VE R. 5. Wit, to the HE n R Ew S. The allegation of thefe wordsby the Apofile being thus fully and at large vitidi- cated, I thall now briefly enquire into the fence and meaning of the words them- felves. It was before obferved, that they are not produced by the Apofile to prove the NaturalSonfhip ofJefus Chrift, nor do they lignifie it ; nor were they urgedby him to confirm direétly and immediately that he is more excellent than the Angels, of whom there is nothing .fpoken in them, not in the place fromwhence theyare taken. But. the Apoffle infifis on this tdlimony, meerly in confirmation ofhis former Argument, for thepreheminence ofthe Son above Angels, taken fromthat more excellent Name which he obtained by inheritance ; whichbeing the Name of the SonofGod, he hereby proves that indeed he was fo called by God hisnfelf. Thus then do thefe words confirm the intention ofthe Apofile. For towhich of the Angels laid God at any time; Iwill be tohima Father, and he(hall be to mea Son. The wordscontain a great andftgnal priviledge , they are fpokenunto and concern- ing the Mefiab; and neither they nor any thing equivalent unto them ,were ever fpoken ofany Angel ; efpecially the Name of the Sonof God, fo emphatically, and in way ofdiltin&ion from all others, was never allignedunto any ofthem. And this; as hathbeen already (hewed, provesan Eminent' and Preheminence in him, above all that the Angels attain unto. All this, I fay, follows from the peculiar lignal Appro- priation oftheName ofthe Sonof God untohim ; and his efpecial Relation unto God therein expreffed. Briefly, we may adjoyn the intentionof the words as in themfelves confidered, and focomplete the Expohtion ofthem. NowGod promifeth in them to be unto the Lord Chrilt, as exalted intohis Thront, a Father, in love,care, power, to protet`dand carryhim on in his Rule unto the end ofthe world. And therefore upon his Afcen- fión he.faysthat he went untohis God and Father, Yoh. 20. ty. And he rules in the Name andMajeffy ofGod, Mir. 5.4. Thisis the importance ofthe words; they intend not theEternal and Natural Relation that is between the Father and Son, which nei- ther is, not can be the fubjed ofanyPromife, but the Paternal careof God over Chrift inhis Kingdom, and the dearnefs ofChrift himlclfunto him. If itbe asked onwhat account God would thus be a Father unto Jefus Chrift in this peculiarmanner, it mitt be anfwered, that the radical fundamental caufe ofit lay in the Relation that was between them from his Eternal Generation ; but he ma- nifeffed himfelfto be his Father, and engaged to deal with him in the love and care of aFather, ashe had accomplifhed his work of Mediation on the Earth, and was exalted unto his Throne and Rule in Heaven. And this is thefirft Argument ofthe Apofile, whereby he proves that the Son, as the Revealer ofthe Mind and Will of God in the Gofpcl, is made more excellent than the Angels, whofe Glory was a refuge to the Jews in their adherance to Legal Rites and Adminifirations, evenbecaufc they were given unto' them by the Difpofition Of Angels. According unto our propofedmethod, we midi in our progrefs draw hence allo fome Inftruétions for our own ufeand edification. As, a. Every thing in the Scriptureis inftruiïive. The Apofiles arguing in this place is not fo much from the thing fßoken, asfrom the manner wherein it is fpoken: even that anis highlyMytterious. Soare all the concernment of it. Nothing is in it needlefs, nothingufelefs. Men fometimes perplex themfclves tofind out thefuitablenefi of fome Teltimonies producedout ofthe Old Telament unto the confirmation of things and DoCdrines in the New,by the Pen-men ofthe holy Ghofi ; when all the difficulty arifeth from afondconceit,' that they can apprehend the depth and breadth of the Wifdom that is laid up in any one Text of Scripture ; when the Holy Ghoft may have a principal aim at thofe things whichthey arenot able todive into. Every letter and tittle of it is teaching, and every thingchar relates unto it, is inflruliive in the Mind ofGod. And it mutt be fo, becaufe, r. It proceeds from infrniteTlifdon:, which hathput an imprefs ofit felflapon ït, and filled all itscapacitie, with its blelfed etfedts. In the whole Frame, Stru6'úre and Order of it, in the Senfe, Words,Coherence, Expreffion, it is filled with Wifdom; which makes theCommandment exceeding broadand large, fo that there is no abfolute coïnprehenlion of it in this life. Wecannot perfeetlytrace the foot-fleps of infinite Wifdom, nor find out all the Effeéis and charadtersof it, that it hath left upon the Word, The whole Scriptureis full ofTcVifdorn, as the. Sea isofWater, which fills and covers all the parts ofit. And, Ggg a z, Becaufe
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=