Sermon I
God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the
fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.
HEB. I. 1, 2.
I will not spend much time to shew who is the author of this Epistle, which indeed among divines is doubtful ; our translation hath prefixed Paul s name to it, being most probable that it is his. And though the author of it be not certainly known, yet it is not to be excluded from the
canon, for there are other books of Scripture that the authors of them are not known, or at least not prefixed by themselves ; as the Epistles of John, his name is not mentioned in them ; prefixed it is by the church, from one
age to another, known by the style that it is his. The reason why I chose
to speak out of this epistle is, because it doth mention and speak of Christ and of his offices, but especially of his priesthood, more than any other book of Scripture I know. I will not profess an exact handling of all
things therein contained, but raise here and there some observations and meditations.
The scope of the apostle may appear, if we consider to whom he wrote ; he wrote to the Hebrews, which were* Jews. He did not write to the Hebrews not yet converted, as may appear by all the passages in the whole
Epistle. But he spake to those that had been already enlightened and knew Christ, that had entertained the doctrine of the gospel. And this we may observe, that no book of the Scripture was written to any other but
professors, believers, not to unbelievers. Now the Jews did stick most to the law, ceremonies, and legal sacrifices, all which were but types of Christ, and they were ignorant of the true excellency, nature, worth, and prero
gative of Christ revealed to them, and especially of his priesthood and
sacrifice which he offered up above all the rest. The apostle s scope is to setup the gospel above the law, to raise up their hearts to a high esteem of Christ, to shew that Christ was the end of the ceremonial law ; so that all types should now cease. And because he wrote
to the Jews in that regard, whatsoever he doth speak he doth prove out of
* That is, who once were, or who had been. ED.
526 THREE SERMONS ON HEB. I. 1, 2.
the Old Testament through the whole book, and it is quoted upon all occa sions ; because the Old Testament had authority with the Jews, and he doth make everywhere now and then a short use of the doctrinal points he doth
deliver. He doth spend this chapter to prove that the Lord Jesus Christ was God as well as man, and he doth make this short use of it, chap, ii., ver. 1, Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard.
The first chapter doth prove that the Lord Jesus Christ is more than a man ; though he speaks something of him in this first chapter, which belongs to him only as God, yet all the rest that he speaks of him as mediator doth
argue him to be more than a man. The second chapter proves him to be man, so that as you have the scope of the two first chapters, so of the whole
epistle.
In the first verse he breaks in upon the argument of the whole epistle, being to advance the gospel, and Christ and the doctrine of the gospel, before the doctrine of the law, and that by reason of Christ revealed in it, and Christ revealing it.
He makes a comparison between the times of the law and the time of the
gospel, and he prefers the time of the gospel before the time of the law ; God spake unto the fathers by the prophets, but unto us by his Son. Now look, how much the Son of God doth exceed the prophets, so much the doctrine of the gospel the doctrine of the law ; and look, how much the
sun, which is the fountain of light, doth exceed the stars, and the light of the sun the light of the stars, so much doth the light that Christ hath
brought us in the gospel exceed the light of the law.
Secondly, he spake to the fathers but by degrees, oXv/frfff, by parcels ; they had a little light now, and anon a little more light, but they had not
all at once. But in the time of the gospel all is poured out to you at once.
Thirdly, under the time of the law the Lord did speak by several ways and manners, but now ye have but one way, and that a plain way. Before, in the Old Testament, he revealed himself obscurely, he was fain to mould
his speech into many forms. As men, when they have notions that are
something obscure, are fain to use several expressions to make them plain, so the law being dark and obscure, God was fain to deliver it several manner of ways, as in a riddle, by Urim and Thummim, by the prophets, &c. ; but now he speaks, plainly and clearly, by his Son ; therefore he is called the brightness of his glory, the image, the character, and lively expression of God.
Obs. 1. The same God that spake in the Old Testament speaks in the New ; he that spake to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he speaks to you now ; that God that spake by the prophets, speaks now by his Son ; therefore
certainly the faith of the fathers is not contradictory to the faith of
us. Heb. xiii., Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and the same
for ever ; the same Christ from the beginning of the world, the same God
that spake ; therefore all the promises that are in the Old Testament, ye may apply them all now. Why ? Because it is the same God which spake to
them, and speaks now to us ; that God that heard the prayers of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob in the Old Testament, and granted their petitions, with whom they were so familiar ; we may have fellowship with the same God. That promise that was made to Joshua in particular, I will not leave thee nor forsake thee, chap. i. the apostle, Heb. xi., doth apply to all believers ; and it is founded upon this, that the same God which spake in the Old
Testament, speaks in the New. Look over all the Old Testament, and look
SERMON I. 527
what a God you find him there, the same God you shall find him in the New. Look what punishments he brought on them of the old world, the same he will now. And look how he dealt with his servants, as he was
angry with Moses for a small sin, so in the same manner he will deal with
you, if you walk in the same ways. And as he pardoned men under the Old Testament, so also will he under the New. And as we have the same God, so we have the same faith, 2 Cor. iv. 13,
* We have the spirit of
faith, &c.
