In answer unto this speaking of God in the prophets, it is as- serted that in the revelation of the gospel God spake “in his Son.” This is the main hinge, on which all the arguments of the apostle in the whole epistle do turn; this bears the stress of all the inferences afterwards by him insisted on. And therefore having mentioned it, he proceeds immediately unto that description of him which gives evidence to all that he draws from this consideration. Now, because no one argument of the apostle can be understood unless this be rightly stated, we must of necessity insist somewhat largely upon it; and unto what we principally in- tend some previous observations must be premised :—
1. I take it at present for granted that the Son of God appeared unto the prophets under the old testament. Whether ever he spake unto them immediately, or only by the ministry of angels, is not so
"Ey Vig.
22 ‘AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. I.
certain. It is also granted that there was in vision sometimes signs or representations of the person of the Father, as Dan. vii. But that the Son of God did mostly appear to the fathers under the old testament is acknowledged by the ancients, and is evident in ‘Scripture. See Zech. ii. 8-11. And he it was who is called “The angel,” Exod. xxiii. 20, 21. The reason that is pleaded by some that the Son of God was not the angel there mentioned, namely, because the apostle says that to none of the angels was it said at any time, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee,” which could not be affirmed if the Son of God were that angel, is not of any force. For notwithstanding this assertion, yet both the ancient Jews and Christians generally grant that it is the Messiah that is called “The angel of the covenant,” Mal. iii. 1: though the modern Jews foolishly apply that name to Elias, whom they fancy to be present at circumcision, which they take to be the covenant; a privilege, as they say, granted him upon his complaint that the chil- dren of Israel had forsaken the covenant, 1 Kings xix. 14,—that is, as they suppose, neglected circumcision. The apostle therefore speaks of those who were angels by nature, and no more, and not of him who, being Jehovah the Son, was sent of the Father, and is therefore called his angel or messenger, being so only by office. And this appearance of the Son of God, though not well under- standing what they say, is acknowledged by sundry of the post-Tal- mudical rabbins. To this purpose very considerable are the words of Moses Gerundensis on Exod. xxii: “Iste angelus, si rem ipsam dicamus, est Angelus Redemptor, de quo scriptum est, ‘Quoniam nomen meum in ipso est.’ Ile, inquam, angelus qui ad Jacob dice- bat, ‘Ego Deus Bethel;’ ille de quo dictum est, ‘Ht vocabat Mosen Deus de rubo. Vocatur autem ‘angelus’ quia mundum gubernat; scriptum est-enim, ‘Eduxit nos ex Aigypto.’ Preeterea scriptum est, ‘Kt angelus faciei salvos fecit eos.’ Nimirum ille angelus qui est “Dei facies;’ de quo dictum est, ‘Facies mea preibit et efficiam ut quiescas.’ Denique ille angelus est de quo vates, ‘Subito veniet ad templum suum Dominus quem vos queritis, angelus foederis quem cupitis ;'”——“The angel, if we speak exactly, is the Angel the Re- deemer, of whom it is written, ‘My name is in him;’ that angel which said unto Jacob, ‘I am the God of Bethel;’ he of whom it is said, ‘God called unto Moses out of the bush.’ And he is called ‘The angel’ because he governeth the world: for it is written, ‘Je-— hovah brought us out of Egypt;’ and elsewhere, ‘He sent his angel, and brought us out of Egypt.’ And again it is written, ‘And the angel of his presence’ [‘face’] ‘saved them,—namely, ‘the angel which is the presence’ [‘face’] ‘of God;’ of whom it is said, ‘My presence’ [‘face’] ‘shall go before thee, and I will cause thee to rest.’ Lastly, that angel of whom the prophet speaks, “The Lord
VER. 1, 2.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 23
whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, the angel of the covenant whom ye desire.’” To the same purpose speaks the same author on Exod. xxxiii. 14, “My presence shall go before thee:” “ Animadyerte attenté quid ista sibi velint: Moses enim et Israelite semper optaverunt angelum primum; cetertim, quis ille esset vere intelligere non potuerunt; neque enim ab aliis percipiebant, neque prophetica notione satis assequebantur. Atqui facies Dei ipsum significat Deum.” And again, “‘Facies mea pracedet;’ hoc est, ‘angelus foederis quem vos cupitis;’”—“Observe diligently what is the meaning of these words: for Moses and the Israelites always desired the principal angel, but who he was they could not perfectly understand; for they could neither learn it of others nor attain it by prophecy. But the presence of God is God himself: ‘My presence’ [‘face’] ‘shall go before thee;’ thatyis, ‘the angel of the covenant whom ye desire.” Thus he; to which purpose others also of them do speak, though how to reconcile these things to their unbelief in denying the personality of the Son of God they know not. This was the angel whose 187 Moses prayed for on Joseph, Deut. xxxiii. 23; and whom Jacob made to be the same with the God that fed him all his days, Gen. xlviii. 15, 16 ; whereof we have treated largely before. The Son of God having from the foundation of the world undertaken the care and salvation of the church, he it was who immediately dealt with it in things which concerned its instruction _ and edification. Neither doth this hinder but that God the Father may yet be asserted, or that he is in this place, to be the fountain of all divine revelation.