AnExpositionoftheEpistletothe

Hebrews,Vol.3

byJohnOwen

TableofContents

CHAPTER1

Hebrews1:1,2

Hebrews1:3

Hebrews1:4

Hebrews1:5

Hebrews1:6

Hebrews1:7

Hebrews1:8-9

Hebrews1:10–12

Hebrews1:13

Hebrews1:14

CHAPTER2

Hebrews2:1

Hebrews2:2–4

Hebrews2:5–9

Hebrews2:10

Hebrews2:11–13

Hebrews2:14,15

Hebrews2:16

Hebrews2:17,18

CHAPTER3

Hebrews3:1-2

Hebrews3:3–6

CHAPTER1

THEgeneral scope anddesign of the apostle in thiswhole epistle hathbeenbeforedeclared,andneednothereberepeated.Inthisfirstchapterhe fixeth and improveth the principal consideration that he intends toinsist on throughout the epistle,—to prevail with the Hebrews untoconstancy and perseverance in the doctrine of the gospel. And this istakenfromtheimmediateauthorofit,thepromisedMessiah,theSonofGod.Him, therefore, in thischapterheat largedescribes;and that twoways,—1. Absolutely, declaring what he is in his person and offices, asalso what he hath done for the church; and, 2. Comparatively, withrespect unto other ministerial revealers of the mind and will of God,especiallyinsistingonhisexcellencyandpre-eminenceabovetheangels,asweshallseeintheexplicationoftheseveralpartsandversesofit.

Hebrews1:1,2

ΠολυμερῶςκαὶπολυτρόπωςπάλαιὁΘεὸςλαλήσαςτοῖςπατράσινἐντοῖςπροφήταις, ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ, ὅνἔθηκεκληρονόμονπάντων,διʼοὗκαὶτοὺςαἰῶναςἐποίησεν.

Many of these words being variously rendered, their true grammaticalsenseandimportanceistobeconsideredbeforeweopenthemeaningofthewhole, and aim of the apostle in them; inwhichwaywe shall alsoproceedthroughoutthewholeepistle.

Πολυμερῶς. ןָונַמ לֻכְּב ,Syr.,"inallparts,"or"bymanyparts."'Multifariam,'Vulg. Eras., A.Montan., "diversely." "Multis vicibus," Beza;which oursrender, "at sundry times."Μείρομαι is "sortior," "divido," "to part," "totake part," "to divide:" whence is μέρος, "the part of any thing;" andπολυμερής, "thatwhich consistethofmanyparts;" andπολυμερῶς, "bymany parts;" which is also used as ἐν τῷ μέρει, for "alternis vicibus,""sundry changes." The word properly is, "by many parts," "fully," "byseveralpartsatseveraltimes,"asourtranslationintimates;yetsothatadiversity of parts and degrees, rather than of times and seasons, isintended.

Καὶπολυτρόπως. ןָוְמַּד לֻכְּבַו , Syr., "inall forms." "Multisquemodis,"Vulg.Eras.,A.Montan.,Beza,"manyways;"orasours,"diversmanners."

Πάλαι. םיִדְק ןֵמ , Syr., "ab initio," "from the beginning." "Olim," theLatintranslation, "of old," "formerly," "in times past." Πάλαι is "Olim,""quondam," "pridem," "jamdudum," any time past that is opposed τῷἄρτι,orνῦν,tothatwhichispresent,properlytimesomegoodwhilepast,as that was whereof the apostle treats, having ended in Malachi fourhundredyearsbefore.

Τοῖςπατράσιν. ןיֵהָבֲא םַע ,Syr.,"withourfathers,""tothefathers."

Ἐν τοῖς προφήταις. אֵיִבְנַּב , Syr., "in the prophets." So all the Latintranslations,"inprophetis."

Ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων. א�ַרֲחַא אֵתָמְוַי ןיֵלָהְּבַו , Syr., "andinthoselastdays.""Ultimisdiebushisce,""ultimisdiebusistis,""intheselast days." "Novissime diebus istis," Vulg.,—"last of all in these days."

SomeGreek copies have ἐπʼ ἐσχάτου τῶνἡμερῶν τούτων, "in extremodierumistorum,""intheendofthesedays."Thereasonofwhichvarietyweshallseeafterwards.

ἘνΥἱῷ,asbefore,"intheprophets;"not"byhisSon."but"intheSon."The emphasis of the expression is necessarily to be retained, as theopeningofthewordswilldiscover.

Τοὺς αἰῶνας. "Mundos," "secula." אֵמְלָעְל , Syr., "the ages," "times,""worlds." In the remaining words there is no difficulty, as to thegrammaticalsignification;weshallthenreadthem,—

Ver.1,2.—Bysundryparts,andindiversmanners,Godhavingformerly[or, of old] spoken unto the fathers in the prophets, hath in these lastdaysspokenuntousintheSon,whomhehathappointedheirofall,bywhomalsohemadetheworlds.

The apostle intending a comparison between theMosaical law and thegospel, referreth it unto two heads,—first, Their revelation andinstitution,whence the obligation to the observanceof the one and theotherdidarise;and,secondly,Theirwholenature,use,andefficacy.Thefirstheentersuponinthesewords,andpremisingthatwhereintheydidagree, distinctly lays down the severalswherein the difference betweenthem doth consist; both which were necessary to complete thecomparisonintended.

Thatwhereintheyagreeistheprincipalefficientcauseoftheirrevelation,or the prime author from whom they were. This is God. He was theauthorofthelawandgospel.Hespakeofold"intheprophets,"hespakeinthelastdays"intheSon."Neitherofthemwasfrommen;notonefromone principle, and the other from another,—both have the same divineoriginal.See2Tim.3:16;2Pet.1:20,21.Hereintheybothagree.

Theirdifference in this respect,namely, in their revelation,he refers tofour heads, all distinctly expressed, saving that some branches of theantithesis on the part of the gospel are only included in the oppositeexpressionsthatrelateuntothelaw.

Theirdifference,first,respectsthemanneroftheirrevelation,andthatintwoparticulars:—1.Therevelationof thewillofGodunder the lawwasgiven out by "divers parts;" that under the gospel at once, or in onedispensationofgraceandtruth.2.That"indiversmanners;"thisonewayonly,bytheSpiritdwellingintheLordChristinhisfulness,andbyhimcommunicateduntohisapostles.

Secondly,Thetimesandseasonsoftheirrevelation.Thatofthelawwasmade"ofold,""formerly,""intimespast;"thisofthegospel"intheselastdays."

Thirdly,Thepersonstowhomtherevelationofthemwasmade.Thatwastothe"fathers,"thisto"us."

Fourthly, and principally, The persons bywhom these revelationsweremade.Thatwasby"theprophets;"thisby"theSon."Godspakethenintheprophets;nowhehathspokenintheSon.

The whole stress of the apostle's argument lying on this last instance,omittingtheprosecutionofall theotherparticulars,heentersuponthefurtherdescriptionofthisimmediaterevealerofthegospelinwhomGodspake, the Son, and lays down in general, 1. The authority committedunto him,—God made him "heir of all;" 2. The ground and equity ofcommitting that great power and trust unto him, in these words, "Bywhomalsohemadetheworlds:"wherebyheopenshiswaytothefurtherdeclaration of his divine and incomparable excellencies, wherein he isexalted far above all or any that were employed in the revelation oradministration of the law of Moses, and the holy worship institutedthereby.

All these particulars must be opened severally, that we may see theintendment of the apostle, and the force of his argument in thewhole;and some of them must necessarily be somewhat largely insisted on,becauseoftheirinfluenceintotheensuingdiscourse.

ὉΘεός.Thatwhereinthelawandgospeldobothagreeis,thatGodwastheauthorofthemboth.Aboutthistherewasnodifferenceastothemostofthemwithwhomtheapostletreated.Thishetakesforgranted.Forthe

professingJewsdidnotadheretoMosaicalinstitutionsbecauseGodwastheirauthor,notsoofthegospel;butbecausetheyweregivenfromGodbyMosesinsuchamannerasnevertobechangedorabrogated.Thistheapostlelaysdownasanacknowledgedprinciplewiththemost,thatbothlawandgospelreceivedtheiroriginalfromGodhimself;provingalso,asweshallseeintheprogressofourdiscourse,totheconvictionofothers,thatsucharevelationasthatofthegospelwasforetoldandexpected,andthatthiswasitinparticularwhichwaspreacheduntothem.

Now,GodbeingherespokenofindistinctionfromtheSonexpressly,andfrom the Holy Ghost by evident implication‚ it being he by whom hespakeintheprophets,thatnameisnottakenοὐσιώδως,substantially,todenote primarily the essence or being of theDeity, and each person aspartaking in thesamenature,butὑποστατικῶς,denotingprimarilyonecertainperson, and thedivinenature only as subsisting in that person.ThisisthepersonoftheFather;aselsewherethepersonoftheSonissosignified by that name, Acts 20:28; John 1:1; Rom. 9:5; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1John3:16,5:20;—asalsothepersonoftheHolySpirit,Acts5:3,4;1Cor.12:6,11;Col.2:2.SothatGod,eventheFather,bythewayofeminency,wasthepeculiarauthorofbothlawandgospel;ofwhichafterwards.Andthis observation is made necessary from hence, even because heimmediately assigns divine properties and excellencies unto anotherperson,evidentlydistinguishedfromhimwhomheintendstodenotebythe name God in this place; which he could not do did that nameprimarilyexpress,ashereusedbyhim,thedivinenatureabsolutely,butonlyasitissubsistinginthepersonoftheFather.

Fromthisheadoftheiragreementtheapostleproceedstotheinstancesof the difference that was between the law and the gospel as to theirrevelationfromGod;ofwhich,alittleinvertingtheorderofthewords,weshall first consider that which concerns the times of their giving out,sundryoftheotherinstancesbeingregulatedthereby.

Πάλαι. For the first, or the revelation of thewill of God under the oldtestament,itwas,"ofold."Godspakeπάλαι,"formerly,"or"ofold."Somespace of time is denoted in thiswordwhichhad then received both itsbeginning and end, both which we may inquire after. Take the wordabsolutely,anditcomprisesthewholespaceoftimefromthegivingout

of the firstpromiseunto thatendwhichwasputuntoall revelationsofpublicuseunder theold testament.Take itasrelating to theJews,andtheriseofthetimeexpressedinitisthegivingofthelawbyMosesinthewilderness.Andthisisthatwhichtheapostlehathrespectunto.HehadnocontestwiththeJewsaboutthefirstpromise,andtheserviceofGodintheworldbuiltthereon,norabouttheirprivilegeastheywerethesonsofAbraham;butonlyabouttheirthenpresentchurchprivilegeandclaimbyMoses'law.Theproperdate,then,andboundofthisπάλαι,"ofold,"isfrom the giving out of Moses' law, and therein the constitution of theJudaical church and worship, unto the close of public prophecy in thedaysofMalachi.FromthencetothedaysofJohnBaptistGodgrantednoextraordinary revelationofhiswill, as to the standinguseof thewholechurch. So that this dispensation of God speaking in the prophetscontinued for the space of twenty-one jubilees, or near elevenhundredyears.Thatithadbeennowceasedforalongtimetheapostleintimatesinthisword,andthatagreeablytotheconfessedprinciplesoftheJews;wherebyalsoheconfirmedhisownofthecomingoftheMessiah,bytherevivingofthegiftofprophecy,aswasforetold,Joel2:28,29.

