they differ in beauty and glory as in the Courts of great Kings wee may distinguish the place where the Kings throne or chaire of State is seated by the foot-pace Canopy and furniture of it from the rest of the roome though it be not severed by any partition In the old Tabernacle the inmost and most holy place was at first continuous with the rest of the Tabernacle and not severed but by availe for without some such crosse materiall the one could not be severed from the other But in heaven the difference of brightnesse and glory serves for a vaile Christ therefore being to enter into the inmost and most holy place of heaven to sit at the right hand of Gods throne must needs passe through the large and common mansion of heaven as the Legall high Priest entered the second Tabernacle by passing through the first There are three things that seeme to favour this opinion 1. Because the Author did mention and describe a double Tabernacle before therefore the resemblance of the comparison doth require that to a double Tabernacle on earth there should be answerable a double place in heaven one a holy place and the other the most holy 2. Because these words doe indeed seeme to depend upon the verbe entered in the next verse as appeares by the particle neither at the beginning of that verse for that particle doth use to couple those things that are contained under one verbe which is here the verbe entered 3. Because the high Majesty of the Deity seemes to require that in his heavenly Mansion which no question is most ample and spacious there should be some most holy place sparkling and glittering with the brightnesse of unapproachable light where the most high God and supreme Lord of all things hath his throne and residence answerable to the most holy place in the Tabernacle wherein the throne of God was said to be seated This first Tabernacle of heaven through which Christ passed is said to be greater and more perfect i. then the terrene Tabernacle under the Law and it is greater and perfecter not only in quantity but in dignity Not made with hands that is to say not of this building Hee would give one instance at the least to declare the dignity of Christs Tabernacle to bee greater and more perfect then the legall because it is not made with hands or by art of man as the legall was Yet because the Author would shew that by these words hee comprehends something more then appeares at the first sight therefore he declares what he meanes thereby namely that Christs Tabernacle is not of this building It is not only not made by the hand or art of man but also it is not of the number of visible creatures which though they be not made by the hand and industry of men yet they are like to handy workes because they are visible and corruptible as handy-works are In which sense the Apostle opposing the house of our glorious body to this of our corruptible and fraile body saith of it that it is no handy-worke made with hands 2 Cor. 5.1 Or rather the Tabernacle of Christ is said not to be of this building or creating because it is not framed of visible materials or any other stuffe subject to the eye whereof all handy-works wrought by mans art are made Therefore these words not of the building must be extended more largely then the other not made with hands doe properly signifie For it doth not presently follow that if it be not made with hands therefore it is not of this building unlesse as we have said wee take a handy-worke made by hand to signifie metaphorically that also which is like to a handy-worke made by hand as are all things of this building or creating which have been made from the beginning of the world or else so which comes all to one as to comprehend all things which in respect of their matter are of the same kinde with handy-workes as are all things made of God from the beginning of the world for of these are all handy-workes framed Hence it appeares that there is another building or creature of God far more excellent then the building or frame of this world whose forme and matter is of another kinde far more faire pure sublime and stable then this which we see And to this building pertaines that heavenly Tabernacle of Christ our high Priest which is the Temple and residence of the most high God 12. Neither by the bloud of goats and calves Here he opposeth the sacrifice of Christ to the sacrifice of the old legall Priest The old high Priest entered the most holy place by the blood of goats and calves But Christ entered not by such base bloud but by most pretious bloud which could be no other besides his owne for as his person was most pretious so must needs his bloud be The bloud of man is more pretious then the bloud of a beast but the bloud of Christ is far more pretious then the bloud of all men besides Seeing Christ himself is far more excellent then all other men yea then all other ereatures for he is more deare and neare unto God then all as being his unigenit and only begotten Sonne But by his owne bloud Wee are to note that the Author to sute the elegancie of his comparison did in the first member of it use the particle by although the legall high Priest entered the holy place not only by the bloud of goats and calves i. having first shed the bloud of those beasts or after the shedding of their bloud but also with their bloud which he carryed into the holy place with him and offered it by sprinkling it upon and before the Mercy-seat But in the sacrifice of Christ the resemblance could not be extended so far seeing Christ shed not the bloud of an other creature but his owne bloud neither in his heavenly Tabernacle did he offer his bloud after his death but himselfe when hee was become immortall and had cast off the rags of flesh and bloud because they cannot possesse the Kingdome of God And therefore he entred the holy place of heaven not with his bloud but only after hee had shed his bloud Now because Christ entred thus therefore the Author said lesse of the legall high Priest then indeed the thing it selfe was and used the particle by to fit the comparison For in the sacrifice of Christ the matter was in part somewhat otherwise then in the old expiatory sacrifice In that old sacrifice as also in other sin-offerings the beast it selfe that was slaine was not offered unto God nor burnt as a sweet savour unto him as the Scripture termes it but the kidneyes and the fat of it only neither was the carkasse brought into the holy place but the bloud of it only But in the sacrifice of Christ not his bloud which he shed when he was slaine but he himselfe must be offered and hee must
frees us from all punishment and lastly makes us capable of eternall life Whence it so much the more appeares how the purging of our consciences doth certainely follow upon the bloud and death of Christ and upon his subsequent offering in heaven Purge your conscience from deâ—d workes How much more shall the bloud of Christ purge Shall is so the future tense here that it carries the force of the time present For in such arguments drawne from comparison wee love to use the future tense in the consequent member of it If this be so much more shall that For herein we respect not any futurity of time but a futurity of consequence and of truth for many times wee conclude in that manner of things past The conscience here is opposed to the flesh for as the bloud of beasts offered did purge the flesh so the bloud of Christ offered through the Spirit doth penetrate unto the conscience and purge it And sinnes are called dead workes not formally as if they had no life or activity in them but effectively because they are deadly works that brings death to the sinner and of their owne nature keepe the sinner dead for ever These deadly works are the spots and blots that defile our conscience and from these our conscience is purged by the bloud of Christ not onely in that we are freed from the guilt of them in the sight of God and consequently from all punishment of them but also in that wee are delivered from the sence of that guilt and from the feare of punishment and so our conscience is cased of a grievous burden And it was not for nothing that the Author would rather say purge our conscience then our minde the inward part of us opposite to the flesh Because thereby he would shew that the bloud of Christ doth also cleanse away that misery and torment of the conscience whereby men conscious of their wickednesse doe tremble and quake for feare of Gods Judgements This is most certaine that true and solid peace of conscience in them that have sinned doth ground it selfe upon this that God hath declared his will they should be free from all the guilt of their sinnes And yet it may be that men freed in the sight of God from the guilt of their sinnes may not enjoy a peaceable and quiet conscience because they are destitute of the knowledge or faith of it Therefore the bloud of Christ offered to God through the eternall Spirit doth not onely abolish all the guilt of our sinnes but also doth certifie and make faith thereof unto us as we heard before Whence it commeth to passe that there ariseth a great calme and quiet of conscience in their minds who have tasted the efficacy and vertue