narrowly and therein also the same things are expressed sometime more amply and sometime more briefly Whereof we must take notice for the better understanding and reconciling of severall places So the word Faith is sometime taken so narrowly that salvation and justification is ascribed to it alone and sometime again more largely to comprise other vertues in it sometime more sometime fewer according as the sense of the word is extended or restrained I will put my lawes into their minde and write them in their hearts Here he begins to describe the new Covenant q.d. In the old Covenant I wrote some of my Lawes in tables of stone and Moses wrote other some in a booke and they were put in the Arke to be kept there But my new Covenant shall not be according to that way but by it I will write my Laws in their hearts and put them in their mindes to be kept there They shall not be arbitrary and positive Lawes flowing from my sole will and pleasure whereof their hearts can conceive no reason and whereof their memories may easily faile such as were most Lawes in my former Covenant but they shall be only naturall Lawes grounded only upon naturall honesty and upon the dictates of right reason that their mindes may easily conceive them and their memories retaine them And their owne consciences shall acknowledge them to be convenient just right and good And besides they shall not have a bare understanding of my Lawes to know them but an hearty affection to doe them Now because Gods Covenant is described in these words therefore hence it appeares that this writing of Gods Laws in mens minds and hearts dependes and proceeds from the nature of the Covenant And therefore these words must bee taken within their force and efficacie and not necessarily extended to the very effect of the writing which is alway left in the free power of man For this is intimated unto us by the following words of God at the 12. verse wherein God opens unto us the cause manner or meanes of this which containeth wonderfull grace and mercy of God offered to his people for by this means he saith it would come to passe that they would serve him and keep his Laws with so great fervency But this way Gods Laws are written upon none but willing hearts The sense therefore is I will make such a Covenant that shall have sufficient force and power to containe my people in their duties For to have Gods Laws written in our mindes and hearts is nothing else but to be so knowing so mindfull and so affected with them that we never decline from them but alwayes observe them with all our endeavour And I will be to them a God This follows from the former as the former clause opposite to this and I regarded them not followed from the people 's not continuing in his Covenant which in like manner is opposed to the writing of Gods Laws in mens hearts For God to be a God unto us is to be our sovereigne Protector to defend us from all evill and to be our sovereigne Benefactor to accumulate us with all his blessings And they shall be to me a people Either this is really the same with the former and an amplification of it consisting of a mutuall relation such as we had before in these words I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son chap. 1.5 Or else it is as much as if the Author had said And they shall deale by me as my people ought to doe both of us shall performe our parts respectively I by protecting and benefiting them they by worshipping and serving me 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord They shall not need to admonish and exhort one another first to know my lawes and decrees and after upon knowledge thereof to observe them but all of them shall bee carried with such alacrity of minde to know and obey mee that none shall need any remembrancer to put him in minde of it Neighbour and brother are taken here for the same for in the Law these three names are coincident neighbour brother and friend See Lev. 19.18 For all shall know me from the least to the greatest Here againe God speaks of the efficacie of this Covenant and not of the effect it selfe for it shall be able to produce an universall knowledge of God though in some single persons it produce it not actually All of al sorts from the least age to the greatest yong old from the least state to the greatest poor and rich and from the least degree to the greatest low and high 12. For I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sinnes and their iniquities will I remember no more Here God opens unto us the cause of his ardent affection towards us and withall unfolds the nature of this Covenant namely that therein he will be mercifull to all the sinnes of his people to their unrighteousnesses their transgressions and iniquities and will never remember them more This so great a benefit must needs oblige all mens mindes and in a manner constraine them to consecrate themselves wholly unto God and constantly to persist in the daily observation of his Lawes Which effect seeing every remission of sinne cannot produce therefore we must here understand such a one as hath the power to doe it namely a plenary and perfect remission whereby such as are truly and seriously penitent and afterward live holily are released from the guilt or bond of all their former sinnes not only in respect of temporall punishment and death but also of eternall death and withall eternall life is ordained for them For this remission of sinnes adding the condition of repentance hath this vertue and power in it to withdraw men from sinne and for the future to devote themselves to God The words unrighteousnesse sins and iniquities doe in like manner teach us that this remission is plenary and perfect extended to all manner of sinnes even the most heynous Hence we see that this plenary remission of sinnes is a promise proper to the new Covenant For in these words is evidently proved what he said before concerning the new Covenant that it was established upon better promises then the old This is the mysticall sense of those words of the Prophet the literall sense was that God would deliver the people of the Jewes from the captivity of Babylon and would so blot out their former wickednesse and foule sinnes that hee would acquit them from all further temporall punishments for them for which so great benefit the people must needs bee marveilously bound to God and induced to serve him constantly for ever after But this sense is far too slender to answer fully and solidly unto words of so high a nature For at that time to speake properly God neither made any new Covenant different from the former neither was
frees us from all punishment and lastly makes us capable of eternall life Whence it so much the more appeares how the purging of our consciences doth certainely follow upon the bloud and death of Christ and upon his subsequent offering in heaven Purge your conscience from deâ—d workes How much more shall the bloud of Christ purge Shall is so the future tense here that it carries the force of the time present For in such arguments drawne from comparison wee love to use the future tense in the consequent member of it If this be so much more shall that For herein we respect not any futurity of time but a futurity of consequence and of truth for many times wee conclude in that manner of things past The conscience here is opposed to the flesh for as the bloud of beasts offered did purge the flesh so the bloud of Christ offered through the Spirit doth penetrate unto the conscience and purge it And sinnes are called dead workes not formally as if they had no life or activity in them but effectively because they are deadly works that brings death to the sinner and of their owne nature keepe the sinner dead for ever These deadly works are the spots and blots that defile our conscience and from these our conscience is purged by the bloud of Christ not onely in that we are freed from the guilt of them in the sight of God and consequently from all punishment of them but also in that wee are delivered from the sence of that guilt and from the feare of punishment and so our conscience is cased of a grievous burden And it was not for nothing that the Author would rather say purge our conscience then our minde the inward part of us opposite to the flesh Because thereby he would shew that the bloud of Christ doth also cleanse away that misery and torment of the conscience whereby men conscious of their wickednesse doe tremble and quake for feare of Gods Judgements This is most certaine that true and solid peace of conscience in them that have sinned doth ground it selfe upon this that God hath declared his will they should be free from all the guilt of their sinnes And yet it may be that men freed in the sight of God from the guilt of their sinnes may not enjoy a peaceable and quiet conscience because they are destitute of the knowledge or faith of it Therefore the bloud of Christ offered to God through the eternall Spirit doth not onely abolish all the guilt of our sinnes but also doth certifie and make faith thereof unto us as we heard before Whence it commeth to passe that there ariseth a great calme and quiet of conscience in their minds who have tasted the efficacy and vertue of Christ his bloud and sacrifice and we may well say that though formerly their conscience were oppressed with many crimes yet then their conscience is wholly disburdened and they finde no guiltinesse in it And this is the scope which God proposed unto himselfe in the death of Christ and the things following thereon For he would not therefore binde himselfe by the bloud of Christ and establish a new Covenant because there might be danger that he would not stand to his promises who is most true and faithfull of his word but because we should want no assurance of his grace and mercy towards us And hence also it is that when Christ was raised from the dead and invested with immortality God exalted him into heaven and committed unto him the whole care and