People as a third part 1. In making the Covenant in signifying God's Will unto the People and returning the People's Answer unto God Exod. 19. 2. 2. In confirming it by Blood as an indifferent distinct person Exod. 24. To which place the Apostle doth allude as we shall understand hereafter in the illustration This is the meaning of the first Proposition The second may be divided for explication and made two 1. Christ by means of Death expiated Transgressions under the former Covenant 2. By means of this Death the Called receive the promise of eternal Inheritance The first implies 1. That there were Transgressions under the former Covenant 2. That there was a Redemption of these Transgressions 3. This Redemption was by the Death of Christ. The first is clear enough for Moses Aaron David and the Saints of God from the times of Moses till the exhibition of Christ had their sins much more others not sanctified The second cannot be doubted of for if there was no Redemption of those Sins and Transgressions then they could not be saved they must suffer eternal punishments as they did temporal By Redemption here is meant Expiation and Propitiation whereby their sins were made remissible and upon certain terms and conditions performed actually to be remitted The third will be granted in general that the Expiation was by Death and Blood but that they were expiated by the Blood of Christ many of the Jews denied Yet if they had understood the Books of Moses they might have known that the Blood of Bulls and Goats could not expiate the Sin of Man a rational and immortal Creature not free from the eternal Punishment Some Legal frailties and infirmities they might expiate and avert some temporal penalties Therefore there must of necessity be some other Death and Blood that must do it And this was the Blood of Christ which all their Ilastical Sacrifices and Lustrations did typify Yet this is not so to be understood as though their Sins were not remissible and remitted till Christ dyed and offered his Sacrifice for by vertue of this Death fore-seen and fore-accepted they were in their Life-time upon their Repentance Faith in Christ to come and their fervent Prayers pardoned They did not rely upon their Legal Sacrifices nor expected Remission from them but relyed upon this Death of Christ to come according to the Promise That in him all Nations should be blessed This Proposition is not to be understood exclusively as though Christ's Death did expiate no Sin but that which was committed under the first Covenant but emphatically to singnify 1. That there was no Expiation for Transgressions under the Law 2. That if Christ's Death expiate former Transgressions under the Law much more will it expiate such as are committed under the Gospel 3. That there was no reason as some observe why they should be offended with the Death of Christ seeing without his Death and Blood neither they nor their Fathers could be saved but must suffer eternal penalties The second part of this second Proposition informs us that 1. There is an eternal Inheritance 2. There is a Promise of it 3. The called receive this Promise 4. By means of Christ's Death they receive this Promise For in the words we have an Inheritance the Heirs the Conveyance the Purchase or rather the price whereby it 's purchased The Inheritance is eternal Happiness the Heirs are the called the Conveyance is by Promise and Covenant the price of the purchase is Christ's Death and Blood 1. The Inheritance is that blessed and glorious Estate which is to be enjoyed upon the Resurrection for the full possession and enjoyment is reserved for Heaven where it 's said to be laid up and reserved It 's said to be eternal in opposition to the Land of Canaan which was the temporal Inheritance of them and their Fathers and to be enjoyed with the Blessings thereof so long as they kept the Covenant of their God and this was the Inheritance promised in the former Covenant and to this which formerly was called God's Rest the Apostle seems to allude as a Type of this which was far more excellent and glorious of eternal continuance in respect of the Inheritance it self the parties enjoying it and the enjoyment thereof 2. This eternal Inheritance was promised there was a Promise of it It was God's and the disposal of it was at his Will Man for his sin was cast out of Paradise and forfeited Heaven with the eternal Bliss thereof yet it was in his mind to give it sinful Man who deserved it not so great was his mercy and bounty and Man must know this For this end he promised it and by his Promise bound himself to give it and in it did signify his Will The Effect of this Promise was Obligation on God's part and a Right unto it on Man's part an Hope to obtain it and a Comfort upon this Hope And here it 's to be observed that our Title to eternal life depends immediately upon the Promise and is derived from it for as the Israelites had the Land of Canaan and held it by Covenant and Promise so do all the Children of God expect the heavenly Canaan and hope to have it by Promise of the new Covenant Some do ' understand by the Promise of eternal Inheritance this Inheritance promised yet there must be a Promise received before we receive the thing promised 3. After the Inheritance and the Promise and Conveyance follows the Heirs which are here said to be the called Some are not called at all these have no Promise of the Inheritance Such were the Gentiles before the Gospel was preached unto them they were Strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no Hope and without God in the World Ephes. 2. 