VER.I,Z., Epftleto the HElaREws. Thirdly , The Perfon to whom the Revelation ofthem was made ': That was to the Fathers, this to us. . Fourthly, And principally,the Perfonr bywhom thef Revelations weremade; That was by the Prophets ; this by the Son.' God fpake then in the Prophets , now he .hath fpoken in theSon. Thewhole ([refsof the Apoftles Argument lying on this laic inflance, omitting the profecutionof all the other particulars, he enters upon the further. defcription of thisimmediate Revealer ofthe Gofpel in whomGod fpake, theSon.; and layes down in general, t The Authority committed untohim, God made him Heir of all. z. TheGround andEquity ofcommitting that great Powerand trait unto him, in thofe words ; by wham alfohe made the worlds; whereby he opens his way to the far- ther declaration of his Divine and incomparable Excellencies, wherein he is exalted far above all , or any that were employed in the Revelation or Adminittration of the Law ofMoles, and the holy Worfhip inflituted thereby. All theft particulars mutt be opened feverally, that we may fee the intendment of the Apoftle, and the forceof his Argument in the whole ; and fome of them mull ne- edfully be fomewhat largely inffted on, becaufe of their ítlfluence into the enfuing Difccurfe. I. That wherein the Law and Gofpel do both agree is, that God was the Author of themboth. About this there was no difference, as to the molt of them with whom theApoftle treated : This he takesfor granted. For theProfeffing Jews did not ad- here to Mifaical Inftitutions, becaufe God was their Author, not foof the Gofpel ; but becaufe they were given fromGod byMoles, in fuch a manner, as never to bechang- edor abrogated. This the Apoftle layes down as an acknowledged Principle with the molt,that both Law andGofpel received their Original fromGod himfelf; proving alfò as we (hall fed in the progrefs ofour Difcourfe to the convi&ion of others, that fuch a Revelation as that of the Gofpel, was foretold and expeâed, and that this was it in particular, which was preached unto them. NowGod being here fpoken of in diflindion from theSon exprelly, and from the Holy Ghofi by evident implication, itbeingHe by .whomhe fpake in theProphets, that name is not taken iotaSc t fubffantially, to denote primarily the Efnce or beingof the Deity, and eachperfon as partaking in the fame nature; but Jnordlad.: ; denoting primarily one certain Perfon, and thedivine nature only as fubffting in that Perfon: This is the Perfon of the Father : as elfewhere the Perfonof the Son is fo fignified by that name, Acts 2o. 28. John a. 1, 2. Rom. g. q. t Tim. 3..16. r John 3.16. Chap. 5. zo. As alto the Perfon of the Holy Spirit, Alts q. 3, ç. 1 Cor. 12. 7, r r. Col. 2.2. So that God even the Father, by the way of eminency, was the pecu- liar Author of both Law and Gofpel, of which afterwards. And this obfervation is made neceffary from hence, even becaufe heimmediately affigns . Divine Properties and Excellencies unto another Perfon, evidently diflinguifhed from him whomhe intends to denoteby the name God in this place, which he could not do, did.that name .pri- marily exprefs, as here ufed byhim, thedivine natureabflately, but only asit is fob- fitting in the Perfon of the Father. From this head oftheir Agreement, the Apoftle proceeds to the inflances of the difference that was between the Law and the Gofpel, as to their Revelation from God ; of which a little inverting the order of thewords, we fhall Firfi confider that which concernsthe Times of their giving out, fundry of the other inflances being regulated thereby. For the FirtI, or the Revelation of the Will of God under the Oid Teflament it was, of old; God fpake awrm, formerly, or of old; Some fpace of time is denoted in this word, which had then received both its beginning and end : both which we may enquire after. Take theword abfoltnely, and it comprizes the whole adaa e fpace of time from the givingout of theft/ Promife, unto that End which was put unto all Revelations of publick ufe under the Old Teflament. Take it as relating to the .7ewr, and the rifeof the time expreffed in it, isthe giving of theLam by Mofes in the Wildernefs. And this is that which the Apoftle hath refpeé unto. He had no conteft with the Jews about the firff Promife, and thefervice ofGod in the world built thereon ; nor about their Priviledge, as they were the Sons of Abraham; but only about their then prefentChurch Priviledgeand claim by Mafia Law. The proper date then andbound of this mbar, ofold,, is twinúhe giving out ofMolesLaw, and therein
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