arbitrement of our salvation For the efficacy and force of Christs death and the consequents upon it must be distinguished from their scope whereat God aymed although that efficacy were subservient to this scope and effectuall to the compassing of it The efficacy of Christs death and the consequents upon it was very great both to obliege God to performe his promises and to produce the reall effect of them upon us but the scope is as we have said to make assured and undoubted faith unto us of so great grace of God of so great salvation and remission of sins to the end that wee being fully certified thereof might againe on our part performe our duty and wholly devote our selves to God Whence the Author adding afterward this end or effect of purging our conscience to be performed by us on our part doth thereby teach us that in this purging of our conscience he included not only an Immunity from punishmenâ— arising from the abolishing of our guilt before God but also a security from them proceeding from our certaine knowledge that our guilt is abolished Now for the matter of our Impunity or freedome from punishment our punishment is not only temporall but also eternall opposite to life eternall From the punishment of eternall death those sacrifices 〈◊〉 the Law were so farre from freeing any man that they could exempt no man from temporall death or capitall punishment for they only tooke away some other light penalties or inconveniences of this life Neither did God write all his Lawes in bloud ordaining death for every offence but moderated the rigor of his Law with singular justice and equity Upon some offences hee laid the penalty of death which no sacrifice could release upon others he laid a fine and a sacrifice The mulct or fine was to bee paid to the party grieved but the sacrifice to himselfe for thereupon he remitted the penalty due to himselfe but would have restitution made of the injury done to man So for example for theft the penalty was a restituon of the double triple or quadruple to be paid to the party thereby damaged but besides this restitution the theft was expiated by sacrifice which was instead of a penalty to the most mercifull God Lastly there some things totally void of all true offence as for example if any man had touched a dead body though it were of duty to bury him which was rather a matter of piety then of offence yet because this and other such like cases were condemned by the Law of uncleannes therefore they were to be expiated either by some sacrifice or by the holy water of separation Therefore all the use of those sacrifices was to expiate some lighter faults or uncleannesses of the flesh but great offences were punished with death Hence David acknowledging his sinne exiable by no sacrifices of beasts saith to God Thou desirest not sacrifices else would I give them but thou delightest not in burn offerings Psal 51.16 He means in the expiation of such crimes as his was and therefore he flyes to the sole mercy and clemency of God and resolves to pacifie God with the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart The force of which sacrifice if it be made seasonably and abound afterward in the fruits of good workes is established and ratified by the Law of the Gospel Now the bloud and sacrifice of Christ takes away all guilt and penalties of all sins
him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to feare the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to doe them That his heart be not lified up above his brethren and that he turne not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left All Gods Laws are his will for they are that will of God which God would have done hee therefore that doth Gods Laws he doth his will And seeing all the future Kings of his people were to doe Gods will as here it was writen of them therefore David also when he was become King was to doe the will of God as in this Chapter of Gods Booke it was written of him And therefore David againe was to write himselfe a copy of the Law in a booke he must read therein all the dayes of his life hee must keep all the words of it and not lift his heart above his brethren for in doing these things he did the will of God as it was written of him in a Chapter of the Law But some man may hereupon demand how shall this belong to Christ must he write out a booke of the Law of Moses and perpetually read in it and never depart from it The Answer is easie That for the mysticall sense we must not tye our selves to every single word but only to the breviat and sum of the matter that which is spoken properly of the type must be so applied to the antitype as the nature of the antitype requires The sum of the matter in this place is That the King of Gods people must be obedient to Gods will particularly to that will of God which God would have him to observe and consequently to that Law of God which God would have stand in force As long as the Law of Moses was in force so long the Kings over Gods people must observe that Law But that Law being by God abrogated no man is bound to observe it much lesse is the King of Gods people bound to it And a new Law being surrogated Gods people and their King must observe that new Law Wherefore the Law written in the Chapter of that booke must be so taken or understood of Christ as the nature of the thing will beare it and as the Majesty and divinity of Christ requires Many things are said of the shadow which the perfection of the body doth reject But we must further observe that the sence of the words in this Psalme may yet be further extended seeing in the Hebrew text to the sence whereof the Author might have more regard then to the Greek Translation it is simply said In the volume of the booke i. of the Law and although according to the Greek Translation we understand that Chapter of the Law which we cited in Deuteronomy yet that very Chapter hath reference to the whole Law of God or it referres the King to all the words and precepts of the Law which the King of Gods people was to exccute Wherefore in a mysticall sence we may understand all those things wherein Christ was to performe the will of God and particularly those that belong to his expiatory Sacrifice which here is the thing in hand Whence it is in a manner yet left doubtfull whether Christ said these words when hee came into this world or the world to come For if by this will of God wee understand nothing else but the sacrifice of Christ strictly and properly taken excluding his death from it then we must affirme that Christ said these things when he came into that future world But if we extend the sacrifice or offering of Christ more largely and include his death the necessary antecedent unto it as in this place it seemes wee must doe and as wee have before intimated that wee may not set aside the excellent and proper act of Christ himselfe pertaining to his offering and sacrifice most acceptable to God seeing he saith that he came to doe the will of God and that we know that Christ himselfe had also his part herein then the thing it selfe declares that these words must be attributed to Christ when he came into this world And it is no obstacle to this that both according to the Greek Translation and according to the literall sence of the Hebrew words we respect that place wherein the office of the King is described whence Christ as now made a King seemes to speake these things as David also did For besides that the Hebrew words of the Psalme are more large as wee have said and therefore especially in the literall sence may justly be more largely extended this also must be marked That Christ although he were not yet a King actually yet because he was for certaine to be one and ordained to a Kingdome by Gods immutable Decree hee might very well even then referre to himselfe the precept wherein the King of Gods people is commanded to do Gods will 8. Above when he said From the words of Christ the Author further inferres that the legall sacrifices and offerings were abrogated and in their place the sacrifice and offering of Christ was instituted And he shews this to be manifest from the very manner of Christs words and from the cleere opposition of the things therein specified Above i. in the first place when he spake of sacrifices and offerings to be rejected before he spake of his comming to doe the will of God Sacrifice and offering and burnt-offerings and offering for sin thou wouldst not neither hadst pleasure therein which are offered by the Law The words which are offered by the Law must be read as included in a parenthesis whereby the Author specifies that the legall sacrifices and offerings are abrogated because the sacrifices and offerings which Christ saith here that God would not have neither had any pleasure in them and therefore must be taken away are no other but the legal sacrifices which were instituted by the Law of Moses and were offered according to that Law 9. Then said he Christ after he had spoken the former words for the abrogation of the Legall sacrifices then hee added these that follow For these are the words of the Author relating the words of Christ Loe I come to doe thy will O God Because Gods will was to abrogate the Legall sacrifices therefore Christ comes to do that will and pleasure of God which God should surrogate in stead of the Legall sacrifices He taketh away the first that he may establish the second q.d. What is this else but to abrogate the former that he may establish the latter But that former thing was the Legall sacrifices which Christ abrogates the latter is the will of God which he establisheth 10. By the which will we are sanctified Here he shews what benefit we gaine by this will of God performed by Christ and establisheth in the place of the Legall sacrifices For it might be demanded
