〈◊〉 Iisdem Sacrificiis iis ipsis hostiis or Sacrificiis Our Translation rendereth not the Emphasis of the Expression Iis hostiis quas quotannis with the same Sacrifices or those Sacrifices which were of the same kind and nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is omitted in our Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is with those Sacrifices the Article being demonstrative The same not individually the same for they were many and offered often or every year when a Sacrifice was offered again materially the same But they were of the same kind They could not by the Law offer a Sacrifice of one kind one year and a Sacrifice of another the next But the same Sacrifices in the substance and essence in their matter and manner were annually repeated without variation or alteration And this the Apostle urgeth to shew that there was no more in any one of them than in another and what one could not do could not be done by its Repetition for it was still the same Great things were effected by these Sacrifices By them was the first Covenant consecrated and confirmed By them was Attonement and Expiation of sin made that is Typically and declaratively By them were the Priests themselves dedicated unto God By them were the people made holy Wherefore this impotency being ascribed unto them it absolutely concludes unto the whole Law with all other Priviledges and Duties of it 2. He describes them from the time and season of their Offering It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yearly every year year by year It is hence manifest what Sacrifices he principally intends namely the Anniversary Sacrifices of Expiation when the High Priest entred into the most holy place with blood Levit. 16. And he instanceth therein not to exclude other Sacrifices from the same censure but as giving an instance for them all in that which was most solemn had the most eminent effects at once respecting the whole Church and that which the Jews principally trusted unto Had he mentioned Sacrifices in general it might have been replyed that although the Sacrifices which were daily offered or those on especial occasions might not perfect the Worshippers at least not the whole congregation but yet the Church it self might be perfected by that great Sacrifice which was offered yearly with the blood whereof the High-Priest entred into the presence of God Accordingly the Jews have such a Saying among them that on the day of expiation all Israel was made as righteous as in the day wherein man was first created But the Apostle applying his argument unto those Sacrifices and proving their insufficiency unto the end mentioned leaves no reserve unto any thoughts that it might be attained by other Sacrifices which were of another nature and efficacy And besides to give the greater cogency unto his argument he sixeth on those Sacrifices which had the least of what he proves their imperfection by For these Sacrifices were repeated only once a year And if this repetition of them once a year proves them weak and imperfect how much more were those so which were repeated every Day or Week or Month 3. He refers unto the Offerers of those Sacrifices which they offer that is the High-Priests of whom he had treated in the foregoing Chapter And he speaks of things in the present tense The Law cannot which they offer not the Law could not and which they offered The reason hereof hath been before declared For he sets before the Hebrews a Scheme and representation of all their Worship at its first institution that they might discern the Original intention of God therein And therefore he insists only on the Tabernacle making no mention of the Temple So he states what was done at the first giving of the Law and the institution of all its Ordinances of Worship as if it were now present before their eyes And if it had not the power mentioned at their first Institution when the Law was in all its vigor and Glory no accession could be made unto it by any continuance of time any otherwise but in the false Imagination of the people That which remains of the words is an Account of what the Law could not do or effect by its Sacrifices It could not make the comers thereunto perfect for ever There is in the words 1. The Effect denyed 2. The Persons with respect unto whom it is denyed 3. The Limitation of that denyal 1. The Effect denied what it cannot do is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dedicate consummate consecrate perfect sanctifie Of the meaning of the word in this Epistle I have spoken often before As also I have shewed at large what that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is which God designed unto the Church in this world wherein it did consist and how the Law could not effect it See the Exposition on chap. 7. v. 11. Here it is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 9. 9. perfect as appertaining unto the conscience which is ascribed unto the Sacrifice of Christ v. 14. Wherefore the word principally in this place respects the Expiation of sin or the taking away the guilt of it by Attonement and so the Apostle expounds it in the following verses as shall be declared 2. Those with respect unto whom this power is denyed unto the Law are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say we the comers thereunto Accedentes The expression is every way the same with that of chap. 9. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Worshippers and the comers are the same as is declared v. 2. 3. those who make use of the Sacrifices of the Law in the worship of God who approach unto him by Sacrifices And they are thus expressed by the comers partly from the Original direction given about the observation and partly from the nature of the service it self The first we have Levit. 1. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies to draw nigh to come near with an oblation These are the comers those who draw nigh with and bring their oblations unto the Altar And such was the nature of the Sacrifice it self It consisted in coming with their Sacrifice unto the Altar with the Priests approaching unto the Sacrifice in all which an accesse was made unto God Howbeit the Word here is of a larger signification nor is it to be limited unto them who brought their own Sacrifices but extends unto all that came to attend unto the Solemnity of them whereby according to Gods appointment they had a participation in the benefit of them For respect is had unto the Anniversary Sacrifice which was not brought by any but was provided for all But as the Priests were included in the foregoing words which they offer So by these comers the people are intended for whose benefit these Sacrifices were offered For as was said respect is had unto the great Anniversary Sacrifice which was offered in the Name and on the behalf of the whole congregation
as the Heart of all Divine service was first formed all other things had a Relation unto it Exod. 25. 10 11. To treat of the Fabrick that is the Materials Dimensions and Fashion of this Ark is not unto our present purpose For these things the Apostle himself here declares as being no season to treat of them particularly This he intends in those words which we shall not now speak of and their mystical signification which he gives afterwards 1. The Name of it is the Ark of the Covenant Sometimes it is called the Ark of the Testimony Exod. 26. 33. Chap. 29. 35. Chap. 40. 3 5. Most commonly the Ark of the Covenant Numb 10. 33. Chap. 14. 44. Deut. 10. 8. c. Sometimes the Ark of God 1 Sam. 3. 3. Sam. 6. 2. c. The Ark of the Testimony it was called because God called the Tables of the Covenant by the name of his Testimony or that which testified his Will unto the People and by the Peoples acceptance of the Termes of it was to be a perpetual witness between God and them Exod. 25. 16. Chap. 31. 18. c. On the same account is it called the Ark of the Covenant namely because of what was contained in it or the Tables of the Covenant which as I have shewed elsewhere were usually called the Covenant itself And so they are called the Tables of Testimony Exod. 31. 18. That is the Covenant which was the Testimony of God And lastly it was called the Ark of God because it was the most eminent Pledge of the especial Presence of God among the People 2. As to the Fabrick of it the Apostle observes in particular that it was on every side overlaid or covered with Gold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every way within and without with Plates of beaten Gold This as I said before was the most sacred and glorious Instrument of the Sanctuary Yea the whole Sanctuary as unto its use in the Church of Israel was built for no other end but to be as it were an house and habit ation for this Ark Exod. 26. 33. Chap. 40. 21. Hence Sanctification proceeded unto all the other Parts of it for as Solomon observed the places were holy whereunto the Ark of God came 2 Chron. 8. 11. And of such sacred veneration was it among the People so severe was the Exclusion of all flesh from the sight of it the High Priest only excepted who entered that holy Place once a year and that not without Blood as that the Nations about took it to be the God that the Israelites worshiped 1 Sam. 4. 8. And it were not difficult to evidence that many of the pretended Mysterious ceremonies of Worship that prevailed among the Nations of the World afterwards were invented in compliance with what they had heard concerning the Ark and Worship of God thereby This was the most signal Token Pledge or Symbol of the Presence of God among the People And thence Metonymically it hath sometimes the name of God ascribed unto it as some think and of the Glory of God Psal. 73. 61. And all neglects about it or contempt of it were most severely punished From the Tabernacle it was carried into the Temple built by Solomon where it continued untill the Babylonian Captivity and what became of it afterwards is altogether uncertain God gave this Ark that it might be a Representation of Christ as we shall shew and he took it away to increase the desire and expectation of the Church after him and for him And As it was the Glory of God to hide and cover the mysterious counsels of his Will under the Old Testament whence this Ark was so hidden from the Eyes of all men so under the New Testament it is his Glory to reveal and make them open in Iesus Christ. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 4. In this Ark as it was placed in the Tabernacle the Apostle affirmeth that there were three things 1. The Golden Pot that had Manna When the Manna first fell every one was commanded to gather an Omer for his own eating Exod. 16. 16. Hereon God appointed that a Pot should be provided which should hold an Omer to be filled with Manna to be laid up before the Lord for their generations ver 33. There was it miraculously preserved from Putresaction whereas of it self it would not keep two daies unto an end And it is added that as the Lord commanded Moses so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony to be kept ver 34. But there is a Prolepsis in the words Aaron is said to do what he did afterwards For the Testimony was not yet given nor Aaron yet consecrated unto his Office It is not said in this Place where the making of it is appointed that it is of Gold nor is there any mention of what matter it was made That it was of Gold the Apostle here declares who wrote by Inspiration and the thing is evident it self For it was to be placed in that part of the Sanctuary wherein all the Vessels were either of pure Gold or at least overlaid with it and a Pot of another Nature would have been unsuitable thereunto And it was to be made of that which was most durable as being to be kept for a Memorial throughout all Generations The Reason of the sacred Preservation of this Manna in the most Holy Place was because it was a Type of Christ as himself declares Ioh. 6. 48 49 50 51. 5. The next thing mentioned is Aaron's Rod that budded This Rod originally was that where with Moses fed the sheep of his Father-in-Law Iethro in the Wilderness which he had in his hand when God called unto him out of the Bush. And thereon God ordained it to be the Token of the putting forth of his Power in the working of Miracles having by a trial confirmed the Faith of Moses concerning it Exod. 4. 17. Hereby it became sacred and when Aaron was called unto the Office of the Priesthood it was delivered unto his keeping For on the budding of it on the trial about the Priesthood it was laid up before the Testimony that is the Ark Numb 17. 10. That same Rod did Moses take from before the Testimony when he was to smite the Rock with it and work a miracle whereof this was consecrated to be the outward sign Numb 20. 8 9 10 11. Hereof the Apostle affirms only that it budded but in the story it is that it brought forth Buds and Bloomed Blossoms and yielded Almonds being originally cut from an Almond Tree Numb 17. 8. But the Apostle mentions what was sufficient unto his Purpose This Rod of Moses belonged unto the Holy Furniture of the Tabernacle because the Spiritual Rock that followed them was to be smitten with the Rod of the Law that it might give out the Waters of Life unto the Church 6. The last thing mentioned is the Tables of the Covenant The two Tables of Stone cut out by Moses and written
rites of the Tabernacle worship and turn them unto his own use in the Idolatry of the nations 6. It is a sad instance of the degeneracy of the corrupted nature of man that whereas all these things were appointed for no other end but to signify beforehand the coming of Christ his sufferings and the Glory that ensued the principal reason why the Church of the Jews rejected him at his coming was that they preferred these institutions and their carnal use above and before him who was the substance and life of them all And no otherwise will it fall out with them all who prefer any thing in religion before him or suppose that any thing is accepted with God without him Some things we may also observe in general for our own instruction from what we have discoursed on this occasion 1. Although the soveraign will and pleasure of God be the only reason and original cause of all instituted worship yet there is and ever was in all his institutions such an evidence of divine wisdom and Goodness as gives them beauty desirableness and usefulness unto their proper end There is that in them which unto an enlightned mind will distinguish them for ever from the most plausible inventions of men advanced in the imitation of them Only a diligent enquiry into them is expected from us Psal. 111. 2. 3. When men have sleight considerations of any of Gods institutions when they come unto them without a sense that there is divine wisdom in them that which becomes him from whom they are it is no wonder if their glory be hid from them But when we diligently and humbly enquire into any of the ways of God to find out the characters of his divine excellencies that are upon them we shall obtain a satisfying view of his glory Hos. 4. 9. 2. All the Counsels of God concerning his worship in this world and his eternal glory in the salvation of the Church do center in the Person and Mediation of Christ. The Life Glory and Usefulness of all things whereof we have discoursed arose from hence that there was in them all a representation of the Person and Mediation of Christ. Hereunto were they designed by divine wisdom In him alone is God well pleased in him alone will he be glorifyed VER VI VII HAving given an account of the Structure or Fabrick of the Tabernacle in the two parts of it and the furniture of those several parts distinctly to compleat his argument the Apostle adds in these verses the consideration of the uses they were designed unto in the service of God For in the Application of these things unto his purpose and the Argument he designeth from them both of these in conjunction namely the Structure of the Tabernacle with its furniture and the services performed therein were to be made use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vul. Lat. His verò ita compositis so composed so framed and put together Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quae ita disposita erant which things were sodisposed altering the absolute construction of the words and carrying on the sense of the former thus far Others His verò ita ordinatis iâ—a praeparatis thus ordered thus prepared thus ordained Ornatis adorned Beza Constructis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the ordering placing or fixing of vessels or any materials prepared for use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vul. Lat. in priori Tabernaculo for in prius Tabernaculum Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the outward Tabernacle that is of those parts mentioned by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vul. Lat. Semper alwayes Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in omni tempore Others generally quovis tempore at every season at any time as occasion required 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vul. Lat. Sacrificiorum Officia consummantes perfecting to this part or offices of the sacrifices But the sacrifices belonged not at all un-the duties of the Tabernacle Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they were perfecting their Ministry Ritus obeuntes cultus obeuntes Beza Ritus cultûs obeuntes performing the Rites of sacred worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vul. Lat. in secundo autem Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and into the Tabernacle that was within it or within the other In secundum autem sed in alterum but into the second or the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Boderus renders substantively unum est that inward Tabernacle was one But the reference is unto what follows and is better rendred adverbially semel once 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non sine sanguine Syr. cum sanguine illo with that blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vul. Lat. Eras. quem offert Syr. which he was offering which he offereth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vul. Lat. Pro sua et populi ignorantia very corruptly Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his own soul and the errors of the People rightly VER 6 7. Now when these things were thus ordained the Priests went alwayes into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the service of God But into the second went the High Priest alone every year not without blood which he offered for himself and the errors of the People I follow the common Translation but shall take notice of what it seems defective in And there is in the words 1 A supposition of what was before declared as the foundation of what he was now farther to assert Now when these things were thus ordained And there is therein 1. The manner of its Inference 2. The Subject spoken of 3. What is spoken of it 1. The manner of the Inference is the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render now when verò but now when is included in the tense of the participle 2. The subject spoken of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these things that is the things spoken of in the precedent verses namely the two parts of the Tabernacle and the sacred furniture of them 3. That which is affirmed of them is that they were ordained and the manner thereof is also added that they were thus ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza once rendred it by ordinatis whom I suppose ours follow rendring it by ordained But ordinatis is rather ordered than ordained To be ordained signifies the appointment and designation of them and so they were ordained of God But that which is here expressed is their building framing finishing and disposition into their actual Order So the word is used for the making of the Tabernacle ver 2. A Tabernacle was made These things being prepared made and finished The preparation structure and finishing of the Tabernacle and all its Utensils with their disposition into their sacred order are respected in this word They were disposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus that is in the manner declared that the Tabernacle should consist of two parts that the one should contain such and such holy Utensils and the other those
a reverential frame of Spirit are necessary unto this duty 3. The time of this their entrance into the Sanctuary to discharge their service is expressed They entred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quovis tempore alwayes say we jugiter that is every day There was no divine Prohibition as unto any days or times wherein they might not enter into the Sanctuary as there was with respect unto the entrance of the High Priest into the most Holy place which was allowed only once a year And the services that were required of them made it necessary that they should enter into them every day But the word doth not absolutely signify every day seeing there was a special service for which they entred only once a week But always is at all times as Occasion did require There was also an especial service when the High Priest entred into this Sanctuary which was neither daily nor weekly but occasional which is mentioned Levit. 4. 6 7. For when the anointed Priest was to offer a Sacrifice for his own sins he was to carry some of the blood of it into the Sanctuary and sprinkle it towards the vail that was before the most Holy Place This he was to do seven times which is a mystical number denoting that perfect Atonement and expiation of sin which was to be made by the blood of Christ. But this being an occasional service the Apostle seems to have had no respect unto it 4. The service itself performed by them is expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accomplishing the services The expression is sacred respecting mystical rites and ceremonies such as were the things here intended Officiating in the Ministry of the sacred ceremonies For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not perfecting or accomplishing only but sacredly ministring In discharge of the Priestly office accomplishing the sacred services committed unto them And these services were of two sorts 1 Daily 2 Weekly Their daily services were two 1 The dressing of the Lamps of the Candlestick supplying them with the holy oyl and taking care of all things necessary unto the cleansing of them that their light might be preserved This was done morning and evening a continual service in all generations The service of the Candlestick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 The service of the Golden Altar the Altar of Incense in the midst of the Sanctuary at the entrance of the most Holy Place before or over against the Ark of the Testimony Hereon the Priests burnt Incense every day with fire taken from the Altar of Burnt-offerings that was in the court before the door of the Tabernacle This service was performed evening and morning immediately after the offering of the daily Sacrifice on the Altar of burnt-offerings And whilest this service was performed the People gave themselves to Prayer without with respect unto the Sacrifice offered Luk. 1. 10. For this offering of Incense on the Sacrifice and that fired with a coal from the Altar whereon the Sacrifice was burned was a Type as we have declared of the Intercession of Christ. For although they understood it not clearly in the notion yet were true Believers guided to express it in their practice The time of the Priests offering Incense they made the time of their own solemn prayers as believing that the efficacy and acceptance of their prayers depended on what was Typified by that Incense Psal. 141. 2. These were the daily services It is uncertain whether they were all performed at the same time or no namely those of the Candlestick and the Altar of Incense If they were it should seem that they were done by no more but one Priest at one time that is every morning and evening For of Zechariah it is said that it was his Lot to burn Incense in the Temple and no other was with him there when he saw the vision Luk. 1. 8 9 21 22 23. Wherefore whereas it is said in the Institution of these things Aaron and his Sons shall do this service it is intended that some one of them should do it at any one time 2. The weekly service of the Sanctuary was the change of the bread on the Table of Shew-bread This was performed every sabbath day in the morning and not else Now all this daily service was Typical And that which it did represent was the continual application of the Benefits of the Sacrifice and whole mediation of Christ unto the Church here in this world That the Tabernacle itself and the Inhabitation of God therein was a Type of the Incarnation of the Son of God we have shewed before And have also declared that all the Utensils of it were but representations of his Grace in the discharge of his office He is the Light and Life of the Church the Lamp and the bread thereof The Incense of his Intercession renders all their obedience acceptable unto God And therefore there was a continual application made unto these things without Intermission every day And we may thence observe that A continual application unto God by Christ and a continual application of the Benefits of the Mediation of Christ by faith are the Springs of the Light Life and comfort of the Church VER VII But into the second went the High Priest alone once every year not without blood which he offered for himself and the errors of the People THe use and service of the second part of the Tabernacle or the most Holy Place which the Apostle designeth principally to apply unto his present argument are declared in this present verse And he describes them 1 By the person who alone might perform the service which belonged unto this part of the sanctuary And this was the High Priest 2 By that which in general was required unto the other parts of it He went into it This is not here expressed but the sense of it is traduced from the foregoing verse The other Priests entred into the Sanctuary and the High Priest into this that is he entred or went into it 3 From the time and season of this his entrance which was once a year only in opposition unto the entrance of the Priests into the other part which was at all times every day 4 By the manner of his entrance or what he carried with him to administer or perform the holy service of the Place expressed negatively not without blood that is with blood 5 From the use of the Blood which he so carried in with him it was that which he offered for himself and the errors of the People That which the Apostle here respects and describes was the great Anniversary Sacrifice of expiation whose Institution Rites and Solemnities are at large declared Lev. 16. And herein 1. The Person designed unto this service was the High Priest alone and no other Person Levit. 16. 2 32. And he was to be so alone as that none were to attend assist or accompany him in any part of the
must take care that spiritual Light do alwayes bear sway in their minds And therefore 3 constantly to watch against the prevalency of corrupt prejudices and affections in their mind And 4 when the light of the mind is sollicited by temptations to suspend its conduct and determination on present circumstances to know that sin lies at the door this is its last address for admission And 5 If error grow strong in the heart through the love of sin truth will grow weak in the mind as to the preservation of the soul from it And 6 Nothing ought to influence the soul more unto repentance sorrow and humiliation for sin than a due apprehension of the shameful error and mistake that is in it VER VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vul. Lat. Hoc significante Hoc declarante Hoc innuente Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by this manifesting Manifestans Patefaciens notum faciens making known 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is openly manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which a blind man may see And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is manifestly plainly perspicuously to declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vul. Lat. nondum propalatam esse made palà m open manifest Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not yet revealed manifestata facta manifesta not made evidently to appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vul. Lat. Viam sanctorum the way of the Holies Beza Viam ad sacrarium the way into the sanctuary Viam in Sancta Sanctorum the way into the most Holy Place None suspect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be of the masculine gender 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vul. Lat. habente statum having or continuing its state or condition and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes so used Having its station adbuc consistente as yet abiding continuing its state standing consisting VER 8. The Holy Ghost this signifying Syr. signifying hereby evidently declaring that the way into the Holiest of all the way of the most Holy Place of the Holies was not as yet made manifest whilst yet the first Tabernacle was standing kept its station THe Apostle in this verse enters on a declaration of the use which he designed to make of the description of the Tabernacle its furniture and its Utensils which he had before laid down Now this was not to give a particular account of the nature use and signification of every thing in them which he declineth in his close of this recounting of them affirming that it belonged not to his purpose to treat of them particularly on this occasion But from the consideration of the whole in its structure order and services he would prove the Dignity Preheminence and Efficacy of the Priesthood and Sacrifice of Christ above those which belonged thereunto And hence would he manifest the unspeakable advantage of the Church in the removal of the one and introduction of the other The first Inference which he makes unto this purpose is laid down in this verse And it is taken from what he had observed immediately before concerning the time and manner of the High Priests entrance into the most Holy Place It was done by him alone and that only once a year and that not without the blood of the Sacrifices which he offered None of the People were ever suffered to draw nigh thereunto nor might the rest of the Priests themselves come into the Sanctuary the Place of their daily ministration whilst the High Priest went in and was in the most Holy Place In this order this disposal of the Institutions of divine service saith he there was that Instruction provided for the use of the Church which I shall now declare And three things he expresseth with respect hereunto 1. Who gave that Instruction it was the Holy Ghost 2. The way whereby he gave it It was by the manifest signification of his mind in and by what he did appointed ordered or prescribed 3. What was the Instruction he gave namely that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest whilst the first Tabernacle was standing And concerning this we must enquire 1. What is here intended by the Holiest of all 2. What is the way into this Holiest of all or the way of the Holies 3. How this way was manifest and how it was not manifest 4. What was the duration of that state wherein this way was not manifest namely whilst the first Tabernacle was standing 1. The Author of this Instruction was the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost this signifying that is saith Grotius Deus per afflatum suum Mosi praecipiens So they speak by whom the divine personality of the Holy Ghost is denyed But it is not only here supposed but it may be hence undeniably proved For he that by his word and works teacheth and instructeth the Church is a person For acts of Understanding Will Power and Authority such as these are are the acts of a Person We intend no more by a Person but one that hath an understanding will and power of his own which he is able to act and exert Moreover he is a divine Person For he who by his authority and wisdom disposed of the worship of God under the old Testament so as it might typifie and represent things afterwards to come to pass and be revealed is so and none other He who doth these things and can do them is he in whom we believe the holy Spirit And as he is the immediate Author and Appointer of all divine worship so there are characters of his wisdom and holiness on all the Parts of it 2. The way whereby he gave this Instruction was by the signification of the things intended signifying declaring manifestly evidently openly He did it not by any especial revelation made unto Moses about it he did not in words declare it or express it as a doctrinal truth But this signification was made in the nature and order of the things appointed by him The framing of the Tabernacle and the constitution of the services belonging thereunto made this declaration For things in his wisdom were thus disposed that there should be the first Tabernacle whereinto the Priests did enter every day accomplishing the divine services that God required Howbeit in that Tabernacle there were not the Pledges of the gracious presence of God It was not the especial residence of his glory But the peculiar habitation of God was separated from it by a vail and no person living might so much as look into it on pain of death But yet lest the Church should apprehend that indeed there was no approach here nor hereafter for any person into the gracious presence of God He ordained that once a year the High Priest and he alone should enter into that Holy Place with blood Hereby he plainly signified that an entrance there was to be and that with boldness thereinto For unto what end else did he allow and appoint that once a year there should be an entrance into it