Andwemay,by theway,a little consider their thoughts in thismatter;for, aswe have observed and proved before, the apostle engagethwiththemupontheirownacknowledgedprinciples."TheJews,then,generallygrant,unto thisday, thatprophecy for thepublicuseof thechurchwasnotbestowedunderthesecondtempleafterthedaysofMalachi,noristobeexpecteduntil thecomingofElias.Thedelusionsthathavebeenputuponthembyimpostorstheynowlabouralltheycantoconceal;andtheyareoflate,byexperience,madeincreduloustowardssuchpretendersasinformeragestheyhavebeenbroughttomuchmiseryby.Now,astheirmanner is to fastenall their conjectures,be they trueor false,on someplace,word, or letter of the Scripture, so have they done this assertionalso. Observing or supposing the want of sundry things in the secondhouse, theypretend thatwant tobe intimated,Hag. 1:7,8,whereGod,promisingtoglorifyhimselfinthattemple,theword ָדְבָּכֶא ,'Iwillglorify,'iswrittendefectively,withoutה,astheKerinotes.Thatletter,beingthenumeralnoteoffive,signifies,astheysay,thewantoffivethingsinthathouse. The first of these was,וכרובים the'—,ארון ark and cherubim;' thesecond,המשחהשמן‚—'theanointingoil;'thethird,המערכהעצי,—'thewoodof

disposition,' or 'perpetual fire;' the fourth, ותומים Urim'—,אורים andThummim;'thefifth,הקדשרוח,—'theHolyGhost,'or'Spiritofprophecy.'Theyarenot,indeed,allagreedinthisenumeration.TheTalmudinיומא,Joma, cap. v., reckons them somewhat otherwise:—1.The ark,with thepropitiatory and cherubim;2.The fire fromheaven,whichanswers thethird,orwoodofdisposition,intheformerorder;3.ThedivineMajesty,in the room of the anointing oil; 4. The Holy Ghost; 5. Urim andThummim.Anotherorderthereis,accordingtoRabbiBechai,Commentin Pentateuch., sect. ;וינש who places the anointing oil distinctly, andconfoundstheשכינה,or'divineMajesty,'withהקדושרוח,'theHolyGhost,'contradicting theGemara.The commonly approvedorder is thatof theauthorofAruch,intherootכבד:—

'.onecherubim,andpropitiatory,ark,the'—,ארוןכפורתוכרובאחד"

'.thingsecondtheMajesty,divinethe'—,שכינהשני"

שלושי" נבואה הקדוששהוא the'—,רוח Holy Ghost, which is prophecy, thethird.'

'.thingfourththeThummim,andUrim'—,אוריםותומיםרביעי"

'.thingfifththeheaven,fromfire'—,אשמןהשמיםחמישי"

"But as this argument is ridiculous, both in general in wire-drawingconclusions from letters deficient or redundant in writing, and inparticularinreferencetothisword,whichinotherplacesiswrittenasinthis,asNum.24:11,1Sam.2:30,Isa.66:5;sotheobservationitselfofthewantofallthesefivethingsinthesecondhouseisveryquestionable,andseems to be invented to give countenance to the confessed ceasing ofprophecy, by which their church had been planted, nourished, andmaintained,andnow,byitswant,wassignifiedtobenearexpiration.ForalthoughIwillgrantthattheymightoffersacrificeswithotherfirethanthatwhichwastraducedfromtheflamedescendingfromheaven,thoughNadabandAbihuweredestroyedforsodoing,becausethelawofthatfireattendedthegivingofit,whenceuponitsprovidentialceasing,itwasaslawfultouseotherfireinsacrificeasitwasbeforeitsgivingout;yetastotheark,theUrimandThummim,thematterismorequestionable,andas

totheanointingoiloutofquestion,because itbeing lawful for thehighpriest to make it at any time, it was no doubt restored in the time ofEzra'sreformation.IknowAbarbanel,onExod.30sec.תשא‚affirmsthattherewasnohighpriest anointedwith oil under the secondhouse; forwhich he gives this reason, המשחה שמן נגנז היה שכבר ‚לפי 'Because theanointingoilwasnowhid;'הקדושיםהדבריםשארעםיאשיהושגנזו,'forJosiahhadhiditwiththerestoftheholythings;'aTalmudicalfigment,towhichheadds, ‚ולאהיהלהםרשותלעשותו 'and theyhadnopower tomake it.' Iwill notmuch contend aboutmatter of fact, orwhat they did: but thattheymighthavedoneotherwiseisevidentfromthefirstinstitutionofit;for the prohibition mentioned, Exod. 30:31, 32, respects only privatepersons.AndJosephus tellsus thatGodceasedtogiveanswerbyUrimandThummim twohundredyearsbeforehewrote,book iii. chap. viii.;whichprovestheyhadit.

"It is indeedcertainthatattheirfirstreturnfromBabylontheyhadnottheUrimandThummim,Ezra2:63,—therewasnopriestwithUrimandThummim;yetitdothnotappearthatafterwardsthatjewel,whateveritwere, was not made upon the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah,whereby the restoration of the temple and the worship belongingthereuntowascarriedontoperfection,especiallyconsideringthevisionofZechariah about clothing thehighpriestwith the robes of his office,chap. 3; after which time it seems they were made and in use, asJosephusshowsus,bookxi.chap.viii.,treatingofthereverencedonebyAlexandertheGreattothenameofGodengravenintheplateofgoldonthehighpriest'sforehead.AndMaimonides,Tractat.Sanhed.cap.x.sect.10, says expressly that all the eight robes of the highpriestweremadeunder the second temple, and particularly the Urim and Thummim.Howbeit,ashesays,theyinquirednotofGodbythem,becausetheHolyGhostwasnotonthepriests.Of thearkweshallhaveoccasionto treatafterwards,andofitsfictitioushidingbyJeremiahorJosiah,astheJewsfancy.Thiswemayobserveforthepresent,thatasitiscertainthatitwascarriedawaybytheBabylonians,amongstothervesselsofgoldbelongingtothetemple,eitheramongstthemthatweretakenawayinthedaysofJehoiakim,2Chron.36:7;or thosetakenawaywithJehoiachinhisson,verse 10; orwhen all thatwas left before, great and small,was carriedaway in the days of Zedekiah, verse 18: so it may be supposed to be

restoredbyCyrus,ofwhomitissaidthathereturned'thevesselsofthehouse of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out ofJerusalem,' Ezra 1:7. And it is uncertain to what end was the solemnyearly entranceof thehighpriest into themostholyplace, observed tothe very destruction of the second house, if neither ark normercy-seatwerethere.Neither is this impeachedbywhatTacitusaffirms,Hist. lib.v.,thatwhenPompeyenteredthetemple,hefound'nullasDeûmeffigies,vacuam sedem, et inania arcana;' for as he wrote of the Jews withshamefulnegligence,soheonly intimatesthattheyhadnosuchimagesas were used among other nations,—nor the head of an ass, whichhimself, notmany lines before, had affirmed to be consecrated in theirsanctuary.Foraught, then,appears to thecontrary, thearkmightbe inthe secondhouse, and be carried thence toRomewith the book of thelaw, which Josephus expressly mentions. And therefore the sameAbarbanel,inhiscommentaryonJoel,tellsusthatIsraelbycaptivityoutofhisownlandlostאלהיתוידיעתומפתיםנבואההםשתיומתנותשלשה,—'threeexcellent gifts, prophecy,miracles, and divine knowledge,' Ps. 74:9; allwhichhegrantsweretoberestoredbytheMessiah,withoutmentionofthe other things before recited. And they confess this openly in SotaDistinc.EglaHampha:רוחנסתלקהומלאכיזכריהחגיהאחרוניםהנביאיםמשמתו,ZechariahHaggai,prophets,lattertheofdeaththeAfter'—;הקודשמישראלandMalachi,theHolySpiritwastakenawayfromIsrael.'"

Itis,then,confessed"thatGodceasedtospeaktothechurchinprophets,as to their oral teaching and writing, after the days ofMalachi; whichseasonof thewantofvision, thoughcontinuingfourhundredyearsandupwards,iscalledbyHaggai,chap.2:6, טַעְמ תַחַא ,'unumpusillum,''alittlewhile,' in reference to the continuance of it from the days of Moses;whereby the Jewsmay see that they are long since past all grounds ofexpectation of its restoration, all prophecy having left themdouble thetimethattheirchurchenjoyedit,whichcannotbecalled טַעְמ תַחַא , 'alittlewhile,'incomparisonthereof."Toreturn.

Τοῖςπατράσι.Thiswastheπάλαι‚thesethetimes,whereinGodspakeinthe prophets: which determines one instancemore of the comparison,namely, "the fathers," to whom he spake in them; which were all thefaithfuloftheJudaicalchurch,fromthedaysofgivingthelawuntil the

ceasingofprophecyinthedaysofMalachi.

Ἐπʼἐσχάτωντῶνἡμερῶντούτων.Inanswertothisfirstinstance,onthepartofthegospel,therevelationofitisaffirmedtobemadeintheselastdays,"Hathspokenintheselastdays;"thetruestatingofwhichtimealsowilldiscoverwhothepersonsweretowhomitwasmade,"Hathspokentous."

Most expositors suppose that this expression, "The last days," is aperiphrasis for the timesof thegospel.But itdothnotappear that theyareanywheresocalled;norwere theyeverknownby thatnameamongthe Jews, upon whose principles the apostle proceeds. Some seasons,indeed,underthegospel,inreferencetosomechurches,arecalled"Thelast days," 1 Tim. 4:1, 2 Tim. 3:1; but the whole time of the gospelabsolutelyisnowheresotermed.ItisthelastdaysoftheJudaicalchurchandstate,whichwerethendrawingtotheirperiodandabolition,thatarehereandelsewhere called "The lastdays,"or "The latterdays,"or "Thelasthour,"2Pet.3:3;1John2:18;Jude18.For,—

1.Aswebeforeobserved,theapostletakesitforgrantedthattheJudaicalchurch-state did yet continue, and proves that it was drawing to itsperiod, chap. 8 ult., having its present station in the patience andforbearance of God only, without any necessity as unto its worship orpreservationintheworld.Andhereuntodoththereadingofthewordsinsomecopies,beforeintimated,givetestimony,Ἐπʼἐσχάτουτῶνἡμερῶντούτων,—"In the end" (or "extremity") "of these days;" which, as theeventhathproved,cannowayrelatetothetimesofthegospel.

2.ThepersonalministryoftheSon,whilsthewasupontheearthinthedaysofhisflesh,ishereeminently,thoughnotsolelyintended:forasGodofold spake in theprophets, so in these lastdayshe spake in theSon;that is, inhimpersonallypresentwith the church, as theprophets alsowere in their several generations, chap. 2:3. Now, as to his personalministry, he was sent to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel," Matt.15:24 (to whom also alone in his own days he sent his apostles,Matt.10:5,6);andisthereforesaidtohavebeen"aministerofthecircumcisionforthetruthofGod,"Rom.15:8,beinginthelastplacesenttothesamevineyard unto which the prophets were sent before, Matt. 21:37. The

wordsthereused,"LastofallhesentuntothemhisSon,"areexegeticalofthese,"HespakeintheSoninthelastdays."

3.ThisphraseofspeechissignallyusedintheOldTestamenttodenotethe lastdaysof theJudaical church.SobyJacob,Gen.49:1, "Iwill tellyou that which shall befall you םיִמָּיַה תיִרֲחַאְּב ,"—"in the last days:" whichwordstheLXX.render,Ἐπʼἐσχάτωντῶνἡμερῶν,thewordshereusedbythe apostle; the days pointed unto by Jacob being those wherein theMessiahshouldcome,beforeJudahwasutterlydeprivedofsceptreandscribe. Again, by Balaam the same words are used to signify the sametime,Num.24:14,wheretheyarerenderedἘπʼἐσχάτουτῶνἡμερῶν,"Inthe end of the days," asmany copies read in this place. And in all theprophetsthisisthepeculiarnotationofthatseason, םיִמָּיַה תיִרֲחַא ,Mic.4:1,Isa.2:2,"Inthelatter"(or"last")"days;"andהידיעההא,"theHehajediah,"prefixed, noteth that course of days that was then running, as Deut.31:29, "Evilwill overtake you םיִמָּיַה תיִרֲחַאְּב ‚"—"in the end of those days."And the promise of the conversion of some of the Jews byDavid theirking is annexed to the same season,Hos. 3:5. From theseplaces is theexpression here used taken, denoting the last times of the Judaicalchurch, the times immediately preceding its rejection and final ruin.Hence Manasseh, lib. iii. de Resurrect. cap. iii., tells us out of MosesGerundensis, באהרית בו שנאמר מקום כלהמשיח לימות הוא In"—;הימים every place thatmentionsthe'latterdays,'thedaysoftheMessiaharetobeunderstood;"whichsayingofhis isconfirmedbyManassehhimself, thoughattendedwithaglossabominableandfalse,thatispurelyJudaical.ThedaysoftheMessiahandthedaysoftheendoftheJudaicalchurcharethesame.Andthesewords are expressly alsousedbyR.D.Kimchi,Comment, in Isa.2:2;whohonestlyrefersallthewordsofthatprophecyuntotheMessiah.

