suffered together with him The Story by the way of the Martyrdome of this James is at large reported by § 6 Eusebius out of Hâgesippus Histor. Eccles. l. 2. cap. 23. in the Relation whereof he is followed by Hierom and sundry others I shall say no more of the whole Story but that the Consideration of it is very sufficient to perswade any man to use the liberty of his own Reason and Judgement in the perusal of the Writings of the Antients For of the Circumstances therein reported about this James and his death many of them as his being of the Line of the Priests his entring at his pleasure into the Sanctum Sanctorum his being carried up and set by a great multitude of people on a pinacle of the Temple are so palpably false that no colour of probability can be given unto them and most of the rest seem altogether incredible That in general this Holy Apostle of Jesus Christ his kinsman according to the flesh was stoned by Ananus during the Anarchie between the Governments of Festus and Albinus Josephus who then lived testifies and all Ecclesiastical Historians agree § 7 The Churches at this time in Jerusalem and Judaea were very numerous The Oppressors Robbers and Seditious of all sorts being wholly intent upon the pursuit of their own ends filling the Government of the Nation with tumults and disorders the Disciples of Christ who knew that the time of their preaching the Gospel unto their Countreymen was but short and even now expiring followed their work with diligence and success being not greatly regarded in the dust of that confusion which was raised by the Nation 's rushing in to its fatal ruine § 8 All these Churches and the multitudes that belonged unto them were altogether with the Profession of the Gospel addicted zealously unto the Observation of the Law of Moses The Synod indeed at Jerusalem had determined that the yoke of the Law should not be put upon the necks of the Gentile Converts Acts 15. But eight or nine years after that when Paul came up unto Jerusalem again Chap. 21. v. 20 21 22. James informs him that the many thousands of the Jews who believed did all zealously observe the Law of Moses and moreover judged that all those who were Jews by birth ought to do so also and on that account were like enough to assemble in a disorderly multitude to enquire into the practice of Paul himself who had been ill reported of amongst them On this account they kept their Assemblies distinct from those of the Gentiles all the world over as amongst others Hierom informs as in his Notes on the first Chapter of the Galatians All those Hebrews then to whom Paul wrote this Epistle continued in the use and practice of Mosaical Worship as celebrated in the Temple and their Synagogues with all other Legal Institutions whatever Whether they did this out of an unacquaintedness with their liberty in Christ or out of a pertinacious adhârence unto their own prejudicate Opinions I shall not determine § 9 From this time forward the Body of the people of the Jews saw not a day of peace or Quietness Tumults Seditions Outrages Robberies Murders increased all the Nation over And these things by various degrees made way for that fatal War which beginning about six or seven years after the Death of James ended in the utter desolation of the People City Temple and Worship foretold so long before by Daniel the Prophet and intimated by our Saviour to lye at the door This was that day of the Lord whose suddain approach the Apostle declares unto them Chap. 10.36 37. For ye have need of Patience that after ye have done the Will of God ye may receive the Promise For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã A very little while less than you think of or imagine the manner whereof he declares Chap. 12.26 27 28. And by this means he effectually diverted thâm from a pertinacious adherence unto those things whose dissolution from God himself was so nigh at hand which Argument was also afterwards pressed by Peter 2 Epist. Chap. 3. § 10 Our blessed Saviour had long before warned his Disciples of all these things particularly of the desolation that was to come upon the whole people of the Jews with the Tumults Distresses Persecutions and Wars which should precede it directing them to the exercise of patience in the discharge of their duty untill the approach of the final Calamity out of which he advised them to free themselves by flight or a timely departure out of Jerusalem and all Judaea Matth. chap. 24. v. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. This and no other was the Oracle mentioned by Eusebius whereby the Christians were warned to depart out of Jerusalem It was given as he sayes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to approved men amongst them For although the Prophesie its self was written by the Evangelists yet the especial meaning of it was not known and divulged amongst all The Leaders of them kept this secret for a season least an exasperation of the people being occasioned thereby they should have been obstructed in the work which they had to do before its accomplishment And this was the Way of the Apostles also as to other future events which being foretold by them might provoke either Jews or Gentiles if publickly divulged 2 Thess. 2.5 6. But now when the Work of the Church among the Jews for that season was come to its close the Elect being gathered out of them and the final Desolation of the City and People appearing to be at hand by a concurrence of all the signs foretold by our Saviour those entrusted with the sense of that Oracle warned their Brethren to provide for that flight whereunto they were directed That this flight and departure probably with the loss of all their Possessions was grievous unto them may easily be conceived But that which seems most especially to have perplexed them was their relinquishment of that Worship of God whereunto they had been so zealously addicted That this would prove grievous unto them our Saviour had before intimated Matth. 24. v. 20. Hence were they so slow in their Obedience unto that Heavenly Oracle although excited with the remembrance of what befell Lots Wife in the like Tergiversation Nay as it is likely from this Epistle many of them who had made Profession of the Gospel rather than they would now utterly forego their old Way of Worship deserted the Faith and cleaving to their unbelieving Countreymen perished in their Apostasie whom our Apostle in an especial manner forewarns of their inevitable and sore destruction by that Fire of Gods Indignation which was shortly to devour the Adversaries to whom they associated themselves Chap. 10. v. 25 26 27 28 29 30 31. This was the Time wherein this Epistle was written This the Condition of the Hebrews § 11 unto whom it was
by way of eminency to be called Canonical or regular as the Book wherein it is contained is called the Bible though in it self that be the Common name of all Books § 5 And this Appellation is of ancient use in the Church The Synod of Laodicea supposed to have praeceded the Council of Nice makes mention of it as a thing generally admitted for the Fathers of it decree ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã That no private Psalmes ought to be said or read in the Church nor any uncanonical Books but only the Canonical books of the new and old Testament whose names they subjoin in their order And some while before the Bishops who joyned with the Church of Antioch in the deposition of Paulus Samosatenus charge him as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã one that in the introduction of his heresie departed from the Canon or rule of the Scripture Before them also it was called by Irenaeus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And Chrysostome calls it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the sentence of the divine Laws ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the exact ballance square or rule and Canon of all truths and duties wherein he hath evidently respect unto the original use and importance of the word before explained and thereupon calls on his hearers that omitting the consideration of what this or that man sayes or thinks they should seek and require ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã all these things of or from the Scriptures which are the Canon of our faith and obedience And Austin demonstrent ecclesiam suam non in rumoribus Africorum sed in praescripto legis in Prophetarum praedictis in Psalmorum cantibus hoc est in omnibus canonicis Sanctorum librorum authoritatibus Let them demonstrate their Church not by the rumors of the Africans but by the praescription of the Law the praedictions of the Prophets the Songs of the Psalms that is by the Canonical Authority of the holy books of the Scriptures And he pursues the Metaphor of a scale and a measure in many words elsewhere And thus Aquinas himself confesseth the Scripture is called Canonical because it is the Rule of our understanding in the things of God And such a Rule it is as hath Authority over the Consciences of men to bind them unto faith and obedience because of its being given of God by inspiration for that purpose Moreover as the Scripture upon the accounts mentioned is by way of eminency § 6 said to be Canonical so there is also a Canon or rule determining what books in particular do belong unto the Holy Scripture and to be on that account Canonical So Athanasius tells us that by the Holy Scripture he intends Libros certo canone comprehensus the books contained in the assured Canon of it And Ruffinus having reckoned up those books concludes hi sunt quos patres intra Canonem concluserum These are they which the Fathers have concluded to be in the Canon that is to belong unto the Canonical books of Scripture And Austin to the same purpose Non sine causa tam salubri vigilantia Canon Ecclesiasticus constitutus est ad quem certi Prophetarum Apostolorum libri pertinerent not without good reason is the Ecclesiastical Canon determined by wholsome diligence unto which certain books of the Prophets and Apostles should belong About the Assignation of this Canon of the Scripture or what books belonged unto the Canonical Scripture there have been some differences in the Church since the time of the Synod of Carthage confirmed by that in Trulla at Constantinople The first Church having agreed well enough about them excepting the haesitation of some few persons in reference unto one or two of them of the New Testament From this rise and use of the word it is evident what is intended by the Canonical § 7 Authority of the Scripture or of any particular book thereunto belonging Two things are included in that expression First the spring and Original of any book which gives it Authority and Secondly the design and end of it which renders it Canonical For the first it is required that it be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã given by immediate inspiration from God without this no book or writing can by any means any acceptation or approbation of the Church any usefulness any similitude of style manner of writing unto the books that are so any conformity in matter or doctrine to them have an interest in that Authority that should lay a foundation for its reception into the Canon It is the impress of the Authority of God himself on any writing or its proceeding immediately from him that is sufficient for this purpose Neither yet will this alone suffice to render any Revelation or writing absolutely Canonical in the sense explained There may be an especial Revelation from God or a writing by his inspiration like that sent by Elijah unto Jehoram the King of Judah 2 Chron. 21.12 which being referred only unto some particular occasion and having thence Authority for some especial end and purpose yet being not designed for a Rule of faith and obedience unto the Church may not belong unto the Canon of the Scripture But when unto the Original of divine inspiration this end also is added that it is designed by the Holy Ghost for the Catholick standing use and instruction of the Church Then any writing or book becomes absolutely and compleatly Canonical The Jews of latter Ages assign some difference among the books of the old Testament § 8 as to their spring and Original or manner of Revelation though they make none as to their being all Canonicall The Book of the Law they assign unto a peculiar manner of Revelation which they call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã mouth to mouth or face to face which they gather from Numbers 12.8 whereof afterwards Others of them they affirm to proceed from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or the gift of Prophesie whereof as they make many kinds or degrees taken from the different means used by God in the Application of himself unto them belonging to the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of divine Revelation mentioned by the Apostle Heb. 1.1 so they divide those books into two parts namely the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or former Prophets containing most of the historical Books after the end of the Law and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the latter prophets wherein they comprise the most of them peculiarly so called The Original of the remainder of them they ascribe unto ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or inspiration by the holy Ghost calling them peculiarly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã written by that inspiration as though the whole Canon and systeme of the books were not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Scripture or writing and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or divine inspiration the only means of their writing But they do herein as in many other things The distribution of the books of the old Testament into the Law
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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 Greâk 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã saith he ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 Român 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
by Eusebius That he was the most eminently learned and knowing person of the Roman or Latine Church in those dayes will I suppose not be greatly questioned Now to suppose that he knew not the customes opinions and practice of that Church but would suffer himself to be imposed on by a stranger destitute of those advantages which he had to come unto an unquestionable certainty in it is a very fond thing Besides he doth not any where speak as one that reported the words and Judgement of another but in three or four places expresly affirms it as of his own knowledge when at the same time in opposition thereunto he contends that it was received by all other Churches in the world and all Writers from the dayes of the Apostles § 15 Neither yet doth it appear from any thing delivered by Caius Hippolitus Eusebius or Hierome that the Latine Church did ever reject this Epistle Yea we shall find that many amongst them even in those dayes reckoned it unto the Canon of the Scripture and owned St. Paul as the Penman of it Eusebius himself acknowledges that Clemens useth sundry Testimonies out of it in his Epistle ad Corinthios And others also there were concurring with his judgement therein But these two things I allow on the testimonies insisted on 1. That sundry particular persons of note and esteem in the Roman Church owned not the Canonical authority of this Epistle as not esteeming it written by St. Paul 2. The Church it self had not before the dayes of Hierome made any publick Judgement about the Author or Authority of this Epistle nor given any Testimony unto them For it seems utterly impossible that if any such Judgement had passed or testimony been given that Hierome living in the midst of that Church should know nothing of it but so often affirm the contrary without haesitation And this undenyably evinceth the injustice of some mens pretensions that the Roman Church is the only proposer of Canonical Scripture and that upon the Authority of her proposal alone it is to be received Four hundred years were passed before she her self publickly received this Epistle or read it in her Assemblies so far was she from having proposed it unto others And yet all this while was it admitted and received by all other Churches in the world as Hierom testifies and that from the dayes of the Apostles whose judgement the Roman Church it self at length submitted unto No impeachment then of the Authority of this Epistle can be taken from this defect and inadvertency of the Roman Church it being convinced to be so by the concurrent suffrage and Testimony of all other Churches in the world from the dayes of the Apostle as we shall afterwards more fully declare Neither are the occasions of this haesitation of the Western Church obscure The Epistle was written it may be in Rome at least it was in some part of Italy Chap. 13.24 There no doubt it was seen and it may be Copied out before its sending by some who used to accompany the Apostle as Clemens who as we have shewed not long after mentioned divers things contained in it The Originall was without question speedily sent into Judea unto the Hebrews to whom it was written and directed as were all others of the Epistles of the same Apostle unto those Churches that were immediately intended and concerned in them That Copies of it were by them also communicated unto their Brethren in the East equally concerned in it with themselves cannot be doubted unless we will suppose them grosly negligent in their duty towards God and man which we have no reason to do But the Churches of the Hebrews living at that time and for some while after if not in a seperation yet in a distinction by reason of some peculiar observances from the Churches of the Gentiles especially those of the West they were not it may be very forward in communicating this Epistle unto them being written as they supposed about an especial concernment of their own By this means this Epistle seems to have been kept much within the Compass of the Churches of the Jews untill after the destruction of the Temple when by their dispersion and coalescency with other Churches in the East it came to be generally received amongst them and non solum ab Ecclesiis orientis sed ab omnibus retro Ecclesiis Graeci sermonis Scriptoribus as Hierom speaks But the Latin Church having lost that advantage of receiving it upon its first writing it may be also upon the consideration of the removall of its peculiar Argument upon the finall destruction of the whole Judaical Church and Worship was somewhat slow in their inquiry after it Those that succeeded in that Church it is not unlikely had their scruples increased because they found it not in common use amongst their Predecessors like to the rest of St. Pauls Epistles not considering the occasion thereof Add hereunto that by that time it had gradually made its progress in its return into the West where it was first written and attended with the Suffrage of all the Eastern Churches began to evince its own Authority sundry persons who were wrangling about peculiar opinions and practices of their own began to seek advantages from some expressions in it So did in particular the Novatians and the Donatists This might possibly increase the scruple amongst the Orthodox and make them wary in their admission of that Authority which they found pleaded against them And well was it for them that their opinions about which they disagreed with their Adversaries were according unto truth seeing it may justly be feared that some then would have made them their Rule and Standard in their reception or rejection of this Epistle for it was no new thing for the Orthodox themselves to make bold sometime with the Scripture if they supposed it to run cross unto their conceptions So Epiphanius informs us in Ancorat ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And also he wept for so it is read in the uncorrected Copies of the Gospell according to Luke and St. Irenaeus useth this Testimony in his Book against Heresies for their confutation who affirmed that Christ took flesh only in appearance but the Orthodox or Catholicks being afraid of the importance of that expression took away that word out of the Copies not understanding its use and sense So also Sixtus Sinensis after he hath informed us out of Hilary that many Orthodox persons denyed the story of our Saviours Agony and bloody Sweat adds of his own Suspicor à Catholicis sublatam esse pio sed simplici zelo quod favere videbatur Arianis I suspect that the Story was taken out of the Copies by some Catholicks out of a godly but simple zeal because it seemed to favour the Arians So great is the power of prejudice and so little occasions have men taken whom others have esteemed Orthodox and pious to make bold with that word whereby both we
to oppose its Canonical Authority with their frivolous Cavils and Objections Neither is this Experience meerly satisfactory to themselves alone as is by some pretended It is a thing pleadable and that not only in their own defence to strengthen their Faith against Temptations but to others also though not to Atheistical Scoffers yet to humble enquirers which ought to be the frame of all men in the Investigation of Sacred Truths § 34 Unto what hath been spoken we may add that the Canonical Authority of this Epistle is confirmed unto us by Catholick Tradition By this Tradition I intend not the Testimony only of the present Church that is in the world nor Fancy a trust of a Power to declare what is so in any Church whatever but a generall uninterrupted Fame conveyed and confirmed by particular Instances Records and Testimonies in all Ages In any other sense how little weight there is to be laid upon Traditions we have a pregnant instance in him who first began to magnifie them This was Papias a contemporary of Policarpus in the very next Age after the Apostles Tradition of what was done or said by Christ or the Apostles what Expositions they gave he professed himself to set an high value upon equal to if not above the Scripture And two things are considerable in his search after them First That he did not think that there was any Church appointed to be the Preserver and Declarer of Apostolical Traditions but made his enquiry of all the individual ancient men that he could meet withall who had conversed with any of the Apostles Secondly That by all his pains he gathered together a Rhapsody of incredible Stories Fables Errors and useless Curiosities Such issue will the endeavours of men have who forsake the stable Word of Prophesie to follow rumors and reports under the specious name of Traditions But this Catholick Fame whereof we speak confirmed by particular Entrances and Records in all Ages testifying unto a matter of Fact is of great importance And how clearly this may be pleaded in our present case shall be manifested in our Investigation of the Penman of this Epistle And thus I hope we have made it evident that this Epistle is not destitute of any one of those ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or infallible proofs and Arguments whereby any particular Book of the Scripture evinceth its self unto the Consciences of men to be written by Inspiration from God It remaineth now to shew that it is not liable unto any of those Exceptions or Arguments whereby any Book or Writing pretending a claim to a Divine Original and Canonical Authority thereupon may be convicted and manifested to be of another Extract whereby its just priviledge will be on both sides secured § 35 The first consideration of this nature is taken from the Author or Penman of any such Writing The Books of the Old Testament were all of them written by Prophets or holy men inspired of God Hence St. Peter calls the whole of it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Prophesie 2 Pet. 1.21 Prophesie delivered by men acted or moved therein by the Holy Ghost And though there be a distribution made of the several Books of it from the Subject Matter into the Law Prophets and Psalms Luke 24.44 and often into the Law and Prophets on the same account as Acts 26.2 Rom. 3.22 yet their Penmen being all equally Prophets the whole in general is ascribed unto them and called Prophesie Rom. 1.8 Chap. 16.26 Luke 24.25 2 Pet. 1.19 So were the Books of the New Testament written by Apostles or men endowed with an Apostolical Spirit and in their work equally inspired by the Holy Ghost whence the Church is said to be built on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Ephes. 2.20 If then the Author of any Writing acknowledgeth himself or may otherwise be convinced to have been neither Prophet nor Apostle nor endued with the same infallible Spirit with them his work how excellent soever other wayes it may appear must needs be esteemed a meer fruit of his own Skill Diligence and Wisdom and not any way to belong unto the Canon of the Scripture This is the condition for instance of the second Book of Maccabees In the close of it the Author being doubtful what acceptance his endeavours and manner of Writing would find amongst his Readers makes his excuse and affirms that he did his utmost to please them in his Style and Composition of his words So he tells us before Chap. 2. v. 24. that he did but Epitomize the History of Jason the Cyrenean wherein he took great pains and labour The truth is he that had before commended Judas Machabaeus for offering Sacrifices for the dead which indeed he did not but for the living no where appointed in the Law and affirmed that Jeremiah hid the holy Fire Ark Tabernacle and Altar of Incense in a Cave that the same person Antiochus was killed at Nanea in Persia Chap. 1. v. 16. and dyed in the Mountains of torments in his Bowels as he was coming to Judea Chap. 9. whom the first Book affirms to have dyed of sorrow at Babylon Chap. 6. v. 16. who affirms Judas to have written Letters to Aristobulus in the one hundred eighty eighth year of the Seleucian Empire who was slain in the one hundred fifty second year of it Lib. 1. Chap. 1.3 that is thirty six years after his death with many other such mistakes and falshoods had no great need to inform us that he had no special Divine Assistance in his Writing but leaned unto his own Understanding But yet this he doth as we shewed and that openly For the Holy Ghost will not be an Epitomator of a Profane Writing as he professeth himself to have been nor make excuses for his weakness nor declare his pains and Sweat in his Work as he doth And yet to that pass are things brought in the World by Custome Prejudice love of Reputation scorn to be esteemed mistaken in any thing that many earnestly contend for this Book to be written by Divine Inspiration when the Author of it himself openly professeth it to have been of another Extract For although this Book be not only rejected out of the Canon by the Council of Laodicea Hierom and others of the Antients but by Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome himself yet the Church of Rome would now by force thrust it thereinto But were the Author himself alive again I am so well perswaded of his Ingenuity and Honesty from the Conclusion of his Story that they would never be able to make him say that he wrote by Divine Inspiration and little reason then have we to believe it Now this Epistle is free from this Exception The Penman of it doth no where intimate directly or indirectly that he wrote in his own strength or by his own ability which yet if he had done in an Argument of that
Authority of Prophets and their being Prophets gave not Authority to the Word they declared or wrote as a Word of Prophesie Hence an anxious enquiry after the Penman of any part of the Scripture is not necessary But whereas there want not Evidences sufficient to discover who was the Writer of this Epistle whereby also the exceptions made unto its Divine Original may be finally obviated they also shall be taken into Consideration A Subject this is wherein many Learned Men of Old and of Late have exercised themselves until this single Argument is grown up into entire and large Treatises and I shall only take care that the Truth which hath been already strenuously asserted and vindicated may not again by this review be rendred dubious and questionable St. Paul it is by whom we affirm this Epistle to be written It is acknowledged that § 2 this was so highly questioned of Old that Origen after the examination of it concludes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã What is the very Truth in this matter God only knows However he acknowledgeth that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Antients owned it to be written by Paul and that he sayes not without good Reason whereas the ascription of it unto any other he assigns unto a bare report It may not then be expected that now after so long a season the Truth of our Assertion should be so manifestly evinced as to give absolute satisfaction unto all which is a vain thing for any man to aim at in a Subject wherein men suppose that they have a liberty of thinking what they please yet I doubt not but that it will appear not only highly probable but so full of Evidence in comparison of any other Opinion that is or hath been promoted in competition with it as that some kind of blameable pertinaciousness may be made to appear in its refusal Now the whole of what I shall offer in the proof of it may be reduced unto these six Heads 1. The manifest failure of all them who have endeavoured to assign it unto any other Penman 2. The insufficiency of the Arguments insisted on to disprove our Assertion 3. Testimony given unto it in other Scriptures 4. Considerations taken from the Writing it self compared with other acknowledged Writings of the same Author 5. The general suffrage of Antiquity or Ecclesiastical Tradition 6. Reasons taken from sundry Circumstances relating unto the Epistle its self Now as all these Evidences are not of the same nature nor of equal force so some of them will be found very cogent and all of them together very sufficient to free our Assertion from just Question or Exception First The Vncertainty of them who question whether Paul were the Writer of this § 3 Epistle and their want of probable grounds in assigning it unto any other hath some inducement in it to leave it unto him whose of Old it was esteemed to be For when once men began to take to themselves a liberty of Conjecture in this matter they could neither make an end themselves nor fix any bounds unto the imagination of others Having once lost its true Author no other could be asserted with any such evidence or indeed probability but that instantly twenty more with as good Grounds and Reasons might be entitled unto it Accordingly sundry Persons have been named all upon the same account that some thought good to name them and why should not one mans Authority in this matter be as good as anothers Origen in Eusebius affirms that some supposed Luke to have been the Author of § 4 this Epistle But neither doth he approve their Opinion nor mention what Reasons they pretend for it He adds also that some esteemed it to be written by Clemens of Rome Clemens of Alexandria allows St. Paul to be the Author of it but supposeth it might be Translated by Luke because as he saith the Style of it is not unlike that of his in the Acts of the Apostles Grotius of late contends for Luke to be the Author of it on the same account but the instances which he gives rather argue a Coincidence of some Words and Phrases than a similitude of Style which things are very different Hierom also tells us that juxta quosdam videtur esse Lucae Evangelistae by some it was thought to be written by Luke the Evangelist which he took from Clemens Origen and Eusebius only he mentions nothing of the similitude of Style with that of St. Luke but afterwards informs us that in his Judgement there is a great Conformity in Style between this Epistle and that of Clemens Romanus None of them acquaint us who were the Authors or Approvers of this Conjeciure nor do they give any credit themselves unto it Neither is there any Reason of this Opinion reported by them but only that intimated by Clemens of the Agreement of the Style with that of the Acts of the Apostles which yet is not allowed by Hierom whereon he doth not ascribe the Writing but only the Translation of it unto Luke Grotius alone contends for him to be the Author of it and that with this only Argument that sundry words are used in the same sense by St. Luke and the Writer of this Epistle But that this Observation is of no moment shall afterwards be declared This Opinion then may be well rejected as a groundless guess of an obscure unknown Original and not tolerably confirmed either by Testimony or Circumstances of things If we will forego a Perswasion established on so many important Considerations as we shall manifest this of St. Pauls being the Author of this Epistle to be and confirmed by so many Testimonies upon every arbitrary ungrounded Conjeciure we may be sure never to find rest in any thing that we are rightly perswaded of But I shall add one Consideration that will cast this Opinion of Grotius quite out of the limits of probability By general Consent this Epistle was written whilst James was yet alive and presided in the Church of the Hebrews at Jerusalem and I shall afterwards prove it so to have been What was his Authority as an Apostle what his Reputation in that Church is both known in general from the nature of his Office and in particular is intimated in the Scripture Acts 15.13 Gal. 2.9 These were the Hebrews whose instruction in this Epistle is principally intended and by their means that of their Brethren in the Eastern Dispersion of them Now is it Reason to imagine that any one who was not an Apostle but only a Scholar and Follower of them should be used to write unto that Church wherein so great an Apostle a Pillar among them had his especial Residence and did actually Preside and that in an Argument of such huge importance with Reasons against a practice wherein they were all ingaged yea that Apostle himself as appears Gal. 2.12 Were any one then alive of more esteem and Reputation in the Church than others certainly He
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
diligent Observer may find running through this and all his other Epistles But 3. That which under this Head I would press is the Consideration of the Spirit Genius ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and manner of Writing proceeding from them peculiar to this Apostle in all his Epistles Many things are required to enable any one to judge aright of this intimation He must as Bernard speaks drink of Pauls Spirit or be made partaker of the same Spirit with him in his measure who would understand his Writings Without this Spirit and his saving Light they are all obscure intricate sapless unsavoury when unto them in whom it is they are all sweet gracious in some measure open plain and powerful A great and constant exercise unto an acquaintance with his frame of Spirit in Writing is also necessary hereunto Unless a man have contracted as it were a familiarity by a constant conversation with him no Critical skill in Words or Phrases will render him a competent Judge in this matter This enabled Caesar to determine aright concerning any Writings of Cicero And he that is so acquainted with this Apostle will be able to discern his Spirit as Austin sayes his Mother Monica did divine Revelations nescio quo sapore by an inexpressable Spiritual savour Experience also of the power and efficacy of his Writings is hereunto required He whose heart is cast into the Mould of the Doctrine by him delivered will receive quick impressions from his Spirit exerting its self in any of his Writings He that is thus prepared will find that Heavenliness and perspicuity in unfolding the deepest Evangelical Mysteries that peculiar exaltation of Jesus Christ in his Person Office and Work that Spiritual persuasiveness that transcendent manner of Arguing and Reasoning that wise insinuation and pathetical pressing of well grounded Exhortations that Love Tenderness and Affection to the Souls of men that Zeal for God and Authority in Teaching which enliven and adorn all his other Epistles to shine in this in an eminent manner from the beginning to the End of it And this Consideration what ever may be the apprehensions of others concerning it is that which gives me satisfaction above all that are pleaded in this Cause in ascribing this Epistle to Paul The Testimony of the first Churches of whose Testimony any record is yet remaining § 26 with a successive Suffrage of the most Knowing Persons of following Ages may also be pleaded in this Cause Setting aside that limitation of this Testimony which with the grounds and occasions of it as to some in the Latin Church we have already granted and declared and this Witness will be acknowledged to be Catholick as to all other Churches in the World A Learned Man of late hath reckoned up and reported the Words of above thirty of the Greek Fathers and fifty of the Latin reporting this Primitive Tradition I shall not trouble the Reader with a Catalogue of their Names nor the Repetition of their Words and that because the whole of what in general we assert as to the Eastern Church is acknowledged Amongst them was this Epistle first made publick as they had far more advantages of discovering the Truth in this Matter of Fact than any in the Roman Church or that elsewhere followed them in after Ages could have Neither had they any thing but the Conviction and Evidence of Truth its self to induce them to embrace this Perswasion And he that shall consider the Condition of the first Churches under Persecution and what difficulties they met withal in Communicating those Apostolical Writings which were delivered unto any of them with that special Obstruction unto the spreading of this unto the Hebrews of which we have already discoursed cannot rationally otherwise conceive of it but as an eminent fruit of the Good Providence of God that it should so soon receive so publick an Attestation from the first Churches as it evidently appears to have done § 27 The Epistle it self several wayes discovers its Author Some of them we shall briefly recount 1. The General Argument and Scope of it declares it to be Pauls Hereof there are two parts 1. The Exaltation of the Person Office and Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with the Excellency of the Gospel and the Worship therein commanded revealed by him 2. A Discovery of the Nature Vse and Expiration of Mosaical Institutions their present Unprofitableness and ceasing of their obligation unto obedience The first part we may grant to have been equally the design of all the Apostles though we find it in a peculiar way insisted on in the Writings of Paul The latter was his special work and business This partly ex instituto partly occasionally from the opposition of the Jews was he ingaged in the promotion of all the world over The Apostles of the Circumcision according to the Wisdom given them and suitable to the nature of their work did more accommodate themselves to the prejudicate Opinion of the Jewish Professors and the rest of the Apostles had little occasion to deal with them or others on this subject Paul in an eminent manner in this work bare the burthen of that day Having well setled all other Churches who were troubled in this Controversie by some of the Jews he at last treats with themselves directly in this Epistle giving an account of what he had elsewhere Preached and taught to this purpose and the grounds that he proceeded upon and this not without great success as the burying of the Judaical Controversie not long after doth manifest 2. The Method of his proceedure is the same with that of his other Epistles which also was peculiar unto him Now this in most of them yea in all of them not regulated by some particular occasions is first to lay down the Doctrinal Mysteries of the Gospel vindicating them from Oppositions and Exceptions and then to descend to Exhortations unto Obedience deduced from them with an enumeration of such special Moral Duties as those unto whom he wrote stood in need to be minded of This is the general Method of his Epistles to the Romans Ephesians Colossians Philippians and the most of the rest And this also is observed in this Epistle Only whereas he had a special respect unto the Apostacy of some of the Hebrews occasioned by the Persecution which then began to grow high against them what ever Argument or Testimony in his passage gave him advantage to press an Exhortation unto constancy and to deterr them from back-sliding he layes hold upon it and diverts into practical Inferences unto that purpose before he comes to his general Exhortations towards the end of the Epistle Excepting this occasional difference the Method of this is the same with that used in the other Epistles of Paul and which was peculiarly his own 3. His Way of Argument in this and his other Epistles is the same Now this as we shall see is Sublime and Mystical accommodated rather to the Spiritual Reason of Believers