by the High Priest in the name of and for the service of the Church But this entrance being only once a year by the High Priest only and that with the blood of atonement which was always to be observed whilst that Tabernacle continued he did manifest that the access represented was not to be obtained during that season For all believers in their own persons were utterly excluded from it And we may hence observe 1. That the divine ordinances and institutions of worship are filled with wisdom sufficient for the instruction of the Church in all the mysteries of faith and obedience How eminent was the divine wisdom of the Holy Ghost in the structure and order of this Tabernacle What Provision of Instruction for the present and future use of the Church was laid up and stored in them What but infinite wisdom and praescience could order things so in their typical signification He that considers only the outward frame and state of these things may see a curious and beautiful structure a beautiful order of external worship Yet can he find nothing therein but what the wisdom and contrivance of men might attain unto At least they might find out things that should have as glorious an outward appearance But take them in their proper state as unto their signification and representation of spiritual and heavenly things in Christ Jesus and there is not the least concernment of them but it infinitely transcends all humane wisdom and projection He alone in whose divine understanding the whole mystery of the Incarnation of the Son God and his Mediation did eternally reside could institute and appoint these things And to instruct us unto an humble adoration of that wisdom is the framing of the whole fabrick and the institution of all its ordinances contained in the sacred Record for the use of the Church 2. It'is our duty with all humble diligence to enquire into the mind of the Holy Ghost in all Ordinances and Institutions of divine worship Want hereof lost the Church of Israel They contented themselves with the consideration of outward things and the external observance of the services enjoyned unto them Unto this day the Jews perplex themselves in numberless curious enquiries into the outward frame and fashion of these things the way manner and circumstances of the external observation of the services of it And they have multiplyed determinations about them all and every minute circumstance of them so as it is utterly impossible that either themselves or any living creature should observe them according to their traditions and prescriptions But in the mean time as unto the mind of the Holy Ghost in them their true use and signification they are stark blind and utterly ignorant Yea Hardness and Blindness is so come upon them unto the utmost that they will not believe nor apprehend that there is either spiritual wisdom instruction or signification of heavenly things in them And herein whilst they profess to know God are they abominable and disobedient For no creatures can fall into higher contempt of God than there is in this imagination namely that the old Institutions had nothing in them but so much Gold and Silver and the like framed into such shapes and applyed to such outward uses without regard unto things spiritual and eternal And it is a great evidence of the Apostate condition of any Church when they rest in and lay weight upon the external parts of worship especially such as consist in corporeal observances with a neglect of spiritual things contained in them wherein are the effects of divine wisdom in all sacred Institutions And whereas the Apostle affirms that this frame of things did plainly signify as the word imports the spiritual mysteries which he declares it is evident with what great diligence we ought to search into the nature and use of divine Institutions Unless we are found in the exercise of our duty herein the things which in themselves are plainly declared will be obscure unto us yea utterly hidden from us For what is here said to be clearly signified could not be apprehended but by a very diligent search into and consideration of the way and means of it It was to be collected out of the things he ordained with the order of them and their respect unto one another Most men think it not worth while to enquire with any diligence into sacred Institutions of divine worship If any thing seem to be wanting or defective therein if any thing be obscure and not determined as they suppose in the express words without more adoe they supply it with somewhat of their own But there are many things useful and necessary in the worship of God which are to be gathered from such intimations of the mind of the Holy Ghost as he hath in any place given of them And those who with humility and diligence do exercise themselves therein shall find plain satisfactory significations of his mind and Will in such things as others are utterly ignorant of 3. That which the Holy Ghost did thus signifie and instruct the Church in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This in the words was that the way into the most Holy Place the way of the Holies was not yet made manifest And for the explication hereof we must consider the things before proposed 1. What the Apostle intends by the Holies It is generally supposed by expositors that it is Heaven itself which is hereby intended Hence some of the Antients the School-men and sundry expositors of the Roman Church have concluded that no believers under the old Testament none of the antient Patriarchs Abraham Isaac or David were admitted into Heaven whilst the first Tabernacle stood that is untill the Ascension of Christ. Hereon they framed a Limbus for them in some subterranean Receptacle whither they suppose the soul of Christ went when it is said that he descended into hell where they were detained and whence by him they were delivered But whatever becomes of that imagination the most learned expositors of that Church of late such as Ribera Estius Tenae Maldenat A Lapide do not fix it on this Text For the supposition whereon it is founded is wholly alien from the scope of the Apostle and no way useful in his present argument For he discourseth about the Priviledges of the Church by the Gospel and Priesthood of Christ in this world and not about its future state and condition Besides he saies not that there was no entrance into the Holies during that season but only that the way of it was not yet manifest Wherefore they might enter into it although the way whereby they did so was not yet openly declared for they had but a shadow or dark obscure representation of good things to come And this is the interpretation that most sober expositors do give of the words Heaven with eternal Blessedness was proposed unto the Faith Hope and expectation of the Saints under the old Testament This
by the Apostle is destroyed by this Artifice especially if it be not considered as a meer Comparison but as the Relation that was between the Type and the Antitype For that is the nature of the Comparison that the Apostle makes between the entrance of the High Priest into the Holy Place and the entrance of Christ into Heaven That there may be such a Comparison that there may be such a Relation between these things it is needful that they should really agree in that wherein they are compared and not by Force or Artifice be fitted to make some kind of Resemblance the one of the other For it is to no purpose to compare things together which disagree in all things much less can such things be the Types one of another Wherefore the Apostle declares and allows a treble dissimilitude in the Comparates or between the Type and the Antitype For Christ entred by his own Blood the High Priest by the Blood of Calves and Goats Christ onely once the High Priest every year Christ into Heaven the High Priest into the Tabernacle made with hands But in other things he confirms a similitude between them namely in the entrance of the High Priest into the Holy Place by the Blood of his Sacrifice or with it But by these men this is taken away and so no ground of any Comparison left only the Apostle makes use of an ambiguous word to frame an appearance of some similitude in the things compared whereas indeed there is none at all For unto these ends he says by the Blood whereas he ought to have said with the Blood but if he had said so there would have been no appearance of any similitude between the things compared For they allow not Christ to enter into the Holy Place by or with his own Blood in any sense not by vertue of it as offered in Sacrifice for us nor to make application of it unto us in the fruits of his Oblation for us And what similitude is there between the High Priest entring into the Holy Place by the Blood of the Sacrifice that he had offered and the Lord Christ's entring into Heaven without his own Blood or any respect unto the vertue of it as offered in Sacrifice 3 This Notion of the Sacrifice or Oblation of Christ to consist onely in his appearance in Heaven without Flesh or Blood as they speak overthrows all the Relation of Types or Representations between it and the Sacrifices of old Nay on that supposition they were suited rather to deceive the Church than instruct it in the Nature of the great Expiatory Sacrifice that was to be made by Christ. For the universal Testimony of them all was that Atonement and Expiation of Sin was to be made by Blood and no otherwise But according unto these men Christ offered not himself unto God for the Expiation of our Sins until he had neither Flesh nor Blood 4 They say it 's true he offered himself in Heaven fuso prius sanguine But it is an order of Time and not of Causality which they intend His Blood was shed before but therein was no part of his Offering or Sacrifice But herein they expresly contradict the Scripture and themselves It is by the Offering of Christ that our Sins are expiated and Redemption obtained This the Scripture doth so expresly declare as that they cannot directly deny it But these things are constantly ascribed unto the Blood of Christ and the shedding of it and yet they would have it that Christ offered himself then only when he had neither Flesh nor Blood They encrease this confusion in their ensuing Discourse Aliter enim ex parte Christi res sese habuit quam in illo antiquo In antiquo illo ut in aliis quae pro peccato lege divina constituta erant non offerebatur ipsum animal mactatum hoc est nec in odorem suavitatis ut Scriptura loquitur adolebatur sed renes ejus adeps tantum nec inferebatur in Sancta sed illius sanguis tantum In Christi autem Sacrificio non sanguis ipsius quem mactatus effudit sed ipse offerri in illa Sancta coelestia ingredi debuit Idcirco infra ver 14. dicitur seipsum non vero sanguinem suum Deo obtulisse licet alias comparatio cum Sacrificiis expiatoriis postulare videretur ut hoc posterius potius doceretur 1. Here they fully declare that according to their Notion there was indeed no manner of similitude between the things compared but that as to what they are compared in they were opposite and had no agreement at all The ground of the comparison in the Apostle is that they were both by Blood and this alone For herein he allows a dissimilitude in that Christ was by his own Blood that of the High Priests by the Blood of Calves and Goats But according unto the sense of these men herein consists the difference between them that the one was with Blood and the other without which is expresly contradictory to the Apostle 2. What they observe of the Sacrifices of old that not the Bodies of them but only the Kidneys and Fat were burned and the Blood only carried into the Holy Place is neither true nor any thing to their purpose For 1 the whole Bodies of the Expiatory Sacrifices were burnt and consumed with fire and this was done without the Camp Lev. 16. 27. to signifie the suffering of Christ and therein the offering of his Body without the City as the Apostle observes Chap. 13. 11 12. 2 They allow of no use of the Blood in Sacrifices but only as to the carrying of it into the Holy Place which is expresly contradictory unto the main end of the Institution of Expiatory Sacrifices For it was that by their Blood Atonement should be made on the Altar Lev. 17. 11. Wherefore there is no Relation of Type and Antitype no similitude for a ground of comparison between the Sacrifice of Christ and that of the High Priest if it was not made by his Blood 3 Their observation that in ver 14. the Lord Christ is said to offer Himself and not to offer his Blood is of no value For in the offering of his Blood Christ offered himself or he offered himself by the offering of his Blood his Person giving the efficacy of a Sacrifice unto what he offered And this is undeniably asserted in that very Verse For the purging of our Consciences from dead works is the Expiation of Sin But Christ even according to the Socinians procured the Expiation of Sin by the offering of himself Yet is this here expresly assigned unto his Blood How much more shall the Blood of Christ purge your Consciences from dead works Wherefore in the offering of himself he offered his Blood They add as the Exposition of these words He entred into the Holiest Ingressus in Sancta necessario ad Sacrificium istud requiritur Nec ante Oblatio in qua
sprinkled the Blood on the Altar ver 6. After which when the Book had been sprinkled with Blood as it lay on the Altar it is said he took the Book that is off from the Altar and read in the audience of the People ver 7. The Book being now sprinkled with blood as the Instrument and Record of the Covenant between God and the People the very same words which were before spoken unto the People are now recited or read out of the Book And this could be done for no other Reason but that the Book it self being now sprinkled with the blood of the Covenant it was dedicated to be the Sacred Record thereof 4. In the Text of Moses it is said that he sprinkled the People in Explanation whereof the Apostle affirms that he sprinkled all the People And it was necessary that so it should be and that none of them should be excluded from this Sprinkling For they were all taken into Covenant with God Men Women and Children But it must be granted that for the blood to be actually Sprinkled on all individuals in such a Numberless Multitude is next unto what is naturally impossible wherefore it was done in their Representatives and what is done towards Representatives as such is done equally towards all whom they do Represent And the whole People had two Representatives that day 1 The twelve Pillars of Stone that were set up to represent their twelve Tribes and it may be to signifie their hard and stony heart under that Covenant ver 4. Whereas those Pillars were placed close by the Altar some suppose that they were Sprinkled as representing the twelve tribes 2 There was the Heads of their Tribes the Chief of the house of their Fathers and the Elders who drew nigh unto Moses and were Sprinkled with blood in the Name and Place of all the People who were that day taken into Covenant 5. The words which Moses spake unto the People upon the Sprinkling of the Blood are not absolutely the same in the story and in the Repetition of it by the Apostle But this is usual with him in all his Quotations out of the old Testament in this Epistle He expresseth the true sense of them but doth not curiously and precisely render the sense of every word and syllable in them 6. The last Difficulty in this context and that which hath an appearance of the greatest is in what the Apostle affirmes concerning the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of it namely that Moses sprinkled them all with Blood And the Time which he seems to speak of is that of the Dedication of the first Covenant Hence a twofold Difficulty doth arise First as unto the Time and Secondly as unto the Thing it self For at the Time of the Dedication of the first Covenant the Tabernacle was not yet made or erected and so could not then be sprinkled with Blood And afterwards when the Tabernacle was erected and all the Vessels brought into it there is no mention that either it or any of them were sprinkled with Blood but only anointed with the Holy Oyl Exod. 40. 9 10 11. Wherefore as unto the first I say the Apostle doth plainly distinguish what he affirms of the Tabernacle from the Time of the Dedication of the first Covenant The manner of his Introduction of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and moreover the Tabernacle doth plainly intimate a Progress unto another Time and occasion Wherefore the words of ver 21. concerning the sprinkling of the Tabernacle and its Vessels do relate unto what follows ver 22. and almost all things are by the Law purged with Blood and not unto those that precede about the Dedication of the first Covenant For the Argument he hath in hand is not confined unto the use of Blood only in that Dedication but respects the whole use of the Blood of Sacrifices under the Law which in these words he proceeds unto and closeth in the next verse And this wholly removes the first Difficulty And as unto the second Expositors generally answer that Aspersion or Sprinkling with Blood did commonly precede Unction with the Holy Oyl And as unto the Garments of the Priests which were the Vessels or Utensils of the Tabernacle it was appointed that they should be sprinkled with Blood Exod. 29. 21. and so it may be supposed that the Residue of them were also But to me this is not satisfactory And be it spoken without offence Expositors have generally mistaken the nature of the Argument of the Apostle in these words For he argues not from the first Dedication of the Tabernacle and its Vessels which for ought appears was by Unction only But making as wee observed before a Progress unto the farther use of the Blood of Sacrifices in purging according to the Law he giveth an Instance in what was done with respect unto the Tabernacle and all its Vessels and that constantly and Solemnly every year and this he doth to prove his general Assertion in the next verse that under the Law almost all things were purged with Blood And Moses is here said to do what he appointed should be done By his Institution that is the Institution of the Law the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of it were sprinkled with Blood And this was done Solemnly once every year an account whereof is given Levit. 16. 14 15 16 18 19 20. On the Solemn Day of Attonement the High Priest was to sprinkle the Mercy-seat the Altar and the whole Tabernacle with Blood to make an Attonement for them because of the Uncleannesses of the Children of Israel the Tabernacle remaining among them in the midst of their Uncleannesses ver 16. This he takes notice of not to prove the Dedication of the first Covenant with what belonged thereunto with Blood but the use of Blood in general to make Attonement and the impossibility of Expiation and Pardon without it This is the Design and Sense of the Apostle and no other Wherefore we may conclude that the Account here given concerning the Dedication of the first Covenant and the use of Blood for Purification under the Law is so far from containing any thing opposite unto or discrepant from the Records of Moses concerning the same things that it gives us a full and clear Exposition of them The second thing to be considered is the nature of the Argument in this context and there are three things in it neither of which must be omitted in the Exposition of the words He designeth 1. to prove yet farther the necessuy of the Death of Christ as he was the Mediator of the New Testament both as it had the nature of a Testament and that also of a Solemn Covenant 2. To declare the necessity of the Kind of his Death in the way of a Sacrifice by the effusion of Blood because the Testament as it had the nature of a Solemn Covenant was confirmed and ratifyed thereby 3. To manifest the Necessity of shedding of Blood in the
And they are all witnessed unto in his perpetual Appearance in the presence of God for us 7. This also comprizeth his being an Advocate He is hereby in a continual readiness to plead our Cause against all Accusations which is the especial Nature of his work as an Advocate which is distinct from his Intercession whereby he procures supplies of Grace and Mercy for us 8. This Account of the Appearance of Christ before God on the Throne of Grace gives direction into a right Apprehension of the way of the Dispensation of all saving Grace and Mercy unto the Church The Spring and Fountain of it is God himself not absolutely considered but as a on Throne of Grace Goodness Grace Love and Mercy are natural unto him but so also are Righteousness and Judgment That he should be on a Throne of Grace is an Act of his Soveraign Will and Pleasure which is the original Spring of the Dispensation of all Grace unto the Church The procuring Cause of all Grace and Mercy for the Church as issuing from this Throne of Grace is the Sacrifice of Christ whereby Attonement was made for Sin and all Heavenly things purifyed unto their proper End Hence he is continually represented before this Throne of God as a Lamb that had been slain The Actual Application of all Grace and Mercy unto the Church and every member of it depends on this his Appearance before God and the Intercession wherewith it is accompanied Schlictingius grants on the place that Christ doth indeed Solicitously take care of the Salvation of the Church but yet God saith he doth grant it of meer Mercy without any regard unto Satisfaction or Merit which saith he we exclude And the only Reason he gives for their so doing is this that where there is Satisfaction or Merit there is no need of Oblation Appearance or Intercession But this Fancy opposed unto the Wisdom of God in the Dispensation of himself and his Grace ariseth from their Corrupt Notion of these things If the Oblation of Christ with his Appearance in Heaven and Intercession were nothing but what they imagine them to be that is his Appearance in Heaven with all Power committed unto him and the Administration of it for our Good his Satisfaction and Merit could not directly be thence proved Yet also on the other hand are they no way disproved thereby for they might be antecedently necessary unto the exercise of this Power But the Argument is firm on the other hand There is in the Dispensation of Grace and Mercy respect had unto Satisfaction and Merit because it is by the Blood and Sacrifice of Christ as it is the design of the Apostle to declare For whereas He was therein an offering for Sin was made Sin for us and bare all our Iniquities undergoing the Penalty or Curse of the Law due unto them which we call his Satisfaction or Suffering in our stead And whereas all that he did antecedently unto the Oblation of himself for the Salvation of the Church he did it in a way of Obedience unto God by Vertue of the Compact or Covenant between the Father and Him for our Salvation unto his Glory which we call his Merit Unto these there is respect in the dispensation of Grace or the Lord Christ lived and died in Vain But to declare their Apprehension of these things the same Author adds Porro in Pontifice legali apparitio distincta erat ab oblatione licet utraque erat conjuncta simul fieret nempe quia alius erat Pontifex alia victima apparebat quidem Pontifex offerebatur autem victima seu sanguis victimae At nostri Pontificis oblatio apparitio quemadmodum interpellatio reipsa idem sunt quia nimirum idem est Pontifex Victima Dum enim apparet Christus seipsum offert dum seipsum offert apparet dum autem offert apparet interpellat 1. It is not true that the Oblation or Offering of the Sacrifice by the High Priest and his Appearance in the Holy Place was at the same time For he offered his Sacrifice at the Altar without and afterwards entred with the blood into the Holy Place 2. He grants that the Blood of the Sacrifice was offered but will not allow that the Blood of Christ was offered at all nor that Christ offered himself before he had laid aside both flesh and blood having no such thing belonging unto him 3. That the Sacrifice of Christ his Oblation Appearance and Intercession are all one and the same and that nothing but his Power and Care in Heaven for the Salvation of the Church is intended by them is an Imagination expresly contradictory unto the whole Design and all the Reasonings of the Apostle in the Context For he carefully distinguisheth those things one from the other sheweth the different and distinct time of them under the Old Testament declareth their distinct Natures Acts and Effects with the different places of their performance Violence also is offered unto the signification of the Words and the common Notion of things intended by them to make way for this Conceit In common use and force 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are one thing and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are others It is true the Lord Christ is in himself both the Priest and the Sacrifice but it doth not thence follow that his offering of himself and his Appearance in the Presence of God for us are the same but only that they are the Acts of the same Person This Continual Appearance of the Lord Christ for us as our High Priest in the Presence of God in the way explained is the Foundation of the Safety of the Church in all Ages and that whereon all our Consolation doth depend whence Relief is derived by Faith on all occasions The Consideration hereof being rightly improved will carry us through all difficulties Temptations and Trials with safety unto the End VER XXV 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not also neque neither nor yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Soul He made his Soul an offering for Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or with Blood that was not his own properly Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with other blood or the blood of another Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the High Priest entreth into the Holy-Place every year with the blood of others In the foregoing verse there is an Opposition in the Comparison between the Lord Christ and the High Priest of the Law yet is it such as hath its Foundation in a Similitude that is between them and therefore respects not so much the things themselves opposed as the manner of them For as the Lord Christ entred not into the Holy
Place made with hands but into Heaven it self So the High Priest had an entrance also yet not into Heaven but into that other Holy Place But in this verse there is an opposition in the Comparison that hath no Foundation in any similitude between them and that is absolutely denyed of Christ which belonged essentially unto the Discharge of the Office of the High Priest of Old Many things ensued on the Weakness and Imperfection of the Types which would not allow that there should be a perfect compleat Resemblance in them of the Substance it self that all things between them exactly should answer unto One another Hence they did at best but obscurely represent the good things to come and in some things it was not possible but there should be a great discrepancy between them The Assertion in these Words proceeds on a Supposition of the Duty of the High Priest which had that Reason for it as that it was absolutely necessary that our High Priest should not do after the same manner The High Priest ended not his work of offering Sacrifices by his entrance into the Holy Place with the Blood of it but he was to repeat the same Sacrifice again every year This therefore in correspondence with this Type might be expected from Christ also namely that whereas he offered himself unto God through the Eternal Spirit and afterwards entred into the Holy Place or Heaven it self he should offer himself again and so have another entrance into the Presence of God This the Apostle denies him to have done and in the next verse gives a demonstration proving it was impossible he should so do And hereof he gives the Reason both in the remaining verses of this Chapter and the beginning of the next The Repetition of the annual Sacrifices under the Law was mainly from hence because they were not able perfectly to effect that which they did signifie But the One Sacrifice of Christ did at once perfectly accomplish what they did represent Herein therefore of necessity there was to be a difference a Dissimilitude an Opposition between what those High Priests did as unto the Repetition of Sacrifices and what was done by our High Priest which is expressed in this verse The Introduction of the Apostles Assertion is by the disjunctive Negative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor yet It answers the Negative in the first part of the preceding verse He entred not into the Holy Place made with hands as the High Priest nor yet to do what the High Priest did afterwards In the words themselves there are two things 1 What is denyed of the Lord Christ. 2 The Limitation of that Denial unto the other part of the Comparison as unto what the High Priest did 1. It is denied of him that he did thus enter into Heaven that he should offer himself often It doth not follow saith the Apostle that because as an High Priest he entred into Heaven as the High Priests of the Law entred into the Holy Place made with hands that he should therefore offer himself often as that High Priest offered every year It was not required of him there was no need of it for the Reasons mentioned it was impossible he should For this offering of himself was not his Appearance in the Presence of God but the One Sacrifice of himself by death as the Apostle declares in the next verse That he should so offer himself often more than once was needless from the Perfection of that one Offering By one Offering he hath for ever perfected them that were Sanctified And impossible from the Condition of his Person he could not dye often What remains for the Exposition of these words will be declared in the removal of those false Glosses and wrestings of them whereby some endeavour to pervert them The Socinians plead from hence that the Sacrifice of Christ or his offering of himself is the same with his Appearance in Heaven and the Presentation of himself in the Presence of God and they do it out of Hatred unto the Attonement made by his Blood For say they it is here compared unto the entrance of the High Priest into the Holy Place every year which was only an Appearance in the Presence of God Answ. 1. There is no such Comparison intended in the words The Apostle mentioning the entrance of the High Priest with Blood into the Holy Place intends only to evince the Imperfection of that Service in that after he had done so he was again to offer renewed Sacrifices every year a sufficient Evidence that those Sacrifices could never make them perfect who came unto God by them With Christ it was not so as the Apostle declares So that there is not herein a Comparison between the things themselves but an Opposition between their Effects 2. It is granted that the entrance of the High Priest into the Holy Place belonged unto the Complement or Perfection of his Service in the expiatory Sacrifice But the Sacrifice it self did not consist therein So likewise did the entrance of Christ into Heaven belong unto the Perfection of the Effects and Efficacy of his Sacrifice as unto the way of its Application unto the Church So far there is a Comparison in the words and no further 3. That the Sacrifice of Christ or his offering himself once for all once and not often is the same with his continual Presentation of himself in the Presence of God is both false in it self and contrary to the express design of the Apostle For 1 It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a slain or bloody Sacrifice whereof he treats as he expresly calls it ver 25 26. But there is no shedding of blood in the Appearance of Christ in Heaven nor according to these men any such thing appertaining unto his Nature 2 These things are distinguished in the Scripture from their different Natures and Effects 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. 3 His Sacrifice or the offering of himself is so affirmed to be one as to consist in One individual Act. It is not only said that it was one Offering but that it was once only offered ver 26 28. This is no way reconcileable unto his continual Appearance in the presence of God 4 His Offering is mentioned by the Apostle as that which was then past and no more to be repeated He hath by one Offering perfected them that are Sanctified 5 His Oblation was accompanied with and inseparable from suffering So he declares in the next verse proving that he could not often offer himself because he could not often suffer But his Presentation of himself in Heaven is not only inconsistent with actual Suffering but also with any obnoxiousness thereunto It belongs unto his state of Exaltation and Glory 6 The time of the offering himself is limited unto the End of the World now once in the end of the World in opposition unto the Season that passed before denoting a certain determinate Season in the dispensation of times of which
