THE general scope and design of the apostle in this whole epistle hath been before declared, and need not here be repeated. In this first chapter he fixeth and improveth the principal consideration that he intends to insist on throughout the epistle, — to prevail with the Hebrews unto constancy and perseverance in the doctrine of the gospel. And this is taken from the immediate author of it, the promised Messiah, the Son of God. Him, therefore, in this chapter he at large describes; and that two ways, — 1. Absolutely, declaring what he is in his person and offices, as also what he hath done for the church; and, 2. Comparatively, with respect unto other ministerial revealers of the mind and will of God, especially insisting on his excellency and preeminence above the angels, as we shall see in the explication of the several parts and verses of it.

VERSES 1, 2.

Polumerw~v kai< polutro>pwv pa>lai oJ Qeosav toi~v patra>sin ejn toi~v profh>taiv, ejp j ejsca>twn tw~n hJmerw~n tou>twn ejla>lhsev hJmin ejn UiJw~|, o[n e]qhke klhrono>mon pa>ntwn, di j ou= kai< touhsen.

Many of these words being variously rendered, their true grammatical sense and importance is to be considered before we open the meaning of the whole, and aim of the apostle in them; in which way we shall also proceed throughout the whole epistle.

Polumerw~v . ˆw;gmæ lkuB] , Syr., “in all parts,” or “by many parts.” “Multifariam,” Vulg. Eras., A. Montan., “diversely.” “Multis vicibus,” Beza; which ours render, “at sundry times.” Mei>romai is “sortior,” “divido,”” to part,” “to take part,” “to divide :” whence is me>rov , “the part of any thing;” and polumerh>v , “that which consisteth of many parts;” and polumerw~v, “by many parts;” which is also used as ejn tw~| me>rei , for” alternis vicibus,” “sundry changes.” The word properly is,” by many parts,” “fully,” “by several parts at several times,” as our translation intimates; yet so that a diversity of parts and degrees, rather than of times and seasons, is intended.

Kai> polutro>pwv . ˆw;m]Dæ lkuB]wæ , Syr., “in all forms.” “Multisque modis,” Vulg. Eras., A. Montan., Beza, “many ways ;” or as ours, “divers manners.”

Pa>lai . µydiq] ˆme , Syr., “ab initio,” “from the beginning.” “Olim,” the Latin translation, “of old,” “formerly,” “in times past.” Pa>lai is “olim,” quondam, pridem, jamdudum, any time past that is opposed tw~| a]rti , or nu~n , to that which is present, properly time some good while past, as that was whereof the apostle treats, having ended in Malachi four hundred years before.

Toi~v patra>sin . ˆyheb;a\ µ[æ Syr., “with our fathers,” “to the fathers.” jEn toi~v profh>taiv . Ayebin]Bæ , Syr., “in the prophets.” So all the Latin translations, “in prophetis.” jEp j ejsca>twn tw~n hJmerw~n tou>twn . Ayiræj\aæ ajem;w]yæ ˆyleh;B]wæ , Syr., “and in those, last days.” “Ultimis diebus hisce,” “ulitmis diebus istis,” “in these last days.” “Novissime diebus istis,” Vulg., — “last of all in these days.” Some Greek copies have ejp j ejsca>tou tw~n hJmerw~n tou>twn , “in extremo dierum istorum,”” in the end of these days.” The reason of which variety we shall see afterwards. jEn Uiw~| , as before, “in the prophets;” not “by his Son,” but “in the Son.”

The emphasis of the expression is necessarily to be retained, as the opening of the words will discover.

TouGod having formerly [or, of old ] spoken unto the fathers in the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us in the Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all, by whom also he made the worlds.

The apostle intending a comparison between the Mosaical law and the gospel, referreth it unto two heads, — first, Their revelation and institution, whence the obligation to the observance of the one and the other did arise; and, secondly, Their whole nature, use, and efficacy. The first he enters upon in these words, and premising that wherein they did agree, distinctly lays down the severals wherein the difference between them doth consist; both which were necessary to complete the comparison intended.

That wherein they agree is the principal efficient cause of their revelation, or the prime author from whom they were. This is God. He was the author of the law and gospel. He spake of old “in the prophets,” he spake in the last days “in the Son.” Neither of them was from men; not one from one principle, and the other from another, — both have the same divine original. See 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21. Herein they both agree.

Their difference in this respect, namely, in their revelation, he refers to four heads, all distinctly expressed, saving that some branches of the antithesis on the part of the gospel are only included in the opposite expressions that relate unto the law.

Their difference, First , respects the manner of their revelation, and that in two particulars: — 1. The revelation of the will of God under the law was given out by “divers parts;” that under the gospel at once, or in one dispensation of grace and truth. 2. That “in divers manners;” this one way only, by the Spirit dwelling in the Lord Christ in his fullness, and by him communicated unto his apostles.

Secondly , The times and seasons of their revelation. That of the law was made “of old,” “formerly, in times past;” this of the gospel “in these last days.”

Thirdly , The persons to whom the revelation of them was made. That was to the “fathers,” this to “us.”

Fourthly , and principally, The persons by whom these revelations were made. That was by “the prophets;” this by “the Son.” God spake then in the prophets; now he hath spoken in the Son.

The whole stress of the apostle’s argument lying on this last instance, omitting the prosecution of all the other particulars, he enters upon the further description of this immediate revealer of the gospel in whom God spake, the Son, and lays down in general, 1. The authority committed unto him, — God made him “heir of all;” 2. The ground and equity of committing that great power and trust unto him, in these words, “By whom also he made the worlds:” whereby he opens his way to the further declaration of his divine and incomparable excellencies, wherein he is exalted far above all or any that were employed in the revelation or administration of the law of Moses, and the holy worship instituted thereby.

All these particulars must be opened severally, that we may see the intendment of the apostle, and the force of his argument in the whole; and some of them must necessarily be somewhat largely insisted on, because of their influence into the ensuing discourse.

That wherein the law and gospel do both agree is, that God was the author of them both. About this there was no difference as to the most of them with whom the apostle treated. This he takes for granted. For the professing Jews did not adhere to Mosaical institutions because God was their author, not so of the gospel; but because they were given from God by Moses in such a manner as never to be changed or abrogated. This the apostle lays down as an acknowledged principle with the most, that both law and gospel received their original from God himself; proving also, as we shall see in the progress of our discourse, to the conviction of others, that such a revelation as that of the gospel was foretold and expected, and that this was it in particular which was preached unto them.

Now, God being here spoken of in distinction from the Son expressly, and from the Holy Ghost by evident implication, it being he by whom he spake in the prophets, that name is not taken oujsiw>dwv , substantially, to denote primarily the essence or being of the Deity, and each person as partaking in the same nature, but ujpostatikw~v , denoting primarily one certain person, and the divine nature only as subsisting in that person.

This is the person of the Father; as elsewhere the person of the Son is so signified by that name, Acts 20:28; John 1:1; Romans 9:5; Timothy 3:16; 1 John 3:16, 5:20 ; — as also the person of the Holy Spirit, Acts 5:3,4; 1 Corinthians 12:6,11; Colossians 2:2. So that God, even the Father, by the way of eminency, was the peculiar author of both law and gospel; of which afterwards. And this observation is made necessary from hence, even because he immediately assigns divine properties and excellencies unto another person, evidently distinguished from him whom he intends to denote by the name God in this place; which he could not do did that name primarily express, as here used by him, the divine nature absolutely, but only as it is subsisting in the person of the Father.

From this head of their agreement the apostle proceeds to the instances of the difference that was between the law and the gospel as to their revelation from God; of which, a little inverting the order of the words, we shall first consider that which concerns the times of their giving out, sundry of the other instances being regulated thereby.

For the first, or the revelation of the will of God under the old testament, it was, “of old.” God spake pa>lai , “formerly,” or “of old.” Some space of time is denoted in this word which had then received both its beginning and end, both which we may inquire after. Take the word absolutely, and it comprises the whole space of time from the giving out of the first promise unto that end which was put unto all revelations of public use under the old testament. Take it as relating to the Jews, and the rise of the time expressed in it is the giving of the law by Moses in the wilderness.

And this is that which the apostle hath respect unto. He had no contest with the Jews about the first promise, and the service of God in the world built thereon, nor about their privilege as they were the sons of Abraham; but only about their then present church privilege and claim by Moses’ law. The proper date, then, and bound of this pa>lai , “of old,” is from the giving out of Moses’ law, and therein the constitution of the Judaical church and worship, unto the close of public prophecy in the days of Malachi. From thence to the days of John Baptist God granted no extraordinary revelation of his will, as to the standing use of the whole church. So that this dispensation of God speaking in the prophets continued for the space of twenty-one jubilees, or near eleven hundred years. That it had been now ceased for a long time the apostle intimates in this word, and that agreeably to the confessed principles of the Jews; whereby also he confirmed his own of the coming of the Messiah, by the reviving of the gift of prophecy, as was foretold, Joel 2:28,29.

And we may, by the way, a little consider their thoughts in this matter; for, as we have observed and proved before, the apostle engageth with them upon their own acknowledged principles. “The Jews, then, generally grant, unto this day, that prophecy for the public use of the church was not bestowed under the second temple after the days of Malachi, nor is to be expected until the coming of Elias. The delusions that have been put upon them by impostors they now labor all they can to conceal; and they are of late, by experience, made incredulous towards such pretenders as in former ages they have been brought to much misery by. Now, as their manner is to fasten all their conjectures, be they true or false, on some place, word, or letter of the Scripture, so have they done this assertion also. Observing or supposing the want of sundry things in the second house, they pretend that want to be intimated, Haggai 1:7,8, where God, promising to glorify himself in that temple, the word d;b]K;a, , ‘I will glorify,’ is written defectively, without h , as the Keri notes. That letter, being the numeral note of five, signifies, as they say, the want of five things in that house. The first of these was, ˆwra , — ‘the ark and cherubim;’ the second, hjçmh ˆmç — ‘the anointing oil;’ the third, hkr[mh yx[ , — ‘the wood of disposition,’ or ‘perpetual fire;’ the fourth, µymwtw µyrwa , — ‘Urim and Thummim;’ the fifth, çdqh jwr , — ‘the Holy Ghost,’ or ‘Spirit of prophecy.’ They are not, indeed, all agreed in this enumeration. The Talmud in amwy , Joma, cap. v., reckons them somewhat otherwise: — 1. The ark, with the propitiatory and cherubim; 2. The fire from heaven, which answers the third, or wood of disposition, in the former order; 3. The divine Majesty, in the room of the anointing oil: 4. The Holy Ghost; 5. Urim and Thummim.

Another order there is, according to Rabbi Bechai, Comment. in Pentateuch., sect. çgyw ; who places the anointing oil distinctly, and confounds the hnykç , or; ‘divine Majesty,’ with çwdqh jwr , ‘the Holy Ghost,’ contradicting the Gemara. The commonly approved order is that of the author of Aruch, in the root dbk : — “ dja bwrkw trwpk ˆwra , — ‘the ark, propitiatory, and cherubim, one.’ “ ynç hnykç , — ‘the divine Majesty, the second thing.’ “ yçwlç hawbn awhç çwdqh jwr , — ‘the Holy Ghost, which is prophecy, the third.’ “ y[ybr µymwtw µywwa , — ‘Urim and Thummim, the fourth thing.’ “ yçymj µymçh ˆm ça , — ‘fire from heaven, the fifth thing.’ “But as this argument is ridiculous, both in general in wire-drawing conclusions from letters deficient or redundant in writing, and in particular in reference to this word, which in other places is written as in this, as Numbers 24:11, 1 Samuel 2:30, Isaiah 66:5; so the observation itself of the want of all these five things in the second house is very questionable, and seems to be invented to give countenance to the confessed ceasing of prophecy, by which their church had been planted, nourished, and maintained, and now, by its want, was signified to be near expiration. For although I will grant that they might offer sacrifices with other fire than that which was traduced from the flame descending from heaven, though Nadab and Abihu were destroyed for so doing, because the law of that fire attended the giving of it, whence upon its providential ceasing, it was as lawful to use other fire in sacrifice as it ‘was before its giving out; yet as to the ark, the Urim and Thummim, the matter is more questionable, and as to the anointing oil out of question, because it being lawful for the high priest to make it at any time, it was no doubt restored in the time of Ezra’s reformation. I know Abarbanel, on Exodus 30 sec. açt , affirms that there was no high priest anointed with oil under the second house; for which he gives this reason, hjçmh ˆmç zngn hyh rbbç ypl , ‘Because the anointing oil was now hid;’ µyçwdqh µyrbdh raç µ[ whyçay wzngç , ‘for Josiah had hid it with the rest of the holy things ;’ a Talmudical figment, to which he adds, wtwç[l twçr µhl hyh alw , ‘and they had no power to make it.’ I will not much contend about matter of fact, or what they did: but that they might have done otherwise is evident from the first institution of it; for the prohibition mentioned, Exodus 30:31,32, respects only private persons. And Josephus tells us that God ceased to give answer by Urim and Thummim two hundred years before he wrote, book 3 chapter 8; which proves they had it. “It is indeed certain that at their first return from Babylon they had not the Urim and Thummim, Ezra 2:63, — there was no priest with Urim and Thummim; yet it doth not appear that afterwards that jewel, whatever it were, was not made upon the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah, whereby the restoration of the temple and the worship belonging thereunto was carried on to perfection, especially considering the vision of Zechariah about clothing the high priest with the robes of his office, chapter 3; after which time it seems they were made and in use, as Josephus shows us, book 11, chapter 8, treating of the reverence done by Alexander the Great to the name of God engraven in the plate of gold on the high priest’s forehead. And Maimonides, Tractat. Sanhed. cap. 10, sect. 10, says expressly that all the eight robes of the high priest were made under the second temple, and particularly the Urim and Thummim. Howbeit, as he says, they inquired not of God by them, because the Holy Ghost was not on the priests. Of the ark we shall have occasion to treat afterwards, and of its fictitious hiding by Jeremiah or Josiah, as the Jews fancy. This we may observe for the present, that as it is certain that it was carried away by the Babylonians, amongst other vessels of gold belonging to the temple, either amongst them that were taken away in the days of Jehoiakim, 2 Chronicles 36:7; or those taken away with Jehoiachin his son, verse 10; or when all that was left before, great and small, was carried away in the days of Zedekiah, verse 18: so it may be supposed to be restored by Cyrus, of whom it is said that he returned ‘the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem,’ Ezra 1:7.

And it is uncertain to what end was the solemn yearly entrance of the high priest into the most holy place, observed to the very destruction of the second house, if neither ark nor mercy-seat were there. Neither is this impeached by what Tacitus affirms, Hist. lib. v., that when Pompey entered the temple, he found ‘nullas Deum effigies, vacuum sedem, et inania arcana;’ for as he wrote of the Jews with shameful negligence, so he only intimates that they had no such images as were used among other nations, — nor the head of an ass, which himself, not many lines before, had affirmed to be consecrated in their sanctuary. For aught, then, appears to the contrary, the ark might be in the second house, and be carried thence to Rome with the book of the law, which Josephus expressly mentions. And therefore the same Abarbanel, in his commentary on Joel, tells us that Israel by captivity out of his own land lost tyhla t[ydyw µytpmw hawbn µh wytç twntm hçlç , — ‘three excellent gifts, prophecy, miracles, and divine knowledge,’ Psalm 74:9; all which he grants were to be restored by the Messiah, without mention of the other things before recited.

And they confess this openly in Sota Distinc. Egla Hampha: ygj µynwrjah µyaybnh wtmçm larçym çdwqh jwr hqltsn ykalmw hyrkz ; — ‘After the death of the latter prophets, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, the Holy Spirit was taken away from Israel.’“ It is, then, confessed “that God ceased to speak to the church in prophets, as to their oral teaching and writing, after the days of Malachi; which season of the want of vision, though continuing four hundred years and upwards, is called by Haggai, chapter 2:6, tjæaæ f[æm] :, ‘unum pusillum,’ ‘a little while,’ in reference to the continuance of it from the days of Moses; whereby the Jews may see that they are long since past all grounds of expectation of its restoration, all prophecy having left them double the time that their church enjoyed it, which cannot be called f[æm] tjæaæ , ‘a little while,’ in comparison thereof.” To return.

This was the pa>lai , these the times, wherein God spake in the prophets: which determines one instance more of the comparison, namely, “the fathers,” to whom he spake in them; which were all the faithful of the Judaical church, from the days of giving the law until the ceasing of prophecy in the days of Malachi.

In answer to this first instance, on the part of the gospel, the revelation of it is affirmed to be made in these last days, “Hath spoken in these last days;” the true stating of which time also will discover who the persons were to whom it was made, “Hath spoken to us.”

Most expositors suppose that this expression, “The last days,” is a periphrasis for the times of the gospel. But it doth not appear that they are anywhere so called; nor were they ever known by that name among the Jews, upon whose principles the apostle proceeds. Some seasons, indeed, under the gospel, in reference to some churches, are called “The last days,” 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 3:1; but the whole time of the gospel absolutely is nowhere so termed. It is the last days of the Judaical church and state, which were then drawing to their period and abolition, that are here and elsewhere called “The last days,” or “The latter days,” or “The last hour,” 2 Peter 3:3; 1 John 2:18; Jude 1:18. For, — 1. As we before observed, the apostle takes it for granted that the Judaical church-state did yet continue, and proves that it was drawing to its period, chap. 8 ult., having its present station in the patience and forbearance of God only, without any necessity as unto its worship or preservation in the world. And hereunto doth the reading of the words in some copies, before intimated, give testimony, JEp j ejsca>tou tw~n hJmerw~n tou>twn , — “ In the end” (or “extremity’’) “of these days;” which, as the event hath proved, can no way relate to the times of the gospel. 2. The personal ministry of the Son, whilst he was upon the earth in the days of his flesh, is here eminently, though not solely intended: for as God of old spake in the prophets, so in these last days he spake in the Son; that is, in him personally present with the church, as the prophets also were in their several generations, chapter 2:3. Now, as to his personal ministry, he was sent to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” Matthew 15:24 (to whom also alone in his own days he sent his apostles, Matthew 10:5,6); and is therefore said to have been “a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God,” Romans 15:8, being in the last place sent to the same vineyard unto which the prophets were sent before, Matthew 21:37. The words there used, “Last of all he sent unto them his Son,” are exegetical of these, “He spake in the Son in the last days.” 3. This phrase of speech is signally used in the Old Testament to denote the last days of the Judaical church. So by Jacob, Genesis 49:1, “I will tell you that which shall befall you µymiy;hæ tyrij\aæB] ,” — “in the last days:” which words the LXX. render, jEp j ejsca>twn tw~n hJmerw~n , the words here used by the apostle; the days pointed unto by Jacob being those wherein the Messiah should come, before Judah was utterly deprived of scepter and scribe. Again, by Balaam the same words are used to signify the same time, Numbers 24:14, where they are rendered jEp j ejsca>tou tw~n hJmerw~n , “In the end of the days,” as many copies read in this place. And in all the prophets this is the peculiar notation of that season, µymiY;hæ tyrij\aæ , Micah 4:1, Isaiah 2:2, “In the latter” (or “last”) days; and h[ydyh ah , “the He hajediah,” prefixed, noteth that course of days that was then running, as Deuteronomy 31:29, “Evil will overtake you µymiY;hæ tyrij\aæB] ,” — “ in the end of those days.” And the promise of the conversion of some of the Jews by David their king is annexed to the same season, Hosea 3:5. From these places is the expression here used taken, denoting the last times of the Judaical church, the times immediately preceding its rejection and final ruin. Hence Manasseh, lib. 3 de Resurrect. cap. 3, tells us out of Moses Gerundensis, rmanç µwqm lk jyçmh twmyl awh µymyh tyrjab wb ; — “ In every place that mentions the ‘latter days,’ the days of the Messiah are to be understood;” which saying of his is confirmed by Manasseh himself, though attended with a gloss abominable and false, that is purely Judaical.

The days of the Messiah and the days of the end of the Judaical church are the same. And these words are expressly also used by R. D. Kimchi, Comment. in Isaiah 2:2; who honestly refers all the words of that prophecy unto the Messiah.

It is not for nothing that the apostle minds the Hebrews that the season then present was the “last days,” whereof so many things were foretold in the Old Testament. Many of their concernments lay in the knowledge of it: which, because they give great light unto the whole cause, as stated then between him and them, must be opened and considered. The sum is, that the end of their church and state being foretold to be a perpetual desolation, Daniel 9:27, the last days being now come upon them, they might understand what they were shortly to expect and look for. The end of the Jews being a people, a church, and kingdom, was to bring forth the Messiah, whose coming and work must of necessity put an end to their old station and condition. Now, because herein is enwrapped the most infallible demonstration that the Messiah is long since come, the apostle mentioning the last days to intimate that upon necessity he must be come in them, I shall further open his design in this matter, but with briefness, having been large on this head in our Prolegomena, and for their sakes who by any difficulties may be deterred from the consideration of them. “God having from the foundation of the world promised to bring forth the ‘Seed of the woman,’ to work out the redemption of his elect in the conquest of Satan, did, in the separation of Abraham from the rest of the world, begin to make provision of a peculiar stock, from whence the Seed of the woman should spring. That this was the cause and end of his call and separation is evident from hence, that immediately thereupon God assures him that ‘in his seed all the kindreds of the earth should be blessed,’ Genesis 12:1-3, 22:18; which is all one as if he had expressly said to him, ‘ For this cause have I chosen and called thee, that in thee I might lay a foundation of bringing forth the promised Seed, by whom the curse is to be taken away, and the blessing of everlasting life procured,’ as Galatians 3:13,14. For this cause was his posterity continued in a state of separation from the rest of the world, that He might seek a godly seed to himself, Numbers 23:9; Malachi 2:15: for this cause did he raise them into a civil, regal, and church state, that he might in them typify and prefigure the offices and benefits of the promised Messiah, who was to gather to himself the nations that were to be blessed in the seed of Abraham, Genesis 49:10; Psalm 45; Hosea 3:5; Ezekiel 34:23. And all their sacrifices did but shadow out that great expiation of sin which he was to make in his own person, as hath been already proved. “Things being thus disposed, God promised unto them that their civil political state, their condition as a peculiar nation and people, should be continued until the coming of the Messiah, Genesis 49:10; Ezekiel 21:27. And this was made good unto them, notwithstanding the great oppositions of those mighty empires in the midst of whose devouring jaws they were placed, with some such short intercisions of the actual administration of rule amongst them, as, being foretold, impeached not the promise. They lost not their civil state until He came unto whom was ‘the gathering of the nations.’ After that, though many of the individuals obtained mercy, yet their being a nation or people was of no peculiar use, as to any special end of God. Therefore was it immediately destroyed and irrecoverably exterminated. From that day God in a wonderful manner blasted and cursed all their endeavors, either for the preservation of what they then had, or for its recovery and restoration when lost. No means could ever retrieve them into a people or nation on the old account. What may be hereafter on a new, God knows. The end of the days was come; and it was to no purpose for men to endeavor to keep up that which God, having accomplished the utmost of his design by and upon, would lay aside. And this season was fully evidenced to all the world by the gathering of the people to the Shiloh, or the coming in of the nations to partake in the blessing of faithful Abraham, Micah 4:1,2. “Of their church-state there were two principal parts, — the temple itself, and the worship performed in it. The first of these (as was the tabernacle) was set up to typify him in whom the fullness of the Godhead should dwell bodily; and the latter the same person, as he was himself to be the great high priest and sacrifice. Both these also were to be continued until the coming of the Messiah; but by no endeavor afterwards. Hence was that promise of the glory of the second house, built after the captivity, and restored by Herod, because of his coming unto it who was signified by it, Haggai 2:9 Malachi 3:1. He was to come whilst that temple was standing; after which it was to be of no more use. And therefore Ezekiel describes third and spiritual temple to succeed in the room thereof. The condition of their sacrifices was the same. Therefore Daniel, foretelling the coming of the Messiah four hundred and ninety years after the captivity, adds that upon his death the daily sacrifice must cease for ever, and a total desolation ensue on all the things that were used, for the end accomplished, Daniel 9:24-27. The nation, state, temple, sacrifices, being set apart, set up, and designed for no other end but to bring him forth, he was to come whilst they were standing and in use; after which they were none of them to be allowed a being upon their old foundation. This is that which the apostle pointed at in mentioning the last days, that they might consider in what condition the church and people of the Jews then were.

To discover the evidence of this demonstration, as confirmed in our Prolegomena, I shall here also briefly add some considerations of the miserable entanglements of the Jews in seeking to avoid the argument here intimated unto them by the apostle. “It is a common tradition among them that all things were made for the Messiah; whereby they do not intend, as some have imagined, the whole old creation, but all things of their church state and worship. So the Targum, Psalm 40:8, in the person of the Messiah, ‘I shall enter into life eternal when I study in the volume of the law abytktad ytlwfpa ,’ — ‘that was written for my sake.’ By ‘the law’ they understand their all. All depended on their Messiah, all was written for him. They see by experience that there was a coincidence of all these things in the last days, when Jesus came. No sooner had he done his work but scepter and scribe departed from Judah; they ceased to be a church and nation. The temple, which the Lord whom they formerly sought came to, was destroyed; their sacrifices, wherein they trusted, caused to cease; and the nations of the earth were gathered into the faith of Abraham. From that time they have no more been a people, nor have had any distinction of tribes or families, temple, priesthood, or sacrifice, nor any hope of a retrieve-merit into their pristine condition. Let us then see what course they do or have taken to countenance themselves in their infidelity. Two ways to relieve themselves they have fixed on: — “1. Granting that the Messiah was to come to their government and worship, they labored to keep them up, and to restore them being cast down, that so they might prolong their expectation of that as to come which indeed was already past. This, in the righteous and holy providence of God, proved the means of their ruin; for their endeavor to maintain their liberty, rule, and government, after the coming of the Messiah, was the cause of the utter overthrow of all rule, authority, and public worship amongst them, by Vespasian and Titus his son. Their endeavor to restore themselves into a state and people, under their false Messiah Bar-Cochba, was the means of their utter desolation from all hopes of being a people and nation any more, by Adrian; as also of their extermination for ever out of that country, wherein they were separated from all nations for that end which God appointed unto them. After this, once more, — still to avoid the thoughts that the Messiah was come, and had put an end unto their former condition, — they endeavored, and were encouraged by Julian the emperor, to rebuild their temple and restore their sacrifices. And this attempt also God turned to their further confusion; for whereas in former days, in the building of the temple, he encouraged and supported them against all difficulties and oppositions, being now upheld and strengthened by the favor and wealth of the Roman empire in the same work, he sets himself against them, and scatters them with no less indignation than he did the builders of Babel of old. When he would have a temple amongst them, he punished them with famine for building their own houses, and suffering his to lie waste, Haggai 1:2-11. Now they may build houses for themselves where they please; but if they take in hand to build a temple God is against them. In this state they have now continued for sixteen hundred years; and were not blindness come upon them to the utmost, they could not but see that it is not the will of God that they should be a people, state, or church, on the former account, any more.

