Othâ—â— imagine it was the whole World which with the parts thereof both the Tabernacle and Temple did represent wherein the Heaven of Heavens is the Sanctum Sanctorâ—n the Holiest of all and the Sanctuary through which the High-Priest passed into the Holiest place the Aethercal part of the World where the Sun and Moon and Stars represented by the Lights in the Golden Candlestick do ever shine Others determine it to 〈◊〉 the Heaven of Heavens whereof they make some different parts as one to be the place of Angels and Saints and another far more glorious which was the place of God's most blessed and special presence That Christ entred the Heaven of Heavens and that 〈◊〉 he ever ministers and makes Intercession there is express Scripture what difference and degrees of places be there we do not certainly know But let the Tabernacle â—e his Body or the Church Militant or the World or the Heaven of Heavens the second doubt is Whither these words concerning this Tabernacle are to be referred If to the former words which say that Christ being rome an High-Priest of good things to come then it 's nothing but this That Christ is the Minister and High-Priest of a far more glorious Sanctuary But some refer them to the word entred and make the sense to be that as the High-Priest under the Law passeth through the first Sanctuary to enter into the second which is the Holiest of all so Christ passed through the Militant into the Church Triumphant And it 's very true that Christ hath his Sanctuary and Temple here on Earth and that 's his Church wherein God dwels in a special manner and he passed through and from this into the Church Triumphant of Saints and Angels where God is more gloriously present and powerful nay he entred through the Aetherdal part of the World into the highest Heavens and through the Heaven of Angels and Saints unto the highest and most glorious place and Throne of God But the former sense that Christ is come an High-Priest and Minister of a far more glorious and excellent Sanctuary seems to be more genuine and confirmed by Chap. 8. 2. § 11. The third Proposition is concerning Christ's Service and Sacrifice offered in this Temple For Christ not by the Blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood iâ—â—red in once into the holy place Where 1. We have the Holy place 2. Christ's Entrance into it 3. His Entrance once 4. His Entrance once by Blood not of Goats and Calvs but by his own Blood 1. The Holy place is the Heaven of Heavens signified by the Holiest of all in the Tabernacle and in the Temple for that was the place into which the High-Priest with Blood entred in once every Year so that there is no difficulty in this particular And that Christ entred into Heaven is clear enough For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into Heaven it self there to appear before God for us Ver. 24. of this Chapter 2. Christ entred into this Holy place But there is a Question made of the time when he entred That he entred forty dayes after the Resurrection it 's clear and express For he was taken up into Heaven Acts 1. 11. He was carried up into Heaven Luke 24. 71. And He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all Heavens to fulfil all things Ephes. 4. 10. But there seems to be another entrance before this and that was immediately upon his Death For when he had given up the Ghost immediately the Vail of the Temple was rent in the midst from the top to the bottom and his Soul separated from his Body and commended into his Fathers hands entred into Paradise That he entred at that time into Heaven with his Soul separated from his Body the Text doth seem to affirm And what should the renting of the Catapetasm and the Inner-Vail immediately upon his Death signify but that the great High-Priest was ready to enter Heaven Again it may be said more properly that he entred Heaven with or by his Blood when his Soul was separated from his Body than when his Body was risen and made immortal and both Soul and Body joyntly ascended For it was the custom of the High-Priest according to God's Institution upon the slaying of the Sacrifice and taking of the Blood to enter the holy Place and the Type and Anti-type should agree especially in this particular Further the expiatory Offering was not compleate till the Blood was presented before the Throne of God in the inner Sacrary and it was suitable to the Type that the great High-Priest should after he was slain on Earth present himself as slain in Heaven before the Supream Judge as having suffered Death and satisfied Justice for the sin of man But all this I leave to the judgment of Learned men who shall seriously search the Book of God and impartially examine whether God doth not speak this in Scripture And howsoever it 's certain that whether he entred thus then yet he so entred at one time or other that he obtained eternal Redemption 3. He entred once This informs us that though the High-Priest entred once every year and so might enter above a thousand times yet Christ entred thus but once For as we shall read both in the latter end of this and also in the beginning of the next Chapter once to enter or one entrance in this manner was sufficient because one Death one Offering was able to do that which all the Offerings of all the High-Priests under the Law could not do neither was any more Offering needful seeing this had done all that was requisite for satisfaction and merit 4. This entrance was by or with Blood and this is set down negatively and affirmatively Negatively this was not blood of Goats and Calves and that with which the Legal High-Priests did enter within the Vail For as we may read Levit. 16. upon the day of expiation a Bullock and a Goat must be slain and with the Blood of these he must enter the holy Place The reason of this is because the blood of Beasts could not satisfy divine justice expiate the sin of man and purge his conscience and immortal Soul and so make the eternal penalty removable Therefore it must be a far more excellent blood the blood of the Son of God his own blood which was pare unspotted and most precious The reason 1. Why it must be by blood is because as without blood under the Law there was no Legal Remission or Expiation so it was the Will of God that without blood there should be no eternal Remission For though God was merciful and sate in the Throne of Grace and Mercy yet his Justice did require that satisfaction should be made and seeing sin was committed and punishment was deserved and due by his Law violated therefore sin must be punished before it could be pardonable
and heavenly things principally intended are the Consciences and immortal Souls of men which being purged make up the Body of the Church which is Militant first on Earth and after that to be Triumphant in Heaven 2. The better Sacrifice above the former is the Sacrifice of Christ and the pure unsported Blood of him who offered himself by the eternal Spirit to God The purifying vertue of this Sacrifice was in this that Christ the Son of God innocent holy righteous as Surety and Hostage of Man-king appointed to be so by God did deny himself took up the Cross shed his Blood for to expiate the Sin of Man and was obedient unto death the death of the Cross For him so excellent to suffer death so willingly for so glorious an end and that at the Command of God was the highest and purest degree of Obedience that ever was performed unto God and was highly accepted and did fully satisfy divine Justice so far as was required In the offering of this Sacrifice he gave himself wholly to his heavenly Father and became as it were a whole Burnt-Offering being wholly consumed with the Zeal of his Father's Glory and the Love of Man-kind And here it is to be noted upon the By That though in the Text we read Sacrifices in the plural number yet this one Sacrifice of Christ is onely meant Estius thinks it's an Enallage of number the Plural for the Singular for the Sacrifice whereby heavenly things are purified is but only one once offered Yet it may be called Sacrifices because it had more vertue than all other purifying Sacrifices and also because it was one of those expiating Sacrifices which were offered unto God yet more excellent than all the rest It 's like that expression of Jâ—phtah's Butial for it 's said he was buried in the Cities of Gâ—lead that is one of the Cities of that Country which was Mizpeh as some think Judg. 12. 7. 