From what hath been discoursed, we conclude that “the world to come,” here expressed, is the state and worship of the church under the Messiah, called so by the apostle, according to the usual appella- tion which then it had obtained among the Jews, and allowed by him until the Mosaical church-state was utterly removed. And he afterwards declares how this comprised heaven itself also, because of the residence of our high priest in the holiest not made with hands, and the continual admission of the worshippers unto the
826 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IT.
throne of grace. This is the subject of the apostle’s proposition, that concerning which he treats.
Concerning this world the apostle first declares negatively, that it is not made subject unto angels. The subjecting of this world to come unto any, is such a disposal of it as that he or they unto whom it is put in subjection should, as the lord of it, erect, institute, or set it up, rule and dispose of it being erected, and judge and reward it in the end of its course and time. This is denied con- cerning angels, and the denial proved tacitly,— because no such thing is testified in the Scripture. And herein the apostle either pre- venteth an objection that might arise from the power of the angels in and over the church of old, as some think, or rather proceeds in his design of exalting the Lord Jesus above them, and thereby pre- fers the worship of the gospel before that prescribed by the law of Moses: for he seems to grant that the old church and worship were in a sort made subject unto angels; this of the world to come being solely and immediately in his power who in all things was to have the pre-eminence. And this will further appear if we consider the instances before mentioned wherein the subjection of this world to come unto any doth consist. \
First, It was not put in subjection unto angels i in its erection or institution. That work was not committed unto them, as the apostle declares in the entrance of this epistle. They did not reveal the will of God concerning it, nor were intrusted with authority to erect it. Some of them, indeed, were employed in messages about its preparatory work, but they were not employed either to reveal the mysteries of it, wherewith they were unacquainted, nor autho- ritatively in the name of God to erect it. For the wisdom of God in the nature and mystery of this work, they knew not but by the effects in the work itself, Eph. i. 9, 10, which they looked and in- quired into, to learn and admire, 1 Pet. 1,12; and therefore could not be intrusted with authority for its revelation, and the building of the church thereon. But things were otherwise of old. The law, which was the foundation of the Judaical church-state, was given “ by the disposition of angels,” Acts vil. 53, Gal. ii. 19; and our apostle here calls it “the word spoken by angels.” They were therefore intrusted by God to give the law and the ordinances of it unto the people in his name and authority ; which being the founda-~ tion of the Mosaical church-state, it was so far put in subjection unto them,
Secondly, It is not put in subjection unto angels as to the rule and disposal of it being erected. Their office in this world is a ministry, Heb. i. 14, not a rule or dominion. Rule in or over the church they have none, but are brought into a co-ordination of ser- vice with them that have the testimony of Jesus, Rev. xix. 10, xxii. 9;
VER. 5-9.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 327
being equally with us subjected unto him, in whom they and we are gathered into one head, Eph, 1, 10. And from their ministerial presence in the congregations of believers doth our apostle press women unto modesty and sobriety in their habit and deportment, 1 Cor. xi. 10. And the church of old had an apprehension of this truth, of the presence of an angel or angels in their assemblies, but so as to preside in them. Hence is that caution relating to the wor- ship of God, Hecles. v. 5, 6: “Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and de- stroy the work of thine hands?” By vowing and not paying, a man brought upon his flesh, that is, himself and his posterity, a guilt not to be taken away with excuses of haste or precipitation made unto the angel presiding in their worship, to take an account of its due performance. It is true, the absolute sovereign power over the church of old was in the Son of God alone; but an especial, imme~- diate power over it was committed unto angela, And hence was the name of Dios , “god,” “judge,” “mighty one,” communicated unto them, narnaly. from their authority over the church; that name expressing the authority of God when unto him ascribed. And be- cause of this, their acting in the name and representing the autho- rity of God, the saints of old had an apprehension that upon their seeing of an angel they should die, from that saying of God, that none should see his face and live, Exod. xxxili. 20. So Manoah ex- pressly, Judg. xii. 22. He knew that it was an angel which ap- peared unto him, and yet says to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen 0'7>8,”—an angel vested with the authority of God. And hence it is not colikokd? but that there might be a re- spect or worship due unto the angels under the old testament, which themselves declare not to be meet for them under the new, Rev. xix. ; not that they are degraded from any excellency or privilege which before they enjoyed, but that the worshippers under the new testa- ment, through their relation unto Christ, and the exaltation of their nature in his person, are delivered from that under-age estate, wherein they differed not from servants, Gal. iv. 1, and are advanced into an equality of liberty with the angels themselves, Heb. xii, 22-24, Eph. i, 10, iii. 14, 15; as amongst men there may be a respect due from an inferior to a superior, which may cease when he is advanced into the same condition with the other, though the superior be not at all abased. And to this day the Jews contend that angels are to be adored with some kind of adoration, though they expressly deny that they are to be invocated or prayed unto. Furthermore, about their power and authority in the disposal of the outward concern- ments of the church of old, much more might be declared from