A Short Explanation of Hebrews, Title page – To the reader
A Short EXPLANATION, Of the EPISTLE of PAVL TO THE HEBREWES.
By DAVID DICKSON, Preacher of Gods Word, AT IRWIN.
ABERDENE, Imprinted by Edw. Raban. Anno 1635.
TO THE READER.
CHRISTIAN READER,
BEfore the tyme that something of myne did passe the PRESSE, without my knowledge, or allowance, I did not mynde to come abroad in this Learned Age, wherein manie, more able Men than I am, doe keepe silence; my Furniture beeing fitter for my present Charge, than for more publicke Edification, in my judgement; and my Employmentes so frequent, as my spare tyme is little, for farther extent of what the LORD hath bestowed vponupon mee. But, since that tyme, my just Feares, from apparent grounds, that numbers of my SERMONS, vvhichwhich were rudelie, and popularlie, delivered, (as thryse, or foure tymes Preaching a-weeke, might yeelde) and taken from my Mouth, as it was possible to over-take the current of running speach; the judicious Wryter making what hee had over-taken, to coheare, the best hee could; and Copies going from him, to manie, with numbers of Faultes, and misstakinges of the Transcribers; I beeing vnable to revise, (for straytnesse of tyme) anie thing which was written by them, first, or last. My just Feares, I saye, that these should come to thy Handes, rude and faultie, as they are, made mee willing rather, when GOD should graunt mee leasure heere-after, to draw vp, in short, the poyncts of Doctrine delivered by mee in these SERMONS; that thou mightest hauehave a twentie, or thirtie of them, or moe, possible, in the boundes and pryce of one at large.
With this passage of GOD'S providence, another hath concurred, to drawe foorth this piece vntounto thy view in the meane tyme, which is this: When I considered, howe largelie GOD hath provyded HELPS, for vnderstanding of holie SCRIPTVRE, by large Commentaries, and sweete Sermons, especiallie from His Church in ENGLAND; where-by increase of Knowledge is given to the Learned, and such whose meanes to buy, and leasure from their calling to reade, and victorie over their owne laysinesse, for taking paynes, doeth concurre with their capacitie, for making vse of this the LORD'S Liberalitie; I hauehave often requested the Father of Lightes▪ To helpe such as eyther could not, or else would not, profite themselues by that, vvhichwhich is alreadie graunted in His Bountie, by some short, and playne manner of wryting; vvhere-by the weaker judgementes might bee supported, and all Excuse taken away from the wittie Sluggard, and such whose worldlie Employmentes, and great Effayres, hauehave seemed sufficient Reasons, to excuse their negligence, and the small and naughtie matters of their owne Salvation, and the Kingdome of HEAVEN, and Evidences thereof in SCRIPTVRE.
And, to this purpose, I hauehave beene verie instant, vvith the Godlie-Learned of myne acquayntance, to take this matter in hand; and, to divyde, amongst them, the hard parts of SCRIPTVRE, at least; that this worke might bee done by the handes of manie, vvhichwhich could not bee done by one. I found their approbation of my desire, and inclinable willingnesse, to put hand to worke also. But, some of them, for the weyght of their ordinarie Charge, some of them for age, and infirmitie of bodie, some of them for their handes full of the LORD'S worke in another sorte, could not adventure to bee straytlie ingaged in the worke. Where thorow I was forced, eyther to forsake my Desires, which daylie were kindeled within mee more and more; or else, come foorth with some-thing, of this kynde, as might bee; and seeke amongst my Readers, some to take this Matter to heart; and, to doe there-in, as the LORD should enable them, by themselues, or by others.
I hauehave made choyse of this EPISTLE, which is a piece of hard Meate, in the esteemation both of the APOSTLE, the Wryter there-of, (CHAP. 5. and 6.) and of PETER, giving his judgement of it, (2. PET. 1.15.16.) That if I should attayne anie parte of myne intent, in anie measure, in so hard a place, I might encowrage others, to take in hand a more easie parte of SCRIPTVRE, with more hope of successe.