3. For the heavenly things and the Consciences of men to be purified is to be freed from Sin that is from the Guilt and Dominion of Sin which is to be justified and sanctified as these words are usually taken This Purification is vertual or actual for when the Blood of Christ was shed offered and accepted for the Sins of men then they may be said to be purified virtually as upon the death of Christ we are said to be reconciled because made reconcilable And when by Faith this Blood is sprinkled upon our Consciences and pardon obtained by Christ's Intercession for peniâ—ent and believing Sinners then they are said to be actually purified and when they are wholly freed from all the Guilt and Power of Sin then they are perfectly purified 4. This Purification by this Sacrifice was necessary for supposing God's Will and Decree concerning the eternal Happiness of sinful Man in Communion with his God it was necessary Man should be purified for otherwise he could have no fellowship with God so as to derive eternal Happiness from him For as God is Light and just and holy so they must be Light just and holy who shall see and enjoy him And because no Sacrifice but this of Christ could thus qualify him therefore it was necessary both that he should be purified and purified with this Sacrifice § 22. Thus far you have heard of the necessity of the death of Christ for the Confirmation of the Covenant illustrated by Similitudes taken from the Law of Nature and the Ceremonial Law of Moses Therefore the Jews except they were very ignorant could have no cause to be offended with this death upon the Cross seeing it was so necessary to the purchasing of the eternal Inheritance and the purging of mens Consciences that they might be capable of the Possession and have a Title unto it for the ground of the Promise from whence the Title is immediately derived is this Sacrifice without which the Promise was never made neither if it had been made could it without this have been valid But let 's consider what follows for he saith Ver. 24. For Christ is not entred into the Holy places made with hands which are Figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear before God for us THese words considered absolutely in themselvs seem to be plain and easily understood but the coherence is doubtful Some and amongst the rest Esâ—ius takes little notice of it as not much material Many others finding the causal Conjunction For do agree that in these words the Apostle gives a Reason of something that went before but they differ much in the particular Explication of the Reason Dr. Gouge conceivs that the Apostle's intention is to prove that the Sacrifice of Christ is more excellent than the Sacrifices of the Law and this is true but yet imperfect Beza thinks that the Author in this Text begins another and a new Collation or Comparison to prove the excellency of this Offering and this cannot be denyed Dr. Lushington who is said to be the Translator of Crellius tells us that here is proved That the Heavenly places are purified by better Sacrifices and that because Christ entred not into the earthly Sanctuary but into Heaven it self This doth presuppose that Heaven it self is purified by the Blood of Christ and that Christ entred thereinto for that end But this is difficult to understand and supposeth that which few will grant him A Lapide differs from all these and saith that the Apostle gives in this Text a Reason why he called the Church heavenly or heavenly things and that is because Christ entred into Heaven to unlock the Gates and open the Doors thereof that the faithful might enter thereinto This is not so clear and satisfactory though it hath something of Truth To find out the Connexion we must observe 1. That the Conjunction for or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes expletive and redundant 2. Sometimes the same that but or moreover is 3. That though it be called by the Grammarians a Causal yet it doth not alwayes imply a Cause but it 's used to bring in any other Reason or Argument and therefore might be called a rational Conjunction Yet Whittington in his Grammar saith that a Causal Conjunction signifies the Cause or Order of that which goeâ— before where he implies that it doth not alwayes joyn the Cause and the Effect 4. Let it be taken for a Conjunction which joyns these words to the former so as to contain a Reason we must consider what was formerly â—ffiâ—med and how it 's here proved To this end let us remember that the Subject of the former discourse was Purification or Expiation of things by Blood of Sacrifices and these things are earthly and carnal or spiritual and heavenly Of these latter he affirmed that it was necessary they should be purified with better Sacrifices The manner how he proves this is this He presupposing that these heavenly things must be purified proves 1. That they were purified by
boldness to come before the Throne of Grace made accessible by his Blood This was a Law or Covenant rather of Justice than of Mercy of Fear than of Hope of Servitude and Bondage rather than of Liberty It was made to discover Sin to make it exceeding sinful to be a School-master to Christ. 2. This was the terrible manner of Promulgation the Effect whereof was fear and terror and the same very great and exceeding and that 1. In the People as we heard before who could not endure either the Voice or the strict Commands and Comminations They endured it a little but could endure no longer for fear of present death 2. And that which was more in Moses for so terrible was the sight that Moses feared did quake did fear and quake exceedingly and he said so and expressed his great fear And how terrible must that sight be which did strike such a terrour into a man so holy of such a constant Spirit so familiarly acquainted with God and who alone at that time should comfort and encourage the People That Moses said thus we do not read yet that which is affirmed by a man inspired as inspired must needs be true 3. They were not come to this Mount to receive so terrible a Law but they were freed from all these Terrours and from the Curses threatned and had received the Spirit of Adoption and therefore there was no reason why they should fall off to Judaism and return to that dreadful Mount and consuming Fire any more § 20. Thus far of the terrour of the Law the condition of such as were under it and the freedom of these Hebrews from it Now follows the condition of them as freed from the Law and living under the Gospel Before their Conversion they were in Minority Servitude and continual Fear but since they are in a more happy condition as being translated into the Kingdom of God's dear Son wherein they enjoyed incomparable Priviledges spiritual Liberty and many sweet Comforts To understand all this the Apostle saith Ver. 22. But ye are come unto Mount Zion the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and an innumerable Company of Angels IN these words and those which follow unto the five and twentieth Verse we may observe 1. A Description of a spiritual and eternal Kingdom 2. The Enjoyment of or rather the Admission into the same In the Description some observe 1. The Place 2. The Persons of this Kingdom The Place is Zion the City of the Living God the new Jerusalem The Persons are Subjects Soveraign The Subjects are Angels Men. Living Departed The Soveraign is God the King and Judg. Christ the Priest and Mediator There was a certain Place and certain Persons and they were come unto this Place these Persons Here we have a Zion a City a Jerusalem this Zion is a Mount this City is the City of the living God this Jerusalem is the heavenly Jerusalem Zion the Mount the City of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem here are the same and they may signify the Place or the Persons or the Association of Persons in such a Place and they may signify grammatically and properly or Rhetorically and Tropically Grammatically Zion opposed to Sinai is a Mount in Jerusalem where was first a Fort of the Jebusites then the Royal Palace of King David who adorned it with other Buildings and thence it was called The City of David On the North of this Mount some say the Temple was built and because that was the Palace and Throne of God therefore according to some Writers it was styled The City of the great King and because God did choose that place for his special presence it had the Name of The City of the Living God Shindler observs that the whole City was called Jerusalem in the Dual Number because it had two parts the one was the City of David on Mount Zion the other the City of Vision on Moriah which afterwards was inclosed But not to stand upon these things Zion and Jerusalem are taken for one City which God in former times did honour above all Cities in the World Therefore sung the Psalmist Why leap ye ye high Hills This is the Hill which God desireth to dwell in yea the Lord will dwell in it for ever Psal. 68. 16. For by God's special Residence in this place it was advanced above all other Cities of the Earth though never so magnificent But this was her greatest Glory That Christ the Son of God was presented there preached there and there did glorious Works there the Holy Ghost came down from Heaven upon the Apostles there the Gospel began first to be preached and thence it came out into all the World According to the Prophecy of old it came to pass for so the Evangelical Prophet wrote And in the last dayes it shall come to pass that the Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established in the top of the Mountains and exalted above the Hills and all Nations shall flow unto it And a little after for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isa. 2. 