2. That whereas he became man in latter times he must needs be of some Nation and People with reference to the Head and first Father of that Nation and for Nation he was according to his humane Nature a Jew the first Father of which Nation was Abraham The reason hereof is this because God had made a special promise to Abraham That in his Seed all Nations should be blessed By which word Seed is meant Christ and Christ as descended from him according to the Flesh He is also called the Son of David because God promised That he should be born of his Family in Bethlehem the native place of David This sense 1. Is most agreeable to the Context antecedent where it 's said That Christ must be lower then the Angels must taste of Death must be consecrated by Suffering must be one with the sanctisied must be partaker of Flesh and Blood and deliver sinful man from the Devil But if he had assumed the nature of Angels none of these could be affirmed of him 2. The former two senses cannot be good because then he should have only apprenended and succoured the Seed of Abraham according to the Letter of this Text. Therefore seeing he took upon him the Seed of Abraham as he did the Seed of David therefore to take on him or assume the Seed of Abraham is to be of the Seed of Abraham as he was of David 2 Tim. 2 8. and to be made of the Seed of Abraham as he was made of the Seed of David according to the Flesh Rom. 1. 3. And it is the same with that of the Divine Evangelist The Word was made Flesh Joh. 1. 14. Crellius here trifles egregiously for he excepts against this sense 1. Because to apprehend or take hold of a thing is not to assume the nature of it 2. The word Angels which is plural should have been singular But 1. Who will grant him that which neither others do nor he can prove that the word must be turned apprehended in this place whereas it hath other senses both in the Septuagint and in the New Testament and is turned oftner and by more Translatours assume as was shewed before 2. If Christ had assumed the individual substance of an Angel he had assumed the Nature of Angels He did but assume one individual Flesh and Blood yet he is said to take part with the Children which were many He again objects that if it be said that he took the nature not of Angels but Men then these words cannot contain and render a reason That Christ was made lower then the Angels because it is the same But 1. How will he prove that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is causal if it should be denied 2. Who told him that it referrs only to those words of the 7th verse as a reason of them whereas it 's plain if the conjunction be causal it referrs to that which went immediately before 3. To be lower then the Angels and assume the nature of Man are not precisely the same For now he is Man and yet above the Angels These words thus explained and cleared inform us 1. Of some special love of God shewed unto Man and to Angels and of some benefit issuing from that love and given unto Man and denied to the Angels He so loved Man that he gave his only begotton Son to be the propitiation for his sin and not for the Angels Christ and the eternal Word must be Man and dy for him but he must not be an Angel to dy for Apostate Angels or redeem them The cause of this was the free will of God who might have neglected both the one as well as the other for both were sinful and deserved Death Yet there might be a reason why he passed by the Angels and not Man even because Angels were not tempred yet sinned but Man was deceived and so was a subject more capable of mercy though he deserved no mercy Yet if Man will be obstinate in his sin and refuse to acknowledg this love and receive Christ God will turn his love into hatred and send him a cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels and he shall lose eternally the benefit of Christ's Redemption which is remission and eternal life 2. They let us know the condescension and deep humiliation of the Son of God who vouchsafed not only to be Man but took upon him the form of a Servant and was obedient unto Death the Death of the Crosse. And this Incarnation is a deep mystery and this humiliation a matter of greatest wonder 3. They acquaint us with the excellent dignity and high advancement of the humane Nature in that it was assumed and inseparably united unto that eternal Word which is God The Angels in many things are above us and more excellent then we are yet in this we are above the Angels and nearer unto God and our nature in Christ is Lord of Angels 4. We learn from them that the Seed of Abraham and the People of the Jews have a priority and priviledg above all People For Christ took upon him their Flesh and Blood and they were his Brethren of whom according to the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9. 5. This is the reason why he said when he lived on Earth That he was sent to the lost Sheep of Israel and why he chose out of them the Apostles preached the Gospel unto them first for the tender of eternal life was first made to them and why he began and finished the work of Redemption amongst them 5. From them we understand something of the nature of the Incarnation For herein we have 1. One person the eternal Word and the Son of God 2. Two Natures Divine and Humane 3. The union of these two by assumption for the Word assumed the nature of Man and this Nature was thereby united to the Word in the unity of person 4. The distinction of these two Natures for the Word is God and not Man this humane Nature remains Man and is not God and the difference is very great and perpetual And thus God-Man is Christ our blessed Saviour and Redeemer and happy are they who know him and believe in him Ver. 17 18. Wherefore in all things it behâ—â—ved him to be made like unto his Brethren c. § 19. In these words we have another reason why Christ must be lower then the Angels Man and like his Brethren One end was that he might suffer and dy and this he could not do except he be partaker of Flesh and Blood and therefore he took upon him the Nature of Men and not of Angels The end why he must dy was 1. That he might destroy the Devil who had the power of Death and so deliver them that were in continual danger 2. That he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest and so make reconciliation for the sins of his People and be
