ÿ''$R.II,z.. Ep/1le to the HEBREWS, xq they render a reafon of the Equitablenefs of this great tru(t made to theSon. He made all, and it was meet he fhould beLord of all. However, the force of the Con- neCtion of thewords, 8I ú 4 w; drives, by whom alto be made the worlds,'equalls the ado7ar, theAllforgoeing, to the ¿roes, or theworldsfollowing. 4 The Inheritance given, anfwers the promife of it unto Abraham, which' was that he(hould be Heir of the world, Rom. 4. a 3. namely, inhis feed, Gal. 3. 16. as alfo the requeff made by Chr;ft on that promffe, Pfal. 2. 8. both which extend. it to thewhole world, the Ends of the Earth. 5. TheOriginal and Rifeof this inheeitance of Chrift will give us its true extent, whichmutt thereforemore efpeciallybe confidered. Upon the Creation ofmanGodgave unto him aDominion over all things in this lower world, Gen. a. 28, 29. Hemade him his Heir, Vicegerent and Subtlitute in the earth. And as for thofe other Creatures to which his Power and Authority did not immediately extend,as the Sun, Moon and Stars, the whole inanimate. Hoff of the SuperiourWorld, they were orderedby him that made them, to ferve for his good and brhoof, Gen. 1.14. Deut. 4. 554 So that eventhey alfo in a fort belonged untohis in- heritance, being made tofires him in his fubjet'ion unto God. Further, beficjes this lower part of his Dominion, God had for his Glory created Angels in Heaven above, of whomwe .hall have occafion hereafter to treat. Theft made up another branch ofGods ProvidentialKingdom, the whole adminiftred in the tipper and lower world, being of each other independent, and meeting in nothing but their dependance upon, and fubjeótion unto God himfelf. Hence they did not fo ffand in the condition of ¿heir Creation, but that onekind or race of them might fail andperifh without any impeachmentztf theother. So alto it came to pats. Man might have perfitled in his honour and dignity notwithilanding the all and Apollacy of Come of the Angels. When he fell from his heirJhip and dominion, the whole fub- ordination of all things unto him, and by him unto God, was loft. And all crea- turesreturned toan immediate abfòlute dependanceon the Government ofGod ; with- outany refpe4 to theAuthority and Soveraignty delegatedunto man. But as thefall ofAngels did not in its own nature prejudicemankind, no more did this fall of man,the Angels that perffied in their obedience, they being no part of his inheri- tance.: However by the Sin, Apoftacy, and punifhment of that portion of the Angels which kept not their firft Ration, it was manifefted how poffible it was, that the re- mainder of them might finafter the fimilitude of their tranfgreffion. Thingsbeing brought into this condition, one branch of the Kingdom of God under the admini- ffrat;on of man, or allotKd to his fervice, being call out of that order wherein hehad placed it, and the other in an open poffibility of being fo alto, it Ibemed good to the Lord in his infinite Wifdom to erell one Kingdom out of theft two difordered members of his heft Dominion, andto appoint one common Heir, Head, Ruler and Lord to them both. And this was theSon as the Apoftle tells us, Ephef t. t o. He gathered together in one all things in Chriff, both which are in the Heavens, and which are in Earth, even in him. He defigned tivae, saeidaa.9u, to bring an into one bead, and rule in him. It is not aftmilitude taken from Gaffing up accounts , wherein liferfumms are in the dote brought into one head; as Tome haveimagined ; nor yet an Allufion to Orators, who in the clofe of their long Orations, fummup the matter theyhave at large treated of, that the Apoftle makes ule of; both which are beneath the Majefly of, and no way fuited to illuftrate the matter hehath in hand. But as Chryff}ome well intimates ou the place, it is as if he had faid, µiav x.epeAl, llvaurr iíenxe, he appointed one head to them all , Angels and Men, withwhatfoever in the firft conflitution of the Divine Government was fubordinate unto them, So we have found the objea and extent of the Heir/hip ofChritt, expreffed in this word areiv1cv, which I shall further ex- plain in that brief Scheme ofthewhole Kingdom of Chrift, which to the Expofition of theft words (hall be fubjoyned. I V. 'Nino; The way whereby Chrift the Son came to his Inheritance is in this N ronwe; word expreffed. God appointed or placedhim therein : The Word maydenote either thofefpecial xis whereby he came into thefull poffiffion of his Heirlhip, or it may be extended to other preparatory Alls that long preceeded them ; efpecially i we (hall take it to be of the fame importance with Hera in the recondaoriftus. In the former feofe the glorious inveffiture ofthe LordChrift, in the full aéhaal pofCeflion of his Kingdom after his Refurrefrion, with the manifeftation of it inhis Afcenfois, and token of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=