Owen Quote

Flavien began with this quotation from John Owen yesterday

In Order unto the End mentioned, the Apostle in the first place declares, that Antecedently unto the giving of the Law, and the Institution of the Levitical Priesthood thereby, God had, without any Respect thereunto, given a Typical praefiguration of this Priesthood of Christ, in one who was on all Accounts Superiour unto the Levitical Priests, when they were afterwards introduced. This Sacred Truth which had been hid for so many Ages in the Church, and which undeniably manifests the certain future Introduction of another and a better Priesthood, is here brought to light, and improved by the Apostle. As Life and Immortality, so all Spiritual Truth, was brought to light by the Gospel, [2 Tim. 1. 10] Truth was stored up in the Prophecies, Promises, and Institutions of the Old Testament; but so stored up, as it was in a great measure hidden also; but was brought forth to light, and made manifest in the Gospel. For whereas it is said, that the great Mystery of the manifold Wisdom of God, was hidden in him from the beginning of the World, [Ephes. 3. 9, 10]. The meaning is not, that it was so hid in the Will and purpose of God, as that he had made no intimation of it; for he had done so variously from the Foundation of the World, or the giving of the first Promise: But he had so laid it up, and stored it in his Sacred Revelation, as it was much hid from the Understanding of the best of Men in all Ages, untill it was Display∣ed and brought forth to light by the Gospel, [Psal. 49. 4. 78. 2] And all that Glorious Evidence of the Grace of God which now appears unto us in the Writings of the Old Testament, is from a Reflection of light upon them from the New Testament, or the Revelation of God by Jesus Christ. And therefore the whole Church of the Jews, although they were in the entire possession of those Writings of the Old Testament for so many Ages, never understood so much of the Mystery of the Will and Grace of God declared in them, as every ordinary Believer under the Gospel is enabled to do. And if We have the Privilege and Advantage of those Oracles of God which were committed to them, incomparably above what They attained unto, certainly greater Measures of Holiness, and greater Fruitfulness in Obedience, are expected from us than from them.

Hebrews Volume 5