What then is become of their Messiah, who was to come unto them whilst they were a state and church, seeing they were so, by their own confession, only for his sake? This puts their later masters to their last miserable shifts; for, — “2. Contrary to the evident nature of all things relating to them from the appropriating of the promise to the family of Abraham, contrary to the whole design of the Scripture, and to the express testimonies of it before mentioned, with many other to the same purpose, they deny that their Messiah was to come to them, or at least to abide with them, for the work whereunto he was destined, whilst their state, temple, and sacrifices continued. In the management of this shift of unbelief, they are woefully divided amongst themselves. “(1.) For the continuance of their state until the coming of the Messiah, Genesis 49:10, some say that by ‘Shiloh’ the Messiah is not intended; who are confuted by their own Targums, all rendering the word Messiah, and by the constant tradition of the elder doctors. Some say that by the ‘scepter and scribe’ the rod of affliction and instruction only is intended; which is a gloss evidently contrary to the design of the prophecy, to the use of the words in all places where their sense is not restrained by evident circumstances, to the Targums, and to all old writers; asserting that which was not peculiar to Judah, nor true in itself, that tribe having for so long a season enjoyed as flourishing a condition as any people in the world, — as good as the Jews look for under the Messiah. Their state, then, is utterly gone, and their Messiah, as it seems, not come. “(2.) What say they unto their temple, that second house whereunto he was to come, and so render the glory of it greater than that of the former?

Haggai 2; Malachi 3. Of old they unanimously agreed that he was born whilst the temple stood, or that day that it was destroyed, as Aben Ezra confesseth on Isaiah 53. Many stories out of them might be told to this purpose, — where he was born, how, and of whom, to whom it was revealed by the lwqAtb , who saw him, where he was disposed of, where he is, but being all the fancies of idle, curious heads and unbelieving hearts, — which St Paul calls bezh>louv, 1 Timothy 4:7, ‘profane and old wives’ fables,’ — we shall not trouble the reader with them. Abarbanel, who in corrupting the prophecies concerning the Messiah hath a reach beyond his fellows, affirms that Haggai speaks not of the second, but of a third temple, to be built under the Messiah; but this is nothing but a bold contradiction of the prophet, who three or four times signally declares that he spake of that house which was then building, which their eyes saw, and which so many contemned as not to be compared with the former: chapter 1:4, ‘This house;’ chapter 2:7, ‘ This house;’ verse 9, ‘ This house;’ so verse 18. Others say that the glory of that house did not consist in the coming of the Messiah unto it, but in its duration and continuance; for it stood ten years longer than the former. But this also is contrary, — [1.] To the catholic persuasion of their forefathers, Targums, Talmuds, and all ancient doctors. [2.] To experience; for what could the miserable languishing of ten years by that house, whilst it was by their own confession ‘a den of thieves,’ contribute unto it to enable it to vie for glory with that wonder of the world, the temple of Solomon; in comparison whereof their forefathers thought it no more than some of them of old thought themselves compared to the sons of Anak? [3.] To the truth, affirming that the glory of that house was to consist in the coming of the Lord, whom they sought, the desire of all nations, unto it.” All which things are vindicated in our Prolegomena. “3. Their temple being utterly destroyed, as well as their state, and their Messiah not yet come, what think they of their sacrifices? Daniel tells them that he was to come, and to be cut off, before the ceasing of the daily sacrifices; but they must confess that all sacrifices are long since utterly ceased, for surely their offering of a cock to the devil on the day of expiation is no continuance of them. Some say that the Messiah intended by Daniel was king Agrippa, whom Vespasian slew at Rome. But this obstinacy is intolerable. That a semi-pagan, as Agrippa was, should be their Messiah, so honorably foretold of, is a figment which, whatever they pretend, themselves believe not. Nor was Agrippa slain or cut off, but lived in peace to the day of his death. The most of them know not what to say, but only object that the computation of Daniel is dark and obscure, which Christians themselves are not agreed about;” concerning which I must refer the reader to our Prolegomena, as also for the full and large handling of the things here by the way only touched upon.

This makes it evident who were the persons who were spoken unto in these last days, “To us;” that is, the members of the Judaical church who lived in the days of the personal ministry of Christ, and afterwards under the preaching of the gospel unto that day, chapter 2:3. The Jews of those days were very apt to think that if they had lived in the times of the former prophets, and had heard them delivering their message from God, they would have received it with a cheerful obedience; their only unhappiness, they thought, was that they were born out of due time as to prophetical revelations. This is intimated of them, Matthew 23:30. The apostle, meeting with this persuasion in them, minds them that in the revelation of the gospel God had spoken to themselves, — the thing they so much desired, not questioning but that thereon they should believe and obey. If this word, then, they attend not unto, they must needs be selfcondemned.

Again, that care and love which God manifested towards them in speaking immediately unto them required the same obedience, especially considering the manner of it, so far excelling that which before he had used towards the fathers; of which afterwards.

And these are two instances of the comparison instituted, relating unto times and persons.

The next difference respects the manner of these several revelations of the will of God, and that in two particulars; for, — 1. The former was made polumerw~v , “by divers parts,” one after the other. The branch of the antithesis that should answer hereunto is not expressed, but implied to be a[tax or ejfa>pax , “at once.”

Polumerw~v , “by many parts,” and so, consequently, at sundry times.

The gradual discovery of the mind and will of God, by the addition of one thing after another, at several seasons, as the church could bear the light of them, and as it was subserving unto his main design of reserving all preeminence to the Messiah, is that which is intended in this expression. How all this is argumentative to the apostle’s purpose will instantly appear.

Take the expression absolutely to denote the whole progress of divine revelation from the beginning of the world, and it compriseth four principal parts or degrees, with those that were subservient unto them.

The first of these was made to Adam in the promise of the seed, which was the principle of faith and obedience to the fathers before the flood; and unto this were subservient all the consequent particular revelations made to Seth, Enos, Enoch, Lamech, and others, before the flood.

The second to Noah after the flood, in the renewal of the covenant and establishing of the church in his family, Genesis 8:21-22, 9:9, 10; whereunto were subservient the revelations made to Melchizedek, Genesis 14:18, and others, before the calling of Abraham.

The third to Abraham, in the restriction of the promise to his seed, and fuller illustration of the nature of it, Genesis 12:1-3, 15:11, 12, 17:1, 2; confirmed in the revelations made to Isaac, Genesis 26:24; Jacob, Genesis 49; Joseph, Hebrews 11:22, and others of their posterity.

The fourth to Moses, in the giving of the law, and erection of the Judaical church in the wilderness; unto which there were three principal heads of subservient revelations: — 1. To David, which was peculiarly designed to perfect the revelation of the will of God concerning the old testament worship in those things that their wilderness condition was not capable of, 1 Chronicles 23:25-32, 28:11- 19. To him we may join Solomon, with the rest of the prophets of their days. 2. To the prophets after the division of the kingdom unto the captivity, and during the captivity, to whom pleading with the people about their defection by sin and false worship was peculiar. 3. To Ezra, with the prophets that assisted in the reformation of the church after its return from Babylon, who in an especial manner incited the people to an expectation of the coming of the Messiah.

These were the principal parts and degrees of the revelation of the will of God, from the foundation of the world until the coming of Christ in his forerunner, John the Baptist, And all this I have fully handled and unfolded in my discourse of the rise, nature, and progress of Scripture divinity or theology. f2 But, as I showed before, if we attend unto the special intention of the apostle, we must take in the date of these revelations, and begin with that to Moses, adding to it those other subservient ones mentioned, peculiar to the Judaical church, which taught and confirmed the worship that was established amongst them.

This, then, is that which in this word the apostle minds the Hebrews of, namely, that the will of God concerning his worship and our obedience was not formerly revealed all at once to his church, by Moses or any other, but by several parts and degrees, — by new additions of light, as in his infinite wisdom and care he saw meet. The close, and last hand was not to be put unto this work before the coming of.the Messiah. He, they all acknowledged, was to reveal the whole counsel of God, John 4:25, after that his way had been prepared by the coming of Elias, Malachi 4; until when they were to attend to the law of Moses, with those expositions of it which they had received, verses 4, 5. That was the time appointed, aybn;w] ˆwOzj; µToj]læ , “to seal,” complete, and finish, “vision and prophet; as also µtej;l] twOaF;jæ , “to seal up sin,” or, as we render it, “to make an end of sin,” or the controversy about it, which had held long agitation by sacrifices, that could never put an end to that quarrel, Hebrews 10:1,2,14.

Now, in this very first word of his epistle doth the apostle clearly convince the Hebrews of their mistake, in their obstinate adherence unto Mosaical institutions. It is as if he had bidden them consider the way whereby God revealed his will to the church hitherto. Hath it not been by parts and degrees? hath he at any time shut up the progress of revelation? hath he not always kept the church in expectation of new revelations of his mind and will? did he ever declare that he would add no more unto what he had commanded, or make no alteration in what he had instituted?

What he had revealed was to be observed, Deuteronomy 29:29, and when he had revealed it; but until he declare that he will add no more, it is folly to account what is already done absolutely complete and immutable.

Therefore Moses, when he had finished all his work in the Lord’s house, tells the church that God would raise up another prophet like him; that is, who should reveal new laws and institutions as he had done, whom they were to hear and obey on the penalty of utter extermination, Deuteronomy 18:18. “And this discovers the obstinacy of the modern Jews, who from the days of Maimonides, who died about the year of our Lord 1104, have made it one of the fundamental articles of their religion, which they have inserted in their prayer-books, that the law of Moses is never to be changed, and that God will never give them any other law or rule of worship. And as they further ground that article in Ezrim Vearba, printed in the end of Bomberg’s Bibles, they affirm that nothing can be added unto it, nothing taken away from it, no alteration in its obligation be admitted; which is directly contrary both to the truth and to the confession of all their predecessors, who looked for the Messiah, as we shall afterwards declare.”

In opposition to this gradual revelation of the mind of God under the old testament, the apostle intimates that now by Jesus, the Messiah, the Lord hath at once begun and finished the whole revelation of his will, according to their own hopes and expectation. So, Jude 1:3, the faith was “once delivered unto the saints;” not in one day, not in one sermon, or by one person, but at one season, or under one dispensation, comprising all the time from the entrance of the Lord Christ upon his ministry to the closing of the canon of Scripture; which period was now at hand. This season being once past and finished, no new revelation is to be expected, to the end of the world. Nothing shall be added unto nor altered in the worship of God any more. God will not do it; men that attempt it, do it on the price of their souls.

God spake in the prophets polutro>pwv , “after divers sorts” or “manners.” Now this respects either the various ways of God’s revealing himself to the prophets, by dreams, visions, inspirations, voices, angels, every way with an equal evidence of their being from God; or the ways of his dealing with the fathers by the prophets, by promises, threats, gradual discoveries of his will, special messages and prophecies, public sermons, and the like. The latter, or the various ways of the prophets in delivering their messages to the people from God, is principally intended, though the former be not excluded, it being that from whence this latter variety did principally arise and flow.

In opposition hereunto, the apostle intimates that the revelation of God and his will by Christ was accomplished movoeidw~v, in one only way and manner, — by His preaching the gospel who was anointed with the Spirit without measure The last difference or instance in the comparison insisted on by the apostle, is, that of old God spake “in the prophets,” but now “in the Son:” jEn toi~v profh>taiv , — ejn for dia> , say most expositors, “in” for “by,” dia< tw~n profhtw~n : as Luke 1:70, Dia< sto>matov tw~n ajgi>wn profhtw~n , — “By the mouth of the holy prophets.” But ejn here answers the Hebrew B] , Numbers 12:2, “God spake hv,mB] , “in Moses.” The certainty of the revelation and presence of God with his word is intimated in the expression. So the word of the Lord was dy;B] , “in the hand,” of this or that prophet. They were but instruments to give out what from God they had received.

Now these prophets, in whom God spake of old, were all those who were divinely inspired, and sent to reveal his will and mind as to the duty of the church, or any special concernment of his providence in the rule and government thereof, whether they declared the inspirations they had, or revelations they received, by word of mouth or by writing. “The modern Jews make a distinction between the gift of prophecy and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, following Maimonides in his More Nebuchim, part. cap. 32. His opinion, which he calls the opinion or sentence of the law about prophecy, in general is the same with that of the Gentile philosophers, as he professeth. In one thing only he differs from them, namely, that ‘prophecy doth not so necessarily follow after due preparation as that a man cannot but prophesy who is rightly prepared.’

But the gift of prophecy he asserts wholly to depend on the temperature of the brain, natural and moral exercises for the preparing and raising of the imagination; upon which divine visions will succeed. A brain-sick imagination, confounding; divine revelation with fanatical distempers! But in the eleven degrees of prophecy which he assigns, and attempts to prove by instances out of Scripture, he placeth that of inspiration by the Holy Ghost in the last and lowest place. And therefore by the late masters is the book of Daniel cast into this latter sort, though eminently prophetical, because they are so galled with his predictions and calculations; other reason of that disposition none readily occurs. And this is the ground of their disposition of the books of the Scripture into hr;wOT, ‘the law,’ or five books of Moses, given in the highest way and degree of prophecy; µyaibin] , of two sorts, µyniwOçri , and µynwOrij\aæ , ‘prophets, former’ (or books historical), ‘and latter;’ and µybiWtK] , or çwOdq;hæ jWær , ‘books written by inspiration of the Holy Ghost.’ Of the ground of which distinction see Kimchi in his preface to the Psalms. Their mistake lies in this, that prophecy consists principally in, and is distinguished into several degrees, by the manner of revelation; as by dreams, visions, appearances of angels, or men, and the like. But as aybin; , ‘a prophet,’ and ha;Wbn] , ‘prophecy,’ are of a larger signification than that pretended, as, Numbers 11:29,1 Samual 10:5, 1 Chronicles 25:1-3, will appear; so that which made any revelation to be prophecy, in that sense as to be an infallible rule for the guidance of the church, was not the means of communicating it to the prophets, but that inspiration of the Holy Ghost which implanted upon their minds, and gave forth by their tongues or pens, that which God would utter in them and by them, 2 Peter 1:20,21.”

In answer unto this speaking of God in the prophets, it is asserted that in the revelation of the gospel God spake “in his Son.” This is the main hinge, on which all the arguments of the apostle in the whole epistle do turn; this bears the stress of all the inferences afterwards by him insisted on. And therefore having mentioned it, he proceeds immediately unto that description of him which gives evidence to all that he draws from this consideration. Now, because no one argument of the apostle can be understood unless this be rightly stated, we must of necessity insist somewhat largely upon it; and unto what we principally intend some previous observations must be premised: — 1. I take it at present for granted that the Son of God appeared unto the prophets under the old testament. Whether ever he spake unto them immediately, or only by the ministry of angels, is not so certain. It is also granted that there was in vision sometimes signs or representations of the person of the Father, as Daniel 7. But that the Son of God did mostly appear to the fathers under the old testament is acknowledged by the ancients, and is evident in Scripture. See Zechariah 2:8-11. And he it was who is called “The angel,” Exodus 23:20,21. The reason that is pleaded by some that the Son of God was not the angel there mentioned, namely, because the apostle says that to none of the angels was it said at any time, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee,” which could not be affirmed if the Son of God were that angel, is not of any force. For notwithstanding this assertion, yet both the ancient Jews and Christians generally grant that it is the Messiah that is called “The angel of the covenant,” Malachi 3:1: though the modern Jews foolishly apply that name to Elias, whom they fancy to be present at circumcision, which they take to be the covenant; a privilege, as they say, granted him upon his complaint that the children of Israel had forsaken the covenant, 1 Kings 19:14, — that is, as they suppose, neglected circumcision. The apostle therefore speaks of those who were angels by nature, and no more, and not of him who, being Jehovah the Son, was sent of the Father, and is therefore called his angel or messenger, being so only by office. And this appearance of the Son of God, though not well understanding what they say, is acknowledged by sundry of the post-Talmudical rabbins. To this purpose very considerable are the words of Moses Gerundensis on Exodus 23: “Iste angelus, si rem ipsam dicamus, est Angelus Redemptor, de quo scripture est, ‘Quoniam nomen meum in ipso est.’ Ille, inquam, angelus qui ad Jacob dicebat, ‘Ego Deus Bethel;’ ille de quo dictum est, ‘Et vocabat Mosen Deus de rubo.’ Vocatur autem ‘angelus’ quia mundum gubernat; scriptum est enim, ‘Eduxit nos ex AEgypto.’ Praeterea scriptum est, ‘Et angelus faciei salvos fecit eos.’ Nimirum ille angelus qui est ‘Dei facies;’ de quo dictum est, ‘Facies mia praeibit et efficiam ut quiescas.’

Denique ille angelus est de quo vates, ‘Subito veniet ad, templum suum Dominus quem vos quaeritis, angelus foderis quem cupitis;’” — “The angel, if we speak exactly, is the Angel the Redeemer, of whom it is written, ‘My name is in him;’ that angel which said unto Jacob, ‘I am the God of Bethel;’ he of whom it is said, ‘God called unto Moses out of the bush.’ And he is called ‘The angel’ because he governeth the world: for it is written, ‘Jehovah brought us out of Egypt;’ and elsewhere, ‘He sent his angel, and brought us out of Egypt.’ And again it is written, ‘And the angel of his presence’ [‘face’] ‘saved them,’ — namely, ‘the angel which is the presence’.[‘face’] ‘of God;’ of whom it is said, ‘My presence’ [‘face’] ‘shall go before thee, and I will cause thee to rest,’ Lastly, that angel of whom the prophet speaks, ‘The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, the angel of the covenant whom ye desire.’“ To the same purpose speaks the same author on Exodus 33:14, “My presence shall go before thee:” “Animadverte attente quid ista sibi velint: Moses enim et Israelitae semper optaverunt angelum primum; caeterum, quis ille esset vere intelligere non potuerunt; neque enim ab aliis percipiebant, neque prophetica notione satis assequebantur. Atqui facies Dei ipsum significat Deum.” And again, “‘Facies mea praecedet;’ hoc est, ‘angelus foederis quem vos cupitis;’“ — “Observe diligently what is the meaning of these words: for Moses and the Israelites always desired the principal angel, but who he was they could not perfectly understand; for they could neither learn it of others nor attain it by prophecy. But the presence of God is God himself: ‘My presence’ [‘face’] ‘shall go before thee;’ that is, ‘the angel of the covenant whom ye desire.’“ Thus he; to which purpose others also of them do speak, though how to reconcile these things to their unbelief in denying the personality of the Son of God they know not. This was the angel whose ˆwOxr; Moses prayed for on Joseph, Deuteronomy 33:23; and whom Jacob made to be the same with the God that fed him all his days, Genesis 48:15,16; whereof we have treated largely before.

The Son of God having from the foundation of the world undertaken the care and salvation of the church, he it was who immediately dealt with it in things which concerned its instruction and edification. Neither doth this hinder but that God the Father may yet be asserted, or that he is in this place, to be the fountain of all divine revelation. 2. There is a difference between the Son of God revealing the will of God in his divine person to the prophets, of which we have spoken, and the Son of God as incarnate revealing the will of God immediately to the church. This is the difference here insisted on by the apostle. Under the old testament the Son of God, in his divine person, instructed the prophets in the will of God, and gave them that Spirit on whose divine inspiration their infallibility did depend, 1 Peter 1:11; but now, in the revelation of the gospel, taking his own humanity, or our nature hypostatically united unto him, in the room of all the “internuncii,” or prophetical messengers he had made use of, he taught it immediately himself.

There lies a seeming exception unto this distinction, in the giving of the law; for as we affirm that it was the Son by whom the law was given, so in his so doing he spake immediately to the whole church: Exodus 20:22, the Lord said, “I have talked with you from heaven.” The Jews say that the people understood not one word of what was spoken, but only heard a voice, and saw the terrible appearances of the majesty of God, as verse 18; for immediately upon that sight they removed and stood afar off: and the matter is left doubtful in the repetition of the story, Deuteronomy 5:4.

It is said, indeed, “The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount,” but yet neither do these words fully prove that they understood what was spoken, and as it was spoken, but only that they clearly discovered the presence of God delivering the law; for so are those words expounded in verse 5: “I stood,” saith Moses, “between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;” — that is, ‘Ye understood not the words of the law, but as I declared them unto you.’ And it being so, though the person of the Son caused the words to be heard, yet he spake not immediately to the whole church, but by Moses. But, secondly, we shall afterwards show that all the voices then heard by Moses and the people were formed in the air by the ministry of angels, so that they heard not the immediate voice of God. Now, in the last days did the Lord take that work into his own hands, wherein from the foundation of the world he had employed angels and men. 3. Though the apostle’s argument arise not immediately from the different ways of God’s revealing himself to the prophets and to Christ, but in the difference that lies in his immediate speaking unto us in Christ the Son, and his speaking unto the fathers in the prophets, yet that former difference also is intimated by him, in his affirming that he spake to them variously or diversely, as hath been declared; and therefore we must consider that also. And herein we are to obviate the great Judaical prejudice against the gospel; to which end observe,- (1.) That though the apostle mentions the prophets in general, yet it is Moses whom he principally intends. This is evident in the application of this argument, which he makes in particular, chapter 3:3, where he expressly prefers the Lord Jesus before Moses by name, in this matter of ministering to the church in the name of God. For whereas, as was before intimated, the apostle manages this thing with excellent wisdom in this epistle, considering the inveterate prejudices of the Hebrews in their adhering unto Moses, he could not mention him in particular until he had proved him whom he preferred above him to be so excellent and glorious, so far exalted above men and angels, that it was no disreputation to Moses to be esteemed inferior to him. (2.) That the great reason why the Jews adhered so pertinaciously unto Mosaical institutions was their persuasion of the unparalleled excellency of the revelation made to Moses. This they retreated unto and boasted of when they were pressed with the doctrine and miracles of Christ, John 9:28,29; and this was the main foundation in all their contests with the apostles, Acts 15:1, 21:21, 28. And this at length they have made a principal root or fundamental article of their faith, being the fourth of the thirteen articles of their creed, namely, that Moses was the most excellent and most sublime among the prophets, — so far above that excellency, that degree of wisdom and honor, which men may attain unto, that he was equal to angels. This Maimonides, the first disposer of their faith into fundamental articles, expounds at large, More Nebuch., p. 2 cap. 39. “Declaravimus,” saith he, “quod prophetia Mosis doctoris nostri ab omnium aliorum prophetiis differat. Dicemus nunc quod propter solam illam apprehensionem ad legem vocati sumus; quia nempe vocationi illi qua Moses nos vocavit similis neque antecessit ab Adamo primo ad ipsum usque neque etiam post ipsum apud ullum prophetam sequuta est. Sic fundamentum legis nostrae est quod in aeternum finem non sit habitura, vel abolenda; ac propterea etiam ex sententia nostra, alia lex nec unquam fuit, nec erit praeter unicam hanc legem Mosis doctoris nostri;” — “ We have declared that the prophecy of Moses, our master, differed from the prophecies of all others. Now we shall show that upon the account of this persuasion alone” (namely, of the excellency of the revelation made unto Moses) “we are called to the law; for from the first Adam to him, there was never any such call” (from God) “as that wherewith Moses called us, nor did ever any such ensue after him. Hence it is a fundamental principle of our law, that it shall never have an end or be abolished; and therefore also it is our judgment that there was never any other” (divine) “law, nor ever shall be, but only this of our master Moses.” This is their present persuasion; it was so of old. The law and all legal observances are to be continued for ever; other way of worshipping God there can be none; and this upon the account of the incomparable excellency of the revelation made to Moses.

To confirm themselves in this prejudicate apprehension, they assign a fourfold pre-eminency to the prophecy of Moses above that of other prophets; and those are insisted on by the same Maimonides in his explication of cap. 10. Tractat. Sanhed., and by sundry others of them. [1.] The first they fix on is this, “That God never spake to any prophet immediately, but only to Moses;” to him he spake without angelical mediation. For so he affirms that he spake to him hP,Ala, hP, , “mouth to mouth,” Numbers 12:8. [2.] “All other prophets,” they say, “received their visions either in their sleep, or presently after their sleep; but Moses in the daytime standing between the cherubim, Exodus 25:22.” And, — [3.] “That when other prophets received their visions or revelations, although it was by the mediation of angels, yet their nature was weakened by it, and the state of their bodies, by reason of the consternation that befell them, Daniel 10:8; but Moses had no such perturbation befalling him when the Lord spake unto him, but it was with him as when a man speaks unto his friend.” [4.] “That other prophets had not inspirations and answers from God at their own pleasure, but sometimes were forced to wait long and pray for an answer before they could receive it; but Moses was wont when he pleased to say, ‘ Stay, and I will hear what God will command you,’ Numbers 9:8.” So they.

