A53696:841
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.
Sixthly, They say they abhor the sins of their fore-fathers, repent of them, and do obtain Remission of sins through their observation of the Law of Moses; Wherein then is the faithfulness of God in his promises unto them? Why are they not delivered out of captivity? Why not restored to their Land according to express Testimonies of the Covenant made with them unto that purpose? There is no colour of truth nor ⟨p. 201⟩reason therefore in this evasion, which they invented to countenance themselves in their obstinate blindness and unbelief.
Sixthly, They say they abhor the sins of their fore-fathers, repent of them, and do obtain Remission of sins through their observation of the Law of Moses; Wherein then is the faithfulness of God in his prom•ses unto them? Why are they not delivered out of captivity? Why not restored to their Land according to express Testimonies of the Covenant made with them unto that purpose? There is no colour of truth nor ⟨p. 201⟩reason therefore in this evasion, which they invented to countenance themselves in their obstinate blindness and unbelief.
But our Author yet adds an Instance, whereby he hopes to reinforce and confirm § 13 his former answer: saith he, Deus per manus Salamanassani decem tribus in captivitatem passus est abduci in regiones nobis incognitas sexcentis fere annis ante destructionem Templi secundi, hoc ••t ante presentem hanc nostram captivitatem, n•cdum in hodiernam hanc diem in terram si•am reversae aut dominio suo restitutae sunt, quae omnia speciali Dei Providentia nobis ita ev•nerunt ne quis causam hujus nostrae captivitatis speciali alicui peccato sub secunda domo commisso imputaret: Cum decem tribus qui tum absuerunt captivitatem pati debent sexcents annis longiorem. God suffered the ten Tribes to be carried captive by Salamanasser into Countries unknown to us six hundred years before the destruction of the second Temple, and our present captivity: neither are they yet returned to their own Land, or restored to their former rule, all which things have happened unto us, by the especial Providence of God. That nne might impute the cause of the captivity unto any sin committed under the second Temple, seeing the ten Tribes that were then absent must endure a captivity six hundred years longer. Neither will this instance yield them the least relief. For (1.) It was before granted that the sins under the second Temple were even greater then those under the first, whence the punishment of them was revived, which is here denied, manifesting that this is an evasion invented to serve the present turn. (2.) What ever is pretended, no impartial man that owns the special relation of that people unto God, and his Covenant with them, can but grant, that their present rejection is for some outrageous sins breaking the Covenant under the second Temple, and continued in by themselves unto this day; (3.) The case of the tn Tribes, after they had publicly rejected all that Worship of God, and all that Government of the people, which was appointed to Type out, and to continue unto the bringing of the messiah, is different from that of the other Tribes, to whom the Promises wre appropriated in Judah, and in the house of David; so that their rejection implies no disannulling of the Covenant. (4.)