ItisnotfornothingthattheapostlemindstheHebrewsthattheseasonthenpresentwasthe"lastdays,"whereofsomanythingswereforetoldintheOldTestament.Manyoftheirconcernmentslayintheknowledgeofit: which, because they give great light unto thewhole cause, as statedthenbetweenhimandthem,mustbeopenedandconsidered.Thesumis,that the end of their church and state being foretold to be a perpetualdesolation, Dan. 9:27, the last days being now come upon them, they

mightunderstandwhattheywereshortlytoexpectandlookfor.TheendoftheJewsbeingapeople,achurch,andkingdom,wastobringforththeMessiah,whosecomingandworkmustofnecessityputanend to theirold station and condition.Now, because herein is enwrapped themostinfallibledemonstrationthattheMessiahislongsincecome,theapostlementioningthelastdaystointimatethatuponnecessityhemustbecomeinthem,Ishallfurtheropenhisdesigninthismatter,butwithbriefness,havingbeen largeon thishead inourProlegomena,and for their sakeswhobyanydifficultiesmaybedeterredfromtheconsiderationofthem.

"Godhavingfromthefoundationoftheworldpromisedtobringforththe'Seed of the woman,' to work out the redemption of his elect in theconquestofSatan,did,intheseparationofAbrahamfromtherestoftheworld,begintomakeprovisionofapeculiarstock,fromwhencetheSeedofthewomanshouldspring.Thatthiswasthecauseandendofhiscalland separation is evident fromhence, that immediately thereuponGodassures him that 'in his seed all the kindreds of the earth should beblessed,'Gen.12:1–3,22:18;whichisalloneasifhehadexpresslysaidtohim,'ForthiscausehaveIchosenandcalledthee,thatintheeImightlayafoundationofbringingforththepromisedSeed,bywhomthecurseistobetakenaway,andtheblessingofeverlastinglifeprocured,'asGal.3:13,14. For this cause was his posterity continued in a state of separationfrom the rest of theworld, thatHemight seek a godly seed tohimself,Num.23:9;Mal.2:15:forthiscausedidheraisethemintoacivil,regal,andchurchstate, thathemight in themtypifyandprefigure theofficesandbenefitsof thepromisedMessiah,whowastogathertohimself thenationsthatweretobeblessedintheseedofAbraham,Gen.49:10;Ps.45;Hos.3:5;Ezek.34:23.Andalltheirsacrificesdidbutshadowoutthatgreatexpiationof sinwhichhewas tomake inhisownperson,ashathbeenalreadyproved.

"Things being thus disposed, God promised unto them that their civilpoliticalstate,theirconditionasapeculiarnationandpeople,shouldbecontinueduntilthecomingoftheMessiah,Gen.49:10;Ezek.21:27.Andthiswasmadegooduntothem,notwithstandingthegreatoppositionsofthosemighty empires in themidst of whose devouring jaws they wereplaced,withsomesuchshortintercisionsoftheactualadministrationof

ruleamongstthem,as,beingforetold,impeachednotthepromise.Theylostnot theircivilstateuntilHecameuntowhomwas 'thegatheringofthenations.'Afterthat,thoughmanyoftheindividualsobtainedmercy,yettheirbeinganationorpeoplewasofnopeculiaruse,astoanyspecialend of God. Therefore was it immediately destroyed and irrecoverablyexterminated. From that day God in a wonderful manner blasted andcursedalltheirendeavours,eitherforthepreservationofwhattheythenhad,or for itsrecoveryandrestorationwhen lost.Nomeanscouldeverretrieve them intoapeopleornationon theoldaccount.Whatmaybehereafteronanew,Godknows.Theendofthedayswascome;anditwastonopurpose formentoendeavour tokeepupthatwhichGod,havingaccomplishedtheutmostofhisdesignbyandupon,wouldlayaside.Andthis seasonwas fully evidenced to all theworld by the gathering of thepeople to the Shiloh, or the coming in of the nations to partake in theblessingoffaithfulAbraham,Mic.4:1,2.

"Oftheirchurch-statethereweretwoprincipalparts,—thetemple itself,andtheworshipperformedinit.Thefirstofthese(aswasthetabernacle)wassetuptotypifyhiminwhomthefulnessoftheGodheadshoulddwellbodily;andthelatterthesameperson,ashewashimselftobethegreathighpriestandsacrifice.Both thesealsowere tobecontinueduntil thecomingoftheMessiah;butbynoendeavoursafterwards.Hencewasthatpromise of the glory of the second house, built after the captivity, andrestoredbyHerod,becauseofhiscominguntoitwhowassignifiedbyit,Hag.2:9;Mal.3:1.Hewastocomewhilstthattemplewasstanding;afterwhichitwastobeofnomoreuse.AndthereforeEzekieldescribesathirdand spiritual temple to succeed in the room thereof. The condition oftheirsacrificeswasthesame.ThereforeDaniel,foretellingthecomingoftheMessiahfourhundredandninetyyearsafterthecaptivity,addsthatupon his death the daily sacrifice must cease for ever, and a totaldesolation ensue on all the things that were used, for the endaccomplished,Dan.9:24–27.Thenation,state, temple,sacrifices,beingsetapart,setup,anddesignedfornootherendbuttobringhimforth,hewastocomewhilsttheywerestandingandinuse;afterwhichtheywerenoneofthemtobeallowedabeingupontheiroldfoundation.Thisisthatwhichtheapostlepointedatinmentioningthelastdays,thattheymightconsiderinwhatconditionthechurchandpeopleoftheJewsthenwere.

To discover the evidence of this demonstration, as confirmed in ourProlegomena, I shall here also briefly add some considerations of themiserable entanglements of the Jews in seeking to avoid the argumenthere intimated unto them by the apostle. "It is a common traditionamongthemthatallthingsweremadefortheMessiah;wherebytheydonotintend,assomehaveimagined,thewholeoldcreation,butallthingsoftheirchurchstateandworship.SotheTargum,Ps.40:8,inthepersonoftheMessiah,'IshallenterintolifeeternalwhenIstudyinthevolumeofthelawאפטולתידאתכתיבא,'—'thatwaswrittenformysake.'By'thelaw'theyunderstandtheirall.AlldependedontheirMessiah,allwaswrittenforhim.Theyseebyexperiencethattherewasacoincidenceofallthesethingsinthelastdays,whenJesuscame.NosoonerhadhedonehisworkbutsceptreandscribedepartedfromJudah;theyceasedtobeachurchandnation.Thetemple,whichtheLordwhomtheyformerlysoughtcameto,wasdestroyed;theirsacrifices,whereintheytrusted,causedtocease;and the nations of the earth were gathered into the faith of Abraham.From that time they have no more been a people, nor have had anydistinctionoftribesorfamilies,temple,priesthood,orsacrifice,noranyhopeofaretrievementintotheirpristinecondition.Letusthenseewhatcourse they do or have taken to countenance themselves in theirinfidelity.Twowaystorelievethemselvestheyhavefixedon:—

"1. Granting that the Messiah was to come to their government andworship,theylabouredtokeepthemup,andtorestorethembeingcastdown, that so theymight prolong their expectation of that as to comewhichindeedwasalreadypast.This,intherighteousandholyprovidenceofGod,provedthemeansoftheirruin;fortheirendeavourtomaintaintheirliberty,rule,andgovernment,afterthecomingoftheMessiah,wasthecauseoftheutteroverthrowofallrule,authority,andpublicworshipamongst them, by Vespasian and Titus his son. Their endeavour torestorethemselvesintoastateandpeople,undertheirfalseMessiahBar-Cochba,wasthemeansoftheirutterdesolationfromallhopesofbeingapeopleandnationanymore,byAdrian;asalsooftheirexterminationforeveroutofthatcountry,whereintheywereseparatedfromallnationsforthatendwhichGodappointeduntothem.Afterthis,oncemore,—stilltoavoidthethoughtsthattheMessiahwascome,andhadputanenduntotheir former condition,—they endeavoured, and were encouraged by

Julian the emperor, to rebuild their temple and restore their sacrifices.AndthisattemptalsoGodturnedtotheirfurtherconfusion;forwhereasin former days, in the building of the temple, he encouraged andsupportedthemagainstalldifficultiesandoppositions,beingnowupheldandstrengthenedby the favourandwealthof theRomanempire in thesamework,hesetshimselfagainstthem,andscattersthemwithnolessindignationthanhedidthebuildersofBabelofold.Whenhewouldhaveatempleamongstthem,hepunishedthemwithfamineforbuildingtheirownhouses, and suffering his to liewaste,Hag. 1:2–11.Now theymaybuildhousesforthemselveswheretheyplease;butiftheytakeinhandtobuildatempleGodisagainstthem.Inthisstatetheyhavenowcontinuedforsixteenhundredyears;andwerenotblindnesscomeuponthemtotheutmost, they could not but see that it is not the will of God that theyshould be a people, state, or church, on the former account, anymore.WhatthenisbecomeoftheirMessiah,whowastocomeuntothemwhilstthey were a state and church, seeing they were so, by their ownconfession, only for his sake?This puts their latermasters to their lastmiserableshifts;for,—

"2.Contrarytotheevidentnatureofallthingsrelatingtothemfromtheappropriating of thepromise to the family ofAbraham, contrary to thewholedesignoftheScripture,andtotheexpresstestimoniesofitbeforementioned,withmany other to the same purpose, they deny that theirMessiahwastocometothem,oratleasttoabidewiththem,fortheworkwhereunto he was destined, whilst their state, temple, and sacrificescontinued. In themanagementof thisshiftofunbelief, theyarewofullydividedamongstthemselves.

"(1.)For thecontinuanceof theirstateuntil thecomingof theMessiah,Gen.49:10, some say thatby 'Shiloh' theMessiah isnot intended;whoareconfutedbytheirownTargums,allrenderingthewordMessiah,andby the constant tradition of the elder doctors. Some say that by the'sceptreandscribe'therodofafflictionandinstructiononlyisintended;which isaglossevidentlycontrary to thedesignof theprophecy, to theuse of the words in all places where their sense is not restrained byevident circumstances, to theTargums, and to all oldwriters; assertingthatwhichwasnotpeculiartoJudah,nortrueinitself,thattribehaving

forso longaseasonenjoyedas flourishingaconditionasanypeople intheworld,—asgoodastheJewslookforundertheMessiah.Theirstate,then,isutterlygone,andtheirMessiah,asitseems,notcome.

"(2.)What say theyunto their temple, that secondhousewhereuntohewastocome,andsorenderthegloryofitgreaterthanthatoftheformer?Hag.2;Mal.3.Ofoldtheyunanimouslyagreedthathewasbornwhilstthe temple stood, or that day that it was destroyed, as Aben Ezraconfesseth on Isa. liii. Many stories out of themmight be told to thispurpose,—where he was born, how, and of whom, to whom it wasrevealedbytheבת־קול,whosawhim,wherehewasdisposedof,whereheis;butbeingallthefanciesofidle,curiousheadsandunbelievinghearts,—whichStPaulcallsβεβήλουςκαὶγραώδειςμύθους,1Tim.4:7,'profaneand old wives' fables,'—we shall not trouble the reader with them.Abarbanel, who in corrupting the prophecies concerning the Messiahhath a reach beyond his fellows, affirms thatHaggai speaks not of thesecond,butofa third temple, tobebuiltunder theMessiah;but this isnothingbutaboldcontradictionoftheprophet,whothreeorfourtimessignally declares that he spake of that house which was then building,which their eyes saw, and which so many contemned as not to becomparedwiththeformer:chap.1:4,'Thishouse;'chap.2:7,'Thishouse;'verse9,'Thishouse;'soverse18.Otherssaythatthegloryofthathousedidnotconsist inthecomingof theMessiahunto it,but in itsdurationandcontinuance; for itstoodtenyears longer thanthe former.But thisalso is contrary,—[1.] To the catholic persuasion of their forefathers,Targums,Talmuds,andallancientdoctors.[2.]Toexperience;forwhatcouldthemiserablelanguishingoftenyearsbythathouse,whilstitwasbytheirownconfession'adenofthieves,'contributeuntoittoenableittovie for glorywith thatwonder of theworld, the temple of Solomon; incomparisonwhereof their forefathers thought it nomore than some ofthemof old thought themselves compared to the sonsofAnak? [3.]Tothe truth, affirming that the glory of that house was to consist in thecomingoftheLord,whomtheysought,thedesireofallnations,untoit."AllwhichthingsarevindicatedinourProlegomena.