In the Volume of thy determination Aquila ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Roll. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Section LXX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I was willing to do thy will O my God Ver. 38. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã LXX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã But if any draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him From Habak 2. v. 4. The words of the Prophet are transposed and the beginning of the last clause much altered ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Behold it is lifted up his soul is not right in him but the sense and intendment of the Holy Ghost is preserved as shall be manifested CHAP. XII § 12 VEr 5 6. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is not in the LXX Heb. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã my Son ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã LXX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and in some Copies ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã from this place of the Apostle ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã My Son despise not thou chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth From Prov. 3. v. 12. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and as a Father the Son whom he delighteth in The sense is retained but the words not exactly repeated Aquila ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã reject not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Theodotion ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã neither vex thy self CHAP. XIII § 13 VEr 5. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I will not leave thee neither will I forsake thee From Joshuah 1. v. 5. The LXX in different words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I will not leave thee neither will I despise thee The Apostles words exactly express the Original Ver. 6. Is from Psalm 118. v. 6. without any difficulty attending it § 14 And these are all the places that are cited ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by the Apostle in this Epistle out of the Old Testament Very many others there are which he either alludes unto or expounds that are not of our present consideration Neither are these here proposed to be unfolded as to the sense of them or as to the removal of the difficulties that the Application of them by him is attended withall This is the proper work of the Exposition of the Epistle intended All at present aimed at is to present them in one view with their Agreement and Differences from the Original and Translations that we may the better judge of his manner of proceeding in the citing of them and what Rule he observed therein And what in general may be concluded from that prospect we have taken of them I shall offer in the ensuing Observations First It is evident that they are exceedingly mistaken who affirm that the Apostle cites § 15 all his Testimonies out of the Translation of the LXX as we intimated that it is by some pleaded in the close of the preceding Discourse The words he useth in very few of them agree exactly with that Greek Version of the Old Testament which is now extant though apparently since the writing of this Epistle it hath grown in its Verball conformity unto the Allegations as reported in the New And in most of them he varieth from it either in the use of his own Liberty or in a more exact rendring of the Original Text. This the first prospect of the places and words compared will evince Should he have had any respect unto that Translation it were impossible to give any tolerable account whence he should so much differ from it almost in every quotation as is plain that he doth It is also undeniably manifest from this view of his words that the Apostle did not § 16 scrupulously confine himself unto the precise words either of the Original or any Translation whatever if any other Translation or Targum were then extant besides that of the LXX Observing and expressing the sense of the Testimonies which he thought meet to produce and make use of he used great Liberty as did other holy Writers of the New Testament according to the guidance of the Holy Ghost by whose inspiration he wrote in expressing them by words of his own And who shall blame him for so doing Who should bind him to the Rules of Quotations which sometimes Necessity sometimes Curiosity sometimes the Cavils of other men impose upon us in our Writings Herein the Apostle used that Liberty which the Holy Ghost gave unto him without the least prejudice unto Truth or the Faith of the Church Whereas any of thâse Testimonies or any part of any one of them may appear at § 17 first view to be applyed by him unsuitably unto their Original importance and intention we shall manifest not only the contrary to be true against those who have made such Exceptions but also that he makes use of those which were most proper and cogent with respect unto them with whom he had to do For the Apostle in this Epistle as shall be fully evidenced disputes upon the acknowledged Principles and Concessions of the Hebrews It was then incumbent on him to make use of such Testimonies as were granted in their Church to belong unto the ends and purposes for which by him they were produced And that these are such shall be evinced from their own antient Writings and Traditions The Principal difficulty about these Citations lyes in those wherein the words of the § 18 Apostle are the same with those now extant in the Greek Bibles both evidently departing from the Original Three places of this kind are principally vexed by Expositors and Criticks The first in that of Psalm 40. v. 7. where the words of the Psalmist in the Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã my ears hast thou bored or digged are rendred by the Apostle according to the Translation of the LXX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but a Body hast thou prepared me That the Apostle doth rightly interpret the meaning of the Holy Ghost in the Psalm and in his Paraphrase apply the words unto that very end for which they were intended shall be cleared afterwards The present difficulty concerns the Coincidence of his words with those of the LXX where apparently they answer not the Original The next is that of the Prophet Jer. 31.34 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and I was an husband unto them or I was a Lord unto them or ruled over them as the Vulgar Latin renders the words The Apostle with the LXX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and I regarded them not or despised them The third is that from Habak 2.4 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã behold it is listed up his soul is not right in him which words the Apostle with the LXX render ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã But if any draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Concerning these and some other places many confidently affirm that the Apostle § 19 waved the Original and reported the words from the Translation of the LXX Capellus with some others proceed
offence unto them with whom he had to do It appears then that from hence no light can be given unto our enquiry after the Language wherein this Epistle was Originally written though it be clear enough upon other Considerations Exercitatio VI. Oneness of the Church Mistake of the Jews about the Nature of the Promises Promise of the Messiah the Foundation of the Church But as including the Covenant The Church confined unto the Person and Posterity of Abraham His Call and Separation for a double End Who properly the Seed of Abraham Mistakes of the Jews about the Covenant Abraham the Father of the faithful and Heir of the world on what account The Church still the same § 1 THe Jews at the Time of writing this Epistle and their posterity in all succeeding Generations follow their Example and Tradition were not a little confirmed in their obstinacy and unbelief by a misapprehension of the true sense and nature of the Promises of the Old Testament For whereas they found many glorious Promises made unto the Church in the dayes of the Messiah especially concerning the great access of the Gentiles unto it they looked upon themselves the posterity of Abraham on the account of their being his children according to the flesh as the first proper and indeed only subject of them unto whom in their accomplishment others were to be proselyted and joyned the substance and foundation of the Church remaining still with them But the Event answered not their expectation Instead of inheriting all the Promises meerly upon their carnal interest and priviledge which they looked for and continue so to do unto this day they found that themselves must come in on a new account to be sharers in them in common with others or be rejected whilest those others were admitted unto the inheritance This filled them with wrath and envy which greatly added to the strengthening of their Unbelief They could not bear with patience an intimation of letting out the Vineyard to other Husbandmen With this Principle and Prejudice of theirs the Apostle dealt directly in his Epistle to the Romans Chap. 9 10 11. On the same grounds he proceedeth with them in this Epistle And because his Answer to their Objection from the Promises lyes at the foundation of many of his reasonings with them the nature of it must be here previously explained Not that I shall here enter into a consideration of the Jews Argument to prove the Messiah not yet to be come because the Promises in their sense of them are not yet accomplished which shall be fully removed in the Close of these Discourses but only as I said open the nature in general of that Answer which our Apostle returns unto them and builds his Reasonings with them upon § 2 We shall have occasion afterwards at large to shew how after the entrance of sin God founded his Church in the Promise of the Messiah given unto Adam Now though that Promise was the supportment and incouragement of mankind to seek the Lord a Promise absolutely considered proceeding from meer Grace and Mercy yet as it was the foundation of the Church it included in it the nature of a Covenant vertually requiring a re-stipulation unto obedience in them who by faith come to have an interest therein And this the nature of the thing its self required for the Promise was given unto this end and purpose that men might have a new bottom and Foundation of Obedience that of the first Covenant being disannulled Hence in the following Explications of the Promise this condition of Obedience is expresly added So upon its renewall unto Abraham God required that he should walk before him and be upright This Promise then as it hath the nature of a Covenant including the Grace that God would shew unto sinners in the Messiah and the Obedience that he required from them was from the the first giving of it the foundation of the Church and the whole Worship of God therein Unto this Church so founded and built on this Covenant and by the means thereof the Redeeming Mediatory Seed promised therein were all the following Promises and the Priviledges exhibited in them given and annexed Neither hath or ever had any individual Person any Spiritual right unto or interest in any of those Promises or Priviledges whatever his outward condition were but only by vertue of his Membership in the Church built on the Covenant whereunto as we said they do all appertain On this account the Church before the dayes of Abraham though scattered up and down in the world and subject unto many changes in its worship by the addition of New Revelations was still but one and the same because founded in the same Covenant and intrusted thereby in all the Benefits or Priviledges that God had given or granted or would do so at any time unto his Church In process of time God was pleased to confine this Church as unto the ordinary visible § 3 dispensation of his Grace unto the Person and Posterity of Abraham Upon this restriction of the Church Covenant and Promise the Jews of old mannaged a Plea in their own Justification against the Doctrine of the Lord Christ and his Apostles We are the children the seed of Abraham was their continual cry on the account whereof they presumed that all the Promises belonged unto them and upon the matter unto them alone And this their perswasion hath cast them as we shall see upon a woful and fatal mistake Two Priviledges did God grant unto Abraham upon his Separation to a special interest in the Old Promise and Covenant First That according to the flesh he should be the Father of the Messiah the promised seed who was the very Life of the Covenant the Fountain and Cause of all the Blessings contained in it That this Priviledge was temporary having a limited season time and end appointed unto it the very nature of the thing it self doth demonstrate For upon this actual Exhibition in the flesh it was to cease In pursuit hereof were his posterity separated from the rest of the world and preserved a peculiar people that through them the promised seed might be brought forth in the fulness of time and be of them according unto the flesh Rom. 9.5 Secondly Together with this he had also another Priviledge granted unto him namely that his faith whereby he was personally interested in the Covenant should be the Pattern of the faith of the Church in all generations and that none should ever come to be a member of it or a sharer in its Blessings but by the same faith that he had fixed on the seed that was in the Promise to be brought forth from him in the world On the account of this Priviledge he became the Father of all them that do believe For they that are of the faith the same are the children of Abraham Gal. 3.7 Rom. 4.11 as also Heirs of the World Rom. 4.13 in that all that should believe
almost all the eminent kinds of Revelation whereby themselves would distinguish the Spirit of Prophesie from the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost Neither have they any Reason for this distribution but finding the general division before mentioned to have been received in the Church of old they have disposed of the particular Books into their orders at their pleasure casting Daniel as is probable into their last order because so many of his Visions and Prophesies relate unto other Nations besides their own The Law or the Books of Moses they call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or the Pentateuch from the number of the Books or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the fives or the five parts of the Law whereunto Hierom in his Epistle to Paulinus wrests those words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.19 I had rather speak ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã five words in the Church as if he had respect to the Law of Moses These five Books they divide into Paraschae or Sections whereof they read one each Sabbath day in their Synagogues Genesis into twelve Exodus into eleven Leviticus into ten Numbers into ten Deuteronomy into ten which all make fifty-three whereby reading one each day and two in one day they read through the whole in the course of a year beginning at the Feast of Tabernacles And this they did of old as James testifies Acts 15.21 For Moses of Old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Some of them make fifty four of these Sections dividing the last of Genesis into two beginning the latter at Chap. 47. v. 18. constituting the following Chapter in a distinct Section though it have not the usual note of them prefixed unto it but only one single Samech to note as they say its being absolutely closed or shut up on the account of the Prophesie of the coming of the Messiah Chap. 49. whose season is unknown to them They also divide it into lesser Sections and those of two sorts open and close which § 3 have their distinct marks in their Bibles and many superstitious Observations they have about the beginning and ending of them Of the first sort there are in Gen. 43. of the latter 48. In Exodus of the first sort 69. of the latter 95. In Leviticus of the first sort 52. of the Latter 46. In Numbers of the first 92. of the latter 66. Deuteronomy of the first sort 34. of the latter 379. in all 669. Besides they observe the number of the Verses at the end of every Book as also that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Levit. 11.42 is the middle letter of the Law ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Lev. 10 16. the middle word Levit. 13.33 the middle Verse the number of all which through the Law is 23206. Moreover they divide the Law or five Books of Moses into 153. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Sedarim or Distinctions whereof Genesis contains 42. Exodus 29. Leviticus 23. Numbers 32. Deuteronomy 27. which kind of Distinctions they also observe throughout the Scripture assigning unto Joshuah 14. Judges 14. Samuel 34. Kings 35. Isaiah 26. Jeremiah 31. Ezekiel 29. the Lesser Prophets 21. Psalms 19. Job 8. Proverbs 8. Ecclesiastes 4. Canticles and Lamentations are not divided Daniel 7. Ester 7. Ezra and Nehemiah 10. Chronicles 25. Besides they distribute the Prophets into Sections called Haphters that answer the Sections which are read every Sabbath day in their Synagogues And this Division of the Prophets they affirm to have been made in the dayes of Antiochus Epiphanes whom they call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that wicked one when the reading of the Law was prohibited unto them All which things are handled at large by others Having for a long season lost the Promise of the Spirit and therewith all saving § 4 spiritual Knowledge of the mind and will of God in the Scripture the best of their employment about it hath been in reference to the Words and Letters of it wherein their diligence hath been of use in the preservation of the Copies of it entire and free from corruption For after that the Canon of the Old Testament was compleated in the dayes of Ezra and Points or Vowels added to the Letters to preserve the Knowledge of the Tongue and facilitate the right Reading and Learning of it it is incredible what industry diligence and curiosity they have used in and about the Letter of the whole Scripture The collection of their pains and Observations to this purpose is called the Massora or Messara consisting in Criticall Observations upon the words and letters of the Scripture begun to be collected of old even it may be from the dayes of Ezra and continued untill the time of Composing the Talmud with some additional Observations since annexed unto it The Writers Composers and Gatherers of this work they call ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã whose principal Observations were gathered and published by Rabbi Jacob Chaiim and annexed to the Venetian Bibles whereas before the Massora was written in other Books innumerable In this their Critical Doctrine they give us the number of the Verses of the Scripture as also how often every Word is used in the whole and with what variety as to Letters and Vowels what is the whole number of all the Letters in the Bible and how often each Letter is severally used with innumerable other useful Observations the summ whereof is gathered by Buxtorfe in his excellent Treatise on that subject And herein is the knowledge of their Masters bounded they go not beyond the Letter but are more blind than Moles in the Spiritual sense of it And thus they continue an example of the righteous Judgement of God in giving them up to the Counsells of their own hearts and an evident instance how unable the Letter of the Scripture is to furnish men with the saving knowledge of the Will of God who enjoy not the Spirit promised in the same Covenant to the Church of the Elect Isa 59.21 § 5 Unto that ignorance of the mind of God in the Scripture which is spread over them they have added another prejudice against the Truth in a strange Figment of an Orall Law which they make equall unto yea in many things prefer before that which is written The Scripture becoming a lifeless Letter unto them the true understanding of the mind of God being utterly departed and hid from them it was impossible that they should rest therein or content themselves with what is revealed by it For as the word whilest it is enjoyed and used according to the mind of God and is accompanied with that Spirit which is promised to lead them that believe into all Truth is full of sweetness and life to the souls of men a perfect Rule of walking before God and that which satiates them with wisdom and knowledge so when it is enjoyed meerly on an outward account as such a writing without any dispensation of suitable Light
opposition to the Gospel and Doctrine thereof And unto these as was said such others shall be added as their Chiefest Masters do yet acknowledge directly to intend him § 3 The first of this sort that occurs is the First Promise before insisted on and vindicated Gen. 3.15 It the seed of the Woman shall bruise thy Head the Head of the Serpent Mention is made here expresly of the Messiah in the Targums of Jonathan and Hierusalem and this Promise applyed unto him after their manner The seed of the Woman shall bruise the head of the Serpent and they shall obtain ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã healing or a Plaister for the Heel the hurt received by the Serpent in the dayes of Messiah the King so Jonathan and Targ. Hierusal useth words to the same Purpose Both of them expresly refer the Promise to the dayes of the Messiah that is to himself or the work that he was to do whence they insert his name into the Text. And this is perfectly destructive unto the present pretensions of the Jews The work here assigned unto him of recovering the Evil of sin and misery brought on the world through the Temptation of the Serpent is that wherewith they would have him to have nothing to do Besides his suffering is intimated in the foregoing Expression that the Serpent should bruise his heel which they much desire to free their Messiah from But that which principally lyes against them in this Testimony is that whereas they appropriate the Promise of the Messiah unto themselves and make the Doctrine concerning him to belong unto the Law of Moses whereof say some those that follow Maimonides it is one of the Fundamentals others as Josephus Albo that it is a branch of the Fundamentall concerning Rewards and Punishments it is here given out by the Testimony of their Targums unto the Pââterity of Adam indefinitely two thousand years before the Call and Separation of Abraham from whom they pretend to derive their Priviledge and much longer before the giving of their Law whereof they would have it to be a part which is diligently to be heeded against them § 4 Concerning the Promises made unto Abraham we have spoken before the next mention in the Targum of the Messiah is on Gen 35. v. 21. where occasion is taken to bring him into the Text. For unto those words and Israel journyed and spread his Tent ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã unto or beyond the Tower of Edar Jonathan adds ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Which is the place from whence the King Messiah shall be revealed in the end of the dayes And this Tradition is taken from Micah 4. v. 8. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And thou Tower of Edar or of the flock unto thee shall it come the first Dominion Now this Tower of Edar was a place in or near to Bethlehem as is manifest from the place in Genesis For whereas Jacob is said to stay at Ephrah that is Bethlehem where he set up a Pillar on the Grave of Rachel v. 19 20. upon his next removal he spread his Tent beyond the Tower of Edar which must therefore needs be a place near unto Bethlehem and the Prophet assigning the rise of the Kingdom of the Messiah unto that Place because he was to be born at Bethlehem the Paraphrast took occasion to make mention of him here where that place is first spoken of declaring their expectation of his being born there which accordingly was long before come to pass § 5 Gen 49. v. 1. And Jacob called unto his Sons and said Gather your selves together that I may tell you what shall befall you ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the latter dayes or the last days or end of the Days Jonathan Paraphraseth on these words after that or although the Glory of the Divine Majesty was revealed unto him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the time that is the express time wherein the King Messias was to come was hid from him and therefore he said come and I will declare unto you what shall befall you in the End of the dayes This expression of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the End or last of the dayes is an usual Periphrasis of the dayes of the Messiah in the Old Testament To that purpose it is used Numb 24. v. 14. Deut. 4. v. 30. Isa. 2. v. 2. Hos. 3. v. 5. Micah 4.1 and our Apostle expresly refers unto it Heb. 1.1 Now whereas this Expression denotes no certain season of time but only indefinitely directs to the last dayes of the Posterity of Jacob continuing a distinct Church and people for those Ends for which they were originally separated from all others and this being the first place wherein it is used and which all the rest refer unto the Paraphrast here took occasion both to mention the Messiah of whose time of coming this was to be the constant description as also to intimate the Reason of the frequent use of this Expression which was because the precise time of his coming was hidden even from the best of the Prophets unto whom the Glory of the Divine Majesty was in other things revealed Besides the ensuing Predictions in the Chapter do sufficiently secure his application of the dayes mentioned unto the time of the Messiah Gen. 49. v. 10. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã untill Shiloh come All the three Targums agree in § 6 the Application of these words unto the Messiah Onfelos ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã untill Messiah comes Jonathan and Hierusalem use the same words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã unto the time wherein the King Messiah shall come An illustrious Prophesie this is concerning him the first that limits the time of his coming with an express circumstance and which must therefore afterwards be at large insisted on At present it may suffice to remark the suffrage of these Targums against the perversness of their later Masters who contend by all Artifices imaginable to pervert this Text unto other purposes who are therefore to be pressed with the Authority of the Targumists which with none of their cavilling exceptions they can evade The following words also v. 11 12. are applied by Jonathan unto the Messiah in the pursuit of the former Prediction and that not unfitly as hath been shewed by others already See Aynswârth on the plâce Exod. 12. v. 42. It is a night much to be observed Hierusal Targ. This is the fourth § 7 night it had mentioned three before when the End of this present world shall be accomplishâd to be dissâlved and the Cords of impiety shall be wasted and the Iron Yoke shall be broken that is the people of God shall be delivered whereunto is added ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Mâsâs shall come forth from the middâât of the Wilderness and the King Messiah from the middest of Rome That of the Messiah coming out of Rome is Talmudical depending on a Fable which we shall afterwards give an account of And we may here once for all observe that although
shall bring gifts to the King Messiah referring the Psalm to his dayes and work The same Exposition is given of the place in Midrash Esther cap. 1. v. 1. and by R. Obodia Haggaon on the Place § 24 Psal. 72. v. 1. Give the King thy Judgements O God Targ. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Give the sentence of thy Judgement unto the King Messiah And herein they generally agree Midrash on the Title ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This is the King Messiah as it is said a Rod shall come forth from the stemm of Jesse Isa. 11. v. 1. And Aben Ezra on the same Title ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã A Prophecy of David or of one of the Singers concerning Solomon or concerning the Mâssiah And Kimâhi acknowledgeth that this Psalm is expounded by many of them concerning the Messiah Rashi applies it unto Solomon as a Prayer of David for him whereof he gives this as the occasion ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã He Prayed this Prayer for his Son Solomon because he saw by the Holy Ghost that he would ask of God an heart to understand and keep or do Judgement And although he endeavours vainly to apply v. 5. unto his dayes They shall fear thee as long as the Sun and Moon endure and v. 7. In his dayes shall the Righteous flourish and abundance of Peace ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã untill there be no Moon yet when he cometh unto those words v. 16. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã there shall be an handfull of Corn in the Earth he adds Our Masters interpret this of the Cates or Dainties in the Dayes of the Mâssiâh and expound the whole Psalm concerning Messiah the King And this he was enforced unto lest he should appear too openly to contradict the Talmudists who frequently apply this Psalm unto him and have long Discourses about some passages in it especially this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã v. 16. and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã v. 17. which are much insisted on by Martinus Raymundus Petrus Galatinus and others The vulgar Latin for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã reads erit Firmamentum in terra which I should suppose to be corrupted from frumântum but that the LXX who are followed also by other Translations as the Arabick and Aethiopick read ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã firmamentum And this some think to be corrupted from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an handfull of Corn which is very probable Neither is the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã any where else used in the Scripture and may as well have something forreign in it as come from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã So also v. 17. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is no where else used for sobolescet or pliabit as it is here rendered from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Son which is but thrice used in that signification Gen. 21. v. 23. by a Philistin and Job 18. v. 19. by an Arabian and Isa. 14. v. 22. concerning a Son among the Chaldaeans which argue it to be a forreign word being properly used in a Prophesie of the calling of the Gentiles as this is so in the same subject it is said ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Chasmannim shall come to the Messiah Psal. 68.32 which we render Princes and it may be such were intended but the word seems to be Aegyptian for Hebrew it is not though afterwards used among the Jews whence the family of Mattathias were called Hasmoneans But to return it is evident that in this Psalm much light was communicated unto the Church of old into the Office Work Grace Compassion and rule of the Messiah with the Calling and glorious access of the Gentiles unto him There is mention likewise made of him in the Targum on Psalm 8. v. 16. The vineyard § 25 which thy right hand hath planted ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and on the branch thou hast made strong for thy self so our Translation but all Old Translations as the LXX vulgar Latin Syriacâ interpret ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not in Analogie unto the preceding Allegory of the Vine but from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã v. 18. and render it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Super filium hominis and upon the Son of man whom thou madest strong for thy self Targum ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and for the King Messiah whom thou hast strengthened or fortified for thy self And we know how signally in the Gospel he calls himself the Son of man and among other names ascribed unto him the Talmudists say he is called jinnân from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Son And v. 18. he is expresly called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Son of man whom thou madest strong for thy self And hereunto doth Aben Ezra refer the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the foregoing Verse And for that expression ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã let thy hand be upon the man of thy Right hand he observes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã when ever Jad the hand that is the hand of God hath Beth following it it is for reproach or punishment unto them whom it respects as Exod. 9. v. 3. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Behold the hand of the Lord is upon thy Cattel that is for their destruction And ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã if Beth follow not it is for praise or help as Psalm 119. v. 173. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã let thine hand help me or be for my help So that the words are a prayer for the Son of man And as our Lord Christ was the Son of man so he was the true Vine whereof the Father is the Husbandman and his Disciples the branches John 15. v. 1 2 3 4 5. And he himself also was called out of Aegypt Matth. 2. v. 15. as was the Vine spoken of in this Psalm so that he who is afflicted in all the afflictions of his People is principally intended in this Prophetical Psalm Aben Ezra would have the Son of man to be Israel but not seeing how well it can be accommodated unto them he adds the words may respect Messiah Ben Ephraim an Idol of their own setting up But the Targum acknowledgeth the true Messiah here For whose sake the Church is blessed and by whom it is delivered The 110th Psalm is a signal Prophesie of him describing his Person Kingdom § 26 Priesthood and the work of Redemption wrought by him But whereas sundry things in this Psalm are interpreted and applied unto the Lord Christ by our Apostle in his Epistle unto the Hebrews where they fall directly under our consideration I shall here only briefly reflect on some of their own confessions although it be a signal declaration of the faith of the Church of old scarcely to be parallel'd in any other place The later Masters indeed observing how directly and openly this Psalm is applied unto the Lord Christ in the New Testament and how plainly all the Passages of it are accommodated unto the Faith of Christians concerning the Messiah his Office and Work do endeavour their utmost to wrest it unto any other as shall elsewhere be manifested Yea
like him ought to be interpreted not as though none should ever be like him but that none should be like him as to some particular quâlity or accident or that in all the space of time wherein the Prophets followed him until Prophecy ceased none should be like unto Moses but hereafter there shall be one like him or rather greater then he This is that which we affirmed before in the whole Series of Prophets that succeeded in that Church building on Moses foundation there was none like unto him but the Prophet here promised was to be so and in other regards as appears from other Testimonies far greater then he This was of old their common faith from this prediction of Moses And wherein this likeness was to consist our Apostle declares at large in his third chapter Moses was the great Law-giver by whom God revealed his mind and will as to his whole Worship whilst the Church State instituted by him was to continue Such a Prophet was the Messiah to be a Law-giver so as to abolish the old and to institute new Rites of Worship as we shall afterwards more fully prove and confirm 4. This raising up of a Prophet like unto Moses declares that the whole will of God as to his Worship and the Churches obedience was not yet revealed Had it so been there would have been no need of a Prophet like unto Moses to lay new foundations as he had done Those who succeeded building on what he had fixed and therefore said not to be like unto him would have sufficed But there are new counsels of the Will of God as yet hid to be finally and fully revealed by this Prophet And after his work is done there is no intimation of any further Revelation to ensue 5. The presence of God with this Prophet in his work is set down He would put his word into his mouth or speak in him as our Apostle expresseth the same matter chap. 1. v. 1. And lastly his Ministry is further described from the Event with respect unto them who would not submit unto his Authority nor receive the Law of God at his mouth God would require it at their hands that is as those words are interpreted by Peter they should be cut off from among his people or from being so And this signal Commination in the accomplishment of it gives light unto the whole praediction Some of the Jews from these words have fancied unto themselves another great Prophet whom they expect as they did of old before the coming of the Messiah So in their dealing with John the Baptist they asked him whetheââe was Elias which he denied because though he were promised under that name yet he was not that individual person whom they looked for that is the soul of Elias the Tishbite as Kimchi tells us with a body new created like unto the former Wherein they further demand whether he were ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Prophet promised by Moses which he also denies because that Prophet was no other then the Messiah Joh. 1.21 To this purpose also is it that the Spirit of the Lord is promised to rest upon the Messiah Isa. 11.3 to make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord that he might not judge after the sight of his eyes c. v. 3 4 5. So also cap. 61.1 2. And from this great Prophet were the Isles of the Gentiles to receive the Law chap. 42.1 2. The summ of all is the Messiah was to be a Prophet a Prophet like unto Moses that is a Law-giver one that should finally and perfectly reveal the whole will and counsel of God all with that Authority that whosoever refused to obey him should be exterminated and cast out from the priviledge of being reckoned among the people of God § 36 We are then in the next place to consider the Accomplishment of this promise in the person of Jesus of Nazareth Now this the story of him and the event do abundantly testifie that he was a Prophet and so esteemed by the Jews themselves until through the envy of the Scribes and Pharisees and their own unwillingness to admit of the purity and holiness of his Doctrine they were stirred up to oppose and persecute him as they had done all other Prophets who in their several Generations foretold his coming is evident from the records of the Evangelical story see Joh. 1.46 chap. 6.17 Act. 3.22 23. Their present obstinate denial hereof is a meer contrivance to justifie themselves in their rejection and murder of him But this is not all he was not only a Prophet in general but he was that Prophet who was foretold by Moses and all the Prophets who built on his foundation who was to put the last hand unto divine Revelations in a full declaration of the wâole counsel of God the peculiar work of the Messiah and this we shall evince in the ensuing considerations of his Doctrine and Prophesie with the success and event of them First The Nature of the Doctrine taught by this Prophet gives Testimony unto our § 37 assertion Whatever Characters of that Truth which is holy and heavânly can rationally be conceived or apprehended thây are all eminently and incomparably imprinted on the Doctrine of Jesus Christ. Whatever tends to the glory of God as the first Cause and last End of all things as the only Soveraign Ruler Judge and disposer of all as the only infinitely holy wise righteous good gracious merciful powerful faithful independent Being is clearly evidently and in a heaveâly manner revealed therein Whaâever is usâful or suitable to excite and improve all that is of good in man in the nâtiâns of his mind or inclinations of his will to discover his wants and defects that he may not âxalt himself in his own imagânation abovâ hâs state and condition whatever is needful to reveal unto him his End or his Way hâs Happiness or the Means conducing thereunto whatever may bring him into a dâe subjection unto God and subordination unto his Glory whatever mây teâch him to be usâful in all those Relations wherein he may be cast within the bounds and compass of the moral principles of his nature as a creature made for society wâatever is useful the deterr him from and sâppress in him every thing that is evil even in those hidden seeds and Embrios of it which lye beneath the first instances that Reason can reach unto to discovery of and that in an absolute universality without thâ lâast indulgence on any pretence whatever and to stâr him up provoke him unto and direct him in the practice of whatever thing is true honest just pure lovely of good report that is virtuous or praise-worthy that may begin bound guide limit finish and perfâct the whole Systeme of moral actions in him in relation unto God himself and others it is all revealed confirmed and ratified in the Doctrine of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It hath-stood upon its
Jesus of Nazareth setting aside that knowledge and worship of God which was in Judea a little corner of the earth and that also by their own confession then horribly defiled and profaned the whole world especially the greatest and most potent and flourishing Nations of it in particular the whole Roman Empire especially concerned in these predictions was utterly ignorant of the true God and engaged in the Worship of Idols and Devils and that from time immemorial 2. That although the Jews had taken great pains and compassed Sea and Land to make Proselytes yet they were very few and those very obscure persons whom they could at any time or in any place prevail withall to receive the knowledge or give up themselves unto the Worship of the God of Israel of converting People or Nations unto his obedience they now entertained the least hopes 3. It is manifest to all the world that not only upon the coming of Jesus but also by vertue of his Law and Doctrine all the Old Idolatry of the world was destroyed and that whole fabrick of Superstition which Satan had been so many Ages engaged in the erection of was cast to the ground and those Gods of the Earth which the Nations worshipped utterly famished Hence it is come to pass at this day that no People or Nation under Heaven doth continue to worship those Gods which the Old Empires of the World adored as their Deities and in whose service they waged War against the God of Israel and his people And all that knowledge that is at this day in the world of one true living God and the reception of the God of Israel for that true God however abused as it is by some Mahumetans and others it did all originally proceed from the Doctrine of Jesus Christ whom these ungrateful people hate and persecute Had it not been for him and his Gospel the true God the God of their fore-fathers had been no more owned in the world at this day then he was at his coming in the flesh and yet these poor blinded creatures can see no glory in him or in his Ministry 4. The Lord Jesus Christ by his Spirit and Word did not only destroy Idolatry and false Worship in the world but also brought the greatest and most potent Nations of it to the Knowledge of God that in comparison of what was past it covered the earth as the Waters cover the Seas This the Jews saw and repined at in the flourishing times of the Roman Empire when the Lord was one and his Name was one in the whole earth as that Expression is used in the Scripture 5. The Way whereby this Knowledge and Worship of the true God was dispersed over the face of the earth and spread its self like an mundation of saving waters over the world was by such a secret energy of the spirit of Christ accompanying his Word and the Ministration of it that it wholly differed from that operous burdensome and for the most part ineffectual way of teaching which was used by the Priests Levites and Scribes of old there being much more of the efficacy of Grace then of the pains of the Teachers seen in the Effects wrought and produced according to the Words of the Promise Jerem. 31.34 6. In this diffusion of the knowledge of God there was way made for the Union Agreement and joint Consent in Worship of those that should receive it For both the partition wall between Jews and Gentiles was removed and both people did actually coalesce into one body worshipping God with one lip and shoulder and also an holy and plain way of spirituall Worship was prescribed unto all that should or did embrace the Law of the Messiah 7. Notwithstanding all that hath been already accomplished yet there is still room and time left and remaining for the further accomplishment of these predictions so that before the close of the Kingdom of the Messiah not one Tittle of them shall fall to the ground And thus also the open Event known to all the world doth manifest the due and full accomplishment of these Promises making it unquestionable that the Messiah is long since come and hath fulfilled the work that he was designed of old unto Neither are the Exceptions of the Jews of any force to invalidate our Application § 19 of these Promises Two things they object unto us First the Idolatry that is yet in the world especially among Christians Secondly The differences in Religion that every where abound amongst men For 1. We have shewed already that these and the like Predictions are to have a gradual accomplishment not all at once in every place It is sufficient that there is an everlasting foundation laid for the destruction of all false Worship which having had a conspicuous and glorious Effect in the most eminent Nations of the world sufficient to answer the intention of the Prophecy shall yet further in the appointed seasons root out the remainder of all superstition and Apostacy from God 2. For what concerns Christians themselves it cannot be denyed but that many who are so called have corrupted themselves and contracted the guilt of that horrible iniquity which they charge upon them But this being the crime and guilt of some certain Persons and not of the whole society of the Professors of Christianity ought not to be objected unto them And I desire to know by what means the Jews suppose that themselves and the Nations of the world shall be kept from Idolatry and false Worship in the dayes of their Messiah if it be because their Messiah shall give such a perfect Law and such full instructions in the mind and will of God that all men may clearly know their duty we say that this is already done in the highest degree of perfection that is conceivable but what if notwithstanding this men will follow their own vain reasonings and imaginations and fall from the rule of their obedience into Will-worship and Superstition what remedy have they provided against such backsliding if they have none but only the pressing upon them their duty to the Law Word and Institutions of God we have the same and do make use of it to the same end and purpose If they shall say that their Messiah will kill them and slay them with the sword we confess that ours is not of that mind and desire them to take heed least in the room of the holy humble merciful Kings promised the Church they look for and desire a bloody Tyrant that should exercise force over the minds of men and execute their revenge and lusts on those whom they like not 3. This Apostacy of some Professors of Christianity into false Worship Idolatry and Persecution is foretold obscurely in the Writings of the Old Testament it self but most plainly in those of the Gospel or Revelations made by the Lord Christ unto his Apostles concerning the state of the Church unto the end of the world so that from thence