that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one Here he shewes the great alliance betweene Christ and Christians and what good cause there is why not onely Christ but also the faithfull are stiled by the name of the sonnes of God seeing Christ and they have the same parentage and come as it were from one stocke And he seems to deliver it as a generall rule that the sanctifier and sanctified are all of one i. draw their originall from one person as procreated from one and the same Father To sanctifie is to expiate or purge away sinne and to be sanctified is to have their sinnes expiated or purged away for as sinne doth pollute and prophane us so Expiation doth sanctifie and hallow us And in this sence the word sanctified is often taken in Scripture especially by this Author Now Christ is he that doth sanctifie for hee doth expiate or purge away our sinnes and the faithfull are they that are sanctified for by Christ their sinnes are expiated or purged away And therefore Christ and the faithfull are all of one linage and parentage for hee and they draw their originall from one person even from God who is the common Father to them both and consequently Christ and the faithfull make up betweene themselves but as it were one nation or one people under God and consequently againe he and they are brethren one to another An example hereof was under the Law among the Hebrews to whom this Author writes and to whom therefore this rule of union and fraternitie by meanes of sanctification was the better known For among them the high Priest was he that did sanctifie the people by expiating and purging away their sinnes making atonement to God for them and the people were they who were sanctified by being expiated and purged from their sinnes And both Priest and people were of the same nation sprung from Jacob who was one common Father to them whereupon they used to call one another brethren In like manner the case stands between Christ who is the high Priest to sanctifie and the faithfull who are Gods people to be sanctified as we have already declared it For which cause hee is not ashamed to call them brethren Indeed this cause is very pregnant to make this consequent to follow upon it For seeing that Christ and the faithfull are all of one God as of one common Father therefore they are the brethren of Christ and Christ is not ashamed to call them so for all children proceeding from one common Father are brethren and should not be ashamed to call one another so Indeed the condition of the faithfull is in this life so contemptible and shamefull that Christ might think it a shame to him to have such brethren In which sence this Author saith afterward chap. 11. 16. That God was not ashamed to be called the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob For how vile are those Patriarks compared to God the Soveraigne Lord of all things especially then being rotted to dust for so many ages before So all Christians how vile and wretched are they how poore contemned and despised insomuch that Christ now so great a King of so great Majestie and glory might justly disdaine to call such creatures his brethren but Christ is not ashamed either to acknowledge them his brethren or to call them by the name of brethren 12. Saying I will declare thy Name unto my brethren in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee By three Testimonies out of Scripture hee proves that Christ is not ashamed to call the faithfull brethren The first Testimony is taken from Psal 22.22 The literall sence is David was King over the people of Israel yet hee calls them his brethren and when God had saved him from death he professeth to praise God in their company in the midst of the Congregation or assemby The mysticall sence is Christ is a King over the faithfull yet hee calls the faithfull his brethren and when God had raised and saved him from death he appeared to his disciples where they were congregated and in the middest of their assembly he really declared the power of God in raising him from the dead and with out all doubt did celebrate the Name of God with words of praise and thanksgiving For hence it is we read John 20.17 That Christ after his Resurrection willed Mary to goe unto his brethren and say of him I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God In which words he gives the reason why he calls them his brethren namely because he and they had one common God and Father 13 And againe I will put my trust in him The second Testimony to prove the former point is taken as I conceive out of Psal 91.2 because that Psalme is so frequently applyed to Christ though this testimony be extant in severall other places The literall sence David makes God his God and confidence to put his trust in him and persevering will put his trust in him The literall sence Christ in like manner made God his God and confidence to trust in him and persevered to trust in him For before his Resurrection when he hanged on the Crosse he said My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Which words argue no despaire but a confident and persevering trust in God that though God did seeme to forsake him yet he should be his God and hee would trust in him Yea the Priests and Scribes mocked at his confidence and trust in God Matth. 27.43 And after his Resurrection he calls God his God in the place precited Joh. 20.17 But now the Quere will be what this makes to the purpose of proving the faithfull to be the brethren of Christ The answer is It proves it directly though not immediatly For seeing Christ and the faithfull have God for their God and for their confidence to put their trust in him therefore he and the faithfull are of one i. are confidents and dependents upon one and the same God and Father and by means of that they must needs be brethren as was before concluded upon verse 11. So this testimony proves their unitie in God and their unity in God proves their fraternity betweene themselves For when the first truth is the reason of the second it is also the reason of all other truths whereof the second is the reason And again Behold I and the children which God hath given me The third Testimony to prove the former point taken from Esai 8.18 The literall sence God had given the Prophet children and he and they were brethren in this that they were to be for signes and wonders and were so appointed to be from God The mysticall sence Christ is the Sonne of God and the faithfull are the children of God Gods post-nati after Christ and therefore are the brethren of Christ And God hath given them unto Christ by bringing them to beleeve in Christ and
are after the order of Aaron For Melchisedec was both a King and a Priest the Levites were onely Priests he had no Priestly pedigree these must have so he had neither predecessor nor successor these succeed one another he is an eternall Priest these dye lastly he is greater and worthier then Abraham himselfe and therefore much more so then the Leviticall Priests After the order of Melchisedec The order of Melchisedec is a little otherwise taken then the order of Aaron for by that is signified a likenesse onely with the Priest Melchisedec as the Author speakes afterward ver 15. but in this is contained not onely a likenesse with Aaron but also a naturall succession into his place and Priesthood 12. For the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the Law He brings a reason which notwithstanding was before tacitely shewed in the parenthesis which we explicated why a Priest must be ordained according to Aaron and no other rise according to the order of Melchisedec if by the Aaronicall Priesthood mens sins could have beene expiated perfectly The reason is because the Priesthood could not be abrogated or changed unlesse the Law whereby it was established were abrogated and changed also Wherefore either to preserve the authority of the Law it selfe if not for the dignity of the Leviticall Priesthood a Priest must have beene ordained after the order of Aaron if perfection came by that Priesthood But because this was not done therefore it is manifest that perfection could not be given by that Priesthood and consequently for the imperfection of it there was good cause it should expire He saith the Priesthood was changed not onely for that it was translated to another Tribe diverse from that of Levi wherein a Priest was ordained after the order of Melchisedec but also in that the Priesthood it selfe was altered and changed into another kinde different from the former Although to the end the Author might use this word in this latter sense for altered therefore from the former sense of changing the Tribe he might take occasion consequently to use it of the Law thereby to signifie the abrogation of the Law For hence afterward at the eighteenth verse when he speakes of the Law alone instead of the word changed he puts disanulling or abrogating And the abrogation of the Law though in this place it properly be referred to that part of the Law whereby the Aaronicall Priesthood was established yet we must know that upon the abrogation of that Sacerdotall Law all the force and authority of the Law of Moses was disanulled also especially concerning externall rites and ceremonies For together with the Priesthood not some one Law fell alone but many Lawes and divers rites fell with it neither is there any cause to thinke but that upon the expiring of so many Lawes all the rest of the same kinde and nature died also And besides upon the abrogation of one Commandement of Moses Law is not that bond of the Law dissolved which layes a curse upon him that continues not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law but upon the dissolution of this bond the whole frame of the Law must needs fall asunder For from that bond it appeares that it was the minde of the Law-maker that all the precepts or commandements of that Law should either stand together or by the fall of one the authority of the whole Law should faile 13. For he of whom these things are spoken Here the Author proves that the Priesthood being changed or another Priest after the order of Melchisedec being