2 3. Where by Law and the Word of God understand the Doctrine of the Gospel This is the Grammatical sense Rhetorically Zion and the City of Jerusalem often signify the Church Militant and Triumphant by reason of God's spiritual and supernatural presence and habitation in the same If we consider this Church locally the place of our Pilgrimage is the Earth the place of our Rest and perpetual Abode is Heaven from whence we receive our spiritual Being where we must converse and whither we tend in these respects Heaven may be said to be the place whither upon our first Conversion we come The Persons which make up this Body and the spiritual Inhabitants are more intended by this Zion and this City yet they cannot make up this Politick Body Society and Common-weal but as associated under their Soveraign God-Redeemer And to distinguish this Zion and City of Jerusalem from that which was on Earth situate and lying in the Land of Canaan in the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin this is said to be The heavenly Jerusalem which is above and the Mother of us all which one day shall come down from Heaven as a Bride prepared for her Husband and God who dwells in her by Grace shall then dwell in her by Glory and bless her fully and for ever To come to this City and Kingdom is to be admitted and incorporated into the same upon our sincere Faith in Christ. In this City we find many Persons amongst whom the most eminent are the Angels those holy immortal and blessed Spirits of Heaven who ever see the face of God and environ his glorious Throne These are not few but many for they are an innumerable Company or Multitude for the Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands or many thousands of Angels Psal. 68. 17. The number of the Angels
wherein are said to be the Golden Pot of Manna Aaron's Rod that budded and the Tables of the Covenant 3. The Cherubims over-shadowing the Mercy-Seat and all and every one of these had their Mysteries which the Apostle forbears to speak of here He could have spoken much of every particular but he doth not because it was not necessary to the principal end which here he intended and where he saith nothing it 's fit we should be silent Yet two things in this place should be considered 1. How it may be reconciled with other Texts of Scripture which seem to differ from it 2. How and in what respect this Sanctuary may be said to excel others 1. It seems to differ from some other parts of Scripture 1. In placing the Golden Censer 2. In saying That besides the Table of the Covenant Aaron's Rod and the Pot of Manna were in the Ark. For the first Some say the Golden Censer was the Altar of Incense and it stood so near and close unto the Veil that the smoak of the Incense did enter into the Holiest of all yet this is not so probable We read Levit. 16. 12 13. of a Censer which with Coals from the Altar and Incense the High-Priest must take and enter within the Veil upon the day of Expiation and burn the Incense in the Holiest place so that the smoak may cover the Mercy-Seat and why might not this Censer be kept in that place For the second Aaron's Rod and the Pot of Manna may be said to be in the Ark when they were in the side of the Ark. In this manner the Reconciliation may be made yet so that upon further search the Truth may be more clearly discovered what others have said in this particular I pass But 2. How may this two-fold Sanctuary be said to be more excellent than others for there have been rich and glorious Temples with their inward Sacraries rarely beautified It 's true in respect of the Materials and outward Order some Temples might be as rich and glorious if not more for the matter Gold and other things with the Art of Man might be the same But the Excellency of this consisted in two things 1. In that all things were made in this two-fold Sanctuary by the Direction and Command of God 2. Besides outward decency beauty and glory every thing was Mystical and represented some heavenly and excellent thing and that according to God's Institution And in the time of this Legal Dispensation the Saints enlightned by Faith looked at far higher things They did not look for Sanctification and Happiness from an earthly Sanctuary but from their God who was present in the midst of them and from their Messias promised to Abraham in whom all Nations should be blessed Abraham sought a more excellent Countrey than Canaan for he aimed at an heavenly and eternal City which God had prepared for him § 5. This is the Description of the Sanctuary and the two principal parts thereof The Service followeth Ver. 6. Now when these things were thus ordained the Priests went alwayes into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the Service of God VVHere we must observe That all the Service of God is not here described but onely that which was accomplished within the first and second Veil neither is every particular of these here set down So that the Subject of the â— following Verses is the Service of God in the two Sanctuaries And we are informed 1. What it is 2. How imperfect it is In this sixth Verse we have the Service in the first Sanctuary described in general In the Text we have three things 1. The Ordination of the former things 2. The constant Entrance of the Priests into the first Sanctuary 3. The performance of the Service therein The performance of the Service presupposeth the Entrance the Entrance the Preparation of the former things The Propositions are three according to the things or rather Acts The first is That these things were thus ordained Where by these things are meant the two Sanctuaries with the things contained in them For these to be ordained is for the Sanctuaries to be made built and ordered To be thus ordained is to be so made placed and every thing therein set in that Order as God prescribed The second Proposition is That these things thus ordained the Priests went alwayes into the first Tabernacle Where by Tabernacle is meant the Sanctuary within the first Veil Into this the Priests did enter not only the High-Priest but the other Priests might go into this place but none but Priests had this Priviledg granted They entred alwayes that is every day and that several times They entred after the Sanctuaries were made and all things therein orderly placed and disposed for before they were made they could not enter before all things in them were prepared and orderly disposed they could not officiate and serve The third Proposition is The Priests being entred accomplish the Service of God This Service was chiefly to burn Incense and to pray This Sanctuary may signify the Misâ—tant Church on Earth which is the Society of Saints sanctified and made Priests by the Blood of Christ for none but Priests and real Saints are admitted as living Members of this Sanctuary which is next unto the Heaven of Heavens In this Prayer is continually made in the Name of Christ and Service continually performed to God and they enjoy the Light of the Gospel and partake of the Bread of Life which came down from Heaven both which were signifyed by the Golden Candlestick and the Shew-Bread These things thus understood signify unto us That Christ must first redeem us and God by his Word and Spirit convert us so make a Church before any Service acceptable can be performed to him after we are converted sanctified made Priests then we may serve and receive Mercy For we must first serve him before we can receive benefit from him and by continual Service and Prayer we obtain continually the Light of Grace and the Bread of Life till we be made perfect and admitted into the inward Sacrary of Glory § 6. After this Service accomplished in the first Sanctuary follows that which is to be performed in the second Ver. 7. But into the second went the High-Priest alone once every Year not without Blood which he offered for himself and for the Errors of the People THese words determine 1. The principal Service to be performed in this inner Sacrary 2. The Person by whom it was to be performed 3. The Time when and how often The Service is that of Expiation by Blood The Person expiating by Blood was the High-Priest alone The Time was once a Year This was the highest piece of Service that was prescribed by God or performed by Man under the Law and therefore it was to be performed by the most eminent Person and but seldom even once a Year And the Apostle singles this out from amongst the rest to prove
