence many Philosophers saw and granted that the First Cause in the Production of all things did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proceed by such a certain Reason and Way as that every thing might both in its self and with reference unto its own especial End and also in Relation unto the Vniverse have its proper Rectitude and Goodness sufficient unto its Station and Condition This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scripture calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 1. v. 11. The Counsel of the Will of God expressing a contemporation of absolute Soveraignty and Infinite Wisdom And these uncontroulable Notions of Nature or Reason cast men of old into their entanglements about the Original of Evil. For this they plainly saw that it must be accidental and occasional but where to fix that Occasion they knew not Those who to extricate themselves out of this difficulty fancied two Supream Principles or Causes the one Author of all Good the other of all Evil were ever exploded as Persons bidding defiance unto all Principles of Reason whereby we are distinguished from the Beasts that perish This I say men generally discerned that Evil wherein it now lyes could not have entred into the world without a disturbance of that Harmony wherein all things at the beginning were constituted by Infinite Wisdom and Goodness and some interruption of that dependance on God from whence it did proceed The very first Apprehensions of the Nature of God and the Condition of the Vniverse declare that man was formed free from sin which is his voluntary subduction of himself from under the Government of his Maker and free from Trouble which is the effect of his displeasure on that Subduction or Deviation in which two the whole nature of Evil consisteth so that it must have some other Original Furthermore In this first Effort of immense Power did God glorifie himself as in the § 3 Wisdom and Goodness wherewith it was accompanied so also in that Righteousness whereby as the Supream Rector and Governour of All he allotted unto his Rational Creatures the Law of their Obedience annexing a Reward thereunto in a mixture of Justice and Bounty For that Obedience should be rewarded is of Justice but that such a Reward should be proposed unto the temporary Obedience of a creature as is the eternal enjoyment of God was of meer Grace and Bounty And that things should have continued in the state and condition wherein they were created I mean as unto mankind supposing an accomplishment of the Obedience prescribed unto them is manifest from the very first notions we have of the nature of God for we do no sooner conceive that he is but withall we assent that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 which is essential unto him and inseparable from his Nature as the Soveraign Ruler of the works of his hands And thus was the continuance of this Blessed State of the Creation of all things provided for and laid in a tendency unto farther Glory being absolutely exclusive of any distance between God and man besides that which is natural necessary and infinite from their Beings There was no sin on the one side nor dissavour on the other And this secured the Order of the Vniverse For what should cause any confusion there whilest the Law of its Creation was observed which could not be transgressed by Brute and inanimate Creatures § 4 That this estate of things hath been altered from time immemorial that there is a corrupt Spring of sin and disorder in the nature of man that the whole world lieth in Ignorance Darkness Evil and Confusion that there is an Alienation and displeasure between God and mankind God revealing his Wrath and Judgements from Heaven whence at first nothing might be expected but fruits of goodness and pledges of love and man naturally dreading the Presence of God and trembling at the effects of it which at first was his Life Joy and Refreshment Reason it self with prudent Observation will discover it hath done so unto many contemplative men of old The whole Creation groans out this complaint as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 8. v. 20 21. and God makes it manifest in his Judgements every day Chap. 1. v. 18. That things were not made at first in that state and condition wherein now they are that they came not thus immediately from the hand of Infinite Wisdom and Goodness is easily discernable God made not man to be at a perpetual quarrell with him nor to fill the world with tokens of his displeasure because of sin This men saw of old by the light of Nature but what it should be that opened the Flood-gates unto all that Evil and Sin which they saw and observed in the world they could not tell The springs of it indeed they searched after but with more vanity and disappointment than those who sought for the Heads of Nilus The Evils they saw were Catholick and unlimited and therefore not to be assigned unto Particular Causes and of any generall one proportioned unto their Production they were utterly ignorant And this ignorance filled all their Wisdom and Science with fatal mistakes and rendered the best of their Discoveries but meer uncertain conjectures Yea the Poets who followed the confused Rumours of Old Traditions about things whose Original was Occasional and Accidental give us a better shadow of Truth than the Philosophers who would reduce them unto general Rules of Reason which they would no way answer Post ignem aethereâ domo Subductum Macies nova febrium Terris incubuit Cohors Semotique prius tarda necessitas Lethi corripuit Gradum Horat. Car. lib. 1. Od. 3. is a better Allusion to the Original of Sin and Punishment than all the Disputations of the Philosophers will afford us § 5 But that which they could not attain unto and which because they could not attain unto they wandered in all their Apprehensions about God and
describe it by other property as Eccles. 9.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The evil figment or concupiscence which is like unto a great King namely because of its power on which account in the New Testament it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to raign as a King because of the subjection unto it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Lusts or Concupiscence of the heart Rom. 6.12 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to have Dominion v. 14. which is to the same purpose with that of the Targumist evil concupiscence is like a great King And this Testimony we have given unto this Moral corruption of nature in the Targums the most antient Records of the Judaical Apprehensions about these things that are now extant or have been so for many Ages § 11 The Talmudists have expressed the same thoughts about this inbred and indwelling sin and to set forth their conceptions about it they have given it several names not unsuited unto those descriptions of it which are given us by the Holy Ghost in the New Testament As First They call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is malum Evil a Name as they say given by God himself Gen. 8.21 Hence is that Observation of R. Moses Haddarshan from R. Jose in Bereshith Rabba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sad or dark is that Mass against which he that made it gives Testimony that it is Evil and our Masters affirm that nought is that plant which he that planted it witnesseth to be Evil. And in answer hereunto it is termed in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sin that Evil thing that dwelleth in us Rom. 7. Secondly They say that Moses calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praeputium or uncircumcision Deut. 10.16 And therefore in Tract Sand. cap. 11. to the Question when an Infant may be made partaker of the World to come Ka. Nachman the Son of Isaac answereth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 presently after he is circumcised Circumcision being admitted of old as the sign of the taking away by Grace of the natural evil figment of the heart And in Answer hereunto it is called by our Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Vncircumcision Col. 2.13 Thirdly They say David calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Vnclean thing This they draw from Psalm 51. v. 12. by the Rule of Contraries a great Guide in their Expositions Create in me a Clean Heart O God whence it appears that the Heart of its self is unclean And the Apostle gives it us under the same Name and Notion 1 Thes. 4. v. 7. 1 Cor. 7. v. 14. Fourthly Solomon as they suppose calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Enemy or Hater Prov. 25. v. 21. How properly they gather this name from that place ipsi viderint This I know that to the same purpose it is called in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enmity or Hatred Rom. 8.7 and all the Effects of Enmity or actings of an Enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are ascribed unto it 1 Pet. 2.11 Fifthly Isaiah calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the offence or stumbling block Isa. 57.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 5.18 See James Chap. 1. v. 14 15. The cause of our stumbling and falling Sixthly Ezekiel calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stone chap. 36. v. 26. The Reason of this Appellation is commonly known neither doth any Allusion better set out the nature of it from its Effects 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hard and impenitent heart Rom. 2. v. 5. Seventhly Joel calls it as they say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hidden thing chap. 2.20 for so they interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that place whereby they seem to intend that Darkness and Deceitfulness which are often ascribed unto it in the New Testament And these names they largely Comment upon Now though I shall not justifie their deduction of them from the places mentioned which yet some of them are proper enough unto their purpose yet as was said the Names themselves seem not unsuitable unto that description of it which we have in the New Testament Besides they speak elsewhere to the same purpose In Neve Shalom lib. 10. cap. 9. They term it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the defilement of the Serpent See 2 Cor. 11.3 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Eccles. 4. v. 13. An old and foolish King So is that place interpreted in Midrash Coheleth And this as we observed before answers what we are taught in the New Testament concerning the Reign and Dominion of Sin as also the Name given it by the Apostle of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Old Man both being comprised in that expression an old and foolish King though the Text be wrested by them in their usual manner And they give a tolerable Reason in the same place of this Appellation of the Old Man because say they it is joyned unto a man in his infancy continuing with him unto his Old Age but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the New man or Good concupiscence comes not on our nature untill the Age of thirteen years so the Midrash feeling in the dark after that supply of of Grace which is so clearly revealed in the Gospel And in Tractat. Sandrim fol. 91. they ask this Question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from what time doth the Evil Concupiscence bear rule in a man from the Time of his birth or from the time of his forming in the Womb Rabbi answered from the time of his conception and forming in the Womb. And this Kimchi on Psalm 51. illustrates by a similitude not altogether impertinent As saith he He that sows a bitter Berry that bitterness becomes naturall unto the Tree and Fruit that grows thereon And this Concupiscence which is in the heart of man from his Conception they acknowledge to have proceeded Originally from the Sin of our first Parents for if it were implanted in him at his Creation it cannot be avoided but that God himself must be assigned as the Principal efficient Cause of all Moral Evil. Unto this purpose speaks their late Master in his Preface to his Book de Fragilitate Haec vitiositas saith he ex primorum Parentum profecta crimine contagioque invasit utramque animae rationalis facultatem mentem qua apprehendimus voluntatem qua appetimus This vitiosity and contagion proceeding from the Sin of our First Parents hath invaded both the faculties of our Rational Souls both the Vnderstanding and the Will And for the continuance of this Evil or its abode in us they express it in Bereshith Rabba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so long as the Righteous live they wage War with their concupiscence And they variously set forth the growth of it where it is not corrected by Grace At first they say it is like a Spiders thread but at last like a Cartrope from Isa. 59. v. 5. and Chap. 5. v. 18. And again in the beginning it is like a stranger then as a