"3.Theirtemplebeingutterlydestroyed,aswellastheirstate,andtheirMessiah not yet come, what think they of their sacrifices? Daniel tells

themthathewastocome,andtobecutoff,beforetheceasingofthedailysacrifices;but theymustconfess thatallsacrificesare longsinceutterlyceased, for surely their offering of a cock to the devil on the day ofexpiationisnocontinuanceofthem.SomesaythattheMessiahintendedby Daniel was king Agrippa, whom Vespasian slew at Rome. But thisobstinacy is intolerable. That a semi-pagan, as Agrippa was, should betheirMessiah, so honourably foretold of, is a figment which, whateverthey pretend, themselves believe not.NorwasAgrippa slain or cut off,but lived in peace to the day of his death. Themost of themknownotwhat to say,butonlyobject that thecomputationofDaniel isdarkandobscure,whichChristiansthemselvesarenotagreedabout;"concerningwhichImustreferthereadertoourProlegomena,asalsoforthefullandlargehandlingofthethingsherebythewayonlytouchedupon.

Ἡμῖν.Thismakesitevidentwhowerethepersonswhowerespokenuntoin these lastdays, "Tous;" that is, themembersof theJudaical churchwholived inthedaysof thepersonalministryofChrist,andafterwardsunderthepreachingof thegospeluntothatday,chap.2:3.TheJewsofthosedayswereveryapttothinkthatiftheyhadlivedinthetimesoftheformerprophets,andhadheardthemdeliveringtheirmessagefromGod,they would have received it with a cheerful obedience; their onlyunhappiness,theythought,wasthattheywerebornoutofduetimeastoprophetical revelations. This is intimated of them, Matt. 23:30. Theapostle,meetingwith this persuasion in them,minds them that in therevelationofthegospelGodhadspokentothemselves,—thethingtheysomuchdesired,notquestioningbut that thereontheyshouldbelieveandobey. If thisword, then, they attendnotunto, theymustneedsbe sell-condemned. Again, that care and love which God manifested towardsthem in speaking immediatelyunto themrequired the sameobedience,especiallyconsideringthemannerofit,sofarexcellingthatwhichbeforehehadusedtowardsthefathers;ofwhichafterwards.

And theseare two instancesof the comparison instituted, relatinguntotimesandpersons.

The next difference respects themanner of these several revelations ofthewillofGod,andthatintwoparticulars;for,—1.Theformerwasmadeπολυμερῶς, "by divers parts," one after the other. The branch of the

antithesisthatshouldanswerhereuntoisnotexpressed,butimpliedtobeἅπαξorἐφάπαξ,"atonce."

Πολυμερῶς. Πολυμερῶς, "by many parts," and so, consequently, atsundrytimes.ThegradualdiscoveryofthemindandwillofGod,bytheaddition of one thing after another, at several seasons, as the churchcould bear the light of them, and as it was subserving unto his maindesign of reserving all pre-eminence to the Messiah, is that which isintendedinthisexpression.Howallthisisargumentativetotheapostle'spurposewill instantly appear. Take the expression absolutely to denotethewholeprogressofdivinerevelationfromthebeginningoftheworld,and it compriseth four principal parts or degrees,with those thatweresubservientuntothem.

The firstof thesewasmade toAdam in thepromiseof the seed,whichwas theprincipleof faithandobedience to the fathersbefore the flood;andunto thisweresubservientall theconsequentparticularrevelationsmadetoSeth,Enos,Enoch,Lamech,andothers,beforetheflood.

The second toNoahafter the flood, in the renewalof the covenantandestablishingofthechurchinhisfamily,Gen.8:21–22,9:9,10;whereuntowere subservient the revelationsmade toMelchizedek,Gen. 14:18, andothers,beforethecallingofAbraham.

ThethirdtoAbraham, intherestrictionof thepromisetohisseed,andfuller illustration of the nature of it, Gen. 12:1–3, 15:11, 12, 17:1, 2;confirmedintherevelationsmadetoIsaac,Gen.26:24;Jacob,Gen.49;Joseph,Heb.11:22,andothersoftheirposterity.

ThefourthtoMoses,inthegivingofthelaw,anderectionoftheJudaicalchurchinthewilderness;untowhichtherewerethreeprincipalheadsofsubservientrevelations:—

1.ToDavid,whichwaspeculiarlydesignedtoperfecttherevelationofthewill of God concerning the old testament worship in those things thattheirwildernessconditionwasnotcapableof,1Chron.23:25–32,28:11–19.Tohimwemay joinSolomon,with the restof theprophetsof theirdays.

2.To theprophets after thedivisionof thekingdomunto the captivity,andduring the captivity, towhompleadingwith thepeopleabout theirdefectionbysinandfalseworshipwaspeculiar.

3. To Ezra, with the prophets that assisted in the reformation of thechurchafteritsreturnfromBabylon,whoinanespecialmannerincitedthepeopletoanexpectationofthecomingoftheMessiah.

TheseweretheprincipalpartsanddegreesoftherevelationofthewillofGod, fromthe foundationof theworlduntil thecomingofChrist inhisforerunner, John the Baptist. And all this I have fully handled andunfolded inmy discourse of the rise, nature, and progress of Scripturedivinityortheology.

But, as I showed before, if we attend unto the special intention of theapostle,wemusttakeinthedateoftheserevelations,andbeginwiththattoMoses,addingto it thoseothersubservientonesmentioned,peculiartotheJudaicalchurch,whichtaughtandconfirmedtheworshipthatwasestablishedamongstthem.

This,then,isthatwhichinthiswordtheapostlemindstheHebrewsof,namely, that thewill ofGodconcerninghisworshipandourobediencewas not formerly revealed all at once to his church, by Moses or anyother,butbyseveralpartsanddegrees,—bynewadditionsoflight,asinhis infinitewisdomandcarehesawmeet.Theclose,and lasthandwasnottobeputuntothisworkbeforethecomingoftheMessiah.He,theyall acknowledged, was to reveal the whole counsel of God, John 4:25,afterthathiswayhadbeenpreparedbythecomingofElias,Mal.4;untilwhentheyweretoattendtothelawofMoses,withthoseexpositionsofitwhich they had received, verses 4, 5. That was the time appointed,

איבָנְו ןֹוזָח םֹּתְחַל , "to seal," complete, and finish, "vision and prophet;" asalso תֹואָּטַח םֵתָחְל ‚ "to sealupsin,"or,aswerender it, "tomakeanendofsin," or the controversy about it, which had held long agitation bysacrifices,thatcouldneverputanendtothatquarrel,Heb.10:1,2,14.

Now,inthisveryfirstwordofhisepistledoththeapostleclearlyconvincetheHebrewsoftheirmistake,intheirobstinateadherenceuntoMosaicalinstitutions.ItisasifhehadbiddenthemconsiderthewaywherebyGod

revealed hiswill to the church hitherto.Hath it not been by parts anddegrees?hathheatanytimeshutuptheprogressofrevelation?hathhenotalwayskeptthechurchinexpectationofnewrevelationsofhismindandwill?didhe everdeclare thathewould addnomoreuntowhathehadcommanded,ormakenoalterationinwhathehadinstituted?Whathe had revealed was to be observed, Deut. 29:29, and when he hadrevealed it; but until he declare that hewill add nomore, it is folly toaccount what is already done absolutely complete and immutable.ThereforeMoses,whenhehadfinishedallhisworkintheLord'shouse,tellsthechurchthatGodwouldraiseupanotherprophetlikehim;thatis,whoshouldrevealnewlawsandinstitutionsashehaddone,whomtheyweretohearandobeyonthepenaltyofutterextermination,Deut.18:18.

"AndthisdiscoverstheobstinacyofthemodernJews,whofromthedaysofMaimonides,whodiedabouttheyearofourLord1104,havemadeitoneofthefundamentalarticlesoftheirreligion,whichtheyhaveinsertedintheirprayer-books,thatthelawofMosesisnevertobechanged,andthatGodwillnevergive themanyother lawor ruleofworship.Andasthey further ground that article inEzrimVearba, printed in the end ofBomberg'sBibles,theyaffirmthatnothingcanbeaddeduntoit,nothingtakenawayfromit,noalteration in itsobligationbeadmitted;which isdirectly contrary both to the truth and to the confession of all theirpredecessors, who looked for the Messiah, as we shall afterwardsdeclare."

InoppositiontothisgradualrevelationofthemindofGodundertheoldtestament,theapostleintimatesthatnowbyJesus,theMessiah,theLordhath at once begun and finished the whole revelation of his will,accordingto theirownhopesandexpectation.So,Jude3, the faithwas"oncedelivereduntothesaints;"notinoneday,notinonesermon,orbyoneperson,butatoneseason,orunderonedispensation,comprisingallthe time from the entrance of theLordChrist uponhisministry to theclosing of the canon of Scripture; which periodwas now at hand. Thisseasonbeingoncepastandfinished,nonewrevelationistobeexpected,to theendof theworld.Nothingshallbeaddeduntonoraltered in theworshipofGodanymore.Godwillnotdoit;menthatattemptit,doitonthepriceoftheirsouls.

Πολυτρόπως.Godspakeintheprophetsπολυτρόπως,"afterdiverssorts"or "manners." Now this respects either the various ways of God'srevealinghimselftotheprophets,bydreams,visions,inspirations,voices,angels,everywaywithanequalevidenceoftheirbeingfromGod;orthewaysofhisdealingwiththefathersbytheprophets,bypromises,threats,gradual discoveries of hiswill, specialmessages and prophecies, publicsermons,andthelike.Thelatter,orthevariouswaysoftheprophetsindeliveringtheirmessagestothepeoplefromGod,isprincipallyintended,thoughtheformerbenotexcluded,itbeingthatfromwhencethislattervarietydidprincipallyariseandflow.

Inoppositionhereunto, theapostle intimates that therevelationofGodandhiswillbyChristwasaccomplishedμονοειδῶς,inoneonlywayandmanner,—byHispreachingthegospelwhowasanointedwiththeSpiritwithoutmeasure.

Ἐν τοῖς προφήταις. The last difference or instance in the comparisoninsistedonbytheapostle,is,thatofoldGodspake"intheprophets,"butnow "in the Son:"Ἐν τοῖς προφήταις,—ἐν for διά, saymost expositors,"in"for"by,"διὰτῶνπροφητῶν:asLuke1:70,Διὰστόματοςτῶνἁγιωνπροφητῶν,—"By themouth of the holy prophets." But ἐν here answerstheHebrewְּב,Num.12:2,"Godspake הֶׁשמְּב ‚""inMoses."Thecertaintyofthe revelation and presence of God with his word is intimated in theexpression.SothewordoftheLordwas דָיְּב ,"inthehand,"ofthisorthatprophet.TheywerebutinstrumentstogiveoutwhatfromGodtheyhadreceived.

