to a person who in a place of eminency, hath given so fair an example of a singular conjunction in himself, of civil prudence, and all manner of useful literature, with their mutual subserviency unto each other; an endeavour whereof, the wisdom of all ages hath esteemed needful, though few individuals have attained unto it. For whereas a defect in learning, hath tempted some, otherwise prudent and wise in the management of affairs, unto a contempt of it; and skill therein hath given unto others a mistaken confidence, that it alone is sufficient for all the ends of human life, an industrious attempt, for a furnishment of the mind with a due mixture of them both, hath been greatly neglected, to the no small disadvantage of human affairs. It cannot therefore seem strange, nor ought any to be offended, that one who dares profess a great honour unto, and admiration of both these endowments of the mind of man, should express them with that respect, which alone he is capable to give unto him, who in a place of eminent trust and employment, hath given a singular instance of their happy conjunction, and readiness to coalesce in the same mind, to enable it unto a regular and steady pursuit of their common ends. Whether I shall by this address attain that end or no, I know not; but this is that which principally I aimed at therein and to the reason whereof I leave the judgment of my undertakings. But yet I may not omit, that your favour hath also given me particular grounds for this confidence; and such as have been prevalent against those impressions of discouragements, which I am naturally very liable to admit of and receive. Your candid

esteem of some former endeavours in this kind (and which when carried without the verge of those lines of communication, within whose compass men and their writings are judged by party and scarce otherwise, have received a fair acceptance in the world) were no small encouragement unto me, not to desert those wearisome labours which have no other reward or end, but the furtherance of public good; especially having this only way left me to serve the will of God, and the interest of the church in my generation. It was also through the countenance of your favour, that this and some other treatises have received warrant to pass freely into the world; which though I am uncertain of what advantage they may be unto any, by reason of their own defects, and the prejudices of others; yet I want not the highest security, that there is nothing in them tending to the least disadvantage unto those, whose concernment lies in peace and truth in these nations.

For the treatises themselves, which I desire herewith to represent to some of your leisure hours, [ shall not offend against the public service, in detaining you with an account of them. Their subject matter, as to its weight, worth and necessity, will speak for itself; the main objects of our present faith, and principal foundations of our future expectations, our pleas and evidences for a blessed eternity, are here insisted on. And whether the temptation, opi. nions, and bold presumptions of many in these days, do not call for a renewed consideration and confirmation of them, is left to the judgment of persons in

different, and unprejudiced; the manner of their handling is submitted unto yours, which is highly and singularly esteemed, by

SIR,

Your most humble

and obliged Servant,

March 20, 1667:

JOHN OWEN.

PREFACE.

IF

CHRISTIAN READER,

F thou intendest to employ any part of thy time in the perusal of the ensuing Discourses and Exposition, it may not be amiss to take along with thee the consideration of some things concerning the design and aim of their author, in the writing and publishing of them. It is now sundry years since I purposed, if God gave life and opportunity, to endeavour, according to the measure of the gift received, an Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews. A subject this was, I then knew, and now acknowledge, in which many eminent and learned men, both of old and of late, had laboured much. In particular, some entire Commentaries, composed with good judgment, and to very good purpose, have been published in our own language. Yea, from him who first began a serious Exposition of this Epistle, and whom none in all things have to this day exceeded, there have passed few ages wherein some or other have not endeavoured the explication of it. And this also hath been done by men of all sorts and parties, of all persuasions and opinions in Christian religion; an account of whose several endeavours shall elsewhere be given. Somewhat there was of encouragement unto me in my designed undertaking, and somewhat of quite another tendency, in this consideration.

The help which I might receive from the sedulous labours of so many learned men, and those in times, places, principles, distant and distinguished from each other; as also managing their common design with great variety as to particular intentions; I looked on as a matter of no small advantage unto me. Some I found had critically examined many of the words, phrases and expressions of the writer; some compared his quotations with the places in the Old Testament from whence they are taken. Some had endeavoured an analysis of the several discourses of the author, with the nature and force of the arguments insisted on by him. The labours of some were to apply the truths contained in the Epistle unto practice; others have collected the difficulties which they observed therein, and scanned them in a scholastical way, with objections and solutions after their manner. Others had an especial regard unto the places, whose sense is controverted amongst the several parties at variance in Christian religion; all in their way and manner endeavouring to give light to the intentions of the

Holy Ghost, either in particular passages, or in the whole Epistle. The helps and advantages in the investigation of the mind of God, which by their labours might be obtained; I looked on as a great encouragement to undertake the same work with them, and to promote the light of truth thereby.

But on the other side, no small objection unto the whole work and design did hence also arise. For it might seem to some altogether needless to engage in that, in which so many had already been employed, to the great profit and edification of the church. And nothing can or ought more justly to weaken and take off the resolution of any man in this kind of undertaking than that it is needless. For whatever is so, will also thereby be useless, and because useless, burdensome. This consideration, I confess, did for a long time deter me from executing my purpose, of casting my mite into this sanctuary. But yet after I had made a thorough perusal of all the Comments, Expositions, Annotations, or Observations on the Epistle, which by any means I could obtain; sundry considerations led me to return again to my former thoughts and resolutions. For, first, I found the excellency of the writing to be such; the depth of the mysteries contained in it to be so great; the compass of the truth asserted, unfolded and explained so extensive and so diffused through the whole body of Christian religion; the usefulness of the things delivered in it so important, and indispensably necessary; as that I was quickly satisfied that the wisdom, grace and truth treasured in this sacred store-house, are far from being exhausted and fully drawn forth by the endeavours of all that are gone before us. So far did these truths then seem from being all perfectly brought forth to light by them; that I was assured that there was left a sufficient ground, not only for renewed investigation after rich ore in this mine for the present generation, but for all them that shall succeed till the consummation of all things. For we find in human sciences, that no ability, no industry, no combination of the most happy wits for their improvement in former ages, hath hindered persons of ingenuity and learning in the present day from adding considerably in several kinds unto their respective advancement. Nor shall the sedulity of this age in the furtherance of these sciences, be ever able to bring them to any such perfection, as to condemn succeeding generations to the slothful and servile drudgery of the mere perusal of their dictates and prescriptions, and so by their inventions leave to others only the use of their memories. If new discoveries are thus constantly making in human science, how much more may we expect, that renewed researches will advance the spiritual knowledge of the things of God, whose stores are absolute