their guilt in one sin the woful sin of Adam and the ruine of his Posterity even of those who had not sinned after the similitude of his Transgression the destruction of the old world by an Universal Flood as in the Fire and Brimstone that God rained from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah in the final rejection of the Jews the dreadful overthrow of the City and Temple by fire in the Eternity of the torments of impenitent sinners In all these things and others that seem to have any thing of the same kind with them we shall need nothing to give the most full satisfaction unto our Souls if we know him who hath said Vengeance is mine I will repay it This consideration is confirmed by a double Testimony wherein God assumeth unto himself that which will give assurance of the Punishment of Apostates And we may consider concerning these Testimonies 1. The Apostles application of them unto his purpose 2. The force that is in them unto that end 1. They are both of them taken from Deut. 32. 35 36. But in that place they seem absolutely to intend vengeance and Judgment on the Adversaries of his people to make a way for their deliverance But here they are applyed unto the final destruction of that same people namely the Jews without hopes of deliverance I answer 1. That it is usual with the Apostle in this Epistle and all other writers of the New Testament to make use of Testimonies out of the old without respect unto the particular cases and designs which they are originally applyed unto but with regard unto the Truth and Equity contained in them Whereon they are equally applicable unto all cases of a like nature Thus saith he God declares himself with respect unto his Stubborn Enemies whence a Rule is established that he will deal so with all that are so who are in the same circumstances with them of whom we speak 2. What God speaks concerning his Enemies and the Enemies of his people in Covenant with him is applicable unto that people it self when they absolutely break and reject the Covenant so was it done by these Apostates who thereon came into the room and place of the most cursed Enemies of God and his people And therefore God will be unto them what he was unto the worst of those his adversaries 3. That which God properly in that place assumeth this title unto himself upon is the Cruelty and Rage of those adversaries in the persecution and destruction of his people And shall he not act in like manner towards them who murdered the Lord Jesus and persecuted all his followers Wherefore whatever frame of mind in God is represented in the Scripture as unto his indignation against the worst of sinners and his adversaries is fully applicable unto these degenerate Apostates The First testimony in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to me vengeance and recompence which the Apostle renders by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the same purpose Recompence is the actual exercise of Vengeance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vengeance is the actual execution of Judgment on sinners according unto their desert without mitigation of mercy 'T is an act of Judgment and wherever mention is made of it God is still proposed as a Judge it being a just retribution on the consideration of the demerit of sin as sin 1. This Vengeance God appropriateth the right of unto himself in a peculiar manner as that which no Creature in it's full latitude hath any interest in See Psal. 94. 1 2. For it respects only sin in its own formal nature as sin against God 1. Though men may inflict punishments on it yet they do it principally on other accounts Whatever is of vengeance in punishment is meerly an emanation from divine constitution 2. No creature can have the just measures of the desert of sin so as to give it a just and due recompence 3. The power of the Creature cannot extend to the just execution of Vengeance sins deserving eternal punishment 4. Pure vengeance as vengeance is not to be intrusted with our nature nor would any man be able to manage it but would fall into one excess or other unto the ruine of his own soul. Wherefore God hath reserved and included all vengeance unto himself and all just final retribution for and unto sin Although he hath allowed infliction of punishment on offenders in order unto the Government and peace of the world in Magistrates and publick persons yet as unto vengeance as it denotes giving satisfaction to our selves in the punishment of others it is forbidden unto all persons both private and publick God in executing vengeance gives satisfaction unto his own infinite holiness and righteousness which makes it holy and just Men cannot give satisfaction unto themselves in punishment but it is unto their evil affections which makes it useless and unjust Hence David blessed God that he had kept him from avenging himself on Nabal For there is no vengeance but what is exerted by a mans self in his own case and cause The Judgment unto punishment is for others Wherefore the formal Reason of the appropriation of all vengeance unto God is that God alone can Judge and Punish in his own case and unto his own satisfaction He hath made all things for himself and the wicked for the day of evil 2. In this appropriation of vengeance unto God there is supposed and included that indeed there is vengeance with God which in due time he will execute I will repay saith God He doth oftentimes exercise great Patience and forbearance even then when vengeance might justly be expected and is called for How long doest thou not avenge our blood This commonly adds unto the security of wicked men and they learn to despise the threatnings of all the Judgments of God which they have deserved 2 Pet. 3. 3 4 5 6 7. Eccles 8. 11. They are ready to conclude that either vengeance doth not belong unto God or that it shall be executed when and where they are not concerned But in all these cases God hath fixed a determinate time and season for the execution of deserved vengeance Hence he calls it the year of vengeance and the day of recompence so here I will repay it saith the Lord This being so God having said that vengeance belongeth unto him and that it is due unto provoking sins and sinners that it is in his power and his alone to inflict it when and how he pleaseth and that he will certainly do so in the assurance whereof the Apostle adds that word saith the Lord he will repay it It evidently follows that in his appointed season the day and year of vengeance such horrible provoking sinners as were those treated of must fall under the most severe punishment and that for evermore The Second testimony taken from the same place is of the same importance with this The Lord shall judge his people In Deuteronomy it
had Apostatized from him despised his Authority and rebelled against him falling thereby under the sentence and curse of the Law should again be received into his favour and be made partakers of Grace and Glory This therefore the Lord Christ took upon himself as the Surety of the Covenant 2. That those who were to be taken into this Covenant should receive Grace enabling them to comply with the Terms of it fulfil its conditions and yield the obedience which God required therein For by the Ordination of God he was to procure and did merit and procure for them the Holy Spirit and all the needful supplies of Grace to make them New Creatures and enable them to yield obedience unto God from a New Principle of spiritual life and that faithful unto the end So was he the Surety of this better Covenant Obs. The stability of the New Covenant depends on the Suretiship of Christ and is secured unto Believers thereby The Introduction of a Surety in any case is to give Stability and Security For it is never done but on a supposition of some weakness or defect on one Account or other If in any Contract Bargain or Agreement a man be esteemed every way responsible both for Ability and Fidelity there is no need of a Surety nor is it required But yet whereas there is a defect or weakness amongst all men mentioned by our Apostle in the next verses namely that they are all mortal and subject unto death in which case neither Ability nor Fidelity will avail any thing men in all cases of Importance need Sureties These give the utmost confirmation that affairs among men are capable of So doth the Suretiship of Christ on our behalf in this Covenant For the evidencing whereof we may consider 1. The first Covenant as made with Adam had no Surety As unto that which in the New Covenant the Suretiship of Christ doth principally respect it had no need of any For there was no sin Transgression or Rebellion against God to be satisfied for so that it was absolutely incapable of a Surety unto that end But as to the second part of it or his undertaking for us that through supplies of strength from him we shall abide faithful in the Covenant according to the Terms and Tenure of it this had no inconsistency with that first state As the Lord Christ upon his undertaking the work of Mediation became an immediate Head unto the Angels that sinned not whereby they received their establishment and security from any future defection so might he have been such an Head unto and such an undertaker for man in Innocency No created nature was or could have been unchangeable in its condition and state meerly on its root of Creation As some of the Angels fell at first forsaking their habitation falling from the principle of obedience which had no other Root but in themselves so the Rest of them all of them might afterwards have in like manner Apostatized and fallen from their own innate stability had they not been gathered up into the new head of the Creation the Son of God as Mediator receiving a New Relation from thence and establishment thereby So it might have been with man in Innocency But God in his infinite Soveraign wisdom saw it not meet that so it should be Man shall be left to the Exercise of that Ability of living unto God which he had received in his Creation and which was sufficient for that end A Surety God gave him not And therefore although he had all the Advantage which a sinless nature filled with holy Principles Dispositions and Inclinations free from all vitious habits rebellious affections inordinate imaginations could afford unto him yet he broke the Covenant and forfeited all the benefits thereof Whatever there was besides in that Covenant of Grace Power Ability and the highest obligations unto Duty yet all was lost for want of a Surety And this abundantly testifies unto the Preheminence of Christ in all things For whereas Adam with all the innumerable Advantages he had that is all helps necessary in himself and no Opposition or Difficulty from himself to conflict withal yet utterly brake the Covenant wherein he was Created and Placed Believers who have little strength in themselves and a powerful inbred opposition unto their stability are yet secured in their station by the Interposition of the Lord Christ as their Surety 2. When God made a Covenant with the People in the wilderness to manifest that there could be no stability in it without respect unto a Surety that it could not continue no not for a day he caused it to be dedicated or confirmed with the blood of Sacrifices This the Apostle declares and withal its Typicalness with respect unto the new Covenant and the confirmation of it with the blood of Christ Chap 9. 18 19 20 21. And afterwards as we have declared the high Priest in the Sacrifices that he offered was the Typical Mediator and Surety of that Covenant And the end of this Appointment of God was to manifest that it was from the Blood of the true Sacrifice namely that of Jesus Christ that the new Covenant was to receive its stability And we need a Surety unto this purpose 1. Because in the state and condition of sin we are not capable of immediate dealing or Covenanting with God There can be no Covenanting between God and sinners unless there be some one to stand forth in our name to receive the Terms of God and to undertake for us So when God began to treat immediately from Heaven with the people of old they all jointly professed that such was the Greatness and Glory of God such the Terror of his Majesty that it was impossible for them so to treat with him and if he spake unto them any more they should all dye and be consumed VVherefore with one consent they desired that there might be one appointed between God and them to transact all things and to undertake for them as to their Obedience which God well approved in them Deut. 5. 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31. Adam indeed in the state of innocency could treat immediately with God as unto that Covenant wherein he was placed For notwithstanding his infinite distance from God yet God had made him for converse with himself and did not despise the work of his own hands But immediately upon the entrance of sin he was sensible of the losse of that Priviledge whereon he both fled and hid himself from the Presence of God And hence those who of Old thought they had seen God concluded that they should dye as being sensible of their incapacity to treat immediately with him So when the Prophet cryed out that he was undone or cut off because of the immediate Presence of God his Eyes having seen the King the Lord of Hosts Isa. 6. 5. He was not relieved from his Apprehensions untill his mouth was touched with a coal from the Altar a
revealed from Heaven against the ungodliness of men Rom. 1. 18. and an intimation is given of what he will farther do hereafter For as he leaves not himself without witness in respect of his goodness and patience in that he doth good and giveth rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling mens hearts with food and gladness Acts 14. 17. so he gives testimony to his Righteousness and Holiness in the Judgements that he executes Psal. 9. 16. For whereas goodness and mercy are the works wherein God is as it were delighted he gives Testimony unto them together with his patience and long-suffering in the ordinary course of his Dispensations But Judgement in severity he calls his strange work that which he proceeds not unto but on great provocations Isa. 28. 21. he satisfieth his holy Wisdom with some extraordinary necessary instances of it And thus he hath himself singled out some particular instances which he gave on purpose that they might be as pledges of the future Judgement and hath given us a rule in them how we are to judge of all his extraordinary acts of the same kind Such was the Flood whereby the world was destroyed in the days of Noah which Peter affirms expresly was a Type to shadow out the severity of God in the last final Judgement 2 Pet. 2. 5. Chap. 3. 5 6 7. Of the like nature was his turning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into Ashes condemning them with an overthrow making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly 2 Pet. 2. 6. He made them a terrifying example that others should hear and fear and do no more so presumptuously But now whereas God hath not in the space of four thousand years brought any such Judgement on any other places or persons if this Example had respect only unto this world it must needs have lost all its force and efficacy upon the minds of Sinners Wherefore it did nearly respect the Judgement to come God giving therein an instance what obstinate and profligate Sinners are to look for at that great day Wherefore Jude says expresly they are set forth for an Example suffering the vengeance of Eternal Fire ver 7. And this is the Language of all Gods extraordinary Judgements either on persons or places in the world Let mens Sins be what they will God can endure in his long-suffering the Sins of one as well as another among the Vessels of wrath that are fitted for destruction and so he doth ordinarily or for the most part But yet he will sometimes reach out his hand from Heaven in an extraordinary instance of Vengeance on purpose that men may know that things shall not for ever be passed over in such a promiscuous manner but that he hath appointed another day wherein he will judge the world in Righteousness And for this reason such signal Judgements as are Evidences of the future Eternal Judgement of God are in the Scripture expressed in words that seem to declare that Judgement it self rather than the Types of it Isa. 34. 4. Rev. 6. 13 14. Dan. 7. 9 10. Math. 24. 29 30. But 4. God hath not absolutely intrusted the evidence and preservation of this important truth which is the Foundation of all Religion unto the remainders of innate light in the Minds and Consciences of men which may be variously obscured until it be almost utterly extinguished nor yet unto the exercise of Reason on the consideration of the present Administration of Providence in this world which is oft-times corrupted depraved and rendred useless nor yet unto the influence which extraordinary Judgements may have upon the minds of men which some fortifie themselves against by their obstinacy in Sin and Security but he hath abundantly testified unto it by express Revelation from the beginning of the world now recorded in his word by which all men must be tried whether they will or no. It may not be doubted but that Adam was acquainted with this truth immediately from God himself He was so indeed in the Commination given against Sin at first especially as it was explained in the Curse after he had actually sinned And this was that which was taught him in the threatning and which his Eyes were open to see clearly after his fall where he immediately became afraid of God as his Judge Gen. 3. 10. Nor can it be doubted but that he communicated the knowledge of it unto his posterity But whereas they quickly in that profligacy in all wickedness which they gave themselves unto had together with all other sacred Truths lost the remembrance of it or at least practically despised and scoffed at the instruction which they had received therein God knowing the necessity of it either to restrain them in their flagitious courses or to give them a warning that might leave them without excuse makes a new express Revelation of it unto Enoch and by him to mankind Jude 14 15. For Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him And this is the second New Revelation that is recorded before the Flood There were two Revelations that were the foundation of the Church the one concerning future Judgement in the Threatning the other concerning the Recovery and Restauration of mankind in the Promise Both seem to have been equally neglected by that cursed generation But God solemnly revived them both the first by Enoch the latter by Noah who was the Preacher of Righteousness 1 Pet. 2. 5. in whom the Spirit of Christ preached unto them who are now in prison 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. And this Old Prophecy was revived by the Holy Ghost partly that we might know that God from the beginning of the world gave publick testimony unto and warning of his future Eternal Judgement and partly to acquaiâ—t us that in the latter days men would break out into an excess and outrage in sin and wickedness like that of those before the Flood wherein it would be necessary that day should be restrained or terrified or warned by preaching unto them this truth of the Judgement to come After this the testimonies given unto it in the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testaments do so abound and are so obvious to all that it is no way needful particularly to produce them This principle being thus cleared and confirmed it may not be amiss to shew what practical improvement it doth require And it is manifest that there is no Duty in Religion that is not or ought not to be influenced by the consideration of it I shall only name some of them whereunto it is in an especial manner applied by the Holy Ghost himself First Ministers of the Gospel ought to dwell greatly on the consideration of it as
render Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born I will not offend and that properly And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was of common use in the Greek Tongue in Assertory Oaths So Demosthenes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He sware 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he would destroy Philip. The Vulgar Latine renders it by nisi that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contrary to the sense of the Ancients Chrysostome Oecumenius and Theophylact as some of the Expositors of the Roman Church do acknowledge But yet that manner of expression denotes a sense not unusual in the Scripture For there is an Intimation in it of a reserved Condition rendring the saying ensuing a most sacred Oath Unless I bless thee let me not be trusted in as God or the like But the formality of the Oath of God is neither in Genesis nor here expressed only respect is had unto what he affirms by my self have I sworn Surely undoubtedly The Promise it self is expressed in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee Our Apostle renders the words of Moses exactly Gen. 22. 17. Only where it is said there I will multiply thy Seed he expresseth it by I will multiply thee which is all one or to the same purpose for he could be no way multiplied but in his Seed and he proceedeth no farther with the words of the Promise as being not concerned in what followeth For although his Seed was actually multiplied yet it was Abraham himself who was blessed therein The Vulgar Latine in this place reads Benedicens benedicam blessing I will bless but in Genesis hath only benedicam and multiplicabo Hence divers of the Roman Expositors as Ribera Tena and others give sundry reasons why the Apostle changed the expression from what was used in Moses where it is only said I will bless thee into blessing I will bless thee And which I cannot but observe Schlictingius who followeth in this place the Exposition of Ribera complies with him also in that Observation aliis quidem verbis saith he promissionem hanc apud Mosem extulit But all this is but the mistake of the Vulgar Interpreter on Gen. 22. For the words in the Original have the Reduplication rendered by the Apostle which the Lxx also observe And this Reduplication is a pure Hebraisme vehemently affirming the thing promised and hath in it the nature of an Oath It also intends and extends the matter promised Blessing I will bless thee I will do so without fail I will do so greatly without measure and eternally without end And this kind of Asseveration is common in the Hebrew Gen. 2. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the day thou eatest thereof dying thou shalt dye thou shalt assuredly dye be certainly obnoxious unto Death it may be also that the double Death temporal and eternal is included therein See Gen. 37. 33. 2 Kings 2. 23. 1 Sam. 23. 22. Josh. 24. 10. Jer. 23. 17. Dan. 11. 10. We have need of every thing that any way evidenceth the stability of Gods Promises to be represented unto us for the encouragement and confirmation of our Faith As God redoubled the word at the first giving out of the Promise unto Abraham for the strengthening of his Faith so is the same here expressed by the Apostle that it might have the same effect upon us And two things especially God seems to impress upon our minds in this vehemency of expression 1 The sincerity of his Intentions without reserve 2 The stability of his Purposes without alteration and change It is to signifie both these that such emphatical vehement expressions are used even among men and both these Unbelief is apt to question in God He that believeth not maketh God a liar 1 Joh. 5. 10. He is a lyar who in his Promises intendeth not what his words signifie but hath other reserves in his mind and he who having promised changeth without cause Both these doth Unbelief impute to God which makes it a sin of so hainous a nature The first time God used this kind of Reduplication it was in his threatening of Death unto the Transgression of the Command Gen. 2. 17. In the day thou eatest thereof dying thou shalt dye And that which Sathan deluded our first Parents by was in perswading them that there was not sincerity in what God had said but that he had reserved to himself that it should be otherwise The Serpent said unto the woman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dying ye shall not dye Gen. 3. 4. But this being directly contrary unto what God had expresly affirmed how could Sathan imagine that the Woman would immediately consent unto him against the express words of God Wherefore he useth this Artifice to prevail with her that although God had spoken those words yet he had a Reserve to himself that it should not be unto them indeed as he had spoken ver 5. By these means Unbelief entered into the world and hath ever since wrought effectually in the same kind There is no Promise of God so plainly expressed but Unbelief is ready to suggest innumerable exceptions why it should have such reserves accompanying of it as that it doth not belong unto us Most of these exceptions we gather from our selves and were it not for them we suppose we could believe the Promise well enough But the truth is when we are called to believe when it is our Duty so to do when we pretend that we are willing and desirous to do so were it not for such and such things in our selves it is the sincerity of God in his Promises we all in question and we think that although he proposeth the Promise unto us and commandeth us to believe yet it is not his intention and purpose that we should do so or that we should be made partakers of the good things promised By the purpose of God I do not here intend the Eternal purpose of his Will concerning the effects and events of things about which we are called to exercise neither Faith nor Unbelief until they are manifested But the whole Rule of our Duty is in Gods Command and the Faith required of us consists in this that if we comply with what God prescribeth we shall enjoy what he promiseth if we believe we shall be saved And herein to question the Truth or Sincerity of God is an high effect of Unbelief This distrust therefore God removes by the Reduplication of the word of the Promise that we might know he was in good earnest in what he expressed The like may be spoken concerning the stability of the Promises with respect unto change which because it must be particularly afterwards spoken unto shall be here omitted And these things we have need of If we think otherwise we know little of the nature of Faith or Unbelief of our own weakness the efficacy of the Deceits of Sathan or the manifold oppositions which
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say we that fly for Refuge Qui cursum corripiunt It is the Judgement of many that here is an Allusion unto him who had slain a man unawares under the Law whose safety and life depended on his speedy flight unto one of the Cities of Refuge Numb 35. 11 12. And hereunto our Translators had undoubtedly respect whereon they rendered the word flying for Refuge And indeed the word it self signifies such an Action as is there ascribed unto the man-slayer For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly cursum corripere hath respect unto two things 1 An apprehension of Danger or a real surprisal with it whereon a man takes his flight for Deliverance And so it was with the man-slayer his apprehension of the approach of the Avenger of Blood to take away his Life stirred him up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fly from the place and condition wherein he was lest Evil should overtake him 2 Speed and Diligence in an endeavour to attain that place or company or End which a man proposeth unto himself as the means of his Deliverance and whereby he hopes to find safety He that doth so fly casts off all Tergiversation stirs up himself gives no place to sloth or vain hopes and useth his utmost diligence in the pursuit of his safety And hereby doth the Holy Ghost lively express the state and condition of all the Heirs of Promise in this matter In themselves by Nature as they are Children of the first Adam they are all exposed upon the Guilt of Sin Original and Actual unto the Sentence of the Law God by various means is pleased to awaken them unto the consideration of the Danger wherein they are the Execution of that Curse which they are obnoxious unto being impendent over them In this Condition they see a necessity of seeking out for Relief as knowing that if it be not obtained they must perish and that Eternally Love of Sin compliance with the World hopes of Righteousness of their own do all endeavour variously to retard and hinder them in their Design But when God proceeds to shut them up to sharpen their Convictions and continually to represent their Condition unto them giving them to conclude that there is no hope in their present Condition at length they stir up themselves unto a speedy flight to the Hope set before them in the Promise And That is the second thing to be enquired into namely what is this Hope that is set before us and how it is so 1 Most Expositors take Hope here by a Metonymy of the Subject for the thing hoped for that is Grace and Glory Justification and Salvation by Jesus Christ. These things are the subject matter of the Promises which we desire and hope after And unto these we may be said to fly for Relief or Refuge when in our expectation of them we are supported and comforted 2 Some take Hope subjectively for the Grace of Hope it self And this we are said to fly unto that is speedily to betake our selves unto the exercise of it as founded in the Promises of God foregoing all other expectations wherein we shall find assured Consolation 3 Hope by a metonymy of the effect for the Cause may express the Promise it self which is the cause and means of ingenerating Hope in us And this I take to be the proper meaning of the place and which is not exclusive of the other senses mentioned The Promise being proposed unto us is the Cause and Object of our Faith on the account of the Faithfulness of God therein Faith brings forth Hope whose Object is the same Promise or the good things thereof as proposed from the same Faithfulness Thence is it self called the Hope as that without which we could have none there being neither Cause of it nor Object for it And this Hope is said to be set before us or to be proposed unto us which it is in the Declaration of the Promise or the Dispensation of the Gospel Therein it is proposed as the Object of our Faith and Hope as the means of the strong Consolation which God is so abundantly willing that we should receive And this renders the whole Metaphor plain and easie For it is evident how the Promise and all that we hope for thereby is set before us and proposed unto us in the Gospel as also how we fly or betake our selves thereunto in all distresses for Relief And it is more natural to allow of this metonymical expression in the word Hope than to admit of so rough a Catachresis in the other part of the words wherein the Grace of Hope within us should be said to be set before us Thirdly With respect hereunto we are said to fly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lay hold on fortiter apprehendere constanter retinere The signification of this word frequently used by our Apostle I have on sundry occasions before declared It is injecta manu totis viribus retinere to hold fast what we lay hold on with all our might and power There will be many endeavours to strike off the hand of Faith from laying hold on the Promise and many more to loosen its hold when it hath taken it But it is in its Nature and it is a part of our Duty strongly to lay hold upon and firmly to retain the Promise when we have reached unto it And there seems in the whole Metaphor to be an Allusion unto those who run in a Race For whereas they have a Prize or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set before them they first stir up themselves with all their strength to speed towards the mark which when they have attained they both lay fast hold on and bear it away with them as their own So is it with Believers as to the Promise proposed unto them or set before them They reach out after it lay hold upon it reserve it as to their Interest in it as the only means of their Deliverance and Salvation and of that Consolation which in every condition they stand in need of And from the words so opened we may observe that Sense of Danger and Ruine from sin is the first thing which occasions a Soul to look out after Christ in the Promise It is implied in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which includes a respect unto Danger to be avoided whence we render it fly for Refuge As the Lord Christ came to seek and save that which was lost to call not the Righteous but sinners to Repentance to be a Physician to the sick and not to the whole so if men are not sensible of their lost condition of the sin and sickness of their Souls they will never in good earnest look out after him And therefore as those by whom Conviction of Sin and Humiliation for it are despised as they are by many Christ himself also who is the End of the Law and all its Convictions for
or Diminution of an Inheritance which descends from Parents unto Children and not otherwise is gratis dictum without pretence or Confirmation Even in things Moral God threatens to visit the Sins of the Fathers on the Children So the Israelites wandred poenally in the Wilderness forty Years and bare the Iniquity of their Parents The Infants that perished in the Flood and at the Conflagration of Sodom died poenally under the Judgment that came for the sin of their Parents Wherefore the general Foundation of his whole Discourse is unproved and false and the application of it unto the present Case as we shall see weak and impertinent For 2. This renders the Argument of the Apostle as weak and impertinent as any thing can be imagined For it allows Levi to be no otherwise Tithed in Abraham but as part of the Goods which Abraham gave in Tithe to Melchisedec would have descended unto him For he was but one of the twelve Sons of Jacob the Grand-child of Abraham whose share in those Tithes cannot be computed to be worth mentioning much less to bear the weight of an Argument in so great a Cause Besides it is not the Person of Levi but his Posterity in the Family of Aaron that is intended And such Movables as were Tithed by Abraham do seldom descend through so many Generations It is therefore ridiculous to impose such a kind of Argumentation on the Holy Apostle 3. Yea this Interpretation is directly contrary unto what the Apostle designed to confirm by the Instance he gives For that which he aimed at was to prove Levi Inferiour to Melchisedec by his paying of Tithes in the Loyns of Abraham But if he did this no otherwise but that some Goods that should have descended unto him were given unto Melchisedec it Argues him rather Superiour unto him for absolutely he that gives is Superiour to him that receives as it is in general a more Blessed thing to give than to receive 4. That which he proceeds upon is a general Rule of his own framing which is no way applicable unto this particular Case as it is a particular Case It is that as Children Succeed into the room of their Parents as to their Goods and after a sort represent them so Parents before their Children come to Inherit do represent their Children so as that they may be said in some sence to do what is done by their Parents But this is a Rule made without any colour of Reason For 1. I would know when this Representation and Concernment should expire or whether it hold unto all Generations If it hold for ever then may we all be said in some sort to do what Adam did with his Goods and Lands before he died and so of all our Intervenient Progenitors If it do expire and this Relation abideth only for a Season I desire to know the Bounds of that Season Aaron was the first of the House of Levi who is intended in these words and he was the seventh Generation from Abraham in which time it is probable if ever this Right of Inheritance would expire 2. It is not true in any sence in the very next Parents in most cases For suppose a Parent be wicked and flagitious and shall waste his Substance and Goods in Riotous living in what sence shall his Son suppose him a Person fearing God be said so to have disposed of his Goods in him 3. The Truth is unless it be a subsequent Approbation of what our Progenitors have done or by virtue of a Covenant whereby they and their Posterity were Obliged which is the Case in hand Children can in no sence be said to do what their Progenitors have done in the Disposal of their Goods and Inheritances Neither indeed will a subsequent Approbation give any Tolerable sence unto this Assertion unless there be a Power of an effectual dissent in the Children also If a Man give a part of his Estate to Found an Hospital and leave the Care of it unto his Posterity with this proviso that if any of them saw just Cause for it they should re-assume the State into their own Possession in case they do not so they may in some sence be said to do what indeed their Father did But if this be not in their Power though they approve of what he did they cannot be said to have done it But in Covenants the Case is plain Men may enter into a mutual Covenant for the Erection of a Government among them which proving a Foundation of all their Civil Rights for the Future their Posterity may be said to have made that Covenant and to be Obliged thereby as it was in this Case 5. Neither will it advantage his pretence with a seeming acknowledgment of some Impropriety in his Assertion in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I may so say For although it should be granted that he intends some impropriety in the Expression yet there must be Truth in his Assertion which this Interpretation will not allow For if it be true only in the sence he contends for it is true in none at all for that is not any But the meaning of these words is ut verbo dicam that I may give you a Summary of the whole that which my Argument riseth up unto 6. Having given us this crooked Rule he adds a Limitation unto it whereby he hopes to reduce the whole to his Purpose For saith he this Rule is not to be extended unto the Merits or Sins of Parents and Ancestors though some loss may accrew unto the Children thereby for thence he infers that though we may suffer some loss by the Sin of Adam yet his Sin is not imputed unto us But 1. How far the Children of Flagitious Parents may not only suffer loss but undergo Temporal Punishment also for the Sins of their Parents was shewed before in the Instances of those who perished in their Infancy both by the Flood and in the Conflagration of Sodom 2. The Case between any other Parent and his Posterity is not the same as it was between Adam and us all so that these things are Sophistically jumbled together There is indeed an Analogy between Adam and his Posterity on the one hand and Christ with Believers on the other and never was there nor shall there be the like Relation between any else For these two Individual Persons were appointed of God to be the Heads of the two Covenants and Representatives of the Foederates as unto the Ends of the Covenants Hence the whole Evil of the one and the Good of the other as they were and as far as they were Heads of the Covenants are imputed unto them who derive from them in their respective Covenants But after the first Sin Adam ceased to be an Head unto his Posterity as to the Good or Evil of that Covenant which was now broken and disanulled Neither was he nor any of his Posterity ever after restored or assumed into the same State
and Condition It is therefore highly vain to confound the Consideration of our Concernment in what Adam did as he was the Head of the Covenant with what he afterwards did and other intervenient Progenitors might do All this our Apostle confirms at large Rom. 5. 7. Abraham was taken into a new Administration of the Covenant with new Promises and Seals But he neither was nor could be made the Head and Representative of that Covenant whereinto he was taken otherwise than Typically Hence his Moral Good or Evil could not be reckoned unto his Posterity in Covenant But yet he was made the Head and Spring of the Administration of its outward Priviledges and this so far as his Trust extended was imputed unto his Posterity as in the case of Circumcision Wherefore seeing what he did unto Melchisedec belonged unto the Administration of the Covenant committed unto him Levi is rightly said to have done it in him also And so these things do mutually Illustrate one another But to deny that we were all in Adam as the Head of the first Covenant that we sinned in him that the Sin which we in any sence have sinned is imputed unto us is not to dispute with us but expressely to contradict the Holy Ghost But we may take some Observations from these words As 1. They who receive Tithes of others for their work in Holy Administrations are thereby proved to be Superiour unto them of whom they do receive them They are given unto them among other Ends as an acknowledgment of their Dignity So it was when they were paid of Old by Gods Institution and so it would be still if they might be paid or received in a due manner with respect unto the Labour of any in Gospel Administrations But whereas not one among thousands doth give or pay them on any other Ground but because they must do so whether they will or no nor would do so any more were it not for the coercive enforcing Power of Humane Laws If they on the other side that do receive them do look on them not as a free Pledge of the Peoples Respect and the Honour that they bear unto them but as their own Right and due by Law they are a Testimony neither of the Peoples Obedience nor of the Ministers Dignity but only of the extream Disorder of all things in Religion 2. It is of great Concernment unto us what Covenant we do belong unto as being esteemed to do therein what is done by our Representatives in our Name There were never absolutely any more than two Covenants Wherein all Persons indefinitely are concerned The first was the Covenant of Works made with Adam and with all in him And what he did as the Head of that Covenant as our Representative therein is imputed unto us as if we had done it Rom. 5. 12. The other is that of Grace made Originally with Christ and through him with all the Elect. And here lieth the life and hope of our Souls That what Christ did as the Head of that Covenant as our Representative it is all imputed unto us for Righteousness and Salvation And certainly there is nothing of more Importance unto us than to know whether of these Covenants we belong unto we are also some way concerned in them by whom that one or the other of these Covenant-states is conveyed unto us For before we make our own Personal voluntary Choice we are by the Law of our Natures and of the Covenant it self inclosed in the same Condition with our Progenitors as to their Covenant-state And thence it is that in the severest Temporal Judgments Children not Guilty of the actual Transgression of their Parents not having sinned after the similitude of them by imitation do yet oft-times partake of the Punishment they have deserved being esteemed in some manner to have done what they did so far as they were included in the same Covenant with them And many Blessing on the other hand are they partakers of who are included in the Covenant of those Parents who are Interested in the Covenant of Grace For such Parents succeed in the room of Abraham every one of them And what Abraham did as to the Administration of the Covenant intrusted with him his Posterity whose Representative he was therein are said to have done in him as Levi is in this place and therefore had the Seal of the Covenant given unto them in their Infancy And an Alteration in this Dispensation of Grace hath not yet been proved by any or scarce attempted so to be VER 11. IN this Verse after so long a Preparation and Introduction whereby he cleared his way from Objections and secured his future Building the Apostle enters on his Principal Argument concerning the Priesthood of Christ and all the Consequences of it with respect unto Righteousness Salvation and the Worship of God which depend thereon This being his main Design he would not engage into it before he had in every respect declared and vindicated the Dignity and Glory of the Person of Christ as vested with his Blessed Offices And from hence unto the didactical part of the Epistle he proceeds in a Retrograde Order unto what he had before insisted on For whereas he had first declared the Glory of the Person of Christ in his Kingly Office Chap. 1. then in his Prophetical Chap. 2 3. And having now entred on his Sacerdotal he goes on to enlarge upon this last Function then he returns unto his Prophetical and shuts up the whole with a renewed mention of his Kingly Power as we shall see in their Order and proper places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consummatio perfectio A Sacred Perfection or compleatness of State and Condition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the Hand of the Priesthood of Levi himself Because Levi himself received not the Priesthood in his own Person but his Posterity Tremellius renders it Levitarum the Priesthood of Levites The Original leaves no scruple By the Levitical Priesthood The Priesthood that was confined to the House Family Tribe and Posterity of Levi. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M. S. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corruptly Nam sub hoc populo sancita est Lex Beza For under it the Law was established to the People Sub ipso populus legem accepit acceperat Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom or whereby the Law was imposed upon the People if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by whom relate unto Levi the sence is mistaken and much more by the Arab. who takes the Law only for the Law of the Sacerdotal Office from which it is plainly distinguished The Aethiopick reads the whole Verse to this purpose And the People did according to the Law of the Priesthood which was appointed what need was there therefore that he should give another Priest whose appointment one should say was according to Melchisedec which Argues the great unskilfulness of