Nowtheseprophets,inwhomGodspakeofold,wereallthosewhoweredivinelyinspired,andsenttorevealhiswillandmindastothedutyofthechurch, or any special concernment of his providence in the rule andgovernmentthereof,whethertheydeclaredtheinspirationstheyhad,orrevelationstheyreceived,bywordofmouthorbywriting."ThemodernJewsmakeadistinctionbetweenthegiftofprophecyandtheinspirationoftheHolyGhost,followingMaimonidesinhisMoreNebuchim,part.iicap.xxxii.Hisopinion,whichhecallstheopinionorsentenceofthelawabout prophecy, in general is the same with that of the Gentilephilosophers, as he professeth. In one thing only he differs from them,namely, that 'prophecy doth not so necessarily follow after due

preparationasthatamancannotbutprophesywhoisrightlyprepared.'Butthegiftofprophecyheassertswhollytodependonthetemperatureofthebrain,naturalandmoralexercisesforthepreparingandraisingofthe imagination; upon which divine visions will succeed. A brain-sickimagination, confounding divine revelation with fanatical distempers!Butintheelevendegreesofprophecywhichheassigns,andattemptstoprovebyinstancesoutofScripture,heplaceththatofinspirationbytheHolyGhostinthelastandlowestplace.Andthereforebythelatemastersis the book of Daniel cast into this latter sort, though eminentlyprophetical, because they are so galled with his predictions andcalculations; other reason of that disposition none readily occurs. Andthis is thegroundof theirdispositionof thebooksof theScripture into

הָרֹוּת ,'thelaw',orfivebooksofMoses,giveninthehighestwayanddegreeofprophecy; םיִאִבְנ , of two sorts, םיִנֹושִר and םינֹוִרֲחַא , 'prophets, former' (orbookshistorical), 'and latter;' and םיִבּותְּכ , or שֹודָקַה חַּור , 'bookswritten byinspiration of the Holy Ghost.' Of the ground of which distinction seeKimchi in his preface to the Psalms. Their mistake lies in this, thatprophecy consists principally in, and is distinguished into severaldegrees,bythemannerofrevelation;asbydreams,visions,appearancesof angels or men, and the like. But as איִבָנ , 'a prophet,' and הָאּובְנ ,'prophecy' are of a larger signification than that pretended, as, Num.11:29,1Sam.10:5,1Chron.25:1–3,willappear;sothatwhichmadeanyrevelationtobeprophecy,inthatsenseastobeaninfalliblerulefortheguidance of the church,was not themeans of communicating it to theprophets, but that inspirationof theHolyGhostwhich implantedupontheir minds, and gave forth by their tongues or pens, that which Godwouldutterinthemandbythem,2Pet.1:20,21."

ἘνΥἱῷ.InansweruntothisspeakingofGodintheprophets,itisassertedthat in the revelation of the gospelGod spake "in his Son." This is themainhinge,onwhichalltheargumentsoftheapostleinthewholeepistledo turn; this bears the stress of all the inferences afterwards by himinsistedon.Andthereforehavingmentionedit,heproceedsimmediatelyunto that description of himwhich gives evidence to all that he drawsfrom this consideration. Now, because no one argument of the apostlecan be understood unless this be rightly stated, we must of necessityinsist somewhat largely upon it; and unto what we principally intend

somepreviousobservationsmustbepremised:—

1.ItakeitatpresentforgrantedthattheSonofGodappeareduntotheprophets under the old testament. Whether ever he spake unto themimmediately,oronlybytheministryofangels,isnotsocertain.Itisalsograntedthattherewasinvisionsometimessignsorrepresentationsoftheperson of the Father, as Dan. 7. But that the Son of God did mostlyappear to the fathers under the old testament is acknowledged by theancients,andisevidentinScripture.SeeZech.2:8–11.Andheitwaswhoiscalled"Theangel,"Exod.23:20,21.ThereasonthatispleadedbysomethattheSonofGodwasnottheangeltherementioned,namely,becausetheapostlesaysthattononeoftheangelswasitsaidatanytime,"ThouartmySon,thisdayhaveIbegottenthee,"whichcouldnotbeaffirmediftheSonofGodwerethatangel,isnotofanyforce.Fornotwithstandingthis assertion, yet both the ancient Jews andChristians generally grantthatitistheMessiahthatiscalled"Theangelofthecovenant,"Mal.3:1:though themodernJews foolishlyapply thatnametoElias,whomtheyfancytobepresentatcircumcision,whichtheytaketobethecovenant;aprivilege,astheysay,grantedhimuponhiscomplaintthatthechildrenofIsraelhadforsakenthecovenant,1Kings19:14,—thatis,astheysuppose,neglectedcircumcision.Theapostle therefore speaksof thosewhowereangelsbynature,andnomore,andnotofhimwho,beingJehovah theSon, was sent of the Father, and is therefore called his angel ormessenger, being so only by office. And this appearance of the Son ofGod, thoughnotwellunderstandingwhat they say, is acknowledgedbysundryofthepost-Talmudicalrabbins.TothispurposeveryconsiderablearethewordsofMosesGerundensisonExod.xxiii:"Isteangelus,siremipsamdicamus,estAngelusRedemptor,dequoscriptumest, 'Quoniamnomenmeuminipsoest.'Ille,inquam,angelusquiadJacobdicebat,'EgoDeusBethel;' ille de quo dictum est, 'Et vocabatMosenDeus de rubo.'Vocatur autem 'angelus' quia mundum gubernat; scriptum est enim,'EduxitnosexAegypto.'Praetereascriptumest, 'Etangelusfacieisalvosfecit eos.' Nimirum ille angelus qui est 'Dei facies;' de quo dictum est,'Faciesmeapraeibitetefficiamutquiescas.'Denique illeangelusestdequovates,'SubitovenietadtemplumsuumDominusquemvosquaeritis,angelusfoederisquemcupitis;'"—"Theangel, ifwespeakexactly, is theAngel the Redeemer, of whom it is written, 'My name is in him;' that

angelwhichsaiduntoJacob, 'IamtheGodofBethel;'heofwhomit issaid,'GodcalleduntoMosesoutofthebush.'Andheiscalled'Theangel'becausehegoverneththeworld:foritiswritten,'JehovahbroughtusoutofEgypt;'andelsewhere,'Hesenthisangel,andbroughtusoutofEgypt.'And again it is written, 'And the angel of his presence' ['face'] 'savedthem,'—namely, 'the angel which is the presence' ['face'] 'of God;' ofwhom it is said, 'My presence' ['face'] 'shall go before thee, and I willcause thee to rest.'Lastly, that angelofwhom theprophet speaks, 'TheLordwhomyeseekshall suddenlycome tohis temple, theangelof thecovenantwhomyedesire.'"Tothesamepurposespeaksthesameauthoron Exod. xxxiii. 14, "My presence shall go before thee:" "Animadverteattentèquidistasibivelint:MosesenimetIsraelitaesemperoptaveruntangelumprimum;caeterùm,quisilleessetverèintelligerenonpotuerunt;neque enim ab aliis percipiebant, neque prophetica notione satisassequebantur. Atqui facies Dei ipsum significat Deum." And again," 'Facies mea praecedet;' hoc est, 'angelus foederis quem voscupitis;' "—"Observe diligentlywhat is themeaning of thesewords: forMosesand the Israelitesalwaysdesired theprincipalangel,butwhohewastheycouldnotperfectlyunderstand;fortheycouldneitherlearnitofothersnorattainitbyprophecy.ButthepresenceofGodisGodhimself:'My presence' ['face'] 'shall go before thee;' that is, 'the angel of thecovenant whom ye desire.' " Thus he; to which purpose others also ofthemdospeak,thoughhowtoreconcilethesethingstotheirunbeliefindenying thepersonality of theSonofGod theyknownot.Thiswas theangelwhose ןֹוצָר Moses prayed for on Joseph, Deut. 33:23; and whomJacobmadetobethesamewiththeGodthatfedhimallhisdays,Gen.48:15,16;whereofwehavetreatedlargelybefore.TheSonofGodhavingfromthefoundationoftheworldundertakenthecareandsalvationofthechurch, he it was who immediately dealt with it in things whichconcerned its instruction and edification. Neither doth this hinder butthatGodtheFathermayyetbeasserted,orthatheisinthisplace,tobethefountainofalldivinerevelation.

2.ThereisadifferencebetweentheSonofGodrevealingthewillofGodinhisdivineperson to theprophets,ofwhichwehave spoken,and theSon of God as incarnate revealing the will of God immediately to thechurch.This isthedifferencehereinsistedonbytheapostle.Underthe

old testament the Son of God, in his divine person, instructed theprophets in thewill ofGod, andgave them thatSpirit onwhosedivineinspiration their infallibility did depend, 1 Pet. 1:11; but now, in therevelation of the gospel, taking his own humanity, or our naturehypostatically united unto him, in the room of all the "internuncii," orprophetical messengers he had made use of, he taught it immediatelyhimself.

Thereliesaseemingexceptionuntothisdistinction,inthegivingofthelaw;forasweaffirmthatitwastheSonbywhomthelawwasgiven,soinhissodoinghespakeimmediatelytothewholechurch:Exod.20:22,theLordsaid, "Ihave talkedwithyou fromheaven."TheJewssay that thepeople understoodnot oneword ofwhatwas spoken, but only heard avoice,andsawtheterribleappearancesofthemajestyofGod,asverse18;forimmediatelyuponthatsighttheyremovedandstoodafaroff:andthematterisleftdoubtfulintherepetitionofthestory,Deut.5:4.Itissaid,indeed, "TheLORD talkedwith you face to face in themount," but yetneitherdothesewordsfullyprovethattheyunderstoodwhatwasspoken,andasitwasspoken,butonlythattheyclearlydiscoveredthepresenceofGoddelivering the law; forsoare thosewordsexpounded inverse5:"Istood," saithMoses, "between theLORDand you at that time, to shewyouthewordof theLORD:foryewereafraidbyreasonof thefire,andwentnotup into themount;"—that is, 'Yeunderstoodnot thewordsofthe law, but as I declared them unto you.' And it being so, though theperson of the Son caused the words to be heard, yet he spake notimmediately to thewholechurch,butbyMoses.But,secondly,weshallafterwardsshowthatall thevoicesthenheardbyMosesandthepeoplewere formed in theairby theministryofangels,so that theyheardnottheimmediatevoiceofGod.Now,inthelastdaysdidtheLordtakethatwork intohis ownhands,wherein from the foundationof theworldhehademployedangelsandmen.

3. Though the apostle's argument arise not immediately from thedifferentwaysofGod's revealinghimself to theprophets and toChrist,butinthedifferencethatliesinhisimmediatespeakinguntousinChristthe Son, and his speaking unto the fathers in the prophets, yet thatformerdifferencealsoisintimatedbyhim,inhisaffirmingthathespake

to themvariouslyordiversely, ashathbeendeclared;and thereforewemustconsiderthatalso.AndhereinwearetoobviatethegreatJudaicalprejudiceagainstthegospel;towhichendobserve,—

(1.) That though the apostlementions the prophets in general, yet it isMoseswhomheprincipallyintends.Thisisevidentintheapplicationofthis argument, which he makes in particular, chap. 3:3, where heexpresslypreferstheLordJesusbeforeMosesbyname,inthismatterofministeringtothechurchinthenameofGod.Forwhereas,aswasbeforeintimated, theapostlemanages this thingwithexcellentwisdom in thisepistle, considering the inveterate prejudices of the Hebrews in theiradheringuntoMoses,hecouldnotmentionhiminparticularuntilhehadprovedhimwhomhepreferredabovehimtobesoexcellentandglorious,so far exalted above men and angels, that it was no disreputation toMosestobeesteemedinferiortohim.