The Summe of each Chapter, or the Contents, doe stand in steade of Analysis; and, in some places, of a Paraphrase. The Text doeth followe, Verse by Verse. The exposition of the Verse, serveth for groundes of Doctrines; which Doctrines, following vponupon the groundes, are joyned, moste parte, with the Note of Collection [THEN.] Pluralitie of Doctrines from the ground, or from the Text where the consequence is easie to bee perceaved, is distinguished by Figures, according to their numbers. Tearmes of Arte I hauehave eschewed, because I would bee playne to all. I hauehave spared all enlargement of the Doctrines, which I could spare; leaving them as graynes of Seede, to get their growth in thy mynde, by Meditation, which is necessarie for such as louelove to make vse of this sort of wryting; because I would be short. The speciall handeling of such Passages, as the Apostle citeth out of the Olde Testament, I hauehave left to their owne proper place. Quotations, for confirmation of my Doctrines, drawne from the ground, I hauehave spared also: Because, I judged, If the Doctrine was pertinentlie collected from the ground, the Text in hand was sufficient confirmation. And if it bee not pertinentlie collected, I am content that thou passe by it, and take onelie what is pertinent. A quotation could prooue the Doctrine true▪ but not prooue it pertinent: and, so, not serue my purpose. Manie moe, and more pertinent Consequences, the Learned will finde, which I hauehave not observed: but not for the Learned, or such as are able, and willing, to make vse of larger Wrytinges, doe I intende this present.
Therefore, doe not looke howe much thou doest misse, which might hauehave beene sayde; but, what in the first frame of this moulde could bee done, in such brevitie. Which moulde, I trust, the Learned shall helpe, if it please the LORD to stirre them vp, to take this matter in hand. I hauehave preassed, singlie to poynct out Trueth, without Partialitie; not wresting the Text, to reach a Blowe to anie man. And, what thou shalt make of this present Piece, I am not carefull, if I can obtayne there-by, that more able Men may bee set on worke, to doe what I intend, but cannot doe.
If the precious Iewell of the SCRIPTVRE may bee more esteemed of, and made vse of, which is more necessarie for our Soules, than the Sunne in the Firmament is for our bodies; and, the greatest gift next after our LORD IESVS downe-sending amongst vsus, that ever the Worlde saw. If I may by this piece, I say, bee an Instrument, to stirre vp anie to the louelove of searching the SCRIPTVRES, I hauehave not lost my Paynes, what-so-ever shall become of this little Booke: Where-vntounto I hauehave sollisted for no Patronage vnderunder Heaven, but thy Christian Good-will to my Ayme, to hauehave our LORD the more honoured, in the sounde Knowledge, and right vse of His SCRIPTVRE.
I am confident, that thou wilt easilie judge, with mee, That the prowde, and prophane Despysers of GOD, are worthie to perish, amongst His Enemies: But, consider, and judge againe, If prophane Despysers of holie SCRIPTVRE, vvho disdayne to reade, or obey, what GOD commaundeth therein, bee not to bee ranked in the same Roll. For, GOD draweth so …igh vntounto vsus in His Word, speaking vntounto vsus, as a king vntounto his Subjects, or a Master vntounto his Servauntes; that the obedience, or disobedience, which wee giuegive to His Speaches, resolveth, directlie, and immediatelie, vponupon GOD HIMSELFE. For, vvhat is it else, to heare, and belieue, and obey GOD; but, To heare, and belieue, and obey His Speaches? And, vvhat is it, Nor to take notice of GOD, to despyse, and disobey GOD; but, Not to take notice of His Speaches, not to reade His Wrytings, and not to care for anie thing that Hee commaundeth, promiseth, or threatneth? Therefore hath the LORD written the Great thinges of His Lawe vntounto vsus, even to bee a Touch-Stone, not onelie to trye all mens Doctrine there-by, but also to trye all mens disposition towardes Himselfe▪ and, howe they stand affected to His Honour, whether as Foes, or as Friendes. For, What readier way is there, to get evidence of a man destitute of the Knowledge, Fayth, LoueLove, Feare, and the rest of the partes of the Image of GOD, than to finde him destitute of the Knowledge and LoueLove of the SCRIPTVRE? What surer Signe of a man, who, for the present, is enemie to GOD, and to the enlargement of His Gracious Kingdome, than to find him traducing the perfect Law of the LORD, and marring, to his power, the free course of the Scriptures light, which is the Scepter of CHRIST'S Kingdome? Agayne; What surer Signe of a Chyld of Promise, begotten of GOD, than to see him, with DAVID, PSAL. 119. making more of the Scriptures, nor of a kingdome; and powring out all his Affections vponupon it, as vponupon the nearest Meane where-by GOD'S Spirit may be conveyed into his soule, for perfecting of Holinesse; and the readiest Chariot, to carrie vp his spirite, to dwell in GOD, for perfecting of his happinesse?
