CHRISTIAN READER,
IF thou intendest to engage 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 present publishing of them, which are here proposed unto thee. It is now sundry years since I purposed in myself, 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, much laboured in by many eminent and learned men, both of old and of late. 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 had compared his quotations with the places in the Old Testament from whence they were 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 improve the truths contained in the Epistle unto practice; others had 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 design 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 which so many had already gone through with, 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 in this kind of endeavours, than that they are 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 treasury. 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, I returned again, upon sundry considerations, unto my former thoughts and resolutions. For, first, I found the excellency of the writing to be such; the depths of the mysteries contained in it to be so great; the compass of the truth asserted, unfolded, and explained, so extensive and 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 storehouse, are so far from being exhausted and fully drawn forth by the endeavours of any or all that are gone before us, or from being all perfectly brought forth to light by them, as that I was assured there was left a sufficient ground and foundation, not only for renewed investigation after rich branches in this mine for the present generation, but for all them that shall succeed, unto the consummation of all things. For, if we find it thus in human sciences, that no ability, no industry, no combination of the most happy wits for their improvement, in former ages, hath precluded the way unto persons of ingenuity and learning to add considerably in several kinds unto their respective advancement,—nor shall the sedulity of this present age, in the furtherance and adorning of them, be ever able to bring them unto any such perfection as to condemn succeeding generations unto the slothful and servile drudgery of the mere perusal of their dictates and prescriptions, and so, by the use of their inventions, leave unto others only that of their memory,—how much more must we grant the same in things divine, and the spiritual knowledge of them, whose stores in this life are absolutely inexhaustible, and whose depths are not fully to be fathomed? Again; it is evident that the principal things asserted and taught in this Epistle,—such as is the doctrine of the person and the priesthood of Jesus Christ,—have received a more eager and subtile opposition since the labours and endeavours of the most in the exposition of it, than they had done before. And as this renders the vindication of the places wherein they are taught and asserted necessary, so it is not unknown, unto those who are conversant in these kinds of studies, what advantage may be obtained in the investigation of truth by the opposition that is made unto it, especially when that opposition is managed with a curious search into every word and syllable which may seem to give countenance unto it, as also in the sifting of every tittle and particle that stand in its way; which course of procedure the enemies of the truth mentioned have, with much art and industry, engaged themselves into. But that which most of all took off the weight of the discouragement that arose from the multiplied endeavours of learned men in this kind, was an observation that all of them, being intent on the sense of the words as absolutely considered, and the use of them to the present church, had much overlooked the direct respect and regard that the author had in the writing of this Epistle to the then past, present, and future condition of the Hebrews, or church of the Jews. Looking at these things as dead and buried, of no use in the present state of the church, they did either wholly neglect them, or pass them over in a light and perfunctory manner; nor, indeed, had many of them, though otherwise excellently well qualified, a competency of skill for the due consideration of things of that nature. But yet, those that shall seriously and with judgment consider the design of the writer of this Epistle, the time wherein he wrote it, the proper end for which it was composed, the subject-matter treated of in it, the principles he proceeds upon, and his manner of arguing, will easily perceive, that without a serious consideration of them it is not possible to come to a right comprehension, in many things, of the mind of the Holy Ghost therein. Many principles of truth he takes for granted, as acknowledged amongst the Hebrews during their former church-state, and makes them a foundation for his own superstructure; many customs, usages, ordinances, institutions, received sense of places of Scripture amongst the Jews, he either produceth or reflects upon; and one way or other makes use of the whole Mosaical economy, or system of divine worship under the law, unto his own purpose. The common neglect of these things, or slight transaction of them in most expositors, was that which principally relieved me from the fore-mentioned discouragement.
