fore on him was it incumbent both to furnish him unto his work, and to crown him upon its performance. And herein these several acts, partly eternal, partly temporal, are considerable. 1. The engagement of the eternal will, wisdom and counsel of the Father with the Son about his work, Prov. viii. 22, 23. 30, 31. Isa. xl. 10-12. 2. His fore-ordination of his coming, by an eternal free act of his will, 1 Peter i. 20. Acts ii. 23. 3. His covenant with him to abide by him in the whole course of his work, Isa. xlix. 6-9. ch. 1. 7-9. 4. His promise of him from the foundation of the world, often reiterated and repeated, Gen. iii. 15. 5. His actual mission and sending of him in his incarnation, Zech. iii. 8-10. 6. The exerting of his almighty power unto that purpose and effect, Luke i. 35. 7. His giving of him command and commission for his work, John x. 18. xx. 21. 8. Furnishing him with all the gifts and graces of his Spirit, to fit him and enable him to his work, Isa. xi. 2, 3. lxi. 1, 2. Matt. iii. 16, 17. John i. 32, 33. Col. i. 19. 9. Abiding by him in care, love, power and providence, during the whole course of his obedience and ministry, Isa. xlix. 2. 8. 10. Speaking in him, working by him, and in both bearing witness unto him, Heb. i. 1. John v. 19-22. 11. Giving him up unto death, Rom. viii. 32. Acts ii. 23. 12. Raising him from the dead, 1 Pet. i. 21. Acts ii. 24. 13. Giving all power, authority and judgment unto him, John v. 22. Matt. xxviii. 18. 14. Exalting of him by his assumption into heaven, and glorious session at his right hand, Acts ii. 32, 33. Phil. ii. 9, 10. 15. Giving him to be the Head over all unto the church, and subjecting all things under his feet, Eph. i. 20-22. 16. In all things crowning him with eternal glory and honour, John xvii. 5. Heb. ii. 9. All these, and sundry other particulars of the like nature, are assigned unto the Father, as part of his work, in reference unto the mediation of the Son. And amongst them his exaltation and unction with the oil of gladness, hath an eminent place. And this are we taught, that in this whole work we might see the authority, counsel, and love of the Father, that "so our faith and hope through Jesus Christ might be in God, who raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory," 1 Peter i. 21.

VIII. The Lord Jesus Christ is singular in this unction.This is that which the apostle proves in sundry instances, and by comparing him with others, who in the most eminent manner were partakers of it. And this we are in the consideration of, as the particulars of it do occur. Neither shall I at present farther insist on the ensuing observations, because I will not longer detain the reader from the context, namely, that

IX. All that serve God in the work of building the church,

according to his appointment, are anointed by his Spirit, and shall be rewarded by his power, Dan. xii. 3.

X. The disciples of Christ, especially those who serve him in his church faithfully, are his companions in all his grace and glory.

VER. 10, 11, 12.-IN the following verses, the apostle by another illustrious testimony taken out of Psal. cii. confirms his principal assertion in the words ensuing.

VER. 10. Και Συ κατ αρχας, Κυριε, την γην εθεμελίωσας, και εργα των χειρών σου εἰσιν οἱ

ουρανοί.

Ver. 11. Αυτοί απολουνται, συ δε διαμένεις· και παντες ὡς ἱμάτιον, πα λαιωθήσονται.

Ver. 12. Και ώσει περιβόλαιον έλιξεις αυτους, και αλλαγησονται· συ δε ο αυτος εί, και τα έτη σου ουκ εκλείψουσι.

In the last verse for έλιξεις one copy hath αλλαξεις, to answer unto αλλαγησονται. And M. 5. Τ. έλίξεις αυτές ὡς ἱμάτιον.