12. Some are called and have the means of Conversion but reject the terms of the Covenant and refuse to enter into it and engage themselvs such were the unbelieving Jews and many others Some are called enter the Covenant and solemnly bind themselvs to the observation of it yet do not observe it In respect of these two last it is that Christ saith Many are called but few are chosen Matth. 22. 14. None of these are Heirs Some are called and are obedient to the heavenly Call and keep the Covenant these receive the eternal Inheritance promised and first acquire the Title and after that the Possession Some were called before the Exhibition of Christ some after the former are here principally meant though the latter with them receive the Inheritance 4. These called Ones of former times with us receive this Promise by vertue of Christ's Death expiating their sins and of his Blood purging their Conscience To understand this you must consider that none but such whose Sins are expiated and their Consciences purged can be Heirs for they must be regenerated and acted by the Spirit and adopted Sons before they can be Heirs For as the Apostle argues If Sons then Heirs
them everlasting life Hee 's that Joshua who leads us and gives us possession of our spiritual and celestial Canaan 2. This Captain Prince and Authour was made perfect of God by Suffering or God made him perfect by Sufferings To be perfected in this place is to be consecrated and made a compleat Priest or at least to be put in an immediate capacity to act as a Priest Aaron and the Levitical Priests had their Consecration and it was not without Blood and the death of Sacrifices and the form was instituted and prescribed by God who alone could give them this Glory Power and Office That Christ was a Priest is expresse Scripture as we shall understand in this Epistle hereafter Yet such he could not be without Consecration neither could he be consecrated without Blood and suffering of Death and offering a bloody Sacrifice And the difference of the Consecration of other Priests and him was this that though both were consecrated by Blood yet they were consecrated by the blood of Beaâ—â—s sacrificed He by his own Blood when he sacrificed and offered himself without spot unto God The reason of this was Because he must be a Meditatour between God and sinful Man to reconcile them but no reconcilion without Blood and no Blood but his own Blood immaculate would be accepted For though God was merciful and willing to be reconciled yet his justice would admit of no reconciliation but upon satisfaction to be made by this Blood God did manifest his Justice and hatred of sin by punishing it in Christ before he would pardon it in Man It was God that did Consecrate him for no Man or Angel could conferr this Office upon him or make him an universal and eternal Priest to officiate and minister in Heaven only God could do this And he as supream Lord and Law-giveâ— could appoint and accept him to be Redeemer prescribe the manner of Consecration and as supream Judge accept of his Consecration once finished and invest him with this sacerdotal Power In these respects God is said to Consecrate him By him thus consecrated many Sons are brought to Glory There are many Sons brought to Glory he that brings them to Glory is God he doth this by Christ consecrated and made their Captain To bring to Glory is in the end to give possession of Glory and that everlasting and most excellent Estate prepared for the Sons of God These are many and are made his Sons by Regeneration and Adoption The one doth make them capable of the other gives them right to Glory which they shall fully enjoy when their heavenly Birth and gracious Adoption are perfected They derive their title from their Captain as consecrated by Suffering and received by Faith For as they are the Sons and Heirs of God so are they joynt-Heirs with Christ and in his right And if he never had been consecrated by Sufferings they never had been either Sons or Heirs or Glorified For he by his Sufferings merited all and laid the foundation of their eternal Happiness And for this Suffering he made him Captain and Head of all his Sons and gave him power to give eternal Life to as many as he had given him It 's God who brings these Sons to Glory by their Head and Captain He loved Man he gave his Son to Death he raised him up again made him King and Priest and gave him power to convert us and by him he adopts us and by him he gives us Glory The sum of all is this The glorification of sinful Man from first to last is from God it 's he and he alone that brings him to Glory yet though the persons glorified be many yet they are all Sons and none but Sons shall enjoy the Inheritance neither are they Sons by Nature or of themselves He makes them such by Christ and Christ was consecrated by Sufferings and made their Captain It became him for whom and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons to Glory thus to do God is here described from his efficiency where-by he is the cause of all things the universal Agent who produceth preserveth ordereth all things to their end especially his Sons unto Glory For though his works be many then some are more excellent then others and one of the chiefest is the Salvation of man Some do think that by these words for whom and by whom are meant that God is the final and efficient cause of all yet in strict sense God cannot in himself be said to be the end of any thing yet the manifestation of his glorious Perfection may be said to be intended by him in all his Works To consecrate the Captain of all his Sons by Sufferings did become him that is it seemed best to his divine Wisdom to use this means as most fit to manifest his justice and mercy in the Redemption and Salvation of man What Ways and means as conducing to this end he knew or his divine Wisdom did dictate unto him is hidden from us but this here mentioned he resolved upon as the best and most agreeable to