V SR. 3. Ep:ftle to the HE B li E w s. gq Hereofour Saviour faith, My Father worketh bitherta,'?as eitrt, oryet ; andIwork: that is, in the providentialJùf#entation ofall things madéat thebeginning. Andthis, faith Chrfofiomon this 'place, is agreater work than that of the Creation. By theformer, all things were brought forth fromnothing; by the latter are they preferved from that return untonothing, which their ownnature, not capable of exiftence without depen. dance ón their firft caute, and their perpetual conftifk by contrariety of Qaalitics, would precipitatethem into. 2. Some take the word to exprefs his ruling, governing, anddiffofing ofall things by him made, and (which is fuppofed)fuffained; and Co it may denote the putting forth of that power over all things which isgiven unto the Son as Mediator ;-or elfe that providential rule over all, which he hath with his Father ; which feems ratherto be intended, becaufeofthe way expreffed whereby he exercifeth this Rule, namely, by theWord ofhis Power. The cite of the word tiro is not foobvious in this latter fenfe, as it is in the former. As in theProverb, a dttiuepet rub yn pópm., imlt, l pot ròv goiio; But I fee no reafon whywe fhould fitppofe an inconfffency in there fenfes, and not rather conclude that they arcboth of them implyed. For as abfolutely it is the fameDivine Power and Pro- vidence which is exercifed in the upboldiotg, and the rulingor difpolingofall things fo all Rule and Government is *matterof weight andburden; and he who rules or governsothers, is faid to bear or carrythem. So Mofs expreffeth his Rule ofthe Peo- ple in the Wildernefs, Numb. s r. r 7; 12. Thou &Oput, faithehe, Ntt70 the weight or burden of this people upon me, and thou haft Paid, 1rlttwU, bear or carry them in thy bofome: And hence from NW), to bear or carry, is Wu), aPrince or Ruler, that is, one that carries, and hears the burden of the people, that upholds and rules them. To bear then, oruphold, and to ruleand dif$f, may be both well intended in this word; as they are both expreffed in that Prophetic of Chrift, Ifa. 9 6. The rule orgovernment Thal be on his (boulder ; that together withhis Power and Rule he mayfuftain and bear the weight ofhis pacple. Only whereas this is done amongft men with much labour and travel, he doth is by an inexprefbble facility, by the Wordofbie Power. And this is Cafe, to take the exprellìon in its moil comprchenfive fenfe. But whereasthe phrafe offpeech:irfelfis no where elfe ufedin the NewTettament, nor is adtu applied unto any fuch purpofe elfe where, ( thoughonce estóurvosbe taken- for alias or agitaras r Per. r.) we may enquire w t word it was among the He- brews that the Apoffle intended to exprefs, whereb had formerly been inftruéïed in the famematter. r. It may be heintended 57770, a participle from 517, tofuJfain, to bear, to endure; as Mal; 3. 2. it liignifies alto to feed, nourifh and cherifh; t King. 4. Ruth 4. 15. Zech. i'i. 16. 4,ieon 7e aávra, that is, tt7 57470, fuftinens, nutrient omnia, fufainingand eberijhingall things. 'But thisword hath no refpee unto Ruleor difpofal ... And in this fenfe, äs the work ofCreatioü is eminently alcribedunto the Father, whois Paid to make all thing's by the Son,- fothat ofthe prefervation and cherifhingofall things. is here peculiarly afg d unto the Son. And this is not unfuitable unto the analogy offaith. For it was the erofGod that was eminently exalted; and is c-onfpicuoufy Ceen in. the work of Creation, as theApoftledeclares, Rom. r. no. although that power was - accompanied alto with infinite Wifdom;, and it is thewifdom of God that is molt emi- nently manifelted in theprefervationof all things, though that wifdom bealto exer- cifed in power infinite. At leaf} in the contefnplation of the works of the Creation, we are lead by the wonder of the infinite Power whereby they werewrought, to the confideration ofthe Wifdom that accompanied it ; and that which inthe worksofPro- vidence firlt prefents it felf unto our minds, is the infinite Wifdom whereby all things are difpoftd; which leads us alto to the admiration ofthePower cxpretfed in them.. Now it is ufual with theScripture to ailign the things wherein Power is moil eminent, unto the Father; asthoCe wherein Wifdom ismoil confpicuoufly exalted, unto the Son, who is the EternalW,fdorrí of theFather. And this Cenfe isnot unfuitable unto the Text; z :14W1 is another word that may be intended, and this denotes a bearinglike a Prince inGovernment-, asatiwa. And in this fenfe theword ought to be referred unto Chrift as Mediator, entrulted with Power and Ruleby the Father. But neither the words nor Context will well bear this fenfe. For, r. It is mentioned before, where it is Paid that he is appointedheir of all; and it is not likely that the Apoffle in this funf- moery deferiptionof the Perron and Offices oftheMeffiah, would twicementionthe fame D d thing
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=