6

The words are the same in the Greek Bibles as in this place of the apostle, nor is there any footstep of any other old translation of them in the Psalm. The Syriac differs little, xa it renders 21, and again,' to shew that xa is no part of the testimony cited, but serves only to the introduction of another, ver. 11. For autoi aworouvтal, they shall perish,', they shall pass away,' alluding to that of 2 Pet. iii. 10. ουρανοί ροιζηδόν παρελεύσονται, • the heavens shall pass away with a noise; ou de diqueves, but thou abidest, thou continuest, MIN D'p, et lu stans es, et tu stas, et tu stabilis es, and thou standest, thou art stading; answering the Hebrew, 722 in the Psalm. Exiĝus aureus, thou shalt roll them up.' n 18, which words interpreters render variously, though to the same purpose: involves, Boderianus, roll them,' complicabis, Tremelius,fold them,' duplicabis, D' Dieu, double them up.' And it is manifest, that the translator reads ixus, and not exλais; and I doubt not but the same word was inserted into the translation of the Psalm from this place of the apostle, o δε ό αυτός εί, 'thou art the same, or thou art, I am.' 7 DINI nx 787; Boderianus, Et tu sicut existens es, and thou art as thou existest. Tremel. Tu autem sicut es, eris, be as thou art. Properly, and thou, as thou is, art the same.' 6

but thou shalt art, art; that

The translation of the apostle in all things material, answereth the original in the Psalm, ver. 26, 27. σu Kuga, thou, O Lord,' is supplied out of the verse foregoing, I said, O my God.' PD, of old,' before it was, that is, xar' agxas, or, in the beginning. And our translation needed not to have used any difference of expression in the

6

Psalm and in this place of the apostle, as they do; there, of old, here, in the beginning. Thou hast founded', not laid the foundation of the earth. And the heavens are the works' , the work,' which the Greek renders works,' because of their variety, of thy hands.'

6

6

They shall perish,' yn an, but thou shalt stand,' or dost abide. The word used in our translation of the Psalm, endure,' doth ill answer the original, but the margin gives relief. Psal. Yea all of them shall wax old like a garment;' here, and they shall all wax old as doth a garment." A little variety without difference, and that needless, the Greek text exactly expressing the Hebrew. And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up,' Donn, shalt thou change them.' The change of a vesture, whereunto the change of the heavens is compared, being by folding up, and laying aside, at least from former use; the apostle, instead of axažus, thou shalt change,' renders the word by ixus, thou shalt fold,' or roll them up: 7 7, et tu ipse, and thou art he;' xa ou à autos, and thy years shall have no end;' shall not fail, won, shall not consume." There is no question but that these words do sufficiently prove the pre-eminence of him of whom they are spoken, incomparably above all creatures whatever. Two things therefore are questioned by the enemies of the truth, contained in them. 1. Whether they were originally spoken at all of Christ, which the present Jews deny. 2. Whether they are spoken all of Christ, which is questioned by the Socinians. These inquiries being first satisfied, the words shall be opened, and the force of the apostle's argument from thence declared.

1. That what is spoken in this Psalm doth properly respect the Messiah, is denied by the present Jews. That it was owned by the ancient Hebrews is sufficiently evident from hence, that the apostle dealing with them on their own principles, urgeth them with the testimony of it. The Psalm also itself gives us light enough unto the same instruction. It is partly euctical, partly prophetical; both parts suited unto the condition of the church when the temple was wasted, and Sion lay in the dust during the Babylonish captivity. In the prophetical part there are three things signal.

1. The redemption of the people, with the re-edification of the temple, as a type of that spiritual temple and worship which was afterwards to be erected. As ver. 13. "Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion, for the time to favour her, yea the set time is come." And ver. 16. "When the Lord shall build Sion, he shall appear in his glory."

2. The calling of the Gentiles to the church and worship of God, ver. 15. "The heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory." Ver. 21, 22. “To

declare the name of the Lord in Sion, and his praise in Jerusalem, when the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms to serve the Lord."

3. Hereby the creation of a new people, a new world, is brought in ver. 18. "This shall be written for the generation to come, (the world to come,) and the people that shall be created (the new creation of Jews and Gentiles) shall praise the Lord." These are the heads of the prophetical part of the Psalm; and they all respect things which are every where peculiarly assigned unto the Son who was to be incarnate; or, which is all one, they respect the days of the Messiah.