And to reconcile this unto what is elsewhere said, that he could not see the face of God and live, they add that he saw God not immediately, but ayrlqpsab , “in speculo” or “speculari” (a word formed from the Latin), “in a glass,” — an expression which the apostle alludes unto, Corinthians 13:12; only they add, twyrlqpsa [çt °wtm µyawr µyaybnh wyh , — “ Other prophets saw through nine perspectives;” tja ayrlqps °wtm har hçmw , — “ but Moses saw through one only,” Vaiikra Rabba, sect. 1; whereunto they add that his speculum was clear and lucid, theirs spotted.

It must be granted that Moses, being the lawgiver and first revealer of all that worship in the observation whereof the Judaical church-state and privilege of that people did consist, had the pre-eminency above the succeeding prophets, whose ministry chiefly tended to instruct the people in the nature and keep them to the observation of his institutions: but that all those things by them insisted on were peculiar to him, it doth not appear; nor if it did so, are the most of them of any great weight or importance.

The first is granted, and a signal privilege it was. God spake unto him µyniP;Ala, µyniP; , “face to face,” Exodus 33:11; and hP,Ala, hP, , “mouth to mouth,” Numbers 12:8; and this is mentioned as that which was peculiar to him above the prophets which should succeed him in the ministry of that church. But that Moses saw the essence of God, which the Jews contend from those words, is expressly denied in the text itself; for even then when it was said that God spake to him face to face, it is also affirmed that he did not nor could see the face of God, Exodus 33:20. See John 1:17,18. Both those expressions intend only that God revealed himself unto him in a more clear and familiar way than he had done unto other prophets, or would do whilst that administration continued; for although the things which he revealed to and by other prophets were more clear, evident, and open to the understanding of believers, than they were in the revelation made to Moses (they being intended as expositions of it), yet in the way of the revelation itself, God dealt more dearly and familiarly with Moses than with any other prophet of that church whatever, The second difference assigned is vain. Of the times and seasons wherein the prophets received their visions there can be no determinate rule assigned. Many of them were at ordinary seasons, whilst they were waking, and some were about the employment of their callings, as Amos, chapter 7:15.

The third also, about that consternation of spirit which befell other prophets, is groundless. Sometimes it was so with them, as the instance of Daniel proves, chapter 7:28, 10:8; and so it befell Moses himself, Hebrews 12:21; which if we attain to that place, we shall prove the Jews themselves to acknowledge. Ordinarily it was otherwise, as with him so with them, as is manifest in the whole story of the prophets.

There is the same mistake in the last difference assigned. Moses did not so receive the Spirit of prophecy as that he could, at his own pleasure, reveal those things which were not discoverable but by that Spirit, or speak out the mind of God infallibly in any thing for the use of the church, without actual inspiration as to that particular; which is evident from the mistake that he was under as to the manner of his government, which he rectified by the advice of Jethro, Exodus 18:19. And likewise in other instances did he wait for particular answers from God, Numbers 15:34. To have a comprehension at once of the whole will of God concerning the obedience and salvation of the church, was a privilege reserved for Him who in all things was to have the pre-eminence. And it seems that Maimonides himself in his exaltation of Moses excepted the Messiah; for whereas in the Hebrew and Latin copies of More Nebuch., part. 2 cap. 45, there are these words, larçy y[xy tgrdm ˆk µg wzw , which Buxtorf renders, “Est gradus hic etiam praestantissimorum consiliariorum Israelis,” “This is the degree” (in prophecy) “of the counsellors of Israel;” the Arabic or original hath, “And this also is the degree of the Messiah of Israel, who goeth before” (or “excelleth”) “all others;” that is, in point of prophecy.

Not to follow them in their imaginations, the just privileges of Moses above all other prophets lay in these three things: — (1.) That he was the lawgiver or mediator by whom God gave that law and revealed that worship in the observation whereof the very being of the Judaical church did consist. (2.) That God in the revelation made unto him dealt in a more familiar and clear manner, as to the way of his outward dealing, than with any other prophets. (3.) In that the revelation made unto him concerned the ordering of the whole house of God, when the other prophets were employed only about particulars built on his foundation.

In these things consisted the just and free pre-eminence of Moses; which whether it was such as would warrant the Jews in their obstinate adherence to his institutions upon their own principles shall be inquired into. But before we manifest that indeed it was not, the revelation of the mind of God in and by the Son, which is compared with and preferred before and above this of Moses, must be unfolded; and this we shall do in the ensuing observations : — 1. The Lord Jesus Christ, by virtue of the union of his person, was from the womb filled with a perfection of gracious light and knowledge of God and his will. An actual exercise of that principle of holy wisdom wherewith he was endued, in his infancy, as afterwards, he had not, Luke 2:52; nor had he in his human nature an absolutely infinite comprehension of all individual things, past, present, and to come, which he expressly denies as to the day of judgment, Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32; but he was furnished with all that wisdom and knowledge which the human nature was capable of, both as to principle and exercise, in the condition wherein it was, without destroying its finite being and variety of conditions, from the womb. The Papists have made a vain controversy about the knowledge of the human soul of Christ. Those whom they charge with error in this matter affirm no more than what is expressly asserted in the places of Scripture above mentioned; and by their answers unto these places, it is evident how little they care what scorn they expose the Scripture and all religion unto, so they may secure their own mistakes, But this wisdom, whatever it were, is not that whereby God so revealed his mind unto him as thereby to be said to speak to us in him. He had it by his union, and therefore immediately from the person of the Son, sanctifying that nature by the Holy Ghost, which he took into subsistence with himself. But the revelation by which God spake in him unto us was in a peculiar manner from the Father, Revelation 1:1; and, as we have showed, it is the person of the Father that is here peculiarly spoken of.

And hence the inquiry of some on this place, how the second person revealed himself to the human nature, is not to the purpose of it; for it is the person of the Father that is spoken of. So that, — 2. The commission, mission, and furnishing of the Son, as incarnate and mediator, with abilities for the declaration of the mind and will of God unto the church, were peculiarly from the Father. For the whole work of his mediation he received command of the Father, John 10:18, and what he should speak, chapter 12:49; according to which commandment he wrought and taught, chapter 14:31. Whence that is the common periphrasis whereby he expresses the person of the Father, “He that sent him;” as also, “He that sealed and anointed him.” And his doctrine on that account, he testified, was not his, his own, that is, primarily or originally as mediator, but his that sent him, John 7:16. It was from the Father that he heard the word and learned the doctrine that he declared unto the church. And this is asserted wherever there is mention made of the Father’s sending, sealing, anointing, commanding, teaching him; of his doing the will, speaking the words, seeking the glory, obeying the commands of him that sent him. See John 8:26,28,40, 14:10, 15:15, Revelation 1:1; and in the Old Testament, Zechariah 2:8; Isaiah 48:15-17,1. 4. That blessed “tongue of the learned,” whereby God spake in and by him the refreshing word of the gospel unto poor weary sinners, was the gift of the Father. 3. As to the manner of his receiving of the revelation of the will of God, a double mistake must be removed, and then the nature of it must be declared: — (1.) The Socinians, to avoid the force of those testimonies which are urged to confirm the deity of Christ, from the assertions in the gospel that he who spake to the disciples on earth was then also in heaven, John 2:13, 6:38, 51, 7:33, 34, 8:29, 41, 42, 57, 58, have broached a Mohammedan fancy, that the Lord Christ before his entrance on his public ministry was locally taken up into heaven, and there instructed in the mystery of the gospel and the mind of God which he was to reveal, Cat.

Rac., cap. 3, de Offic. Ch. Prophet., quaest. 4, 5; Smalcius de Divinit.

Christi, cap. 4; Socin. Resp. ad Paraen. Vol. pag. 38, 39.

But, — [1.] There was no cause of any such rapture of the human nature of Christ, as we shall evidence in manifesting the way whereby he was taught of the Father, especially after his baptism. [2.] This imaginary rapture is grounded solely on their prw~ton yeu~dov , that the Lord Christ in his whole person was no more than a mere man. [3.] There is no mention of any such thing in the Scripture, where the Father’s revealing his mind and will to the Son is treated of; which had it been, ought not to have been omitted. [4.] The fancy of it is expressly contrary to Scripture: for, — 1st. The Holy Ghost affirms that Christ “entered in once into the holy place,” and that after he had “obtained eternal redemption,” Hebrews 9:12; which would have been his second entrance had he been taken thither before in his human nature. So that coming of his into the world which we look for at the last day is called his second coming, his coming again, because of his first entrance into it at his incarnation, Hebrews 9:28. 2dly. He was to suffer before his entry into heaven and his glory therein, Luke 24:26. And, 3dly. As to the time of his ascension which these men assign, — namely, the forty days after his baptism, — it is said expressly that he was all that time in the wilderness amongst the wild beasts, Mark 1:13. So that this figment may have no place in our inquiry into the way of the Father’s speaking in the Son. (2.) Some lay the whole weight of the revelation of the will of God unto Christ upon the endowments of his human nature by virtue of its personal union with the eternal Word. But this is wholly inconsistent with the many testimonies, before rehearsed, of the Father’s revealing himself unto him after that union. Wherefore, to declare the nature of this revelation, we must observe further, — 4. That Jesus Christ in his divine nature, as he was the eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father, not by a voluntary communication, but eternal generation, had an omnisciency of the whole nature and will of God, as the Father himself hath, because the same with that of the Father, their will and wisdom being the same. This is the blessed sumpericw>rhsiv , or inbeing of each person, the one in the other, by virtue of their oneness in the same nature. Thus, as God, he had an absolute omniscience. Moreover, the mystery of the gospel, the eternal counsel and covenant of it concerning the redemption of the elect in his blood, and the worship of God by his redeemed ones, being transacted between Father and Son from all eternity, was known unto him as the Son, by virtue of his own personal transactions with the Father in the eternal counsel and covenant of it. See what we have elsewhere delivered concerning that covenant. 5. The Lord Christ discharged his office and work of revealing the will of the Father in and by his human nature, that nature wherein he “dwelt among us,” John 1:14; for although the person of Christ, God and man, was our mediator, Acts 20:28, John 1:14,18, yet his human nature was that wherein he discharged the duties of his office, and the “principium quod” of all his mediatory actings, 1 Timothy 2:5. 6. This human nature of Christ, as he was in it “made of a woman, made under the law,” Galatians 4:4, was, from the instant of its union with the person of the Son of God, a “holy thing,” Luke 1:35, “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners;” and radically filled with all that perfection of habitual grace and wisdom which was or could be necessary to the discharge of that whole duty which, as a man, he owed unto God, Luke 2:40,49,52; John 8:46; 1 Peter 2:22. But, — 7. Besides this furniture with habitual grace, for the performance of all holy obedience unto God, as a man made under the law, there was a peculiar endowment with the Spirit, without and beyond the bounds of all comprehensible measures, that he was to receive as the great prophet of the church, in whom the Father would speak and give out the last revelation of himself. This communication of the Spirit unto him was the foundation of his sufficiency for the discharge of his prophetical office, Isaiah 11:2,3, 48:16, <236101> 61:1-3; Daniel 9:24. As to the reality and being of this gift of the Spirit, he received it from the womb; whence in his infancy he was said to be plhrou>menov sofi>av , Luke 2:40, “filled with wisdom;” wherewith he confuted the doctors to amazement, verse 47. And with his years were these gifts increased in him: Proe>kopte sofi>a| kai< hJliki>a| kai< ca>riti — “He went forward in wisdom and stature and favor,” verse 52. But the full communication of this Spirit, with special reference unto the discharge of his public office, with the visible pledge of it in the Holy Ghost descending on him in the shape of a dove, he was made partaker of in his baptism, Matthew 3:16; when also he received his first public testimony from heaven, verse 17; which, when again repeated, received the additional command of hearing him, Matthew 17:5, — designing the prophet that was to be heard on pain of utter extermination, Deuteronomy 18:18,19. And therefore he was thereupon said to be Pne>umatov ajgi>ou plh>rhv , Luke 4:1, “full of the Holy Ghost,” and sealed to this work by the sign foretold of God, John 1:33.

This was the foundation of the Father’s speaking in the Son as incarnate.

He spake in him by his Spirit; so he did in the prophets of old, 2 Peter 1:21. And herein in general the prophecy of Christ and theirs did agree. It remaineth, then, to show wherein his pre-eminence above them did consist, so that the “word spoken” by him is principally and eminently to be attended unto; which is the argument of that which the apostle hath in hand in this place. 8. The pre-eminences of the prophecy of Christ above that of Moses and all other prophets were of two sorts: — (1.) Such as arose from his person who was the prophet; (2.) Such as accompanied the nature and manner of the revelation made unto him. (1.) They arise from the infinite excellency of his person above theirs. This is that which the apostle from the close of this verse insists upon to the very end of the chapter, making his discourse upon it the basis of his ensuing exhortations. I shall therefore remit the consideration of it unto its proper place. (2.) There were sundry excellencies that attended the very revelation itself made unto him, or his prophecy as such; for, — [1.] Not receiving the Spirit by measure, John 3:34, as they all did, he had given unto him altogether a comprehension of the whole will and mind of God, as to whatever he would have revealed of himself, with the mystery of our salvation, and all that obedience and worship which in this world he would require of his church. “It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell,” Colossians 1:19, — that is, of “grace and truth,” John 1:17: not granting him a transient irradiation by them, but a permanency and constant abode of them with him in their fullness, all “treasures of wisdom and knowledge” being hid in him, Colossians 2:3, as their home and proper abiding place; which made him of “quick understanding in the fear of the LORD,” Isaiah 11:3. All the mysteries of the counsel between the Father and the eternal Word for the salvation of the elect, with all the way whereby it was to be accomplished, through his own blood, were known unto him; as also were all the bounds, the whole extent of that worship which his church was to render unto God, with the assistance of the Spirit that was to be afforded unto them for that end and purpose. Hence the only reason why he did not at once reveal unto his disciples the whole counsel of God was, not because all the treasures of it were not committed unto him, but because they could bear no other but that gradual communication of it which he used towards them, John 16:12. But he himself dwelt in the midst of those treasures, seeing to the bottom of them. All other prophets, even Moses himself, receiving their revelations by transient irradiations of their minds, had no treasure of truth dwelling in them, but apprehended only that particular wherein they were enlightened, and that not clearly neither, in its fullness and perfection, but in a measure of light accommodated unto the age wherein they lived. Peter 1:11, 12. Hence the Spirit is said to “rest upon him,” Isaiah 11:2,3; and to “abide upon him,” John 1:32; who did only in a transient act affect the minds of other prophets, and by an actual motion, which had not a habitual spring in themselves, cause them to speak or write the will of God, as an instrument of music gives forth a sound according to the skill of him that strikes it, and that only when it is so stricken or used. Hence, — [2.] The prophets receiving their revelations as it were by number and tale from the Holy Ghost, when they had spoken or written what in particular at any season they had received from him, could not add one word or syllable of the same infallibility and authority with what they had so received. But the Lord Christ having all the treasures of wisdom, knowledge, and truth hid and laid up in him, did at all times, in all places, with equal infallibility and authority, give forth the mind and will of God even as he would, what he so spake having its whole authority from his speaking of it, and not from its consonancy unto any thing otherwise revealed. [3.] The prophets of old were so barely instrumental in receiving and revealing the will of God, being only servants in the house, Hebrews 3:6, for the good of others, 1 Peter 1:11,12, that they saw not to the bottom of the things by themselves revealed; and did therefore both diligently read and study the books of them that wrote before their time, Daniel 9:2; and meditated upon the things which the Spirit uttered by themselves, to obtain an understanding in them, I Pet. 1:10-12. But the Lord Jesus, the Lord over his own house, had an absolutely perfect comprehension of all the mysteries revealed to him and by him by that divine wisdom which always dwelt in him. [4.] The difference was no less between them in respect of the revelations themselves made to them and by them; for although the substance of the will and mind of God concerning salvation by the Messiah was made known unto them all, yet it was done so obscurely to Moses and the prophets that ensued, that they came all short in the light of that mystery to John the Baptist, who did not rise up in a clear and distinct apprehension of it unto the least of the true disciples of Christ, Matthew 11:11; whence the giving of the law by Moses, to instruct the church in that mystery by its types and shadows, is opposed to that grace and truth which were brought by Jesus Christ, John 1:17,18. See Ephesians 3:8-11; Colossians 1:26,27; Titus 2:11; 2 Timothy 1:9,10.

In these, and sundry other things of the like importance, had the Father’s speaking in the Son the pre-eminence above his speaking in Moses and the prophets. For which cause the apostle placeth this consideration in the head of his reasonings and arguments, for attendance unto and observation of the things revealed by him: for even all these things have influence into his present argument, though the main stress of it be laid on the excellency of his person; of which at large afterwards. 9. We must yet further observe, that the Jews, with whom the apostle had to do, had all of them an expectation of a new signal and final revelation of the will of God, to be made by the Messiah in the last days; that is, of their church-state, and not, as they now fondly imagine, of the world.

Some of them, indeed, imagined that great prophet promised, Deuteronomy 18, to have been one distinct from the Messiah, John 1:20,21; but the general expectation of the church for the full revelation of the will of God was upon the Messiah, John 4:25. Of the same mind were their more ancient doctors, that retained any thing of the tradition of their fathers, asserting that the law of Moses was alterable by the Messiah, and that in some things it should be so. Maimonides is the leader in the opinion of the eternity of the law; whose arguments are answered by the author of Sepher Ikharim, lib. 3. cap. 13., and some of them by Nachmanides. Hence it is laid down as a principle in Neve Shalom, trçh ykalmm hbgw hçmm açnw µjrbam µwry jyçm °lm ; — “ Messiah the king shall be exalted above Abraham, be high above Moses, yea, and the ministering angels.” And it is for the excellency of the revelation to be made by him that he is so exalted above Moses. Whence Maimonides himself acknowledgeth, Tractat. de Regibus, that at the coming of the Messiah, lkl µywlg µyqwm[hw µymgtph µyrbdh wyhy , — “hidden and deep things” (that is, of the counsel of God) “shall be revealed” (or “laid open”) “unto all.” And this persuasion they built on the promise of a new covenant to be made with them, not like the covenant made with their fathers, Jeremiah 31:31-34. Whence the author before mentioned concludes that it was the judgment of the ancient doctors that they should receive a new covenant from the mouth of God himself; and all their worship being annexed and subservient unto the covenant that was made with them in Horeb, upon the removal of that covenant, there was of necessity a new kind of worship, subservient thereunto, to ensue.

From all these observations we may evidently perceive wherein the force of the apostle’s argument doth lie, which he insists upon in this very entrance of his discourse, rather insinuating it from their own principles than openly pressing them with its reason, which he doth afterwards.

They acknowledged that the Messiah was to come; that he was to be in a special manner the Son of God (as we shall show); that in him God would ultimately reveal his mind and will unto them; and that this revelation, on many accounts, would be far more excellent than that of old made to and by Moses ; — which that it was all accomplished in the ministry of Jesus Christ, and that unto themselves in the latter days of their church, according to what was long before foretold, he asserts and proves; whence it was easy for them to gather what a necessity of adhering to his doctrine and institutions, notwithstanding any contrary pleas or arguings, was incumbent on them.

But, moreover, the apostle in these words hath opened the spring from whence all his ensuing arguments do flow, in fixing on him who brought life and immortality to light by the gospel; and from thence takes occasion to enter upon the dogmatical part of the epistle, in the description of the person of Christ, the Son of God, and his excellency, in whom God spake unto them, that they might consider with whom they had to do; wherein he proceeds to the end of this chapter.

But before we proceed we shall stay here a little, to consider some things that may be a refreshment to believers in their passage, in the consideration of those spiritual truths which, for the use of the church in general, are exhibited unto us in the words we have considered.

And the first is this, — I. The revelation of the will of God, as to all things concerning his worship, our faith and obedience, is peculiarly and in a way of eminency from the Father.

This is that which the apostle partly asserts, partly takes for granted, as the head and spring of his whole ensuing discourse. And this shall now be a little farther cleared and confirmed; to which end we may observe, — 1. That the whole mystery of his will, antecedently to the revelation of it, is said to be hid in God; that is, the Father, Ephesians 3:9. It lay wrapped up from the eyes of men and angels, in his eternal wisdom and counsel, Colossians 1:26,27. The Son, indeed, who is, and from eternity was, “in the bosom of the Father,” John 1:18, “as one brought up with him,” his eternal delight and Wisdom, Proverbs 8:29,30, was partaker with him in this counsel, verse 31; as also his eternal Spirit, who searches and knows all “the deep things of God,” 1 Corinthians 2:10,11. But yet the rise and spring of this mystery was in the Father; for the order of acting in the blessed Trinity follows the order of subsistence. As the Father, therefore, is the fountain of the Trinity as to subsistence, so also as to operation. He “hath life in himself;” and “he giveth to the Son to have life in himself,” John 5:26. And he doth it by communicating unto him his subsistence by eternal generation. And thence saith the Son, “As my Father worketh, so I work,” verse 17. And what he seeth the Father do, that doeth the Son likewise, verse 19; not by imitation, or repetition of the like works, but in the same works in order of nature the will and Wisdom of the Father doth proceed. So also is it in respect of the Holy Ghost, whose order of subsistence denotes that of his operation. 2. That the revelation of the mystery of the will of God, so hidden in the counsel of his will from eternity, was always made and given out in the pursuit and for the accomplishment of the purpose of the Father, or that eternal purpose of the will of God which is by the way of eminency ascribed unto the Father: Ephesians 1:8,9, “He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.” It is the Father of whom he Speaks: Verse 3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now, he abounds to us-ward in wisdom and prudence, or abundantly manifests his infinite wisdom in his dealing with us, by the revelation of the mystery of his will. And this he doth in pursuit of “his good pleasure which he purposed in himself,” or that purpose of his will which had its foundation solely in his good pleasure. This is the purpose of election, as is declared, verses 3-5; and this purpose is peculiarly assigned unto him, John 17:6; Thessalonians 2:13. For the accomplishment of this purpose, or the bringing of those predestinated thereby to the end purposed for them by the means ordained, for the praise of God’s glorious grace, is the whole revelation of the will of God, first and last, made. He spake in his Son, and he spake in him that he might manifest his name (himself and will) to the men whom he gave him; for saith the Son, “Thine they were” (‘set apart for thee in thine eternal purpose’), “and thou gavest them me,” John 17:6. And therefore Paul tells us, that in preaching of the gospel he “endured all things for the elect’s sakes,” 2 Timothy 2:10; knowing that it was for their salvation that the mystery of it was revealed from the bosom of the Father, as God also had before taught him, Acts 18:10. See Romans 11:7, 8:28, etc. 3. This purpose of God being communicated with and unto the Lord Christ, or the Son, and so becoming “the counsel of peace between them both,” Zechariah 6:13, he rejoicing to do the work that was incumbent on him for the accomplishment of it, Proverbs 8:30,31, Psalm 40:7,8, it became peculiarly the care and work of the Father to see that the inheritance promised him upon his undertaking, Isaiah 53:10-12, should be given unto him. This is done by the revelation of the will of God unto men concerning their obedience and salvation; whereby they are made the lot, the seed, the portion and inheritance of Christ. To this end doth the Lord, that is the Father, who said unto the Lord the Son, “Sit thou at.my right hand,” <19B001> Psalm 110:1, “send the rod of his strength out of Zion,” verse 2; and that by it to declare his rule even over his enemies, and to make his people, those given unto him, willing and obedient, verse 3. The inheritance given by the Father unto Christ being wholly in the possession of another, it became him to take it out of the usurper’s hand, and deliver it up to him whose right it was; and this he did and doth by the revelation of his mind in the preaching of the word, Ephesians 1:12,13. And from these considerations it is that, — 4. The whole revelation and dispensation of the will of God in and by the word is, as was said, eminently appropriated unto the Father. Eternal life (the counsel, the purpose, ways, means, and procurer of it) was with the Father, and was manifested to us by the word of truth,1 John 1:1,2.

And it is the Father, — that is, his will, mind, purpose, grace, love, — that the Son declares, John 1:18; in which work he speaks nothing but what he heard from and was taught by the Father, John 8:28. And hence he says, “My doctrine is not mine” (that is, principally and originally), “but his that sent me,” John 7:16. And the gospel is called “The gospel of the glory of the blessed God,” 1 Timothy 1:11; which is a periphrasis for the person of the Father, who is “the Father of glory,” Ephesians 1:17.

And we might also declare, that the great work of making this gospel effectual on the minds of men doth peculiarly belong unto the Father, which he accomplisheth by his Spirit, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 4:6; but that is not our present business. Thus the revelation of events that should befall the church to the end of the world, that Christ signified by his angel unto John, was first given him of the Father, Revelation 1:1. And therefore, though all declarations of God and his will, from the foundation of the world, were made by the Son, the second person of the Trinity, and his Spirit speaking in the prophets, 1 Peter 1:11,12, yet as it was not by him immediately, no more was it absolutely so, but as the great angel and messenger of the covenant, by the will and appointment of the Father.

And therefore the very dispensers of the gospel are said preszeu>ein , to treat as ambassadors about the business of Christ with men, in the name of God the Father. JWv tou~ Qeou~ parakalou~tov di j hJmw~n , saith the apostle; — “As if God” (the Father) “exhorted in and by us,” Corinthians 5:20; for to him doth this whole work principally relate.

And from the appropriating of this work originally and principally to the Father, there are three things that are particularly intimated unto us: — 1. The authority is to be considered in it. The Father is the original of all power and authority; of him “the whole family in heaven and earth is named,” Ephesians 3:15. He is the Father of the whole family, from whom Christ himself receives all his power and authority as mediator, Matthew 28:18; which, when his work is accomplished, he shall give up again into his hand, 1 Corinthians 15:28. He sent him into the world, set him over his house, gave him command unto his work. The very name and title of Father carries authority along with it, Malachi 1:6. And in the disposal of the church, in respect of this paternal power, doth the Son affirm that the Father is greater than he, John 14:28; and he runs up the contempt of the word, in the preaching of it by his messengers, into a contempt of this authority of the Father: “He that refuseth you refuseth me: he that refuseth me refuseth him that sent me.”

