the right hand of the Majesty 4. on high: becoming so much better than the angels, inasmuch as He hath inherited a more excellent name than they. 5. For, unto which of the angels said [HE] at any time; " Thou "art my Son, this day have I "begotten Thee,” (Ps. ii. 7,) and again," I will be to Him 16 a Father; and He shall be "to me a Son." 2 Sam. vii, 14. 6. Moreover, when [He] again

introduceth "the First-born" (Ps. lxxxix. 27, Rev. i. 5, Rom. viii. 29,) into the world, He saith: "And let all the angels "of God worship Him." Psal. xcvii. 7.

7. And concerning the angels, saith [Scripture]; "Who maketh "his angels, winds; and his “ministers a flame of fire." 8. (Ps. civ. 4.) But concerning "THE SON: " Thy throne, O *God, is for ever and ever;

"a sceptre of equity is the 9. "sceptre of thy kingdom: Thou "hast loved righteousness and "hated iniquity; therefore "God, thy God, anointed Thee "with oil of gladness above thy fellows." (Ps. xlv. 6, 7.)

10. Also: "Thou, Lord, at first, "didst found the earth, and "the heavens are works of thy

11.

"hands: 66

They shall perish, 12. " but Thou endurest; and as a

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garment shall they all wax "old, and as a mantle shalt "Thou fold them up, and they "shall be changed; but Thou art "the same, and thy years shall "not fail." (Ps. cii. 25—27.) 13. But concerning which of the angels, said [HE] at any time:

14.

Sit Thou on my right hand “until I make thine enemies "a footstool for thy feet." (Ps. cx. 1.)

Are they not all officiating spirits, sent forth unto minis

tration,

tration, for the sake of them

who are to inherit salvation?

CHAP. II. 1. For this cause, we ought the

more earnestly to attend unto

[the doctrines] which we have heard; lest at any time we

swerve:

2. For, since the oracle spoken through angels became firm, and every trangression and disobedience received condign 3. retribution; how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?

Which, having at first begun to be spoken through THE LORD, was confirmed unto us by the hearers: GoD giving further witness thereto by signs and wonders, and by various powers and distributions of the HOLY SPIRIT, according to his own will.

REMARKS.

REMARKS.

I. 1. In the magnificent opening of this epistle, the last, the noblest, and most highly finished of all his compositions, the apostle represents 'O EOE, "THE "GOD SUPREME," as the Original Author and Giver of all Revelation; conformably to the whole tenor of Holy Writ, and of Jewish philosophy. Hence He is styled "THE FATHER "OF LIGHTS," James i. 17, who spake through the mouth of his holy prophets, from the beginning of the world," Luke i. 7. For "No Prophecy is of private suggestion: since Prophecy was not uttered at any "time by human volition; but the Holy

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men of God spake, impelled by THE "HOLY SPIRIT," 2 Pet. i. 21.

And Philo the Jew declares:

Προφητης γαρ ιδιον μεν εδεν αποφθεγγεται, αλλότρια δε παντα, ὑπηχεντος ετερό. Φαυλω δ' 8 θεμις ἑρμενει γενεσθαι Θεε ωςε κυρίως, μοχθηρος εδεις ενθεσια, μονω δε σοφω ταυτ' εφαρμοστεί, επει και μονος ορ

γανον Θεὸ ἐςιν ηχεν, κρεομένον και πλητ τομενον αοράτως ὑπ ̓ Αυτε.

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Quis Rerum Divin. Hæres. p. 404. "For a prophet uttereth nothing of "his own, but things altogether fo"reign, by the suggestion of another Being. It is not fit for a bad man "to become an interpreter of God: so that, absolutely, no vile person is inspired; since this privilege is adapted to the wise alone, who is

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only an organ of GOD, sounding, “beat and struck by HIM invisibly."

Hence, with the Bishops' Bible(1577), I have rendered εν τοις προφηταις, “ επ "the prophets," rather than " by ;"which is a more appropriate rendering of ύπο ; as in the phrase, το ρηθεν ΥΠΟ το Κύριε ΔΙΑ τε προφητε, “ spoken by "THE LORD, through the prophet." Matt. i. 22.

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GOD indeed" spake in or through " his holy prophets, of old," wouμegws, "in divers degrees" of clearness and compass; and woλuтgoπws, “in sundry "ways," or modes of communication,

through