THREE SERMONS ON HEB. I. 1, 2.

SERMON I.

God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. -HEB. I. 1, 2.

I will not spend much time to shew who is the author of this Epistle, which indeed among divines is doubtful; our translation hath prefixed Paul's name to it, being most probable that it is his. And though the author of it be not certainly known, yet it is not to be excluded from the canon, for there are other books of Scripture that the authors of them are not known, or at least not prefixed by themselves; as the Epistles of John, his name is not mentioned in them; prefixed it is by the church, from one age to another, known by the style that it is his. The reason why I chose to speak out of this epistle is, because it doth mention and speak of Christ and of his offices, but especially of his priesthood, more than any other book of Scripture I know. I will not profess an exact handling of all things therein contained, but raise here and there some observations and meditations.

The scope of the apostle may appear, if we consider to whom he wrote; he wrote to the Hebrews, which were* Jews. He did not write to the Hebrews not yet converted, as may appear by all the passages in the whole Epistle. But he spake to those that had been already enlightened and knew Christ, that had entertained the doctrine of the gospel. And this we may observe, that no book of the Scripture was written to any other but professors, believers, not to unbelievers. Now the Jews did stick most to the law, ceremonies, and legal sacrifices, all which were but types of Christ, and they were ignorant of the true excellency, nature, worth, and prerogative of Christ revealed to them, and especially of his priesthood and sacrifice which he offered up above all the rest.

The apostle's scope is to set up the gospel above the law, to raise up their hearts to a high esteem of Christ, to shew that Christ was the end of the ceremonial law; so that all types should now cease. And because he wrote to the Jews in that regard, whatsoever he doth speak he doth prove out of * That is, 'who once were,' or 'who had been.'-ED.

the Old Testament through the whole book, and it is quoted upon all occasions; because the Old Testament had authority with the Jews, and he doth make everywhere now and then a short use of the doctrinal points he doth deliver. He doth spend this chapter to prove that the Lord Jesus Christ was God as well as man, and he doth make this short use of it, chap. ii., ver. 1, Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard.'

The first chapter doth prove that the Lord Jesus Christ is more than a man; though he speaks something of him in this first chapter, which belongs to him only as God, yet all the rest that he speaks of him as mediator doth argue him to be more than a man. The second chapter proves him to be man, so that as you have the scope of the two first chapters, so of the whole epistle.

In the first verse he breaks in upon the argument of the whole epistle, being to advance the gospel, and Christ and the doctrine of the gospel, before the doctrine of the law, and that by reason of Christ revealed in it, and Christ revealing it.

He makes a comparison between the times of the law and the time of the gospel, and he prefers the time of the gospel before the time of the law; God spake unto the fathers by the prophets, but unto us by his Son.' Now look, how much the Son of God doth exceed the prophets, so much the doctrine of the gospel the doctrine of the law; and look, how much the sun, which is the fountain of light, doth exceed the stars, and the light of the sun the light of the stars, so much doth the light that Christ hath brought us in the gospel exceed the light of the law.

Secondly, he spake to the fathers but by degrees, ouμégws, by parcels ;' they had a little light now, and anon a little more light, but they had not all at once. But in the time of the gospel all is poured out to you at once.

Thirdly, under the time of the law the Lord did speak by several ways and manners, but now ye have but one way, and that a plain way. Before, in the Old Testament, he revealed himself obscurely, he was fain to mould his speech into many forms. As men, when they have notions that are something obscure, are fain to use several expressions to make them plain, so the law being dark and obscure, God was fain to deliver it several manner of ways, as in a riddle, by Urim and Thummim, by the prophets, &c. ; 'but now he speaks,' plainly and clearly, by his Son;' therefore he is called 'the brightness of his glory,' the image, the character, and lively expression of God.

Obs. 1. The same God that spake in the Old Testament speaks in the New; he that spake to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he speaks to you now; that God that spake by the prophets, speaks now by his Son; therefore certainly the faith of the fathers is not contradictory to the faith of us. Heb. xiii., 'Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and the same for ever;' the same Christ from the beginning of the world, the same God that spake; therefore all the promises that are in the Old Testament, ye may apply them all now. Why? Because it is the same God which spake to them, and speaks now to us; that God that heard the prayers of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Old Testament, and granted their petitions, with whom they were so familiar; we may have fellowship with the same God. That promise that was made to Joshua in particular, I will not leave thee nor forsake thee,' chap. i. the apostle, Heb. xi., doth apply to all believers ; and it is founded upon this, that the same God which spake in the Old Testament, speaks in the New. Look over all the Old Testament, and look

what a God you find him there, the same God you shall find him in the New. Look what punishments he brought on them of the old world, the same he will now. And look how he dealt with his servants, as he was angry with Moses for a small sin, so in the same manner he will deal with you, if you walk in the same ways. And as he pardoned men under the Old Testament, so also will he under the New. And as we have the same God, so we have the same faith, 2 Cor. iv. 13, We have the spirit of faith,' &c.