of Christ his bloud and sacrifice and we may well say that though formerly their conscience were oppressed with many crimes yet then their conscience is wholly disburdened and they finde no guiltinesse in it And this is the scope which God proposed unto himselfe in the death of Christ and the things following thereon For he would not therefore binde himselfe by the bloud of Christ and establish a new Covenant because there might be danger that he would not stand to his promises who is most true and faithfull of his word but because we should want no assurance of his grace and mercy towards us And hence also it is that when Christ was raised from the dead and invested with immortality God exalted him into heaven and committed unto him the whole care and arbitrement of our salvation For the efficacy and force of Christs death and the consequents upon it must be distinguished from their scope whereat God aymed although that efficacy were subservient to this scope and effectuall to the compassing of it The efficacy of Christs death and the consequents upon it was very great both to obliege God to performe his promises and to produce the reall effect of them upon us but the scope is as we have said to make assured and undoubted faith unto us of so great grace of God of so great salvation and remission of sins to the end that wee being fully certified thereof might againe on our part performe our duty and wholly devote our selves to God Whence the Author adding afterward this end or effect of purging our conscience to be performed by us on our part doth thereby teach us that in this purging of our conscience he included not only an Immunity from punishmenâ— arising from the abolishing of our guilt before God but also a security from them proceeding from our certaine knowledge that our guilt is abolished Now for the matter of our Impunity or freedome from punishment our punishment is not only temporall but also eternall opposite to life eternall From the punishment of eternall death those sacrifices 〈◊〉 the Law were so farre from freeing any man that they could exempt no man from temporall death or capitall punishment for they only tooke away some other light penalties or inconveniences of this life Neither did God write all his Lawes in bloud ordaining death for every offence but moderated the rigor of his Law with singular justice and equity Upon some offences hee laid the penalty of death which no sacrifice could release upon others he laid a fine and a sacrifice The mulct or fine was to bee paid to the party grieved but the sacrifice to himselfe for thereupon he remitted the penalty due to himselfe but would have restitution made of the injury done to man So for example for theft the penalty was a restituon of the double triple or quadruple to be paid to the party thereby damaged but besides this restitution the theft was expiated by sacrifice which was instead of a penalty to the most mercifull God Lastly there some things totally void of all true offence as for example if any man had touched a dead body though it were of duty to bury him which was rather a matter of piety then of offence yet because this and other such like cases were condemned by the Law of uncleannes therefore they were to be expiated either by some sacrifice or by the holy water of separation Therefore all the use of those sacrifices was to expiate some lighter faults or uncleannesses of the flesh but great offences were punished with death Hence David acknowledging his sinne exiable by no sacrifices of beasts saith to God Thou desirest not sacrifices else would I give them but thou delightest not in burn offerings Psal 51.16 He means in the expiation of such crimes as his was and therefore he flyes to the sole mercy and clemency of God and resolves to pacifie God with the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart The force of which sacrifice if it be made seasonably and abound afterward in the fruits of good workes is established and ratified by the Law of the Gospel Now the bloud and sacrifice of Christ takes away all guilt and penalties of all sins
at the same time seeing hee to his former words of confirming the Testament by bloud doth simply subjoyne that Moses did also sprinkle the Tabernacle and the ministerial vessels with bloud which may as well be taken of another time as of the same Although Moses saith not openly that the Tabernacle and ministeriall vessels after they were all finished were sprinkled with bloud but only anointed with the holy oyle Yet because we read that the Altar was not onely anointed with oyle but also sprinkled and consecrated with bloud therefore hence we may gather that in the consecration of the Tabernacle it selfe and of the ministeriall vessells sprinkling of blood was joyned with their anointing For Josephus delivers this in plain words in his Antiquitie lib. 3. cap. 9. Where describing the Ceremonie and forme of that Consecration hee saith Then hee sprinkled the garments of Aaron and his sonnes with the bloud of the Sacrifices-purifying them with running water and with the ointment c. He sprinkled also the Tabernacle and his vessels with the ointment and with the bloud of bullocks and rams slaine every other day after their kind From this verse therefore it may appeare that anciently there were many things among the Jewes especially concerning external rites of manifest truth which notwithstanding are not written in the bookes of Moses and therefore wee need not marvell that this Author doth affirme some things which we finde not delivered in the books of Moses as we have noted already in this chapter verse 4. and verse 19. 22. And almost all things by the law are purged with bloud He amplifies his former instances drawing them from particulars almost to an universall to conclude his assertion by way of Induction Not only the Tabernacle and Ministeriall vessels which were the principall utensils about the worship of God but almost all things else were purged with bloud He saith almost all things because some things were purged without bloud for some were purged or cleansed onely by the washing of water as hee that carried out the Scape-goat must cleanse himselfe by washing his clothes and bathing his flesh in water Levit. 16.26 And the Priest who became uncleane by the touch of a person or thing unclean must cleanse himself by washing his flesh with water Levit. 22.6 And some other things were first purged by melting in the fire and afterward repurged over with the water of separation as silver and gold and all other mettals that could abide to passe through the fire Numb 31.22,23 According to the Law i. According as the Law prescribed things should be purged And without shedding of blood is no remission How ever other things were purged yet this is certaine that under the Law sinnes were not remitted without shedding of bloud Whence wee may rationally gather that the shedding of bloud must also intervene for the purging of our consciences or to expiate those sinnes that pollute our consciences That which the Author here affirmes is most certaine universally and suffers no exception unlesse in case of extreme poverty when the persons to bee purged were so poore that for the purging of their sinne they were not able to bring for their offering a paire of Turtles or a paire of yong Pigeons whereof see Levit. 5.12 Otherwise the rule holds vniversally not onely for a sinne of the whole people but also for the sin of any single person whatsoever bloud must be shed and a sacrifice must be offered See Levit. chap. 4. chap. 5. and chap. 6. 23. It was therefore necessary that the paterns of things 〈◊〉 the heavens should be purified with these Hitherto the Author hath taught that bloud was required for the purging both of the Tabernacle and of sins Now some man might say Although blood were required for this purifying yet it was not necessary that the blood of Christ should be shed for it but the bloud of beasts might have served the turne as it did under the Law To this tacite objection the Author answeres in these words and sheweth that heavenly things were to be purged with farre better Sacrifices then the Sacrifices of beasts For the purging of earthly holy things the sacrifices of beasts did suffice but for the purging of heavenly holy things which of all other are most excellent there needed a most excellent Sacrifice And none could be more excellent then Christ And besides for the purging of any Sanctuarie there must needs be a Sacrifice or at least some thing of the Sacrifice must be brought into it But neither beasts themselves nor their bloud or bodies neither must nor can be brought into that heavenly Sanctuary But Christ himselfe and his body made immortall was brought in thither Therefore for heavenly holy things the bloud of Christ must be shed and not the bloud of beasts Againe the holy things under the Law were not onely purged when they were first made and dedicated but also were yearly to be purged by the annuall Sacrifice For they were accounted pollutted by the yearely sinnes and uncleannesses of the people Whereof see Levit. 