The revelation, then, and dispensation of the mind and will of God in the word, are to be considered as an act of supreme, sovereign authority, requiring all subjection of soul and conscience in the receiving of it. It is the Father of the family that speaks in this word; he that hath all power and authority essentially in him over the souls and eternal conditions of them to whom he speaks. And what holy reverence, humility, and universal subjection of soul to the word, this in a particular manner requires, is easy to be apprehended. 2. There is also love. In the economy of the blessed Trinity about the work of our salvation, that which is eminently and in an especial manner ascribed unto the Father is love, as hath been at large elsewhere showed, 1 John 4:8,10,16. “God,” that is the Father, saith John, “is love.” And how he exerts that property of his nature in the work of our salvation by Christ he there shows at large. So John 3:16; Romans 5:7,8. To be love, full of love, to be the especial spring of all fruits of love, is peculiar to him as the Father. And from love it is that he makes the revelation of his will whereof we speak, Deuteronomy 7:8, 33:3; <19E719> Psalm 147:19,20; 2 Corinthians 5:18,19. It was out of infinite love, mercy, and compassion, that God would at all reveal his mind and will unto sinners.

He might for ever have locked up the treasures of his wisdom and prudence, wherein he abounds towards us in his word, in his own eternal breast. He might have left all the sons of men unto that woeful darkness whereinto by sin they had cast themselves, and kept them under the chains and power of it, with the angels that sinned before them, unto the judgment of the great day. But it was from infinite love that he made this condescension, to reveal himself and his will unto us. This mixture of authority and love, which is the spring of the revelation of the will of God unto us, requires all readiness, willingness, and cheerfulness, in the receipt of it and submission unto it. Besides these also,- 3. There is care eminently seen in it. The great care of the church is in and on the Father. He is the husbandman that takes care of the vine and vineyard, John 15:1,2. And hence our Savior, who had a delegated care of his people, commends them to the Father, John 17, as to whom the care of them did principally and originally belong. Care is proper to a father as such; to God as a father. Care is inseparable from paternal love. And this also is to be considered in the revelation of the will of God.

What directions from these considerations may be taken for the use both of them that dispense the word, and of those whose duty it is to attend unto the dispensation of it, shall only be marked in our passage.

For the dispensers of the word, let them, — 1. Take heed of pursuing that work negligently which hath its spring in the authority, love, and care of God. See 1 Timothy 4:13-16. 2. Know to whom to look for supportment, help, ability, and encouragement in their work, Ephesians 6:19,20. And, 3. Not be discouraged, whatever opposition they meet with in the discharge of their duty, considering whose work they have in hand, Corinthians 4:15, 16. 4. Know how they ought to dispense the word, so as to answer the spring from whence it comes, — namely, with authority, and love to and care for the souls of men. And, 5. Consider to whom they are to give an account of the work they are called to the discharge of, and intrusted with, Hebrews 13:17.

And for them to whom the word is preached, let them consider, — 1. With what reverence and godly fear they ought to attend unto the dispensation of it, seeing it is a proper effect and issue of the authority of God, Hebrews 12:28. And, 2. How they will “escape if they neglect so great salvation,” declared unto them from the love and care of God, Hebrews 2:3. And, 3. With what holiness and spiritual subjection of soul unto God, they ought to be conversant in and with all the ordinances of worship that are appointed by him, Hebrews 12:28,29.

Other observations I shall more briefly pass over. “God spake in them.”

II. The authority of God speaking in and by the penmen of the Scriptures is the sole bottom and foundation of our assenting to them, and what is contained in them, with faith divine and supernatural.

He spake in them; he then continues to speak by them; and therefore is their word to be received, 2 Peter 1:20,21. But this is elsewhere handled at large.

III. God’s gradual revelation of himself, his mind and will, unto the church, was a fruit of infinite wisdom and care towards his elect. “These are parts of his ways,” says Job; “but how little a portion is heard of him?” Job 26:14. Though all his ways and dispensations are ordered in infinite wisdom, yet we can but stand at the shore of the ocean, and admire its glory and greatness. Little it is that we can comprehend. Yet what may be for our instruction, what may further our faith and obedience, is not hidden from us. And these things lie evident unto us in this gradual discovery of himself and his will : — 1. That he overfilled not their vessels. He gave them out light as they were able to bear. Though we know not perfectly what their condition was, yet this we know, that as no generation needed more light than they had, for the discharge of the duty that God required of them, so more light would have unfitted them for somewhat or other that was their duty in their respective generations. 2. He kept them in a continual dependence upon himself, and waiting for their rule and direction from him; which, as it tended to his glory, so it was exceedingly suited to their safety, in keeping them in a humble, waiting frame. 3. He so gave out the light and knowledge of himself as that the great work which he had to accomplish, that lay in the stores of his infinitely wise will, as the end and issue of all revelations, — namely, the bringing forth of Christ into the world, in the way wherein he was to come, and for the ends which he was to bring about, — might not be obviated. He gave light enough to believers to enable them to receive him, and not so much as to hinder obdurate sinners from crucifying him. 4. He did this work so that the pre-eminence fully and ultimately to reveal him might be reserved for Him in whom all things were to be gathered unto a head. All privileges were to be kept for and unto him; which was principally done by this gradual revelation of the mind of God. 5. And there was tender care conjoined with this infinite wisdom. None of his elect in any age were left without that light and instruction which were needful for them in their seasons and generations; and this so given out unto them as that they might have fresh consolation and supportment, as their occasions did require. Whilst the church of old was under this dispensation, they were still hearkening when they should hear new tidings from heaven for their teaching and refreshment; and if any difficulty did at any time befall them, they were sure not to want relief in this kind. And this was necessary before the final hand was set to the work. And this discovers the woeful state of the present Jews. They grant that the revelation of the will of God is not perfected; and yet, notwithstanding all their miseries, darkness, and distresses, they dare not pretend that they have heard one word from heaven these two thousand years, — that is, from the days of Malachi; and yet they labor to keep the veil upon their eyes.

IV. We may see hence the absolute perfection of the revelation of the will of God by Christ and his apostles, as to every end and purpose whatever for which God ever did or ever will in this world reveal himself, or his mind and will.

For as this was the last way and means that God ever designed for the discovery of himself, as to the worship and obedience which he requires, so the person by whom he accomplished this work makes it indispensably necessary that it be also absolutely perfect, from which nothing can be taken, to which nothing must be added, under the penalty of the extermination threatened to him that will not attend to the voice of that Prophet.

Return we now again unto the words of our apostle. Having declared the Son to be the immediate revealer of the gospel, in pursuit of his design he proceeds to declare his glory and excellency, both that which he had in himself antecedent to his susception of the office of mediator, and what he received upon his investiture therewith, Two things in the close of this verse he assigns unto him : — 1. That he was appointed heir of all; 2. That by him the worlds were made: wherein consist the first amplification of his proposition concerning the revealer of the gospel, in two parts, both acknowledged by the Jews, and both directly conducing to his purpose in hand. \On e]qhke xlhrono>mon pa>vtwn . — “Posuit,” “fecit,” “constituit.”

Syr., µs; — “posuit,” “he placed,” “set,” “made,” “appointed.” 1. \On , “whom;” that is the Son, in whom the Father spake unto us; and as such, as the revealer of the gospel, Qea>nqrwpov , “God and man.” The Son, as God, hath a natural dominion over all. To this he can be no more appointed than he can be to be God. On what account he hath his divine nature, on the same he hath all the attributes and perfections of it, with all things that necessarily on any supposition attend it, as supreme dominion doth. Nor doth this denotation of him respect merely the human nature; for although the Lord Christ performed all the acts of his mediatory office in and by the human nature, yet he did them not as man, but as God and man in one person, John 1:14, Acts 20:28. And therefore unto him, as such, do the privileges belong that he is vested with on the account of his being mediator. Nothing, indeed, can be added unto him as God, but there may be to him who is God, in respect of his condescension to discharge an office in another nature which he did assume. And this salves the paralogism of Felbenger on this place, which is that wherewith the Jews and Socinians perpetually entangle themselves: “Deus altissimus non potest salva majestate sua ab aliquo haeres constitutus esse; Filius Dei a Deo est haeres omnium constitutus: ergo Filius Dei non est Deus altissimus.” God is called ˆwOyl][] lae “the high,” or “most high God,” with reference to his sovereign and supreme exaltation over all his creatures, as the next words in the place where that title is given unto him do declare: År,a;w; µyimæv; hneqo , — “ Possessor of heaven and earth,” Genesis 14:19.

He is not termed “Deus altissimus,” “the most high God,” as though there were another “Deus altus,” “a high God,” that is not the “altissimus;” which is the sense of the Socinians. This one “Deus altissimus,” “most high God,” absolutely, in respect of his divine nature, cannot be appointed an heir by any other. But he who is so this high God as to be the eternal Son of the Father, and made man, may, in respect of the office which in the nature of man he undertook to discharge, by his Father be made “heir of all.” 2. Klhrono>mon , “the heir.” Klh~rov is “a lot,” and a peculiar portion received by lot; thence “an inheritance,” which is a man’s lot and portion.

Klh~rov ejpi>dikov, “an inheritance under controversy;” klhrono>mov , “an heir to goods divided by lot,” or he that distributeth an inheritance to others by lot. Absolutely, “an heir.” So the poet, of the covetous Hermocrates, jEn diaqh>kaiv aujtown e]graye klhrono>nov , — “He appointed himself his own heir in his last will and testament.” It hath also a more large signification. JO tou~ lo>gou klhrono>mov , he is, in Plato, whose turn it was to speak next. Strictly, it is the same with “haeres, “an heir.” And an heir is he “qui subintrat jus, locum, et dominium rerum defuncti, ac si eadem persona esset;’ — “who entereth into the right, place, and title of him that is deceased, as if he were the same person.” But yet the name of an heir is not restrained in the law to him that so succeeds a deceased person; in which sense it can have no place here. “Haeredis nomen latiore significatione possessorem et fidei eommissarium et legatarium comprehendit;’ — it comprehends a possessor, a trustee, and a legatary. So Spigelius. This sense of the word takes off the catachresis which must be supposed in the application of it unto the Son, if it only denoted such an heir as Abraham thought Eliezer would be to him, Genesis 15:3,4, — one that succeeds into the right and goods of the deceased; for the Father dieth not, nor doth ever forego his own title or dominion. Neither is the title and right given to the Son as mediator the same with that of God absolutely considered. This is eternal, natural, co-existent with the being of all things; that new, created by grant and donation, by whose erection and establishment the other is not at all impeached. For whereas it is affirmed that “the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son,” John 5:22,27,30, it respects not title and rule, but actual administration.

In the latter sense of the word, as it denotes any rightful possessor by grant from another, it is properly ascribed unto the Son. And there are three things intended in this word : — (1.) Title, dominion, lordship. “Haeres est qui horus ;” for thence is the word, and not from “aere,” as Isidore supposeth. The heir is the lord of that which he is heir unto. So the apostle, Galatians 4:1, Klhrono>mov is ku>riov pa>ntwn , “The heir is lord of all.” And in this sense is Christ called rwOkB] , “the first-born,” Psalm 89:28, “I will give him to be my first-born, higher than” (or, “and high above”) “the kings of the earth;” “ princeps, dominus, caput familiae,” — “ the prince, lord, and head of the family,” that hath right to the inheritance, and distributes portions to others. Hence rwOkB] is used for every thing that excelleth, and hath the pre-eminence in its own kind, Job 28:11; Isaiah 14:30; Ezekiel 47:12. So Colossians 1:15. (2.) Possession. Christ is made actual possessor of that which he hath title unto. As he is rwOkB] , so he is vrewOy , — such a possessor as comes to his possession by the surrender or grant of another. God in respect of his dominion is called hgeqo , the absolute possessor of heaven and earth, Genesis 14:22. Christ as mediator is vrewOy , a possessor by grant. And there was a suitableness that he that was the Son should thus be heir.

Whence Chrysostom and Theophylact affirm that the words denote kai< to< th~v uiJo>thtov gnh>sion , kai< to< th~v kurio>thtov ajnapo>spaston ," — “the propriety of his sonship, and the immutability of his lordship.” Not that he was thus made heir of all as he was monogenh>v , “the onlybegotten” Son of the Father, John 1:14; but it was agreeable and consonant that he who was eternally monogenh>v , and had on that account an absolute dominion over all with his Father, becoming prwto>tokov ejn polloi~v ajdegfoi~v , Romans 8:29, “the first-born amongst many brethren,” should have a delegated heirship of all, and be given to be “the head over all to the church,” Ephesians 1:22. (3.) That he hath both this title and possession by grant from the Father; of which afterwards. Christ, then, by virtue of a grant from the Father, is made Lord by a new title, and hath possession given him according to his title. He is klhrono>mov , “the heir.” 3. Pa>ntwn , “of all.” This is the object of the heirship of Christ, his inheritance. The word may be taken in the masculine gender, and denotes all persons, all those of whom he had spoken before, all the revealers of the will of God under the old testament. The Son was Lord over them all; which is true. But the word in the neuter gender denotes all things absolutely; and so it is in this place to be understood: for, — (1.) It is so used elsewhere to the same purpose: 1 Corinthians 15:27, Pa>nta uJpe>taxe . — “ He hath subjected all things unto him.” So Romans 9:5, JJO w\n ejpi< pa>ntwn Qeo>v — “ Who is God over all.” (2.) This sense suits the apostle’s argument, and adds a double force to his intention and design. For, — [1.] The Author of the gospel being heir and lord of all things whatever, the sovereign disposal of all those rites and ordinances of worship about which the Jews contended must needs be in his hand, to change and alter them as he saw good. [2.] He being the heir and lord of all things, it was easy for them to conclude, that if they intended to be made partakers of any good in heaven or earth, in a way of love and mercy, it must be by an interest in him; which without a constant abode in obedience unto his gospel cannot be attained. (3.) The next words evince this sense, “By whom also he made the worlds.” Probably they render a reason of the equitableness of this great trust made to the Son. He made all, and it was meet he should be Lord of all. However, the force of the connection of the words, di j ou= kai< tountwn , the “all” foregoing, to the aijw~nav , or the “worlds” following. (4.) The inheritance given answers the promise of it unto Abraham, which was that he should be “heir of the world,” Romans 4:13, namely, in his seed, Galatians 3:16; as also the request made by Christ on that promise, Psalm 2:8: both which extend it to the whole world, the ends of the earth. (5.) The original and rise of this inheritance of Christ will give us its true extent, which must therefore more especially be considered.

Upon the creation of man, God gave unto him a dominion over all things in this lower world, Genesis 1:28,29. He made him his heir, vicegerent, and substitute in the earth. And as for those other creatures to which his power and authority did not immediately extend, as the sun, moon, and stars, the whole inanimate host of the superior world, they were ordered by Him that made them to serve for his good and behoof, Genesis 1:14; Deuteronomy 4:19; so that even they also in a sort belonged unto his inheritance, being made to serve him in his subjection unto God.

Further, besides this lower part of his dominion, God had for his glory created angels in heaven above; of whom we shall have occasion hereafter to treat. These made up another branch of God’s providential kingdom, the whole administered in the upper and lower world, being of each other independent, and meeting in nothing but their dependence upon and subjection unto God himself. Hence they did not so stand in the condition of their creation, but that one kind or race of them might fail and perish without any impeachment of the other. So also it came to pass. Man might have persisted in his honor and dignity notwithstanding the fall and apostasy of some of the angels. When he fell from his heirship and dominion, the whole subordination of all things unto him, and by him unto God, was lost, and all creatures returned to an immediate absolute dependence on the government of God, without any respect to the authority and sovereignty delegated unto man. But as the fall of angels did not in its own nature prejudice mankind, no more did this fall of man the angels that persisted in their obedience, they being no part of his inheritance. However, by the sin, apostasy, and punishment, of that portion of the angels which kept not their first station, it was manifested how possible it was that the remainder of them might sin after the similitude of their transgression. Things being brought into this condition, — one branch of the kingdom of God, under the administration of man, or allotted to his service, being cast out of that order wherein he had placed it, and the other in an open possibility of being so also, — it seemed good to the Lord, in his infinite wisdom, to erect one kingdom out of these two disordered members of his first dominion, and to appoint one common heir, head, ruler, and lord to them both. And this was the Son, as the apostle tells us, Ephesians 1:10: “He gathered together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on each; even in him.”

He designed ajnakefalaiw>sasqai , “to bring all into one head” and rule in him, It is not a similitude taken from casting up accounts, wherein lesser sums are in the close brought into one head, as some have imagined; nor yet an allusion to orators, who in the close of their long orations sum up the matter they have at large treated of that the apostle makes use of; both which are beneath the majesty of and no way suited to illustrate, the matter he hath in hand. But as Chrysostom well intimates on the place, it is as if he had said, Mi>an kefalhqhke , — “ He appointed one head to them all,” angels and men, with whatsoever in the first constitution of the divine government was subordinate unto them. So we have found the object and extent of the heirship of Christ expressed in this word pa>ntwn , which I shall further explain in that brief scheme of the whole kingdom of Christ which to the exposition of these words shall be subjoined. 4. ] Eqhke . The way whereby Christ the Son came to his inheritance is in this word expressed. God “appointed” or “placed” him therein. The word may denote either those special acts whereby he came into the full possession of his heirship, or it may be extended to other preparatory acts that long preceded them, especially if we shall take it to be of the same importance with e]qeto in the second aoristus. In the former sense, the glorious investiture of the Lord Christ in the full actual possession of his kingdom after his resurrection, with the manifestation of it in his ascension, and token of its stability in his sitting at the right hand of God, is designed. By all these God e]qhke , “made him,” placed him with solemn investiture, heir of all. The grant was made to him upon his resurrection, Matthew 28:18, and therein fully declared unto others, Romans 1:4; Acts 13:33: as there was of Solomon’s being king, when he was proclaimed by Benaiah, Zadok, and Nathan, 1 Kings 1:31-34. The solemnization of it was in his ascension, Psalm 68:17,18, Ephesians 4:8-10; and typed by Solomon’s riding on David’s mule unto his throne, all the people crying, Ël,M,Hæ yjiy] , 1 Kings 1:39, “Let the king live.” All was sealed and ratified when he took possession of his throne at the right hand of the Father; by all which he was made and declared to be Lord and Christ, Acts 2:36, 4:11, 5:30, 31. And such weight doth the Scripture lay upon this glorious investiture of Christ in his inheritance, that it speaks of his whole power as then first granted unto him, Romans 14:9; Philippians 2:7-10; and the reason of it is, because he had then actually performed that work and duty upon the consideration whereof that power and authority were eternally designed and originally granted unto him.

God’s actual committing all power over all things and persons in heaven and earth, to be exerted and managed for the ends of his mediation, declaring this act, grant, and delegation by his resurrection, ascension, and sitting at his right hand, is that which this word denotes.

I will not deny but it may have respect unto sundry things preceding these, and preparatory unto them; as, — (1.) The eternal purpose of God, ordaining him before the foundation of the world unto his work and inheritance, 1 Peter 1:20. (2.) The covenant that was of old between the Father and Son for the accomplishment of the great work of redemption, this inheritance being included in the contract, Proverbs 8:30,31; Isaiah 53:10,11. (3.) The promises made unto him in his types, Abraham, David, and Solomon, Genesis 15; Psalm 72. (4.) The promises left upon record in the Old Testament for his supportment and assurance of success, Psalm 2; Isaiah 49, etc. (5.) The solemn proclamation of him to be the great heir and lord of all, at his first coming into the world, Luke 2:11, 30-32. But it is the consummation of all these, whatever was intended or declared in these previous acts of the will and wisdom of God, that is principally intended in this expression.

Some suppose it of importance, in this matter of the heirship of Christ, to assert that he was the rightful heir of the crown and scepter of Israel. This opinion is so promoted by Baronius as to contend that the right of the kingdom was devolved on him, which was caused to cease for a season in Antigonus, who was slain by M. Antony. But what was the right of the kingdom that was in Antigonus is hard to declare. The Asmonaeans, of whom that ruled he was the last, were of the tribe of Levi. Their right to the scepter was no more but what they had won by the sword. So that by his death there could be no devolution of a right to reign unto any, it being that which he never had. Nor is it probable that our Savior was the next of kin to the reigning house of Judah; nor was it any wise needful he should be so; nor is there any promise to that purpose. His lineal descent was from Nathan, and not from Solomon, — of that house was Zerubbabel the aichmalotarches, — which therefore is specially mentioned in the reformation, Zechariah 12:12. Besides, the heirship promised unto Christ was neither of a temporal kingdom of Israel, which he never enjoyed, nor of any other thing in dependence thereon. Were it so, the Jews must first have the dominion, before he could inherit it. And such, indeed, was the mistake of the disciples (as it is of the Jews to this day), who inquired, not whether he would take the kingdom to himself, but whether he would restore it unto Israel.

We have opened the words: it remaineth that we consider the sense and persuasion of the Hebrews in this matter; 2. Show the influence of this assertion into the argument that the apostle hath in hand; and, 3. Annex a brief scheme of the whole lordship and kingdom of Christ.

The testimonies given to this heirship, of the Messiah in the Old Testament, sufficiently evidencing the faith of the church guided by the rule thereof, will be mentioned afterwards. For the present, I shall only intimate the continuance of this persuasion among the Jews, both then when the apostle wrote unto them and afterwards. To this purpose is that of Jonathan in the Targum on Zechariah 4:7: atwklm lkb flçyw ˆymdqlm hmç dymad ajyçm ty ylgyw ; — “He shall reveal the Messiah, whose name is from everlasting, who shall have the dominion over all kingdoms.” See Psalm 72:11. And of him who was brought before the Ancient of days, like the Son of man, Daniel 7, to whom all power was given, they say, jyçmh °lm awh ; — “He is Messiah, the king.” So R. Solomon on the place. So R. Bechai on Exodus 23:21, “My name is in him.” “He is called,” saith he, “ ˆwrffm , because in that name two significations are included, ˆwda , ‘a lord,’ and jylç , ‘an ambassador;’“ the reasons of which etymology out of the Greek and Latin tongues he subjoins, I confess foolishly enough. But yet he adds to our purpose: “It may have a third signification, of a ‘keeper;’ for the Targum, instead of the Hebrew trmçm hath trfm , from rfn . Because he, that is the Messiah, preserves or keeps the world, he is called larçy rmwç , ‘the keeper of Israel.’ Hence it appears that he is the Lord of all things, they being put under him, and that the whole host of things above and below are in his hand. He is also the manager of all above and beneath; because God hath made him to rule over all, hath appointed him the lord of his house, the ruler of all he hath.” Which expressions, how consonant they are to what is delivered by the apostle in this place and chapter 3, is easily discerned.

The influence of this assertion or common principle of the Judaical church into the argument that the apostle hath in hand is evident and manifest. He who is the heir and lord of all things, spiritural, temporal, ecclesiastical, must needs have power over all Mosaical institutions, be the lord of them, which are nowhere exempted from his rule.

The words being opened, and the design of the apostle in them discovered, because they contain an eminent head of the doctrine of the gospel concerning the lordship and kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, I shall stay here a little, to give in a scheme of his whole dominion, seeing the consideration of it will not again so directly occur unto us. That which is the intendment of the words, in the interpretation given of them, is this: — God the Father, in the pursuit of the sovereign purpose of his will, hath granted unto the Son as incarnate, and mediator of the new covenant, according to the eternal counsel between them both, a sovereign power and authority over all things in heaven and earth, with the possession of an absolute proprietor, to dispose of them at his pleasure, for the furtherance and advancement of his proper and peculiar work, as head of his church.

I shall not insist on the several branches of this thesis; but, as I said, in general confirm this grant of power and dominion unto the Lord Christ, and then give in our scheme of his kingdom, in the several branches of it, not enlarging our discourse upon them, but only pointing at the heads and springs of things as they lie in the Scripture.

OF THE KINGDOM OR LORDSHIP OF CHRIST.

The grant of dominion in general unto the Messiah is intimated in the first promise of him, Genesis 3:15, — his victory over Satan was to be attended with rule, power, and dominion, Psalm 68:18, Isaiah 53:12, Ephesians 4:8,9, Colossians 2:15; — and confirmed in the renewal of that promise to Abraham, Genesis 22:17,18; for in him it was that Abraham was to be “heir of the world,” Romans 4:13; — as also unto Judah, whose seed was to enjoy the scepter and lawgiver, until he came who was to be Lord over all, Genesis 49:10; — and Balaam also saw the Star of Jacob, with a scepter for rule, Numbers 24:17,19. This kingdom was fully revealed unto David, and is expressed by him, Psalm throughout, Psalm 45:3-8, 89:19-24, etc., 72:6-9, etc., <19B001> Psalm 110:1-3; — as also in all the following prophets. See Isaiah 11:1-4, 9:6, 7, 53:12, 63:1-3; Jeremiah 23:5,6; Daniel 7:13,14, etc.

As this was foretold in the Old Testament, so the accomplishment of it is expressly asserted in the New. Upon his birth he is proclaimed to be “Christ the Lord,” Luke 2:11; and the first inquiry after him is, “Where is he that is born king?” Matthew 2:2,6. And this testimony doth he give concerning himself, namely, that all judgment was his, and therefore all honor was due unto him, John 5:22,23; and that “all things were delivered unto him,” or given into his hand, Matthew 11:27; yea, “all power in heaven and in earth,” Matthew 28:18, — the thing pleaded for.

Him who was crucified did God make “both Lord and Christ,” Acts 2:35,36; exalting him at his right hand to be “a Prince and a Savior,” Acts 5:31. He is “highly exalted, having “a name given him above every name, Philippians 2:9-11; being “set at the right hand of God in heaven!y places, far above,” etc., Ephesians 1:20-22; where he reigns for ever, 1 Corinthians 15:25; being the “King of kings, and Lord of lords,” Revelation 19:16, verses 12-14; for he is “Lord of dead and living,” Romans 14:7-9.