whether the Expiation of Sin be here intended what is the Nature of that Expiation and what was the Use of the Sacrifices under the Law All which on this Occasion are spoken unto and the mind of the Holy Ghost in them all perverted For 1. That Expiation of Sin properly so called by an Act of the Priestly Office towards God is not here intended hath been before declared both from the signification of the word and the Design of the Apostle What these Men intend by the Expiation of Sin and how remote it is from that which the Scripture teacheth and the Nature of the thing it self requireth in the Reason and common Understanding of all Mankind I have fully evinced in the Exercitations about the Priesthood of Christ. And take Expiation in the sence of the Scripture with the common sence and usage of Mankind and in their Judgment it was by the Levitical Priesthood and was not by the Priesthood of Christ. For it cannot be denied but that the Levitical Priests acted towards God in their Offering of Sacrifices to make Attonement for Sin But that the Lord Christ did so is by these Men denyed For that which under this Name they ascribe unto him is onely the taking away of Punishment due unto sin by his Power which Power was given him of God upon his Ascention or Entrance into Heaven as the Holy place 2. They deny that Expiation was by the Levitical Priesthood on two grounds 1. Because they did Expiate only some lesser Sins as of Ignorance and Infirmity and so it cannot be said to be by them because they were only some few sins that they could Expiate 2. Because their Expiation concerned only deliverance from Temporal Punishment That Expiation in the Scripture-sence could not be really effected by the Levitical Priesthood is granted and shall afterwards be proved But both these pretended Reasons of it are false For 1. There was an Attonement made in general for all the sins of the People For when Aaron made an Attonement by the Scape Goat Lev. 16. 10. he Confessed over him all the Iniquities of the Children of Israel and all their Transgression in all their Sin ver 21. And herein the Greatest as well as the Least of their Sins were comprised For although there were some sins which being Capital according unto the Constitutions of their Common-wealth in which respect there was no Sacrifice appointed in particular whereby they who were guilty of them might be freed from Punishment that the Ordinances of God might not seem to interfere yet had they by their Interest in the more general Sacrifices a Right unto Expiation of Sin as to its Guilt for otherwise every one who died poenally must of necessity die eternally 2. It is also false that their Sacrifices had no other Use but to free Men from Temporal Punishments Indeed it is a wild apprehension that the Use of Sacrifices in the Church of old to be observed by the People with so great Solemnities and under so great Penalties wherein the Principal Actings of Faith did consist as also the great Exercise of the Spiritual Obedience of the whole Church should serve only to free Men from Legal Outward Civil Temporal punishments for lesser sins of Ignorance and Infirmity which were none at all for the most part Absolutely indeed and of themselves by virtue of their own worth or by their own innate efficacy they neither did nor could Expiate sin as to its Guilt and Eternal Punishment which attended all sin by the Curse of the Law nor did God ever appoint them for that end yet they did it Relatively and Typically that is they Represented and exhibited unto the Faith of the Sacrificers that true Effectual Sacrifice to come whereby all their sins were pardoned and done away Wherefore 3. The Difference between the Expiation of sin by the Levitical Priesthood and by Christ did not consist in this that the one expiated sin only with respect unto Temporal punishments the other with respect unto them that are Eternal but in the manner of their Expiation and the Efficacy of each to that end They Expiated sins only Typi ally Doctrinally and by way of Representation the Benefit received from their Sacrifices being not contained in them nor wrought by their causality nor procured by their worth or value but were exhibited unto the Faith of the Sacrificers by virtue of their Relation unto the Sacrifice of Christ. Hence were they of many sorts and often repeated which sufficiently Argues that they did not effect what they did represent But the Lord Christ by the one Offering of himself wrought this effect really perfectly and absolutely by its own value and Efficacy according unto the Constitution of God But this is not the Perfection here intended by the Apostle Secondly This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respects the Church which is the Subject of all the Benefits of the Priesthood and it is that perfect state of the Church in this World which God from the beginning designed unto it He entred upon its Erection in the first Promise with respect unto his Worship and the blessed Condition of the Church it self Hereon and with respect hereunto is the Church-state of the Old Testament said to be weak and imperfect like that of a Child under Governours and Tutors Hence also it had a Yoak imposed on it causing fear and bondage God having Ordained better things for us or the Church under the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. 40 That they without us should not be consummate or made perfect in their Church-state And this state of the Church is expressed by this word in other places as we shall see The Foundation of it was laid in that word of our Saviour wherewith he gave up the Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 19. 30. It is finished or compleated that is all things belonging unto that great Sacrifice whereby the Church was to be perfected were accomplished For he had respect unto all that the Prophets had fore-told all that he was to do in this World and the consummation of the Church was to ensue thereon when by one Offering he for ever perfected them that are Sanctified And those who were throughly instructed in the Priviledges of this Church-state and had a sense of the Benefits thereof are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. We speak Wisdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mysteries of the Gospel wherein such Persons discerned the Wisdom of God And so are they called Heb. 5. 14. This our Saviour Prayed for in the behalf of his Church immediately before he procured it by his Sacrifice John 17. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may be perfected And the End of the Institution of the Ministry of the Gospel to make his Mediation effectual unto the Souls of Men by the Application of it in the Word unto them was to bring the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 4. 13.
off is the expression of this state of nature Ephes. 2. 13. You were sometimes afar off And whatever accompanieth that state in wrath and curse upon men in fear bondage the power of sin and enmity against God within them in obnoxiousness unto misery in this world and eternal Destruction hereafter is comprized in that expression It is to be far from the Love and Favour of God from the knowledge of him and obedience unto him Wherefore our drawing nigh unto God denotes our delivery and recovery from this estate So it is expressed in the place named But now in Christ Jesus ye who were sometimes afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. To represent this all the Acts of solemn worship which respected the Sacrifice of Christ were called Approximations And hereunto unto this drawing nigh to God or that we may so do two things are required 1. A Removal of whatever kept us at a Distance from God And the things of this nature were of two sorts 1. What was upon us from God for our sin and Apostacy This was his wrath and curse And these were declared in the publishing of the Law on mount Sinai with the terrible appearances and dreadful voices that accompanied This made the People stand afar off Exod. 20. 21 as an Emblem of their condition with respect unto the Law 2 Guilt within with its consequences of fear shame and Alienation from the life of God Unless these things of the one sort and the other those upon us and those within us be taken away and removed we can never draw nigh unto God And to secure our Distance they were enrolled in an hand-writing as a Record against us that we should never on our own account so much as endeavour any Access unto him Ephes. 2. 14. Col. 2. 14. How they were removed by the bringing in of the better Hope that is by the Priesthood of Christ the Apostle declares in this Epistle as we shall see God willing in our Progress This neither was nor could be done by the Law or its Ordinances neither the Moral preceptive part of it nor the Ceremonial in all its Rites and Sacrifices could of themselves expiate sins make Attonement for our Apostacy turn away the wrath of God nor take away Guilt fear bondage and Alienation out of the minds of men 2. There is moreover required hereunto that upon the Justification and Acceptation of our Persons we have Faith Liberty Boldness Confidence and Assurance given unto us in our coming unto God And this cannot be without the Renovation of our natures into his Image the quickning of our souls with a new Principle of Spiritual life and Ability unto all Duties of acceptable Obedience All these things are required unto our drawing nigh unto God or unto a state of Reconciliation Peace and Communion with him And we may observe 1. Out of Christ or without him all Mankind are at an unconceivable Distance from God And a Distance it is of the worst kind even that which is an effect of mutual Enmity The cause of it was on our part voluntary and the effect of it the height of misery And however any may flatter and deceive themselves it is the present condition of all who have not an Interest in Christ by Faith They are far off from God as he is the Fountain of all Goodness and Blessedness inhabiting as the Prophet speaks the parched places of the wilderness and shall not see when Good cometh Jerem. 17. 6. far from the dews and showers of grace or mercy far from divine love and favour cast out of the bounds of them as Adam our of Paradise without any hope or power in themselves to return The flaming sword of the Law turns every way to keep them from the Tree of Life Yet are they not so far from God but they are under his wrath and curse and whatever of misery is contained in them Let them fly whither they please wish for Mountains and Rocks to fall on them as they will do hereafter hide themselves in the Darkness and Shades of their own Ignorance like Adam among the Trees of the Garden or immerge themselves in the pleasures of sin for a season all is one the wrath of God abideth on them And they are far from God in their own minds also being alienated from him Enemies against him and in all things made up with Sathan the Head of the Apostacy Thus is it and unconceivably worse with all that embrace not this better Hope to bring them nigh unto God 2. It is an effect of infinite condescension and Grace that God would appoint a way of Recovery for those who had willfully cast themselves into this wofull Distance from him Why should God look after such Fugitives any more He had no need of us or our services in our best condition much less in that useless depraved state whereinto we had brought our selves And although we had transgressed the Rule of our moral dependance on him in the way of obedience and thereby done what we could to stain and eclipse his Glory yet he knew how to repair it unto Advantage by reducing us under the order of Punishment By our sins we our selves come short of the Glory of God but he could lose none by us whilst it was absolutely secured by the Penalty annexed unto the Law When upon the entrance of sin he came and found Adam in the bushes wherein he thought foolishly to hide himself who could expect Adam did not but that his only design was to apprehend the poor rebellious Fugitive and give him up to condign Punishment But quite otherwise above all thoughts that could ever have entred into the Hearts of Angels or men after he had declared the nature of the Apostacy and his own indignation against it he proposeth and promiseth a way of Deliverance and Recovery This is that which the Scripture so magnifies under the names of Grace and Love of God which are beyond expression or conception Joh. 3. 16. And it hath also that lustre frequently put upon it that he dealt not so with the Angels that sinned which manifests what condition he might have left us in also and how infinitely free and Soveraign that Grace was from whence it was otherwise Thence it was that he had a desire again unto the works of his hands to bring poor mankind near unto him And whereas he might have recalled us unto himself yet so as to leave some marks of his displeasure upon us to keep us at a greater Distance from him than that we stood at before as David brought back his wicked Absalom to Jerusalem but would not suffer him to come into his Presence He chose to act like himself in infinite wisdom and grace to bring us yet nearer unto him than ever we could have approached by the Law of our Creation And as the Foundation means and Pledge hereof he contrived and brought forth that most glorious and
could not subsist one moment For hereon depends 1. All saving Light to understand the word of God or spiritual things in a spiritual manner wherein he continueth the exercise of his Prophetical Office 2. All Habitual Grace whereby the souls of the Elect are quickned and regenerated 3 All supplyes of actual Grace which the whole Church hath from him every moment and without which it could yield no Obedience unto God 4. All spiritual Gifts the sole foundation and means of the Churches edification and without which it can have no real benefit by any Gospel Ordinances or Administrations 5. All Comfort and all Consolation which in all variety of occurrences the Church doth stand in need of which things I have elsewhere spoken unto at large 2. His Actings by vertue of his Mediatory Life for the Church in the world are also various wherein he exerciseth his Kingly Power that Power which is given unto him as he is Head over all things unto the Church Ephes. 1. 22. Hence is the whole preservation of the Church in this world by glorious effects of divine wisdom and power Hence doth proceed the present controuls that are given unto its Adversaries and hence will proceed their future Destruction for he must raign until all his Enemies be made his footstool In the exercise of this Life wherein the Keys of Hell and Death are committed unto him doth he put forth his Mighty power over the World Sathan Death the Grave and Hell for the Eternal security and Salvation of the Church Did he not live this Life for us in Heaven neither the whole Church nor any one member of it could be preserved one moment from utter ruine But hereby are all their adversaries continually disappointed 3. By vertue of this Life he Acts with God on the behalf of the Church And the only way whereby he doth this in the Discharge of his Priestly Office is expressed here in the Text He lives for ever to make intercession for them Now this expression containing the whole of what the Lord Christ as the High Priest of the Church doth now with God for them and whereon the certainty of our Salvadoth depend it must with some diligence be enquired into Expositors especially those of the Roman Church enquire with many Disputes into the External form of the Intercession of Christ as namely whether it be oral and vocal or no. And they produce many Testimonies out of the Antients upon the one side and the other And great weight is laid by some on the Difference and Determination of it For whereas Ribera grants that the Dispute is more about words and the manner of Expression than the matter it self Tena affirms that what he says is most false And it is evident that the Testimonies produced by themselves out of the Antients as Chrysostome Theophylact Ambrose Austin and so to Ruperuâ—s and Thomas are expresly contradictory to one another Now although our principal concernment lyeth in the internal form and efficacy of the Intercession of our High Priest rather than in the outward manner of it yet so far as that also is revealed we may enquire into it And we shall find that the true stating of it tends unto the encouragement and establishment of our Faith And the things ensuing may be observed unto this purpose 1. The Socinian Figment about the Nature of the Intercession of Christ is of no consideration For by a strange violence offered unto the nature of things and the signification of words they contend that this Intercession is nothing but the Power of Christ to communicate actually all good things the whole effect of his Mediation unto Believers That Christ hath such a Power is no way questioned But that this Power in the exercise of it is his Intercession is a most fond Imagination That which casts them on this absurd conception of things is their hatred of the Priestly Office of Christ as exercised towards God on our behalf But I have elsewhere sufficiently disputed against this fiction 2. The Intercession of Christ was under the Old Testament Typed out three ways 1. By the Living fire that was continually on the Altar Herewith were all sacrifices to be kindled and burned which thence were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Firings But this principally Typified his Prayers when he offered himself unto God through the Eternal Spirit which he did with strong cryes and Supplications or Intercessions Heb. 5. 7. Hereby and the Actings of the Eternal Spirit therein he kindled and fired in himself a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God Eph. 5. 2. 2. By the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or dayly sacrifice of morning and evening for the whole People See the Institution of it Exod. 29. ver 38 39 40 41 42. For although that sacrifice had in it the nature of an expiatory Oblation because it was by blood yet the principal end of it was to make continual Application of the great solemn annual expiation unto the Consciences of the People 3. By the Incense that was burned in the Sanctuary And this was of two sorts 1. That wherewith the High Priest entred once a year into the most holy place on the Day of Expiation For he might not enter in yea he was to dye if he did unless in his entrance he filled the place and covered the Ark and Mercy-Seat with a cloud of Incense Levit. 16. 12 13. Which Incense was to be fired with burning coals from the Altar of burnt-offerings So did our High Priest He filled Heaven at his entrance with the sweet savour of his Intercession kindled with the Coals of that Eternal Fire wherewith he offered himself unto God 2. The Incense that was burned every day in the Sanctuary by the Priests in their courses This represented Prayer Psal. 141. 2. and was always accompanied with it Luke 1. 9 10. This also was a Type of the continual efficacy of the Intercession of Christ Revel 8. 4. But this was the most solemn representation of it In that anniversary Sacrifice whereof we must treat afterwards at large there was Attonement made for all the Sins and Transgressions of the People Levit. 16. 21. And it was consummated by carrying some of the Blood as a representation of it into the most holy place sprinkling it before the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy-Seat This was done but once in the year To keep this in Remembrance and to make Application of the Benefits of it unto the Consciences of the Worshippers the dayly sacrifice was appointed So doth the intercession of Christ make continual Application of his great sacrifice and Attonement whence it derives its efficacy And as the Fire on the Altar kindled all the renewed sacrifices which were to be repeated and multiplyed because of their weakness and imperfection so doth the Intercession of Christ make effectual the one perfect sacrifice which he offered once for all in the varions applications of it unto the Consciences