unto the glory and lustre of the other which God so had Garnished by his Spirit Job 26.13 and which for its curious Excellency is called the Work of his Fingers Psalm 8.3 And in these different places of their Habitation Secondly Their several Employments also did greatly differ The work of Angels was immediately to attend the Throne of God to minister before him and to give glory unto him and to execute the Commands of his Providence in the Government of the works of his hands Psal. 68. v. 17. Dan. 7. v. 10. Ezek. 1.5 6 7. Heb. 1.14 Revel 5.11 the highest pitch of Honour that a meer creature can be exalted unto Man during his natural life was to be employed in tilling and dressing of the Ground Gen. 2.16 a labour that would have been easie usefull and suitable unto his condition but yet in honour advantage and satisfaction unspeakably beneath the Duty of the Others Thirdly Their Enjoyments also greatly differed For the Angels enjoyed the immediate glorious Presence of God without any external created resemblances of it when man was kept at a greater Distance and not admitted unto such immediate communion with God or enjoyment of his Glorious Presence Now all these and the like Considerations although on the one side they do not in the least extenuate or excuse the sin and crime of Man in his Apostasie yet they greatly aggravate the Wickedness Ingratitude and Pride of the Angels Moreover they differed in their Intellectual Perfections whereby they were enabled to discern the Excellencies and to know the mind of God For although man had all that Light Knowledge and Wisdom concreated with him and so naturall unto him which were any way needfull to enable him unto a right and due performance of the Obedience required of him in the Observance whereof he should have been brought unto the Enjoyment of God yet it came far short of that Excellency of Understanding and that piercing Wisdom which was in those Spiritual Beings which they were endowed withall to fit them for that near contemplation of the glory of God whereunto they were admitted and that ready Apprehension of his mind which they were to observe And as these were in themselves and ought to have been improved by themselves as blessed means of preserving them in their Obedience so being despised and neglected they were a great Aggravation of the Wickedness of their Apostasy There was likewise Fifthly a difference in the manner of their Defection Man was circumvented by the Craft and Policy of the Angels who were made before him and sinned before him And this although He was furnished with an Ability and Power to have rejected and overcome yet it had that influence into his Sin and Fall that the Holy Ghost affirms that our first Parents were SEDUCED or deceived 1 Tim. 2.14 2 Cor. 11.3 and therefore calls Sathan their Murderer John 8.34 But the Angels had nothing without them to excite provoke or lay snares for them but of their own Voluntary Choice and meer motion of their own mind in the Exercise of that Freedom of their Wills which was bestowed on them for their own honour and advantage in their Obedience left their stations and set up themselves in a way of Opposition unto their Creator who had exalted them above their companions newly brought out of the same Nothing with themselves into a condition of the highest created Glory imaginable Again Sixthly although the condition of mankind being to be propagated by naturall Generation from one common Stock made it necessary that our First Parents should have a greater Trust reposed in them by Reason of their Representation of their whole Posterity in that Covenant wherein they stood before God than any Angel could have seeing they stood every one only in his own name and for himself yet they were but two persons that actually sinned at first and those one after another one seduced by another whereas the Angels in multitudes inconceivable by a joint conspiracy at the same instant combined together against the Authority and Law of their Creator and as it should seem appointed one among themselves for the Head of their Apostasie Now although as was said none of those things can or do in the least extenuate the sin of man which was the product of inconceivable infidelity and ingratitude yet they contain such Aggravations of the Sin of Angels as may evidence a condecency unto Divine Wisdom and Goodness in passing them by in their sin and misery unto Eternity and yet giving Relief unto mankind Lastly We may add unto what hath been spoken the concernment of the glory of God in the Vniverse For if man had been left for ever without Relief the whole race or kind of Creatures partakers of Humane Nature had been utterly lost nothing of that kind could ever have come unto the Enjoyment of God nor could God have ever been glorified by them in a way of Thankfulness and Praise which yet was the End why he made that sort of Creatures For the whole race of them as to the Event would have been meer Objects of Wrath and Displeasure But in the Fall of Angels they were only a certain number of individuals that sinned the whole kind was not lost as to the first End of their Creation Angelical Nature was preserved in its orderly dependance on God in those millions that kept their Obedience and Primitive condition thereon which is continued unto them with a superaddition of Glory and Honour as shall be elsewhere declared God then having made himself two Families unto his Praise amongst whom he would dwell that above of Angels and this below of mankind had sinning Man which was the whole Creation participating in Humane Nature been utterly cast off one Family had been lost for ever though so great a Remnant of the other was preserved Wherefore as we shall afterwards see it seemed good unto his Infinite Wisdom as to preserve that Portion of his Superiour Family which sinned not so to recover a portion of that below and to make them up into one Family in one New Head his Son Jesus Christ in whom he hath now actually gathered into One all things that are in Heaven and Earth unto his Praise and Glory Ephes. 1.10 It appears then that no certain conclusion can hence be drawn that man is left remediless in his Sin and Misery because Angels are so seeing that although the whole Cause of the difference made is to be referred unto the Soveraign Will Wisdom and Pleasure of God yet there is that appearing unto Reason which manifests a suitableness unto his Excellencies in the distinction to be put between them § 15 There is then no Necessary Reason inducing us to believe that God hath left all mankind to perish in their sin and misery under the Curse without any provision of a Remedy yea there are on the other side Evidences many and certain that there is a Way provided for their
any Cause or Reason he should contrary unto all these engagements of his Holy Perfections wholly renâ—â— and take it off Nay this would plainly justifie the Seâ—pent in his Calumny that what ever he pretended yet indeed that no Execution of his Threatning would ever ensâ—â— How also can it be supposed that any of his future Câ—mminations should have a just weight upon the souls of men if that first great and fundamental one shâ—uld be frustrated and evacuated or what Authority would be left unto his Law when he himself should dissolve the Sanction of it Besides if God should do thus which Reason Revelation and the Event of things do manifest that he neither would nor câ—uâ—d for he cannot deny himself this would have been his work and not an acquisition of men themselves which we are now enquiring after So that this way of deliverance as it is but imaginary so it is here of no consideration There is no other way then for man if he will not perish eternally under the punishment due unto his Apostasie and Rebellion but secondly to find out some way of Commutation or making a Recompence for the Evil of sin unto the Law and Righteousness of God But herein his utter insufficiency quickly manifests it self What ever he is or hath or can pretend any Interest in lyes no less under the Curse than he doth himself And that which is under the Curse can contribute nothing unto its removall That which is in its whole Being obnoxious unto the greatest Punishment can have nothing wherewithall to make Commutation for it For that must first be accepted in and for its self which can either make Attonement or be received for any other in Exchange And this is the condition of man and of every individuall of mankind and will be so to Eternity unless Relief arise from another place It is farther also evident that all the endeavours of men must needs be unspeakably disproportionate unto the Effect and End aimed at from the concernment of the other parts of the Creation in the Curse against sin What can they do to restore the Vniverse unto its first Glory and Beauty How can they reduce the Creation unto its Original Harmony Wherewith shall they recompence the Great God for the defacing of so great a portion of that impress of his Glory and Goodness that he had enstamped on it In a word they who from their first date unto their utmost Period are alwayes under the Punishment can do nothing for the total removall of it The Experience also of five thousand years hath sufficiently evinced how insufficient man is to be a Saviour unto himself All the various and uncertain motions of Adam's Posterity in Religion from the Extremity of Atheism unto that of Sacrificing themselves and one another have been destined in vain towards this End Neither can any of them to this day find out a better or more likely way for them to thrive in than those wherewith their Progenitors deluded themselves And in the Issue of all we see that as to what man hath been able of himself to do towards his own Deliverance both himself and the whole world are continued in the same state wherein they were upon the first Entrance of Sin cumulated as it were with another world of Confusion Disorder Mischief and Misery There is also another head of the Misery of man and that is the corrupt spring of Moral Evil that is in his nature This also is Vniversal and Endless It mixeth its self with all and every thing that man doth or can do as a Moral Agent and that alwayes and for ever Gen. 6. v. 5. It is then impossible that it should have an end unless it do either destroy or spend its self But seeing it will do neither of these ever sinning which man cannot but be is not the way to disentangle himself from sin If then any Deliverance be ever obtained for mankind it must be by some other § 17 not involved in the same misery with themselves This must either be God himself or good Angels Other Rational Agents there are none If we look to the latter we must suppose them to undertake this work either by the Appointment of God or upon their own Accord without his previous Command or Direction The latter cannot be supposed They knew too much of the Majesty Holiness and Terror of the great God to venture on an interposition of themselves upon his Counsels and Wayes uncommanded To do so would have been a sinfull dissolution of the Law of their Creation So much also they might discern of the work its self as to stifle unto Eternity every thought of engaging themselves into it Besides they knew the Will of God by what they saw come to pass They saw his Justice and Holiness glorified in the Evils which he had brought upon the world That He would not for ever satisfie himself in that Glory they knew not And what was man unto them that they should busie themselves to retrive him from that condition whereinto he had cast himself by sin finding Him glorified therein in conformity unto whose will their Happiness and Perfection doth consist As remote as men are from thoughts of recovering Fallen Angells so far were they contriving the Recovery of Man But it may be said the God himself might design them to work out the Salvation and deliverance enquired after as was before supposed But this makes God and not them to be the Saviour and them only the Instruments in the Accomplishment of his work Neither yet hath he done so nor were they meet so to be employed What ever is purely poenall in the misery of man is an Effect of the Righteous Judgement of God This as we have manifested could be no otherwise diverted from him but by the undergoing of it by some other in his stead And two things are required in him or them that should so undergoe it First That they were not themselves obnoxious unto it either Personally or upon the first common account Should they be so they ought to look to their own concernment in the first place Secondly that they were such as that the Benefit of their Vndergoing that Penalty might according to the Rules of Justice redound unto them for whom and in whose stead they underwent it otherwise they would suffer in vain Now although the Angels might answer the first of these in their Personal immunity from obnoxiousness unto the Curse yet the latter they were unsuited for They had no Relation unto mankind but only that they were the Workmanship of the same Creator But this is not sufficient to warrant such a substitution Had Angels been to be delivered their Redemption must have been wrought in the Angelical Nature as the Apostle declares Heb. 2. v. 16. But what Justice is it that Man should sin and Angels suffer or from whence should it arise that from their suffering it should be Righteous that he
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
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
