Hebrews 1

GOD The Apostle designing the C nviction of the Hebrews by this Discourse, ent s on it emnly; that if God can awe them, the consideration of Him should gain credit to his Doctrine. The God he speaks of, is to be apprehended here Personally as well as Essentially, God the Father, the one admirable Sovereign, Immutable Being, the Author of first and second Revelation; Order is kept here in the subsistence of the Relations, as in their Works. who at sundry times, by many parts, turns and changes of Time, Seasons and Opportunities, and by many parcels of Revelation; God's Will was discovered by Piece-meal, and not all at once. He vouchsafed one Promise to Adam, and so gradually opened further to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, David, pointing out a Christ to come, to come of Abraham's Seed in David's Family: He discovered here a little and there a little, Isai. 28.13., and in divers manners, suitable to the manifold Wisdom of God, in divers forms and manners was his Revelation to them; sometimes by sensible representations to them waking, as by Angels, Fire in the Bush, the Pillar of Fire, and Cloud. Terribly, as at Mount Sinai, chap. 12.18, to 22. Sometimes by Dreams and Visions, Numb. 12.6. By Vrim and Thummim, by Voice from the Ark, by Types and Signs from Heaven, by Riddles, and dark Speeches, and Levitical Ceremonies; sometimes by immediate illapses on the Soul, powerfully influencing it with a Divine Light., spake Revealed and declared infallibly his Mind and Will concerning the way of Mans Salvation, which his Wisdom contrived, and his Will decreed. in time past All that time past, between Adam and Christ, about 4000 years before. unto the Fathers The Holy Ancestors of these Hebrews, from Adam, down along the Old-Testament Church of God; The Believers of old, such as are registred, chap. 11. and all like them to the times of Christ, from Gen. 3.15. to that time. by the Prophets All those Holy Men to whom, and by whom God revealed his Will to his Church thr ughout the successive Ages of the Old Testament day, as were but God's Servants, chap. 2.4. and had his and Mind by measure, who as they preached God's Will were God's Mouth, as they wrote it were God's Scribes, as Abel, Enoch, &c. before the Flood, Noah before and after, Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Ioseph, Moses, David, &c. to these did God infallibly declare it, and they did infallibly deliver it to the Church by Word and Writing; God was by gracious inhabitation in them, in their Hearts, Tongues and Hands, 2 Pet. 1.21..

Has in these last days The Gospel-day, last, as after the days of the old World, and after the Law given to Israel by Moses; the days of the fourth Kingdom of the Roman Empire, in the heighth of which Christ came into the World, and at the end of it shall accomplish his ingdom, Dan. 2.40, 44. The last, because the Perfection of those Types which went before, when Christ setled in the Church that Religion which must remain unalterable to the end of the World, chap. 12.25, to 29. The best days for clearest Light and greatest Mercies. spoken Revealed his Will to us once and intirely, Iohn 1.17, 18. Iude v. 3, 4. Discovering the excellent things of God more clearly than they were before, Ephes. 3.3, to 11. 1 Pet. 1.10, 11, 12. to us The believing Hebrews were so favoured beyond their Fathers, to have the best Revelation of God in Christ made to them, Matth. 13.16, 17. Luke 10.23, 24. by his Son Our Lord Jesus Christ, who cometh out of the Father as a Son, Iohn 1.14. and 16.28. He is his Bosom-Son, nearest his Heart, Iohn 1.18. the complete Word of him creating the new World as well as the old, Iohn 1.1. His Wisdom who teacheth without any mistake, declaring all of God, being Truth it self, and exhibiting of it, what he has seen as well as heard, Iohn 3.11., whom This Son who naturally issueth from his Father by a divine and an unutterable Generation, Prov. 8.22, to 32. and 30.4. On him all the Fathers love does terminate, Colos. 