his excellent perfection For God doth nothing but that which becomes him so glorious in himself and so excellent an Agent Men may do many things unbeseeming and no ways befitting them to do nay Angels have done many things which did not become so noble Spirits to do but God doth nothing but what God may do And this is the reason why Christ must taste of Death for every man Because it seemed good to God by that way and means to save sinful man And this is the relative consideration and connexion implyed in the causal conjunction For. They give a reason why Christ was lower then the Angels and suffered Death And why It became God so to do Ver. 11. For both he that Sanctifieth c. § 14. The Apostle in these and the following words doth manifest how it became God to cast Christ below the Angels and consecrate him by Sufferings and he doth so manifest it as that it may appear to be agreeable to Reason which is a spark or ray of divine Light To understand this the better you must remember 1. That Christ was lower then the Angels in suffering Death 2. That as God or Angel he could not suffer Death 3. If he could have suffered Death as a Spirit yet that Death was not so fit to redeem Man or expiate his sin and sanctify him 4. That seeing he must both dy and dy for man he must be Man and mortal Man to sanctify man These things premised the Apostle proves that it became God to make Christ a mortal Man and the reason is because he that sanctifyeth and they who are sanctifyed ought and must be of one and this is the coherence In the words themselves we have the unity and indentity of the Sanctifier and sanctified By the Sanctifier or the person sanctifying is meant Christ and by the sanctified sinful men by being of one that
and divine and that 's evident from the effect which is Salvation he is able to save This Salvation is not natural or temporal but spiritual and a full deliverance from sin the greatest evil and the most woful Consequents thereof for he so delivers that he makes the parties saved fully happy and blessed 3. He might save Man and that spiritually and yet but for a time but he is able to save for ever and this is full and compleat Salvation indeed and it 's indifferent whether the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be turned to the uttermost or for ever for both are intended Neither could Christ save fully and to the uttermost except he should save for ever with an everlasting Salvation 2. The subject and parties whom he thus saves are not all and every one but such as come to God by him Some will not come to God at all some will come to God but not by him But they who will be saved must 1. Come to God and none else And 2. Must come to God by him and by none else This is the qualification and right disposition of the subject without which it 's not capable of Salvation For Actus activorum sunt in passo unit disposito may be applyed here For as this rule is true in natural so it 's true in supernatural Phisophy To come to God some times is to turn from Sin and Satan to God and Righteousness and the further we depart from Sin the nearer we come to God For this coming is a spiritual and divine motion between the terms of Sin and God it 's from Sin and to God Sometime it 's to worship God which if done aright presupposeth the former motion When a man doth worship God he turns his back upon all other things and leaves all other business and company and turns his face the face of his Soul to God as Supream Lord and the fountain of all happiness One part of Worship is to pray and present our petitions unto God wherein as we seek for many things so amongst others we sue for pardon This is a principal Suit which sinful man hath to his God therefore to come to God in this place is by prayer to sue earnestly for pardon of Sin everlasting Salvation and the more sensible of Sin we are the more powerful is our prayer Yet we may come to God and sue earnestly for mercy and not speed except we take the right way We must therefore not only come but come by Him that is by Christ God is not accessible to sinful guilty man without a Mediatour who may and can satisfy his justice merit his favour and mercy and will effectually intercede for him and plead his Cause These things only Christ can and will do and if we will speed we must believe that he alone is our Mediatour and rely upon him alone as our only Propitiatour and Intercessour And all such as live under the Gospel must rely upon him as having suffered Death already offered his great Sactifice obtained eternal Redemption hath ascended Heaven and is set at the right hand of God where he is made an everlasting King and interceding Priest They who thus come to God by him renounce all righteousness in themselves acknowledg themselves guilty and miserable Wretches plead the Blood of Jesus Christ and cast themselves wholly upon his infinite mercy which he hath merited and God hath promised with a resolution to subject their selves wholly to him and obey him for ever Thus the Saints of God did come to him by Faith 1. In the Seed of the Woman who should bruise the Serpents Head Then 2. In Christ as the Seed of Abraham in whom all Nations should be blessed 3. In the Son of David who should sit upon his Throne and reign for ever and ever 4. In him as exhibited and glorified The faith of the former was but implicite the faith of these last is more explicite clear and distinct This is his ability to save wholly and to the uttermost 2. The reason of this is Because He ever liveth to make Intercession for then Where we must consider 1. What it is to make Intercession 2. For whom this Intercession is made 1. To intercede is to sue plead and sollicite for another and so in generall it 's taken here This Intercession presupposeth that he is