A53696:322
Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews
Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews also concerning the Messiah wherein the promises concerning him to be a spiritual redeemer of mankind are explained and vindicated, his coming and accomplishment of his work according to the promises is proved and confirmed, the person, or who he is, is declared, the whole economy of the mosaical law, rites, worship, and sacrifice is explained : and in all the doctrine of the person, office, and work of the Messiah is opened, the nature and demerit of the first sin is unfolded, the opinions and traditions of the ancient and modern Jews are examined, their objections against the Lord Christ and the Gospel are answered, the time of the coming of the Messiah is stated, and the great fundamental truths of the Gospel vindicated : with an exposition and discourses on the two first chapters of the said epistle to the Hebrews / by J. Owen ...Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews also concerning the Messiah wherein the promises concerning him to be a spiritual redeemer of mankind are explained and vindicated, his coming and accomplishment of his work according to the promises is proved and confirmed, the person, or who he is, is declared, the whole oeconomy of the mosaical law, rites, worship, and sacrifice is explained : and in all the doctrine of the person, office, and work of the Messiah is opened, the nature and demerit of the first sin is unfolded, the opinions and traditions of the antient and modern Jews are examined, their objections against the Lord Christ and the Gospel are answered, the time of the coming of the Messiah is stated, and the great fundamental truths of the Gospel vindicated : with an exposition and discourses on the two first chapters of the said epistle to the Hebrews / by J. Owen ...
London: printed by Robert White for Nathaniel Ponder, 1668
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§ 4 That this estate of things hath been altered from time immemorial, that there is a corrupt Spring of sin and disorder in the nature of man; that the whole world lieth in Ignorance, Darkness, Evil and Confusion; that there is an Alienation and displeasure between God and mankind; God revealing his Wrath and Judgements from Heaven, whence at first nothing might be expected but fruits of goodness, and pledges of love; and man naturally dreading the Presence of God, and trembling at the effects of it, which at first was his Life, Joy and Refreshment, Reason it self with prudent Observation will discover, it hath done so, unto many contemplative men of old. The whole Creation groans out this complaint, as the Apostle witnesseth. Rom. 8. v. 20, 21. and God makes it manifest in his Judgements every day; Chap. 1. v. 18. That things were not made at first in that state and condition wherein now they are, that they came not thus immediately from the hand of Infinite Wisdom and Goodness, is easily discernible. God made not man to be at a perpetual quarrel with him, nor to fill the world with tokens of his displeasure because of sin. This men saw of old by the light of Nature; but what it should be that opened the Flood-gates unto all that Evil and Sin which they saw and observed in the world, they could not tell. The springs of it indeed they searched after, but with more vanity and disappointment, than those who sought for the Heads of Nilus. The Evils they saw were Catholic and unlimited; and therefore not to be assigned unto Particular Causes, and of any general one, proportioned unto their Production, they were utterly ignorant. And this ignorance filled all their Wisdom and Science with fatal mistakes; and rendered the best of their Discoveries, but mere uncertain conjectures. Yea, the Poets who followed the confused Rumours of Old Traditions, about things whose Original was Occasional and Accidental, give us a better shadow of Truth, than the Philosophers, who would reduce them unto general Rules of Reason, which they would no way answer▪ Post ignem aethereâ domo Subductum, Macies & nova febrium Terris incubuit Cohors: Semotique prius tarda necessitas Lethi corripuit Gradum: Horat. Car. lib. 1. Od. 3. is a better Allusion to the Original of Sin and Punishment, than all the Disputations of the Philosophers will afford us.
§ 4 That this estate of things hath been altered from time immemorial, that there is a corrupt Spring of sin and disorder in the nature of man; that the whole world lieth in Ignorance, Darkness, Evil and Confusion; that there is an Alienation and displeasure between God and mankind; God revealing his Wrath and Judgements from Heaven, whence at first nothing might be expected but fruits of goodness, and pledges of love; and man naturally dreading the Presence of God, and trembling at the effects of it, which at first was his Life, Joy and Refreshment, Reason it self with prudent Observation will discover, it hath done so, unto many contemplative men of old. The whole Creation groans out this complaint, as the Apostle witnesseth.