the plural number and that was but one yet because of the Repetition of it it being offered year by year continually as he speaks Chap. 10. 1. it may be signifyed hereby And those sacrifices were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in answer unto them our Lord Jesus Christ offered himself a sacrifice for sin And this is expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for sin only without the mention of sacrifice Rom. 8. 3 For because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both the sin and the sacrifice for it as the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in one conjugation to sin and in another to expiate sin the sacrifices it self is expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For sin 6. The order of these sacrifices is expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first and then First for his own sins and then for those of the People Either the whole Discharge of the office of the High Priests may be intended in this order or that which was peculiar unto the Feast of Expiation For he was in general to take care in the first place about offering for his own sins according to the Law Levit. 4 For if that were not done in due order if their own legal Guilt were not expiated in its proper season according to the Law they were no way meet to offer for the sins of the Congregation yea they exposed themselves unto the penalty of Excision And this order was necessary seeing the Law appointed men to be Priests who had infirmities of their own as is expressed in the next verse Or the order intended may respect in an especial manner the form and process prescribed in the solemn Anniversary sacrifice at the least of Expiation Levit. 16. First he was to offer a Sin-offering for himself and his house and then for the People both on the same day 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his own sins And this upon a double Account First because he was really a sinner as the rest of the People were If he do sin according to the sin of the People Levit. 4. 3. Secondly That upon the expiation of his own sins in the first place he might be the more meet to represent him who had no sin And therefore he was not to offer for himself in the offering that he made for the People but stood therein as a sinless Person as our High Priest was really to be 2. For the sins of the People 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for the whole congregation of Israel according to the Law Levit. 16. 21. This was the Duty the order and method of the High Priests of old in their offerings and sacred services This their weaknesses Infirmities and Sins as also the Sacrifices which they offered did require All that could be learned from it was that some more excellent Priest and Sacrifice was to be introduced For no Perfection no Consummation in divine Favour no settled Peace of Conscience could in this way be obtained all things openly declared that so they could not be And hence have we an Evidence of what is affirmed Joh. 1. 17. The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. And the Priviledge or Advancement of the Church in its Deliverance from those various multiplyed obscure means of Instruction into the glorious light of the way and causes of our Adoption Justification and Salvation is inexpressibly great and full of Grace No longer are we now obliged unto a rigid observance of those things which did not effect what they did represent An encrease in thankfulness fruitfulness and holiness cannot but be expected from us These are the things that are here denied of our High Priest He had no need to offer Sacrifice in this way order and method The offering of Sacrifice is not denied that is Sacrifice for the sins of the People yea it is positively asserted in the next words but that he offered dayly many sacrifices or any for himself or had need so to do this is denied by the Apostle That alone which he did is asserted in the remaining words of the verse For this he did once when he offered himself And two things are in the words 1 What he did in general 2 In particular how he did it For the first it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 refers only unto one clause of the Antecedent namely offering for the sins of the People This he did once when he offered himself for himself he did not offer But contrary unto the sense of the whole Church of God contrary to the Analogie of Faith and with no small Danger in the expression Socinus first affirmed that the Lord Christ offered also for himself or his own sins And he is followed herein by those of his own Sect as Schlinctingius on this Place and so he is also by Grotius and Hammond which is the Chanel whereby many of his Notions and Conceptions are derived unto us It is true that both he and they do acknowledge that the Lord Christ had no sins of his own properly so called that is Transgressions of the Law but his Infirmities say some of them whereby he was exposed unto Death his sufferings say others are called his sins But nothing can be more abhorrent from Truth and Piety than this Assertion For 1. If this be so then the Apostle expresly in terms affirms that Christ offered for his own sins and that distinctly from the sins of the People And from this Blasphemy we are left to relieve our selves by an Interpretation that the Scripture no where gives countenance unto namely that by sins infirmities or miseries are intended It is true that Infirmity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth sometimes signify sin or obnoxiousness unto sin but sin doth no where signify natural infirmities but moral evils always It is true Christ was made sin but where it is said so it is also added that it was for us and to take off all Apprehensions of any thing in him that might be so called that he knew no sin He was made sin for us when he offered for the sins of the People And other distinct offering for himself he offered none And therefore in sundry places where mention is made of his offering himself it is still observed that he did no sin but was as a Lamb without spot and without blemish Let therefore men put what Interpretation they please on their own words for they are not the words of the Apostle that Christ offered himself for his own sins the language is and must be offensive unto every Holy Heart and hath an open appearance of express contradiction unto many other Testimonies of the Scripture 2 The sole Reason pretended to give countenance unto this absurd Assertion is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This must answer to the whole preceding proposition which is its Antecedent Now therein is mention of the
Obedience and Reward that was between God and him was not expresly called a Covenant but it contained the express nature of a Covenant For it was the agreement of God and Man concerning Obedience and Disobedience Rewards and Punishments Where there is a Law concerning these things and an agreement upon it by all Parties concerned there is a formal Covenant Wherefore it may be considered two ways 1 As it was a Law only so it proceeded from and was a consequent of the nature of God and man with their mutual Relation unto one another God being considered as the Creator Governor and Benefactor of man and man as an intellectual Creature capable of moral Obedience This Law was necessary and is eternally indispensible 2 As it was a Covenant and this depended on the will and pleasure of God I will not dispute whether God might have given a Law unto men that should have had nothing in it of a Covenant properly so called as is the Law of Creation unto all other Creatures which hath no Rewards nor Punishments annexed unto it Yet this God calls a Covenant also inasmuch as it is an effect of his purpose his unalterable will and pleasure Jer. 33. 20 21. But that this Law of our Obedience should be a formal compleat Covenant there was moreover some things required on the part of God and some also on the part of man Two things were required on the part of God to compleat this Covenant or he did so compleat it by two things First By annexing unto it Promises and Threatnings of Reward and Punishment the first of Grace the other of Justice Secondly The expression of these Promises and Threatnings in external signs the first in the Tree of Life the latter in that of the knowledge of good and evil By these did God establish the original Law of Creation as a Covenant gave it the nature of a Covenant On the part of man it was required that he accept of this Law as the Rule of the Covenant which God made with him And this he did two ways 1 By the innate Principles of Light and Obedience concreated with his Nature By these he absolutely and universally assented unto the Law as proposed with Promises and Threatnings as good holy just what was meet for God to require what was equal and good unto himself 2 By his acceptance of the Commands concerning the Tree of Life and that of the knowledge of good and evil as the signs and pledges of this Covenant So was it established as a Covenant between God and man without the interposition of any Mediator This is the Covenant of Works absolutely the old or first Covenant that God made with men But this is not the Covenant here intended For 1. The Covenant called afterwards the first was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Testament So it is here called It was such a Covenant as was a Testament also Now there can be no Testament but there must be death for the confirmation of it Chap. 9. 16. But in the making of the Covenant with Adam there was not the death of any thing whence it might be called a Testament But there was the death of Beasts in Sacrifice in the confirmation of the Covenant at Sinai as we shall see afterwards And it must be observed that although I use the name of a Covenant as we have rendred the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the true signification of that word will more properly occur unto us in another place yet I do not understand thereby a Covenant properly and strictly so called but such an one as hath the nature of a Testament also wherein the good things of him that makes it are bequeathed unto them for whom they are designed Neither the word used constantly by the Apostle in this Argument nor the design of his Discourse will admit of any other Covenant to be understood in this place Whereas therefore the first Covenant made with Adam was in no sense a Testament also it cannot be here intended 2. That first Covenant made with Adam was as unto any benefit to be expected from it with respect unto acceptation with God Life and Salvation ceased long before even at the entrance of sin It was not abolished or abrogated by any Act of God as a Law but only was made weak and insufficient unto its first end as a Covenant God had provided a way for the salvation of sinners declared in the first Promise When this is actually embraced that first Covenant ceaseth towards them as unto its Curse all its Concerns as a Covenant and obligation unto sinless obedience as the condition of life because both of them are answered by the Mediator of the New Covenant But as unto all those who receive not the grace tendered in the Promise it doth remain in full force and efficacy not as a Covenant but as a Law and that because neither the Obedience it requires nor the Curse which it threatens are answered Thence if any man believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him For its Commands and Curse depending on the necessary relation between God and man with the Righteousness of God as the Supreme Governor of Mankind they must be answered and fulfilled Wherefore it was never abrogated formally But as all Unbelievers are still obliged by it and unto it must stand or fall so it is perfectly fulfilled in all Believers not in their own persons but in the person of their Surety God sending forth his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemning sin in the flesh that the righieousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 3 4. But as a Covenant obliging unto personal perfect sinless Obedience as the condition of Life to be performed by themselves so it ceased to be long before that Introduction of the New Covenant which the Apostle speaks of that was promised in the latter days But the other Covenant here spoken of was not removed or taken away until this New Covenant was actually established 3. The Church of Israel was never absolutely under the power of that Covenant as a Covenant of Life For from the days of Abraham the Promise was given unto them and their Seed And the Apostle proves that no Law could afterwards be given or Covenant made that should disannul that Promise Gal. 3. 17. But had they been brought under the Old Covenant of Works it would have disannulled the Promise For that Covenant and the Promise are diametrically opposite And moreover if they were under that Covenant they were all under the Curse and so perished eternally which is openly false For it is testified of them that they pleased God by Faith and so were saved But it is evident that the Covenant intended was a Covenant wherein the Church of Israel walked with God until such time as this better Covenant was solemnly introduced This is plainly declared in the ensuing Context especially in the close of the Chapter where
if it did neither abrogate the first Covenant of Works and come in the room thereof nor disannul the Promise made unto Abraham then unto what end did it serve or what benefit did the Church receive thereby I answer 1. There hath been with respect unto Gods dealing with the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certain dispensation and disposition of times and seasons reserved unto the sovereign will and pleasure of God Hence from the beginning he revealed himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as seemed good unto him Chap. 1. 1. And this Dispensation of times had a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fulness assigned unto it wherein all things namely that belong unto the Revelation and Communication of God unto the Church should come to their height and have as it were the last hand given unto them This was in the sending of Christ as the Apostle declares Eph. 1. 10. That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might bring all unto an Head in Christ. Until this season came God dealt variously with the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in manifold or various wisdom according as he saw it needful and useful for it in that season which it was to pass through before the fulness of times came Of this nature was his entrance into the Covenant with the Church at Sinai the Reasons whereof we shall immediately inquire into In the mean time if we had no other Answer to this Enquiry but only this that in the order of the disposal or dispensation of the seasons of the Church before the fulness of times came God in his manifold wisdom saw it necessary for the then present state of the Church in that season we may well acquiesce therein But 2. The Apostle acquaints us in general with the ends of this dispensation of God Gal. 3. 19 20 21 22 23 24. Wherefore then serveth the Law it was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the Promise was made and it was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator Now a Mediator is not of one but God is one Is the Law then against the Promises of God God forbid for if there had been a Law given which could have given Life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe But before Faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed Wherefore the Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith Much light might be given unto the mind of the Holy Ghost in these words and that in things not commonly discerned by Expositors if we should divert unto the opening of them I will at present only mark from them what is unto our present purpose There is a double Enquiry made by the Apostle with respect unto the Law or the Covenant of Sinai 1 Unto what end in general it served 2 Whether it were not contrary to the Promise of God Unto both these the Apostle answereth from the Nature Office and Work of that Covenant For there were as hath been declared two things in it First A Revival and Representation of the first Covenant of Works with its Sanction and Curse Secondly A direction of the Church unto the Accomplishment of the Promise From these two doth the Apostle frame his Answer unto the double Enquiry laid down And unto the first Enquiry Unto what end it served he answers it was added because of transgressions The Promise being given there seems to have been no need of it why then was it added to it at that season it was added because of transgressions The fulness of time was not yet come wherein the Promise was to be fulfilled accomplished and established as the onely Covenant wherein the Church was to walk with God or the Seed was not yet come as the Apostle here speaks to whom the Promise was made In the mean time some order must be taken about sin and transgression that all the order of things appointed of God were not overflowed by them And this was done two ways by the Law 1 By reviving the Commands of the Covenant of Works with the sanction of Death it put an awe on the minds of men and set bounds unto their lusts that they should not dare to run forth into that excess which they were naturally inclined unto It was therefore added because of transgressions that in the declaration of Gods severity against them some Bounds might be fixed unto them for the knowledge of Sin is by the Law 2 To shut up Unbelievers and such as would not seek for Righteousness Life and Salvation by the Promise under the Power of the Covenant of Works and Curse attending it It concluded or shut up all under sin saith the Apostle ver 20. This was the end of the Law for this end was it added as it gave a revival unto the Covenant of Works Unto the second Enquiry which ariseth out of this Supposition namely That the Law did convince of sin and condemn for sin which is whether it be not then contrary to the grace of God The Apostle in like manner returns a double Answer taken from the second use of the Law before insisted on with respect unto the Promise And First He says that although the Law doth thus rebuke sin convince of sin and condemn for sin so setting bounds unto Transgressions and Transgressors yet did God never intend it as a means to give Life and Righteousness nor was it able so to do The end of the Promise was to give Righteousness Justification and Salvation all by Christ to whom and concerning whom it was made But this was not the end for which the Law was revived in the Covenant of Sinai For although in itself it requires a perfect Righteousness and gives a Promise of Life thereon He that doth these things he shall live in them yet it could give neither Righteousness nor Life unto any in the state of sin see Rom. 8. 3. Chap. 10. 4. Wherefore the Promise and the Law having divers ends they are not contrary to one another Secondly Saith he The Law had a great respect unto the Promise and was given of God for this very end that it might lead and direct men unto Christ which is sufficient to answer the Question proposed at the beginning of this Discourse about the ends of this Covenant and the advantage which the Church received thereby What hath been spoken may suffice to declare the Nature of this Covenant in general and two things do here evidently follow wherein the substance of the whole Truth contended for by the Apostle doth consist 1. That whil'st the Covenant of Grace was contained and proposed only in the Promise before it was solemnly confirmed in the Blood and Sacrifice of Christ and
first Covenant was Moses It was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator Gal. 3. 19. And this was no other but Moses who was a Servant in the House of God Hebr. 3. 6. And he was a Mediator as designed of God so chosen of the people in that dread and consternation which befell them upon the terrible promulgation of the Law For they saw that they could no way bear the immediate presence of God nor treat with him in their own persons Wherefore they desired that there might be an Internuntius a Mediator between God and them and that Moses might be the person Deut. 5. 25 26 27. But the Mediator of the New Covenant is the Son of God himself For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all 1 Tim. 2. 4 5. He who is the Son and the Lord over his own House graciously undertook in his own Person to be the Mediator of this Covenant and herein it is unspeakably preferred before the Old Covenant 5. They differ in their subject matter both as unto Precepts and Promises the advantage being still on the part of the New Covenant For 1 The Old Covenant in the preceptive part of it renewed the Command of the Covenant of Works and that on their original terms Sin it forbad that is all and every sin in matter and manner on the pain of death and gave the promise of life unto perfect sinless obedience only Whence the Decalogue itself which is a Transcript of the Law of Works is called the Covenant Exod. 34. 28. And besides this as we observed before it had other Precepts innumerable accommodated unto the present condition of the People and imposed on them with rigor But in the New Covenant the very first thing that is proposed is the accomplishment and establishment of the Covenant of Works both as unto its Commands and Sanction in the obedience and suffering of the Mediator Hereon the Commands of it as unto the obedience of the Covenanters are not grievous the yoke of Christ being easie and his burden light 2. The Old Testament absolutely considered had 1 No promise of grace to communicate spiritual strength or to assist us in obedience nor 2 Any of eternal life no otherwise but as it was contained in the promise of the Covenant of Works The man that doth these things shall live in them and 3 Had promises of temporal things in the Land of Canaan inseparable from it In the New Covenant all things are otherwise as will be declared in the Exposition of the ensuing Verses 6. They differ and that principally in the manner of their Dedication and Sanction This is that which gives any thing the formal nature of a Covenant or Testament There may be a Promise there may be an Agreement in general which hath not the formal nature of a Covenant or Testament and such was the Covenant of Grace before the death of Christ. But it is the solemnity and manner of the Confirmation Dedication and Sanction of any Promise or Agreement that gives it the formal nature of a Covenant or Testament And this is by a Sacrifice wherein there is both Bloodshedding and Death ensuing thereon Now this in the confirmation of the Old Covenant was only the Sacrifice of Beasts whose blood was sprinkled on all the People Exod. 24. 5 6 7 8 9. But the New Testament was solemnly confirmed by the Sacrifice and Blood of Christ himself Zech. 9. 11. Hebr. 10. 29. Chap. 13. 20. And the Lord Christ dying as the Mediator and Surety of the Covenant he purchased all good things for the Church and as a Testator bequeathed them unto it Hence he says of the Sacramental Cup that it is the New Testament in his Blood or the Pledge of his bequeathing unto the Church all the Promises and Mercies of the Covenant which is the New Testament or the disposition of his Goods unto his Children But because the Apostle expresly handleth this difference between these two Covenants Chap. 9. v. 18 19. we must thither refer the full consideration of it 7. They differ in the Priests that were to officiate before God in the behalf of the People In the Old Covenant Aaron and his Posterity alone were to discharge that Office in the New the Son of God himself is the only Priest of the Church This difference with the advantage of the Gospel state thereon we have handled at large in the Exposition of the Chapter foregoing 8. They differ in the Sacrifices whereon the Peace and Reconciliation with God which is tendred in them doth depend And this also must be spoken unto in the ensuing Chapter if God permit 9. They differ in the way and manner of their solemn writing or enrollment All Covenants were of old solemnly written in Tables of Brass or Stone where they might be faithfully preserved for the use of the Parties concerned So the Old Covenant as to the principal fundamental part of it was engraven in Tables of Stone which were kept in the Ark Exod. 31. 18. Deut. 9. 10. 2 Cor. 3. 7. And God did so order it in his Providence that the first draught of them should be broken to intimate that the Covenant contained in them was not everlasting nor unalterable But the New Covenant is written in the fleshly Tables of the hearts of them that do believe 2 Cor. 3. 3. Jer. 31. 33. 10. They differ in their ends The principal end of the first Covenant was to discover sin to condemn it and to set Bounds unto it So saith the Apostle It was added because of transgressions And this it did several ways 1 By Conviction for the knowledge of sin is by the Law it convinced sinners and caused every mouth to be stopped before God 2 By condemning the Sinner in an application of the Sanction of the Law unto his Conscience 3 By the judgments and punishments wherewith on all occasions it was accompanied In all it manifested and represented the justice and severity of God The end of the New Covenant is to declare the love grace and mercy of God and therewith to give Repentance Remission of Sin and Life Eternal 11. They differed in their effects For the first Covenant being the ministration of death and condemnation it brought the minds and spirits of them that were under it into servitude and bondage whereas spiritual liberty is the immediate effect of the New Testament And there is no one thing wherein the Spirit of God doth more frequently give us an account of the difference between these two Covenants than this of the liberty of the one and the bondage of the other see Rom. 8. 15. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Gal. 4. 1 2 3 4 24 25 30 31. Heb. 2. 14 15. This therefore we must a little explain Wherefore the bondage which was the effect of the Old Covenant arose from several causes concurring unto the effecting of it 1.
