É>z. ,d;7,8,9. Epiflle to the n Eh lì lù w s: 2®ì the people for Holinefs in all their Worlhip and Cervices ; becauf no people hadGod nigh unto them as they had. And yet that nearnefs which he inllied en, was bat that of his lnflitutions, and fome vifible Pledges and Reprefcntations therein of hisPre- fenceamong them ; nowmuch more cogent mull the confiderations of this real and fßiritual nearnefl which God hath taken us unto himfelf io, by Terns, needs be to the fame purpofe. All that wedo, we do it immediately unto Ibis ho! God ; not only un- derhis Eye, and in his Prefence; but in an efpecialand immediate relatico unto him by Jefus Chrifl. Verle V 1. THe Aponte hath (hewed; that the World to come which the Judaical Church look- cd for, was not made fabjeli unto Angels , no mention of any fach thing being made in the Scripture. That which he affames tomake good his Alfertion of the Pre- heminence of the LordJefas above theAngels, is, that until him it waspat in fabjeition: And this he doth not expreily affirm in words of hisown; but inlìnuateth in a Teli- loony out of the Scripture, whichheciteth andurgeth unto that purpofe. And this Way heproceedeth for theretwo ends. ( r. )To evidence that what he taught was fuitableunto the Faith of the Churchofold, and contained in the Oracles committed un- to it ; whichwas his efpecial way of dealing with thcfe Hebrews: ( a. ) That he might from the Words of that Teftimony take- occafnon to obviate a great ObteCtion againft theDignity ofChrill; and Myfteriesof the Gofpel, taken from his Humiliation and Death, and thereby make way to a farther Explicationof many other Parts or As of his' Mediation s many Difficulties there are in the Words and Expreffions of thefe Verfes, more in the ApultiesApplication of the Teltimony by him produced; unto the Perron and End by him intended, all which, God Ailing, we (hall endea- vour to remove : And to that End 1hall confider, r. Theway and manner of his introducing this Teftimóny which is peculiar: a. TheTefiimorty it fe[f produced; with anExplication of the meaning and impor- tance of the Words, in the Place from whence it is taken. 3. The Applicationofit unto the Apolles purpofe , both as to the Perfora intended, and as to the efpecial End aimed at. And, 4. Farther unfold, what the Apostle adds about the death andfullringsofChrilt, as included in this Tellimony, though not intendedas to the fled ufe and deignof it: And, S: Vindicate the Apofiles Application of this Tellimony, with our Explication of it accordingly, from the Objeetions that Comehave made againft it. All which we (hall pafs through as theyprefent themfelves unto us in theText it Celf - Firft, Themanner of his citing this Telimony is fomewhat peculiar. One teflifiedin a certain place : Neither perfon nor place being fpecified. At though he had intend- ed, uitfT' 'V, a certain Perfora whom he would not name. But the Reáfon of it is plain; both Perjin andPlace were fufficientlyknown to them to whom he wrote. And theSyriac&Tranflationchangeth the Exprellion in the Text into, but as the Scripture *itnefrthand faith; without Cauce. The Hebrews were not ignorant whofi words they were which he made ufe of,- nor where they were recorded.. The one there mentioned is David ; and the certain place is the eighth Pfalm ; vihereofmuchneed not- to be added. A Pfalm it is t1v t rn4nr,, of the High Praifes of God; andfucls Pfalms do molly, ifnot all of .them refpedt the Mejpahand his Kingdom, as the Jews themfelves acknowledge. For the time of the Compofure of this Pfalm they have a conjedlure which is not altogether improbable; namely, that it was in, the Night whileft hekept his Fathers (keep. Hence in his Contemplation ofthe Works of God; he inftls on the Moon and Stars then glorioufly prefenting themfelves unto him, not mentioning the Sunwhich appeared not: So alfo in the Dilribution that he makes of the things here below that amonglt others are 'made fubjeet unto man, he fixeth - in the firlt place on i77y, flocks of Sheep, which were then peculiarly under his care.. So lhould all the works ofGod, and thole efpecially about which we areconverfant in -. our particularCallings, excite us to t-e Admiration of his Glory, and Praile of his name : And none are ufually more void of holy thoughts of God, than thofe who letthemfelves inno way acceptable unto him. This is theplace from whence thisTe- ftimonj
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=