immortal is in Heaven appears continually before his Father's Throne for all his Clients in the Court of Heaven He hath great interest in the supream Judge as a most beloved Son before a Father sitting in the Throne of Grace He sues for Pardon and Salvation He pleads his own Blood and Propititation his Father's Promise his Clients Faith and except he should plead his Propitiaion he could not make the cause of his Client good Therefore we have his Intercession and Propitiation joyned together for he is our Advocate with the Father and the propitiation for our Sins 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. This is directly against the Socinian 2. The parties for whom he pleads are they who come to God by him for it 's in vain and against the rules of that Court to plead for any others who are impenitent and unbelieving For though the Scripture saith He died for all to make their sin 's reâ—sissible yet it no where saith He makes Intercession for all to obtain actual Remission and Salvation For his Blood and Sacrifice doth merit Remission the Covenant doth promise it to Believers Faith makes us immediately capable and justifiable and by virtue of the Promise gives us right Christ's Intercession obtains actual pardon These who come to God by him are his Clients and he undertakes their cause and is alwayes ready to carry it for them The reason why Advocates were appointed by the imperial Laws as Civilians tell us was to supply the defects of such Clients as could not alwayes be present were ignorant of the Law and could not manage their own cause before the Judge So the imperfection of our prayers our unworthiness and our many defects gave occasion to the supream and universal Lord and Judge out of his abundant mercy to appoint Christ Jesus Advocate-General in the Court of Heaven and to make our Justification to depend not only upon his death suffered on Earth but his intercession made in Heaven He is that Angel which John saw in Heaven who came and stood by the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given unto him much Incense which he should offer or add unto it the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar which was before the Throne Rev. 8. 3. This is an allusion to the Levitical Priest offering Incense in his Golden Censer upon the Golden Altar before the Throne or Mercy-seat of God and praying for the People And in this he was a Type of Christ making such Intercession in Heaven as that the prayers of penitent Sinners perfumed with the Incense of his merits and offered unto God the
that if Christ performed a far more excellent Service then he must needs be far more excellent than the Levitical High-Priest in respect of his Ministration and the Execution of his Sacerdotal Office This Service was the Offering of an expiatory and propitiatory Sacrifice first for himself then for the People And he must enter with the Blood thereof into the Holiest place within the second Veil and after he had offered Incense there he must sptinkle the Blood upon the Mercy-Seat and before the Mercy-Seat The Time of this solemn Service was the tenth Day of the seventh Moneth every Year which was an holy time of Humiliation and Expiation Of this which is briefly touched here you may read more at large Lev. 16. § 7. The Imperfection of this Service is declared in the three following Verses and its three-fold 1. By this Service the way into the Holiest of all was not made manifest 2. Being but Figures and Shadows they could not sanctify any Man that observed them 3. They were but of short continuance for upon the time of Reformation they must cease That the way into Holiest of all was not then made manifest we learn from Ver. 8. The Holy Ghost this signifying That the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing FOR the better Explication the whole may be reduced to two Propositions or divine Axioms 1. That the way into the Holiest of all was not made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was standing 2. That the Holy Ghost did signify this In the first we have the way into the Holiest of all the non-manifestation of this way the time of this non-manifestation The Holyest of all was a Type of Heaven and there must be a way into it or else no man can enter all men must be shut out This way may be taken either for the passage into it or the means whereby a passage was made and opened Here it seems to be taken not so much for the passage as the means whereby this passage was made and so opened Yet the Holiest of all where the Mercy-Seat was placed may signify the Throne of Grace which without some Expiation is not accessible For there is a two-fold Throne of God the one of Grace the other of Glory and the first must be made accessible before the second and we must have access to the one in this life before we can have access to the other in the life to come And one and the same cause may open and make way to both No sinful Guilty Man as such can have access to God so as to be accepted of him and receive spiritual Comfort from him but as propitiated by the Blood of Christ And though as propitiated by this Blood he be accessible yet no man can have actual access with Hope and Confidence except he be justified and washed in the Blood of Christ And though one may be justified so as to approach the Throne of Grace yet no man can immediately approach the Throne of Glory till he be fully and perfectly both justified and sanctified That there was a way and passage for Man innocent righteous and holy is signified by this that Adam before he sinn'd had access to the Tree of Life but after the way was barr'd and guarded by Cherubims and a flaming Sword turning every way Yet after the Saints of God had free access unto the Throne of Grace and a way unto the