Scriptures of the Old Testament received by the Jews as Divine and from God the difficult Question is of whom that Psalm speaketh and whom he meaneth by man the Son of man so minded so visited by God so humbled so advanced Some will have it to be man in the day of his Creation some think it's man fallen some determine it to be man restored in Christ some are resolute that it is Christ himself as man Thus Cramerus Tarnovius and the Lutherans generally who bitterly inveigh against Calvin interpreting otherwise Calvin had his fellows followers Others tell us that it agrees to Man in the literal to Christ in the mystical sense others that there are two literal senses the one whereof agrees to Man the other which is the principal agrees to Christ. Vatablus seems to agree with this Cramerus teckons this amongst the prophetical Psalms The intention of the Psalmist is to praise God for his glorious works wherein he manifested his power wisdom and special mercy The works are not only those of Creation but of his special providence over Man and amongst those works of special providence that of restauration of Man by the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus Christ who is the principal subject of the Psalm according to the parts of it alledged in the New Testament where we find ver 2 6 8. applyed to Christ. Upon this ground Cramerus Tarnovius and others understand it only of Christ It 's true that some things here mentioned do agree to Man in the state of Creation yet the special care of Man in respect of his spiritual and eternal estate appears most of all in Christ to whom set at his right hand he subjected all things for this end That he might convert man and make him converted for ever blessed So that in the words alledged we may observe 1. God's special care of Man and his singular love towards him 2. The same manifested in a most glorious manner in the humiliation and exaltation of Christ. 3. The admiration or rather amazement at such a stupeâ—dious manifestation of such stupendious love All the works of God are in themselves excellent and wonderful but the work of Redemption by Christ is matter of greatest wonder and astonishment even to the Angels § 11. The Application follows where the Authour takes special notice of the last words cited out of the Psalm They are these Thou hast put all things in subjection under his Feet These are not the last words of the Psalm but of the words alledged out the Psalm These understood of Christ proves that which he intended That unto the Angels God hath not put in subjection the World to come but to some other even to Man that special Man whereof the Psalmist speaks Concerning these words he delivers two Propositions The first as a conclusion The second upon the By. The first as a conclusion is this That he left nothing that is not put under him this necessarily follows if God put all things under his Feet Therefore he is the Lord of the World to come and Angels are subjected as included in the word all That these words are understood of Christ and not of any other Man as Heinsius would have them to be is evident from 1 Cor. 15. 27. For he hath put all things under his Feet but when he saith All things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted who did put all things under him Where two things are observable as clear and evident 1. That it was Christ risen from the Dead and set at the right hand of God under whose Poet as his Foot-stool all things were put 2. That nothing is excepted as not put under but God who subdued all things unto him The second Proposition upon the By is But now we see not all things put under him The meaning whereof is that though God hath given him Dominion over all things and all things are subject to his Power yet he hath not as yet exerclsed his Power to destroy all Enemies and reduce all his People to subjection And this we shall never see till the last Saint be converted and Death the last Enemy destroyed which cannot be before the Resurrection whereby all his Servants and Vassals shall be made immortall and fully and for ever freed from Death Ver. 9. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels c. This is the second Application of those words of the Psalmist Thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels thou hast crowned him with Glory and Honour Which we find differently expounded translated read pointed Yet the matter is plain and it 's evident they speak of Christ and concerning Him deliver two things 1. His Humiliation 2. His Exaltation 1. His Humiliation in three things 1. That he was lower then the Angels 2. He suffered 3. He suffered Death for all men And the substance of the whole is That though in the state of his humiliation and mortality in respect of his suffering Death he was a little or a little while lower than the Angels yet he rose again and is now crowned with Glory and Honour at the right hand of God and made Lord of All. And there was a special reason why for a time he should be mortal and suffer Death even because that was the way unto Glory and the means of eternal deliverance determined by God Though all this be clear yet the place is wofully obscured and especially by Henisius whilst he tediously endeavours to make it more plain I will not trouble the Reader either with his pointing the words or his manner of rendring them or his exposition in all which he thinks Tâ—cla's Manuscript doth favour him which it doth not § 12. In these words these things are manifest 1. That the subject of them are the words of Psal. 8. 5. 2. That he applys them unto Christ. 3. That in them he observes the Humiliation and Exaltation of Christ. 4. Gives the reasons why Christ must first be humbled before he can be exalted and to shew this last is the scope of the Apostle in the rest of the Chapter unto the end It 's not to prove that Christ is Man as some do think nor to make a digression to speak of his Priest-hood as others tell us That he mentions some acts of Christ as a Priest and other things agreeing to him as Man and as a Priest or King it 's upon the By. In them we find three Propositions 1. That we see Christ for the suffering of Death Crowned with Glory and Honour 2. This Christ is he that was first made a little lower then the Angels 3. One end why Christ was made lower then the Angels was that by the Grace of God he might â—asto Death for every Man The meaning of the first Proposition is easy For it affirms 1. That Christ was Crowned with Glory and Honour 2. And that for suffering Death 3. They
