A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

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Title: A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...
Author: Gouge, William, 1578-1653.
Publication: London :: Printed by A.M., T.W. and S.G. for Joshua Kirton,; 1655.
Rights/Permissions: To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Subject terms: Bible. -- N.T. -- Hebrews -- Commentaries.
Link to this Item: http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A41670.0001.001
Cite this Item: "A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A41670.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 13, 2024.

Pages

§. 279. Of the insufficiency of externall means in case of perfection.

THE deniall of perfection to the Jews before Christ exhibited, is in regard of the means which they had. Those means were not sufficient to make them perfect. All the means, which they had, may be comprised under this word; Law; but the Law made nothing perfect, Chap. 7. v. 19. §. 86. which in this case must be the moral or ceremonial Law.

The morall Law cannot make perfect by reason of our impotency. Rom. 8. 3. In reference to that law the Apostle saith. No man is justified by the Law, in the sight of God, Gal. 3. 11.

Of the Ceremoniall Law, it is expresly said, that the offerings thereof could not make him, that did the service, perfect, Chap. 9. v. 9. §. 49. and Chap. 10. v. 1. §. 3.

In this respect, it is called a carnal Commandement. Chap. 7. v. 16. §. 21. And the Ordinances thereof are stiled, weak and beggerly Elements. Gal. 4. 9.

1. Quest. Why was that Law then ordained?

Answ.

1. To shew we stood in need of means to perfect us.
2. To point out those means. Therefore they are called, •…•… shadow of good things to come.

2. Quest. Were not then believing Jewes made perfect.

Answ. Yes: But by the means which were typified under their rites.

This gives a demonstration of their blindness and folly, who expected perfecti∣on from the observation of that Law. Against such the Prophets much inveighed, Isa. 1. 11. Mic. 6. 6, 7. And Christ in his time Luk. 16. 15. And the Apostles in their time, Gall. 4. 9. Great also is their folly, who wish the continuance of that external Law, yet still: and also of them who think to be perfected by hu∣mane inventions. If external Divine Ordinances could not make perfect, •…•…uch less can humane.