in his Conception Birth Life Death as innocent and harmless as the new born Child never tainted or stained with the lest Sin and so separate from Sinners that though he did converse with them to convert them yet he was far from being drawn to sin by them or partaker of sin with them or any wayes guilty by his presence amongst them All these do signify that he was both habitually and actually more virtuous and righteous then ever any was and far more free from any vicious quality habit act then any Priest on Earth or Angel in Heaven ever was and therefore was the fittest of all others to be a Priest as being more like and nearer unto God then ever any other In this respect he was more fit then any to draw nearer unto God as one that had the greatest interest in him And therefore He was made higher then the Heavens For he ascended far above all Heavens where he ever liveth and keeps his Residence and being entred into that holy and glorious Sanctuary he was made King to Reign and by Oath confirmed an everlasting Priest to officiate there and make his great Sacrifice effectual and actually beneficial to all true Believers And God advanced him not only above the highest place but above all the Angels and Inhabitants of that glorious Palace His work in this Temple is to make Intercession not to Sacrifice for Ver. 27. He needed not daily as those High-Priests to offer Sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the People's for this he did once when he offered up himself THis Text though here brought in upon the By and handled of purpose and more at large Chap. 9. 10. is concerning one of his chiefest Services which was his great Sacrifice wherein he far excelled all the Levitical Priests in severall respects for in this 1. He offered Himself whereas they offered Bullocks and Goats 2. He offered not for his own but the Peoples sins but they offered first for their own then the Peoples sins 3. He offered but once they daily and often Therefore is it said That this man Christ after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sate down at the right hand of God From henceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Foot-stool Chap. 10. 12 13. Where it 's observable That this Sacrifice was of that eternal efficacy as that he needed not to offer any more but only to enter into the Sacrary of Heaven and make Intercession and plead this Sacrifice for every penitent and believing Sinner And these words are added to the former That he was holy harmless undefiled and separate from Sinners made higher then the Heavens 1. To signifie that the reason why this Sacrifice was of so great virtue was because the Priest was so holy and devoid of sin that he had no need to offer for himself as not having any infirmity which the best of the former Priests had 2. To shew why upon this offered he was advanced above the Heavens 3. To manifest the time when he was by Oath confirmed a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec and that was after he had offered this Sacrifice and was set at the right hand of God in the highest Heavens In these words we may note 1. His excellent qualification whereby he was free from all sin 2. His pure unspotted Sacrifice and offering of himself 3. His exaltation above the Heavens upon the same so that he had no need to offer any Sacrifice again And these things were so ordered of God that one should be subordinate to another the first to the second and that to the third For without this qualification he could not have offered so perfect a Sacrifice without this Sacrifice thus offered he could not have entred the Sanctuary of Heaven neither could his Intercession have been so powerful to save No God did not swear unto him and by Oath make him a Priest for ever but as so qualified and as by vertue of that qualification having offered so perfect a Sacrifice and as by virtue of this Sacrifice having entred Heaven This man and thus considered was he who by the Oath of the everlasting God was made an everlasting Priest And in the Text we might as formerly observe 1. The similitude 2. The dissimilitude and difference 3. The superexcellency 1. The similitude they were Priests Christ was a Priest they offered Sacrifice Christ offered Sacrifice 2. The dissimilitude they were many he but one they offered often he but once they offered Buls and Goats and other things he himself they offered for themselves and the People he offered not for himself as having no infirmity but only for the People 3. The superexcellency of Christ above them especially in two things 1. That he needed not offer for himself as being without sin 2. He needed not to offer often for the People but only once and by that one Sacrifice once offered he did infinitely far more then they did or could do by their daily offerings This superexcellency also did appear both in his perfect qualification and his exaltation above the Heavens These things are so plain in these Enthymatical words that there is no need to reduce them to the precise form of a Syllogism or Syllogisms according to the rules of Logick The first words of these two verses 26 27. which are handled last are these For such an High-Priest became us wherein we must consider 1. What such an High-Priest is 2. How and in what sense he is said to become us 1. Such an High-Priest is one who is described from 1. His Qualification 2. His one perfect Sacrifice 3. His being made higher then the Heavens For 1. He must be pure and holy without any sin or else he cannot offer a pure unspotted Sacrifice which being offered is able to purge the Conscience and expiate the sins of the People for ever 2. If he do not offer such a Sacrifice he cannot enter into the holy place of Heaven as the High-Priest without Blood could not enter the earthly Sanctuary 3. Except he enter Heaven he cannot be ready there to make Intercession for us 2. Such a Priest doth become us To become is 1. To be sit suitable convenient 2. To be useful and profitable 3. Sometimes to be necessary All these significations are here intended But to whom is he so convenient profitable necessary even to us To understand this we must consider what our condition is It 's sinful miserable for we are guilty polluted with sin liable to Death have no access to God and at a great distance from eternal Life and that which is worst of all we are sensless of this sad condition and if we once know it we are hopeless helpless We cannot propitiate God or sanctify our selves or come near the Throne of God's Justice and except we find one that is fit to mediate and deal with God in our behalf we perish utterly and for ever For our