(2.)That thegreat reasonwhy theJewsadheredsopertinaciouslyuntoMosaicalinstitutionswastheirpersuasionoftheunparalleledexcellencyoftherevelationmadetoMoses.Thistheyretreateduntoandboastedofwhen theywerepressedwith thedoctrine andmiracles ofChrist, John9:28,29;andthiswasthemainfoundationinalltheircontestswiththeapostles, Acts 15:1, 21:21, 28. And this at length they have made aprincipalrootorfundamentalarticleoftheirfaith,beingthefourthofthethirteenarticlesoftheircreed,namely,thatMoseswasthemostexcellentandmostsublimeamongtheprophets,—sofarabovethatexcellency,thatdegreeofwisdomandhonour,whichmenmayattainunto, thathewasequal to angels. ThisMaimonides, the first disposer of their faith intofundamental articles, expoundsat large,MoreNebuch.,p. ii cap. xxxix."Declaravimus," saith he, "quod prophetia Mosis doctoris nostri abomniumaliorumprophetiisdifferat.Dicemusnuncquodpropter solamillamapprehensionemad legemvocatisumus;quianempevocationi illiquaMosesnosvocavitsimilisnequeantecessitabAdamoprimoadipsumusque neque etiam post ipsum apud ullum prophetam sequuta est. Sicfundamentumlegisnostraeestquodinaeternumfinemnonsithabitura,velabolenda;acproptereaetiamexsententianostra,alialexnecunquamfuit, nec erit praeter unicam hanc legem Mosis doctoris nostri;"—"WehavedeclaredthattheprophecyofMoses,ourmaster,differedfromthe

propheciesofallothers.Nowweshallshowthatupontheaccountofthispersuasionalone"(namely,oftheexcellencyoftherevelationmadeuntoMoses) "weare called to the law; for from the firstAdamtohim, therewasneveranysuchcall"(fromGod)"asthatwherewithMosescalledus,nor did ever any such ensue after him. Hence it is a fundamentalprincipleofourlaw,thatitshallneverhaveanendorbeabolished;andthereforealsoitisourjudgmentthattherewasneveranyother"(divine)"law,norevershallbe,butonlythisofourmasterMoses."This istheirpresentpersuasion;itwassoofold.Thelawandalllegalobservancesareto be continued for ever; other way of worshipping God there can benone; and this upon the account of the incomparable excellency of therevelationmadetoMoses.

To confirm themselves in this prejudicate apprehension, they assign afourfold pre-eminency to the prophecy of Moses above that of otherprophets; and those are insisted on by the same Maimonides in hisexplicationofcap.x.Tractat.Sanhed.,andbysundryothersofthem.

[1.] The first they fix on is this, "ThatGod never spake to any prophetimmediately, but only to Moses;" to him he spake without angelicalmediation. For so he affirms that he spake to him הֶּפ־לֶא הֶּפ , "mouth tomouth,"Num.12:8.

[2.]"Allotherprophets," theysay,"receivedtheirvisionseither intheirsleep, or presently after their sleep; butMoses in the daytime standingbetweenthecherubim,Exod.25:22."And,—

[3.] "That when other prophets received their visions or revelations,althoughitwasbythemediationofangels,yettheirnaturewasweakenedby it, and the state of their bodies, by reason of the consternation thatbefellthem,Dan.10:8;butMoseshadnosuchperturbationbefallinghimwhentheLordspakeuntohim,butitwaswithhimaswhenamanspeaksuntohisfriend"

[4.]"ThatotherprophetshadnotinspirationsandanswersfromGodattheirownpleasure,butsometimeswereforcedtowaitlongandprayforan answer before they could receive it; but Moses was wont when hepleasedtosay,'Stay,andIwillhearwhatGodwillcommandyou‚'Num.

9:8."Sothey.

Andtoreconcile thisuntowhat iselsewheresaid, thathecouldnotseethefaceofGodandlive,theyaddthathesawGodnotimmediately,but"inLatin),thefromformedword(a"speculari"orspeculo"in",באספקלריאaglass,"—anexpressionwhichtheapostlealludesunto,1Cor.13:12;onlythey add, רואים הנביאים היו אספקלריות תשע Other"—,מתוך prophets sawthroughnineperspectives;"אחתספקלריאמתוךראהומשה,—"butMosessawthrough one only," VaiikraRabba, sect. 1; whereunto they add that hisspeculumwasclearandlucid,theirsspotted.

ItmustbegrantedthatMoses,beingthelawgiverandfirstrevealerofallthat worship in the observation whereof the Judaical church-state andprivilege of that people did consist, had the pre-eminency above thesucceedingprophets,whoseministrychieflytendedtoinstructthepeoplein the nature and keep them to the observation of his institutions: butthatallthosethingsbytheminsistedonwerepeculiartohim,itdothnotappear; nor if it did so, are the most of them of any great weight orimportance.

The first is granted, and a signal privilege it was. God spake unto himםיִנָּפ־לֶא םיִנָּפ ,"facetoface"Exod.33:11;and הֶּפ־לֶא הֶּפ ,"mouthtomouth"Num.

12:8;andthisismentionedasthatwhichwaspeculiartohimabovetheprophetswhich should succeedhim in theministry of that church.ButthatMosessawtheessenceofGod,whichtheJewscontendfromthosewords,isexpresslydeniedinthetextitself;foreventhenwhenitwassaidthatGodspaketohimfacetoface,itisalsoaffirmedthathedidnotnorcould see the face of God, Exod. 33:20. See John 1:17, 18. Both thoseexpressions intend only that God revealed himself unto him in amoreclearandfamiliarwaythanhehaddoneuntootherprophets,orwoulddowhilst that administration continued; for although the thingswhich herevealedtoandbyotherprophetsweremoreclear,evident,andopentotheunderstandingofbelievers,thantheywereintherevelationmadetoMoses (they being intended as expositions of it), yet in the way of therevelation itself,Goddealtmoreclearlyand familiarlywithMoses thanwithanyotherprophetofthatchurchwhatever.

Theseconddifferenceassignedisvain.Ofthetimesandseasonswherein

the prophets received their visions there can be no determinate ruleassigned. Many of them were at ordinary seasons, whilst they werewaking,andsomewereabouttheemploymentoftheircallings,asAmos,chap.7:15.

The third also, about that consternation of spirit which befell otherprophets, isgroundless.Sometimesitwassowiththem,astheinstanceofDanielproves, chap. 7:28, 10:8; and so it befellMoseshimself,Heb.12:21;whichifweattaintothatplace,weshallprovetheJewsthemselvestoacknowledge.Ordinarilyitwasotherwise,aswithhimsowiththem,asismanifestinthewholestoryoftheprophets.

Thereisthesamemistakeinthelastdifferenceassigned.Mosesdidnotso receive the Spirit of prophecy as that he could, at his ownpleasure,reveal those things which were not discoverable but by that Spirit, orspeak out the mind of God infallibly in any thing for the use of thechurch,withoutactualinspirationastothatparticular;whichisevidentfromthemistakethathewasunderastothemannerofhisgovernment,whichhe rectifiedby theadviceof Jethro,Exod. 18:19.And likewise inotherinstancesdidhewaitforparticularanswersfromGod,Num.15:34.TohaveacomprehensionatonceofthewholewillofGodconcerningtheobedienceandsalvationof thechurch,wasaprivilegereservedforHimwho in all things was to have the pre-eminence. And it seems thatMaimonideshimselfinhisexaltationofMosesexceptedtheMessiah;forwhereas in theHebrewandLatincopiesofMoreNebuch.,part. ii. cap.xlv., there are these words, ישראל יצעי מדרגת כן גם ,וזו which Buxtorfrenders, "Est gradus hic etiam praestantissimorum consiliariorumIsraelis,""Thisisthedegree"(inprophecy)"ofthecounsellorsofIsrael;"theArabicororiginalhath,"AndthisalsoisthedegreeoftheMessiahofIsrael,whogoethbefore"(or"excelleth")"allothers;"thatis,inpointofprophecy.

Not to follow them in their imaginations, the just privileges of Mosesaboveallotherprophets lay in these three things:—(1.)Thathewas thelawgiver or mediator by whom God gave that law and revealed thatworshipintheobservationwhereoftheverybeingoftheJudaicalchurchdidconsist.(2.)ThatGodintherevelationmadeuntohimdealtinamorefamiliarandclearmanner,astothewayofhisoutwarddealing,thanwith

anyotherprophets.(3.)Inthattherevelationmadeuntohimconcernedthe ordering of thewhole house ofGod,when the other prophetswereemployedonlyaboutparticularsbuiltonhisfoundation.

Inthesethingsconsistedthejustandfreepre-eminenceofMoses;whichwhether it was such as would warrant the Jews in their obstinateadherencetohisinstitutionsupontheirownprinciplesshallbeinquiredinto.Butbeforewemanifestthatindeeditwasnot,therevelationofthemindofGod in andby theSon,which is comparedwith andpreferredbeforeandabovethisofMoses,mustbeunfolded;andthisweshalldointheensuingobservations:—

1.TheLordJesusChrist,byvirtueof theunionofhisperson,wasfromthewombfilledwithaperfectionofgraciouslightandknowledgeofGodand his will. An actual exercise of that principle of holy wisdomwherewithhewasendued,inhisinfancy,asafterwards,hehadnot,Luke2:52; nor had he in his human nature an absolutely infinitecomprehensionofallindividualthings,past,present,andtocome,whichheexpresslydeniesastothedayof judgment,Matt.24:36,Mark13:32;but he was furnished with all that wisdom and knowledge which thehumannaturewas capable of, both as to principle and exercise, in theconditionwhereinitwas,withoutdestroyingitsfinitebeingandvarietyofconditions, from thewomb. The Papists havemade a vain controversyabout the knowledge of the human soul of Christ. Those whom theychargewith error in thismatter affirmnomore thanwhat is expresslyassertedintheplacesofScriptureabovementioned;andbytheiranswersuntothoseplaces,itisevidenthowlittletheycarewhatscorntheyexposethe Scripture and all religion unto, so they may secure their ownmistakes.Butthiswisdom,whateveritwere,isnotthatwherebyGodsorevealedhisminduntohimastherebytobesaidtospeaktous inhim.Hehaditbyhisunion,andthereforeimmediatelyfromthepersonoftheSon, sanctifying that nature by the Holy Ghost, which he took intosubsistencewithhimself.But therevelationbywhichGodspake inhimuntouswas inapeculiarmanner from theFather,Rev. 1:1; and,aswehaveshowed,itisthepersonoftheFatherthatisherepeculiarlyspokenof.Andhencetheinquiryofsomeonthisplace,howthesecondpersonrevealedhimselftothehumannature,isnottothepurposeofit;foritis

thepersonoftheFatherthatisspokenof.Sothat,—

2.Thecommission,mission,andfurnishingoftheSon,asincarnateandmediator,with abilities for thedeclarationof themindandwill ofGoduntothechurch,werepeculiarlyfromtheFather.ForthewholeworkofhismediationhereceivedcommandoftheFather,John10:18,andwhathe should speak, chap. 12:49; according to which commandment hewroughtandtaught,chap.14:31.Whencethatisthecommonperiphrasiswhereby he expresses the person of the Father, "He that sent him;" asalso, "He that sealed and anointed him." And his doctrine on thataccount,hetestified,wasnothis,hisown,thatis,primarilyororiginallyasmediator,buthisthatsenthim,John7:16.ItwasfromtheFatherthathe heard the word and learned the doctrine that he declared unto thechurch. And this is asserted wherever there is mention made of theFather's sending, sealing, anointing, commanding, teaching him; of hisdoing the will, speaking the words, seeking the glory, obeying thecommandsofhimthatsenthim.SeeJohn8:26,28,40,14:10,15:15,Rev.1:1; and in the Old Testament, Zech. 2:8; Isa. 48:15–17, 50:4. Thatblessed "tongue of the learned,"wherebyGod spake in and by him therefreshingwordofthegospeluntopoorwearysinners,wasthegiftoftheFather.

3.AstothemannerofhisreceivingoftherevelationofthewillofGod,adouble mistake must be removed, and then the nature of it must bedeclared:—

(1.)TheSocinians,toavoidtheforceofthosetestimonieswhichareurgedtoconfirm thedeityofChrist, fromtheassertions in thegospel thathewhospaketo thedisciplesonearthwasthenalso inheaven,John3:13,6:38, 51, 7:33, 34, 8:29, 41, 42, 57, 58, have broached aMohammedanfancy,thattheLordChristbeforehisentranceonhispublicministrywaslocally takenup intoheaven,and there instructed in themysteryof thegospelandthemindofGodwhichhewastoreveal,Cat.Rac.,cap.iii.,deOffic. Ch. Prophet., quaest. 4, 5; Smalcius de Divinit. Christi, cap. iv.;Socin.Resp.adParaen.Vol.pag.38,39.

