Nor is it liable to be esteemed of the other extract, or the diligence and wisdom of man in collecting it from other books of divine revelation; which alone with any colour of reason can be pretended. Human diligence, regulated by what is elsewhere revealed of God, is human still; and can never free itself from those inseparable attendancies which will manifest itself so to be; for suppose a man may compose a writing wherein every pro- position in itself shall be true, and the whole in its contexture materially every way answerable unto the truth (which yet must be accidental as to the principle of his wisdom, understanding, ability, and diligence, by whom it is composed, they being no way able to give that effect certainly and infallibly unto it), yet there will never be wanting that in it whereby it may be discerned from an imme- diate effect and product of divine wisdom and understanding. Take but the writings of any wise man, who, from his own ability and in- vention, hath declared any science in them, and allow his discovery of it to be the absolute, complete rule of that science, so that nothing beyond or beside what he hath written about it is true or certain, nor any thing else, but as it hath conformity to or coincidence with what he hath written, and it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for any man so to treat of that subject from his writings as not to leave sufficient characters upon his own to difference them from his original and pattern; for suppose him to have in all things attained the perfect sense of his guide,—which yet, it may be, until all words are freed from their ambiguity, will be impossible for any one to do, —yet still there will remain upon it such an impression of the ge- nius and fancy wherein the rule was first framed as the follower can- not express. And how much more will there be so in that which, both for matter and words also, proceeds from the sovereign will
44 CANONICAL AUTHORITY OF THE [EXERC. I.
and wisdom of God! Can it be supposed, that any man should collect, by his own industry and diligence, a writing out of that which is given by Him, and regulated thereby, that should absolutely ex- press those infinite perfections of his nature which shine forth in that which is immediately from himself? For that any writing should be pretended to be undiscernible from them given by divine inspi- ration, it is not enough that the matter of it be wnwversally true, and that truth no other but what is contained in other parts of Scripture, but it must also have those other rexujpia or characters of a divine original which we shall in our progress discover in this Epistle, as in other books of the holy Scripture ; for it is not behind the very choicest of them.
And the truth of this consideration is demonstrated in the in- stances of every one of those writings which may probably be con- cluded to have the nearest affinity and similitude unto those of divine inspiration, from the greatness and urgency of their plea to
be admitted into that series and order. These are the books com- monly called Apocrypha. Not one of them is there wherein human diligence doth not discover itself to be its fountain and spring. Did this Epistle proceed from the same root and principle, whence comes it to pass that it nowhere puts itself forth unto a discovery and con- viction? For that it doth not so we shall afterwards fully declare. Besides, to close this consideration, the design of the writer of this Epistle manifests that he sought the glory of God in Christ, accord- ing unto his will, With this aim and purpose, an endeavour to impose that on the church, as an immediate revelation from God, which was the product of his own pains and diligence, is utterly in- consistent. For by no means could he more dishonour God, whose glory in sincerity he appears to have sought; nor wrong the church, whose good he desired to promote; than by this imposing on him that whereof he was not the author, so adding unto his words, and making himself subject to reproof as a liar, Prov. xxx. 6, and propos- ing that unto the church as a firm and stable rule and object of faith which he knew not to be so, leading her thereby into error, uncer- — tainty, and falsehood. For this whole Epistle is delivered as the will and word of God, as coming by revelation from him, without the least intimation of the intervention of the will, wisdom, or diligence, of man, any other than is constantly ascribed unto those that declare the will of God by inspiration. And if it were not so, the evils mentioned cannot be avoided. And how groundless this imputation would be, our following discourses will manifest. And I doubt not — but this whole consideration will be, and is, of weight and moment — with them who have their senses exercised in the Scriptures, and are enabled, by the Spirit breathing in them, to discern between good and evil, wheat and chaff, Jer. xxiii. 28.
SECT. 24.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 45
24, Unto the general argument, we may add the particular sub- ject-matter of this Epistle, as belonging unto the yvduy of it, further confirming its divine original. This, for the most part, consists in things of pure revelation, and which have no other foundation “ in rerum natura.” Some books, even of the Scripture itself, are but the narrations of actions done amongst men ; which, for the substance of them, might be also recorded by human diligence: but the things treated of in this Epistle are purely divine, spiritual, and no ways to be known but by revelation. And not only so, but amongst those that are so, there are four things eminent in the subject-matter of this Epistle: (1.) That the principal things treated of in it are matters of the greatest importance in Christian religion, and such as concern the very foundation of faith. Such are the doctrines about the person, offices, and sacrifice of Christ; of the nature of gos- pel worship, our privilege therein, and communion with God thereby. In these things consist the very vitals of our profession; and they are all opened and declared in a most excellent and heavenly manner in this Epistle; and that, as we shall manifest, in an absolute con- sonancy unto what is taught concerning them in other places of Scripture. (2.) In that some things of great moment unto the faith, obedience, and consolation of the church, that are but ob- securely or sparingly taught in any other places of holy writ, are here plainly, fully, and excellently taught and improved. Such, in par- ticular, is the doctrine of the priesthood of Christ, with the nature and excellency of his sacrifice, and the execution of the remaining parts and duty of that office in heaven, and how the whole of it was typically represented under the old testament. He that under- stands aright the importance of these things,—their use in the faith and consolation of the church, their influence into our whole course of obedience, the spiritual privilege that faith by them interests a believing soul in, the/strength and supportment that they afford under temptations and trials,—will be ready to conclude that the