Ver. 8.—The apostle having recited the testimony which he in- tends to make use of, proceeds in the eighth verse unto some such explications of it as may make it appear to be proper and suited unto the end for which it is produced by him. And they are two; —the first whereof respects the sense of the words, which express the extent of thisdominion; the second an instance of some person
VER. 5-9.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 341
or persons unto whom this testimony as thus explained cannot be applied.
(1.) For the explication of the objective extent of the rule and dominion mentioned, he adds, “ For in that he hath made all sub- ject unto him, he hath left nothing that is not put under him;” for whereas it might be objected, that there is no mention in the psalm of the world to come, whereof he treats, he lets them know that that cannot be excepted, seeing the assertion is universal and unlimited, that all things whatsoever are put under him. It is true, our apostle making use of this very testimony in another place, 1 Cor. xy. 27, adds there, that there is a manifest exception in reference unto him who so put all things under him. And it is evident that it is so indeed; for the psalmist treats not of God himself, but of the works of God; and among them, saith the apostle here, there lies no exception,—they are all brought into order, under this rule. And so by this testimony, thus explained, as necessity requires it should be, he hath fully confirmed that the world to come, being one of the especial works of God, and not put in subjection unto angels, is made subject unto man; which was that he undertook to demon- strate.
(2.) To direct this testimony unto its proper end, and to make way for its application unto him who is especially intended there- in, he declares negatively unto whom it is not applicable: “ But now we see not yet all things put under him.” Man it was con- cerning whom the words are spoken, “ What is man!” This must denote the nature of man, and that either as it is in all mankind in general and every individual, or in some especial and peculiar in- stance, in one partaker of that nature. For the first, he denies that this can belong unto man in general, all or any of them, on the general account of being men. And in this negation there are two circumstances considerable :—[1.] The manner of his asserting it, by an appeal to common experience: “ We see;’—‘ This is a mat- ter whereof every one may judge:’ ‘ We all of us know by experi- ence that it isotherwise:’ ‘ We need neither testimony nor argument to instruct us herein; our own condition, and that which we. be- hold other men in, are sufficient to inform us.” And this is a way whereby an appeal is made as it were to common sense and experi- ence, as we do in things that are most plain and unquestionable. [2.] There is a limitation of this experience in the word “ yet:” “ We see not as yet.” And this doth not intimate a contrary state of things for the future, but denies it as to all the time that is past: ‘A long space of time there hath been since the giving out of this testimony, much longer since the creation of man and all other things, and yet all this while we sce that all things are far enough from being put under the feet of man.’ Or if there be in the word
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' 342 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. II.
a reserve for some season wherein this word shall in some sense be fulfilled in mere man also, it is for that time wherein they shall be perfectly glorified with Him who is principally intended, and so be admitted as it were to be sharers with him in his dominion, Rev. iii. 21. These things make plain what is here denied, and in what sense. All mankind in conjunction are very remote from bemg in- vested with the dominion here described, from having the whole creation of God cast in subjection under their feet. It is true, there was given unto man at first, in his original condition, a rule over those creatures here below that were made for the use and sustenta- tion of his natural life, and no other. And this also is in some measure continued unto his posterity, though against the present bent and inclination of the creatures, which groan because of the bondage that they are put unto in serving of their use and neces- sity. But all this at first was but an obscure type and shadow of the dominion here intended, which is absolute, universal, and such as the creatures have no reason to complain of, their proper condi- tion being allotted unto them therem. Hence we ourselves, by our own observation, may easily discern that this word respects not prin- cipally either the first man or his posterity; for we see not as yet, after this long space of time since the creation, that all things are put into subjection unto -him.
Having thus unfolded the testimony insisted on, before we pro- ceed unto the apostolical application of it unto the person to whom it doth belong, we may stay here a little, and gather something from it for our instruction. And it is, in general, that—