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 yeârs 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã âetween 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã between the two evenings ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã between the two Suns So they express themselves in Talmud Hieros Berach cap. 1. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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
ãâã in the first appearance and dawning of light at which time the preparation for the promulgation of the Law began § 31 The place they came unto is called the Wilderness of Sinai v. 2. and so was the Mountain also it self whereon the glorious Majesty of God appeared v. 20. it was also called Horeb Exod. 3.1 He came to the Mountain of God even to Horeb where they were to serve God v. 12. and it was on this account afterwards called Horeb the Mount of God 1 Kings 19.8 And the whole Wilderness was termed the Wilderness of Horeb Deut. 1. It is therefore generally supposed that they were several names of the same places the Mountain and Wilderness wherein it was being both called Sinai and Horeb. And they were both occasional names taken from the nature of the place ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Sinai from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Seneh a Bush such as the Angel appeared unto Moses in Exod. 3.2 such whereof a multitude were in that place And Horeb from its drought and barrenness which is the signification of the word But the opinion of Moses Gerundensis is far more probable that Horeb was the name of the Wilderness and Sinai of the Mountain That Sinai was the name of the Hill is expresly affirmed Chap. 19.18 20. And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoak because the Lord descended upon it in fire and the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai on the top of the Mount So Psalm 68.17 And whereas mention is made of the Wilderness of Sinai it is no more but the Wilderness wherein Mount Sinai was And for those places before referred to where Horeb seems to be called the Mount of God the words in them all will bear to be read to the Mount of God in Horeb Strabo calls this very Mount ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã lib. 16. And Justin of Moses Montem Sinan occupat The people therefore aboad in Horeb at the foot of the Mountain or about it and the Law was promulgated on the top of Sinai in the most desart solitude of that Wilderness And in this place hath the superstition of some Christians in latter Ages built a Monastery for the Celebration of their devotion by an order of Monks whose Archimandrite was not many years since in England But as the place materially considered is as evident an object of Gods displeasure against the lower part of the Creation upon the account of sin as almost any place in the world a wast and howling Wilderness a place left to solitude and barrenness so in its allusion or relation to the Worship of God it is cast by our Apostle under bondage and placed in an opposition to the Worship and Church State of the Gospel Gal. 4.24 25. Being come unto this place it is said Moses went up unto the Mount unto God It § 32 doth not appear that he had any new immediate express command so to do probably he both came to that place and so soon as he came thither went up into the Mountain in obedience to the command and faith in the promise of God which he received upon his first call Exod. 3.12 wherein it was given him for a token and pledge of their deliverance that thereon they should worship God or receive the Law in that Mountain which is also the judgement of Aben Ezra upon the place And it is not unlikely but that God at that time fixed the cloud which went before them as the token of his presence on the top of Sinai as a new direction unto Moses for his going up thither Being ascended God calls unto him the word of the Lord saith Jonathan and § 33 teacheth him to prepare the People for the receiving of the Law v. 4 5. Two things he proposeth to their consideration First The benefits that they had already been made partakers of hinted out unto them by the mighty and wonderful works of his power And Secondly New Priviledges to be granted unto them In the first he minds them that he had born them on Eagles wings This Jarchi interprets of their sudden gathering out of all the Coasts of Goshen unto Ramesis to go away together the same night Chap. 12.37 But although it may be allowed that they had in that wonderfull collection of themselves some especial Assistance of Providence besides the preparation which they had been making for sundry dayes before yet this expression evidently extends it self unto the whole dispensation of God towards them from the first of their deliverance unto that day Generally they all of them explain this Allegorical expression from the manner how the Eagles as they say carry their young which is on their backs or wings because they fear nothing above them as soaring over all whereas other Fowls carry their young between their feet as fearing other Birds of Prey above them But there is no need to wring the expression to force out of it such uncertain niceties There is no more intended but that God carried them speedily and safely as an Eagle is born by its wings in her course To this Remembrance of former mercies God adds Secondly A treble Promise First That they should be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Segullah a word that hath none to declare it by We render it here and elsewhere a peculiar Treasure Eccles. 2.8 it is rendered by our Apostle Titus 2.14 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a peculiar people and by another ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1 Pet. 2.9 which we translate in like manner Secondly That they should be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Kingdom of Priests that is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of Princes saith Jarchi as David's Sons who were Princes are said to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And it is not denyed but that the word is sometimes so used But whereas here it intendeth the special separation and dedication of the people unto God after the manner of Priests thence the allusion is taken the dignity of Princes being included in that of a Kingdom And this Peter renders ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Kingly Priesthood And in the translation of this priviledge over unto Believers under the Gospel it is said that by Christ they are made Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1.6 it is added that they should be an Holy Nation as expresly 1 Pet. 2.9 That which God on the other hand requires of them is that they keep his Covenant § 34 v. 5. Now this Covenant of God with them had a double expression First In the giving of it unto Abraham and its confirmation by the sign of Circumcision But this is not that which is here especially intended for it was the Administration of the Covenant wherein the whole People became the peculiar Treasure and inheritance of God upon a new account which is respected Now this Covenant was not yet made nor was it ratified untill the dedication of the Altar in the sprinkling of it with the blood of the Covenant as Aben Ezra well observes and
unto the remainder of his Ministry These brief remarks being given upon the preparation for and the manner of the giving of the Law we shall summarily consider the general nature of the Law and its Sanction in our next Exercitation Exercitatio XX. What meant by the Law among the Jews The common distribution of it into Moral Ceremonial and Judaical by them rejected The ground of that distribution 613 Precepts collected by the Jews Reasons of that number Of these 248 Affirmative 365 Negative Twelve Houses of each sort First House of Affirmatives concerning God and his Worship in twenty Precepts The second concerning the Temple and Priesthood in number 19. The third concerning Sacrifices in 57 Precepts The fourth of Cleanness and Vncleanness 18. The fifth of Alms and Tithes in 32 Precepts The sixth about things to be eaten in seven commands The seventh concerning the Passover and Festivals 20. The eighth of Rule and Judgment in 13 Precepts The ninth of Doctrine and Truth whose commands are 25. The tenth concerning Women and Matrimony in 12 Precepts The eleventh of Criminal Judgments and Punishments in eight Precepts The twelfth of civil Judgments in 17 Precepts Censure of this Collection Negative Precepts in 12 Families 1. Of false Worship in 47 Prohibitions c. THe Law it self and its Sanctions are the next thing that our Apostle makes § 1 mention of in the Oeconomy of the Judaical Church By this Law he especially understands the Law given on Mount Sinai or partly there partly from the Tabernacle the Type of Christ after it was erected The Jews by the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Law generally understand the whole five books of Moses as they are also called in the New Testament and all Precepts that they can gather out of them any where they refer to the Law wherein they are not to be contended withall This whole Law is generally distributed into three parts First the Moral Secondly § 2 the Ceremonial Thirdly the Judicial part of it And indeed there is no Precept but may conveniently be referred unto one or other of these Heads as they are usually explained That which is commonly called the Moral Law the Scripture terms ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Exod. 34.28 The words of the Covenant the ten words from whence is the Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or the Law of ten words or precepts all which in their substance are moral and universally obligatory to all the sons of men That part of the Law which the Scripture calls ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Judgments Exod. 21.1 determining of Rights between Man and Man and of punishments upon transgressions with especial reference unto the interest of the people in the Land of Canaan is by us usually termed the Judicial Law And the institutions of Ceremonial Worship are most commonly expressed by the name of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the whole system whereof is termed the Law Ceremonial The Jews either acknowledge not or insist not much on this distinction which § 3 is evidently founded in the things themselves but casting all these parts of the Law together contend that there is amongst them 613 Precepts For the numeral Letters of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã denote 611 of them and the other two which as they say are the two first of the Decalogue were delivered by God himself to the people and so come not within the compass of the word Torah in that place whence they take this important consideration namely Deut. 33.4 Moses commanded us a Law that is of 611 Precepts two being given by God himself compleats the number of 613. There is none who sees not the vanity and folly of these things which yet is a part of their Oral Law whereunto as hath been shewed they ascribe more oftentimes then to the written Word it self Of these 613 Precepts 248 they say are Affirmative Precepts because there are as § 4 they affirm which I leave to our Anatomists to judge of so many distinct members or bones in the body of a man And 365 Negative Precepts because there are so many days in the year man being bound to keep the Law with his whole body all the year long both which numbers make up 613. And lest this observation should not seem sufficiently strengthned by these arguments they add that which they suppose conclusive namely that in the Decalogue there are 613 Letters if you will but set aside the last two words which in common civility cannot be well denied unto them § 5 These 613 Precepts they divide or distinguish into twelve Families according to the number of the Tribes of Israel that is either general part into twelve First the Affirmative and secondly the Negative And although their distribution be not satisfactory for many Reasons and hath been also represented by others yet for the advantage of the Reader I shall here give a summary account of them § 6 The first Family which hath Relation to God in his Worship consists of twenty Precepts which I shall briefly enumerate as those following without any examination of their stating of them and due fixing to their several stations 1. Faith and acknowledgment of God's divine Essence and Existence Exod. 20.2 2. Faith of the Vnity of God Deut. 6.4 chap. 32.39 3. Love of God Deut. 6.5 chap. 10.12 4. Fear of God Deut. 6.13 5. Acknowledgment of God's Righteousness in Afflictions Deut. 8.5 6. Prayer unto God Exod. 23.25 Deut. 11.13 7. Adherence unto God Deut. 10.20 8. To swear by the name of God Exod. 6.13 Deut. 10.20 9. To walk in the ways of God Deut. 28.9 10. To sanctifie the Name of God Levit. 22.32 11. Twice a day to repeat that Sanction Hear O Israel Deut. 6.7 chap. 11.19 12. That we learn and teach the Law Deut. 5.1 chap. 11 8. 13. To wear Philacteries or Tephilin on the head Deut. 6.8 14. To wear them on the arm in the same place 15. To make Fringes Numb 15.38 39 40. 16. To put Writings of the Scripture on the posts of our doors Deut. 6.9 17. That the People be called together to hear the Law at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles Duet 31.12 18. That every one write him a Copy of the Law Deut. 31.19 19. That the King moreover write out another for himself as King Deut. 17.28 20. That at our eating of meat we give thanks or bless God Deut. 8.10 This is the first Family which though it sometimes fail in educing its precepts from the Word yet good use may be made of the observation in reducing these things to one certain head § 7 The second Family of the first general Head of Affirmative precepts contain those which concern the Sanctuary and Priesthood being nineteen in number 1. That a Sanctuary Tabernacle or Temple should be built Exod. 25.8 2. That being built it should be reverenced Levit. 19.30 3. That the Priests and Levites always keep the Temple and no others Numb 18.2 4. That the work or
adultery as is known was capital by the express sentence of the Law As 1. With a Sister 2. A Fathers Sister 3. A Mothers Sister 4. A Wifes Sister 5. A Brothers Widow 6. An Vncles Widow 7. A Woman separated Many other Crimes also they reckon up with reference unto Ceremonial Institutions as eating of fat and blood and leaven on the Passeover making an Oyle like the holy Oyle even all such trangressions as are threatned with punishment but have no express kind of punishment annexed unto them § 28 Secondly Punishments respecting State and Condition were of two sorts First Pecuniary in a quadruple restitution in case of Theft Secondly Personal in banishment or confinement unto the City of Refuge for him that had slain a Man at unawares Numb 35.25 § 29 Thirdly Capital punishments they inflicted four wayes Fiâst By Strangulation which was inflicted on six sorts of Transgressors 1. Adulterers 2. Strikers of Parents 3. Men-stealers 4. Old Men exemplarily rebellious against the Law 5. False Prophets 6. Prognosticators by the Names of Idols Secondly Burning Lev. 20.14 And this the Jews say was inflicted by pouring molten Lead into their mouths and the Crimes that this punishment were allotted to were 1. The Adultery of the Priests Daughter 2. Incest 1. With a Daughter 2. With a Sons Daughter 3. A Wises Daughter 4. A Wises Daughters Daughter 5. A Wises Sons Daughter 6. A Wifes Mother 7. The Mother of her Father 8. The Mother of her Father in Law Thirdly Death was inflicted by the Sword Deut. 20.21 1. On the voluntary Man-slayer 2. On the Inhabitants of any City that fall to Idolatry Fourthly By Stoning Which was executed for Incest 1. With a Mother 2. A Mother in Law 3. A Daughter in Law 4. Adultery with a betroathed Virgin 5. Vnnatural uncleaness with Men 6. With Beasts by Men 7. With Beasts by Women 8. Blasphemy 9. Idolatry 10. Offering to Moloch 11. A Familiar Spirit of Ob 12. Of Jiedeoni 13. On Impostors 14. On Seducers 15. On Enchanters or Magicians 16. Prophaners of the Sabbath 17. Cursers of Father or Mother 18. The dissolute and stubborn Son Concerning all which it is expresly said that they shall be stoned § 30 Unto the execution of these penalties there was added two Cautionary Laws First That they that were put to death for the increase of their ignominy and terror of others should be hanged on a Tree Deut. 21.21 Secondly That they should be buryed the same day v. 23 And this is a brief abstract of the Penalties of the Law as it was the Rule of the Polity of the People in the Land of Canaan Exercitatio XXII The Building of the Tabernacle Moses Writing and Reading the Book of the Covenant Considerations of the particulars of the Fabrick and Vtensils of the Tabernacle Omitted One Instance insisted on The Ark. The same in the Tabernacle and Temple The Glory of God in what sense The principal Sacred Vtensil The matter whereof it was made The Form of it The End and Vse of it The Residence and Motions of it The Mercy-Seat that was upon it The matter thereof Of the Cherubims Their Form and Fashion The Visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel compared Difference in them and Reason thereof THe People having received the Law in the Wilderness and therein a Foundation § 1 being laid of their future Church-State and Worship which was to continue untââ the Times of Reformation Heb. 9.10 they had also by Gods direction a place and Building for the seat of that Worship assigned unto them This was the Tabernacle erected in the Wilderness suited to their then moving state and condition into the Room whereof the Temple built afterwards by Solomon suceeded when they had attained a fixed station in the Land of Promise Our Apostle respecting the Ordinances of that Church as first instituted by Moses which the Hebrews boasted of as their priviledge and on the account whereof they obstinately adhered unto their observation insists only on the Tabernacle whereunto the Temple and its services were referred and conformed And this he doth principally Chap. 9 v. 1 2 3 4 5. Then verily the first Covenant had also Ordinances of divine Service and a worldly Sââctuary For there was a Tabernacle made the first wherein was the candlestick and the Table and the Shew-bread which is called the Sanctuary And after the second Veil the Tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all which had the Golden Censor and the Ark of the Covenant overlaid round about with Gold wherein was the Golden Pot that had Manna and Aarons Rod that budded and the Tables of the Covenant And over it the Cherubims of Glory shaddowing the Mercy Seat The Preparation for the Directions which God gave for the building of this Tabernacle § 2 is declared Exod. 24. The Body of the people having heard the Law that is the ten Words or Commandments which was all they heard Deut. 9.10 what God spake to them was written in the Two Tables of stone they removed unto a greater distance from the Mount Exod. 20.18 19. After their Removal Moses continued to receive from the Lord that summary of the whole Law which is expressed Chap. 21.22 23. And all this as it should seem at the first hearing he wrote in a Book from the Mouth of God For it is said Chap. 24. v. 4. that he wrote all the words of the Lord. And v. 7. that he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people The Jewish Masters suppose that it was the Book of Genesis that is there intended For § 3 say they the rest of the Law was not yet written namely before God himself had written or engraven the Ten Words on the Two Tables of Stone But this is a fond imagination seeing the Book which Moses read contained the form and tenour of the Covenant made with that people at Horeb and is expresly so called and as such was then solemnly confirmed and ratified by Sacrifice It may therefore be supposed that there is a Prolepsis used in the recording of this story and that indeed the confirmation of the Covenant by Sacrifice which was accompanied with the Reading of the Book was not until after the third return of Moses from the Mount with the renewed Tables But this also may well be doubted seeing this Sacrifice was prepared and offered by the young Men of the Children of Israel v. 5. that is the First Born whose Office was superseded upon the Separation of Aaron and his Sons unto the Priesthood which God had designed before that last descent of Moses from the Mount We must therefore leave things in the order wherein they are set down and recorded It appears therefore that Moses wrote the Law as he received it from God This being done he came down and read it in the ears of the people And he proposed it unto them as containing the Terms of the Covenant that God would have them enter
therein v. 7. The third part which was first disposed of was to be carried into the Most Holy Place as it was done accordingly on the day of Expiation Levit. 16. But because it was not lawful for him to enter in thither but once in the year namely on that Day at all other times he dipped his Finger in the blood and sprinkled it seven times towards the Veyle that parted the Most Holy Place from the Sanctuary v. 6. So that every place of the Tabernacle and all the concernments of it were sanctified with this Blood even as Jesus Christ who was represented in all this was dedicated unto God in his own Blood the Blood of the Covenant Heb. 10.29 That seven is the number of Perfection greatly used and variously applyed in the Scriptures many have observed And the perfect cleansing of sin by the Blood of Jesus was evidently represented by this sevenfold sprinkling Heb. 9. 13 14. and therefore in Allusion hereunto it is called the Blood of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 Even that which was prefigured by all the Blood of the Sacrifices that was sprinkled towards the Most Holy Place and the Mercy seat therein § 43 The next sort of Fire-offerings was the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Asham whose Laws and Ordinances are directed Levit. 5. and the particular occasion of it Chap. 7. We call it the Trespass-offering And it differed very little from that next before described For it is not only said concerning them ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as is the Chataath or Sin-offering so is the Asham or Trespass-offering there is one Law for them Chap. 7. v. 7. but also that he who had sinned or trespassed should bring his ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã his Trespass-offering unto the Lord for his sin which he had sinned a female from the flock or a kid of the Goats ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for a Sin-offering Some think that there was a difference between them and that it lay in this that the Chataath respected sins of Omission and the Asham sins of Commission But that this will not hold is openly evident in the Text. Some think that whereas in both these Offerings there was respect unto ignorance that that in the Chataath was Juris of the right or Law that in the Asham was Facti of the particular fact But this opinion also may be easily disproved from the Context This to me seems to be the Principal if not the only difference between them that the Asham provided a Sacrifice in some particular instances which seem not to be comprized under the general Rules of the Sin-offering And hence in a peculiar manner it is said of Jesus Christ that he should give ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã his Soul an Asham or piacular Sacrifice as for all so for such delinquencies and sins as seem to bring a destroying guilt on the soul Isa. 53.10 And this kind of offering also was ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Most Holy Levit. 6.20 § 44 The last sort of Fire-Offerings were the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which are reckoned as a distinct species of Sacrifices Levit. 7.36 that is plenitudinum impletionum consecrationum Sacrifices of Consecration or that were instituted to be observed at the Consecration of Priests It s name it seems to have taken from the filling their hands or their bringing their Offering in their hands when they approached unto the Lord in their setting apart unto Office And thence was the expression of him that came to be consecrated a Priest ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 2 Chron. 13. v. 9. He that came to fill his hand with a bullock The rise of this Expression we have marked before on Exod. 28.41 The Lord giving directions unto Moses for the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons he tells him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã thou shalt fill their hand that is put the flesh of the Sacrifice with the Bread and its Appurtenances into their hands which being the initiating Ceremony of their investiture with Office gave name afterwards unto the whole And hence the Sacrifices appointed then to be offered although they differed not in kind from those foregoing yet are accounted to be a distinct Offering and are called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or fillings And this may suffice as a brief account of the fire Offerings of the Law of Moses whose Use and End we are fully instructed in in this Epistle to the Hebrews § 45 There was yet a second sort of Corbans or offerings unto God under the Law which were of things or parts of things not burned on the Altar but one way or other devoted or consecrated to God and his service These were the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Terumoth which we have rendred sometimes offerings in general and sometimes Heave-offerings under which kind the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Wave-offerings also were comprized Concerning these bâcause the handling of them is not without its difficulties being diffused in their use throughout the whole Worship of God and that some things not vulgarly known might have been declared concerning them I thought to have treated at large but whereas they are not directly referred unto by our Apostle in this Epistle and these discourses being encreased much beyond my first design I shall here wholly omit all farther disquisition about them FINIS AN EXPOSITION OF THE TWO FIRST CHAPTERS OF THE EPISTLE OF PAUL the APOSTLE UNTO THE HEBREWS WHEREIN The Original Text is Opened and Cleared Antient and Modern Translations are compared and examined The Design of the Apostle with his Reasonings Arguments and Testimonies are unfolded The Faith Customs Sacrifices and other Usages of the Judaical Church are opened and declared The true sense of the Text is Vindicated from the wrestings of it by Socinians and others And lastly Practical Observations are Deduced and Improved John 5.39 Search the Scriptures By J. Owen D.D. LONDON Printed by Robert White for Nathaniel Ponder at the Sign of the Peacock in Chancery-Lane near Fleetstreet 1668. THE PREFACE THE general concernments of this Epistle have all of them been discussed and cleared in the preceding Exercitations and Discourses The things and matters confirmed in them we therefore here suppose and take for granted And they are such some of them as without a Demonstration whereof a genuine and perspicuous Declaration of the Design of the Author and sense of the Epistle cannot be well founded or carried on Vnto them therefore we must remit the Reader who desires to peruse the ensuing Exposition with profit and advantage But yet because the manner of the handling of things in those Discourses may not be so suited unto the minds of all who would willingly enquire into the Exposition its self I shall here make an entrance into it by laying down some such General Principles and Circumstances of the Epistle as may give a competent prospect into the design and Argument of the Apostle in the whole thereof 1. The first of these concerns the Persons whose instruction and edification
by the Jews of all sorts to belong to the Messiah his Kingdom and Offices and his design was to deal with them chiefly upon their own concessions and principles As we have some few other helps remaining to acquaint us with what was the received sense of the Judaical Church concerning sundry passages in the Old Testament relating unto the promised Christ so the Paraphrases of Scripture that were either at that time in use amongst them as was the Greek Translation amongst the Hellenists or about that time composed as the Targums at least some parts of them will give us much light into it What of that antient sense appeareth yet in the corrupted Copies of those Translations which remain being considered will much evince the reason and suitableness of the Apostles Quotations And this is needful to be observed to refute that impiety of some as Cajetan who not being able to understand the force of some Testimonies cited by the Apostle as to his purpose in hand have questioned the Authority of the whole Epistle as also the mistake of Hierom who in his Epistle to Pammachius rashly affirmed that Paul did quote Scriptures that were not indeed to his purpose but out of design to stop the mouths of his Adversaries as he himself had dealt with Jovinian which was very far from him whose only design was ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to promote the Truth in Love IV. He takes it for granted in the whole Epistle that the Judaical Church-State did yet continue and that the Worship of it was not yet disallowed of God suitably to what was before declared concerning his own and the other Apostles practice Had that Church-State been utterly abolished all observation of Mosaical rites which were the Worship of that Church as such had been utterly unlawfull as now it is Neither did the determination recorded Acts 15. abolish them as some suppose but only free the Gentiles from their observance Their free use was yet permitted unto the Jews Acts 21.20 22 25 26. Chap. 27.9 and practised by Paul in particular in his Nazaretical Vow Acts 21.26 Which was attended with a Sacrifice Numb 6.13 Nor was Mosaical Worship utterly to cease so as to have no acceptance with God until the final ruine of that church foretold by our Saviour himself Mat. 24. by Peter 2 Ep. 3. by James also Chap. 5.6 7 8 9. and by our Apostle in this Epistle Chap. 10.37 Chap. 12.25 26 27. was accomplished Hence it is that our Apostle calls the times of the Gospel the world to come Chap. 2.5 Chap. 6.5 the name whereby the Jews denoted the State of the Church under the Messiah proper unto it only whilest the legal administrations of Worship did continue Thus as de facto he had shewed respect unto the Person of the High Priest as one yet in lawful Office Acts 23.5 So doctrinally he takes it for granted that that Office was still continued Chap. 8.4 5. with the whole worship of Moses institution Chap. 13.11 12. And this dispensation of Gods patience being the last tryal of that Church was continued in a proportion of time answerable to their abode in the Wilderness upon its first Erection which our Apostle minds them of Chap. 3. c. 4. The Law of Moses then was not actually abrogated by Christ who observed the rules of it in the dayes of his flesh nor by the Apostles who seldom used their liberty from it leaving the use of it to the Jews still but having done its work whereunto it was designed and its obligation Expiring ending and being removed or taken away in the death and resurrection of Christ and promulgation of the Gospel that ensued thereupon which doctrinally declared its ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or uselesness God in his Providence put an end unto it as to its observation in the utter and irrecoverable overthrow of the Temple the place designed for the solemn exercise of its Worship so did it decay wax old and vanish away Chap. 8.13 And this also God ordered in his infinite wisdom that their Temple City and Nation and so consequently their whole Church-State should be utterly wasted by the Pagan Romans before the power of the Empire came into the hands of men professing the name of Christ who could neither well have suffered their Temple to stand as by them abused nor yet have destroyed it without hardning them in their impenitency and unbelief V. That which is proposed unto confirmation in the whole Epistle and from whence all the Inferences and Exhortations insisted on do arise and are drawn is the Excellency of the Gospel and the Worship of God therein revealed and appointed upon the account of its manifold relation to the Person and Offices of Christ the Mediator the Son of God Now because those to whom it is directed did as hath been declared some of them adhere to Mosaical Ceremonies and Worship in conjunction with the Gospel others with a preferency of them above it and some to a relinquishment of it especially when they once found its profession obnoxious to Persecution the Apostle institutes and at large prosecutes a comparison between Moses's Law and the Gospel as to their usefulness and excellency in reference unto mens acceptation with God of the one and the other as also of the Spirituality Order and Beauty of the Worship severally required in them And herein though he derogates in no respect from the Law that which was justly due unto it yet on the accounts before mentioned he preferreth the Gospel before it and not only so but also manifests that as Mosaical Institutions were never of any other use but to prefigure the real Mediatory work of Christ with the benefits thereof so he being exhibited and his work accomplished their observation was become needless and themselves if embraced to a neglect or relinquishment of the Gospel pernicious This comparison wherein also the proof of the positive worth and Excellency of the Gospel is included omitting for weighty reasons intimated by James Acts 21.21 by himself Acts 9.25 Chap. 22.19 20 21. all Prefatory salutations he enters upon in the first verses of the Epistle and being thereby occasioned to make mention of the Messiah from whose Person and Office the difference he was to insist upon did wholly arise he spendeth the residue of the Chapter in proving the divine excellency of his Person and the Eminency of his Office as the only King Priest and Prophet of his Church on all which the dignity of the Gospel in the Profession whereof he exhorts them to persevere doth depend He then that would come to a right understanding of this Epistle must alwayes bear in mind 1. To whom it was written which were the Jews of the several sorts before mentioned 2. To what End it was written even to prevail with them to embrace the Gospel and to persist in the Profession of it without any mixture of Mosaical Observations 3. On what Principles the Apostle deals with
of old spoken unto the Fathers in the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us in the Son whom he hath appointed heir of all by whom also he made the worlds THe Apostle intending a comparison between the Mosaical Law and the Gospel referreth it unto two Heads First Their Revelation and Institution whence the Obligation to the Observance of the one and the other did arise and Secondly Their whole Nature Vse and Efficacy The First he enters upon in these words and premising that wherein they did agree distinctly layes down the severals wherein the difference between them doth consist both which were necessary to compleat the comparison intended That wherein they agree is the Principal Efficient Cause of their Revelation or the Prime Author from whom they were This is God He was the Author of the Law and Gospel He spake of old in the Prophets he spake in the last dayes in the Son Neither of them were from Men not one from one Principle and the other from an other both have the same Divine Original See 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Pet. 1.16 17 18 19 20 21. Herein they both agree Their difference in this respect namely of their Revelation he refers to four Heads all distinctly expressed saving that some branches of the Antithesis on the part of the Gospel are only included in the opposite expressions that relate unto the Law Their difference First Respects the manner of their Revelation and that in two particulars 1. The Revelation of the Will of God under the Law was given out by divers parts that under the Gospel at once or in one dispensation of Grace and Truth 2. That in diverse manners this one way only by the Spirit dwelling in the Lord Christ in his fulness and by him communicated unto his Apostles Secondly The Times and Seasons of their Revelation that of the Law was made of Old formerly in Times past This of the Gospel in these last dayes Thirdly The Persons to whom the Revelation of them was made That was to the Fathers this to us Fourthly And principally the Persons by whom these Revelations were made That was by the Prophets this by the Son God spake then in the Prophets now he hath spoken in the Son The whole stress of the Apostles Argument lying on this last instance omitting the prosecution of all the other particulars he enters upon the further description of this immediate Revealer of the Gospel in whom God spake the Son and layes down in general 1. The Authority committed unto him God made him Heir of all 2. The Ground and Equity of committing that great Power and trust unto him in those words by whom also he made the worlds whereby he opens his way to the farther declaration of his Divine and incomparable Excellencies wherein he is exalted far above all or any that were employed in the Revelation or Administration of the Law of Moses and the holy Worship instituted thereby All these particulars must be opened severally that we may see the intendment of the Apostle and the force of his Argument in the whole and some of them must necessarily be somewhat largely insisted on because of their influence into the ensuing Discourse I. That wherein the Law and Gospel do both agree is that God was the Author of them both About this there was no difference as to the most of them with whom the Apostle treated This he takes for granted For the Professing Jews did not adhere to Mosaical Institutions because God was their Author not so of the Gospel but because they were given from God by Moses in such a manner as never to be changed or abrogated This the Apostle layes down as an acknowledged Principle with the most that both Law and Gospel received their Original from God himself proving also as we shall see in the progress of our Discourse to the conviction of others that such a Revelation as that of the Gospel was foretold and expected and that this was it in particular which was preached unto them Now God being here spoken of ân distinction from the Son expresly and from the Holy Ghost by evident implication it being He by whom he spake in the Prophets that name is not taken ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã substantially to denote primarily the Essence or being of the Deity and each person as partaking in the same nature but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã denoting primarily one certain Person and the divine nature only as subsisting in that Person This is the Person of the Father as elsewhere the Person of the Son is so signified by that name Acts 20.28 John 1.1 2. Rom. 9.5 1 Tim. 3.16 1 John 3.16 Chap. 5.20 As also the Person of the Holy Spirit Acts 5.3 4. 1 Cor. 12.7 11. Col. 2.2 So that God even the Father by the way of eminency was the peculiar Author of both Law and Gospel of which afterwards And this observation is made necessary from hence even because he immediately assigns Divine Properties and Excellencies unto another Person evidently distinguished from him whom he intends to denote by the name God in this place which he could not do did that name primarily express as here used by him the divine nature absolutely but only as it is subsisting in the Person of the Father From this head of their Agreement the Apostle proceeds to the instances of the difference that was between the Law and the Gospel as to their Revelation from God of which a little inverting the order of the words we shall First consider that which concerns the Times of their giving out sundry of the other instances being regulated thereby For the First or the Revelation of the Will of God under the Old Testament it was of old God spake ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã formerly or of old Some space of time is denoted in this word which had then received both its beginning and end both which we may enquire after Take the word absolutely and it comprizes the whole space of time from the giving out of the first Promise unto that End which was put unto all Revelations of publick use under the Old Testament Take it as relating to the Jews and the rise of the time expressed in it is the giving of the Law by Moses in the Wilderness And this is that which the Apostle hath respect unto He had no contest with the Jews about the first Promise and the service of God in the world built thereon nor about their Priviledge as they were the Sons of Abraham but only about their then present Church Priviledge and claim by Moses Law The proper date then and bound of this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of old is from the giving out of Moses Law and therein the constitution of the Judaical Church and Worship unto the close of publick Prophecie in the dayes of Malachi From thence to the dayes of John Baptist God granted no extraordinary Revelation of his Will as to the standing