1.13. He is to be the Founder and Builder of God's Family, propagating Being to a Holy Seed for him, chap. 3.3, to 7. he has appointed The Father has chosen and ordained him as God-Man to Heirship by an inviolable Ordinance of his Decree, as 1 Pet. 1.20. compa. Ephes. 1.10. Giving him thereby, Right and Title to all things, appointing to him His Nature, chap. 2.16, compa. chap. 10.5. His Offices in this Nature, his Kingly, Psal. 2.6, 7. His Priestly, chap. 3.1, 2. His Prophetical, Acts 3.22. being Heir by Nature, as God the Son, and Heir by an irresistible Ordinance, as God-Man Mediator: so as he had a super added Right from the Father, which Right he was able to make over to us, but his natural Right he could not, Rom. 8.17. And he was by solemn investiture put in possession of it at his Ascension, when he sate down on the Fathers Right-hand, chap. 12.2. Math. 28.18. Ephes. 1.20, 21, 22. Phil. 2.9, 10, 11. heir Lord Proprietor, who has Sovereign and Universal Power over all, being the First-Born, and receiving the Right of it in the whole Inheritance, Psal. 89. 7. Rom. 8.29. Col. 1.15, 1. The Lot and Portion is fallen to him by God's Law, the Heir being Lord of all, Gal. 4. 1. Being Heir of his Brethren, Psal. 2.8. and the Builder and Purchaser of his Inheritance, Revel. 5.9, to 14. comp. 1 Pet. 1.3, 4, 18, 19. Possessing the Inheritance during his Fathers Life, and making all his Brethren Heirs of it with him. of all things Of all things within the compass of God, all that God is, all that God has, all that God can or will do. All Dominions of God, Heaven, Earth and Hell are his. He is Lord of Angels, and has made them Fellow-Servants with us, Ephes. 1.21. Col. 1.18. to Himself, and ministring Guards to us, ver. 14. and 5.11. Rev. 19.10. Of Devils, to overrule them, who cannot go or come, but as he permits them, Matth. 8.31. Col. 2.15. Of Saints, Iohn 17.10. Rom. 8.29. Of Wicked Men his Enemies, 2 Thess. 1.8, 9. Of all Creatures, Col. 1.15, 16, 17. Of all God's Works, Spiritual, Temporal, Past, Present, or to Come; Pardon, Peace, Righteousness, Life, Glory; all Blessings of all sorts, for Time, and for Eternity. This Son-Prophet has Right to, actual Possession of; and free and full disposal of them. All both in Law and Gospel his, Moses himself, and all his Work, to order, change, and do his Pleasure with., by whom His Son God-Man, a joint cause, a primary and principal Agent with the Father, and not a mere Instrument, second in working as in relation; by this Word and Wisdom of God, who was the Rule and Idea of all things, all things were modelled, received their shapes, forms, and distinct Beings, Iohn 1.1,, 3. and 5.19, 20. Colos. 1.16. In the Works of the Trinity, what one Relation is said to do, the other do, but in their Order, answerable to the three Principles in every Action, Wisdom, Will, and Power. also he made Created and framed, giving Being where there was none, causing to subsist; suggesting herein his Ability for Redemption-Work. He who made the World, can remove it, chap. 11.3. the worlds, scarce to be met with in any part of Scripture but this Epistle, strictly it signifieth Ages, and things measured by Time; answer it does to the Hebrew which imports both an Age and the World: So Ages are here well Translated Worlds, all Creatures and things measured by them. The Scriptures acquaint us with an Vpper World, and the Inhabitants thereof, Angels and glorified Saints; the Heavenly World, v. 10. where the Morning Stars sang together, Iob 38.7. compa. Gen. 1.1. There is a lower Earthly World, with its Inhabitants, Men, who live on the things in it, Psal. 24.1. And there is a Regenerate World, the new Heavens and new Earth made by Christ, and a new Sabbath for them, chap. 12.26, 27, 28. comp. 2 Pet. 3.13. There's Adam's World that now is, this present World, Ephes. 1.21. And the World to come, which as it is made by, so for the second Adam, the Lord from Heaven, in which he eminently is to Reign, Psal. 8.5, 6, 7, 8. of which see chap. 2.5..