ordained the Law thereupon must needs bee changed or abrogated The reason is because the person designed by these words Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec descended not from Levi but from another Tribe out of which no person descending might lawfully approach to the Altar to offer sacrifice as a Priest But the Law which ordained the Priesthood of Aaron did expresly provide that no man not of the Tribe of Levi and no man of that Tribe not of the family of Aaron should exercise the Priesthood Whence it is manifest that a Priest after the order of Melchisedec could not be ordained unlesse the Law were violated Pertaining to another Tribe of which no man gave attendance at the Altar Attendance at the Altar is the performance of the Ceremonies by officiating at the Sacrifices and ordering those things that appertained to the Altar to such other services And attendance here must not be taken for the act of doing it but for the right to do it for it is wel knowne that some Kings did dare de facto to approach unto the Altar burn Incense there but by usurpation and without any right to do it 14. For it is evident our Lord sprang out of Iudah of which Tribe Moses spake nothing concerning Priesthood Here he confirmes his former reason that Christ our Lord of whom these words were spoken that he was a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec pertained to a Tribe of which no man gave attendance at the Altar or performed the office of Priesthood The reason is because it is evident that he sprang out of Judah of which Tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the Priesthood and therefore by the Law had no right to the Priesthood for this followes upon the former And the Author takes it for granted that he of whom the words of the Psalme are spoken is our Lord Christ the annointed of God That Christ sprang out of the Tribe of Judah he saith it is evident i. generally knowne to all men for no man was ignorant that Christ came from the line of David And he had good reason to take this for granted because these words of the Psalme Thou art a Priest for ever are spoken of him whom David in the beginning of that Psalme calleth his Lord speaking of him in the spirit but he that is the Lord of David must needs be our Lord also who seeing he is mentioned of the Lord Jehovah or the most high and onely God as a distinct person to whom the words were spoken from him that spake them Sit thou at my right hand and Thou art a Priest for ever certainely he can be no other then Christ our Lord the anointed of God For that this was acknowledged of the Masters and Doctors among the Jewes it is manifest from hence that Christ disputing with the Pharisees supposeth it as a thing no way doubtfull but confessed of all when he demanded of them How David could call Christ his Lord seeing as they had answered him he was his son For unlesse they had all acknowledged it the answer had beene easie to say that Christ was neither that Lord nor so called of David The Author also supposeth it for granted that our Lord Christ sprang from the Tribe of Judah because he wrote to them who were already perswaded that
that benefit of such efficacie and power as to containe the people in their duty perpetually after And therefore it is apparent that the Holy Ghost intended some other sense farre more excellent In the literall sense then that remission must bee understood to bee really performed for the taking away of their temporall punishment but in the mysticall sense it must be understood of Gods promise to be performed in due time for the releasing especially of eternall death under condition of repentance as the nature of the new Covenant requires it And hence it is why the Iews being afterward forgetfull of this divine benefit as of a thing past did againe fall into divers sinnes and forsake Gods law But the Christian or the people of the new covenant may be excited to do their duty perpetually and serve God cheerfully to the end they may at last really obtaine the blessing promised them a right whereto they now enjoy and not make themselves unworthy of it by their own fault 13. In that he saith a new Covenant he hath made the first old By these words he shewes that the old Covenant is in a manner condemned and rejected For when God saith hee will make a new Covenant he thereby antiquates and abrogates the old Whence it plainely appeares that the old Covenant was in it selfe blameable and faultie and therefore contained no great and excellent promises in it And from hence it is most manifest that the new Covenant is cleerly different from the old neither differs it onely in perspicuity and cleernesse as many men beleeye but in the very promises and conditions of it Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away From the former words he inferres by the way that the old Covenant although at that time it seemed to bee of force among the Jewes and to stand while their Temple and their state were standing yet by little and little it grew to decay as a thing waxing old and already antiquated of God For that which waxeth old though it bee yet for a time extant and appeare yet after a while it will wholly decay and vanish seeing to wax old is nothing else but by little and little to be destroyed and abolished This the Authour doth ominate of Moses Covenant and the event was answerable to his prediction For not long after the Temple and State of the Jews was overthrowne whereupon the Mosaick religion and the publike worship of God prescribed in the old Covenant did fall and vanish so that at this day there appeares nothing of it but onely some relicks and shatters in the tolerated Synagogues of that scattered Nation The Contents of this eighth Chapter are 1. Doctrine Christ is a greater Priest then any of the legall Priests verse 1. Reason 1. Because he is set at the right hand of Gods throne whereas the legall Priest stood before the Mercy-seat which was but the shadow of Gods throne verse 1. 2. Because Christ Ministers in the true heavenly Sanctuary whereof the legall Sanctuary was but a shadow verse 2. 3. Because Christ offers himselfe to God a gift and sacrifice whereof the legall offerings were but shadows verse 3. 4. 4. Because Christ is the Mediator of a better Covenant established upon better promises then the former verse 6. 2. Doctine The Gospel or new Covenant is better then the old legall Covenant verse 6. Reason 1. Because the Gospel hath a better Mediatour so much as Christ is better then Moses verse eod 2. Because the Gospel is established upon better promises eod 3. Because the old Covenant was faulty for God found fault with it as weak and unprofitable verse 7. 8. 4. Because the Gospel hath better Lawes for they are written in the mindes and hearts of the faithfull ver 10. 5. Because the Gospel breeds an universall knowledge of God in all men from the least to the greatest verse 11. 6. Because the Gospel allowes an universall pardon of all sinnes whatsoever v. 12. 7. Because the new Covenant doth antiquate and abolish the old v. ult CHAPTER IX 1. THen verily the first Covenant The particle then for therefore shewes that these words so follow the former that in a manner they are deduced or inferred from them Yet they seem not inferred from the words immediatly preceding though they have some connexion even with them also but rather from the words neer the beginning of the former chapter where the Author made a comparison of Christ with the legall Priests and affirmed that their Tabernacle their Ministery and offerings to God were but terrene shadows of that heavenly Sanctuary wherein Christ doth minister and offer himselfe to God and therefore that the Priesthod of Christ was farre more excellent then theirs To this point he seemes now to returne and to handle a little more largely what before hee had but briefly touched concerning the ministery and service of the legall Priests The word first in the originall hath no substantive with it wherewith to agree yet must not be referred to the Tabernacle as some copies translate it for it hath a cleare reference to the Covenant which in the last verse of the former chapter is called the first and here againe repeated so for by this reference of it all things wil most rationally correspond and comply both with the preceding and subsequent passages Had also ordinances of divine service Ordinances are institutes i. Arbitrary and positive Lawes or precepts depending on the sole will and pleasure of the Law-maker or ordainer to determine any action for the manner and other circumstances which in it selfe and by the Law of nature is indifferent and may be done many wayes to be notwithstanding performed after some one way For Gods Covenant doth not containe promises only which are to be performed on Gods part solely but they also comprehend Commandements and Precepts of services and duties to be performed on our part which we if we enter the Covenant must promise and covenant to performe as God on his part doth covenant to performe his promise The matter or subject of these ordinances was divine service how God should be publikly worshipped and served The true nature of divine worship and service The originall word here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies worship and not service for worship and service in reference to God though by most Interpreters on the holy Scriptures they bee confounded and put indifferently each for other yet indeed their natures are very different and contradistinct For worship properly signifies any holy reverence which by some lowly gesture we performe to God as by standing up bowing downe kneeling downe or falling downe before him whereof the Scriptures afford us many examples But service properly signifies any holy action performed immediatly to the honour of God as prayer praise thanksgiving and sacrificing whereof also the examples are frequent in Scripture and particularly all the Ministery of the legall Priesthood by offering