use of the whole Church So that this dispensation of Gods speaking in the Prophets continued for the space of twenty one Jubilees or near eleven hundred years That it had been now ceased for a long time the Apostle intimates in this word and that agreeably to the confessed Principles of the Jews whereby also he confirmed his own of the coming of the Messiah by the reviving of the gift of Prophecy as was foretold Joel 2.28 29. And we may by the way a little consider their thoughts in this matter For as we have observed and proved before the Apostle engageth with them upon their own acknowledged Principles The Jewes then generally grant unto this day that Prophecy for the publick use of the Church was not bestowed under the second Temple after the dayes of Malachie nor is to be expected untill the coming of Elias The delusions that have been put upon them by impostors they now labour all they can to conceal and are of late by experience made incredulous towards such pretenders as in former Ages they have been brought to much misery by Now as their manner is to fasten all their conjectures be they true or false on some place word or letter of the Scripture so have they done this assertion also Observing or supposing the want of sundry things in the second House they pretend that want to be intimated Hag. 1.7 8. where God promising to glorifie himself in that Temple the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I will glorifie is written defectively without ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as the Keri notes That letter being the numeral note of five signifies as they say the want of five things in that House The first of these was ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Ark and Cherubims The second ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the anointing Oyle The third ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the wood of disposition or perpetual fire The fourth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Vrim and Thummim The fifth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Holy Ghost or Spirit of Prophecy They are not indeed all agreed in this enumeration The Talmud in ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Joma cap. 5. reckons them somewhat otherwise 1. The Ark with the Propitiation and Cherubims 2. The Fire from Heaven which answers the third or wââd of disposition in the former order 3. The Divine Majesty in the room of the Anointing Oyle 4. The Holy Ghost 5. Vrim and Thummim Another order there is according to Rabbi Bechai Comment in Pentateuch Sectione ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã who places the Anointing Oyle distinctly and confounds the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Divine Majesty with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Holy Ghost contradicting the Gemara The Commonly approved order is that of the Author of Aruch in the Root ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Ark Propitiatory and Cherubims one ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Divine Majesty the second thing ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Holy Ghost which is Prophecy the third ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Vrim and Thummim the fourth thing ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã fire frome Heaven the fifth thing But as this Argument is ridiculous both in general in wire-drawing Conclusions from letters deficient or redundant in writing and in particular in reference to this word which in other places is written as in this as Numb 24.12 1 Sam. 2.20 Isa. 66.5 so the observation its self of the want of all these five things in the second House is very questionable and seems to be invented to give countenance to the confessed ceasing of Prophecy by which their Church had been planted nourished and maintained and now by its want was signified to be near expiration For although I will grant that they might offer Sacrifices with other Fire than that which was traduced from the flame descending from Heaven though Nadab and Abihu were destroyed for so doing because the Law of that Fire attended the giving of it whence upon its providential ceasing it was as lawful to use other fire in Sacrifice as it was before its giving out yet as to the Ark the Vrim and Thummim the matter is more questionable and as the anointing Oyle out of question because it being lawful for the High Priest to make it at any time it was no doubt restored in the time of Ezra's Reformation I know Abarbinel on Exod. Chap. 30. sec. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã affirms that there was no High Priest anointed with oyle under the second House for which he gives this reason ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã because the anointing Oyle was now hid ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for Josiah had hid it with the rest of the holy things a talmudical figment to which he adds ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and they had no power to make it I will not much contend about matter of fact or what they did but that they might have done otherwise is evident from the first institution of it for the prohibition mentioned Exod. 30.31 32. respects only private persons And Josephus tells us that God ceased to give answer by Vrim and Thummim two hundred years before he wrote Lib. 3. cap. 12. which proves they had it It is indeed certain that at their first return from Babylon they had not the Vrim and Thummim Ezra 2.63 There was no Priest with Vrim and Thummim yet it doth not appear that afterwards that Jewel what ever it were was not made upon the Prophecies of Haggai and Zechary whereby the Restauration of the Temple and the Worship belonging thereunto was carryed on to perfection Especially considering the vision of Zechary about cloathing the High Priest with the Robes of his Office Chap. 3. after which time it seems they were made and in use as Josephus shews us Lib. 11. Chap. 8. treating of the Reverence done by Alexander the Great to the name of God engraven in the Plate of Gold on the High-Priests forehead And Maimonides Tractat. Saned Chap. 10. Sect. 10. sayes expresly that all the eight robes of the High Priest were made under the second Temple and particularly the Vrim and Thummim howbeit as he sayes they enquired not of God by them because the Holy Ghost was not on the Priests Of the Ark we shall have occasion to treat afterwards and of its fictitious hiding by Hieremiah or Josia as the Jews fancy This we may observe for the present that as it is certain that is was carried away by the Babylonians amongst other Vessels of Gold belonging to the Temple either amongst them that were taken away in the dayes of Jehojakim 2 Chron. 36.7 or those taken away with Jehojachin his Son v. 11. or when all that was left before great and small was carried away in the dayes of Zedekiah v. 18. So it may be supposed to be restored by Cyrus of whom it is said that he returned all the Vessels of the House of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar brought from Jerusalem Ezra 1.6 And it is uncertain to what end was the solemn yearly
entrance of the High Priest into the Most Holy Place observed to the very destruction of the second House if neither Ark nor Mercy Seat were there Neither is this impeached by what Tacitus affirms Histor. lib. 5. that when Pompey entred the Temple he found nullas Deum effigies vacuam sedem inania arcana for as he wrote of the Jews with shameful negligence so he only intimates that they had no such images as were used among other Nations nor the head of an Ass which himself not many Lyes before had affirmed to be consecrated in their Sanctuary For ought then appears to the contrary the Ark might be in the second House and be carried thence to Rome with the Book of the Law which Josephus expresly mentions And therefore the same Abarbinel in his Comment on Joel tells us that Israel by Captivity out of his own Land lost ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã three excellent gifts Prophecy Miracles and Divine Knowledge Psal. 74.9 all which he grants were to be restored by the Messiah without mention of the other things before recited And they confess this openly in Sota distinc Egla hampha ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã after the death of the latter Prophets Haggai Zechariah and Malachy the holy Spirit was taken away from Israel It is then confessed that God ceased to speak to the Church in Prophets as to their Oral teaching and writing after the dayes of Malachy which reason of the want of Vision though continuing four hundred years and upwards is called by Haggai Chap. 2.8 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã unum pusillum a little while in reference to the continuance of it from the dayes of Moses whereby the Jews may see that they are long since past all grounds of expectation of its restauration all Prophecy having left them double the time that their Church enjoyed it which cannot be called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a little while in comparison thereof To return This was the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã these the times wherein God spake in the Prophets which determines one instance more of the comparison namely the Fathers to whom he spake in them which were all the Faithful of the Judaical Church from the dayes of giving the Law until the ceasing of Prophecy in the dayes of Malachy In answer to this first Instance on the part of the Gospel the Revelation of it is affirmed to be made in these last dayes hath spoken in these last dayes the true stating of which time also will discover who the Persons were to whom it was made hath spoken to us Most Expositors suppose that this expression the last dayes is a Periphrasis of the times of the Gospel But it doth not appear that they are any where so called nor were they ever known by that name among the Jews upon whose principles the Apostle proceeds Some seasons indeed under the Gospel in reference to some Churches are called the last dayes but the whole time of the Gospel absolutely is no where so termed It is the last dayes of the Judaical Church and State which were then drawing to their period and abolition that are here and else where called the last dayes or the latter dayes or the last hour 2 Pet. 3.3 1 John 2.18 Jude 18. For 1. As we before observed the Apostle takes it for granted that the Judaical Church-State did yet continue and proves that it was drawing to its period Chap. 8. ult having its present station in the patience and forbearance of God only without any necessity as unto its Worship or preservation in the world And hereunto doth the reading of the words in some Copies before intimated give testimony ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the end or extremity of these dayes which as the event hath proved can no way relate to the times of the Gospel 2. The personal Ministry of the Son whilest he was upon the earth in the dayes of his flesh is here eminently though not solely intended For as God of old spake in the Prophets so in these last dayes he spake in the Son that is in him personally present with the Church as the Prophets also were in their several generations Chap. 2. v. 3. Now as to his personal Ministry he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Mat. 15.24 To whom also alone in his own dayes he sent his Apostles Mat. 10.5 6. and is therefore said to have been a Minister of the Circumcision for the Truth of God Rom. 15.5 being in the last place sent to the same Vineyard unto which the Prophets were sent before Mat. 21.37 The words there used last of all he sent unto them his Son are exegetical of these he spoke in the Son in the last dayes 3. This Phrase of Speech is signally used in the Old Testament to denote the last dayes of the Judaical Church So by Jacob Gen. 49.1 I will tell you what shall befall you ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the last dayes which words the LXX rendâed ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the words here used by the Apostle The dayes pointed unto by Jacob being those wherein the Messiah should come before Judah was utterly deprived of Scepter and Scribe Again by Balaam the same words are used to signifie the same time Numb 24.14 where they are rendered ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the end of the dayes as many Copies read in this place And in all the Prophets this is the peculiar notation of that season ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Mich. 4.1 Isa. 2.1 in the latter or last dayes and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the He hajediah prefixed noteth that course of dayes that were then running as Deut. 31.29 Evil will overtake you ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the end of those dayes and the promise of the Conversion of some of the Jews by David their King is annexed to the same season Hos. 3.5 From these places is the expression here used taken denoting the last times of the Judaical Church the times immediately preceeding its rejection and final ruine Hence Manasse lib. 3. de Resurrect cap. 3. tells us out of Moses Gernudensis ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in every place that mentions the latter dayes the dayes of the Messiah are to be understood which saying of his is confirmed by Menasse himself though attended with a gloss abominable and false that is purely Judaical The dayes of the Messiah and the dayes of the end of the Judaical Church are the same And these words are expresly also used by R.D. Kimchi Comment in Isa. 2. v. 2. who honestly refers all the words of that Prophesie unto the Messiah It is not for nothing that the Apostle minds the Hebrews that the season then present was the last dayes whereof so many things were foretold in the Old Testament Many of their concernments lay in the knowledge of it which because they give great light unto the whole cause as stated then between him and them must be opened and
considered The summ is that the end of their Church and State being foretold to be a perpetual desolation Dan. 9.27 the last dayes being now come upon them they might understand what they were shortly to expect and look for The end of the Jews being a People a Church and Kingdom was to bring forth the Messiah whose coming and work must of necessity put an end to their old station and condition Now because herein is enwrapped the most infallible demonstration that the Messiah is long since come the Apostle mentioning the last dayes to intimate that upon necessity he must be come in them I shall further open his design in this matter but with briefness having been large on this head in our Prolegomena and for their sakes who by any difficulties may be deterred from the consideration of them God having from the foundation of the world promised to bring forth the seed of the woman to work out the Redemption of his Elect in the Conquest of Satan did in the separation of Abraham from the rest of the world begin to make provision of a peculiar stock from whence it should spring That this was the cause and end of his Call and Separation is evident from hence that immediately thereupon God assures him that in his seed all the Kindreds of the earth should be blessed Gen. 12.1 2 3. Chap. 22.18 which is all one as if he had expresly said unto him for this cause have I chosen and called thee that in thee I might lay a foundation of bringing forth the promised seed by whom the curse is to be taken away and the blessing of everlasting life procured as Gal. 3.13 14. For this cause was his Posterity continued in a state of separation from the rest of the world that he might seek an holy seed unto himself Numb 23.9 Mal. 2.15 For this cause did he raise them into a Civil Regal and Church-State that he might in them type out and prefigure the Offices and Benefits of the promised Messiah who was to gather to himself the Nations that were to be blessed in the seed of Abraham Gen. 49.10 Psal. 45. Hos. 3.5 Ezek. 34.23 And all their Sacrifices did but shadow out that great expiation of sin which he was to make in his own Person as hath been already proved Things being thus disposed God promised unto them that their Civil Political State their condition as a peculiar Nation and People should be continued until the coming of the Messiah Gen. 49.10 Ezek. 21.27 And this was made good unto them notwithstanding the great oppositions of those mighty Empires in the midst of whose devouring jaws they were placed with some such short intercisions of the actual administration of Rule amongst them as being foretold impeached not the Promise They lost not their Civil State untill he came unto whom was the gathering of the Nations After that though many of the individuals obtained mercy yet their being a Nation or People was of no peculiar use as to any special end of God Therefore was it immediately destroyed and irrecoverably exterminated From that day God in a wonderful manner blasted and cursed all their endeavours either for the preservation of what they then had or for its recovery and restauration when lost No means could ever retrive them into a People or Nation on the old account What may be hereafter on a New God knows The End of the dayes was come and it was to no purpose for men to endeavour to keep up that which God having accomplished the utmost of his design by and upon would lay aside And this season was fully evidenced to all the world by the gathering of the people to the Shilo or the coming in of the Nations to partake in the blessing of faithful Abraham Mic. 4.1 2. Of their Church-State there were two Principal parts The Temple its self and the Worship performed in it The first of these as was the Tabernacle was set up to typifie him in whom the fulness of the Godhead should dwell bodily and the latter the same Person as he was himself to be the great High Priest and Sacrifice Both these also were to be continued until the coming of the Messiah but by no endeavours afterwards Hence was that Promise of the glory of the second House built after the Captivity and restored by Herod because of his coming unto it who was signified by it Hag. 2.9 Malach. 3.1 He was to come whilest that Temple was standing after which it was to be of no more use And therefore Ezekiel describes a third spiritual Temple to succeed in the room thereof The condition of their Sacrifices was the same Therefore Daniel fore-telling the coming of the Messiah four hundred and ninety years after the Captivity adds that upon his death the daily Sacrifice must cease for ever and a total desolation ensue on all the things that were used for the end accomplished Dan. 9.24 25 26 27. The Nation State Temple Sacrifices being set apart set up and designed for no other end but to bring him forth he was to come whilest they were standing and in use after which they were none of them to be allowed a being upon their old foundation This is that which the Apostle pointed at in mentioning the last dayes that they might consider in what condition the Church and People of the Jews then were To discover the evidence of this demonstration as confirmed in our Prolegomena I shall here also briefly add some considerations of the miserable entanglements of the Jews in seeking to avoid the Argument here intimated unto them by the Apostle It is a common Tradition among them that all things were made for the Messiah whereby they do not intend as some have imagined the whole old Creation but all things of their Church State and Worship So the Targum Psal. 40.8 in the person of the Messiah I shall enter into life eternal when I study in the volume of the Law ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that was written for my sake By the Law they understand their all All depended on their Messiah all was written for him They see by experience that there was a coincidence of all these things in the last dayes when Jesus came No sooner had he done his work but Scepter and Scribe departed from Judah They ceased to be a Church and Nation The Temple which the Lord whom they formerly sought came to was destroyed their Sacrifices wherein they trusted caused to cease and the Nations of the Earth were gathered into the faith of Abraham From that time they have no more been a people nor have had any distinction of Tribes or Families Temple Priesthood or Sacrifice nor any hope of a retrivement into their pristine condition Let us then see what course they do or have taken to countenance themselves in their infidelity Two wayes to relieve themselves they have fixed on 1. Granting that the Messiah was to come to their Government and
who were the Persons who were spoken unto in these last dayes TO VS That is the members of the Judaical Church who lived in the dayes of the Personal Ministry of Christ and afterwards under the preaching of the Gospel unto that day Chap. 2.3 The Jews of those dayes were very apt to think that if they had lived in the times of the former Prophets and had heard them delivering their message from God they would have received it with a cheerful obedience their only unhappiness they thought was that they were born out of due time as to prophetical Revelations This is intimated of them Mat. 23.30 The Apostle meeting with this perswasion in them minds them that in the Revelation of the Gospel God had spoken to themselves the things they so much desired not questioning but that thereon they should believe and obey If this word then they attend not unto they must needs be self-condemned Again that care and love which God manifested towards them in speaking immediately unto them required the same obedience especially considering the manner of it so far excelling that which before he had used towards the Fathers of which afterwards And these are two instances of the Comparison instituted relating unto Times and Persons The next difference respects the manner of these several Revelations of the will of God and that in two particulars For 1. The former was made ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by divers parts one after the other The branch of the Antithesis that should answer hereunto is not expressed but implyed to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã at once ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by many parts and so consequently at sundry times The gradual discovery of the mind and will of God by the addition of one thing after another at several seasons as the Church could bear the light of them and as it was subserving unto his main design of reserving all preheminence to the Messiah is that which is intended in this Expression How all this is argumentative to the Apostles purpose will instantly appear Take the expression absolutely to denote the whole progress of divine Revelation from the beginning of the world and it comprizeth four principal parts or degrees with those that were subservient unto them The First of these was made to Adam in the Promise of the seed which was the principle of faith and Obedience to the Fathers before the Flood and unto this were subservient all the consequent particular Revelations made to Seth Enosh Enoch Lamech and others before the Flood The Second to Noah after the Flood in the Renewall of the Covenant and establishing of the Church in his family Gen. 8.21 Chap. 9.9 10. whereunto were subservient the Revelations made to Melchisedech Gen. 14.18 and others before the calling of Abraham The Third to Abraham in the restriction of the Promise to his seed and fuller illustration of the nature of it Gen. 12.1 2 3 4. Chap. 15.11 12. 17.1 2. Confirmed in the Revelations made to Isaac Gen. 26.24 Jacob Gen. 49. Joseph Heb. 11.22 and others of their Posterity The fourth to Moses in the giving of the Law and erection of the Judaical Church in the Wilderness unto which there were three principal heads of subservient Revelations 1. To David which was peculiarly designed to perfect the Revelation of the will of God concerning the Old Testament-Worship in those things that their Wilderness condition was not capable of 1 Chron. 23.25 26 27 28. Chap. 28.11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. To him we may joyn Solomon with the rest of the Prophets of their dayes 2. To the Prophets after the division of the Kingdom unto the Captivity and dureing the Captivity to whom pleading with the people about their defection by Sin and false Worship was peculiar 3. To Ezra with the Prophets that assisted in the Reformation of the Church after its return from Babylon who in an especial manner excited the people to an expectation of the coming of the Messiah These were the principal parts and degrees of the Revelation of the will of God from the foundation of the world until the coming of Christ in his fore-runner John the Baptist. And all this I have fully handled and unfolded in my Discourse of the rise nature and progress of Scripture Divinity or Theology But as I shewed before if we attend unto the special intention of the Apostle we must take in the date of these Revelations and begin with that to Moses adding to it those other subservient ones mentioned peculiar to the Judaical Church which taught and confirmed the Worship that was established amongst them This then is that which in this word the Apostle minds the Hebrews of namely that the will of God concerning his Worship and our obedience was not formerly revealed all at once to his Church by Moses or any other but by several parts and degrees by new additions of Light as in his infinite Wisdom and Care he saw meet The close and last hand was not to be put unto this work before the coming of the Messiah He they all acknowledged was to reveal the whole Counsel of God John 4.25 after that his way had been prepared by the coming of Elias Mal. 4 until when they were to attend to the Law of Moses with those Expositions of it which they had received v. 4 5. That was the time appointed ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to seal compleat and finish Vision and Prophet as also ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to seal up sin or as we render it to make an end of sin or the Controversie about it which had held long agitation by Sacrifices that could never put an end to that quarrel Heb. 10.1 2 14. Now in this very first word of his Epistle doth the Apostle clearly convince the Hebrews of their mistake in their obstinate adherence unto Mosaical Institutions It is as if he had bidden them consider the way whereby God revealed his will to the Church hitherto Hath it not been by parts and degrees Hath he at any time shut up the Progress of Revelation Hath he not alwayes kept the Church in expectation of new Revelations of his mind and will did he ever declare that he would add no more unto what he had commanded or make no alteration in what he had instituted What he had revealed was to be observed Deut. 27.29 and when he had revealed it but untill he declare that he will add no more it is folly to account what is already done absolutely compleat and immutable Therefore Moses when he had finished all his work in the Lords house tells the Church that God would raise up another Prophet like him that is who should reveal new Laws and Institutions as he had done whom they were to hear and obey on the penalty of utter extermination Deut. 18.18 And this discovers the obstinacy of the Modern Jews who from the dayes of Maimonides who
the people were formed in the air by the Ministry of Angels so that they heard not the immediate voyce of God Now in the last dayes did the Lord take that work into his own hands wherein from the foundation of the world he had employed Angels and Men. 3. Though the Apostles argument arise not immediately from the differing wayes of Gods revealing himself to the Prophets and to Christ but in the difference that lyes in his immediate speaking unto us in Christ the Son and his speaking unto the Fathers in the Prophets yet that former difference also is intimated by him in his affirming that he spake to them variously or diversly as hath been declared and therefore we must consider that also And herein we are to obviate the great Judaical prejudice against the Gospel to which end observe 1. That though the Apostle mentions the Prophets in general yet it is Moses whom he principally intends This is evident in the Application of this Argument which he makes in particular Chap. 3.3 where he expresly prefers the Lord Jesus before Moses by name in this matter of Ministring to the Church in the name of God For whereas as was before intimated the Apostle mannages this thing with excellent Wisdom in this Epistle considering the inveterate prejudices of the Hebrews in their adhering unto Moses he could not mention him in particular until he had proved him whom he preferred above him to be so excellent and glorious so far exalted above Men and Angels that it was no disreputation to Moses to be esteemed inferiour to him 2. That the great Reason why the Jews adhered so pertinaciously unto Mosaical Institutions was their perswasion of the unparallel'd excellency of the Revelation made to Moses This they retreated unto and boasted of when they were pressed with the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ John 9.28 29. And this was the main foundation in all their contests with the Apostles Acts 15.1 Chap. 21.21 28. And this at length they have made a principal root or fundamental Article of their Faith being the fourth of the thirteen Articles of their Creed namely that Moses was the most excellent and most sublime among the Prophets so far above that excellency that degree of wisdom and honour which men may attain unto that he was equal to Angels This Maimonides the first disposer of their Faith into fundamental Articles expounds at large More Nebuch p. 2. cap. 39. Declaravimus saith he quod Prophetia Mosis doctoris nostri ab omnium uliorum Prophetiis differat dicemus nunc quod propter solam illam apprehensionem ad legem vocati sumus quia nempe vocationi illi qua Moses nos vocavit simiis neque antecessit ab Adamo primo ad ipsum usque neque etiam post ipsum apud ullum Prophetam sequuta est sic fundamentum Legis nostrae est quod in aeternum finem non sit habitura vel abolenda ac propterea etiam ex sententia nostra alia lex nec unquam fuit nec erit praeter unicam hanc Legem Mosis Doctoris nostri We have declared that the Prophecy of Moses our Master differed from the Prophecies of all others Now we shall shew that upon the account of this perswasion alone namely of the excellency of the Revelation made unto Moses we are called to the Law For from the first Adam to him there was never any such call from God as that wherewith Moses called us nor did ever any such ensue after him Hence is it a fundamental Principle of our Law that it shall never have an end or be abolished and therefore also it is our Judgement that there was never any other divine Law nor ever shall be but only this of our Master Moses This is their present perswasion it was so of old The Law and all Legal Observances are to be continued for ever other way of worshipping God there can be none and this upon the account of the incomparable Excellency of the Revelation made to Moses To confirm themselves in this prejudicate apprehension they assign a fourfold preheminency to the Prophecy of Moses above that of other Prophets and these are insisted on by the same Maimonides in his explication of Cap. 10. Tractat. Sanedr and by sundry others of them 1. The first they fix on is this that God never spake to any Prophet immediately but only to Moses to him he spake without Angelical Mediation For so he affirms that he spake to him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã mouth to mouth Numb 12.13 2. All other Prophets they say received their visions either in their sleep or presently after their sleep but Moses in the day time standing between the Cherubims Exod. 29.52 And 3. That when other Prophets received their Visions or Revelations although it was by the mediation of Angels yet their nature was weakened by it and the state of their bodies by reason of the consternation that befell them Dan. 10.8 but Moses had no such perturbation befalling him when the Lord spake unto him but it was with him as when a man speaks unto his friend 4. That other Prophets had not inspirations and Answers from God at their own pleasures but sometimes were forced to wait long and pray for an answer before they could receive it But Moses was wont when he pleased to say stay and I will hear what God will command you Numb 9.9 So they And to reconcile this unto what is elsewhere said that he could not see the face of God and live they add that he saw God not immediately but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in speculo or speculari a word formed from the Latin in a glass an expression which the Apostle alludes unto 1 Cor. 13.12 only they add ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã other Prophets saw through nine perspectives ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but Moses saw through one only Vaiikra Rabba sec. 1. whereunto they add that his Speculum was clear and lucid theirs spotted It must be granted that Moses being the Law-giver and first Revealer of all that Worship in the observation whereof the Judaical Church State ând Priviledge of that people did consist had the preheminency above the succeeding Prophets whose Ministry chiefly tended to instruct the people in the nature and keep them to the observation of his Institutions But that all these things by them insisted on were peculiar to him it doth not appear nor if it did so are the most of them of any great weight or importance The first is granted and a signal Priviledge it was God spake unto him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã face to face Exod. 33.11 and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã mouth to mouth Numb 12.13 and this is mentioned as that which was peculiar to him above the Prophets which should succeed him in the Ministry of that Church But that Moses saw the essence of God which the Jews contend from those words is expresly denyed in the Text it self For even then when it
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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã hidden and deep things i. e. of
God ordaining him before the foundation of the world unto his Work and Inheritance 1 Pet. 1.20 2. The Covenant that was of old between the Father and Son for the accomplishment of the great work of Redemption this Inheritance being included in the Contract Prov. 8.30 31. Isa. 53.10 11. 3. The Promises made unto him in his Types Abraham David and Solomon Gen. 15. Psal. 72. 4. The Promises left upon record in the Old Testament for his supportment and assurance of success Psal. 2. Isa. 49. c. 5. The solemn proclamation of him to be the great Heir and Lord of all at his first coming into the world Luke 2.11 30 31 32. But it is the consummation of all these whatever was intended or declared in these previous acts of the Will and Wisdom of God that is principally intended in this expression Some suppose it of importance in this matter of the Heirship of Christ to assert that he was the rightful Heir of the Crown and Scepter of Israel This opinion is so promoted by Baronius as to contend that the right of the Kingdom was devolved on him which was caused to cease for a season in Antigonus who was slain by M. Anthony But what was the right of the Kingdom that was in Antigonus is hard to declare The Hasmonaeans of whom that ruled he was the last were of the Tribe of Levi. Their right to the Scepter was no more but what they had won by the sword So that by his death there could be no devolution of a Right to reign unto any it being that which he never had Nor is it probable that our Saviour was the next of kin to the reigning House of Judah nor was it any wise needful he should be so nor is there any promise to that purpose His lineal descent was from Nathan and not from Solomon of that House was Zerubbabel the Aichmalotarches which therefore is specially mentioned in the Reformation Zech. 12.12 Besides the Heirship promised unto Christ was neither of a Temporal Kingdom of Israel which he never enjoyed nor of any other thing in dependance thereon Were it so the Jews must first have the Dominion before he could inherit it And such indeed was the mistake of the Disciples as it is of the Jews to this day who enquired not whither he would take the Kingdom to himself but whether he would restore it unto Israel We have opened the Words it remaineth that we consider the sense and perswasion of the Hebrews in this matter 2. Shew the influence of this assertion into the Argument that the Apostle hath in hand and 3. Annex a brief Scheme of the whole Lordship and Kingdom of Christ. The Testimonies given to this Heirship of the Messiah in the Old Testament sufficiently evidencing the faith of the Church guided by the rule thereof will be mentioned afterwards For the present I shall only intimate the continuance of this perswasion among the Jews both then when the Apostle wrote unto them and afterwards To this purpose is that of Jonathan in the Targum on Zech. 4.7 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã He shall reveal the Messiah whose name is from everlasting who shall have the dominion over all Kingdoms See Psal. 72.11 And of him who was brought before the Antient of dayes like the Son of Man Dan. 7. to whom all power is given they say ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he is Messiah the King So R. Solomon on the place So R. Bechai on Exod. 23.21 My name is in him he is called saith he ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã because in that name two significations are included ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Lord and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an Embassador the reasons of which Etymologie out of the Greek and Latin Tongues he subjoyns I confess foolishly enough but yet he adds to our purpose It may have a third signification of a Keeper for the Targum instead of the Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã hath ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã because he that is the Messiah preserves or keeps the world he is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Keeper of Israel hence it appears that he is the Lord of all things they being put under him and that the whole host of things above and below are in his hand He is also the messenger of all above and beneath because God hath made him to rule over all hath appointed him the Lord of his house the Ruler of all he hath which expressions how consonant they are to what is delivered by the Apostle in this place and Chap. 3. is easily discerned The Influence of this Assertion or common Principle of the Judaical Church into the Argument that the Apostle hath in hand is evident and manifest He who is the Heir and Lord of all things Spiritual Temporal Ecclesiastical must needs have power over all Mosaical Institutions be the Lord of them which are no where exempted from his Rule The words being opened and the design of the Apostle in them discovered because they contain an eminent Head of the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning the Lordship and Kingdom of Jesus Christ the Messiah I shall stay here a little to give in a Scheme of his whole Dominion seeing the consideration of it will not again so directly occur unto us That which is the intendment of the words in the interpretation given of them is this God the Father in the pursuit of the Soveraign purpose of his Will hath granted unto the Son as incarnate and Mediator of the New Covenant according to the eternal Council between them both a Soveraign Power and Authority over all things in Heaven and Earth with the Possession of an absolute proprietor to dispose of them at his pleasure for the furtherance and Advancement of his proper and peculiar work as Head of his Church I shall not insist on the several Branches of this Thesis but as I said in general confirm this Grant of Power and Dominion unto the Lord Christ and then give in our Scheme of his Kingdom in the several Branches of it not enlarging our Discourse upon them but only pointing at the heads and springs of things as they lye in the Scripture Of the Kingdom or Lordship of Christ. THe Grant of Dominion in general unto the Messiah is intimated in the first promise of him Gen. 3.15 His Victory over Satan was to be attended with Rule Power and Dominion Psal. 68.18 Isa. 53.12 Ephes. 4.8 9. Col. 2.15 and confirmed in the Renewal of that Promise to Abraham Gen. 22.17 18. For in him it was that Abraham was to be Heir of the world Rom. 4.13 As also unto Judah whose seed was to enjoy the Scepter and Law-giver until he came who was to be Lord over all Gen. 49.10 As Baalam also saw the Star of Jacob with a Scepter for Rule Numb 24.17 19. This Kingdom was fully revealed unto David and is expressed by him Psal. 2. throughout Psal. 45.3 4 5