he clearly and fully revealed the Will of his heavenly Father and taught Man all things necessary to be known believed and practised to his Salvation And from him we received that perfect Rule of Christianity which directs us to Heaven which he confirmed by his holy Life glorious Miracles and the excellent Gifts of the Holy Ghost and sealed it with his precious Blood As a Priest he offered himself a pure unspotted Sacrifice to satisfy divine Justice to propitiate the Supream Judge to merit his favour and all spiritual Blessings and is ever ready to officiate and make intercession in Heaven For in all these things God trusted him This is his Absolute fidelity his Comparative follows in these words As also Moses was faithful in all his House This may be a Comparison either in quality or quantity In quality it 's a similitude signifying that he was like unto Moses in this particular of fidelity Moses was faithful so was Christ. It may be also in quantity and so signify an equality that He was as faithful as Moses and in fidelity not any whit inferiour to him both are true Moses was a Prophet and did order all things in the whole Church of Israel and all matters of Religion according to the pattern shewed him in the Mount and with all care and diligence did follow close the directions given him from Heaven So Christ did not his own Will but the Will of him that sent him and that in all things § 6. The Apostle knowing full well that it was not sufficient to prove Christ to be equal to Moses proceeds to shew that he was far more excellent Ver. 3. For this Man was counted worthy of more Glory than Moses c. To understand these words many things are to be observed As 1. That the scope of the Apostle in this Epistle as you heard before is to confirm these Hebrews in the Christian Faith and so prevent Apostacy 2. That one means and the same principally conducing to this end was to set forth the sufficiency and excellency of Christ and that not only absolutely but comparatively to those persons which were of most excellent account as Prophets and Angels both sent unto Men by God and by whom God had spoken to Men and also above all Priests which had nearer accesse to God and as Mediatours did officiate for Man before the Throne of God 3. That formerly He had demonstratively proved that He was more excellent then Prophets or Angels 4. That Moses was one of the greatest Prophets of all the rest as one that had nearer familiarity with God then others and as one that was trusted by him in very great and weighty matters 5. That the Jews and these Hebrews did much honour Moses and much depended upon him 6. Therefore the Apostle lest their high conceit of him should any wayes derogate from Christ or diminish his Glory he proves in this place that Christ was not only like unto Moses and equal with him but also far above him These things premised the words are easily understood The subject of them is the excellency of Christ as far above Moses This is set forth by a Metaphorical Allegory and in that manner that we have not only a Comparison in quality but also in quantity They are brought in by this rational or causal Conjunction For which some referr to the word consider as giving a reason why we must consider Christ. But it 's many times prefixed before the conclusion as inferred upon premisses following as here it seems to be and so it was used as you heard in the former Chapter Yet it 's sometimes adversative and the same with sed or but sometimes it 's used only to bring in a sentence but this I write only upon the By lest when we find it used in the New Testament we should in every place look for a reason from the cause or think that it alwayes tenders a reason for to prove or inferr a conclusion The comparison or comparative terms are taken from a Builder and an House and from a Lord of the House and a Servant in the House The argument in form is The Builder is far above the House and the Lord above the Servant But Christ is the Builder of the House and Moses but a part of the House Christ is the Lord and Moses but the Servant in God's House Therefore Christ is far more excellent then Moses and to be counted worthy of more Glory To be counted worthy of greater Glory doth presuppose 1. That the object of all Honour which is here called Glory is some excellency 2. That the more excellent any thing is the more worthy of honour it is 3. That because every thing is to have it's due and to be accounted as it is Therefore if Christ be more excellent and worthy of greater Honour then he ought to be honoured above Moses That the Builder is more excellent then the House no rational Man can doubt because the cause especially the principal efficient such an Architect is must needs be more excellent then the effect This proposition presupposeth another which can hardly be doubted that is Ver. 4. For every House is built by some man The word House may be taken either for an earthly artificial House or for any spiritual and metaphorical House as the Church yet here it seems to be an earthly artificial House made for habitation The reason why every House must have a Builder is because no House can build no effect can produce it self but every effect as every House is an effect must have a cause From hence it 's consequent that this House whereof the Apostle speaks must needs have a Builder even both that House wherein Moses and also that House wherein Christ was faithful Yet there may be Houses which may be built by Men and by Builders who are particular Architects of some particular House or Houses but there must be some universal Architect and Builder of all things and that is God But he that built all things is God that is God is the supream Agent the principall and universal cause of all Buildings and Effects is God And if of all things and Buildings then of the Church that Church that House wherein Christ was faithful These words are conceived to contain the Minor of the Argument so far as it speaks metaphorically of Building and then the sense is that Christ is the Builder of the Church But some do conceive that it 's a proof or confirmation of the Minor in this manner God is the Builder of all things and especially of the Church therefore Christ is Builder of the Church for Christ is God because he is that Word which was with God and was God and by whom all things were made at first and that Son by whom he made the Worlds who as the Father worketh hitherto and upholdeth all things by the word of his Power That God is the Builder of the Church
that Blood was necessary not only for confirmation of the New Covenant but also for the purification of the Called Covenanteers And therefore there could be no reason why these Hebrews of the Jews should be offended with the Death of Christ seeing it was so useful and so necessary not only for Expiation but for purging the Conscience from dead Works and confirming the New Covenant and Testament And here two things are observable 1. That if this Blood should not expiate Sin and purge the Conscience the Covenant could not be firm to the Called so as to receive the eternal Inheritance For if the Inheritance be not purchased and meâ—ted and the Called justified from sin they can have no title or right unto it and if not sanctified and cleansed from the pollution of sin they cannot be capable of it so as to enjoy it 2. This Blood was necessary for the Expiation of the sins not only of them who live after it was shed but also of those who lived under the Law For under it there was no Blood of any Sacrifice that could expiate sin as polluting the Conscience and making the Sinners liable to eternal punishments and as it could not expiate so it could not purge the Conscience though sprinkled with it § 20. The Reddition or Application followeth Ver. 23. It was therefore necessary that the paterns of things in the Heavens should be purified with these but the heavenly things themselves with better Sacrifices then these THe sum of these words is this That as it was necessary that earthly and carnal things and shadows should be purified by the blood of these carnal Sacrifices for the confirmation of the first Covenant so it 's necessary that spiritual and heavenly things should be purified with the blood of better Sacrifices then these for the confirmation of the New Covenant This Reddition is made by a repetition in brief of the former proposition and protasis of the Comparison So that in these few words we have the full Similitude whereof there be two parts The first Is the necessity of purging the Types and Shadows The second Is the necessity of purging the Anti-types Both agree in this 1. That they must be purged 2. They must be purged with the blood of Sacrifices 3. There is a necessity of purging both with the blood of Sacrifices Yet they differ 1. In that the one are earthly and carnal Types 2. In the purging as well in the things purged For the first are purged with earthly carnal Sacrifices suitable to their nature the second with far better Sacrifices The whole may be reduced to two Axioms or Propositions 1. It 's necessary that the paterns of heavenly things should be purified with these 2. It 's necessary that the heavenly things should be purified with better Sacrifices then these Yet there is a third implyed and that is As it 's necessary for the one to be purged with these so it is necessary the other should be purged with better The disposition of the Text seems to be Dianoâ—tical and the argumentation in form to be this If it was necessary that the paterns of things in Heaven should be purified with these then it 's necessary that the heavenly things should be purified with better Sacrifices then these But the first was necessary Therefore the second is so too From all this we understand that the Apostle inferrs the necessity of purging heavenly things from the necessity of purging earthly and further that if the purification of the Types was necessary then the purification of the Anti-types with better Sacrifices was much more necessary This is the reason why the Apostle brings in this Text by the illanve Therefore which is to be understood to follow the proposition and to go before and bring in the Reddition In the first Proposition we have 1. Things in Heaven 2. Paterns of things in Heaven 3. The purifying of the Paterns 4. The purifying of them with these 5. The necessity of purifying them with these 1. By things in Heaven are meant heavenly things as appears in the latter part of the Text and by heavenly are meant spiritual and more excellent things We read of Jerusalem above Gal. 4. 