Who being the brightness The same Gospel-Minister God's Son was, as to his Person,, a brightness shining out: which word sets forth the natural eternal Generation of God the Son, discovering both the rise and flux of his Being, and the beauteous and glorious excellency of it. It is the same in the sight of it with the Fathers, the brightness of Glory, Light of Light, Glory of Glory to Perfection, streaming from his Father uncessantly; as Beams issue from the Sun, or the mental Word is the invisible brightness of that spiritual Light the Intellect. of his glory Essential Glory. Light is a faint, visible resemblance of God's Essence; his manifestation of Himself in Glory has been by Light, to Moses, Exod. 33.18, 21, 22, 23. and 34.5, 29, 30, 31. To Isaiah, chap. 6.1, 2, 3, 4. to Ezekiel, chap. 1.4, to 28. and 10. To Daniel, chap. 10.5, 6, 8, 16, to 20. To Iohn, Revel. chap. 1. chap. 4, and 5. And so Christ represented that of his Person at his Transfiguration, Matth. 17.1, to 7. If Created Light be glorious in the Sun, in Angels; how much more God's Essential Glory, Purity, Beauty, Light, how pleasant? But what are these to God? However the Being of God be conceived, as Wisdom, Holiness, Goodness, Justice, Power, the excellency of these above all Created Beings is this Glory: No Being is Glory but God's; this fundamental Excellency shines no where as in this Son, Iohn 1.14. By this are Father and Son declared distinct Relations, subsisting together, and Co-eternall., and the express image As the Beams are with the Sun the same in time, yet are weaker, therefore the Holy Ghost adds, He is His very Image,, is an Engraven Image of the Father, every way like him; the Word signifieth a Sculp, Print, Engraving, or Seal; intimating its distinction from what imprest it, and its likeness, or parity to it, so is the Son's a distinct Relation, yet naturally and integrally having all that might liken hi to his Father, Col. 1.15. of his person of his subsistence: He is not the Character of the God-head, or of the Divine Essence, but of the Father, the Personal Subsistence in the Deity. He is one and the same God with the Father, but his Character as God is a Father, so that who seeth him, seeth his Father, Iohn 14.9. He the visible representation of him, Col. 2.9., and upholding The whole Work of Providence is set out by upholding, imports sustaining, feeding, preserving, governing, throwing down, raising up, comforting and punishing, &c. All would have ullen in pieces on Man's Sin, had not he interposed, and stopt the World when it was reeling back into nothing, Col. 1.17. And to this instant he Preserveth and Ruleth all, Isai. 9.6. Iohn 5.22., all things, a full, universal, comprehensive All, Persons and Things, Angels, Men, Creatures good and bad, small and great, with all Events, Acts 17.24, to 32. by the word Not by an articulate Voice, but his Beck, Will, or powerful Command, whereby he does whatsoever he pleaseth: His absolute, powerful, irresistible Word; He acts as easily as others speak, there is no distinguishing between this Word and Power, they went together in the Creation, Gen. 1.3, 6. and do so in his Providence, Psalm 33.9. and 148.8. of his power, when he had by himself When this God-Man, as the great Gospel High-Priest, so stiled, chap. 2.17. had, by himself alone, being Altar, and Sacrifice, as well as Priest, the sole efficient of this Work without any Assistance: He, by his Eternal Spirit offered up a Sacrifice Propitiatory to God, his Humane Nature Hypostacally united to his Divine, and expiring his Soul, he immediately entred with the Blood of the Covenant, the Holy of Holiest in Heaven, and presenting it before the Eternal udge, made full satisfaction and expiation for Sins, chap. 7.17. and 9.11, 12, 14, 24, 26. and 10.10, 12, 14. purged By his Satisfaction and Merit, removing both the guilt and stain of Sin; so as God the injured Law-giver could be Just as well as Merciful in Pardoning it, and Justifying those who Believe and Plead it from the Condemnation they were liable to for it, Rom. 3.24, 25, 26. 