to a perfect Man or that perfection of state which it is capable of in this Life So the Apostle informs us that what he aimed at in his Ministry by warning every Man and teaching them in all Wisdom was that he might present 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1. 28. every Man that is all Believers perfect in Christ Jesus For in him we are compleat Chap. 2. 10. Where though another word be used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet the same thing is intended namely that perfect compleat state of the Church which God designed to bring it unto in Christ. And that our Apostle useth the same word in the same sence in sundry places in this Epistle we shall see in our Progress Thirdly This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Perfection may be considered two ways 1. As to its absolute compleatness in its final Issue This the Apostle denies that he himself had as yet attained Phil. 3. 12. Not as though I had already attained or received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely the whole of what is purchased for me by Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or were already made perfect which could not be without attaining the Resurrection of the Dead ver 11. though the substance be so already in the Saints departed whence he calls them the Spirits of Just Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12. 23. made perfect And this he calls absolutely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 13. 10. That which is perfect or that state of absolute Perfection which we shall enjoy in Heaven 2. It may be considered as to its initial state in this World expressed in the Testimonies before recited and this is that which we enquire after And the Lord Christ as the sole procurer of this state is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Consummator the Perfecter the Finisher of our Faith or Religious Worship Heb. 12. 2. as having brought us into a state 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Perfection This is that whatever it be which we shall immediately enquire into that is denyed unto the Levitical Priesthood and afterwards unto the Law as that which they could not effect They could not by their utmost Efficacy nor by the strictest Attendance unto them bring the Church into that state of Perfection which God had designed for it in this World and without which the Glory of his Grace had not been demonstrated 4. The Chief thing before us therefore is to enquire What this state of Perfection is wherein it doth consist and what is required unto the Constitution of it and in the whole to shew that it could not be by the Levitical Priesthood or Law Now the things that belong unto it are of two sorts 1. Such as belong unto the Souls and Consciences of Believers that is of the Church And 2. Such as belong to the Worship of God it self For with respect unto these two doth the Apostle Discourse and asserts a state of Perfection in opposition unto the imperfect state of the Church under the Law with respect unto them both And as unto the first there are seven things concurring unto the Constitution of this state 1. Righteousness 2. Peace 3. Light or Knowledge 4. Liberty with boldness 5. A clear Prospect into a future state of Blessedness 6. Joy 7. Confidence and Glorying in the Lord. And the Latter or the Worship of the Gospel becomes a part of this state of Perfection 1. By its being Spiritual 2. Easie as absolutely suited unto the Principles of the New Creature 3. In that it is Instructive 4. From its Relation unto Christ as the High Priest 5. From the Entrance we have therein into the Holy place In these things consists that state of Perfection which the Church is called unto under the New Testament which it could never attain by the Levitical Priesthood This is that Kingdom of God which is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. But because these things are of great Importance although the Particulars are many I shall briefly consider them all apart 1. The first thing constituting this Gospel-state of Perfection is Righteousness The Introduction of all Imperfection and weakness in the Church was by sin This made the Law weak Rom. 8. 3. and Sinners to be without strength Rom. 5. 7. VVherefore the Reduction of Perfection must in the first place be by Righteousness This was the great Fundamental Promise of the times of the New Testament Isa. 60. 21. Psal. 72. 7. Psal. 85. 10 11. And this was to be brought in by Christ alone VVherefore one Name whereby he was Promised unto the Church was The Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23 6. Righteousness of our own we had none nor could any thing in the whole Creation supply us with the least of its Concerns with any thing that belongs thereunto Yet without it must we perish for ever VVherefore Jehovah himself becomes our Righteousness that we might say In Jehovah have we Righteousness and Strength and that in him all the Seed of Israel might be Justified and Glory Isa. 45. 25. For by him are all that Believe Justified from all things from which they could not be Justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13 39. To this end he brought in Everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not a Temporary Righteousness suited unto the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Age of the Church under the Old Covenant which is often said to be Everlasting in a limited sence but that which was for all Ages to make the Church Blessed unto Eternity So is he made unto us of God Righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. This is the Foundation of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Perfection and it was procured for us by the Lord Christ Offering up himself in Sacrifice as our great High Priest For we have Redemption through his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins Ephes. 1. 7. God having set him forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the forgiveness of sins And this he is in Opposition unto whatever the Law could effect taking away that Condemnation which issued from a Conjunction of Sin and the Law For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for sin Condemned sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 3 4. The end of the Law in the first place was to be a means and Instrument of Righteousness unto those to whom it was given But after the entrance of sin it became weak and utterly insufficient unto any such purpose for by the deeds of the Law can no Flesh be Justified VVherefore Christ is become the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that Believeth Rom. 10. 4. And by whomsoever this is denyed namely that Christ is our Righteousness which he cannot
had Apostatized from him despised his Authority and rebelled against him falling thereby under the sentence and curse of the Law should again be received into his favour and be made partakers of Grace and Glory This therefore the Lord Christ took upon himself as the Surety of the Covenant 2. That those who were to be taken into this Covenant should receive Grace enabling them to comply with the Terms of it fulfil its conditions and yield the obedience which God required therein For by the Ordination of God he was to procure and did merit and procure for them the Holy Spirit and all the needful supplies of Grace to make them New Creatures and enable them to yield obedience unto God from a New Principle of spiritual life and that faithful unto the end So was he the Surety of this better Covenant Obs. The stability of the New Covenant depends on the Suretiship of Christ and is secured unto Believers thereby The Introduction of a Surety in any case is to give Stability and Security For it is never done but on a supposition of some weakness or defect on one Account or other If in any Contract Bargain or Agreement a man be esteemed every way responsible both for Ability and Fidelity there is no need of a Surety nor is it required But yet whereas there is a defect or weakness amongst all men mentioned by our Apostle in the next verses namely that they are all mortal and subject unto death in which case neither Ability nor Fidelity will avail any thing men in all cases of Importance need Sureties These give the utmost confirmation that affairs among men are capable of So doth the Suretiship of Christ on our behalf in this Covenant For the evidencing whereof we may consider 1. The first Covenant as made with Adam had no Surety As unto that which in the New Covenant the Suretiship of Christ doth principally respect it had no need of any For there was no sin Transgression or Rebellion against God to be satisfied for so that it was absolutely incapable of a Surety unto that end But as to the second part of it or his undertaking for us that through supplies of strength from him we shall abide faithful in the Covenant according to the Terms and Tenure of it this had no inconsistency with that first state As the Lord Christ upon his undertaking the work of Mediation became an immediate Head unto the Angels that sinned not whereby they received their establishment and security from any future defection so might he have been such an Head unto and such an undertaker for man in Innocency No created nature was or could have been unchangeable in its condition and state meerly on its root of Creation As some of the Angels fell at first forsaking their habitation falling from the principle of obedience which had no other Root but in themselves so the Rest of them all of them might afterwards have in like manner Apostatized and fallen from their own innate stability had they not been gathered up into the new head of the Creation the Son of God as Mediator receiving a New Relation from thence and establishment thereby So it might have been with man in Innocency But God in his infinite Soveraign wisdom saw it not meet that so it should be Man shall be left to the Exercise of that Ability of living unto God which he had received in his Creation and which was sufficient for that end A Surety God gave him not And therefore although he had all the Advantage which a sinless nature filled with holy Principles Dispositions and Inclinations free from all vitious habits rebellious affections inordinate imaginations could afford unto him yet he broke the Covenant and forfeited all the benefits thereof Whatever there was besides in that Covenant of Grace Power Ability and the highest obligations unto Duty yet all was lost for want of a Surety And this abundantly testifies unto the Preheminence of Christ in all things For whereas Adam with all the innumerable Advantages he had that is all helps necessary in himself and no Opposition or Difficulty from himself to conflict withal yet utterly brake the Covenant wherein he was Created and Placed Believers who have little strength in themselves and a powerful inbred opposition unto their stability are yet secured in their station by the Interposition of the Lord Christ as their Surety 2. When God made a Covenant with the People in the wilderness to manifest that there could be no stability in it without respect unto a Surety that it could not continue no not for a day he caused it to be dedicated or confirmed with the blood of Sacrifices This the Apostle declares and withal its Typicalness with respect unto the new Covenant and the confirmation of it with the blood of Christ Chap 9. 18 19 20 21. And afterwards as we have declared the high Priest in the Sacrifices that he offered was the Typical Mediator and Surety of that Covenant And the end of this Appointment of God was to manifest that it was from the Blood of the true Sacrifice namely that of Jesus Christ that the new Covenant was to receive its stability And we need a Surety unto this purpose 1. Because in the state and condition of sin we are not capable of immediate dealing or Covenanting with God There can be no Covenanting between God and sinners unless there be some one to stand forth in our name to receive the Terms of God and to undertake for us So when God began to treat immediately from Heaven with the people of old they all jointly professed that such was the Greatness and Glory of God such the Terror of his Majesty that it was impossible for them so to treat with him and if he spake unto them any more they should all dye and be consumed VVherefore with one consent they desired that there might be one appointed between God and them to transact all things and to undertake for them as to their Obedience which God well approved in them Deut. 5. 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31. Adam indeed in the state of innocency could treat immediately with God as unto that Covenant wherein he was placed For notwithstanding his infinite distance from God yet God had made him for converse with himself and did not despise the work of his own hands But immediately upon the entrance of sin he was sensible of the losse of that Priviledge whereon he both fled and hid himself from the Presence of God And hence those who of Old thought they had seen God concluded that they should dye as being sensible of their incapacity to treat immediately with him So when the Prophet cryed out that he was undone or cut off because of the immediate Presence of God his Eyes having seen the King the Lord of Hosts Isa. 6. 5. He was not relieved from his Apprehensions untill his mouth was touched with a coal from the Altar a
Christ which never changeth and that of Aaron which was alwaies in a transient Succession And the Reasons he gives of this contrary state of these two Priesthoods do greatly enforce the Argument For the first Priesthood was so Successive because the Priests themselves were obnoxious unto death the sum and issue of all weaknesses and infirmities But as to the Lord Christ his Priesthood is perpetual and unchangeable because he abideth personally for ever being made a Priest according to the Power of an endless Life which is the sum of all Perfections that our nature is capable of And we may observe 1. The perpetuity of the Priesthood of Christ depends on his own perpetual Life He did not undertake any Office for the Church to lay it aside whilst he lives until the whole Design and work of it be accomplished And therefore he tells his Disciples that because he liveth they shall live also John 14. 19. For whilst he lives he will take care of them But this must be spoken unto on the next verse 2. The perpetuity of the Priesthood of Christ as unchangeably exercised in his own Person is a principal part of the Glory of that Office His discharge of this Office for the Church in his own Person throughout all Generations is the glory of it 1. Hereon depends the Churches preservation and stability There is neither a ceasing nor any the least intermission of that Care and Providence of such interposition with God on its behalf which are required thereunto Our High Priest is continually ready to appear and put in for us on all occasions And his abiding for ever manifests the continuance of the same Care and Love for us that he ever had The same Love wherewith as our High Priest he laid down his Life for us doth still continue in him And every one may with the same confidence go unto him with all their concerns as poor diseased and distempered Persons went unto him when he was upon Earth when he never shewed greater displeasure than unto those who forbad any to come unto him whatever their pretences were 2. Hereon depends the Union and Communion of the Church with it self in all successive Generations For whereas he who is their Head and High Priest in whom they all center as unto their Union and Communion and who hath all their Graces and Duties in his hand to present them unto God they have a Relation unto each other and a concernment in one another VVe that are alive in this generation have Communion with all those that died in the Faith before us as shall be declared if God will on Chap. 12. ver 22 23 24. And they were concerned in us as we are also in the generations that are to come For all the Prayers of the Church from first to last are lodged in the hand of the same High Priest who abides for ever And he returns the prayers of one Generation unto another VVe enjoy the fruits of the Prayers Obedience and Blood of those that went before us and if we are faithful in our generation serving the VVill of God those shall enjoy the fruits of ours who shall come after us Our joynt interest in this our abiding Priest gives a line of Communication unto all Believers in all Generations And 3. the Consolation of the Church also depends hereon Do we meet with Troubles Trials Difficulties Temptations and Distresses hath not the Church done so in former Ages What do we think of those days wherein Prisons Tortures Swords and Flames were the Portion of the Church all the world over But did any of them miscarry Was any one true Believer lost for ever And did not the whole Church prove victorious in the End Did not Satan rage and the World gnash their Teeth to see themselves conquered and their power broken by the Faith Patience and Suffering of them whom they hated and despised And was it from their own wisdom and courage that they were so preserved Did they overcome meerly by their own Blood or were delivered by their own Power No but all their preservation and successe their deliverance and eternal Salvation depended meerly on the care and power of their merciful High Priest It was through his Blood the Blood of the Lamb or the efficacy of his Sacrifice that they overcame their Adversaries Revel 12. 11. By the same blood were their Robes washed and made white Chap. 7. 14. From thence had they their Righteousness in all their Sufferings And by him had the Church its triumphant issue out of all its Trials Now is he not the same that he ever was vested with the same Office and hath he not the same Qualifications of Love Compassion Care and Power for the discharge of it as he always had whence then can any just cause of despondence in any Trials or Temptations arise We have the same High Priest to take care of us to assist and help us as they had who were all of them finally victorious 4. This gives perpetual efficacy unto his sacrifices c. 3. The Addition of sacrificing Priests as Vicars of or Substitutes unto Christ in the discharge of his Office destroys his Priesthood as to the principal eminency of it above that of the Levitical Priesthood VER 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them IN this verse the Apostle brings his whole preceding Mysterious discourse unto an Issue in the Application of it unto the Faith and Comfort of the Church It was not his Design meerly to open Mysterious Truths in the notion of them Nor only to prove the Glory and preeminence of the Gospel Church state above that of the same Church under Mosaical Institutions on the Account of the Priesthood of Christ But his principal Design was to demonstrate the Spiritual and Eternal Advantages of all true Believers by these things The sum of what he intends he proposeth in this verse and afterwards enlargeth on unto the end of the Chapter What Believers ought to seek in and what they may expect from this blessed glorious Priesthood is that which he now undertakes to declare In like manner on all occasions he manifests that the end of God in the whole Mystery of his Grace by Jesus Christ and Institutions of the Gospel is the Salvation of his Elect unto the praise of the Glory of his Grace There are in the words 1. The Illative Conjunction or note of Inference Wherefore 2. An Ascription of Power unto this High Priest He is able 3. The end of that Power or the effect of it it is to save which is farther described 1. By the extent of it it is unto the uttermost 2. The especial Object of it Those that come to God by him 4. The Reasons of the whole which are 1. His perpetual life 2. His perpetual work He ever liveth to make Intercession for them The
gloriously in the Death and Resurrection of Christ so as to be the matter of triumphant Praises unto God Such is the Triumph thereon described Col. 2. 15 1 Tim. 3. 16. And it may be observed that as on the laying of the Foundation of the Earth all the Holy Angels triumphed in the expression and demonstration of the infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness of God which they beheld so in the Foundation of the New Creation the Apostate Angels who repined at it and opposed it unto their Power were lead Captives carried in Triumph and made the Footstool of the glory of Christ. But all this Joy and Triumph is built on the security of the unchangeable Love Care and Power of Jesus Christ gloriously to accomplish the work which he had undertaken For had he left it when he left the Earth it had never been finished For great was that part of the work which yet remained to be perfected Neither could the Remainder of this work be committed unto any other hand He employeth others under him in his work to act Ministerially in his name and Authority So he useth the Ministery of Angels and Men. But did not he himself continue to act in them by them with them and without them the whole work would fail and be disappointed In one instance of the Revelation of the will of God concerning the state of the Church by the opening of the Book wherein it was recorded there was none found worthy in Heaven or Earth to do it but the Lamb that was slain the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Revel 5. 5. Chap. 6. 1. How much less is any Creature able to accomplish all that remains for the saving of the Church unto the utmost Who can expresse the opposition that continues to be made unto this work of compleating the Salvation of Believers what Power is able to conflict and conquer the remaining strength of Sin the opposition of Sathan and the World How innumerable are the Temptations which every individual Believer is exposed unto each of them in its own nature ruinous and pernitious God alone knoweth all things perfectly in infinite wisdom and as they are He alone knows how great a work it is to save Believers unto the utmost what Wisdom what Power what Grace and Mercy is requisite thereunto He alone knows what is meet unto the way and manner of it so as it may be perfected unto his own Glory His infinite wisdom alone hath found out and determined the glorious and mysterious ways of the Emanation of Divine Power and Grace unto this End Upon all these Grounds unto all these Purposes hath he appointed the continual intercession of the Lord Christ in the most Holy place This he saw needful and expedient unto the Salvation of the Church and his own glory So will he exert his own Almighty Power unto those ends The good Lord help me to believe and adore the Mystery of it 2. The most glorious Prospect that we can take into the things that are within the vail into the remaining Transactions of the work of our Salvation in the most Holy place is in the Representation that is made unto us of the intercession of Christ. Of old when Moses went into the Tabernacle all the People looked after him until he entred in and then the Pillar of the Cloud stood at the door of it that none might see into the Holy place Exod. 33. 8 9. And when the Lord Christ was taken into Heaven the Disciples looked after him until a cloud interposed at the Tabernacle door and took him out of their sight Act. 1. 9. And when the High Priest was to enter into the Tabernacle to carry the Blood of the sacrifice of Expiation into the most Holy place no man be he Priest or not was suffered to enter into or abide in the Tabernacle Levit. 16. 17. Our High Priest is now likewise entred into the most Holy place within the second vail where no eye can pierce unto him Yet is he there as an High Priest which makes Heaven it self to be a glorious Temple and a place as yet for the exercise of an instituted Ordinance such as the Priesthood of Christ is But who can look into who can comprehend the Glories of those Heavenly Administrations Some have pretended a view into the orders and service of the whole Chore of Angels but have given us only a Report of their own imaginations What is the Glory of the Throne of God what the Order and Ministry of his Saints and Holy ones what is the manner of the worship that is given unto him that sits on the Throne and to the Lamb the Scripture doth sparingly deliver as knowing our disability whilst we are cloathed with flesh and inhabit Tabernacles of clay to comprehend aright such transcendent Glories The best and most steady view we can have of these things is in the Account which is given us of the intercession of Christ. For herein we see him by Faith yet vested with the Office of the Priesthood and continuing in the Discharge of it This makes Heaven a Temple as was said and the feat of instituted worship Rev 7. 15. Hence in his Appearance unto John he was cloathed with a Garment down to the Foot and girt about the paps with a golden Girdle both which were sacerdotal vestments Rev. 1. 13. Herein is God continually glorifyed hereby is the Salvation of the Church continually carried on and consummated This is the work of Heaven which we may safely contemplate by Faith 3. The intercession of Christ is the great evidence of the continuance of his Love and Care his Pity and Compassion towards his Church Had he only continued to Rule the Church as its King and Lord he had manifested his glorious Power his Righteousness and Faithfulness The Scepter of his Kingdom is a Scepter of Righteousness But Mercy and Compassion Love and Tenderness are constantly ascribed unto him as our High Priest See Chap. 4. 15. Chap. 5. 1 2. So the great exercise of his sacerdotal Office in laying down his Life for us and expiating our sins by his Blood is still peculiarly ascribed unto his Love Gal. 2. 20 Ephes. 5. 2. Revel 1. 5. Wherefore these properties of Love and Compassion belong peculiarly unto the Lord Christ as our High Priest All Men who have any spiritual experience and understanding will acknowledge how great the concernment of Believers is in these things and how all their Consolation in this World depends upon them He whose soul hath not been refreshed with a due Apprehension of the unspeakable Love Tenderness and Compassion of Jesus Christ is a stranger unto the Life of Faith and unto all true spiritual Consolation But how shall we know that the Lord Christs is thus tender Loving and Compassionate that he continueth so to be or what evidence or Testimony have we of it It is true he was eminently so when he was upon the Earth in the days
Wisdom and Holiness that having designed the bringing of many sons unto Glory he should make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings So the Condecency here intended may respect 1. The Wisdom Grace and Goodness of God It became him to give us such an High Priest as we stood in need of namely one that was able in the Discharge of that Office to save all to the uttermost that come unto God by him For to design our salvation by an High Priest and not to provide such an one as was every way able to effect it became not the Wisdom and Grace of God 2. Respect may be had herein unto our state and condition Such this was as none but such an High Priest could relieve us in or save us from For we stand in need of such an one as our Apostle declares as 1. could make Attonement for our sins or perfectly expiate them 2. Purge our Consciences from dead works that we might serve the living God or sanctifie us throughout by his Blood 3. Procure Acceptance with God for us or purchase eternal Redemption 4. Administer supplies of the spirit of Grace unto us to enable us to live unto God in all Duties of Faith Worship and Obedience 5. Give us assistance and consolation in our Trials Temptations and Sufferings with pity and compassion 6. Preserve us by Power from all ruining Sins and Dangers 7. Be in a continual Readiness to receive us in all our Addresses to him 8. To bestow upon us the Reward of Eternal Life Unless we have an High Priest that can do all these things for us we cannot be saved to the uttermost Such an High Priest we stood in need of and such an one it became the wisdom and Grace of God to give unto us And God in infinite wisdom Love and Grace gave us such an High Priest as in the Qualifications of his Person the Glory of his Condition and the Discharge of his Office was every way suited to deliver us from the state of Apostacy sin and misery and to bring us unto himself through a Perfect salvation This the ensuing particulars will fully manifest The Qualifications of this High Priest are expressed first indefinitely in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Difference from other High Priests is included herein He must not be one of an Ordinary sort but one so singularly qualified unto his work so exalted after his work and so discharging his work unto such Ends. In all these things we stood in need of such an High Priest as was quite of another sort order and kind than any the Church had enjoyed under the Law as the Apostle expresly concludes ver 28. His Personal inherent Qualifications are first expressed and we shall consider first some things in general that are common unto them all and then declare the especial intendment of every one of them in particular Such an High Priest became us as is Holy Harmless Undefiled Separate from sinners And 1. There is some Allusion in all these things unto what was Typically represented in the Institution of the Office of the Priesthood under the Law For the High Priest was to be a Person without blemish not maimed in any part of his body He was not to marry any one that was defiled nor to defile himself among the People On his forehead in his ministrations he ware a Plate of Gold with that Inscription Holiness to the Lord. And no doubt but Personal Holiness was required of him in an especial manner for want whereof God cast out the Posterity of Eli from the Priesthood But all those things were only outward Representations of what was really required unto such an High Priest as the Church stood in need of For they were mostly external giving a Denomination unto the Subject but working no real change in it And where they were internal they were encompassed with such a mixture of sins weaknesses infirmities and the Intercision of Death as that they had no Glory in comparison of what was required All these things the Apostle observes reducing them unto two Heads namely that they were obnoxious unto Sin and Death and therefore as they died so they offered sacrifices for their own sins But the Church was taught by them from the Beginning that it stood in need of an High Priest whose real Qualifications should answer all these Types and Representations of them 2. It is possible that our Apostle in this Description of our High Priest designed to obviate the prejudicate opinion of some of the Hebrews concerning their Messiah For generally they looked on him as one that was to be a great earthly Prince and warriour that should conquer many Nations and subdue all their enemies with the sword shedding the blood of men in Abundance In opposition unto this vain and pernicious Imagination our Saviour testifies unto them that he came not to kill but to save and keep alive And our Apostle here gives such a Description of him in these holy gracious Qualifications as might attest his Person and work to be quite of another nature than what they desired and expected And their frustration herein was the principal occasion of their unbelief See Mal. 3. 1 2 3. 3. I am sorry that it hath fallen from the Pen of an able Expositor of our own on this place that the Time when the Lord Christ was thus made an High Priest for ever and that by an Oath was after he had offered one sacrifice not many for the People not for himself once not often of everlasting vertue and not effectual for some petty Expiations for a time and after he was risen ascended and set at the right hand of God If by being made an High Priest only a Solemn Declaration of being made so is intended these things may passe well enough For we allow that in the Scripture then a thing is oft-times said to be when it is first manifested or declared So was the Lord Christ determined to be the son of God with Power by the Resurrection from the dead But if it be intended as the words will scarce admit of any other Interpretation that then the Lord Christ was first made an High Priest after all this was performed the whole real Priesthood of Christ and his proper Sacrifice is overthrown For it is said he was not made an High Priest until after that he had offered his one sacrifice And if it were so then he was not a Priest when he so offered himself But this implies a contradiction for there can be no sacrifice where there is no Priest And therefore the Socinians who make the consecration of the Lord Christ unto his Sacerdotal Office to be by his entrance into Heaven do utterly deny his Death to have been a Sacrifice but only a Preparation for it as they fancy the killing of the beast to have been of old And the Truth is either the Lord Christ was a Priest before and in the
