A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Hebrews · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
1. GOD, who at ſundry times, and in divers manners, ſpake in time paſt unto the fathers by the prophets, 2. Hath in theſe laſt days ſpoken unto us by his Son,
1. God who hath not left us only to the light of Nature, to know him by his works of Creation, but in mercy hath more fully informed us by ſupernatural Revelation, was pleaſed to do this variouſly as to Times, and Manner, and Degree, and of old ſpake to our Anceſtors by ſeveral Prophets, who were the Meſſengers of his Word: But in theſe laſt days he hath ſpoken to us by his Son (greater than all Prophets.)
2. Whom he hath appointed to be heir of all things, by whom alſo he made the worlds.
2. Whom he hath appointed to be Owner and Lord of all things, as he is God and Man, not only by the prime right of Creation, but as the Redeemer of Man, all power in Heaven and Earth, and all things are delivered to him for the ends of Redemption: And by him, (his Wiſdom and Word) he made the Worlds, and all therein.
3. Who being the brightneſs of his glory, and the expreſs image of his perſon, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himſelf purged our ſins, ſat down on the right hand of the majeſty on high:
3. Who being the ſhining Beam, or Splendor of his Glory, by whom God ſhineth forth, or giveth the knowledge of himſelf to us (as the Sun is known to us by its light) and the Character of his Subſiſtence, and upholding and ruling all things by the Word of his Power (as by that Word of God's Power they were made) when he had by his own Merits, and Sacrifice, and Covenant, made a ſufficient Purgation to take away the guilt of our ſins, and ſo far purged them away, as to enact a pardoning Covenant for all that will believingly accept it in him. So that now the general Pardon wants nothing but Acceptance, (and none ſhall periſh for want of ſufficiency in the Sacrifice or Covenant) he then aſcended, and is in heavenly Glory, at the Right Hand of God's ſupream Celeſtial Majeſty, Head over all things to his Church, that thence he may ſend down the Holy Ghoſt, to gather his Choſen, and bring his Myſtical Body to Glory.
4. Being made ſo much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
4. Being in Excellency and Superiority, ſet above the Angels, as he hath by Lot or Inheritance, obtained higher Titles, Power and Offices than they.
5. For unto which of the angels ſaid he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he ſhall be to me a Son. 6. And again, when he bringeth in the firſt begotten into the world, he ſaith, And let all the angels of God worſhip him.
5, 6. He calls Chriſt his Son in divers Texts (which, though it ſpeak partly of David, yet ultimately meaneth Chriſt;) and he commandeth the Angel… to worſhip him. But none of this is ſaid of Angels.
7. And of the angels he ſaith, Who maketh his angels ſpirits, and his miniſters a flame of fire:
7. But he calls his Angels Spirits, and Servants, and a Flame of Fire.
8. But unto the Son he ſaith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a ſcepter of righteouſneſs is the ſcepter of thy kingdom. 9. Thou haſt loved righteouſneſs, and hated iniquity, therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladneſs above thy fellows.
8, 9. But to the Son he aſcribeth the name of God, and an Everlaſting Throne and Kingdom, and a Scepter of Righteouſneſs, and a Superiority, by Divine Unction, above all others.
10. And, thou Lord, in the beginning haſt laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the works of thine hands.
11. They ſhall periſh, but thou remaineſt: and they all ſhall wax old as doth a garment. 12. And as a veſture ſhalt thou fold them up, and they ſhall be changed: but thou art the ſame, and thy years ſhall not fail.
10, 11, 12. He is ſaid to be the Lord who made Earth and Heaven; and who will remain when they periſh, and be the ſame when they are changed.
13. But which of the angels ſaid he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footſtool?
13. He never ſaid to any Angel, what he ſaid to Chriſt of his Kingdom, and the ſubduing of his Enemies, &c.
14. Are they not all miniſtring ſpirits, ſent forth to miniſter for them who ſhall be heirs of Salvation?
14. All thoſe Spirits that are properly called Angels or Meſſengers, are Spirits appointed and ſent forth by God, to miniſter for them who ſhall be Heirs of Salvation, under Jeſus Chriſt.
Annotation.
THE great difficulty here is, to underſtand how this deſcription belongeth to the Perſon of Chriſt. Whether it be the Divine Nature that is ſaid to be [appointed Heir, &c. the Brightneſs of God's Glory, the Character of his Subſiſtence, or Perſon, made better than Angels, begotten this day, ſet on God's right hand in power, &c.] or the Humane: Or whether it be ſpoken of the Perſon of Chriſt as in both Natures: and we muſt not enquire according to which Nature the words are ſpoken of Chriſt? I have before ſaid, on Col. 1.15, 16. how many Opinions about the Perſon and Natures of Chriſt have been pleaded for. 1. That of the Orthodox, who aſſert but one Perſon of Chriſt, and two Natures; though the word [Perſon] was long refuſed by many, as not meaning the ſame with Hypoſtaſis. And ſubtil Philoſophers ſay, that the Humane Nature can be no part of Chriſt's Perſon, but an Adjunct; becauſe his Perſon was compleat from Eternity, and the Deity cannot be a Part. But if it were not that the Hereticators will quarrel with it, it may be ſaid, that the word Perſon is equivocal; and that as Hypoſtaſis is a Perſon, the Divine Nature is the whole Perſon; but not as it is foreign, or a Relative Perſon.
2. That of the wretched Socinians, who feign Chriſt to be meer Man advanced.
3. That of the Arrians, who make him only the firſt Creature, or Emanation of God incarnate, ſuper-angelical, Light of Lights, Very God of very God, begotten by Emanation; not made, as other Creatures, but making them all, but yet not of the ſame Eſſence or Subſtance with the Father, but from the ſame, as a Beam or light from the Sun. This the Church hath condemned theſe 1300 years, and more.
4. That of ſome of late, who ſay that Chriſt hath three Natures; 1. The Divine. 2. The aforeſaid Super-angelical, aſſumed by the Divine to neareſt Union.
3. The Humane, aſſumed by Both. And they think that this Text ſpeaketh chiefly of the ſecond, as aſſuming the third. As it is dangerous to err about any neceſſary point concerning Chriſt's Perſon, ſo it is dangerous to be raſh in taking up any unneceſſary Opinion about ſo incomprehenſible a Myſtery, and worſe to urge it with pride and fury, to the dividing of the Church, and the damning of Diſſenters. To ſay about many Caſes that have torn the Churches [I know not] is more pardonable than turbulent Error.