26. and of the heavenly Jerusalem Chap. 12. 22. of this Epistle And this is the Church which is first Militant and then Triumphant which is first from Heaven then in Heaven 2. The patterns of the things in Heaven are such things as were Signs Images Shadows and imperfect Representations of things in Heaven For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the Original signifies Signs and Images which represent though but darkly other things These are not Patterns in proper sense but things that do sub-demonstrate or obscurely signify some other things They are called Examples and Shadows Examples and Shadows of heavenly things Chap. 8. 5. where it's observable that the very word which is there turned Example is here turned Pattern And Chap. 10. 1. it 's said The Law had a Shadow of good things to come These Shadows Signs and Figures were the Tabernacle the Vessels with many other things which under the Law were purified with Blood 3. What the purifying of these was you have heard before for it was Consecration Expiation Sanctification whereby the things purified of unholy were made holy 4. These were purified with these that is with Scarlet Wool Hyssop Water Blood Ashes and the principal of these was Blood and this Blood was the Blood usually of Bullocks and Goats which was ordained by God to be the Blood of Expiation and Sanctication So outward and carnal things were purged with outward and carnal Blood and both the things the Blood and the Purification were Mystical and did signify some spiritual and more excellent things Blood Purification 5. There was a necessity why these things should be so purified Where we may consider that not onely the Purification but this purification by these was necessary The necessity did arise from God's Institution and Command that these things and shadows should be purified and purified by these things And if these things must signify persons and things guilty and polluted by Sins which God would have purified then in this respect also there was a necessity because otherwise there had been no Agreement between the Types and Anti-Types § 21. The second Proposition is That it 's necessary the heavenly things themselvs be purified by better Sacrifices than these Where we must examine 1. What these heavenly things be 2. What these better Sacrifices are 3. What it 's to be purified by these 4. How this is necessary The heavenly things themselvs are some better and more excellent things for as Heaven is far above the Earth and more glorious so heavenly things must be some better and more glorious than earthly The one are bodily and corruptible and the other spiritual incorruptible and immortal in comparison whereof the best things under the Law were but Shadows These spiritual
his Body the Veil of the Temple was rent from the Top to the bottom to signify that Christ the great High-Priest was ready by his own Blood being shed to enter the Holy place of Heaven to procure eternal Redemption or Remission for sinful Man and by this means divine Justice being satisfied God was made accessible And no Man now can have actual access into his presence but by this Blood and through this Veil of the Flesh by him who was crucified and whose Body was separate from his Soul § 16. Thus the Way is made and consecrated The next thing is the Liberty which we have to enter into the Holiest through this way by the Blood of Christ where three things are to be observed 1. The place into which this way doth lead us 2. The Liberty to enter through this Way into this place 3. The means whereby we obtain this Liberty 1. The place is the Holiest for into that the High-Priest entred once a Year with the Blood of Expiation There was the Mercy-Seat which must be sprinkled with Blood We need not here enquire Whether that Holiest place on Earth signify Heaven or some other thing for it 's certain the Mercy-Seat did signify that which this Apostle calls The Throne of Grace Chap. 4. 16. The Throne of Grace is the Throne of God propitiated by the Blood of Christ so that to enter into the Holiest is to come to God as Supream Lord first offended by the Sin of Man and then made propitious by the Death and Sacrifice of Christ which was so acceptable unto him that for and in consideration of the same he is willing to admit Man into his presence graciously to receive his Petitions and bless him The Throne of God might be said to be three-fold 1. Of Justice 2. Of Grace 3. Of Glory To the Throne of Justice strict Justice no sinful guilty Man can approach To the Throne of Grace every penitent Sinner may have access The Throne of Glory is inaccessible to mortal Man We need not locally ascend into Heaven for to come unto the Throne of Grace it stands in the midst of God's People as the Tabernacle did in the midst of Israel For God is alwayes in all places nigh to such as call upon him in truth Christ stood before the Throne of Justice when he suffered for our Sins Penitent Sinners stand before the Throne of Grace when they worship him in Faith And after the Resurrection we shall all stand before the Throne of Glory and ever abide in his presence Yet this way lyes by the Throne of Grace and we pass by it to the Throne of Glory There is one way to both 2. We have Liberty to enter into the Holiest The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as you have heard signifies Freedom and Boldness of Speech it signifies also Liberty The Vulgar and the Syâ—iack turn the word Confidence which is the same with Boldness though some what more The Arabick and Arias Mortanâ—â— Liberty The Aethiopick Grace or Licence All agree for they signify 1. That we have a Licence and Liberty graciously granted unto us 2. A Right 3. This Liberty and Right is so full that we may come with Boldness and Confidence to be admitted and accepted This is a great Priviledge and Favour which God doth graciously vouchsafe unto Believers and denies to all others which are not admitted to come so near him 3. We have this Right Liberty and Confidence by the Blood of Christ for the Blood and Death of Christ satisfied God's Justice and merited his Favour and made him accessible and upon the same he promised to admit penitent Believers And upon our Repentance and Faith we have actual Right and Liberty so that we who could not come near him for our sins may come near him by Faith in his Blood This Priviledg is more fully expressed in these words of the Apostle In whom we have boldness and access with Confidence by Faith of him Ephes. 3. 12. Where 1. We have access and may enter into God's blessed presence Yet 2. Because one may come with fear and doubt here we may come with boldness and confidence 3. There is no such access but by Christ the Blood of Christ. 4. Neither is there any such access granted but by Faith in that Blood that is to such as believe The sum of all is That Sin had made God as the fountain of goodness inaccessible to Sinners as Sinners Christ by his Death had made him accessible to Sinners as believing § 17. We have 1. A way 2. A liberty to enter into the Holiest And 3. We have an High-Priest over the House of God Where by the House of God we must understand the Church which is the Society and Corporation of Believers and by this High-Priest Christ Jesus as exalted at the right hand of God No man under the Law could come to God without the High-Priest he must present their Offerings their Incense their Prayers and the Blood of Expiation unto God and make Intercession for them So Christ is ever ready before his Fathers Throne to bring us into his presence as the Admissional of Heaven to make Intercession for us and as our Advocate to plead our Cause by his Blood and make all our Services acceptable and effectual without all which neither way nor liberty to enter could be beneficial and to purpose § 18. Thus the words are explained and inform us of a way made through the Veil of liberty to enter of Christ set over the House of God as an High-Priest to bring us unto God to make our prayers effectual and to procure for us all things necessary to make us happy Now it remains we consider the words 1. As a recapitulation of some former Doctrine 2. As a ground of the consequent exhortations and both these I will make clear in a few words 1. They are a brief abridgment of the former Doctrine concerning Christ's Priest-hood For in the 5th and 7th Chapters he had not only asserted but proved That Christ was an High-Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec That he had made a way to God by his Blood and procured us liberty to enter into God's presence before the Throne of Grace so that we might boldly come with confidence to obtain all mercies necessary to our everlasting happiness he had made evident by the rare virtue and excellent effects of Christ's Sacrifice partly Chapter 9th partly in the former part of this For Christ as a Son is over his own House Chap. 3. 6. And this House is the Church We have a great High-Priest who is passed into the Heavens and sensible of our Condition Chap. 4. 14 15. And he is the Minister of the Sanctuary and the true Tabernacle which the Lord pâ—tched and not Man Chap. 8. 2. From all this you easily understand that the former Doctrine is repeated and briefly contracted in these words 2. As it is a Recapitulation of the former
