,רוח הקדוש or כתובים books historical) and the latter ; and

books written by inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Of the ground of which distinction see Kimchi in his preface to the Psalms. Their mistake lies in this, that prophecy consists principally in, and is distinguished into several degrees, by the manner of revelation; as by dreams, visions, appearances of angels or men, and the like. But as 3, a prophet, and N, prophecy, are of a larger signification than that pretended, as appears from Num. xi. 29. 1 Sam. x. 5. 1 Chron. xxv. 1-3.; so that which made any revelation to be prophecy in that sense, as to be an infallible rule for the guidance of the church, was not the means of communicating it to the prophets, but that inspiration of the Holy Ghost which impianted in their minds, and gave forth by their tongues or pens, that which God would utter in them, and by them, 2 Pet. i. 20, 21.

In answer unto this speaking of God in the prophets, it is asserted, that in the revelation of the gospel, God spake in his Son, . This is the main hinge on which all the arguments of the apostle in the whole epistle do turn; this bears the stress of all the inferences afterwards by him insisted on. And therefore having mentioned it, he proceeds immediately unto that description of him, which gives evidence to all that he draws from this consideration. Now because no one argument of the apostle can be understood, unless this be rightly stated, we must of necessity insist somewhat largely upon it; and unto what we principally intend, some previous observations must be premised.

1. I take it at present for granted, that the Son of God appeared unto the prophets under the Old Testament. Whether ever he spake unto them immediately, or only by the ministry of angels, is not so certain. It is also granted, that there was in vision sometimes signs or representations of the person of the Father, as Dan. vii. But that the Son of God did chiefly appear to the fathers under the Old Testament, is acknowledged by the ancients, and is evident in Scripture: see Zech. ii. 8-11. And he it was who is called the angel, Exod. xxiii. 20, 21. The reason that is pleaded by some, that the Son of God was not the angel there mentioned, namely, because the apostle says, that "To none of the angels was it said at any time, Thou art my Son, this day I have begotten thee," which could not be affirmed, if the Son of God were that angel, is not of any force. For notwithstanding this assertion, yet both the ancient Jews and Christians generally grant, that it is the Messiah that is called the angel of the covenant, Mal. iii. 1. though the modern Jews foolishly apply that name to Elias, whom they fancy to be present at circumcision, which they take to be the covenant; a privilege, as they say, granted him up

on his complaint, that the children of Israel had forsaken the covenant, 1 Kings xix. 14. that is, as they suppose, neglected circumcision. The apostle therefore speaks of those who were angels by nature, and no more, and not of him who being Jehovah the Son, was sent of the Father, and is therefore called his angel or messenger, being so only by office. And this appearance of the Son of God, though not well understanding what they say, is acknowledged by sundry of the Post-talmudical Rabbins. To this purpose very considerable are the words of Moses Gerundensis, on Exod. xxiii. Iste Angelus si rem ipsam dicamus, est Angelus Redemptor, de quo scriptum est, quoniam nomen meum in ipso est. Ille inquam Angelus qui ad Jacob dicebat, Ego Deus Bethel. Ille de quo dictum est, et vocabat Mosen Deus de rubo. Vocatur autem Angelus quia mundum gubernat. Scriptum est enim eduxit nos ex Ægypto. Præterea scriptum est, et Angelus faciei salvos fecit eos. Nimirum ille Angelus qui est Dei facies; de quo dictum est, facies mea præibit et efficiam ut quiescas; denique ille Angelus est de quo vates, subito veniet ad templum suum Dominus quem vos quæritis, Angelus fæderis quem cupitis. The angel, if we speak exactly, is the angel the Redeemer, of whom it is written, my name is in him; that angel which said unto Jacob, I am the God of Bethel. He of whom it is said, God called unto Moses out of the bush. And he is called the angel, because he governeth the world. For it is written, "Jehovah brought us out of Egypt;" and elsewhere, "He sent his angel, and brought us out of Egypt." And again, it is written, "And the angel of his presence (face) saved them;, namely, the angel which is the presence (face) of God; of whom it is said, my presence (face) shall go before thee, and I will cause thee to rest:" lastly, that angel of whom the prophet speaks, the Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to his temple, the angel of the covenant whom you desire.' To the same purpose speaks the same author on Exod. xxxiii. 14. "My presence shall go before thee;" Animadverte attente quid ista sibi velint. Moses enim et Israelitæ semper optaverunt Angelum primum; cæterum, quis ille esset vere intelligere non potuerunt. Neque enim ab aliis percipiebant, neque prophetica_notione satis assequebantur. Atqui facies Dei ipsum significat DeumAnd again, Facies mea præcedet, hoc est, Angelus fœderis quem vos cupitis. 'Observe diligently what is the meaning of these words; for Moses and the Israelites always desired the principal angel, but who he was they could not perfectly understand: for they could neither learn it of others, nor attain it by prophecy, but the presence of God is God himself. "My presence (face) shall go before thee;" that is, the angel of the covenant whom ye desire.' Thus he: to which purpose others also of them do speak; though how to reconcile these things