And this also was that which at length gave rise unto those Exercitations which take up the greatest part of the ensuing book. Some of them are, indeed, indispensably due to the work itself. Such are those which concern the canonical authority of the Epistle, the writer of it, the time of its writing, the phraseology of the author, with the way he proceeds in the quotations of testimonies out of the Old Testament, and some others of the same tendency. The residue of them were occasioned merely by the consideration before insisted on. Some great principles I observed that the apostle supposed, which he built all his arguings and exhortations upon; not directly proving or confirming the principles themselves, but as taking them for granted, partly from the faith of the Judaical church, and partly from the new revelation of the gospel, which those to whom he wrote did as yet admit of and avow. Such were these:—That there was a Messiah promised from the foundation of the world, to be a spiritual redeemer of mankind; that this Messiah was come, and had performed and accomplished the work assigned unto him for the end of their redemption; that Jesus of Nazareth was this Messiah. Not one line in the whole Epistle but is in an especial manner resolved into these principles, or deduced from them. These, therefore, I found it necessary to examine and confirm, to unfold, vindicate, and declare; that their influence into the apostle's discourse might be manifest, and his arguing from them be understood. It is true, I have so handled them as all along to represent the opinions of the incredulous, apostate Jews about them, and to vindicate them from the exceptions of their greatest masters, of old and of late; but he that shall look on these considerations and discourses as a matter only of controversy with the Jews, will but evidence his own weakness and ignorance in things of this nature. Who knows not that they are the very fundamental principles of our Christian profession, and which, because of that opposition that is made unto them, ought to be frequently inculcated and strongly confirmed? And if learned men find it, in this day, necessary for them to dispute for, to prove and vindicate, the very principles of natural theology, the being and attributes of God, the truth whereof hath left indelible characters of itself upon the minds of all the children of men, how much more necessary must it needs be to endeavour the confirmation and re-enforcement of those grand principles of supernatural revelation, which have no contribution of evidence from the inbred, inexpugnable light of nature, and yet are no less indispensably necessary unto the future condition of the souls of men than those others are! I am not therefore without hope that the handling of them, as it was necessary unto my design, so it will not be unacceptable unto the candid reader. For what is mixed in our discourses of them concerning Judaical customs, opinions, practices, expositions, interpretations of promises, traditions, and the like, will not, I hope, give distaste unto any, unless it be such as, being ignorant of them and unacquainted with them, will choose so to continue, rather than be instructed by them whom they would by no means have supposed to be in any thing more knowing than themselves. I doubt not, therefore, but our endeavours on that subject will be able to secure their own station as to their usefulness, both by the importance of the matters treated of in them, as also from the necessity of laying them as a sure foundation unto the ensuing Exposition of the Epistle itself.
Besides these general principles, there are also sundry other things, belonging to the Mosaical order and frame of divine worship, which the apostle either directly treateth of, or one way or other improves unto his own peculiar design. This, also, he doth sometimes directly and intentionally, and sometimes in transitu, reflecting on them, and as it were only calling them to mind, leaving the Hebrews to the consideration of what concerning them they had been formerly instructed in. Such is the whole matter of the priesthood and sacrifices of the law, of the tabernacle and utensils of it, of the old covenant, of the giving of the law, the commands, precepts, and sanctions of it, in its promises and threatenings, rewards and punishments. Hereunto, also, he adds a remembrance of the call of Abraham, with the state and condition of the people from thence unto the giving of the law, with sundry things of the like nature. Without a competent comprehension of and acquaintance with these things, and their relation to the will and worship of God, it is altogether in vain for any one to imagine that they may arrive unto any clear understanding of the mind of the Holy Ghost in this portion of Scripture.
Now, as I had observed that the consideration and explanation of them had been too much neglected by the generality of expositors, so I quickly found that to insist at large upon them, and according as their weight doth deserve, in the particular places wherein the mention of them doth occur, would too often and too much divert me from the pursuit of the especial design of the apostle in those places, and disenable the reader from carrying on the tendency of the whole in the perusal of it. To prevent both which inconveniencies I fixed upon the course the reader will find insisted on,—namely, to handle them all severally and apart in previous Exercitations.