16.15 How the earthly holy things were paternes of those things which are in heaven and for what cause we have already shewed chap. 8. ver 5. The things in the heavens are put for the holy heavenly things from which the heaven it self that invisible heaven which is the most holy Sanctuary must not be excluded But the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices then these The heavenly things are the heavenly holy things as the verse following shewes But it may be demanded how those heavenly holy things can be said to be purged seeing they never were polluted Wee answer That this is said of the heavenly Sanctuary onely by way of Comparison as a thing very usuall And the nature of Comparisons is to breed many abusions For if we respect the scope of the Author it is enough for us to understand that the Sacrifice to be offered in the heavenly Sanctuary must be much more excellent then those which of old were wont to be offered in the earthly Sanctuarie For this both the nature of the heavenly Sanctuary wholly requires and also the effect of the oblation sutable to heaven But if any man yet demand a more neere resemblance it may be said That heavenly Sanctuary was indeed purged by the Sacrifice and offering of Christ First in as much as it was so consecrated thereby that an accesse is made open for us unto it and as I may say it is dedicated for our use hereafter As the old Tabernacle and many things else were not open and free for mens use before they were consecrated and they for their uncleannesse as it was accounted but this for our uncleannesse which must bee purged away before a right and an use of that heavenly Sanctuary can be granted us So that in this sence by a contrary way of speech and yet not unusuall the Author said that heaven must be purged for our
from us and his returne unto us may be opposed to his offering which was performed by his bloudy death and after it by his entrance into heaven for thereby Christ was taken from the eyes of men and ceased to be seene but by his returne he will againe shew himselfe to bee seene and then the words without sinne are opposed to those to beare or take away the sinnes of many and the words the second time shall be opposed to the particle once and yet the second time may in this place be all one with afterward that it may answer the words of the former verse after this the judgement so in the Epistle of Jude ver 5. the words once and afterward are opposed Secondly the words without sinne may be so taken as thereby to shew that when Christ shall appeare the second time there shall bee no more guilt of sinne in the people of God as there was when first he appeared which therefore he must take away by his sacrifice For undoubtedly the Author here alludes to the returne of the Legall high Priest out of the holy place who went into the holy place to take away the guilt of sinnes and returned from thence without sinne for he had taken away the guilt of sinne by his offering So Christ entered into heaven that there offering himselfe to God and appearing in his presence he might purge his people from the guilt of their sinnes but having abolished the guilt of sins he shall returne out from heaven and appeare unto his people to give them the effect of that guilt taken away not in words onely as the Legall high Priest gave the people his benediction and prayed for them but in very deed for he shall vindicate them from death and estate them in eternall life Vnto them that looke for him unto salvation The words unto salvation may agree either with he shall appeare or with the words to them that looke for him And the Author seemes to have placed them so on purpose that they might be referred to both For both Christ shall appeare to give his people salvation and the people of Christ shall looke for his comming out of heaven to receive salvation from him For as Christ is here tacitly compared with the Legall high Priest entered into the boly place so his people are resembled to the people of Israel expecting without the Tabernacle For of old the people looked for the Legall Priest after their manner to salvation namely that by him they might obtaine remission of their sinnes which were then expiated and might heare his benediction to them in the Name of God So the people of Christ being without the heavenly Tabernacle upon earth do looke for Christ their high Priest unto salvation that he comming forth out of his heavenly Sanctuary they may by him obtaine eternall salvation The Author in these words doth elegantly describe a Christian for this expectation doth comprehend faith in Christ for unlesse men beleeve in Christ they will never expect his returne from heaven as their heavenly high Priest And this expectation doth either beget holinesse of life or is begotten of it for these affoord each other their helpe The expectation of salvation upon condition of obedience doth beget piety and piety brought forth doth reciprocally bring forth a daughter like to her mother that is a most certaine and ardent expectation of salvation Hither belong the words of Paul to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 1.9,10 where he describes all Christian people and their whole duty saying Ye have turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God and to waite for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead even Iesus who delivered us from the wrath to come After a like manner he designes all beleevers in Christ by the name of them that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 The Contents of this ninth Chapter are 1. Doctrine The tabernacle under the first Covenant was imperfect v. 1. Reason 1. Because it was a worldly manifacture for beth in the first and second place of it there were only bandiworks 1 2 3. 2. Because the most holy place of it was alwayes shut to all except to the high Priest and alwayes to him except once a year v. 6. 7. 3. Because under it the way to the holiest of all in heaven was not yet manifest v. 8. 4. Because it was but a figure and resemblance of the heavenly Sanctuary v. 9. 2. Doctrine The services or sacrifices under the old Testament were imperfect v. 9. Reason 1. Because they could not expiat the consciences of them that brought the sacrifices v. 9. 2. Because they were only carnal ordinances concerning fleshly things as meats drinks and washings v. 10. 3. Because they were temporary imposed for a while untill the time of Reformation v. 10. 3. Doctrine The Sanctuary wherein Christ is a Priest is more excellent then the old Legall Sanctuary v. 11. Reason 1. Because it is no worldly building wrought by the hands of men v. 11. 4. Doctrine The expiatory Sacrifice of Christ is more excellent then the old legal expiations v. 12. Reason 1. Because the bloud shed for his sacrifice was his owne bloud and not the bloud of buls and calves v. 12. 2. Because his death and bloudshed doth purge the conscience whereas the bloudshed under the old legall sacrifice did but parge the flesh v. 13. 14. 3. Because his death and bloudshed doth expiate those transgressions which were inexpiable under the law v. 15. 5. Doctrine Confirmations made by death are the surest v. 15. Reason 1. Because the New testament was confirmed by the death of Christ ver 15. 2. Because all mens testaments are confirmed by the death of the testator ver 16. 17. 3. Because the old legall testament was confirmed by the bloud and death of goats and calves v. 18 19. 20. 4. Because all Consecrations under the law were confirmed by bloud and death v. 21. 5. Because all Expiations and Remissions under the law were confirmed by bloud and death v. 22. 6. Doctrine The sacrifice made by Christ was singular one onely once offered ver 12. Reason 1. Because he entered into his holy Sanctuary by his bloud and the bloud of any living creature can be shed but once v. 16. 2. Because by his sacrifice he obtained an eternall expiation and things eternall cannot be iterated ibid. 3. Because then he must have suffered often and have begun his sufferings since the beginning of the world v. 26. 4. Because he died before his offering it and men are subject to death but once v. 27. CHAPTER X. 1. FOr the Law having a shadow He had said before that the Legall high Priest entered yearly into the holy place not with his owne bloud but with the bloud of others contrary to what Christ did who offered himselfe once onely Now here he gives the reason thereof because the Law by a continuall offering of the same sacrifices