to their unbelief in denying the personality of the Son of God they know not. This was the angel whose 17, Moses prayed for on Joseph, Deut. xxxiii. 16. and whom Jacob made to be the same with the "God that fed him all his days,” Gen. xlviii. 15, 16. whereof we have treated largely before. The Son of God having from the foundation of the world undertaken the care and salvation of the church, he it was who immediately dealt with it in things which concerned its instruction and edification. Neither doth this hinder but that God the Father may be, or that in this place he is asserted to be, the fountain of all divine revelation.

2. There is a difference between the Son of God revealing the will of God in his divine person to the prophets, of which we have spoken, and the Son of God as incarnate, revealing the will of God immediately to the church. This is the difference here insisted on by the apostle. Under the Old Testament the Son of God in his divine person, instructed the prophets in the will of God, and gave them that spirit on whose divine inspiration their infallibility did depend, 1 Pet. i. 11. but now in the revelation of the gospel, taking his own humanity, or our nature hypostatically united unto him, in the room of all the internuncii or prophetical messengers he had made use of, he taught it immediately himself.

There lies a seeming exception unto this distinction in the giving of the law; for as we affirm, that it was the Son by whom the law was given, so in his so doing he spake immediately to the whole church, Exod. XX. 22. The Lord said, "I have talked with you from heaven." The Jews say, that the people understood not one word of what was spoken, but only heard a voice, and saw the terrible appearances of the majesty of God, as ver. 18.; for immediately upon that sight, they removed and stood afar off; and the matter is left doubtful in the repetition of the story, Deut. v. 4. It is said indeed, "The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount;" but yet neither do these words fully prove that they understood what was spoken, and as it was spoken, but only that they clearly discovered the presence of God delivering the law: for so are those words expounded in ver. 5. "I stood," saith Moses, "between the Lord and you at that time, to shew you the word of the Lord, for you were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;" that is, you understood not the words of the law, but as I declared them unto you; and it being so, though the person of the Son caused the words to be heard, yet he spake not immediately to the whole church but by Moses. But secondly, we shall afterwards shew, that all the voices then heard by Moses or the people, were formed in the air by the ministry of angels, so that they heard not the immediate voice

of God. Now in the last days did the Lord take that work into his own hands, wherein from the foundation of the world he had employed angels and men.

3. Though the apostle's argument arise not immediately from the different ways of God's revealing himself to the prophets, and to Christ; but in the difference that lies in his immediate speaking unto us in Christ the Son, and his speaking unto the fathers in the prophets, yet that former difference also is intimated by him, in his affirming, that he spake to them variously or diversly, as hath been declared, and therefore we must consider that also; and herein we are to obviate the great Judaical prejudice against the gospel, to which end observe,

1. That though the apostle mentions the prophets in general, yet it is Moses whom he principally intends. This is evident in the application of this argument which he makes in particular, ch. iii. 3. where he expressly prefers the Lord Jesus before Moses by name, in this matter of ministering to the church in the name of God. For whereas, as was before intimated, the apostle manages this thing with excellent wisdom in this epistle, considering the inveterate prejudices of the Hebrews in their adhering unto Moses, he could not mention him in particular, until he had proved him whom he preferred above him, to be so excellent and glorious, so far exalted above men and angels, that it was no injury to the reputation of Moses to be esteemed inferior to him.