be partaker of it In the Promise itself we may consider 1 Who it is made unto 2 What it is that is promised The first is expressed in the Pronoun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their three times repeated All those absolutely and only those with whom God makes this Covenant are intended Those whose sins are not pardoned do in no sense partake of this Covenant it is not made with them For this is the Covenant that God makes with them that he will be merciful unto their sins that is unto them in the pardon of them Some speak of an universal conditional Covenant made with all Mankind If there be any such thing it is not that here intended For they are all actually pardoned with whom this Covenant is made And the indefinite declaration of the nature and terms of the Covenant is not the making of a Covenant with any And what should be the condition of this grace here promised of the pardon of sin It is say they that men repent and believe and turn to God and yield obedience unto the Gospel If so then men must do all these things before they receive the remission of sins yes Then must they do them whilest they are under the Law and the curse of it for so are all men whose sins are not pardoned This is to make obedience unto the Law and that to be performed by men whilest under the curse of it to be the condition of Gospel-mercy which is to overthrow both the Law and Gospel But then on the other hand it will follow they say that men are pardoned before they do believe which is expresly contrary unto the Scripture And 1 The communication and donation of faith unto us is an effect of the same grace whereby our sins are pardoned and they are both bestowed on us by virtue of the same Covenant 2 The application of pardoning mercy unto our souls is in order of nature consequent unto believing but in time they go together 3 Faith is not required unto the procuring of the pardon of our sins but unto the receiving of it That they may receive the remission of sins But that which we shall observe from hence is That The New Covenant is made with them alone who effectually and eventually are made partakers of the grace of it This is my Covenant that I will make with them I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness c. Those with whom the Old Covenant was made were all of them actual Partakers of the benefits of it and if they are not so with whom the New is made it comes short of the Old in efficacy and may be utterly frustrate Neither doth the indefinite Proposal of the terms of the Covenant prove that the Covenant is made with them or any who enjoy not the benefits of it Indeed this is the excellency of this Covenant and so it is here declared that it doth effectually communicate all the grace and mercy contained in it unto all and every one with whom it is made whoever it is made withall his sins are pardoned Secondly The subject matter of this Promise is the pardon of sin And that which we have to consider for the exposition of the words is 1 What is meant by sins 2 What by the pardon of them 3 What is the reason of the peculiar expression in this place Sin is spoken of with respect unto its guilt especially so is it the object of mercy and grace Guilt is the desert of punishment or the obligation of the sinner unto punishment by and according unto the sentence of the Law Pardon is the dissolution of that obligation Sin is here expressed by three terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unrighteousness sin and transgression as we render the words In the Prophet there is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is wanting But they are elsewhere all three used where mention is made of the pardon of sin or the causes of it As 1 in the declaration of the Name of God with respect thereunto Exod. 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pardoning iniquity transgression and sin 2 In the confession of sin for the removal of it by the expiatory Sacrifice Lev. 16. 21. Aaron shall confess over him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all their iniquities all their transgressions in all their sins 3 In the expression of the forgiveness of sin in justification Psal. 32. 1 2. Wherefore the Apostle might justly make up the expression and general enumeration of sins here defective in the Prophet seeing it is elsewhere so constantly used to the same purpose and on the like occasion Nor are those terms needlesly multiplied but sundry things we are taught thereby As 1 That those whom God graciously takes into Covenant are many of them antecedently obnoxious unto all sorts of sins 2 That in the grace of the Covenant there is mercy provided for the pardon of them all even of them from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13. 42. And that 3 Therefore none should be discouraged from resting on the faithfulness of God in this Covenant who are invited unto a compliance therewith But there is yet more intended in the use of these words For they do distinctly express all those respects of sin in general by which the Conscience of a sinner is affected burdened and terrified as also whereon the equity of the curse and punishment for sin doth depend The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unrighteousness This is usually taken for sins against the second Table or the transgression of that rule of righteousness amongst men which is given by the Moral Law But here as in many other places it expresseth a general affection of sin with respect unto God A thing unequal and unrighteous it is that man should sin against God his Sovereign Ruler and Benefactor As God is the Supreme Lord and Governor of all as he is our onely Benefactor and Rewarder as all his laws and ways towards us are just and equal the first notion of Righteousness in us is the rendering unto God what is due unto him that is universal Obedience unto all his Commands Righteousness towards man is but a branch springing from this root and where this is not there is no Righteousness amongst men whatever is pretended If we give not unto God the things that are Gods it will not avail us to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars nor unto other men what is their own And this is the first consideration of sin that renders the sinner obnoxious unto punishment and manifests the equity of the sanction of the Law It is an unrighteous thing Herewith the Conscience of the sinner is affected if he be convinced of sin in a due manner The original perfection of his nature consisted in this Righteousness towards God by rendering his due unto him in a way of obedience This is overthrown by sin which is therefore both shameful and ruinous which distresseth
blood of the Sacrifice and offering it by fire on the Altar he plainly declared the imputation of the guilt of their sins unto the Sacrifice its bearing of them and the expiation of their guilt thereby By carrying of the blood into the Holy Place he testified his acceptance of the Atonement made and his reconciliation unto the People And hereon the full remission and pardon of all their sins no more to be had in remembrance was manifested in the sending away of the scape Goat into the wilderness Hence the Jews have a saying that on the day of expiation all Israel was made as innocent as in the daies of creation How all this was accomplished in and by the Sacrifice of Christ must be afterwards declared 4. As to the nature of this service the Apostle tells us that is was not without blood He so expresseth it to shew the impossibility of entring into the Holy Place any otherwise And from hence he takes his ensuing argument of the necessity of the Death and blood-shedding of the Mediator or High Priest of the new Testament Not without blood as he might not do it otherwise so he did it by blood And this was the manner of the service After the High Priest had filled the Holy Place with a cloud of Incense he returned to the Altar of Burnt-offerings without the Tabernacle where the Sacrifice had been newly slain And whilst the blood of the beast was fresh and as it were living Heb. 10. he took of it in his hand and entring again into the Holy Place he sprinkled it seven times with his finger towards the Mercy-seat Lev. 16. 11 12 13 14. And there is as was said an Emphasis in the expression not without blood to manifest how impossible it was that there should be an entrance into the gracious presence of God without the blood of the sacrifice of Christ. The only Propitiation of sins is made by the blood of Christ and it is by saith alone that we are made Partakers thereof Rom. 3. 25 26. 5. This blood is farther described by the use of it which he offereth Where or when he offered it is not expressed In the Holy Place there was no use of this blood but only the sprinkling of it But the sprinkling of blood was always consequential unto the offering or oblation properly so called For the oblation consisted principally in the atonement made by the blood at the Altar of burnt-offerings It was given and appointed for that end to make atonement with it at that Altar as is expresly affirmed Lev. 17. 11. After this it was sprinkled for purification Wherefore by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle here renders the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in the Institution Lev. 16. 15. which is only to bring and not to offer properly Or he hath respect unto the offering of it that was made at the Altar without the Sanctuary The blood which was there offered he brought a part of it with him into the most Holy Place to sprinkle it according unto the Institution 6. The Apostle declares for whom this blood was offered and this was for himself and the People first for himself and then for the People For he hath respect unto the distinct Sacrifices that were to be offered on that day The first was of a Bullock and a Ram which was for himself And this argued as the Apostle observes the great imperfection of that Church-state They could have no Priests to offer Sacrifices for the sins of the People but he must first offer for himself and that the blood of other creatures But the true High Priest was to offer his own blood and that not for himself at all but for others only He offered for himself that is for his own sins Lev. 16. 6. Wherefore the Vul. Lat. reads the words pro suâ et Populi ignorantiâ very corruptly changing the number of the substantive but very truly applying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Priest as well as unto the People Others would supply the words by adding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so repeat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Apostle expresseth the words of the Institution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which for himself leaving the application unto the series of the context and the nature of the service For himself that is his own sins 2. The blood was offered also for the People that is the People of Israel the People of God the Church the whole congregation And as the High Priest herein bore the Person of Christ so did this People of all the elect of God who were represented in them and by them It was that People and not the whole world that the High Priest offered for And it is the elect People alone for whom our great High Priest did offer and doth intercede 7. That which he offered for it was their errors or their sins The Socinians some of them not for want of understanding but out of hatred unto the true sacrifice of Christ contend from hence that the Anniversary Sacrifice on the great day of expiation the principal representation of it was only for sins of ignorance of imbecillity and weakness But it is a fond Imagination at least the argument from these words for it is so For besides that the scripture calls all sins by the name of errors Psal. 19. 12. Psal. 25. 7. and the worst the most provoking of all sins is expressed by erring in heart Psal. 95. 10. and the LXX frequently render to sin by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Chron. 16. 9. 1 Sam. 16. 22. Hos. 4. 16. c. Besides I say this application of the word elswhere unto all sorts of sins in the enumeration of those errors of the People which the High Priest offered for they are said to be all their iniquities and all their transgressions in all their sins Lev. 16. 21. Wherefore to offer for the errors of the People it is to offer for all their sins of what nature soever they were And they are thus called because indeed there is no such Predominancy of malice in any sin in this world as wherein there is not a mixture of error either notional or practical of the mind or of the heart which is the cause or a great occasion of it See 1 Tim. 1. 13. Matth. 12. 31 32. Here indeed lies the original of all sin The mind being filled with Darkness and Ignorance alienates the whole soul from the life of God And as it hath superadded prejudices which it receives from corrupt affections yet neither directs nor judgeth aright as unto particular acts and duties under all present circumstances And what notions of good and evil it cannot but retain it gives up in particular instances unto the occasions of sin Wherefore 1 spiritual illumination of the mind is indispensably necessary unto our walking with God 2 Those who would be preserved from sin
a Type or Figure was unto them of no use but so far as it was instructive which was obscurely and mystically And that this is the sense of the word the Apostle declares ver 8. Where he shews the substance of what the Holy Ghost signified by the building disposal and services of the Tabernacle that is what he taught the Church thereby parabolically and figuratively This kind of Instruction whatever now it seem to us was meet and fit for them unto whom it was given And by the administration of Grace in it it was a blessed means to ingenerate Faith Love and Obedience in the hearts and lives of many unto an eminent degree And we may consider from hence what is required of us unto whom the clear Revelation of the Wisdom Grace and Love of God are made known from the Bosome of the Father by the Son himself 4. The especial nature and use of this Tabernacle and its service is declared In which were offered both gifts and sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Vulgar Latine reads juxta quam making the Relative to answer unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Gender will not allow it in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which time during which season For immediately upon the setting up of the Tabernacle God gave unto Moses Laws and Institutions for all the Gifts and Sacrisices of the People which were to be offered therein This was the first direction which God gave after the setting up of the Tabernacle namely the way and manner of offering all sorts of Gifts and Sacrifices unto him And the Apostle here distributes all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the sacred offerings into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is unbloody and bloody Sacrifices as he did before chap. 5. 10. where the distinction hath been explained Of them all he affirms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are offered not that they were so For the Apostle erects a Scheme at the first Tabernacle and all its services at its first Institution and presents it unto the consideration of the Hebrews as if it were then first erected He doth indeed sometimes speak of the Priests and Sacrifices as then in being with respect unto that continuance of the Temple and its worship which it had in the Patience of God as we have shewed on chap. 8. ver 4. But here treating only of the Tabernacle and its worship as that which was granted in the confirmation and for the administration of the old Covenant then entred into as the Tabernacle Priesthood and Sacrifice of Christ were given in the confirmation of the new he represents that as present which was past long before The Tabernacle served aptly for the use whereunto it was designed It was meet for the offering of gifts and sacrifices And so alone is the Tabernacle of Christ for its proper end also 5. On these concessions the Apostle declares the imperfection of this whole order of things and its impotency as unto the great end that might be expected from it For these Gifts and Sacrifices could not make perfect him that did the service as pertaining unto the conscience This was the end aimed at this was represented in them and by them And if they could not really effect it they were weak and imperfect and so not always to be continued The end represented in and by them was to make Atonement for Sin that the Anger of God being pacified they might have Peace with him The Covenant was then newly established between God and the Church before any Laws were given about these Offerings and Sacrifices Exod. 24. God knew that there would be among the People and even the Priests themselves many sins and transgressions against the Rules and Laws of that Covenant This of it self it could not dispense withal For its Sanction was the Curse against every one that continued not in all things written in the Book of it wherefore if this Curse on all just and righteous occasions should rigidly havebeen put in execution the Covenant would only have proved the means and cause of the utter destruction and excision of the whole People For there is no man that liveth and sinneth not And on many occasions sin abounded in that state of the Church wherein Light and Grace were but sparingly dispensed in comparison of the times of the New Covenant Wherefore God in his Mercy and Patience provided that by sacred Gifts and Offerings atonement should be made for sin so as that the Curse of the Covenant should not be put in immediate execution against the sinner Lev. 17. 11. But there were two things to be considered in those sins which God had appointed that atonement should be made for The first was the external temporal Punishment which was due unto them according unto the Place which the Law or Covenant had in the Politie or Commonwealth of Israel The other that eternal Punishment was due unto every sin by the Law as the Rule of all Moral Obedience For the wages of sin is death In the first of these the Person of the Sinner in all his outward circumstances his Life his Goods his Liberty and the like were concerned In the latter here his Conscience or the inward man alone was so And as unto the first of them the Gifts and Sacrifices mentioned being rightly offered were able in themselves ex opere operato to free the Sinner from all temporal political inconvenience or detriment so as that his Life and Inheritance should be continued in the Land of Canaan or his state preserved entire in the Commonwealth of Israel This the Apostle here tacitely acknowledgeth namely that the Gifts and Sacrifices were able to free the Sinner from temporal Punishment and give him outward Peace in his Possessions But as unto the latter wherein Conscience was concerned he denies that they had any such efficacy They were not able 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It agrees in Gender with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only and not with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being of the Neuter Gender usually regulates the construction in such conjunctions But as most think it equally respects both the antecedent Substantives And instances may be given where a Participle respecting more antecedent Substantives than one may agree in Gender with either of them As Leges Plebiscita coactae But I rather think that the Apostle confines the Impotency he mentions unto Sacrifices only that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 slain and bloody Sacrifices For these things which were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gifts and no more were not designed to make Atonement for Sin that was to be done by Blood and no otherwise so the words should be read offered Gifts and Sacrifices that could not persect These Sacrifices were impotent and ineffectual unto this end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