that have been occupied therein Here he brings the reason why in a manner he denied that the heart is established with meats or that such establishing is not so good a thing namely because they that have exercised therein have found no profit thereby To be occupied in meats or as the Greek hath it to walke in meats seeing here as we have shewed meats signifie the meats of the sacrifices or of the holy things is nothing else but to partake of those carnall sacrifices and to accustome the eating of things offered and consecrated and placing therein a part of Gods worship and serice By those who are said to be occupied in those meats are meant the Jewes before they were illuminated in the doctrine of Christ Which have not profited them The Jews found no true profit by eating those meats For as Christ saith of Manna John 6.49 Your fathers did eat Manna in the wildernesse and are dead So may it well be said of the meats of the sacrifices and things consecrated to God Your fathers did eat the meats of sacrifices and are dead But he that recreates and fills his soule with that grace of God which is revealed and exhibited to men in the Gospell hee shall live for ever Therefore the words not profited doe not simply exclude all profit and advantage wholly for the meats of the sacrifices did profit something in respect of that time to repaire the strength of the body for a short time but they had not a true profit belonging to the Spirit but only a carnall profit that was transitory and fugitive not durable and eternall In which sense also Christ saith of his flesh eaten in a carnall way as his Disciples understood it Joh. 6 63. It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing that is it furthereth nothing unto life to produce in men a spirituall and eternall life It is the Spirit that vivifies men which as from the spirituall eating of the flesh of Christ slaine for the life of the world and from the spirituall drinking of his bloud so from that sweet taste of that divine grace which was confirmed by the death and bloud of Christ doth distill into our soules and so revives and quickens us From these words of the Author it is manifest that to Christian Religion it is nothing pertinent or profiting to eat any true meat properly and consequently not the flesh and bloud of Christ For if the body of Christ were properly eaten and therein consisted a part of Religion would not the Author have opposed the meat of Christs flesh and bloud to the meats of those sacrifices would he have said we have an altar whereof it is not lawfull for them to eat no not for the Priests if it be lawfull for the Priests to eat the body and drinke the bloud of Christ offered every day upon the altar and unlawfull not to eat and drinke it Would he have left us only the sacrifice of praise and good workes for the sacrifices and offerings of all animals and other creatures which might be turned into meats 10. We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle Hitherto the Author hath shewed that there is very little or no cause why Christians should desire those sacrifices of the Law and the meats of those offerings or should place some part of Gods worship or service in them or should take it grievously that for the profession of Christian Religion they are drawne from commerce and communion with the Jewes and their state Now he shews further that it is not lawfull for Christians to eat the meats of sacrifices as was anciently done under the Law He therefore saith We have an altar Any man may easily perceive that these words are figurative and improper taken from the ordinances in the discipline of Moses which for the most part cannot be applied to the discipline of Christ but by way of abusion and impropriety whereof we had no few examples formerly especially in the comparison of Christ with the Leviticall Priests For for comparisons sake we many times use such words of a thing which without respect to the comparison wee would never use The same impropriety falls out againe here In the Christian Religion to speake properly there is no Altar no Tabernacle to serve no Sacrifices which can be eaten neither if we respect the eating of sacrifices or the abstinence from them is there any such difference betweene Christians as if some were Priests and Ministers of the Tabernacle and others were not Therefore in such sayings we must not weigh every word singly by it selfe as what is signified by the Altar what by the Tabernacle and whereto it answers but we must enquire for the sense of the whole sentence Wherefore these words import nothing else but that Christians have no other sacrifices but such whereof they have no power to eat By those which serve the Tabernacle which under the Law were only Priests and Levites are signified all Christians in generall Christians therefore are said to be in that condition as if under the Law there had been such an Altar whereof and of the sacrifices laid upon it and offered unto God it was not lawfull for any man to eat no not for the Priests themselves and other Ministers of the house of God much lesse for the rest of the people For if there had been such an Altar under the Law then it is apparent unto all men that the eating of sacrifices and things offered unto God should have had no place under the Law But thus it is under the Gospell and therefore the eating of sacrifices must be to Christians unlawfull 11. For the bodies of those beasts whose bloud is brought into the Sanctuarie by the high Priest for sinne are burnt without the campe Here the Author proves by his assertion in the former verse why in Christianitie the matter is so ordered that under the Gospel there is such an Altar whereof the Sacrifices are not permitted to be eaten of any man Yet he proposeth his argument so concisely and briefly that he seemes rather to point at it then explicate it And it manifestly appeares that the Authour takes it as graunted for a ground That Christians have no other Sacrifice but what is resembled by the entrance of the high Priest into the Sanctuary or by those beasts onely whose bloud was brought into the Sanctuary by the high Priest and their bodies were burnt without the campe For unlesse the Author took this for graunted he could not from this that in those sacrifices it was not lawful to eat the flesh of the offering simply conclude that it is not lawfull for us Christians to eat sacrifices or that we have an altar whereof we may not lawfully eat And this he might well take for granted because by that Sacrifice whereby our high Priest entred into his Sanctuary under the new Covenant all things were perfomed whether we
respect the plenary expiation of our sinnes or the full reconciliation of Gods favour and grace towards us that for that effect there is no further need of any Sacrifices of beasts or other things corporeall Neither is there reason why any man should say that in the Christian Religion there are other Sacrifices and oblations which Christians must offer and therefore by that sacrifice other Sacrifices and oblations are not excluded For the Author doth not oppose that Sacrifice to those that are wholly incorporeall and spirituall and whereof no meat can be made as are the Sacrifices to be offered by Christians such as a contrite and humbled heart as David speakes the Sacrifices of praise the fruits of our lippes confessing unto the name of God communicating or doing good as the Authour hath it afterwards and other workes of pietie But hee opposeth it to those Sacrifices wherein are offered things corporeall and fit for food so that he leaves no further place for all these Therefore herewith the Sacrifice of the Masse must needs fall wherein a thing corporeall that may be eaten is said to be daily offered But some man may demand how it can be true that in the Christian Religion there remaines that Sacrifice whereby the bloud of slaine beasts was by the Priests brought into the Sanctuary for sinne and their bodies burnt without the campe We answer because that under Christianity there remaines the Sacrifice of Christ our high Priest which is the antitype and solid body whereof that Sacrifice was but a type and shadow Which sacrifice of Christ by the comming of it hath abolished all other carnall sacrifices and the eating of them Whereof this is an open and manifest argument that in the type and shadow of it there was no place allowed for eating but the bodies of the beasts slaine for it were wholly burnt and that without the campe Yet it is not necessary we should say that here is a reference to that yearly Sacrifice onely whereby the high Priest entered the Oracle or the holiest of all seeing the reference may be to all those Sacrifices which were made as well for the high Priest himself as for the whole people For the bloud of those beasts that were slaine for a sin-offering was by the high Priest brought into the Sanctuary although not into the Oracle or holiest place of all yet into the first Tabernacle which is properly called the Sanctuary chap. 9. vers 2. which in other Sacrifices for private men was not done wherein the bloud of the beasts slain after the high Priest had sprinkled the hornes of the Altar that stood in the court at the doore of the Tabernacle was all poured downe at the bottome of the Altar Levit. 