but that either they have contracted the guilt of some sin wherewith God was more displeased then with the Idolatry of their fore-fathers or that the Covenant made with them is expired or that there hath been a coincidence of both these and that indeed is the condition of things with them The Messiah came in whom the carnal Covenant was to expire and they rejected and slew him justly deserving their perpetuall rejection from it and disinheritance § 11 Sometimes they will plead that it is for their own sins and the sins of the Generations that succeeded the destruction of the second Temple that they are kept thus long in misery and captivity But we know that they use this plea only as a covering for their obstinate blindness and infidelity Take them from this dispute and they are continually boasting of their Righteousness and Holiness for they do not only assure us that they are better then all the world besides but also much better then their fore-fathers as Manasse plainly affirms in the place before cited and that on the day of Expiation that is once a year they are as holy as the Angels in Heaven There are therefore one or two things which I would desire to know of them as to this pretence of their own sins which on another account must also be afterwards insisted on First Then whereas it is a principle of their faith That all Jews excepting Apostates are so holy and righteous that they shall all be saved have all a portion in the blessed world to come whence is it that none of them are so Righteous as to be returned into the Land of Canaan Is it not strange that that Righteousness which serves the turn to bring them all to Heaven will not serve to bring any one of them to Jerusalem This latter being more openly and frequently promised unto them then the former I know not how to solve this difficulty ipsi viderint Again Repentance from their sins is a thing wholly in their own power or it is not if they shall say it is in their own power as generally they do I desire to know why they defer it The brave imaginations that they have of the levelling of Mountains the dividing of Rivers the singing of Woods and dancing of Trees of the Coaches and Chariots of Kings to carry them as also their riding upon the shoulders of their rich neighbours into Jerusalem the Conquest of the world the eating of Behemoth and drinking the Wine of Paradice the Riches Wives and long Life that they shall have in the dayes of the Messiah do make them as they pretend patiently endure all their long exile and calamitie And can this not prevail with them for a little Repentance which they may perform when they please with a wet finger and so obtain them all in a trice If they are so evidently blind foolish and mad in and about that which they look upon as their only great concernment in this world have they not great cause to be jealous lest they are also equally blind in other things and particularly in that wherein we charge them with blindness This it seems is the State of these things Unless they repent the Messiah will not come unless he come they cannot be delivered out of their calamitie nor enjoy the promises To repent is a thing in their own power which yet they had rather endure all miseries and foregoe all the promises of God then take in hand or go through with it And what shall we say to such a perverse generation of men who openly proclaim that they will live in their sins though they have never more to do with God unto eternity If they shall say that Repentance is the gift of God and that without his powring forth his Spirit upon them they cannot attain unto it then I desire to know whence it is that God doth not give them Repentance as he did to their fore-fathers if the Covenant continue established with them as in former dayes From what hath been discoursed It doth sufficiently appear that the state and condition of the Jews hath been such in the world for these sixteen hundred years as manifests the end of their special Covenant to be long since come and consequently the Messiah in whom it was to expire There is one of them a nameless person not unlearned who hath written somewhat § 12 lately in the Portugal Language which is translated into Latin by Brenius the Socinian who gives so satisfactory an Answer in his own conceit unto this Argument that he concludes that every one who is not obstinate or blinded with corrupt affections must needs acquiesce therein His confidence if not his reasons deserves our consideration especially considering that he offers somewhat new unto us which their former Masters did not insist upon That then which he returns as an Answer unto the enquiry of the Causes and Reasons of their present long captivities and miserie is the sins of their fore-fathers under the first Temple The greatness of these sins he saith is expressed by the Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 16.48 As I live saith the Lord God Sodom thy Sister hath not done she nor her daughters as though hast done thou and thy daughters To which he adds Isa. 1.9 where mention is made again of Sodom So that this Captivity is to them in the room of such a destruction as Sodom was overthrown withall But it may be said that these sins what ever they were were expiated in the Babylonish Captivity and pardoned unto them upon their return So that now they must suffer on the account of their sins committed under the second Temple to which he replyes that this exception is of no force Nam liberatio e Babilone nihil aliud suit quam exploratio qua Deus experiri voluit an cum restitutione Regni Templi possint abbreviari expiari enormia ista quae commiscerant adulterii homicidii Idolatriae peccata sed pro antecedentium debitorum solutione quam prestare debuerunt nova insuper debita accumulaverunt For the deliverance from Babylon was nothing but a tryal whereby God would make an experiment whether with the restitution of their Kingdom and Temple these enormous sins of Adultery Murder and Idolatry which they had committed might have been cut off and expiated but instead of a discharge of their former arrears which they were obliged unto they heaped up new debts by their sins Thus he At their deliverance out of Babylon the people had no discharge of their former sins by the pardon of them but were only tryed how they would afresh acquit themselves with a resolution in God that if they made not satisfaction then for those sins to charge the guilt of them again upon themselves and all their posterity for all the generations that are passed untill this day But First This is plainly a fiction of this mans own devising Let him produce any one word from the Scripture
that Covenant Jer. 31 31 32 33. The foundation of the New Covenant lyes in this that the people had disannulled and broken the former made with them Now surely they do not disannul that Covenant if they are righteous according to the tenor of it and unless they are so they say the Messiah will not come that is the New Covenant shall not be made unless by them it be first made needless Again the nature of the Covenant lyes in this that God in it makes men righteous and holy Ezekiel 11.19 So that righteousness and holiness cannot be the Condition of making it unless it be of making it useless This then is the contest between God and the Jews he takes it upon himself to give men righteousness by the Covenant of the Messiah they take it upon themselves to be righteous that he may make that Covenant with them Lastly If the coming of the Messiah depend on the Righteousness and repentance § 24 of the Jews it is not only possible but very probable that he may never come Themselves conceive that the world shall not continue above six thousand years Of this space they do not suppose that there is any more then five hundred remaining the time past since the expiration of the dayes determined for the coming of the Messiah is at least sixteen hundred years seeing that they have not repented all this while what assurance have we nay what hope may we entertain within the four or five hundred years that are behind Greater Calls to Repentance from God greater motives from themselves and others they are not like to meet withall And what ground have we to expect that they who have withstood all these Calls without any good fruit by their own confessions will ever be any better Upon this supposition then it would be very probable that the Messiah should never come Nothing can be replyed hereunto but that God will either at length effectually by his Grace give them that Repentance which they make necessary for his coming or that he will send him at last whether they repent or no But if either of these may be expected what reason can be imagined why God should so deal at any season concerning which he had made no promise that the Messiah should come therein and not do so at the time concerning which he had so often promised and foretold that he should come therein Exercitatio XVII The Third general Dissertation proving Jesus of Nazareth to be the only true and promised Messiah Jesus whom Paul preached the true Messiah First Argument from the time of his coming Foundation of this Argument unquestionable Coming of Jesus at the time appointed proved by Scripture Record and Catholick Tradition By the testimonies of Heathen Writers By the confession of the Talmudical Jews Jesus Christ intended by them in their story of Jesus the Son of Pandira and Stada No other came at that season by them owned Force of this Argument Characteristical notes of the Messiah given out in the Old Testament His Family Stock or Lineage confined unto the posterity of Abraham Isaac Jacob Judah David Our Lord Jesus of the posterity of Abraham and Tribe of Judah also of the Family of David Testimonies of the Evangelists vindicated Jesoes exceptions in general answered In particular the Genealogie not proved answered The Genealogie of Matthew declared and of Luke The place of the Birth of the Messiah Bethlehem Micah 5.2 Circumstances enforcing this consideration The Evangelists Citation of the words of the Prophet vindicated The Messiah to be born of a Virgin Isa. 7.10 11. and Matth. 1.21 22. Jews convinced that Jesus was born of a Virgin Jews exceptions to the Application of this Prophecy Their weight The answer of some unto them unsafe needless True sense of the words Exceptions answered The signification and use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greatness of the sign promised No other Virgin and Son designed but Jesus Christ and his Mother The Prophecy cleared in this instance In what sense the Birth of the Messiah a sign of present deliverance Remaining Objections answered Other Characters of the Messiah He was to be a Prophet Deut. 18.19 A Prophet like unto Moses Expected by the Jews Jesus Christ a Prophet That Prophet The nature of the Doctrine which he taught It s perfection The works of the Messiah revealed only in the Gospel of Christ also the nature and end of Mosaical Institutions Threatnings unto the disobedient fallen upon the Jews Sufferings are an other character of the Messiah his Passion foretold Psal. 22. The true Messiah therein intended Expositions of Kimchi and others confused Sufferings peculiar unto the Messiah The Psalm exactly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Objections of the Jews from the principles of Christians answered Isa. 53. Prophecy of the suffering of the Messiah Consent of the Antient Jews Targum Bereshith Rabba Talmud Ashech Invalidity of exceptions of latter Rabbins Applications to the Lord Jesus vindicated Other Testimonies concerning the sufferings of the Messiah Jews Traditions to the same purpose Other Arguments proving Jesus to be the true Messiah Miracles The nature of them wrought by Christ proved Testimony of the Gospel Notoriety of Tradition Miracles of Christ compared with those of Moses Excelling them in number in manner of their being wrought in their nature in his giving power to others to effect them in his resurrection from the Dead continuance of them in the World Jews self-conviction evinced Causes of the miracles of Christ assigned by them Art Magical retorted removed The name of God Testimonies of his Disciples Success of the Doctrine of Jesus Last Argument THe third branch of that great supposition and fundamental Article of faith § 1 whereon the Apostle builds his Arguments and Reasonings wherewith he deals with the Hebrews is that Jesus whom he preached was the true and only promised Messiah who came forth from God for the accomplishment of his work according to the time determined and foretold The confirmation of this foundation of our faith and profession is that which now in the third place we must engage in A subject this is whereon I could insist at large with much satisfaction to my self nor have I just cause to fear that the matter treated of would be irksom to any Christian Reader But we must have respect unto our present design for it is not absolutely and of set purpose that we handle these things but meerly with respect unto that further end of opening the springs of the Apostles Divine reasonings in this Epistle and therefore must contract as much as may be the Arguments that we have to plead in this case And yet neither can this be so done but that some continuance of discourse will be unavoidably necessary And the course we shall proceed in is the same we have passed through in our foregoing demonstrations of the promise of the Messiah and of his coming Our Arguments are first to be produced and vindicated from the
