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THE
WORKS
OF
JOHN OWEN, D.D.
EDITED
BY THE REV. WILLIAM H. GOOLD,
EDINBURGH.
VOL. XYIII.
ves
QVERAMVS
SVPERNA
JOHNSTONE AND HUNTER, LONDON AND EDINBURGH.
M.DCCC.LIV.
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Engraved by R-C. Bell,after a Print by Vertue
Edimburgh, Johnstone & Hunter
AN
EXPOSITION
OF THE
EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.
WITH
PRELIMINARY EXERCITATIONS,
BY JOHN OWEN, D.D.
EDITED BY W. H. GOOLD, D.D.
VOL. I.
. Property of
, 689K Please return to
Graduate Theological
Lion Library
EDINBURGH: JOHNSTONE AND HUNTER.
M.DCCC.LIV.
CONTENTS.
EXERCITATIONS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.
GENERAL PREFACE BY THE Epitor, . The Epistle Dedicatory, Prefatory Notices,
PRELIMINARY EXERCITATIONS.
PART I.
CONCERNING THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.
Exerc. I.—The canonical authority of the Epistle to the Hebrews, .
F Subsidiary Note by the Editor, II.—Of the penman of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Subsidiary Note by the Editor, TIl.—The time [and occasion] of the writing of the Epistle to the othe Subsidiary Note by the Editor, IV.—The language wherein the Epistle to the ee was eee waitin! Subsidiary Note by the Editor, V.—Testimonies cited by the apostle out of the Old Tostaniot: Subsidiary Note by the Editor, Supplementary Note by the Editor, on the ralistion to Seen the Epistle was written, : : V1I.—Oneness of the church, ~ VIL—Of the Judaical distribution of the old Teun
PART II. CONCERNING THE MESSIAH,
VIll.—he first dissertation concerning the Messiah, proving him to be pro- mised of old, . 2 : : : 3 IX.—Promises of the Messiah vindicated, X.—Appearances of the Son of God under the old testament, XI.—Faith of the ancient church of the Jews concerning the Messiah,
11724
25 64 65 92 96 102 102 105 106 117
118 119 125
141 185 215 233
‘VI re CONTENTS.
EXER. i XII.—[Second dinantatlon| the promis sed Messiah long since come, . ae XIII.—Other testimonies 3 proving the Messiah to be come, . XIV.—Daniel’s prophecy vindicated, ; XV.—Computation of Daniel's weeks, . . XVI.—Jewish traditions about the coming of the een ; XVIL—The third general dissertation, proving Jesus of Nazareth —_ only true and promised Messiah, F : ese XVIII.—Jews’ objections against Christian religion adhered
Mt +
‘ PART III.
CONCERNING THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE JEWISH CHURCH REFERRED TO IN THE EPISTLE.
XIX.—State and ordinances of the church before the giving of the law, __ XX.—The law and precepts thereof, F F z one XXI.—tThe sanction of thé law in promises and dhresteningy XXII.—Of the tabernacle and ark, . : : ; h XXIII. —Of the office of the priesthood, : . = > XXIV.—Sacrifices of the old law,
GENERAL PREFACE.
It has been matter of thankfulness for many generations of the Christian church, that Dr Owen was led to concentrate all his rare endowments and vast resources on the exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Wisdom and prudence of the highest order were required for the task, besides no common measure of learning and ability. The Epistle proves the higher glory of the new dispensa- tion, from the superiority of Christ its founder, in virtue of his divine nature, to angels, to Moses, and to Aaron,—sheds light upon all the offices of Christ, as prophet, and priest, and king,—is designed to conciliate the Jewish mind to the abrogation of the Mosaic ritual, by detailing the superior privileges of the present dispensation,—sup- plies fuller evidence of the typical and temporary nature of the former than is elsewhere to be found in the word of God,—affords a key to passages in Scripture which are indeed “hard to be under- stood,” as when the 8th Psalm is made unexpectedly radiant with prophetic allusion to the Messiah, and Melchizedek is summoned from the obscurity of ages to illustrate the honours of his priesthood, —and partially withdraws even the curtain which screens from us the scenes of heaven, by its description of the official functions of our great High Priest within the veil. Of an Epistle bearing such char- acteristics, and having such objects in view, the highest principles of the Christian system necessarily form the chief contents; while its practical warnings against the sin and danger of apostasy from the church of Christ, under any lingering prejudice in favour of an effete and lifeless Judaism, as they derive a peculiar energy from the fear- ful doom which the apostate is represented as incurring, from the thrilling recital of the triumphs achieved by faith in all ages of the world, and from the sublime reference to the joys and glories of the heavenly Zion in the closing portion of it, present a befitting conclusion to an argument as lofty and momentous as the entire compass of reve- lation exhibits. The very language of the Epistle rises, in the original,
to a corresponding elevation with the themes which it is employed to
discuss; and the weightiest argument against its Pauline origin rests upon its purity of style and dignity of tone, which are held to be superior to the ordinary composition of the apostle of the Gentiles. It is on all hands admitted that the practical object for which the Epistle seems to have been written was, to preserve Jewish converts from relapsing into Judaism. Its divine origin, the imposing gran- deur of its ritual, and the cherished associations connected with its whole history, might influence the mind of a Jew, in some moment of temptation and weakness, to betake himself afresh to a system re-