.H E B. I. I' 2. Again, It is faid, He (pake 6y the Prophets to the Fathers. Thofe under tfie Old Te!lament are called Fathers, becaufe they were fir{/ in Chriff, as Eph. 1 • It is an honour now to be an old Convert, and therefore he puts it in, Who firJ1 truf/ed inChnfl; thereby they are renowned, and their Memory is everlafling. The Saint! under rhe New Te!lament, lincc the Apoflles rime, mary or moll of them, their Memory is quite gone; but becaufe thefe were they that jirff be– lieved, we have a Record of all the old Worthies to the end of the World, snd they arc called Fathers. And therefore it is an honour to befirjl inChrijl, that fo we may be Patterns and Examples to.others, and ir is a great Motive to turn and to come into Chri!l foon; for iris faid, The?' o6tainedagood report thro11gh their Faith, Heb., r. for ro begin ro believe fir!l, when there were few Examples and Encouragements before them, is a great honour to Faith, and ir gives Faith a good report. Thus AdtJm believed, having bur one Promife; and Ahrah.-Jm being called our of a Hearhenifh Country, and having but few Prom,fes,he being the fir!l Example of all that believed, he is called the Father of the F.tith/itt; God honoured him for it. But thefe,though they are called Fathers ,yet in com– parifon of the times of the Gojpet, are called but Children; it is the Apoi11es eYprellion, Gal+l· The Priviledges of mert under the Gofpel are exceeding far above theirs; though they were Fathers, yet thofe things arc revealed unro us which were not unto them. It is faid in r Pet.r.r r, 12. that they minifired tlllto m; fo likewife, though thofe that did live many of them more near rhe Primi– tive times, than we that live in thefe times, though we honour their M~mories, and call themF,Ithe~s, yet we may truly fay, That there is more of the glory of the Gofpel revealed to us, in the daies of Reformation, than was to them. Though they were Fathers, and faw far, yet we being fet upon their backs, fte further, though Children. . And he mentions the Fathers, beeaufe the Jews did fo !lick to the Religion of their Fathers, becaufe Mofes Law was given to their Fathers, and was their Re– ligion. The Apo!lle therefore to take away this, becaufe they !luck to Religion limply, becaufe it was the Religion of their Fathers, faies, that God fpake to them 6y the Prophets, but to m 6y his Son. That may be revealed unto the Chil– dren, which was n~t unto the Fathers : fo we that live in the!e daie;, have a greater and clearer light, than our Fathers had that lived under Popery. The
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