VER.Ìo,II,IZ. Ep/lleto the HEBREWS. I19 . tator. For if the Apoftle wouldnot produce the very next words to the teffimony by by him brought, becaufe they did not belong unto himof whom he fpake , it proves undeniably that all thofe which he doth fo urge and produce were properly fpokenof him. AndI cannot reach the ffrength ofthis inference, becaufe in a place where all that was ffoken was not/Palenof Chrift, the Apoftle makes ofe of what was fo ffoken ofhim, and omits that whichwas not; therefore of that which he 'cloth produce in the next place, fomewhat does belong to him, and fomewhat does not. If any thing be offered to this purpofe, it muff be in an' inffance ofa tettimony produced, . in the words whereof, which are produced, and not in what may follow in the fame Cha- pter andPfàlm, there is that affirmed, which dotlitnow nomorebelong unto Chrilt, than the making of heaven or earth belongeth to' this Writer, which is the cafe in hand. Havingpremifed thefe general confrderations, he makes Applicationofthem in particu- lar tohis Interpretation ofthis Teffimony ufed by the Apoftle. Thef words, faithhe, being firff exprefly ffoken ofGod, and here by this Writer referred unto Chriff, we muff confider what in them makes to hisfèope andpurpofè, what if agreeable to the nature and condition of Chrifi, whocertainy was a man; and firth certainly ü not He which the PfalmPeaks of about the Creation of heaven and earth. And this was well known to themwith whom theApoftle had to do. . But anyone may perceive that thefe things are fpoken gratis, and upon the fuppo- fitáon that Chriff was a meer Man, and not God by Nature. When the words them- felves afcribing a pre-exiffence to the World, and Omnipotency unto him, do prove the contrary. What is thefcopeofthe Apoftle in the whole difcourfe under conl deration, hath been(hewed; asalfo howdirelly this whole Tejtimony tends to the proof ofwhat he had propofed. It is true, that the words are fpoken ofhim who if God, but no lefs true, the Apoftle being judge, thatit isthe Son ofGod who is that God. It is true, that he alfo was Man, andnothing is afcribed unto him but what belongs unto him, who was Man, but not as be was man. And fuch was the Creation of Heaven and Earth. The opinion ofthef men is, thatwhereas two things are mentioned in the words, the Creation of the world, which was paff ; and the didlutionor elylruelion ofit, which was tocome, that the latter is alñgned unto Chriff, but not theformer : and for this divifionof the words, which confeffedly is not in the kalif intimated by the Apoilc, he gives theft reafons. r. All the words of the Pfalm being manifefflyfpoken of the high God, and no word in the Pfalm declaring Chriff to be'that God, yet ofnecefny if theft words be applied unto Chriff, he muff befuppofed to be the high God therefpoken of. But ifthis Divine Writer had taken this for granted, he had been eminently foolifh to go about to prove by Arguments andTeffimonies, that the Creator doesexcel all creatures. He jhouldufe in a matter no waydoubtful witnefs noway neceffary. This is the frill Keafon wherebyhe would prove that the Apoftle did not apply the words to Chrift, though himfelf fay plainly that he does; for his Preface to them is, But to the Son hefaid : Or that ifhe doth fo, he doth it wondrous foolifhly ; for fuch li- bertydo poor worms take to themfelves. That the P/aim fo fpeaketh ofthe high God, that it direhly and peculiarly intends Chriff the Son ofGod, hash been in part de- clared, and (hall farther afterwards beevinced. And the Elogium in theft words given unto him proves him to befo. And though he affirm that it was afoolijb thing in the Apoffle to prove from the works ofhim that is God, that he is above the Angels, the moff glorious of made creatures, yet God himfelf moll frequently from theft his works,his Omnifcience,Omniprefence, and other Attributes declared in 'them, proves hisexcellency in comparifonofIdols, whichhave no exittence but in the imagination amen. See lfa.4r.2o,2r, &c. By thiseeffimony then, the Holy Ghoff with infinite Wifdom proves, that hé who was made leflfara little while than the Angels, inone refpe6f, wasabfolutely and in his own perfn infinitelyabove them, as being the Creator ofHeaven and Earth. He addes, Secondly, Tbofe Hebrews to whom he wrote were either perfwaded that Chriff was God, the Creator ofHeaven and Earth, or they were not; ifthey were what needof all thefeArguments andTeffimoniés ? one word might have di/patched this whole controverfie, by aftrming that. Chrifl was the Creator, Angels creatures, between whom there couldbe no comparifon; nor any Kafon tofear ;hat the Lawgiven by the Admini- illratitn ofAngels fhouldbe preferred to the Gofpel whereof he was the Author: if we fhafl
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