Oblation of himself on the Cross or he was never any nor needed so to be nor could he so be for after he was freed from death he had nothing to offer And it is a strange order of things that the Lord Christ should first offer his onely Sacrifice and after that be made a Priest But the Order Time and manner of the Call and Consecration of the Lord Christ unto his Priesthood I have elsewhere declared Wherefore 4. We may observe that all these Qualifications of our High Priest were peculiarly necessary on the account of the Sacrifice which he had to offer They were not only necessary for him as he was to be the Sacrificer but also as he was to be the Sacrifice not only as he was to be the Priest but as he was to be the Lamb. For the Sacrifices were to be without blemish as well as the Sacrificers So were we redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1. 19. But however the Sacrifices were chosen under the Law without blemish yet were they still in their own nature but Calves and Goats and Lambs And therefore Priests who had weaknesses and infirmities and sins of their own might be meet enough to offer them But here both Priest and Sacrifice were to be equally pure and holy 5. We must not pass by the wresting of this Text by the Socinians nor omit its due Vindication For they contend that this whole Description of our High Priest doth not respect his internal Qualifications in this world before and in the offering of himself by his Blood but his glorious state and condition in Heaven For they fear as well they may that if the Qualifications of a Priest were necessary to him and required in him whilst he was in this world that then he was so indeed He who says such an High Priest became us as is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners doth affirm that when he was so he was our High Priest In that state wherein these things were necessary unto him he was a Priest To avoid this ruine unto their Pretensions they offer violence unto the Text and the signification of every word in it and dangerously insinuate a negation of the things intended to be in Christ in this world So speaks Schlictingius on the place Unde apparet sequentibus verbis seu Epithetis Christo tributis non mores ipsius seu vitam ab omni peccati labe puram sed felicem ac beatum statum describi ac designari ob quem fiat ut in aeternum vivens nostri quoque perpetuam gerat curam Licet enim omnia ista ratione vitae morum de Christo intellecta verissima sint tamen nihil ad praesens Authoris institutum faciunt So also argues Smalcius de Reg. Christi Cap. 23. whom we have elsewhere refuted The Paraphrase of one of our own seems to comply herewith which is as followeth And this was a sort of High Priests which we sinful weak creatures had need of which by the way I do not understand for we stood not in need of a new sort of High Priests but of one single individual High Priest One that being mercifully disposed is also incapable of suffering any hurt of being defiled or corrupted and consequently of dying and to that end is exalted unto a pitch above our sinful corruptible condition here So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are rendred in the Margin free from evil and undefileable The sense is plainly the same with that of Schlictingius though there be some variety in the expressions of the one and the other And therefore is Christ said to be exalted that he might be such as he is here described as though he was not so before in the sense here intended by the Apostle however the words here in another sense might be applyed unto him Three things seem to be aymed at in this Exposition 1. To make way for another corrupt notion on the next verse wherein these men with Grotius would have Christ in some sense offer for his own sins also which there can be no pretence for if these things be asscribed unto him as he was a Priest in this world 2. To take care that the Innocency Holinesse and absolute Purity of our High Priest be not supposed to be necessary unto our Justification neither as the material nor formal cause of it For if the Lord Christ in the Sacrifice of himself died for our Justification and that he might do so it was necessary that he should antecedently be holy harmless undefiled and separate from sinners then was his being so necessary unto our Justification as a cause thereof 3. To obviate an Apprehension of his being an High Priest before his death and to have offered his one Sacrifice therein For if he had not the Qualifications necessary unto an High Priest before his Ascension into Heaven he could not be so before But these things are none of them compliant with the Truth And 1. This Exposition is contrary to the concurrent sense of all sober antient and modern Expositors And which is more it is contrary to the common sense of all Christians Not one of them who knoweth ought of these things unless their minds are perverted with these mens glosses and that meerly to comply with other opinions wherein the text is no way concerned but that in their first and last consideration of these words they respect Jesus Christ as to his personal Holiness in this World And that Exposition had need be well confirmed which is not only contrary to the Judgement of all learned men but also destructive of the common Faith of Christians But as yet we have nothing beyond crude Assertions offered in the proof of it 2. It is contrary unto or inconsistent with the sense and use of the Words in all good Authors sacred and prophane and contrary unto the Application of them unto the Lord Christ in other places of the Scripture as we shall see immediately 3. It is contrary to the order of the Apostles words For he placeth all these Properties as qualifications of this Person antecedently unto his Exaltation He was first Holy Harmless Undefiled and then made Higher than the Heavens But according unto this Exposition his being made higher than the Heavens is the antecedent cause of his being made Holy c. 4. It is highly false that the blessed state pretended to be here set forth was antecedently unto his being a Priest and the sacrifice which he offered yea such an estate was inconsistent with the Oblation of himself For he offered himself unto God in his Blood Heb. 9. 14. and that with strong cryes and tears Chap. 5. 7. which were inconsistent with such a state for it is so described on purpose to be exclusive of every thing required thereunto 5. Schlictingius pleads that although all these things were true with
evert the force of his Argument For if the same sacrifice which the Lord Christ offered be often offered and had need so to be the whole Argument to prove the excellency of his Priesthood in that he offered himself but once above them who often offered the same sacrifices falls to the ground And hence also the Foundation of this fiction is rased For it is that the Lord Christ offered himself at the supper the night before he was hetraied as the Trent Council affirms Sess. 22. Cap. 1. For if he did so he offered himself more than once twice at least which being a matter of Fact is to give the Apostle the lye What he offered is expressed in the last place and therein the Reason is contained why he offered but once and needed not to do so daily as those Priests did And this is taken from the excellency of his offering he offered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himself And this gives the highest preference of the Priesthood of Christ above that of Levi. For 1. Those Priests had nothing of their own to offer but must be furnished with offerings from among the other Creatures 2. Though they had the best from them the blood and fat yet it was but the blood of Calves and Sheep and Goats And what can this do for the real Expiating of the sins of our souls See Micah 6. 6 7 8. Wherefore when at any time the People were brought under any serious conviction of sin they could not but apprehend that none of these sacrifices however multiplyed could deliver them from their Guilt But the Lord Christ had something of his own to offer that which was originally and absolutely his own not borrowed or taken from any thing among the Creatures And this was himself a sacrifice able to make Attonement for all the sins of Mankind And from the words thus expounded we may observe 1. That no sinful man was meet to offer the great Expiatory sacrifice for the Church much less is any sinful man fit to offer Christ himself As the first part of this Assertion declares the insufficiency of the Priests of the Church of the Jews so doth the latter the vain pretence of the Priests of the Church of Rome The former the Apostle proves and confirms expresly For no other high Priest but such a one as was in himself perfectly sinless did become us or our state and condition He that was otherwise could neither have any thing of his own to offer and must in the first place offer for himself and this he must be doing day by day And the latter on many accounts is a vile presumptuous Imagination For a poor sinful worm of the Earth to interpose himself between God and Christ and offer the one in sacrifice unto the other what an issue is it of Pride and Folly 2. The Excellency of Christs Person and Priesthood freed him in his offering from many things that the Levitical Priesthood was obliged unto And the due Apprehension hereof is a great guide unto us in the consideration of those Types For many things we shall meet withal which we cannot see how they had a particular Accomplishment in Christ nor find out what they did prefigure But all of them were such that their own infirm state and condition did require Such was their outward Call and Consecration which they had by the Law in the sacrifice of beasts with certain washings and unctions their sacrificing often and for themselves their Succession one to another their Purifications or legal Pollutions These and sundry things of like nature were made necessary unto them from their own sins and infirmities and so had no particular Accomplishment in Christ. However in general all the Ordinances and Institutions about them all taught the Church thus much that nothing of that was to be found in the true high Priest wherein they were defective 3. No Sacrifice could bring us unto God and save the Church to the utmost but that wherein the Son of God himself was both Priest and Offering Such an High Priest became us who offered himself once for all And we may consider 1. That this was one of the greatest effects of infinite divine Wisdom and Grace His Incarnation wherein he had a body prepared for him for this purpose his call to his Office by the Oath of the Father and Unction of the Spirit his sanctifying himself to be a sacrifice and his offering up himself through the eternal Spirit unto God are all full of Mysterious Wisdom and Grace All these wonders of wisdom and love were necessary unto this great End of bringing us unto God 2. Every part of this Transaction all that belongs unto this sacrifice is filled up with Perfection that no more could be required on the part of God nor is any thing wanting to give countenance unto our unbelief The Person of the Priest and the Offering it self are both the same both the Son of God One view of the Glory of this Mystery how satisfactory is it unto the souls of Believers 3. A distinct consideration of the Person of the Priest and of his sacrifice will evidence this Truth unto the Faith of Believers What could not this Priest prevail for in his Interposition on our behalf Must he not needs be absolutely prevalent in all he ayms at Were our cause intrusted in any other hand what security could we have that it should not miscarry And what could not this offering make Attonement for What sin or whose sins could it not expiate Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World 4. It was burdensom and heavy work to attain relief against sin and settled Peace of Conscience under the old Priesthood attended with so many weaknesses and infirmities Herein lyes the greatest part of that Yoke which the Apostle Peter affirms that neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear Act. 15. 10. Which the Lord Christ gives us deliverance from Math. 11. 27 28 29 30. VER XXVIII For the Law maketh men High Priests which have Infirmity but the Word of the Oath which was since the Law maketh the Son who is consecrated for evermore The Apostle in this verse summeth up the whole of his precedent Discourse so as to evidence the true and proper Foundation which all along he hath built and proceeded on 1. One Principle there was agreed upon between him and the Hebrews who adhered unto Mosaical Institutions and this was that an High Priest over the Church there must be and without such an one there is no approach unto God So it was under the Law and if the same order be not continued the Church must needs fall under a great disadvantage To lose the High Priest out of our Religion is to lose the Sun out of the firmament of the Church This was a common Principle agreed on between them whereon the Apostle doth proceed 2. He Grants unto them that the High Priests who officiated
from the Church of the Jews In all their confidence in their Worship that which they principally boasted of was their High Friest and his Office He was anointed with the Holy Oil. He wore the Garments that were made for Beauty and Glory He had on his Forehead a Plate of Gold with that glorious Inscription Holiness unto Jehovah And He alone entred into the Holy Place having made Expiation of the Sins of the People The Christians who were now separated from them they despised as those who had no lot nor portion in all this Glory no such visible High Priest as they had So the same Persons were afterwards reproached by the Pagans that they had neither Temples nor Altars nor Images or visible Deities So hard was it to call off the carnal minds of Men from things visible and sensible in Divine Worship unto those that are spiritual and heavenly And herein lies the reproach of degenerated Christians especially those of the Roman Church that whereas the Gospel in asserting the pure heavenly spiritual Worship of God had prevailed against the World and triumphed over all that is carnal invented to please the senses and satisfie the superstitious minds of Men they have made themselves the scorn and spoil of their conquered Enemies by returning to the same kind of Worship in various degrees which was before destroyed and triumphed over And as therein they seem to make a publick acknowledgment That the Gospel in the management of their Predecessors had much injured the World in the Introduction of a Worship spiritual and divine excluding all those visible Glories which it had found out to entertain the minds of Men so it will appear in the issue that they have made themselves Transgressors by building up what was before destroyed But the Primitive Christians did still oppose the spiritual Worship of sanctified Souls in the observation of the Institutions of Christ unto all the pretences of Glory and Beauty pleaded to be in their outward force So the Apostle here to evince the Dignity of the Christian Church against the Unbelief of the Jews pleads their Relation unto an invisible spiritual High Priest exalted in Glory and Dignity far above all that they could enjoy by virtue of a carnal Commandment Whatever you think of us whatever you boast of your selves We have an High Priest and that such an one as he immediately declares 2. He would teach us that whatever be the Glory and Dignity of this High Priest without an Interest in him without an especial Relation unto him unless we have an High Priest we are not concerned therein Many do give their assent unto this Truth That Christ is an High Priest but how or wherein he is so to them they know not nor yet do they make any use of him as such Yea unto many the principal mysteries of the Gospel are but meer Notions and barren Speculations what it is to be practically influenced by them and to live in the power of them they know not That there is an High Priest they believe but what it is for them to have an High Priest they cannot understand But this is that we are to look after if we intend any benefit by it And we may know whether we have an High Priest or no really and substantially by the use which we make of him as such in all our approaches unto God For he presides over the whole House of God and all the Sacred Services thereof None can come unto the Father but by him Through him have we Boldness through him have we Ability through him have we Access unto and Acceptance with God He presents both our Persons and Duties unto him Without a daily improvement by Faith of the Office of Christ unto these ends it cannot be said that we have an High Priest 3. That the Office of the Priesthood of Christ is confined unto the Church unto Believers Theirs he is and for them alone doth he administer before God in this Office II. There is a general Denotation of this Priest as to his Qualifications in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He doth not now say That we have an High Priest only nor another High Priest not according to the Ordinances of the Law which he had proved before from the Type of Melchisedec and the Testimony of the Psalmist but moreover such an one as hath that Dignity and those Excellencies which he now ascribes unto him The Salvation of the Church doth not depend meerly on its having an High Priest which yet in it self is absolutely necessary thereunto but on his Dignity and Excellency his Exaltation and Glory Wherefore it is affirmed of him That he is such an High Priest as is set on the right hand of the Throne of the glorious Majesty in the Heavens And two things we must consider in these words 1. The Design of the Apostle in them And 2 Their particular Interpretation 1. The Design of the Apostle as we observed before was not to prove the Reality of his Priesthood that he was truly a Priest nor yet absolutely the Qualifications of his Person but his Dignity and Excellency For our Lord Jesus Christ when he was on the earth and whil'st he offer'd up to God his great propitiatory Sacrifice was as unto his outward state and condition inferior unto the Levitical High Priests who were in great honour and veneration among the People But the state and condition of any in the bearing and discharge of an Office is not to be esteemed and reckoned from what he condescends unto with respect unto any action or duty belonging unto that Office For a King may condescend unto very mean Services when the condition of his Subjects and good of the Kingdom require it of him But it is to be reckoned from his durable estate and perpetual abode therein Now although our Lord Christ was for a season in a condition of deep humiliation taking on him the form of a servant and being esteemed even as a worm and no man which was necessary unto the Sacrifice he had to offer yet as unto his durable state wherein he continues in the discharge of his Office he is incomparably exalted above all the High Priests under the Law And this is that which the Apostle designs here to declare For what did the High Priest do after he had offered the Anniversary Sacrifice of Expiation unto God He entred indeed into the Holy Place with the blood of the Sacrifice presenting it there before the august Pledges of the presence of God But all the while he was there he stood before the Typical Throne or Ark and Mercy-seat with Holy Awe and Reverence And immediately on the discharge of his present Duty he was to withdraw and go out of the Holy Place A great Priviledge this was and a great Honor was herein put on the High Priest For all others both Priests and People were everlastingly excluded out of that Sanctuary But what is this
that was typically represented in the Sanctuary below And therein doth the Lord Christ discharge his Priestly Office for the good of the Church It was a joyful time with the Church of Old when the High Priest entred into the Holy Place For he carried with him the Blood wherewith Attonement was made for all their sins Yet he was quickly again to leave that Place and his Ministration therein But our High Priest abides in the Sanctuary in the Holy Place for ever alwaies representing the efficacy of the Blood whereby atonement was made for all our sins As no Interposition between Heaven and us should discourage us while Christ is there ministring for us so his being there will draw our hearts and minds thither continually if so be we are really interested in his Holy ministrations These things are to some in darkness and obscurity if not wholly out of their sight yet out of their Practice In their Faith Worship and Obedience they find no concernment in the Heavenly ministrations of this High Priest Things within the Vail are hid from them Yet would such Persons be esteemed Christians But the Relief the Direction the Consolation which true Believers do or may in the due exercise of Faith receive by the consideration hereof are gracious and pleasant yea full of Glory The second Part of the Limitation of the ministration of our High Priest is in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of that true Tabernacle which is farther described by its efficient cause expressed both positively and negatively which God pitched and not man Expositors generally agree that by True in this Place that which is Substantial Solid and abiding is intended For it is opposed unto that which is Umbratile Transitory and Pigurative The Old Tabernacle could in no sense be said to be false or deceiving for it was an Ordinance of God set up and used by his Appointment and gave true directions unto its proper end But it was Figurative and Typical denoting somewhat that was to be the true and substantial Tabernacle of God So is the expression interpreted John 6. 23. Moses gave you not the Bread from Heaven but my Father giveth you the true Bread from Heaven that is Spiritually substantial and abiding nourishing the soul unto eternal Life But what is the Tabernacle here intended deserves our diligent enquiry And I find a fourfold sense to be given of these words The true Tabernacle 1. Some as Grotius take it for this whole Universe the Fabrick of Heaven and Earth This some even among the Heathen have called the Tabernacle and Temple of God This he hath made as it were to dwell in as a certain fixed Place for the manifestation of his Glory And whereas the ministry of Christ at least as unto the effects of it is not confined unto any certain Place above or below to no material Tabernacle or Temple The whole universe is called his Tabernacle as being that which is true substantial and abiding And thus it may answer what is affirmed of all Power being given unto him in Heaven and Earth and his being given to be the Head over all things unto the Church I see nothing absurd in this Opinion nor contradictory unto the Analogy of Faith But the Design of the Apostle in using these words and expressions will not allow this to be his especial meaning For somewhat he doth intend that the Old Tabernacle did typify and represent which it did not the Fabrick of the Universe but that especial pattern which was shewed unto Moses in the Mount 2. Some with more probability do judge that by the true Tabernacle the Universal Spiritual Catholick Church is intended For this is compared expressly unto a Tabernacle Isa. 33. 20. Chap. 54. 2. And herein doth God dwell and walk amongst men Hereof Christ may be said to be the minister For as he is the Head of it so he dwelleth in it And it is undoubtedly in the behalf of this Tabernacle that he continueth to administer in the Holy Place and all the Benefits of his Ministration do redound hereunto But yet all this doth not suffice to have the Lord Christ called the Minister of this Tabernacle This indeed is that which he ministreth for but it is not that which he ministreth by The Tabernacle and the things contained in it were the means of worship and that which was materially employed in divine service which the Catholick Church answereth not unto Neither was the Tabernacle of Old which is here alluded unto a Type of the Church but of Christ himself 3. Most Expositors take the Tabernacle as they do the Sanctuary for Heaven it self And they would have the word true by a Zeugma to belong unto the Sanctuary as well as unto the Tabernacle which we have also before allowed But yet this proveth not that the Sanctuary and the Tabernacle must be the same though both be equally true in the same sense This way go the Greek Expositors as Chrysostome Theophylact and Oecumenius on the Place And because this Tabernacle is said to be fixed of God Chrysostome reproacheth them who say that the Heavens do move and are Spherical though he never had a prophetical dream of the Copernican Hypothesis But yet as Beza well observes they forsook their own interpretation on Chap. 9. 11 12. where the Tabernacle is spoken of in the same sense that here it is But besides the Reasons that shall be given immediately for another interpretation two things will not comply with this For 1. There is no reason why the Apostle should express the same thing first under the name of the Sanctuary and then of a Tabernacle 2. There is no especial Reason why it should be added peculiarly concerning the Heavens which God hath fixed and not man for this was never questioned 4. I say therefore that by this true Tabernacle the Humane Nature of the Lord Christ himself is intended Hereof he is the Minister herein doth he minister before God above For 1. Hereof the Old Tabernacle was a Type Thence is the expression taken and thereunto is opposition made in the Epithete True This therefore is our best direction and rule in the interpretation of this expression For look what that Type did signifie what was to be the substantial Antitype of it that is the true Tabernacle whereof the Lord Christ is the Minister For all agree that it is called true in opposition and answer unto that which was umbratile and figurative Now that Tabernacle was not erected to be a Type of Heaven nor is any such thing intimated in the Scripture A token pledge and means it was of Gods presence with his People here on earth of his nearness unto them whence also he is said to dwell among them But this he doth really and substantially only through Christ. He therefore alone is this true Tabernacle For 2. In answer hereunto when he was incarnate and came into the world it is said that