And this in general is fully asserted in the Scripture, unto the consolation of the church and terror of his adversaries. This, I say, is the spring of the church’s glory, comfort, and assurance. It is our head, husband, and elder brother, who is gloriously vested with all this power. Our nearest relation, our best friend, is thus exalted; not to a place of honor and trust under others, a thing that contents the airy fancy of poor earth-worms; nor yet to a kingdom on the earth, a matter that swells some, and even breaks them with pride; no, nor yet to an empire over this perishing world: but to an abiding, an everlasting rule and dominion over the whole creation of God.

And it is but a little while before he will cast off and dispel all those clouds and shades which at present interpose themselves, and eclipse his glory and majesty from them that love him. He who in the days of his flesh was reviled, reproached, persecuted, crucified, for our sakes, that same Jesus is thus exalted and made “a Prince and a Savior,” having “a name given him above every name,” etc.; for though he was dead, yet he is alive, and lives for ever, and hath the keys of hell and death. These things are everywhere proposed for the consolation of the church.

The consideration of it also is suited to strike terror into the hearts of ungodly men that oppose him in the world. Whom is it that they do despise? against whom do they magnify themselves, and lift up their horns on high? whose ordinances, laws, institutions, do they contemn? whose gospel do they refuse obedience unto? whose people and servants do they revile and persecute? Is it not he, are they not his, who hath “all power in heaven and in earth” committed unto him, in whose hand are the lives, the souls, all the concernments of his enemies? Caesar thought he had spoken with terror, when, threatening him with death who stood in his way, he told him, “Young man, he speaks it to whom it is as easy to do it.” He speaks to his adversaries, who stand in the way of his interest, to “deal no more so proudly,” who can in a moment speak them into ruin, and that eternal. See Revelation 6:14-17.

Thus is the Son made heir of all in general. We shall further consider his dominion in a distribution of the chief parts of it; and manifest his power severally in and over them all. He is lord or heir pa>ntwn , — that is, of all persons and of all things. PERSONS, or rational subsistences, here intended, are either angels or men; for it is evident that “He is excepted who hath subjected all things unto him,” 1 Corinthians 15:27. Angels are of two sorts: — 1. Such as abide doing the will of God, retaining that name by way of eminency; 2. Such as by sin have lost their first habitation, state, and condition, — usually called evil angels, or devils. The Lord Jesus hath dominion over all, and both sorts of them. Men may be cast under one common distribution, which is comprehensive of all distinctions whereby they are differenced; for they all are either elect or reprobates. And the Lord Jesus hath rule and dominion over them all. THINGS that are subject unto the Lord Jesus may be referred unto four heads; for they are either, — 1. Spiritual; or, 2. Ecclesiastical; or, 3. Political; or, 4. Natural.

Again, Spiritual are either, (1.) Temporal, as, [1.] Grace; [2.] Gifts; or (2.) Eternal, as glory. Ecclesiastical or church things are either, (1.) Judaical, or old testament things; or, (2.) Christian, or things of the new testament. Political and civil things may be considered as they are managed, (1.) By his friends; (2.) His enemies.

Of Natural things we shall speak in a production of some particular instances, to prove the general assertion.

Those, in the FIRST place, assigned as part of the inheritance of Christ are, — I. The angels, and the good angels in especial. These belong to the kingdom, rule, and dominion of Christ. I shall be brief in this branch of his heirship, because it must be professedly handled in opening sundry other verses of this chapter, in which the apostle insisteth on it.

Of the nature of angels, their glory, excellency, dignity, work, and employment, we have here no occasion to treat. Something must afterwards be spoken unto these things. Christ’s pre-eminence above them, rule over them, their subjection unto him, with the original right and equity of the grant of this power and authority unto him, are the things which now fall under our consideration. 1. His pre-eminence above them is asserted by the apostle in the fourth verse of this chapter. He is “made better” (“more excellent”) “than the angels.” See the words opened afterwards. This was to the Jews, who acknowledged that the Messiah should be above Moses, Abraham, and the ministering angels. So Neve Shalom, lib. 9 cap. 5. We have testimony unto it: Ephesians 1:20,21, “He set him at his own right hand,” ejn ejpourani>oiv, “among heavenly things, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named,” whatever title of honor or office they enjoy, “not only in this world, but also in that which is to come,” who enjoy their power and dignity in that state of glory; which is promised unto them also who here believe on him. Philippians 2:9, “God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name” (power, authority, and pre-eminence) “which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus” (unto him vested with that authority and dignity) “every knee should bow” (all creatures should yield obedience and be in subjection), “of things in heaven,” the i]dion oijkhth>rion , “proper habitation” and place of residence of the blessed angels, Jude 1:6. For, — 2. As he is exalted above them, so by the authority of God the Father they are made subject unto him: 1 Peter 3:22,” He is gone into heaven,” ujpotage>ntwn aujtw~| ajgge>lwn , “angels being brought into order by subjection unto him.” Ephesians 1:22, Pa>nta ujpe>taxen , “He hath put all things” (angels, of which he treats) “in subjection to him;” “under his feet,” as Psalm 8:7, wyl;g]ræAtjætæ ; 1 Corinthians 15:27. And this by the special authority of God the Father, in a way of grant of privilege and honor unto him, and to evidence the universality of this subjection. 3. They adore and worship him, — the highest act of obedience and most absolute subjection. This they have in command, Hebrews 1:6, “Let all the angels of God worship him ;” Psalm 97:7, Wwj\Tæv]hi , “worship him,” — with prostration, self-abasement, and all possible subjection to him: of which place afterwards. Their practice answers the command given them, Revelation 5:11-14. All the angels round about his throne fall down, and ascribe “blessing, and honor, and glory, and power” unto him; as we are taught to do in our deepest acknowledgment of the majesty and authority of God, Matthew 6:13. And as to outward obedience, they are ready in all things to receive his commands, being “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall inherit salvation,” Hebrews 1:14; and that by Him who is “head over all to the church,” Ephesians 1:22. As, for instance, he sent out one of them to his servant John, Revelation 1:1; who, from their employment under him towards them that believe, are said to be their “fellow-servants,” — that is unto Christ, — namely, of all them who have “the testimony of Jesus,” Revelation 19:10, 22:9. And to this purpose, — 4. They always attend his throne: Isaiah 6:1,2, “I saw the LORD sitting upon a throne,” and “about it stood the seraphim.” This Isaiah “spake of him when he saw his glory,” John 12:39-41. He was upon his throne when he spake with the church in the wilderness, Acts 7:38, — that is, on mount Sinai: where the angels attending him as on chariots, ready to receive his commands, were “twenty thousand, even thousands of angels,” Psalm 68:17, Ephesians 4:8; or “thousand thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand,” as another prophet expresseth it, Daniel 7:10. And so is he in the church of the new testament, Revelation 5:11; and from his walking in the midst of the golden candlesticks, Revelation 1:13, are the angels also present in church assemblies, as attending their Lord and Master, 1 Corinthians 11:10.

And so attended shall he come to judgment, 2 Thessalonians 1:7; when he shall be “revealed from heaven with the angels of his power:” which was foretold concerning him from the beginning of the world, Jude 1:14,15.

Thus his lordship over angels is universal and absolute, and their subjection unto him answerable thereunto. The manner of the grant of this excellency, power, and dignity unto him, must be further cleared in the opening of these words of the apostle, verse 4, “Being made better than the angels.” The original right and equity of this grant, with the ends of it, are now only to be intimated. 1. The radical, fundamental equity of this grant lies in his divine nature, and his creation of angels, over whom as mediator he is made Lord. Unto the general assertion of his being made “heir of all,” the apostle in this place subjoins that general reason, manifesting the rise of the equity of it in the will of God that it should be so: “By whom also he made the worlds.”

Which reason is particularly applicable to every part of his inheritance, and is especially pleaded in reference unto angels: Colossians 1:15,16, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature,” — that is, the heir and lord of them all; and the reason is, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” His creation of those heavenly powers is the foundation of his heirship or lordship over them. jEkti>sqh , that is, saith a learned man (Grotius) on the place, “not created or made, but ordered, ordained; all things were ordered by Christ as to their state and dignity.” But what reason is there to depart from the proper, usual, yea, only sense of the word in this place? “Because,” saith he, “mention is made of Christ, which is the name of a man; and so the creation of all things cannot be attributed unto him.” But Christ is the name of the Son of God incarnate, God and man: “Christ, who is over all, God blessed for ever,” Romans 9:5. See Luke 2:11. And he is here spoken of as “the image of the invisible God,” Colossians 1:15, — the essential image of the Father, endowed with all his eternal attributes; and so the creator of all.

The Socinians add that the words are used in the abstract, “principalities and powers,” and therefore their dignities, not their persons, are here intended. But, (1.) “All things created, in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible,” are the substances and essences of things themselves, and not their qualities and places only. (2.) The distribution into “thrones and dominions, principalities and powers,” respects only the last branch of things affirmed to be created by him, namely, “things in heaven, — invisible;” so that if it should be granted that he made or created them only as to their dignity, order, and power, yet they obtain not their purpose, since the creation of all other things, as to their being and subsistence, is ascribed unto him. But, (3.) The use of the abstract for the concrete is not unusual in Scripture. See Ephesians 6:12, pveumatika> for pneu>mata. Thus hjgemo>nav kai< ejxousi>ai , “rulers and kings,” Matthew 10:18, are termed ajpcai< kai< ejxousi>ai , “principalities and powers,” Luke 12:11. And in this particular, those who are here “principalities and powers” are “angels great in power,” 2 Peter 2:11. And Ephesians 1:20,21, he is exalted mpera>nw pa>shv ajpch~v kai< ejxousi>av kai< duna>mewv kai< kurio>thtov , — that is, above all vested with principality and power,” as the next words evince, “and every name that is named.” So Jude tells us of some of whom he says, Kurio>thtov katafronou~ntev , do>xav ouj tre>mousi blasfhmou~ntev kurio>that ajqetou~si , do>xav blasfhmou~si — “They despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities;” that is, those vested with them. And Paul, Romans 8:38,39, “I am persuaded that neither angels,” ou]te ajrcai< , ou]te duna>meiv, “nor principalities, nor powers;” ou]te tisiv ejte>ra, “nor any other creature.” So that these principalities and powers are kti>Seiv , certain “creatures,’’ created things and subsistences, — that is the angels, variously differenced amongst themselves; in respect of us, great in power and dignity.

This is the first foundation of the equity of this grant of all power over the angels unto the Lord Christ: in his divine nature he made them; and in that respect they were before his own; as on the same account, when he came into the world, he is said to come eijv ta< i]dia , John 1:11, “to his own,” or the things that he had made. 2. It is founded in that establishment in the condition of their creation, which by his interposition to recover what was lost by sin, and to preserve the untainted part of the creation from ruin, they did receive. In their own right, the rule of their obedience, and the example of those of their number and society who apostatized from God, they found themselves in a state not absolutely impregnable. Their confirmation, — which also was attended with that exaltation which they received by their new relation unto God in and through him, — they received by his means, God gathering up all things to a consistency and permanency in him, Ephesians 1:10. And hence also it became equal that the rule and power over them should be committed unto him, by whom, although they were not, like us, recovered from ruin, yet they were preserved from all danger of it. So that in their subjection unto him consists their principal honor and all their safety.

And as this act of God, in appointing Christ Lord of angels, hath these equitable foundations, so it hath also sundry glorious ends: — 1. It was as an addition unto that glory that was set before him in his undertaking to redeem sinners. A kingdom was of old promised unto him; and to render it exceedingly glorious, the rule and scepter of it is extended, not only to his redeemed ones, but to the holy angels also, and the sovereignty over them is granted him as a part of his reward, Philippians 2:8-11; Ephesians 1:20,21. 2. God hereby gathers up his whole family, — at first distinguished by the law of their creation into two especial kinds, and then differenced and set at variance by sin, — into one body under one head, reducing them that originally were twain into one entire family: Ephesians 1:10, “In the fullness of times he gathered together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him,” as was before declared. Before this the angels had no immediate created head; for themselves are called µyihloa’ , “gods,” Psalm 97:7; 1 Corinthians 8:5.

Whoever is the head must be µyniloa’h; yheloa’ , [ Deuteronomy 10:17], the “God of gods,” or” Lord of lords,” — which Christ alone is; and in him, or under him as a head, is the whole family of God united. 3. The church of mankind militant on the earth, whose conduct unto eternal glory is committed unto Christ, stands in need of the ministry of angels. And therefore hath God granted rule and power over them unto him, that nothing might be wanting to enable him “to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.” So God hath given him to be “head over all things to the church,” Ephesians 1:22; that he should, with an absolute sovereignty, use and dispose of all things to the benefit and advantage of the church.

This is the first branch of the lordship and dominion of Christ, according to the distribution of the severals of it before laid down. He is Lord of angels, and they are all of them his servants, the fellow-servants of them that have the testimony of Jesus. And as some men do wilfully cast themselves, by their religious adoration of angels, under the curse of Canaan, to be servants unto servants, Genesis 9:25; so it is the great honor and privilege of true believers, that in their worship of Christ they are admitted into the society of “an innumerable company of angels,” Hebrews 12:22, Revelation 5:11-13: for they are not ashamed to esteem them their fellow-servants whom their Lord and King is not ashamed to call his brethren. And herein consists our communion with them, that we have one common Head and Lord; and any intercourse with them, but only on this account, or any worship performed towards them, breaks the bond of that communion, and causeth us not to “hold the Head,” Colossians 2:19. The privilege, the safety, and advantage of the church, from this subjection of angels to its Head and Savior, are by many spoken unto.

Secondly, There is another sort of angels, who by sin left their primitive station, and fell off from God; of whom, their sin, fall, malice, wrath, business, craft in evil, and final judgment, the Scripture treateth at large.

These belong not, indeed, to the possession of Christ as he is the heir, but they belong unto his dominion as he is Lord. Though he be not a king and head unto them, yet he is a judge and ruler over them. All things being given into his hand, they also are subjected unto his power. Now, as under the former head, I shall consider, — 1. The right or equity, and, 2. The end of this authority of Christ over this second sort of the first race of intellectual creatures, the angels that have sinned. 1. As before, this right is founded in his divine nature, by virtue whereof he is ijkanov , fit for this dominion. He made these angels also, and therefore, as God, hath an absolute dominion over them. The creatures cannot cast off the dominion of the Creator by rebellion. Though they may lose their moral relation unto God, as obedient creatures, yet their natural, as creatures, cannot be dissolved. God will be God still, be his creatures never so wicked; and if they obey not his will, they shall bear his justice.

And this dominion of Christ over fallen angels as God, makes the grant of rule over them to him as mediator just and equal. 2. The immediate and peculiar foundation of his right unto rule over fallen angels, rendering the special grant of it equal and righteous, is lawful conquest. This gives a special right, Genesis 48:22. Now, that Christ should conquer fallen angels was promised from the foundation of the world, Genesis 3:15. “The seed of the woman,” the Messiah, was to “break the serpent’s head,” — despoil him of his power, and bring him into subjection; which he performed accordingly: Colossians 2:15, “He spoiled principalities and powers,” — divested fallen angels of all that title they had got to the world, by the sin of man; “triumphing over them,” as captives to be disposed of at his pleasure. He “stilled,”or made to cease as to his power, this “enemy” µQenæt]miW, and “self-avenger,” Psalm 8:2; “leading captivity captive,” Psalm 68:18; “breaking in pieces the head over the large earth,” <19B006> Psalm 110:6; “binding the strong man armed, and spoiling his goods.” And the Scripture of the New Testament is full of instances as to his executing his power and authority over evil angels; they take up a good part of the historical books of it.

Man having sinned by the instigation of Satan, he was, by the just judgment of God, delivered up unto his power, Hebrews 2:14. The Lord Christ undertaking to recover lost man from under his power by destroying his works, 1 John 3:8, and to bring them again into favor with God, Satan with all his might sets himself to oppose him in his work; and foiling in his enterprise, being utterly conquered, he became absolutely subjected unto him, trodden under his feet, and the prey he had taken was delivered from him, This is the next foundation of the authority of Christ over the evil angels.

He had a great contest and war with them, and that about the glory of God, his own kingdom, and the eternal salvation of the elect. Prevailing absolutely against them, he made a conquest over them, and they are put into subjection unto him for ever. They are subjected unto him as to their present actings and future condition. He now rules them, and will hereafter finally judge them. Wherein he suffers them, in his holiness and wisdom, to act in temptations, seductions, persecutions, he bounds and limits their rage, malice, actings; orders and disposes the events of them to his own holy and righteous ends; and keeps them under chains for the judgment of the last day, when, for the full manifestation of his dominion over them, he will cause the meanest of his servants to set their feet on the necks of these conquered kings, and to join with himself in sentencing them unto eternal ruin, 1 Corinthians 6:3; which they shall be cast into by him, Revelation 19:20. 3. The ends of this lordship of Christ are various; as, — (1.) His own glory, <19B001> Psalm 110:1. (2.) The church’s safety, Matthew 16:18; Revelation 12:7-9. And, (3.) Exercise for their good, — [1.] By temptation, 1 Peter 5:8-10; and, [2.] Persecution, Revelation 2:10, 12:10; both which he directs, regulates, and bounds, unto their eternal advantage. (4.) The exercising of his wrath and vengeance upon his stubborn enemies, whom these slaves and vassals to his righteous power seduce, blind, harden, provoke, ruin and destroy, Revelation 12:15, 16:13, 14; Psalm 106. And how much of the peace, safety, and consolation of believers, lies wrapped up in this part of the dominion of Christ were easy to demonstrate; as also, that faith’s improvement of it, in every condition, is the greatest part of our wisdom in our pilgrimage.

II. All mankind (the second sort of intellectual creatures or rational subsistences) belong to the lordship and dominion of Christ. All mankind was in the power of God as one fu>rama , “one mass,” or “lump,” out of which all individuals are made and framed, Romans 9:21, some to honor, some to dishonor; the to< ajuto< fu>rama not denoting the same substance, but one common condition. And the making of the individuals is not by temporal creation, but eternal designation. So that all mankind, made out of nothing and out of the same condition, destined to several ends, for the glory of God, are branched into two sorts; — elect, or vessels from the common mass unto honor; and reprobates, or vessels from the common mass unto dishonor. As such they were typed by Jacob and Esau, Romans 9:11-13; and are expressed under that distribution, Thessalonians 5:9. Some ajp j ajrch~v , “from the beginning,” being “chosen to salvation,” 2 Thessalonians 2:13; pro< kata , Ephesians 1:4, “before the foundation of the world;” Romans 8:29, 11:5; Matthew 20:16; 2 Timothy 2:10; Revelation 21:27; — others are appointed to the day of evil, Proverbs 16:4; palai< progegramme>noi , “of old ordained to condemnation,” Jude 1:4; eijv a[lwsin kai< fqora>n , “for to be destroyed,” 2 Peter 2:12. See Romans 9:22, 11:7; Revelation 20:15.

Both these sorts, or all mankind, is the lordship of Christ extended to, and to each of them respectively:- He is Lord over all flesh, John 17:2; both living and dead, Romans 14:9; Philippians 2:9,10.

First, Particularly, he is Lord over all the elect. And besides the general foundation of the equity of his authority and power in his divine nature and creation of all things, the grant of the Father unto him, as mediator, to be their Lord is founded in other especial acts both of Father and Son; for,- 1. They were given unto him from eternity, in design and by compact, that they should be his peculiar portion, and he their Saviour, John 17:2. Of the pa>shv sarko>v , “all flesh,” over which he hath authority, there is a pa~n o[ deFather gave him, in an especial manner; of whom he says, “Thine they were, and thou gavest them me,” verse 6; Acts 18:10. They are a portion given him to save, John 6:39; of which he takes the care, as Jacob did of the sheep of Laban, when he served him for a wife, Genesis 31:36-40. See Proverbs 8:31. This was an act of the will of the Father in the eternal covenant of the mediator; whereof elsewhere. 2. His grant is strengthened by redemption, purchase, and acquisition. This was the condition of the former grant, Isaiah 53:10-12, which was made good by him; so that his lordship is frequently asserted on this very account, 1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter 1:18,19; 1 Timothy 2:6; John 10:15; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 5:9; John 11:51,52.

And this purchase of Christ is peculiar to them so given him of the Father in the covenant of the mediator; as, — (1.) Proceeding from his especial and greatest love, John 15:13; Romans 5:8; 1 John 3:16, 4:9, 10; Acts 20:28; Romans 8:32: and, — (2.) Being accompanied with a purchase for them which they shall certainly enjoy, and that of grace and glory, Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:14; Philippians 1:28; Hebrews 9:12,15. And, indeed, the controversy about the death of Christ is not primarily about its extent, but its efficacy and fruits in respect of them for whom he died,3. Those thus given him of the Father and redeemed by him are of two sorts: — (1.) Such as are actually called to faith in him and union with him. These are further become his upon many other especial accounts. They are his in all relations of subjection, — his children, servants, brethren, disciples, subjects, his house, his spouse. He stands towards them in all relations of authority: is their father, master, elder brother, teacher, king, lord, ruler, judge, husband; ruling in them by his Spirit and grace, over them by his laws in his word, preserving them by his power, chastening them in his care and love, feeding them out of his stores, trying them and delivering them in his wisdom, bearing with their miscarriages in his patience, and taking them for his portion, lot, and inheritance, in his providence; raising them at the last day, taking them to himself in glory, and every way avouching them to be his, and himself to be their Lord and Master. (2.) Some of them are always uncalled, and shall be so until the whole number of them be completed and filled. But before, they belong on the former accounts unto his lot, care, and rule, John 10:16. They are already his sheep by grant and purchase, though not yet really so by grace and holiness. They are not yet his by present obediental subjection, but they are his by eternal designation and real acquisition.

Now, the power that the Lord Jesus hath over this sort of mankind is universal, unlimited, absolute, and exclusive of all other power over them, as unto the things peculiarly belonging unto his kingdom. He is their king, judge, lawgiver; and in things of God purely spiritual and evangelical other they have none. It is true, he takes them not out of the world, and therefore as unto ta< biwtika> , “the things of this life,” things of the world, they are subject to the laws and rulers of the world; but as unto the things of God he is the only lawgiver, who is able to kill and make alive. But the nature and ends of the lordship of Christ over the elect are too large and comprehensive to be here spoken unto, in this brief delineation of his kingdom, which we undertook in this digression.

Secondly, His lordship and dominion extends to the other sort of men also, namely, reprobates, or men finally impenitent. They are not exempted from that “all flesh” which he hath power over, John 17:2; nor from those “dead and living” over whom he is Lord, Romans 14:9; nor from that “world” which he shall judge, Acts 17:31. And there are two especial grounds, that are peculiar to them, of this grant of power and authority over them : — 1. His interposition, upon the entrance of sin, against the immediate execution of the curse due unto it; as befell the angels. This fixed the world under a dispensation of, — (1.) Forbearance and patience, Romans 2:4,5; Acts 17:30; Romans 9:22; Psalm 75:3: (2.) Goodness and mercy, Acts 14:16,17.

That God, who spared not the angels when they sinned, but immediately cast them into chains of darkness, should place sinners of the race of Adam under a dispensation of forbearance and goodness, — that he should spare them with much long-suffering during their pilgrimage on the earth, and fill their hearts with food and gladness, with all those fruits of kindness which the womb of his providence is still bringing forth for their benefit and advantage, — is thus far on the account of the Lord Christ, that though these things, as relating unto reprobates, are no part of his especial purchase as mediator of the everlasting covenant of grace, yet they are a necessary consequent of his interposition against the immediate execution of the whole curse upon the first entrance of sin, and of his undertaking for his elect. 2. He makes a conquest over them. It was promised that he should do so, Genesis 3:15; and though the work itself prove long and irksome, though the ways of accomplishing it be unto us obscure and oftentimes invisible, yet he hath undertaken it, and will not give it over until they are every one brought to be his footstool, <19B001> Psalm 110:1; 1 Corinthians 15:25. And the dominion granted him on these grounds is, — (1.) Sovereign and absolute. His enemies are his footstool, <19B001> Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42; Acts 2:34; Corinthians 15:25; Hebrews 1:13. They are in his hand, as the Egyptians were in Joseph’s when he had purchased both their persons and their estates to be at arbitrary disposal; and he deals with them as Joseph did with those, so far as any of the ends of his rule and lordship are concerned in them. And, — (2.) Judiciary, John 5:22,23. As he hath power over their persons, so he hath regard unto their sins, Romans 14:9; Acts 17:31; Matthew 25:31. And this power he variously exerciseth over them, even in this world, before he gloriously exerts it in their eternal ruin. For, — [1.] He enlightens them by those heavenly sparks of truth and reason which he leaves unextinguished in their own minds, John 1:9. [2.] Strives with them by his Spirit, Genesis 6:3; secretly exciting their consciences to rebuke, bridle, yoke, afflict, and cruciate them, Romans 2:14,15. And, [3.] On some of them he acts by the power and authority of his word; whereby he quickens their consciences, galls their minds and affections, restrains their lusts, bounds their conversations, aggravates their sins, hardens their hearts, and judges their souls, Psalm 45; Isaiah 6. [4.] He exerciseth rule and dominion over them in providential dispensations, Revelation 6:15,16; Isaiah 63:1-4; Revelation 19:13.

By all which he makes way for the glory of his final judgment of them, Acts 17:31; Matthew 25:31; Revelation 19:20, 20:10-15. And all this will he do, unto the ends, — 1st. Of his own glory; 2dly. His church’s good, exercise, and safety.

And this is the second instance of the first head of the dominion of Christ in this world. He is Lord over persons, angels and men.