he doth this not like our earthly Fathers in an arbitrary way but after a certain Rule of perfect Wisdom and that for our good that we may be more holy and reap the peaceable fruit of Righteousness let us endure it with Patience and patiently continue to the End § 12. After this Discourse the Exhortation to the main Duty is expressed and repeated in these words Ver. 12. Wherefore lift up the Hands which hang down and the feeble Knees Ver. 13. And make strait Paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be heaeled THis Text might be considered as a Conclusion drawn from the former Discourse or inferred from the last words of Ver. 13. If from the former then take it in this manner If Suffering be God's Chastening issuing from Love ordered in Wisdom ending in our greater good then we must lift up the hands which hang down c. If from the latter then the Argument is drawn from the ill Consequence of our fainting Remissness we shall like that which is lame be turned out â—f the way In the words themselvs we have 1. A Duty 2. The Reason why it should be performed 1. The Duty is set forth in Metaphorical terms and the Similitudes seem to be taken 1. From Wrastlers 2. From such as run in a Race The former when once they begin to faint hang down their hands and cannot lift them up the latter when they are wearied become feeble in their knees cannot run strait on but turn or are turned out of the way These things are translated unto the Soul It implies that these Hebrews through neglect of their heavenly vertues and other means of Perseverance and Prayer unto God began to faint and lag in their heavenly Course They were wearied much and vexed with the Opposition of their unbelieving Brethren reproaching persecuting threatning them and spoiling them of their Goods and began to waver in their Profession They perhaps entertained thoughts of falling away and debated within themselvs whether they should continue or no and to doubt and be unresolved was a degree of Apostacy This was in them a Sin and though the words are an Exhortation yet they imply a Reproof The Duty exhorted unto was a Reformation of this deficiency by a more serious consideration of so many and rare Examples the nature of Sufferings they were Chastisements the glorious Reward of Perseverance the fearful Punishment of Apostacy And by this consideration with Prayer for strength they ought to encourage themselvs rouze up their drowzy Spirits gird up the Loyns of their minds and resolve to go on and finish their Race They must not through sloth love of Ease of their Estates of Liberty of their Lives now begin to turn back and so lose the benefit of their former Labours and Sufferings By this we understand our frailty and how ready we are to give back in the way to eternal Glory if God do desert us yet this is our Comfort that he will not deny to support us except we give him Cause by our negligence and grievous Sins 2. The Reason why we should often renew and raise up those Graces which are left in us is lest we prove lame and so be turned out of the way To be lame is to lose our spiritual strength and vigour of heavenly motion and this is our Sin because we diminish it by not using that Power which God hath given us And the Punishment of this Sin is to turn us out of the way and reject us for God may in this Case justly withdraw his sanctifying Power and condemn us as unworthy of that eternal glorious Reward to which he called us Yet this turning out may be considered either as a Punishment and Judgment from God or as a Sin of Man who willingly turns out of the way and makes himself guilty of Apostacy This Lameness may be cured for some times it is not a mortal and desperate Disease but such as by Discipline of the Church and Penitency of the Party may be healed Therefore it 's added But let it rather be healed This seems to point at Ecclesiastical Censures whereby Persons that begin to fall away are excommunicated and delivered up to Satan and so left in a desperate Case yet the Apostle doth advise that where there is any hope of Recovery the Church should endeavour to make them penitent and so to absolve and restore them upon Repentance and not leave them to perish Thus the ancient Church dealt with those who were called Lapsi And according to this sense to turn out of the way is to censure and excommunicate and to heal is to restore them made penitent § 13. Though Perseverance both in Faith and the Profession thereof be the principal Dâ—ty yet Faith cannot be without other vertues as Peace and Holiness therefore he adds Ver. 14. Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see God THe reason of this Exhortation to these two Duties of Peace and Holiness may be this 1. Because without these our Profession is but Hypocrisy 2. These beautify and grace Christian Religion much and demonstrate our sincerity 3. By these we so demean our selves that our very Adversaries can have no just occasion to persecute us 4. If we follow peace with all men we shall avoid many Troubles which unadvised Zelots busy-Bodies turbulent and quarrelsom Persons bring upon themselves other good Christians If we follow holiness we shall give no scandal unto others please God and prepare our selves for Heaven the vision and fruition beautifical which will be our full hapiness So that there was special reason for to add these Exhortations But to consider the words in themselves we find in them a two-fold Duty 1. Of peace with Men. 2. Of holiness towards God 1. We must follow peace with all men where we must consider 1. What peace is 2. The parties with whom we must have peace 3. The following of this peace 1. Peace in this place is not agreement with every one in opinion affection practise for many have false opinions corruptions in affections and their practise is ungodly But peace is a virtue whereby we live quietly It issues from the loving of our Neighbour as our selves It 's opposed to a turbulent disposition of the Soul and all those qualities motions passions which cause dissension It cannot be without humility meekness patience forbearance kindness It so orders all words and actions that they tend to preserve concord and it gives no just cause of offence to any It labours to make up Breaches and reconcile Differences It 's an excellent virtue and is hardly separable from any Duty of the second Table therefore some have thought that by Peace in this place is signified the observation of all the Duties of that part of the moral Law which prescribes the duty of man to man 2. The parties with whom we must have peace are all