1 Iohn 1.7, 9. and mortifying and killing Sin in them by his purchased Spirit, chap. 10.10, 12, 14, 18. compar'd 1 Cor. 6.11. Ephes. 5.25, 26, 27. our sins The Sins of Men, and not of Angels: and the con equents of them removing guilt, stain and punishment, which they would fasten on us, chap. 2.16. by his self Sacrifice., sate down After his atoning for Sinners at the Forty days end, he ascended in his Humane Nature, immortal in Body and Soul, and entred the second time the Holy of Holiest in Heaven, and then, made himself to sit as High-Priest in the most Honorable and Immovable State and Condition. He did not stand as the Typical High-Priest before God's Ark, but sate; and in this co-operated with his Father, and obeyed him, Psalm 110.1. Angels, and Men, and Creatures, all subjected to him, Ephes. 1.20, 21, 22. He does sit quietly, Acts 3.21. and surely; there is no shaking him from his ever-interceding for his, chap. 7.25. on the right hand A Similitude expressing the height of Glory that this God-Man is advanced to; alluding to the State of the greatest King on his Throne in his Majesty, Ezek. 1.4, 26, 27, 28. Dan. 7.9, to 14. 1 Tim. 1.17. He is exalted by the Royal Father as his Eldest Son, invested with God-like Power, Majesty and Glory, as chap. 8.1. and 10.12. and 12.2. There enjoying all that Happiness, Blessedness, all those Dignities and Pleasures, Psal. 16.11. Fulness of Honour and Glory, ch. 2.7. Of Government, Rule and Dominion, Matth. 28.18. Of all Royal and Glorious Abilities and Endowments for the managing all things: He enjoyeth all these as the Father himself does, who ordereth all by him, so as no Creature is capable of it, ver. 13. All the Power of doing all Things in all Worlds, is lodged in his hands. of the Majesty on high In the highest Heaven is this possessed by him, and there is he to display his Glory in ordering all, Ephes. 4.10. chap. 7.26. and 8.1. As in the happiest, so in the highest place is he to Rule for ever, our advantage is by it, Ephes. 2.6. as to best of places and states..

Being made so much better This God-Man the great Gospel-Minister is more excellent than Angels, and so must surpass all the Prophets. He became thus by being surety constituted and declared, as ordained by God's Decree from Eternity, in eminently above them by actual investitu e on his Ascension, Ephes. 1.20, 21. A more excellent Person he is beyond any comparison for his Divine Nature, and in his Humane transcending the Angelical, on the account of the Hypostatical Union, see ver. 6. than the angels These were Spirits likest God, and called Elohims, or Gods, ver. 7. Psal. 104.4. being most Pure, Glorious, Powerful, and Heavenly Creatures, Mark 8.38. and 13.32. 2 Thes. 1.7. Of various ranks, orders and degrees, Ephes. 1.21. Col. 1.16. used by Christ as his Ministers in the delivering of his Law on Mount Sinai to Israel, chap. 2.2. Acts 7. 3. Gal. 8.19. The measure of his transcendency over these, for Person, Office and Name, is infinitely beyond expression., as he has by inheritance obtained This was his peculiar, hereditary Lot, due to him by natural Right, as the Heir and first-Born of God, justly acquired by him, and actually possessed of him, not as a mere Title but a Name descriptive of his Person, distinguishing him from, and setting him above all others, God the Son incarnate, Isai. 7.14. and 9.6. Lord over all Creatures in Heaven and in Earth, and under it, Phil. 2.9, 10, 11. Not a simple Messenger, but a Son, Matth. 17.5. Iohn 1.18. the Redeemer, Justifier, and Saviour of his People, Luke 1.31, 32. He is a Person of Name, famous for Power, Glory and Dignity above all others, Ephes. 1.21. Phil. 2.9, 10, 11. a more excellent name than they, Differencing from, and setting above all the Names of Angels for Eminency, The Arch-Angel himself a Servant and Attendant on him, 1 Thess. 4.16. His is more differencing and transcending in his kind than the Name of Angels is in their kind; He is above whatever they can pretend to, and so a more excellent Prophet than they. He has in all things as well as Name, over them the pre-eminency..