Tree of Life in the heavenly Paradice But that which made the way and the passage was the Blood of Christ promised and believed Yet as the Revelation so the Faith was implicit and imperfect and that not onely before the time of Moses but long after therefore is it said the way was not manifest There was a way not only for Enoch and Elias but for many others but there might be a way and yet not manifest as then it was not This was possible to all but passable to few and perhaps manifest to none at least not so manifest as afterwards it was to many both Jews and Gentiles The time whil'st it was not manifest and so open is here expressed to be the time of the standing of the first Tabernacle where by Tabernacle we must unstand not only the Tabernacle of Moses but the Temple built by Solomon and rebuilt by Babylon's Captives returned and by the time of all these is meant the time of the Legal dispensation and of the Levitical Priest-hood whil'st it was in Power This is said to be signified by the Holy Ghost for what is signified by Moses in the Scriptures must needs be signified by the Holy Ghost who inspired moved and directed Moses and all the Prophets in their writing and penning of the Scriptures But how and by what was this signified Even by this that the Spirit did 1. Prohibit any but the High-Priest to enter into the Holiest 2. Neither must he enter but once a Year 3. Neither then must he enter but with Incense and Blood and not any other though with these might enter at any other time Therefore the Veil and rich Hanging must hide the Mercy-Seat and Throne of God from all the People from all the Priests and from the High-Priest at all other times but the day of Expiation That which may be said to be the way and to make and open the way is the Blood of Christ and the shedding of this Blood and Revelation of the Gospel did manifest the way There is no way but by the Blood of Christ no manifestation of the way but by the shedding of this Blood Therefore upon the shedding of this precious Blood and instantly upon the death of Christ the Veil the inner Veil Catapetasma of the Temple was rent and the way opened to the Holiest of all and to the Mercy-Seat The Saints of old did know and certainly believe that there was a way but that this should be the Blood of Jesus of Nazareth and made by his Blood as it was not so clearly reveal'd so it was not so manifestly known And this was one Imperfection of the Law that could not by any Blood make a way or manifest a way to sinful men observing it or make any man fit to enter § 8. The Reason of this is given in these words Ver. 9. Which was a Figure for the time then present in which were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices which could not make him that did the Service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience THE principal thing and most observable in the Text is the Imperfection and Inability of the Service performed in this Tabernacle for it had no sanctifying power as to the Conscience And the whole may be reduced to three Axioms or Propositions 1. The Tabernacle was a Figure for the time then present 2. In it were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices 3. These Gifts and Sacrifices offered could not make him that did the Service perfect as pertaining to
pass the Sentence and execute the same The Sacrifice of a broken and penitent heart and of Prayer may be offered often but the propitiatory Sacrifice need not often to be offered one Offering will serve the turn § 11. Thus far the Proposition the Reddition follows Ver. 12. But this Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever sate down at the right hand of God Ver. 13. From henceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Foo◠〈◊〉 Ver. 14. For by one Offering he hath perfected the sanctified for ever VVHere we have 1. The offering of Christ's one Sacrifice 2. The Reason why it was but once offered In the former we are informed 1. Of the Dissimilitude between the Legal Sacrifices and that Sacrifice of Christ and this is expressed 2. Of their Imparity which is implied 1. The Dissimilitude we find in several things 1. There under the Law were many Priests yea the Legal High-Priests were many this Priest Christ is but one 2. Their Sacrifices were many Christ's but one 3. There the same Sacrifices were offered often Christ's one Sacrifice was offered but once 4. Those Priests after they had offered the same Sacrifice stood ready to offer them again at set times Christ when he had offered once never offered again but sate down at the right hand of God 5. They had no Power to take away Sin Christ by this one Sacrifice once offered takes away Sin for ever 2. The Imparity which is great is implyed in the Dissimilitude for that Sacrifice which being but one and but once offered by one Priest took away Sin for ever is incomparably more excellent than those Sacrifices which being many and offered many times by many Priests could never take away Sin But such is Christ's Sacrifice and such were theirs therefore it 's incomparably more excellent The Text may be reduced to three Propositions 1. This Man offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever 2. Having offered it he sate down at the right hand of God 3. Being set there he expects his Enemies to be made his Foot-stool In all which we have the Humiliation and Exaltation of the Son of God In the first Proposition there is little or no difficulty Yet 1. The Connexion of it with the former part of the Comparison is made by the Conjunction But for so they turn the Greek Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place which implies the difference and dissimilitude 2. The Subject of it according to our Translation is This Man but in some Copies