is used in all good Authors for not only to find but to obtain by our endeavors so do we render it and so we ought to do Rom. 4. 1. Heb. 4. 16. He obtained effectually Eternal Redemption by the price of his Blood And it is mentioned in a Tense denoting the time past to signifie that he had thus obtained Eternal Redemption before he entred into the Holy Place How he obtained it we shall see in the consideration of the nature of the thing it self that was obtained Three things must be inquired into with what brevity we can for the Explication of these words 1 What is Redemption 2 Why is this Redemption called Eternal 3 How Christ obtained it 1. All Redemption respects a state of Bondage and Captivity with all the Events that do attend it The Object of it or those to be redeemed are only persons in that estate There is mention ver 15. of the Redemption of Transgressions but it is by a Metonymy of the Cause for the Effect It is Transgressions which cast men into that state from whence they are to be redeemed But both in the Scripture and in the common Notion of the word Redemption is the deliverance of persons from a state of Bondage And this may be done two ways 1 By Power 2 By payment of a Price That which is in the former way is only improperly and metaphorically so called For it is in its own nature a bare deliverance and is termed Redemption only with respect to the state of Captivity from whence it is a deliverance It is a vindication into liberty by any means So the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt though wrought meerly by Acts of Power is called their Redemption And Moses from his Ministry in that work is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Redeemer Acts 7. 35. But this Redemption is only metaphorically so called with respect unto the state of Bondage wherein the people were That which is properly so is by a Price paid as a valuable consideration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Ransom a price of Redemption Thence are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Redemption and a Redeemer So the Redemption that is by Christ is every-where said to be a Price a Ransom See Mat. 20. 28. Mark 10. 45. 1 Cor. 6. 20. 1 Tim. 2. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. It is the deliverance of persons out of a state of Captivity and Bondage by the payment of a valuable price or Ransom And the Socinians offer violence not only to the Scripture but to common sense it self when they contend that the Redemption which is constantly affirmed to be by a Price is metaphorical and that only proper which is by Power The Price or Ransom in this Redemption is two ways expressed 1 By that which gave it its worth and value that it might be a sufficient Ransom for all 2 By its especial nature The first is the Person of Christ himself He gave himself for us Gal. 2. 20. He gave himself a Ransom for all 1 Tim. 2. 6. He offered himself to God ver 14. Eph. 5. 2. This was that which made the Ransom of an infinite value meet to redeem the whole Church God purchased the Church with his own Blood Acts 20. 28. The especial nature of it is that it was by Blood by his own Blood See Eph. 1. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. And this Blood of Christ was a Ransom or Price of Redemption partly from the unvaluableness of that Obedience which he yielded unto God in the shedding of it and partly because this Ransom was also to be an Atonement as it was offered unto God in Sacrifice For it is by Blood and no otherwise that Atonement is made Lev. 17. 11. Wherefore he is set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood Rom. 3. 24 25. That the Lord Jesus Christ did give himself a Ransom for Sin that he did it in the shedding of his Blood for us wherein he made his Soul an offering for Sin that herein and hereby he made Atonement and expiated our Sins and that all these things belonged unto our Redemption is the substance of the Gospel That this Redemption is nothing but the Expiation of Sin and that Expiation of Sin nothing but an Act of Power and Authority in Christ now in Heaven as the Socinians dream is to reject the whole Gospel Though the nature of this Redemption be usually spoken unto yet we must not here wholly put it by And the nature of it will appear in the consideration of the state from whence we are redeemed with the causes of it 1 The Meritorious Cause of it was Sin or our Original Apostasie from God Hereby we lost our primitive liberty with all the rights and priviledges thereunto belonging 2 The Supreme Efficient Cause is God himself As the Ruler and Iudge of all he cast all Apostates into a state of Captivity and Bondage For Liberty is nothing but peace with him But he did it with this difference Sinning Angels he designed to leave irrecoverably under this condition For Mankind he would find a Ransom 3 The Instrumental Cause of it was the Curse of the Law This falling on men brings them into a state of Bondage For it separates as to all relation of love and peace between God and them and gives life unto all the actings of sin and death wherein the misery of that state consists To be separate from God to be under the power of sin and death is to be in Bondage 4 The External Cause by the application of all other causes unto the Souls and Consciences of men is Satan His was the power of darkness his the power of death over men in that state and condition that is to make application of the terror of it unto their Souls as threatned in the Curse Heb. 2. 14 15. Hence he appears as the Head of this state of Bondage and men are in Captivity unto him He is not so in himself but as the external application of the causes of Bondage is committed unto him From hence it is evident that four things are required unto that Redemption which is a deliverance by Price or Ransom from this state For 1 it must be by such a Ransom as whereby the Guilt of Sin is expiated which was the Meritorious Cause of our Captivity Hence it is called the Redemption of Transgressions ver 14. that is of persons from that state and condition whereinto they were cast by sin or transgression 2 Such as wherewith in respect of God Atonement must be made and satisfaction unto his Justice as the Supreme Ruler and Judge of all 3 Such as whereby the Curse of the Law might be removed which could not be without undergoing of it 4 Such as whereby the Power of Satan might be destroyed How all this was done by the Blood of Christ I have at large declared elsewhere 2. This Redemption is said to be Eternal And it is so on
the infallible connexion of these things the blood of Christ and the purging of the Conscience that is in all that betake themselves thereunto It shall do it that is effectually and infallibly 2. Respect is had herein unto the generality of the Hebrews whether already professing the Gospel or now invited unto it And he proposeth this unto them as the advantage they should be made partakers of by the relinquishment of Mosaical Ceremonies and betaking themselves unto the Faith of the Gospel For whereas before by the best of legal Ordinances they attained no more but an outward sanctification as unto the flesh they should now have their Conscience infallibly purged from dead works Hence it is said your Conscience Some Copies read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our But there is no difference in the sense I shall retain the common reading as that which refers unto the Hebrews who had been always exercised unto thoughts of Purification and Sanctification by one means or another For the Explication of the words we must enquire 1 What is meant by dead works 2 What is their relation unto Conscience 3 How Conscience is purged of them by the blood of Christ. 1. By dead works sins as unto their guilt and defilement are intended as all acknowledge And several Reasons are given why they are so called As 1 Because they proceed from a principle of spiritual death or are the works of them who have no vital principle of holiness in them Eph. 2. 1 5. Col. 2. 13. 2 Because they are useless and fruitless as all dead things are 3 They deserve death and tend thereunto Hence they are like rotten bones in the Grave accompanied with worms and corruption And these things are true Howbeit I judge there is a peculiar reason why the Apostle calls them dead works in this place For there is an allusion herein unto dead bodies and legal defilement by them For he hath respect unto Purification by the Ashes of the Heifer And this respected principally uncleanness by the dead as is fully declared in the institution of that Ordinance As men were purified by the sprinkling of the Ashes of an Heifer mingled with living water from defilements contracted by the dead without which they were separated from God and the Church so unless men are really purged from their moral defilements by the blood of Christ they must perish for ever Now this defilement from the dead as we have shewed arose from hence that Death was the effect of the Curse of the Law wherefore the guilt of sin with respect unto the Curse of the Law is here intended in the first place and consequently its pollution This gives us the state of all men who are not interessed in the Sacrifice of Christ and the purging vertue thereof As they are dead in themselves dead in trespasses and sins so all their works are dead works Other works they have none They are as a Sepulchre filled with bones and corruption Every thing they do is unclean in it self and unclean unto them Unto them that are defiled nothing is pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled Tit. 1. 15. Their works come from spiritual death and tend unto eternal death and are dead in themselves Let them deck and trim their carkases whil'st they please let them â—end their faces with paintings and multiply their ornaments with all excess of bravery within they are full of dead bones of rotten defiled polluting works That world which appears with so much outward beauty lustre and glory is all polluted and defiled under the eye of the most Holy 2. These dead works are further described by their relation unto our persons as unto what is peculiarly affected with them where they have as it were their seat and residence And this is the Conscience He doth not say purge your souls or your minds or your persons but your conscience And this he doth 1 In general in opposition unto the purification by the Law It was there the dead body that did defile it was the body that was defiled it was the body that was purified those Ordinances sanctified to the purifying of the flesh But the defilements here intended are spiritual internal relating unto Conscience and therefore such is the purification also 2 He mentions the respect of these dead works unto Conscience in particular because it is Conscience which is concerned in peace with God and confidence of approach unto him Sin variously affects all the faculties of the soul and there is in it a peculiar defilement of Conscience Tit. 1. 15. But that wherein Conscience in the first place is concerned and wherein it is alone concerned is a sense of guilt This brings along with it fear and dread whence the sinner dares not approach into the presence of God It was Conscience which reduced Adam into the condition of hiding himself from God his eyes being opened by a sense of the guilt of sin So he that was unclean by the touching of a dead body was excluded from all approach unto God in his worship Hereunto the Apostle alludes in the following words That we may serve the living God For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly denotes that service which consists in the observation and performance of solemn worship As he who was unclean by a dead body might not approach unto the worship of God until he was purified So a guilty sinner whose Conscience is affected with a sense of the guilt of sin dares not to draw nigh unto or appear in the presence of God It is by the working of Conscience that sin deprives the soul of peace with God of boldness or confidence before him of all right to draw nigh unto him Until this relation of sin unto the Conscience be taken away until there be no more conscience of sin as the Apostle speaks Chap. 10. 2. that is Conscience absolutely judging and condemning the person of the sinner in the sight of God there is no right no liberty of access unto God in his service nor any acceptance to be obtained with him Wherefore the purging of Conscience from dead works doth first respect the guilt of sin and the vertue of the blood of Christ in the removal of it But 2dly there is also an inherent defilement of Conscience by sin as of all other faculties of the soul. Hereby it is rendred unmeet for the discharge of its office in any particular duties With respect hereunto Conscience is here used Synecdochically for the whole soul and all the faculties of it yea our whole spirit souls and bodies which are all to be cleansed and sanctified 1 Thes. 5. 23. To purge our Conscience is to purge us in our whole persons This being the state of our Conscience this being the respect of dead works and their defilement to it and us we may consider the relief that is necessary in this case and what that is which is here proposed 1. Unto
was a Covenant did consist 2. There was a Promise and Conveyance of an Inheritance unto them namely of the Land of Canaan with all the Priviledges of it God declared that the land was his and that he gave it unto them for an Inheritance And this Promise or Grant was made unto them without any consideration of their previous Obedience out of meer love and Grace The principal design of the Book of Deuteronomy is to inlay this Principle in the foundation of their obedience Now the free Grant and Donation of an Inheritance of the Goods of him that makes the Grant is properly a Testament A free disposition it was of the Goods of the Testator 3. There was in the confirmation of this Grant the intervention of Death The Grant of the Inheritance of the Land that God made was confirmed by death and the Blood of the Beasts offered in sacrifice whereof we must treat on v. 18 19 20. And although Covenants were confirmed by Sacrifices as this was so far as it was a Covenant namely with the Blood of them yet as in those Sacrifices death was comprised it was to confirm the Testamentary Grant of the Inheritance For death is necessary unto the Confirmation of a Testament which then could only be in Type and Representation the Testator himself was not to die for the establishment of a Typical Inheritance Wherefore the Apostle having discoursed before concerning the Covenant as it prescribed and required Obedience with Promises and Penalties annexed unto it He now treats of it as unto the Donation and Communication of Good things by it with the Confirmation of the Grant of them by death in which sense it was a Testament and not a Covenant properly so called And the arguing of the Apostle from this word is not only just and reasonable but without it we could never have rightly understood the Typical Representation that was made of the Death Blood and Sacrifice of Christ in the Confirmation of the New Testament as we shall see immediately This difficulty being removed we may proceed in the Exposition of the words That which first occurs is the Note of Connexion in the Conjunction And. But it doth not here as sometimes infer a Reason of what was spoken before but is emphatically expletive and denotes a progress in the present Argument As much as Also Moreover 2. There is the Ground of the ensuing Assertion or the manner of its Introduction For this cause Some say that it looks backward and intimates a Reason of what was spoken before or why it was necessary that our Consciences should be purged from dead works by the Blood of Christ namely because he was the Mediator of the new Covenant others say it looks forward and gives a reason why he was to be the Mediator of the new Testament namely that by the means of Death for the Transgressions c. It is evident that there is a reason rendred in these words of the necessity of the death and Sacrifice of Christ by which alone our Consciences may be purged from dead works And this reason is intended in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this cause And this necessity of the death of Christ the Apostle proves both from the nature of his office namely that he was to be the Mediator of the new Covenant which being a Testament required the death of the Testator and from what was to be effected thereby namely the Redemption of Transgressions and the purchase of an eternal Inheritance Wherefore these are the things which he hath respect unto in these words For this cause But withal the Apostle in this verse enlargeth his discourse as designing to comprehend in it the whole dispensation of the will and Grace of God unto the Church in Christ with the Ground and Reason of it This reason he layeth down in this verse giving an account of the effects of it in those that follow Hereunto respect is had in this expression For the exposition of the words themselves that is the declaration of the mind of the Holy Ghost and nature of the things contained in them we must leave the order of the words and take that of the things themselves And the things ensuing are declared in them 1 That God designed an eternal Inheritance unto some persons 2 The way and manner of conveying a Right and Title thereunto was by promise 3 That the Persons unto whom this Inheritance is designed are those that are called 4 That there was an obstacle unto the enjoyment of this Inheritance which was Transgression against the first Covenant 5 That this obstacle might be removed and the Inheritance enjoyed God made a New Covenant because none of the Rites Ordinances or Sacrifices of the first Covenant could remove that Obstacle or expiate those Sins 6 The Ground of the Efficacy of the New Covenant unt o this End was That it had a Mediator an High Priest such as had been already described 7 The way and means whereby the Mediator of the New Covenant did expiate Sins under the Old was by death nor could it otherwise be done seeing this New Covenant being a Testament also required the death of the Testator 8 This Death of the Mediator of the new Testament did take away sins by the Redemption of them For the Redemption of Transgressions All which must be opened for the due Exposition of these words 1. God designed unto some an Eternal Inheritance And both the Reason of this grant with the nature of it must be enquired into 1 As unto the Reason of it God in our first Creation gave unto man whom he made his Son and Heir as unto things here below a great Inheritance of meer Grace and Bounty This Inheritance consisted in the use of all the Creatures here below in a just Title unto them and dominion over them Neither did it consist absolutely in these things but as they were a Pledge of the present favour of God and of mans future blessedness upon his Obedience This whole Inheritance man forfeited by sin God also took the forfeiture and ejected him out of the possession of it and utterly despoiled him of his Title unto it Nevertheless he designed unto some another Inheritance even that should not be lost that should be eternal It is altogether vain and foolish to seek for any other Cause or Reason of the preparation of this Inheritance and the designation of it unto any person but only his own Grace Bounty his sovereign Will and Pleasure What merit of it what means of attaining it could be found in them who were considered under no other Qualifications but such as had wofully rejected that Inheritance which before they were instated in And therefore is it called an Inheritance to mind us that the way whereby we come unto it is gratuitous Adoption and not purchase or merit 2 As unto the Nature of it it is declared in the Adjunct mentioned it is eternal
Grace conveyed by Promise and received by saith there is no place left for our own works with reference unto the procurement of an Interest in them Freely it was provided freely it is proposed and freely it is received 3. We may enquire what it is to receive the promise And it hath a double sense 1 As the Promise may be considered formally or materially To receive the Promise formally as a Promise is to have it declared unto us and to mix it with faith or to believe it This it is to receive the Promise in opposition unto them by whom it is rejected through Unbelief So Abraham is said to receive the Promises Heb. 11. 17. in that when they were given unto him he staggered not through Unbelief but was strong in faith giving Glory to God Rom. 4. 21 22. As the Promise is materially considered so to receive it is to receive the thing promised So it is said of the Saints under the old Testament that they obtained a good report through faith but received not the Promise Heb. 11. 39. They received the Promises by faith in them as proposed but the principal thing promised that was the coming of Christ in the flesh they received not The receiving of the Promise here mentioned is of both kinds according to the distinct parts of this Inheritance As unto the future state of Glory we receive the promise in the first way that is we believe it rest upon it trust unto the truth of God in it and live in the expectation of it And the Benefit we receive hereby as unto our spiritual life and consolation is inexpressible As unto the foundation of the whole Inheritance in the oblation and Sacrifice of Christ and all the Grace Mercy and Love with the fruits of them whereof in this life we are made Partakers and all the priviledges of the Gospel Believers under the new Testament receive the Promise in the second sense namely the things promised And so did they also under the old Testament according to the measure of the divine Dispensation towards them And we may observe 1. All our Interest in the Gospel Inheritance depends on our receiving the Promise by faith Though it be prepared in the Counsel of God though it be proposed unto us in the dispensation of the Gospel yet unless we receive the Promise of it by faith we have no Right or Title unto it 2. The conveyance and actual communication of the eternal Inheritance by Promise to be received by faith alone tends exceedingly unto the exaltation of the Glory of God and the security of the salvation of them that do believe For as unto the latter it depends absolutely on the veracity of God confirmed by his Oath And faith on the other hand is the only way and means of ascribing unto God the Glory of all the Holy properties of his nature which he designs to exalt in this dispensation of himself Thirdly The Persons unto whom this Inheritance is designed and who do receive the promise of it are those that are called It is to no purpose to discourse here about outward and inward calling effectual and ineffectual complied with or not no other are intended but those that actually receive the Promise It was the design of God in this whole dispensation that all the called should receive the Promise and if they do not so his Counsel and that in the greatest work of his Wisdom Power and Grace is frustrate They are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8. 28. Those who obtain the Inheritance being predestinated according unto the purpose of him who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own will Ephes. 1. 11. God here puts forth his Almighty power that his purpose or the Counsel of his will may be established in giving the Inheritance unto all that are called Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified or gave them the whole eternal Inheritance Rom. 8. 10. Hence Estius an Expositor of the Roman Church chargeth the contrary opinion in Catharinus as unorthodox It is not a general Call wherein those who are so called may or may not receive the Inheritance But what God designs unto them that are intended they are so called as that they shall assuredly be made Partakers of it This is the end that God designed in the dispensation of himself by Jesus Christ here declared and therefore respect is had thereunto in the whole of it Some think that by the called here those only are intended who were so under the Old Testament For mention is made only of the Redemption of Transgressions under that Covenant in what sense shall be immediately declared But this is contrary both unto the design of the Apostle and the use of the word For on that supposition he says no more but that Christ was the Mediator of the New Testament that those might be saved who lived and dyed under the Old But his principal design is to prove the advantage that we now have even above the Elect themselves under the Old Testament yet so as not to exclude them from the same benefit with us by the Mediation of Christ as unto the substance of it And the called in the language of this Apostle doth principally signifie the called in Christ Jesus Effectual Vocation is the onely way of entrance into the eternal inheritance For it is accompanied with Adoption which gives us right and title thereunto John 1. 12. In vain do they expect it who are not so called Fourthly Things being thus prepared in the Counsel and Grace of God yet there was an obstacle in the way of actual receiving the Promise namely the transgressions that were under the first Testament God designed unto the Elect an eternal inheritance yet can they not be made partakers of it but in such a way as was suited unto his glory It was unjust and unreasonable that it should be otherwise Whereas therefore they were all of them guilty of sin their sins must be expiated and taken out of the way or they cannot receive the promise of the inheritance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our word Transgressions doth properly express the original word And in the distribution of sins by their names into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lev. 16. 21. We render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by it But it compriseth all sorts of sins whereby the Law is transgressed be they great or small Every thing that hath the nature of sin must be expiated or the Inheritance cannot be enjoyed Though God will give Grace and Glory unto his Elect yet he will do it in such a way as wherein and whereby he may be glorified also himself Satisfaction must be made for Transgression unto the honour of his Righteousness Holiness and Law There are yet sundry difficulties in this Expression which must be enquired into For 1.