For unto which of the angels said he at any time The Apostle here proves that Christ has a more excellent Name and pre-eminency over Angels by Scripture-Texts owned by these Hebrews. He had the Name of Son of God, and so had not Angels; for God the Father, who has absolute power to give and state all excellency, never said to any Angel, so as to constitute him his Only Son by an Ordinance or Word of Power; Sons he may stile them, as Iob 2.1. and Psal. 89.6. As he does Members of his Church, Gen. 6.2. and Princes and Magistrates, Psal. 82.1, 6. but always in the Plural Number as he does the Angels, Iob 38.7. noting out their Power, Place and Ministry. But Son is singular to Christ, and incommunicable to any other., Thou art my Son This is quoted out of Psal. 2.7. Thou God-Man, Thou thy self, Thou, and Thou alone (that this was spoken of Christ truly, and of David only as a Type of him, the Spirit asserts, Acts 13.34.) art my own Son, my Ever-being Son, my Son by Nature, Rom. 8.32. Singularity sets out his Eminency above all, and his Propriety by Nature in him., this day have I begotten thee At the day of his Incarnation, Isa. 9.6. Luke 1.31, 32, 35. but eminently at the day of his Resurrection was he declared and published to be his only begotten Son with Power, Rom. 1.4. and at his Ascension inaugurated the Supream, Universal King and Priest in Heaven and Earth; chap. 5.5. possest of a better Name, Place and Power than Angels, Ephes. 1.20, 21. What Men enjoy in this kind attributed to them, is with a vast disproportion to this; Born or Begotten they are said to be in respect of God's operation on them, infusing Divine qualities into their Souls, but this Son by a generation proper to a substantial Person.? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son In another Scripture, as 2 Sam. 7.14. 1 Chron. 17.13. and 22.10. It is declared, I his natural, and he my natural Son, so as they are not related to any other, as they are to each other. This in the Type was spoken of Solomon, but fulfilled in Christ, who was Universal King and Priest over his Church for ever; so David understood it, Psal. 110.1. compare 89.19, 26, to 30. He was the First-born Son, born a King; the Son of the Universal and Supream King, the Heir and Lord of all..

And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world This is a further proof of the great Gospel-Minister being more excellent than Angels, by God's Command to them to worship Him. some refer to God the Father's Speech, as again e says: others think it too gross a Transposition, and unusual in the Scripture, and so read it as it stands in the Greek Text, He again, or a second time bringeth, &c. This has started a Query about what time it is that the Father says this, and that he brought in the First-Born into the world? Some say it was at his Incarnation, others at his coming to Judgment. Considering the former proofs brought out of the Psal. 2.7. and 2 Sam. 7.14. it seems most fairly to be at his Resurrection and Ascension, when the Decree was Proclaimed of his being the great King; and he was actually exalted far above all Gods, whether Angels or Men; compare Psal. 2.7. With 97.1, 9. and Acts 13.33. to which agrees Col. 1.15, 18. Then was the demonstration of what a Royal Head he was to be, and how acknowledged by all, Phil. 2.9, 10, 11., he says, And let all the angels of God worship him He powerfully and effectually publisheth his Command unto his Angels, as recorded by his Prophet in his Word, Psal. 97.7. where the sense of the Hebrew Text is full, Bow down to him all ye Elohim, or Gods; which the Septuagint renders Angels, and is so quoted by Paul here; and the Spirit warrants it: so is it rendred Deut. 32.43. That Translation was commonly used by the dispersed Graecising Hebrews. This Title is attributed to Angels, Psal. 8.5. By their Worship they do obey the Father, and own their subjection to his Son at his Resurrection, Matth. 2.2. Luke 24.4. and Iohn 20.12. And at his Ascension, Acts 1.9, 10. Rev. 5.11, 12. So that the Worshipped is more excellent than the Worshippers..