TheSECOND part of the heirship and dominion of Christ consisteth in his lordship over all things besides; which added to the former comprise the whole creation of God. I. In the distribution of these premised, the first that occur are spiritual things, which also are of two sorts: — First, Temporal, or such as in this life we are made partakers of; and, Secondly, Eternal, the things that are reserved for them that believe in the state of glory. The former may be reduced unto two heads; for they are all of them either grace or gifts, and Christ is Lord of them all.

First, All that which comes under the name of grace in Scripture, which, flowing from the free and special love of God, tends directly to the spiritual and eternal good of them on whom it is bestowed, may be referred unto four heads; for as the fountain of all these (or the gracious free purpose of the will of God, from whence they all do flow), being antecedent to the mission of Christ the mediator, and immanent in God, it can be no otherwise granted unto him but in respect of its effects; which we shall show that it is. Now, these are: — 1. Pardon of sin, and the free acceptation of the persons of sinners in a way of mercy. This is grace, Ephesians 2:8; Titus 3:5-7; and a saving effect and fruit of the covenant, Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:8-12. 2. The regenerating of the person of a dead sinner, with the purifying and sanctifying of his nature, in a way of spiritual power. This also is grace, and promised in the covenant. And there are three parts of it: — (1.) The infusion of a quickening principle into the soul of a dead sinner, Romans 8:2; Titus 3:5; John 3:6; Ephesians 2:1-6. (2.) The habitual furnishment of the spiritually-quickened soul with abiding, radical principles of light, love, and power, fitting it for spiritual obedience, Galatians 5:17. (3.) Actual assistance, in a communication of supplies of strength for every duty and work, Philippians 4:13; John 15:5. 3. Preservation in a condition of acceptation with God, and holy obedience unto him unto the end, is also of especial grace. It is the grace of perseverance, and eminently included in the covenant, as we have elsewhere showed at large. 4. Adoption, as a privilege, with all the privileges that flow from it, is also grace, Ephesians 1:5,6.

All these, with all those admirable and inexpressible mercies that they branch themselves into, — giving deliverance unto sinners from evil temporal and eternal, raising them to communion with God here, and to the enjoyment of him for ever hereafter, — are called grace, and do belong to the lordship of Christ, as he is heir, lord, and possessor of them all. All the stores of this grace and mercy that are in heaven for sinners are given into his hand, and resigned up to his sovereign disposal, as we shall intimate in general and particular : — 1. In general, Colossians 1:19, “It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.” There is a fourfold fullness in Christ: — (1.) Of the Deity in his divine nature, Romans 9:5. (2.) Of union in his person, Colossians 2:9. (3.) Of grace in his human nature, John 1:14, 3:34; Luke 2:52, 4:1. (4.) An authoritative fullness, to communicate of it unto others. That is the fullness here intended; for it is in him as the head of the church, verse 18, so as that from him, or that fullness which it pleased the Father to intrust him withal, believers might receive “grace for grace,” John 1:16,17.

Thus he testifies that “all things are delivered to him of his Father,” Matthew 11:27, — put into his power and possession. And they are the things he there intends, on the account whereof he invites sinners weary and laden to come unto him, verse 28, namely, all mercy and grace; which are the things that burdened sinners need and look after. The same is testified John 3:35,36; and fully chapter 16:15, “All things that the Father hath are mine;” chapter 17:10. All the grace and mercy that are in the heart of God as Father to bestow upon his children, they are all given into the hand of Christ, and are his, or part of his inheritance. 2. In particular: — (1.) All pardoning grace, for the acceptance of our persons and forgiveness of our sins, is his; he is the Lord of it. Acts 5:31, He is made “a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance and the forgiveness of sins.”

Forgiveness of sin is wholly given unto him as to the administration of it, nor doth any one receive it but out of his stores. And what is the dominion of ten thousands of worlds in comparison of this inheritance? Sure he shall be my God and King who hath all forgiveness at his disposal. All that this world can do or give is a thousand times lighter than the dust of the balance, if compared with these good things of the kingdom of Christ. (2.) All regenerating, quickening, sanctifying, assisting grace is his. [1.] John 5:21, He quickeneth whom he pleaseth. He walks among dead souls, and says to whom he will, ‘Live.’ And, [2.] He sanctifies by his Spirit whom he pleaseth, John 4:14. All the living waters of saving grace are committed to him, and he invites men unto them freely, Cant. 5:l; Isaiah 55:1; Revelation 22:17. And, [3.] All grace actually assisting us unto any duty is his also, for without him we can do nothing, John 15:5; for it is he alone that gives out suitable help in the time of need, Hebrews 4:16. No man was ever quickened, purified, or strengthened, but by him; nor can any dram of this grace be obtained but out of his treasures. Those who pretend to stores of it in their own wills, are so far antichrists. (3.) The grace of our preservation in our acceptation with God and obedience unto him is solely his, John 10:28. And so also,- (4.) Are all the blessed and gracious privileges whereof we are made partakers in our adoption, John 1:12. Hebrews 3:6, he is so Lord over the house and family of God as to have the whole inheritance in his power, and the absolute disposal of all the good things belonging unto it.

These are the riches and treasures of the kingdom of Christ, the good things of his house, the revenues of his dominion. The mass of this treasure that lies by him is infinite, the stores of it are inexhaustible; and he is ready, free, gracious, and bountiful, in his communications of them to all the subjects of his dominion. This part of his heirship extends unto, — 1. All the grace and mercy that the Father could find in his own gracious heart to bestow, when he was full of counsels of love, and designed to exalt himself by the way of grace, Ephesians 1:6. 2. To all the grace and mercy which he himself could purchase by the effusion of his blood, Hebrews 9:14; Ephesians 2:13; and indeed these are commensurate, if things in respect of us altogether boundless may be said to be commensurate. 3. All that grace which hath saved the world of sinners which are already in the enjoyment of God, and that shall effectually save all that come to God by him. 4. All that grace which, in the promises of it in the Old Testament, is set out by all that is rich, precious, glorious, — all that is eminent in the whole creation of God; and in the New is called “treasure,” “unsearchable riches,” and “exceeding excellency:” which, being communicated by him to all the subjects of his kingdom, makes every one of them richer than all the potentates of the earth who have no interest in him.

The especial foundation of all this trust is in an eminent manner expressed, Isaiah 53:10-12. His suffering for the sins of all those to whom he intends to communicate of this his fullness, according to the will of God, and the purchase he made in his death, according to the tenor of the covenant of the mediator, makes it just and righteous that he should enjoy this part of his inheritance, Hebrews 2:14, 9:12. The Father says unto him: ‘Seest thou these poor wretched creatures that lie perishing in their blood and under the curse? They had once my image gloriously enstamped on them, and were every way meet for my service; but behold the misery that is come upon them by their sin and rebellion. Sentence is gone forth against them upon their sin; and they want nothing to shut them up under everlasting ruin but the execution of it. Wilt thou undertake to be their savior and deliverer, to save them from their sins, and the wrath to come?

Wilt thou make thy soul an offering for their sins, and lay down thy life a ransom for them? Hast thou love enough to wash them in thine own blood, in a nature to be taken of them, being obedient therein unto death, the death of the cross?’ Whereunto he replies: ‘I am content to do thy will, and will undertake this work, and that with joy and delight. Lo, I come for that purpose; my delight is with these sons of men, Psalm 40:8; Proverbs 8:31. What they have taken, I will pay. What is due from them, let it be required at my hand. I am ready to undergo wrath and curse for them, and to pour out my soul unto death.’ ‘It shall be,’ saith the Father, ‘as thou hast spoken, and thou shalt see of the travail of thy soul and be satisfied. I will give thee for a covenant and a leader unto them, and thou shalt be the captain of their salvation. To this end take into thy power and disposal all the treasures of heaven, all mercy and grace, to give out unto them for whom thou hast undertaken. Behold, here are unsearchable hidden treasures, not of many generations, but laid up from eternity. Take all these riches into thy power, and at thy disposal shall they be for ever.” This is the noble peculiar foundation of this part of the inheritance of Christ.

From what hath been spoken, the rule also whereby the Lord Christ proceedeth in disposing these treasures to the sons of men is made evident. Though he hath all grace committed unto him, yet he bestows not grace upon all. The rule of his procedure herein is God’s election; for the foundation of this whole truth is his undertaking for them who were given him of his Father. See Acts 13:48; Romans 11:7; Ephesians 1:3-8.

And the variety which is seen in his actual communication of grace and mercy unto sinners depends upon the sovereign and eternal designation of the persons of them who by him were to obtain mercy, and be made heirs of salvation.

But although the persons are designed and allotted unto him from eternity who were to receive this grace and mercy at his hands, yet as to the manner and all circumstances of his dispensation and communication of them, they are wholly committed unto his own sovereign will and wisdom.

Hence some he calls at one time, some at another; some in the morning, that they may glorify grace in working all the day; some in the evening of their lives, that they may exalt pardoning mercy to eternity: on some he bestows much grace, that he may render them useful in the strength of it; on others less that he may keep them humble in a sense of their wants: some he makes rich in light, others in love; some in faith, others in patience; that they may all peculiarly praise him, and set out the fullness of his stores. And hereby, — 1. He glorifies every grace of his Spirit, by making it shine eminently in one or other, as faith in Abraham and Peter, love in David and John, patience in Job; and, 2. He renders his subjects useful one to another, in that they have opportunities upon the defects and fullness of each other to exercise all their graces; and, 3. So he renders his whole body uniform and comely, 1 Corinthians 12:14-27; 4. Keeping every member in humility and dependence, whilst it sees its own wants in some graces that others excel in, Colossians 2:19.

This is another most eminent part of the inheritance and kingdom of Christ.

Secondly, All gifts that are bestowed on any of the sons of men, whereby they are differenced from others or made useful unto others, belong also unto the inheritance and kingdom of Christ.

Gifts bestowed on men are either natural or spiritual. 1. Natural gifts are especial endowments of the persons or minds of men, in relation unto things appertaining unto this life; as wisdom, learning, skill and cunning in arts and sciences. I call them natural in respect of the objects that they are exercised about, which are ta< biwtika> , “things of this life ;” as also in respect of their end and use. They are not always so as to their rise and spring, but may be immediately infused, as wisdom was into Solomon for civil government, 1 Kings 3:12; and skill for all manner of mechanical operations into Bezaleel, Exodus 31:2-6. But how far these gifts are educed in an ordinary course of providence out of their hidden seeds and principles in nature, in a just connection of causes.and effects, and so fall under a certain law of acquisition, or what there may be of the interposition of the Spirit of God in an especial manner, immediately conferring them on any, falls not under our present consideration of them.

Nor yet can we insist on their use, which is such that they are the great instrument in the hand of God for the preservation of human society, and to keep the course of man’s life and pilgrimage from being wholly brutish.

I design only to show that even they also belong (though more remotely) to the lordship of Jesus Christ; which they do on two accounts: — (1.) In that the very use of men’s reason and their natural faculties, as to any good end or purpose, is continued unto them upon the account of his interposition, bringing the world thereby under a dispensation of patience and forbearance, as was declared, John 1:9. (2.) He is endued with power and authority to use them, in whose hand soever they lie, whether of his friends or enemies, to the especial ends of his glory, in doing good unto his church. And, indeed, in the efficacy of his Spirit and power upon the gifts of the minds of men, exciting, ordering, disposing, enabling them unto various actings and operations, by and with them; controlling, overruling, entangling each other and themselves in whom they are by them; his wisdom and care in the rule, government, chastisement, and deliverance of his church, are most conspicuous. 2. Spiritual gifts, which principally come under that denomination, are of two sorts, — extraordinary, and ordinary. The first are immediate endowment of the minds of men with abilities exceeding the whole system of nature, in the exercise whereof they are mere instruments of Him who bestows those gifts upon them. Such of old were the gifts of miracles, tongues, healing, prediction, and infallible inspiration, given out by the Lord Christ unto such as he was pleased to use in his gospel service in an extraordinary manner. The latter sort are furnishments of the minds of men, enabling them unto the comprehension of spiritual things, and the management of them for spiritual ends and purposes. Such are wisdom, knowledge, prudence, utterance, aptness to teach; in general, abilities to manage the things of Christ and the gospel unto their own proper ends.

And these also are of two sorts: — (1.) Such as are peculiar unto office; and, (2.) Such as are common unto others, for their own and others’ good and edification, according as they are called unto the exercise of them. And these two sorts of gifts differ only in respect of degrees. There are no ordinary gifts that Christ’s officers are made partakers of, their office only excepted, which differ in the kind or nature of them from those which he bestows on all his disciples; which makes their stirring up and endeavors to improve the gifts they have received exceeding necessary unto them.

And Christ’s collation of these gifts unto men is the foundation of all the offices that under him they are called to discharge. See Ephesians 4:8,11, 1 Corinthians 12:5, John 20:21,22. And as they are the spring and foundation of office, so they are the great and only means of the church’s edification. By them Christ builds up his church to the measure appointed unto the whole and every member of it. And there is no member but hath his gift; which is the talent given, or rather lent, to trade withal.

Now, of all these Christ is the only Lord; they belong unto his kingdom: Psalm 68:19, µd;a;B; twOnT;mæ T;j]qæl; . “When he ascended on high, he took” (or “received”) “gifts for men;” he took them into his own power and disposal, being given him of his Father; as Peter declares, Acts 2:33, adding that he received the Spirit, by whom all these gifts are wrought.

And Ephesians 4:8, the apostle renders the words of the psalmist e]dwke do>mata , “he gave gifts;” because he received them into his power, not to keep them unto himself, but to give them out to the use of others.

And so jqæl; doth sometimes signify to “give,” Hosea 14:3. “Verbum accipiendi dare significat cum accipiunt aliunde ut dent,” say the Jewish masters. And it was after his resurrection that this accession was made unto his kingdom, in such an eminent and visible manner as to be a testimony of his office: John 7:39, Ou]pw Pveu~ma a[mion , “The Holy Ghost was not yet; because Jesus was not yet glorified,” — not eminently given and received, as to these gifts, Acts 19:2. And this investiture of him with power over all gifts, he makes the bottom of the mission of the apostles, Matthew 28:18. This he had as a fruit of his suffering, as a part of his purchase; and it is a choice portion of his lordship and kingdom.

The end also why all these gifts are given into his power and disposal is evident: — 1. The propagation of his gospel, and consequently the setting up of his kingdom in the world, depends upon them. These are the arms that he furnished his messengers withal when he sent them forth to fight, to conquer and subdue the world unto him. And by these they prevailed. By that Spirit of wisdom and knowledge, prayer and utterance, wherewith they were endowed, — attended, where and when needful, with the extraordinary gifts before mentioned, did they accomplish the work committed unto their charge. Now, the Lord Christ having a right unto a kingdom and inheritance given him which was actually under possession of his adversary, it was necessary that all those arms wherewith he was to make a conquest of it should be given to his disposal, 2 Corinthians 10:4. These were the weapons of the warfare of his apostles and disciples, which through God were so mighty to cast down the strongholds of sin and Satan; these are the slings and stones before which the Goliaths of the earth and hell did fall; this was that power from above which he promised his apostles to furnish them withal, when they should address themselves to the conquest of the world, Acts 1:8. With these weapons, this furniture for their warfare, a few despised persons, in the eyes of the world, went from Judea unto the ends of the earth, subduing all things before them to the obedience of their Lord and Master. And, — 2. By these is his church edified. And to that end doth he continue to bestow them on men, and will do so to the end of the world, Corinthians 12:4-14; Ephesians 4:8-12; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Peter 4:10,11; Colossians 2:19. And for any to hinder their growth and exercise is, what in them lies, to pull down the church of Christ, and to set themselves against that testimony which he gives in the world that he is yet alive, and that he takes care of his disciples, being present with them according unto his promise. 3. And by these means and ways is God glorified in him and by him; which is the great end of his lordship over all the gifts of the Spirit.

That we may a little by the way look into our especial concernment in these things, the order of them, and their subserviency one to another, may be briefly considered: for as natural gifts are the foundation of, and lie in an especial subordination unto spiritual, so are spiritual gifts enlivened, made effectual and durable, by grace. The principal end of Christ’s bestowing gifts is the erection of a ministry in his church, for the ends before mentioned. And where all these, in their order and mutual subserviency unto one another, are received by any, there, and there alone, is a competent furniture for the work of the ministry received. And where any of them, as to their whole kind, are wanting, there is a defect in the person, if not a nullity as to the office. Natural gifts and endowments of mind are so necessary a foundation for any that looks towards the work of the ministry, that without some competent measure of them it is madness and folly to entertain thoughts of any progress. Unless unto these, spiritual gifts are in Christ’s time superadded, the other will never be of any use for the edification of the church, as having in their own nature and series no especial tendency unto that end. Nor will these superadded spiritual gifts enable any man to discharge his duty unto all well-pleasing before God, unless they also are quickened and seasoned by grace. And where there is an intercision of this series and order in any, the defect will quickly appear. Thus some we see of excellent natural endowments, in their first setting forth in the world, and in their endeavors on that single stock, promising great usefulness and excellency in their way, who, when they should come to engage in the service of the gospel, evidence themselves to be altogether unfurnished for the employment they undertake, yea, and to have lost what before they seemed to have received. Having gone to the utmost length and bounds that gifts merely natural could carry them out unto, and not receiving superadded spiritual gifts, which the Spirit of Christ bestoweth as he pleaseth, 1 Corinthians 12:11, they faint in the way, wither, and become utterly useless. And this, for the most part, falleth out when men either have abused their natural gifts to the service of their lusts, and in an opposition to the simplicity of the gospel; or when they set upon spiritual things and pretend to the service of Christ merely in their own strength, without dependence on him, as the heir and lord of all, for abilities and furniture for his work; or when they have some fixed corrupt end and design to accomplish and bring about by a pretense of the ministry, without regard to the glory of Christ, or compassion to the souls of men, — which the Lord Christ will not prostitute the gifts of his Spirit to make them serviceable unto. And sundry other causes of this failure may be assigned.

It is no otherwise as to the next degree in this order, in reference unto spiritual gifts and saving grace. When these gifts, in the good pleasure of the Lord of them, are superadded unto the natural endowments before mentioned, they carry on them who have received them cheerfully, comfortably, and usefully, in their way and progress. The former are increased, heightened, strengthened, and perfected by the latter, towards that special end whereunto themselves are designed, — namely, the glory of Christ in the work of the gospel. But if these also are not in due season quickened by saving grace, if the heart be not moistened and made fruitful thereby, even they also will wither and decay. Sin and the world in process of time will devour them; whereof we have daily experience in this world. And this is the order wherein the great Lord of all these gifts hath laid them, in a subserviency one kind unto another, and all of them unto his own glory.

And this that hath been spoken will abundantly discover the reason and ground of the apostolical exhortation, “Covet earnestly the best gifts,” Corinthians 12:31: as, first, the gift of wisdom and knowledge in the word and will of God, 1 Corinthians 12:8, 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:15; Corinthians 1:5 ; — secondly, the gift of ability to manage and improve this wisdom and knowledge to the edification of others, Hebrews 3:13, 10:25; Romans 15:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; — thirdly, of prayer.

And many more might be added of the like usefulness and importance. Secondly, To close our considerations of this part of the lordship of Christ, there remains only that we show him to be the Lord of all spiritual eternal things, which in one word we call glory. He is himself the “Lord of glory,” 1 Corinthians 2:8, and the Judge of all, John 5:22; in the discharge of which office he gives out glory as a reward unto his followers, Matthew 25:32; Romans 14:10. Glory is the reward that is with him, which he will give out at the last day as a crown, 1 Peter 5:4; Timothy 4:8; John 17:2. And to this end, that he might be Lord of it, he hath, — 1. Purchased it, Hebrews 9:12; Ephesians 1:14; Hebrews 2:10; 2. Taken actual possession of it in his own person, Luke 24:26; John 17:5, 22-24; and that, 3. As the forerunner of those on whom he will bestow it, Hebrews 6:20.

And this is a short view of the lordship of Christ as to things spiritual.

II. Ecclesiastical things, or things that concern church institutions, rule, and power, belong also unto his rule and dominion. He is the only head, lord, ruler, and lawgiver of his church. There was a church-state ever since God created man on the earth; and there is the same reason of it in all its alterations, as unto its relation to the Lord Christ. Whatever changes it underwent, still Christ was the Lord of it and of all its concernments. But by way of instance and eminency, we may consider the Mosaical churchstate under the old testament, and the evangelical church-state under the new. Christ is Lord of and in respect unto them both. 1. He was the Lord of the old testament church-state, and he exercised his power and lordship towards it in four ways : — (1.) In and by its institution and erection. He made, framed, set up, and appointed that church-state, and all the worship of God therein observed.

He it was who appeared unto Moses in the wilderness, Exodus 3:5,6, Acts 7:32,33; and who gave them the law on mount Sinai, Exodus 20, Psalm 68:17,18, Ephesians 4:8; and continued with them in the wilderness, Numbers 21:6, 1 Corinthians 10:9. So that from him, his power and authority, was the institution and erection of that church. (2.) By prescribing a complete rule and form of worship and obedience unto it, being erected, as its lawgiver, to which nothing might be added, Deuteronomy 4:1,2, 12:32. (3.) By way of reformation, when it was collapsed and decayed, Zechariah 2:8-13; Malachi 3:1-3. (4.) By way of amotion, or taking down what he himself had set up, because it was so framed and ordered as to continue only for a season, Hebrews 9:10; Deuteronomy 18:15-18; Haggai 2:6,7; Isaiah 65:17,18; 2 Peter 3:13. Which part of his power and lordship we shall afterwards abundantly prove against the Jews. 2. Of the new testament evangelical church-state also, he is the only lord and ruler; yea, this is his proper kingdom, on which all other parts of his dominion do depend: for he is given to be “head over all things to the church,” Ephesians 1:22. For, — (1.) He is the foundation of this church-state, 1 Corinthians 3:11, the whole design and platform of it being laid in him, and built upon him. And, (2.) He erects this church-state upon himself, Matthew 16:18, “Upon this Rock I will build my church;” the Spirit and word whereby it is done being from him alone, and ordered in and by his wisdom, power, and care.

And, (3.) He gives laws and rules of worship and obedience unto it, when so built by himself and upon him, Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 1:2; Hebrews 3:l-6. And, (4.) He is the everlasting, constant, abiding, head, ruler, king, and governor of it, Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 2:19; Hebrews 3:6; Revelation 2:3. All which things are ordinarily spoken unto, and the ends of this power of Christ fully declared.

III. He is Lord also of political things. All the governments the world, that are set up and exercised therein for the good of mankind, and the preservation of society according to the rules of equity and righteousness, — over all these, and those who in and by them exercise rule and authority amongst men, is he lord and king.

He alone is the absolute potentate; the highest on the earth are in a subordination unto him. That, 1. He was designed unto, Psalm 89:27. And accordingly he is, 2. made Lord of lords, and King of kings, Revelation 17:14, 19:16; Timothy 6:15. And, 3. He exerciseth dominion answerable unto his title, Revelation 6:14-17, 17:14, 19:16-20; Psalm 2:8,9; Isaiah 60; Micah 5:7-9. And, 4. Hath hence right to send his gospel into all nations in the world, attended with the worship by him prescribed, Matthew 28:19; Psalm 2:9-12; which none of the rulers or governors of the world have any right to refuse or oppose; nor can so do, but upon their utmost peril And, 5. All kingdoms shall at length be brought into a professed subjection to him and his gospel, and have all their rule disposed of unto the interest of his church and saints, Danial 7:27; Isaiah 60:12; Revelation 19:16-19.

IV. The last branch of this dominion of Christ consists in the residue of the creation of God, — heaven and earth, sea and land, wind, trees, and fruits of the earth, and the creatures of sense. As they are all put under his feet, Psalm 8:6-8; Ephesians 1:22; 1 Corinthians15:27; so the exercise of his power severally over them is known from the story of the gospel.

And thus we have glanced at this lordship of Christ in some of the general parts of it. And how small a portion of his glorious power are we able to comprehend or declare!

Di j ou= kai< touhsen , — “ By whom also he made the worlds.” The apostle in these words gives further strength to his present argument, from another consideration of the person of the Messiah; wherein he also discovers the foundation of the pre-eminence ascribed unto him in the words last insisted on: “By him the worlds were made;” so that they were “his own,” John 1:11, and it was meet that, in the new condition which he underwent, he should be the Lord of them all.

Moreover, if all things be made by him, all disobedience unto him is certainly most unreasonable, and will be attended with inevitable ruin; of the truth whereof the apostle aims to convince the Hebrews.

Now, whereas the assertion which presents itself at first view in these words is such as, if. we rightly apprehend the meaning of the Holy Ghost in it, must needs determine the controversy that the apostle had with the Jews, and is of great use and importance unto the faith of the saints in all ages, I shall first free the words from false glosses and interpretations, and then explain the truth asserted in them, both absolutely and with relation to the present purpose of the apostle.

That which some men design in their wresting of this place, is to deface the illustrious testimony given in it unto the eternal deity of the Son of God; and to this purpose they proceed variously. 1. By di j ou= , “by whom,” they say, di j o\n , “for whom,” is intended.

And so the sense of the place is, that “for Christ, for his sake, God made the world.” So Enjedinus. And Grotius embraceth his notion, adding in its confirmation that this was the opinion of the Jews, namely, that all things were made for the Messiah; and therefore ejpoi>hse he renders by “condiderat,” as signifying the time long since past, before the bringing forth of Christ into the world: as also that di j o=u is put for di j o\n , in Romans 6:4, Revelation 4:11, 13:14, and therefore may be here so used. According to this exposition of the words, we have in them an expression of the love of God towards the Messiah, in that for his sake he made the world; but not any thing of the excellency, power, and glory of the Messiah himself.

It is manifest that the whole strength of this interpretation lies in this, that di j on= may be taken for di j o\n, — “by whom,” instead of “for whom.”

