4 ] his is a farther Proof of the great Goſpel-Miniſter being more excellent than Angels, by God's Command to them, to worſhip him. Tz ſome refer to God the Father's Speech, as again be /atth ; others think ittoo groſs a Tranſpoſition, and unuſual in the Scrip- ture, anc ſo read it as it ftandsin the Greet iext, 2e again, or 4 ſecond rime bringeth, &c. This hath ſtarted a Query about what time it is that the Father ith this, and that he brought in the Firſt- Born into the World 2 Some ſay it was at his Incarnation, others at his coming to Judgment, Contidering the tormer Proots brought out of the Pſzl. 2. 7. and 2 Sam, 7, 14. it ſeems moſt fairly to be at his Reſurre&ion and Aſcenſion, when the Decree was proclaim- ed of his being the great King, and he was aQually exalted far above all Gods, whether Angels or Men ; compare P/al, 2, 7. with 97. 1,9. and Ads 13.33. to which agrees Col, 1, 15,18, Then was the demonſtration of what a Royal Head he was to be, and how acknowledged by all, Pkil, 2.9, 10, 11, r He powerfully and ctfeQually publiſheth his Command unto his Angels, as recorded by his Prophet in his Word, P/al. 97. 7. Where the Senſe of the Hebrew Text is full, Bow down to him all ye Elohim, or Gods ; which the Septuagint renders Angels, and is ſo quoted by Paul here ; and the Spirit warrants it; ſo is it rendred Deut. 32. 43. That Tranſla- tion was commonly uled by the diſperſing Grecifing Zebrews, 1 his Title is attributed to Angels, 'Pſal, S. g. By their Worſhip they do obey the Father, and own their Subjection to his Son at his Reſur- rection, Mar 8. 2. Luke 24, 4. and Fobne. 20, 12, And at his Al- cenfion, 105 1. 9, 12. ev. g. 11, 12, So that the Worſhipped is more excellent than the /orſhippers, :
7 And Þ of the angels he faith /, Who maketh his angels ſpirits f, and his miniſters a flame of fire «.
f He adds another demonſtration of the Goſpel-Miniſter's ex- ceeding Angels, becauſe he hath the Name of God, and Angels are called only God's Miniſters : For the Creator of Angels, who beſt underflandeth their Nature and Otrhice, by his Spirit teſtifieth what they are, 7/al. 104. 4. t He created them, ſuch as they are, ſpt- rimal, intelfetual, and immortal Subſtances, the higheſt in this ſort and kind of Creatures, TIyzyemze do not here fignifie Winds, as if the Spirit compared Angels to them for their {wittneſs and power, but Spirimual 1ntelledual Beings, as the Son of Man is; and in this it is the Attribute, and not the Subjed, that which is predicated or ſpoken of Angels. u They are but Miniſters and Servants, who reveal or perform his Will to thoſe to whom God ſends them 3 Ho- nourable Officers of the great King, fulfilling his Pleaſure, v. 14. executing all his Commands, and going and coming at his beck, Fſal. 1c3. 20, 21, Though they are Seraphims, bright, glorious, and excellent Creatures, they are but the grand Officers of ftate in Heaven, encompailing God's Throne, waiting for his Commands, which they obey and fulfil as ſwiftly as the Winds or Flaſhes of Lightning c&1d diſpatch them ; though they are ſtiled by the Spi- rit Cherubins, Gen, 3.24. compare Exek, 1. 5. and1o, 1, to 1g. And Seraphims, Iſaiah 6. 6, for their Light, Glory and Excellency ; yet ftill are they Creatures, and below the Som, becauſe his Ser- vants,
8 But unto the Son w, he ſaith, Thy throne x, O God y, ts forever and everz: a ſcepter of * righteouſ- neſs 75 the ſcepter of thy kingdom a.
ſiraickmeſS wn the Father's Apoſtrophe to the $on, he giveth him the
Name of God, and thereby is he proyed to have a better one than Angels, made by and Servants to him; and as the great Goſpel-Mi- nilter hath a Kingdom in which they are his Minifters and Servants, this Proof js quoted out of Pſa, 45, 6, 7. It was not to Solomon or David, but to the Son, God-Man, ſpoken by the Father. The whole Pſalm is written of him, and incompatible to any other is the matter of it, Tt repreſents him, and his Myftical Marriage to| the Church, compare Epheſ, 5, 23. to the end, Kev. 19. 7, 8. and 22.17, x Some Hereticks to elude this Proof of Chriſt's Deity, would make God the Genitive Cale in the Propoſition, as thy Throne of God, exprefly contrary to the Grammar, both in #ebrew and Greek: Others glob it,that 6 @e85 is the Nominative Caſe gs,God x thy Throne for ever, $C, i. Ee. bs doth and will eſtabliſh it : Byt this is cavilling, ſince it is the Father's ſpeech to, and of his Son, de- icribing his Nature in oppoſition to the Angels before. They were Created Spirits, but He was Gad ; they were Miniſters and Servants In tis Kingdom, where he was King therefore his Name and Per- {on is better than theirs. Goda the ſingular, was a Name never pven to any Creature, but is expreſſive of his Divine Nature, and is relation in the Deisy being God 3þe Son. 7 His Office as God- Mz, nd great Goſpel-minifter, is a Royal one. He is a great King, Angels are Subjeats of his Kingdom, as well as Men, which Royalty is ſet out by the Enfigns of it 4 as here, by a Throne, which is an Emblem of Royal Authority, Dominion and Power, whence be upath himſelf in his Kingdom, It is an Heavenly one of a perfect Conftitution-and Adminiftration, and of Eternal Continu- Wnce, His it was by natural Inheritance, as God the Sor, and as Man #zt1ed r0 1be God-bead, he inheriteth the Priviledzes of that Perſon.
HEBREWS.
and in his ſpecial Work of Grace, guiding and conformins throuoh his Father, This Scepter is ſabjeQively Kight in it (elf, and effcy ently making all under its Power to be re&ified according to © | right and pure Mind and Will of God : compare 7/al, 110, 1. 2 NIN
2 3o
9 Thou haſt loved righteouſncls, and bated- ini. quity b; therefore God c, even thy God & hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladneſs e aboye thy te. LOwsS f.