in use among men and to be of force before it was ratified by the bloudshed of beasts For this bloud gave beginning to that testament in respect of the force of it The Author useth the very same word afterward Chap. 10.20 where our English Translation renders it consecrated By a new and living way which he hath consecrated unto us whereof in it due place 19. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people That the first Testament was not dedicated without bloud hee now proves by a narration of the carriage of the action shewing the dedication or confirmation of that Testament both for the manner and matter wherby it was confirmed and his narration hereof is for the most part taken out of Scripture Exod. 24. Moses did both speake and read all the precepts to the people For first he spake them by word of mouth as the Lord had delivered them to him and upon his rehearsing or speaking of them the people gave their unanimous approbation and consented to doe them Exod. 24.3 Then he wrote them in a book and read them in the audience of the people and the people againe the second time gave their approbation ibid. ver 7. The word spoken includes both these actions of reciting and reading for all reading is speaking also because he that reads speaks out of a booke The precepts by Moses confirmed were all those Lawes of the Old Testament that did binde universally both persons and times which all persons were bound to observe perpetually for such were properly the precepts of Gods league with the people although happily they were not all assigned to the preceding Chapters in Exod. but are related in other places and in the following books of Moses For those preceps which after the confirmation of the league or testament are described in the following Chapters of Exodus are not properly Lawes but certaine Ordinances of God for the present concerning the framing and ordering of the Tabernacle the furniture of it and other things whereby the worship of God was then to bee performed And yet there besome who think that the passages recited Exod. 24. concerning the confirmation of the Covenant are spoken only by way of historicall anticipation And this opinion is not without some shew of probability According to the Law This is a limitation of the universall word every precept to shew that he spake not of all precepts in generall but of every precept in the Law delivered to Moses and written by Moses in the booke and read by Moses to the people Hee tooke the bloud of calves and of goats It is not expressed in the story of Moses that he tooke or shed the bloud of goats for that action Yet it is very credible that there were goats among the burnt-offerings and peace-offerings then slaine unto God For that Moses nameth only calves it might therefore be because they are the more worthy creatures Unlesse wee should rather say that first the whole people was sprinkled and expiated by Moses which the Author chiefly respected and might know it some other way for the bloud of goats was usually shed to expiate the sinnes of the whole people With water and scarlet wooll and hysop Neither doe wee read this in the fore-cited place of Moses but the Author who undoubtedly was very skilfull in the Jewish customes doth perhaps therefore mention water because hee knew that water was mingled with the bloud which was sprinkled as was usuall in other purifyings for bloud unlesse it bee mingled with water doth quickly congeale and being congealed is unfit for sprinkling But of hysop and scarlet wooll tyed to a cedar sticke was made a sprinkler whereof as of water mixt with bloud see Exod. 12.22 and Levit. 4.4,5,6 And sprinkled both the booke and all the people Of the booke being sprinkled we likewise read not in Moses Yet this divine Author knew the certainty of this no lesse then of the rest But all the people is said to be sprinkled because they among the people who stood nearest were sprinkled and in that respect represented the person of the whole people so that thereby all the people were accounted sprinkled 20. Saying this is the bloud of the Testament In the Hebrew for this is Behold but the sense is the same Now the bloud of calves and goats is called the bloud of the Testament because by means of it the Old Testament was confirmed and established Which God hath enjoyned unto you In the Hebrew it is which God hath made with you God had not yet made it preteritively but did then make it presentively and therefore the preter tense is there figuratively put for the present But because God himselfe in his owne person did not confirme that Covenant with the people but Moses did it at the command and in the name of God therefore the Author expressing the verity of the thing for the word made puts the word enjoyned as if Moses had said This is the bloud of the Testament which God hath enjoyned me to make with you Yet this injunction or command did not rest upon the person of Moses only but was extended unto the people also for as the confirmation of the testament was enjoyned to Moses that he should speed it is Gods name So the observation of it was enjoyned unto the people that they should keep it because the Testament for the matter contained Laws and Precepts which God enjoyned to the people as if Moses had further said This is the bloud of the Testament which God enjoyned unto me to confirme and hath enjoyned unto you to observe 21. Moreover he sprinkled with the bloud both the Tabernacle and all the vessels of the Ministery Hee shews that not only the Old Testament it selfe was confirmed with bloud but also that under the Old Testament divers consecrations and expiation were made by bloud especially of sinnes as hee mentions it ver 22. This hee doth that from hence he might gather that under the New Testament also the shedding of bloud must fitly intervene to consecrate and expiate the conscience and a bloud so much more pretious as he is more pretious by whom the conscience is expiated And the Author doth so joyne the consecration of the Tabernacle and the vessels of it made with bloud with the confirmation of the Testament it selfe that he specifies no difference of time between them And if the Tabernacle and ministeriall vessels were consecrated at the time wherin the Testament was confirmed then without all doubt the history of confirming the Testament Exod. 24. is delivered by way of anticipation seeing that after that Confirmation mentioned there precepts are delivered in the following chapters for the making of the Tabernacle and ministeriall vessels and for ordering of the publike worship and service of God as also the making and consecration of them is particularly described But from the words of the Author it cannot bee gathered that both these were done
and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rams For disobedience is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubbornesse is as wickednesse and Idolatary 1 Sam. 15.22,23 But in the mysticall sense Christ saith absolutely that God had no further will to them and tooke pleasure in them no longer but his will and pleasure was they should be antiquated and abrogated Of this mysticall sense this is a good argument that Christ is here brought in to mention not only sacrifices of thanksgiving which only were pertinent to Davids purpose but also expiatory offerings and sacrifices for sinne whereof if wee respect Davids intent there should here be made no mention For Davids intent was a testification of his thankfulnesse unto God and not an expiation of his sins at that time But because the Holy Ghost would wrap up a mysticke and deep sense in these words therefore the Author doth here specifie and reckon up all kindes of sacrifices and offerings whatsoever which are reduced to three sorts 1. By sacrifice and offering in the fifth verse he seems to understand all offerings eucharistical or of thanksgiving whereof a part went to God as the bloud and the fat part was a Fee to the Priest and the rest returned to him that offered it 2. By burnt offerings in this verse are understood those which were wholly burnt and went wholly to God which are sometime called sacrifices of praise because they were offered wholly in honour of God as he was the Lord Almighty and not by way of speciall thanksgiving for any particular benefit then received from God which was the proper consideration for a sacrifice of thanksgiving 3. By sacrifices for sinne are meant all expiations or offerings to put away the guilt and punishment of ignorances and infirmities for which kinde of sins only those sacrifices were allowed and in the Hebrew are oftentimes called simply sins 7. Then said I Loe I come This word of comming doth shew a mysticall sense For how did David come when hee spake this word in the literall sense Therefore in the literall sense it signifies only Loe I am at hand or I am ready I have prepared my self to do thy will But in the mysticall and proper sense it signifies the appearance of Christ in that future world to execute the will of God In the volume of the booke it is written of me In these words David shews the cause why he is ready to doe the will of God or if ye please the manner and way of his obeying God q. d. I am ready to doe as it is written of me in the volume of the booke or else for so it is written of me that I should doe thy will Therefore in these words we must understand either some particle of likenesse as according or some casuall particle for because or seeing for such particles are oftentimes concealed or silenced But here againe we meet with another difference betweene the Greek translation and the Hebrew text In the Hebrew it is in the volume of the booke which hath a plaine and an open sense for by the booke he eminently understands the booke of the Law which is called a volume because unciently the Law was wont to bee written in skinnes of parchment or velum one glued to another and so rolled up and unrolled in the