8. 17 18 verses where we have in the Septuagint the very words here used and alledged of the Apostle In that part of the Chapter we have a clear prophecy of Christ fulfilled in the time of his abode on Earth and before his ascent into Heaven There is a plain prediction of Christ's Incarnation and living amongst men and of his Disciples who did believe on him as also of the unbelief of the greatest part of the Jews of their rejection of Christ and of God's rejection of them and the destruction of Jerusalem And Christ is brought in saying And I will wait upon â—â— for the Lord that hideth or turneth his Face from the House of Jacob and I will trust in him as in the Septuagint Behold I and the Children which God hath given me These words are to be understood of him as one with his Disciples and man as they were men And in that Chapter we find some passages directly agreeing with the words of Simons which he spake after that he being in the Temple had received Christ being then Incarnate and an infant into his arms So that to understand the Apostle and the Prophet too we must not so must stand upon the words in themselves severed from the rest but joyntly with the context of the Chapter speaking of Immanuel that is Christ Incarnate § 16. In ver 11 he had said That both he that sanctifieth and they that are saâ—ctified are of one and in these words he assumes but the sanctified are parâ—akers of Flesh and Blood and so concludes that he must have Flesh and Blood and therefore saith He likewise took part with them And those which he called The sanctified by him ver 11. Here he names Children according to the words of the Prophet and these were Disciples and such as believed in him And it 's to be observed 1. That to be of one is to be Flesh and Blood and so man 2. That there is a two-fold union of Christ with Mâ—nsâ— The first by his Incarnation And the second by his actual Sanctification In the first respect he is one with all mankind as they are men and the Head of the whole body of them In the second respect he is one in a special manner with his Elect. By him â—â— man and dying for man all men receive this benefit to to be savable which Angels sinning do not By him as man dying and believed upon all such as do believe are actually sanctified and in the end saved And He and the Sanctified which are the Church are one in a special manner yet because to take part with the Children and be man was not sufficient except he dyed for them that by his Death he might be beneficial unto them therefore it 's added That he took part with them that he might destroy him that had the power of Death which is the Devil Where we may observe two things 1. That the Devil hath the power of Death 2. That Christ by Death destroyed him The first is implyed The second is expressed The word Devil is to be understood collectively for the Devils but in a special manner for the Prince of Devils who is said to be a Lyar and a Murderer Joh. 8. 44. because by his lyes he deceived our first Parents inducing them to Sin whereby they were made liable to Death For by his Temptations and false Suggestions he insinuateth into man and infuseth his poyson into their Soul Man yielding unto his Temptations falls into his hands and comes under his Power so that he hath dominion over him reigns in him blinds him perverts him inclines him effectually to sin and by sin stings him to Death And because he hath so great power to draw man into sin he may be said to have the Power of Death because by this means he makes man more and more obnoxious to Death which so unavoidably by the Law follows upon Sin yet he may be said to have the power of Death as a Jaylour Hangman or Executioner may be said to have such a power and God in his just Judgment may deliver disobedient man into his hand and by him execute his punishments as some understand the place and by divine permission he may have great strength to torment and destroy man Otherwise he can have no right unto Man to judg condemn him punish as being his Lord and Judg For that belongs only unto God who if man yield unto Satan may deliver him into his hand and he may detain him as his Captive The Scripture speaks much of the power of Satan over man till God deliver him out of his hand and this power can be no power of Life but of Death and Destruction This is the first thing implyed the second is That Christ by his Death destroyed him He destroyed him he destroyed him by his Death To destroy him is not to take away his immortal Life and Being but to take away his power or strength For the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the power of an Enemy over a Captive is not a legal and regular power and authority This strength and force and also right unto man as his Captive Christ took away by his Death For by his Death he satisfied God's Justice and merited a power and right to him as having by a lutron or price payed to the supream Lord and Owner bought him So that upon this price and ransome paid and accepted man became his and the Devil had only the possession of him though Christ had the right unto him and the propriety in him Therefore Christ in his prayer doth acknowledg that his Father had given power over all Flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as he had given him Again by this Death Christ made Death removable because by it he made man's sin remissible Bacon Thorpe tells us that the Devil by putting Christ being innocent to Death lost all his power over man because he had no Commission from God to put any person innocent and free from all sin unto Death yet for this he brings no clear Scripture though this be certain that God gave all men to Christ because he dyed for them This Death aimed at a further end then the destruction of the Devil as having the power of Death Christ indeed came to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. 8. and though the Devil at the first as a strong man keeps peaceable possession yet Christ is that stronger man who takes away his power disarms him takes possession and all this is done to deliver man out of his hands For 1. Christ must be lower then the Angels and mortal Man that he may dy 2. He must dy that he may destroy the power of the Devil 3. He must destroy the power of the Devil that man may be delivered from the danger of Death Man cannot be delivered except the power of the Devil be destroyed this
pass the Sentence and execute the same The Sacrifice of a broken and penitent heart and of Prayer may be offered often but the propitiatory Sacrifice need not often to be offered one Offering will serve the turn § 11. Thus far the Proposition the Reddition follows Ver. 12. But this Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever sate down at the right hand of God Ver. 13. From henceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Foo◠〈◊〉 Ver. 14. For by one Offering he hath perfected the sanctified for ever VVHere we have 1. The offering of Christ's one Sacrifice 2. The Reason why it was but once offered In the former we are informed 1. Of the Dissimilitude between the Legal Sacrifices and that Sacrifice of Christ and this is expressed 2. Of their Imparity which is implied 1. The Dissimilitude we find in several things 1. There under the Law were many Priests yea the Legal High-Priests were many this Priest Christ is but one 2. Their Sacrifices were many Christ's but one 3. There the same Sacrifices were offered often Christ's one Sacrifice was offered but once 4. Those Priests after they had offered the same Sacrifice stood ready to offer them again at set times Christ when he had offered once never offered again but sate down at the right hand of God 5. They had no Power to take away Sin Christ by this one Sacrifice once offered takes away Sin for ever 2. The Imparity which is great is implyed in the Dissimilitude for that Sacrifice which being but one and but once offered by one Priest took away Sin for ever is incomparably more excellent than those Sacrifices which being many and offered many times by many Priests could never take away Sin But such is Christ's Sacrifice and such were theirs therefore it 's incomparably more excellent The Text may be reduced to three