apostle in his whole design, for aught I know, some may be desirous to exercise themselves principally in those discourses; which they may do by following the series and distinct continuation of them from first to last. Wherefore from the constant observation of the same method, as to the principal distinct parts of the whole Exposition, every one is at liberty to use that order in the perusal of it, which he judgeth most for his own advantage.

2. There will be relief found against that discouragement. which the apparent length of these discourses may give the reader, from the variety of their subject matter, or the things that are contained in them. For there are few of them on any single head, that extend themselves beyond a page or a leaf at the most. Wherefore, although all of them together may make an appearance of some tediousness unto the reader, yet he will find it not easy to fix this charge on any one particular, unless he judge it wholly impertinent. And for those few of them which must exceed the bounds mentioned, their importance will plead an excuse for their taking up so much room in the work itself. In illustration of this, we may refer to the third chapter, in which our attention is called to the authority of Christ as the Son of God over the church; to the nature of faith; as also of unbelief, and to the danger of eternal ruin wherewith it is attended; to the deceitfulness of sin, with the ways and means by which it hardens the hearts of men; to the limitation of a day or season of grace, with the use of Old Testament types and examples. These subjects, which are therein treated of by the apostle, are things which in their own nature deserve a diligent enquiry into them, and declaration of them. And however others who have had only some particular design and aim in the Exposition of this Epistle, or of any other book of the Scripture, may satisfy themselves in opening the words of the text so far as it suits their design; yet he who professedly undertakes a full and plenary Exposition, cannot discharge his duty and undertaking, with out the interpretation and improvement of the things themselves treated of, according to the intention and mind of the Spirit of God. And I could heartily wish that the temptations and sins of the days wherein we live, did not render the diligent consideration of the things mentioned, more than ordinarily necessary unto all sorts of professors.

3. The reader may observe, respecting most of those discourses, that they either consist in the Exposition of other places of Scripture suggested by their analogy unto that under consideration, or that they have such Expositions, with a suitable appli cation of them every where intermixed with them. Unto them to whom these things are not satisfactory, with respect unto the

length of these discourses, I have no more to offer, but that it they think meet on this, or on any other consideration, to spare their charge in buying, or their labour in reading the book itself, they will have no reason to complain of any thing contained in it, or of the manner in which it is handled.

There is one thing also respecting the Exposition of the fourth chapter, with which the reader must be made acquainted. I have already published Exercitations respecting the Sabbatical day of divine worship. Two editions of these Exercitations are now in the hands of the public. I am unwilling to reprint what I have there advanced. I therefore only request the reader to observe, that in the Exposition of that discourse of the apostle about the several rests mentioned in the Scripture, I will not absolutely stand to his censure and judgment upon the perusal of the Exposition alone, (though I will maintain it to be true, and hope it to be clear and perspicuous) without regard to those Exercitations, wherein the truth of the Exposition itself is largely discussed and vindicated.

I have no more to add concerning the ensuing Exposition. For to give the reader a particular account either of my travail therein, or of the means used in carrying it on, I judge not convenient; as not willing to give the least appearance of any satisfaction, much less glorying in any thing of my own but in my infirmities. This I neither do, nor desire, nor dare to do. Only duty binds me to declare, That as I have used the utmost sincerity whereof I am capable, in the investigation and declaration of the mind of the Spirit of God in the text, without the least respect unto any parties of men, opinions, ways of worship, or other differences that are amongst us in and about the affairs of religion, because I feared God; so in the issue and fruit of my endeavours, the reader will find nothing savouring of an itch after novelty or curiosity, nothing that will divert him from that sound doctrine and form of wholesome words, wherein the professors of this nation have been educated and instructed.

EXERCITATION I.

1. The Canonical authority of the Epistle to the Hebrews. § 2. Notation of the word. p Kaneh, a measuring reed. The beam of a balance. §3. Thence Kavay of the same signification. §4. Metaphorically a moral rule. Rectum and Canon, how far the same. The Scripture a rule. Canonical. §5. The antiquity of that appellation. § 6. The Canon of the Scripture. § 7. What required to render a book Canoni cal. All books of the holy Scripture equal as to their divine original. 8. Jews' distinction of the books of the Old Testament, as to the manner of their writing, disproved. §9. All equally Canonical. No book Canonical of a second sort or degree. § 10. The Epistle to the Hebrews Canonical. §11. Opposed by Heretics of old. §12. Not received into the Latin Church until the days of Hierome. § 13. Proved against Baronius. § 14. Not rejected by any of that church: § 15. Only not publicly approved. § 16. The church of Rome not the sole proposer of books Canonical. Occasion of its non-admittance at Rome. Boldness of some in rejecting and corrupting the Scripture. § 17. By whom this Epistle opposed of late. §18. The objection of the uncertainty of the penman, answered. 19. Citations out of the Old Testament not found therein. Answer. 20. Citations not to his purpose. Answer. 21. Countenance to old Heresies. Answer. § 22. General heads of Arguments to prove its Canonical Authority. Characters to discover between books of divine inspiration and others. γνωμη, Φρασεως χαρακτηρ. προαίρησις. 23. The general arguments of books truly Canonical. 24. Subject Matter. 25. Design. § 26. Style. § 27. Of the style of the sacred writings. 28. Mistakes of many about it. § 29. The nature of Elo. quence. Excellency of $30. Scripture Style; § 31. Energies; (32 & 33. Efficacy. $34. Tradition concerning the Authority of this Epistle; not justly liable to any exceptions, §35. From the Author. 36. Circumstances. § 37. Subject Matter. § 38. Style. § 39. Testimonies. 40. Conclusion.

