ThePreface. Prefatoryfalutations he enters upon in the fiat verfes bfibe agile ; andbe- ing thereby occafioned to make mention ofthe Meffiab, from whofe Perfon and Office , the difrence he was to inffli upon did wholly arife; hefend= eth the refidueof the Chapter inproving the divine excellency of his Per- fon, and the Eminencyof his Office, as the only King, Prieft, and Prophet ofhis Church 5 onall which thedignity e the,GaIiel,in the Profeffon whereof he exhorts them to perfevere, doth depend. He then that would come to aright underfianding of this Ep f le müfl al- wages bear in mind, r.To whom it was written, which were the Jews of thefeveral forts before mentioned: 2. To what End it was written; even toprevail with them to embrace theGofel, and toperff in the Profefìon of it,withoutany mixture ofMofaical Obfervations: 3. On what Principles the Ap f le deals with them in this Argument, which are no other for the mof part then what were granted by the Jews of allforts : 4. What Teftimonies out ofthe Old Teftament heinffls'on to prove his purpofe, namely, fuch as were commonly received in the Judaical Church tobelong untothe Mef iah .and his Office: 5. What he labours to inftru& them in, as to the general rile of all forts arsongflthem, which is the natureand tile ofMofaicalRites: 6. The main Argument heinffls on for the ends before mentioned, which is the Excellency of the Gofpel, theWorfbip inflítuted therein, and theRighte- onfnefs manif f ed thereby, upon the account of its Author and fubjeil, the Principal Efficient Cauf ofits Worfip, and onlyProcurer of the Righteoufnefi exhibited in it,even fefus Chr f ,the Illefiah,Mediator, the eternalSon ofGod. vnlefs thefe things arewell borne in mind, and the cafe of the Jews parti- cularly heeded, our Expoftion will it may be flew oft times to go out of the way, thoughit conflanty purfue tpe de igrzAttd f tpe of the VI. Though this Ep f le was written unto theHebrews, and immediately for their ufe, yet it is left on record in,the Canon of the scriptureby the Holy Ghofi, for the fame general End with the otherparts of the Scripture, and theufe ofall believers therein to the end of the world. This Life in our Expoftion is alfa to be regarded, and that principally in the paraenetical or hortatory part of it. That then which is dogmati- cal; and thefoundationofall the Exhortations inffiedon may be two ways confsdered I. Properly, as to the fpecial and peculiar tendency ofthe Principles and Dolrines handled, and fo they fpecially intend the Jews, and muff be opened with refpeld to them, their Principles, Traditions, Opinions, Obje£lions S all which mull therefore be confidered, that the peculiarforce and efficacy of the Apofles reafonings with refeli unto them , may be made manyefi. Andfrom theDo&rinal part of this Ep f le fo opened, the Ex- Íiortattons do"ëtefy'rtffiea`the Jews, and are peculiarlyfuited unto them, theirState and condition. 2. Again, theDo&rives treated on by the Apoflle may be confdered ab- folutely and abflraïiedly from the fpecial Cafe of the Jews, which he had in his eye, meerly as to their own nature 5 and fo they are many of them of the chief fundamental Principles of the Gofpel. In this refpeíl theyare grounds for the application of the Exhortations in the Ep f le unto all Pro- feflors of the Gofpel to the endof the world. And this muff guideus inour Expofition. < Having to deal with the Jews 5 the Doecrinal parts of the Epfle muff be opened with fpecial refell unto them, or we utterly lofe the Ape les aim and deign', and dealing withChriftians, the Hortatory part fball be principally inffled on , as refpeeling all Profeförs 5 yet not fo, but that in handling the Do&rival part, we (hall weigh the Principles of
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