And of the angels he says He adds another demonstration of the Gospel-Minister's exceeding Angels, because he has the Name of God, and Angels are called only God's Ministers: For the Creator of Angels, who best understandeth their Nature and Office by his Spirit, testifieth what they are, Psal. 104.4., Who maketh his angels Spirits He created them, such as they are, spiritual, intellectual, and immortal Substances, the highest in this sort and kind of Creatures. do not here signifie Winds, as if the Spirit compared Angels to them for their swiftness and power, but Spiritual Intellectual Beings, as the Son of Man is; and in this it is the Attribute, and not the Subject, that which is praedicated or spoken of Angels., and his ministers a flame of fire They are but Ministers and Servants, who reveal or perform his Will to those to whom God sends them; Honourable Officers of the great King, fulfilling his Pleasure, v. 14. executing all his Commands, and going and coming at his beck, Psal. 103.20, 21. Though they are Seraphims, bright, glorious and excellent Creatures, they are but the grand Officers of State in Heaven, encompassing God's Throne, waiting for his Commands, which they obey and fulfil as swiftly as the Winds or Flashes of Lightning could dispatch them; though they are stiled by the Spirit Cherubims, Gen. 3.24. compare Ezek 1.5. and 10.1, to 15. And Seraphi s, Isaiah 6.6. for their Light, Glory and Excellency; yet still are they Creatures, and below the Son, because his Servants..

But unto the Son In the Father's Apostrophe to the Son, he giveth him the Name of God, and thereby is he proved to have a better one than Angels, made by, and Servants to him; and as the great Gospel-Minister has a Kingdom in which they are his Ministers and Servants, this Proof is quoted out of Psal. 45.6, 7. It was not to Solomon or David, but to the Son God-Man spoken by the Father. The whole Psalm is written of him, and incompatible to any other is the matter of it. It represents him and his Mystical Marriage to the Church, compare Ephes. 5.23. to the end, Rev. 19.7, 8. and 22.17., he says, Thy throne Some Hereticks to elude this proof of Christ's Deity, would make God the Genitive Case in the Proposition, as thy Throne of God, expressly contrary to the Grammar, both in Hebrew and Greek: Others gloss it, that is the Nominative Case, as, God is thy Throne for ever, &c. i. e. He does, and will establish it: But this is Cavilling, since it is the Fathers Speech to, and of his Son, describing his Nature in opposition to the Angels before. They were Created Spirits, but He was God; they were Ministers and Servants in his Kingdom, where he was King; therefore his Name and Person is better than theirs. God in the Singular, was a Name never given to any Creature, but is expressive of his Divine Nature, and his relation in the Deity being God the Son., O God y is for ever and ever His Office as God-Man, and great Gospel-Minister, is a Royal one. He is a great King, Angels are subjects of his Kingdom as well as Men, which Royalty is set out by the Ensigns of it; as here, by a Throne, which is an Emblem of Royal Authority, Dominion and Power, whence he displayeth himself in his Kingdom. It is an Heavenly one of a perfect constitution and administration, and of eternal continuance. His it was by natural Inheritance, as God the Son, and as Man united to the God-head, he inheriteth the Priviledges of that Person. This natural Dominion over all things remaineth for ever, Col. 1.16.: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom Another Ensign of his Royal Dominion and Kingdom is his Scepter, which is His Spirit put out in his Government of the World, and in his special work of Grace, guiding and conforming through his Word and Ordinances, the Hearts of his chosen to the Will of his Father. This Scepter is subjectively Right in it self, and efficiently making all under its power to be rectified according to the right and pure Mind and Will of God: compare Psal. 110.1, 2, 3..

Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity The Administration of this King in his Kingdom is suitable to his Throne and Scepter, it is all Goodness. For he so loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity (being Righteous and Holy in himself, in Life and Death, expiating Sin, and sanctifying Believers.) So that he acts as to both of these properly from himself, perfectly and for ever.; therefore God It may be a reason why he so loved Righteousness, being anointed, or of his unction, because he loved the one, and hated the other; therefore God the Son is the Person to whom the Father speaketh this., even thy God God the Father, his God in respect of the Humane Nature, Luke 1.35. Formed by him, Gal. 4.4. As Mediator between God and Sinners, Iohn 20.17. The Head of the Church, in Covenant with God, his great Gospel-Minister. has anointed thee with the oyl of gladness So his Father anointed him with the Holy Ghost and with Power, Iohn 3.34. Acts 10.38. And thereby as endowed, so exalted him above all Kings and Prophets who were literally anointed, and above all Angels, having Divine Power and Authority supereminent to all communicated to him, enjoying the best and highest Joy in all his transactions with the Father for us, and which may perfect Joy in us, Iohn 15.11. and 17.13. above thy fellows The Coheirs of his Kingdom, beyond whatever God communicated to Saints or Angels; he had not the Spirit by measure, Iohn 3.34. What others enjoy, it is from his fulness, Iohn 1.16. Luke 4.18, 19, 21..