to be offered unto God A Sanctuary he must also have wherein to officiate and this was to be Heaven itself because he was himself exalted into Heaven and set down at the right hand of God And of all this there was yet another especial Reason For if he were on the earth c. If indeed he were on earth The Emphasis of the Particle Per is not to be omitted If really it were so or therein is Force granted unto the Concession that the Apostle here makes truly it must be so If he were on Earth includes two things 1. His continuance and abode on the Earth If he were not exalted into Heaven in the discharge of his Office if he were not at the right hand of God if he were not entred into the heavenly Sanctuary but could have discharged his whole Office here on the Earth without any of these things If he were thus on the Earth or thus to have been on the Earth 2. The state and condition of his Priesthood If he were on the Earth or had a Priesthood of the same order and constitution with that of the Law if he were to have offered the same Sacrifices or of the same kind with them which were to be perfected on the Earth if he were not to have offered himself wherein his Sacrifice could not be absolutely consummate without the presentation of himself in the most holy place not made with hands These two things the Apostle was treating of 1 His present state and condition as to the Sanctuary wherein he administred which was heavenly 2 His Sacrifice and Tabernacle which was himself in opposition unto both these is this Supposition made If he were on the Earth This therefore is the full sense of this Supposition which is well to be observed to clear the meaning of the whole Verse which the Socinians endeavor with all their skill and force to wrest unto their Heresie If we did aver him to have such a Priesthood as in the discharge thereof he were always to continue on the Earth and to administer in the Sanctuary of the Tabernacle or Temple with the blood of legal Sacrifices On this Supposition the Apostle grants that he could not be a Priest He had not been or could not be so much as a Priest or a Priest at all in any sense That a Priest he was to be and that of necessity he must be so he had proved before And on the occasion thereof he declares the nature of his Sacrifice Tabernacle and Sanctuary and now proves that they were so necessary for him that without them he could not have been a Priest It will be said that he was a Priest on the Earth and that therein he offered his great Expiatory Sacrifice in and by his own blood And it is true But 1 This was not on the Earth in the sense of the Law which alone appointed the Sacrifices on the Earth it was not in the way nor after the manner of the Sacrifices of the Law which are expressed by that Phrase on the Earth 2 Although his Oblation or Sacrifice of himself was compleat on the Earth yet the whole Service belonging thereunto to make it effectual in the behalf of them for whom it was offered could not be accomplished on the Earth Had he not entred into Heaven to make a representation of his Sacrifice in the holy place he could not have been the High Priest of the Church from that offering of himself because the Church could have enjoyed no benefit thereby Nor would he ever have offered that Sacrifice if he had been to abide on the Earth and not afterwards to have entred the heavenly Sanctuary to make it effectual The High Priest on the great day of Expiation perfected his Sacrifice for his own sin and the sins of the people without the Tabernacle But yet he neither could nor would nor ought to have attempted the offering of it had it not been with a design to carry the blood into the holy place to sprinkle it before the Ark and Mercy-seat the Throne of Grace So was Christ to enter into the holy place not made with hands or he could not have been a Priest The reason of this Assertion and Concession is added in the latter part of the Verse Seeing there are Priests that offer Gifts according to the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacerdotibus existentibus cum sint Sacerdotes whereas there are Priests The Apostle doth not grant that at that time when he wrote this Epistle there were legal Priests de jure offering Sacrifices according to the Law De facto indeed there were yet such Priests ministring in the Temple which was yet standing But in this whole Epistle as to right and acceptance with God he proves that their Office was ceased and their administrations useless Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respects the legal Institution of the Priests and their right to officiate then when the Lord Christ offered his Sacrifice Then there were Priests who had a right to officiate in their Office and to offer Gifts according to the Law Two things are to be inquired into to give us the sense of these words and the force of the Reason in them 1. Why might not the Lord Christ be a Priest and offer his Sacrifice continuing on the Earth to consummate it notwithstanding the continuance of these Priests according unto the Law 2. Why did he not in the first place take away and abolish this order of Priests and so make way for the Introduction of his own Priesthood I answer unto the first That if he had been a Priest on the Earth to have discharged the whole work of his Priesthood here below whil'st they were Priests also then he must either have been of the same order with them or of another and have offered Sacrifices of the same kind as they did or Sacrifices of another kind But neither of these could be For he could not be of the same order with them This the Apostle proves because he was of the Tribe of Judah which was excluded from the Priesthood in that it was appropriated unto the Tribe of Levi and Family of Aaron And therefore also he could not offer the same Sacrifices with them for none might do so by the Law but themselves And of another order together with them he could not be For there is nothing foretold of Priests of several Orders in the Church at the same time Yea as we have proved before the Introduction of a Priesthood of another order was not only inconsistent with that Priesthood but destructive of the Law itself and all its Institutions Wherefore whil'st they continued Priests according to the Law Christ could not be a Priest among them neither of their order nor of another that is if the whole administration of his Office had been upon the Earth together with theirs He could not be a Priest among them 2. Unto the second Inquiry I
Superlative Degree expressed by the Repetition of the Substantive as is usual in the Hebrew Some give instances of this kind of Phraseology in Greek writers remote enough from Hebraisms as Sophocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 misera miserarum es that is miserrima But however the phrase of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be Greek the Apostle intends to express the Hebraism itself And Holy in the Hebrew is of the singular number Holies of the plural but in the Greck both are of the plural number And what is thus called was most eminently Typical of Christ who is called by this name Dan. 9. 24. to anoint the most Holy The place in the Tabernacle which was most sacred and most secret which had the most eminent Pledges or Symbols of the divine presence and the clearest Representations of God in Christ reconciling the word unto himself is so called The more of Christ by the way of representation or exhibition any institutions of divine worship do contain or express the more sacred and Holy are they in their use and exercise But It is Christ alone who in himself is really the Most Holy the Spring and Fountain of all holiness unto the Church 3. The first Utensil reckoned unto this second part of the Tabernacle is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the relation of it thereunto is that it had it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He doth not say it was in it but it had it If any one would see the various conjectures of learned men about this assertion of the Apostle as also about that following concerning what was contained in the Ark He may consult the collections of Mr. Pool on the place where he will find them represented in one view My design being only to declare what I conceive consonant unto the truth I shall not spend time in repeating or refuting the conjectures of other men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we translate a Censer but it may as well be rendred the Alar of Incense as it is by the Syriack the House of Spices the place for the Spices whereof the Incense was compounded The Altar of Incense was all overlaid with beaten Gold hence it is here said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Gold And whereas it was one of the most glorious vessels of the Tabernacle and most significant if the Apostle intended it not in this word he takes no notice of it at all which is very unlikely And of this Altar he says not that it was in the second Tabernacle but that it had it And in that expression he respects not its situation but its Use. And the most Holy Place may well be said to have the Altar of Incense because the High Priest could never enter into that place nor perform any service in it but he was to bring Incense with him taken in a Censer from this Altar Whereas therefore there was a two fold use of the Altar of Incense the one of the Ordinary Priests to burn Incense in the Sanctuary every day and the other of the High Priest to take Incense from it when he entered into the most Holy Place to fill it with a cloud of its smoak the Apostle intending a comparison peculiarly between the Lord Christ and the High Priest only in this Place and not the other Priests in the daily discharge of their office he takes no notice of the use of the Altar of Incense in the Sanctuary but only of that which respected the most Holy Place and the entrance of the High Priest thereinto For so he expresly applyes it ver 12. And therefore he affirms this Place to have had this Golden Altar its principal use and end being designed unto the service thereof This I judge to be the true meaning of the Apostle and sense of his words and shall not therefore trouble my self nor the reader with the repetition or confutation of other conjectures And that this was the principal use of this Altar is plainly declared in the order for the making and disposal of it Exod. 30. 6. Thou shalt put it before the Vail that is by the Ark of the Testimony before the Mercy-seat that is over the Testimony where I will meet with them Although it was placed without the Vail and that for this end that the High Priest might not enter one step into the most Holy Place until the smoak of the Incense went before him yet had it peculiar respect unto the Ark and Mercy-seat and is therefore reckoned in the same place and service with them by the Apostle And this is yet made further evident in that when the High Priest entred into the most Holy Place and had no service to perform but with respect unto the things pertaining thereunto he was to make atonement on this Altar with the blood of the Sin-offering as he did on the Ark and Mercy-seat Exod. 30. 10. This is an undeniable demonstration that as unto the use of it it belonged principally unto the most Holy Place and is here so declared by the Apostle Wherefore the assignation hereof unto that place by the Author is so far from an objection against the Authority of the Epistle unto which end it hath by some been made use of as that it is an argument of his divine wisdom and skill in the nature and use of these institutions The manner of the service of this Altar intended by the Apostle was briefly thus The High Priest on the solemn day of expiation that is once a year took a Golden Censer from this Altar After which going out of the Sanctuary he put fire into it taken from the Altar of Burnt-Offerings without the Tabernacle in the Court where the perpetual fire was preserved Then returning into the Holy Place he filled his hands with Incense taken from this Altar the place of the residence of the Spices And this Altar being placed just at the entrance of the most Holy Place over against the Ark and Mercy-seat upon his entrance he put the Incense on the fire in the Censer and entred the Holy Place with a cloud of the smoak thereof see Levit. 16. 12. 13. The composition and making of this Incense is declared Exod. 30. 34. 35. c. And being compounded it was beaten small that it might immediately take fire and so placed on this Altar before the Ark ver 36. And the placing of this Incense before the Testimony as is there affirmed is the same with what our Apostle affirms that the most Holy Place had it That in general by Incense Prayer is signified the Scripture expressly testifieth Let my Prayer come before thee as Incense Psal. 141. 2. And there is a fourfould Resemblance between them 1. In that it was Beaten and Pounded before it was used So doth acceptable Prayer proceed from a broken and contrite Spirit Psal. 51. 17. 2. It was of no use untill fire was put under it and that taken from the Altar Nor is that Prayer of any Vertue or
Essicacy which is not kindled by the fire from above the Holy Spirit of God which we have from our Altar Christ Jesus 3. It naturally ascended upwards towards Heaven as all Offerings in the Hebrew are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aseensions risings up And this is the Design of Prayer to ascend unto the Throne of God I will direct unto thee and look up that is Pray Psal. 5. 3. 4. It yielded a sweet savour which was one end of it in Temple services wherein there was so much burning of flesh and blood So doth prayer yeild a sweet savour unto God a savour of Rest wherein he is well pleased In this general sense even the Prayers of the Saints might be typified and represented in that daily burning of Incense which was used in the Sanctuary But it must be granted that this Incense is distinguished from the Prayers of the Saints as that which is in the hand of Christ alone to give Vertue and Efficacy unto them Revel 8. 4. Wherefore this Golden Altar of Incense as placed in the Sanctuary and whereon Incense burned continually every Morning and Evening was a Type of Christ by his Mediation and Intercession giving Efficacy unto the continual Prayers of all Believers But that which the Apostle in this place hath alone respect unto was the burning of the Incense in the Golden Censer on the day of Expiation when the High Priest entered into the most Holy Place And this Represented only the personal Mediatory Prayer of Christ himselfe Concerning it we may observe 1. That the time of it was after the Sacrifice of the Sin-Offering For the High Priest was to take along with him the Blood of that Sacrifice to carry with him into the Holy Place Levit. 16. 2. That the Incense was kindled with Fire taken from the Altar where the Blood of the Sacrifices was newly offered And two things in the Mediatory Prayer of Christ are hereby intimated unto us 1. That the Efficacy of them ariseth from and dependeth on the Sacrifice of himself Hence Intercession is best apprehended as the Representation of himself and the Efficacy of his sacrifice in Heaven before the Throne of God 2. That this Prayer was quickened and enlivened by the same fire wherewith the Sacrifice of himself was kindled that is by the eternal spirit whereof we shall treat on ver 14th Yet we must not so oblige our selves unto the times seasons and order of these things as to exclude the prayers which he offered unto God before the oblation of himself Yea that solemn prayer of his recorded Ioh. 17. wherein he sanctified himself to be an oblation was principally prefigured by the cloud of incense which filled the most Holy Place covering the Ark and Mercy-seat For by reason of the imperfection of these Types and their accommodation unto the present service of the Church so far as it was carnal they could not represent the order of things as they were to be accomplished in the person of Christ who was both Priest and Sacrifice Altar Tabernacle and Incense For the Law had only a shadow of these things and not the perfect image of them Some obscure lines of them were drawn therein but their beautiful order was not represented in them Although therefore the offering of incense from the Golden Altar in the most holy Place was after the offering of Sacrifice on the Altar of burnt-offerings yet was the mediatory Prayer of Christ for the Church of the elect wherein he also prepared and sanctified himself to be a sacrifice thereby typified So also the beating or bruising of the incense before its firing did represent the Agony of his soul with strong cryes and supplications that he offered unto God therein And we may observe 1. The mediatory intercession of Iesus Christ was a sweet savour unto God and essicacious for the salvation of the Church The smoak of this perfume was that which covered the Ark and Mercy-seat Hereby the Law itself which was contained in the Ark became compliant unto our salvation For herein Christ was declared to be the end of the Law for righteousness unto them that do believe 2. The efficacy of Christs Intercession dependeth on his oblation It was fire from the Altar of Burnt-Offerings wherewith the incense was kindled 3. The Glory of these Types did no way answer the Glory of the Antitype or that which was represented by them It is acknowledged that the service of the High Priest at and from this Golden Altar and his entrance with a cloud of incense into the most Holy Place had great Glory in it and was suited to ingenerate a great veneration in the minds of the People Howbeit they were all but carnal things and had no glory in comparison of the spiritual Glory of Christ in the discharge of his office We are apt in our minds to admire these things and almost to wish that God had ordained such a service in the Gospel so outwardly Glorious For there is that in it which is suited unto these Images of things which men create and are delighted withal in their minds And besides they love in divine service to be taken up with such a bodily exercise as carries Glory with it an appearance of solemn veneration Wherefore many things are found out by men unto these ends But the reason of all is because we are carnal We see not the Glory of spiritual things nor do know how to be exercised in our minds about them with pure acts of Faith and Love 4. We are alwaies to reckon that the Efficacy and Prevalency of all our Prayers depends on the Incense which is in the hand of our merciful High Priest It is offered with the Prayers of the Saints Revel 8. 4. In themselves our Prayers are weak and imperfect it is hard to conceive how they should find acceptance with God But the unvaluable Incense of the Intercession of Christ gives them Acceptance and Prevalency The second thing in this Part of the Tabernacle mentioned by the Aposte is the Ark. This he describes 1. from its Appellation the Ark of the Covenant 2. From one particular in its Fabrick it was overlaid round about with Gold 3. From the things that were in it accompanied it and had no other use but to be laid up in it The Golden Pot that had Manna and Aarons Rod that Blossomed 4. From what was Placed in it which to preserve was its principal use The Tables of the Covenant This Vessel in the Hebrew is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the Ark in the flood was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Greeks render both by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Latines by Arca. This with the Mercy-Seat wherewith it was covered was the most Glorious and Mysterious Utensil of the Tabernacle and afterwards of the Temple the most eminent Pledge of the Divine presence the most Mysterious Representation of the Holy Properties of his Nature in Christ. This
blood of the Sacrifice and offering it by fire on the Altar he plainly declared the imputation of the guilt of their sins unto the Sacrifice its bearing of them and the expiation of their guilt thereby By carrying of the blood into the Holy Place he testified his acceptance of the Atonement made and his reconciliation unto the People And hereon the full remission and pardon of all their sins no more to be had in remembrance was manifested in the sending away of the scape Goat into the wilderness Hence the Jews have a saying that on the day of expiation all Israel was made as innocent as in the daies of creation How all this was accomplished in and by the Sacrifice of Christ must be afterwards declared 4. As to the nature of this service the Apostle tells us that is was not without blood He so expresseth it to shew the impossibility of entring into the Holy Place any otherwise And from hence he takes his ensuing argument of the necessity of the Death and blood-shedding of the Mediator or High Priest of the new Testament Not without blood as he might not do it otherwise so he did it by blood And this was the manner of the service After the High Priest had filled the Holy Place with a cloud of Incense he returned to the Altar of Burnt-offerings without the Tabernacle where the Sacrifice had been newly slain And whilst the blood of the beast was fresh and as it were living Heb. 10. he took of it in his hand and entring again into the Holy Place he sprinkled it seven times with his finger towards the Mercy-seat Lev. 16. 11 12 13 14. And there is as was said an Emphasis in the expression not without blood to manifest how impossible it was that there should be an entrance into the gracious presence of God without the blood of the sacrifice of Christ. The only Propitiation of sins is made by the blood of Christ and it is by saith alone that we are made Partakers thereof Rom. 3. 25 26. 5. This blood is farther described by the use of it which he offereth Where or when he offered it is not expressed In the Holy Place there was no use of this blood but only the sprinkling of it But the sprinkling of blood was always consequential unto the offering or oblation properly so called For the oblation consisted principally in the atonement made by the blood at the Altar of burnt-offerings It was given and appointed for that end to make atonement with it at that Altar as is expresly affirmed Lev. 17. 11. After this it was sprinkled for purification Wherefore by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle here renders the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in the Institution Lev. 16. 15. which is only to bring and not to offer properly Or he hath respect unto the offering of it that was made at the Altar without the Sanctuary The blood which was there offered he brought a part of it with him into the most Holy Place to sprinkle it according unto the Institution 6. The Apostle declares for whom this blood was offered and this was for himself and the People first for himself and then for the People For he hath respect unto the distinct Sacrifices that were to be offered on that day The first was of a Bullock and a Ram which was for himself And this argued as the Apostle observes the great imperfection of that Church-state They could have no Priests to offer Sacrifices for the sins of the People but he must first offer for himself and that the blood of other creatures But the true High Priest was to offer his own blood and that not for himself at all but for others only He offered for himself that is for his own sins Lev. 16. 6. Wherefore the Vul. Lat. reads the words pro suâ et Populi ignorantiâ very corruptly changing the number of the substantive but very truly applying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Priest as well as unto the People Others would supply the words by adding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so repeat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Apostle expresseth the words of the Institution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which for himself leaving the application unto the series of the context and the nature of the service For himself that is his own sins 2. The blood was offered also for the People that is the People of Israel the People of God the Church the whole congregation And as the High Priest herein bore the Person of Christ so did this People of all the elect of God who were represented in them and by them It was that People and not the whole world that the High Priest offered for And it is the elect People alone for whom our great High Priest did offer and doth intercede 7. That which he offered for it was their errors or their sins The Socinians some of them not for want of understanding but out of hatred unto the true sacrifice of Christ contend from hence that the Anniversary Sacrifice on the great day of expiation the principal representation of it was only for sins of ignorance of imbecillity and weakness But it is a fond Imagination at least the argument from these words for it is so For besides that the scripture calls all sins by the name of errors Psal. 19. 12. Psal. 25. 7. and the worst the most provoking of all sins is expressed by erring in heart Psal. 95. 10. and the LXX frequently render to sin by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Chron. 16. 9. 1 Sam. 16. 22. Hos. 4. 16. c. Besides I say this application of the word elswhere unto all sorts of sins in the enumeration of those errors of the People which the High Priest offered for they are said to be all their iniquities and all their transgressions in all their sins Lev. 16. 21. Wherefore to offer for the errors of the People it is to offer for all their sins of what nature soever they were And they are thus called because indeed there is no such Predominancy of malice in any sin in this world as wherein there is not a mixture of error either notional or practical of the mind or of the heart which is the cause or a great occasion of it See 1 Tim. 1. 13. Matth. 12. 31 32. Here indeed lies the original of all sin The mind being filled with Darkness and Ignorance alienates the whole soul from the life of God And as it hath superadded prejudices which it receives from corrupt affections yet neither directs nor judgeth aright as unto particular acts and duties under all present circumstances And what notions of good and evil it cannot but retain it gives up in particular instances unto the occasions of sin Wherefore 1 spiritual illumination of the mind is indispensably necessary unto our walking with God 2 Those who would be preserved from sin
they believed and in the hopes of it walked with God as our Apostle proves at large chap. 11. Howbeit the way that is the means and cause of communicating the Heavenly Inheritance unto them namely by the Mediation and Sacrifice of Christ was but obscurely represented not illustriously manifested as it is now Life and Immortality being brought to Light by the Gospel And as these things are true so this Interpretation of the words being consonant unto the Analogy of faith is safe only we may enquire whether it be that which is peculiarly intended by the Apostle in this Place or no The Comment of Grotius on these words is that the Apostle signifies super aetherias sedes via eò ducens est evangelium praecepta habens verè coelestia Eam viam Christus primus patefecit aditumque fecit omnibus ad summum coelum Pervenit quidem eò Abrahamus Jacobus ut videre est Mat. 8. 11. alii viri eximii ut videbimus infra cap. 11. 40. Sed hi eò pervenerunt quasi per machinam non viam extraordinariâ quâdum et rarâ Dei dispensatione But these things are most remote from the mind of the Holy Ghost not only in this Place but in the whole Scripture also For 1. How far the Gospel is this way into the Holiest shall be declared immediately That it is so because of the Heavenly precepts which it gives that is which were not given under the old Testament is most untrue For the Gospel gives no precepts of Holiness and obedience that were not for the substance of them contained in the Law There is no precept in the Gospel exceeding that of the Law thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and thy Neighbour as thy self Only the Gospel adds new motives unto Obedience new encouragements and enforcements of it with directions for its due performance 2. That Christ should be no otherwise the way but only as he revealed and declared the Gospel and the precepts of it is not only untrue and injurous unto the honour of Christ but directly contrary unto the design of the Apostle in this Place For he is treating of the Sacerdotal office of Christ only and the Benefit which the Church doth receive thereby But the revelation of the Doctrine or precepts of the Gospel was no duty of that office nor did it belong thereunto That he did as the Prophet of the Church But all his Sacerdotal Actings are towards God in the behalf of the Church as hath been proved 3. That the antient Patriarchs went to Heaven by a secret Engine and that some of them only in an extraordinary way is plainly to deny that they were saved by faith in the promised seed that is that they were not saved by the mediation of Christ which is contrary unto the whole Oeconomy of God in the salvation of the Church and many express Testimonies of the Scripture These Socinian fictions do not cure but corrupt the Word of God and turn away the minds of men from the truth unto fables We shall therefore yet farther enquire into the true meaning of the Holy Ghost in these words The Apostle by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intends the same with ver 3. he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Holy of Holies the second part of the Sanctuary whereinto the High Priest alone could enter once a year as he declares in the foregoing Verse Only whereas he there spake of the material Fabrick of the Tabernacle and the things contained in it here he designs what was signified thereby For he declares not what these things were but what the Holy Ghost did signifie in and by them Now in that most Holy Place were all the Signs and Pledges of the gracious Presence of God the Testimonies of our Reconciliation by the Blood of the Atonement and our Peace with him thereby Wherefore to enter into these Holies is nothing but an Access with liberty freedom and boldness into the gracious Presence of God on the account of Reconciliation and Peace made with him This the Apostle doth so plainly and positively declare Chap. 10. 19 20 21 22. that I somewhat admire so many worthy and learned Expositors should utterly miss of his meaning in this place The Holies then is the Gracious Presence of God whereunto Believers draw nigh in the confidence of the Atonement made for them and acceptance thereon see Rom. 5. 1 2 3. Ephes. 2. 14 15 16 17 18. Heb. 4. 14 15. Chap. 10. 19. The Atonement being made and received by Faith Conscience being purged Bondage and Fear being removed Believers do now under the Gospel enter with Boldness into this Gracious Presence of God 2. We must consider what is the way into these Holies which was not yet made manifest And here also Expositors indulge unto many Conjectures very needlesly as I suppose For the Apostle doth elsewhere expresly declare himself and interpret his own meaning namely Chap. 10. 19 20. This way is no other but the Sacrifice of Christ the true High Priest of the Church For by the entrance of the High Priest into the most Holy Place with Blood the Holy Ghost did signifie that the way into it namely for Believers to enter by was only the one true Sacrifice which he was to offer and to be And accordingly to give an Indication of the accomplishment of their Type when he expired on the Cross having offered himself unto God for the Expiation of our Sins the Vail of the Temple which enclosed and secured this Holy Place from any entrance into it was rent from the top to the bottom whereby it was laid open unto all Matth. 27. 51. And an evidence this is that the Lord Christ offered his great expiatory Sacrifice in his Death here on Earth a true and real Sacrifice and that it was not an Act of Power after his Ascension metaphorically called a Sacrifice as the Socinians dream For until that Sacrifice was offered the way could not be opened into the Holies which it was immediately after his Death and signified by the renting of the Vail This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the onely way whereby we enter into the most Holy Place the Gracious Presence of God and that with boldness 3. Of this way it is affirmed that it was not yet made manifest whil'st the first Tabernacle was standing And a word is peculiarly chosen by the Apostle to signifie his intention He doth not say that there was no way then into the most Holy Place none made none provided none made use of But there was not a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an open manifestation of it There was an entrance under the Old Testament into the Presence of God as unto Grace and Glory namely the vertue of the Oblation of Christ But this was not as yet made manifest Three things were wanting thereunto 1. It was not yet actually existent but only was vertually so The
