A PARAPHRASE AND NOTES ON THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE ΤΟ THE HEBREWS. SECT. I. The Apostle reminds the Hebrews to whom he writes, of the great favour God had done them in sending them a revelation by his own Son; on whose glory he expatiates as far superior to that of angels, intending by this representation to engage them to embrace and retain the gospel. Heb. J.. to the end. HEBREWS I. 1. HEBREWS I. 1. SECT. i. I. 1. GOD, who at sundry times, and in di- THE great and wise God, who in his wonvers manners, spake in derful condescension hath at many times, time past unto the fa- and in various manners, of old, spoken to the Heb. thers by the prophets, fathers of the Jewish nation, by the prophets whom he hath in successive ages raised up and employed as the messengers of his will to them, In these last days hath magnified his mercy in a 2 yet more amazing manner; for he hath spoken unto us by the Son, his only-begotten, and best beloved 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his a God who, &c.] Though St. Paul was the author of this epistle, as we have already observed, yet he does not begin it, as he does most of his other epistles, by prefixing his name to it; the reason of which probably was, that those to whom he was now writing were under strong prejudices against his name; and he was not willing to alarm those prejudices at the beginning of his letter. b Many times, and various manners.] The first word, as some apprehend, refers c By the son.] This is no argument 90 God, in these last days, hath spoken unto us by his Son; SECT. beloved Son, whom he hath sent into our world his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all as the Ambassador of his mercy to us, even things, by whom also that illustrious person, whom he hath appointed he made the worlds; 1.2. the heir and possessor of all things. He hath Heb. and upholding all the right hand of the Majesty on high; adjusted all things in such a manner, as to advance the purposes of his glory, and committed the administration of his providential kingdom into his hands, by whom, and in reference to whose honour, he also created all things, and constituted the ages and dispensations of the 3 Who being the 3 church and world. I speak of that great Emabrightness of his glonuel, whom we have so long been taught to ry, and the express know and adore; who being the effulgent ray of image of his person, [his] glory, and the express delineation of his per- things by the word of son, on whom his likeness is instamped in things by the word of his power, when he living characters in a manner which no created had by himself purged nature can admit, and upholding the universe our sins, sat down on which he hath made by the efficacious word of his Father's power, which is ever resident in him, as his own, by virtue of that intimate though incomprehensible union which renders them one, John x. 30.); was nevertheless set forth in the feeble dress and humble form of buman flesh, that he might be our atoning sacrifice. And accordingly having by himself performed that great transaction, which is the cleansing away of our sins, he is now returned to the celestial world from which he descended for this gracious purpose, and is sat down on the righthand of the Majesty on high, of that glorious and excellent Being, who reigns supreme in the heaven of heavens. 4 To this exalted Redeemer would I now call imyour thoughts, of whom I have some very d Heir and possessor.] Mr. Pierce learnedly vindicates the latter of these interpretations. e Constituted the ages.] The sentiment, as thus expressed is a very important one; but if any insist upon rendering awwnas, the world itself, I shall not oppose it; for it is certain, that St. Paul asserts this doctrine, Col. i. 15-17, if not here. f Delineation of his person.] This is, saith Leigh, answering to the Divine perfections, as the impressions of the war does to the engraving of the seal.-It is observable, that Philo calls the Logos yaganing και είχαν Θεό. See Scott's Christian Life, Vol. III. p. 559. g Word of his power.] Many explain this of the Father's power, which is the portant 4 Being made SO much better than the angels, sense I have given in the paraphrase. Some copies read aurs, which would fully justify our version. But if the power of the Father be the power of Christ, to be used by him at pleasure for the security of his people, it seems to be all that the esta blishment of our faith in him requires. h Sat down on the right-hand] Some understand this of the right-hand of the Shechinah, in the most honourable place among men or angels; and quote 1 Pet. iii. 22; Eph. i. 20, 21; supposing there may be some glorious appearance of the Father's presence in heaven, as there was upon earth, which hath properly speaking a right or a left-hand. But this I esteem no article of faith. Compare chap, viii. 1. i Superior Who was made so much better than the angels. inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 1 i. 91 angels, as he hath by portant and sublime truths to deliver. Consi- SECT. der, therefore, my brethren, what reverence, what fidelity, what zeal you owe to him who Heb. was made in exaltation and celestial glory as I. 4. much superior to angels as the name he has inherited, and by which through many succeeding ages he hath been spoken of in the sacred oracles, [is] more excellent than theirs; which