which after you were illuminated ye endured a great fight of Afflictions THE former reason was from the certain and most grievous punishments of Apostacy the reasons following have some respect unto the Reward and they are two one in respect to time past the other to time to come The former is continued from this verse unto the 35. The latter from the 35. unto the end In the former we may consider 1. Their Suffering 2. The Time when they suffered 3. An exhortation to Remembrance of what they then suffered 4. The End of this remembrance 1. Their former Suffering is described and represented 1. In general 2. In particular The general we have in these words of this Text Ye endured a great fight of Afflictions Where we have 1. Afflictions 2. A fight of Afflictions 3. A great Fight 4. The enduring of this great Fight Christians ought to be endued with all heavenly Virtues not only such as encline and enable them to do good but also such as fit and strengthen them to endure evil in doing good and for serving their God To suffer for doing evil is no virtue but to suffer for Righteousness sake for Christ's sake is a noble and excellent Grace This is an high degree and a perfection of a Christian Therefore we are exhorted to let patience have her perfect work that we may be perfect and entire wanting nothing Jam. 1. 4. For without patience and fortitude it 's impossible to suffer as we ought and to attain this perfection 1. The thing to be suffered is Affliction which is some evil that doth vex trouble and â—â—reave us of that peace ease safety which we might otherwise enjoy and here it 's not one single affliction but a multitude of them for they endured Afflictions The word here turned by a Metonymy Afflictions signifies properly Sufferings because when we are afflicted we are patients and the Subject afflicted not the Agents afflicting and the evil dothly and press hard upon us to bruise and break us and all these tend to our destruction and misery 2. Here is a fight and a contest of Afflictions and the Contention is between the parties afflicting and the persons afflicted the one offending the other defending like two Enemies wherein the assailant seeks to overcome and subdue the party assaulted The great Enemy and Afflicter is the Devil his Agents and Instruments are unbelieving and wicked men His design is to break in pieces our Faith which is the strength of our hearts for Faith strives against fear and seeks to overcome those terrours which Satan would strike into us that so we might renounce our profession This is a spiritual Fight and Battle between spiritual Enemies between Faith and Fear between the Soul and Satan 3. This fight is great For the opposition on one side was cruel and violent and the resistance was strong and powerful so that the Enemy was beaten off and foiled When Fire and Water meet and encounter the violence on both sides is very great according to the degrees of contrary qualities destructive one of another Thus it is in the contest between the seed of the Serpent and of the Woman the Church and according as the emnity and the power of the Contendents are more intensive so is the Fight more fierce And this was a great Fight because the Devil doth most violently assail new Converts and the Dragon waits to devour the Churche's newly regenerate Children so soon as she shall bring them forth and would certainly do it if they were not taken up into Heaven and into God's protection 4. Yet though the Fight was great yet they endured it and this they did by patience and divine fortitude For they continued firm in their Christian profession without doubtings and fears Their Faith remained firm and was like a Shield impenerrable They bare and put off the blows and stood their Ground kept the Field and caused the Enemy to retreat and draw off and though they suffered temporally yet spiritually they did not § 33. Thus far of their Sufferings in general but least this should be insufficient he further expresseth what their Sufferings in particular were and he seems to reduce these to three heads 1. Shame 2. Pain 3. Loss For they were in disgrace they were scourged their Goods were taken from them they suffered in their Names in their Persons in their Goods and that not only for their own profession but their association with others Their first particular Sufferings we read Ver. 33. Partly while ye are made a gazing stock both by Reproaches and Afflictions and partly whilst ye became Companicus of such as were so used THis Text informs us both what they suffered considered in themselves and also what as considered joyntly with others The evils which they suffered are said to be Reproaches and Afflictions the manner how they suffered these and that was by being made a gazing-stock The words may be reduced to two Propositions 1. They were made a gazing-stock both by Reproaches and Afflictions 2. They were Companions of such as were so used Yet both these have reference to the words going before and might be delivered thus 1. They endured a great sight of Afflictions partly by being a gazing stock both in Reproaches and Afflictions 2. They endured a great Fight by being Companions of such as were so used In the first for explication sake we may observe 1. That they were Reproached and Afflicted 2. By these Reproaches and Afflictions they were made a gazing-stock 3. This was part of their great Fight 1. They were Reproached Thus they might be used either by Words or Deeds For to speak or do any thing that tends to our disgrace and infamy is to Reproach Perhaps they called them Sectaries Hereticks Apostates Innovators seditious Persons and also did so account them and in this respect did hate despise and desame them These Reproaches in themselves were bitter and grievous yet they were more grievous because of Afflictions for they afflicted them by scourging imprisoning banishing them these did straiten press vex torment their Bodies and deprive them of ease peace and liberty 2. Yet these were made still more grievous because they did reproach and afflict them not so much privately as publickly in open view to make their shame and ignominy the greater They brought them as it were upon a Stage and as into a Theater where multitudes even thousands might gaze upon them revile them scourge them and make a sport of their Sufferings Every one must take notice of them as base persons troublers of the World the reffuse and scum of mankind and abhorr them And in this they followed Christ and took up his Cross which was a suffering of pain and shame 3. This was part of their great Fight and a great Fight it was because naturally we much desire to preserve our credit honour and reputation which to some high Spirits which the World terms Generous is dearer then life for
The Immutability of that happy and glorious Estate which we receive by the Gospel The first Reason is from the former Examples in this manner Ver. 1. Wherefore seeing we also are encompassed about with so great a Cloud of Witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the Sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with Patience the Race that is set before us IN these words the Apostle makes use of the former Examples inferring from thence an hortative Conclusion For they are brought in by the Illative Particle Therefore which implies that Logically considered they are Dianoetical So that in them we may observe 1. The Premisses 2. The Conclusion If we look upon the Text Theologically we find 1. A Duty commanded which is Perseverance 2. A Reason why we should perform it and that is the Multitude of Examples proposed for Imitation I will begin with the Reason wherein we have the Premisses and it is this We have a Multitude or are compassed with a Multitude of Witnesses This is the Assumption of the Syllogism and presupposeth the Proposition which is this That they who have a Multitude of Examples ought to follow them out of which the first words of the Text are assumed And in them two things are affirmed 1. There was a Multitude or a great Cloud of Witnesses 2. They were compassed with this great Cloud 1 There were Witnesses By Witnesses are understood the rare Worthies mentioned and reckoned up in the former Chapter as Abel Enoch Noah Abraham and the rest which here he doth not severally and distinctly name but puts them in one Body to make them a great Cloud These are called Witnesses not only passively because they obtained a good Report or Testimony for God witnessed of them and commended them but also actively because they testified and declared by their rare Acts and many Sufferings the excellency and necessity of Faith so that by it they became Examples worthy of Imitation Every one of them severally and all jointly speak to all future Generations and exhort them to believe constantly as they did and they shall receive the like Reward Yet they might be Witnesses and yet not so many as to make a Cloud but they were a Cloud that is a Multitude as a Cloud is made up of a Multitude of Vapours gathered together condensed in one Body The Expression seems to be taken from the words of the Prophet Who are these that fly as a Cloud and as Doves to their Windows Isa. 60. 