sacerdotal office They are excellent in their Relation unto the Wisdom Grace and Love of God whereof they are the principal effects and excellent in Relation unto the Church as the only means of its eternal Redemption and Salvation Hadthey been of a lower or meaner nature so glorious a means had not been designed for the effecting of them Woe unto them by whom they are despised How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation And 4. Such a Price and value did God put on these things so good are they in his eyes as that he made them the subject of his promises unto the Church from the foundation of the world And in all his promises concerning them he still opposed them unto all the good things of this world as those which were incomparably above them and better than them all And therefore he chose out all things that are precious in the whole Creation to represent their excellencie which makes an Appearance of Promises of earthly Glories in the old Testament whereby the Jews deceived themselves And because of their worth he judged it meet to keep the Church so long in the desire and expectation of them 5. That which the Apostle hath immediate respect unto in the declaration of the Priesthood and Sacrifice of Christ is what he had newly at large declared concerning the Tabernacle and the Service of the High Priest therein Wherefore he assigns a Tabernacle unto this High Priest in answer unto that under the Law whereby he came or wherein he administred the duties of his office And concerning this he first asserts that he came by a Tabernacle 2 Describes this Tabernacle in comparison with the former 1 Positively that it was greater and more excellent 2 Negatively in that being not made with hands it was not of the same Building with it 1. He came by a Tabernacle These words may have prospect unto what is afterwards declared in the next verse and belong thereunto As if he had said being come an High Priest he entred into the Holy Place by a perfect Tabernacle with his own blood for so the High Priest of the Law entred into the Holy Place by or through the Tabernacle with the blood of others But the words do rather declare the constitution of the Tabernacle intended than the Use of it as unto that one solemn service For so before he had described the frame and constitution of the old Tabernacle before he mentioned its use Being come an High Priest by such a Tabernacle that is wherein he administred that office What is the Tabernacle here intended there is great variety in the judgment of expositors Some say it is the Church of the new Testament as Chrysostome who is followed by many Some say it is Heaven itself This is embraced and pleaded for by Schlictingius who labours much in the explanation of it But whereas this is usually opposed because the Apostle in the next verse affirms that Christ entred into the Holies which he expounds of Heaven itself by this Tabernacle which therefore cannot be Heaven also he endeavours to remove it For he saies there is a double Tabernacle in Heaven For as the Apostle hath in one and the same place described a double Tabernacle here on earth a first and a second with their Utensils and services distinguished the one from the other by a vail so there are two places in Heaven answering thereunto The first of these he would have to be the dwelling Place of the Angels the other the Place of the Throne of God himself represented by the most Holy Place in the Tabernacle Through the first of these he saies the Lord Christ passed into the second which is here called his Tabernacle And it is indeed said that the Lord Christ in his exaltation did pass through the Heavens and that he was made higher than the Heavens which would seem to favour that conceit though not observed by him But there is no ground to conceit or fancy such distinct Places in Heaven above yea it is contrary to the Scripture so to do For the Residence of the Holy Angels is before and about the Throne of God So are they always placed in the Scripture Dan. 7. 10. Mat. 18. 10. Revel 5. 11. And these aspectable Heavens which Christ passed through were not so much as the vail of the Tabernacle in his holy service which was his own flesh chap. 10. 20. The only Reason of this ungrounded curious Imagination is a design to avoid the acknowledgment of the Sacrifice of Christ whilst he was on the earth For this cause he refers this Tabernacle unto his entrance into the most Holy Place as the only means of offering himself But the design of the Apostle is to shew that as he was an High Priest so he had a Tabernacle of his own wherein he was to minister unto God This Tabernacle whereby he came an High Priest was his own humane nature The Bodies of men are often called their Tabernacles 2 Cor. 5. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 14. And Christ called his own Body the Temple Ioh. 2. 19. His flesh was the vail Heb. 10. 20. and in his incarnation he is said to pitch his Tabernacle among us Ioh. 1. 14. Herein dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2. 9. that is substantially represented by all the Pledges of Gods presence in the Tabernacle of old This was that Tabernacle wherein the Son of God administred his Sacerdotal Office in this world and wherein he continueth yet so to do in his Intercession For the full proof hereof I refer the Reader unto our exposition on chap. 8. ver 2. And this gives us an understanding of the description given of this Tabernacle in the Adjuncts of it with reference unto that of old This is given us 1 Positively in a double comparative property 1 That it was Greater than it Greater in dignity and worth not quantity and measures The Humane nature of Christ both in itself its Conception Framing gracious Qualifications and Endowments especially in its Relation unto and Subsistence in the Divine Person of the Son was far more excellent and glorious than any material fabrick could be In this sense for comparative Excellency and Dignity is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almost constantly used in the new Testament So is it in this Epistle chap. 6. 13 16. The humane nature of Christ doth thus more excel the old Tabernacle than the Sun doth the meanest Star 2. More perfect This respects its Sacred use It was more perfectly fitted and suited unto the end of a Tabernacle both for the inhabitation of the divine nature and the means of exercising the Sacerdotal Office in making A tonement for sin than the other was So it is expressed chap. 10. 5. Sacrifice and Burnt-offering thou wouldst not have but a body hast thou prepared me This was that which God accepted wherewith he was well pleased when he rejected the other as insufficient unto
that they should do Psal. 56. 5 6. Some of them affirmed him to have said I am able to destroy the Temple of God and to build it in three days Mat. 26. 61. Which was apparently false as is evident in comparing his words with theirs Wherefore others of them observing that the Witness was not yet home unto their purpose and the design of the Priests they sware positively that he said I will destroy this Temple made with hands and in three days I will build another made without hands Mark 14. 58. For they are not the words of the same persons variously reported by the Evangelist For these in Mark are other Witnesses which agreed not with what was sworn before as he observes ver 59. But neither so did their Witness agree together However they fix on a Notion that was passant among them of a Temple to be built without hands And sundry things there are in the Prophets which lead them into an apprehension that God would dwell among men in a Temple or Tabernacle that should not be made with hands And all their Predictions were accomplished when the eternal Word by the assumption of our nature fixed his Tabernacle among us John 1. 14. This is that which the Apostle intimates Whereas Solomon openly affirms that the Habitation of God could not be in the Temple that he had built because it was made with hands and it is a principle of natural light that he who made the world and all things contained therein could not dwell in such a Temple and whereas it seems to have belonged unto the Faith of the Church of old that there should be a Temple wherein God would dwell that was to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in comparing the Humane Nature of Christ with the Old Tabernacle he affirms in the first place that it was not made with hands Respect also is had herein unto the framing of the Fabric of the Old Tabernacle by Bezaliel For although the pattern of it was shewn unto Moses in the Mount from Heaven yet the actual framing and erection of it was by the hands of Workmen skilful to work in all kind of earthly materials Exod. 32. 3 4 5 6. Chap. 36. 1. And although by reason of the wisdom cunning and skill which they had received in an extraordinary way they framed made and reared a Tabernacle most artificial and beautiful yet when all was done it was but the work of mens hands But the Constitution and Production of the Humane Nature of Christ was an immediate effect of the Wisdom and Power of God himself Luke 1. 36. Nothing of Humane Wisdom or Contrivance nothing of the Skill or Power of Man had the least influence into or concurrence in the provision of this glorious Tabernacle wherein the work of the Redemption of the Church was effected The Body of Christ indeed was made of a Woman of the substance of the blessed Virgin but she was purely passive therein and concurrent in no efficiency either Moral or Physical thereunto It was the contrivance of Divine Wisdom and the effect of Divine Power alone 2dly The Apostle adds as a farther dissimilitude unto the other Tabernacle that is not of this Building Expositors generally take these words to be meerly exegetical of the former not made with hands that is not of this Building To me there seems to be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in them It is so not made with hands like unto that Tabernacle as that it is not of the order of any other created thing not of the same make and constitution with any thing else in the whole Creation here below For although the substance of his Humane Nature were of the same kind with ours yet the Production of it in the World was such an Act of Divine Power as excels all other Divine Operations whatever Wherefore God speaking of it saith The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth A woman shall compass a man Jer. 31. 22. or conceive him without natural Generation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word whereby the creation of all things is Constantly expressed in the new Testament and sometimes it signifies the things that are created Neither is it ever used or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence it is derived to signifie the constitution of the Ordinances of the old Testament the Tabernacle the Temple or any thing belonging thereunto Wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here doth not limit it unto that constitution so as that not of this Building should be not made with hands as that Tabernacle was It is therefore not of the order of created things here below either such as were immediately created at the beginning or educed out of them by a creating Act or Power For although it was so as unto its substance yet in its constitution and production it was an effect of the divine power above the whole order of this Creation or things created God is so far from being obliged unto any means for the effecting of the Holy Counsels of his Will as that he can when he pleaseth exceed the whole order and course of the first creation of all things and his providence in the rule thereof VER XII FRom the comparison between the Tabernacle of old and that of the High Priest of the new Covenant there is a procedure in this verse unto another between his Sacerdotal actings and those of the High Priest under the Law And whereas in the description of the Tabernacle and its especial services the Apostle had insisted in a peculiar manner on the entrance of the High Priest every year into the most Holy Place which was the most solemn and most mystical part of the Tabernacle-service in the first Place he gives an account of what answered thereunto in the Sacerdotal Administrations of Christ and how much on all accounts both of the Sacrifice in the vertue whereof he entred into the most Holy Place and of the Place itself whereinto he entred and of the Time when it did in Glory and Efficacy excel that service of the High Priest under the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the blood of his own Soul or Life He made his soul an offering for sin Isa. 5. 3. Blood is the Life of the Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one time not many times not once every year as they did under the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the House of the Sanctuary less properly for by that expression the old Tabernacle is intended but the Apostle respects Heaven itself in Sancta Sancta Sanctorum Sacrarium That which answers unto the most Holy Place in the Tabernacle where was the Throne of God the Ark and Mercy-seat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vul. aeterna Redemptione inventa aeternam Redemptionem nactus aeterna Redemptione acquisita most properly and according unto the use
of the word in all good Authors VER XII Neither by the Blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood he entered in once into the most Holy Place having obtained eternal Redemption IN this Verse there is a direct entrance into the great Mystery of the Sacerdotal Actings of Christ especially as unto the Sacrifice he offered to make Atonement for Sin But the method which the Apostle proceedeth in is what he was led unto by the Proposal he had made of the Types of it under the Law Wherefore he begins with the complement or consequent of it in answer unto that Act or Duty of the High Priest wherein the Glory of his Office was most conspicuous which he had newly mentioned And here because part of our design in the Exposition of this whole Epistle is to free and vindicate the Sense of it from the corrupt Glosses which the Socinians and some that follow them have cast upon it I shall on this great Head of the Sacrifice of Christ particularly insist on the removal of them And indeed the substance of all that is scattered up and down their Writings against the proper Sacrifice of Christ and the true nature of his Sacerdotal Office is comprised in the Comment on this Epistle composed by Crellius and Schlictingius I shall therefore first examine their corrupt wrestings of the words and false interpretations of them before I proceed unto their Exposition They begin Nunc etiam opponit Sacrificium ipsius Christi Sacrificio Pontificis antiqui This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their Interpretation of this and the following Verses If this be not so all that they afterwards assert or infer from it falls of it self But this is most false There is not any thing directly either of the Sacrifice of Christ or of the High Priest but only what was consequent unto the one and the other Yea there is that which excludes them from being intended The entrance of the High Priest into the Holy Place was not his Sacrifice For it supposed his Sacrifice to be offered before in the vertue whereof and with the memorial of it he so entred that is with the Blood of Goats and Calves For all Sacrifices were offered at the Brazen Altar And that of the High Priest on the day of Expiation is expresly declared so to have been Lev. 16. And the entrance of Christ into Heaven was not his Sacrifice nor the Oblation of himself For he offered himself unto God with strong cryes and supplications but his entrance into Heaven was Triumphant So he entred into Heaven by vertue of his Sacrifice as we shall see but his entrance into Heaven was not the Sacrifice of himself They add in Explication hereof Pontifex antiquus per sanguinem Hircorum Vitulorum ingrediebatur in Sancta Christus verò non per sanguinem tam vilem sed pretiosissimum quod alius esse non potuit quam ipsius proprius Nam sanguis quidem humanus sanguine Brutorum sed sanguis Christi sanguine caeterorum omnium hominum longe est pretiosior cum ipse quoque caeteris hominibus omnibus imò omnibus creaturis longe sit praestantior Deoque charior proprior utpote unigenitus cjus filius What they say of the preciousness of the Blood of Christ above that of brute Creatures is true But they give two Reasons for it which comprise not the true Reason of its excellency as unto the ends of his Sacrifice 1 They say It was the Blood of a Man 2 That this Man was more dear to God than all other Creatures as his onely begotten Son Take these last words in the sense of the Scripture and the true Reason of the preciousness and efficacy of the Blood of Christ in his Sacrifice is assigned Take them in their sense and it is excluded The Scripture by them intends his Eternal Generation as the Son of the Father they only his Nativity of the Blessed Virgin with his Exaltation after his Resurrection But the true excellency and efficacy of the Blood of Christ in this Sacrifice was from his Divine Person whereby God purchased his Church with his own Blood Acts 20. 28. Nor do I know of what consideration the Preciousness of the Blood of Christ can be with them in this matter for it belonged not unto his Sacrifice or the Oblation of himself as they pretend For they would have the Offering of himself to consist onely in his entrance into Heaven and appearing in the presence of God when as they also imagine he had neither Flesh nor Blood They proceed unto a Speculation about the use and signification of the Preposition Per By or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not andum est Autorem ut elegantiae istius comparationis consuleret usum esse in priori membro voce Per licet Pontifex legalis non tantum per sanguinem hircorum vitulorum hoc est fuso prius sanguine istorum animalium seu interveniente sanguinis eorum fusione sed etiam cum ipsorum sanguine in Sancta fuerit ingressus ver 7. Verùm quia in Christi Sacrificio similitudo eòusque extendi non potuit cum Cbristus non alienum sed suum sanguinem fuderit nec sanguinem suum post mortem sed seipsum quidem jam immortalem deposit is carnis sanguinis exuviis quippe quae regnum Dei possidere nequeant in coelesti illo Tabernaculo obtulerit proindeque non cum sanguine sed tantum fuso prius sanguine seu interveniente sanguinis sui fusione in Sancta fuerit ingressus idcirco Autor minus de legali Pontifice dixit quam res erat vel potius ambiguitate particulae Per quae etiam idem quod Cum in sacris literis significare solet comparationis concinnitati consulere voluit The design of this whole Discourse is to overthrow the Nature of the Sacrifice of Christ and to destroy all the real similitude between it and the Sacrifice of the High Priest the whole of its Sophistry being animated by a fancied signification of the Preposition Per or falsly pretended Reason of the use of it by the Apostle For 1 the High Priest did indeed carry of the Blood of the Sacrifice into the Holy Place and so may be said to enter into it with Blood as it is said he did it Not without Blood ver 7. Yet is it not that which the Apostle hath here respect unto but it was the Sacrifice at the Altar where the Blood of it was shed and offered which he intends as we shall see immediately 2 There is therefore nothing less ascribed unto the High Priest herein than belonged unto him for all that is intended is that he entred into the Holy Place by vertue of the Blood of Goats and Calves which was offered at the Altar less than his due is not ascribed unto him to make the comparison fit and meet as is boldly pretended Yea 3 the Nature of the Comparison used
Sacrificii ratio potissimum consistit peragi potuit cum ea in Sanct is ipsis fieri debuerit Hinc manifestum est Pontificis nostri Oblationem Sacrificium non in Cruce sed in Coelis per actam esse adhuc per agi Ans. 1 What they say at first is true but what they intend and infer from thence is false It is true that the entrance into the Holy Place and carrying of the Blood in thither did belong unto the Anniversary Sacrifice intended For God had prescribed that Order unto its Consummation and Complement But that the Sacrifice or Oblation did consist therein is false For it is directly affirmed that both the Bullock and Goat for the Sin-offering were offered before it at the Altar Lev. 16. 6 9. 2 It doth not therefore hence follow as is pretended that the Lord Christ offered not himself a Sacrifice unto God on the earth but did so in Heaven only but the direct contrary doth follow For the Blood of the Sin-offering was offered on the Altar before it was carried into the Holy Place which was the Type of Christ's entrance into Heaven 3 What they say that the Sacrifice of Christ was performed or offered in Heaven and is yet so offered utterly overthrows the whole Nature of his Sacrifice For the Apostle everywhere represents that to consist absolutely in one Offering once offered not repeated or continued Herein lies the foundation of all his Arguments for its excellency and efficacy Hereof the making of it to be nothing but a continued Act of Power in Heaven as is done by them is utterly destructive What they add in the same place about the Nature of Redemption will be removed in the consideration of it immediately In the close of the whole they affirm that the obtaining of everlasting salvation by Christ was not an Act antecedent unto his entering into Heaven as the word seems to import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having obtained but it was done by his entrance it self into that Holy Place whence they would rather read the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the present tense Obtaining But whereas our Redemption is everywhere constantly in the Scripture assigned unto the Blood of Christ and that alone Eph. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Rev. 5. 9. hast redeemed us unto God by thy Blood it is too great a confidence to confine this work unto his entrance into Heaven without any offering of his Blood and when he had no Blood to offer And in this place the Redemption obtained is the same upon the matter with the purging of our Consciences from dead works ver 14. which is ascribed directly unto his Blood These Glosses being removed I shall proceed unto the Exposition of the words The Apostle hath a double design in this Verse and those two that follow 1. To declare the Dignity of the Person of Christ in the discharge of his Priestly Office above the High Priest of old And this he doth 1 From the excellency of his Sacrifice which was his own Blood 2 The Holy Place whereinto he entred by vertue of it which was Heaven it self And 3 the effect of it in that by it he procured Eternal Redemption which he doth in this Verse 2. To prefer the efficacy of this Sacrifice of Christ for the purging of Sin or the purification of Sinners above all the Sacrifices and Ordinances of the Law ver 13 14. In this Verse with respect unto the end mentioned the entrance of Christ into the Holy Place in answer unto that of the Legal High Priest described v. 7. is declared And it is so 1 As unto the way or means of it 2 As unto its season 3 As unto its effects in all which respects Christ was manifested in and by it to be far more excellent than the Legal High Priest 1. The manner and way of it is expressed 1 Negatively It was not by the blood of Goats and Calves 2 Positively it was by his own blood 2. For the Time of it it was once and but once 3. The Effect of that blood of his as offered in Sacrifice was that he obtained thereby eternal Redemption The thing asserted is the entrance of Christ the High Priest into the Holy Place That he should do so was necessary both to answer the Type and for the rendring his sacrifice effectual in the Application of the Benefits of it unto the Church as it is afterwards declared at large And I shall open the words not in the order wherein they lie in the Text but in the natural order of the things themselves And we must shew 1 What is the Holy Place whereinto Christ entred 2 What was that Entrance 3 How he did it once whereon will follow the consideration of the means whereby he did it with the effect of that means 1. For the Place whereinto he entred it is said he did so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Into the Holies It is the same word whereby he expresseth the Sanctuary the second Part of the Tabernacle whereinto the High Priest entred once a year But in the Application of it unto Christ the signification of it is changed He had nothing to do with he had no right to enter into that Holy Place as the Apostle affirms chap. 8. 4. That therefore he intends which was signified thereby that is Heaven itself as he explains it in ver 24. The Heaven of Heavens the Place of the glorious Residence of the Presence or Majesty of God is that whereinto he entred 2. His Entrance itself into this Place is asserted He entred This entrance of Christ into Heaven upon his Ascension may be considered two ways 1 As it was Regal Glorious and Triumphant so it belonged properly unto his Kingly Office as that wherein he triumphed over all the enemies of the Church See it described Ephes. 4. 8 9 10. from Psal. 68. 18. Satan the World Death and Hell being conquered and all power committed unto him he entred triumphantly into Heaven So it was Regal 2 As it was Sacerdotal Peace and Reconciliation being made by the blood of the Cross the Covenant being confirmed eternal Redemption obtained He entred as our High Priest into the Holy Place the Temple of God above to make his Sacrifice effectual unto the Church and to apply the benefits of it thereunto This he did once only once for all In the foregoing description of the service of the High Priest he shews how he went into the Holy Place once every year that is on one day wherein he went to offer And the repetition of this service every year proved its imperfection seeing it could never accomplish perfectly that whereunto it was designed as he argues in the next chapter In opposition hereunto our High Priest entred once only into the Holy Place a full demonstration that his one Sacrifice had fully expiated the sins of the Church Of this entrance of Christ into it is said 1 Negatively
that he did not do it by the blood of Goats and Calves and this is introduced with the disjunctive negative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither which refers unto what was before denied of him as unto his entrance into the Tabernacle made with hands He did not do so neither did he make his entrance by the blood of Calves and Goats A difference from and opposition unto the entrance of the High Priest annually into the Holy Place is intended It must therefore be considered how he so entred This entrance is at large described Lev. 16. And 1 It was by the blood of a Bullock and a Goat which the Apostle here renders in the plural number Calves and Goats because of the annual repetition of the same Sacrifice 2 The order of the Institution was that first the Bullock or Calf was offered then the Goat the one for the Priest the other for the People This order belonging not at all unto the purpose of the Apostle he expresseth it otherwise Goats and Calves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Goat a word that expresseth Totum genus Caprinum that whole kind of Creature be it young or old So the Goats of his offering were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kids ver 5. that is young He-Goats for the precise time of their age is not determined So the Bullock the Priest offered for himself was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 juvencus ex genere bovino which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it expresseth genus vitulinum all young Cattel Concerning these it is intimated in this negative as unto Christ that the High Priest entred into the Holy Place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by their blood which we must enquire into Two things belonged unto the office of the High Priest with respect unto this blood For 1 He was to offer the blood both of the Bullock and the Goat at the Altar for a sin-offering Lev. 16. 6 11. For it was the blood wherewith alone Atonement was to be made for sin and that at the Altar Lev. 17. 11. so far is it from truth that expiation for sin was made only in the Holy Place and that it is so by Christ without blood as the Socinians imagine 2 He was to carry some of the blood of the Sacrifice into the Sanctuary to sprinkle it there to make Atonement for the Holy Place in the sense before declared And the enquiry is which of these the Apostle hath respect unto Some say it is the latter and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by for with He entred with the blood of Goats and Calves namely that which he carried with him into the Holy Place So plead the Socinians and those that follow them with design to overthrow the Sacrifice which Christ offered in his Death and bloodsheding confining the whole expiation of sin in their sense of it unto what is done in Heaven But I have before disproved this surmise And the Apostle is so far from using the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 improperly for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so to frame a comparison between things wherein indeed there was no similitude as they dream that he useth it on purpose to exclude the sense which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with would intimate For he doth not declare with what the High Priest entred into the Holy Place for he entred with Incense as well as with blood but what it was by vertue whereof he so entred as to be accepted with God So it is expresly directed Lev. 16. 2 3. Speak unto Aaron that he come not at all times into the Holy Place with a young Bullock for a sin-offering and a Ram for a burnt-offering shall he come Aaron was not to bring the Bullock into the Holy Place but he had Right to enter into it by the Sacrifice of it at the Altar Thus therefore the High Priest entred into the Holy Place by the blood of Goats and Calves namely by vertue of the Sacrifice of their blood which he had offered without at the Altar And so all things do exactly correspond between the Type and the Antitype For 2. It is affirmed positively of him that he entred by his own blood and that in opposition unto the other way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by his own blood It is a vain speculation contrary to the Analogie of faith and destructive of the true nature of the oblation of Christ and inconsistent with the dignity of his Person that he should carry with him into Heaven a part of that material blood which was shed for us on the earth This some have invented to maintain a comparison in that wherein is none intended The design of the Apostle is only to declare by vertue of what he entred as a Priest into the Holy Place And this was by vertue of his own blood when it was shed when he offered himself unto God This was that which laid the foundation of and gave him right unto the administration of his Priestly office in Heaven And hereby were all those good things procured which he effectually communicates unto us in and by that Administration This Exposition is the Center of all Gospel-Mysteries the object of the Admiration of Angels and Men unto all eternity What heart can conceive what tongue can express the Wisdom Grace and Love that is contained therein This alone is the stable foundation of faith in our access unto God Two things present themselves unto us 1. The unspeakable Love of Christ in offering himself and his own blood for us See Gal. 2. 20. Rev. 1. 5. 1 Ioh. 3. 16. Ephes. 5. 26 27. There being no other way whereby our sins might be purged and expiated chap. 10. 5 6 7. out of his infinite Love and Grace he condescended unto this way whereby God might be glorified and his Church sanctified and saved It were well if we did always consider aright what Love what Thankfulness what Obedience are due unto him on the account hereof 2. The Excellency and Efficacy of his Sacrifice is hereby demonstrated that through him our faith and hope may be in God He who offered this Sacrifice was the onely begotten of the Father the Eternal Son of God That which he offered was his own Blood God purchased his Church with his own Blood Acts 20. 28. How unquestionable how perfect must the Atonement be that was thus made how glorious the Redemption that was procured thereby This is that which the Apostle mentions in the close of this Verse as the effect of his Blood-shedding Having obtained eternal Redemption The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is variously rendered as we have seen The Vulgar Latin reads Redemptione aeterna inventa And those that follow it do say that things rare and so sought after are said to be found And Chrysost. inclines unto that Notion of the word But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