1. The redemption and deliverance of the church out of trouble is his proper work. Wherever it is mentioned, it is he who is intended, Psal. lxxxix. 18. so signally, Zech. ii. 8-13. and other places innumerable.

2. The bringing in of the Gentiles is acknowledged by all the Jews to respect the time of the Messiah, it being he who was to be "a light unto the Gentiles, and the salvation of God unto the ends of the earth."

3. Also the generation to come, and people to be created, the Jews themselves interpret of the Nanohy, world to come,' or the new state of the church under the Messiah. These two last put together, the gathering of the people, and the world to come, created for the praise of God, makes it evident, that it is the Son whom the Psalmist hath respect unto.

Grotius in this place affirms, that the apostle accommodates unto the Messiah what was spoken of God. And he thinks it a sufficient argument to prove, the words were not spoken of the Messiah, because they were spoken of God: whereas they are produced by the apostle to prove his excellency from the properties and works of his divine nature. And he adds, as the sense of the words, as accommodated unto Christ, "Thou hast laid the foundation of the earth," that is, "the world was made for thy sake." But this interpretation, or violent detortion of the words, destroys itself. For if they are spoken of God absolutely, and not of the Messiah to whom they are accommodated, how can it be said that the world was made for his sake, and not by him? both senses of the words cannot be true. But this is indeed plainly to deny the authority of the apostle.

It appeareth then, that many things in this Psalm are spoken directly and immediately of the Son, though it be probable also that sundry things in it are affirmed distinctly of the person of the Father. And hence it may be, are those frequent variations of speech from the second to the third person, that occur in this Psalm.

2. As to the second inquiry, the Socinians, who grant the

divine authority of this epistle, and therefore cannot deny but that these words some way or other belong unto the Lord Christ, yet plainly perceiving that if they are wholly understood of him, there is an end of all their religion; (the creation, not of a new, but of that world which was made of old, and which shall perish at the last day, being here ascribed unto him) fix here upon a new and peculiar evasion. Some words, they say, of this testimony belong unto Christ, (so much they will yield to the authority of the apostle) but not all of them; whereby they hope to secure their own error. Now because if this pretence hold not, this testimony is fatal to their persuasion, I hope it will not be unacceptable, if in our passage we do consider the distribution they make of the words according to their supposition, and the arguments they produce for the confirmation of their exposition, as they are managed by Crellius or Schlictingius in their comment on this place.

1. He says, that this testimony doth so far belong unto Christ, as it pertaineth to the scope of the writer of the epistle. This Scripture,' saith he, as appears from ver. 4. is to prove, that after Christ sat down at the right hand of God, he was made more excellent than the angels; whereto the affirming that he made heaven and earth doth no way conduce.'

Answ. 1. Suppose that to be the scope of the apostle which is intimated; how doth this author know that it suits not his purpose to shew that the Lord Christ is God, by whom heaven and earth were made, seeing it is manifest that himself thought otherwise, or he had not produced this testimony thereof. 2. The testimony is not unsuited unto the scope pretended. For whereas in the administration of his office, the Son was apparently for a while made lower than the angels, he may in these words discover the equity of his after exaltation above them, in that in his divine nature and works he was so much more excellent than they. 3. The true and proper design of the apostle we have before evinced, which is to prove the excellency of the person by whom the gospel was revealed, and his preeminence above men and angels, which nothing doth more unquestionably demonstrate than this, that by him the world was created; whence the assignation of a divine nature unto him doth undeniably ensue.

6

2. To promote this observation, he adds a large discourse about the use and application of testimonies out of the Old Testament in the New, and says, that they are made use of by the writers of it, either because of some agreement and likeness between the things intended in the one and the other, or because of some subordination. In the former way, that which is spoken of the type, is applied unto the antitype; and sometimes for likeness sake, that which was spoken of one thing is