Propositions 1. This Man offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever 2. Having offered it he sate down at the right hand of God 3. Being set there he expects his Enemies to be made his Foot-stool In all which we have the Humiliation and Exaltation of the Son of God In the first Proposition there is little or no difficulty Yet 1. The Connexion of it with the former part of the Comparison is made by the Conjunction But for so they turn the Greek Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place which implies the difference and dissimilitude 2. The Subject of it according to our Translation is This Man but in some Copies the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here it 's read and whereas they supply the Substantive by the word Man this Man yet it may be turned this Priest or this High-Priest as some Manuscripts in the former Verse read every High-Priest 3. When it 's said He had offered one Sacrifice it must be understood not only of one Sacrifice but of one single Offering 4. This is said to be offered for Sins this puts us in mind of our misery God's Mercy and Christ's merit For we have our Sins whereby we are liable to death yet God was so merciful as to give Christ for our Sins and Christ's offering was so acceptable and meritorious that it obtained eternal Remission in respect of which eternal efficacy some think it's said Christ offered this one Sacrifice for ever never to be offered again because of eternal vertue Yet several Copies joyn the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever with the latter Proposition which is 2. That Christ having offered one Sacrifice for Sin sate down at the right hand of God for ever So the Vulgar Vatablus Beza Tremelius out of the Syriack and divers other Greek Copies read it This sitting at the right hand of God doth presuppose Christ's Offering and deep Humiliation his Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven 2. It is the highest degree of Glory and Power to that which is infinite which is the Power of God as God 3. This Power which under God is supream and universal is perpetually continued to him and his Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom Some think this sitting is opposed to the standing of the Levitical Priests which may be so and so it may signify that his Ministration in the Form of a Servant on Earth was ended and did cease for ever 4. This Session and Exaltation is to be considered not only as a Reward of his Humiliation unto death whereby he merited Remission and Salvation but also as a means whereby he might apply his merits and confer the Mercies which by his Sacrifice he had procured for us For as King he sends down the Holy Ghost reveals his Gospel by the Word and Spirit works Faith in us and converts us and so makes us Subjects capable of the benefits of his Redemption and as a Priest pleads his bloody Sacrifice and by his Intercession for us converted obtains our actual Remission and Salvation He need not offer any more but plead his one Offering till all his Saints be fully justified The third Proposition is concerning his expectation of a final Victory over all his Enemies by the Exercise of his transcendent Power at the right hand of God For so God had said and promised when he first invested him with supream Power For the Lord said to my Lord Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool Where we must observe 1. That in respect of himself all his Enemies are conquered they have not the least Power to molest him Yet 2. In respect of his Reign and Government they oppose his Power continually 3. These Enemies are Sin Satan the World and Death all which must be destroyed in his Church and Saints yet this Destruction goes on by degrees and shall be finished in the end when the Saints shall rise and be immortal and freed from all Sin Sorrow Misery Enemies and Death it self 4. This is expectation of their final ruine is not doubtful and uncertain but most certain And this estate of Glory is opposed to his Death and Humiliation and both his Regal and Sacerdotal Power are subservient to this total final Victory § 12. But here it may be enquired what should be the Reason why Christ's Sacrifice should not be iterated but that one single Offering should be sufficient To satisfy us in this particular the Apostle gives the Reason thus Ver. 14. For by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified THE Conjunction For doth signify that in these words is given a Reason of something antecedent and that is why the offering of Christ was but one and this it is Because by that one Christ did more than all the Legal Priests by all their many frequent Offerings could do And not only so but also it did enough to consecrate all true Believers for ever and proved to be of eternal vertue in all such as were capable of it In the words themselvs we
one Person and if that Person be Christ then all not onely one of them agree unto him This Erasmus Johannes did very well observe in his dispute with Socinus concerning some kind of existence which Christ must needs have before the Incarnation Socinus in his Answer doth miserably shift and offers plain violence to the place Volkelius doth the like Crellius Volkelius Socinus make this the Scope of the Apostle in this first Chapter to demonstrate that Christ is more excellent than the Angels onely in such things as he received as Man from God after his Death and Resurrection But as you heard before his intent is to prove 1. That Christ is more excellent than the Prophets 2. Than the Angels And as he was more excellent than the Prophets not onely as sitting at the right hand of God but as creating the World and being the brightness of his Father's Glory and the express Image of his Person so he was more excellent than Angels not onely as sett at the right hand of God but as creating the World It was an hard thing and is still to understand the Mystery of the Incarnation That the eternal Word and Wisdom of God by which he created the World should be made Flesh and possesse dwell in and be united to the Nature of Man is plain Scripture but how he doth possess it dwell in it and is united to it so as he never possessed or dwelt in or was united unto any other Man or Angel is far above our reach and capacity Believe that it is so we must we may we are bound unto it it 's clear certain and the Word of God expresseth it plainly Understand the manner how it is we cannot And how should we seeing we are so ignorant how the Soul and Body are united In this Case as in many other Non vivacitas intelligendi sed simplicitas credendi not our evident Knowledg but our Faith must save us But it 's a wickedness which God will punish to deny that which God doth plainly affirm because we cannot fully comprehend it § 18. Ver. 13. 14. But to which of the Angels said he at any time c. These words may be understood to be a Conclusion of the former premisses or a new Argument If a Conclusion then we must conceive the premisses and the former discourse to amount to this that God set Christ at his right hand and not the Angels and here he briefly sums up the whole and inferrs therefore Christ is above the Angels Yet they rather seem to contain a new another Argument taken from the Psalmist Psal. 110. The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou on my right hand c. 1. To sit at the right hand of God is not onely to be for ever happy and blessed by enjoying those pleasures which are at God's right hand for evermore nor onely to be advanced to the highest place of honour and dignity next unto God but to be invested with a supream and universal Power above all Men and Angels and by the same actually to reign for with the Apostle to sit at the right hand of God is to reign 1 Cor. 15. 