Obs. 2. Our great God doth not speak immediately unto men, but medi
ately by others. Before, he spake to men by his prophets, but now by his
Son, who took our nature upon him, that he might be a fit speaker. As we cannot see God and live, so we cannot hear God and live. The Lord, when he delivered his law, began first to speak himself, and the people hear his own voice, Deut. xviii. 15, 16, Exod. xx., but the people could not hear God s voice, for they said to Moses, Speak thou with us and we will hear ; but let not God speak with us, lest we die. They being sinners, as we are, they were not able to hear God from heaven, for his voice speaks thunder, and striketh dead. Upon this request that the people made to Moses, see what God says, Deut. xviii. 17, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. Therefore what will he do ? I will raise them np a prophet from amongst their brethren, &c. See his mercy ; upon their
request he takes an advantage of promising the Messias, being one of the
clearest promises that they had till now. It is true, he would send many prophets before, as forerunners of Christ, but in the end he would send
Christ, which should be a prophet like unto Moses, to speak unto them, &c. God doth take advantages to make promises, when the poor people did
shiver and quake, because God spake to them. What doth he promise ? He promises Christ. Thus the Lord takes a small occasion to make the
greatest promise of Christ.
Use 1. Therefore, seeing the Lord, when he doth speak, doth speak by others, and there is a great deal of reason for it, because it is your own re
quest, let not God fare the worse in delivering his word ; do not contemn it because men are fain to deliver it to you, for it is your own request. If he should speak himself, he would strike you dead at every word ; therefore do not take advantage because God doth not back it with thunder, but receive the word as the word of God ; for God himself would speak to you, if you were
able to bear him ; but because you are not, therefore he speaks by others. Use 2. It should teach ministers not to abuse God s voice ; they should take heed that they speak nothing but what God hath revealed. Though false
prophets speak what is contrary to God s will, and God bear for a while and doth not manifest his wrath (for he can for a while d: spenSG with himself), yet the time will come when God s wrath shall wax hot against them. They are not to abuse the people in venting their own thoughts instead of God s. For see what God says of such, Deut. xviii. 20, That prophet that shall
presume to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to
speak, even that prophet shall die.
Obs. 3. God spake in his prophets ; we translate it by them, but the ori
ginal is in them, sv xgopqrtuc* A king, though he be never so far off, and
is not by to back it, yet he may be said to speak by, though not in the am bassador ; but when the Lord speaks by his faithful ministers, he doth not
only sit in heaven, and speaks by them, but he speaks in them, assisting them ; he is in their hearts, and upon their tongue, and goes along with the word into the hearts of the hearers.
528 THREE SERMONS ON HEB. I. 1, 2.
Use. Let ministers therefore labour to get the Holy Ghost into their own
hearts, that he may not only speak by them (for so he doth by wicked men), but in them, that that Spirit which takes possession of them as saints may speak in them as ministers, that so the word which they deliver may be the
administration of the Spirit to the hearts of those that hear them.
Obs. 4. We come to the manner how God spake to them of old, he spake
woXvpsgug, by parcels, by piecemeal, by many parts, for so the word signi
fies. Ex. gr. The Lord at first brought in but one promise, and that ob
scure ; he let drop but one word to Adam in paradise of the promised seed. He gave only an intimation, a hint that there should a Messias come. Then he went on further, and when he came to Abraham he renewed
that promise, and added a little more, Heb. vi. 13, he added an oath ; and he shewed to Abraham, not only that he should be a man, but that he should come of his seed, and that
* in him all the nations of the
earth should be blessed ; thus he enlarged the former promise. But
all this while there was no sacrament ; here was a promise and an
oath, but no sacrament; then he goes on and gives Abraham circumci
sion, which answers to our baptism ; afterwards he adds the passover, which answers to the supper of the Lord ; and then he reveals to Moses
divers types of the ceremonial law. Then he reveals more clearly to David the resurrection and ascension of Christ ; then to Isaiah, that he should be born of a virgin, chap, liii.,* that he should be circumcised, that he should bear our sorrows, and be a man of sorrows, and pour out
his soul even unto death. Unto Zechariah he revealed his poverty, and unto Malachi his forerunner. Thus by piecemeals he reveals, not all at
once. The old world began with a little knowledge ; they had the worship of God and the sacrifices, and they knew the day of judgment, as Enoch
the seventh from Adam prophesied of it. .They knew some fundamental
truths, the grounds of faith, but they knew Christ by piecemeal. They knew something of themselves, because Adam fell bat the other day ; but
they knew little of Christ, that was revealed unto them by piecemeal.