the miraculous power of God shall no more in the like kind be exerted it is an infallible evidence and demonstrative note of the true Messiah He and he alone was to be born of a Virgin so alone was Jesus of Nazareth and therefore he alone is the true Messiah The Jews being greatly pressed with this Prophecy and the Accomplishment of it § 21 do try all means to escape by breaking through one of them And we might expect that they would principally attempt the story of the Evangelist but circumstances on that side are so cogent against them that they are very faint in that endeavour For if it was so indeed that Jesus was not born of a Virgin as is recorded and as both himself and his Disciples professed why did they not charge him with untruth herein in the dayes of his flesh Why did they not call his Mother into question especially considering that the being espoused unto an Husband they might upon conviction have put her unto a publick and shamefull death None of this being done or once undertaken by their fore-fathers no less full of Envy and Malice against the Person and Doctrine of Jesus then themselves and much better furnished and provided for such an undertaking might any colour be given unto it then they are they insist not much upon the denyal of the Truth of the Record but to relieve themselves they by all means contend that the words of the Prophet are no way applicable unto the birth of our Lord Jesus which the Evangelist reports them prophetically to express And to this end they multiply Exceptions against our interpretation of the Prophecy First They deny that here is any thing spoken of the conception or bearing of a § 22 Son by a Virgin For the word here used say they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth any Young Woman married or unmarried Yea sometimes an Adulteress as Proverbs 30.18 so that the whole foundation of our interpretation is infirm and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here intended was they say no other but either the Wise of the Prophet or the Wife of Ahaz the King or some young Woman in the Court then newly married or to be married to the King or some other person Secondly They say that the birth of this Child with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or young Woman mentioned was to conceive was immediately to ensue so as to be a sign unto Ahaz and the house of David of the deliverance promised unto them from the Kings of Damâ—scus and Samaria and so could not be Jesus of Nazareth whose nativity happening seven hundred years after this would be no pledge unto them of any thing that should shortly come to pass Thirdly They insist that v. 16. it is promised that before that Child which should be so concâ—ived and born should come to the years of discretion to know to refuse the evil and to choose the good the Kings of Damascus and Samaria should be dâ—stroyâ—d Now this came to pass within few years after and therefore can have no relation to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth Fourthly Thâ—y affirm that in the following Chapter the accomplishment of this Prophecy is declaâ—ed in the Prophets going in unto the Prophetess and hâ—r conceiving a Son concerning whom it is said that before he should have knowledge to say my Father and my Mâ—ther the Land should be forsakâ—n of both her Kings in answer unto what is spoken of the Child of the Virgin Chap. 7. v. 16. Chap. 8. v. 1. Fifthly That the name of this Child was to be Immanuel whereas he of whom we speak was called Jesus Mat. 1.21 Sixthly That the Child here mentioned was to be fed and nourished with butter and hony which cannot be spoken nor is written of Jesus of Nâ—zâ—reth § 23 In answer unto thâ—se Objâ—ctions some lâ—arned men have granted unto the Jews that thâ—se words of the Prophet were literally fulfilled in some one then a Virgin and afterwards married in those dayes and that they are only in a mystical sense applyed by Matthâ—w to the birâ—h of the Lord Jesus as they say are sundry other things that are spokâ—n pâ—imarily of othâ—â—s in the Old Testament But the truth is this Answer is neither â—aâ—e in its self nor nâ—edfull as to the Argument of the Jews nor consistâ—nt with the senâ—e of the place or Truth of the words themselves First It is not safe as to the faith of Chrisâ—iâ—ns For wherâ—as the birth of the Messiah of a Virgin was so signal a Miracle and so emiâ—ent a charactâ—ristical note of his person if it be not directly foâ—eâ—old and prophâ—siâ—d of in this place there was no one prediction of it made unto the Church of the Jews Now how this should seem reasonable whereas things of far less concernment are foretold is not easily made to appear Sâ—condly Upon thâ—s interpretation of the words there is no ground left for the application of thâ—ir mystical sense which they pretend to be made by Matthew For if indeed the Person primarily directly and literally spoken of did not conceive a Child wâ—ilest she was a Virgin but only that she who was then a Virgin did afterwards upon marriage conceive in the ordinary course of nature there remains no ground for the application of what is spoken concerning her unto one who in and after her conception and the Birth of her Child continued a Virgin For although it be not required that there be an agreement in all things between the Type and the Antitype yet if there be no agreement between them in that wherein the one is designed to signifie the other they cannot on any account stand in that relation David as he was a King was a Type of Messiah the Great King There was we know not an absolute similitude in all things between David and him nor was there any necessity that so there should be that he might be his Type But yet if he had not been a King he could have been no Type of him at all in his Kingdom No more can any person here spoken of unless she did conceive a Son and bring forth continuing a Virgin be a Type of her who was so to do For how can the miraculous work of the Conception of a Virgin be signified or expressed by the ordinary Conception of a Woman in the State of Wedlock Besidâ—s this Answâ—r is wholly needless as to the objection of the Jews and inconsistent with the sense of the place as will be seen in the consideration of the words themselves § 24 We have formerly eâ—inced that the foundation and end of the Judaical Church and State and of the preservation of the Davidical family was solely the bringing forth of the promised Mâ—ssiah And this the Event hath fully demonstrated in their utter rejection after the accomplishment of that end And hence the prâ—mise of the Messiah was the Foundation Cause and Reason of all other promises made unto that people as
Call of Abraham when God first entred into Covenant with him Gen. 12.2 3. From thence unto the departure out of Egypt and the giving of the Law that ensued are 430 years It is evident then that by the sojourning and peregrination of the children of Israel not their meer aboad in Egypt which after their going down Gen. 46. was only 215 years or thereabouts but the whole course of that People after they were in Abraham called from their own Country and a certain Habitation therein until their leaving of Egypt in order unto their taking possession of the land of Canaan as a perpetual inheritance that is commensurate unto the duration of the especial Covenant made with them is intended It remains then that we consider the other space of time assigned by God in Vision unto Abraham for the affliction of his seed under persecution namely four hundred years Gen. 11.13 Now herein either the round number of 400 is put for 430 or 30 years are to be abated out of the latter number for some special cause and reason The former seems not probable because Moses doth so emphatically note that it was in the four hundred and thirtieth year that very same day or night and therefore 30 years must be taken of either from the beginning or end of the latter number To detract it from the end there is no reason nor will Moses his exact observation of that period allow us so to do It must therefore be from the beginning Now this prediction of God unto Abraham about the affliction or persecution of his seed for 400 years was given him before the birth of Isaac who being of his seed according to the promise was to have his share in this affliction yea it was to begin with him He was born as was proved 25 yeâ—rs after the promise so that the 30 years to be taken off from the 430 fall out in the fifth year of his life which was the time when the persecution began in the mocking of Ishmael Gen. 21.9 which the Apostle expresly calleth persecution and that upon the account of Isaac's being the heir of the promise Gal. 4.29 There began the 400 years of their affliction which ended with the 430 of their peregrination In the faith of Abraham manifested in his obedience to the Call of God resting on § 12 the Promise of the blessing by Christ and in the observation of this Ordinance of Circumcision whereby they were separated unto God and united among themselves did this People continue without the addition of any new Ordinance of Worship for the supportment of their Faith or enlargement of their Light or outward profession of their seperation unto God to the expiration of 430 years and this period of time proved afterwards fatal unto them not exactly and absolutely but in some kind of proportion For from hence unto the building of the Temple by Solomon was 480 years The duration of that Temple was 415 years Of the latter built in the room thereof somewhat above 500. Some peculiar space being given them beyond their former trials before their utter destruction § 13 At the expiration of the period of time discoursed on our Apostle tells us Heb. 11.28 that By faith Moses kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood lest he that destroyed the first-born should touch them This was the second Ordinance of common use to the Church and appropriated unto them which God instituted amongst them The story of its Institution and manner of its celebration are at large insisted on Exod. 12. § 14 The time of its Institution and Annual celebration is exactly noted in the Scripture It was the night before the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt which is thence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 12.42 a night of observances unto the Lord that is wherein his Institutions of this Ordinance were to be observed with great care and diligence And this night fell in directly upon the expiration of the 430 years before limited verse 40 41. For the time of the year it was in the month 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abib as the Hebrews call the month of the Spring which in those Eastern parts gave blades unto the corn and other fruits of the earth Exod. 13.4.23.15.34.18 Deut. 16.1 which afterwards by a Chaldee name was called Nisan Nehem. 2.1 Esth. 3.7 and it answered partly to our March partly to April beginning before or at the Vernal Equinox according to the distance of any year from the Embolisinical year And from hence this month was appointed to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the head chief or principal of the months Exod. 12.2 and so consequently the beginning of the year unto them for before this their year began and ended in September upon the gathering in of the fruits of the earth Exod. 23 16. being the time as most of the present Jews suppose wherein the world was created Neither yet was this change absolute unto all ends and purposes but only as to Ecclesiastical Observances and Feasts that depended on their distance from this of the Passover For their Civil Year as to Contracts Debts and Liberties continued still to begin in September with their Jubilees Levit. 25.8 9 10. And from that beginning of the year most probably are the months to be reckoned that are mentioned in the continuance and ending of the floud Gen. 7.11 See Joseph liber 1. chap. 4. § 15 For the time of the day wherein the Lamb was to be slain it is designed to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—etween the two evenings of the 14 day of the first month Some of the Jews as Kimchi make these two evenings to be the first declining of the Sun which began the evening or afternoon and the setting of the Sun which closeth it answering the antient division of the day into morning and evening so that it might be done by this rule in any time of the afternoon though it always followed the evening Sacrifice at the 9th hour or 3 of the clock Others as Aben-Ezra make the first evening to be the setting of the Sun the other the departure of all light And the Jews have a distinction of the day wherein they call this space of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between the two evenings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between the two Suns So they express themselves in Talmud Hieros Berach cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the space of time wherein the face of the East is red is called day when it begins to wax pale it is called between the Suns the same with between the evenings and when it waxeth black the upper Firmament being like the lower it is night § 16 The occasion of the institution of this Ordinance is so fully and plainly declared in Exodus and Deuteronomy that we shall not need to enlarge upon it In brief God being about to accomplish his great work of delivering the people out of Egypt he thought