Wee shall find, also, answerable to GOD'S Purpose of trying men by His Scripture, His Wisdome, giving a due meeting vntounto men, as they doe make vse of His Scripture▪ Doe they not reade it? or, doe they reade, and not consider it? Doe they not weygh, what is imported by it, in sense, and meaning? It fareth with them, as with those to whom CHRIST sayd, MATTH. 22.29. You erre, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. Doe they not louelove it? Behold their Plague, 2. THESS. 2.10.11.12. Because they receaved not the louelove of the Trueth, that they might be saved, for this verie cause, sayeth the Text, God shall send them strong delusion; that they should belieue a Lie, that they might be damned. Doe they not steadfastlie belieue, what they learne in Scripture? In God's judgement, with the foolish, and vnstable, they are suffered to wrest the Scriptures, to their own destruction, were they never so great wits, 2. PET. 3.16. Doe they not studie, to giuegive obedience vntounto the knowne Trueth of it? He dealeth with them, as with Israell, PSAL. 81.11. My people would not hearken vntounto My Voyce, and Israell would none of Mee. (Hee counteth Himselfe rejected, because His Word was rejected.) But what followeth, Vers. 12. So I gaue them vp, vntounto their owne heartes lust: and they walked in their owne counsels. But to such as will bee Christ's Disciples indeede, Students, seeking to grow in Knowledge, Beliefe, and obedience of His Word; seeking to louelove Him, and keepe His Sayings, Hee promiseth, (IOHN 14.26▪) to sende vntounto them, The Spirit of Trueth, the Comforter, the holie Ghost, to teach them all things: That is, To perfect their knowledge, more and more, by His Spirit, to fill their hearts with joye and comfort, according to His Trueth, and to make them holie, more and more.
And why are all these styles given? Even to show, that such as will hauehave Christ's Spirit to worke anie of these, must seeke Him to worke all of these, joyntlie, or not to hauehave Him for working anie of them at all. Neyther Comfort without Trueth, nor Comfort without Holinesse. The same is it which Wisdome cryeth, PROV. 8.34.35.36. Blessed is the man that heareth Me; watching daylie at My Gates; wayting at the Posts of My Doores: For, who so findeth Mee, findeth Lyfe; and shall obtayne favour of the Lord. But hee that sinneth agaynst Me, wrongeth his owne Soule: all that hate Mee, louelove Death.
Therefore, howe thou doest hate Death, and louelove thyne owne Soule, howe thou standest affected towardes GOD, and the fellowship of the COMFORTER, the holie SPIRIT, the SPIRIT of TRVETH, and towardes the enlargement of the Kingdome of CHRIST; let thy affection TOWARDS the SCRIPTVRES, more aboundant dvvelling in thy selfe, and FOR the SCRIPTVRES more free course amongst others, beare witnesse.
Fare-well.
THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE HEBREWES.
WHen Peter wrote his second Epistle to the scattered Hebrewes, there was extant an Epistle of Paul, to those same scattered Hebrews also, received in the Church, for a part of Canonicall Scripture, & distinguished from Pauls …ther Epistles, 2. Pet. 3.15.16. Therefore, amongst other reasons, this may bee one, to make vsus thinke this Epistle must be it. For it is without reason to thinke, that the Churches should bee negligent in keeping such a Iewell, commended vntounto them by the authoritie of two chiefe Apostles; or lose Pauls Epistle, and keepe Peters, which maketh mention of it.
The summe of the Epistle.
BEcause the Hebrews were hardlie drawne from the observation of Leviticall Ordinances, vntounto the simplicitie of the Gospell, and in danger of making Apostacie from the Christian Fayth, by Persecution, the Apostle Paul seueth before their eyes the Glorie of Iesus Christ, in His person, farre aboue men and Angels; by whose Ministerie the Law was given, not onelie as God, Chap. 1. but also as man, Chap. 2. and in His Office aboue Moses, Chap. 3. Threatning them, therefore, if they should misbelieue Christs Doctrine, Chap. 3.4. and aboue the Leviticall high Priest, Chap. 5. Threatning them agayne, if they should make Apostacie, from Him, Chap. 6. yea, aboue all the glorie of the Leviticall Ordinances; as Hee in whom all those thinges had their accomplishment, and period of expyring, Chap. 7.8.9.10. Threatning them agayne, if they should not persevere in the Fayth of Christ: vntounto which perseverance, through whatsoever difficulties, hee encowrageth them, by the example of the Faythfull before them, Chap. 10.11. and by other grounds of Christian comfort, Chap. 12. That so in the fruitfull obedience of the Gospell, they might follow vponupon Christ, seeking for that Citie that is to come, and not for their earthlie Hierusalem anie more. Chapter 13.