The Redemption or Expiation of Sins is confined unto those under the Old Testament whence it should seem that there is none made for those under the New Ans. The Emphasis of the Expression Sins under the Old Testament respect either the Time when the sins intended were committed or the Testament against which they were committed And the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will admit of either sense Take it in the first way and the Argument follows à fortiori as unto the Sins committed under the New Testament though there be no Expiation of Sins against it which properly are only final Unbelief and Impenitency For the Expiation intended is made by the Mediator of the New Testament And if he expiated the Sins that were under the first Testament that is of those who lived and dyed whil'st that Covenant was in force much more doth he do so for them who live under the Administration of that Testament whereof he is the Mediator For Sins are taken away by vertue of that Testament whereunto they do belong And it is with peculiar respect unto them that the blood of Christ is called the blood of the New Testament for the Redemption of Sins But yet more probably the meaning may be the Sins that were and are committed against that first Covenant or the Law and Rule of it For whereas that Covenant did in its Administration comprise the Moral Law which was the substance and foundation of it all Sins whatever have their form and nature with respect thereunto So Sins under the first Covenant are all Sins whatever For there is no Sin committed under the Gospel but it is a Sin against that Law which requires us to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and all our strength Either way the Sins of them who are called under the New Testament are included 2. It is enquired whether it is the Nature of the Sins intended that is respected or the Persons guilty of them also under that Testament The Syriac Translation avoids this difficulty by rendring the words of the Abstract the Redemption of Transgressions in the Concrete a Redeemer unto them who had transgressed That it is a certain sort of Sins that is intended Socinus was the first that invented And his invention is the foundation of the Exposition not only of Schlictingius but of Grotius also on this place Such Sins they say they are as for which no Expiation was to be made by the Sacrifices of the Law Sins of a greater Nature than could be expiated by them For they only made Expiation of some smaller Sins as Sins of Ignorance or the like But there is no respect unto the Persons of them who lived under that Testament whom they will not grant to be redeemed by the blood of Christ. Wherefore according unto them the difference between the Expiation of Sin by the Sacrifices of the Law and that by the Sacrifice of Christ doth not consist in their nature that the one did it only typically and in an external representation by the purifying of the flesh the other really and effectually but in this that the one expiated lesser Sins only the other greater also But there is nothing sound or consonant unto the Truth in this Interpretation of the words For 1 It proceeds on a false Supposition that there were Sins of the people not only presumptuous Sins and which had impenitency in them for which no Atonement was made nor Expiation of them allowed which is expresly contrary unto Lev. 16. 16 21. And whereas some offences were capital amongst them for which no Atonement was allowed to free the Sinner from death yet that belonged unto the Political Rule of the people and hindred not but that typically all sorts of Sins were to be expiated 2 It is contrary unto the express design of the Apostle For he had proved before by all sorts of Arguments that the Sacrifices of the Law could not expiate any Sin could not purge the Conscience from dead works that they made nothing perfect And this he speaks not of this or that Sin but of every Sin wherein the Conscience of a Sinner is concerned Chap. 10. 2. Hence two things follow First That they did not in and of themselves really expiate any one Sin small or great It was impossible saith the Apostle that they should do so Heb. 10. 4. only they sanctified to the purifying of the flesh which overthrows the foundation of this Exposition Secondly That they did typifie and represent the Expiation of all sorts of Sins whatever and made application of it unto their Souls For if it was so that there was no Atonement for their Sins that their Consciences were not purged from dead works nor themselves consummate but only had some outward purification of the flesh it cannot be but they must all eternally perish But that this was not their condition the Apostle proves from hence because they were called of God unto an eternal Inheritance as he had proved at large concerning Abraham Chap. 6. Hence he infers the necessity of the mediation and death of Christ as without the vertue whereof all the called under the first Covenant must perish eternally there being no other way to come to the Inheritance 3. Whereas the Apostle mentions only the Sins under the first Covenant as unto the time passed before the Exhibition of Christ in the flesh or the death of the Mediator of the New Testament what is to be thought of them who lived during that season who belonged not unto the Covenant but were strangers from it such as are described Eph. 4. 12. I answer The Apostle takes no notice of them and that because taking them generally Christ dyed not for them Yea that he did not so is sufficiently proved from this place Those who live and dye strangers from God's Covenant have no interest in the Mediation of Christ. Wherein the Redemption of these Transgressions did consist shall be declared in its proper place And we may observe 1. Such is the malignant Nature of Sin of all Transgression of the Law that unless it be removed unless it be taken out of the way no Person can enjoy the Promise of the Eternal Inheritance 2. It was the Work of God alone to contrive and it was the Effect of infinite Wisdom and Grace to provide a way for the removal of Sin that it might not be an everlasting Obstacle against the Communication of an Eternal Inheritance unto them that are called Fifthly We have declared the design of God here represented unto us who are the Persons towards whom it was to be accomplished and what lay in the way as an hindrance of it That which remains in the words is the way that God took and the means that he used for the removal of that hindrance and the effectual accomplishment of his design This in general was first the making of a New Testament He had fully proved before that this could not
yet what use and advantage was it of with respect unto them that he should dye an accursed death under the Curse of the Law and a sense of God's displeasure Hereof the Socinians and those that follow them can yield no reason at all It would become these men so highly pretending unto reason to give an account upon their own Principles of the death of the onely begotten Son of God in the highest course and most intense Acts of Obedience that may be compliant with the wisdom holiness and goodness of God considering the kind of death that he dyed But what they cannot do the Apostle doth in the next words Eighthly The death of the Mediator of the New Testament was for the Redemption of Transgressions and for this End it was necessary Sin lay in the way of the enjoyment of the Inheritance which Grace had prepared It did so in the Righteousness and Faithfulness of God Unless it were removed the Inheritance could not be received The way whereby this was to be done was by Redemption The Redemption of Transgressions is the deliverance of the Transgressors from all the Evils they were subject unto on their account by the payment of a satisfactory price The words used to express it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will admit of no other signification Here it must answer the purging of Conscience by the blood of Christ. And he calls his life a Ransom or Price of Redemption And this utterly destroys the foundation of the Socinian Redemption and Expiation for Sin For they make it only a freedom from Punishment by an Act of Power Take off the covering of the words which they use in a sense foreign to the Scripture and their proper signification and their sense is expresly contradictory unto the sense and words of the Apostle He declares Christ to have been the High-Priest and Mediator of the New Testament in the same Acts and Duties They teach that he ceased to be a Mediator when he began to be a Priest He affirms that the Blood of Christ doth expiate Sins They that he doth it by an Act of Power in Heaven where there is no use of his Blood He says that his death was necessary unto and was the means or cause of the Redemption of Transgressions that is to be a price of Redemption or just Compensation for them They contend that no such thing is required thereunto And whereas the Scriptures do plainly assign the Expiation of Sin Redemption Reconciliation and Peace with God Sanctification and Salvation unto the Death and Blood-shedding of Christ They deny them all and every one to be in any sense Effects of it only they say it was an antecedent sign of the Truth of his Doctrine in his Resurrection and an antecedent condition of his Exaltation and Power which is to reject the whole Mystery of the Gospel Besides the particular Observations which we have made on the several passages of this Verse something may yet in general be observed from it As 1. A New Testament providing an Eternal Inheritance in Sovereign Grace the Constitution of a Mediator such a Mediator for that Testament in infinite Wisdom and Love the Death of that Testator for the Redemption of Transgressions to fulfil the Law and satisfie the Iustice of God with the communication of that Inheritance by Promise to be received by Faith in all them that are called are the substance of the Mystery of the Gospel And all these are with wonderful wisdom comprised by the Apostle in these words 2. That the Efficacy of the Mediation and Death of Christ extended it self unto all the called under the Old Testament is an evident Demonstration of his Divine Nature his Pre-existence unto all these things and the Eternal Covenant between the Father and him about them 3. The first Covenant did only forbid and Condemn Transgressions Redemption from them is by the New Testament alone 4. The Glory and Efficacy of the New Covenant and the Assurance of the Communication of an Eternal Inheritance by vertue of it depend hereon that it was made a Testament by the death of the Mediator which is farther proved in the following Verses VER XVI XVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the death of him is declared shewed argued or proved Mors intercedat necesse est Necesse est mortem intercedere Ar. Necesse est mortem ferri which is not proper in the Latine Tongue however there is an emphasis in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more than is expressed by intercedo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of him that made it of the Testator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him that is dead in mortuis among them that are dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vulg confirmatum est and so the Syriac ratum est more proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no use profit or benefit in it Ar. nunquam valet quandoquidem nunquam valet nondum valet it is not yet of force For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be brought in the death of the Testator For a Testament is firm or ratified after men are dead otherwise it is of no force whil'st the Testator liveth There is not much more to be considered in these verses but only how the Observation contained in them doth promote and confirm the Argument which the Apostle insists upon Now this is to prove the necessity and use of the death of Christ from the Nature Ends and Use of the Covenant whereof he was the Mediator For it being a Testament it was to be confirmed with the death of the Testator This is proved in these Verses from the Notion of a Testament and the only use of it amongst men For the Apostle in this Epistle doth argue several times from such usages amongst men as proceeding from the Principles of Reason and Equity were generally prevalent among them So he doth in his discourse concerning the assurance given by the Oath of God Chap. 6. And here he doth the same from what was commonly agreed upon and suitable unto the reason of things about the nature and use of a Testament The things here mentioned were known to all approved by all and were the principal means of the preservation of Peace and Property in Humane Societies For although Testaments as unto their especial Regulation owe their original unto the Roman Civil Law yet as unto the substance of them they were in use amongst all Mankind from the foundation of the world For a Testament is the just determination of a Man's Will concerning what he will have done with his Goods after his decease Or it is the Will of him that is dead Take this power from men and you root up the whole foundation of all industry and diligence in the world For what man will labour to increase his substance if when
it was the Rule of the Government of the Nation And in this sense for such sins as were not Politically to be spared no Sacrifice was allowed 2 That real Spiritual Forgiveness and gracious Acceptance with himself was to be obtained alone by that which was signified by this blood which was the Sacrifice of Christ himself And whereas the sins of the People were of various kinds there were particular Sacrifices instituted to answer that variety This variety of Sacrifices with respect unto the various sorts or kinds of sins for which they were to make Attonement I have elsewhere discussed and explained Their Institution and Order is recorded Levit. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. And if any Person neglected that especial Sacrifice which was appointed to make Attonement for his especial Sin he was left under the sentence of the Law Politically and Spiritually there was no Remission Yea also there might be there were sins that could not be reduced directly unto any of those for whose Remission sacrifices were directed in particular Wherefore God graciously provided against the Distress or Ruine of the Church on either of these Accounts For whether the People had fallen under the neglect of any of those especial ways of Attonement or had contracted the Guilt of such sins as they knew not how to reduce unto any sort of them that were to be expiated he had gratiously prepared the great Anniversary Sacrifice wherein publick Attonement was made for all the Sins Trangressions and Iniquities of the whole People of what sort soever they were Levit. 16. 21. But in the whole of his Ordinances he established the Rule that without shedding of blood was no Remission There seems to be an Exception in the case of him who was so poor that he could not provide the meanest offering of blood for a Sin-offering For he was allowed by the Law to offer the Tenth part of an Ephah of fine flower for his Sin and it was forgiven him Levit. 5. 11 12 13. Wherefore the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almost may be here again repeated because of this single case But the Apostle hath respect unto the general Rule of the Law And this exception was not an ordinary Constitution but depended on the Impossibility of the thing it self whereunto it made a gracious Condescension And this Necessity oft-times of it self without any Constitution suspends a positive Law and gives a Dispensation unto the infringers of it So was it in the case of David when he eat of the Shew-bread in his hunger and as to works of Mercy on the Sabbath day which Instances are given by our Saviour himself Wherefore the particular exception on this consideration did rather strengthen then invalidate the general Rule of the Law Besides the nearest approach was made unto it that might be For fine flower is the best of the bread whereby Mans Life is sustained and in the Offering of it the Offerer testified that by his sin he had forfeited his own Life and all whereby it was sustained which was the meaning of the Offering of Blood The Expositors of the Roman Church do here greatly perplex themselves to secure the Sacrifice of their Mass from this destroying sentence of the Apostle For a Sacrifice they would have it to be and that for the Remission of the sins of the living and the dead Yet they say it is an unbloody Sacrifice For if there be any blood shed in it it is the Blood of Christ and then he is Crucified by them afresh every day as indeed in some sense he is though they cannot shed his Blood If it be unbloody the Rule of the Apostle is that it is no way available for the Remission of sins Those that are sober have no way to deliver themselves but by denying the Mass to be a proper Sacrifice for the Remission of Sins which is done expresly by Estius upon the place But this is contrary unto the direct assertions contained in the Mass it self and razeth the very Foundation of it Now if God gave them so much Light under the Old Testament as that they should know believe and profess that without shedding of Blood is no Remission how great is the Darkness of Men under the New Testament who look seek or endeavour any other way after the pardon of sin but only by the Blood of Christ. 2. This is the great Demonstration of the Demerit of sin of the Holiness Righteousness and Grace of God For such was the Nature and Demerit of Sin such was the Righteousness of God with respect unto it that without shedding of Blood it could not be pardoned They are strangers unto the one and the other who please themselves with other imaginations And what Blood must this be That the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away Sin was utterly impossible as our Apostle declares It must be the Blood of the Son of God Rom. 3 24 25. Act. 20. 28. And herein were glorified both the Love and Grace of God in that he spared not his only Son but gave him up to be a bloody Sacrifice in his Death for us all VER XXIII In the following Verses unto the End of the Chapter the Apostle makes an Application of all that he had discoursed concerning the Services and Sacrifices of the Tabernacle with their use and efficacy on the one hand and the Sacrifice of Christ its nature use and efficacy on the other unto his present Argument Now this was to demonstrate the Excellency Dignity and Vertue of the Priesthood of Christ and the Sacrifice of himself that he offered thereby as he was the Mediator of the New Covenant And he doth it in the way of Comparison as unto what there was of Similitude between them and of opposition as unto what was singular in the Person and Priesthood of Christ wherein they had no share declaring on both accounts the incomparable Excellency of him and his Sacrifice above the Priests of the Law and theirs And hereon he concludes his whole Discourse with an Elegant comparison and opposition between the Law and the Gospel wherein he comprizeth in few words the substance of them both as unto their effects on the Souls of men That wherein in general there was a Similitude in these things is expressed Verse 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no Difference of Importance in the Translation of these words by any Interpreters of Reputation and singly they have been all of them before spoken unto Only the Syriack renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Similitudes not unaptly VER XXIII It was therefore necessary that the Patterns of things in the Heavens should be purified with these but the Heavenly things themselves with better Sacrifices then these An Entrance is made in these words into the comparison intended For as unto both sorts of Sacrifices compared it is here granted in general that they purged the things whereunto they were applyed But there is a