that is the Creation of the whole world and all things contained in it hath been elsewhere proved and must be granted or we may well despair of ever understanding one line in the Scripture or what we ordinarily speak one to another 3. John doth not mention any particular of the old Creation affirming only in general that by the Word all things were made whereof he afterwards affirms that it was the Light of men not assigning unto him in particular the Creation of Light as is pretended 3. He tells us the Article preposed ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã intimates that it is not the old Creation that is intended but some new especial thing distinct from it and preferred above it Answ. 1. As the same Article doth used by the same Apostle to the same purpose in another place Acts 14.15 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã who made the Heaven the Earth and Sea which were certainly those created of old 2. The same Article is used with the same word again in this Epistle Chap. 11.3 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by faith we understand that the worlds were made where this Author acknowledgeth the old Creation to be intended 4. He adds that the Author of this Epistle seems to allude to the Greek Translation of Isa. 9.6 wherein ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Father of Eternity or eternal Father is rendred the Father of the world to come Answ. 1. There is no manner of Relation between ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Father of the world to come and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by whom he made the worlds unless it be that one word is used in both places in very distinct senses which if it be sufficient to evince a cognation between various places very strange and uncouth interpretations would quickly ensue Nor 2. Doth that which the Apostle here treats of any way respect that which the Prophet in that place insists upon his name and nature being only declared by the Prophet and his works by the Apostle And 3. It is presumption to suppose the Apostle to allude to a corrupt Translation as that of the LXX in that place is there being no ground for it in the Original for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the eternal Father and what the Jews and LXX intend by the world to come we shall afterwards consider 5. His last refuge is in Isa. 51.16 Where the work of God as he observes in the reduction of the people of the Jews from the Captivity of Babylon is called his planting the Heavens and laying the foundation of the Earth And the Vulgar Latin Translation as he farther observes renders the word ut corlum plantes ut terram fundes ascribing that to the Prophet which he did but declare and in this sense he contends that God the Father is said to make the worlds by his Son Answ. 1. The work mentioned is not that which God would do in the reduction of the people from Babylon but that which he had done in their delivery from Aegypt recorded to strengthen the faith of Believers in what for the future he would yet do for them 2. The expressions of planting the Heavens and laying the foundation of the Earth are in this place of the Prophet plainly Allegorical and are in the very same place declared so to be First In the circumstance of time when this work is said to be wrought namely at the coming of the Israelites out of Aegypt when the Heavens and the Earth properly so called could not be made planted founded or created Secondly By an adjoyned Exposition of the Allegory I have put my words into thy mouth and said unto Zion thou art my people This was his planting of the Heavens and laying the foundation of the Earth even the erection of a Church and Political State amongst the Israelites 3. It is not to the Prophet but to the Church that the words are spoken and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã are not ut plantes ut fundes but ad plantandum to plant and ad fundandum to lay the foundation and our Author prejudicates his cause by making use of a Translation to uphold it which himself knows to be corrupt 4. There is not then any similitude between that place of the Prophet wherein words are used Allegorically the Allegory in them being instantly explained and this of the Apostle whose discourse is didactical and the words used in it proper and suited to the things intended by him to be expressed And this is the substance of what is pleaded to wrest from believers this illustrious Testimony given to the eternal Deity of the Son of God We may yet further consider the reasons that offer themselves from the Context for the removal of the interpretation suggested 1. It sinks under its own weakness and absurdity The Apostle intending to set out the Excellency of the Son of God affirms that by him the worlds were made that is say they Christ preaching the Gospel converted some to the faith of it and many more were converted by the Apostles preaching the same Doctrine whereupon blessed times of Light and Salvation ensued Who not overpowered with prejudice could once imagine any such sense in these words especially considering that it is as contrary to the design of the Apostle as it is to the importance of the words themselves This is that which Peter calls mens wresting the Scripture to their own perdition 2. The Apostle as we observed writes didactically plainly expressing the matter whereof he treats in words usual and proper To what end then should he use so strained an Allegory in a point of Doctrine yea a fundamental Article of the Religion he taught and that to express what he had immediately in the words foregoing properly expressed For by whom he made the worlds is no more in these mens apprehensions than in him hath he spoken in these latter dayes Nor is this Expression any where used no not in the most allegorical Prophecies of the Old Testament to denote that which here they would wrest it unto But making of the world signifies making of the World in the whole Scripture throughout and nothing else 3. The making of the worlds here intended was a thing then past ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he made them that is he did so of old and the same word is used by the LXX to express the old Creation But now that which the Jews called the world to come or the blessed state of the Church under the Messiah the Apostle speaks of as of that which was not yet come the present worldly State of the Judaical Church yet continuing 4. The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which are so rendred taken absolutely as they are here used do never in any one place in the Scripture in the Old or New Testament signifie
by him as incarnate that the Suitableness and Correspondency of all things in them might be evident The Word was with God saith he in the beginning and all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made v. 1 2 3. But what was this unto the Gospel that he undertook to declare Yes very much for it appears from hence that when this Word was made flesh and came and dwelt among us v. 14. that he came into the world that was made by him though it knew him not v. 10. he came but to his own what ever were the entertainment that he receeived v. 11. For this End then God made all things by him that when he came to change and renew all things he might have good right and title so to do seeing he undertook to deal with or about no more but what he had originally made The Holy and Blessed Trinity could have so ordered the work of Creation as that it should not immediately eminently and signally have been the work of the Son of the Eternal Word But there was a farther design upon the world to be accomplished by him and therefore the work was signally to be his that is as to immediate Operation though as to Authority and Order it peculiarly belonged to the Father and to the Spirit as to Disposition and Ornament Gen. 1.2 Job 26.13 This I say was done for the End mentioned by the Apostle Ephes. 1.10 All things at first were made by him that when they were lost ruined scattered they might again in the appointed season be gathered together into one head in him of which place more at large else-where And this mysterie of the Wisdom of God the Apostle at large unfoldeth Col. 1.15 16 17 18 19. Speaking of the Son by whom we have Redemption he informs us that in himself and his own nature he is the Image of the invisible God that is of God the Father who until then had alone been clearly revealed unto them and that in respect of other things he is the first-born of every creature or as he terms himself Rev. 3.14 the Beginning of the creation of God that is he who is before all creatures and gave Beginning to the Creation of God For so expresly the Apostle explains himself in the next verses By him all things were created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and he is before all things and by him all things consist But this is not the full design of the Apostle He declares not only that All things were made by him but also that All things were made for him v. 16. so made for him that he might be the Head of the Body the Church that is that he might be the fountain head spring and original of the new Creation as he had been of the Old So the Apostle declares in the next words Who is the beginning the first-born from the dead As he was the Beginning and the First-bârn of every creature in the old Creation so he is the Beginning and First-born from the dead that is the Original and Cause of the whole new Creation And hereunto he subjoyns the End and design of God in this whole mysterious work which was that the Son might have the preheminence in all things as he had in and over the works of the old Creation seeing they were all made by him and all consist in him so also he hath over the New on the same account being the Beginning and First-born of them The Apostle in these words gives us the whole of what we intend namely that the making of the worlds and of all things in them in the first Creation by the Son was peculiarly subservient to the Glory of the Grace of God in the Reparation and Renovation of all things by him as incarnate It is not for us to enquire much into or after the reason of this Oeconomy and Dispensation we cannot by searching find out God we cannot find out the Almighty unto perfection Job 11.7 It may suffice us that he disposeth of all things according to the counsel of his own will Ephes. 1.12 This Antecedently unto the consideration of the Effects of it we cannot we may not search into Deut. 29.29 What are the Effects and Consequences of his infinitely holy wise Counsel wherein his Glory shines forth unto his Creatures those we may consider and contemplate on and rejoyce in the light that they will afford us into the treasures of these counsels themselves Now herein we see first that it was the Eternal Design of God that the whole Creation should be put in subjection unto the Word incarnate whereof the Apostle also treats in the second Chapter of this Epistle God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2.9 10 11. God hath put all things in subjection unto him not only the things peculiarly redeemed by him but all things what ever as we shall shew in the next words of our Epistle See 1 Cor. 15 24. Heb. 2.8 Rom. 14.11 Hence John saw every creature which is in heaven and earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea even all that are in them ascribing blessing and honour and glory and power unto the Lamb for ever and ever Rev. 5.13 that is owning and avowing their Duty Obedience and Subjection unto him This being designed of God in the Eternal Counsel of his Will before the world was 1 Pet. 1.2 Tit. 1.2 He prepared and made way for it in the Creation of all things by him so that his Title and right to be the Ruler and Lord of all Angels and Men the whole Creation in and of Heaven and Earth might be laid in this great and blessed foundation that he made them all Again God designed from Eternity that his great and everlasting Glory should arise from the new Creation and the work thereof Herein hath he ordered all things to the praise of the glory of his grace Ephes. 1.6 And this praise will he inhabit for ever It is true the works of the old Creation did set forth the glory of God Psal. 19.1 they manifested his eternal power and Godhead Rom. 1.20 But God had not resolved ultimately to commit the manifestation of his glory unto those works though very glorious and therefore did he suffer sin to enter into the world which stained the beauty of it and brought it wholly under the curse But he never suffered spot nor stain to come upon the work of the new Creation Ephes. 5.6 nothing that might defeat eclipse or impair the glory that
to be at the Right Hand of Christ Psalm 45.9 which as it prefers her above all others so it takes not off her subjection unto Christ. Nero in Suetonius when Tiridâtes King of Armenia came to Rome placed him for his Honour on his right hand himself sitting on the Throne of Rule And where three sit together the middle seat is the place of chiefest honour Hence Cato in Africk when Juba would have placed himself in the midst between him and Scipio removed himself to the left hand of Scipio that Juba might not have the place of preheminence above Roman Magistrates It is not unlikely but that there may be an Allusion in this expression unto the Sanhedrin the highest Court of Judicature among the Jews He who presided in it was called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Father of Judgement or Father of the House of Judgement and sate at the right hand of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Prince of the Sanhedrin next unto him unto whom belonged the execution of the Sentence of the Court. Of this Ab din mention is made in the Targum Cantic 7.4 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Father of the House of Judgement who judgeth thy judgements agreeable to that the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement unto the Son The whole Expression then is plainly Metaphorical and taken from what is or was in use amongst men and thence translated to signifie the State and Condition of Christ in Heaven And this is that which the Apostle in general intimates in these words that as the greatest Honour that can be done unto any one among the sons of men is for the Chief Ruler to set him next himself on his Right Hand so is the Son as Mediator made partaker of the greatest glory that God hath to bestow in Heaven It is not then the Essential Eternal Glory of the Son of God that he hath equal with the Father which in these words is expressed and whereof the Apostle had spoken before but that Glory and Honour which is bestowed on him by the Father after and upon the Sacrifice of himself for the Expiation of sin So then the Right hand of God is not here taken absolutely as in other places for the Power and Strength of God but with the adjunct of sitting at it it shadows out a place and eminency of Glory as he is considered on his Throne of Majesty and therefore it is here termed the Right hand of Majesty and not of Omnipotency or Power In particular two things are intended in this Expression First The Security of Christ from all his Adversaries and all sufferings for the future The Jews knew what he suffered from God and Man Hereof he lets them know what was the reason it was for the purging of our sins And moreover declares that now he is everlastingly secured from all Opposition for where he is thither his Adversaries cannot come as Joh. 7.34 He is above their reach beyond their power secure in the Throne and Presence of God Thus the fruit of the Church being secured from the rage and persecution of Sathan is said to be caught up unto God and to his throne Rev. 12.5 Hence though men do and will continue their malice and wrath against the Lord Christ to the end of the world as though they would crucifie him afresh yet he dies no more being secure out of their reach at the Right hand of God Secondly His Majesty and Glory inexpressible All that can be given of God in heaven God on his Throne is God in the full manifestation of his own Majesty and Glory on his Right hand sits the Mediator yea so as that he also is in the midst of the Thrones Revel 5.6 How little can our weak understandings apprehend of this Majesty See Phil. 2.8 Matth. 20.21 Rom. 8.34 Col. 3.5 Ephes. 1.20 These are the things which the Apostle sets forth in this Expression And they are plainly intimated in the Context of the Psalm from whence the words are taken Psal. 110.1 So that it is not his Rule and Authority but his Safety Majesty and Glory which accompany them that are here intended Thirdly We are to enquire what it was that the Apostle had respect unto in this Ascription of Glory and Majesty unto Christ in the old Church state of the Jews and so what it is that he preferreth him above It is thought by many that the Apostle in these words exalteth Christ above David the chiefest King among the Jews Of him it is said that God would make him his first-born higher than the Kings of the earth Psal. 89.27 His Throne was high on the earth and his Glory above that of all the Kings about him but for the Lord Christ he is incomparably exalted above him also in that he is sate down at the Right hand of the Majâsty on High But as was said these words denote not the Rule Power or Authority of Christ typed by the Kingdom of David but his Glory and Majesty represented by the magnificent Throne of Solomon Besides he is not treating of the Kingly Power of Christ but of his Sacerdotal Office and the Glory that ensued upon the discharge thereof That therefore which in these words the Apostle seems to have had respect unto was the high Priests entrance into the Holy Place after his offering of the solemn anniversary Sacrifice of Expiation Then alone was he admitted into that Holy Place or Heaven below where was the solemn Representation of the Presence of God his Throne and his Glory And what did he there He stood with all Humility and lowly Reverence ministring before the Lord whose presence was there represented He did not go and sit down between the Cherubims but worshipping at the foot-stool of the Lord he departed It is not saith the Apostle so with Christ but as his Sacrifice was infinitely more excellent and effectual than theirs so upon the offering of it he entered into the Holy Place or Heaven it self above and into the real glorious presence of God not to minister in humility but to a participation of the Throne of Majesty and Glory He is a King and Priest upon his Throne Zech. 6.13 Thus the Apostle shuts up his general Proposition of the whole matter which he intends farther to dilate and treat upon In this description of the Person and Offices of the Messiah he coucheth the springs of all his ensuing Arguments and from thence enforceth the Exhortation which we have observed him constantly to pursue And we also may hence observe 1. That there is nothing more vain foolish and fruitless than the Opposition which Sathan and his Agents yet make unto the Lord Christ and his Kingdom Can they ascend into heaven Can they pluck the Lord Christ from the Throne of God A little time will manifest this madness and that unto Eternity 2. That the service of the Lord Christ is both safe and honourable
ãâã is both to differ and excel but the differentius of the Vulgar yields no good sense in this place ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã haereditavit sortitus est jure hereditario obtinuit of the importance of which word before Being in so much preferred exalted made eminent above Angels as he obtained inherited a more excellent name than they There are five things considerable in and for the Exposition of these words First What it is that the Apostle asserts in them as his general Proposition namely that the Son as the great Priest and Prophet of the Church was preferred above and made more glorious and powerful than the Angels and how this was done and wherein it doth consist Secondly When he was so preferred above them which belongs unto the Explication and right understanding of the former Thirdly The Degree of this preference of him above the Angels intimated in the comparison being by so much made more excellent as he hath c. Fourthly The Proof of the Assertion both absolutely and as to the Degree intimated and this is taken from his Name Fifthly The way whereby he came to have this Name he obtained it as his lot and portion or he inherited it First He is made more excellent than the Angels preferred above them that is say some declared so to be Tum res dicitur fieri cum incipit patesieri Frequently in tho Scripture a thing is then said to be made or to be when it is manifested so to be And in this sense the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is sometimes used Rom. 3.4 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Let God be true and every man a liar that is manifested and acknowledged so to be So James 1.12 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he that is approved in trial and thereby manifested to be sincere and sound In this sense the Apostle tells us Rom. 1.3 that the Lord Christ was declared to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead The resurrection from the dead did not make him to be the Son of God but evidently manifested and declared him so to be According to this interpretation of the words that which the holy Ghost intimateth is That whereas the Lord Christ ministred in an outwardly low condition in this world whilst he purged our sins yet by his sitting down at the right hand of God he was revealed manifested declared to be more excellent than all the Angels in heaven But I see no reason why we should desert the proper and most usual signification of the word nothing in the Context perswading us so to do Besides this suits not the Apostles design who doth not prove from the Scripture that the Lord Christ was manifested to be more excellent than the Angels but that really he was preferred and exalted above them So then ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is as much as preferred exalted actually placed in more Power Glory Dignity than the Angels This John Baptist affirms of him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã He was preferred before me because he was before me Preferred above him called to another manner of Office than that which John ministred in made before or above him in Dignity because he was before him in Nature and Existence And this is the proper sense of the words The Lord Jesus Christ the Revealer of the Will of God in the Gospel is exalted above preferred before made more excellent and glorious than the Angels themselves all or any of them who ministred unto the Lord in the giving of the Law on mount Sinai Some object unto this Interpretation That he who is said to be made or set above the Angels is supposed to have been lower than they before To which I answer And so he was not in respect of Essence Subsistence and real Dignity but in respect of the infirmities and sufferings that he was exposed unto in the discharge of his word here on the earth as the Apostle expresly declares chap. 2.9 2. And this gives us light into our second enquiry on these words namely When it was that Christ was thus exalted above the Angels 1. Some say that it was in the time of his Incarnation for then the Humane Nature being taken into Personal subsistence with the Son of God it became more excellent than that of the Angels This sense is fixed on by some of the Antients who are followed by sundry Modern Expositors But we have proved before that it is not of either Nature of Christ absolutely or abstractedly that the Apostle here speaketh nor of his Person but as vested with his Office and discharging of it And moreover the Incarnation of Christ was part of his Humiliation and Exinanition and is not therefore especially intended where his Exaltation and Glory is expresly spoken of 2. Some say that it was at the time of his Baptism when he was anointed with the Spirit for the discharge of his Prophetical Office Isa. 60.1 2. But yet neither can this Designation of the time be allowed And that because the main things wherein he was made lower than the Angels as his temptations and sufferings and death it self did follow his Baptism and Unction 3. It must therefore be the time of his Resurrection Ascension and Exaltation at the Right hand of God which ensued thereon that is designed as the season wherein he was made more excellent than the Angels as evidently appears from the Text and Context For 1. That was the Time as we have shewed before when he was gloriously vested with that All Power in heaven and earth which was of old designed unto him and prepared for him 2. The Order also of the Apostles discourse leads us to fix on this season After he had by himself purged our sins he sat down c. Being made so much more excellent that is therein and then he was so made 3. The Testimony in the first place produced by the Apostle in the confirmation of his Assertion is elsewhere as we shall see applied by himself unto his Resurrection and the Glory that ensued and consequently they are also in this place intended 4. This Preference of the Lord Christ above the Angels is plainly included in that Grant of All Power made unto him Matth. 28.18 expounded Ephes. 1.21 22. 5. The Testimony used by the Apostle in the first place is the word that God spake unto his King when he set him upon his holy Hill of Sion Psal. 2.6 7 8. which typically expresseth his glorious Enstalment in his heavenly Kingdom The Lord Christ then who in respect of his Divine Nature was always infinitely and incomparably himself more excellent than all the Angels after his Humiliation in the Assumption of the Humane Nature with the sufferings and temptations that he underwent upon his Resurrection was exalted into a condition of Glory Power Authority and Excellency and entrusted with Power over them as our Apostle here informs us 3. In this Preference and Exaltation of the Lord Christ there is
a Degree intimated being made so much more c. now our conceptions hereabout as to this place are wholly to be regulated by the Name given unto him Look saith the Apostle how much the Name given unto the Messiah excels the Name given unto Angels so much doth he himself excell them in Glory Authority and Power for these Names are severally given them of God to signifie their state and condition What and how great this difference is we shall afterwards see in the consideration of the Instances given of it by the Apostle in the Verses ensuing 4. The Proof of this Assertion which the Apostle first fixeth on is taken from the Name of Christ. His Name not given him by man not assumed by himself but ascribed unto him by God himself Neither doth he here by the Name of Christ or the name of the Angels intend any individual proper names of the one or the other but such Descriptions as are made of them and Titles given unto them by God as whereby their state and condition may be known Observe saith he how they are called of God by what Names and Titles he owns them and you may learn the Difference between them This Name he declares in the next Verse God said unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee It is not absolutely his being the Son of God that is intended but that by the testimony of the holy Ghost God said these words unto him Thou art my Son and thereby declared his state and condition to be far above that of the Angels to none of whom he ever said any such thing but speaks of them in a far distinct manner as we shall see But hereof in the next Verse Some by this excellent Name understand his Power and Dignity and Glory called his name above every name Phil. 2.8 but then this can no way prove that which the Apostle produceth it for it being directly the same with that which is asserted in whose confirmation it is produced 5. The last thing considerable is How the Lord Christ came by this Name or obtained it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he obtained it by Inheritance as his peculiar lot and portion for ever In what sense he is said to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Heir was before declared As he was made the Heir of all so he inherited a more excellent Name than the Angels Now he was made Heir of all in that all things being made and formed by him the Father committed unto him as Mediator a peculiar Power over all things to be disposed of by him unto all the ends of his Mediation So also being the Natural and Eternal Son of God in and upon the discharge of his work the Father declared and pronounced that to be his Name see Luke 1.35 Isa. 7.14 chap. 9.6 His being the Son of God is the proper foundation of his being called so and his discharge of his Office the Occasion of its declaration so he came unto it by Right of Inheritance when he was declared to be the Son of God with Power by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.3 This then is the sum of the Apostles Proposition and the Confirmation of it A Name given by God to that end and purpose doth truly declare the nature state and condition of him or them to whom it is given But unto Christ the Mediator there is a Name given of God himself exceedingly more excellent than any that by him is given unto the Angels which undeniably evinceth that he is placed in a state and condition of Glory far above them or preferred before them I shall only observe one or two things concerning the Hebrews to whom the Apostle wrote and so put an end to our Exposition of this Verse First then this discourse of the Apostle proving the Preheminence of the Messiah above the Angels was very necessary unto the Hebrews although it were very suitable unto their own principles and in general acknowledged by them It is to this day a Tradition amongst them that the Messiah shall be exalted above Abraham and Moses and the ministring Angels Besides they acknowledged the Scriptures of the Old Testament wherein the Apostle shews them that this Truth was taught and confirmed But they were dull and flow in making Application of these Principles unto the confirmation of their faith in the Gospel as the Apostle chargeth them Chap. 5.11 12. And they had at that time great Speculations about the Glory Dignity and Excellency of Angels and were fallen into some kind of worshipping of them And it may be this Curiosity Vanity and Superstition in them was heightned by the heat of the Controversie between the Pharisees and Sadduces about them the one denying their Existence and being the other whom the body of the People followed exâlting them above measure and inclining to the Worship of them This the Apostle declares Col. 2.18 treating of those Judaizing Teachers who then troubled the Churches he chargeth them with fruitless and curious speculations about Angels and the worshipping of them And of their Ministry in the giving of the Law they still boasted It was necessary therefore to take them off from this Confidence of that Priviledge and the superstition that ensued thereon to instruct them in the Preheminence of the Lord Christ above them all that so their thoughts might be directed unto him and their Trust placed in him alone And this Exaltation of the Messiah some of their latter Doctors assert on Dan. 7.9 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I behold until the Thrones were set placed exalted as in the Original Chaldee and as all old Translations Greek Latin Syriack and Arabick render the words however Ours read untill the Thrones were cast down affirming that one of those Thrones was fâr the Messiah before whom all the Angels ministred in obedience Secondly It may not be amiss to remark that the Jews have alwayes had a Tradition of the glorious name of the Messiah which even since their utter Rejection they retain some obscure remembrance of The name which they principally magnifie is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Metatron Ben Vzziel in his Targum on Gen. 5. ascribâs this name to Enoch when he was translated he ascended into Heaven in the word of the Lord ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and his name was called Mitatron the greât Scribe But this opinion of Enoch being Metatron is rejected and confuted in the Talmud There they tell us that Metatron is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Prince of the world or as Elias calls him in Thisbi ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Prince of Gods Presence And in the first mention of this Name which is Talmud Tract Saned cap. 4. fol. 38. they plainly intimate that they intended an uncreated Angel by this Expression And such indeed must He be unto whom may be assigned what they ascribe unto Metatron For as Reuchlin from the Cabbalists informs us they say ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã
God speaketh and I suppose we need no interposition of Church or Tradition to give Authority or Credit unto what he says or speaks This then is the sum of these words of the Apostle Again in another place where the Holy Ghost fore-tells the bringing forth into the world and amongst men him that is the Lord and Heir of all to undertake his work and to enter into his Kingdom and Glory the Lord speaks to this purpose Let all the Angels of God worship him To manifest this testimony to be apposite unto the confirmation of the Apostles assertion three things are required 1. That it is the Son who is intended and spoken of in the place from whence the words are taken and so designed as the Person to be worshipped 2. That they are Angels that are spoken unto and commanded to worship him 3. That on these suppositions the words prove the Preheminence of Christ above the Angels For the two former with them that acknowledge the Divine Authority of this Epistle it is sufficient in general to give them satisfaction The place is applied unto Christ and this passage unto the ministring Angels by the same Spirit who first wrote that Scripture But yet there is room left for our enquiry how these things may be evidenced whereby the strength of the Apostles Reasonings with them who were not yet convinced of the infallibility of his Assertions any farther than they were confirmed by testimonies out of the Old Testament and the faith of the Antient Church of the Hebrews in this matter may be made to appear as also a check given to their boldness who upon pretence of the impropriety of these Allegations have questioned the Authority of the whole Epistle And our first enquiry must be whence this testimony is taken Many of the Antients as Epiphanius Theodoret Euthymius Procopius and Anselm conceive the words to be cited from Deut. 32.42 where they expresly occur in the Translation of the LXX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Rejoyce ye Heavens with him and let all the Angels of God worship him But there are two considerations that put it beyond all pretensions that the words are not taken from this place of the LXX 1. Because indeed there are no such words in the Original Text nor any thing spoken that might give occasion to the sense expressed in them but that whole Verse is inserted in the Greek Version quite besides the scope of the place Now though it may perhaps be safely granted that the Apostles in citing the Scripture of the Old Testament did sometimes use the words of the Greek Translation then in use yea though not exact according to the Original whilst the sense and meaning of the Holy Ghost was retained in them yet to cite that from the Scripture as the word and testimony of God which indeed is not therein nor was ever spoken by God but by humane failure and corruption crept into the Greek Version is not to be imputed unto them And indeed I no way question but that this addition unto the Greek Text in that place was made after the Apostle had used this testimony For it is not unlikely but that some considering of it and not considering from whence it was taken because the words occur not absolutely and exactly in the Greek any where inserted it into that place of Moses amidst other words of an alike sound and somewhat an alike importante such as immediately precede and follow the clause inserted 2. The Holy Ghost is not treating in that place about the Introduction of the First-born into the world but quite of another matter as is evident upon the first view of the Text so that this testimony is evidently not taken from this place nor would nor could the Apostle make use of a testimony liable unto such just exceptions Later Expositors generally agree that the words are taken out of Psal. 97. v. 7. where the Original is rendred by the LXX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which with a very small variation in the words and none at all in the sense is here expressed by the Apostle And let all the Angels of God worship him The Psalm hath no Title at all in the Original which the Greek Version noteth affirming that it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but it addes one of its own namely ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã A Psalm of David when his land was restored Hence it is referred by some to the time of his return unto Hierusaleâ after he had been expelled the Kingdom by Absolom by others with more probability to the time of his bringing the Ark into the Tabernacle from the house of Obed-edom when the land was quieted before him And unquestionably in it the Kingdom of God was shadowed out under the Type of the Kingdom of David which Kingdom of God was none other but that of the Messiah It is evident that this Psalm is of the same Nature with that which goes before yea a part of it or an Appendix unto it The first words of this take up and carrie on what is affirmed in the tenth verse or close of that so that both of them are but one continued Psalm of Praise Now the Title of that Psalm and consequently this is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã A new song v. 1. which Psalms as Rashi confesseth are to be referred unto the World to come that is the Time and Kingdome of the Messiah So Kimchi affirms that this Psalm and that following respect the time when the people shall be delivered from the Captivity out of all Nations that is the time of the Messiah And Rakenati affirms that the last verse of it He cometh to judge the earth can respect nothing but the coming and reign of the Messiah Thus they out of their Traditions Some of the Antients I confess charge them with corrupting this Psalm in the version of the 10 verse affirming that the words sometimes were ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Lord reigned from the Tree denoting as the say the Cross. So Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho And after him the same words are remembred by Tertullian ad Judae cap. 10. ad Marci lib. 3. And Augustin Enarr in Psal. 95. And though the fraud and corruption pretended be improbable indeed impossible nor are the words mentioned by Justine acknowledged by the Targum or any Greek Translator or Hierom yet it is evident that all parties granted the Messiah and his Kingdom to be intended in the Psalm or there had been no need or colour for the one to suspect the other of corruption about it It is then evident that the Antient Church of the Jews whose Tradition is herein followed by the Modern acknowledged this Psalm to contain a description of the Kingdom of God in the Messiah and on their consent doth the Apostle proceed And the next Psalm which is of the same importance with this is entituled by the Targumist ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã A Prophetical Psalm namely
Congruency and Conveniency unto an antecedent discharge of Office in the Lord Christ and are of the same importance with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Psal. 2.9 and so can respect nothing but his glorious Exaltation which is thus expressed The last thing considerable in the words is the Prerogative of the Lord Christ in this Priviledge He is anointed above his fellows Now these Fellows Companions or Associates of the Lord Christ may be considered either generally for all those that partake with him in this Unction which are all Believers who are Co-heirs with him and thereby heirs of God Rom. 8.17 or more especially for those who were employed by God in the Service Building and Rule of his Church in their subordination unto him such as were the Prophets of old and afterwards the Apostles Ephes. 2.20 In respect unto both sorts the Lord Christ is anointed with the Oyle of gladness above them but the latter sort are especially intended concerning whom the Apostle gives an especial instance in Moses Ch. 3. affirming the Lord Christ in his work about the Church to be made partaker of more Glory than he In a word he is incomprehensibly exalted above Angels and Men. And this is the first Testimony whereby the Apostle confirms his Assertion of the preheminence of the Lord Christ above Angels in that comparison which he makes between them which also will afford the ensuing Observations I. The conferring and comparing of Scriptures is an excellent means of coming to an Acquaintance with the Mind and Will of God in them Thus dealeth the Apostle in this place he compareth what is spoken of Angels in one place and what of the Son in another and from thence manifesteth what is the mind of God concerning them This duty lyes in the command we have to search the Scriptures John 5.39 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã make a diligent Investigation of the Mind of God in them comparing spiritual things with spiritual What God hath declared of the mind of the Spirit in one place with what in like manner he hath manifested in another God to try our Obedience and to exercise our Diligence unto a study in his Word day and night Psal. 1.2 and our continual Meditation thereon 1 Tim. 4.15 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Meditate on these things be wholly in them hath planted his Truths with great Variety up and down his Word yea here one part and there another of the same Truth which cannot be throughly learned unless we gather them together into one view For instance In one place God commands us to circumcise our Hearts and to make unto our selves new hearts that we may fear him which at first consideration seems so to represent it not only as our Duty but also within our Power as though we had no need of any help from Grace for its Accomplishment In another he promiseth absolutely to circumcise our hearts and to give us new hearts to fear him as though it were so his work as not to be our concernment to attempt it But now these several places being spiritually compared together make it evident that as it is our Duty to have new and circumcised hearts so it is the Effectual Grace of God that must work and create them in us And the like may be observed in all the important Truths that are of Divine Revelation And this 1. Discovers the Root of almost all the Errors and Heresies that are in the World Men whose hearts are not subdued by Faith and Humility unto the Obedience of the Truth lighting on some Expressions in the Scripture that singly considered seem to give countenance to some such Opinion as they are willing to embrace without farther search they fix it on their minds and imagination untill it is too late to oppose any thing unto it For when they are once fixed in their perswasions those other places of Scripture which they should with Humility have compared with that whose seeming sense they cleave unto and from thence have learned the mind of the Holy Ghost in them all are considered by them to no other End but only how they may pervert them and free themselves from the Authority of them This I say seems to be the way of the most of them who pertinaciously cleave unto false and foolish Opinions They rashly take up a seeming sense of some particular places and then obstinately make that sense the Rule of interpreting all other Scriptures what ever Thus in our own dayes we have many who from the outward sound of those words Joh. 1.9 He is the true light which lighteneth every man that comes into the world having taken up a rash foolish and false imagination that Christ is that Light which is remaining in all men and therein their Guide and Rule do from thence either wrest the whole Scripture to make it suit and answer that supposal or else utterly slight and despise it when if they had compared it with other Scriptures which clearly explain and declare the mind of God in the things which concern the Person and Mediation of the Lord Christ with the Nature and Works of natural and saving spiritual light and submitted to the Authority and Wisdom of God in them they might have been preserved from their delusion It shews also 2. The Danger that there is unto men unskilled and unexercised in the Word of Truth when without the Advice Assistance or Directions of others who are able to guide them and instruct their Enquiry after the mind of God They hastily embrace Opinions which it may be some one Text or other of Scripture doth seemingly give countenance unto By this means do men run themselves into the fore-mentioned Danger every day especially where any seducing Spirit applyes himself unto them with swelling words of vanity boasting of some misunderstood word or other Thus have we seen multitudes lead by some general Expressions in two or three particular places of Scripture into an Opinion about a general Redemption of all mankind and every Individual thereof when if they had been wise and able to have searched those other Scriptures innumerable setting forth the Eternal Love of God to his Elect his purpose to save them by Jesus Christ the nature and end of his Oblation and ransom and compared them with others they would have understood the vanity of their hasty Conceptions 3. From these things it appears what Diligence Patience Waiting Wisdom is required of all men in searching of the Scriptures who intend to come unto the acknowledgement of the Truth thereby And unto this end and because of the greatness of our concernment therein doth the Scripture it self abound with Precepts Rules Directions to enable us unto a right and profitable discharging of our Duty They are too many here to be inserted I shall only add that the Diligence of Heathens will rise up in judgement and condemn the sloth of many that are called Christians in this matter For whereas they had no
ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the beginning And our Translation needed not to have used any difference of expression in the Psalm and this place of the Apostle as they do there of old here in the beginning Thou hast founded not laid the foundation of the earth And the heavens are the works ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the work which the Greek renders works because of their variety of thy hands They shall perish ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but thou shalt stand or dost abide The word used in our Translation of the Psalm endure doth ill answer the Original but the margin gives relief Psal. Yea all of them shall wax old like a garment here And they shall all wax old as doth a garment A little variety without difference and that needless the Greek Text exactly expressing the Hebrew And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã shalt thou change them The change of a vesture whereunto the change of the Heavens is compared being by folding up and laying aside at least from former use the Apostle instead of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã thou shalt change renders the word by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã thou shall fold or roll them up ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã tu ipse and thou art he ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and thy years shall have no end shall not fail ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã shall not consume There is no question but that these words do sufficiently prove the Preheminence of him of whom they are spoken incomparably above all Creatures what ever Two things therefore are questioned by the Enemies of the Truth contained in them 1. Whether they were originally spoken at all of Christ which the present Jews deny 2. Whether they are spoken all of Christ which is questioned by the Socinians These Enquiries being first satisfied the words shall be opened and the force of the Apostles Argument from thence declared 1. That what is spoken in this Psalm doth properly respect the Messiah is denied by the present Jews That it was owned by the antient Hebrews is sufficiently evident from hence that the Apostle dealing with them on their own Principles urgeth them with the testimony of it The Psalm also it self-gives us light enough into the same instruction It is partly Euctical partly Prophetical both parts suited unto the condition of the Church when the Temple was wasted and Sion lay in the dust during the Babylonish Captivity In the Prophetical part there are three things signal 1. The Redemption of the people with the Re-edification of the Temple as a Type of that Spiritual Temple and Worship which was afterwards to be erected As v. 13. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come And v. 16. When the Lord shall build Sion he shall appear in his glory 2. The Calling of the Gentiles to the Church and Worship of God v. 15. The Heathen shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory V. 21 22. To declare the name of the Lord in Sion and his praise in Jerusalem when the people are gathered together and the kingdoms to serve the Lord. 3. Hereby the creation of a new people a new world is brought in v. 18. This shall be written for the generation to come the world to come and the people that shall be created the new creation of Jews and Gentiles shall praise the Lord. These are the heads of the Prophetical part of the Psalm and they all respect things every where peculiarly assigned unto the Son who was to be incarnate or the days of the Messiah which is all one For 1. The Redemption and deliverance of the Church out of trouble is his proper work Where ever it is mentioned it is he who is intended Psal. 98.18 so signally Zech. 2.8 9 10 11 12 13. and other places innumerable 2. The bringing in of the Gentiles is acknowledged by all the Jews to respect the time of the Messiah it being he who was to be a light unto the Gentiles and the salvation of God unto the ends of the earth 3. Also the Generation to come and people to be created the Jews themselves interpret of the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã world to come or the new state of the Church under the Messiah These two last put together the gathering of the people and the world to come created for the praise of God makes it evident that it is the Son whom the Psalmist hath respect unto Grotius in this place affirms that the Apostle accommodates unto the Messiah what was spoken of God And he thinks it a sufficient argument to prove the words were not spoken of the Messiah because they were spoken of God whereas they are produced by the Apostle to prove his Excellency from the properties and works of his Divine Nature And he addes as the sense of the words as accommodated unto Christ Thou hast laid the foundation of the earth that is the world was made for thy sake But this Interpretation or violent detortion of the words destroys it self For if they are spoken of God absolutely and not of the Messiah to whom they are accommodated how can it be said that the world was made for his sake and not by him both senses of the words cannot be true But this is indeed plainly to deny the Authority of the Apostle It appeareth then that many things in this Psalm are spoken directly and immediately of the Son though it be probable also that sundry things in it are affirmed distinctly of the Person of the Father And hence it may be are those frequent variations of speech from the Second to the Third Person that occur in this Psalm 2. As to the second Enquiry the Socinians who grant the Divine Authority of this Epistle and therefore cannot deny but that these words some way or other belong unto the Lord Christ yet plainly perceiving that if they are wholly understood of him that there is an end of all their Religion the creation not of a new but of that world which was made of old and which shall perish at the last day being here ascribed unto him fix here upon a new and peculiar Evasion Some words they say of this testimony belong unto Christ so much they will yield to the authority of the Apostle but not all of them whereby they hope to secure their own errour Now because if this pretence hold not this testimony is fatal to their perswasion I hope it will not be unacceptable if in our passage we do consider the distribution they make of the words according to their supposition and the Arguments they produce for the confirmation of their Exposition as they are managed by Crellius or Schlictingius in their Comment on this place 1. He says that this testimony doth so far belong unto Christ as it pertaineth unto the scope of the
Advantage of them for whom he hath undertaken and whom he designed to bring again into favour and communion with God Hence Believers do no more consider the Properties of God in the Person of the Son absolutely but as engaged in a way of Covenant for their Good and as proposed unto them for an everlasting satisfactory Reward This is the ground of his calling upon them so often to behold see and consider him and thereby to be refreshed They consider his Power as he is mighty to save His Eternity as he is an everlasting Reward his Righteousness as faithful to justifie them All his Properties as engaged in Covenant for their Good and Advantage What ever he is in himself that he will be to them in a way of Mercy Thus do the holy Properties of the Divine Nature become a means of supportment unto us as considered in the Person of the Son of God And this is 1. A great encouragement unto Believing The Lord Christ as the Wisdom of God inviting sinners to come in unto him and to be made partakers of him layes down all his Divine Excellencies as a motive thereunto Prov. 8.14 15 c. For on the account of them he assures us that we may find Rest Satisfaction and an abundant Reward in him And the like invitation doth he give to poor sinners Isa. 45.22 Look unto me and be saved all the ends of the Earth for I am God and there is none else They may justly expect Salvation in him who is God and in whom all Divine Attributes are proposed to their Benefit as they find who come unto him v. 24.25 The consideration hereof prevents all the Fears and answers all the Doubts of them that look up unto him 2. An instruction how to consider the Properties of God by faith for our Advantage that is as engaged in the Person of the Son of God for our Good Absolutely considered they may fill us with dread and terror as they did them of old who concluded when they thought they had seen God or heard his voyce that they should dye Considered as his Properties who is our Redeemer they are alwayes relieying and comforting Isa. 54.4 5. II. The whole Old Creation even the most glorious parts of it hastening unto its period at least of our present interest in it and use of it calls upon us not to fix our hearts on the small perishing shares which we have therein especially since we have him who is Omnipotent and Eternal for our Inheritance The Figure or fashion of this world the Apostle tells us is passing away that lovely Appearance which it hath at present unto us it is hastening unto its period it is a fading dying thing that can yield us no true satisfaction III. The Lord Christ the Mediator the Head and Spouse of the Church is infinitely exalted above all creatures whatever in that he is God over all Omnipotent and Eternal IV. The whole World the Heavens and Earth being made by the Lord Christ and being to be dissolved by him is wholly at his disposal to be ordered for the good of them that do believe And therefore V. There is no just cause of fear unto Believers from any thing in Heaven or Earth seeing they are all of the making and at the disposal of Jesus Christ. VI. Whatever our changes may be inward or outward yet Christ changing not our eternal condition is secured and relief provided against all present troubles and miseries The Immutability and Eternity of Christ is the spring of our consolation and security in every condition The summ of all is that VII Such is the frailty of the nature of man and such the perishing condition of all created things that none can ever obtain the least stable consolation but what ariseth from an interest in the Omnipotency Soveraignty and Eternity of the Lord Christ. This I say is that which the words insisted on as they are used in the Psalm do instruct us in and this therefore we may a little farther improve This is that which we are instructed in by the Ministry of John Baptist Isa. 40.6 7 8. The voyce cryed all flesh is grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field the grass withereth and the flower fadeth because the Spirit of God bloweth upon it surely the People is grass The grass withereth the flower fadeth but the word of our God shall stand for ever All is grass fading grass though it bloom and appear goodly for a little season yet there is no continuance no consistency in it Every Wind that passeth over it causeth it to wither This is the best of flesh of all that in and by our selves we are we do we enjoy or hope for The Crown of the Pride of man and his glorious Beauty is but a fading flower Isa. 28.1 What Joy what Peace what Rest can be taken in things that are dying away in our hands that perish before every breath of Wind that passeth over them Where then shall this poor Creature so frail in its self in its Actings in its Enjoyments seek for Rest Consolation and satisfaction in this alone that the Word of the Lord abides for ever in the eternally abiding Word of God that is the Lord Jesus Christ as preached in the Gospel so Peter applyes these words 1 Ep. 1.25 By an Interest in him alone his Eternity and Unchangeableness may relief be obtained against the consideration of this perishing dying state and condition of all things Thus the Psalmist tells us that verily every man living in his best estate is altogether vanity Psal. 39.5 and thence takes the Conclusion now insisted on v. 7. And now Lord seeing it is thus Seeing this is the condition of mankind what is thence to be looked after What is to be expected nothing at all not the least of use or comfort What wait I for My hope is in thee from thee alone as a God Eternal pardoning and saving do I look for Relief Man indeed in this Condition seeks oftentimes for satisfaction from himself from what he is and doth and enjoyes and what he shall leave after him comforting himself against his own frailty with an Eternity that he fancieth to himself in his Posterity and their Enjoyment of his Goods and Inheritance So the Psalmist tells us Psal. 49.11 Their inward thought is that their Houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling places unto all generations and they call their Lands after their own names They see indeed that all men dye Wise men and Fools v. 10. and cannot but from thence observe their own frailty Wherefore they are resolved to make provision against it they will perpetuate their Posterity and their Inheritance This they make use of to relieve them in their inmost Imaginations But what censure doth the Holy Ghost pass upon this Contrivance v. 12. Nevertheless saith he notwithstanding all these imaginations Man being in honour abideth not he is like the
Eternity and their fear of Eternity embitters all things that they should use for the relief of their frailty and that security which they provide against both encreaseth their misery by sin here and suffering hereafter 2. This also will teach us how to use these earthly things how dying Persons should use dying creatures That is to use them for our present service and necessity but not as those that look after rest or satisfaction in them which they will not afford us Vse the world but live on Christ. 3. Not to despond under a sense of our present frailty we see what blessed relief is provided against our fainting on that account Verse XIII THe next Verse contains the last Testimony produced by the Apostle for the confirmation of the Preheminence of the Lord Christ above Angels in the words ensuing Ver. 13. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã There is no difference about the reading of these words As they are here expressed by the Apostle so are they in the Translation of the LXX and the Original Text is exactly rendred by them Verse 13. But unto which of the Angels said he at anytime Sit thou on my right hand until I make put place thine enemies thy foot-stool the foot-stool of thy feet The usefulness of this testimony for the confirmation of the Dignity and Authority of the Messiah is evidenced by the frequent quotation of it in the New Testament as by our Saviour himself Matth. 22.42 by Peter Acts 2.34 35. and twice by our Apostle in this place and 1 Cor. 15.28 As the words are here used we may consider the Introduction of the Testimony and the Testimony it self The Introduction of the Testimony is by way of Interrogation Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time And herein three things may be observed 1. That in the Interrogation a vehement negation is included He said not at any time to any Angels he never spake these words or the like concerning them there is no testimony unto that purpose recorded in the whole Book of God The way of Expression puts an emphasis upon the denial And the speaking here relates unto what is spoken in the Scripture which is the only means of our knowledge and rule of our faith in these things 2. That he makes application of this testimony to every Angel in heaven severally considered For whereas he had before sufficiently proved the Preheminence of the Messiah above the Angels in general to obviate their thoughts about the especial Honour and Dignity of any one or more Angels or Angels in a singular manner such as indeed they conceived he applies the present testimony to every one of them singly and individually considered Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time 3. A tacit Application of this testimony unto the Son or the Messiah unto the Angels he said not but unto the Son he said Sit thou on my right hand That the testimony it self doth clearly prove the intendment of the Apostle provided the words were originally spoken of him or to him unto whom they are applied is beyond all exceptions For they contain an Elogium of him of whom they are spoken and an assignation of Honour and Glory to him beyond what ever was or can be ascribed unto any Angel what ever It remains therefore that this be first proved and then the importance of the testimony it self explained 1. For those that believe the Gospel the Authority of the Lord Christ and his Apostles applying this testimony unto him is sufficient for their conviction By our Saviour as was observed it is applied unto the Messiah in Thesi Matth. 22.42 43 44. And had not this been generally acknowledged by the Scribes and Pharisees and whole Church of the Jews as it had not been to his purpose to have mentioned it so they had not been reduced unto that conviction and shame by it as they were The Apostles apply it unto the true Messiah in Hypothesi and herein doth our faith rest 2. But a considerable part of the controversie which we have with the Jews relating much unto this Psalm we must yet farther clear the application of it unto the Messiah from their exceptions Of the Targum or Chaldee Paraphrase there are two Copies one printed in Arias Bible the other in the Basil Edition by Buxtorf The Title of the Psalm in both of them is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã A song by the hand of David And the beginning of it is thus rendred by the former of them The Lord said by his word that he would give me the Kingdom because I studied the doctrine of the Law of his right hand wait thou until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool By the other thus The Lord said by his word that he would appoint me the Lord of all Israel but he said unto me again Stay for Saul who is of the Tribe of Benjamin until he die for a Kingdom will not admit of a Companion and after that I will make thine enemies thy foot-stool Besides what appears from other considerations it is hence sufficiently evident that this Targum was made after the Jews began to be exercised in the controversie with Christians and had learned to corrupt by their glosses all the testimonies given in the Old Testament unto the Lord Christ especially such as they sound to be made use of in the New Their corrupting of the sense of the Holy Ghost in this place by a pretended Translation is openly malitious against evident light and conviction The Psalm they own from the Title to be written by David but they would have him also to be the subject of it to be spoken of in it And therefore those words The Lord said unto my Lord they translate The Lord said unto me which assertion is contrary to the Text and false in it self for who ever were the Pen-man of the Psalm he speaks of another person The Lord said unto my Lord say they The Lord said unto me And thereunto are annexed those imaginations about studying the Law and waiting for the death of Saul which in no case belongs to the Text or matter in hand Others therefore to avoid this Rock affirm that the Psalm speaks of David but was not composed by him being the work of some other who calls him Lord. So David Kimchi on the place And this he endeavours to prove from the inscription of the Psalm ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is saith he A Psalm spoken to David for it denotes the third and not the second Case or variation of Nouns But this is contrary to the use of that Prefix throughout the whole Book of Psalms and if this observation might be allowed all Psalms with this Title ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã le David which are the greatest part of those composed by him must be adjudged from him contrary to the received sense and consent of Jews and Christians But fully to manifest the folly of this pretence and that the Author
Promises 1. That his Kingdom shall not be like the Kingdoms of the earth obnoxious to change and mutation by intestine divisions or outward force or secret decayes by which means all the Kingdoms of the earth have been ruined and brought to nought In Opposition hereunto the Kingdom of Christ is asserted to be perpetual as that which no Opposition shall ever prevail against no means ever impair which yet hinders not but that a day may be prefixed unto its end 2. The Continuance of it unto the total full Accomplishment of all that is to be performed in it or by it in the Eternal Salvation of all his subjects and final Destruction of all his Enemies is in these and the like places foretold but yet when that work is done that Kingdom and Rule of his may have an end And in this sense the Term of Limitation here expressed seems to be expounded by the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.24 At the end he shall deliver up the Kingdom unto God the Father For although those words may admit of another Interpretation namely that he shall give up an account unto the Father of the accomplishment of the whole work committed unto him as King of his Church which he may do and not cease from holding the same Kingdom still yet as they are further interpreted by the Sons coming into a new subjection unto the Father that God may be all in all as v. 28. They seem to imply directly the ceasing of his Kingdom Though this matter be not indeed without its Difficulty yet the different Opinions about it seem capable of a fair Reconciliation which we shall attempt in the ensuing Proposals 1. The Lord Christ as the Son of God shall unto all Eternity continue in the Essential and Natural Dominion over all Creatures and they in their dependance upon him and subjection unto him He can no more divest himself of that Dominion and Kingdom than he can cease to be God Suppose the being of any creatures and that subjection unto him which is the Rise of this Kingdom is natural and indispensible 2. As to the Oeconomical Kingdom of Christ over the Church and all things in order unto the protection and salvation thereof the immediate Ends of it will cease All his Saints being saved all his Sons brought unto Glory all his Enemies subdued the End of that Rule which consisted in the Guidance and Preservation of the one in the Restraint and Ruine of the other must necessarily cease 3. The Lord Christ shall not so leave his Kingdom at the last day as that the Father should take upon himself the Administration of it Upon the giving up of his Kingdom what ever it be the Apostle doth not say the Father shall Rule or raign as though he should exercise the same Kingdom but that God shall be all in all that is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost without the use or intervention of such wayes or means as were in use before during the full continuance of the dispensatory Kingdom of Christ shall fill and satisfie all his Saints support and dispose of the remnant Creation 4. This ceasing of the Kingdom of Christ is no way derogatory unto his Glory or the perpetuity of his Kingdom no more than his ceasing to intercede for his people is to that perpetuty of his Priesthood which he hath by Oath confirmed unto him His Prophetical Office also seems to cease when he shall teach his people no more by his Word and Spirit 5. In three respects the Kingdom of Christ may be said to abide unto Eternity First In that all his Saints and Angels shall eternally adore and worship him on the account of the Glory which he hath received as the King and Head of the Church and be filled with joy in beholding of him Joh. 17.22 24. Secondly In that all the Saints shall abide in their state of Vnion unto God through him as their Head God communicating of his fulness to them through him which will be his eternal Glory when all his Enemies shall be his Footstool Thirdly In that as the Righteous Judge of all he shall to all Eternity continue the punishment of his Adversaries And this is the last Testimony insisted on by the Apostle to prove the preheminence of Christ above Angels and consequently above all that were used or employed of old in the Disposition and Administration of the Law which was the thing he had undertaken to make good And therefore in the close of this Chapter having denyed that any of these things are spoken concerning Angels he shuts up all with a Description of their Nature and Office such as was then known and received among the Jewes before the consideration whereof we must draw out from what hath been insisted on some Observations for our own Instruction which are these that follow I. The Authority of God the Father in the Exaltation of Jesus Christ as the Head and Mediator of the Church is greatly to be regarded by Believers He sayes unto him sit thou at my right hand Much of the consolation and security of the Church depends on this consideration II. The Exaltation of Christ is the great pledge of the Acceptation of the work of Mediation performed in the behalf of the Church Now saith God sit thou at my right hand the Work is done wherein my soul is well pleased III. Christ hath many Enemies unto his Kingdom saith God I will deal with all of them IV. The Kingdom and Rule of Christ is perpetual and abiding notwithstanding all the Opposition that is made against it His Enemies rage indeed as though they would pull him out of his Throne but altogether in vain He hath the Faithfulness and Power the Word and Right hand of God for the security of his Kingdom V. The end whereunto the Lord Jesus Christ will assuredly bring all his Enemies let them bluster whilest they please shall be unto them miserable and shameful to the Saints joyful to himself victorious and triumphant It is the Administration of the Kingdom of Christ in the world that this Truth principally respects Great is the enmity of this world against it great the Opposition that is and hath alwayes been made unto it But this will be the assured issue of it Ruine to the Enemies Joy to the Saints Glory to Christ. This is that which is typed unto us in the Prophesie of Gog. That Prophesie is a Recapitulation of all the Enmity that is acted in the world against the interest of Christ. What his Counsel is the Prophet declares Ezek. 38.11 I will go up to the Land of unwalled Villages I will go up to them that are at rest that dwell safely all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates They look upon the Church of Christ as a feeble people that hath no visible Power or Defence and therefore easie to be destroyed this encourageth them to their work who or what can deliver them out of
that all the Angels stood ministring before him as John declares the matter Rev. 5.11 And therefore the Apostle expresly here affirms that they are all ministring spirits cutting off one member of their distinction Neither is there more intended in the ministery of that upper part of the Family of God than is expressed concerning the lower part of it of old Deut. 18.5 God chose the Priests and the Levites ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to stand and to minister in the Name of the Lord. The same persons were both assistentes and ministrantes they stood to minister before the Lord. Now because of this standing and ministring of Angels that is their waiting on God in a readiness to do his Will they may be said in some sense to be the Throne of God from whence he executeth Justice and Judgment for as he is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Psal. 80. v. 1. He that dwelleth between the Cherubims as also Psaâ 99. v. 1. So the Jews say that the Thrones mentioned Dan. 7. were ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the higher Princes or Angels as Abarbinel on the place This then is their Office they are all ministring spirits 3. Their Execution of their Office in their actual employment is here also expressed They are ministring spirits ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sent out unto a ministery sent out that is they are daily so continually so the word denoting the present time which is always They stand before the presence of God and are continually sent out by him sometimes some sometimes others always those that are sufficient for his work Now as we observed before that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã denotes the whole family service of God which in general is ascribed unto these children and servants of his in the upper part thereof they being ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ministring spirits So here the execution of thâir work is expressed by two words which comprize the whole Ministery of the Church ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Apostleship and labouring Ministery and therein the Harmony is still preserved that is between both parts of the family of God And as in the service of the Church the Ministers thereof do not minister unto men but unto the Lord for and in the behalf of men Acts 13.2 So is it with thâse spirits also they are sent out to minister for the good of men but it is the Lord unto whom they minister his Ministers they are not ours Psal. 103. v. 21. though in their ministery belonging unto the same Family with Believers they are their fellow servants As all the servants of a King though otherwise greatly differenced agree in this that they are all servants unto the same Person And these two words express both their Honour that they are immediately sent out from the presence of God they are his Apostles as also their Obedience and diligence they undertake ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Ministery to be discharged with Care and due Observance of him by whom they are sent 4. There is expressed the Restriction of their Ministery unto the especial Object of their work and employment it is for them that shall be heirs of salvation ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for them for their sakes for their good in their behalf who shall inherit salvation Heirs they are at present and hereafter shall inherit or actually obtain salvation by vertue of their Heirship that is elect Believers Yet the Apostle speaketh not of them as Elect nor yet absolutely as Believers but as of Heirs which they obtain by the priviledge of Adoption This gives them Heirship and an interest in the Family of God And the ministery of the superiour part of the Family in behalf of the lower respects them as such that is as Adopted as Children as Heirs as Co-heirs with Christ Rom. 8. v. 16 17. This priviledge I say amongst others innumerable and inexpressible we have by our Adoption that being admitted into the Family of God those blessed Angels whose special ministery respects that Family have us under their constant care It is true that the ministery of Angels is not always absolutely restrained unto the Church or Family of God they are employed also in the government of the world So the Angel that was sent unto Daniel affirms That in the first year of Darius he stood to confirm and strengthen him Dan. 11.1 that is to assist him in the weilding of his new gotten Empire As also chap. 10. v. 13 20 21. he declares how he acted in opposition to the Prince of Persia and stirred up the Prince of Grecia that is how he should do so in the appointed time And so also doubtless are they employed about other Affairs in the world from whence much good redounds unto many who yet belong not unto the Family of God But yet two things we may here observe First That though this Ministery of theirs was not immediately yet it was ultimately for the Church For their sakes were those mighty Empires first raised and afterwards razed to the ground And this is that which they consider in their ministery See Zech. 1.8 9 10 11. And thence it appears that the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia who withstood the Angel was not any Angel of God but the King of Persia himself who laboured to obstruct the work committed unto him Secondly That the Apostle treats in this place of that immediate respect which the ministery of the Angels had unto the Church because in that regard alone he carries on his comparison between them and the Son that only being unto his purpose in hand But it may be objected that this their Ministery will not clearly evince their inferiority and subordination unto Christ seeing he himself also was sent and that for the good of them who shall inherit salvation and is thence called the Apostle of our profession But the differences between him and them in their being sent are so great and manifest that his superiority unto them and preheminence above them is not in the least thereby impeached He was sent by his own voluntary previous choice and condescension they are so in pursuit of the state and condition of their creation He was sent to minister in the form of a servant only for a short season in the days of his flesh they continue to be so from the Beginning to the End of the world He was sent unto that great and mighty work of Mediation which none was worthy to undertake none able to go through withall but himself alone the only begotten Son of God they are sent about the ordinary concernments of the Saints He as the Son they as servants He as the Author of the whole work of the Redemption and Salvation of the Church they as subordinate assistants in the particular promotion of it The general Agreement then of his and their being sent for the good of the Church hath so many and so great differences in the Mannâr Causes
and Ends of it that it no way takes off from the evidence of their subordination and subjection unto him And with this Demonstration the Apostle closeth the Argument he had so long insistâd on Of the nature of this Ministery of Angels for the good of them that shall inherit salvation because it belongs not directly unto the present design of the Apostle and would in the full consideration of it cause a long diversion from the work in hand I shall not treat although it be a matter singularly deserving our meditation For the present it may suffice us to observe That in the government and protection of his Saints here below both as to the dispensation of Grace and Providence God is pleased to make use of the Ministery of Angels wherein much of their Honour and our Safety doth consist For a close of the whole we may only observe the Way and Manner whereby the Apostle proposeth this doctrine of the Ministery of Angels unto the Hebrews Are they not saith he he speaks of it as a matter well known unto them and acknowledged by them Their Nature their Dignity their Office was declared in the Old Testament Thence were they instructed that as to their Nature they were Spirits in Dignity Thrones Principalities and Powers in Office Ministers unto God sent out for the good of his Church And therefore these things the Apostle in sundry places takes for granted as those that were already known and received in the Church of God Rom. 8. v. 32. Ephes. 1. v. 20 21. Col. 1. v. 16. This Doctrine then I say was propagated from the Jews unto the Christians And from them also came forth much of that curiosity and superstition about Angels which afterwards infected the minds of many in the Christian Church For after they were forsaken of God and began to give up themselves unto vain speculations there was not any thing wherein the vanity of their minds did more early manifest it self than in their imaginations about Angels wherein they exercise themselves unto this day For to omit their monstrous figments about the Original of Devils most of whom they affirm to have been begotten by Adam on Lilith before God formed Eve and many to have issued from Adam and Eve severally whilst they lived separate an 150 years after the death of Abel as later follies it is certain that some of them began to vent curiosities about Angels in the Apostles time Col. 2.18 and to express their fancies about their Names Orders Degrees and Employments And this they continue yet to do although they peremptorily deny that they are to be invocated or prayed unto wherein they are out-done by others Names they have invented for them innumerable and those many of them uncouth and insignificant Orders also or Degrees they assign unto them some four some five some seven some nine some thirteen according as it hath seemed good unto this or that Great Master among them From them the Pseudodionysius about the fourth or fifth Century after Christ took the occasion and rise of his operous figment about the Celestial Hierarchy though he mixed their inventions with many Peripatetical and Pythagorean notions Aristotle proportioned the number of the Intelligencies unto the Spheres of the Heavens more he granted not The Pythagoreans and Platonicks asserted all things here below to be influenced by the Planets in their Orbs the inferiour receiving a communication of vertue from the higher and imparting it unto them beneath So they interpreted the Exsection of Saturn by Jupiter as that of Coelum by Saturn to be the interception of their procreative influence that it should not immediately be communicated unto things below but by them Out of all these fancies did Dionysius raise his Hierarchy From the Jews he took the Disposition of his Angels into Orders of Superiority and Rule from Aristotle their number placing an Order instead of a single Intelligence to answer what is taught in the Scripture concerning their multitude and from the Pythagorean Platonicks the communication of Light Knowledge and Illumination from God by the highest to the lowest Series or Order and from them to Men on earth And on this foundation such as it is are built the Discourses of many Commentators on this place in their Enquiries whether Angels of the Superiour Orders are sent forth to minister for the good of Believers which is denied by many though by some later Expositors as Estius Ribera Tena A Lapide granted and proved not without much ado So hard is it sometimes for men to cast down sear-crows of their own setting up It remaineth only that we close our whose discourses on this Chapter with some Observations for our own use and instruction from this last Verse as 1. The highest Honour of the most glorious Spirits in Heaven is to minister unto the Lord in the service whereunto he appoints them This is the Office this the work of Angels and this is their Honour and Glory For what greater Honour can a Creature be more partaker of than to be emploied in the service of his Creator What greater glory than to stand in the Presence and to do the Will of the King of Heaven If it be an Honour on earth to stand before Princes dying perishing men and that unto men in nature and kind equal unto those before whom they stand what is it for them who by nature are at an infinite distance from the Glory of God to stand before him who lives for ever and ever And surely it will be unconceivably woful unto poor souls at the last day to find how they despised in this world a share and interest in that service which is and ever was the Glory and Honour of Angels 2. Such is the love and care of God towards his Saints labouring here below that he sends the most glorious Attendants on his Throne to minister unto him in taking care of them He who gave his only Son for them will not spare to send his holy Angels unto them Heaven and earth shall be witnesses of his care of them and the value that he puts upon them Now this being a matter of so great importance as it is unto the Churches consolation and the Doctrine directly taught in the Text we may a little farther enquire into it in answer unto these two Questions First Wherefore God is pleased to use the Ministry of Angels in the dispensation of his care and good will unto the Church the Heirs of salvation seeing he can by an Almighty facility exert all the effects of it by his own immediate Power Secondly Vnto what especial end and purpose doth God make use of the Ministery of Angels for the good of them that believe For the first of these the principal account of it is to be resolved into his own Sovereign Will Wisdom and Pleasure Thus are we always to live in an holy Admiration of him when ever we consider any of his works or ways Rom. 11.