boldness to come before the Throne of Grace made accessible by his Blood This was a Law or Covenant rather of Justice than of Mercy of Fear than of Hope of Servitude and Bondage rather than of Liberty It was made to discover Sin to make it exceeding sinful to be a School-master to Christ. 2. This was the terrible manner of Promulgation the Effect whereof was fear and terror and the same very great and exceeding and that 1. In the People as we heard before who could not endure either the Voice or the strict Commands and Comminations They endured it a little but could endure no longer for fear of present death 2. And that which was more in Moses for so terrible was the sight that Moses feared did quake did fear and quake exceedingly and he said so and expressed his great fear And how terrible must that sight be which did strike such a terrour into a man so holy of such a constant Spirit so familiarly acquainted with God and who alone at that time should comfort and encourage the People That Moses said thus we do not read yet that which is affirmed by a man inspired as inspired must needs be true 3. They were not come to this Mount to receive so terrible a Law but they were freed from all these Terrours and from the Curses threatned and had received the Spirit of Adoption and therefore there was no reason why they should fall off to Judaism and return to that dreadful Mount and consuming Fire any more § 20. Thus far of the terrour of the Law the condition of such as were under it and the freedom of these Hebrews from it Now follows the condition of them as freed from the Law and living under the Gospel Before their Conversion they were in Minority Servitude and continual Fear but since they are in a more happy condition as being translated into the Kingdom of God's dear Son wherein they enjoyed incomparable Priviledges spiritual Liberty and many sweet Comforts To understand all this the Apostle saith Ver. 22. But ye are come unto Mount Zion the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and an innumerable Company of Angels IN these words and those which follow unto the five and twentieth Verse we may observe 1. A Description of a spiritual and eternal Kingdom 2. The Enjoyment of or rather the Admission into the same In the Description some observe 1. The Place 2. The Persons of this Kingdom The Place is Zion the City of the Living God the new Jerusalem The Persons are Subjects Soveraign The Subjects are Angels Men. Living Departed The Soveraign is God the King and Judg. Christ the Priest and Mediator There was a certain Place and certain Persons and they were come unto this Place these Persons Here we have a Zion a City a Jerusalem this Zion is a Mount this City is the City of the living God this Jerusalem is the heavenly Jerusalem Zion the Mount the City of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem here are the same and they may signify the Place or the Persons or the Association of Persons in such a Place and they may signify grammatically and properly or Rhetorically and Tropically Grammatically Zion opposed to Sinai is a Mount in Jerusalem where was first a Fort of the Jebusites then the Royal Palace of King David who adorned it with other Buildings and thence it was called The City of David On the North of this Mount some say the Temple was built and because that was the Palace and Throne of God therefore according to some Writers it was styled The City of the great King and because God did choose that place for his special presence it had the Name of The City of the Living God Shindler observs that the whole City was called Jerusalem in the Dual Number because it had two parts the one was the City of David on Mount Zion the other the City of Vision on Moriah which afterwards was inclosed But not to stand upon these things Zion and Jerusalem are taken for one City which God in former times did honour above all Cities in the World Therefore sung the Psalmist Why leap ye ye high Hills This is the Hill which God desireth to dwell in yea the Lord will dwell in it for ever Psal. 68. 16. For by God's special Residence in this place it was advanced above all other Cities of the Earth though never so magnificent But this was her greatest Glory That Christ the Son of God was presented there preached there and there did glorious Works there the Holy Ghost came down from Heaven upon the Apostles there the Gospel began first to be preached and thence it came out into all the World According to the Prophecy of old it came to pass for so the Evangelical Prophet wrote And in the last dayes it shall come to pass that the Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established in the top of the Mountains and exalted above the Hills and all Nations shall flow unto it And a little after for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isa. 2. 2 3. Where by Law and the Word of God understand the Doctrine of the Gospel This is the Grammatical sense Rhetorically Zion and the City of Jerusalem often signify the Church Militant and Triumphant by reason of God's spiritual and supernatural presence and habitation in the same If we consider this Church locally the place of our Pilgrimage is the Earth the place of our Rest and perpetual Abode is Heaven from whence we receive our spiritual Being where we must converse and whither we tend in these respects Heaven may be said to be the place whither upon our first Conversion we come The Persons which make up this Body and the spiritual Inhabitants are more intended by this Zion and this City yet they cannot make up this Politick Body Society and Common-weal but as associated under their Soveraign God-Redeemer And to distinguish this Zion and City of Jerusalem from that which was on Earth situate and lying in the Land of Canaan in the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin this is said to be The heavenly Jerusalem which is above and the Mother of us all which one day shall come down from Heaven as a Bride prepared for her Husband and God who dwells in her by Grace shall then dwell in her by Glory and bless her fully and for ever To come to this City and Kingdom is to be admitted and incorporated into the same upon our sincere Faith in Christ. In this City we find many Persons amongst whom the most eminent are the Angels those holy immortal and blessed Spirits of Heaven who ever see the face of God and environ his glorious Throne These are not few but many for they are an innumerable Company or Multitude for the Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands or many thousands of Angels Psal. 68. 17. The number of the Angels