4.25 and the bodies of the beasts so slaine for sinne-offerings were no lesse burned without the campe then was done in that solemne anniversary Sacrifice as it appears in the same fourth chapter of Leviticus 12. Wherefore Iesus also that he might sanctifie the people with his own bloud suffered without the gate Because hee had said that in those Sacrifices that caryed a type and shadow of the Sacrifice of Christ the bodies of the beasts slaine were wholly burnt without the campe therefore he affirmes it came to passe that Jesus also whom those beasts slaine for the Expiation and Salvation of the whole people fully represented and shadowed suffered without the gate And this hee doth for this end that the conformitie and resemblance betweene the tipe and antitipe betweene the shadow and the bodie might appeare the better which at the first sight would sufficiently argue that one was referred to the other The Citie of Jerusalem wherein the people after their conquest of Canaan seated themselves is answerable to the campe wherewith they journeyed in the wildernesse and succeeded in the roome of that campe And therefore in this respect it was all one for a man to bee drawne without the gate or walles of Jerusalem when the people dwelt in that Citie as without the campe when they had a campe for their Citie Iesus also the particle also hath in this place the force of a comparison as if hee had said not onely the bodies of those beasts were burnt without the campe but Jesus also himselfe suffered without the gate Suffered namely the death of the Crosse the genus being put for the species And the death of Christ is answerable not onely to the slaughter of the beasts that were made within the campe and Citie or compasse of the Temple but also to the burning of their bodies which was performed without the campe and City for this death answered their slaughter as his bloud was shed and their burning as his body was buried And the things that in the tipe and shadow were as it were severed were in the antitipe and body united so that onely death in Christ answered both the slaughter and burning of the beasts That hee might sanctifie the people In these words Christ is tacitely compared with the legall high Priest whose proper office it was to sanctifie or expiate not this or that single person but the whole people and the bloud of Christ is compared to the bloud of those beasts which was shed for the whole people And Jesus did sanctifie and wholly expiate the people with his bloud in that by the intervention of his cruell death hee entered into the heavenly Sanctuary and appeares for us for ever in the sight of God to make intercession for us i. to free us by his care from all the guilt and penalties of our sinnes For the same saying is expressed by Saint Paul in other words Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us For that which is sanctified or made holy is rightly opposed to that which is execrated or made a curse Wee have already observed heretofore that the Author thought he had occasion to speak of Christs bloud brought into the heavenly Tabernacle whereto his comparison and resemblance of Christ to the legall high Priest might invite him yet doth purposely avoide it and useth onely words from which it might appeare that our sinnes were expiated by the bloud of Christ yet not as brought into the Tabernacle of heaven and offered unto God but onely as it was shed and prepared entrance for Christ into heaven and there to help himselfe unto God The same caution is used also by the Author in this place who in the former verse having made expresse mention of the bloud of beasts brought by the high Priest into the Sanctuarie for sin-offerings yet when hee comes to the bloud of Christ saith nothing else of it but that hee Sanctified his people with it or as it is in the Greeke by it that is by shedding it By his owne bloud Not as the high Priest under the Law who sanctified the people by bloud yet not by his owne bloud but by the bloud of beasts but because
name signified so as it also signified King of righteousnesse But if this had beene onely an appellation of him the Author would not have said king of Salem but Melechsalem as he said not King of Sedec but Melchisedec For who in relating of a mans name will deliver it partly in a strange language and partly in the proper language Wherefore when Melchisedec is in Scripture called king of Salem it is apparent that the name of King doth note his royall office and dignity and Salem notes the place wherein he did reigne And many beeleeve that this City Salem was the same with Jerusalem which at the first was called onely Salem and afterward by the adjection of the word Jeru Jerusalem as a man would say the sight of peace Priest of the most high God For so the Scripture calls him Gen. 14.18 And though the word Cohen signifie also a Prince as the Sons of David are said to have beene Cohenim 2 Sam. 8.18 which our Translation there renders chiefe rulers yet being attributed to Melchisedec it notes him a Priest 1. Because of that addition here made of the most high God for this addition takes away all ambiguity of the word and declares him to be a Priest of God and not a Prince of God 2. Because this is brought as a reason why he blessed Abraham in an especiall manner as shall be shewed afterward 3. Because Abraham payed him tithes which were usually paid to Priests Whence it appeares that the same word Cohen which is given to Christ as he is compared with Melchisedec Psal 110.4 doth not simply signifie a Prince onely as the Jews contend but properly a Priest For it is manifest that those words of the Psalme have respect to the place in Genesis where Melchisedec is called Cohen And it is no strange thing that anciently Melchisedec was both a King and a Priest for anciently Kings were wont to performe Sacred rites which custome grew from hence that in every family the principall person or ruler of it did officate in holy functions Whence it came to passe that they who afterward became Princes or Rulers of a whole Citie became also the publike Priests of that Citie and executed the sacred Ceremonies for the safety of the people For it made most for the honour of God that the most honourable person should minister unto him Who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings The Author mentions not this meeting as if in that there were any Mysterie but because he would shew how Melchisedec blessed Abraham and reciprocally how Abraham gave tithes to Melchisedec In which two points as he shews afterward the chiefe dignitie of Melchisedec appeared And hee mentions this meeting onely to designe the occasion the time and circumstances of the action whereof the History is particularly related Gen. 14. And blessed him Him i. Abraham for so saith the Scripture He blessed him and said Blessed be Abraham of the most high God possessour of heaven and earth Gen. 14.19 that is Let the most high God blesse Abraham and heap his gifts upon him in great abundance And lest any man should think that this was but an ordinary blessing such as commonly is among friends when they mutually pray and wish all happinesse one to another therefore he prefixed these words before it that Melchisedec was a Priest of the most high God thereby to make us know that this was a singular blessing as proceeding from a person that was a peculiar Minister of God Whence it appears that when Melchisedec is said to be a Priest of the most high God thereby is not shewed the reason why he brought forth bread and wine as they would have it who say that Melchisedec offered bread and wine to God and was therefore called a Priest but in those words is shewed the reason why he blessed Abraham and why as it presently follows Abraham gave him tithes But the error of these men who thereby would strengthen their owne opinions may manifestly be convinced from hence that the Author who most diligently prosecutes the likenesse betweene the Priesthood of Melchisedec and Christ makes not any the least mention of offering bread and wine wherein notwithstanding they thinke the greatest likenesse betweene Christ and Melchisedec doth consist and certainly must consist if both offered bread and wine Either therefore the Author omitted that which was the maine point in so accurate a comparison of Christ with Melchisedec or else that Melchisedec or Christ or both of them offered bread and wine to God is but those mens dream Melchisedec brought forth bread and wine that hee might refresh Abraham and his company that were weary after their victory and journey but hee offered none to God for this is refuted by the very word of bringing forth which is never used of offerings and besides the place and time when this is said to have been done refutes it also For wee use not to meet men upon the way there to celebrate divine services or performe holy Ceremonies Also Christ is never read to have offered bread and wine to God but onely to have instituted a holy Ceremonie wherein bread is broken and eaten and wine is drunke out of a cup yet not to perform any offering but to celebrate the memory of Christ whose body was broken for us and his blood shed for us As for the expiatory offering of Christ for our sinnes that was not performed on earth but in heaven Hebrewes 8.4 Neither doth it consist in offering of bread and wine but in Christs offering of himselfe as this Authour testifies in sundry places neither was it to bee iterated often but once onely to bee performed as the Authour clearely delivers it afterwards in this Chapter verse 27. and Chap. 10 14. For that single oblation perfects all the Saints 2. To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all The fifth particular that the Author observes in Melchisedec was that Abraham gave him the tenth part as is related in his history whence a little after the Author collects how far Melchisedec exceeded the Leviticall Priests The gift that Abraham gave him was a part of the spoiles for so it is expressed at the 4. v. following and the portion hee gave was a tenth part of them and there were none of the spoils excepted and reserved for he gave him a tenth part of all By these words hee partly explicates some things related in Scripture of Melchisedec and partly observes other things whereby to make it appeare how great a person Melchisedec was and how properly he was a type of Christ First being by interpretation king of righteousnesse First he ponders the name of Melchisedec and teacheth that there was an omen in his name For the Hebrew name Melchisedec being interpreted or translated into another language doth signifie a king of righteousnesso There are some who tell us that this name signifies my righteous king but it is very usuall with the