8. The place speaks of the Multitude of Converts which should be added to the Church and they are compared for their Multitude to a Cloud and to Doves which fly in great Companies and darken the Air intercepting the Light of the Heavens Yet they were not only a Cloud and so many but a great Cloud and so very numerous and yet more numerous because they did compass them on every side All these did compass them and were set before them in such Multitudes as Examples and proposed to them for Imitation and Encouragement 2. The Conclusion he infers from the Euthymetical Premisses follows the Illation implies an Obligation to imitate them and the Duty is delivered by way of Exhortation For it was their Duty to follow their Example and he exhorts them to do so The Duty exhorted unto hath two parts 1. They must lay aside every weight and the Sin which doth so easily beset them 2. They must run with Patience the Race which was set before them The former is subordinate unto the latter which cannot be performed without the Performance of the former The Pharse and Expression is Metaphorical and taken from the Isthmian or Olympian Games wherein certain Persons did strive in wrastling or running or some other Excercises for a prize And in these there were many By-standers and Spectarors and a space in the midst of them for the Agonists and Contenders to run in and a Goal before them and he that by constant and speedy running did reach the Goal first obtained the Victory and wan the Prize and in the first place they laid aside their loose and heavy Garments that they might not be hindred or entangled with them but that they might more speedily and with greater Expedition finish the Stage and Course Thus much premised the parts of the Duty as you have heard before are two 1. They must lay aside every weight and the Sin that did so easily beset them 2. They must run with Patience the Race that was set before them 1. There is something to be laid aside It was their Duty removere prohibens to remove Impediments for there are Impediments and these must be removed and laid aside because they will hinder us in this heavenly Course The things that do hinder are said to be Weight and Sin By the former some understand all outward by the latter all inward things which make our Passage slow and troublesom By Weight no doubt is meant something which to the Soul is as heavy things are to the Body Some think the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies Pride and an high Perswasion of our own Perfection as though we had finished our Course and obtained the Prize This is contrary to that of the Apostle Brethrea I count not my self to have apprchended but this thing I do forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth to those things that are before I press towards the Mark for the high prize of the Calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3. 13 14. This is Hensius his conceir Others by it do think are signified the cares of this Life the Multitude of secular business the many Temptations and Opposition from without and no doubt all these do hindet much Yet by Weight may be signified Sin and so the latter word is put exegerieally to interpret the former This Sin as many tell us is our imbred Corruption and this is not only native but acquired and improved and is not only our Imperfection which is our Weakness and Want of Strength but a positive Deprivation which with the Devil and the World will make a great Opposition By Reason of the former we can make but little speed by Reason of the latter we are often Interrupted From this Corruption arise our cares fears discouragements and our too much love of the World And our Translation takes notice of the Article in the Greek and turns it The Sin which some will have to be original Corruption and Concupiscence yet it may import that in every Man there is some Predominant Sin and in every regenerate Person some Reliques of that Sin from which is the greatest danger because as it followeth it will so easily beset us It 's like our Garments which enfold us and stick close unto us By Reason of this Weight and the Sin which doth easily beset us our spiritual Strength Vigour and Agility are much abated and our Course towards eternal Glory retarded
round about the Throne of God are ten thousand times ten thousand even thousands of thousands Revel 5. 11. To come to these is to be of their Society and every true Believer upon his Regeneration begins to have Communion with these blessed Spirits for regenerate Men and Angels are fellow-Citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem and fellow-Subjects of the same Kingdom They are above us and we are a great Distance from them in respect of our present Estate yet some of them are very near us though we do not see them nor speak unto them nor familiarly converse with them and they love us have a special care of us and all of them are ministring Spirits for us who shall be Heirs of Salvation § 21. Yet there are other Subjects of this Kingdom of a lower and inferiour Ranck and a Supream Lord and Judg of all For we come Ver. 23 To the general Assembly and Church of the first-born who are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect VVHere we have God the Soveraign both of Angels and Men the Men who are Subjects in this Kingdom are the Living or Dead both in his Dominion and under his Power Some Copies and Translations joyn the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the word Angels in the former verse You are come to Myriads the general assembly of Angels But others read as we do in our English The sense is not much altered by this difference for there is a general Assembly of Angels and a general Assembly of Men and these are different yet both make but one Body and Community of Subjects in this heavenly and spiritual Polity The Propositions are these 1. There is a general Assembly and Church of the first-born who are written in Heaven 2. There is God the Judge of all 3. There are Spirits of just men made perfect 4. They were come to these 1. In the first we have the first-born these are written in Heaven these are a great Assembly and Church 1. The first-born in this place are 1. Such as are regenerated and adopted for here to be born is to be born again and made the Sons of God by Word and Spirit They are God's first-born because they have the spiritual priviledges of primogeniture they are Heirs and also Kings and Priests to God for ever This signifies their excellent dignity above other men and their near relation to God and Christ. 2. These first-born are written or enroll'd in Heaven which is the same with having their Names written in Heaven and in the Book of Life Luke 10. 20. Rev. 20. 12. and in the Book of the Lamb. The meaning of the Phrase is that upon their serious Faith in Christ God doth account them as his Children and Heirs of Glory therefore it imports two things 1. Their title unto everlasting Glory 2. The certainty of the possession in due time so that there shall be no alteration of their Condition They are destined to an eternal Inheritance by an immutable decree and therefore their Names are said to be written in this Book from the beginning of the World and so they shall never be blotted or rased out again This enrolment is but virtual which upon their new Birth becomes actual This is a great priviledg to have our Names enrolled in the Register of Heaven which never shall be changed and an unspeakable comfort by our sincere Faith and Obedience to know it 3. There is the Church of these first-born that is though they be many yet they are called chosen congregated and united into one spiritual Body politick and made one Society therefore the Church is so often compared to a Body which hath many members yet all these united make but one Systeme called the Church the members and parts whereof are not natural but naturalized and by free Grace ingrafted 4. They are a general Assembly made up of many different persons gathered together out of several Countries into one Body though not into one place Some think the Apostle alludes unto the Olympian and other Assemblies of the Greeks wherein many from many places met together Some were Schollars as Philosophers Poets Orators who did exercise their wit some did manifest their activity in running wrastling and other bodily Exercises they had also their Delights and Recreations But the Analogy is not in these things but in this that they were one general Assembly and so did represent the Church as Catholick and Universal For these are a number gathered and redeemed by the Blood of Christ out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and a great multitude not only of Jews but Gentiles which no man can number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues Rev. 5. 