uncloathed and divested of their Bodies Yet there were Millions upon Millions of separated Souls before their times and many of these the Souls of men dying in their Sins but these were the Souls and Spirits of just men who in their mortal Life upon Earth were upright walked with their God and endeavoured an universal Obedience yet they were not perfectly righteous in themselvs but were justified sanctified and cleansed from all Sin by their Faith in Christ before they departed this World For they were the Spirits of Patriarchs Prophets Martyrs and the Saints of God who lived in former times which were made perfect To be made perfect is to be washed in the Blood of Christ and consecrated as many in this Life are yet these had finished their time of Consecration and were made capable of a nearer Communion with God than we Mortals are Though these were removed out of the Church Militant yet they had not attained an Estate of full Perfection for they had not received their full Reward though they were secure of it as of the Resurrection of their Bodies and were nearer unto God and eternal Bliss than we on Earth can be These were the Spirits of just men made perfect and to these the believing Hebrews were come For wheresoever or howsoever God had disposed of them yet they were within the Verges of his Kingdom and not only in but of this society and fellow-Members of the same Body They were come unto them though not in the same place with them and must expect to be by Death removed and more nearly associated with them when the time of their Consecration should be finished and then they should be freed from all Sin and Temptation and their condition would be comfortable and most certain Our Converse with Saints departed is very little or none though some Communion there is between them and us living upon Earth We and they have the same God and Sovereign the same Head Jesus Christ the same Charity the same desire and hope of Resurrection § 22. They were also come Ver. 24. To Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel THis Text informs us 1. That Jesus is the Mediatour of the New Covenant by his Blood 2. This Blood of Sprinkling speaks better things than that of Abel 3. They were come to this Mediatour and this Blood of Sprinkling 1. Christ is the Mediatour of the New Covenant by his Blood Of this Covenant and of Christ the Mediatour of it you have formerly heard Chap. 8. 6. Cap. 9. 15. It 's written that the Law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator Gal. 3. 19. This Mediatour was Moses who 1. Signifies the mind of God to Israel in his stipulation of Subjection and Obedience and his Promise to be their God and make them his peculiar People and return the Promise and Restipulation of that People unto God Exod. 19. 5. 6 7 8. 2. He confirms this Covenant by sprinkling of the Blood of the Sacrifice Exod. 24. 34 5 6 7 8. In this he was a Type of Christ who is the Mediatour of the new and better Covenant to procure it confirm it make it effectual Some inform us that he procure it by his Blood and Sacrifice satisfying God's Justice and meriting his Mercy for sinful Man He makes it effectual 1. By proposing it unto Man and pressing the keeping of it upon powerful Motives and this is done by the Word of the Gospel 2. He enables Man by the Spirit to keep it 3. Upon his keeping of it by his Repentance and Faith he makes Intercession for Man repenting and believing and obtains Pardon of his Sins and Defects and Acceptation of his endeavours and in the End he as a Judg gives Possession of eternal Life So that after once the Covenant is procured by his Blood as a Prophet he proposeth and declareth it as a Priest he makes Intercession as a King and Judg he gives Possession Yet according to the Scripture Christ is a Mediatour in proper and more strict sense as a Priest and his Blood and Death is the Foundation of this Covenant for all the Promises thereof are made for and in consideration of this Blood and Death without which there is no Expiation of Sin or hope of Pardon And though the Promises were made from the beginning and that upon condition of Faith in his Blood yet they had been vain and unprofitable to Man if Christ in fulness of time had not shed his Blood and by his Death made this Covenant firm and unalterable for ever And as this Blood satisfying divine Justice and meriting his favour and all Mercies necessary for our happiness is the Foundation of this Covenant so this Blood by Christ's Intercession sprinkled upon our Souls makes this Covenant effectual So that as this Blood being shed procures and confirms this Covenant in it self so this Blood pleades before the Throne of Grace in our behalf confirms this Covenant to us and makes it effectual to our Salvation Therefore though Christ as a Prophet and a King may do something about this Covenant yet it mainly depends upon Christ as a Priest and as a Priest he is a Mediatour Take away this Blood shed and there is no Covenant take away the pleading of this Blood before the Judgment-Seat of God and there is no efficacy of this Covenant to us in particular And here as we must distinguish of this Blood as shed as pleaded and as sprinkled so we must of this Covenant as procured as made as confirmed as likewise of it as kept and as made effectual unto us In all these respects it depends upon Christ as a Priest and upon his Blood and by and in respect of this Blood he is a Mediatour And it is further to be observed that a Mediatour is one that deals and acts between two Parties and is distinct from both at least so to be considered The Parties here are God and sinful Man Christ as a Priest is different from both for though he agrees with both yet in this business he is neither The End of this Mediation is Reconciliation of God and Man of the Sovereign offended and the Subject offending God offended will not hear of Reconciliation but upon certain terms as the satisfaction of his Justice by Blood the Repentance of Man offending casting himself wholly upon his Mercy and the Intercession of a just Party which had shed his Blood for Sins Christ therefore being the Word made Flesh offers his pure and unspotted Blood in behalf of Man to satisfy Justice and this Blood is accepted he makes Intercession for Man repenting and relying upon this Blood and God's Mercy and so the Reconciliation is made and the Covenant proves effectuall on both sides and that by vertue of a Mediatour coming between God angry and Man guilty and interposing between Man repenting and God sollicited by this