2. That the great reason why the Jews adhered so pertinaciously unto Mosaic institutions, was their persuasion of the unparalelled excellency of the revelation made to Moses. This they retreated unto, and boasted of, when they were pressed with the doctrine aud miracles of Christ, John ix. 28, 29. And this was the main foundation in all their contests with the apostles, Acts xv. 1. xxi. 21. 28. And this at length they have made a principal root or fundamental article of their faith, being the fourth of the thirteen articles of their creed; namely, that Moses was the most excellent and most sublime among the prophets, so far above that excellency, that degree of wisdom and honour which men may attain unto, that he was equal to angels. This Maimonides, the first disposer of their faith into fundamental articles, expounds at large, More Nebuch. p. 2. cap. 39. Declaravimus, saith he, quod prophetia Mosis doctoris nostri ab omnium aliorum prophetiis differat; dicemus nunc quod propter solam illam apprehensionem ad legem vocati sumus; quia nempe vocationi illi qua Moses nos vocavit similis neque antecessit ab Adamo primo ad ipsum usque, neque etiam post ipsum apud ullum prophetam secuta est; sic fundamentum Legis nostræ est quod in æternum finem non sit habitura vel abolenda, ac proptera, etiam ex sententia nostra, alia lex nec unquam fuit, nec erit præter unicam hanc Legem Mosis doctoris nostri. • We have declared that the pro

phecy of Moses our master, differeth from the prophecies of all others; now we shall shew that upon the account of this persuasion alone,' (namely of the excellency of the revelation made to Moses,) we are called to the law. For from the first Adam to him, there was never any such call' (from God) as that wherewith Moses called us, nor did ever any such ensue after him. Hence it is a fundamental principle of our law, that it shall never have an end, or be abolished, and therefore, also it is our judgment that there was never any other' (divine) law, nor ever shall be but only this of our master Moses.' This is their present persuasion, it was so of old. The law and all legal observances are to be continued for ever: other way of worshipping God there can be none: and this upon the account of the incomparable excellency of the revelation made to Moses.

To confirm themselves in this prejudicate apprehension, they assign a fourfold pre-eminence to the prophecy of Moses above that of other prophets, and these are insisted on by the same Maimonides, in his explication of cap. x. Tractat. Sanedr. and by sundry others of them.

1. The first they fix on is this,' That God never spake to any prophet immediately, but only to Moses,' to him he spake without angelical mediation. For so he affirms that he spake to him, 5, "mouth to mouth," Num. xii. 8.

2. All other prophets,' they say, received their visions either in their sleep, or presently after their sleep, but Moses in the day time standing between the cherubims, Exod. xxix. 42. And,

3. That when other prophets received their visions or revelations, although it was by the mediation of angels, yet their nature was weakened by it, and the state of their bodies, by reason of the consternation that befel them, Dan. x. 8. but Moses had no such perturbation befalling him when the Lord spake to him, but it was with him, as when "a man speaks unto his friend.""

4. That other prophets had not inspirations and answers from God at their own pleasures, but sometimes were forced to wait long, and pray for an answer before they could receive it. But Moses was wont when he pleased to say, "Stay and I will hear what God will command you," Num. ix. 8.' So they.

And to reconcile this to what is elsewhere said, that he could not see the face of God and live, they add, that he saw God not immediately but poor, in speculo or speculari, (a word formed from the Latin,) in a glass,' an expression which the apostle alludes to 1 Cor. xiii. 12. only they add vwnjin n

other prophets saw through איספקלריות היו הנביאים רואים but Moses • ומשה ראה מתוך ספקלריא אחת,nine perspectives