Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v1

A s E R M 0 N bn HEB. 1.1,2. God who atfondry times , and in divers mannm· Jpa¥ in time paf1 unto the Fathers by the Prophets. Hatb in thefe /aft days fpo~n unto tu by his Son, whom he bath appointed Heir of all thingr, by whom a!Jo he made the Worlds. I will not fpend much time to iliew who is the Author of this Epia!e, which indeed among 'Divi11es is doubtful; our Tran!lation bath prefixed Paul's name to it, being moft probable that it is his. And though the Author of it be not certainly known, ye tit is not to be excluded from the Canon,for there are other Books of Scripture, that the Authors of them are not known , or at leall not prefixed by themfelves; as the Epi!Ues of Joh11, his name is not mentioned in them ; prefixed it is by the Church, from one Age to another. known by. the !lile that it is his. The reafon why I chofe to fpeak out of this Epia!e is,becaufe it doth mention and fpeak of Chrift, and of his Offices , but efpecially of his Priell:hood, more than any other Book of Scripture, I know; I will not profefs, an exact handling of all things therein contained, but raife here and there fame Obfcrvations and Meditations, The fcope of the Apoll:le may appear, if we confider to whom he wrote, he wrote to the Ht6rews which were Jews, he did not write to the He6rews nor yet converted; as may appear by all the palfages·in the whole Epill:le. But he fpake to thofe that had been already enlightned and knew Chrill, that had en– tertained the Doetrineof the Gofpel. And this we may obferve, that no Book of the Scripture, was written to any other but Profelfors,Believers, not toUnbelie– vers. Now the ]t:Ws did !lick moll to the Law,Ceremonies and Legal Sacrifices, all which were but Types of Chrift, and they were ignorant ofthe true excellen· cy,nature,worth and prerogative of Chri!l revealed to them,and efpecially of his Prie!lhood, and Sacrifice which he offered up above all the reil:, The Apo!Ues fcope is to fet up the Gofpel above the Law , to raife up their heam to a high efteem of Chrill: to iliew that Chrift was the end of the Ceremo– nial Law; fo that all Types iliould now ceafe. And becaufe he wrote to theJ ews in that regard, whatfocver he doth fpeak, he doth prove out of the Old Tefia– ment through the whole Book, and it is quoted upon all occafions; becaufe the Old Tell:ament.had authority with the Jews, and he doth make every where now and then, a iliort ufe of the Doctrinal points he dothdeliver; he cloth fpepd this Chapter, to prove that the Lord Jefus Chrifi was God as well as man, and he doth make this lhort ufe of it, 2. Cbap.t . therefore we ought to give th~ more e3rnell: heed to the things which we have heard. The Fir!\ Chapter doth prove that the Lord Jefus Chri(l is more than a man, though he fpeaks fomething of him in this Fir!l Chapter, which belongs to him only as God, yet all the reil that he fpeai<S of l1im as Mediator doth argue him robe more than a Man.The fecood Chapter proves him to be Man, fo that as you hawe the [cope of the two firft Chapters, fo of the whole Ej>i!lle. In

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=