Author of the untothe fpreading ofthis unto theHebrews, of whichwe have already difcourfcd, can- not rationally otherwifeconceiveof it but as an eminentfruit ofthe Good Providence of God; that it thould fo foon receive fopublickan4tteation from the firft Churches, as it evidently appears tohave done. 27. TheEpiJtle it fill' feveralwages dfóversits Author. Some of them we (hall briefly recount. (`i.) TheperzeralArgument andScope of it declares it to be Pods. Hereof there are two parts/: ( s. ) The Exdltationofthe Perron, Office, and Grace of out LordJefus Chritt, with the Excellency of the Gofpeland the Worship therein commanded, revealed by him. ( a. )A Difeóvery of the Nature, VJ¢ and Expiration of Mofaical. Inttitations, their prefent tinprofitablenefs , and Leafing oftheir obligation unto obedience. The firif part, we may grant tò have been equally thedefign of all the Apoftles, though we Lind it in a peculiar way infiltedon in theWritings of Paul The latter was his fpecial work and bufinefs. This partly ex it Iituro , partlyoccafonaly from the oppofition òf the Jews,was he ingaged in thepromotion of, all the world over. The Apoele., of the Circumcífion according to theWifdom given them, and fuitable to the nature of their work, did more accommodate themfelves to the prejudicate Opinion of the JewiJh Pro- felfors; and the roll of the Apoffles had little occatioñto deal with them, or others on thisfubjed . Paul in an eminent manner in this work bare the burthen of that day. Havingwell fetled all other Churches, who were troubled in this Controverfie by Come of the Jews, he at loft treatswith themfelves directly in this Epiffie, giving an account of what he had elfewherePreachedand taught to tinspurpofé, and the grounds that he proceeded upon; and this not without great fuccefs, as the burying of the Judaicvl Controverfienot longafter doth manifeft. (a. )The Methodof his'proecedure is the fame with that of his other Epittles,which alto was peculiar untohint:- Now this inmoll of them, yea irt all of them not regu- latedby fome particular occafions, is f,rft to laydown theDoi"trinal *fierier of the Go- fpel, vindicating them from Oppofitions and Exceptions, and then todefceud to Ex- hortations,unto Obedience deduced from. them, with an enumeration of fuch pedal Moral Duties, as thofe unto whomhe wrote,flood in need tobe minded of. This is the general Methodof his Epiftles, to the Romans, Eph f ans, Colpnr, Philippians, and the molt of the ref(. And this alto is obferved in this Epifile. Only whereas he had a fpeci- al refped't unto theApo(Ley ofCome of the Hebrews, occafioned bythe Perfecution which thenbegan to growhigh again(ft them, what ever Argument or Tellimony in his paf- fage gave him advantage topreis an Exhortationunto conftancy, and todeterr them from backEliding, he layes hold upon it, anddiverts into prallical Inferences unto that pur- pofe, beforehe comes to hisgeneral Exhortations towardsthe end of the Epiftle. Ex- cepting thisoccafionaldifference, the Methodof this is the fame with that ufed in the other Epittles ofPaul, and which was peculiarlyhis own. ( 3. ) His WayofArgument in this and his other Epifiles is the fame. Now this as we fhall fee, is Sublime and Myfica, accommodated rather to the SpiritualReafn of Believers, than the ArtificialRules ofPhilofophers. That he fhould more abound with 70imonierandQuotations out of the Scripture ofthe Old Tcflament in this, thanother Epifles, as he doth, the Matter whereof he treats, and thePerfono to whom he wrote did neceffarily require. (4.) Many things in this Epiftle evidentlymani£eft that he who wrote it, was not only mighty in the Scripture, but alfo exceedingly well verfed and skilfull in theGufoms, Practices, Opinions, Traditions,Expofstionsand ApplicationsofScripture then received in the jar/aka/Church, as we (hall fully manifelt in our progress: Now who in thofe ¿ayes among theDifeiples ofChrist could this be butPauly For as be wasbrought upun- der oneof the Belt and Mod. Famous of their Mafters in thofe dayes, andprofited in the Knowledgeof their then prefent Religion above his Equals, fo for want of this kind of Learning, the Jews efteemedthe chiefof the other Apofties, Peter and John,to be Ideots andVnlearned. (i.)Sundry particulars towards andin thedaft of the Epiftle, openly proclaimPaul tohave been the Writer of it. As, j. The mention that hemakesof his bonds, and the Compafon that theHebrews"hewed towards him in bir Jieffirings, and whileft he was a Prifoner, Chap. so. 34. Now as theBondsofPaulwere afterwards famousat Rome, Phil. a. t3. So therewasnot any thing of greater notoriety in reference to the Church of God in thofedayes, than thofe thathefufferedinJndea; which he minds them of inthis Exprel1on. With what .earnefi endeavours, what rageand tumult, the Rulers and Bo- dy
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