pride and persecution Acts 12. And this Ministry of theirs is in an especial manner pointed unto in several places of the Revelation where the Judgements of God are foretold to be executed on the persecution of the world And this work they wait for in an holy Admiration of the Patience of God towards many a provoking Generation and are in a continual readiness to discharge it unto the uttermost when they shall receive their Commission so to do Dan. 7. 7. They carry the souls departed into Abrahams bosom Luke 16.22 8. Lastly The Ministry of Angels respects the general Resurrection and Day of Judgement The Lord Christ is every where described coming to Judgement at the last day attended with all his holy and glorious Angels Matth. 24.31 Chap. 25.31 2 Thess. 1.7 8. Jude 14.15 And great shall be their work towards the Elect in that day when the Lord Christ shall be admired even by them in all those that do believe For although the work of the Resurrection like that of the Creation is to be effected by the immediate Operation of Almighty Power without the interveniency of any secundary finite Agents limited in their Power and operation yet many things pâeparatory thereunto and consequents thereof shall be committed unto the Ministry of Angels By them are the signs and tokens of it to be proclaimed unto the world to them is the sounding of the last Trumpet and general summons given out unto all flesh to appear before Jesus Christ committed with all the glorious solemnity of the Judgement it self And as they bear and accompany the departing souls of the Saints into the receptacles of their rest in Heaven so doubtless also shall they accompany them in their joyful return unto their beloved old Habitations By them also will the Lord Christ gather them together from all parts wherein their redeemed bodies have been reduced into dust and so also at length by them bring all the heirs of salvation triumphantly into the full Possession of their inheritance And thus much may suffice to have spoken about the Ministry of Angels here mentioned by the Apostle by all which it farther appears how neither in their Nature nor their Office they are any way to be compared with the Son of God in his Ministry towards the Church Some deductions also for our especial Use and Instruction may here be added from what hath been spoken As 1. That we ought to be very careful to use sobriety in our Speculations and Meditations about this matter Herein doth the Caution of the Apostle take place in an especial manner that we should be wise unto sobriety Rom. 12.3 and not to think our selves wise above that which is written This some neglecting of old and endeavouring to intrude themselves into the things which they had not seen Col. 2.18 that is boasting of the knowledge and acquaintance with Angels which they had no ground for nor any safe Instruction in fell into Pride Curiosity Superstition and Idolatry as the Apostle in that place declareth And almost in all Ages of the Church men have failed on this account The Curiosity of the Jews we did in some measure before manifest To them in their Imaginations succeeded the Gnosticks whose portentous Aeones and Genealogies of inferiour Deities recounted by Irenaeus Origen Tertullian Epiphanius and others of the Antients were nothing but wicked and foolish Imaginations about Angels Unto them succeeded those about the beginning of the fourth Century who flatly Worshipped Angels and had Conventicles or private meetings for that purpose who are expresly condemned in the thirty fifth Canon of the Councel of Laodicea An. 364. in these words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã wherein they plainly adjudge that practice to be Idolatry and Apostasie from Jesus Christ. After these about the end of the fourth or beginning of the fifth Century He vented his curious speculations about their Hierarchy Orders and Operations who personated Dionysius the Areopagite of whom we spake before From them all did that sink of Idolatry Superstition and Heresies the Church of Rome derive her present Speculations Adoration Worship and Invocation of Angels But as these things are all of them without besides and against the Word in general so they are in particular expresly prejudged and condemned by the Apostle in the place to the Colossians before mentioned And of such kind of needless useless unprofitable dangerous Speculations we are to beware and many of them I could in particular recite but that I would not teach them unto any by condemning them before all but yet 2. Danger should not deter us from Duty Because some have miscarried in this matter we ought not therefore wholly to neglect it there being so great a concernment of the glory of God and our own good enwrapped therein Had others erred or wandred indeed because they had neither Way to walk in or Guide to attend unto it had been sufficient to restrain us from attempting any thing in this matter but whereas it is evident that they wilfully neglected the Way or pressed farther than the paths of it lead them and despised their Guide following their own imagination instead thereof shall others be discouraged in their Duty whereas they may avoid their miscarriages Wary indeed this may and ought to make us in our enquiries but not neglective of our duties We have the Word of God for our Way and Guide if we go not besides it if we go not beyond it we are as safe when we treat of Angels as if we treated of Worms We have seen in part of what signal use their Ministry is as unto our good and the glory of Jesus Christ. And it is pride to the height not to enquire after what may be known because there are many things that we may not know nor comprehend If that take place it will debar us from all search into the Mysteries of the Gospel For upon our utmost Attainments we know but in part Gods Revelation is the Object of our knowledge So far as that is made and given so far we may enquire and learn Besides it is the height of Ingratitude not to search after what may be known of this great Priviledge and Mercy whereof we are made partakers in the Ministry of Angels God hath neither appointed nor revealed it for nothing He expects a reverence of Praise and Glory for it and how can we bless him for it when we know nothing of it This Ministry then of Angels is that which with sobriety we are in a way of Duty to enquire into 3. Let us on this account glorifie God and be thankful Great is the Priviledge manifold are the Blessings and Benefits that we are made partakers of by this Ministry of Angels Some of them have been before recounted What shall we render for them and to whom Shall we go and bow our selves down to the Angels themselves and pay our homage of Obedience unto them They all cry out with one accord see
person For neither did the Church of the Jews hear the Law as it was pronounced on Horeb by Angels but had it confirmed unto them by the wayes and means of Gods appointment And he doth not say meerly that the Word was taught or preached unto us by them but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã it was confirmed made firm and stedfast being delivered infallibly unto us by the Ministry of the Apostles There was a divine ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã firmness certainty and infallibility in the Apostolical Declaration of the Gospel like that which was in the Writings of the Prophets which Peter comparing with Miracles calls ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a more firm stedfast and sure Word And this Infallible certainty of their word was from their Divine Inspiration Sundry Holy and Learned men from this Expression confirmed unto us wherein they say the Writer of this Epistle placeth himself among the number of those who heard not the word from the Lord himself but only from the Apostles conclude that Paul cannot be the Penman thereof who in sundry places denyeth that he received the Gospel by Instruction from men but by immediate Revelation from God Now because this is the only Pretence which hath any Appearance of Reason for adjudging the writing of this Epistle from him I shall briefly shew the invalidity of it And 1. It is certain that this term U S comprizes and casts the whole under the condition of the generality or major part and cannot receive a particular Distribution unto all Individuals For this Epistle being written before the Destruction of the Temple as we have demonstrated it is impossible to apprehend but that some were then living at Jerusalem who attended unto the Ministry of the Lord himself in the dayes of his flesh and among them was James himself one of the Apostles as before we have made it probable so that nothing can hence be concââdeâ to every individual as though none of them might have heard the Lord ãâ¦ã The Apostle hath evidently a respect unto the foundation of the Church ãâ¦ã at Hierusalem by the preaching of the Apostles immediately after thâ ãâ¦ã of the Holy Ghost upon them Acts 2.3 4 5. which as he was not hââ ãâ¦ã âââed in so he was to mind it unto them as the beginning of their faith and ãâ¦ã 3. Paul himself did not hear the Lord Christ teaching Personally on the earth ãâã he began to reveal the great salvation 4. Nor doth he say that those of whom hââpââks were originally instructed by the Hearers of Christ but only that by them the Word was confirmed unto them and so it was unto Paul himself Gal. 2.1 2. But 5. yet it is apparent that the Apostle useth an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã placing himself among those unto whom he wrote though not personally concerned in every particular spoken a thing so usual with him that there is scarce any of his Epistles wherein sundry instances of it are not to be found See 1 Cor. 10.8 9. 1 Thess. 4.17 The like is done by Peter 1 Epist. 3.4 Having therefore in this place to take of all suspition of jealousie in his Exhortation to the Hebrews unto Integrity and Constancy in their profession entred his discourse in this Chapter in the same way of expression Therefore ought we as there was no need so there was no place for the change of the persons so as to say you instead of us So that on many accounts there is no ground for this Objection 4. He farther yet describes the Gospel by the Divine Attestation given unto it which also addes to the force of his Argument and Exhortation ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The word is of a double composition denoting a concurring testimony of God a testimony given unto or together with the testimony and witness of the Apostles Of what nature this testimony was and wherein it consisted the next words declare by Signs and Wonders Mighty works and Distributions of the Holy Ghost All which agree in the general nature of works supernatural and in the especial end of attesting to the truth of the Gospel being wrought according to the promise of Christ Matth. 16.17 18. by the ministery of the Apostles Acts 2.3 4. and in especial by that of Paul himself Rom. 15.19 2 Cor. 12.12 But as to their especial differences they are here cast under four heads The first are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Signs that is miraculous works wrought to signifie the presence of God by his power with them that wrought them for the approbation and confirmation of the Doctrine which they taught The second are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Prodigies Wonders works beyond the power of Nature above the Energie of natural causes wrought to fill men with wonder and admiration stirring men up unto a diligent attention to the Doctrine accompanied with them for whereas they surprize men by discovering ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a present divine power they dispose the mind to an embracing of what is confirmed by them Thirdly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã mighty works wherein evidently a mighty power the power of God is exerted in their operation And fourthly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã gifts of the Holy Ghost enumerated 1 Cor. 12. Ephes. 4.7 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã free gifts freely bestowed called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã divisions or distributions for the reason at large declared by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.7 8 9 10 11. All which are intimated in the following words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã It is indifferent whether we read ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and refer it to the will of God or of the Holy Ghost himself his own will which the Apostle guides unto 1 Cor. 12.11 As we said before all these agree in the same general nature and kind of miraculous operations the variety of expressions whereby they are set forth relating only unto some different respects of them taken from their especial end and effects The same works were in different respects Signs Wonders Mighty works and Gifts of the Holy Ghost But being effectual unto several ends they received these various denominations In these works consisted the divine attestation of the Doctrine of the Apostles God in and by them giving testimony from heaven by the ministration of his Almighty Power unto the things which were taught and his approbation of the Persons that taught them in their work And this was of especial consideration in dealing with the Hebrews For the delivery of the Law and the ministery of Moses having been accompanied with many signs and prodigies they made great enquiry after signs for the confirmation of the Gospel 1 Cor. 1.22 which though our Lord Jesus Christ neither in his own Person nor by his Apostles would grant unto them in their time and manner to satisfie their wicked and carnal curiosity yet in his own way and season he gave them forth for their conviction or to leave them
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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã we speak is put for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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
not put in subjection unto Angels in its Erection or Institution That work was not committed unto them as the Apostle declares in the entrance of this Epistle They did not reveal the Will of God concerning it nor were intrusted with Authority to erect it Some of them indeed were employed in messages about its preparatory work but they were not employed either to reveal the mysteries of it wherewith they were unacquainted nor authoritatively in the Name of God to erect it For the Wisdom of God in the nature and mystery of this work they knew not but by the effects in the work it self Ephes. 3.9 10. which they looked and enquired into to learn and admire 1 Pet. 1.12 and therefore could not be intrusted with authority for its Revelation and the building of the Church thereon But things were otherwise of old The Law which was the foundation of the Judaical Church-state was given by the Disposition of Angels Acts 7.53 Gal. 3.19 And our Apostle here calls it the Word spoken by Angels They were therefore intrusted by God to give the Law and the Ordinances of it unto the people in his Name and Authority which being the foundation of the Mosaical Church-state it was so far put in subjection unto them Secondly It is not put in subjection unto Angels as to the Rule and disposal of it being erected Their Office in this world is a Ministery chap. 1.13 not a Rule or Dominion Rule in or over the Church they have none but are brought into a co-ordination of service with them that have the testimony of Jesus Rev. 19.10 chap. 22.9 being equally with us subjected unto him in whom they and we are gathered into one head Ephes. 1.10 And from their ministerial presence in the Congregations of Believers doth our Apostle press women unto modesty and sobriety in their habit and deportment 1 Cor. 11.10 And the Church of old had an apprehension of this truth of the presence of an Angel or Angels in their Assemblies but so as to preside in them Hence is that caution relating to the Worship of God Eccles. 5.5 6. Better it is that thou shouldst not vow than thou shouldest vow and not pay suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin neither say thou before the Angel that it was an errour why should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the work of thine hands By vowing and not paying a man brought upon his flesh that is himself and his posterity a guilt not to be taken away with excuses of haste or precipitation made unto the Angel presiding in their Worship to take an account of its due performance It is true the absolute sovereign power over the Church of old was in the Son of God alone but an especial immediate power over it was committed unto Angels And hence was the Name of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã God Judge Mighty One communicated unto them namely from their Authority over the Church that Name expressing the Authority of God when unto him ascribed And because of this their acting in the Name and representing the Authority of God the Saints of old had an apprehension that upon their seeing of an Angel they should die from that saying of God that none should see his face and live Exod. 33.20 So Manoah expresly Judg. 13.22 He knew that it was an Angel which appeared unto him and yet says to his wife We shall surely die because we have seen ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an Angel vested with the Authority of God And hence it is not unlikely but that there might be a respect or Worship due unto the Angels under the Old Testament which themselves declare not to be meet for them under the New Rev. 19. not that they are degraded from any Excellency or Priviledge which before they enjoyed but that the Worshippers under the New Testament through their Relation unto Christ and the Exaltation of their nature in his Person are delivered from that under-age estate wherein they differed not from servants Gal. 4.1 and are advanced into an equality of liberty with the Angels themselves Heb. 12.24 25. Ephes. 1.10 chap. 3.14 15. As amongst men there may be a respect due from an inferiour to a superiour which may cease when he is advanced into the same condition with the other though the superiour be not at all abased And to this day the Jews contend that Angels are to be adored with some kind of Adoration though they expresly deny that they are to be invocated or prayed unto Furthermore about their Power and Authority in the disposal of the outward concernments of the Church of old much more might be declared from the Visions of Zechary and Daniel with their works in the two great typical deliverances of it from Aegypt and Babylon But we must not here insist on particulars Thirdly as to the power of judging and rewarding at the last day it is openly manifest that God hath not put this world to come in subjection unto Angels but unto Jesus alone This then is the main Proposition that the Apostle proceeds upon in his present Argument The most glorious effect of the Wisdom Power and Grace of God and that wherein all our spiritual concernments here are enwrapped consists in that blessed Church state with the eternal consequences of it which having been promised from the foundation of the world was now to be erected in the days of the Messiah That you may saith he no more cleave unto your old institutions because given out unto you by Angels nor hearken after such works of wonder and terrour as attended their Disposition of the Law in the Wilderness consider that this world so long expected and desired this blessed estate is not on any account made subject unto Angels or committed unto their disposal the Honour thereof being entirely reserved for another Having thus fixed the true and proper sense of this verse we may stop here a little to consult the Observations that it offers for our own instruction Many things in particular might be hence educed but I shall insist on one only which is comprehensive of the design of the Apostle and it is That This is the great priviledge of the Church of the Gospel that in the things of the Worship of God it is made subject unto and immediately depends upon the Lord Jesus Christ and not any other Angels or Men. That this is the priviledge thereof and that it is a great and blessed priviledge will both appear in our consideration of what it is and wherein it doth consist And among many other things these ensuing are contained therein 1. That the Lord Christ is our Head So it was promised of old that their King should pass before them and the Lord on the head of them Mic. 2.13 He shall be their King Head and Ruler God hath now gathered all things all the things of his Church into an Head in Christ Ephes. 1.10 They were all scattered and
disordered by sin but are now all recollected and brought into order under one Head Him hath he given to be Head over all things unto the Church verse 22. The whole Sovereignty over all the whole Creation that is committed unto him is only for this end that he may be the more perfect and glorious Head to the Church He is that Head on which the whole body hath its orderly and regular dependance Ephes. 4.15 16. The head of the body the Church Col. 1.18 The head of every man that is of every believer 1 Cor. 11.3 Ephes. 5.23 And this is every where proposed both as our great Honour and our great Advantage To be united unto him subjected unto him as our Head gives us both honour and safety What greater honour can we have than to be free-men of that Corporation whereof he is the Head than to be subjects of his Kingdom What greater safety than to be united unto him insâparably who is in Glory invested with all Power and Authority over the whole Creation of God every thing that may do us good or evil 2. That he is our only Head The Church is so put in subjection unto the Lord Christ as not to be subject unto any other It is true the Members of the Church as men on the earth have other Relations in respect whereof they are or may be subject one to another Children unto Parents Servants unto Masters People unto Rulers but as they are Members of the Church they are subject unto Christ and none other If any other were or might be an Head unto them they must be Angels or men As for Angels we have it here plainly testified that the Church is not made subject in any thing unto them And amongst men the Apostles of all others might seem to lay the justest claim to this Priviledge and Honor. But they openly disclaim any pretence thereunto So doth Paul 2 Cor. 1.24 We have no Dominion Rule Lordship Headship over your faith any thing that concerns your obedience to God and your Worship but are helpers of your joy And again saith he We preach not our selves but Jesus Christ the Lârd the only Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake 2 Cor. 4.5 And Peter as it should seem foreseeing that some who should come after would pretend unto such Preheminence warns the Elders that they should not think themselves Lords over Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 And this they did in pursuit of the instructions and charge which their Lord and Master gave them Matth. 23.25 26 27. where he warns them that they should neither think of Dignity nor Dominion over the Church but apply themselves with all Humility unto the service of it for which he else-where addes his reason namely that all his Disciples have one Lord and Master and no more Joh. 13.13 Matth. 23.9 10. And it is a woful confusion that the Papists run themselves into in this matter For first they put the whole Church into subjection unto a man whom they call the Pope the common Father and Master of Christians the Head of the Church and then subject both him and it unto Angels in the Adoration and Invocation of them the greatest subjection possible when the Scripture assigneth one only Head of the Church expresly even the Lord Jesus and fully declares that it is not put in subjection unto Angels at all But to pass them by the Lord Christ is not only thus the only Head in general unto the whole Church but also unto every individual Believer in the Church The Head of every man is Christ 1 Cor. 11.3 He is so to every believer respectively and severally and that in both those senses wherein he is an Head that is according to the natural and metaphorical use of the word For 1. He is the only Head of Vital Influence to the whole Church and every member thereof As from the natural Head all influences of life for subsistence motion acting guidance and direction are communicated unto the whole body and to every member thereof so from the Lord Christ alone as he is the spiritually vital Head of the Church in whom are the springs of life and all quickning grace there are communicated unto the whole Church and every believer therein both the first quickning vital principle of life it self and all succeeding supplies and influences of grace for the enlivening strengthning acting guiding and directing of them This himself declares by comparing the Relations of all believers unto him unto that of branches unto the Vine Joh. 15.2 4. which have no life but by vertue of their union unto the Vine nor sap for fruitfulness but what is derived therefrom which he teacheth expresly verse 5. Without me saith he ye can do nothing And this the Apostle lively sets out unto us in the similitude of the natural body Col. 2.19 And this placing of all fulness in the Lord Christ as the Head of the Church that thence the whole and every member of it might derive needful supplies to themselves is fully taught us in the Gospel Hence the Church is called the fulness of Christ Ephes. 1.2 3. or that whereunto Christ communicates of his All-fulness of Grace until it comes unto the measure or degree of growth and perfection which he hath graciously assigned unto it And none I suppose will contend but that the Lord Christ is the alone and only Head of the Church in this sense It hath not a spiritual dependance on any other for grace There is indeed I know not what monster lies in the Opinion of them who take upon themselves to confer grace unto others by vertue of such things as they do unto them or for them but this we do not now consider If any man think he may have grace from any but Christ alone be they Angels or men let him turn himself unto them but withall know assuredly that he forsakes the Fountain of living waters for broken cisterns which will yield him no relief 2. He is the only Head of Rule and Government unto the whole Church and every member thereof This Rule or Government of the Church concerneth all that Obedience which it yields unto God in his Worship And unto an Head herein it is required that he give perfect Rules and Laws for all things necessarily belonging thereunto and to take care that they be observed And here a great contest ariseth in the world The Papists in behalf of their Pope and others under him contend to be sharers with the Lord Christ in this his Headship and fain they would perswade us that he himself hath appointed that so it should be The Scripture tells us that he was faithful in the whole house of God as was Moses and that as a Lord over his own house to erect rule and establish it and himself when he gives commission unto his Apostles bids them to teach men to do and observe all that he had commanded them And accordingly they
other duty or service what ever may he not justly expect that such a one will be diligent in the observation of all his commands especially considering also the Honour and Advantage that he hath by being taken near unto his person employed in his affairs And shall not God much more expect the like from us considering how exceedingly the priviledge we have by this relation unto him surpasseth all that men can attain by the favour of earthly Princes And if we will choose other Lords of our own to serve if we are so regardless of our selves as that we will serve our lusts and the world when God hath had such respect unto us as that he would not suffer us to be subject unto the Angels of heaven how inexcusable shall we be in our sin and folly You shall be for me saith God and not for any other what ever And are we not miserable if we like not this agreement 2. For the manner of our obedience how ought we to endeavour that it be performed with all holiness and reverence Moses makes this his great argument with the people for Holiness in all their Worship and services because no people had God so nigh unto them as they had And yet that nearness which he insisted on was but that of his Institutions and some visible Pledges and Representations therein of his Presence among them now much more cogent must the considerations of this real and spiritual nearness which God hath taken us unto himself in by Jesus needs be to the same purpose All that we do we do it immediately unto this holy God not only under his Eye and in his Presence but in an especial and immediate relation unto him by Jesus Christ. Verse VI. THe Apostle hath shewed that the World to come which the Judaical Church looked for was not made subject unto Angels no mention of any such thing being made in the Scripture That which he assumes to make good his Assertion of the Preheminence of the Lord Jesus above the Angels is that unto him it was put in subjection And this he doth not expresly affirm in words of his own but insinuateth in a Testimony out of the Scripture which he citeth and urgeth unto that purpose And this Way he proceedeth for these two ends 1. To evidence that what he taught was suitable unto the Faith of the Church of old and contained in the Oracles committed unto it which was his especial way of dealing with these Hebrews 2. That he might from the Words of that Testimony take occasion to obviate a great Objection against the Dignity of Christ and Mysteries of the Gospel taken from his Humiliation and Death and thereby make way to a farther Explication of many other Parts or Acts of âis Mediation many Difficulties there are in the Words and Expressions of these Verses more in the Apostles Application of the Testimony by him produced unto the Person and End by him intended all which God assisting we shall endeavour to remove And to that End shall consider 1. The way and manner of his introducing this Testimony which is peculiar 2. The Testimony it self produced with an Explication of the meaning and importance of the Words in the Place from whence it is taken 3. The Application of it unto the Apostles purpose both as to the Person intended and as to the especial End aimed at And 4. Farther unfold what the Apostle adds about the death and sufferings of Christ as included in this Testimony though not intended as to the first use and design of it And 5. Vindicate the Apostles Application of this Testimony with our Explication of it accordingly from the Objections that some have made against it All which we shall pass through as they present themselves unto us in the Text it self First The manner of his citing this Testimony is somewhat peculiar One testified in a certain place Neither person nor place being specified As though he had intended ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a certain Person whom he would not name But the Reason of it is plain both Person and Place were sufficiently known to them to whom he wrote And the Syriack Translation changeth the Expression in the Text into but as the Scripture witnesseth and saith without Cause The Hebrews were not ignorant whose words they were which he made use of nor where they were recorded The one there mentioned is David and the certain place is the eighth Psalm whereof much need not to be added A Psalm it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of the High Praises of God and such Psalms do mostly if not all of them respect the Messiah and his Kingdom as the Jews themselves acknowledge For the time of the Composure of this Psalm they have a conjecture which is not altogether improbable namely that it was in the Night whilest he kept his Fathers sheep Hence in his Contemplation of the Works of God he insists on the Moon and Stars then gloriously presenting themselves unto him not mentioning the Sun which appeared not So also in the Distribution that he makes of the things here below that amongst others are made subject unto man he fixeth in the first place on ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã flocks of Sheep which were then peculiarly under his care So should all the works of God and those especially about which we are conversant in our particular Callings excite us to the Admiration of his Glory and Praise of his name And none are usually more void of holy thoughts of God than those who set themselves in no way acceptable unto him This is the place from whence this Testimony is taken whose especial Author the Apostle omitteth both because it was sufficiently known and makes no difference at all who ever was the Penman of this or that Portion of Scripture seeing it was all equally given by Inspiration from God whereon alone the authority of it doth depend 2. The Testimony it self is contained in the words following v. 6 7. What is man c. Before we enter into a particular Explication of the words and of the Apostles Application of them we may observe that there are two things in general that lye plain and clear before us As First That All things whatsoever are said to be put in subjection unto man that is unto Humane Nature in one or more Persons in opposition unto Angels or nature Angelical To express the former is the plain Design and Purpose of the Psalmist as we shall see And whereas there is no such Testimony any where concerning Angels it is evident that the meaning of the word is unto man and not unto Angels which the Apostle intimates in that adversative ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but but of man it is said not of Angels Secondly That this Priviledge was never absolutely nor universally made good in or unto the nature of man but in or with respect unto the Person of Jesus Christ the Messiah This the Apostle call us to the
followeth from the Apostles Application of the Psalmists words unto the Person of Christ and consequently the regard of God unto us in his Mediation And this is such as that the Apostle tells us that at the last day it shall be his great Glory that he will be admired in all them that do believe 2 Thess. 1.10 When the work of his Grace shall be fully perfected in and towards them than the Glory of his Grace appeareth and is magnified for ever This is that which the Admiration of the Psalmist tends unto and rests in That God should so regard the nature of man as to take it into Union with himself in the Person of his Son and in that nature humbled and exalted to work out the Salvation of all them that believe on him There are other wayes wherein the Respect of God towards man doth appear even in the effects of his Holy Wise Providence over him He causeth his Sun to shine and his rain to fall upon him Mat. 5.45 He leaves not himself without witness towards us in that he doth good and gives us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness Acts 14.17 And these wayes of his Providence are singularly admirable But this Way of his Grace towards us in the Person of his Son assuming our nature into union with himself is that wherein the exceeding and unspeakable riches of his Glory and Wisdom are made manifest So the Apostle expresseth it Ephes. 1.17 18 19 20 21 22 23. He hath that to declare unto them which because of its Greatness Glory and Beauty they are no way able of themselves to receive or comprehend And therefore he prayes for them that they may have the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to give them the knowledge of Christ or that God by his Spirit would make them wise to apprehend and give them a gracious discovery of what he proposeth to them as also that hereby they may enjoy the blessed effect of an enlightned Understanding without which they will not discern the Excellency of this matter and what is it that they must thus be helped assisted prepared for to understand in any measure What is the Greatness the Glory of it that can no otherwise be discerned why saith he marvel not at the necessity of this preparation that which I propose unto you is the glory of God that wherein he will principally be glorified here and unto Eternity and it is the Riches of that Glory the treasures of it God hath in other things set forth and manifested his Glory but yet as it were by parts and parcels one thing hath declared his Power another his Goodness and Wisdom and that in part with reference unto that particular about which they have been exercised But in this he hath drawn forth displayed manifested all the Riches and Treasures of his Glory so that his Excellencies are capable of no greater Exaltation And there is also in this work the unspeakable Greatness of his power engaged that no property of his nature may seem to be uninterested in this matter Now whereunto doth all this tend why it is all to give a blessed and eternal Inheritance unto believers unto the hope and expectation whereof they are called by the Gospel And by what way or means is all this wrought and brought about even by the working of God in Jesus Christ in his Humiliation when he dyed and his Exaltation in his Resurrection putting all things under his feet crowning him with glory and honour which the Apostle shews by a citation of this place of the Psalmist for all this is out of Gods regard unto man it is for the Church which is the body of Christ and his fulness So full of glory such an object of eternal Admiration is this work of the Love and Grace of God which as Peter tells us the very Angels themselves desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.12 And this further appears First Because all Gods regard of man in this way is a fruit of meer Soveraign Grace and condescension And all Grace is admirable especially the Grace of God and that so great Grace as the Scripture expresseth it There was no consideration of any thing without God himself that moved him hereunto He had glorified himself as the Psalmist shews in other works of his hands and he could have rested in that Glory Man deserved no such thing of him being worthless and sinful It was all of Grace both in the head and members The Humane nature of Christ neither did nor could merit the Hypostatical Vnion It did not because being made partaker of it from the instant of his Conception all antecedent Operations that might procure it were prevented and a thing cannot be merited by any after it is freely granted antecedently unto any deserts Nor could it do so Hypostatical Union could be no reward of obedience being that which exceeds all the order of things and Rules of Remunerative Justice The Assumption then of our nature into Personal Union with the Son of God was an Act of meer free soveraign unconceivable Grace And this is the foundation of all the following fruits of Gods regard unto us and that being of Grace so must they be also What ever God doth for us in and by Jesus Christ as made man for us which is all that he so doth it must I say be all of Grace because his being made man was so Had there been any merit any desert on our part any Preparation for or Disposition unto the Effects of this regard had our nature that portion of it which was sanctified and separated to be united unto the Son of God any way procured or prepared it self for its Union and Assumption things had fallen under some rules of Justice and Equality whereby they might be apprehended and measured but all being of Grace they leave place unto nothing but eternal Admiration and thankfulness Secondly Had not God been thus mindful of man and visited him in the Person of his Son incarnate every one partaker of that nature must have utterly perished in their lost condition And this also renders the Grace of it an object of Admiration We are not only to look what God takes us unto by this Visitation but to consider also what he delivers us from Now this is a great part of that vile and base condition which the Psalmist wonders that God should have regard unto namely that we had sinned and come short of his Glory and thereby exposed our selves unto eternal misery In that condition we must have perished for ever had not God freed us by this Visitation It had been Great Grace to have taken an innocent a sinless man into Glory Great Grace to have freed a sinner from misery though he should never be brought to the enjoyment of the least positive Good But to free a sinner from the utmost and most inconceivable misery in eternal ruine and to bring him unto
in your minds The Sons of God are sometimes ready to think it strange that they should fall into calamity and distresses and are apt to say with Hezekiah Remember O Lord we beseech thee how we have walked before thee in truth and with an upright heart and have done that which is good in thy sight and weep sore supposing that this might have freed them from oppositions and Persecutions And as it was with Gideon when the Angel told him the Lord was with him He replies Whence is all this evil come upon us For when they find it is otherwise and begin to apply themselves unto their condition yet if their troubles continue if they are not in their season removed they are ready to be weary and faint in their minds But saith the Apostle consider the Captain of your salvation he hath set you another manner of Example notwithstanding all his sufferings he fainted not The like Argument he presseth Chap. 13.12 13. And the Scripture in many places represents unto us the same consideration The Jews have a saying that a third part of the afflictions and troubles that shall be in the world do belong unto the Messiah But our Apostle who knew better than they makes all the afflictions of the Church to be the afflictions of Christ Col. 1.24 who both before underwent them in his own person and lead the way to all that shall follow him And as the Obedience of Christ which is our pattern doth incomparably exceed what ever we can attain unto so the sufferings of Christ which are our Example did incomparably exceed all that we shall be called unto Our pattern is excellent inimitable in the substance and parts of it unattainable and unexpressible in its degrees and he is the best Proficient who attends most thereunto But what is the End of all this Obedience and suffering death lyes at the door as the Ocean whereunto all these streams do run and seems to swallow them up that there they are lost for ever No for 3. This Captain of our salvation is gone before us in passing through death and entring into glory He hath shewed us in his own Resurrection that great pledge of our immortality that death is not the end of our course but a passage into another more abiding condition He promiseth that whosoever believeth on him that they shall not be lost or perish or consumed by death but that he will raise them up at the last day John 6.39.40 But how shall this be confirmed unto them Death looks ghastly and dreadful as a Lyon that devours all that come within his reach why saith Christ behold me entring into his jaws passing through his power rising from under his dominion and fear not so shall it be with you also This our Apostle disputes at large 1 Cor. 15.12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. He is gone before us through death and is become the first fruit of them that sleep And had Christ passed into Heaven before he dyed as did Enoch and Elijah we had wanted the greatest Evidence of our future immortality What then remains for the finishing of our course why the Captain of our salvation after he had suffered entred into Glory and that as our Leader or fore-runner Heb. 6.20 Jesus as our fore-runner is entered into Heaven He is gone before us to evidence unto us what is the End of our Obedience and Sufferings In all this is he a Captain and Leader unto the Sons of God Secondly He guides them and directs them in their way This also belongs unto him as their Captain and Guide Two things in this are they of themselves defective in 1. They know not the way that leads to happiness and glory and 2. They want ability to discern it aright when it is shewed unto them and in both they are relieved and assisted by their Leader in the first by his Word in the latter by his Spirit First Of themselves they know not the way as Thomas said how can we know the way The Will of God the Mysterie of his Love and Grace as to the way whereby he will bring sinners unto Glory is unknown to the Sons of men by nature It was a secret hid in God a sealed Book which none in Heaven or Earth could open But this Jesus Christ hath fully declared in his Word unto all the Sons that are to be brought unto glory He hath revealed the Father from his own bosome John 1.18 and declared those heavenly things which no man knew but he that came down from Heaven and yet at the same time was in Heaven John 3.12 13. In his Word hath he declared the Name and revealed the whole counsel of God and brought life and immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 What ever is any way needful useful helpful in their Obedience Worship of God Suffering Expectation of Glory he hath taught it them all revealed it all unto them Other Teachers they need not Had there been any thing belonging unto their way which he had not revealed unto them he had not been a perfect Captain of salvation unto them And men do nothing but presumptuously derogate from his Glory who will be adding and imposing their prescriptions in and about this way Again The Way being revealed in the Word he enables them by his Spirit to see discern and know it in such an holy and saving manner as is needful to bring them unto the End of it He gives them eyes to see as well as provides paths for them to walk in It had been to no purpose to have declared the way if he had not also given them light to see it This blessed work of his Spirit is every where declared in the Scripture Isa. 43.16 And by this means is he unto us what he was unto the Church in the Wilderness when he went before them in a Pillar of fire to guide them in their way and to shew them where they should rest And herein lyes no small part of the discharge of his Office towards us as the Captain of our salvation What ever acquaintance we have with the Way to Glory we have it from him alone and what ever Ability we have to discern the way he is the fountain and Author of it This God hath designed and called him unto And all our Wisdom consists in this that we betake our selves unto him to him alone for instruction and direction in this matter Mark 17.5 Doth not he deservedly wander yea and perish who in war will neglect the orders and directions of his General and attend unto every idle tale of men pretending to shew him a way that they have found out better than that which his Captain hath limited him unto Thirdly He supplyes them with strength by his Grace that they may be able to pass on in their way They have much work lyes before them much to do much to suffer and without him they can do nothing John 15.5
is good gracious and merciful Isa. 50.10 And withall it intimates what God requires of them towards whom he is so good and gracious This Name of God is unknown to men by nature so is the way and means whereby he will communicate his Goodness and Grace unto them And this is the Name of God here intended which the Lord Jesus manifested unto the men given him out of the world Joh. 17.5 which is the same with his declaring the Father whom no man hath seen at any time Joh. 1.18 This is that Name of God which the Lord Jesus Christ had experience of in his sufferings and the manifestation whereof unto his Brethren he had procured thereby Hereof he says in the Psalm ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I will declare it recount it in order number the particulars that belong unto it and so distinctly and evidently make it known ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã I will make it known as a messenger sent from thee and by thee And there are two ways whereby the Lord Christ declared this Name of God 1. In his own Person and that both before and after his sufferings for although it be mentioned here as a work that ensued his death yet is it not exclusive of his teachings before his suffering because they also were built upon the supposition thereof Thus in the dayes of his flesh he instructed his Disciples and preached the Gospel in the Synagogues of the Jews and in the Temple declaring the name of God unto them So also after his Resurrection he conferred with his Apostles about the Kingdom of God Acts 1. 2. By his Spirit and that both in the Effusion of it upon his Disciples enabling them personally to preach the Gospel unto the men of their own generation and in the Inspiration of some of them enabling them to commit the Truth unto writing for the Instruction of the Elect unto the end of the world And herein doth the Apostle according unto his wonted manner not only confirm what he had before delivered but make way for what he had farther to instruct the Hebrews in namely the Prophetical Office of Christ as he is the great Revealer of the Will of God and Teacher of the Church which he professedly insists upon in the beginning of the next Chapter In the second part of this first Testimony is declared farther 1 What Christ will moreover do He will sing praises unto God and 2. Where he will do it in the midst of the Congregation The Expression of both these is accommodated unto the Declaration of Gods Name and praising of him in the Temple The singing of Hymns of praise unto God in the great Congregation was then a principal part of his Worship And in the first Expression two things are observable 1. What Christ undertakes to do and that is to praise God Now this is only Exegetical of what went before He would praise God by declaring his name There is no way whereby the Praise of God may be celebrated like that of declaring his Grace Goodness and love unto men whereby they may be won to believe and trust in him whence Glory redounds unto him 2. The chearfulness and alacrity of the Spirit of Christ in this work he would do it as with Joy and Singing with such a frame of heart as was required in them who were to sing the praises of God in the great Assemblies in the Temple 2. Where would he do this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the midst of the Congregation the great Congregation as he calls it v. 25. that is the great Assembly of the people in the Temple And this was a Type of the whole Church of the Elect under the New Testament The Lord Christ in his own Person by his Spirit in his Apostles and his Word by all his Messengers unto the end of the world setting forth the Love Grace Goodness and Mercy of God in him the Mediator sets forth the praise of God in the midst of the Congregation I shall only add that whereas singing of hymns unto God was an especial part of the Instituted Worship under the Old Testament to whose use these Expressions are accommodated it is evident that the Lord Christ hath eminently set forth this praise of God in his Institution of Worship under the New Testament wherein God will ever be glorified and praised This was that which the Lord Christ engaged to do upon the Issue of his sufferings and we mây propose it unto our Example and Instruction namely V. That which was principally in the heart of Christ upon his sufferings was to declare and manifest the Love Grace and Good will of God unto men that they might come to an Acquaintance with him and Acceptance before him There are two things in the Psalm and the words that manifest how much this was upon the heart of Christ. The most part of the Psalm containeth the great conflâct that he had with his sufferings and the Displeasure of God against sin declared therein He is no sooner delivered from thence but instantly he engageth in this work As he lands upon the shore from that Tempest wherein he was tossed in his Passion he cryes out I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the Congregation will I sing praise unto thee And thus we find that upon his Resurrection he did not immediately ascend into glory but first declared the name of God unto his Apostles and Disciples and then took order that by them it should be declared and published to all the world This was upon his Spirit and he entered not into his glorious Rest untill he had performed it The words themselves also do evidence it in that Expression of celebrating Gods name with hymns with singing It was a joy of heart unto him to be engaged in this work Singing is the frame ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã James 5.13 of them that are in a glad free rejoycing condition So was the Lord Christ in this work He rejoyced of old with the very thoughts of this work Prov. 8.30 31. Isa. 61.1 2 3. And it was one of the glorious Promises that were made unto him upon his undertaking the work of our Salvation that he should declare or preach the Gospel and the name of God therein unto the Conversion of Jews and Gentiles Isa. 49.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. He rejoyced therefore greatly to do it and that First Because herein consisted the Manifestation and Exaltation of the glory of God which he principally in his whole work aimed at He came to do the will and thereby to set forth the glory of the Father By and in him God designed to make his glory known the glory of his Love and Grace in sending him the glory of his Justice and faithfulness in his sufferings the glory of his Mercy in the Reconciliation and Pardon of sinners the glory of his Wisdom in the whole Mysterie of his Mediation and the glory together
