Canonical Authority of the Wifdom of men.. And this evyna1daets, or Condefcenfion unto the common Reafon, Senfe, Ufage, and Experienceof mankind ingeneral, is very admirable in the holy Pen- men, and abflutely peculiar unto them. In this univerfal fuitablenef? unto all the con- cernments of it, confitts that excellentfimplicityof the Scripture Style,whereby it plain- ly and openly without fraudulent Ornaments, in common and ufual Speech, declares things Divine, Spiritual and Heavenly, withan holy accommodation of them to the un- derftanding and capacities of men', in fuch occauonal variety as yet never diverts from thofe properties and charatiers wherein the Vnifármity of the whole Both coufiff. ¢. 3o. Betidesall there Excellencies of the Style ofHolyWrit, with others that may be ad- ded unto them, there is in it a ferret Energy, and efficacyfor the fubjeéfing-ofthe minds of men unto its intention in all things. Whether this proceed only, and be impartedun- to it, from the matters treated of which are holy and heavenly; or whether it be com- municated unto it immediately, byan impreffion of his Authority upon it, by whom- it is given out, or whether it arife from both of them ; all that are converfùnt in it with faith and reverence do find the Truth of our Aflertion by experience. And Origen amongllothers, fpeaksexcehlently to this purpofe, mot J ó ei7&: Asy , ;vx av- laçx's ID 7d Aeyttoros ( xiv xal ioo dAdis o atrinmzlov ) mes 7; xu&ri.Oae er.°av'mít'n> 4vyîis, J`úvaNis 74 eelew Join rd o40/01,7,, xdats iwaveío, vois Asyci,.ávas, %y :,vvn èx á9?ei iy.ioi(Airn 707( etyuoí..,ao s£y,n. The holy Scripture teaclieth us, that what is token, though in it Pelf it be true andfit toperfwade , is not able to conquer the Mindsof nvon, unlefi power from God be communicated to the Speaker ,and Grace ( from him ) do floarifh in the things token themfelves, and it is not without Divine influency , that they teal¿ with efficacy. Hence arifeth theSpiritual peculiar ¡noires of the Divine Writers; termed by St. Paul ,imktnhts 0-v,Gµalev3- 'ti A e 5sso e, the deinonJfration of the Spirit and of power. And herein, as onother accounts; the Word of God is quickand powerfull and (harper than any two edged fword, Heb. 4. r2. by which living Energy and Authority it evacuated and brought to nought all the Wifdom of this World; that is, all Philof- phical Conceptions with all the Ornamentsof Eloquence and Oratory. The excellent Difcourfeof Auflin on this Sublbdf, de Doetri.ChriJfiand, lib.4. cap.6. is very well worthy confideration ; whither I refer the Reader, that I may not too fardivert from my prefent particular defign. 1c. 3t, Whatever hath been thus fpoken concerning the Style of the Sacred Scripture in General, it is as applicable unto this Epiftle unto the Hebrews, as to any one portion ofHoly Writ what ever. That Simplicity, Gravity, Vnaffeïiednefl fuitablenefs to its Author, Matter, and End, which commends the whole unto us, are eminent in this part of it ; that Authority, Efficacy and Energy which are implanted on the whole by him who fuppliedboth fenfe and words unto the Penmenof it, exert themfeves in this Epiftleallo. Nodefelb in any of thefe can be charged on it, that Mould argue it ofany other extrael than the whole. Nothing fo far fingular, as to be inconfllent with that harmony, which in all their variety there is among the Booksof the, Holy Scripture, as to theftyle and kind ofSpeech,' is any where to be found in it. If anywhere, as in the beginningof the firft Chapter, theStyle feems to fwell in its current above the or- dinary banks of the Writings of the NewTetament, it is from the greatnefs andfubli miry ofthe Matter treated on, which was not capable of any other kindof Expreffion. Doth the Penmanof it, any where ufe Wordsor Phrafes, not commonly, or rarely, or perhaps no where elfe ufed in the fenfe and way wherein they areby him applied ? it is becaufe his Matter is peculiar, and not elfewhere handled ; at learn, not on the fame Principles, nor to the fame purpofe as by him : Doth he oftentimes fpeak in an OldTe- flament Dialeei, prefling Words and Expre[lions to the fervice and fenfe they were im- ployed in under the Tabernacle and Temple, after they had been manumitted as it were, and made freefrom their Typical importance in the Service and Spiritual Senfeof the Gofpel ? it is from the confiderationof their flare and condition, with whom in an efpecial manner hehad to do ; and this in perfeftHarmony with the Wifdomof the Ho- ly Gleoft in other portionsofScripture. So that on this account alto its Station in the Holy Canon is fecured. 32. Moreover, Betides ,the Peculiar Excellency which is found in the Styleof the holy Seri pture either evidencing its Divine Original, or at leall manifcfting that there is no- thing in it, unworthy of fuch an extrau, theAuthority of its principal Author exerts it fclf in the whole of it unto the confcience.e of men. And herein, is this Epifile an et-pedal
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