VER. 3. Epi to the HEBREWS, others. They all abideand exist feverally, and confift together, in their Order, and Operation, by the Word ofthe Power ofChrist ; and what he will communicate by them, that they will yield and afford, and nothing elfe. In themfelves they are broken Ci/ternsthat will hold nowater ; what he drops into them may be derived unto us, and no more. They who rift upon them, or reit in them, without thecon- fideration of their confiant dependance on Chrilt, will find at length all their hopes difappointed, and all their Enjoyments vanifh into nothing. 2. Learn hence alto the full, abfolute, plenary felf-fufciency and Soveraignty of the Sonour Saviour. We (hewed before the Vniverfality of his Kingdom and Moral Rule over the whole Creation ; but this is not all. A King hath a MoralRule over his SubjeQs in his Kingdom; but hedgth not really and phyftcally give them their Being and Exiftence ; he doth not uphold and all them at his pleafure; but every one of them (land therein upon thefame, or an equal bottom with himfelf. He cati indeed by the permitfionofGod, take away the Lives of any of them, and fo put an end to all their alingr and operations in this World ; but he cannot give them life, or continue their lives at his pleafure one moment, or make them fo much as to move afinger. But with the Lord Chrilt it is otherwife ; he not only ruler over all the whole Creation, difpofing of it according to the Ruleand Law of his own Coun- fel and pleafure ; but alto they all have their Being:, Natures , Inclinations, and Lives from him; by his Power are they continuedunto them, and all their A (ions are influenced thereby. And this as it argues an All fufficiency in himfelf, fo an abfe-- lute Soveraignty overall other things. And this (hould teach us our confront depen- dance on him, andour univerfal fubjetïion unto him. I. And this abundantly difcovers theVanity and folly of them, who make ufe of the Creation in an Oppofition unto the Lord Chrilt, and ihis peculiar intere(t in this World. Hisown Power is the very ground that they (land upon in their Oppofition unto him ; and all things which theyufe againsthim, confoof in him. They hold their Lives abfolutelyat the pleafure of him whom they oppofe ; and they at against him, without whofe continual fupportment and influence, they could neither live nor all one moment, which is the greateft madneß, and molt contemptible folly imaginable. PRoceed we now with our Apoffle in his defcription of the Perfonand 0fcer of j the Meffiah. This beginningofthe Epifle, as hath been declared, contains afummary Propofiti- on of thofe things, which the Apoffle intends feverally to infili upon throughout the whole. And thefe all relate to the Perfon.and Offices of the Mefftab, the principal fubjeét of this Epilfle. Having thereforeflrft declared him to be thegreat Prophet of the NewTestament ; and Secondly, the Lord, Ruler and Governour of all things, as alto manifefled the Equity of the Grant of that univerfal Sovereignty untohim, from the Excellency of his Perfon on the account of his Divine Nature, and the Opera- tions thereof in the works ofCreation and Providence, he ,proceeds to fmifh and dole his general propofition of the Argument of the Epiftle, by a brief intimation of his Prieffly-Office, with what he did therein, andwhat enfuedthereon, in the re- twiningwords of this Verfe. And this Order and Methodof the Apoftle, is required by the natureof the things themfelves whereof he treats. For the work of purging fine, which as a Priest he affigns unto him, cannot well be declared, without a previous manifestation of his Divine Nature. For it is opur Seavd'texñ,, a work of himwho is God andman. For as God takes it to be his property to blot out ourfine, fo he could not have done it bybimjef, had he not been man alto t And this is afierted in the next words. ói lour; saOarrvoly manerdiaevP ,l rivatre4v Having by himelf purged our fins. TheVulgar Latin renders thefe words; purgationempeccatorum facienr; not without fundry millakes. ForFirft, Thofe words, Jí .4aur, by himfelf, and eitea-v, our, are omitted ; and yet the Emphafir and proper fenfe of the whole depends upon them. Secondly, crarmdµer -, having made, is rendered in the prelim Tenf, making, which fees to direr`# the fenfèof the words to another thing and A Pion ofChrift, thanwhat ishere intended. And thereforetheExpottors of the Roman Church, as Tbomari: .t4
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