to be Overseers which have a Charge of men's Souls committed unto them for Direction unto eternal Bliss and also Rulers because of their Power and Authority whereby they may in the Name of Christ command them to obey his Laws and in this respect the People are subject unto them in that manner that if they hear and receive them they receive Christ who sent them and God who sent Christ And whosoever receiveth not but despiseth them desplseth Christ and God who sent them 2. These Guides lest they should be ignorant who they were were such as had spoken the Word of God unto them The Word of God is that part of the Word of God which we call The Gospel which is concerning Christ exhibited humbled exalted and reigning at the right hand of God contained in that part of the Scripture we call The New Testament This Doctrine is the Word of God not only because it speaks of God but also because it was revealed by God and that by his own Son in the last dayes This Word they had spoken and declared both by Word and Writing and that infallibly according as by Inspiration they had received an immediate Knowledg of it and this their infallible Doctrine was the Rule of inferiour Teachers 3. These they must remember Some of these might be living some of them dead both must be remembred To remember in this place is to call to mind which presupposeth a former Act of Understanding and is a Reiteration of the same Act upon the same Object These must be remembred not only as Men but as Guides and as such as had spoken the Word of God even unto them so as that they had heard them and learned from them the Mystery of the Gospel so as to believe in Christ Yet amongst these they must principally remember the most eminent and in particular those by whom they had believed For if men begin once to forget their Teachers they will soon forget their Doctrine The second part of their Duty to which their former Remembrance was subservient is the Consideration of the end of their Conversation Their Conversation and Course of life no doubt was agreeable to their Doctrine and the Word of God they taught their Preaching and their Practice were suitable and as their Conversation was good so the End was answerable In that Faith they lived in the same they dyed and as their Life was holy so their Death was happy In these words some observe two things 1. That these were dead and some of them at least had sealed the Truth of the Gospel with their Blood and dyed Martyrs 2. That they had been constant in the Profession and Practice of that heavenly Truth which they had preached and taught to others This Constancy and blessed Issue of their Conversation they are exhorted to consider and seriously review with the Eyes of their Souls as a rare and excellent Pattern worthy their Imitation 3. And if they were so worthy Imitation it was their Duty in the third place to follow their Faith that is their Doctrine which they preached believed professed practised unto Death and which they confirmed by their Suffering This is the true End of hearing Word of God and the true Use of all good Examples which are given us and set before our Eyes for this very End that we may do as they did and as they taught us both by their Words and Works their Doctrine and Practice We must follow the Example of all good men and above others of such Guides as these were amongst these Guides the most eminent in Truth Piety and Perseverance because their Doctrine and Life did agree and contiued suitable to the End § 8. It followeth Jesus Christ the same c. These words seem to stand absolute in themselvs without any dependance upon or Connexion with the Context antecedent or consequent and this hath given occasion to many several and different Expositions Some of the Ancients consider them in themselvs and understand them of Christ as God and from them prove his God-head by his perpetual Existence because he was is and shall be for ever and by his immutability because he alwayes is the same Some understand this of Christ as Redeemer whose Power and Efficacy in redeeming and saving all such as believe in him was from the first time that he was promised unto the World's End for he saved all those who believed in him for to come and all such who believe in him already come and exhibited Both these senses are true but whether intended here or no may be a Question But most Expositors consider the words in Coherence either with that which goes before or that which follows 1. With that which goes before and that two wayes 1. That as Christ the Word not incarnate or made Flesh spake to Joshua and promised not to leave him and forsake him so if they follow the Faith of their Guides and Teachers and persevere in the same to the End Christ will be with them and not leave them nor forsake them 2. That the Faith of their Guides was Faith in Christ according to their Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ an eternal unchangeable and never-failing Saviour and this their Faith in Christ they must follow and then Christ will be to them the same he was to their Guides and will certainly save them In this sense the words not only signify what kind of Faith that of their Teachers was and what was the Object and Foundation of it but also contain a Reason why they should follow it For their Faith was Faith in Christ which is the only saving Faith for ever as he Himself is the same for ever The Aethiopick Version favours this sense in part for thus they translate the words Follow me in the Faith of Christ c. So that according to this Christ is Faith in Christ. But others understand by Jesus Christ the Doctrine of Jesus Christ which is the same as Christ is and that for ever and never shall be changed Therefore they must follow it and never turn from it Christ may by a Metonymy signify Faith in Christ and the Doctrine of Christ because he was the Object of their Faith and the Subject of their Doctrine This Vatablus terms an Enallage This seems to be confirmed by the Exhortation following To apply this to our selves as it is our Duty so we must have a care often to remember the Apostles and their Successours who have taught us the Word of God and considering their happy Departure out of this World with the Joy and Comfort which they found in their Saviour let us follow their Doctrine and their Faith in Christ which if we do we shall have the same End and find the same Comfort in Christ who will be the same to us which he was to them for as He so his Doctrine is unchangeable for ever and whosoever shall follow his Doctrine and believe in him shall