and the performance of duties required in it yet it was greatly increased and aggravated by that multitude of commands wherein it consisted Whence our Apostle calls it the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances Ephes. 2.15 Consisting of an endless number of commands concerning which their minds could never attain any comfortable satisfaction whether they had answered their duty aright in them or no. Exercitatio XXI The Sanction of the Law in Promises and Threatnings The Law considered several ways As the Rule of the old Covenant As having a new end put to it As it was the Instrument of the Jewish Polity The sanction of it in those senses Punishments threatned to be inflicted by God himself By others Promises of three sorts To be fulfilled by God himself By others Parents how they prolong the lives of their children Punishment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what Providential punishments Partial Total Persons entrusted with power of punishment The original distribution of the people Task-masters and Officers in Egypt who The authority of Moses The distribution of the people in the Wilderness Institution of the Sanhedrin Judges Kings Penalties Ecclesiastical The three degrees of it explained and examined Causes of Niddui Instance Joh. 9.20 Of Cherem And Shammatha Forms of an Excommunication The Sentence Ezra 10.7 8. explained Civil Penalties and Capital The several sorts of them BY the Sanction of the Law we intend the Promises and Penalties wherewith by § 1 God the observation of it and obedience unto it was enforced This the Apostle hath respect unto in sundry places of this Epistle the principal whereof are reported in the fore-going Dissertation To represent this distinctly we may observe that the Law falls under a three-fold consideration First As it was a Repetition and Expression of the Law of Nature and the Covenant of Works established thereon Secondly as it had a new End and design put upon the Administration of it to direct the Church unto the use and benefit of the Promise given of old to Adam and renewed unto Abraham four hundred and thirty years before Thirdly As it was the Instrument of the Rule and Government of the Church and People of Israel with respect unto the Covenant made with them in and about the Land of Canaan And in this three-fold respect it had a three-fold Sanction First As considered absolutely it was attended with promises of life and threatnings § 2 of death both Eternal The original promise of life upon obedience and the curse on its transgression were inseparably annexed unto it yea were essential parts of it as it contained the Covenant between God and Man See Gen. 2. Deut. 27.26 Rom. 6.23 Rom. 4.4 Rom. 10.5 Rom. 11.6 Lev. 18.5 Ezek. 29.11 Gal. 3.12 13. Now in the Administration of the Law the Church was thus far brought under § 3 the obligation of these Promises and Threatnings of Life and Death eternal so far interested in the one and made obnoxious unto the other as that if they used not the Law according to the new dispensation of it wherein it was put into a subserviency unto the Promise as Gal. 3.19 20 21 22 23 24. that they were left to stand and fall according to the absolute tenure of that first Covenant and its ratification which by reason of the entrance of sin proved fatally ruinous unto all that cleaved unto it Rom. 8.3 chap. 9.31 Secondly The Law had in this Administration of it a new End and design put § 4 upon it and that in three things First that it was made directive and instructive unto another End and not meerly preceptive as at the beginning The Authoritative Institutions that in it were super-added to the Moral commands of the Covenant of works did all of them direct and teach the Church to look for Righteousness and Salvation the original ends of the first Covenant in Another and by another way as the Apostle at large disputes in this Epistle and declares positively Gal. 3. throughout Secondly In that it had a dispensation added unto the commands of obedience and interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by condiscension given by God himself as to the perfection of its observance and manner of its performance in reference unto this new end It required not absolutely perfect obedience but perfectness of heart integrity and uprightness in them that obeyed And unto the Law thus considered the former promises and threatnings are annexed For the neglect of this use of it left the Transgressors obnoxious to the Curse denounced in general against them that continued not in the whole Law to do it Thirdly It had merciful relief provided against sin for the supportment and consolation of sinners as we shall see in the consideration of their Sacrifices § 5 Thirdly it may be considered as it was the Instrument of the Rule and Government of the People and Church of Israel according to the tenure of the Covenant made with them about the Land of Canaan and their living unto God therein And in this respect it had four things in it First That it represented unto the people the Holiness of God the Effects whereof are implanted in the Law according to its Original constitution whereupon in it they are so often called to be holy because the Lord and Law-giver was holy Secondly A Representation of his Grace and Condiscention pardoning of sin in the Covenant of mercy in as much as he allowed a Compensation by Sacrifices for so many transgressions which in their own nature were forfeitures of their interest in that Land Thirdly That it was a righteous Rule of obedience unto that People as unto their especial Covenant condition Fourthly That it fully represented the severity of God against wilful transgressors of his Covenant as now renewed in order to the Promise seeing every such transgression was attended in their Administration of Rule with death without mercy § 6 It is of the Law under this third consideration though not absolutely as the Instrument of the Government of the People in Canaan but as it had a Representation in it of that Administration of grace and mercy which was contained in the Promises whereof we treat Concerning this or the Law in this sense we may consider first the Promises then the Threatnings of it And the Promises are of two sorts First such as God took immediately upon himself the accomplishment of Secondly such as others by his institution and appointment were to communicate the benefit of unto the obedient § 7 The first are of three sorts First of Life Temporal as it was an Instrument of their Government and eternal with God as the Promise or Covenant of grace was exemplified or represented therein Levit. 18.5 Ezek. 20.11 Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 Secondly Of a Spiritual Redeemer Saviour Deliverer really to effect what the Ordinances of Institution did represent so to save them eternally to be exhibited in the fulness of time as we have at large already proved Thirdly There are
Acts 3.32 Hos. 2.23 Isa. 10.22 23. Rom. 9. These are the Heads of the punishments which God took upon himself to inflict in an extraordinary manner on the transgressors of the Law that is those who proceeded to do it so with an high hand as that his Covenant was made void thereby as to all the ends of its re-establishment in the administration of the LaW The second sort of penalties annexed unto the transgression of the Law were such as Men by God's institution and appointment were enabled to inflict concerning § 13 which we must consider First who and what the Persons were who were enabled and authorised to inflict these penalties Secondly of what sort these penalties were and for what transgressions necessarily inflicted § 14 The original division of the people after the dayes of Jacob was into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tribes whereof at first there were Twelve which by dividing the Tribe of Joseph into two were encreased into Thirteen and upon the matter reduced again unto Twelve by the special Exemption of the Tribe of Levi from Inheritances and their separation to the Worship of God Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Families or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Houses of Fathers which on many probabilities may be supposed to have been seventy the number of them who went down with Jacob into Aegypt each of which constituted a particular Family And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 particular Housholds all which are enumerated Josh. 7.14 This distribution continued amongst the people whilest they were in Aegypt and this only they being not capable to cast themselves into any Civil Order there by reason of their Oppressions and therefore contented themselves with that which was natural Accordingly there were three sorts of persons that were in some kind of Dignity and preheminence among the people although it may be after their Oppression began they were hindered from exercising the Authority that belonged unto them First As to the Tribes there were some who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Princes or Heads of the Tribes Numb 1.16 Twelve in number according to the number of the Tribes Secondly For the Families or principal Houses of the Fathers there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Elders who presided over them These Moses and Aaron gathered together at their first coming into Aegypt Exod. 4.29 And these as I said before being the Rulers of the first Families were probably in number seventy from whence afterwards was the constitution of seventy Elders for Rule Exod. 24.1 Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Priests it may be in every private Houshold the first born which are mentioned and so called before the constitution of the Aaronical Priesthood Exod. 19.21 Besides these there were Officers who attended the service of the whole People as to the Execution of Justice and order called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shoterim which we have rendered by the general name of Officers Exod. 5.14 And they are afterwards distinguished from the Elders and Judges Deut. 16.18 For there are two sorts of persons mentioned that were over the people in respect of their works even in Aegypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exactors or Task-Masters and Officers Exod. 5.6 the former or the Nogheshim the Jews say were Aegyptians and the latter or the Shoterim Israelites which occasions that distinct expression of them Pharaoh commanded the same day the Task-masters of the People and their Officers and v. 13 14. And the Task-Masters hasted them saying fulfill your works and the Officers of the Children of Israel were beaten And they tell us in Midrash Rabba on Exod. Sect. 1. that one of these Nogheshim was over ten of the Israelitish Officers and one of them over ten Israelites whence was the following division of the people into tens and hundreds and unto this in the same place they add a putid Story of an Exactor killed by Moses § 15 What was the Authority of these and how it was executed by them in Aegypt nothing is recorded Probably at the beginning of their works and Afflictions they were made use of only to answer for the pretended neglects or miscarriages of the multitude of their Brethren as Exod. 5.14 After their coming up out of Aegypt during their abode in the Wilderness Moses presided over them with all manner of Authority as their Law-giver King and Judge He judged and determined all their causes as is frequently affirmed and that alone untill by the advice of Jethro he took in others unto his assistance Exod. 15.16.25 And there is mention of four particular cases that he determined One Religious one Civil and two Capital relating to Religion in these he made especial enquiry of God The first was about the Vnclean that would keep the Passeover Numb 9.7 8. The second about the daughters of Zelophead who claimed their Inheritance Numb 27. 4 5. The third about the Blasphemer Lev. 24. The last about him that profaned the the Sabbath Numb 15.32 33 34. In which also as the Jews say he set a pattern to future Judges as determining the lesser causes speedily but those wherein blood was concerned not without stay and much deliberation § 16 In the Wilderness the body of the People was cast into a new distribution of Thousands Hundreds Fifties and Tens all which had their peculiar Officers or Rulers chosen from amongst themselves Exod. 18.25 Deut. 1.13 14. And Moses is said to chuse them because being chosen by the People he approved of them as the places foregoing compared do manifest The principal distributions of these planting themselves together in the Cities or Towns of Canaan however afterward they multiplyed or were decreased continued to be called by the names of the thousands of Israel or Judah So Bethlehem Ephratah is said to be little among the thousands of Judah Micah 5.2 One of those thousands that had their especial Head and Ruler over them and their distinct Government as to their own concernments among themselves sate down at Bethlehem which Colony afterwards variously flourished or drew towards a decay After these things by Gods appointment was constituted the great Court of the § 17 Sanhedrin which because we have treated of a-part elsewhere with those lesser Courts of Justice which were instituted in imitation of it sufficiently to our purpose I shall here wholly omit Neither shall I need to mention their Judges raised up extraordinarily of God for the general Rule of the whole People Nor of their Kings continued by Succession in the Family of David because their story in general is sufficiently known and the especial consideration of their power with the manner of the Administration of it would draw us too far out of the way of our present design And these are they unto whom the Lord in their several Generations committed the execution of those punishments that he had allotted unto the transgression of the Law The Penalties themselves with the especial causes of them are lastly to