enter the holy place of heaven by himselfe For hence afterward at the 14. verse it is said that Christ offered himselfe to God and not his bloud although otherwise the comparison with the expiatory sacrifices seem to require this latter resemblance He entred in once into the holy place The entrance into the most holy place is necessarily required to that sacrifice for the Offering wherein the nature of the sacrifice chiefly consisteth could not be performed before the entrance because it must be made in the holy place by sprinkling upon and before the Mercy-seat Hence it is manifest that the offering and sacrifice of Christ our high Priest was not made upon the Crosse but was performed in heaven and is yet in the performing Into this true holy place of heaven Christ entred but once not often and yearly as the legali high Priest did Having obtained eternall redemption Now hee opposeth the Expiation obtained by the offering or sacrifice of Christ to the old Expiation obtained by the legall Priest By Redemption he understands expiation or deliverance from the guilt of sinnes For to be guilty of sinne and thereupon bound over to death and damnation is a grievous captivity and slavery When he calls this Expiation eternall he tacitly gives a reason why he said before that Christ entred once only into the holy place namely because by his entrance and offering of himselfe he expiated or atoned men for ever as it is said chap. 10.14 Christ therefore obtained an eternall redemption because he hath fully expiated all the sinnes not only past but to come of all men beleeving in him who have lived heretofore or do now live or shall live hereafter to the worlds end So that this expiation doth pertaine to all sinnes of all times and of all men who truly pertaine to Christ But the legall expiation performed yearly every yeare did not extend to all sinnes but only to Ignorances and Infirmities nor to all times not at all to the time future but only to the time past within the circuit of one year nor to all persons but only to those who were then living when the expiation was made and therefore it was not eternall but only annuall The word having obtained must not bee understood preteritively as if Christ had obtained the redemption before he entred but presentively that he had obtained it by and upon his entrance or when he entred then he obtained See what we explicated before concerning indefinite participles Chap. 6. ver 13. 13. For if the bloud Hee confirmes his former assertion That Christ by his one oblation of himselfe hath obtained an eternall expiation for us And that he might compasse this the better he proves by an argument à minori ad majus that Christ hath purged away those sinnes that pollute our consciences For the expurgation of these doth produce this effect that laying aside all sinne we shall serve God ever after in all holinesse and righteousnesse and if we doe this wee shall need no further offering for our sinnes As on the contrary if we finally forsake not our sinnes but after expiation of them relapse into them againe which wee then doe when this expiation doth not so far prevaile with us as to withdraw us from our sinnes then we have need of another offering and sacrifice to obtaine remission of our relapses For it stands not with reason that men should be expiated with one only sacrifice and yet be still enslaved to the same sinnes and be nothing the better for their expiation Therefore either the expiation is prevalent and of force to withdraw men from sinne and make them live holily ever after or else as men alwayes returne to their sinnes so the expiation must be alwayes iterated and then it cannot bring eternall redemption to them It is therefore manifest that the offering of Christ seeing it is but one can really profit no man but him that having received the faith of Christ doth shake off the yoke of sinne and wholly devote himselfe to God to live in a holy course of life ever after Of buls and goats Hee calls those Bulls which in the former verse he called Calves as well for their age being of a middle grouth between Calves and Bullocks in which sense also a Heifer is sometime put for a Cow as by a synecdoche putting either of these indifferently for any beast of the herd as opposed to those of the flocke which were goats or sheep For in the yearly sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole people to which the Authors words refer to speake properly there was no Bull slaine but only an heifer or as our Translation renders it a Bullock for the sins of the Priest and a goat for the sins of the people And this is the reason why the Author joynes these beasts here as likewise he doth it afterward Chap. 10.4 And the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean How the water of seperation was made of the ashes of a burned heifer and sprinkled upon the uncleane see Numb 19. It is not necessary for the concluding of the Authors argument that the ashes of the heifer should be put here for a type of the bloud of Christ for the argument here is not drawn from the type to the antitype unlesse it be accidentally but from termes of disparity and excellency of Christs offering This we therefore note lest any man should thinke it might be gathered from hence that the Author compares this sacrifice of Christ with any other legall sacrifices besides the anniversarye at which the high Priest entered the most holy place Although we willingly acknowledge that those ashes were a type of Christs bloud and a most lively type because those ashes were a kinde of perpetuity and must alwayes bee in a readinesse and had force at any time to cleanse any person sprinkled therewith from his legall uncleannesses of the flesh and this force or effect of it depended not on the pleasure of any man but only from the decree of God alone So the bloud of Christ is a perpetuall standing remedy that hath force and power at any time to cleanse men from the guilt of their sinnes if they be truly sprinkled with it by being washed from the filth of their sinnes i. if they cast them off for the time to come and this force the bloud of Christ hath from the good pleasure of God These ashes are said to sprinkle not efficiently as if the action began at them and they sprinkled themselves but instrumentally because the uncleane was sprinkled with the water wherein they were infused as wee say the sword woundeth because the sword is the instrument wherewith the wound is made Sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh To sanctifie is to cleanse for sanctified is commonly opposed to polluted as polluted and common and promiscuously used is easily polluted and cannot be cleane seeing then a thing is cleane when it is separated from ordinary and
common use For this sanctifying as the word following shewes consisteth onely in purifying of the flesh All the sanctifying that proceeded from the offerings of the bloud of calves and goates or from the sprinkling of the ashes of an heifer was but a carnall purifying to cleanse the flesh The Ceremoniall uncleannesses wherewith men by chance were defiled were expiated by these offerings and sprinklings and the partie predefiled became purified so that now it was lawfull for him to converse with other men to come to the Temple to be present at divine servivices and to partake of the Sacrifice from all which his former uncleannesse debarred him So that this Puritie or cleannesse of the flesh was both the end and effect of the offering of bloud and sprinkling of ashes 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ Some man may think that the Author should not have drawne his argument à mirori but rather à pari seeing there seemes an equalitie of reason on both sides that as well the legall sacrifice as that of Christ had a like force to produce their effects the blood of beasts to purifie the flesh and the blood of Christ to purifie the conscience But we must note that the blood of beasts and the offering of it is not altogether of like nature to purifie the flesh as the blood of Christ offered to God by the spirit is to the cleansing of the conscience For if we looke upon the nature of the thing what force hath the blood of beasts offered in the Sanctuary that thereby it should cleanse the flesh or