Obs. 2. Our great God doth not speak immediately unto men, but mediately by others. Before, he spake to men by his prophets, but now by his Son, who took our nature upon him, that he might be a fit speaker. As we cannot see God and live, so we cannot hear God and live. The Lord, when he delivered his law, began first to speak himself, and the people hear his own voice, Deut. xviii. 15, 16, Exod. xx., but the people could not hear God's voice, for they said to Moses, Speak thou with us and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.' They being sinners, as we are, they were not able to hear God from heaven, for his voice speaks thunder, and striketh dead. Upon this request that the people made to Moses, see what God says, Deut. xviii. 17, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. Therefore what will he do? I will raise them up a prophet from amongst their brethren,' &c. See his mercy; upon their request he takes an advantage of promising the Messias, being one of the clearest promises that they had till now. It is true, he would send many prophets before, as forerunners of Christ, but in the end he would send Christ, which should be a prophet like unto Moses, to speak unto them, &c. God doth take advantages to make promises, when the poor people did shiver and quake, because God spake to them. What doth he promise? He promises Christ. Thus the Lord takes a small occasion to make the greatest promise of Christ.

Use 1. Therefore, seeing the Lord, when he doth speak, doth speak by others, and there is a great deal of reason for it, because it is your own request, let not God fare the worse in delivering his word; do not contemn it because men are fain to deliver it to you, for it is your own request. If he should speak himself, he would strike you dead at every word; therefore do not take advantage because God doth not back it with thunder, but receive the word as the word of God; for God himself would speak to you, if you were able to bear him; but because you are not, therefore he speaks by others.

Use 2. It should teach ministers not to abuse God's voice; they should take heed that they speak nothing but what God hath revealed. Though false prophets speak what is contrary to God's will, and God bear for a while and doth not manifest his wrath (for he can for a while dispense with himself), yet the time will come when God's wrath shall wax hot against them. They are not to abuse the people in venting their own thoughts instead of God's. For see what God says of such, Deut. xviii. 20, That prophet that shall presume to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak, even that prophet shall die.

Obs. 3. God spake in his prophets; we translate it by them, but the original is in them, v gophrαis. A king, though he be never so far off, and is not by to back it, yet he may be said to speak by, though not in the ambassador; but when the Lord speaks by his faithful ministers, he doth not only sit in heaven, and speaks by them, but he speaks in them, assisting them; he is in their hearts, and upon their tongue, and goes along with the word into the hearts of the hearers.

Use. Let ministers therefore labour to get the Holy Ghost into their own hearts, that he may not only speak by them (for so he doth by wicked men), but in them, that that Spirit which takes possession of them as saints may speak in them as ministers, that so the word which they deliver may be the administration of the Spirit to the hearts of those that hear them.

Obs. 4. We come to the manner how God spake to them of old, he spake Toλugs, by parcels, by piecemeal, by many parts, for so the word signifies. Ex. gr. The Lord at first brought in but one promise, and that obscure; he let drop but one word to Adam in paradise of the promised seed. He gave only an intimation, a hint that there should a Messias come. Then he went on further, and when he came to Abraham he renewed that promise, and added a little more, Heb. vi. 13, he added an oath; and he shewed to Abraham, not only that he should be a man, but that he should come of his seed, and that in him all the nations of the earth should be blessed;' thus he enlarged the former promise. But all this while there was no sacrament; here was a promise and an oath, but no sacrament; then he goes on and gives Abraham circumcision, which answers to our baptism; afterwards he adds the passover, which answers to the supper of the Lord; and then he reveals to Moses divers types of the ceremonial law. Then he reveals more clearly to David the resurrection and ascension of Christ; then to Isaiah, that he should be born of a virgin, chap. liii.,* that he should be circumcised, that he should bear our sorrows, and be a man of sorrows,' and 'pour out his soul even unto death.' Unto Zechariah he revealed his poverty, and unto Malachi his forerunner. Thus by piecemeals he reveals, not all at once. The old world began with a little knowledge; they had the worship of God and the sacrifices, and they knew the day of judgment, as Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied of it. They knew some fundamental truths, the grounds of faith, but they knew Christ by piecemeal. They knew something of themselves, because Adam fell but the other day; but they knew little of Christ, that was revealed unto them by piecemeal.

Thus the Lord doth use to reveal himself; he hath done thus with the church in general. Although he did reveal all, for the matter contained in the New Testament, that shall be revealed to the end of the world, yet in regard of the light whereby this is discerned, God hath gone on by piecemeal. Consider the recovery of the light of the gospel from under popery, how it was by piecemeal. Men at first knew but a little, their hearts were only set against images and popery, they knew but a few pieces of the truth; but Wickliffe and John Huss went further. In Luther's time they knew justification by faith, and then popery fell down about Luther's ears, and he said, if they would grant that he would go ont further; but when God had unreaved all the tiles, that popery was ready to be pulled down, then Calvin comes in, and more was revealed.

Thus God doth go on, woλuuegas, to reveal himself; and as he dealt with the people of the Jews in regard of the matter, and as with us for the manner (for the Jews had the matter revealed to them by piecemeal, but we had the matter given at once, but the light whereby we discern this is, Toλuuegas), so with particular Christians, he doth discover to them first themselves, and then they think that at their first conversion they see a great deal in their hearts; yet he goes on further to reveal more corruption unto them, and then he reveals Christ and his electing love to them, he Perhaps alluding to the expression, 'A root uot of a dry ground.'-ED. † Qu. 'no'?-ED.