A53696:550
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.
But together with this earnest desire and expectation, they had utterly lost the § 4 Light and Faith of their Fore-fathers, about the Nature, Work, and Office of the promised Messiah. For being grown carnal, and minding only things earthly and present, they utterly overlooked the Spiritual Genealogy of the seed of the Woman from the first Promise; and wresting all Prophesies and Predictions to their ambitious, covetous, corrupt inclinations and Interests, they fancied him unto themselves, as one that was to deliver them from all outward trouble, and to satisfy them with the glory and desirable things of this world, without respect to sin, and the curse, or deliverance from them. And hence the Sadducees who denied the immortality of the soul, and consequently all Rewards and Punishments in another world, yet no less desired and expected the coming of the Messiah, then the Pharisees and their Disciples. And the Truth is, they had brought their Principles unto a better consistency than the others had done. For if the Promised Messiah was only to procure them the Good things of this world, and that whilst they lived in it, it was in vain to look for another world to come, and the blessings thereof. To look for eternal life, and yet to confine the Promise of the Seed to the things of this life only, there was neither ground nor Reason. So that the Pharisees laid down the Principle, which the Sadducees naturally drew their Conclusion from. Some in the mean time among them, Gods secret ones, as Simeon, Anna, Joseph, Zechary and Elizabeth, but especially the Blessed Virgin with many more, retained no doubt the ancient Faith of their Fore-fathers. But the Body of the People with their Leaders, being either flagitiously wicked, or superstitiously proud fancied a Messiah suited unto their own lusts and desires, such an one as we shall afterwards describe. And this prejudicate opinion of a terrene outward glorious Kingdom, in and of this world, was that which working in them a neglect of those spiritual and eternal purposes for which he was promised, hardened them to an utter rejection of the True Messiah when he came unto them.
But together with this earnest desire and expectation, they had utterly lost the § 4 Light and Faith of their Fore-fathers, about the Nature, Work, and Office of the promised Messiah. For being grown carnal, and minding only things earthly and present, they utterly overlooked the Spiritual Genealogie of the seed of the Woman from the first Promise; and wresting all Prophesies and Predictions to their ambitious, covetous, corrupt inclinations and Interests, they fancied him unto themselves, as one that was to deliver them from all outward trouble, and to satisfie them with the glory and desirable things of this world, without respect to sin, and the curse, or deliverance from them. And hence the Saaducees who denyed the immortality of the soul, and consequently all Rewards and Punishments in another world, yet no less desired and expected the coming of the Messiah, then the Pharisees and their Disciples. And the Truth is, they had brought their Principles unto a better consistency than the others had done. For if the Promised Messiah was only to procure them the Good things of this world, and that whilest they lived in it, it was in vain to look for another world to come, and the blessings thereof. To look for eternal life, and yet to confine the Promise of the Seed to the things of this life only, there was neither ground nor Reason. So that the Pharisees laid down the Principle, which the Sadducees naturally drew their Conclusion from. Some in the mean time among them, Gods secret ones, as Simeon, Anna, Joseph, Zechary and Elizabeth, but especially the Blessed Virgin with many more, retained no doubt the antient Faith of their Fore-fathers. But the Body of the People with their Leaders, being either flagitiously wicked, or superstitiously proud fancied a Messiah suited unto their own lusts and desires, such an one as we shall afterwards describe. And this prejudicate opinion of a terrene outward glorious Kingdom, in and of this world, was that which working in them a neglect of those spiritual and eternal purposes for which he was promised, hardened them to an utter rejection of the True Messiah when he came unto them.