able there is a chain of God in it not to be broken men may gall themselves with it but cannot remove it and if God take it from them without granting them a lawful release and delivery it is to their farther misery And this is in some measure or other the portion of every one that is convinced of sin before they are freed by the Gospel And some have disputed what degrees of it are necessary before believing But what is necessary for any one to attain unto is his duty But this bondage can be the duty of no man because it is involuntary It will follow conviction of sin but it is no mans duty rather it is such an effect of the Law as every one is to free himself from so soon as he may in a right way and manner This estate then befalls men whether they will or no. And this is so if we take bondage passively as it affects the soul of the sinner which the Apostle seems to intend by placing it as an effect of the fear of death take it actively and it is no more than the sentence of the Law which works and causeth it in the soul and so all sinners are inevitably obnoxious unto it And this estate as we observed fills men with desires after and puts them upon various attempts for deliverance Some desire only present ease and they commonly with-draw themselves from it by giving up themselves wholly unto their hearts lusts and therein to Atheism which God oftentimes in his righteous judgment gives them up unto knowing that the day is coming wherein their present woful temporal relief will be recompenced with eternal misery Some look forwards unto what is to come and accordingly to their light and assistance variously apply themselves to seek relief Some do it by a righteousness of their own and in the pursuit thereof also there are ways innumerable not now to be insisted on and some do it by Christ which how it is by him effected the Apostle in the next place declares Two things as was shewed are affirmed of the Lord Christ in consequence unto the premised supposition of the childrens being partakers of flesh and bloud and of their obnoxiousness unto death and to bondage 1. That of their natural condition he himself partook 2. That from their moral condition he delivered them which that he might do it was necessary that he should partake of the other 1. He himself did likewise partake of the same The word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã likewise in like manner doth denote such a similitude as is consistent with a specifical identity And therefore Chrysostom from hence urgeth the Marcionites and Valentinians who denyed the reality of the Humane Nature of Christ seeing that he partook of it in like manner with us that is truly and really even as we do But yet the word by force of its composition doth intimate some disparity and difference He took part of humane nature really as we do and almost in like manner with us For there were two differences between his being partaker of humane nature and ours First In that we subsist singly in that nature but he took his portion in this nature into subsistence with himself in the Person of the Son of God Secondly This nature in us is attended with many infirmities that follow the individual persons that are partakers of it in him it was free from them all And this the Apostle also intimates in the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã changing his expression from that whereby he declared the common interest of the children in the same nature which is every way equal and alike The whole is That he took his own Portion in his own Manner unto himself And this Observation removes what is hence objected against the Deity of Christ. Cum Christus saith Schlictingius hominum mortalium fragilium dux fautor sit propterea is non Angelus aliquis multo verò minus ipse Deus summus qui solus immortalitatem habet sed homo suo tempore malis variis calamitatibus obnoxius esse debuit It is true it appears from hence that Christ ought to be a man subject to sufferings and death and not an Angel as the Apostle farther declares in the next verse but that he ought not to be God it doth not appear As God indeed he could not die but if he who was God had not taken part of flesh and bloud God could not have redeemed his Church with his own blood But this is the perpetual Paralogism of these men Because Christ is asserted to have been truly a man therefore he is not God which is to deny the Gospel and the whole mystery of it He proceeds with his exceptions against the application of these words unto the incarnation of the Lord Christ the sum whereof is that the words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã denote an universal conformity or specifick identity between Christ and the children not only as to the Essence but also as to all other concernments of humane nature or else no benefit could redound unto them from what he did or suffered But 1. The words do not assert any such thing as hath been declared 2. It is not true The children were partakers of humane nature either by Creation out of the dust of the earth as Adam or by natural generation The Lord Christ was conceived of a Virgin by the power of the Holy Ghost and yet the benefit redounds unto the children It is evident then that the similitude urged by the Apostle is confined to the substance of flesh and bloud or the Essence of Humane Nature and is not to be extended unto the personal concernments of the one or the other nor the way whereby they became partakers of the same nature Nor is the argument for the Incarnation of Christ taken meerly from the expressions in this verse but whereas he had before proved him to be above and before the Angels even God over all and here intimating his existence antecedent to his participation of flesh and blood his Incarnation doth necessarily ensue The necessity of this Incarnation of Christ with respect unto the End of it hath before been declared evinced and confirmed We shall now stay only a little to admire the Love Grace and Mysterie of it And we see here IV. That the Lord Christ out of his inexpressible Love willingly submitted himself unto every condition of the Children to be saved by him and to every thing in every condition of them sin only excepted They being of flesh and blood which must be attended with many infirmities and exposed unto all sorts of Temptations and miseries he himself would also partake of the same His delight was of Old in the Sons of men Prov. 8.30 and his heart was full of thoughts of Love towards them and that alone put him on this Resolution Gal. 2.20 Rev. 1.5 When God refused Sacrifices and Burnt-Offerings as insufficient to make the
Attonement required and the matter was rolled on his hand alone it was a Joy unto him that he had Body prepared wherein he might discharge his work although he knew what he had to do and suffer therein Psal. 40.8 9. Heb. 10.6 7 8 9. He rejoyced to do the will of God in taking the body prepared for him because the children were partakers of flesh and blood Though he was in the form of God equal unto him yet that Mind that Love that Affection towards us was in him that to be like unto us and thereby to save us he emptyed himself and took on him the form of a servant our form and became like unto us Phil. 2.5 6 7 8. He would be like unto us that he might make us like unto himself he would take our flesh that he might give unto his Spirit He would joyn himself unto us and become one flesh with us that we might be joyned unto him and become one Spirit with him 1 Cor. 6.17 And as this was a Fruit of his Eternal antecedent Love so it is a spring of consequent Love When Eve was brought unto Adam after she was taken out of him Gen. 2.23 to manifest the ground of that Affection which was to be alwayes between them he sayes of her this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh And by this condescention of Christ saith the Apostle are we members of his body and of his flesh and of his bones Ephes. 5.30 Whence he infers that he loves and nourisheth his Church as a man doth his own flesh And how should this inexpressible Love of Christ constrain us to love him and to live unto him 2 Cor. 14 15. As also to labour to be like unto him wherein all our blessedness consisteth seeing for that end he was willing to be like unto us whence all his troubles and sufferings arose Here also we see that V. It was only in flesh and blood the substance and essence of humane nature and not in our personal infirmities that the Lord Christ was made like unto us He took to himself the nature of all men and not the Person of any man We have not only humane nature in common but we have every one particular Infirmities and weaknesses following that nature as existing in our sinful persons Such are the sicknesses and pains of our bodies from inward distempers and the disorder of the Passions of our minds Of these the Lord Christ did not partake It was not needful it was not possible that he should do so not needful because he could provide for their cure without assuming them not possible for they can have no place in a nature innocent and holy And therefore he took our nature not by an immediate new creation out of nothing or of the dust of the earth like Adam for if so though he might have been like unto us yet he would have been no kin to us and so could not have been our Goel to whom the right of Redemption did belong nor by natural Generation which would have rendered our nature in him obnoxious to the sin and punishment of Adam but by a miraculous conception of a Virgin whereby he had truly our nature yet not subject on its own account unto any one of those evils whereunto it is liable as propagated from Adam in an ordinary course And thus though he was joyned unto us in our nature yet as he was holy harmless and undefiled in that nature he was separate from sinners Heb. 7.25 So that although our nature suffered more in his Person then it was capable of in the Person of any meer man yet not being debased by any sinful imperfection it was alwayes excellent beautiful and glorious And then VI. That the Son of God should take part in humane nature with the children is the greatest and most admirable effect of Divine Love Wisdom and Grace So our Apostle proposeth it 1 Tim. 3.16 A Mysterie which the Angels with all diligence desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.11 12. See John 1.14 Isa. 9.6 Rom. 9.5 Atheists scoff at it deluded Christians deny it but the Angels adore it the Church professeth it Believers find the comfort and benefit of it The Heavens indeed declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work Psal. 19.1 And the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead Rom. 1.20 In particular man himself is fearfully and wonderfully made These works of Gods Power and Providence do greatly manifest the glory of his Wisdom Omnipotency and Goodness and are like the light which was created the first day at the beginning of all things as we have shewed But in this instance of assuming humane nature into Personal suâsistence with himself that scattered light is gathered into one Sun giving out most glorious beams unto the manifestation of his Infinite Excellencies far above all other things And this surely was not done but for the greatest End that can be conceived and such is the salvation of sinners But we must proceed with our Apostle and he gives the Reason and End of this wonderful Dispensation The End is the Delivery of the children from the condition before described And first the means whereby he wrought and brought about this End is proposed unto us by death he was to do it by death That by death he might deliver them that is by his own death This as it is placed as one principal End of his being made partaker of flesh and blood so it is also the means of the farther end aimed at namely the delivery of the children out of the condition expressed Some Translations add by his own death which is evidently understood though it be not literally in the Text the death which he underwent in the nature of man whereof he was partaker His Death was the means of delivering them from death Some distinguish between Death in the first place which Christ underwent and that death in the close of the Verse which the children are said to be in fear of for this latter they say is more extensive than the former as comprizing death eternal also But there doth not any thing in the Text appear to intimate that the Captain of Salvation by death of one kind should deliver the children from that of another Neither will the Apostles discourse well bear such a supposition For if he might have freed the children by any way or means but only by undergoing that which was due unto them for sin whence could arise that indispensible necessity which he pleads for by so many considerations of his being made like unto them seeing without the participation of their nature which he urgeth he might have done any other thing for their good and benefit but only suffer what was due to them And if it be said that without this participation of their nature
Quotations with the places in the Old Testament from whence they are taken Some had endeavoured an Analysis of the several Discourses of the Author with the nature and force of the Arguments insisted on by him The labours of some were to improve the Truths contained in the Epistle unto Practice others have collected the difficulties which they observed therein and scanned them in a Scholastical way with Objections and Solutions after their manner Others had an especial design unto the Places whose sense is controverted amongst the several Parties at variance in Christian Religion all in their way and manner endeavouring to give light to the intentions of the Holy Ghost either in particular passages or in the whole Epistle The helps and advantages in the investigation of the mind of God which by their labours might be obtained I looked on as a great encouragement to undertake the same work with them and to promote the light of truth thereby But on the other side no small objection unto the whole work and design did hence also arise For it might seem to some altogether needless to ingage in that which so many had already gone through with to the great profit and edification of the Church And nothing can or ought more justly to weaken and take off the resolution of any in this kind of endeavours than that they are needless For what ever is so will also thereby be useless and because useless burthensome This consideration I confess did for a long time deter me from executing my purpose of casting my Mite into this Sanctuary But yet after I had made a through perusal of all the Comments Expositions Annotations or Observations on the Epistle which by any means I could obtain I returned again upon sundry considerations unto my former thoughts and resolutions For first I found the excellency of the Writing to be such the depths of the Mysteries contained in it to be so great the compass of the truth asserted unfolded and explained so extensive and diffused through the whole body of Christian Religion the usefulness of the things delivered in it so important and indispensibly necessary as that I was quickly satisfied that the Wisdom Grace and Truth treasured in this sacred Store-house are so far from being exhausted and fully drawn forth by the endeavours of any or all that are gone before us or from being all perfectly brought forth to light by them as that I was assured that there was âeft a sufficient ground and foundation not only for renewed investigation after rich Branches in this Mine for the present Generation but for all them that shall succeed unto the consummation of all things For if we find it thus in Humane Sciences that no Ability no Industry no Combination of the most happy Wits for their improvement in former Ages hath precluded the way unto persons of Ingenuity and Learning to adde considerably in several kinds unto their respective advancement nor shall the sedulity of this present Age in the furtherance and adorning of them be ever able to bring them unto any such perfection as to condemn succeeding Generations unto the slothful and servile drudgery of the meer perusal of their Dictates and Prescriptions and so by the use of their Inventions leave unto others only that of their memory how much more must we grant the same in things Divine and the spiritual knowledge of them whose stores in this life are absolutely inexhaustible and whose depths are not fully to be fathomed Again it is evident that the principal things asserted and taught in this Epistle such as is the Doctrine of the Person and the Priesthood of Jesus Christ have received a more eager and subtil opposition since the labours and endeavours of the most in the Exposition of it than they had done before And as this renders the vindication of the places wherein they are taught and asserted necessary so it is not unknown unto those who are conversant in these kinds of studies what advantage may be obtained in the investigation of truth by the opposition that is made unto it especially when that Opposition is managed with a curious search into every word and syllable which may seem to give countenance unto it as also in the sifting of every tittle and particle that stands in its way which course of procedure the enemies of the Truths mentioned have with much art and industry engaged themselves into But that which most of all took off the weight of the discouragement that arose from the multiplied endeavours of learned Men in this kind was an Observation that all of them being intent on the sense of the words as absolutely considered and the use of them to the present Church had much over-looked the direct respect and regard that the Author had in the writing of this Epistle to the then past present and future condition of the Hebrews or Church of the Jews Looking at these things as dead and buried of no use in the present state of the Church they did either wholly neglect them or pass them over in a light and perfunctory manner Nor indeed had many of them though otherwise excellently well qualified a competency of skill for the due consideration of things of that nature But yet those that shall seriously and with judgment consider the design of the Writer of this Epistle the time wherein he wrote it the proper end for which it was composed the subject matter treated of in it the principles he proceeds upon and his manner of arguing will easily perceive that without a serious consideration of them it is not possible to come to a right comprehension in many things of the mind of the Holy Ghost therein Many Principles of Truth he takes for granted as acknowledged amongst the Hebrews during their former Church state and makes them a foundation for his own Superstructure many Customs Vsages Ordinances Institutions received sense of places of Scripture amongst the Jews he either produceth or reflects upon and one way or other makes use of the whole Mosaical Oeconomy or System of Divine Worship under the Law unto his own purpose The common neglect of these things or slight transaction of them in most Expositors was that which principally relieved me from the fore-mentioned discouragement And this also was that which at length gave rise unto those Exercitations which take up the greatest part of the ensuing Book Some of them are indeed indispensibly due to the work it self Such are those which concern the Canonical Authority of the Epistle the Writer of it the Time of its writing the Phraseology of the Author with the way he proceeds in the Quotations of Testimonies out of the Old Testament and some other of the same tendency the residue of them were occasioned meerly by the consideration before insisted on Some great Principles I observed that the Apostle supposed which he built all his arguings and exhortations upon not directly proving or confirming the Principles
themselves but as taking them for granted partly from the faith of the Judaical Church and partly from the New Revelation of the Gospel which those to whom he wrote did as yet admit of and avow Such were these That there was a Messiah promised from the foundation of the world to be a Spiritual Redeemer of Mankind That this Messiah was come and had performed and accomplished the work assigned unto him for the end of their Redemption That Jesus of Nazareth was this Messiah Not one line in the whole Epistle but is in an especial manner resolved into these Principles and deduced from them These therefore I found it necessary to examine and confirm to unfold vindicate and declare that their influence unto the Apostles discourse might be manifest and his arguing from them be understood It is true I have so handled them as all along to represent the Opinions of the incredulous Apostate Jews about them and to vindicate them from the exceptions of their greatest Masters of old and of late But he that shall look on these Considerations and Discourses as a matter only of Controversie with the Jews will but evidence his own weakness and Ignorance in things of this Nature Who knows not that they are the very fundamental Principles of our Christian Profession and which because of that opposition that is made unto them ought to be frequently inculcated and strongly confirmed And if Learned Men find it in this day Necessary for them to dispute for to prove and vindicate the very Principles of Natural Theology the Being and Attributes of God the truth whereof hath left indelible characters of it self upon the minds of all the Children of Men how much more Necessary must it needs be to endeavour the confirmation and re-inforcement of these grand Principles of Supernatural Revelation which have no contribution of evidence from the inbred inexpugnable light of Nature and yet are no less indispensibly Necessary unto the future condition of the souls of Men than those others are I am not therefore without hope that the handling of them as it was necessary unto my design so it will not be unacceptable unto the Candid Reader For what is mixed in our Discourses of them concerning Judaical Customs Opinions Practices Expositions Interpretations of Promises Traditions and the like will not I hope give distaste unto any unless it be such as being Ignorant of them and unacquainted with them will choose so to continue rather than be instructed by them whom they would by no means have supposed to be in any thing more knowing than themselves I doubt not therefore but our endeavours on that subject will be able to secure their own station as to their usefulness both by the importance of the Matter treated of in them as also from the Necessity of laying them as a sure Foundation unto the ensuing Exposition of the Epistle it self Besides these general principles there are also sundry other things belonging to the Mosaical order and frame of Divine Worship which the Apostle either directly treateth of or one way or other improves unto his own peculiar design This also he doth sometimes directly and intentionally and sometimes in transitu reflecting on them and as it were only calling them to mind leaving the Hebrews to the Consideration of what concerning them they had been formerly instructed in Such is the whole Matter of the Priesthood and Sacrifices of the Law of the Tabernacle and Utensils of it of the Old Covenant of the giving of the Law the Commands Precepts and Sanctions of it in its Promises and I breatnings Rewards and Punishments Hereunto also he adds a remembrance of the Call of Abraham with the state and condition of the people from thence unto the giving of the Law with sundry things of the like nature Without a competent comprehension of and acquaintance with these things and their relation to the Will and Worship of God it is altogether in vain for any one to imagine that they may arrive unto any clear understanding of the mind of the Holy Ghost in this portion of Scripture Now as I had observed that the Consideration and Explanation of them had been too much neglected by the generality of Expositors so I quickly found that to insist at large upon them and according as their weight doth deserve in the particular places wherein the Mention of them doth occurr would too often and too much divert me from the pursuit of the especial design of the Apostle in those places and disenable the Reader from carrying on the tendency of the whole in the perusal of it To prevent both which inconveniencies I fixed upon the course the Reader will find insisted on namely to handle them all severally and apart in previous Exercitations Having given this general Account of my design and purpose in the ensuing Discourses some few requests unto the Reader shall absolve him from farther attendance in this entrance First I must beg his Candid Intepretation of the reporting of some of those Jewish Fables and Traditions which he will meet withall in some of the Exercitations I could plead Necessity and Vse and those such as will evince themselves in the several places and passages of the Discourses where they are reported For they are none of them nakedly produced to satisfie the Curiosity of any but either the investigation of some truth hidden under them and involved in them or the discovery of their rise and occasion or the laying open of the folly of the pretences of the present Jews in their unbelief doth still accompany their recital However I will not rigidly justifie the production of all and every of them but put it amongst those things wherein the Candour of the Reader may have an opportunity to exercise it self I must beg also of the Learned Reader a consideration of the state and condition wherein through the good Providence of God I have been during the greatest part of the time wherein these Exercitations were written and Printed and I shall pray in requital of his kindness that he may never know by Experience what Impressions of failings mistakes and several defects in exactness uncertainties sâreights and exclusion from the use of Books will bring and leave upon endeavours of this kind And what ever defects they may meet withal or complain of in these Discourses my design was through the blessing of God that they should have no cause to complain of want of diligence and industry in me But yet I am sensible in the issue that many things may seem to represent that carelesness of mind or precipitancy in writing which is altogether unmeet to be imposed on Men in this knowing age But what ever other reflections I may be obnoxious unto for the want of Ability and Judgement which in me are very small in reference to so great an undertaking I must crave of the Reader to believe that I would not willingly be guilty of so much importune
in the Faith is here aymed at These in general were the Hebrews the Posterity of Abraham and the only Church of God before the promulgation of the Gospel who in those dayes were distributed into three sorts or parties 1. Some of them believing in Christ through the Gospel were perfectly instructed in the Liberty given them from the Mosaical Law with the foundation of that Liberty in its accomplishment in the Person Office and Work of the Messiah Acts 2.41 42. 2. Some with their Profession of Faith in Christ as the Messiah promised retained an opinion of the necessary observation of Mosaical Rites and these also were of two sorts 1. Such as from a pure Reverence of their Original Institutions either being not fully instructed in their Liberty or by reason of prejudices not readily admitting the consequences of that Truth wherein they were instructed abode in their observation without seeking for Righteousness or Salvation by them Acts 21. v. 20. 2. Such as urged their observation as indispensably necessary to our Justification before God Acts 15.1 Gal. 3.4 The first sort of those the Apostles bare with in all meekness yea and using the Liberty given them of the Lord to avoid offending of them joyned with them in their practice as occasion did require Acts 16.3 Chap. 21.23 24 26. Chap. 27.9 1 Cor. 9.20 whence for a long season in many places the Worship of the Gospel and Synagogue Worship of the Law were observed together James 2.2 though in process of time many disputes and differences were occasioned thereby between the Gentile and Jewish Worshippers Rom. 14. The other sort they opposed as perverters of the Gospel which they pretended to profess Acts 15.5 Gal. 2.13 14 15 16. Chap. 4.9 10 11. Chap. 5.2 And of these some afterwards apostatized to Judaism others abiding in a corrupt mixture of both professions separated themselves from the Church and were called Nazarenes and Ebionites 3. Others far the greatest number of the whole people persisted in their Old Church-State not receiving the salvation that was tendered unto them in the preaching of the Gospel and these also were of two sorts 1. Such as who although they had not embraced the faith yet were free and willing to attend unto the Doctrine of it searching the Scriptures for a discovery of its Truth and in the mean time instantly serving God according to the Light of the Old Testament which they had received and in these was the essence of the Judaical Church preserved to its final dissolution Acts 17.11 Chap. 28.22 23 24. 2. Such as being hardned in their Infidelity blasphemed scoffed at and persecuted the Gospel with all that professed it Acts 13.45 50. Chap. 15.19 Chap. 17.5 1. Thess. 2.15 16. Rom. 11.7 8 9 10. whom not long after the vengeance of God overtook in their total destruction Now our Apostle vehemently thirsting after the salvation of the Hebrews in general Rom. 9.1 Chap. 10.1 having all these several sorts or parties to deal withal he so frames his Epistle unto them that it might be suited to all their Good in their Conversion Instruction Edification and Establishment as their several conditions did require the latter sort only excepted who being under judicial blindness were cast out of the care of God and his Acts 13.46 51. Hence in part is that admirable contexture of this Epistle which Peter ascribes unto his eminent wisdom 2 Pet. 3.18 As it is indeed evident from the story that he did excell in applying himself to the various Principles Capacities and prejudices of them with whom he had to do The Lord Christ having set him forth as a great example of that diligence zeal and prudence which he requires in the dispensers of the Gospel Divine reasonings instructions exhortations promises threats arguments are so interwoven in this Epistle from the beginning to the end that all to whose hands or hearing it should come might every where meet with that which was of especial and immediate concernment to themselves unto which of the sorts before mentioned soever they did belong And this Principle we must have respect unto in that intermixture of Arguments to prove the Truth of the Gospel with Exhortations to constancy in the profession of it which we shall meet withall The several conditions of those to whom the Apostle wrote required that way of proceedure Hence no one Chapter in the Epistle is purely dogmatical the first only excepted nor purely Paraenetical For though the design that lyes in view and is never out of sight be Exhortation yet far the greatest part of the Epistle of taken up in those doctrinalls wherein the foundations of the exhortations do lye both interwoven together somewhat variously from the method of the same Apostle in all his other Epistles as hath been observed that to the Galatians which is of the like nature with this only excepted II. A second thing to be previously observed is that although those to whom the Apostle wrote were of the several sorts before mentioned yet they centered in this that they were Hebrews by Birth and Religion who all agreed in some common Principles relating to the subject he treated with them about These he makes use of unto them all For though the unbelieving Jews did deny or did not yet acknowledge that Jesus was the Christ yet they also consented unto or could not gainsay what in the Old Testament was revealed concerning the Person Office Dignity and Work of the Messiah when he should come that being the faith whereby they were saved before his appearance Acts 26 6 7. Vpon these genoral Principles wherein they also agreed and which were the general perswasion of the whole Judaical Church the Apostle layes the foundation of all his Arguments And hence he oft times takes that for granted which without this consideration should we look on any of those to whom he writes under the general notion of unbelievers would seem to be the thing principally in question And therefore have we at large already manifested what was the avowed Profession of the sounder part of the Judaical Church in those dayes concerning the Messiah which the Apostle here and elsewhere in dealing with the Jews built upon Acts 26.22 23 27. Chap. 28.23 Chap. 13.16 17 c. which the Reader must have constant respect unto III. In urging Testimonies out of the Old Testament he doth not alwayes make use of those that seem to be most perspicuous and apposite to his purpose but often times takes others more abstruse obscure and of less evident consequence at first view And that upon a double account First That he might instruct the Believers amongst them in the more abstruse Prophecies of the Old Testament and thereby incite them to the further search after Christ under the Mosaical Veil and Prophetical Allegories whereby he is therein expressed aiming to lead them on towards perfection Chap. 5.12.6.1 Secondly Because most of the Testimonies he makes use of were generally granted
them in this Argument which are no other for the most part then what were granted by the Jews of all sorts 4. What Testimonies out of the Old Testament he insists on to prove his purpose namely such as were commonly received in the Judaical Church to belong unto the Messiah and his Office 5. What he labours to instruct them in as to the general use of all sorts amongst them which is the nature and use of Mosaical Rites 6. The main Argument he insists on for the ends before mentioned which is the Excellency of the Gospel the Worship instituted therein and the Righteousness manifested thereby upon the account of its Author and subject the Principal Efficient Cause of its Worship and only Procurer of the Righteousness exhibited in it even Jesus Christ the Messiah Mediator the eternal Son of God Vnless these things are well borne in mind and the case of the Jews particularly heeded our Exposition will it may be seem oft times to go out of the way though it constantly pursue the design and scope of the Apostle VI. Though this Epistle was written unto the Hebrews and immediately for their use yet it is left on record in the Canon of the Scripture by the Holy Ghost for the same general End with the other parts of the Scripture and the use of all believers therein to the end of the world This Use in our Exposition is also to be regarded and that principally in the paraenetical or hortatory part of it That then which is dogmatical and the foundation of all the Exhortations insisted on may be two wayes considered 1. Properly as to the special and peculiar tendency of the Principles and Doctrines handled and so they specially intend the Jews and must be opened with respect to them their Principles Traditions Opinions Objections all which must therefore be considered that the peculiar force and efficacy of the Apostles reasonings with respect unto them may be made manifest And from the Doctrinal part of this Epistle so opened the Exhortations that arise do chiefly respect the Jews and are peculiarly suited unto them their State and condition 2. Again the Doctrines treated on by the Apostle may be considered absolutely and abstractedly from the special Case of the Jews which he had in his eye meerly as to their own nature and so they are many of them of the chief fundamental Principles of the Gospel In this respect they are grounds for the application of the Exhortations in the Epistle unto all Professors of the Gospel to the end of the world And this must guide us in our Exposition Having to deal with the Jews the Doctrinal parts of the Epistle must be opened with special respect unto them or we utterly lose the Apostles aim and design and dealing with Christians the Hortatory part shall be principally insisted on as respecting all Professors yet not so but that in handling the Doctrinal part we shall weigh the Principles of it as Articles of our Evangelical Faith in general and consider also the peculiar respect that the Exhortations have unto the Jews Now whereas as was said many Principles of the Jews are partly supposed and taken for granted partly urged and insisted on to his own purpose by the Apostle we must in our passage make some stay in their discovery and declaration and shall insert them under their proper heads where they occurr even as many of them as are not already handled in our Prolegomena AN EXPOSITION OF THE TWO FIRST CHAPTERS OF THE Epistle of PAUL the APOSTLE UNTO THE HEBREWS CHAP. I. THE General scope and design of the Apostle in this whole Epistle hath been before declared and needs not here be repeated In this first Chapter he fixeth and improveth the principal consideration that he intends to insist on throughout the Epistle to prevail with the Hebrews unto constancy and perseverance in the Doctrine of the Gospel And this is taken from the immediate Author of it the promised Messiah the Son of God Him therefore in this Chapter he at large describes and that two wayes 1. Absolutely declaring what he is in his Person and Offices as also what he hath done for the Church And 2. Comparatively with respect unto other Ministerial Revealers of the mind and will of God especially insisting on his Excellency and preeminence above the Angels as we shall see in the Explication of the several Parts and Verses of it Verse 1 2. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã MAny of these words being variously rendred their true Grammatical sense and importance is to be considered before we open the meaning of the whole and aim of the Apostle in them in which way we shall also proceed throughout the whole Epistle ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Syr. in all parts or by many parts Multisariam Vulg. Eras. A Montan. diversly Multis vicibus Beza which ours render at sundry times ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is sortior divido to part to take part to divide whence is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the part of any thing and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that which consisteth of many parts and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by many parts which is also used as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for alternis vicibus sundry changes The word properly is by many parts fully by several parts at several times as our Translation intimates yet so that a diversity of parts and degrees rather than of times and seasons is intended ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Syr. in all forms multisque modis Vul. Eras a Montan. Beza many wayes or as ours diverse manners ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Syr. ab initio from the beginning Olim the Latin Translations of old formerly in times past ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is olim quondam pridem jamdudum any time past that is opposed ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã to that which is present properly time some good while past as that was whereof the Apostle treats having ended in Malachy four hundred years before ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Syr. with our Fathers to the Fathers ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Syr. in the Prophets so all the Latin Translations in Prophetis ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Syr. and in those last dayes ultimis diebus hisce ultimis diebus istis in these last dayes novissimè diebus istis Vul. last of all in these dayes Some Greek Copies have ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in extremo dierum istorum in the end of these dayes the reason of which variety we shall see afterwards ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as before in the Prophets not by his Son but in the Son The Emphasis of the expression is necessarily to be retained as the opening of the words will discover ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã mundos secula ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Syr. the ages times worlds In the remaining words there is no difficulty as to the Grammatical signification we shall then read them Vers. 1 2. By sundry parts and in diverse manners God having formerly or
the Covenant between him and the people that the Transgression of it so as to disannul the terms and conditions of it had by Divine Constitution the punishment of death temporal or Excision appointed unto it And this in the next words he proceeds to improve unto his purpose by the way of an Argument à minori ad majus How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation c. There is an Antithesis expressed in one branch as we observed before between the Law and the Gospel namely that the Law was the Word spoken by Angels the Gospel being revealed by the Lord himself But there are also other differences intimated between them though expressed only on the part of the Gospel as that it is in its nature or Effects Great Salvation that is not absolutely only but comparatively unto the benefit exhibited to their fore Fathers by the Law as given on Mount Horeb. The confirmation also of the Gospel by the Testimony of God is tacitely opposed unto the confirmation of the Law by the like Witness and from all these considerations doth the Apostle enforce his Argument proving the Punishment that shall befall Gospel neglecters In the words as was in part before observed there occurrs 1. The Subject matter spoken of so great salvation 2 A further Description of it 1. From its principal Author it began to be spoken by the Lord. 2. From the manner of its propagation it was confirmed unto us by them that heard it 3. From its Confirmation by the Testimony of God Which 4. Is exemplified by a distribution into 1. Signs 2. Wonders 3. Mighty Works and 4. Various Gifts of the Holy Ghost whereof there is 3. A neglect supposed if we neglect and 4. Punishment there intimated wherein 1. The Punishment its self and 2. The manner of its expression how shall we escape are to be considered all which are to be severally explained 1. The subject matter treated of is expressed in those words so great Salvation And it is the Gospel which is intended in that Expression as is evident from the preceding Verse For that which is there called the word which we have heard is here called great salvation As also from the following words where it is said to be declared by the Lord and farther propagated by them that heard him And the Gospel is called Salvation by a Metonymy of the Effect for the Cause For it is the Grace of God bringing salvation Titus 2.11 The Word that is able to save us The Doctrine the Discovery the instrumentally efficient Cause of Salvation Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.20 21. And this Salvation the Apostle calls Great upon many accounts which we shall afterwards unfold And calling it so great salvation he refers them unto the Doctrine of it wherein they had been instructed ãâã whereby the Excellency of the Salvation which it brings is declared Now though the Apostle might ãâ¦ã pressed the Gospel by the word which was declared unto us by the Lord as ãâ¦ã the Law by the word spoken by Angels yet to strengthen his Argument ãâã Moâââ unto Obedience which he insists upon he chose to give a brief Description of iâ from its principal Effect it is great Salvation The Law by reason of sin proved the Ministry of Death and Condemnation 2 Cor. 3.9 yet being fully published only by Angels Obedience was indispensibly required unto it And shall not the Gospel the Ministry of life and great salvation be attended unto 2. He farther describes the Gospel from its principal Author or Revealer it began to be spoken by the Lord. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The words may have a twofold sense for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã may denote either principium temporis the beginning of time or principium operis the beginning of the work In the first way it asserts that the Lord himself was the first Preacher of the Gospel before he sent or employed his Apostles and Disciples in the same work In the latter that he only began the work leaving the perfecting and finishing of it unto those who were chosen and enabled by him unto that end And this latter sense is also true for he finished not the whole Declaration of the Gospel in his own person teaching vivâ voce but committed the work unto his Apostles Matth. 10.27 But their teaching from him being expressed in the next words I take the words in the first sense referring unto what he had delivered Chap. 1.1 Of Gods speaking in these last dayes in the Person of the Son Now the Gospel hath had a threefold beginning of its Declaration First In Prediction by Promises and Types and so it began to be declared from the foundation of the world Luke 1.70 71. Secondly In an immediate Preparation and so it began to be declared in and by the Ministry of John the Baptist Mark 1.1 2. Thirdly In its open clear actual full Revelation so this work was begun by the Lord himself and carried on to perfection by those who were appointed and enabled by him thereunto Joh. 1.17 18. Thus was it by him declared in his own person as the Law was by Angels And herein lyes the stress of the Apostles Reasonings with reference unto what he had before discoursed concerning the Son and Angels and his Preheminence above them The great Reason why the Hebrews so pertinaciously adhered unto the Doctrine of the Law was the glorious Publication of it It was the word spoken by Angels they received it by the disposition of Angels If saith the Apostle that were a sufficient cause why the Law should be attended unto and that the neglect of it should be so sorely revenged as it was though in it self but the Ministry of death and condemnation Then consider what is your Duty in reference unto the Gospel which as it was in its self a Word of life and great salvation so it was spoken declared and delivered by the Lord himself whom we have manifested to be so exceedingly exalted above all Angels whatever 3. He farther describes the Gospel from the way and means of its conveyance unto us It was confirmed unto us by them that heard him And herein also he prevents an Objection that might arise in the minds of the Hebrews inasmuch as they at least the greatest part of them were not acquainted with the Personal Ministry of the Lord they heard not the word spoken by him For hereunto the Apostle replyes that though they themselves heard him not yet the same word which he preached was not only declared but confirmed unto them by those that heard him And herein he doth not intend all of them who at any time heard him teaching but those whom in an especial manner he made choice of to employ them in that work namely the Apostles So that this expression those that heard him is a Periphrasis of the Apostles from that great priviledge of hearing immediately all things that our Lord taught in his own