of the angels hath he ever said, as we any time, Thou art my know he hath said to the Messiah in that celeI 5 For unto which of the angels said he at Son, this day have again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? first-begotten into the For to brated prophecy, (Psal. ii. 7.), Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, (2 Sam. vii. 14.) I will be a father to him, and he shall be my Son? For if these words were immediately spoken of Solomon, it was chiefly as a type of Christ, the great son of 6 And again when David, the Prince of peace. But so far is he he bringeth in the from speaking of the angels in terms expressing world, he saith, And let equal dignity, that when he again introduces his all the angels of God first-begotten Son into the world, and speaks of worship him. him as coming with royal pomp to take possession of his kingdom, he saith, (Psalm xcvii. 7.) And let all the Angels of God worship him. And accordingly he did actually demand their homage to him, as constituted their Lord and Sovereign, not only in regard to his originally superior glories, but in consideration of that fidelity and zeal with which he had discharged his important errand to our world. And concerning the angels he saith, (Psal. civ. 4,) 7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his i Superior to angels.] Some have, I think, very precariously imagined, that the apostle, in this and the next chapter, insists so much on Christ's superiority to angels, in order to take off the Jews from that angel-worship to which they were greatly inclined. But it is evident the apostle does not speak expressly on that subject. It is more certain, therefore, that his intention was to exalt their ideas of our blessed Redeemer; as indeed their entertaining high and honourable conceptions of him would be of great importance to their holding fast their Christian profession. It is plain the Jews considered the angels as concerned in the promulgation of their law, on which account they might be the more zealously attached to it, and in this view there was a peculiar propriety in the apostle's labouring the argument he is here upon, namely, the superiority of our blessed Lord to all the angelic orders. VOL. X. he k Thou art my son.] These words are taken from Psalm ii. 7. And I think it is evident (as others have observed,) that this and the rest of the passages here quoted, must refer to Christ in their original sense, and in the strictest propriety of interpretation; otherwise the argument would be entirely inconclusive; for it might be replied, that supposing these pas sages to be applicable to Christ, they will not prove him to be superior to the angels, since they originally refer to David and others confessedly inferior to those celestial spirits. It might be easily proved that this second psalm does originally belong to the Messiah. Compare Acts iv. 25, xiii. 33. 1 He shall be my son.] Mr. Pierce hath laboured largely to prove, that these words can in their original and primary sense refer only to Christ, 5 6 92 SECT. i Heb. 1.7. To him God saith, Thy throne is for ever and ever! of fire. he maketh his angels winds", and his ministers his angels spirits, and vice. 8 But unto the Son, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy king dom: 9 Thou hast loved gladness above thy 8 But to the son [he] speaks in a very different he saith, Thy throne, O 10 Thou, Lord, from the m He maketh his angels winds.] That is, saith Mr. Cradock (Apost. Hist. p. 363) He, the son, makes use of the angels as his ministers, in producing storms and lightning according to his pleasure. But I would not change the signification of the pronoun. He, which returns here, without absolute necessity.--The rendering Veupala winds, is very agreeable to the original and the context. n Thy throne, O God, &c.] To render this, as some would do, God is thy throne for ever and ever, that is, God will estabblish thy throne, (according to 2 Sam. vii. 13, 14: Psalm. lxxxix. 4.) appears to me very unnatural. o Loved righteousness, hated iniquity.] It may be objected, that, as all the angels have maintained this character, consequently this can be no just reason for preferring Christ to them. But I think the beginning 10 And thou, Lord, laid the foundation of vens thine hands. Whereas the angels are ministering spirits. old as doth a garment. i. 93 Fens are the works of beginning hast founded the earth, and the hea- SECT. 11 They shall perish vens are the works of thy hands. They, perbut thou remainest: manent as they seem, shall at length perish and Heb. and they all shall wax wear out; but thou endurest in undecaying glo- I. 11. 12 And as a vesture Ty; yea all of them shall grow old like a garshalt thou fold them ment. And as a mantle thou shalt fold them up up, and they shall be and they shall be changed: thou shalt remove 12 changed; but thou art them out of their place, and introduce a new the same,and thy years shall not fail. scene of things, with as much ease as a prince lays aside one robe and puts on another; but thou art ever the same, and thy years shall not fail through everlasting ages, nor can thy perfections admit any possible diminution. 14 But not to insist on the manner in which men 18 creatures. q Fold them up.] For thus Mr. Pierce would read ahhaus, change them, agreeable to the Hebrews; and imagines that IMPROVE. heaven and earth here signifies, govern- |