94 elnExpof:tion of the CH AP. I she earth So that the LordChriytt being thefir({-born, is but the,fame which we have infiftedon, ofhis being Heir ofall, which was the priviledge of the firfi-born. And this priviledge was fometimes tranfmitted unto others that were not the firft-born, al- though the natural court of their nativitycould not be changed : Gen. 21. so. chap. 49. v. 32 4; 8. The Lord Chrift then, by the appointment of the Father, being en- trufted with the wholeInheritance off-leaven and Earth, and Authority to difpofe of it, that he might give qut pottions to all the roil of God's family is, and is called the firfi-born thereof. There remains now but one word more to be conídered for the opening of this Introduétion of the waning Teftimony ; and that is ztyey befaith; that is, Godhim- felffaith; they are His words which íhall be produced. What ever is Token in the Scripture in his name, it ishisfjeaking, and he continueth to fpcak it unto this day. He fgeaks in the Scripture unto theend of the world. This is the foundation of our faith, that whichit rifeth from, and that which it is refolved into ; God#eaketb, and I fuppofe we need no interpofition of Church or Tradition to give Authority or Cre- dit untowhathefags orffeaks. This then is the fumof there words oftheApofile, Again, in another place, where the .HolyGbo(i fore-tells the bringing forth into the world, and amongfi men, him that jr the Lord and Heir ofall, to undertake his work, and t.) enter into his Kingdom and Glory, the Lord rfeaks to this pttrpo f, Let all theAngelo ofGodworfhip him. Tomanifeft this teliimony to be appotite unto the confirmation of the Apoftles affertionithreethings are required. r. That it is theSon who is intended and fpoken of in the placefrom whence. the wordsare taken, andfo defigned as thePerfon to be worthipped. 2. That they are Angels that are fpoken unto, and cdmmanded to wor(hip him. 3. That on thefe fuppofitions, the words prove the Preheminence. of Chrift above the Angels. For the two former; with them that acknowledge the Divine Authority of this Epiftle, it is fufficient in general to ,give them fatisfalion. The place is applied unto Chrift, and this paffage unto the minifiring Angels, by the fame Spirit who firtt wrote that Scripture. But yet there is room left for our enquiry how there things may be evidenced, *hereby the flrengthof the Apofiles Reafonings with - them who were not yet convinced ofthe infallibility of his Alfertions, any farther than they were confirmed by teflimonies out of the Old Teltament, and the faith of the "Antient Churchof the Hebrews in this matter, maybe made to appear ; as alf6a check given to theirboldnefs, who upon pretence ofthe impropriety' ofthefe Allegations have que- ftioned the Authority of the whole Epiltle. And our fìr(i enquiry mutt be, whence this tetlimony is taken. Many of the An- tienes, asEpiphanius, Theodoret,Euthymiur, Procopius,ánd Anfelm, conceive the words to be cited fromDeut. 32. 42. where they expreflyoccur in the Tranflation of theLXX. 'Evndie5 ss Toçmoi á ce ekn , lb u seiiuriw4Tniasp dvs44 ad/76c ityye>,oi ©i Rejoyce ye Heavens with him,and letall the Angels ofGod worfhip him. But there are two confide- rations that put it beyond all pretenfions that the words arenottaken from this place of the LXX. t. Becaufe indeed there are nofilch words in the Original Text, nor any thing . fpoken that might giveoccafion to the fenfe expreffed in them ; but that whoreVerfe is infested in the GreekVerfon quite befides the fcope ofthe place. Now though it may perhaps be fafely granted, thatthe Apoftles inciting the Scripture of the Old Teftament, did fometimes ufe.the words of the GreekTranflation then in ufe, yea, though notexaá according to the Original whilft the fence and meaning of theHoly Ghoft was retained in them ; yet to cite that from the Scripture as the word and teftimonyof God, which indeed is not therein, nor was everfpoken by God, but by humane failure and corruption crept into the GreekVerfion, is not to be imputed unto them. And indeed I no way quettion, but that this addition unto the Greek Text in that place, was made after the Apofile had ufed this teftimony. For it is not unlikely, but that fome confidering of it, andnot confidering fromwhence it was ta- ken, becaufe the words occur not abfolutely and exactly in the Greek any where, inferted it into that place ofMofes, amidit.other wordsof an alike found, andCome- what an alike importance ; filch as immediately precede and follow the claufe inCerted. 2. The Holy Ghoff is not treaeng inthat place about the Introduction of the Ffrft- born
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