But neither is it proved that in any other place these expressions are equipollent; nor, if that could be supposed, is there any reason offered why the one of them should in this place be put for the other; for, — (1.) The places referred unto do no way prove that dia> with a genitive doth ever denote the final cause, but the efficient only. With an accusative, for the most part, it is as much as “propter,” signifying the final cause of the thing spoken of; and rarely in the New Testament is it otherwise used. Revelation 4:11, Dia< to> ze>lhma> sou , “At thy will” or “pleasure,” the efficient and disposing, not the final cause, seems to be denoted; and chapter 13:14, Dia< ta< shmei~a , “By the signs that were given him to do,” the formal cause is signified. But that joined with a genitive case it anywhere signifies the final cause, doth not appear. Beza, whom Grotius cites, says on Romans 6:4, that dia< do>xhv Patro>v , “by the glory of the Father,” may be taken for ejiv do>xhn , “unto the glory.” But the case is not the same where things as where persons are spoken of. Ou= here relates unto a person, and yet is dia> , joined with it, asserted to denote the end of the things spoken of; which is insolent. Besides, do>xa Patro>v in that place is indeed the glorious power of the Father, the efficient of the resurrection of Christ treated of. So that whereas dia> is used six hundred times with a genitive case in the New Testament, no one instance can be given where it may be rendered “propter,” “for;” and therefore cannot be so here. (2.) On supposition that some such instance might be produced, yet, being contrary to the constant use of the word, some cogent reason from the text wherein it is used, or the thing treated of, must be urged to give that sense admittance; and nothing of that nature is or can be here pleaded. (3.) As di j ou= and eijv o\n are distinguished, the one expressing the efficient the other the final cause, Romans 11:36; so also are di j ou= and di j o\n in this very epistle: chapter 2:10, Di j o[n ta< pa>nta , kai< di j ou= ta< pa>nta , — “For whom are all things, and by whom are all things.” And is it likely that the apostle would put one of them for the other, contrary to the proper use which he intended immediately to assign severally unto them? (4.) Di j ou= , “by whom,” here, is the same with di j aujtou~, “by him,” John 1:3; which the same person interprets properly for the efficient cause.

On these accounts, the foundation of this gloss being removed, the superadded translation of ejpoi>hse by “condiderat” is altogether useless; and what the Jews grant that God did with respect to the Messiah, we shall afterwards consider. 2. The Socinians generally lay no exception against the person making, whom they acknowledge to be Christ the Son, but unto the worlds said to be made. These are not, say they, the things of the old, but of the new creation; not the fabric of heaven and earth, but the conversion of the souls of men; not the first institution and forming of all things, but the restoration of mankind, and translation into a new condition of life. This Schlichtingius at large insists on in his comment on this place; bringing, in the justification of his interpretation, the sum of what is pleaded by all of them, in answer not only to this testimony, but also to that of John 1:3, and that also of Colossians 1:16,17. (1.) “The old creation,” he says, “is never said to be performed by any intermediate cause, as the Father is here said to make these worlds by the Son.” But, [1.] This is “petitio principii,” that this expression doth denote any such intermediate cause as should interpose between the Father and the creation of the world, by an operation of its own, diverse from that of the Father. Job 26:13, God is said to adorn the heavens wOjWrB] , “by his Spirit,” which they will not contend to denote an intermediate cause; and dia> here is but what the Hebrews express by B] . [2.] In the creation of the world, the Father wrought in and by the Son, the same creating act being the act of both persons, John 5:17, their will, wisdom, and power being essentially the same. (2.) He adds, “There is an allusion only in the words unto the first creation, as in John 1:1-3, where the apostle sets out the beginning of the Gospel in the terms whereby Moses reports the creation of the world; and therefore mentions light in particular, because of an allusion to the light at first created by God, when of all other things, whereto there is no such allusion, he maketh no mention.” Ans. [1.] The new creation granted by the men of this persuasion being only a moral suasion of the minds of men by the outward doctrine of the gospel, I know not what allusion can be fancied in it unto the creation of the world out of nothing. [2.] It is granted that the apostle speaks here of the same creation that John treats of in the beginning of his Gospel; but that that is the creation of the whole world, and all things contained in it, hath been elsewhere proved, and must be granted, or we may well despair of ever understanding one line in the Scripture, or what we ordinarily speak one to another. [3.] John doth not mention any particular of the old creation, affirming only in general that by the Word all things were made; whereof he afterwards affirms that he was “the light of men,” — not assigning unto him in particular the creation of light, as is pretended. (3.) He tells us, “The article proposed, toucreation that is intended, but some new especial thing, distinct from it and preferred above it. Ans. [1.] As the same article doth, used by the same apostle to the same purpose in another place: Acts 14:15, “ Ov ejpoi>hse tolassav? — “Who made the heaven, the earth, and sea;” which were certainly those created of old. [2.] The same article is used with the same word again in this epistle, chapter 11:3, Pi>stei noou~men kathrti>sqai toufaith we understand that the worlds were made;” where this author acknowledgeth the old creation to be intended. (4.) He adds, “That the author of this epistle seems to allude to the Greek translation of Isaiah 9:5, wherein d[æAybia\ , ‘The Father of eternity,’ or ‘Eternal Father,’ is rendered ‘The Father of the world to come.’” Ans. [1.] There is no manner of relation between Pathllontov aijw~nov, “The Father of the world to come,” and Di j ou= touhsen , “By whom he made the worlds,” unless it be that one word is used in both places in very distinct senses; which if it be sufficient to evince a cognation between various places, very strange and uncouth interpretations would quickly ensue. Nor, [2.] Doth that which the apostle here treats of any way respect that which the prophet in that place insists upon; his name and nature being only declared by the prophet, and his works by the apostle. And, [3.] It is a presumption to suppose the apostle to allude to a corrupt translation, as that of the LXX. in that place is, there being no ground for it in the original; for d[æAybia\ is not Pathllontov aijw~nov , but Pathniov , “The eternal Father.” And what the Jews and LXX. intend by “the world to come,” we shall afterwards consider. (5.) His last refuge is in Isaiah 51:16, “Where the work of God,” as he observes, “in the reduction of the people of the Jews from the captivity of Babylon is called his planting the heavens, and laying the foundations of the earth. And the Vulgar Latin translation,” as he further observes, “renders the word, ‘ut coelum plantes, ut terrain fundes,’ ascribing that to the prophet which he did but declare. And in this sense he contends that God the Father is said to make the worlds by his Son” Ans. [1.] The work mentioned is not that which God would do in the reduction of the people from Babylon, but that which he had done in their delivery from Egypt, recorded to strengthen the faith of believers in what for the future he would yet do for them. [2.] The expressions, of planting the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, are in this place of the prophet plainly allegorical, and are in the very same place declared so to be: — 1st. In the circumstance of time when this work is said to be wrought, namely, at the coming of the Israelites out of Egypt, when the heavens and the earth, properly so called, could not be made, planted, founded, or created. 2dly. By an adjoined exposition of the allegory: “I have put my words in thy mouth,..... and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.” This was his planting of the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, even the erection of a church and political state amongst the Israelites. [3.] It is not to the prophet, but to the church, that the words are spoken; and [æfon]li and dsoyli are not “ut plantes” and “ut fundes,” but “ad plantandum,” “to plant,” and “ad fundandum,” “to lay the foundation.”

And our author prejudicates his cause by making use of a translation to uphold it which himself knows to be corrupt. [4.] There is not, then, any similitude between that place of the prophet, wherein words are used allegorically (the allegory in them being instantly explained), and this of the apostle, whose discourse is didactical, and the words used in it proper and suited to the things intended by him to be expressed. And this is the substance of what is pleaded to wrest from believers this illustrious testimony given to the eternal deity of the Son of God. We may yet further consider the reasons that offer themselves from the context for the removal of the interpretation suggested : — 1. It sinks under its own weakness and absurdity. The apostle, intending to set out the excellency of the Son of God, affirms that “by him the worlds were made;” that is, say they, “Christ preaching the gospel converted some to the faith of it., and many more were converted by the apostles’ preaching the same doctrine; whereupon blessed times of light and salvation ensued.” Who not overpowered with prejudice could once imagine any such sense in these words, especially considering that it is as contrary to the design of the apostle as it is to the importance of the words themselves? This is that which Peter calls men’s “wresting the Scripture” to their own perdition. 2. The apostle, as we observed, writes didactically, plainly expressing the matter whereof he treats in words usual and proper. To what end, then, should he use so strained an allegory in a point of doctrine, yea, a fundamental article of the religion he taught, and that to express what he had immediately in the words foregoing properly expressed; for, “By whom he made the worlds” is no more, in these men’s apprehensions, than, “In him hath he spoken in these latter days?” Nor is this expression anywhere used, no, not in the most allegorical prophecies of the Old Testament, to denote that which here they would wrest it unto. But making of the world signifies making of the world in the whole Scripture throughout, and nothing else. 3. The making of the worlds here intended was a thing then past: jEpoi>hse , “He made them;” that is, he did so of old. And the same word is used by the LXX. to express the old creation. But now that which the Jews called “The world to come,” or the blessed state of the church under the Messiah, the apostle speaks of as of that which was not yet come, the present worldly state of the Judaical church yet continuing. 4. The words aijw>n and aijw~nev , or µl;[o and µymil;[o , which are so rendered, taken absolutely, as they are here used, do never in any one place of the Scripture, in the Old or New Testament, signify the new creation, or state of the church under the gospel; but the whole world, and all things therein contained, they do in this very epistle, chapter 11:3. 5. Wherever the apostle in this epistle speaks in the Judaical idiom of the church-state under the Messiah, he never calls it by the name of oijcoume>nh or aijw>n , but still with the limitation of, “to come,” as chapter 2:5, 6:5. And where the word is used absolutely, as in this place and chapter 11:3, it is the whole world that is intended. 6. The context utterly refuseth this gloss. The Son in the preceding words is said to be made heir or lord of all; that is, of all things absolutely and universally, as we have evinced and is confessed. Unto that assertion he subjoins a reason of the equity of that transcendent grant made unto him, namely, because “by him all things were made;” whereunto he adds his upholding, ruling, and disposing of them, being so made by him: “He upholdeth all things by the word of his power.” That between the “all things” whereof he is Lord and the “all things” that he upholds there should be an interposition of words of the same importance with them, expressing the reason of them that go afore and the foundation of that which follows, knitting both parts together, and yet indeed having a signification in them of things utterly heterogeneous to them, is most unreasonable to imagine.

We have now obtained liberty, by removing the entanglements cast in our way, to proceed to the opening of the genuine sense and importance of these words.

Di j ou= , “by whom;” not as an instrument, or an inferior, intermediate, created cause: for then also must he be created by himself, seeing all things that were made were made by him, John 1:3, but as God’s own eternal Word, Wisdom, and Power, Proverbs 8:22-24, John 1:1, — the same individual creating act being the work of Father and Son, whose power and wisdom being one and the same undivided, so also are the works which outwardly proceed from them. And as the joint working of Father and Son doth not infer any other subordination but that of subsistence and order, so the preposition dia> doth not of itself intimate the subjection of an instrumental cause, being used sometimes to express the work of the Father himself, Galatians 1:1.

Jepoi>hse , ar;B; , “created.” So the apostle expresseth that word, Acts 17:24,26; and the LXX. most commonly, as Genesis 1:1, though sometimes they use kti>zw , as our apostle also doth, chapter 10:[ Colossians 1:16?] He made, created, produced out of nothing, by the things not seen, chapter 11:3.

Toun , µl;wO[ . So that word is constantly rendered by the Greeks. µlæ[; , is “to hide,” or to be hid, kept secret, close, undiscovered.

Whence a virgin is called hm;l][æ , one not yet come into the public state of matrimony; as by the Greeks, on the same account, katu>kleistov , “one shut up,” or a recluse; as the Targumists call a harlot awb tqpn , “a goer abroad,” from that description of her, Proverbs 7:11,12; tbojor]B; µ[æpæ ÅWjBæ µ[æpæ j;yl,g]ræ WnK]v]yiAalo ht;ybeB] ; — “Her feet dwell not in her own house: one while she is in the street, another while abroad;” as the mother of the family is called tyiBæ twæn] , “the dweller at home,” Psalm 68:13. Hence µl;wO[ signifies the ages of the world in their succession and duration, which are things secret and hidden. What is past is forgotten, what is to come is unknown, and what is present is passing away without much observation. See Ecclesiastes 1:11.

The world, then, that is visible and a spectacle in itself, in respect of its continuance and duration is µl;wO[, — “a thing hidden. So that the word denotes the fabric of the world by a metonymy of the adjunct. When the Hebrews would express the world in respect of the substance and matter of the universe, they do it commonly by a distribution of the whole into its most general and comprehensive parts, as “The heavens, earth, and sea,” subjoining, “all things contained in them” This the Greeks and Latins, from its order, frame, and ornaments, call ko>smov and “mundus;” which principally respect that µymæv; tr;p]vi , that beauty and ornament of the heavens which God made by his Spirit, Job 26:13. And as it is inhabited by the sons of men, they call it lbeTe , that is, oijkoume>nh ; that is, År,a, lbete , Proverbs 8:31, “The world of the earth,” — principally, the habitable parts of the earth. As quickly passing away, they call it dl,j, .

And in respect of its successive duration µl;wO[ ; that is, aijw>n , the word here used.

Aijw~nev , in the plural number, “the worlds,” so called, chapter 11:3, by a mere enallage of number, as some suppose, or with respect to the many ages of the world’s duration. But, moreover, the apostle accommodates his expression to the received opinion of the Jews, and their way of expressing themselves about the world. µl;wO[ denotes the world as to the subsistence of it and as to its duration. In both these respects the Jews distributed the world into several parts, calling them so many worlds. R.

D. Kimchi on Isaiah 6 distributes these worlds into three; on the account of which he says, çwrq , “holy,” was three times repeated by the seraphim. There are, saith he, twmlw[ hçlç , — “three worlds:” µlw[ awhw ˆwyl[h µlw[ twmçnhw µykalmh , — “ the upper world, which is the world of angels and spirits;’ µybkwkhw µylglgh µlw[ , — “the world of the heavens and stars:” and lpçh µlw[h “ this world below.”

But in the first respect they generally assign these four: — (1.) lpçh µlw[h , — “the lower world,” the depressed world, the earth and air in the several regions of it: (2.) µykalmh µlw[h , — “ the world of angels,’ or ministering spirits, whom they suppose to inhabit in high places, where they may supervise the affairs of the earth: (3.) µylglgh µlw[ , — “the world of spheres:” and, (4.) ˆwyl[h µlw[ , — “the highest world;” called by Paul “the third heaven,” 2 Corinthians 12:2; and by Solomon µyimæV;hæ ymev] , “the heaven of heavens,” 1 Kings 8:27; and twmçnh µl[ , “olam hanneshamoth,” — “the world of spirits,” or souls departed. In respect of duration, they assign a fivefold world: — (1.) rb[ µlw[ ; called by Peter “the old world,” or the world before the flood, the world that perished: (2.) hzh µlw[ , — “the present world,” or the state of things under the Judaical church: (3.) jyçm htaybh µlw[ , — “the world of the coming of the Messiah;” or “the world to come,” as the apostle calls it, chapter 2:5: (4.) µytmj tyjh µlw[ , — “the world of the resurrection of the dead:” and, (5.) °yra µlw[ , — “the prolonged world,” or life eternal. Principally with respect to the first distribution, as also unto the duration of the whole world unto the last dispensation, mentioned in the second, doth the apostle here call it, tou Thus the apostle having declared the honor of the Son as mediator, in that he was made heir of all, adds thereunto his excellency in himself from his eternal power and Godhead; which he not only asserts, but gives evidence unto by an argument from the works of creation. And to avoid all straitening thoughts of this work, he expresseth it in terms comprehending the whole creation in that distribution whereinto it was usually cast by themselves; as John contents not himself by affirming that he “made all things,” but adds to that assertion that “without him was not any thing made that was made,” John 1:3.

And this was of old the common faith of the Juadaical church. That all things were made and all things disposed by the Word of God, they all confessed. Evident footsteps of this faith abide still in their Targums; for that by “the Word of God,” so often mentioned in them, they did not understand the word of his power, but an hypostasis in the divine nature, is manifest from the personal properties which are everywhere assigned unto it: as, the Word of God did this, said that, thought, went, and the like; as, Psalm 68:17, they affirm that Word which gave the law on mount Sinai to dwell in the highest heaven; yea, and they say in Bereshith Rabba, of these words, Genesis 1:2, “The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters,” jyçmh °lm lç wjwr hz , — “This is the spirit of the king Messiah;” by which they cannot deny but that all things were formed.

And the apostle in this expression lets the Hebrews know that Jesus, the Messiah, was that Word of God by whom all things were made. And so the influence of these words into his present argument is manifest; for the Son, in whom the Father had now spoken to them and declared the gospel, being his eternal Word, by whom the world and all ages were created, there could be no question of his authority to alter their ceremonious worship, which he himself had appointed for a season.

Before we pass to the next verses, we may mark out those instructions which the words passed through afford us in common, as to the abiding interest of all believers.

V. The foundation of them is, That the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the great prophet of his church under the new testament, the only revealer of the will of the Father, as the Son and Wisdom of God, made the worlds, and all things contained in them. And therein, — 1. We have an illustrious testimony given to the eternal Godhead and power of the Son of God; for “He who made all things is God,” as the apostle elsewhere affirms. And, — 2. Unto the equity of his being made heir, lord, and judge of all. No creature can decline the authority or waive the tribunal of him that made them all. And,- 3. A stable bottom of faith, hope, contentment, and patience, is administered unto the saints in all dispensations. He who is their Redeemer, that bought them, hath all that interest in all things wherein they are concerned that the sovereign right of creation can afford him; besides that grant which is made unto him for this very end, that they might be disposed of to his own glory, in their good and advantage. Isaiah 54:4,5. And, — 4. From this order of things, that Christ, as the eternal Son of God, having made the worlds, hath them and all things in them put under his power as mediator and head of the church, we may see what a subserviency to the interest of the saints of the Most High the whole creation is laid and disposed in. And, — 5. The way of obtaining a sanctified interest in and use of the things of the old creation, — namely, not to receive them merely on the general account, as made by the Son of God, but on the more especial one of their being granted unto him as mediator of the church. And, — 6. How men on both these foundations are to be accountable for their use or abuse of the things of the first creation.

But besides these particular instances, there is that which is more general, and which we may a little insist upon from the context and design of the apostle in this whole discourse, whose consideration will not again occur unto us; and it is, that God in infinite wisdom ordered all things in the first creation, so as that the whole of that work might be subservient to the glory of his grace in the new creation of all by Jesus Christ.

By the Son he made the worlds in the beginning of time, that in the fullness of time he might be the just heir and lord of all. The Jews have a saying, that “the world was made for the Messiah;” which is thus far true, that both it and all things in it were made, disposed of, and ordered in their creation, so as that God might be everlastingly glorified in the work which he was designed unto, and which by him he had to accomplish. I shall consider it only in the present instance, namely, that by the Son he made the worlds, that he might be the proper heir and lord of them; of which latter we shall treat more particularly on the ensuing words.

This was declared of old, where he was spoken of as the Wisdom of God, by whom he wrought in the creation and production of all things, Proverbs 8:22-31. This Son, or Wisdom of God, declares at large, — first, his co-existence with his Father from eternity, before all or any of the visible or invisible creation were by his power brought forth, verse 22, 23, and so onward; and then sets forth the infinite, eternal, and ineffable delight that was between him and his Father, both before and also in the work of the creation, verse 30. Further, he declares his presence and cooperation with him in the whole work of making the world and the several parts of it, verses 27-30; which in other places is expressed, as here by the apostle, that God by him made the worlds. After which he declares the end of all this dispensation, namely, that he might rejoice in the habitable part of the earth, and his delight be with the sons of men; to whom, therefore, he calls to hearken unto him, that they may be blessed, verse 31, to the end of the chapter; — that is, that he might be meet to accomplish the work of their redemption, and bring them to blessedness, to the glory of the grace of God; which work his heart was set upon, and which he greatly delighted in, Psalm 40:6-8.

Hence the apostle John, in the beginning of his Gospel, brings both the creations together, — the first by the eternal Word absolutely, the other by him as incarnate, — that the suitableness and correspondency of all things in them might be evident, “The Word was with God,” saith he, “in the beginning,” and “all things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made,” verses 1-3. But what was this unto the gospel that he undertook to declare? Yes, very much; for it appears from hence that when this Word was made flesh, and came and dwelt among us, verse 14, he came into the world that was made by him, though it knew him not, verse 10; he came but to his own, whatever were the entertainment that he received, verse 11. For this end, then, God made all things by him, that when he came to change and renew all things, he might have good right and title so to do, seeing he undertook to deal with or about no more but what he had originally made.

The holy and blessed Trinity could have so ordered the work of creation as that it should not immediately, eminently, and signally have been the work of the Son, of the eternal Word; but there was a further design upon the world to be accomplished by him, and therefore the work was signally to be his, — that is, as to immediate operation, though as to authority and order it peculiarly belonged to the Father, and to the Spirit as to disposition and ornament, Genesis 1:1,2; Job 26:13.

This, I say, was done for the end mentioned by the apostle, Ephesians 1:10. All things at first were made by him, that when they were lost, ruined, scattered, they might again, in the appointed season, be gathered together into one head in him; of which place more at large elsewhere.

And this mystery of the wisdom of God the apostle at large foldeth, Colossians 1:15-19. Speaking of the Son, by whom we have redemption, he informs us that in himself and his own nature, he is “the image of the invisible God;” that is, of God the Father, who until then had alone been clearly revealed unto them: and that in respect of other things he is “the first-born of every creature;’’ or, as he terms himself, Revelation 3:14, the “beginning of the creation of God,” — that is, he who is before all creatures, and gave beginning to the creation of God. For so expressly the apostle explains himself in the next verses: “By him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” But this is not the full design of the apostle. He declares not only that “all things were made by him,” but also that “all things were made for him,” verse 16; so made for him that he might be “the head of the body, the church,” — that is, that he might be the fountain, head, spring, and original of the new creation, as he had been of the old. So the apostle declares in the next words, “Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.” As he was the “beginning” and the “first-born of every creature” in the old creation, so he is the “beginning” and “firstborn from the dead;” that is, the original and cause of the whole new creation.

And hereunto he subjoins the end and design of God in this whole mysterious work; which was, that the Son might have the pre-eminence in all things. As he had in and over the works of the old creation, seeing they were all made by him, and all consist in him; so also he hath over the new on the same account, being the beginning and first-born of them. The apostle in these words gives us the whole of what we intend, namely, that the making of the worlds, and of all things in them, in the first erection by the Son, was peculiarly subservient to the glory of the grace of God in the reparation and renovation of all things by him as incarnate.

It is not for us to inquire much into or after the reason of this economy and dispensation; we “cannot by searching find out God, we cannot find out the Almighty unto perfection,” Job 11:7. It may suffice us that he disposeth of all things according to “the counsel of his own will,” Ephesians 1:11. This antecedently unto the consideration of the effects of it, we cannot, we may not search into, Deuteronomy 29:29. What are the effects and consequences of his infinitely holy, wise counsel, wherein his glory shines forth unto his creatures, those we may consider and contemplate on, and rejoice in the light that they will afford us into the treasures of these counsels themselves.

Now, herein we see, first, that it was the eternal design of God that the whole creation should be put in subjection unto the Word incarnate; whereof the apostle also treats in the second chapter of this epistle. “God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” Philippians 2:9-11. God hath put all things in subjection unto him, not only the things peculiarly redeemed by him, but all things whatever, as we shall show in the next words of our epistle. See 1 Corinthians 15:27; Hebrews 2:8; Romans 14:11. Hence John saw “every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, ascribing blessing, and honor, and glory, and power unto the Lamb for ever and ever,” Revelation 5:13; that is, owning and avowing their duty, obedience, and subjection unto him. This being designed of God in the eternal counsel of his will, before the world was, 1 Peter 1:2, Titus 1:2, he prepared and made way for it in the creation of all things by him; so that his title and right to be the ruler and lord of all angels and men, the whole creation, in and of heaven and earth, might be laid on this great and blessed foundation, that he made them all.

Again, God designed from eternity that his great and everlasting glory should arise from the new creation and the work thereof. Herein hath he ordered all things “to the praise of the glory of his grace,” Ephesians 1:6. And this praise will he inhabit for ever. It is true, the works of the old creation did set forth the glory of God, Psalm 19:1; they manifested his “eternal power and Godhead,” Romans 1:20. But God had not resolved ultimately to commit the manifestation of his glory unto those works, though very glorious; and therefore did he suffer sin to enter into the world, which stained the beauty of it, and brought it wholly under the curse. But he never suffered spot or stain to come upon the work of the new creation, Ephesians 5:26,27, — nothing that might defeat, eclipse, or impair the glory that he intended to exalt himself in thereby. Yet God hath so ultimately laid up his glory in the new creation, as that he will not lose anything of that which also is due unto him from the old; but yet he will not receive it immediately from thence neither, but as it is put over into a subserviency unto the work of the new. Now, God ordered all things so as that this might be effected without force, coaction, or wresting of the creation, or putting it beside its own order. And is there any thing more genuine, natural, and proper, than that the world should come into subjection unto Him by whom it was made, although there be some alteration in its state and condition, as to outward dispensation, in his being made man? And this I take to be the meaning of that discourse of the apostle about the bondage and liberty of the creature, which we have, Romans 8:19-22. The apostle tells us that the creature itself had an expectation and desire after “the manifestation of the sons of God,” or the bringing forth of the kingdom of Christ in glory and power, verse 19; and gives this reason for it, because it is brought into a condition of vanity, corruption, and bondage, wherein it did, as it were, unwillingly abide, and groaned to be delivered from it. That is, by the entrance of sin the creation was brought into that condition as wherein it could not answer the end for which it was made and erected, namely, to declare the glory of God, that he might be worshipped and honored as God; but was as it were left, especially in the earth, and the inhabitants of it, to be a stage for men to act their enmity against God upon, and a means for the fulfilling and satisfaction of their filthy lusts, This state being unsuitable unto its primitive constitution, preternatural, occasional, and forced, it is said to dislike it, to groan under it, to hope for deliverance, doing that in what it is by its nature, which it would do voluntarily were it endowed with a rational understanding. But, saith the apostle, there is a better condition for this creation; which, whilst it was afar off, it put out its head after and unto. What is this better state? Why, “the glorious liberty of the sons of God;” that is, the new state and condition that all things are restored unto, in order unto the glory of God, by Jesus Christ. The creation hath, as it were, a natural propensity, yea, a longing, to come into a subjection unto Christ, as that which retrieves and frees it from the vanity, bondage, and corruption that it was cast into, when put out of its first order by sin. And this ariseth from that plot and design which God first laid in the creation of all things, that they, being made by the Son, should naturally and willingly, as it were, give up themselves unto obedience unto him, when he should take the rule of them upon the new account of his mediation.