many accounts 1 Of the Subject Matter of it which are things eternal none of them are carnal or temporal The state of Bondage from which we are delivered by it in all its causes was spiritual not temporal and the effects of it in liberty grace and glory are eternal 2 Of its Duration It was not for a season like that of the people out of Egypt or the deliverances which they had afterwards under the Judges and on other occasions They endured in their effects only for a season and afterwards new troubles of the same kind overtook them But this was eternal in all the effects of it none that are partakers of it do ever return into a state of Bondage So 3 it endures in those effects unto all eternity in Heaven it self 3. This Redemption Christ obtained by his Blood Having done all in the Sacrifice of himself that was in the Justice Holiness and Wisdom of God required thereunto it was wholly in his power to confer all the benefits and effects of it on the Church on them that do believe And sundry things we may observe from this Verse 1. The Entrance of our Lord Iesus Christ as our High Priest into Heaven to appear in the presence of God for us and to save us thereby unto the uttermost was a thing so great and glorious as could not be accomplished but by his own blood No other Sacrifice was sufficient unto this end Not by the Blood of Bulls and Goats The reason hereof the Apostle declares at large Chap. 10. 5 6 7 8 9 10. Men seldom rise in their thoughts unto the greatness of this Mystery Yea with the most this Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified unto the remainder of his work is a common thing The ruine of Christian Religion lies in the slight thoughts of men about the Blood of Christ and pernicious Errors do abound in opposition unto the true nature of the Sacrifice which he made thereby Even the faith of the best is weak and imperfect as to the comprehension of the glory of it Our relief is that the uninterrupted contemplation of it will be a part of our blessedness unto eternity But yet whil'st we are here we can neither understand how great is the salvation which is tendred unto us thereby nor be thankful for it without a due consideration of the way whereby the Lord Christ entred into the Holy Place And he will be the most humble and most fruitful Christian whose faith is most exercised most conversant about it 2. Whatever difficulty lay in the way of Christ as unto the accomplishment and perfection of the work of our Redemption he would not decline them nor desist from his undertaking whatever it cost him Sacrifice and Burnt-offering thou would'st not have then said I Lo I come to do thy Will O God He made his way into the Holy Place by his own Blood What was required of him for us that we might be saved he would not decline though never so great and dreadful and surely we ought not to decline what he requires of us that he may be honoured 3. There was an Holy Place meet to receive the Lord Christ after the Sacrifice of himself and a sutable Reception for such a Person after so glorious a Performance It was a place of great glory and beauty whereinto the High Priest of old entred by the Blood of Calves and Goats the visible pledges of the presence of God were in it whereunto no other person might approach But our High Priest was not to enter into any Holy Place made with hands unto outward visible pledges of the presence of God but into the Heaven of Heavens the place of the glorious residence of the Majesty of God it self 4. If the Lord Christ entred not into the Holy Place until he had finished his work we may not expect an entrance thereinto until we have finished ours He fainted not nor waxed weary until all was finished And it is our duty to arm our selves with the same mind 5. It must be a glorious Effect which had so glorious a Cause and so it was even Eternal Redemption 6. The Nature of our Redemption the way of its procurement with the Duties required of us with respect thereunto are greatly to be considered by us VER XIII XIV THere is in these Verses an Argument and Comparison But the Comparison is such as that the ground of it is laid in the Relation of the Comparates the one unto the other namely that the one was the Type and the other the Antitype otherwise the Argument will not hold For although it follows that he who can do the greater can do the less whereon an Argument will hold à majori ad minus yet it doth not absolutely do so that if that which is less can do that which is less then that which is greater can do that which is greater which would be the force of the Argument if there were nothing but a naked comparison in it But it necessarily follows hereon if that which is less in that less thing which it doth or did was therein a Type of that which was greater in that greater thing which it was to effect And this was the case in the thing here proposed by the Apostle The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words have no difficulty in them as to their Grammatical Sense nor is there any considerable variation in the rendring of them in the old Translations Only the Syriac retains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from ver 11. instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used And both that and the Vulgar place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the foregoing Verse contrary unto all Copies of the Original as to the order of the words For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Vulgar reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per Spiritum Sanctum The Syriac follows the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Eternal Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Original Copies vary some reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our but most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your which our Translators follow For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth unto the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God The words are Argumentative in the form of an Hypothetical Syllogism wherein the Assumption of the Proposition is supposed as proved before That which is to be confirmed is what was asserted in the words foregoing namely That the Lord Iesus Christ by his blood hath obtained for us eternal redemption This the Causal Redditive Conjunction For doth manifest whereunto the Note of a Supposition If is premised as a Note of an Hypothetical Argumentation There are two Parts of
this Confirmation 1 A most full declaration of the way and means whereby he obtained that Redemption it was by the offering himself through the Eternal Spirit without spot unto God 2 By comparing this way of it with the Typical Sacrifices and Ordinances of God For arguing ad homines that is unto the satisfaction and conviction of the Hebrews the Apostle makes use of their Confessions to confirm his own Assertions And his Argument consists of two Parts 1 A Concession of their efficacy unto their proper end 2 An Inference from thence unto the greater and more noble efficacy of the Sacrifice of Christ taken partly from the relation of Type and Antitype that was between them but principally from the different nature of the things themselves To make evident the force of his Argument in general we must observe 1 That what he had proved before he takes here for granted on the one side and the other And this was that all the Levitical Services and Ordinances were in themselves carnal and had carnal ends assigned unto them and had only an obscure representation of things spiritual and eternal and on the other side that the Tabernacle Office and Sacrifice of Christ were spiritual and had their effects in eternal things 2 That those other carnal earthly things were Types and Resemblances in God's appointment of them of these which are spiritual and eternal From these Suppositions the Argument is firm and stable and there are two Parts of it 1 That as the Ordinances of old being carnal had an efficacy unto their proper end to purifie the unclean as to the flesh so the Sacrifice of Christ hath a certain efficacy unto its proper end namely the purging of our Consciences from dead works The force of this Inference depends on the Relation that was between them in the appointment of God 2 That there was a greater efficacy and that which gave a greater evidence of it self in the Sacrifice of Christ with respect unto its proper end than theirs was in those Sacrifices and Ordinances with respect unto their proper end How much more And the reason hereof is because all their efficacy depended on a meer arbitrary Institution In themselves that is in their own Nature they had neither worth value nor efficacy no not as unto those Ends whereunto they were by Divine Institution designed But in the Sacrifice of Christ who is therefore here said to offer himself unto God through the eternal Spirit there is an innate glorious worth and efficacy which sutably unto the Rules of Eternal Reason and Righteousness will accomplish and procure its effects VER XIII THere are two things in this Verse which are the ground from whence the Apostle argueth and maketh his Inference in that which follows 1 A Proposition of the Sacrifices and Services of the Law which he had respect unto 2 An Assignation of a certain efficacy unto them The Sacrifices of the Law he refers unto two Heads 1 The Blood of Bulls and Goats 2 The Ashes of an Heifer And the distinction is 1 from the matter of them 2 the manner of their performance For the manner of their performance the Blood of Bulls and Goats were offered which is supposed and included the Ashes of the Heifer was sprinkled as it is expressed The matter of the first is the Blood of Bulls and Goats The same say some with the Goats and Calves mentioned in the Verse foregoing So generally do the Expositors of the Roman Church and that because their Translation reads Hircorum Vitulorum contrary unto the Original Text. And some instances they give of the same signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Apostle had just reason for the alteration of his expression For in the foregoing Verse he had respect only unto the Anniversary Sacrifice of the High Priest but here he enlargeth the Subject unto the consideration of all other expiatory Sacrifices under the Law For he joins unto the Blood of Bulls and Goats the Ashes of an Heifer which was of no use in the Anniversary Sacrifice Wherefore he designed in these words summarily to express all Sacrifices of Expiation and all Ordinances of Purification that were appointed under the Law And therefore the words in the close of the Verse expressing the end and effects of these Ordinances purified the unclean as unto the flesh are not to be restrained unto them immediately foregoing the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkled but an equal respect is to be had unto the other sort or the Blood of Bulls and Goats The Socinian Expositor in his entrance into that wresting of this Text wherein he labors in a peculiar manner denies that the water of sprinkling is here to be considered as Typical of Christ and that because it is the Anniversary Sacrifice alone which is intended wherein it was of no use Yet he adds immediately that in it self it was a Type of Christ so wresting the Truth against his own Convictions to force his design But the Conclusion is strong on the other hand because it was a Type of Christ and is so here considered whereas it was not used in the great Anniversary Sacrifice it is not that Sacrifice alone which the Apostle hath respect unto Wherefore by Bulls and Goats by an usual Synecdoche all the several kinds of clean Beasts whose blood was given unto the People to make Atonement withal are intended So is the matter of all Sacrifices expressed Psal. 50. 13. Will I eat the flesh of Bulls or drink the blood of Goats Sheep are contained under Goats being all Beasts of the Flock And it is the Blood of these Bulls and Goats which is proposed as the first way or means of the Expiation of Sin and Purification under the Law For it was by their Blood and that as offered at the Altar that Atonement was made Lev. 17. 11. Purification was also made thereby even by the sprinkling of it The second thing mentioned unto the same end is the Ashes of an Heifer and the use of it which was by sprinkling The Institution use and end of this Ordinance is described at large Numb 19. And an eminent Type of Christ there was therein both as unto his suffering and the continual efficacy of the cleansing vertue of his Blood in the Church It would too much divert us from the present Argument to consider all the particulars wherein there was a Representation of the Sacrifice of Christ and the purging vertue of it in this Ordinance yet the mention of some of them is of use unto the Explication of the Apostles general design As 1 It was to be a Red Heifer and that without spot or blemish whereon no yoke had come ver 2. Red is the colour of guilt Isa. 1. 18. yet was there no spot or blemish in the Heifer so was the guilt of Sin upon Christ who in himself was absolutely pure and holy No yoke had been on her
that was the ground of his Resurrection He was brought again from the dead through the blood of the Covenant And the efficacy of his death depends on his Resurrection only as the evidence of his acceptance with God therein 5 That Christ confirmed his Doctrine by his Blood that is because he rose again All these Principles I have at large refuted in the Exercitations about the Priesthood of Christ and shall not here again insist on their examination This is plain and evident in the words unless violence be offered unto them namely that the Blood of Christ that is his suffering in Soul and Body and his obedience therein testified and expressed in the shedding of his Blood was the procuring cause of the expiation of our Sins the purging of our Consciences from dead works our justification sanctification and acceptance with God thereon And There is nothing more destructive unto the whole Faith of the Gospel than by any means to evacuate the immediate efficacy of the Blood of Christ. Every opinion of that tendency breaks in upon the whole mystery of the wisdom and grace of God in him It renders all the Institutions and Sacrifices of the Law whereby God instructed the Church of Old in the Mystery of his Grace useless and unintelligible and overthrows the foundation of the Gospel The second thing in the words is the means whereby the Blood of Christ came to be of this efficacy or to produce this effect And that is because in the shedding of it he offered himself unto God through the eternal Spirit without spot Every word is of great importance and the whole Assertion filled with the mystery of the wisdom and grace of God and must therefore be distinctly considered There is declared what Christ did unto the End mentioned and that is expressed in the matter and manner of it 1 He offered himself 2 To whom that is to God 3 How or from what principle by what means by the eternal Spirit 4 With what qualifications without spot He offered himself To prove that his Blood purgeth our Sins he affirms that he offered himself His whole Humane Nature was the Offering the way of its Offering was by the shedding of his Blood So the Beast was the Sacrifice when the Blood alone or principally was offered on the Altar For it was the Blood that made Atonement So it was by his Blood that Christ made Atonement but it was his Person that gave it efficacy unto that end Wherefore by Himself the whole Humane Nature of Christ is intended And that 1 Not in distinction or separation from the Divine For although the Humane Nature of Christ his Soul and Body only was offered yet he offered himself through his own eternal Spirit This Offering of himself therefore was the Act of his whole Person both Natures concurred in the Offering though one alone was offered 2 All that he did or suffered in his Soul and Body when his Blood was shed is comprised in this Offering of himself His Obedience in Suffering was that which rendred this Offering of himself a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savor unto God And he is said thus to offer himself in opposition unto the Sacrifices of the High Priest under the Law They offered Goats and Bulls or their blood but he offered himself This therefore was the Nature of the Offering of Christ It was a Sacred Act of the Lord Christ as the High Priest of the Church wherein according unto the Will of God and what was required of him by vertue of the eternal Compact between the Father and him concerning the Redemption of the Church he gave up himself in the way of most profound Obedience to do and suffer whatever the Iustice and Law of God required unto the expiation of Sin expressing the whole by the shedding of his Blood in answer unto all the Typical Representations of this his Sacrifice in all the Institutions of the Law And this Offering of Christ was proper Sacrifice 1 From the Office whereof it was an Act it was so of his Sacerdotal Office he was made a Priest of God for this end that he might thus offer himself and that this Offering of himself should be a Sacrifice 2 From the Nature of it For it consisted in the sacred giving up unto God the thing that was offered in the present destruction or consumption of it This is the Nature of a Sacrifice it was the destruction and consumption by Death and Fire by a sacred Action of what was dedicated and offered unto God So was it in this Sacrifice of Christ. As he suffered in it so in the giving himself up unto God in it there was an effusion of his Blood and the destruction of his Life 3 From the End of it which was assigned unto it in the wisdom and sovereignty of God and in his own intention which was to make Atonement for Sin which gives an Offering the formal Nature of an Expiatory Sacrifice 4 From the way and manner of it For therein 1. He sanctified or dedicated himself unto God to be an Offering Iohn 17. 19. 2. He accompanied it with Prayers and Supplications Heb. 5. 7. 3. There was an Altar which sanctified the Offering which bore it up in its Oblation which was his own Divine Nature as we shall see immediately 4. He kindled the Sacrifice with the fire of Divine Love acting it self by zeal unto God's Glory and compassion unto the souls of men 5. He tendred all this unto God as an Atonement for Sin as we shall see in the next words This was the free real proper Sacrifice of Christ whereof those of old were only Types and obscure Representations the Prefiguration hereof was the sole cause of their Institution And what the Socinians pretend namely that the Lord Christ offered no real Sacrifice but only what he did was called so Metaphorically by the way of allusion unto the Sacrifices of the Law is so far from truth as that there never had been any such Sacrifices of Divine Appointment but only to prefigure this which alone was really and substantially so The Holy Ghost doth not make a forced accommodation of what Christ did unto those Sacrifices of old by way of allusion and by reason of some resemblances but shews the uselesness and weakness of those Sacrifices in themselves any farther but as they represented this of Christ. The Nature of this Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ is utterly overthrown by the Socinians They deny that in all this there was any offering at all they deny that his shedding of his Blood or any thing which he did or suffered therein either actually or passively his obedience or giving himself up unto God therein was his Sacrifice or any part of it but only somewhat required previously thereunto and that without any necessary cause or reason But his Sacrifice his Offering of himself they say is nothing but his appearance in Heaven and the Presentation of himself before
Divine Nature But I shall leave the Reader to chuse whether sense he judgeth suitable unto the scope of the place either of them being so unto the Analogy of Faith The Socinians understanding that both these Interpretations are equally destructive to their Opinions the one concerning the Person of Christ the other about the Nature of the Holy Ghost have invented a sense of these words never before heard of among Christians For they say that by the Eternal Spirit a certain Divine Power is intended whereby the Lord Christ was freed from Mortality and made Eternal that is no more obnoxious unto death By virtue of this Power they say he offered himself unto God when he entred into Heaven than which nothing can be spoken more fond or impious or contrary unto the design of the Apostle For 1 Such a Power as they pretend is no where called the Spirit much less the Eternal Spirit and to feign significations of words without any countenance from their use elsewhere is to wrest them at our pleasure 2 The Apostle is so far from requiring a Divine Power rendering him immortal antecedently unto the offering of himself as that he declares that he offered himself by the Eternal Spirit in his death when he shed his blood whereby our consciences are purged from dead works 3 This Divine Power rendering Christ immortal is not peculiar unto him but shall be communicated unto all that are raised unto glory at the last day And there is no colour of an opposition herein unto what was done by the High Priests of old 4 It proceeds on their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this matter which is that the Lord Christ offered not himself unto God before he was made immortal which is utterly to exclude his death and blood from any concernment therein which is as contrary unto the truth and scope of the place as darkness is to light 5 Wherever there is mention made elsewhere in the Scripture of the Holy Spirit or the Eternal Spirit or the Spirit absolutely with reference unto any actings of the Person of Christ or on it either the Holy Spirit or his own Divine Nature is intended See Isa. 61. 1 2. Rom. 1. 3. 1 Pet. 3. 18. Wherefore Grotius forsakes this Notion and otherwise explains the words Spiritus Christi qui non tantum fuit vivus ut in vita terrena sed in aeternum corpus sibi adjunctum vivificans If there be any sense in these words it is the rational Soul of Christ that is intended And it is most true that the Lord Christ offered himself in and by the actings of it For there are no other in the Humane Nature as to any duties of obedience unto God But that this here should be called the Eternal Spirit is a vain conjecture For the spirits of all men are equally eternal and do not only live here below but quicken their Bodies after the Resurrection for ever This therefore cannot be the ground of the especial efficacy of the blood of Christ. This is the second thing wherein the Apostle opposeth the Offering of Christ unto the offerings of the Priests under the Law 1 They offered Bulls and Goats He offered Himself 2 They offered by a material Altar and Fire He by the Eternal Spirit That Christ should thus offer Himself unto God and that by the Eternal Spirit is the center of the mystery of the Gospel An attempt to corrupt to pervert this glorious Truth are designs against the Glory of God and Faith of the Church The depth of this mystery we cannot dive into the height we cannot comprehend We cannot search out the greatness of it of the wisdom the love the grace that is in it And those who chuse rather to reject it than to live by Faith in an humble admiration of it do it at the peril of their souls Unto the Reason of some men it may be Folly unto Faith it is full of Glory In the consideration of the Divine Actings of the Eternal Spirit of Christ in the offering of himself of the holy exercise of all grace in the humane nature that was offered of the nature dignity and efficacy of this Sacrifice Faith finds life food and refreshment Herein doth it contemplate the wisdom the righteousness the holiness and grace of God herein doth it view the wonderful condescension and love of Christ and from the whole is strengthned and encouraged Thirdly It is added that he thus offered himself without spot This Adjunct is descriptive not of the Priest but of the Sacrifice it is not a qualification of his Person but of the Offering Schlictingius would have it that this word denotes not what Christ was in himself but what he was freed from For now in Heaven where he offered himself he is freed from all infirmities and from any spot of mortality which the High Priest was not when he entered into the Holy Place such irrational fancies do false Opinions force men to take up withal But 1 There was no spot in the mortality of Christ that he should be said to be freed from it when he was made immortal A spot signifies not so much a desect as a fault And there was no fault in Christ from which he was freed 2 The Allusion and respect herein unto the legal institutions is evident and manifest The Lamb that was to be slain and offered was antecedently thereunto to be without blemish it was to be neither lame nor blind nor have any other defect With express respect hereunto the Apostle Peter affirms that we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1. 18. And Christ is not only called the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world John 1. 29. that is by his being slain and offered but is represented in the worship of the Church as a Lamb slain Rev. 5. 6. It is therefore to offer violence unto the Scripture and common understanding to seek for this qualification any where but in the humane nature of Christ antecedently unto his death and blood-shedding Wherefore this expression without spot respects in the first place the purity of his Nature and the holiness of his Life For although this principally belonged unto the necessary qualifications of his Person yet were they required unto him as he was to be the Sacrifice He was the Holy One of God holy barmless undefiled separate from sinners he did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth he was without spot This is the moral sense and signification of the word But there is a legal sense of it also It is that which is meet and fit to be a Sacrifice For it respects all that was signified by the legal institution concerning the integrity and perfection of the Creatures Lambs or Kids that were to be sacrificed Hence were all those Laws fulfilled and accomplished There was nothing in him nothing wanting unto him that
should any way hinder his Sacrifice from being accepted with God and really expiatory of Sin And this was the Church instructed to expect by all those legal Institutions It may be not unuseful to give here a brief Scheme of this great Sacrifice of Christ to fix the thoughts of Faith the more distinctly upon it 1. God herein in the Person of the Father is considered as the Law-giver the Governor and Judge of all and that as on a Throne of Judgment the Throne of grace being not as yet erected And two things are ascribed or do belong unto him 1 A Denunciation of the sentence of the Law against Mankind Dying ye shall dye and cursed be every one that continues not in all things written in the Law to do them 2 A Resusal of all such ways of Atonement Satisfaction and Reconciliation that might be offered from any thing that all or any creatures could perform sacrifice and offerings and whole burnt-offerings for sin he would not have Heb. 10. 5 6. he rejected them as insufficient to make Atonement for sin 2. Satan appeared before this Throne with his Prisoners he had the power of death Heb. 2. 14. and entered into judgment as unto his right and title and therein was judged John 16. 11. And he put forth all his power and policy in opposition unto the deliverance of his Prisoners and to the way or means of it That was his hour wherein he put forth the power of darkness Luke 22. 53. 3. The Lord Christ the Son of God out of his infinite love and compassion appears in our Natures before the Throne of God and takes it on himself to answer for the sins of all the Elect to make Atonement for them by doing and suffering whatever the holiness righteousness and wisdom of God required thereunto Then said I Lo I come to do thy Will O God Above when he said Sacrifice and Offerings and Burnt-offerings for sin thou wouldst not neither hadst pleasure therein which are offered by the Law then said he Lo I come to do thy Will O God he taketh away the first that he might establish the second Heb. 10. 7 8 9. 4. This stipulation and engagement of his God accepteth of and withal as the sovereign Lord and Ruler of all prescribeth the way and means whereby he should make Atonement for sin and Reconciliation with God thereon And this was that he should make his soul an offering for sin and therein bear their iniquities Isa. 53. 10 11. 5. The Lord Christ was prepared with a Sacrifice to offer unto God unto this end For whereas every High Priest was ordained to offer Gifts and Sacrifices it was of necessity that he also should have somewhat to offer Heb. 8. 3. This was not to be the Blood of Bulls and Goats or such things as were offered by the Law ver 4. But this was and was to be himself his humane nature or his body For 1 this body or humane nature was prepared for him and given unto him for this very end that he might have somewhat of his own to offer Heb. 10. 5. 2 He took it he assumed it unto himself to be his own for this very end that he might be a sacrifice in it Heb. 2. 14. 3 He had full power and authority over his own body his whole humane nature to dispose of it in any way and into any condition unto the glory of God No man saith he taketh my life from me I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again John 10. 18. 6. This therefore he gave up to do and suffer according unto the Will of God And this he did 1 In the Will Grace and Love of his Divine Nature he offered himself unto God through the eternal Spirit 2 In the gracious holy actings of his humane nature in the way of zeal love obedience patience and all other graces of the Holy Spirit which dwelt in him without measure acted unto their utmost glory and efficacy Hereby he gave himself up unto God to be a Sacrifice for Sin his own Divine Nature being the Altar and Fire whereby his Offering was supported and confirmed or brought unto the Ashes of Death This was the most glorious spectacle unto God and all his holy Angels Hereby he set a Crown of Glory on the head of the Law fulfilling its precepts in matter and manner unto the uttermost and undergoing its penalty or curse establishing the truth and righteousness of God in it Hereby he glorified the holiness and justice of God in the demonstration of their nature and compliance with their demands Herein issued the eternal Councils of God for the salvation of the Church and way was made for the exercise of grace and mercy unto sinners For 7. Herewith God was well pleased satisfied and reconciled unto sinners Thus was he in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing our sins unto us in that he was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him For in this tender of himself a Sacrifice to God 1. God was well pleased with and delighted in his obedience it was a Sacrifice unto him of a well-smelling savor He was more glorified in that one instance of the Obedience of his onely Son than he was dishonoured by the sin of Adam and all his Posterity as I have elsewhere declared 2. All the demands of his Justice were satisfied unto his eternal glory Wherefore 8. Hereon Satan is judged and destroyed as unto his power over sinners who receive this Atonement all the grounds and occasions of it are hereby removed his Kingdom is overthrown his Usurpation and unjust Dominion defeated his Arms spoiled and Captivity led captive For of the anger of the Lord against sin it was that he obtained his power over sinners which he abused unto his own ends This being atoned the Prince of this world was judged and cast out 9. Hereon the poor condemned sinners are discharged God says deliver them for I have found a ransom But we must return to the Text. The effect of the Blood of Christ through the offering of himself is the purging of our Consciences from dead works This was somewhat spoken unto in general before especially as unto the nature of this purging But the words require a more particular Explication And The word is in the Future Tense Shall purge The blood of Christ as offered hath a double respect and effect 1 Towards God in making Atonement for sin This was done once and at once and was now past Herein by one Offering he for ever perfected them that are sanctified 2 Towards the Consciences of men in the application of the vertue of it unto them this is here intended And this is expressed as future not as though it had not this effect already on them that did believe but upon a double account 1. To declare the certainty of the event or