be reputed to cleanse it Was not this effect of purifying the flesh tyed to the shedding and offering of that blood onely by the decree of God and that it might bee accounted to have this effect must they not have a knowledge of Gods decree by some other meanes But for the blood of Christ after the shedding of it there followed the offering of Christ himselfe in the heavenly Tabernacle or the shedding of Christs blood joyned with the offering of Christ himselfe as the Author considers the blood of Christ here seeing Christ therefore shed it that hee might offer himselfe in the Sanctuary of heaven both as a Priest and as a Sacrifice The blood of Christ I say if we respect the nature of the thing hath a potent force to purge our consciences or is the true and effectuall cause of their being purged For in the offering of Christ as wee have already said somwhat and more shall afterward is contained his singular and onely care of our salvation in heaven from whence the purifying of our consciences and the plenary remission of our sinnes doth flow and proceed as from the proper cause of it Furthermore that the blood of Christ may be knowne to have so great force looking on the nature of Christs death and the circumstances of it every man may easily be admonished of it For Christ by his blood did strongly maintain the truth of his doctrine having shed his blood he entred into heaven the habitacle of immortall life that what he had promised by his words hee might testifie to all men by his example having shed his blood and entered into his heavenly Sanctuary hee offered himselfe an immaculate sacrifice to God for us having shed his blood he obtained all power both in heaven and earth all judgement and arbitrement of our salvation Neither to obtaine this was the bloodshed of Christ a bare condition that of it owne nature and proper efficacy conferred nothing to it but seeing it conteineth so hard a worke of vertue and obedience a worke so acceptable to God and so advancing to his glory even of it own nature it had force and power to procure this power unto Christ and to produce in us the cleansing of our conscience Hee that ponders all this in his minde can he doubt but that by the blood of Christ he is expiated from all staine of sinne if he embrace the faith of Christ with all his heart and afterward as farre as the hope of eternall life can encourage him keep himselfe undefiled and pure from all staine of sinne Thus the nature and force of Christs death being considered the Authour with very good reason doth draw and conclude this his argument not from a parity of reason but from a disparity or from the lesse to the greater The blood of Christ There seemes an Emphasis in these words of the Author to make it yet more fully appeare how great force his blood hath in cleansing our consciences As if he had said The blood not of an ordinary man which yet is better then that of beasts but of Christ who is the unigenit son of God feated in heaven at the right hand of God and reigning over all creatures Shall not this blood have much more force to purge the conscience then the blood of beasts had to purifie the flesh Now that we may a little prevent the words of the Author the cleansing of our conscience is attributed to the blood of Christ both as it is the blood of the Covenant whereby the new Covenant is established and as it is the blood of the sacrifice which is offered for us in that heavenly Sanctuary both which the Authour hath conjoyned saving that he explicates the first last and the last first because it belongs to his Priesthood as the former is referred to his Mediatorship which two functions of Christ were fitly conjoyned in the mention of his blood for they are both coupled in the death of Christ for his Mediatorship ended in his death and his Priesthood began there But how the blood of Christ purgeth our consciences as it is the bloud of the Covenant wee shall see hereafter Yet now we shall adde thus much that the new Covenant was established by the bloud of Christ not onely as appointed so by God in manner as the bloud of calves and goates was of old appointed for the establishing of the old covenant but even the very nature and condition of his bloud was of great efficacy thereto For who can doubt of the truth of that covenant for confirmation whereof the bloud of Christ was shed who made this covenant in the name of God and afterward became our heavenly King Who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God Here the Author clearly expresseth by what meanes the bloud of Christ as it was the bloud of the sacrifice had so much power force as to purge our consciences namely because Christ having shed his bloud did through the eternall Spirit offer himself without spot to God in the heavenly Sanctuary Hence it is manifest that the bloud of Christ had so far power to expiate our sins as the shedding of it was seconded by Christ his offering of himselfe in heaven which could not follow unlesse Christ had first shed his bloud For the bloud of Christ not onely as it is the bloud of
the Sacrifice takes efficacy and force to purge sin from the subsequent oblation of Christ in offering himselfe in heaven but also as it is the bloud of the Covenant it received great force from the subsequent resurrection and glory of Christ For the death of Christ is as it were animated and quickned by his Resurrection and glory and then are the mightie effects of it when he that suffered death to confirm the new covenant is thereupon acknowledged to be the Sonne of God and the Christ which certainly could not have been without his Resurrection and the subsequent glory of it For then wee plainely perceive the boundlesse love of God in delivering Christ to death for us and the boundlesse love of Christ in dying for us from both which wee may easily draw an undoubted hope of our salvation And then also wee see from his most shamefull death a passage open to immortall life and lastly then we esteem the Covenant most sacred that was confirmed by a death so precious But if Christ had not risen from the dead who therefore died that he might appear to be the Christ and the King over Gods people his death had thereby lost all the force of it yea it would have been of force to nullifie the faith of all his promises But he had promised us eternal life in the Name of his Father and that he himself would give it us by raising us from the dead yea hee openly said of himselfe that he would rise the third day thereby to confirm his doctine wherefore unles the event had been answerable his doctrine had been stripped of all authority But let us returne to the offering of Christ which the Author opposeth to the offering of the old high Priest for severall respects 1. In that Christ offered through the Spirit and the eternall Spirit but the high Priest under the Law did enter the Holy place and offer through his infirmitie a weake man compassed with the flesh But Christ was filled with the eternall Spirit i. with the power of God which clarified him from all mortalitie and made him eternall subject to no destruction Now this Spirit seemes to be called eternall not onely because it eternally resides in Christ but because it makes him to become eternall Of which Spirit if Christ had been destitute he could not have offered himselfe in that heavenly Sanctuary to have remained there for ever Therefore in these words about which Interpreters have diverse disputes as men must needs do when the genuine sence of any place is either not perceived or not allowed is expressed the cause how Christ being before not onely of a mortall nature and compassed with flesh but also slaine as a sacrifice could afterward enter the heavenly Sanctuary the palace of immortality and there as a Priest offer himselfe to God This he saith was effected by the benefit of the eternall Spirit who throughly consecrated Christ and devested him from all naturall and terrene infirmities That which hee had spoken before chap. 7. ver 16. that Christ was made a Priest after the power of an endlesse life now hee saith againe in other words that Christ offered through the eternall Spirit for if wee looke into the thing it selfe what is the power of an endlesse life other then this eternall Spirit In a like manner Paul treating of Christ as he is ordained and declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead i. as God after his resurrection made him the celestiall and eternall King of his people with supreme power mentions the Spirit of holinesse or sanctification Rom. 1.4 and he saith that Christ was declared the Sonne of God according to the Spirit of holinesse as he was made of the seed of David according to the flesh For seeing he opposeth this Spirit to the flesh of Christ i. to whatsoever was humane in his nature what can he else understand but the power of Gods Spirit powred upon Christ which abolishing from him all his mortall condition did throughly consecrate him unto God made him a person most divine and most like unto God in nature and power and rendered him fully capable of a celestiall and eternall kingdome Hither also must that of Peter be referred where he saith as it is in the Greek