Thus the Lord doth use to reveal himself ; he hath done thus with the church in general. Although he did reveal all, for the matter contained
in the New Testament, that shall be revealed to the end of the world, yet in regard of the light whereby this is discerned, God hath gone on by piece meal. Consider the recovery of the light of the gospel from under popery, how it was by piecemeal. Men at first knew but a little, their hearts were
only set against images and popery, they knew but a few pieces of the
truth ; but Wickliffe and John Huss went further. In Luther s time they knew justification by faith, and then popery fell down about Luther s ears, and he said, if they would grant that he would go ont further ; but when God had unreaved all the tiles, that popery was ready to be pulled down, then Calvin comes in, and more was revealed.
Thus God doth go on, croXu/z-ggwc, to reveal himself; and as he dealt with
the people of the Jews in regard of the matter, and as with us for the manner (for the Jews had the matter revealed to them by piecemeal, but we had the matter given at once, but the light whereby we discern this is,
/roXu///sg;), so with particular Christians, he doth discover to them first
themselves, and then they think that at their first conversion they see a
great deal in their hearts ; yet he goes on further to reveal more corruption unto them, and then he reveals Christ and his electing love to them, he
* Perhaps alluding to the expression, A root uot of a dry ground. ED.
t Qu. no ? ED.
SERMON I. 529
leads them like scholars through several forms ; and though at first in the
centre, they know all that is necessary to salvation, yet things are beaten out afterwards unto a circumference. They know enough of Christ at first
to save them, and of themselves enough to humble them ; yet God suffers the wheel to go over them again and again. In reading the Scripture, observe it ; read a chapter to-day, and when a man getteth his heart into a
spiritual frame he will see many truths ; let him read it the next day, and he will see something more, &c. : the reason is because God reveals himself
by piecemeal.
Reason. Because indeed men are incapable of all at once, John xvi. 12. Our Saviour, though he came to reveal all fulness, yet how incapable were the apostles to apprehend it. He was fain to deliver over some of them to the Comforter. Paul, when he came to preach to the Corinthians, 1 Cor.
iii. 2, he had many truths which he could not reveal unto them, for so long
as they were carnal they were not capable of all truths, but as the flesh is
emptying out of a man, so knowledge grows; so Isa. xxviii. 13, he was fain
to speak by piecemeal, line upon line, and precept upon precept ; as ye teach young children a little now and a little then, for they cannot endure
to be held long to their books ; so is God fain to do with his. And as in
teaching young scholars, what do tutors ? They do read over first a com
pendium, some short grounds of logic, and then another book which is a
systerna, and then direct them to such commentaries that do enlarge truths.
So God doth teach first by catechisms, which contain short fundamental
truths, and then he goes over many truths in a larger manner in their
hearts. A painter draws at the first but a few lines with a black coal ; he
will draw the shape of a man s face, but afterwards he goeth over it with
colours and oil ; so God doth with his church, and with private men, even as a master doth with his apprentice, he will not teach him all his knowledge at
first, but he reserves something, that happily he will not teach him before he be to go out of his trade, he teacheth him by degrees ; so God hath bound himself by covenant to teach you to know him ; but something ye shall not know till you are to go from under his tuition.
And this he doth, first, to humble his people ; he will have them know but in part. Though young converts have but a little knowledge, how proud are they
! Much more if they had all at once. And likewise, secondly, to shew the treasures in himself. In Christ are
treasures that will hold digging to the end of the world ; men would be
weary if they had the same light still, therefore God goes on to discover, though the same truth, yet with new and diverse lights. Thus God reveals himself by piecemeals.
Use 1. Let us labour to grow in knowledge ; God reveals himself by piecemeal, do not therefore stick in the first principles of religion ; it is the
apostle s exhortation to the Hebrews, chap. vi. There is a great deal of
ignorance, therefore labour to go on to perfection, and grow in Christ ; he
reveals himself by piecemeal, not as if he had already obtained ; therefore
there is more knowledge to be had ; the greatest part of that you know is
the least part of what you know not.