But,—[1.]TherewasnocauseofanysuchraptureofthehumannatureofChrist, as we shall evidence in manifesting the way whereby he was

taught of the Father, especially after his baptism. [2.] This imaginaryraptureisgroundedsolelyontheirπρῶτονψεῦδος,thattheLordChristin his whole person was no more than a mere man. [3.] There is nomentionofanysuchthingintheScripture,wheretheFather'srevealinghismindandwilltotheSonistreatedof;whichhaditbeen,oughtnottohavebeenomitted.[4.]ThefancyofitisexpresslycontrarytoScripture:for,—1st. TheHoly Ghost affirms that Christ "entered in once into theholy place," and that after he had "obtained eternal redemption,"Heb.9:12; which would have been his second entrance had he been takenthitherbeforeinhishumannature.Sothatcomingofhisintotheworldwhichwelookforatthelastdayiscalledhissecondcoming,hiscoming-again,becauseofhis firstentrance into itathis incarnation,Heb.9:28.2dly.Hewastosufferbeforehisentryintoheavenandhisglorytherein,Luke24:26.And,3dly.Astothetimeofhisascensionwhichthesemenassign,—namely,thefortydaysafterhisbaptism,—itissaidexpresslythathewasallthattimeinthewildernessamongstthewildbeasts,Mark1:13.SothatthisfigmentmayhavenoplaceinourinquiryintothewayoftheFather'sspeakingintheSon.

(2.)Somelaythewholeweightof therevelationof thewillofGoduntoChrist upon the endowments of his human nature by virtue of itspersonalunionwiththeeternalWord.Butthisiswhollyinconsistentwiththemanytestimonies,beforerehearsed,oftheFather'srevealinghimselfunto him after that union. Wherefore, to declare the nature of thisrevelation,wemustobservefurther,—

4.ThatJesusChristinhisdivinenature,ashewastheeternalWordandWisdom of the Father, not by a voluntary communication, but eternalgeneration,hadanomnisciencyof thewholenatureandwillofGod,astheFatherhimselfhath,becausethesamewiththatof theFather, theirwillandwisdombeingthesame.Thisistheblessedσυμπεριχώρησις,orin-beingofeachperson,theoneintheother,byvirtueoftheironenessinthe same nature. Thus, as God, he had an absolute omniscience.Moreover,themysteryofthegospel,theeternalcounselandcovenantofitconcerningtheredemptionoftheelectinhisblood,andtheworshipofGod by his redeemed ones, being transacted between Father and Sonfromall eternity,wasknownuntohimas theSon,byvirtueofhisown

personaltransactionswiththeFatherintheeternalcounselandcovenantofit.Seewhatwehaveelsewheredeliveredconcerningthatcovenant.

5.TheLordChristdischargedhisofficeandworkofrevealingthewillofthe Father in and by his human nature, that naturewherein he "dweltamongus,"John1:14; foralthough thepersonofChrist,Godandman,wasourmediator,Acts20:28,John1:14, 18,yethishumannaturewasthatwhereinhedischargedthedutiesofhisoffice,andthe"principiumquod"ofallhismediatoryactings,1Tim.2:5.

6.ThishumannatureofChrist,ashewasinit"madeofawoman,madeunder the law," Gal. 4:4, was, from the instant of its union with theperson of the Son of God, a "holy thing," Luke 1:35, "holy, harmless,undefiled, separate from sinners;" and radically filled with all thatperfectionofhabitualgraceandwisdomwhichwasorcouldbenecessarytothedischargeofthatwholedutywhich,asaman,heoweduntoGod,Luke2:40,49,52;John8:46;1Pet.2:22.But,—

7.Besides this furniturewithhabitual grace, for the performance of allholy obedience unto God, as a man made under the law, there was apeculiarendowmentwiththeSpirit,withoutandbeyondtheboundsofallcomprehensiblemeasures,thathewastoreceiveasthegreatprophetofthe church, in whom the Father would speak and give out the lastrevelationofhimself.ThiscommunicationoftheSpirituntohimwasthefoundation of his sufficiency for the discharge of his prophetical office,Isa.11:2,3,48:16,61:1–3;Dan.9:24.As to therealityandbeingof thisgiftoftheSpirit,hereceiveditfromthewomb;whenceinhisinfancyhewas said to be πληρούμενος σοφίας, Luke 2:40, "filled with wisdom;"wherewithheconfutedthedoctorstoamazement,verse47.Andwithhisyearswerethesegiftsincreasedinhim:Προέκοπτεσοφίᾳκαὶἡλικίᾳκαὶχάριτι·—"Hewentforwardinwisdomandstatureandfavour,"verse52.ButthefullcommunicationofthisSpirit,withspecialreferenceuntothedischarge of his public office, with the visible pledge of it in the HolyGhostdescendingonhimintheshapeofadove,hewasmadepartakerofin his baptism, Matt. 3:16; when also he received his first publictestimony fromheaven, verse 17;which,when again repeated, receivedthe additional command of hearing him, Matt. 17:5,—designing theprophetthatwastobeheardonpainofutterextermination,Deut.18:18,

19.AndthereforehewasthereuponsaidtobeΠνέυματοςἁγίουπλήρης,Luke 4:1, "full of theHolyGhost," and sealed to this work by the signforetoldofGod,John1:33.

ThiswasthefoundationoftheFather'sspeakingintheSonasincarnate.HespakeinhimbyhisSpirit;sohedidintheprophetsofold,2Pet.1:21.And herein in general the prophecy of Christ and theirs did agree. Itremaineth, then, to show wherein his pre-eminence above them didconsist,sothatthe"wordspoken"byhimisprincipallyandeminentlytobeattendedunto;whichistheargumentofthatwhichtheapostlehathinhandinthisplace.

8.Thepre-eminencesoftheprophecyofChristabovethatofMosesandallotherprophetswereoftwosorts:—(1.)Suchasarosefromhispersonwhowastheprophet;(2.)Suchasaccompaniedthenatureandmanneroftherevelationmadeuntohim.

(1.)Theyarisefromtheinfiniteexcellencyofhispersonabovetheirs.Thisis thatwhichtheapostle fromthecloseof thisverse insistsupontothevery end of the chapter, making his discourse upon it the basis of hisensuingexhortations.Ishallthereforeremittheconsiderationofituntoitsproperplace.

(2.) There were sundry excellencies that attended the very revelationitselfmadeuntohim,orhisprophecyassuch;for,—

[1.]NotreceivingtheSpiritbymeasure,John3:34,astheyalldid,hehadgivenuntohimaltogetheracomprehensionofthewholewillandmindofGod,astowhateverhewouldhaverevealedofhimself,withthemysteryofoursalvation,andallthatobedienceandworshipwhichinthisworldhewouldrequireofhischurch."ItpleasedtheFatherthatinhimshouldallfulnessdwell,"Col.1:19,—thatis,of"graceandtruth,"John1:17:notgranting him a transient irradiation by them, but a permanency andconstantabodeofthemwithhimintheirfulness,all"treasuresofwisdomand knowledge" being hid in him, Col. 2:3, as their home and properabidingplace;whichmadehimof"quickunderstandinginthefearoftheLORD,"Isa.11:3.AllthemysteriesofthecounselbetweentheFatherandtheeternalWordforthesalvationoftheelect,withallthewaywherebyit

wastobeaccomplished,throughhisownblood,wereknownuntohim;asalso were all the bounds, the whole extent of that worship which hischurchwastorenderuntoGod,withtheassistanceoftheSpiritthatwastobeaffordeduntothemforthatendandpurpose.HencetheonlyreasonwhyhedidnotatoncerevealuntohisdisciplesthewholecounselofGodwas,notbecauseallthetreasuresofitwerenotcommitteduntohim,butbecause they couldbearnoother but that gradual communicationof itwhich he used towards them, John 16:12. But he himself dwelt in themidst of those treasures, seeing to the bottom of them. All otherprophets, even Moses himself, receiving their revelations by transientirradiationsoftheirminds,hadnotreasureoftruthdwellinginthem,butapprehended only that particular wherein they were enlightened, andthatnotclearlyneither,initsfulnessandperfection,butinameasureoflight accommodated unto the age wherein they lived, 1 Pet. 1:11, 12.Hence the Spirit is said to "rest upon him," Isa. 11:2, 3; and to "abideuponhim,"John1:32;whodidonlyinatransientactaffectthemindsofotherprophets,andbyanactualmotion,whichhadnotahabitualspringin themselves, cause them to speak or write the will of God, as aninstrumentofmusicgivesforthasoundaccordingtotheskillofhimthatstrikesit,andthatonlywhenitissostrickenorused.Hence,—

[2.] The prophets receiving their revelations as it were by number andtale from the Holy Ghost, when they had spoken or written what inparticularatanyseasontheyhadreceivedfromhim,couldnotaddonewordorsyllableofthesameinfallibilityandauthoritywithwhattheyhadso received. But the Lord Christ having all the treasures of wisdom,knowledge,andtruthhidandlaidupinhim,didatalltimes,inallplaces,withequalinfallibilityandauthority,giveforththemindandwillofGodevenashewould,whathesospakehaving itswholeauthority fromhisspeaking of it, and not from its consonancy unto any thing otherwiserevealed.

[3.] The prophets of old were so barely instrumental in receiving andrevealingthewillofGod,beingonlyservantsinthehouse,Heb.3:6,forthegoodofothers,1Pet.1:11,12,thattheysawnottothebottomofthethingsbythemselvesrevealed;anddidthereforebothdiligentlyreadandstudy the books of them that wrote before their time, Dan. 9:2; and

meditated upon the things which the Spirit uttered by themselves, toobtainanunderstandinginthem,1Pet1:10–12.ButtheLordJesus,theLordoverhisownhouse,hadanabsolutelyperfectcomprehensionofallthemysteries revealed tohimandbyhimby thatdivinewisdomwhichalwaysdweltinhim.

[4.]Thedifferencewasnolessbetweentheminrespectoftherevelationsthemselvesmadetothemandbythem;foralthoughthesubstanceofthewill and mind of God concerning salvation by the Messiah was madeknown unto them all, yet it was done so obscurely to Moses and theprophetsthatensued,thattheycameallshortinthelightofthatmysteryto John the Baptist, who did not rise up in a clear and distinctapprehension of it unto the least of the true disciples of Christ, Matt.11:11;whence the giving of the law byMoses, to instruct the church inthatmysterybyitstypesandshadows,isopposedtothatgraceandtruthwhichwerebroughtbyJesusChrist,John1:17,18.SeeEph.3:8–11;Col.1:26,27;Tit.2:11;2Tim.1:9,10.

Inthese,andsundryotherthingsofthelikeimportance,hadtheFather'sspeaking in theSon thepre-eminenceabovehisspeaking inMosesandthe prophets. Forwhich cause the apostle placeth this consideration inthe head of his reasonings and arguments, for attendance unto andobservationofthethingsrevealedbyhim:forevenallthesethingshaveinfluenceintohispresentargument,thoughthemainstressofitbelaidontheexcellencyofhisperson;ofwhichatlargeafterwards.

9.Wemustyetfurtherobserve,thattheJews,withwhomtheapostlehadtodo,hadallofthemanexpectationofanewsignalandfinalrevelationofthewillofGod,tobemadebytheMessiahinthelastdays;thatis,oftheir church-state, and not, as they now fondly imagine, of the world.Someof them, indeed, imaginedthatgreatprophetpromised,Deut. 18,tohavebeenonedistinctfromtheMessiah,John1:20,21;butthegeneralexpectation of the church for the full revelation of thewill of GodwasupontheMessiah,John4:25.Ofthesamemindweretheirmoreancientdoctors,thatretainedanythingofthetraditionoftheirfathers,assertingthat the law ofMoses was alterable by theMessiah, and that in somethings it should be so.Maimonides is the leader in the opinion of theeternity of the law; whose arguments are answered by the author of

Sepher Ikharim, lib. iii. cap. xiii., and some of them by Nachmanides.HenceitislaiddownasaprincipleinNeveShalom,מאברחםירוםמשיחמלךהשרת Messiah"—;ונשאממשהוגבהממלאכי thekingshallbeexaltedaboveAbraham,behighaboveMoses,yea,andtheministeringangels."Anditis for the excellency of the revelation to bemade by him that he is soexalted above Moses. Whence Maimonides himself acknowledgeth,Tractat‚ de Regibus, that at the coming of the Messiah, הדברים יהיולכל גלוים והעמוקים hidden"—,הפתגמים and deep things" (that is, of thecounselofGod) "shallbe revealed" (or "laidopen") "untoall."And thispersuasiontheybuiltonthepromiseofanewcovenanttobemadewiththem, not like the covenant made with their fathers, Jer. 31:31–34.Whencetheauthorbeforementionedconcludesthatitwasthejudgmentoftheancientdoctorsthattheyshouldreceiveanewcovenantfromthemouth of God himself; and all their worship being annexed andsubservientuntothecovenantthatwasmadewiththeminHoreb,uponthe removal of that covenant, there was of necessity a new kind ofworship,subservientthereunto,toensue.