forme of a Court-role which in Latine is properly called Volumen from the rolling of it and hence bookes are called Volumes A famous Expositor among the Romanists preferres the Greeke reading in this place before the Hebrew and writes that it is a vaine repetition to say in the volume of the booke for that is all one as to say in the booke of the booke This is a vame cavill for all volumes or rolles are not bookes but there are volumes and rolles of many other things besides So that the word booke is fitly added to volume to specifie the differences of volumes We meet with a like phrase Jer. 36.2 But why doth the Greeke translation read it in a Chapter of the Booke The reason may be because the Hebrew word Megillah doth not only signifie a whole booke consisting of many skinnes but also any one single skinne which may containe only some Chapter of the Booke And therefore the Greek Translator conceived that he should not go from the sense of the words if for the whole volume he should put only some part or certain Chapter of it especially because by this means the redundancie in words would seem the lesse or none at all yet some there would seeme to be if he had said the volume and that had been taken to signifie the whole booke Wherefore these words must bee taken as if he had said In a Chapter of the booke namely of the Law it is written of me By which meanes not onely all shew of redundancy is taken away but also a more speciall place is designed where the thing is written that is here spoken Now let us a little enquire what Chapter this might bee Certainly other Chapter it can be none but that wherein the very thing is handled which David said he came to doe i. that David should doe the will of God For wee have said that in these words is shewed the cause why David said hee came to doe Gods will or the manner how hee should doe it But where is it said that David must doe the will of God Namely there where the Kings of Gods people are commanded to doe so which is set downe in the last parcell of the 17. Chapter of Deuteronomy from the 13. verse to the end For David in a peculiar way was ordained of God himselfe to bee the first King over Gods people and the Kingdome was to remaine in his posterity for ever And therefore hee saith that there it is written of him not that it is there written of him by name as David but written of him as a King And here also the Holy Ghost seems to have left us some footstep of a mysticall sense For it might be said of Christ properly that there it is written of him by name for the Holy Ghost doth every where aim chiefly at Christ Hence it appears that they are in an errour who by a Chapter in the Booke understand the beginning of Genesis because as they thinke there it is written of Christ that he created heaven and earth But is there also any thing written of David or of Christ there that hee should doe the will of God But in the 17. Chapter of Deuteronomy before cited among other things which God willed to be observed by the future King of his people this is also delivered ver 18. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the throne of his Kingdome that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a booke out of that which is before the Priests his Levites And it shall be with
neither now is nor hereafter shall be vacant or unoccupied in this action neither is this subjection attributed to God otherwise then as God doth it by Christ or gives power and strength unto Christ whereby he may and doth effect it therefore in the word expecting wee must acknowlegde a trope and the signification of it must be admitted onely thus far as it argues that Christ by the gift and benefit of God doth reigne subdue his enemies to him so that in this respect not Christ but God is said to subdue his enemies and Christ expecteth onely till it be done Besides in regard of the time wherein at last all the enemies of Christ shall be subdued unto him Christ may be said thus farre to depend upon his Father as it is in his Fathers owne power to order the times and seasons of things or Christ himselfe doth testifie 14 For by one offering He brings another reason why Christ offered onely but once because by one offering he perfected or finished all things As on the contrary the legall high Priests offered often because they could never perfect all things by all their oblations Hee perfected for ever them that are sanctified Perfected is throughly and wholy expiated see Chap. 7. ver 11. For ever is in respect of all future times and ages to come not as it was under the Law only for the time past and that time but for the space of one yeare They that are sanctified are they that are expiated purged or cleansed from sin in their conscience and the word must not bee restrained to the present time only but extended and dilated to all differences of time to those that ever have been sanctified or now are or ever shall be For Christ may be said to perfect or expiate men for ever in a double sense First as every man that is expiated is not expiated for some certain time but for ever and secondly as his offering is of efficacy and force to expiate all men of all times and ages to the end of the world so that it shall never need bee iterated either for the same men or for any others 15. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witnesse to us After that he had proved by severall reasons that the offering of Christ must bee made only once now he further proves the same by a testimony of the Scripture wherein the Holy Ghost witnesseth the same thing For this truth is so evident and so materiall that it hath not only the reasons formerly alleadged to confirme it but hath also a testimony of Scripture wherein the Holy Ghost doth testifie it The Holy Ghost is said to witnesse a thing when the Scripture saith it because as Peter teacheth us that holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 After that he had said before After the Holy Ghost had said before which saying follows in the next verse 16. This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Lawes into their hearts and in their minds will I write thm Of these words of the Holy Ghost we have treated before Chap. 8.10 17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Between the former verse and this something must be understood that is silenced namely then he said as the Author himself speaks at the ninth verse before For at the fifthteenth verse upon which this dependeth the Author had written for after that he said before namely the Holy Ghost therefore here must be understood then he said namely the Holy Ghost againe said the words of this Text And their sinnes and iniquities c. 18. Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sinne From these words of the Holy Ghost wherein the remission of sinnes and iniquities is promised to Gods people now the Author inferres that the offering of Christ must bee but one only Namely because the Holy Ghost doth testifie that God under the New Testament and so by Christ and his offering will remit unto his people all sinnes and iniquities even the most grievous for ever Now where there is such a remission of sinnes proceeding from Gods Will and Covenant and that universally in respect of time for ever and also universally in respect of persons to all men there can be given no other sacrifice for sinnes and therefore one sacrifice only for sinnes is sufficient But that no further sacrifice is allowed for sins where such a remission of them is granted by Covenant it appears from hence because otherwise remission should be granted and ordained also by Covenant to them that persist in their sinnes which were a thing very unfit and unworthy of Gods grace For if men repent and change their minde and wayes into better courses partly they abstaine from sinne with all care and partly by virtue of the new Covenant and so by the one single offering of Christ they have ready prepared for them a remission of all those sinnes which either went before their true repentance or to follow it that they neither lose it nor make it void Anciently under the Law when remission was granted only of ignorances and infirmities it was no marvell if upon the stay or returne of the same sinnes for which offering had been made the offerings were often iterated and instead of them another offering were introduced far better and perfecter which is that of Christ but now seeing the most grievous sinnes are expiated by the offering of Christ under the New Testament what place can be yet left for any other offering For either a man engaged by so great a benefit doth afterward lead an holy life or not If he live holily there needs no other offering for to expiate his sin seeing hee commits it not if he live not holily there must be none 19. Having therefore brethren boldnesse Here the Author doth in a manner summe up those things which hitherto he had spoken of the Priesthood and sacrifice of Christ and from thence infertes his following admonition By boldnesse here hee understands an assured hope and confidence flowing from the faculty and liberty granted us of entring into heaven the most holy Sanctuary So that by the word boldnesse is signified unto us both our faculty or liberty of entring into heaven and also our confidence or assurance of minde issuing from our knowledge of our faculty or liberty to enter which liberty is opposed to that restraint under the Law whereby it was lawfull for no man to enter into the holy place under paine of death except the high Priest once a yeare And for feare that any one should attempt it all were forbidden it To enter into the holiest Heaven is that Sanctuary whereinto on Gods part we have liberty that we may enter and on our owne part we have confidence that we shall enter And of all Sanctuaries the heavenly is absolutely the holiest