Use 2. It may teach ministers to raise the age that they live in, in know
ledge, though of the same truths, in a clearer manner, Mat. xiii. 52. It is
said he that is a right scribe, that is fit to do service in the church of God,
is like a householder, which bringeth forth things new and old ; there is no man but God discovereth to him more, or the same by a further light, than
to another.
VOL. v. L 1
530 THREE SERMONS ON HEB. I. 1, 2.
Use 3. It may humble young Christians, that think, when they are first
converted, that they have all knowledge, and therefore take upon them to censure men that have been long in Christ ; and out of their own experience they will frame opinions, comparing but a few notes together. Alas, ye know but a piece of what you shall know ! When you have been in Christ ten or twenty years, then speak ; then those opinions which you have now
will fall off, and experience will shew them to be false. They think them
selves as Paul, that nothing can be added unto them ; but what says Paul, 1 Cor. xiii. 11 ? When I was a child, &c. He takes a comparison from a child, as being a man, but raised up to his spiritual estate, and thou also
* put away childish things. Use 4. If God in former ages did reveal himself but by piecemeal, and if
wilt then
that piecemeal knowledge, which they had by inch and inch, did make them
holy ; for how holy was Enoch and Abraham that had but one promise ; then how much more holy should we be, that have had so full a discovery
If one promise wrought so much on their hearts, how much more should so many promises on ours ! Use 5. Here we see that God doth work on men by degrees. It is Solomon s comparison, that righteousness shineth as the dawning of the
day, till it come to perfect day. Conversion out of the state of nature into
the state of grace is called coming out of darkness into light. Now
light comes into the world by degrees. A man that sitteth up in the night, when the first break of day is he cannot discern ; but half, or a quarter of an hour after he begins to see light. Thus it is with many poor souls ;
they have light break in upon them ; they can tell that they were in dark
ness, but the instant when this light brake in they know not, because God
reveals himself by degrees.
I am now to shew how God reveals himself, croXurgo?rw. He did cast himself and his revelations into several moulds and shapes, into several
ways of expressing himself, that so he might reveal himself to the people. As Ulysses is called mX^rgwrfcE, because he had ingenium versatile, and w
ras
able to cast himself into several moulds in his several dealings with men, so likewise God hath revealed himself KoXvrgowg, after several ways.
Thus he did under the Old Testament. In Hos. xii. 10 it is said, that he multiplied visions, because he was various in it ; he used divers like
nesses and expressions of himself while he spake by the prophets. We have it more plain in Num. xii. 6,
* If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known to him in a vision, and will speak to him in
a dream. Thus you see that there are several ways that God did speak to men by, by visions and dreams, and in dark speeches ; but when he came
to Moses, who was a type of Christ (for he is said to be a type in this par
ticular, when it is said, I will raise up a prophet like unto thee ), it is
* mouth to mouth, as a man speaks to his friend, Num. xii. 8, he speaks to him in an apparent manner ; but by all the pro
said, that he spake to him
phets he did speak in dark speeches, in riddles. So in the vision of the
great eagle, Ezek. xvii. 2, it is called a riddle. He spake sometimes byvisions and sometimes by dreams ; yet the visions were more clear things than speaking by dreams ; therefore it is said, The young men shall see
visions, and the old men shall dream dreams ; the young men had more
acute parts, and therefore they had more clear revelation. Thus God
revealed himself to Joseph in dreams, and therefore he is called the dreamer, of his brethren ; yet it is called the word of God, Ps. cv. 19. So a hint
in prayer, when it comes in with evidence, it is the word of God, as that
SEKMON I. 531
was to Joseph. He did reveal himself by dreams, to shew, first, that he can do that which no other teacher in the world can ; for no teacher else can teach their scholar when they are asleep, but so the Lord did, and so he can still do. Secondly, he did it, to shew that, in revealing his message, reason should be asleep, and that should be subject to the revelation of God. He revealed himself likewise by visions, and in that regard the prophets are called Seers; and he revealed himself likewise by Urim and Thummim ;
only those revelations were not for matter of doctrine, but of practice, when
they were to deal in such and such a business. He revealed himself like wise by types ; all the ceremonial law was but types of things to come.
All these several ways did the Lord reveal himself to men in former times,
The reasons of it are these. Eeason 1. Because he would shew forth, as the apostle in another case, Eph. iii. 10,
* his manifold wisdom. It is the property and ability of a wise man to be able to represent himself several ways, and God hath always delighted so to do when he would reveal himself. He went two ways to work revealing himself: First, in the work of creation, Rom. i. 20, it is
said, that the invisible things of God are seen clearly, being understood by the things that are made, &c. ; yet this light is but a dark light. And
therefore, secondly, he revealed himself in the law, wherein the image of
his holiness, justice, and wisdom appeared. And these two things are the angels catechisms (as I may so call them), which they and the old world have studied a long time ; and in the end there came out another
edition of himself, and all that is in him, and that is the gospel ; and the
text saith that he hath done this, to shew forth his manifold wisdom. Thus God hath more ways than one to represent himself to the people.