are reckoned up jointly with others which are not mentioned by Name After the Catalogue of these Worthies is finished the Argument taken from their Example is applied In all this Discourse you must observe 1. That the end of the Apostle is to shew the Excellency of that Faith and Perseverance which was spoken of in the former Chapter 2. That the Argument or Suasive here used for to confirm them in the Faith is taken from Example of many of the most eminent Saints and Servants of God recorded in the Old Testament and of such as lived before the Exhibition of Christ. 3. That the force of the Argument is not only in this that they believed and persevered in the Faith but chiefly from this that all their rarest and most heroick Acts and Sufferings whereby they attained so many and great Blessings did issue from their Faith without which they could have done little or nothing § 2. But to enter upon the Chapter and the Text it self we read Ver. 1. Now Faith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen THis is said to be a Description of Divine Faith a perfect Definition it cannot be That Faith is such a vertue as here is described may easily be known from the former ter whence it may be and is deduced And the Apostle thought good to premise these words for the better understanding and application of the following Examples In the words which speak of Faith we have two Propositions 1. Faith is the Substance of things hoped for 2. Faith is the Evidence of things not seen In both these we may note 1. The Object 2. The Act of Faith In the first Proposition things hoped for are in the Object and the Act is signified by the word Hypostasis here turned Substance The whole Verse may be understood either of Faith in general whether Moral or Divine yet here it 's principally meant of that Divine Faith whereby we obtain Salvation To define what Faith in general is belongs to Logick which is the Rule of Man's Understanding whereof Faith is an Act and that Act which we call Assent and so it differs from Dissent and Doubting Yet Assent may be imperfect and mixt with some degrees of Doubt and this is ordinarily called Opinion and it may be perfect and certain and that without Doubt Yet this Assent may be firm and given unto a false Proposition conceived to be true or to a Proposition true in it self either as clear in it's own Light or upon demonstration and evident Proof or at second hand and represented unto us by some extrinsecal Lights as by the Testimony of another of whose certain Knowledg and Integrity we make no doubt This Testimony is humane or divine The ground of this Faith and Assent here intended is the Testimony of God And here two things are required 1. That the thing testified be credible 2. That we have certain Knowledg that the thing to be believed be testified by God The Tradition of the Church being but an humane Testimony cannot fully satisfy us herein but we must have other artificial Arguments to prove that which the Church saith is the word of God indeed And so far only as we know the things to be believed to be testified by God so far only can we believe with a divine and an infallible Faith So that the Testimony of God known certainly to us to be his Testimony is the ground of this Faith here intended One Object of this Faith is things hoped for Things hoped for in this Text are 1. Things and Rewards promised by God as to come and not yet received 2. The principal of these is eternal life and that great and glorious Reward mentioned in the former Chapter and to be received upon final Perseverance in Faith Of these things or of their futurition we can by Nature and the Light of Reason have no intuitive or demonstrative Knowledg The Truths concerning them and their fruition are revealed from Heaven and as so revealed they are fit and proper Objects of our Faith which is here said to be the Hypostasis of these things This word is interpreted several wayes for some will have it to signify the Substance Ground Foundation of things hoped for Others a certain persuasion and expectation of them Others the Subsistance or Existence of this great Reward to come This variety of Opinions concerning the signification of the word in this place makes the Proposition doubtful unto many The Syriack Translator turns the words in this manner Faith is the Certainty or certain Persuasion of these things which are in hope as though they did actually exist or were in effect to them that do believe This Certainty or certain Persuasion is an act of the Soul of Man divinely enlightned whereby it doth as firmly believe that such as persevere in Faith shall as certainly receive the great Reward as though they did actually enjoy it This is that we call a firm Assent grounded upon the Word and Promise of God for this Word and Promise is the Hypostasis Ground Foundation Basis of this Assent in respect of things hoped for upon which the Soul is firmly fixed and this Assent is the Principle of all other heavenly vertues and in particular and more immediately of our Hope So that by this Assent these things hoped for though in themselvs yet to come have a kind of mental ideal intellectual Existence as present by Faith unto him that hath Faith and this is a mighty motive to perseverance And here is to be noted 1. That though things future as hoped for are here only mentioned as the object of Faith yet it 's not the adequate object for Faith extends further and moves in a larger Sphear 2. That this Faith is not only a certain assent perswasion and belief of the Truths and Revelations of God concerning these things but also a certain expectation of the things promised and a firm confidence and reliance upon God promising concerning the performance of the promise Yet neither this expectation nor this confidence can be Faith strictly taken though it 's certain that in respect of things hoped for as such it 's often taken in this large sense The firm assent is indeed alwayes presupposed as the ground of both § 3. The second Proposition which is That Faith is the evidence of things not sin Where 1. The Object is things unseen 2. The Act is evidence of those things 1. The Object is something not seen Things unseen are not only such things as are invisible and such as cannot be received by the eye but also such as are not perceivable by any of our senses Neither are things insensible meant but such as are above the reach of reason Most of our knowledg is acquired by our senses especially of hearing and seeing according to that Maxim Nihil est in intellect is quod non prius fuer at in sensu Though this be true only