that Christ was mortified in the flesh but vivified by the Spirit 1 Pet. 3.18 where as the flesh of Christ is made the cause of his mortality and consequently of his death so is the Spirit namely of God in Christ made the spring and fountaine of his vivification or life 2. He opposeth the offering of Christ to that of the old high Priest in that Christ offered himselfe but the Legall Priest offered not himselfe but the bloud of slaine beasts but what force could that bloud have being offered and sprinkled before the Mercy-seate for the purifying of the flesh if we respect the nature of the thing But Christ himselfe being offered for us in the heavenly Tabernacle was he not a most acceptable sacrifice to God Is there any sin of those that are truly faithfull in Christ which by the offering of so holy a Sacrifice and by the authority and care of so great an high Priest with his heavenly Father could not be expiated 3. In that hee offered himselfe without spot or blemish For the old sacrifice must bee very pure and free from any spot wherefore seeing our high Priest himselfe was the sacrifice hee must needs bee void of all spot or blemish But the old high Priest when he entered the most holy place and offered was not without spot or blemish for even then he was to procure the expiation no lesse of his owne sins then of the peoples But Christ when he entered the heavenly Sanctuary and offered himselfe to God was then free from all spot not onely in respect of his most innocent life which he passed without the least spot of sinne but also which as wee said in the seventh Chapter the Author chiefly respecteth in respect of his immortall nature which he obtained free from all spot of infirmity when he was quickned with that eternall Spirit whereby he entered the heavenly Sanctuary But what is meant by this offering of Christ wee have declared before For these things are not properly spoken of Christ but onely comparatively and allusively to the ancient high Priest So that by this offering of Christ is signified his singular and onely care for the expiation of our sins and for our salvation Yet it is a care worthy and sutable to so great an high Priest who is not destitute of power in himselfe to conferre salvation upon us but is forced to obtaine it from another as the old high Priest was but is one that enjoyeth all command both in heaven and earth one that exerciseth all Judgement delivered over unto him from his Father and one that by his owne proper power doth release us from all guilt of our sins
Priest not onely in respect of the faithfull who are but a kinde of lesse Priests compared to Christ as of old under the Law among the Priests one was great and head over the rest but in respect of the high and great Priests under the Law who as we have heard compared with Christ were not onely little but in a manner very small and dimme shadowes Over the house of God By this house of God we may understand both that heavenly Sanctuary wherein our high Priest performes his holy offices answerable to the Legall Tabernacle and also the Church or people of God who are the spirituall house of God For Christ is president over both these houses both that heavenly and this spirituall on earth 22. Let us draw neere Here begins the other part of the Chapter containing an admonition drawne from the former doctrines They were said to come or draw neere as we heard at the first verse who while the Priest was officiating were intentive to the divine service for which they approached to the Tabernacle whereby they also came neere or drew neere to God The Author doth call upon us That seeing we have a high Priest truly great resident in the Sanctuary of heaven who there performes holy offices offerings for us therefore we also should approach and draw neere in soule and spirit unto that heavenly Sanctuary intentively minding the worship of God Which is nothing else but to apply our selves to the worship of God and never make doubt to draw neere unto him in confidence of Christ our high Priest With a true heart He shews what manner of persons they must be who will exercise this spirituall worship of God and apply themselves unto it They must have a true heart And a true heart is opposed to a seined deceitfull and dissembling heart which makes onely an outward shew of holinesse and thereby endeavours to deceive In full assurance of faith A full assurance of faith is opposed to a wavering and doubting faith for looke how much doubt is mingled with faith so much is wanting to the perfection and fulnesse of it Therefore then we have a full faith when wee doubt nothing of the truth of the Christian Religion and discipline Having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience He alludes to a Ceremony ordained under the Law whereby they who had touched any uncleane thing must be sprinkled with the holy water of seperation before they might enter into the assembly of Gods people at the Sanctuary to performe the worship of God for if they did otherwise they must dye for it This purging or cleansing of the flesh by sprinkling the Author transferres spiritually to the spirit and soule whereby the soule is cleansed from the guilt and staine of conscience and the body from the filth of sinne Now the sprinkling or purging of the heart from an evill conscience may be taken two wayes either to signifie that cleansing whereby we get a full remission of our sinnes by the bloud and sacrifice of Christ and are freed from an evill conscience and from feare of Gods punishment in which manner he said before that our conscience is purged from dead works or to signifie the cleansing of our soule from inward and secret sinnes For by an evill conscience in this place by a metony my of the effect he seemes to understand the hidden and secret vices of the soule as opposed to the filth of the body which as in the words immediatly subsequent he teacheth must be washed away For what else can the filth of the body signifie then those outward sinnes which are committed by the body it self not as if these did not also defile the conscience but because open sinnes are exposed to the eyes and censures of other men but the secret and inward sinnes of the soule though they make no man else conscious to them yet they agitate and burden the conscience Therefore by the former sence of these words is signified the great benefit of God which we attaine by the bloud and sacrifice of Christ and by the latter is intimated our duty whereto wee are excited and oblieged by so great a benefit And our bodies washed We have already said that this washing of the body must be referred to the washing away of that filth whereby our body stands defiled before God therefore if we receive the last sence of the former words then the Author here puts us in minde of the same thing whereof Paul remembers us 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearely beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God And the Author shewes that it is a most fit and convenient thing to wash the body in this sence because anciently under the Law they who approached to the Sanctuary for the performance of Gods worship must wash their bodies all the difference is that there men understood the carnall staines of sinne but here the spirituall With pure water There is no necessity we should by this allegory thinke any thing answering by name to this water seeing the Author seemes to speake in allusion to the custome used under the Law of washing the body with pure water For comparisons as we have often intimated are subject to many abusions Yet if any man desire a full resemblance we may say that hereby is meant the spirit and doctrine of Christ or that spirituall water wherewith Christ sprinkleth his people not excluding his bloud For this is the pure water for the soule and by it only the filth of sin is washed away They that here understand the water of Baptisme are mistaken For the water of Baptisme is but onely an outward signe and shadow of this washing which here the Author understands wherewith neither can our hearts be sprinkled nor the filth of our vices really washed away Therefore that spirituall Baptisme which doth truly save us must be here understood even that Baptisme which as Peter saith is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh or the outward washing of the body but the answer of a good conscience toward God 1. Pet. 3.21 Which is not effected by any elementary water but only the heavenly and spiritual which washeth the conscience 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith He exhorts them to constancy in the profession of the Christian religion because it is not sufficient for us to serve God in heart and other workes unlesse wee also confesse him with the mouth In the Greeke it is the profession of our hope and by the word hope the Author seemes to comprise the whole Christian religion for the Christian religion consisteth chiefly in hope and in a hope most excellent even the hope of immortall life and eternall happines and all the parts and heads are directed and concurre to breed in mens mindes this hope and a holinesse of life sutable to it Hence Peter under the same