25. This is to be Administrator-general as Law-giver and Judge in that spiritual Kingdom whereby God orders sinful Man unto eternal Glory This agrees to him as the Word made Flesh raised from the dead and ascended into Heaven 2. This Glory Dignity and Power was given to Christ as Man yet united to the Word For the Lord said unto my Lord that is David's Lord who yet according to the Flesh was David's Son who though Flesh was far greater after his Humiliation than his Father David not onely as the Word and the same Supream Lord with the Father but as Flesh and Man The Chaldee turns it to his Word the Lord said to his Word yet to his Word made Flesh. 3. The party who advanced him to his right hand was God for it was God who gave him a Name above all Names none else could give it 4. He gave it him by his Word and Edict For he said In this word we have the Patent or Commission of Christ in which he signifies his Will was that he should be Lord and King and with the word gives him the Power so that his Title is good and valid and stands firm and inviolable 5. The date of this Reign is expressed in those words untill his Enemies be made his Foot-stool that is till the Resurrection and final Glorification of all his Saints This being the meaning of the words the Apostle insists chiefly upon that part of the Text said to my Lord as though he should say 1. You confess that Psalm to be part of the holy Scripture revealed from Heaven 2. That the words are not to be understood of Angels but the Messiah 3. That in the first words of that Psalm God speaks to some certain Person to whom he gives Power to reign 4. He did not by those words give Power unto the Angels but to Christ thence he argues If God gave this Power to Christ and never to any of the Angels did the like then Christ is more excellent than the Angels and the Angels inferiour to Christ But this was said this power was given to Christ and not to the Angels therefore he is more excellent This Argument is stronger and more convictive because it 's negative and exclusive for they might have said that though God did advance and honour Christ and gave him an everlasting Kingdom yet he might do the like to some of the Angels To prevent this he out of the Text proves that God said this to Christ and there is no mention there nor in any part of the Scripture of God's advancing any of them to his right hand And that his Argument might be more forcing he proposeth it interrogatively To which of the Angels said he at any time That is He said not any such thing at any time to any of the Angels If he did he challengeth them to prove or produce the place which they could never do § 19. Ver. 14. Are they not all ministring Spirits c. These words may be considered absolutely in themselvs or relatively as conducing unto the main Conclusion intended by the Apostle The subject of them are Angels of whom something here is affirmed The manner of Expression is Rhetorical by way of Interrogation The Answer implyed is affirmative for they say that negative Interrogations are more vehement Affirmations The Proposition in general is That all the Angels are ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation The parts infolded in the general or the whole are many 1. They are Spirits 2. Ministring Spirits 3. Sent forth to minister 4. The Minister for the Heirs of Salvation 5. They are all such 1. They are Spirits that is incorporeal incorruptible intellectual active substances the most noble and excellent Creatures God made 2. They are ministring
power cannot be destroyed except Christ dy Christ cannot dy except he be lower then the Angels and made mortal Man This connexion and subordination of these things did become God and was agreeable to his heavenly wisdom whereas the Socinian saith That for Christ to take part with Men and be Flesh and Blood as they are doth not prove that the Incarnation is true if we consider it barely in it self as a participation of humane nature and mortality Yet if we consider the subject of this participation and the person taking part with man to be the Son of God by whom he made the Worlds the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the expresse Image of his Person and look upon him as that word which was in the beginning and was with God and was God then if this Son this Word be made Flesh as here the Apostle doth affirm and else-where then the Incarnation is plain and clear enough it cannot be denyed § 17. This farther end is expressed in these words Ver. 15. And deliver them who through the fear of Death were all their life-time subject to bondage This Text represents unto us two things 1. The sad condition of such as are under the power of Satan 2. A deliverance or freedom from it The sad condition is an estate of perpetual slavery and fear of Death For to be subject to bondage is to be a slave and to be thus subject all the time of his Life is to be a perpetual slave for time of Life And this is a grievous slavery and bondage not only because it 's perpetual but because of the great danger For by fear of Death may by a Metonymy be meant the danger of Death For the proper cause of fear is danger once apprehended for it 's true that men may be in danger and yet without fear because the danger is not seen apprehended known And the bondage of perpetual fear is woful if not intolerable This Death which is so dangerous and ever threatens to terrify and torment us is not only bodily but spiritual not only temporal but eternal and the greatest Evil of all others and if we be Satan's slaves and in his power he is a most cruel Tyrant and Enemy and seeks our extream and everlasting misery and we can expect nothing better from him who delights in our destruction Oh that man did but see his condition and were sensible of it For then he could take no rest Day or Night and he would seek and cast about for deliverance We see how sad it is by the terrours and torments of Judas and Cain and by the fears griefs troubles wounds sigh◠groans of such as were once sensible of their sins and apprehensive of the wrath of God Though this be a sad condition yet there is deliverance from this continual danger this perpetual fear which is the greatest slavery of all other The beginning of comfort is to know that there is a possibility of Freedom and that the Danger is avoidable or removable The first degree of this deliverance is in Christ's Death whereby divine justice was satisfied and freedome merited 2. That the power of the Devil was destroyed for whilst it continued this fear could not be removed 3. This freedome and liberty is more compleat when upon Faith in Christ's Death Sin is pardoned and the cause of this fear is taken away For the justified have peace with God are freed from condemnation and the Law of Sin and Death and they who feared eternal Punishments rejoyce in the hope of Glory Then this slavery is changed into a blessed liberty fear into hope and the sorrow of Death into the joy