ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE READER, by the editor.

THE Author of this work had written upon the title of that munuscript

volume, which contained the epistle to the Romans, the following direction; "N. B. If I die before this work is finished, as it is most probable I shall, I desire that it may be transcribed, as far as it goes, by Mr. Orton; and that he would add such notes as he shall judge most proper, from my written critical notes on the epistles; and that it may be printed, by subscription, in one, two, or three volumes, as shall be judged most convenient, and according to the progress which Providence may permit me to make in it. Jan. 1, 1746-7.”— I think it therefore incumbent upon me to inform the subscribers what progress the author had made in this work, and what has been done to it since his death in order to remove those suspicions which often arise concerning the authenticity of posthumous works.

When it pleased God to put a period to the author's life and labours, he had finished his paraphrase and improvement of the epistolary part of the New Testament, and of the book of the Revelation, and fairly wrote it out in shorthand; and had added the principal notes which he intended to publish. At the end of the manuscript-volume containing the Revelation, he had wrote, "Through the good hand of God upon me, which I desire most thankfully to acknowledge, I ended the first copy of the Family Expositor, Dec. 31, 1748, exactly two years after I began to write upon the Romans; having pursued it, during that time, without the interruption of one single day; such health and such resolution did it please God to give me, amidst the various scenes of busi ness, danger, and amusement, through which I passed! May his grace raise to himself a monument of praise from this feeble effort to explain, illustrate, and enforce his word !"—And under-" I ended my notes on the books I had thus paraphrased and improved, Aug. 21, 1749, having daily pursued the work in like manner, whether at home or abroad."-He had transcribed for the press, the paraphrase, improvements, and notes, of the two first volumes, as now published; the paraphrase and improvements of the epistle to the Hebrews, and the two first epistles of John,-The notes on these three epistles, together with the paraphrase, improvements, and notes, on the remaining epistles, and the Revelation, were transcribed from his short-hand copy, by my own hand, or under my inspection, by some of his pupils; and I carefully revised the transcript several times, and compared it with his short-hand copy.-I can assure the subscribers, that the utmost caution has been used, that no one sentiment of the author should be suppressed or changed, and only such expressions varied, as to avoid tautology, and for the sake of prespicuity and accuracy, it might be presumed the author would have varied, had he transcribed this part of

VOL. X.

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the

ADVERTISEMENT.

the work, and given it his finishing hand. In the margin of the short-hand copy, he had wrote hints of some alterations to be made in the phraseology and length of some sentences, as well as of notes he intended to add when he transcribed it for the press. I have endeavoured to follow these hints in the best manner I could; and accordingly a few notes have been added to vindicate or illustrate his version or paraphrase, and references inserted to other critics; most of which were taken from his notes, according to the directions mentioned above. On the whole, I hope the attentive reader, who is acquainted with his style and spirit, will discover nothing in the latter part of the work unsui. table to either; and will join with me in thankfulness to God, who spared his life till he had completed this important and useful undertaking.

There is one occurrence relating to it, which my own judgment, and that of many of the author's friends, forbid me to conceal, and the rather, because it has been greatly misrepresented. During the author's life) in June 1750) a fire occasioned by a wax-candle being left on his writing-desk, broke out in his study, and consumed many of his papers, and part of one volume of the short hand copy of this work; but the light of the fire being providentially discover ed by an opposite neighbour, who gave an immediate alarm, it was speedily extinguished. When the author was informed of this accident, he seemed most anxious about the preservation of this manuscript; and when the flames were extinguished, to his great joy and surprise, it appeared that the part of this volume, and that only which was destroyed, had been transcribed, and the transcript lay in another place out of danger, and all the untranscribed pages were perfectly legible, and only the edges of them singed. Being an eyewitness of the danger and deliverance, I record this account of it, partly for the satisfaction of the subscribers with regard to the exaggerated report, but chiefly as it seems to denote a particular care of Providence in preserving this work, and a favourable omen, that God intends it for extensive and lasting usefulness. Whoso is wise, and will observe such things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. Psalm cvii. 43.

In the name of the author's family, I heartily thank the subscribers for their encouragement of this work, and the gentlemen who have kindly superintended the press; and I pray that it may answer those pious and benevolent ends for which it was composed and is now published,

Salop, Nov. 21, 1755.

J. ORTON.

A

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

TO THE

PARAPHRASE AND NOTES

ON THE

EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

LEARNED

EARNED men have been divided in their opinions concerning the author of this celebrated epistle. It hath been ascribed to St. Luke, to Barnabas, and to Clement of Rome. But though some considerable persons have given the sanction of their authority to the several opinions I have mentioned, yet the most prevailing one among the ancients was, and among the moderns still is, that this epistle is a genuine work of St. Paul. Among those who believe that St. Paul was its author, there are some indeed who imagine it was written by him in the Hebrew or Syriac language, and translated into Greek either by St. Luke or Clement. And it is certain there was such an ancient tradition, mentioned by Clemens Alexandrinus, Eusebius, and Jerom. And there are arguments in support of all the particular hypotheses concerning the author of the epistle, the language in which it was originally written, and the person who translated it into Greek; I say, there are various arguments in favour of all these different opinions, taken from similarity of style, the use of particular words, and the manner of composition. But I apprehend, whoever carefully considers the observations that have been made by very learned men, upon the language of St. Paul, of Luke, or Clement, in defence of their respective hypotheses, will conclude, that such arguments are very little to be depended upon, as they frequently are much indebted to a strong imagination, and in the present case, appear to be urged with equal plausibility on all sides.

