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THE
WORKS
OF
JOHN OWEN, D.D.
EDITED
BY THE REV. WILLIAM H. GOOLD,
EDINBURGH. VOL. XXIII. d
: Please return to Graduate Theological Uaion Library
OX: é oe QVERAMVS
\
JOHNSTONE AND HUNTER, LONDON AND EDINBURGH.
M.DCCC.LY.
AN
EXPOSITION
OF THE
EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.
WITH
PRELIMINARY EXERCITATIONS.
BY JOHN OWEN, D.D. EDITED BY W. H. GOOLD, D.D.
NOESY.
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N SVPERNA &
EDINBURGH: JOHNSTONE AND HUNTER.
M.DCCC.LY.
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Ow 2 v, tS
AN EXPOSITION
OF THE
EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.
CHAPTER VIIT.
_ THERE are two general parts of this chapter: 1. A further explica-
tion of the excellency of the priesthood of Christ, or of Christ him- self as vested with that office,—that is, both in his personal glory and in the usefulness of his office unto the church,—above those of the order of Aaron. 2. A further confirmation hereof; wherein is intro- duced the consideration of the two covenants, the old and the new. For unto the former was the whole administration of the Levitical priests confined; of the latter, Christ, as our high priest, was the
thediator and surety. And therefore the apostle fully proves the
excellency of this new covenant above the old; which redounds unto
_ the glory of its mediator.
The first part is contained in the first five verses; the latter ex- tends from thence to the end of the chapter.
In the first part two things are designed: 1. A recapitulation of some things before delivered. 2. The addition of some further arguments in the ‘confirmation of the same truth, so long before insisted on. Both of them he compriseth in three instances of the
_ excellency of Christ in his priesthood, or in the discharge of his office: ‘1. In his exaltation and the place of his present residence, verse 1. 2. In the sanctuary whereof he is a minister, and the tabernacle
fe wherein at present he doth administer, verse 2. 3. In the sacrifice
tions, verses 4, 5.
he had to offer, or which he offered before his entrance into that
sanctuary, verse 3; which he illustrates by two especial considera-
VERSE 1.
Kepcirouov 2 de) rors Aeyowevors, rordrov exowev cprysepec, ag éxcebrocy
éy deEiG Tov Ipsvou ris mevyarucvyns ey rors ovpavors.
KeQerasov. Syr., 827, “caput.” Vulg., “ capitulum,” “summa.” Beza, “cxterum eorum quz diximus hec summa est,” “moreover this is the sum of
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: 4 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. VIII.
what we speak;” “ summatim autem <dicendo,” “to speak briefly.” “Ex? trois Acyouwevots. Syr., pres, “ of all these things;” the ‘head, chief, or principal of all these things. ‘Vulg., “super ea que dicuntur.” “‘Rhem., “ the sum concern- ing these things which he said.”
Toodrov Zyouev. Syr., “We have an high priest, him who sitteth;” omitting this word, or indluding it in'82°8, “is,” “ ille.”
Tis weyarwotyns. Vulg., “ magnitudinis;” which the Rhemists render by * majesty ;” and they retain “sedis” :for Spévov. Beza, “ majestatis illius;” or, 6 throni virtutis magnificandi.”?
Ver. 1.—Now of the things that are spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand.of the throne-of the Majesty in the heavens.
‘This first verse contains two things: 1. A preface unto that part of the ensuing discourse which immediately concerns the priest- hood of Christ, unto the end of verse 5. 2. A declaration of the
first pre-eminence of our high priest; which the apostle would have
us in an especial manner to consider.
First, The preface is in these words, Kepaéausoy de ex) roils Aeyo- wsvorg.: Which may be considered either.as unto its design in general, or ag unto the sense-of the words:—
1. The.design -of the apostle in this interlocution (which is not unusual with him), is to stir up the Hebrews unto a diligent con- sideration of what he insisted on, and to leave an impression of it on their minds. And this he doth for two reasons:—
(1.) Lest the length and difficulty of his preceding discourse should have any way discomposed their minds, or wearied them in their attention,.so as that they-eould not well retain the substance of what he pleaded. In such .cases it was always usual with them who pleaded.important.causes before the wisest judges, to recapitulate what had been spoken at length before, and to show what hath been evinced by the arguments they had used in their plea. To this purpose speaks Quintilian, lib. vi. cap. i. “ Perorationis duplex ratio est posita, aut in rebus, aut in affectibus. Rerum repetitio et congregatio, que Greece dicitur dvaxepauraiwas, a quibusdam Latinorum enumeratio, et memoriam judicis reficit, et totam simul causam ante oculos ponit; et etiam si per singula minus moverat, turba valet. In hac, que repetemus quam brevissime dicenda sunt, et (quod Greco verbo patet) decurrendum per capita.” How this
7 TRANSLATIONS. — Ez! rois acy. Literally, “ of the things which are being spoken.”—Conybeare and Howson. “ Of which we are speaking.!’—OCraik. “Tn the course of being spoken.”—Turner. ‘To what'has been hitherto said.” —Lbrard. Kepér. “The prominent point.”——Turner. “The crowning point.” —Craik. *Sum?’ will do here,.if understood not of a recapitulation, but as a product resulting from all that goes before.” —Ebrard. “The most important thing in regard to what we.are.now treating of.”—,Stwart.—Ep.
VER. 1.] EPISTLE TO:THE HEBREWS. 5