36 .Author of the by theProfefiiou of the Faith, from thatdeftruEfion that was to come upon them by Fire. ThisLong fuf ring of God the unbelieving Jews, notundexfanding to be particu- lar,fcoffed at, and themwho threatned them withfuch an iffue or event of it, 2 Epiff. Chap. 3.v. 4. which caufeth the Apoftle to declare the Nature and End of this Long- fttferingwhich they were ignorant of, ver. 9.. Andthus ( Secondly, ) was this particular LongApring'of God towards. the Jews, whileft the Gofpel was Preached into them before their final Deflation, Salvation; in that GodJeared them, and allowed them to abide for a while intheObservation of their OldWorfhip andCeremonies, granting them in the mean. time blefl'ed means of Light and Infrudtion to bringthem toSalvation. And (Thirdly, ) This is declaredby St. Paul in this Epifile not that this is formal- ly and in terms the main Doétrine of the Epiltle, but that really and effcd wally he acquaints them with the intentionof the Lord in his Longfufring towards them, and peculiarly ferves that Longfufring of Chrift in his Infruëtion of them. And there- fore after he hath taught them the trueNature, üle and End of all Mofaical .brJtituti- ons, which they were as yet permitted toufe in the fpecial patience ofGod intimated by St. Peter, and convinced them of the necellity ofFaith in Chriff, and the Profeflion ofhis Gofpel, he winds upall his reafonings; in minding them of the F,ad which fhortly was to be put unto that Longfuffering ofGod whichwas then exercifed towardsthem, Chap. 12.v. 25, 26, 27, 28. So that this Note alit. is eminently Charatieriirical of this Epiltle. 5.In theWriting of the Epifile mentioned by Peter, he fetes to afcribe untoPaul an eminency ofWifdom ; it was written according to the Wifdom given unto hire. As Paul in allother of his Epifiles did exercife that Grace ofWifdom fo alfo in that which he wroteunto the Hebrews, there is no doubt but he exerted andput forth his other Graces ofKnowledge,Zeal, and Lové alto; but yet Peter herein a way of Eminency marketh his Wifdom in that Epifile. It is not Paule Spiritual Wifdom in general in the Knowledge of the Will ofGod, andMyfteries of the Gofpel, which Peter here refers unto; but that fecial HolyPrudence which he exercifed in the compofure of this Epifile, and maintain- ing theTruth whichhedealt with theHebrews about. Andwhat an eminent Character this alfo is of this Epifile, we (hall endeavour, God alfftieg to evince in our Expofition of it. His. fpecial underftanding inall the Myfteries of theOld Teftament, unfolding things hidden from the foundationof the world, his Application of them, with various TeJti- monies and Arguments thatwrapped up theTruth in great Darknefs and Obfcurity, unto the Myfterie ofGod manifeJted in the Flefh, his various intertextures ofKeafonings and Exhortations throughout his Epiltle, his Condefcention to the Capacity, Prejudices and Affeáfions of them to whom he wrote, urging them conflantly with their own PrinciplesandConceiions, do among many other things manifeff the fingular Wifdom whichPeter lignifies to have been ufed inthis Work. 6. It may alto beobferved, that whereas Peter affirms that among the things about which Paulwrote,therewere 708 Frooónla, f me things hard to be undo flood; That Paul in a fpecial manner confeffeth that fomeof the things whichhewas to treatof in that Epitile were d`uoeotiv.d1a, hard tobe declared, uttered or unfolded ; and therefore certainly bard to be underffood, Chap. 5. It. which in our Progrefs we fhall manifeff to be fpokeu not without great and urgent Caúfe, and that in many InJtances,efpecially that direéfed untoby himfelfconcerningMelehìfedeck0 So that this allo gives another Charaiïeriitical Note ofthe EpiltleTeffifiedunto byPeter. I have infiffed the longer upon this 7eftimony, becaufe in my Judgement it is fulñci- ent of its felf to determine this Controverfie s nothing of any importance being by any that I canmeet withall exceptedunto it. But becaufe we want not other Confir- mations of our Affertion , and thofe alto every one of them fngly out-ballancing. the Conjeéfures that are advanced againff it, we thall fubjoyn them alfo in their Order. 4. 25. TheComparing of this Epiltlewith the others of the fame Apofile gives farther Evi- denceunto ourAffertion. I fuppofe it will be coddled, that they only are compe- tent judgesof this Argument, who are well exercifedand cenverfant in his Writings. Unto theirJudgement thereforealone in it dowe appeal. Now the fimilitude between ibis and other Epiftles ofPaul is threefold. (t. ) In Words, Phrafes and mariner of Expretlion. Ofthis fortmany lnitancesmay be given, and fuch a coincidence ofphrafi thatufettedinthan as is not ufually to be obferved between the Writings that have Various or di tiers Authors. But 4. 24. j,
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