the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here it 's read and whereas they supply the Substantive by the word Man this Man yet it may be turned this Priest or this High-Priest as some Manuscripts in the former Verse read every High-Priest 3. When it 's said He had offered one Sacrifice it must be understood not only of one Sacrifice but of one single Offering 4. This is said to be offered for Sins this puts us in mind of our misery God's Mercy and Christ's merit For we have our Sins whereby we are liable to death yet God was so merciful as to give Christ for our Sins and Christ's offering was so acceptable and meritorious that it obtained eternal Remission in respect of which eternal efficacy some think it's said Christ offered this one Sacrifice for ever never to be offered again because of eternal vertue Yet several Copies joyn the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever with the latter Proposition which is 2. That Christ having offered one Sacrifice for Sin sate down at the right hand of God for ever So the Vulgar Vatablus Beza Tremelius out of the Syriack and divers other Greek Copies read it This sitting at the right hand of God doth presuppose Christ's Offering and deep Humiliation his Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven 2. It is the highest degree of Glory and Power to that which is infinite which is the Power of God as God 3. This Power which under God is supream and universal is perpetually continued to him and his Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom Some think this sitting is opposed to the standing of the Levitical Priests which may be so and so it may signify that his Ministration in the Form of a Servant on Earth was ended and did cease for ever 4. This Session and Exaltation is to be considered not only as a Reward of his Humiliation unto death whereby he merited Remission and Salvation but also as a means whereby he might apply his merits and confer the Mercies which by his Sacrifice he had procured for us For as King he sends down the Holy Ghost reveals his Gospel by the Word and Spirit works Faith in us and converts us and so makes us Subjects capable of the benefits of his Redemption and as a Priest pleads his bloody Sacrifice and by his Intercession for us converted obtains our actual Remission and Salvation He need not offer any more but plead his one Offering till all his Saints be fully justified The third Proposition is concerning his expectation of a final Victory over all his Enemies by the Exercise of his transcendent Power at the right hand of God For so God had said and promised when he first invested him with supream Power For the Lord said to my Lord Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool Where we must observe 1. That in respect of himself all his Enemies are conquered they have not the least Power to molest him Yet 2. In respect of his Reign and Government they oppose his Power continually 3. These Enemies are Sin Satan the World and Death all which must be destroyed in his Church and Saints yet this Destruction goes on by degrees and shall be finished in the end when the Saints shall rise and be immortal and freed from all Sin Sorrow Misery Enemies and Death it self 4. This is expectation of their final ruine is not doubtful and uncertain but most certain And this estate of Glory is opposed to his Death and Humiliation and both his Regal and Sacerdotal Power are subservient to this total final Victory § 12. But here it may be enquired what should be the Reason why Christ's Sacrifice should not be iterated but that one single Offering should be sufficient To satisfy us in this particular the Apostle gives the Reason thus Ver. 14. For by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified THE Conjunction For doth signify that in these words is given a Reason of something antecedent and that is why the offering of Christ was but one and this it is Because by that one Christ did more than all the Legal Priests by all their many frequent Offerings could do And not only so but also it did enough to consecrate all true Believers for ever and proved to be of eternal vertue in all such as were capable of it In the words themselvs we
uncloathed and divested of their Bodies Yet there were Millions upon Millions of separated Souls before their times and many of these the Souls of men dying in their Sins but these were the Souls and Spirits of just men who in their mortal Life upon Earth were upright walked with their God and endeavoured an universal Obedience yet they were not perfectly righteous in themselvs but were justified sanctified and cleansed from all Sin by their Faith in Christ before they departed this World For they were the Spirits of Patriarchs Prophets Martyrs and the Saints of God who lived in former times which were made perfect To be made perfect is to be washed in the Blood of Christ and consecrated as many in this Life are yet these had finished their time of Consecration and were made capable of a nearer Communion with God than we Mortals are Though these were removed out of the Church Militant yet they had not attained an Estate of full Perfection for they had not received their full Reward though they were secure of it as of the Resurrection of their Bodies and were nearer unto God and eternal Bliss than we on Earth can be These were the Spirits of just men made perfect and to these the believing Hebrews were come For wheresoever or howsoever God had disposed of them yet they were within the Verges of his Kingdom and not only in but of this society and fellow-Members of the same Body They were come unto them though not in the same place with them and must expect to be by Death removed and more nearly associated with them when the time of their Consecration should be finished and then they should be freed from all Sin and Temptation and their condition would be comfortable and most certain Our Converse with Saints departed is very little or none though some Communion there is between them and us living upon Earth We and they have the same God and Sovereign the same Head Jesus Christ the same Charity the same desire and hope of Resurrection § 22. They were also come Ver. 24. To Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel THis Text informs us 1. That Jesus is the Mediatour of the New Covenant by his Blood 2. This Blood of Sprinkling speaks better things than that of Abel 3. They were come to this Mediatour and this Blood of Sprinkling 1. Christ is the Mediatour of the New Covenant by his Blood Of this Covenant and of Christ the Mediatour of it you have formerly heard Chap. 8. 