Reason 2. Secondly, because there are varieties of apprehensions; one man
will be more taken by one way of revealing, and another by another. Thus the wise men were led to Christ by a star, God working on them according to their apprehensions. So the apostles, being fishermen, when they had
caught a great draught of fish, Christ spake to them in their own language, and said, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Now there
are several gifts in the church, which are but so many several ways of God s
revealing himself; aud as in ministers there are several gifts, so in the hearers there are several apprehensions ; some love a rousing ministry, others a more rational. As men s apprehensions are, so do they favour and relish men s gifts ; and because men have several apprehensions, there
fore hath he appointed several gifts. Thus God doth in converting men ; he converts one man by affliction, another man he converts by his word, another man by the good example that he sees in another: 1 Pet. iii. 1,
1 That they may, without the word, be won by the chaste conversation, &c. So that the Lord hath several ways to bring his work about, reveal
ing himself, cro>o/rgo-;rs, therefore. So God lets man fall into manifold
temptations, temptations of several sorts. God s dealings are exceeding various ; some men he humbles with afflictions, others he overcomes with mercies ; sometimes he deals in one way, and sometimes in another, so that if God hath given Christ to thee, thou ma}
Test not stand to think at what door thou enterest in, what wind blew thee into heaven, for God hath many ways to bring thee in.
Use. It should teach ministers thus much, to mould truths into several forms and shapes, because they have several apprehensions to speak to. Idem 2>otcst varie did, ct rere did. God himself used variety of similitudeg
532 THREE SERMONS ON HEB. I. 1, 2.
by his prophets, to this end, that he might speak to the people s apprehen-
hension. Thus we are to do, for God did it, vroKvrgoiruf. Christ used many parables to the same purpose, expressing faith to us under several
* eating of his flesh, and
expressions, as sometimes coming to Christ, by
drinking of his blood ; sometimes by trusting on him, and believing in him ; and why ? Because in believers there are several apprehensions. Eeceiving Christ, is the notion that expresseth the work of faith in one man ; in another, coming to Christ, is the notion that expresseth his
faith ; in another, eating Christ savours with his apprehension. Thus
Christ hath moulded it into several ways to suit several believers.
Again, it is said he spake by the prophets to the fathers. Those under
the Old Testament are called fathers, because they were first in Christ, as Eph. i. 12. It is an honour now to be an old convert, and therefore he
puts it in, who first trusted in Christ ; therefore they are renowned, and
their memory is everlasting. The saints under the New Testament, since
the apostles time, many or most of them, their memory is quite gone ; but because these were they that first believed, we have a record of all the
old worthies to the end of the world ; and they are called fathers. And
therefore it is an honour to be first in Christ, that so we may be patterns and examples to others ; and it is a great motive to turn and to come into
Christ soon, for it is said, They obtained a good report through their
faith, Heb. xi. ; for to begin to believe first, when there were few examples and encouragements before them, is a great honour to faith, and it gives faith a good report. Thus Adam believed, having but one promise ; and Abraham, being called out of a heathenish country, and having but few
* the
promises, he being the first example of all that believed, he is called
father of the faithful ; God honoured him for it. But these, though they are called fathers, yet in comparison of the times of the gospel, are called but children ; it is the apostle s expression, Gal. iv. 3. The privileges of men under the gospel are exceeding far above theirs ; though they were
fathers, yet those things are revealed unto us which were not unto them.
* they ministered unto us ; so likewise,
It is said in 1 Pet. i. 11, 12, that
though those that did live many of them more near the primitive times than we that live in these times, though we honour their memories and
call them fathers, yet we may truly say that there is more of the glory of
the gospel revealed to us, in the days of Reformation, than was to them.
Though they were fathers, and saw afar, yet we being set upon their backs, see further, though children.
And he mentions the fathers, because the Jews did so stick to the reli
gion of their fathers ; because Moses s law was given to their fathers, and was their religion. The apostle therefore, to take away this, because they stuck to religion simply because it was the religion of their fathers, says that God spake to them by the prophets, but to us by his Son. That may be revealed unto the children which was not unto the fathers ; so we
that live in these days have a greater and clearer light than our fathers
had, that lived under popery.
SERMON II. 533