y. Kpsírlor anExpofition of the CH A P. I. Angelical. There was noneed fo todo, nordo his Tef imonies prove any fuch thing. Befides, (peaking of Angels, the other part of the comparifon, he treats not of their Nature, but their Office, Work andEmployment, with their honouraiile and glorious Condition therein. Whereas therefore the Apoffle produceth fundry Yefimonies, firming the Deity of theSon, he doth it not abfolutely to prove the Divine Nature con- to be moreexcellent than the Angelical, but only tomanifeft thereby the glorious con- dition of him, who is partakerof it, and confequentlyhis Preheminence above Angels, orthe Equity that it fhould be fo. Neither is the csmparifoit between the Humane Nature ofChrift and the Nature of Angela : For that abfolutely confideerd and in it felt, is inferiour to the Angelical ; whence inregardofhis Participation cf it, he is faid to be made lower than the Angels; chap. z. TheApoftle then treatsof the Perfon ofChriff, God and Man, who was appointed and defignedof God the Father, to be theRevealer ofthe Gof¢el; and Mediator ofthe New Teftament. As fuch, he is the fubjctf oftheenfuing general Propoftion ; as /itch, 'he was fpokenof in the words immediatelyfore-going ; and concerninghim as(itch, are the enfäingteftimonies to be interpreted; even thofe which teftitie his DivineNa- ture, being produced to demonftratethe Excellency ofhis Perfòn, as veiled with the Of- lices ofthe King, Prieft and Prophet of his Church, the great Revealer of the will of God in the tall days. . ToaaíTe, agsivlea yepó(.tepot 7g, dyyíAese áola dsaaaepc;7eprr orap' ¿undre x:xaele- vúpRnxEr úpoµa. TOÇÑTa xgsirlav yev;nevoo,: Syr. 1-11 417 NNP, tt' ipfe tantumpr:effantiorfuit. Bodelian. and bewas fo much more excellent ; at tanto potiorfafaus eft. Tremel. And be is made fo muchmore better ; at ipfe toto exceiit : or asDe Dieu, at hoc totem excellit, And he wholly excelleth; or in all thingshe exeelleth : Vedg. tanto melior falius angelic ; the translation of xeslv7av by melior is blamed by Erafmus, Beza, Vatablus; and isgenerally deferted by the Expofitors of the Roman Church.: And it is hard, ifnot impoflible, to find melior in anygood Author, ufed in the fenfe that xesfhlav is here, and elfe=where con ftantly applied unto. Ours render the wordBetter, made better; to avoid, I believe, à coincidence with that which they exprefsdtraesgeireeer by, more excellent: xpsir"av is pro- perly nobiliór, potentiar, preflantior, excellentior ; more Powerful, Able, Excellent ; as to Love, Hònoux; or State and Condition; as in that ofHomer, Kgeiarav yS Robust); iTe xr'osrae dvd'pi xepnï.. That is, nasuìv áprlar, faith Eufathius, multopotentior, more powerful, able to prevail, revó¡.cePee, or more excellent. rsvi,uvse, fallu,, effetlus ; made, was, became. oiat,toic Foe, dillren- pra¢sga7epet. tius, different, which is fometimes put abfolutely for thebelt things, or things far better than other things that differ, the belt things. Make todiffr, to prefer, make better, Kexantovópcm r Cor. 4. y. Syr. -11tu ri, excellentius, moreexcellent. iasap'spav isboth todillr and excel ; but the diffrentius of the Vulgar yields no goodfenfein this place. x<.xxnenebtaaxe, here- ditavir, fortitus e(1, jure hereditario obtinuit; of the importance of which word, before. Being info machpreferred ( exalted, made eminent) above Angels, ashe ( obtained ) inherited amore excellent namethan they. There are five things confiderable in, and for the Expofitionofthere words. Firlt, What itis that the Apoftle afferts in them as his generalPropofition ; namely, that theSon, as the great Prieft and Prophet of the Church, was preferredabove, and made moreglorious andpowerfulthan the Angels ; and how this wasdone, and wherein it dothconfift. Secondly, When he was fo preferred above them; which belongs unto the Expli- cation and right underflanding of the former. Thirdly; The Degree ofthispreference of him above the Angels, intimated in the cemparifn; being by fo muchmademore excellent, as he bath, &c. Fourthly, The Proofofthe Affection, both abfolutely, and as to the Degree inti- mated; and this is taken from his Name. Fifthly, Theway whereby he came tohave this Name; he obtained it as his lotand portion, orhe inherited it. Firft,
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