VER. 4. Epi/lletothe Hs BR EWs. wherein the Apofile thews them that this Truthwas taught and confirmed. But they weredull andflow is making Application of thefe Principles unto the confirma= tion of theirfaith in the Gofpd, as theApolfle chargeth them, Chap. 5. r 1, a 2. And they had at that time great Speculations, about the Glory Dignity and Excellency of Angels, and were fallen intoCome kind dryer/hippingof them. And it may be this Curiefity Vanity and Superffition in them, was heightned by the heat Of the Contro- verfiebetween thePharifees and Sadducesabout them ; the one denying their Exigence and being, the other whom the body of the People followed, exalting them above meafure, and inclining to the WorJhip of them. This the ApoJtle declares, Col. a. 18. treatingof thofe Judaizing Teachers who then troubled the Churches, he chargeth them with fruitlefs and curious Jpeculations about Angels , and the worfhipping of them. And of their Minifry.in the giving of the Law they ffill boafled. h was neceffary therefore, to take them off from this Confidence of that Priviledge, and the fuperflition that enfued thereon, to inflrud them in the Preheminence' of the Lord Chrill above them all ; that fo their thoughts might be directed unto him, and their Trull plàced inhim alone. Andthis Exaltation of the Mßîah, fome of their latter Dodfors affert on Dan. 7. 9. 1+01 jto17 » 1y P1'1i1 :1iri, I beheld until the Thrones were fit,placed, exalted, as in the Original Chaldee ; and as all old Trantlations, Greek, Latin, Syriackand Arabic& render the wends ( however Ours read, untill the Throneswere calf down ) affirming that one of thofe Thrones was fur theMcJJìab, before whom allthe Angels miniftred inobedience. Secondly; It maynot be amils to remarkthat the Jews have alwayes had a Tradi- tion of theglorious name of theMetliah ; which even fine their utter Rejedbon they retain fome obfcure remembrance of. The name which they principally magnifie is j11tttati,Metatron. Ben Vzziel in hisTargum on Gen. 5. afcrib:s this name to Enoch when he was tranflated, be *ended into Heaven in the wordof the Lord,mu) Nip N11 í110b j11IDt.TO, and his name was called Mitatron the great Scribe. But this opinionof Enoch beingMetatron isreje5red and confuted in theTalmud. There they tell us that Metatron is C513.t1 `1w the Prince of the world: or as Elias calls himin Thisbi i=1 ": 1w, the Prince ofGods Prefence. And in. the fitti mention of this Name which is Talmud.Trail. Saved. cap. 4, fol. 38. they plainly.intimate that they in- tendedan untreatedAngel by this Expre(fion. And fuch indeed mutt He be, unto whom maybe aflìgned what they afcribeunto Metatron. For as Reuchlin from the Cabba- lilts informs us, they fay, Ti1t7w3 ritto 61W 11; The Teacher of Mofes bimfilf war Metatron. He it is, faithElias, that is the Angel alwayes appearing in the Prefence elf God, ofwhom it is faid, My name is in him. AndtheTalmudiJts, that he hath power to blot out the fins of IJrael : whence they call him the Cbancellour of Heaven. And Bethaion Exod. 23. affirms, that this name lignifies both a Lord, a Mefnger, and a Keeper. A Lord becaufe he ruleth all; a Munger becaufe he flands alwayes before God to dohis Will ; and a Keeper, becaufehe keepeth Ifrael. I confefs the Etymologie that hegives of this name to that purpofe, is weak and foolith ; as is alfo that of Elias; whotells us that Metatron is it pub, in the GreekTongue; one lint. But yet it is evident what is intended by all there obfcure Intimations ; the inereated PrinceofGlory, and his Exaltation over all, with the Excellency of his name, isaim- ed at. For the word it felt; it is either a weer corruption of the Latinword Me- diator, fuchas is ufualamongff them, or a Gematrical Fiction to anfwer +1W, the Al- mighty, therebeing a coincidence in their numeral letters. TheDot rive of the Preference andPreheminenceofChrill is Witted onby theApoftle unto the Endof this Chapter ; and therefore I (hall not treat of it, untill we have gone through all the Proofs of it produced; and then but briefly neither having already in part fpoken of it, in our Confideration of his Soveraigney and Lordfhip overall. That which weare peculiarly inlru6ted in by thefewordsis , that, All Preheminence andExaltation of one above others, depends on the fuprearrl Cotlnfel and Will ofGod. The inflame he gives of him who is exalted over all, futñcientl i confirms ourge- neral Rule. Hehad his Name, denoting his Glory andexcellency by Inheritance at' heritage defigned for him, andgiven untohim in theCounfel, Will and good plea- Fff fut8 75
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