of Life § 18. It follows Ver. 16. For verily he took not upon him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham In these words it 's conceived a reason is given why Man and not Angels are delivered from the slavery of death and danger of eternal punishments and the reason is this because the Word was made Flesh and Man not a Spirit or an Angel And they more clearly explain these words Seeing the Children were partakers of Flesh and Blood he took part with them By Death to deliver them For if he 1. Took part with them 2. To deliver them 3. Deliver them by Death then he took not part with Angels but with the seed of Abraham as a fit means which it became God to use The Conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not always causal to inferr a reason of some thing from the cause or some other argument For it is sometimes expletive sometimes hath another signification and so it may be here But to let that pass let 's consider the Text in it self which logically considered is a discretive axiom denying the same thing of one subject and affirming it of a another Christ took upon him something But 1. That was not the Angels or nature of Angels 2. He took upon him or to him the seed of Abraham So that in the words we have two simple axiomes or propositions The first is negative For verily he took not upon him the nature of Angels The second is affirmative He took on him the seed of Abraham The negation in the former proposition is strong for it 's not barely said He took not but he no where or not at all For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signify nusquam aut nequaquam no where or in no wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies verily To understand the whole Text is difficult because of the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some turn apprehend it he took hold on and think the expression is taken from such as pursue and follow hard after one that flyes from them to take hold on him and bring him back So Man runs from God and God became Man to follow after Man and take hold on him to save him Thus Chrysostome and from him Bishop Andrews Heinsius à Lapide with others Crellius and the Socinians turn the word another way and understand the place thus Christ succoured not the Angels but succoured the seed of Abraham This and also the former may be true but not pettinent The reason why Crellius likes the latter sense is because he likes not the Doctrine of the Incarnation he cannot digest it The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated and that rightly by Vatablus Beza the Turgurines and Tremelius out of the Syriack assumpsit he assumed and by our English took on him doth answer to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned by the Septuagint several times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here used And not to take the Angels that is nature of Angels is not to be made an Angel or Officer the individual substance of an Angel to redeem the Angels that sinned To assume or take the Seed of Abraham is 1. To be a man as Abraham and his Seed were men and partakers of Flesh and Blood
and Sin reigned from Adam to Moses Rom. 5. 12 14. And the wages of Sin is Death Rom. 6. 23. Besides it 's said That in Adam all dye that is in Adam sinning for he was that one man by whom Sin entred into the World 1 Cor. 15. 22. So that God appointed Man to dye and to dye but once The second Proposition is That after Death followeth Judgment This is the second thing For Death is first Judgment the second and the word after signifies the order of time For Death goes before and Judgment follows after The party Judged is Man the Judge is God whose Judgment is particular or general particular of every particular individual person general or universal of all For there is the Judgment of the great Day when all shall appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ and this Judgment is appointed of God and appointed to follow after Death after which follows the final and eternal estate of man which shall be unalterable and by Judgment may be meant not only the Sentence of the Judge but the estate of the parties judged which followeth thereupon whether it be an estate of misery or of felicity We live here that we may prepare for this Judgment and we ought so to live as that we may be happy for ever hereafter and prevent the suffering of eternal punishments Yet men do not believe that God will Judge us and that Judgment will follow and that unavoidably after Death or if they do not believe this yet they do not seriously consider it This is the reason why they live secure in their Sins and extream danger and this is the cause of their eternal ruine It 's not material to enquire whether the act of the Judge or the estate of the parties judged or whether particular or universal Judgment be here meant or no. It 's certain that this is a Judgment which followeth after Death and the final and universal Doom seems to be here intended when both Soul and Body the whole man and all men that dye shall be judged This is the proposition § 26. The Reddition followeth in these words Ver. 28. So Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto Salvation THis Text informs us of the appearance of Christ for that 's the subject of it This appearance is two-fold the first and the second and both these differ much not only for the manner but the end The first was in Humility and the end was to suffer and by suffering to expiate Sin The second shall be in Glory and the end of it to give eternal Salvation to such as look for him The first was to suffer and save the second to judge and reward his faithful and obedient Servants The propositions therefore are two 1. Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many 2. Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation The first is the same with that in ver 26. But now once in the end of the World hath he appeared to put away Sin by the Sacrifice of himself The words differ the matter is the same For as there so here two things are observable 1. The Sacrifice the single Sacrifice of Christ. 2. The end of it The single Sacrifice for Christ was once offered the end for he was once offered to bear the Sins of many First he offered himself this was an act of him as a Priest and as he was the best Priest that ever lived so he himself was the best Sacrifice that ever was offered The end was also excellent for he bare the sins of many that is the punishment due for the sins of many and he bare this punishment to satisfy divine Justice and procure God's favour to sinful man We deserved the punishment and he suffers it he is punished that we may be spared It was tender compassion in him to offer himself for us and it was exceeding love in God to send and give him for to suffer and so be the propitiation for our Sins He bare the sins of all to make them pardonable and the sins of many even of all sincere Believers that they may be actually pardoned for ever possibility of pardon is the benefit of all actual pardon of many yet not of all For Christ had no absolute intention to procure the Salvation of all but of such as believe in him yet the reason why all are not pardoned is not from Christ's Death which made the Sins of all pardonable but from some other cause And this is the condemnation of all those to whom the Gospel is preached