And, Thou Lord This connective Particle joins this to the former proof, that Christ had a more excellent Name than Angels, even that of God. That he was God, he proved out of Psal. 45.6, 7. He seconds it in this and the two following Verses, which he quotes out of Psal. 102.25, 26, 27. The strength of which lieth thus; He who was Iehovah, and the great Creator of the World, is God; such is Christ the great Gospel-Prophet. This is evident in the Prayer recorded in the Psalm made to him, compared with the Spirit's Testimony, v. 8. the very works appropriated to Iehovah there, are the acknowledged works of God the Son, as Redemption, Psal. 102.20, 21. Vocation of the Gentiles, ver. 15, 18, 22. in the beginning In the beginning of Time when that came to be the measure and limit of things, as Gen. 1.1. Before there were any such Creatures as Angels, he was Iehovah, Iohn 1.1. And then manifested himself to be Iehovah. The Enemies of Christ's Deity say that the Name Iehovah is not in the Verse of the Psalm quoted by the Spirit; yet Thou, the Relative used in all those Verses, refers to God, the antecedent prayed to in ver. 24. and to Iehovah, the Name given him, in ver. 1, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22. of that Psalm; all importing one and the same Person. And it is well known that, Lord, does eminently decipher the Redeemer in the New Testament; he is not an Instrument of Iehovah to create by, but the Fountain of all Being, Iehovah Himself. hast laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the works of thine hands By Founding the Earth, and the Heavens being the Work of thy Hands, is meant the whole Work of Creation throughout the space of Six days: He was the true, full, sole and self-causality of the Earths Being, and all Creatures in it, and of the Heavens, and all Beings which are in them; He was the great Architect and Founder of them all; they were his peculiar Workmanship, Possession and Dominion, 1 Cor. 8.6. compare Iohn 1.2. Col. 1.16. If the Heavens were the Works of his Hands and all in them, then he was the Creator of Angels, and therefore must be for Person, Name, and Office, more excellent than they..

They shall perish The Heavens themselves instanced in, as containing the most excellent part of the Creation (such as the Gentile Philosophy esteemed incorruptible) are mutable, as by the various Changes, not only in the Aery part of it, but in the Aetherial, does appear: The glorious Lights in it have their spots and rusts, as the Sun it self, both increasing and diminishing upon them, and so as to their present, natural frame, are changeable, perishable and dissolvable, Isa. 51.6. Matth. 24.35., but thou remainest But the Son Iehovah is unchangeable, has a stedfast. Being, such as never loseth its state, no Term is set for the ending of him. His Immutability proves his Deity. Remainest is an expression of present Time, denoting constant abiding. He was before, in, and after all Ages immutable, Lam. 5.19. chap. 13.8. Iesus Christ, the same yesterday, this day, and for ever.: and they all shall wax old as does a garment The Antiquation of a Garment is a Metaphor borrowed, to show the corruptibility of the Heavens; A Garment wears and decayeth with use in a tract of Time, it changeth its Fashion, is another thing as to its matter and form: so will the Heavens, as to their form and face decay, they are gradually coming to an end as to what they are now, 2 Pet. 3.7, 10. That which decayeth and waxeth old, is ready to vanish away; so these Heavens do, chap. 8.13..

And as a vesture is an upper Garment, Cloak, or Coat, which a Man puts on, or casts off at his Pleasure; when it is of no more use it is folded up and laid by: So the great Gospel-Minister, God the Son incarnate, shall roll up the natural Heavens when useless, and lay them by. shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed By him they shall be altered, and made more glorious by new modelling them, changing of them into a better state, Isa. 34.4. and 65.17. and 66.22. compare 2 Pet. 3.10, 12, 13.; but thou art the same The Identity of this Person is opposed to the Changeableness of excellent Creatures, and shows him to be what he is here entitled, Iehovah, ch. 13.8. His Assumption of the Humanity to his Person, made no Alteration in him, being still the same most excellent Person as ever, Mal. 3.1, 6. 1 Cor. 12.5., and thy years shall not fail As the Being of God the Son is not measured nor terminated by Years or Time, so, in respect of his Humanity, the Years which were the Measure of it shall never fail; for being raised from the Dead, he shall die no more, but abideth for ever, John 12.34. and ruleth as fore-told, Luke 1.33. 1 Pet. 4.11. How transcendently excellent is He, who is immutable and eternal, for State and Name above Angels..