Having given this general account of my design and purpose in the ensuing Discourses, some few requests unto the reader shall absolve him from further attendance in this entrance: First, I must beg his candid interpretation of the reporting of some of those Jewish fables and traditions which he will meet withal in some of the Exercitations. I could plead necessity and use, and those such as will evince themselves in the several places and passages of the discourses where they are reported; for they are none of them nakedly produced, to satisfy the curiosity of any, but either the investigation of some truth hidden under them and involved in them, or the discovery of their rise and occasion, or the laying open of the folly of the pretences of the present Jews in their unbelief, doth still accompany their recital: however, I will not rigidly justify the production of all and every of them, but put it amongst those things wherein the candour of the reader may have an opportunity to exercise itself. I must beg also of the learned reader a consideration of the state and condition wherein, through the good providence of God, I have been during the greatest part of the time wherein these Exercitations were written and printed; and I shall pray, in requital of his kindness, that he may never know by experience what impressions of failings, mistakes, and several defects in exactness, uncertainties, straits, and exclusion from the use of books, will bring and leave upon endeavours of this kind. And whatever defects he may meet withal, or complain of in these discourses, my design was, through the blessing of God, that he should have no cause to complain of want of diligence and industry in me. But yet I am sensible, in the issue, that many things may seem to represent that carelessness of mind, or precipitancy in writing, which is altogether unmeet to be imposed on men in this knowing age. But whatever other reflections I may be obnoxious unto, for the want of ability and judgment, —which in me are very small in reference to so great an undertaking,—I must crave of the reader to believe that I would not willingly be guilty of so much importune confidence as to impose upon him things trite, crude, and undigested, which either ordinary prudence might have concealed, or ordinary diligence have amended. Whatever, therefore, of that kind may appear unto him, I would crave that it may be laid upon the account of the condition which I have intimated before.
For the Exposition of the Epistle itself, whereof I have given here a specimen in the first two chapters, I confess, as was said before, that I have had thoughts for many years to attempt something in it, and in the whole course of my studies have not been without some regard thereunto. But yet I must now say, that, after all searching and reading, prayer and assiduous meditation on the text have been my only reserve, and far most useful means of light and assistance. By these have my thoughts been freed from many and many an entanglement, which the writings of others on the same subject had either cast me into, or could not deliver me from. Careful I have been, as of my life and soul, to bring no prejudicate sense unto the words, to impose no meaning of my own or other men upon them, nor to be imposed on by the reasonings, pretences, or curiosities of any, but always went nakedly to the word itself, to learn humbly the mind of God in it, and to express it as he should enable me. To this end I always in the first place considered the sense, meaning, and importance of the words of the text; and the consideration of their original derivation, use in other authors, especially in the LXX. of the Old Testament, in the books of the New, particularly the writings of the same author, was constantly made use of to that purpose. Ofttimes the words expressed out of the Hebrew, or the things alluded unto amongst that people, I found to give much light into the words of the apostle themselves. Unto the general rule, of attending unto the design and scope of the place, subject treated of, mediums fixed on for arguments, methods of ratiocination, I still kept in my eye the time and season of writing this Epistle; the state and condition of them to whom it was written,—their persuasions, prejudices, customs, light, and traditions; the covenant and worship of the church of old; the translation of covenant privileges and worship over unto the Gentiles upon a new account; the course of providential dispensations that the people were under; the near expiration of their church and state, with the speedy approaching of their utter abolition and destruction; with the temptations that befell them on all these various accounts;—without which it is impossible for any one justly to follow the apostle, so as to keep close to his design or fully to understand his mind and meaning. If any shall think that I have referred too many things unto the customs and usages of the Jews, and looked too much after some guidance in sundry expressions and discourses of the apostle from them, I only answer, that as, when I am convinced by particular instances of mistakes therein, I shall willingly acknowledge them, so for the present I am satisfied that other expositors have had much too little regard thereunto. The exposition of the text is attended with an improvement of practical observations, answering the great end for which the Epistle was committed over to all generations for the use of the church. If in some of them I shall seem to any to have been too prolix, I must only answer, that having no other way to serve the edification of the generality of Christians, I thought not so. Yet, to prevent their further objections on that account, I intend, if ever any addition in the same work be prepared for public view, to regulate my proceedings therein according as I shall have account from persons of learning and godliness concerning that course of procedure which they esteem to tend most to the good and edification of the church of God; to whose judgment I heartily submit these and all other endeavours of the like kind whereunto I have been, or yet may be called.
JOHN OWEN.
