~
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. Uf
stitutions, received sense of places of Scripture amongst the Jews, he either pro- duceth or reflects upon; and one way or other makes use of the whole Mosaical economy, or system of divine worship under the law, unto hisown purpose. The common neglect of these things, or slight transaction of them in most expositors, was that which principally relieved me from the fore-mentioned discouragement. And this also was that which at length gave rise unto those Exercitations which take up the greatest part of the ensuing book. Some of them are, indeed, indis- pensably due to the work itself. Such are those which concern the canonical authority of the Epistle, the writer of it, the time of its writing, the phraseology of the author, with the way he proceeds in the quotations of testimonies out of the Old Testament, and some others of the same tendency. The residue of them were occasioned merely by the consideration before insisted on. Some great principles I observed that the apostle supposed, which he built all his arguings and exhorta- tions upon; not directly proving or confirming the principles themselves, but as taking them for granted, partly from the faith of the Judaical church, and partly from the new revelation of the gospel, which those to whom he wrote did as yet admit of and avow. Such were these :—That there was a Messiah promised from the foundation of the world, to be a spiritual redeemer of mankind; that this Messiah was come, and had performed and accomplished the work assigned unto him for the end of their redemption; that Jesus of Nazareth was this Messiah. Not one line in the whole Epistle but is in an especial manner resolved into these principles, or deduced from them. These, therefore, I found it necessary to ex- amine and confirm, to unfold, vindicate, and declare; that their influence into the apostle’s discourse might be manifest, and his arguing from them be understood. It is true, I have so handled them as all along to represent the opinions of the incredulous, apostate Jews about them, and to vindicate them from the exceptions of their greatest masters, of old and of late; but he that shall look on these con- siderations and discourses as a matter only of controversy with the Jews, will but evidence his own weakness and ignorance in things of this nature. Who knows not that they are the very fundamental principles of our Christian profession, and which, because of that opposition that is made unto them, ought to be frequently inculcated and strongly confirmed? And if learned men find it, in this day, neces- sary for them to dispute for, to prove and vindicate, the very principles of natural theology, the being and attributes of God, the truth whereof hath left indelible characters of itself upon the minds of all the children of men, how much more necessary must it needs be to endeavour the confirmation and re-enforcement of those grand principles of supernatural revelation, which have no contribution of evidence from the inbred, inexpugnable light of nature, and yet are no less indis- pensably necessary unto the future condition of the souls of men than those others are! Iam not therefore without hope that the handling of them, as it was ne- cessary unto my design, so it will not be unacceptable unto the candid reader. For what is mixed in our discourses of them concerning Judaical customs, opi- nions, practices, expositions, interpretations of promises, traditions, and the like, will not, I hope, give distaste unto any, unless it be such as, being ignorant of them and unacquainted with them, will choose so to continue, rather than be in- structed by them whom they would by no means have supposed to be in any thing more knowing than themselves. I doubt not, therefore, but our endeavours on that subject will be able to secure their own station as to their usefulness, both by the importance of the matters treated of in them, as also from the necessity of lay- ing them as asure foundation unto the ensuing Exposition of the Epistle itself. Besides these general principles, there are also sundry other things, belonging to the Mosaical order and frame of divine worship, which the apostle either di- rectly treateth of, or one way or other improves unto his own peculiar design. This, also, he doth sometimes directly and intentionally, and sometimes in transitu,
8 TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
reflecting on them, and as it were only calling them to mind, leaving the Hebrews to the consideration of what concerning them they had been formerly instructed in. Such is the whole matter of the priesthood and sacrifices of the law, of the tabernacle and utensils of it, of the old covenant, of the giving of the law, the commands, precepts, and sanctions of it, in its promises and threatenings, rewards and punishments. Hereunto, also, he adds a remembrance of the call of Abraham, with the state and condition of the people from thence unto the giving of the law, with sundry things of the like nature. Without a competent comprehension of and acquaintance with these things, and their relation to the will and worship of God, it is altogether in vain for any one to imagine that they may arrive unto any clear understanding of the mind of the Holy Ghost in this portion of Scripture.