of things sensible for no sensible thing can be received into the under standing but by virtue of our outward and inward senses yet we have an intuitive knowledg of many things as of the inward intellectual and moral acts of the Soul without any act or operation of the senses So that things unseen are such as are neither perceivables by the sense nor reason so as to have either an intuitive or demonstrative knowledg of them These are such as are conveyed to the Soul by divine Revelation without which man could not have known them and such propositions as the connexion of the terms depend upon the Will of God 2. Faith is the evidence of these things unseen because we having a certain knowledg of God's veracity and his testimony and revelation of these things are as certainly perswaded of the truth of them and give as firm assent unto them as if they were seen and intuitively and demonstratively known unto us Yet here you must consider 1. That though the things and proposition be above reason yet this perswasion or firm assent and this certain knowledg of the divine Revelation are acts of reason and in the Book of Reason are they written 2. That this object is of greater latitude then the former For things hoped for which are to come are not seen and not only they but many things past and present 3. That the things not seen in this place are not all things not seen but such as God hath revealed to be the matter and object of our Divine Faith 4. That though substance and evidence may differ yet both are a firm assent but Hypostasis in respect of the things hoped for may include a firm confidence and a certain expectation for in respect of that object that assent is more practical then this evidence which respects things unseen So that here wants but little of a perfect definition 5. The Faith here defined is divine Faith in general not that which is called justifying as justifying for that is but a particular branch of this general looking at a particular object which is Christ's Sacrifice and his Intercession Lushington's Exposition of these words as it 's singular so it 's gross and not worthy taking notice of § 4. This foundation being laid the Apostle proceeds not only to prove it to be true by many instances but also that this Faith thus described is excellent and that by divers Acts and Effects thereof And that it 's excellent it appears for Ver. 2. For by it the Elders obtained a good Report THE meaning of this in brief is That by-Faith the Elders became famous and men of renown so far as to be commended by God himself But for the more particular and distinct understanding hereof I will devide the whole into two propositions 1. The Elders obtained a good Report 2. They obtained this good Report by Faith Both these joyntly taken prove the excellency of Faith For that vertue whereby the Elders became so famous and were so highly honoured both by God and Men must needs be rare and excellent But let 's handle them severally 1. The Elders obtained a good Report In the Original were Witnessed Where we may observe 1. The Elders 2. The Testimony concerning these Elders These Elders were the Saints of God in former times called so in respect of these Hebrews their Posterity and those who succeeded them in the times of the Gospel Yet principally we must understand such as are mentioned afterwards and such as were upon record in Scripture as Abel Eâ—och Noah Abraham and the rest The testimony concerning these Elders is expressed in the general They were witnessed Now a Testimony concerning a person is good or bad and this concerning them is good and thus the word in Greek and Latine is often taken by a Synechdoche and here it s taken for the good Testimony which God gave of them for their rare and excellent virtuous acts which were such as that they were not only famous amongst the Saints of their times but also commended by God And many of them and their works he caused to be Chronicled and written in his own Book of the Sacred Scripture so that their names are upon divine Record And this was a rare priviledg and granted unto few eminent persons so that their Fame and Glory is of perpetual continuance and their names shall never be blotted out or their virtues ever buried in the grave of Oblivion 2. They became thus famous by their Faith without which their remembrance could not have been so precious and honourable to succeeding Generations That which is matter of praise and honour is some virtue shining forth in some excellent deeds Their excellent deeds are many and recorded in the Scripture and recited in this Chapter Yet all these rare Gifts and Acts issued from one Fountain and one particular Faith without which they could not have done so glorious things so worthy of praise and honour For as the Apostle shews afterward By Faith Abel offered so excellent a Sacrifice Enoch pleased God Noah prepared the Ark and so of the rest From all which he intimates 1. That without Faith they could not have performed what they did perform 2. That it was the Foundation of all their other virtues and all their vertuous acts 3. By Faith is understood that Faith which was formerly described 4. This Verse is an abridgment of the whole Chapter and of the Old Testament and signifies the harmony and agreement thereof with the New 5. By those words the Apostle doth tacitely exhort them to Faith and Perseverance therein because as the Elders so they should obtain a good Report § 5. The Apostle in the former words made mention of Elders in general and because he intended to descend unto particulars and to inform us who they were and some of them lived near the time of the Creation of the World he thought good to premise an act of Faith about an object necessarily presupposed before the particular instances For seeing he was to begin his enumeration with some of the Elders who lived near the beginning he must say something of the beginning of the World which could not be known by sense or reason but by Faith For Ver. 3. Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God so that the things that are seen were not made of things that did appear THis act of Faith in respect of this object is not proper to any particular Elder or ancient Worthy but a common act of all and therefore prefixed before the Examples and Instances following and proves in part That Faith is the evidence of things not seen which are hoped for These words inform us Of an Object Act. 1. The Object is the Creation of the World 2. The Act is the understanding of this by Faith which usually is reduced under the first article of our Creed The Proposions are these 1. The things that are seen were