as accompanied the nature and manner of the Revelation made unto him 1. They arise from the infinite Excellency of his Person above theirs This is that which the Apostle from the close of this verse insists upon to the very end of the Chapter making his discourse upon it the basis of ensuing his exhortations I shall therefore remit the consideration of it unto its proper place 2. There were sundry Excellencies that attended the very Revelation it self made unto him or his Prophecie as such For 1. Not receiving the Spirit by measure Joh. 3.34 as they all did he had given unto him altogether a comprehension of the whole will and mind of God as to what ever he would have revealed of himself with the mystery of our salvation and all that obedience and worship which in this world he would require of his Church It pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell Col. 1.19 that is of Grace and Truth Joh. 1.17 not granting him a transient irradiation by them but a permanency and constant abode of them with him in their fulness all treasures of wisdom and knowledge being hid in him Col. 2.3 as their home and proper abiding place which made him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord Isa. 11.3 All the Mysteries of the counsel between the Father and the Eternal Word for the salvation of the Elect with all the ways whereby it was to be accomplished through his own blood were known unto him as also were all the bounds the whole extent of that Worship which his Church was to render unto God with the assistance of the Spirit that was to be afforded unto them for that end and purpose Hence the only reason why he did not at once reveal unto his Disciples the whole counsel of God was not because all the treasures of it were not committed unto him but because they could bear no other but that gradual communication of it which he used towards them Joh. 16.12 But he himself dwelt in the midst of those treasures seeing to the bottom of them All other Prophets even Moses himself receiving their revelation by transient irradiations of their minds had no treasure of truth dwelling in them but apprehended only that particular wherein they were enlightned and that not clearly neither in its fulness and perfection but in a measure of light accommodated unto the Age wherein they lived 1 Pet. 1.11 12. Hence the Spirit is said to rest on him Isa. 11.2 3. and to abide on him Matth. 3.16 who did only in a transient act affect the minds of other Prophets and by an actual motion which had not an habitual spring in themselves cause them to speak or write the will of God as an instrument of Musick gives forth a sound according to the skill of him that strikes it and that only when it is so stricken or used Hence 2. The Prophets receiving their Revelations as it were by number and tale from the holy Ghost when they had spoken or written what in particular at any season they had received from him could not adde one word or syllable of the same infallibility and authority with what they had so received But the Lord Christ having all the treasures of Wisdom Knowledge and Truth hid and laid up in him did at all times in all places with equal infallibility and authority give forth the mind and will of God even as he would what he so spake having its whole Authority from his speaking of it and not from its consonancy unto any thing otherwise revealed 3. The Prophets of old were so barely instrumental in receiving and revealing the will of God being only servants in the house Heb. 3.4 for the good of others 1 Pet. 1.11 that they saw not to the bottom of the things by themselves revealed and did therefore both diligently read and study the books of them that wrote before their time Dan. 9.2 and meditated upon the things which the Spirit uttered by themselves to obtain an understanding in them 1 Pet. 1.10 11 12. But the Lord Jesus the Lord over his own house had an absolutely perfect comprehension of all the mysteries revealed to him and by him by that divine Wisdom which always dwelt in him 4. The Difference was no less between them in respect of the Revelations themselves made to them and by them For although the substance of the will and mind of God concerning salvation by the Messiah was made known unto them all yet it was done so obscurely to Moses and the Prophets that ensued that they came all short in the light of that Mystery to John the Baptist who did not rise up in a clear and distinct apprehension of it unto the least of the true Disciples of Christ Matth. 11.11 whence the giving of the Law by Moses to instruct the Church in that Mystery by its types and shadows is opposed to that Grace and Truth which were brought by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.17 18. See Ephes. 3.8 9 10 11. Col. 1.26 27. Tit. 2.11 2 Tim. 1.10 In these and sundry other things of the like importance had the Fathers speaking in the Son the preheminence above his speaking in Moses and the Prophets for which cause the Apostle placeth this consideration in the head of his Reasonings and Arguments for attendance unto and observation of the things revealed by him For even all these things have influence into his present Argument though the main stress of it be laid on the excellency of his Person of which at large afterwards 6. We must yet further observe that the Jews with whom the Apostle had to do had all of them an expectation of a new signal and final Revelation of the will of God to be made by the Messias in the last days that is of their Church state and not as they now fondly imagine of the world Some of them indeed imagined that great Prophet promised Deut. 18. to have been one distinct from the Messias Joh. 1.21 but the general expectation of the Church for the full Revelation of the will of God was upon the Messias Joh. 4.25 Of the same mind were their more antient Doctors that retained any thing of the tradition of their Fathers asserting that the Law of Moses was alterable by the Messias and that in some things it should be so Maimonides is the leader in the opinion of the eternity of the Law whose Arguments are answered by the Author of Sepher Ikkarim lib. 3. cap. 13. and some of them by Nachmanides Hence it is laid down as a Principle in Neve shalom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Messias the King shall be exalted above Abraham be high above Moses yea and the ministring Angels And it is for the excellency of the Revelation made by him that he is so exalted above Moses Whence Maimonides himself acknowledgeth Tractat. de Regibus that at the coming of the Messiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hidden and deep things i. e. of
his own likeness and Image are hereby made partakers of such inestimable Benefits as indispensably call for rejoycing in a way of Thankfulness and Gratitude This the whole Gospel declares and therefore it needs not our particular improvement in this place And if this be the duty of the whole Creation it is easie to discern in what a special manner it is incumbent on them that believe whose Benefit Advantage and Glory was principally intended in this whole work of God Should they be found wanting in this Duty God might as of old call Heaven and Earth to witness against them Yea Thankfulness to God for the bringing forth of the first-born into the world is the summ and substance of all that Obedience which God requires at the hands of believers IV. The Command of God is the ground and Reason of all Religious Worship The Angels are to worship the Lord Christ the Mediator and the ground of their so doing is Gods command he saith Worship him all ye Angels Now the command of God is twofold 1. Formal and vocal when God gives out a Law or Precept unto any creature superadded to the Law of its Creation Such was the Command given unto our first Parents in the Garden concerning the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil and such were all the Laws Precepts and Institutions which he afterwards gave unto his Church with those which to this day continue as the Rule and Reason of their Obedience 2. Real and interpretative consisting in an impression of the Mind and Will of God upon the nature of his creatures with respect unto that Obedience which their state condition and dependance on him requireth The very nature of an intellectual Creature made for the Glory of God and placed in a moral dependance upon him and subjection unto him hath in it the force of a Command as to the Worship and Service that God requireth at their hands But this Law in man being blotted weakned impaired through sin God hath in mercy unto us collected drawn forth and disposed all the Directions and Commands of it in vocal formal Precepts recorded in his Word whereunto he hath superadded sundry new Commands in the Institutions of his Worship Wiâ—h Angels it is otherwise The ingrafted Law of their Creation requiring of them the Worship of God and Obedience to his whole Will is kept and preserved entire so that they have no need to have it repeated and expressed in vocal formal Commands And by vertue of this Law were they obliged to constant and everlasting Worship of the Eternal Son of God as being created and upheld in an universal dependance upon him But now when God brings forth his Son into the world and placeth him in a new condition of being incarnate and becoming so the Head of his Church there is a new Modification of the Worship that is due to him brought in and a new respect unto things not considered in the first creation With reference hereunto God gives a new Command unto the Angels for that peculiar kind of Worship and Honour which is due unto him in that state and condition which he had taken upon himself This the Law of their Creation in general directed them unto but in particular required not of them It enjoyned the Worship of the Son of God in every condition but that condition was not expressed This God supplies by a new Command That is such an Intimation of his Mind and Will unto them as answers unto a vocal Command given unto men who by that means only may come to know the Will of God Thus in one way or other Command is the Ground and Cause of all Worship For 1. All Worship is Obedience Obedience respects Authority and Authority exerts it self in Commands And if this Authority be not the Authority of God the Worship performed in Obedience unto it is not the Worship of God but of him or them whose Commands and Authority are the Reason and cause of it It is the Authority of God alone that can make any Worship to be religious or the performance of it to be an Act of Obedience unto him 2. God would never allow that the Will and Wisdom of any of his Creatures should be the rise Rule or measure of his Worship or any part of it or any thing that belongs unto it This Honour he hath reserved unto himself neither will he part with it unto any other He alone knows what becomes his own Greatness and Holiness and what tends to the Advancement of his Glory Hence the Scripture abounds with severe Interdictions and Comminations against them who shall presume to do or appoint any thing in his Worship besides or beyond his own Institution 3. All Prescriptions of Worship are vain where men have not strength to perform it in a due manner nor Assurance of Acceptance when it is performed Now both these are and must be from God alone nor doth he give strength and ability for any thing in his Worship but what himself commands nor doth he promise to accept any thing but what is of his own Appointment so that it is the greatest folly imaginable to undertake any thing in his Worship and Service but what his Appointment gives warrant for And this should teach us in all that we have to do in the Worship of God carefully to look after his word of Command and Institution Without this all that we do is lost as being no Obedience unto God Yea it is an open setting up of our own Wills and Wisdom against him and that in things of his own especial concernment which is intolerable boldness and presumption Let us deal thus with our Rulers amongst men and obey them not according to their Laws but our own fancies and see whether they will accept our persons And is the Great and Holy God less to be regarded besides what we have our own Inventions or the Commands of other men as the ground and reason of our doing it we have nothing but our own or their warranty for its Acceptance with God and how far this will secure us is easie to judge We might hence also farther observe V. That the Mediator of the New Covenant is in his own Person God blessed for ever to whom Divine or Religious Worship is due from the Angels themselves As also that VI. The Father upon the account of the Work of Christ in the World and his Kingdom that ensued it gives a new Commandment unto the Angels to Worship him his Glory being greatly concerned therein And that VII Great is the Churches security and Honour when the Head of it is worshipped by all the Angels in Heaven as also that VIII It can be no duty of the Saints of the New Testament to worship Angels who are their fellow servants in the worship of Jesus Christ. Verse VII HAving in one Testimony from the Scripture expressing the subjection of Angels unto the Lord Christ signally proved his main Design
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