That Light comes unto them and they love Darkness rather then Light God hath given his only begotten Son and his Son hath offered himself and made the way to Heaven passible and remission of Sins and eternal Life are offered unto u upon fair and reasonable terms and conditions and though to corrupt Flesh and Blood they be difficult yet they are made easy by the power of the Spirit yet we love our Sins more then our Saviour and continue in them to our eternal condemnation § 27. The second Proposition is concerning his second appearance For he shall appear the second time where as before we have the manner and the end The manner is Glorious for he shall appear without Sin yet he never had any Sin and in his first appearance he was without Sin For Sin of his own he had not yet he bare Sins the Sins of others the Sins of many Yet these Sins were not his by Commission but by Imputation so far as to be liable to Death For God laid on him the Iniquities of us all So that without Sin is without suffering for the Sins of others He shall not come the second time to dye for our Sins as he did the first this is the genuine sense When he came to Sacrifice for Sin he came in great Humility and took upon him the form of a Servant and was obedient unto Death the Death of the Cross this low condition was suitable to the work he then undertook But now he comes as King and Lord to judge the World and therefore he comes in Glory The end of his coming is to reward and the reward is Salvation and the parties to be rewarded are such as look for him By Salvation is meant eternal Life and full Happiness which he purchased by his precious Blood and it 's so called because man in danger of eternal Death shall then be fully saved and delivered from all Sin and all the sad and woful Consequents of Sin and that for ever for then Death man's last Enemy shall be destroyed Yet this immunity from all evil cannot consist without the enjoyment of those glorious and eternal Blessings which God hath promised this is the great reward which Believers do expect and because they know they shall not
This place is not to be understood that he by his own Power did stop the Lions Mouths but that God by his Angel did it upon his Faith whereby he obtained this Mercy 5. By Faith some of them quenched the violence of Fire By this and the former we understand that divers of these particulars are not to be attributed to the Faith of all and every one but to some particular Persons of them as severed from the rest The former Worthy intended was one of the Prophets and these might be such also yet not so eminent for these words are not meant of a single Person but of Shadrac Meshech and Abcdâ—ego three Jews fellow-Captives with Daniel These were cast into a fiery Furnace so violently hot that the very persons who cast them in were consumed Yet these walking in the midst of this raging heat were not burned For upon their Bodies the fire had no power nor was an hair of their head sindged neither were their Coates changed nor the smell of fire had passed upon them Dan. 3. 27. This was a wonderful deliverance and a work of God's almighty hand and it was obtained by their Faith manifested to be sincere by their Obedience For they disobeyed the wicked Command of the King and stedfastly resolved to obey their God For so they said unto Nebuchadnezzar We will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up This was their Obedience They feared not the wrath of the King but trusted in their God that be was able to deliver them This was their excellent Faith upon which followed this deliverance By these two last examples we understand how easily God can and how ready he is to deliver his believing Servants out of greatest dangers 6. By Faith they that is some of them escaped the Sword The Sword is a mortal Instrument the Prince of Weapons and used most of all in Wars when once the paâ—â—ies joyn battel and come close It may here be taken Synechdochically for any kind of destroying Instrument used either in War or Peace In War David and many of the Judges escaped the edge of the Sword and were saved from the fury of the Enemy In Peace Elijah Elisha Jeremy and other were delivered out of the hands of those who intended to murther them They were in danger because they served God did his Work and gave no just cause of offence They were delivered because whilst they were obedient to their God they trusted in him Yet here seems to be intended some great dangers and signal deliverances upon their eminent Faith As the former were delivered from Fire and wild Beasts so these from the Sword No dangers can hurt those whom God will save they are safe in the midst of greatest Evils 7. By Faith of weak some became strong This by many is understood of recovery from Sickness and Diseases and the same sometimes mortal and by man incurable and some instance in Ezekiah whom God upon his prayer of Faith restored to perfect health and because his Disease was mortal therefore the cure was supernatural and miraculous and said to be obtained by Faith Others understand it of such as were weak in respect of Warlike strength and valour and far inferiour to their Enemies for multitude strength prowesse policy yet by Faith and confidence in God few overcame many the weak subdued the strong the plain unskilful not only defended themselves but terrified their Enemies and though at first they were fearful yet by Faith they strengthned themselves in God and upon their prayers were encouraged against potent Enemies 8. Waxed valiant in fight Many of God's Saints and some of the fore-named were Souldiers and men of mighty Valour who through Faith were so encouraged that they feared neither the number nor the strength of their Enemies Valour is proper unto a good Souldier and in War is necessary as fear and coâ—ardize is the ruine of many a goodly Army War is very dangerous and full of hazard and the event uncertain The more the danger and the difficulty the greater measure of fortitude is requisite The nature of Valour is not wholly to contemn dangers but to foresee and resist them and no wayes yield unto them to adventure upon them and march through them It 's the strength of the mind without which the strength of the Body is to little purpose This is not a blind boldness nor meerly moral and grounded only upon Reason but it is divine For when the Cause was good and they had a Command with a Promise and sometimes with instructions from God they had great reason to be valiant they might say with David after they had prayed I will not be afraid of ten thousands of People which have set themselves round about me Psal. 3. 6. When the Lord was his Light and Salvation and strength of his Life he had little cause to fear For though an Host should encamp against him his heart was not afraid though War did rise against him yet in that would he be confident Psal. 27. 