81. THE canonical authority of the Epistle unto the Hebrews having been called in question, we must in our entrance declare what it is which we intend by canonical authority, and also prove the clear interest of this Epistle therein. For this is the foundation of all those ensuing discourses from it, and of that exposition of it, which we intend.

§2. The Greek word xavwv, which gives rise unto the term Canonical, seems to be derived from the Hebrew mp Kanch VOL. I.

C

which sometimes denotes, an aromatical cane that contained spices in it, used in the worship of God, as Isa. xliii. 24. x pp thou hast bought me no sweet cane with silver, (for this 210p precious cane, growing not in their own country, was bought from afar off, Jer. vi. 20.) But in general it signifies any reed whatever, 1 Kings xiv. 15. Isa. xlii. 3. whence a multitude of fierce and wicked men, compared to the devouring crocodile, whose lurking place is in the canes or reeds, are termed pn the beast of the reed, Psal. lxviii. 30. It is used to signify a reed made into an instrument, wherewith they measured their buildings, containing six cubits in length, Ezek. xl. 7. Chap. xlii. 16. And hence indefinitely it is taken for a rule or a measure. Besides it signifies the jugum, or scapus, or beam with the tongue of a balance, keeping the poise of the scales equal, and discovering the rectitude or declensions thereof, Isa. xlvi. 6. pwr pa o they weighed silver on the cane; that is, saith the Targum, & in the balance; the supporter and director of the scales, being put for the whole. The Rabbins call it, NDp the reed of the scales; that which tries, and weighs, and gives every thing its just moment.

§3. And this also is the first and proper signification of the Greek word, xaxwr canon. So the Scholiast on these words of Aristophanes,

Και κανόνας εξοίσουσι, και παχεις επων

tells us, that κανων is κυρίως το επάνω της τρελανης ου και εις ισοτητες tavlny ayor; properly that which is over the scales bringing them (and the things weighed in them) to equality. The very same with the Hebrew from which it is derived. So Varinus tells us that it is properly the tongue in the balance, and in use μέτρον αδιάψευστον. And Aristotle says, τω ευθει και αυτο και καμπυλον yivwoxoμev, ngilns yog du pour i xavwv, by that which is right, we know its self, and that which is crooked, for the canon is judge of both: where he useth the word for any kind of rule or measure, answering unto the other signification of Kaneh in the Hebrew. Rectum and Canon, that which is right, and the rule, are one and the same; the one expression denoting the perfect nature of any thing, the other its use and application.

$4. From this original and proper import of the word, is its metaphorical use deduced, which is most common; and therein it signifies a moral rule, or a measure, for direction, trial, and judgment. Hence the philosopher calls the law xVOND THE TORITrias, the rule of the administration, or government of the commonwealth; that whereby all the parts of it are disposed into

a Aristoph. in Ran. Ac. 3. Sc. 1. Aristot. pol. lib. 2. cap. 8.

b Aristot. de Anim. lib. 1. cap. ult

όσοι τω

their proper places, whereby they are regulated, and all things done in it are tried and judged. And in this sense it is applied by St Paul unto divine revelation, Gal. vi. 16. TOUTH OTOIXATOUTLY, as many as proceed orderly, that is, in a direct way, (for so σto denotes) according to this rule or canon. And to the same purpose he useth again the same expression, Phil. iii. 16. For as the words of the Scripture are in themselves

a כתוב ישר words of truth, so the writing itself is דברי אמת

right writing; or as the LXX. yergauμevov evtulnlos, that which is written in uprightness, to be a rule and judgment unto all. EvbuTaros is genitivus adjuncti, not materia, declaring the property of the writing, not the subject matter, that is, it is canonical; for To evdes and navy that which is right, and a rule, we have shewed to be the same. And from hence it is, that the Scripture, or written word of God, being in itself every way absolutely right and perfect, and appointed by him to be the rule or canon of the church's faith and obedience, requiring, trying, regulating, judging wholly and absolutely of these, hath obtained xar' on by way of eminence the name of canonical, or regular; as the book wherein it is contained is called the Bible, though in itself that be the common name of all books.

$5. And this appellation is of ancient use in the church. The Synod of Laodicea, supposed to have preceded the council of Nice, makes mention of it as a thing generally admitted; for the fathers of it decree, ότι ου δει ιδιωτικούς ψαλμους λέγεσθαι εν τη εκκλησία, ουδε ακανονικά Βιβλία, αλλά μόνα τα κανονικα της καινής και παλαιας διαθήκης α That no private Psalms ought to be said or read in the church, nor any uncanonical books, but only the canonical books of the New and Old Testament, whose names they subjoin in their order. And somewhile before, the bishops who joined with the church of Antioch in the deposition of Paulus Samosatenus charge him as ὁ αποστας του κανόνος e one that in the introduction of his heresy, departed from the canon or rule of the Scripture. Before them also, it was called by Irenæus, xavwv τns ἀληθείας άκλινης f. And Chrysostom calls it των θεών νομών αποφασιν, the sentence of the divine laws, ακριβη ζυγον άπαντων και γνώμονα και κανονά, the exact balance, square, or rule and canon of all truths and duties; wherein he hath evidently respect unto the original use and import of the word as before explained; and thereupon he calls on his hearers, that omitting the consideration of what this or that man says or thinks, they should seek and require raula άπανία παρα των γραφων all these things of or from the Scriptures, which are the canon of our faith and obedience. And Austin, demonstrent ecclesiam suam non in rumoribus Africorum, sed in

d Concil. Laod. Can. 59. f Iren. lib. 4. cap. 69.

e Euseb. Eccles. Hist. lib. 7. cap. 30. g Chrysost, in 2 ad Cor. cap. 6. ad finem.