I have already given my opinion, that St. Paul was the author of this epistle, (Vol. VIII. sect. 60. note ;) and that because the current of antiquity, though not the authority of every individual father, runs strongly this way; Jerom expressly asserts, that the epistle to the Hebrews had been received as St. Paul's by all the

L 2

Greek

Greek writers. And though this epistle wants one characteristic of St. Paul's other epistles, the prefixing his name, and his usual form of inscription; for a very obvious reason, that he might not too early awaken the prejudices the Jewish converts had conceived against him; yet it might be easy to collect from the epistle itself; some strong intimations that St. Paul was its author.

It is of less importance in what language it was originally writ ten, if the translation were made, (as the tradition says,) by some companion and fellow-labourer of St. Paul. Though it should be considered, that the presumption lies on the side of our present Greek copy, that it is an original, and not a translation; and therefore the arguments which induce any to be of a contrary opinion, should be very strong and convincing. If the reader should be inclined to examine this matter more accurately, he may consult Spanheim's Dissertation concerning the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, particularly part iii. chap. 2, concerning the language* and the learned Mr. Hallet's Introduction to his Supplement to Mr. Pierce's Paraphrase; which Mr. Wolfius hath translated into Latin, and published at the close of the 4th volume of his Cura Philologica, with some of his own remarks and strictures in the margin. As for the date of this epistle, I am of opinion it was about the year 63, while St. Paul was imprisoned at Rome, or quickly after it. See Vol. VIII. sect. ix. notes, and compare Heb. xiii. 23.

;

This epistle was written to the Hebrews, or converts from Judaism to Christianity, who inhabited at least some one particular country, (as may be inferred from the apostle's saying, chap. xiii. 19, I beseech you rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner; and verse 13. Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty, with whom if he come shortly, I will see you.) And this country most probably was Judea, where the converts to Christianity from Judaism were almost incessantly persecuted by their unbelieving brethren, who tenaciously adhered to the constitution and ceremonies of the Mosaic law, which Christianity superseded. Now the manifest design of St. Paul in this epistle, is, "to confirm the Jewish Christians in the faith and practice of the gospel of Christ, which they might be in danger of deserting, either through the insinuations or ill-treatment of their persecutors.'

It was natural for the zealous defenders of the Mosaic law to insist upon the Divine authority of Moses, the distinguishing glory and majesty which attended its first promulgation by the ministry of angels, and the special privileges with which it invested those who adhered to it. In answer to all arguments and insinuations of this kind, the apostle shews,

I. That in all these several articles, Christianity had an infinite superiority to the law. Which topic he pursues from chap. i. to xi. Reminding the believing Hebrews, That it was a most extraordinary

Fred. Spanheim. Op. Tom. ii. p. 245, &c.

To the Epistle to the Hebrews.

ordinary favour, that God had sent them a revelation by his own Son, whose glory was far superior to that of angels, (chap. i. throughout;) very naturally inferring from hence the danger of despising Christ on account of his humiliation, which in perfect consistence with his dominion over the world to come, was voluntarily submitted to by him for wise and important reasons: particularly to deliver us from the fear of death, and encourage the freedom of our access to God; (chap. ii. throughout.) With the same view he further magnifies Christ as superior to Moses their great legislator; and from the sentence passed on those who rebelled against the authority of Moses, infers the danger of despising the promises of the gospel; chap. iii. 1-13. And as it was natural from hence, to call to mind that rest in Canaan to which the authority wherewith Moses was invested was intended to lead them, the apostle cautions them against the sin of unbelief, as what would prevent their entering into rest: an expression, which he shows to refer to a nobler state of rest than what the Jews enjoyed in Canaan, even on their most sacred days, and in their most prosperous ages: (chap. iii. 14.-iv. 21.) Further inforcing this caution by awful views of the omniscience of God, and animating representations of the character of Christ as our High Priest, of whose Divine appointment, gracious administration, and previous suffering, he goes on to discourse, and promises further illustrations of so important a topic; (chap. iv. 12, to the end; chap. v. throughout.) Declaring that he would advance to sublimer truths without dwelling upon the first principles, for the sake of those who might have apostatized from Christianity; and whose case he represents as very hopeless; (chap. vi. 1-9.) And then for the establishment and comfort of sincere believers, he sets before them the consideration of the goodness of God, and his fidelity to his sacred engagements, the performance of which is sealed by the entrance of Christ into heaven as our Forerunner; (chap. vi. 9, to the end.) Further to illustrate the character of our blessed Lord, the Author and Finisher of our faith, he enters into a parallel between Melchizedec and Christ, as agreeing in title and descent; and from instances in which the priesthood of Melchizedec excelled the Levitical priesthood, he infers the surpassing glory of the priesthood of Christ to the priesthood under the law; (chap. vii. 1-17.) From these premises, which plainly manifested the defects of the Aaronical priesthood, he argues, that it was not only excelled, but vindicated and consummated by that of Christ, to which it was introductory and subservient; and by consequence, that the obligation of the law was henceforth dissolved; (chap. vii. 18, to the end.) He then recapitulates, what he had before demonstrated of the superior dignity of Christ as the High Priest of Christians, and further illustrates the distinguished excellence of that new covenant which was foretold by Jeremiah as established in him, and plainly inriched with much better promises than the old: (chap. viii, throughout.) Illustrating further the doctrine of the priesthood and intercession of Christ, by comparing it to what the Jewish high priest did on the great day of atonement; (chap.

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ix.