A53696:853
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.
§ 19 Secondly, When God limited and foretold the time of the coming of the Messiah, he either foresaw what would be the State and condition of the Jews as to their Repentance and Good Works, or he did not? If they say he did not, then besides that they deny him to be God, by denying those Essential Attributes of his nature, which the very Heathen acknowledged in their Deities, They also utterly overthrow all the Prophecies and predictions of the Old Testament: for there is not any of them but depend on a supposition of the prescience of God; and this is nothing but to countenance their unbelief with perfect Atheism. If they say he did foresee, that their conditions and manners, would be such as the event hath proved them, whence he must also know that it was impossible, that the Messiah should come at the time limited and determined; I ask to what end and purpose he doth so often, and at so great a distance of time, promise and foretell, that he should come at such a time and season, seeing he knew perfectly that he should not so do, and so, that not one word of his predictions should be fulfilled? why I say, did he fix on a time and season, foretell it often, limit it by signs infallible, give out an exact computation of the years, from the time of his predictions, and call all men unto an expectation of his coming accordingly, when by his foresight of the Jews want of merit and repentance, no such thing could possibly fall out? God who is [Greek or Hebrew], doth not deal thus with the sons of men. This were not to promise and foretell in infinite veracity, but purposely to deceive. The condition then pretended, cannot be put upon the promise of the coming of the Messiah without a direct denial of some, and by just consequence of all the essential properties of the nature of God.
§ 19 Secondly, When God limited and foretold the time of the coming of the Messiah, he either foresaw what would be the State and condition of the Jews as to their Repentance and Good Works, or he did not? If they say he did not, then besides that they deny him to be God, by denying those Essential Attributes of his nature, which the very Heathen acknowledged in their Deities, They also utterly overthrow all the Prophecies and predictions of the Old Testament: for there is not any of them but depend on a supposition of the prescience of God; and this is nothing but to countenance their unbelief with perfect Atheism. If they say he did foresee, that their conditions and manners, would be such as the event hath proved them, whence he must also know that it was impossible, that the Messiah should come at the time limited and determined; I ask to what end and purpose he doth so often, and at so great a distance of time, promise and foretell, that he should come at such a time and season, seeing he knew perfectly that he should not so do, and so, that not one word of his predictions should be fulfilled? why I say, did he fix on a time and season, foretell it often, limit it by signs infallible, give out an exact computation of the years, from the time of his predictions, and call all men unto an expectation of his coming accordingly, when by his foresight of the Jews want of merit and repentance, no such thing could possibly fall out? God who is , doth not deal thus with the sons of men. This were not to promise and foretell in infinite veracity, but purposely to deceive. The condition then pretended, cannot be put upon the promise of the coming of the Messiah without a direct denyal of some, and by just consequence of all the essential properties of the nature of God.