6. Cap. 9. 15. It 's written that the Law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator Gal. 3. 19. This Mediatour was Moses who 1. Signifies the mind of God to Israel in his stipulation of Subjection and Obedience and his Promise to be their God and make them his peculiar People and return the Promise and Restipulation of that People unto God Exod. 19. 5. 6 7 8. 2. He confirms this Covenant by sprinkling of the Blood of the Sacrifice Exod. 24. 34 5 6 7 8. In this he was a Type of Christ who is the Mediatour of the new and better Covenant to procure it confirm it make it effectual Some inform us that he procure it by his Blood and Sacrifice satisfying God's Justice and meriting his Mercy for sinful Man He makes it effectual 1. By proposing it unto Man and pressing the keeping of it upon powerful Motives and this is done by the Word of the Gospel 2. He enables Man by the Spirit to keep it 3. Upon his keeping of it by his Repentance and Faith he makes Intercession for Man repenting and believing and obtains Pardon of his Sins and Defects and Acceptation of his endeavours and in the End he as a Judg gives Possession of eternal Life So that after once the Covenant is procured by his Blood as a Prophet he proposeth and declareth it as a Priest he makes Intercession as a King and Judg he gives Possession Yet according to the Scripture Christ is a Mediatour in proper and more strict sense as a Priest and his Blood and Death is the Foundation of this Covenant for all the Promises thereof are made for and in consideration of this Blood and Death without which there is no Expiation of Sin or hope of Pardon And though the Promises were made from the beginning and that upon condition of Faith in his Blood yet they had been vain and unprofitable to Man if Christ in fulness of time had not shed his Blood and by his Death made this Covenant firm and unalterable for ever And as this Blood satisfying divine Justice and meriting his favour and all Mercies necessary for our happiness is the Foundation of this Covenant so this Blood by Christ's Intercession sprinkled upon our Souls makes this Covenant effectual So that as this Blood being shed procures and confirms this Covenant in it self so this Blood pleades before the Throne of Grace in our behalf confirms this Covenant to us and makes it effectual to our Salvation Therefore though Christ as a Prophet and a King may do something about this Covenant yet it mainly depends upon Christ as a Priest and as a Priest he is a Mediatour Take away this Blood shed and there is no Covenant take away the pleading of this Blood before the Judgment-Seat of God and there is no efficacy of this Covenant to us in particular And here as we must distinguish of this Blood as shed as pleaded and as sprinkled so we must of this Covenant as procured as made as confirmed as likewise of it as kept and as made effectual unto us In all these respects it depends upon Christ as a Priest and upon his Blood and by and in respect of this Blood he is a Mediatour And it is further to be observed that a Mediatour is one that deals and acts between two Parties and is distinct from both at least so to be considered The Parties here are God and sinful Man Christ as a Priest is different from both for though he agrees with both yet in this business he is neither The End of this Mediation is Reconciliation of God and Man of the Sovereign offended and the Subject offending God offended will not hear of Reconciliation but upon certain terms as the satisfaction of his Justice by Blood the Repentance of Man offending casting himself wholly upon his Mercy and the Intercession of a just Party which had shed his Blood for Sins Christ therefore being the Word made Flesh offers his pure and unspotted Blood in behalf of Man to satisfy Justice and this Blood is accepted he makes Intercession for Man repenting and relying upon this Blood and God's Mercy and so the Reconciliation is made and the Covenant proves effectuall on both sides and that by vertue of a Mediatour coming between God angry and Man guilty and interposing between Man repenting and God sollicited by this