Priest not onely in respect of the faithfull who are but a kinde of lesse Priests compared to Christ as of old under the Law among the Priests one was great and head over the rest but in respect of the high and great Priests under the Law who as we have heard compared with Christ were not onely little but in a manner very small and dimme shadowes Over the house of God By this house of God we may understand both that heavenly Sanctuary wherein our high Priest performes his holy offices answerable to the Legall Tabernacle and also the Church or people of God who are the spirituall house of God For Christ is president over both these houses both that heavenly and this spirituall on earth 22. Let us draw neere Here begins the other part of the Chapter containing an admonition drawne from the former doctrines They were said to come or draw neere as we heard at the first verse who while the Priest was officiating were intentive to the divine service for which they approached to the Tabernacle whereby they also came neere or drew neere to God The Author doth call upon us That seeing we have a high Priest truly great resident in the Sanctuary of heaven who there performes holy offices offerings for us therefore we also should approach and draw neere in soule and spirit unto that heavenly Sanctuary intentively minding the worship of God Which is nothing else but to apply our selves to the worship of God and never make doubt to draw neere unto him in confidence of Christ our high Priest With a true heart He shews what manner of persons they must be who will exercise this spirituall worship of God and apply themselves unto it They must have a true heart And a true heart is opposed to a seined deceitfull and dissembling heart which makes onely an outward shew of holinesse and thereby endeavours to deceive In full assurance of faith A full assurance of faith is opposed to a wavering and doubting faith for looke how much doubt is mingled with faith so much is wanting to the perfection and fulnesse of it Therefore then we have a full faith when wee doubt nothing of the truth of the Christian Religion and discipline Having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience He alludes to a Ceremony ordained under the Law whereby they who had touched any uncleane thing must be sprinkled with the holy water of seperation before they might enter into the assembly of Gods people at the Sanctuary to performe the worship of God for if they did otherwise they must dye for it This purging or cleansing of the flesh by sprinkling the Author transferres spiritually to the spirit and soule whereby the soule is cleansed from the guilt and staine of conscience and the body from the filth of sinne Now the sprinkling or purging of the heart from an evill conscience may be taken two wayes either to signifie that cleansing whereby we get a full remission of our sinnes by the bloud and sacrifice of Christ and are freed from an evill conscience and from feare of Gods punishment in which manner he said before that our conscience is purged from dead works or to signifie the cleansing of our soule from inward and secret sinnes For by an evill conscience in this place by a metony my of the effect he seemes to understand the hidden and secret vices of the soule as opposed to the filth of the body which as in the words immediatly subsequent he teacheth must be washed away For what else can the filth of the body signifie then those outward sinnes which are committed by the body it self not as if these did not also defile the conscience but because open sinnes are exposed to the eyes and censures of other men but the secret and inward sinnes of the soule though they make no man else conscious to them yet they agitate and burden the conscience Therefore by the former sence of these words is signified the great benefit of God which we attaine by the bloud and sacrifice of Christ and by the latter is intimated our duty whereto wee are excited and oblieged by so great a benefit And our bodies washed We have already said that this washing of the body must be referred to the washing away of that filth whereby our body stands defiled before God therefore if we receive the last sence of the former words then the Author here puts us in minde of the same thing whereof Paul remembers us 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearely beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God And the Author shewes that it is a most fit and convenient thing to wash the body in this sence because anciently under the Law they who approached to the Sanctuary for the performance of Gods worship must wash their bodies all the difference is that there men understood the carnall staines of sinne but here the spirituall With pure water There is no necessity we should by this allegory thinke any thing answering by name to this water seeing the Author seemes to speake in allusion to the custome used under the Law of washing the body with pure water For comparisons as we have often intimated are subject to many abusions Yet if any man desire a full resemblance we may say that hereby is meant the spirit and doctrine of Christ or that spirituall water wherewith Christ sprinkleth his people not excluding his bloud For this is the pure water for the soule and by it only the filth of sin is washed away They that here understand the water of Baptisme are mistaken For the water of Baptisme is but onely an outward signe and shadow of this washing which here the Author understands wherewith neither can our hearts be sprinkled nor the filth of our vices really washed away Therefore that spirituall Baptisme which doth truly save us must be here understood even that Baptisme which as Peter saith is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh or the outward washing of the body but the answer of a good conscience toward God 1. Pet. 3.21 Which is not effected by any elementary water but only the heavenly and spiritual which washeth the conscience 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith He exhorts them to constancy in the profession of the Christian religion because it is not sufficient for us to serve God in heart and other workes unlesse wee also confesse him with the mouth In the Greeke it is the profession of our hope and by the word hope the Author seemes to comprise the whole Christian religion for the Christian religion consisteth chiefly in hope and in a hope most excellent even the hope of immortall life and eternall happines and all the parts and heads are directed and concurre to breed in mens mindes this hope and a holinesse of life sutable to it Hence Peter under the same
which could not be made up only of the Apostles and Prophets of the New Testament Wherefore this generall assembly must be further extended which if it be then nothing is more probable but that by first-borne is understood in this place as we have said the first-fruits of the faithfull in every place For they were worthily of greatest esteem among the Christians they had the double portions as it were of the Holy Ghost or to speake in the words of the Apostle they had the first fruits of the Spirit and were endued with divine gifts above other men But some may demand whether the Author alludes in the word first-borne if he allude at all which if he doe it seems it is either unto the first-borne under the Law into whose place the Levites were chosen to minister in the Sanctuary or to the universall assembly of the Israelites when they stood at the foote of Mount Sinai to heare the Law For the former opinion it makes first from the word first-borne for first-borne are most fitly opposed to the first-borne Secondly in that these Hebrews to whom the Author writes being seasoned by the Apostles with the doctrine of Christ seeme answerable to that first assembly of the Israelites at Mount Sinai to heare the Law Which if it be so then the first borne can scarce signifie the universall multitude of the first Christians or the first common Church seeing there must be some who had accesse and other some to whom the accesse was had unlesse we say that these Hebrewes are considered as some part of the primitive assembly of Christians answering to that part of the Israelites assembly which first received the Law delivered from God himselfe For if by the heavenly Jerusalem the Church be signified these Hebrewes can be said to come unto it no otherwise then as the part to the whole Thirdly because by these first-borne some excellent and eminent men in the Church seeme to be understood as put in a meane betweene God and Angels for these very fitly answer the first-borne and to the Levites and Priests chosen into their roome as are the Apostles Prophets Evangelists and other excellent and eminent men who went before all that followed them not onely in time but in gifts And it is probable that the Author would make particular mention of them and then they were not expressed in other words then these The other opinion is favoured by the word generall assembly which signifies an universall meeting and likewise the word Church For that generall assembly of the Israelites who met at Mount Sinai to heare the Law was called the Church Acts 7.38 Hence it appeares of what great dignity they are who have received the Religion of Christ because they are incorporated as it were into one body and into one Church with that Church of the first-borne and who as S. Peter saith have obtained like precious faith with them 2 Pet. 1.1 and enjoy the same right with them of happinesse and salvation He calls them the generall assembly and Church of the first-borne because though all these first borne did never yet assemble in any one place upon earth for this shall be done hereafter onely in heaven yet because of the spirituall conjunction and likenesse of dignity and condition that is betweene them they are considered as one assembly and in a manner as one company Which are written in heaven He seemes to allude to the number-rolle or list of the names of the first-borne or of all the Israelites for God commanded Moses to taken the