9 7 9. They were come to these and were incorporated into this Society and made Subjects of this Kingdom and the first-born of God had a title to the same heavenly Inheritance and their Names were enrolled in the Book of Life and they were destin'd to eternal Glory 2. They were come to God the Judge of all What is the Body without an Head a Kingdom or multitude of Subjects without a King who is the Basis of the People and the Center of them all wherein they are united and the Corner-stone that doth support them Therefore in this most excellent Society there must be a King and Soveraign and this is God who is here styled the Judg of all In Hebrew to judg is to rule and govern and a Judg is a Ruler and Governour and so it may be taken here Yet there are inferiour and subordinate Rulers and also supream and universal Such God is for all things are subject to his Power yet he hath a special Kingdom as he is Lord and Redeemer by Christ and so he is in a special manner the Supream Governour of this general Assembly and Church of the first-born who are not only his Servants and Subjects but his Sons and Heirs of Glory He is their Lord and Father their Law-giver and their Judg he takes a special care of them and by his Laws doth order them to eternal Happiness and in the End rewards them with Glory He is Almighty in Power exactly just wonderfully wise and infinitely merciful and exerciseth his Perfections in promoting their eternal Bliss And they were come to him and admitted into his Kingdom received into his Protection and as he is able so he is resolved to destroy all their Enemies and give everlasting Peace His Angels must guard them all Creatures serve them and all things must work together for their good He continually sits in the Throne of Grace not in the midst of Smoak and Fire as upon Mount Siâ—ai he is compassed with Light and ever shines upon them with his favour 3. They were come unto the Spirits of just men made perfect Those Spirits were not Angels but the Souls of Men yet not in their Bodies but
which took away these Rites not as sinful but as imperfect and then useless when a better kind of Service was instituted The word here used in the Greek may signify Perfection Confirmation and Establishment and if we consult the Septuagint they tuâ—â— the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signify to perfect confirm and establish That therefore which in our Translation is a time of Reformation is a time of Perfeâ—â—â—â— Confirmation and Establishment and this is the time of the Gospel when the 〈◊〉 imperfect is taken away and that which is firm and stable shall be brought in and 〈◊〉 for evermore By this we may observe That because the Ceremonial Law was imposed by God the Jews were bound to observe it 2. That God intended not the Serviâ— of the Law as a means to sanctify the Conscience for then it should have continued 3. It was imposed onely for a time untill the Introduction of a better Service and then it was to cease And this is the third Imperfection it was not perfect firm stable and of perpetual continuance And this is to be understood not onely of some of these Services but of all even of that which is the principal and more excellent than all the rest even the yearly Sacrifice of Expiation § 10. Thus far the Typical Tabernacle and Service the Anti-Typical follows and begins in these words Ver. 11. But Christ being come an High-Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this Building Ver. 12. Neither by the Blood of Goats and Calvs but by his own Blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redemption for us TO understand this Text the better it 's to be observed 1. That as in the Type so here in the Anti-Type to make the Comparison perfect there are three things 1. An High-Priest 2. A Tabernacle with two Sanctuaries 3. A Service and Sacrifice to be performed by the High-Priest in the inmost Sacrary and Holiest of all into which he could not enter but by passing through the Sanctuary within the first Veil 2. That the words have special Reference to the seventh Verse which speaks of the Highest Levitical Service and Sacrifice which the High-Priest alone was to perform once a Year in the Holiest of all 3. That the Scope of the Apostle is to set forth the Excellency of Christ's Priest-hood as far above that of Aaron's in respect of the Service 4. That seeing this was the highest and most excellent Service which could procure the greatest good promised in the former Covenant therefore the Apostle singles out this informing us that it was but a shadow of a far more excellent Service which was of far greater Power and Efficacy to be performed by Christ. 5. That the Excellency of this Service and Sacrifice is set forth by rare and excellent Effects Consequents and Benefits which were such as the best and greatest Service of the Levitical Priest could not reach 6. That the first Effect is eternal Redemption which immediatly follows upon the performance of this Service and is the principal thing in this Text. In the Text we have four things 1. Christ come an High-Priest of good things to come 2. The Tabernacle whereof he is Minister 3. The Service and Sacrifice performed by this High-Priest 4. The first most excellent Effect thereof eternal Redemption The first Proposition is concerning Christian High-Priest and it 's affirmed 1. That he is come that is exhibited present and consecrated 2. That 〈◊〉 â—onsecrated he is a compleat High-Priest both these are demonstratively 〈…〉 in the former part of the Epistle 3. That he is an High-Priest 〈…〉 The end of all Priests and especially High-Priest 〈…〉 and Ministry to procure some Mercy and Benefit which the People want desire and have need of Yet they can proâ—â—â—â— no Mercy but such as God hath promised in that Covenant where of they are Priests 〈◊〉 Mediators therefore the Legal High-Priest could not obtain any greater Mercy than the Law did promise But because Christ is the Mediator of the new Covenant established upon better Promises he doth procure for his People far greater Mercies which God hath promised in this Covenant Therefore 1. By good things understand those Mercies Benefits and Blessings which are promised in the new Covenant the principal whereof are Remission of Sin for ever and eternal life following thereupon 2. These good things are said to be future and to come and that either in respect of the Law which went before the Gospel according to that 〈◊〉 follows Chap. 10. 1. For the Law having a Shadow of good things to come Or 〈◊〉 of full enjoyment of them which is reserved for Heaven and that World 〈…〉 is yet to come For there is a World to come a Life to come an abidiâ—◠〈…〉 me a Glory to come which shall be revealed upon the Sons of God 〈…〉 long after and wait for this Life this City this Glory to come Again the time of the Gospel is said to be the World 〈◊〉 Chap. 2. 5 6. 5. The sense therefore may be this That Christ was an High-Priest effectually procuring these good things which were shadowed out and typified in the Law and were then to come but present and exhibited in the times of the Gospel The second Proposition which is concerning the Tabernacle doth affirm That Christ's Tabernacle wherein he must minister is greater and better than the Legal as not being of that Building To be greater may be understood of quantity or quality iâ— of quantity then it 's signified that it 's far larger and so Heaven where Christ doth minister is if of quality then the latter word explains the former and so greater is 〈◊〉 and both together inform us that it 's far more glorious and excellent And that it â—â— so it 's evident because it 's not of this Building but of a far better The former was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pitched by the Art and Industry of Man yet so that the pattern and direction was from Heaven The Workman and Builder was not Man but God and is the Wisdom skil and Hand of God is infinitely above the Wisdom Skill and Power of Man so his Building must needs be far more excellent Therefore the Apostle told us before Chap. 〈◊〉 That Christ was the Minister of High-Priest of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched not Man The former was but a Shadow and diâ— but imperfectly represent this which was the Substance The Holiest of all though the most sacted and glorious place of the former Tabernacle and Temple was nothing to this Yet it 's much doubted 1. What this Tabernacle is 2. Whitherto these words are to 〈◊〉 referred First Some think this Tabernacle to be the Body of Christ yet this was the thing to be sacrificed and offered Others conceive it was the Church Militant