thus stedfast upon the account of its being spoken from God and stands in no need of the contribution of any strength Authority or Testimony from men Church Tradition or ought else that is extrinsecal unto it The Testimonies given hereunto in the Scripture it self which are very many with the general Grounds and Reasons hereof I shall not here insist upon and that because I have done it elsewhere I shall only mention that one consideration which this place of the Apostle suggests unto us and which is contained in our second Observation from the word stedfast Take this word as spoken from God without the help of any other Advantages and the stedfastness of it is the Ground of Gods inflicting Vengeance on them that receive it not that obey it not Because it is his Word because it is cloathed with his Authority if men believe it not they must perish But now if this be not sufficiently evidenced unto them namely that it is his Word God could not be just in taking vengeance of them for he should punish them for not believing that which they had no sufficient Reason to believe which suits not with the Holiness and Justice of God The Evidence then that this Word is from God that it is his being the foundation of the Justice of God in his proceeding against them that do not believe it it is of indispensible necessity that he himself also do give that Evidence unto it For whence also should it have it from the Testimony of the Church or from Tradition or from probable moral inducements that men can tender one to another Then these two things will inevitably follow 1. That if men should neglect their duty in giving Testimony unto the Word as they may do because they are but men then God cannot justly condemn any man in the world for the neglect of his Word in not believing it or not yielding obedience unto it And the Reason is evident because if they have not sufficient Grounds to believe it to be his without such Testimonies as are not given unto it it is the highest Injustice to condemn them for not believing it and they should perish without a cause For what can be more unjust than to punish a man especially eternally for not doing that which he had no just or sufficient Reason to do This be far from God to destroy the innocent with the wicked 2. Suppose all men aright to discharge their duty and that there be a full Tradition concerning the Word of God that the Church give Testimony unto it and Learned men produce their Arguments for it if this all or any part hereof be esteemed as the sufficient Proposition of the Scripture to be the Word of God then is the Execution of infinite divine Justice built upon the Testimony of men which is not divine or infallible but such as might deceive For God on this supposal must condemn men for not believing with faith divine and infallible that which is proposed unto them by Testimonies and Arguments humane and fallible quod absit It remaineth then that the Righteousness of the Act of God in condemning unbelievers is built upon the Evidence that the Object of Faith or Word to be believed is from him And this he gives unto it both by the Impression of his Majesty and Authority upon it and by the Power and Efficacy wherewith by his Spirit it is accompanied Thus is every Word of God stedfast as a Declaration of his Will unto us by what means soever it is made known unto us V. Every Transaction between God and man is alwayes confirmed and ratified by promises and Threatnings Rewards and Punishments every trespass VI. The most glorious Administrators of the Law do stoop to look into the Mysteries of the Gospel See 1 Pet. 1.12 VII Covenant transgressions are attended with unavoidable penalties every transgression that is of the Covenant disannulling of it received a meet recompence of reward VIII The Gospel is a Word of Salvation to them that do believe IX The Salvation tendered in the Gospel is great Salvation X. Men are apt to entertain thoughts of escaping the wrath of God though they live in a neglect of the Gospel This the Apostle insinuates in that interrogation How shall we escape XI The neglecters of the Gospel shall unavoidably perish the wrath of God How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation These last Observations may be cast into one Proposition and so be considered together namely That the Gospel is great Salvation which who so neglecteth shall therefore unavoidably perish without remedy We shall first enquire how the Gospel is said to be Salvation and that Great Salvation and then shew the equity and unavoidableness of their Destruction by whom it is neglected and therein the vanity of their hopes who look for an escaping in the contempt of it By the Gospel we understand with the Apostle the Word preached or spoken by Christ and his Apostles and now recorded for our use in the Books of the New Testament not exclusively unto what was declared of it in the Types and Promises of the Old Testament But by the way of Eminency we appropriate the whole name and nature of the Gospel unto that delivery of the Mind and Will of God by Jesus Christ which included and perfected all that had preceded unto that purpose Now the Gospel is salvation upon a double account First Declaratively In that the Salvation of God by Christ is declared taught and revealed thereby So the Apostle informs us Rom. 1.16 17. It is the power of God unto salvation because therein the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith that is the Righteousness of God in Christ whereby Believers shall be saved And therefore it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Titus 2.11 the saving or salvation bringing Grace of God The Grace of God as that which teacheth and revealeth his Grace And thence they that abuse it to their lusts are said to turn the grace of God into lasciviousness Jude 4. that is the Doctrine of it which is the Gospel And therefore under the Old Testament it is called the Preaching or declaring of glad tydings tydings of peace and salvation Nahum 2.1 Isa. 52.7 and is described as a Proclamation of Mercy Peace Pardon and Salvation unto sinners Isa. 61.1 2. And life and immortality are said to be brought to light thereby 2 Tim. 1.10 It is true God had from all Eternity in his infinite Grace contrived the salvation of sinners but this Contrivance and the Purpose of it lay hid in his own Will and Wisdom as in an infinite Abysse of darkness utterly imperceptible unto Angels and men untill it was brought to light or manifested and declared by the Gospel Ephes. 3.9 10. Coloss. 1.25 26 27. There is nothing more vain than the supposals of some that there are other wayes whereby this Salvation might be discovered and made known The Works of Nature
or Creation and Providence the Sun Moon and Stars showres from Heaven with fruitful seasons are in their judgement Preachers of the salvation of sinners I know not what also they say that the Reason of man by the Contemplation of these things may find out of I know not what Placability in God that may incite sinners to go unto him and enable them to find Acceptance with him But we see what success all the world and all the Wise men of it had in the use and improvement of these means of the salvation of sinners The Apostle tells us not only that by their Wisdom they knew not God 1 Cor. 1.21 but also that the more they searched the greater loss they were at untill they waxed vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkned Rom. 1.21 And indeed whatever they had amongst them which had any semblance of an obscure Apprehension of some way of salvation by Atonement and Intercession as in their Sacrifices and Mediations of inferiour Deities which the Apostle alludes unto 1 Cor. 8.5 6 as they had it by Tradition from those who were somewhat instructed in the Will of God by Revelation so they turned it into horrible Idolatries and the utmost contempt of God And this was the issue of their disquisitions who were no less wise in the principles of inbred Reason and the knowledge of the works of nature than those who now contend for their Ability to have done better Besides the salvation of sinners is a Mysterie as the Scripture every where declareth a blessed a glorious Mysterie Rom. 16.25 The Wisdom of God in a Mysterie 1 Cor. 2.7 Ephes. 1.9 Col. 1.25 26. That is not only a thing secret and marvellous but such as hath no dependance on any Causes that come naturally within our Cognizance Now what ever men can find out by the Principles of Reason and the contemplation of the works of God in Creation and Providence it is by natural scientifical conclusions and what is so discovered can be no heavenly spiritual glorious Mysterie such as this salvation is What ever men may so find out if they may find out any thing looking this way it is but natural science it is not a Mysterie and so is of no use in this matter what ever it be Moreover it is not only said to be a Mysterie but an hidden Mysterie and that hid in God himself as Ephes. 3.9 10. Col. 1.25 26. 1 Cor. 2.7 8. That is in the Wisdom Purpose and Will of God Now it is very strange that men should be able by the the natural means fore-mentioned to discover an heavenly supernatural Wisdom and that hidden on purpose from their finding by any such enquiry and that in God himself so coming unto the knowledge of it as it were whether he would or no. But we may pass over these Imaginations and accept of the Gospel as the only way and means of declaring the salvation of God And therefore every Word and Promise in the whole Book of God that intimateth or revealeth any thing belonging unto this Salvation is it self a part of the Gospel and so to be esteemed And as this is the work of the Gospel so is it in an especial manner its proper and peculiar work with respect unto the Law The Law speaks nothing of the salvation of sinners and is therefore called the Ministry of death and condemnation as the Gospel is of life and salvation 2 Cor. 3.9 10. And thus the Gospel is salvation declaratively Secondly It is Salvation Efficiently in that it is the great Instrument which God is pleased to use in and for the Collation and bestowing salvation upon his Elect. Hence the Apostle calls it the Power of God unto salvation Rom. 1.16 Because God in and by it exerts his mighty Power in the saving of them that believe as it is again called 1 Cor. 1.18 Whence there is a saving Power ascribed unto the Word it self And therefore Paul commits believers unto the Word of grace as that which is able to build them up and give them an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Acts 20.32 And James calls it the ingrafted Word which is able to save our souls Chap. 1.21 The mighty Power of Christ being put forth in it and accompanying of it for that purpose But this will the better appear if we consider the several principal parts of this Salvation and the Efficiency of the Word as the Instrument of God in the communication of it unto us As First In the Regeneration and Sanctification of the Elect the first external Act of this Salvation This is wrought by the Word 1 Pet. 1.23 We are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God Wherein not only the thing it self of our Regeneration by the Word but the manner of it also is declared It is by the Collation of a new spiritual life upon us whereof the Word is the seed As every life proceeds from some seed that hath in its self virtually the whole life to be educed from it by natural wayes and means so the Word in the hearts of men is turned into a vital principle that cherished by suitable means puts forth vital acts and operations By this means are we born of God and quickned who by nature are children of wrath dead in trespasses and sins So Paul tells the Corinthians that he had begotten them in Jesus Christ by the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.15 I confess it doth not do this work by any Power resident in its self and alwayes necessarily accompanying its Administration For then all would be so regenerated unto whom it is preached and there would be no neglecters of it But it is the Instrument of God for this end and mighty and powerful through God it is for the accomplishment of it And this gives us our first real Interest in the Salvation which it doth declare Of the same Use and Efficacy is it in the progress of this work in our Sanctification by which we are carried on towards the full Enjoyment of this salvation So our Saviour prayes for his Disciples Joh. 17.19 Sanctifie them by thy Word as the means and instrument of their Sanctification And he tells his Apostles that they were clean through the word that he had spoken unto them Chap. 15.3 For it is the food and nourishment whereby the spiritual Principle of Life which we revive in our Regeneration is cherished and encreased 1 Pet. 2.2 and so able to build us up untill it give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified Secondly It is so in the Communication of the Spirit unto them that do believe to furnish them with the Gifts and Graces of the Kingdom of Heaven and to interest them in all those Priviledges of this salvation which God is pleased in this life to impart unto us and to entrust us withal So the Apostle dealing with the Galatians about their backsliding from the
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
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