number of both these but both these were written on earth but the lift of Christians is written in heaven and written by God So that by these words their dignity and happinesse is notified But the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies not simply written but recorded for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a list upon record for their names use to be lifted upon record who are the citizens or members of a common-wealth By these words therefore is signified that Christians are citizens of heaven and have the right of a heavenly common-wealth that their God is alwayes mindfull of them seeing he keeps their names as it were written in a booke and therefore it cannot be but in due time he will put them in possession of his heavenly kingdome Whence also they that come unto them or are aggregated to their number are reckoned with them for citizens of heaven and members of that heavenly common-wealth And to God the judge of all But some may here say that the Israelites came long since unto God and therefore here is nothing said that concernes Christians in particular I answer 1. That they when they came to Mount Sinai did not really and truly come to God himself but onely to an angel who sustained the person and Name of God 2. That they came not in that manner that Christians doe unto God who as S. John saith come into a communion and fellowship with God 1 John 1.3 and into such a communion that they are reckoned the sons of God and in time to come shall be his heires in witnesse whereof they have received the earnest of his holy Spirit Ephes 1.14 3. The Israelites came not unto God as unto him whom they knew to be the Judge of all or rather who then caried himselfe as the universall Judge of all men of all countries and nations both quick and dead Now the name of Judge may be here taken either largely for any Lord and governour or strictly for him who according to mens merits decrees and payes rewards and punishments Anciently God tooke the peculiar charge and governement over the people of Israel onely but now he hath a fatherly care equally over all men of what Nation soever so they be Christians yea he provides that they become Christians Also he ordaines rewards and punishments for all men not onely in this life but also after it which to those first Israelites was not knowne especially in regard of those transcendent rewards to be collated after this life upon the godly without any difference of Nation And to the spirits of just men made perfect He seemes now to mention these that he tacitly may shew what a great happinesse it is to come to the Judge of all men both the living and the dead By the Iust he understands those men deceased notable for their righteousnesse whereof he reckoned up no small number in the former Chapter treating of faith in God And he saith that Christians are come to the spirits of the just because there is now nothing left of them but their spirits which God hath received into his faith and custody as the Judge of all And the just or righteous deceased are said to be made perfect not that they now enjoy finall happinesse and really possesse the finall promise of God for otherwise Christians had not come to their spirits onely but rather to them
thereupon naturally of her owne accord inclines to the removing and abolishing of it as are all things artificiall that are made by art from which the Author seems here to draw a tacit resemblance So the form and beauty of this whole world was by the power of God induced into that Chaos which is described by Moses in the beginning of Genesis seeing therefore that heaven and earth were made by inducing a forraine forme into a grosse matter that was before rude void and darke beside and above her naturall capacity therefore their forme shall bee shaken off and removed and consequently they shall bee abolished That those things which cannot be shaken may remaine That things immutable only may remaine alone by themselves Now they are not onely things immutable which cannot be shaken but also mutable which shall be shaken But after that all things mutable which are to be shaken shall be shaken and removed then shall remaine onely things immutable which are not to be shaken nor shall be shaken By these words is noted of things mutable not the proper end for which they had being but the event or end of their being whereby their being shall cease And the Author added this to shew that when heaven and earth shall be removed or abolished yet there shall be remaining a most ample and spacious mansion for the righteous as S. Peter also testifieth and calleth it a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3.13 But by these words the Author makes way to a new argument whereby he excites and exhorts the Hebrewes to faith and constancy in the Christian Religion by subjoyning 28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdome which cannot be moved or shaken The kingdome here is both the place it selfe and also the blessed state or happinesse of them that inhabit it And this kingdome cannot be moved or shaken not in respect of Gods power for God who is Almighty hath might and power sufficient to move and shake even that new heaven and new earth as Peter calls it but because God hath no will ever to shake yea it is his will it should never be shaken and because of it owne nature it is no way propense or inclinable to be shaken but is finally immutable and what is so of that it may well be said that it cannot be shaken in which sence the Angels are immortall and so shall wee be one day We receiving i. accepting and embracing it with our soule and bearing a firme faith to the promises of it which are contained in the Christian Religion and so apprehending it as it were with our hand upon Gods offer of it unto us Let us have grace Have is here put for retaine or hold unlesse by grace here some man would understand a thankfull minde which sence notwithstanding doth not so well fit the place especially seeing in the holy Scriptures to have grace doth not signifie to have a thankfull minde but rather to give thanks See 1 Tim. 1.12 and 2 Tim. 1.3 which sence doth not so well agree with the words following Whereby wee may serve God Grace Grace therefore in this place as also elsewhere doth rather signifie either the doctrine of Christ full of Gods grace as when John saith that grace came by Iesus Christ John 1.17 where he opposeth grace to the Law and S. Peter writes that he testifies that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand 1 Pet. 5.12 where he meanes that the doctrine which they had received touching the grace of God was true Or it signifies the favour of God whereto God admitted us under the new Covenant promising us eternall life and his heavenly kingdome which divine favour is termed by Paul the grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men T it 2.11 which in the following Chapter ver 4. he calls the kindenesse and love of God So that to have grace is to retaine the doctrine of the Gospel which containes the grace and favour of God toward us Whereby wee may serve God acceptably That is according to his prescript if by grace we understand the doctrine of Christ or by his instinct if wee will have it signifie the favour of God May serve In the Originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may worship which word sometime in holy Scripture is taken largely and generally for all that honour which by holy offices we performe publiquely unto God whether by way of worship with holy reverences or by way of service with prayers praises or thanksgivings and such like yea sometime this word is further amplified and extended to all works of piety because under the new Covenant all pious works are accounted spirituall sacrifices But how the word worship is sometime taken more strictly and so opposed to service and what are the differences betweene them two we have formerly explicated chap. 9. ver 1. and see chap. 9.14 Acceptably Our worship and service of God and our workes of piety must not be done loosely after any manner but in such a manner onely as is acceptable and pleasing to God because all service must be pleasing to the person to whom it is done for otherwise it is disservice Therefore our worship and service of God must not now be legall by carnall sacrifices which while the Law was of force were not very pleasing unto him as hath beene shewed but spirituall and evangelicall by holy reverences prayers praises and thanksgivings neither must it be perfunctory lame or may med but entire serious and ardent With reverence and godly feare He shews the manner and way how to make our worship and service acceptable and pleasing unto God namely if we worship and serve him with modesty and reverence In the Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifie with modesty and reverence Modesty or bashfulnesse is an affection whereby we feare to displease a man and thereby to diminish his good esteeme of us and it extends it selfe to the least circumstances that seeme to containe any appearance of indecency even to those things which deserve neither punishment nor blame For modesty requires us to avoid all indecencies or if they cannot be avoyded but either are or have beene done to cover them that they may not appeare to others least thereby wee lessen our esteeme with them to whom they appeare But be case modesty though it be a very tender affection yet for the most part doth not incite and move us so vehemently therefore to modesty the Author adjoynes reverence which is a more potent affection for reverence is an intense or graduated feare when feare is in some degree augmented beyond his ordinary state as Charity is an intense love more then ordinary And this reverence doth properly respect a person that is superiour unto us and either hath power to benefit us or at least a right to punish us For feare as it respects a person is properly that affection whereby we beware of