this is the Case in particular The Law and the Gospel are inconsistent so is the Legal and Evangelical Administration and they cannot stand in force together therefore there is a necessity of nulling the one because otherwise the other cannot be established Now though the Law was suitable to former times of Minbâ—ity and Imperfection yet being imperfect and full of shadows there was great Reason it should be removed when the Substance of those shadows and that which was far more perfect was exhibited and there was a necessity of the removal of the former that way might be made for the latter as far more excellent This was the Reason why the Apostles especially Paul did labour so much not only to prove the Imperfection but to endeavour the Abolition of the Law after the Gospel was revealed from Heaven 4. This Removal of the Law to bring in the Gospel and a more perfect Administration was signified by that word of the Propher Yet once more For if God had said I will again shake Earth and Heaven and omitted the word once more then there had been in that Promise no ground of the Apostle's Inference to prove the stability and immutability of the Gospel But seeing the word yet once more is added his Inference was firm and valid and the Apostle knew that God's meaning was not basely this I will once more but I will once and no more and never again shake Heaven and Earth For from the Expression thus understood it doth necessarily follow that if in this one shaking he 〈◊〉 any thing that must needs stand firm for ever because there shall be no 〈◊〉 no Alteration in matter of Religion to the World's End This is a strong place against Mâ—â—â—-nens and the cursed Innovators of all times § 26. Thus far the Doctrine concerning the Gospel and the Immutability of Christ's Kingdom hath been cleared the Application of it to these Hebrews follows Ver. 28. Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved let â—â— have Grace whereby we may serve God 〈◊〉 with reverence and godly fear Ver. 29. For our God is a consuming Fire THE illative Particle Wherefore doth inform us that these words follow upon the former as a Conclusion from the Premisses yet the Conclusion is not in the first words but those that follow If we consider the words in themselves we have 1. A Doctrine in the first words 2. An Use in those which follow The Use is an Exhortation wherein we may observe 1. The Duty exhorted unto which is To have Grace to serve God 2. The manner how we must serve God and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and â—â—dy fear 3. The Reason Because our God is a consuming Fire The Doctrine is this Paul and thsee Hebrews received a Kingdom which could not be moved and it 's first to be explained and the difficulty lies in this phrase of receiving a Kingdom For 1. There is a Kingdom 2. This Kingdom cannot be moved 3. They received it 1. There are many temporal Kingdoms but this is Spiritual and Divine The King is God the Administratour-General is Christ who in the administration of this Kingdom is so one with God that he is King as he is the Subjects believing Saints the rules of Goverment are the Doctrines of the Gospel the priviledges and benefits of this Kingdom are the blessings of Grace and Glory 2. This Kingdom cannot be moved or is not movable or alterable because Prince People Laws and Administration continue for ever The present manner of Administration shall not determine till God be all in all That it cannot be moved but remains stable you have heard before 3. They had received this Kingdom A Kingdom may be received either by a Prince to Govern it or by Subjects to be Governed the former is not the latter is intended For Subjects to receive a Kingdom may be either a Duty or a Benefit as a Duty it is to submit unto the Power and Laws of the Soveraign as a Benefit it is to be admitted as a Subject to enjoy the priviledges peace and happiness of the Kingdom Both may be here meant and the benefit presupposing the Duty fully and finally performed may be and shall be that we shall be Kings and Priests and reign with Christ for ever For the eminent and excellent estate of Glory following upon a final Victory over all Enemies even Death it self subdued is said to be a Kingdom This expression seems to be taken from that of the Prophet But the Saints of the most High shall take or receive the Kingdom and shall possesse the Kingdom for ever even for ever and ever Dan. 7. 18. The reason why here is mention of a Kingdom is because the former Discourse from ver 22. to this Text is concerning the excellent administration of Christ's Kingdom unto which God by his Grace and Calling upon their receiving of the Gospel had translated and admitted them § 27. This is the Doctrine the Exhortation followeth Where 1. The Duty is to have Grace to serve God Where we may observe 1. Grace 2. The having of this Grace 3. The having it to serve God 1. By Grace may be meant the Doctrine of Grace which is the Gospel so called Tit. 2. 11. 2. Faith and Belief 3. The profession of this Faith 4. The sanetifying power of the Spirit which all true Believers and Professors have and this presupposeth all the former or infolds them 2. To have this Grace is to have this sanctifying power and to hold it keep it exercise it more and more And though some Coples read it Indicatively we have yet most read it let us have that is let us hold it 3. The end why we must have and hold it is that we may serve God This implies that God is the Soveraign in this Kingdom and we are the Subjects and our duty is continually to serve our Lord and King To serve him is not only with all humility to adore his excellent Majesty but also sincerely wholly and absolutely to submit unto his power and obey his Laws This implies 1. That in this Kingdom we are not our own Masters or at liberty to do what we would But God is our Master and we are bound to obedience by his Laws 2. That without the Grace of God continued and held fast we cannot serve our God constantly without Grace we cannot serve him without Grace held fast we cannot serve him to the end 2. The manner how we must serve God is to serve him acceptably with reverence and goldly fear In general our Service must be acceptable in particular it must be reverence and godly fear which render it pleasing to God and without which it cannot be accepted Men may fear God that is perform some religious Service to God and yet it will not prove acceptable For some serve God and not with a pure and sanctified heart some serve God in outward Circumstantials and Rituals not in Substantials some serve