Fromalltheseobservationswemayevidentlyperceivewhereintheforceof the apostle's argument doth lie, which he insists upon in this veryentranceofhisdiscourse,ratherinsinuatingitfromtheirownprinciplesthan openly pressing them with its reason, which he doth afterwards.TheyacknowledgedthattheMessiahwastocome;thathewastobeinaspecialmannertheSonofGod(asweshallshow);thatinhimGodwouldultimately revealhismindandwillunto them;and that this revelation,onmanyaccounts,wouldbefarmoreexcellentthanthatofoldmadetoand by Moses;—which that it was all accomplished in the ministry ofJesusChrist,andthatuntothemselvesinthelatterdaysoftheirchurch,according to what was long before foretold, he asserts and proves;whenceitwaseasyforthemtogatherwhatanecessityofadheringtohisdoctrine and institutions, notwithstanding any contrary pleas orarguings,wasincumbentonthem.

But,moreover, theapostle in thesewordshathopened the spring fromwhenceallhisensuingargumentsdoflow,infixingonhimwhobroughtlife and immortality to light by the gospel; and from thence takesoccasion to enter upon the dogmatical part of the epistle, in the

descriptionofthepersonofChrist,theSonofGod,andhisexcellency,inwhomGod spakeunto them, that theymight considerwithwhom theyhadtodo;whereinheproceedstotheendofthischapter.

Butbeforeweproceedweshallstayherealittle,toconsidersomethingsthat may be a refreshment to believers in their passage, in theconsiderationofthosespiritualtruthswhich,fortheuseofthechurchingeneral,areexhibiteduntousinthewordswehaveconsidered.

Andthefirstisthis,—

I. The revelation of the will of God, as to all things concerning hisworship,ourfaithandobedience,ispeculiarlyandinawayofeminencyfromtheFather.

This is thatwhichtheapostlepartlyasserts,partly takes forgranted,astheheadandspringofhiswholeensuingdiscourse.Andthisshallnowbealittlefurtherclearedandconfirmed;towhichendwemayobserve,—

1.Thatthewholemysteryofhiswill,antecedentlytotherevelationofit,issaidtobehidinGod;that is, theFather,Eph.3:9.It laywrappedupfromtheeyesofmenandangels,inhiseternalwisdomandcounsel,Col.1:26,27.TheSon,indeed,whois,andfrometernitywas,"inthebosomoftheFather,"John1:18,"asonebroughtupwithhim,"hiseternaldelightand "Wisdom, Prov. 8:29, 30, was partaker with him in this counsel,verse31;asalsohiseternalSpirit,whosearchesandknowsall"thedeepthingsofGod,"1Cor.2:10,11.ButyettheriseandspringofthismysterywasintheFather;fortheorderofactingintheblessedTrinityfollowstheorder of subsistence. As the Father, therefore, is the fountain of theTrinityastosubsistence,soalsoastooperation.He"hathlifeinhimself;"and"hegivethtotheSontohavelifeinhimself,"John5:26.Andhedothitbycommunicatinguntohimhissubsistencebyeternalgeneration.Andthence saith theSon, "AsmyFatherworketh, so Iwork,"verse 17.AndwhatheseeththeFatherdo,thatdoeththeSonlikewise,verse19;notbyimitation,orrepetitionofthelikeworks,butinthesameworksinorderofnaturethewillandWisdomoftheFatherdothproceed.SoalsoisitinrespectoftheHolyGhost,whoseorderofsubsistencedenotesthatofhisoperation.

2.ThattherevelationofthemysteryofthewillofGod,sohiddeninthecounselofhiswill frometernity,wasalwaysmadeandgivenout in thepursuitandfortheaccomplishmentofthepurposeoftheFather,orthateternal purpose of the will of God which is by the way of eminencyascribeduntotheFather:Eph.1:8,9,"Hehathaboundedtowardusinallwisdom and prudence; havingmade knownunto us themystery of hiswill,accordingtohisgoodpleasurewhichhehathpurposedinhimself."It is the Father of whom he speaks: Verse 3, "Blessed be the God andFatherofourLordJesusChrist,"Now,heaboundstous-wardinwisdomandprudence,orabundantlymanifestshisinfinitewisdominhisdealingwithus,bytherevelationofthemysteryofhiswill.Andthishedothinpursuit of "his good pleasure which he purposed in himself," or thatpurposeofhiswillwhichhaditsfoundationsolelyinhisgoodpleasure.This is the purpose of election, as is declared, verses 3–5; and thispurposeispeculiarlyassigneduntohim,John17:6;2Thess.2:13.Fortheaccomplishmentof thispurpose, or thebringingof thosepredestinatedthereby to the end purposed for them by the means ordained, for thepraiseofGod'sgloriousgrace,isthewholerevelationofthewillofGod,first and last,made.He spake in his Son, andhe spake in him that hemightmanifest his name (himself andwill) to themenwhom he gavehim; for saith the Son, "Thine they were" ('set apart for thee in thineeternalpurpose'), "andthougavest themme,"John17:6.AndthereforePaultellsus,thatinpreachingofthegospelhe"enduredallthingsfortheelect'ssakes,"2Tim.2:10;knowingthatitwasfortheirsalvationthatthemysteryofitwasrevealedfromthebosomoftheFather,asGodalsohadbeforetaughthim,Acts18:10.SeeRom.11:7,8:28,etc.

3. This purpose of God being communicated with and unto the LordChrist,ortheSon,andsobecoming"thecounselofpeacebetweenthemboth,"Zech.6:13,herejoicingtodotheworkthatwasincumbentonhimfor the accomplishment of it, Prov. 8:30, 31, Ps. 40:7, 8, it becamepeculiarly the care and work of the Father to see that the inheritancepromisedhimuponhisundertaking,Isa.53:10–12,shouldbegivenuntohim. This is done by the revelation of the will of God unto menconcerningtheirobedienceandsalvation;wherebytheyaremadethelot,theseed,theportionandinheritanceofChrist.TothisenddoththeLord,thatistheFather,whosaiduntotheLordtheSon,"Sitthouatmyright

hand,"Ps.110:1,"sendtherodofhisstrengthoutofZion,"verse2;andthat by it to declare his rule even over his enemies, and to make hispeople, those given unto him, willing and obedient, verse 3. Theinheritance given by the Father unto Christ being wholly in thepossessionofanother,itbecamehimtotakeitoutoftheusurper'shand,anddeliverituptohimwhoserightitwas;andthishedidanddothbytherevelationofhismindinthepreachingoftheword,Eph.1:12,13.Andfromtheseconsiderationsitisthat,—

4.ThewholerevelationanddispensationofthewillofGodinandbythewordis,aswassaid,eminentlyappropriateduntotheFather.Eternallife(thecounsel,thepurpose,ways,means,andprocurerofit)waswiththeFather,andwasmanifestedtousbythewordoftruth,1John1:1,2.Andit is the Father,—that is, his will,mind, purpose, grace, love,—that theSondeclares, John 1:18; inwhichwork he speaks nothing butwhat heheardfromandwastaughtbytheFather,John8:28.Andhencehesays,"My doctrine is notmine" (that is, principally and originally), "but histhatsentme,"John7:16.Andthegospeliscalled"ThegospelofthegloryoftheblessedGod,"1Tim.1:11;whichisaperiphrasisforthepersonofthe Father, who is "the Father of glory," Eph. 1:17. Andwemight alsodeclare,thatthegreatworkofmakingthisgospeleffectualonthemindsofmendothpeculiarlybelongunto theFather,whichheaccomplishethbyhisSpirit,2Cor.3:18,4:6;butthatisnotourpresentbusiness.Thusthe revelation of events that should befall the church to the end of theworld,thatChristsignifiedbyhisangeluntoJohn,wasfirstgivenhimoftheFather,Rev.1:1.Andtherefore,thoughalldeclarationsofGodandhiswill,fromthefoundationoftheworld,weremadebytheSon,thesecondpersonoftheTrinity,andhisSpiritspeakingintheprophets,1Pet.1:11,12,yetasitwasnotbyhimimmediately,nomorewasitabsolutelyso,butas the great angel and messenger of the covenant, by the will andappointment of the Father. And therefore the very dispensers of thegospelaresaidπρεσβεύεινὑπὲρΧριστοῦ,totreatasambassadorsaboutthebusinessofChristwithmen,inthenameofGodtheFather.ὩςτοῦΘεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος διʼ ἡμῶν, saith the apostle;—"As if God" (theFather)"exhortedinandbyus,"2Cor.5:20;fortohimdoththiswholeworkprincipallyrelate.

AndfromtheappropriatingofthisworkoriginallyandprincipallytotheFather,therearethreethingsthatareparticularlyintimateduntous:—

1.Theauthorityistobeconsideredinit.TheFatheristheoriginalofallpower and authority; of him "the whole family in heaven and earth isnamed," Eph. 3:15. He is the Father of the whole family, from whomChrist himself receives all his power and authority as mediator, Matt.28:18;which,whenhisworkisaccomplished,heshallgiveupagainintohishand,1Cor.15:28.Hesenthimintotheworld,sethimoverhishouse,gave him command unto his work. The very name and title of Fathercarriesauthorityalongwithit,Mal.1:6.Andinthedisposalofthechurch,inrespectof thispaternalpower,doththeSonaffirmthat theFather isgreaterthanhe,John14:28;andherunsupthecontemptoftheword,inthepreachingofitbyhismessengers,intoacontemptofthisauthorityofthe Father: "He that refuseth you refuseth me: he that refuseth merefusethhimthatsentme."

Therevelation,then,anddispensationofthemindandwillofGodintheword, are to be considered as an act of supreme, sovereign authority,requiringallsubjectionofsoulandconscienceinthereceivingofit.ItistheFatherofthefamilythatspeaksinthisword;hethathathallpowerandauthorityessentiallyinhimoverthesoulsandeternalconditionsofthem to whom he speaks. And what holy reverence, humility, anduniversal subjection of soul to the word, this in a particular mannerrequires,iseasytobeapprehended.

2.Thereisalsolove.IntheeconomyoftheblessedTrinityabouttheworkof our salvation, that which is eminently and in an especial mannerascribeduntotheFatherislove,ashathbeenatlargeelsewhereshowed,1 John4:8, 10, 16. "God," that is theFather, saith John, "is love."AndhowheexertsthatpropertyofhisnatureintheworkofoursalvationbyChristhethereshowsatlarge.SoJohn3:16;Rom.5:7,8.Tobelove,fulloflove,tobetheespecialspringofallfruitsoflove,ispeculiartohimasthe Father. And from love it is that hemakes the revelation of hiswillwhereofwespeak,Deut.7:8,33:3;Ps.147:19,20;2Cor.5:18,19.Itwasoutofinfinitelove,mercy,andcompassion,thatGodwouldatallrevealhismind and will unto sinners. Hemight for ever have locked up thetreasuresofhiswisdomandprudence,whereinheaboundstowardsusin

hisword,inhisowneternalbreast.Hemighthaveleftallthesonsofmenuntothatwofuldarknesswhereintobysintheyhadcastthemselves,andkeptthemunderthechainsandpowerofit,withtheangelsthatsinnedbeforethem,untothejudgmentofthegreatday.Butitwasfrominfinitelovethathemadethiscondescension,torevealhimselfandhiswilluntous. This mixture of authority and love, which is the spring of therevelationof thewillofGoduntous,requiresallreadiness,willingness,and cheerfulness, in the receipt of it and submission unto it. Besidesthesealso,—

3.Thereiscareeminentlyseeninit.Thegreatcareofthechurchisinandon the Father. He is the husbandman that takes care of the vine andvineyard,John15:1,2.AndhenceourSaviour,whohadadelegatedcareof his people, commends them to the Father, Joh