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 17. every way like Here it is restrained by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same that is flesh and blood Humane Nature as to the Humane Nature he was every way as the children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Partem habuit particeps erat he took part And in the use of this Word the Dative Case of the Person is still understood and sometimes expressed So Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might share or partake in the same acts with them And it is here also understood That he might partake with them of flesh and blood And the Apostle purposely changeth the word from that which he had before used concerning the children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they had Humane Nature in common they were men and that was all having no Existence but in and by that nature Concerning him he had before proved that he had a Divine Nature on the account whereof he was more excellent than the Angels And here he sayes of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Existing in his Divine Nature he moreover took part of that nature with them which makes a difference between their Persons though as to Humane Nature they were every way alike and this removes the exception of Schlictingius or Crellius that he is no more said to be incarnate than the children That by death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is peculiar to Paul He useth it almost in all his Epistles and that frequently Elsewhere it occurs but once in the New Testament Luke 13.17 and that in a sense whereunto by him it is not applyed That which he usually intends in this word is to make a thing or person to cease as to its present condition and not to be what it was So Rom. 3.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect cause it to cease render the promise useless And v. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do we make the Law void by faith take away its use and End Chap. 4.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the promise is made ineffectual Chap. 7.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If her husband is dead she is freed from the Law The Law of the Husband hath no more power over her So v. 6. 1 Cor. 13.8 10 11. Chap. 15.24 26. 2 Cor. 3.10 13. Gal. 3.17 Chap. 5.4 11. Ephes. 2.15 The Intention of the Apostle in this word is the making of any thing to cease or to be void as to its former Power and Efficacy not to remove annihilate or destroy the Essence or Being of it And the Expression here used is to the same purpose with that in Psalm 8.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to quiet or make to cease the enemy and self-avenger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly vis robur potentia Force Strength Power like that of Arms or Armies in battle And sometimes it is used for Rule Empire and Authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be in Place of Power and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be able to dispose of what it relates unto And in both senses we shall see that the Devil is said to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power of death Now there is not any notion under which the Devil is more known unto or spoken of among the Jews than this of his having the power of death his common appellation among them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Angel of death And they call him Samael also So the Targum of Jonathan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 3.6 And the woman saw Samael the Angel of death And Maimon More Nebu. lib. 2. cap. 30. tells us from the Midrash that Samael rode upon the Serpent when he deceived Eve that is used him as his instrument in that work And most of them acknowledge Sathan to be principally intended in the temptation of Eve though Aben Ezra deny it in his Comment on the words and dispute against it And he addes that by Samael the Angel of death they understand Sathan which he proves from the words of their wise men who say in some places that Sathan would have hindred Abraham from sacrificing of Isaac and in others that Samael would have done it which proves that it is one and the same who by both names is intended And hence they usually call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked Samael the Prince of all the devils and say of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Samael brought death upon all the world So that by this Samael or Angel of death it is evident that they intend him who is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Prince and Ruler of the rest So also they speak expresly in Baba Bathra distinc Hashatephir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rabbi Simeon said the same is Sathan and the Angel of death and the evil figment that is the cause and author of it And they call him the Angel of death on many accounts the consideration whereof may give us some light into the reason of the Expression here used by the Apostle The first is that before mentioned namely that by his means death entred and came upon all the world His temptation was the first occasion of death and for that reason is he termed by our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 8.44 a murtherer from the beginning And herein he had the power of death prevailing to render all mankind obnoxious to the sentence and stroke of it Secondly Because he is employed in great and signal Judgments to inflict death on men He is the head of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil Angels who slew the Aegyptians Psal. 78 49. So in Psal. 91.5 those words Thou shalt not fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the arrow that flieth by day are rendred by the Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the arrow of the Angel of death which he shooteth by day And in the next verse those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the destruction that wasteth at noon day they render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the troop of devils that walk at noon-day the Psalmist treating of great and sudden destructions which they affirm to be all wrought by Sathan and thence the Hellenists also render the latter place by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the devil at noon-day wherein they are followed by the Vulgar Latine Arabick and Aethiopick Translations And this the Apostle seems to allude unto 1 Cor. 10.10 where he says that those who murmured in the wilderness were destroyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the destroyer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the destroying Angel or the Angel of death as in this Epistle he terms him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 11.28 And it may be this is he who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 18.13 the first-born of death or he that hath right unto the administration of it They term him also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
to help assist or relieve can in any sense be applied unto the Angels that must be intended if any For the word must denote either any help assistance or relief in general or that especial help and assistance which is given by Christ in the work of Reconciliation and Redemption If the first be intended I much question the truth of the assertion seeing the Angels owe their establishment in grace unto Christ and their advancement in glory Ephes. 1.10 If it be to be taken in the latter sense as is pretended then the nature of the discrete Axiom here used by the Apostle requires that there be the same need of the help intimated in both the disparates which is denied as unto the one and affirmed as unto the other But now the Angels that is the good Angels had no need of the help of Redemption and Reconciliation unto God or of being freed from death or the fear of it which they were never obnoxious unto And what remains for the clearing of the mind of the Apostle will appear yet farther in the ensuing Observations from the words I. The Lord Jesus Christ is truly God and Man in one Person and this is fully manifested in these words For first there is supposed in them his prae-existence in another Nature than that which he is said here to assume He was before he subsisted before or he could not have taken on him what he had not This was his Divine Nature as the like is intimated where he is said to be made flesh Joh. 1.14 to be made of a woman Gal. 4.4 to be manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 to take on him the form of a servant Phil. 2.8 9. as here he took the seed of Abraham he was before he did so that is the Son the Word of God the Son of God as in the places mentioned eternally prae-existing unto this his Incarnation For the subject of this Proposition he took on him c. denotes a person prae-existing unto the act of taking here ascribed unto him which was no other than the Son of God 2. He assumed he took to himself another nature of the seed of Abraham according unto the promise so continuing what he was he became what he was not For 3. He took this to be his own nature he so took it as himself to become truly the seed of Abraham to whom and concerning whom the promise was given Gal. 3.16 and was himself made of the seed of David according to the flesh Rom. 1.3 and as concerning the flesh came of the fathers Rom. 9.5 and so was the Son of David the Son of Abraham Matth. 1.1 And this could no otherwise be done but 4. by taking that Nature into Personal Subsistence with himself in the Hypostasis of the Son of God the nature he assumed could no otherwise become his For if he had by any ways or means taken the person of a man to be united unto him in the strictest union that two persons are capable of a Divine and an Humane the nature had still been the nature of that other person and not his own But he took it to be his own nature which it could no ways be but by personal union causing it to subsist in his own person And he is therefore a true and perfect Man for no more is required to make a complete and perfect man but the entire nature of man subsisting And this is in Christ as a man the Humane nature having a subsistence communicated unto it by the Son of God And therefore 6. This is done without a multiplication of persons in him For the Humane Nature can have no personality of its own because it was taken to be the nature of another person who was prae-existent unto it and by assuming of it prevented its proper personality Neither 7. did hence any mixture or confusion of natures ensue or of the essential properties of them for he took the seed of Abraham to be his Humane Nature which if mixed with the Divine it could not be And this he hath done 8. inseparably and for ever Which things are handled at large else-where II. The Redemption of Mankind by the taking of our nature was a work of meer Sovereign grace He took the seed of Abraham he took not the nature of Angels And for what cause or reason Can any be assigned but the Sovereign Grace Pleasure and Love of God nor doth the Scripture any where assign any other And this will the better appear if we consider First That for a sinning nature to be saved it was indispensibly necessary that it should be assumed The nature of Angels being not taken those that sinned in that nature must perish for ever and they that fancy a possibility of saving sinners any other way but by satisfaction made in the nature that had sinned seem not to have considered aright the nature of sin and the Justice of God Had any other way been possible why doth the perishing of Angels so inevitably follow the non-assumption of their nature This way alone then could it be wrought Secondly That we were carrying away all humane nature into endless destruction for so it is intimated whence Christs assumption of it is expressed by his putting forth his hand and taking hold of it to stop it in its course of apostasie and ruine Of Angels only some individual persons fell from God but our whole nature in every one to whom it was communicated from and by Adam was running head-long to destruction In it self there could be no relief nor any thing to commend it unto God Here Sovereign Grace interposeth The love of God to mankind Tit. 3.4 As to the Angels he spared them not 2 Pet. 2.4 He spared not them and spared not his Son for us Rom. 8.32 And if we consider rightly what the Scripture informs us of the number and dignity of the Angels that sinned of their nature and ability to accomplish the will of God and compare therewith our own vileness and low condition we may have matter of eternal admiration suggested unto us And there was infinite Wisdom as well as Sovereign Grace in this dispensation sundry branches whereof the Apostle afterwards holds out unto us Verse XVII XVIII HAving declared the general Reasons why the Son or Messiah was for a little while to be made lower than the Angels in his Incarnation and sufferings and shewed the ends thereof the Apostle proceeds to declare other especial ends of this divine Dispensation and therein makes way unto what he had to instruct the Hebrews in about the Priestly Office of Christ which was the principal ground and foundation of what he intended more fully afterwards to discourse with them about and to inform them in Verse 17 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. unde debuit whence he ought So Beza Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for which cause or wherefore it was just meet or equal Others