so 1 From Gods Institution he appointed it so to be as is express in the words of Moses 2 From an Implication of the Interest of both Parties in the blood of the Sacrifice God unto whom it was offered and the People on whom it was sprinkled For it being the blood of Beasts that were slain in this use of it each Party as it were engaged their lives unto the Observation and Performance of what was respectively undertaken by them 3 Typically in that it represented the blood of Christ and fore-signified the Necessity of it unto the confirmation of the New Covenant See Zech. 9. 11. Matth. 26. 28. Luk. 22. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 15. So was it the blood of the Covenant in that it was a sign between God and the People of their mutual consent unto it and their taking on themselves the Performance of the Terms of it on the one side and the other The Condescension of God in making a Covenant with men especially in the ways of the Confirmation of it is a blessed Object of all holy Admiration For 1 The infinite Distance and disproportion that is between him and us both in Nature and State or Condition 2 The Ends of this Covenant which are all unto our Eternal Advantage he standing in no need of us or our Obedience 3 The Obligation that he takes upon himself unto the Performance of the Terms of it whereas he might righteously deal with us in a way of meer Soveraignity 4 The Nature of the Assurance he gives us thereof by the blood of the Sacrifice confirmed with his Oath Do all set forth the ineffable Glory of this Condescension And this will at length be made manifest in the Eternal Blessedness of them by whom this Covenant is Embraced and the Eternal Misery of them by whom it is Refused The Apostle having given this full Confirmation unto his principal Assertion he adds for the Illustration of it the use and efficacy of blood that is the blood of Sacrifices unto Purification and Attonement VER XXI XXII Moreover he sprinkled with Blood both the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of the Ministry And almost all things are by the Law purged with Blood and without shedding of Blood is no Remission The manner of the Introduction of this Observation ver 21. by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in like manner do manifest that this is not a continuation of the former Instance in that which belongs thereunto but that there is a Proceed unto another Argument to evince the farther use of the sprinkling of blood unto Purification and Attonement under the Old Testament For the Design of the Apostle is not only to prove the Necessity of the Blood of Christ in Sacrifice but also the Efficacy of it in the taking away of Sins Wherefore he shews that as the Covenant it self was dedicated with blood which proves the Necessity of the blood of Christ unto the confirmation of the New Covenant so all the ways and means of Solemn Worship were purged and purified by the same means which demonstrates its Efficacy I will not absolutely oppose the usual Interpretation of these words namely that at the Erection of the Tabernacle and the Dedication of it with all its Vessels and Utensils there was a Sprinkling with Blood though not expresly mentioned by Moses for he only declares the Unction of them with the Holy Oyl Exod. 40. 9 10 11. For as unto the Garments of Aaron and his Sons which belonged unto the Service of the Tabernacle and were laid up in the holy places it is expresly declared that they were sprinkled with Blood Exod. 29. 21. And of the Altar that it was Sprinkled when it was Anointed though it be not said wherewith And Josephus who was himself a Priest affirms that all the things belonging unto the Sanctuary were dedicated with the sprinkling of the blood of the Sacrifices which things are usually pleaded for this Interpretation I shall not as I said absolutely reject it yet because it is Evident that the Apostle makes a Progress in these words from the Necessity of the Dedication of the Covenant with blood unto the use and efficacy of the Sprinkling of blood in all holy Administrations that they might be accepted with God I choose rather to referre the words unto that solemn sprinkling of the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of it by the High Priest with blood of the Expiatory Sacrifice which was made annually on the day of Attonement This the Introduction of these words by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth declare As the Covenant was dedicated with the sprinkling of blood so in like manner afterwards the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of it were sprinkled with blood unto their sacred use All the Difficulty in this Interpretation is that Moses is said to do it But that which we intend was done by Aaron and his Successors But this is no way to be compared with that of applying it unto the Dedication of the Tabernacle wherein there was no mention made of blood or its sprinkling but of anointing only Wherefore Moses is said to do what he appointed to be done what the Law required which was given by him So Moses is frequently used for the Law given by him Act. 15. 21. For Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath-day that is the Law Moses then sprinkled the Tabernacle in that by an everlasting Ordinance he appointed that it should be done And the words following ver 22. declare that the Apostle speaks not of Dedication but of Expiation and Purification This Sprinkling therefore of the Tabernacle and its Vessels was that which was done annually on the Day of Attonement Levit. 16. 14 16 18. For therein as the Apostle speaks both the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of the Ministry were sprinkled with blood as the Ark the Mercy-seat and the Altar of Incense And the End of it was to purge them because of the Uncleannesses of the People which is that the Apostle intends And that which we are taught herein is that I. In all things wherein we have to do with God whereby we approach unto him it is the blood of Christ and the Application of it unto our Consciences that gives us a gracious Acceptance with him Without this all is unclean and defiled II. Even Holy things and Institutions that are in themselves clean and unpolluted are relatively defiled by the unholiness of them that use them defiled unto them So was the Tabernacle because of the uncleannesses of the People among whom it was For unto the unclean all things are unclean From this whole Discourse the Apostle makes an Inference which he afterwards applies at large unto his present Purpose VER XXII And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood And without shedding of Blood is no Remission There are two Parts of this Verse or there is a
built by the hands of Men. The manner of this Building was part of its Glory for it relates unto the framing and erection of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness And as this was wholly directed by God himself so he endowed them in an extraordinary manner with singular Skill and Wisdom by whom the work was wrought But as unto the thing it self it is a diminution from its Glory not absolutely but comparatively yet was still made by the hands of Men and so had no Glory in comparison of that which doth excel namely Heaven it self 2. As unto the use of these Holies they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes used for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is signified by the Type and this we commonly call the Antitype So is the word used by the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 3. 21. The Substance of what is typified Sometimes it is used for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Type and Resemblance of the thing signified So is it here used and well rendered Figures And what the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the foregoing verse he here calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are therefore the same only they express different respect and notions of the same things As the Delineation and Representation of Heavenly things in them were obscure and dark they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Similitudes Resemblances of Heavenly things As that Representation which they had and made of them was a Transcript from the Original Pattern and Idea in the Mind of God and shewed unto Moses in the Mount they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or express Figures And they were thus Figures of the True that is the true Holies True in these expressions is opposed unto Shadowing and Typical not unto that which is false or abulterate So Joh. 1. 17 18. real substantial the things originally in all these Institutions This is a brief Description of the Place whereinto the High Priest under the Law did enter wherein his great Priviledge did consist and whereon the Efficacy of all his other Administrations did Depend And it is described 1 With respect unto its Institution it was the most Holy Place peculiarly dedicated unto the Reception of the especial Pledges of the Presence of God 2 As unto its Fabrick it was made with hands though of an excellent structure directed by God himself and framed by his especial command yet was it in its self no more but the work of Mens hands 3 As unto its principal end and use it was a figure and Resemblance of Heavenly things All Gods Appointments in his service have their proper season Beauty and Glory and Use which are all given them by his Appointment Even the things that were made with mens hands had so whilst they had the force of a Divine Institution To enter into the Presence of God represented by the Typical Pledges of it in this place was the height of what the High Priest under the Law attained unto And this he did on the Ground of the Dedication and Purification of the Tabernacle by the Blood of the Sacrifices of Goats and Calves And it may be said if the Lord Jesus Christ be the High Priest of the Church hither or into this place he ought to have entered I Answer He ought indeed so to have done if by his Sacrifice he had purified only earthly things But whereas he had no such Design nor were the temporal things of the whole Creation worth the Purification with one drop of his Blood but they were things Spiritual and Heavenly that were purified by his Sacrifice he was not to enter into the Holy Place made with hands the Figures of the same but into Heaven it self In opposition unto what is denyed of him and which is therein ascribed unto the High Priest of the Law the place whereinto he did enter is called Heaven it self The Entrance spoken of was Sacerdotal not Triumphant and Regal as I have elsewhere declared And by this Heaven it self a peculiar place is intended The Apostle hath in several places affirmed that in his Ascension he passed through the Heavens and was made higher then the Heavens Wherefore by this Heaven it self some place that is called so by the way of Eminency is intended This in the Scripture is sometimes called the Heaven of Heavens and the third Heaven The place of the peculiar Residence of the Presence Majesty and Glory of God and of his Throne where all his Blessed Saints enjoy his Presence and all his Holy Angels minister unto him A Place above all these aspectable Heavens the Heavens which we do behold The Entrance of Christ into Heaven as our High Priest was into it as the Temple of God wherein the Chief thing considerable is the Throne of Grace For it is that which answers unto and was signified by the entrance of the High Priest into the most Holy Place in the Tabernacle And there was nothing therein but the Ark and the Mercy-seat with the Cherubims of Glory overshadowing them which as we have declared was a Representation of a Throne of Grace He entered likewise into Heaven Triumphantly as it was the Palace of God the Throne of the Great King and sat down at the Right hand of the Majesty on high But this he did with respect unto the Execution of his Kingly Office with Authority and Power For as the Offices of Christ are distinct and their Exercise is so also so Heaven it self wherein he now dischargeth them all is proposed unto us under divers Considerations distinctly answering unto the work that the Lord Christ hath yet to perform therein And this serves 1. Unto the Direction and Encouragement of Faith When we apply our selves unto Christ to seek for Aid for the subduing and destruction of our spiritual Adversaries by his ruling Power that mighty Power whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself we consider him on the Throne of Majesty in the full Possession of all Power in Heaven and Earth Hereby is Faith both encouraged and directed in its Acting or approach unto him And when we go unto him for relief under our Temptations with a sense of the Guilt of Sin which requires tenderness and compassion we consider him as in the Temple of God appearing as our High Priest before the Throne of Grace Chap. 4. 14 15 16. 2. This Representation is the spring of all Spiritual Consolation God on a Throne of Grace the Lord Christ before it in the Exercise of his office with Faithfulness Compassion and Power is the Spring and Center of all the Comforts of the Church Schlictingius affirms on this Place that these things are spoken of Christ only in a neat and handsom Metaphor under which he is compared unto the Priests of old And the whole of his Discourse tends unto this that it is a Comparison framed or coyned by the Apostle for the Illustration of what he intends But this is not to
interpret the meaning of his words but directly to oppose his whole design For it is not a fancied framed Comparison that the Apostle insists on but a Declaration of the Typical Significancy of legal Institutions and his Purpose is to manifest the Accomplishment of them all in Christ alone Lastly The End of this Sacerdotal Entrance of Christ into Heaven is expressed Now to appear in the Presence of God for us A farther Degree of Opposition between our High Priest and those of the Law is expressed in these words They entred into the Holy Place to appear for the People and to present their Supplications unto God But this was only in an Earthly Tabernacle and that before a Material Ark and Mercy-Seat In what is here ascribed unto Christ there are many differences from what was so done by them 1. In the Time of what he did or doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now At this present Season and always What those others did was of no continuance But this NOW is expressive of the whole Season and Duration of time from the Entrance of Christ into Heaven unto the Consummation of all things So he declares it in the next Verse He never departs out of the Sanctuary to prepare for a new Sacrifice as they did of old There is no moment of Time wherein it may not be said He now appeareth for us 2. In the End of his Entrance into this Heavenly Sanctuary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to appear Absolutely his Entrance into Heaven had other Ends but this is the only End of his entring into Heaven as Gods Temple the Seat of the Throne of Grace as our High Priest And the whole Discharge of the remaining Duties of his Sacerdotal Office are comprized in this word as we shall immediately demonstrate 3. In that he doth thus appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vultui Conspectui Faciei Dei That is the immediate Presence of God in opposition unto the Typical Symbols of it in the Tabernacle before which the High-Priest presented himself The High Priest appeared before the Ark the Cherubims and Mercy-seat composed into the Form of a Throne Christ enters into the real Presence of God standing in his sight before his Face and this expresseth his full Assurance of his Success in his undertaking and his full discharge from that Charge of the Guilt of Sin which he underwent Had he not made an end of it had he not absolutely been freed from it he could not have thus appeared with Confidence and Boldness in the Presence of God Lastly This is said to be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For us This referrs only to Appear to appear for us that is as we shall see to do all things with God for us at the Throne of Grace that we may be saved The words being Opened the Nature of the thing it self namely of the present Appearance of Christ in Heaven must be farther enquired into And it may be declared in the ensuing Observations 1. It is an Act of his Sacerdotal Office Not only He who is our High Priest doth so appear but he so doth as the High Priest of the Church For such was the Duty of the High Priest under the Law whereby it was typified and represented His Entrance into the Holy Place and Presentation of himself before the Mercy-seat was in the discharge of his office and he did it by Vertue thereof And this is one principal Foundation of the Churches Comfort namely that the present Appearance of Christ in the Presence of God is a part of his Office a Duty in the Discharge of it 2. It is such an Act and Duty of our High Priest as supposeth the Offering of himself a Sacrifice for Sin antecedent thereunto For it was with the blood of the expiatory Sacrifices offered before on the Altar that the High Priest entred into the Holy Place It hath therefore regard unto his antecedent Sacrifice or his offering himself in his death and blood-shedding unto God Without a supposition hereof he could not as our High Priest have entred into the Sanctuary and have appeared in the Presence of God Wherefore 3. It supposeth the Accomplishment of the Work of the Redemption of the Church His words in this Appearance before God are expressed Joh. 17. 4. I have glorified thee on the Earth I have finished the work thou gavest me to do and now I come unto thee He was sent of God into the World on this great Errand for this great Work and he returned not unto him he appeared not in the Presence of him that sent him until he had fulfilled it and was ready in all things to give an Account of it unto the eternal Glory of God 4. In this his Appearance he presents himself unto God as a Lamb that had been slain Rev. 5. 6. He is now alive and lives for ever But there must as unto Efficacy in this Appearance be a Representation of his Sacrifice his Suffering his Death his Blood of himself as a Lamb slain and offered unto God And this was to be so in Answer unto the blood of the Expiatory Sacrifice which the High Priest carried into the Holy Place For he was himself both the Priest and the Sacrifice the Offerer and the Lamb. And as that Blood was sprinkled before the Ark and the Mercy-seat to apply the Attonement made unto all the sacred pledges of Gods Presence and Good Will so from this Representation of the Offering of Christ of himself as a Lamb that had been slain in this his Appearance before God doth all the Application of its Benefits unto the Church proceed 5. He thus appears for us He is therein therefore the great Representative of the Church or he represents the whole Church of his Redeemed unto God There is more in it then meerly for our Good It is as it were the Appearance of an Advocate a Law-Appearance in the behalf of others So is it declared 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. He will at the end of all present his whole Church unto God with the whole work of his Love and Grace accomplished towards them He first so presents it unto himself and then to God Eph. 5. 26 27. Now he presents them as the Portion given unto him of God out of fallen Mankind to be Redeemed and Saved saying behold I and the children which thou gavest me thine they were and thou gavest them to me I present them unto thy Love and Care holy Father that they may enjoy all the fruits of thine Eternal Love all the Benefits of my Death and Sacrifice 6. This is the great Testimony of the Continuation of his Love Care and Compassion towards the Church now he is in the height of his own Glory Love Care and Compassion belong unto him in an especial manner as he is an High Priest which we have declared on many occasions They are the spring of all his Sacerdotal actings
them shall be discovered they will be manifest to have been righteous and within due measure II. Take we heed of every neglect of the Person of Christ or of his Authority lest we enter into some degree or other of the guilt of this great offence III. The sins of men can really reach neither the Person nor Authority of Christ they only do that in desire which in effect they cannot accomplish This doth not take off or extenuate their sin the guilt of it is no less than if they did actually trample upon the Son of God The Second Aggravation of the sin spoken of is its Opposition to the Office of Christ especially his Priestly Office and the Sacrifice that he Offered thereby called here the Blood of the Covenant And that included in it is the frame of their minds in that opposition they counted it an unholy thing both which have a third Aggravation from the use and efficacy of that Blood it is that wherein he was Sanctified For the First In what sence the Blood of Christ was the Blood of the Covenant hath been fully declared on chap. 9. That whereby the new Covenant was ratified confirmed and made effectual as unto all the Grace of it unto them that do believe And it was the foundation of all the following actings of God towards him in his exaltation and of his Intercession See chap. 13. 20. The Blood of the Covenant was the great expression of the Grace of God and of the Love of Christ himself as well as the Cause of all good unto us the center of divine wisdom in all the mediatory actings of Christ the Life and Soul of the Gospel Of this Blood of the Covenant it is said that they who are guilty of the sin intended accounted it an unholy thing they judged it so and dealt with it accordingly Both the judgment of the mind and practice thereupon are intended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is common and opposed unto any thing that is dedicated and consecrated unto God and made sacred Hence it is used for prophane and unholy that which no way belongs unto divine worship They did no longer esteem it as that blood wherewith the New Covenant was sealed confirmed established but as the blood of an ordinary man shed for his crimes which is common and unholy not sacred not of so much use unto the glory of God as the blood of Bulls and Beasts in legal Sacrifices which is the height of impiety And there are many degrees of this sin some Doctrinal some Practical which though they arise not unto the degree here intended yet are they perilous unto the Souls of men Those by whom the efficacy of his blood unto the expiation of sin by making satisfaction and attonement is denyed as 't is by the Socinians will never be able to free themselves from making this blood in some sence a common thing Yea the contempt which hath been cast on the blood of Christ by that sort of men will not be expiated with any other Sacrifices for ever Others do manifest what slight thoughts they have of it in that they place the whole of their Religion within themselves and value their own Light as unto Spiritual advantages above the blood of Christ. And Practically there are but few who trust unto it for their Justification for pardon righteousness and acceptance with God which is in a great measure to account it a Common thing not absolutely but in comparison of that Life Excellency and Efficacy that is in it indeed But as Christ is pretious unto them that believe 1 Pet. 1. 7. so is his Blood also wherewith they are redeemed 1 Pet. 1. 19. Every thing that takes off from an high and glorious esteem of the blood of Christ as the blood of the Covenant is a dangerous entrance into Apostacy Such is the pretended Sacrifice of the Mass with all things of the like nature The last aggravation of this sin with respect unto the blood of Christ is the Nature Use and Efficacy of it it is that wherewith he was sanctified It is not real or internal sanctification that is here intended but it is a separation and dedication unto God in which sence the word is often used And all the disputes concerning the total and final Apostacy from the Faith of them who have been really and internally sanctified from this place are altogether vain Though that may be said of a man in aggravation of his sin which he professeth concerning himself But the difficulty of this Text is concerning whom these words are spoken for they may be referred unto the person that is guilty of the sin insisted on he counts the blood of the Covenant wherewith he himself was sanctified an unholy thing For as at the giving of the Law or the establishing of the Covenant at Sinai the people being sprinkled with the blood of the Beasts that were offered in Sacrifice were sanctified or dedicated unto God in a peculiar manner So those who by Baptism and confession of Faith in the Church of Christ were separated from all others were peculiarly dedicated to God thereby And therefore in this case Apostates are said to deny the Lord that bought them or vindicated them from their slavery unto the Law by his Word and Truth for a season 2 Pet. 2. 1. But the design of the Apostle in the Context leads plainly to another application of these words It is Christ himself that is spoken of who was sanctified and dedicated unto God to be an Eternal high Priest by the blood of the Covenant which he offered unto God as I have shewed before The Priests of old were dedicated and sanctified unto their Office by another and the Sacrifices which he offered for them they could not sanctifie themselves so were Aaron and his Sons sanctified by Moses antecedently unto their offering any Sacrifice themselves But no outward Act of men or Angels could unto this purpose pass on the Son of God He was to be the Priest himself the Sacrificer himself to dedicate consecrate and sanctifie himself by his own Sacrifice in concurrence with the actings of God the Father in his suffering See John 17. 19. Heb. 2. 10. chap. 5. 7 9. chap. 9. 11 12. That precious blood of Christ wherein or whereby he was sanctified and dedicated unto God as the Eternal High-Priest of the Church this they esteemed an unholy thing that is such as would have no such effect as to consecrate him unto God and his Office However men may esteem of any of the Mediatory actings of Christ yet are they in themselves glorious and Excellent So was the Sacrifice of his own Blood even that whereby not only the Church was sanctified but himself also was dedicated as our High Priest for ever 3. The Third aggravation of this Sin is taken from its opposition unto the Spirit of Christ he hath done despight unto the Spirit of Grace And as in
It is that kind of reproach which proceeds from malicious hatred and is accompanied with contempt and scorn and vents it self in all manner of obloquies or hard speeches such as those mentioned Jude v. 15. And the nature of it is fully declared by the Prophet Jer. 10. 8 9 10. And there are two Branches of reproaches 1. False accusations or charging of men with things vile and contemptible such as will expose them unto publick scorn and rage They shall speak all manner of evil of you falsly wherein you are evil spoken of as evil doers So they reproached the Person of Jesus Christ himself they said he was a Malefactor an evil doer a seditious person a Glutton a Wine-bibber a Seducer one that had a Devil and thereby stirred up the rage hatred and contempt of the people against him So they reproached the primitive Christians among the Pagans namely that they were Atheists confederating themselves for Adulteries Incest Murder and Sedition under which notion they slaughtered them as Beasts of the Field And the like reproaches have been cast on the Professors of the Gospel in all ages 2. Those reproaches consist in the contempt that is cast upon what is true and what in it self is Holy Just Good and Praise-worthy They reproached them with their Faith in Christ with their Worship of him in owning his Authority This in it self was their Honour and their Crown But as it was managed with hatred and Blasphemy as it was confirmed by the common consent of all as it received Strength and Countenance from their sufferings wherein they esteemed them punished for their sins and impieties it added unto their distress For men thus to be traduced aspersed and charged partly with things infamous base vile partly by contempt and scorn cast on what they do own and profess by their Friends Neighbours Relations and the Multitude of the people in order to their further hurt and ruin that they may be looked on and Judged as persons meet to be destroyed not suffered to live on the face of the Earth it is a great suffering and difficulty to be endured and undergone Therefore all those that make Profession of the Name of Christ and the Gospel ought to look and provide for such things 1. Take heed of so much softness and tenderness of nature that may give too deep a sense of reproach scorn and shame which may give too deep an Entrance unto these things into your minds being such as will weaken them in their duties This Ordinarily is a frame and disposition of mind that lies at the next door to Vertue to Modesty to Humility and the like but in this case it lies at the next door to diffidence despondency and carnal fears We are in this case to harden our Countenances and to set our faces as a Flint and Adamant so as to despise all Reproaches and Scorns on the account of our profession 2. It is required that we do not put too much value on our Names and Reputations in the world A good name is a Precious Oyntment it yields a good savour but it is so only with these two limitations 1. That it is obtained by things that are really Good and Praise-worthy for some have made their Names famous and acceptable to the multitude by ways and actions that have really nothing praise-worthy in them And 2. that they be good men who esteem their name to be good Laudari volo said one sed à viro Laudato To have a good report amongst an evil Multitude is of no advantage Yet are some men very tender herein they would be praised and spoken well of by the many at least they would not be spoken evilly or contemptuously of But if we have not an under-valuation of our names and reputations universally in respect unto Christ and the Gospel if we are not contented to be made as the Filth and 〈…〉 scouring of all things it will greatly disadvantage us in the time of sufferings And therefore in the Providence of God frequently it falls out that if there be any thing that is unto us as the Apple of our eye that of all we should be tender of our Names and reputations in this shall be peculiarly attempted and reproached 3. That they do not think that any new thing befalls them when they are reproached No not when the reproaches are new and such as never were cast on any that went before them For the stores of reproach and false accusations in the treasury of Satan and hearts of wicked men will never be exhausted 4. Know that where reproach goes before persecution will follow after in the course of the world It thunders in Reproaches and fails in a Storm of persecution These sufferings consisted in afflictions these Afflictions did partly â—â—sue upon and partly accompany these reproaches For those who endeavour to bring men under contempt by reproaches will not fail to reproach them under their Sufferings Therefore do we render the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by both referring both the reproaches and afflictions unto their being made a gazing-stock And the word is of a large signification denoting every thing that is evil and grievous to us in any kind But as it is distinguished from reproaches it denotes suffering in their persons or enjoyments an instance whereof he gives in the next verse in the spoyling of their goods 3. The manner of their Suffering of these things it is said they were made a gazing-stock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is properly spoken of them who were brought on the publick Stage or Theater in any City and there exposed unto all sorts of evils and punishments And it was the way of the highest and most capital punishment For when guilty persons were cast unto Beasts to be devoured it was in the Theater where they were made a spectacle unto the people or a gazing-stock But the Apostle limits the suffering of the Hebrews unto reproaches and afflictions they had not yet resisted unto blood So at Ephesus they drew Gaius and Aristarchus into the Theater with an intention to destroy them Acts 19. 29. But yet neither doth it necessarily follow that those spoken of were actually or solemnly carried into any Theater there to be reproached then destroyed But because the Theater was the place where persons were publickly exposed to be looked upon with scorn and contempt The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used to signifie mens being so exposed and made a Spectacle in any place on any occasion And this is the meaning of the phrase used by the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 9. No more is required hereunto but that they were publickly and in the sight of all that had occasion or opportunity to behold them exposed unto these things So was it with them when they halled men and women out of their Meetings who being dragged or driven in the Streets were committed some of them into Prisons Acts 8. 3. then were they loaden with