But to which of the angels This introduceth the last Demonstration of the Gospel-Minister's Preeminency for State, Office, and Name, above Angels: The Form is thus; He that is God's Fellow and Right-hand Man, is more excellent, and has a better Name than those who are only Ministers to his Saints. This to be the State of Christ he proves here; for to none of the Angels did Iehovah ever say this, He never gave them that Honour by his Word. It is an Interrogatory Challenge to the Hebrews to produce that Text in Scripture, which does assert, that at any Time in any Place God gave such an honorary Word to Angels: This was impossible for them to do. said he at any time Tho God the Father never said this to any Angel, yet did he say this, and records it in the Scripture to the Lord Christ. And it was a Word to him constitutivum Rei, fixing the very Thing. This is recorded in Psalm. 110.1. where God's powerful Word setled Christ in the Honour, Glory, and Dignity of Universal Lordship over Angels and Men, so as to reign over them, 1 Cor. 15.25. which Administration he is now in the Flesh solemnly managing at the right Hand of his Father, v. 3. ever since his Ascension, and so is to continue., Sit thou at my right Hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool During all the Time of this World, until by his Power he reduce, subdue, and subjugate all to him, even every Thing and Person that should be adverse to his Soveraign Person and Kingdom, all Devils and Men, subjugat ng of them to the basest Condition, to be trod under his Feet, as Mire in the Street, utterly destroying them, when he glorifieth his Saints; 2 Thess. 1.7, to 11. The term of this Word, until, does not denote the end of his Reign, as if after this he should not reign, but is declarative of his Reign all the Time before: Tho his Enemies were many and strong, yet it is said, 1 Cor. 15.24, 28. That then he shall d liver up the Kingdom to his Father. As to his natural Kingdom, which is his, as God the Son, that is, equally enjoyed with the Father, and that for ever, there is no End of it: But as to his Mediatory Kingdom given him by choice, and in a special manner appropriated to him as God-Man for his Season, this, when his Work is done, and all his Enemies subdued, he will resign unto the Father, that God may be all in all.?

Are they not all ministring spirits The Apostle here proves, that Angels are but Ministers to the great Gospel-Minister, and to the Members of his Body the Church, and so must be meaner than him for State, Nature, and Name. This Negative Interrogation is a vehement Assertion. The Nature, Dignity and Office of Angels were well known to these Hebrews out of the Old Testament, and which he repeats: they were for Nature Spirits, intellectual, active, incorporeal and incorruptible Creatures, yet tho so excellent, were still Creatures; whereas Christ was an uncreated Spirit, and they were but Servants to him their Lord; and tho there be Degrees and Orders among them from the Archangel to the lowest Angel, they are every one of them single, and all of them together Servants to Christ, and so they own themselves to be, Rev. 19.10. and 22.9., sent forth to minister for them And so they move all at his Order; and go and come at his Command. Their Imployment directed by him; he sends them forth to deliver his Errands, Acts 5.19. and 12.7, 11. to reveal his Will to them, Rev. 1.1. Psalm 103.21. &c. All the parts of Ministry to which he appointeth them, they chearfully, swiftly, and effectually perform. who shall be heirs of salvation Such as God has chose and called to be Children to himself, and Joynt-heirs with his only Son, as have a Right to, are fitting for, and shall be at last possest of eternal Glory; these Angels are to serve and help them on for to attain it, they themselves being elect in and by Christ unto this end, 1 Tim. 5.21 and 2 Tim. 2.10. All which demonstrate him to be a more excellent Person, and to have a more excellent Name than they.?