1 3. These did not fight only for their Estates Wives Children and their Country but for their Religion the Covenant and the Cities of their God Their valour was grounded upon the goodness of their cause and the promise of their God which firmly supported their Faith as their Faith did much increase their Valour 9. They turned to Flight the Armies of the Aliens These Aliens were Heathens and Idoliters and so Enemies not only to their Country but to their Religion and their God This made their Cause the better and more just and the Enemies Cause the more unjust The event of their Wars against these was that they routed them and made them turn their backs and sly For as they sought for God out of Faith so God fought for them according to his Promise which was the ground of their Belief and Confidence Most of these Wars seem to be defensive or if offensive yet waged against injurious People who were Enemies not only to them but to God and this Success and these Victories were extraordinary If in a just War we have the like Cause and the like Faith we may expect the like Success But now many Wars are made amongst Christians and sometimes in the bowels of the same Nation and the Cause is not just but the Quarrel is begun and continued out of Pride Malice Cruelty Ambition and desire of Revenge and they sight not out of Faith against God's Enemies but against God's People § 34. The Apostle proceeds in this Rhetorical strain to enumerate other effects of their Faith Ver. 35. Women received their Dead raised to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection IN these words we may observe two Consequents of Faith 1. The Resurrection of persons dead 2. The suffering of cruel torments in hope of the Resurrection to eternal life The first is to referred to
the mercies obtained by Faith the second to the sufferings which are to be reduced to the Catalogue of Sufferings which follow In the first we may observe 1. What the mercy received was 2. Who received it 3. By what they received it 1. The mercy received was great and such as could not have been given but by God and also by his extraordinary power For it presupposeth the parties raised to be dead which is the last and greatest of all evils in this Life and puts an end to all our earthly Hopes and Comforts which it wholly taketh away And though men may strengthen the Weak heal the Sick relieve the oppressed and deliver out of many Troubles and Dangers yet Death they cannot prevent when the fatal hour approacheth nor restore life after it 's once lost Death is an invincible Enemy and neither can Man or Angel rescue any out of Death's power yet the parties dead which were Children were raised life restored to them and Soul and Body separated were re-united yet to be separated again for the life restored was not immortal 2. The parties who received this extraordinary Mercy were both Women and Mothers as the parties dead were their Children The one was the Widow of Zarepta 1 King 17. 19. and he that raised her son was Elijah The other was the Shunamite whose son being dead was restored to life by Elisha 2 King 4. 21. There was a third person raised from the dead when he was cast into the Grave of the Prophet We do not read of any other dead persons restored to life in the Old Testament by these or any other Prophets 3. By Faith they are said to have received their dead It 's not written that they raised them but that they received them being raised The Prophets did raise them restore them and deliver them to their Mothers Yet neither could these Prophets by their own power do any such thing for it was an effect of the almighty power of God who made them his Instruments and by them upon their instant prayers did this great Work yet their prayers without Faith could not have been so effectual The Women also did much desire this mercy and did believe that God by the Prophets could restore their Children which were raised by the Faith of Prophets and received alive by the Faith of the Mothers The second Effect here mentioned is Patience in such as suffered cruel Torments in their Bodies Here begins the Catalogue of the suffering of the Saints which did evidence their Faith without which we can neither do good nor suffer evil so as God requireth This example is not found in Canonical Scripture therefore the Apostle knew it either by Tradition or some historical Writing yet so that he some wayes knew infallibly the truth of the matter Some think the Apostle understood Eliazar mentioned 2 Mach. 6. 18 19 20 c. and the Woman and her seven Sons so cruelly tortured as we read in 2 Maccab. 7. Chapter following who are related to have suffered constantly in hope of the Resurrection In the words we may observe 1. Their Suffering 2. Their non-Acceptance of Deliverance 3. Their Faith 1. Their Suffering they were Tortured The Sufferings of God's People may be truly said to be either Trials or Chastifements or Punishments or some or all of these and if we consider the Evils which both good and bad are subject unto in this Life we must distinguish between the matter and the manner For the matter of Sufferings passively considered may be the same in all but the manner as also the Causes are very different For the Sufferings of God's Saints are so qualified by Faith that in them many divine vertues are manifested and they tend though not to the meriting yet to the attaining of eternal Glory For if we suffer with Christ we shall be glorified with him Rom. 8. 17. And our leight Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. These Persons here intended are said to be Tympanized which is to be tormented several wayes as by beating and fustigation by racking and extension by tearing and excoriation for the word it self doth not determine the manner of Torment Therefore it 's well turned by this general word Tortured that is they were put to bodily pain The Torturers were Anâ—â—ochus and his cursed Agents the Sufferers and Subjects of these Tortures were the Jews which refused to obey the Commands of that cruel Tyrant contrary to the Laws of God 2. The Non-Acceptance of Deliverance doth imply that they might upon certain Conditions have been freed from these cruel Pains and so have prevented Death and that they rather chose to suffer more and dy than accept of the Conditions If we consult the History we shall understand 1. That they were commanded to do some things contrary to the Laws of God 2. That though they were in the Power of a cursed cruel Prince and perswaded both by Promise and threatning to obey yet they refused 3. That upon the Refusal they were tortured 4. In some Intermission of the torture they were advised again to yield for their Persecutors thought the bitterness of the pain might prevail much with them 5. Yet it did not for they remained constant and were ready to suffer the worst and to dy rather than disobey their God This was the Cause of their Suffering and made it glorious For they suffered not as Malefactors for their Crimes but for Righteousness sake and did manifest that they loved God and Righteousness more than their lives 3. They did thus suffer thus refuse Deliverance to obtain a better Resurrection this was the End of both and did manifest both their Faith and Hope 1. Their Faith in that they did believe there was a Resurrection unto eternal Life and that God not only could but also would raise them up again restore an immortal glorious blessed Life for a miserable short and mortal Breath and abundantly recompence their cruel Pains suffered in Obedience to him with eternal Pleasures They were assured that God was a Rewarder of those who diligently seek him by doing Good and suffering Evil for his sake 2. Their Hope grounded upon this Faith was their constant expectation of this Resurrection according to God's Promise For he had promised it to all such as really love him and their Suffering was a great Evidence of their Title and did assure them of Possession in due time Here two things are to be noted 1. That Resurrection to Immortality is general and common to all both good and bad for all must rise again to Judgment Yet some shall rise to Condemnation and the Suffering of eternal Shame and Punishment and others unto everlasting Life and Glory This latter Resurrection is here meant which is said to be better because by it they should receive a better Life than could be enjoyed on Earth 2. That it 's better for