Thirdly, God would hereby instruct us both in the use that we are to make of his creatures, and the improvement that we are to make of the work of the creation unto his glory. For the first, it is his will that we should not use any thing as merely made and created by him, though originally for that purpose, seeing as they are so left they are under the curse, and so impure and unclean unto them that use them, Titus 1:15; but he would have us to look upon them and receive them as they are given over unto Christ. For the apostle, in his application of the 8th Psalm unto the Lord Christ, Hebrews 2:6-8, manifests that even the beasts of the field, on which we live, are passed over in a peculiar manner unto his dominion.

And he lays our interest in their use, as to a clear, profitable, and sanctified way of it, in the new state of things brought in by Christ: 1 Timothy 4:4,5, “Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”

The word of promise confirmed in Christ, called on by the Spirit, given by Christ in prayer, gives a sanctified use of the creatures. This God instructs us in, namely, to look for a profitable, sanctified use of the creatures in Christ, in that himself ordered them in the very first creation to fall at length naturally under his rule and dominion, making them all by him. And hereby also we are instructed how to learn the glory of God from them.

The whole mystery of laying the works of the old creation in a subserviency unto the new being hidden from many ages and generations, from the foundation of the world men did, by the effects and works which they saw, conclude that there was an eternal power and infinite wisdom whereby they were produced: but whereas there is but a twofold holy use of the works of the creation, — the one suited unto the state of innocency, and the moral-natural worship of God therein, which they had lost; the other to the state of grace, and the worship of God in that, which they had not attained, — the world and the inhabitants thereof, being otherwise involved in the curse and darkness wherewith it was attended, exercised themselves in fruitless speculations about them (“foolish imaginations,” as the apostle calls them), and glorified not God in any due manner, Romans 1:21. Neither do nor can men unto this day make any better improvement of their contemplation on the works of creation, who are unacquainted with the recapitulation of all things in Christ, and the beauty of it, in that all things at first were made by him. But when men shall by faith perceive and consider that the production of all things owes itself in its first original unto the Son of God, in that by him the world was made, and that unto this end and purpose, that he being afterwards incarnate for our redemption, they might all be put into subjection unto him, they cannot but be ravished with the admiration of the power, wisdom, goodness, and love of God, in this holy, wise, beautiful disposition of all his works and ways And this is the very subject of the 8th Psalm. The psalmist considers the excellency and glory of God in the creation of all things, instancing in the most glorious and eminent parts of it. But doth he do this absolutely as they are such? doth he rest there? No; but proceeds to manifest the cause of his admiration, in that God did of old design, and would at length actually put, all these things into subjection unto “the man Christ Jesus,” as the apostle expounds his meaning, Hebrews 2: which causeth him to renew his admiration and praise, Psalm 8:9, — that is, to glorify God as God, and to be thankful; which yet Paul declared that they were not who considered the works of God only absolutely, with reference to their first original from infinite power and wisdom.

But against what we have been discoursing it may be objected, that God, in the creation of all things, suited them perfectly and absolutely unto a state of innocency and holiness, without any respect unto the entrance of sin and the curse that ensued, which gave occasion to that infinitely wise and holy work of the mediation of Christ, and the restoration of all things by him; so that they could not be laid in such a subserviency and order, one to the other, as is pretended, though the former might be afterwards traduced and translated into the use of the other. But, — 1. What is clearly testified unto in the Scripture, as that truth is which we have insisted on, is not to be called into question because we cannot understand the order and method of things in the hidden counsels of God. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for us.” Neither do we benefit ourselves much by inquiring into that which we cannot comprehend. It is enough for us that we hold fast revealed things, that we may know and do the will of God; but secret things belong to him, and to him are they to be left. 2. The Scripture testifieth that “known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world,” Acts 15:18; not only all those which at first he wrought, but also all that ever he would so do. The idea and system of them was all in his holy mind from eternity. Now, though in their creation and production they are all singly suited and fitted to the time and season wherein they are brought forth and made; yet as they lie all together in the mind, will, and purpose of God, they have a relation, one to another, from the first to the last. There is a harmony and correspondency between them all; they lie all in a blessed subserviency in themselves, and in their respect unto one another, unto the promotion of the glory of God. And therefore, though in the creation of all things that work was suited unto the state and condition wherein they were created, — that is, of innocency and holiness, — yet this hinders not but that God might and did so order them, that they might have a respect unto that future work of his in their restoration by Christ, which was then no less known unto him than that which was perfectly wrought. 3. The most reasonable and best intelligible way of declaring the order of God’s decrees, is that which casts them under the two general heads which all rational agents respect in their purposes and operations, — namely, of the last end, and the means conducing thereunto. Now, the utmost end of God, in all his ways towards the sons of men, being the manifestation of his own glory by the way of justice and mercy, whatever tendeth thereunto is all jointly to be looked on as one entire means tending unto that end and purpose. The works, therefore, of the old and new creation being of this sort and nature, one joint and general means for the compassing of the forementioned end, nothing can hinder but that they may have that respect to each other which before we have declared.

VERSE 3.

The apostle, in the pursuit of his argument, proceeds in the description of the person of Christ; partly to give a further account of what he had before affirmed concerning his divine power in making the worlds; and partly to instruct the Hebrews, from their own typical institutions, that it was the Messiah who was figured and represented formerly unto them, in those signs and pledges of God’s glorious presence which they enjoyed. And so by the whole he confirmeth the proposition he had in hand concerning the excellency and eminency of Him by whom the gospel was revealed, that their faith in him and obedience unto him might not be shaken or hindered.

Ver. 3. — \Ov w\\n ajpau>gasma th~v do>xhv kai< carakthsewv aujtou~, fe>rwn te ta< pa>nta tw~| rjh>mati th~v duna>mewv aujtou~ , di j ejautou~ kaqarismomenov tw~n ajmartiw~n hJmw~n , ejka>qisen ejn dexia~| th~v megalwso>nhv ejn uJyhloi~v .

Di j ejautou~ is wanting in MS. T.; but the sense requires the words, and all other ancient copies retain them. JHuw~n is wanting in some copies; and one or two for ejka>qise have kaqi>zei , which hath nothing whereunto it should relate. Some also read, tw~| zro>nw| th~v megalwsu>nhv , taken from chapter 12:2, where the word is used. \Ov w\\n , “qui est,” “qui cum sit,” “qui existens;” — “who is,” “who when he is,” or “was;” “who existing:” as Philippians 2:6, \Ov ejn morfh~| Qeou~ uJpa>rcwn , — “Who being in the form of God.” “Who being ajpau>gasma th~v do>xhv ,” — “splendor,” “radius,” “jubar,” “effulgentia,” “refulgentia,” “relucentia;” — “the splendor” “ray,” “beam,” “effulgency,” or “shining forth of glory.” Syr., aj;m]x, , “germen;” so Boderius; — “the branch.” Tremellius and De Dieu, “splendor,” the Arabic concurring.

Aujgh> is “lux,” “light,” particularly the morning light: Acts 20:11, Jomilh>sav a]criv aujgh~v , — “He talked until the break of day,” or the beaming of the morning light. Aujgh< hJli>ou , Gloss. Vet., “jubar solis” — “the sun-beam.” And sometimes it denotes the day itself. It is also sometimes used for the light that is in burning iron. JApaugh> is of the same signification; properly “splendor lucis,” — “the brightness, shining, beauty, glory or lustre of light.” Hence is aujga>zw , to a shine forth,” to “shine into” to “irradiate:” 2 Corinthians 4:4, Eijv to< mh< aujga>sai aujtoi~v , — “That the light of the gospel should not irradiate” (shine) “into them.” jApauga>zw is of the same importance; and from thence ajpau>gasma . The word is nowhere used in the New Testament save in this place only; nor doth it occur in the Old of the LXX. Only we have it, Wisd. 7:26. Wisdom is said to be ajpau>masma fwtoou , — “ a beam of eternal light;” to which place the margin of our translation refers.

And it is so used by Nazianzen: Mega>lou fwtogasma , — “A little beam of a great light.” It answers exactly to the Hebrew HgænO, or HgænO rwOa that is; that is, “The morning light:” Proverbs 4:18, “The path of the righteous HgænO rwOaK] ,” — “ ut lux splendoris,” Jerome; “as the light of brightness,” — that is, “of the morning,” aujgh> , Acts 20:11. And it is also applied to the light of fire, or fire in iron, Isaiah 4:5, vae HgænO, — “The light of fire;” and the fiery streaming of lightning, Habakkuk 3:11.

The brightness, shining, ray, beam, th~v do>xhv , “of glory.” Some look on this expression as a Hebraism, ajpau>gasma th~v do>xhv , “the beam of glory,” for e]ndoxon ajpau>gasma , “a glorious beam;” but this will not answer the design of the apostle, as we shall see afterwards.

Our translators have supplied “his,” “the brightness of his glory,” by repeating aujtou~ from the end of the sentence; perhaps, as we shall find, not altogether necessarily, — in which case alone such supplements unto the text are allowed in translations.

Kai< carakth“ express form,” “express figure:” so variously is the word rendered by translators, with little difference. It is nowhere used in the New Testament but only in this place. In other authors it hath many significations. Sometimes they use it properly and naturally; sometimes metaphorically and artificially, as when it denotes several forms of speech or orations. Properly, from cara>ssw or cara>ttw , to engrave with a tool or style, is ca>ragma and carakth>r which is firstly and properly the note or mark cut by a tool or instrument into wood, or any other subject capable of such impression, or the stamp and sign that is left in the coining of money. The mark or scar also left by a wound is by the LXX. termed carakth>r , Leviticus 13:28. It is in general an express representation of another thing, communicated unto it by an impression of its likeness upon it, opposed unto that which is umbratile and imaginary.

Th~v uJposta>sewv aujtou~ , — “substantiae,” “subsistentiae,” “personae.”

Syr., HteWtyayi , “substantiae ejus;” — “hypostasis,” “substance,” “subsistence,” “person.” The word is four times used in the New Testament, — thrice in this epistle, in this place, and chapter 3:14, and chapter 11:1, as also 2 Corinthians 9:4, — everywhere in a different sense; so that the mere use of it in one place will afford no light unto the meaning of it in another, but it must be taken from the context and subject treated of. The composition of the word would denote “substantia,” but so as to differ from and to add something unto oujsi>a, “substance,” or being; which in the divine nature can be nothing but a special manner of subsistence. But the controversy that hath been about the precise signification of these words we shall not here enter into the discussion of.

Fe>rwn , “agens,” “regens,” “moderans;” — “acting,” “disposing,” “ruling,” “governing.” Also “portans,” “ bajulans,” “ sustinens;” — “bearing,” “supporting,” “carrying,” “upholding.” Which of these senses is peculiarly intended we shall afterwards inquire into.

Tw~| rjh>mati th~v duna>mewv aujtou~ , — “by the word of his power,” “by his powerful word.” Syr., HteL]miD] al;y]jæBi , — “by the power of his word,” changing the order of the words, but not the meaning of them: “By the power of his word,” or, “the word of his power;” that is, his powerful word. Aujtou~ ; some would read it aujtou~ , and refer it unto the Father, — “By the powerful word of him;” that is, of the Father, by whose power, they say, the Son disposed of all things. But all copies with accents have aujtou~ constantly, none aujtou~ , nor will the disposition of the words bear that reference.

Di j eJautou~ , — “by himself,” “in his own person.”

Kaqarismomenov , — “purgationem faciens,” “purgatione facta;” — “having purged,” “cleansed,” “expiated” or “purified” (us from) “our sins.” “Having made a purgation or purification of our sins.” jEka>qisen . Kaqi>zw is used both neutrally and actively, answering to bvæy; both in Kal and Hiphil, signifying “to sit down,” and “to cause to sit down.” Chrysostom seems to have understood the word in the latter sense, referring it to God the Father causing the Son to sit down. But it is hard to find any antecedent word whereby it should be regulated, but only o[v , “who,” in the beginning of the verse, — that is, he himself; and, as Erasmus observes, geno>menov in the following words, will not grammatically admit of this construction; for if ejka>qioe be to be understood actively and transitively, it must have been geno>menon . And the apostle clears the neutral sense of the word, chapter 8:1. It is well, then, rendered by our translators, “he sat,” or “sat down.” jEn dexia~| . <19B001> Psalm 110:1, yniymiyli bve . LXX., ka>qou ejk dexiw~n , in the plural number. So is the same thing expressed, Acts 7:55; and by Mark, ejn dexioi~v , chapter 16:5. Our apostle constantly keepeth the singular number, with ejn , chapter 1:13, <580801> 8:1, 12:2. The same thing in both expressions is intended; only that of ejk dexiw~n , or ejn dexioi~v , in the plural number, is more eminently destructive of the folly of the Anthropomorphites; for they cannot hence pretend that God hath a right hand, unless they will grant that he hath many, which were not only to turn the glory of the invisible God into the likeness of a man, but of a monster. And Austin well observes that in the psalm where that expression is first used, “Sit on my right hand,” it is added, Ún]ymiy]Al[æ yn;doa\ . “The Lord on thy right hand,” — at the right hand of him who sat on his right hand; which removes all carnal apprehensions from the meaning of the words.

Th~v megalwsu>nhv . This word is seldom used in other authors: twice in this epistle, here, and chapter <580801> 8:1; once by Jude, verse 25; and nowhere else in the New Testament; by the LXX. not at all. The apostle evidently expresseth by it dwObK; or hr;WbG] not as they are used appellatively for glory, power, or majesty, but as they are names and denote the essential glory of God, “The glorious God.” So that megalwsu>nh is God himself; not absolutely considered, but with reference unto the revelation of his glory and majesty in heaven, God on his throne; as our apostle declareth, chapter 8:1. jEn uJyhloi~v , — “in the highest.” Megalwsu>nh ejn ujyhloi~v is ujyi>stov ; that is, ˆwOyl][, , “the Highest,” God himself. See Luke 1:35. f3 Ver. 3. — Who being the brightness of glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding [or, disposing of ] all things by the word of his power, having by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; The apostle proceeds in his description of the person in whom God spake in the revelation of the gospel, ascending unto such a manifestation of him as that they might understand his eminency above all formerly used in the like ministrations; as also how he was pointed out and shadowed by sundry types and figures under the Old Testament.

Of this description there are three parts; the first declaring what he is; the second, what he doth, or did; and the third, the consequent of them both, in what he enjoyeth.

Of the first part of this description of the Messiah there are two branches, or it is two ways expressed: for he affirms of him, first, that he is the “brightest beam,” or “splendor of the glory;” and, secondly, “the express image,” or “character of his Father’s person.”

In the second also there are two things assigned unto him, — the former relating unto his power, as he is the brightness of glory, he “sustaineth,” or ruleth and disposeth of “all things by the word of his power;” — the latter unto his love and work of mediation, — “by himself,” or in his own person, he hath “purged our sins.”

His present and perpetual enjoyment, as a consequent of what he was and did, or doth, is expressed in the last words: “He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Some of these expressions may well be granted to contain some of those dusno>hta , “things hard to be understood,” which Peter affirms to be in this epistle of Paul, 2 Peter 3:16; which unstable and unlearned men have in all ages wrested unto their own destruction. The things intended are unquestionably sublime and mysterious; the terms wherein they are expressed are rare, and nowhere else used in the Scripture to the same purpose, some of them not at all, which deprives us of one great help in the interpretation of them; the metaphors used in the words, or types alluded unto by them, are abstruse and dark: so that the difficulty of discovering the true, precise, and genuine meaning of the Holy Ghost in them is such as that this verse, at least some part of it, may well be reckoned among those places which the Lord hath left in his word to exercise our faith, and diligence, and dependence on his Spirit, for a right understanding of them. It may be, indeed, that from what was known and acknowledged in the Judaical church, the whole intention of the apostle was more plain unto them, and more plainly and clearly delivered than now it seemeth unto us to be, who are deprived of their advantages.

However, both to them and us the things were and are deep and mysterious; and we shall desire to handle (as it becometh us) both things and words with reverence and godly fear, looking up unto Him for assistance who alone can lead us into all truth.

We begin with a double description given us of the Lord Christ at the entrance of the verse, as to what he is in himself. And here a double difficulty presents itself unto us; — first, In general unto what nature in Christ, or unto what of Christ, this description doth belong; secondly, What is the particular meaning and importance of the words or expressions themselves.

For the first, some assert that these words intend only the divine nature of Christ, wherein he is consubstantial with the Father. Herein as he is said to be “God of God, and Light of Light,” — an expression doubtless taken from hence, — receiving, as the Son, his nature and subsistence from the Father, so fully and absolutely as that he is every way the same with him in respect of his essence, and every way like him in respect of his person; so he is said to be “the brightness of his glory,” and “the character of his person” on that account, This way went the ancients generally; and of modern expositors very many, as Calvin, Brentius, Marlorat, Rollock, Gomar, Pareau, Estius, Tena, a Lapide, Ribera, and sundry others.

Some think that the apostle speaks of him as incarnate, as he is declared in the gospel, or as preached, to be “the image of God,” 2 Corinthians 4:4.

And these take three ways in the explication of the words and their application of them unto him: — First, Some affirm that their meaning is, that whereas God is in himself infinite and incomprehensible, so that we are not able to contemplate on his excellencies, but that we are overpowered in our minds with their glory and majesty, he hath in Christ the Son, as incarnate, contemperated his infinite love, power, goodness, grace, greatness, and holiness, unto our faith, love, and contemplation, they all shining forth in him, and being eminently expressed in him. So Beza.

Secondly, Some think that the apostle pursues the description that he was entered upon, of the kingly office of Jesus Christ as heir of all; and that his being exalted in glory unto power, rule, and dominion, expressing and representing therein the person of his Father, is intended in these words.

So Cameron.

Thirdly, Some refer these words to the prophetical office of Christ, and say that he was the brightness of God’s glory, etc., by his revealing and declaring the will of God unto us, which before was done darkly only and in shadows. So the Socinians generally, though Schlichtingius refers the words unto all that similitude which they fancy to have been between God and the man Christ Jesus whilst he was in the earth; and therefore renders the participle w[n , not by the present, but preterimperfect tense, “who was;” that is, whilst he was on the earth, — though, as he says, not exclusively unto what he is now in heaven.

I shall not examine in particular the reasons that are alleged for these several interpretations, but only propose and confirm that sense of the place which on full and due consideration appears, as agreeable unto the analogy of faith, so expressly to answer the design and intendment of the apostle; wherein also the unsoundness of the two last branches or ways of applying the second interpretation, with the real coincidence of the first, and first branch of the latter exposition, will be discovered. To this end the following positions are to be observed: — First, It is not the direct and immediate design of the apostle to treat absolutely of either nature of Christ, his divine or human, but only of his person. Hence, though the things which he mentioneth and expresseth may some of them belong unto, or be the properties of his divine nature, some of his human, yet none of them are spoken of as such, but are all considered as belonging unto his person. And this solves that difficulty which Chrysostom observes in the words, and strives to remove by a similitude, namely, that the apostle doth not observe any order or method in speaking of the divine and human natures of Christ distinctly one after another, but first speaks of the one, then of the other, and then returns again to the former, and that frequently. But the truth is, he intends not to speak directly and absolutely of either nature of Christ; but treating ex professo of his person, some things that he mentions concerning him have a special foundation in and respect unto his divine nature, some in and unto his human, as must every thing that is spoken of him. And therefore the method and order of the apostle is not to be inquired after in what relates in his expressions to this or that nature of Christ, but in the progress that he makes in the description of his person and offices; which alone he had undertaken.

Secondly, That which the apostle principally intends in and about the person of Christ, is to set forth his dignity, pre-eminence, and exaltation above all; and that not only consequentially to his discharge of the office of mediator, but also antecedently, in his worth, fitness, ability, and suitableness to undertake and discharge it, — which in a great measure depended on and flowed from his divine nature.

These things being supposed, we observe, thirdly, That as these expressions are none of them singly, much less in that conjunction wherein they are here placed, used concerning any other but Christ only, so they do plainly contain and express things that are more sublime and glorious than can, by the rule of Scripture or the analogy of faith, be ascribed unto any mere creature, however raised or exalted. There is in the words evidently a comparison with God the Father: he is infinitely glorious, eternally subsisting in his own person; and the Son is “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.” Angels are called “the sons of God,” are mighty in power, and excellent in created glory; but when they come to be compared with God, it is said they are not pure in his sight; and he charged them with folly, Job 4:18; and they cover their faces at the brightness of his glory, Isaiah 6:2: so that they cannot be said so to be. Man also was created in the image of God, and is again by grace renewed thereinto, Ephesians 4:23,24: but to say a man is the express image of the person of God the Father, is to depress the glory of God by anthropomorphitism. So that unto God asking that question, “Whom will ye compare unto me? and whom will ye liken me unto?” we cannot answer of any one who is not God by nature, that he is “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.”

Fourthly, Though the design of the apostle in general be to show how the Father expressed and declared himself unto us in the Son, yet this could not be done without manifesting what the Son is in himself and in reference unto the Father; which both the expressions do in the first place declare. They express him such an one as in whom the infinite perfections and excellencies of God are revealed unto us. So that the first application of the words, namely, to the divine nature of Christ, and the first branch of the second, considering him as incarnate, are very well consistent; as a Lapide grants, after he had blamed Beza for his interpretation. The first direction, then, given unto our faith in these words, is by what the Son is in respect of the Father, namely, “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person;” whence it follows that in him, being incarnate, the Father’s glory and his person are expressed and manifested unto us.

Fifthly, There is nothing in these words that is not applicable unto the divine nature of Christ. Some, as we have showed, suppose that it is not that which is peculiarly intended in the words; but yet they can give no reason from them, nor manifest any thing denoted by them, which may not be conveniently applied thereunto. I say, whatever can be proved to be signified by them or contained in them, if we will keep ourselves within the bounds of that holy reverence which becomes us in the contemplation of the majesty of God, may be applied unto the nature of God as existing in the person of the Son. He is in his person distinct from the Father, another not the Father; but yet the same in nature, and this in all glorious properties and excellencies. This oneness in nature, and distinction in person, may be well shadowed out by these expressions, “He is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.” The boldness and curiosity of the schoolmen, and some others, in expressing the way and manner of the generation of the Son, by similitudes of our understanding and its acts, declaring how he is the image of the Father, in their terms, are intolerable and full of offense. Nor are the rigid impositions of those words and terms in this matter which they or others have found out to express it by, of any better nature. Yet I confess, that supposing with some that by the first expression here used, “The brightness of glory,” the apostle intends to set forth unto us the relation of the Son to the Father by an allusion unto the sun and its beams, or the light of fire in iron, some relief may thence be given unto our weak understandings in the contemplation of this mystery, if we observe that one known rule, whose use Chrysostom urgeth in this place, namely, that in the use of such allusions every thing of imperfection is to be removed, in their application unto God. A few instances we may give unto this purpose, holding ourselves unto an allusion to the sun and its beams 1. As the sun in comparison of the beam is of itself, and the beam of the sun; so is the Father of himself, and the Son of the Father. 2. As the sun, without diminution or partition of its substance, without change or alteration in its nature, produceth the beam; so is the Son begotten of the Father. 3. As the sun in order of nature is before the beam, but in time both are coexistent; so is the Father in order of nature before the Son, though in existence both co-eternal. 4. As the beam is distinct from the sun, so that the sun is not the beam, and the beam is not the sun; so is it between the Father and the Son. 5. As the beam is never separate from the sun, nor can the sun be without the beam, no more can the Son be from the Father, nor was the Father ever without the Son. 6. As the sun cannot be seen but by the beam, no more can the Father but in and by the Son.

I acknowledge that these things are true, and that there is nothing in them disagreeable unto the analogy of faith. But yet as sundry other things may be affirmed of the sun and its beam, whereof no tolerable application can be made to the matter in hand, so I am not persuaded that the apostle intended any such comparison or allusion, or aimed at our information or instruction by them. They were common people of the Jews, and not philosophers, to whom the apostle wrote this epistle; and therefore either he expresseth the things that he intends in terms answering unto what was in use among themselves to the same purpose, or else he asserts them plainly in words as meet to express them properly by as any that are in use amongst men. To say there is an allusion in the words, and that the Son is not properly, but by a metaphor, “the brightness of glory,” is to teach the apostle how to express himself in the things of God. For my part, I understand as much of the nature, glory, and properties of the Son, in and by this expression, “He is the brightness of glory,” as I do by any of the most accurate expressions which men have arbitrarily invented to signify the same thing. That he is one distinct from God the Father, related unto him, and partaker of his glory, is clearly asserted in these words; and more is not intended in them.

Sixthly, These things, then, being premised, we may discern the general importance of these expressions. The words themselves, as was before observed, being nowhere else used in the Scripture, we may receive a contribution of light unto them from those in other places which are of their nearest alliance. Such are these and the like: “We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father,” John 1:14. “He is the image of the invisible God,” Colossians 1:15. The glory of God shines forth in him, 2 Corinthians 4:6. Now in these and the like places, the glory of the divine nature is so intimated, as that we are directed to look unto the glory of the absolutely invisible and incomprehensible God in him incarnate. And this