any Man to suffer the most cruel Punishments and the worst of Tortures Man can inflict than lye under extream and everlasting Pains and the loss of Heaven in the Life to come and this was a Principle and Ground of their Patience Constancy and Fidelity to their God Thus they became true Martyrs proved Victorious and were crowned in Heaven § 35. Besides the former there were others who suffered other kinds of Evils for it follows Ver. 36. And others had Trial of cruel Mockings and Scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonment HEre are three different Evils suffered by the Saints 1. Mockings 2. Scourgings 3. Bonds and Imprisonments So that the parts of the Text are three 1. The Enumeration of these Evils 2. Their Suffering of them 3. Their Faith 1. The Evils were 1. Mockings The Parties mocked were God's Saints and Prophets the Parties mocking were their Enemies and Persecutors which proved to be sometimes their own Brethren of the same Nation Language Kindred Religion and amongst these sometimes the basest of the People sometimes the Priests Princes and Rulers who should have honoured and protected them These Mockings issue out of Contempt and tend unto the Disgrace and Dishonour of the Party mocked and makes it a Sport to abuse them so as to rejoyce in their misery These Mockings are sometimes in words sometimes in signs sometimes in both And because to a grave serious Person of eminent Worth some of these Mockings are very bitter cutting cruel not only in respect of the matter but also of the Circumstances this made the Sufferings more glorious But why our Translators should add the word Cruel I know not the Septuagint and other Authors do not use either the Verb or Noun in that sense Yet to proud men that stand upon their Honour Mocking is far more grievous than to the lowly humble 2. Scourgings This is a Punishment also of great disgrace somtimes of cruel pain when by Whips either of Cords or Wires not only the Skin is broken but the very Flesh torn And this was the more grievous because it was an usual Punishment of Slaves of vilest Persons and of such as were of worst behaviour and by it they were not only put to pain but to open shame 3. The third Punishment was of Bonds and Imprisonnsent Bonds were Shackles Feâ—â—ers Chains Manacles wherewith their feet or hands or some other parts were bound Prisons were usually strong places and many times nasfy and uncomfortable and the worst kind of them were deep dark and dirty Dungeons Both these were restraints of Liberty which is so precious and desirable The End of them was the Reservation of Malefactors or suspected Persons till the time of Trial and Judgment and close Imprisonment was so much the more grievous when they were deprived of all comfortable Society and no friends suffered to relieve them 2. These they suffered some endured one of them some more some all For they had Trial or Experience of these things so some understand it as though the sense were that they did not fear them threatned but feel them inflicted Others think that these were called Trials from God to manifest the sincerity of their Faith and their heavenly Vertues that they might certainly know the happiness of their Condition or from their Petsecutors to shake their Faith and cause them to renounce their Fidelity to God But the former sense is more plain and genuine as appears by the Septuagint using it so and also from the 29th Verse of this Chapter and it signifies that they were not onely in danger of but under the present pressure of these evils Though their Enemies did afflict and vex them unjustly and wickedly yet they suffered them patiently and resolved that though God should kill them yet they would trust in him 3. They thus suffered these things by Faith For they knew the way to Heaven was rough and troublesom and that these Sufferings could not separate them from the Love of God nor deprive them of the great Reward but prepare them for eternal Glory For they vetily believed that there was eternal Life that God had promised it and that Constancy in the Covenant and Perseverance in the way of Righteousness was the only means to attain Possession and they knew that though their Sufferings were grievous yet the Reward would infinitely recompence all § 36. The Catalogue of the Saints Sufferings is continued and enlarged For Ver. 37. They were stoned sawen asunder tempted slain with the Sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins destitute afflicted tormented IN this Text we find several sorts of Sufferers for some were put to Death some banished or fled and wandred in great want and misery seeking to save their Lives and keep a good Conscience So that they are of two sorts 1. Such as were put to Death 2. Such as wandred and continued a miserable Life 1. Those that dyed were 1. Either stoned or 2. Sawen asunder or 3. Tempted or 4. Slain with the Sword These were the several wayes whereby they were put to Death And those capital Punishments which God and just Law-givers determined for capital Offendors were inflicted upon the most innocent and best Persons of the World The Power of punishing Offenders is good and from God but the abuse of it is most intolerable for Persecutors condemn those whom God doth justify 1. Some were stoned This was a Punishment determined by God in the Judicial Laws of Moses to be executed upon several Delinquents and Transgressors Yet no Judg had Warrant from God to condemn any innocent Person to this kind of Death yet Zacharias for charging the Jews with their Sins and denbuncing God's Judgments against them was stoned to Death 2. Some were sawen asunder Thus some say Isaiah was slain by Manasses this was a cruel kind of Execution 3. Some were tempted so many printed Books read yet few can make sense of it Others think it should be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were buâ—â—t and this is more agreeable to the Place and Scope Others omit it as the Syriack the Aethiopick the first Greek Manu-script in New-Colledge Oxford Neither do Chrysostom or Theophylact read it as Grotius informs us yet a Lapide finds it in Chrysostom which seems to imply that either one of them was mistaken or that they followed several Editions If it should be read and in this place as it 's hardly probable then it signifies that several were tempted by some cruel kind of Death to forsake their God yet they did not 4. Some were slain by the Sword which is used as well by the Magistrate against offending Subjects as by the Souldier against Enemies Martyrs might be thus slain either judicially or extrajudicially without any formal Process of Judgment for many times they laid hainous Crimes to their Charge suborned Witnesses and so sentenced them to Death Sometimes they made Justice Injustice Obedience to God Disobedience to