Sin as should manifest that they stood in need of a farther Expiation than could be attained by them But a difficulty doth here arise of no small Importance For what the Apostle denys unto these Offerings of the Law that he ascribes unto the One only Sacrifice of Christ. Yet notwithstanding this Sacrifice and its Efficacy it is certain that Believers ought not only once a year but every day to call sins to remembrance and to make Confession thereof Yea our Lord Jesus Christ himself hath taught us to pray every day for the pardon of our sins wherein there is a calling of them unto Remembrance It doth not therefore appear wherein the difference lyes between the Efficacy of their Sacrifices and that of Christ seeing after both of them there is equally a Remembrance of Sin again to be made An. The difference is evident between these things Their Confession of Sin was in order unto and preparatory for a new Attonement and Expiation of it This sufficiently proves the insufficiency of those that were offered before For they were to come unto the new Offerings as if there had never been any before them Our remembrance of Sin and confession of it respects only the Application of the Virtue and Efficacy of the Attonement once made without the least desire or expectation of a new propitiation In their remembrance of Sin respect was had unto the curse of the Law which was to be answered and the wrath of God which was to be appeased it belonged unto the Sacrifice it self whose Object was God Ours respects only the application of the benefits of the Sacrifice of Christ unto our own Consciences whereby we may have assured peace with God The Sentence or Curse of the Law was on them until a new Attonement was made for the Soul that did not joyn in this Sacrifice was to be cut off But the Sentence and Curse of the Law was at once taken away Eph. 2. 14 15 16. And we may observe 1. An Obligation unto such Ordinances of Worship as could not expiate sin nor testifie that it was perfectly expiated was part of the Bondage of the Church under the Old Testament 2. It belongs unto the Light and Wisdom of Faith so to remember Sin and make Confession of it as not therein or thereby to seek after a new Attonement for it which is made once for all Confession of Sin is no less necessary under the New Testament than it was under the Old but not for the same end And it is an eminent difference between the spirit of Bondage and that of Liberty by Christ. The one so confesseth Sin as to make that very Confession a part of Attonement for it the other is encouraged unto Confession because of the Attonement already made as a means of coming unto a participation of the benefits of it Wherefore the causes and reasons of the Confession of Sin under the New Testament are 1. To affect our own Minds and Consciences with a sense of the Guilt of Sin in it self so as to keep us humble and filled with self-abasement He who hath no sense of Sin but only what consists in dread of future judgment knows little of the mystery of our Walk before God and Obedience unto him according unto the Gospel 2. To engage our Souls unto watchfulness for the future against the sins we do confess for in confession we make an abrenuntiation of them 3. To give unto God the glory of his Righteousness Holiness and Aversation from Sin This is included in every Confession we make of Sin for the reason why we acknowledge the Evil of it why we detest and abhor it is its contrariety unto the Nature holy Properties and Will of God 4. To give unto him the glory of his infinite Grace and Mercy in the pardon of it 5. We use it as an instituted means to let in a sense of the pardon of Sin into our own Souls and Consciences through a fresh Application of the Sacrifice of Christ and the benefits thereof whereunto Confession of Sin is required 6. To exalt Jesus Christ in our Hearts by the application of our selves unto him as the only procurer and purchaser of Mercy and Pardon without which Confession of Sins is neither acceptable unto God nor useful unto our own Souls But we do not make Confession of Sin as a part of a Compensation for the Guilt of it nor as a means to give some present pacification unto Conscience that we may go on in Sin as the manner of some is VERSE IV. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THere is no difficulty in the Words and very little difference in the Translations of them The vulgar renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Passive Impossibile est enim sanguine taurorum hircorum auferri peccata It is impossible that Sins should be taken away by the blood of Bulls and Goats The Syriack renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to purge or cleanse unto the same purpose For it is impossible that the Blood of Bulls and Goats should take away Sin This is the last determinate resolution of the Apostle concerning the insufficiency of the Law and its Sacrifices for the Expiation of Sin and the perfecting them who come unto God as unto their Consciences And there is in the Argument used unto this end an inference from what was spoken before and a new enforcement from the Nature or subject matter of these Sacrifices Something must be observed concerning this Assertion in general and an Objection that it is liable unto For by the Blood of Bulls and Goats he intends all the Sacrifices of the Law Now if it be impossible that they should take away Sin for what end then were they appointed Especially considering that in the Institution of them God told the Church that he had given the Blood to make Attonement on the Altar Levit. 17. 11. It may therefore be said as the Apostle doth in another place with respect unto the Law it self if it could not by the works of it justifie us before God to what end then served the Law To what end serve these Sacrifices if they could not take away Sin The Answer which the Apostle gives with respect unto the Law in general may be applyed unto the Sacrifices of it with a small Addition from a respect unto their special Nature For as unto the Law he answers two things 1. That it was added because of Transgressions Gal. 3. 19. 2. That it was a Schoolmaster to guide and direct us unto Christ because of the severities wherewith it was accompanied like those of a School-master not in the Spirit of a tender Father And thus it was as unto the end of these Sacrifices 1. They were added unto the promise because of Transgressions For God in them and by them did continually represent unto Sinners the Curse and Sentence of the Law namely that the Soul that sinneth must dye or
that Death was the Wages of Sin For although there was allowed in them a Commutation that the Sinner himself should not dye but the Beast that was Sacrificed in his stead which belonged unto their Second end of leading unto Christ yet they all testified unto that Sacred Truth that it is the Judgment of God that they who commit Sin are worthy of Death And this was as the whole Law an Ordinance of God to deterr Men from Sin and so put bounds unto Transgressions For when God passed by Sin with a kind of Connivance winking at the Ignorance of Men in their iniquities not giving them continual warnings of their Guilt and the consequents thereof in Death the World was filled and covered with a Deluge of Impieties Men saw not Judgment speedily executed nor any Tokens or Indications that so it would be therefore was their Heart wholly set in them to do Evil. But God dealt not thus with the Church He let no Sin pass without a Representation of his displeasure against it though mixed with Mercy in a direction unto the Relief against it in the Blood of the Sacrifice And therefore he did not only appoint these Sacrifices on all the especial occasions of such Sins and Uncleanness as the Consciences of particular Sinners were pressed with a sense of but also once a year there was gathered up a Remembrance of all the Sins Iniquities and Transgressions of the whole Congregation Levit. 16. 2. They were added as the Teaching of a School-master to lead unto Christ. By them was the Church taught and directed to look continually unto and after that Sacrifice which alone could really purge and take away all Iniquity For God appointed no Sacrifices until after the Promise of sending the Seed of the Woman to break the Head of the Serpent In his so doing was his own Heel to be bruised in the suffering of his Humane Nature which he offered in Sacrifice unto God which these Sacrifices did represent Wherefore the Church knowing that these Sacrifices did call Sin to remembrance representing the displeasure of God against Sin which was their First end and that although there was an Intimation of Grace and Mercy in them by the commutation and substitution which they allowed yet that they could not of themselves take away Sin it made them the more earnestly and with longing desires look after him and his Sacrifice who should perfectly take away Sin and make peace with God wherein the principal exercise of Grace under the Old Testament did consist 3. As unto their especial nature they were added as the great instruction in the way and manner whereby Sin was to be taken away For although this arose originally from Gods meer Grace and Mercy yet was it not to be executed and accomplished by Soveraign Grace and Power alone Such a taking away of Sin would have been inconsistent with his Truth Holiness and Righteous Government of Mankind as I have elsewhere at large demonstrated It must be done by the Interposition of a Ransome and Attonement by the substitution of one who was no Sinner in the room of Sinners to make satisfaction unto the Law and Justice of God for Sin Hereby they became the principal direction of the Faith of the Saints under the Old Testament and the means whereby they acted it on the original promise of their Recovery from Apostasie These things do evidently express the Wisdom of God in their Institution although of themselves they could not take away Sin And those by whom these ends of them are denyed as they are by the Jews and Socinians can give no account of any end of them which should answer the Wisdom Grace and Holiness of God This Objection being removed I shall proceed unto the Exposition of the words in particular And there are Four things in them as a Negative Proposition 1. The Illative Conjunction declaring its respects unto what went before 2. The subject matter spoken of The Blood of Bulls and Goats 3. What is denyed concerning it it could not take away Sin 4. The Modification of this Negative Proposition it was impossible they should do so 1. The Illative Conjunction For declares what is spoken to be introduced in the Proof and Confirmation of what was before affirmed And it is the closing Argument against the Imperfection and Impotency of the Old Covenant the Law Priesthood and Sacrifices of it which the Apostle maketh use of And indeed it is comprehensive of all that he had before insisted on yea it is the Foundation of all his other Reasonings unto this purpose For if in the Nature of the thing it self it was impossible that the Sacrifices consisting of the Blood of Rulls and Goats should take away Sin then however whensoever and by whomsoever they were offered this effect could not be produced by them Wherefore in these words the Apostle puts a Close unto his Argument and reassumes it no more in this Epistle but only Once or Twice makes mention of it in the way of an Illustration to set forth the excellency of the Sacrifice of Christ as v. 11. of this Chapter and Chap. 13. 10 11 12. 2. The subject spoken of is the Blood of Bulls and Goats The reason why the Apostle expresseth them by Bulls and Goats which were Calves and Kids of the Goats hath been declared on Chap. 9. ver 11 12. And some things must be observed conceruing this Description of the Old Sacrifices 1. That he makes mention of the Blood of the Sacrifices only whereas in many of them the whole Bodies were offered and the Fat of them all was burned on the Altar And thus he doth for the ensuing Reasons 1. Because it was the Blood alone whereby Attonement was made for Sin and Sinners The Fat was burned with Incense only to shew that it was accepted as a sweet savour with God 2. Because he had respect principally unto the Anniversary Sacrifice unto the Consummation whereof and Attonement thereby the carrying the Blood into the Holy Place did belong 3. Because Life Natural is in an especial manner in the Blood which signified that Attonement was to be made by Death and that by the effusion of Blood as it was in the Sacrifice of Christ. See Levit. 17. 11 12. And in the shedding of it there was an Indication of the Desert of Sin in the Offerer 2. He recalls them by this Expression of their Sacrifices the Blood of Bulls and Goats unto a due consideration of what effect might be produced by them They were Accompanied with great Solemnity and Pomp of Ceremony in their Celebration Hence arose a great Esteem and Veneration of them in the Minds of the People But when all was done that which was Offered was but the Blood of Bulls and Goats And there is a Tacit Opposition unto the matter of that Sacrifice whereby Sin was really to be Expiated which was the precious Blood of Christ as Chap. 9. 13 14. 3. That which
the State of things under the Law by Gods appointment as to Sin and Punishment the Apostle makes his Inference unto the certainty and equity of the punishment he had declared with respect unto sins against the Gospel v. 29. Of how sorer punishment c. And there is in these words three things 1. The nature of the sin unto which the punishment is annexed 2. The punishment it self expressed comparatively with and unto that of the transgression of Moses Law 3. The evidence of the inference which he makes for this is such as he referrs it unto themselves to judge upon suppose ye-shall be thought worthy The Sin it self is described by a threefold Aggravation of it each instance having its especial Aggravation 1. From the Object sinned against 2. From the Act of the minds of men in sinning against it 1. The first aggravation of the sin intended is from the Object of it the Person of Christ the Son of God and that included in it is the Act of their minds towards him they trod or trampled upon him 2. The second against the Office of Christ especially his Sacerdotal Office and the Sacrifice of his blood which he offered therein the blood of the covenant wherewith he was Sanctified And the aggravation included therein from the act of their minds towards it that they accounted it an unholy thing 3. A third aggravation as unto the Object is the Spirit of Christ or the Spirit of grace and the aggravation included therein is that they do despight unto him In general the Nature and Aggravation of the sin intended may be reduced unto these heads 1. The Object of it which is the summ and substance a divine constellation of all the blessed effects of infinite Wisdom Goodness and Grace yea the whole divine Wisdom Goodness and Grace of God in the most glorious manifestation of them All these things are comprized in the Person Office and Glory of the Son of God as the Saviour and Redeemer of the Church 2. The Actings of the minds of men towards this Object which is in and by all the vilest affections that humane nature is capable of Contempt Scorn and Malice are ascribed unto such sins they trample on they despise and do despight Wherefore if it be possible that any thing any sins of men can provoke the heat of divine indignation if any can contract such a guilt as that the holiness righteousness truth and faithfulness of God shall be engaged unto its eternal punishment the sin here intended must do it We shall therefore consider it in its Nature and distinct Aggravations The sin in General is that which we have spoken to before namely sinning wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth and in an absolute total relinquishment and rejection of the Gospel In the description of the special Object of this sin that which is first exprest is the Person of Christ the Son of God I have on sundry occasions before shewed how the Apostle doth vary in his expression of Christ here he calls him the Son of God and he maketh use of this name to give a sence of the glorious greatness of the person with whom they had to do against whom this sin was committed For although he were a man also who had Blood to shed and did shed it in the Sacrifice of himself and notwithstanding what cursed Blasphemous thoughts they might have of him yet indeed he is and will appear to be the Eternal Son of the Living God But how comes this Son of God to be concerned herein What injury is done him by Apostates from the Gospel I answer that as the Lord Christ in his own Person was the special Author of the Gospel as his Authority is the special Object of our Faith in it as his Office with all the fruits of it is the Subject Summ and Substance of the Gospel So there is no reception of it in a due manner unto Salvation no rejection of it unto final condemnation but what is all of it Originally fundamentally and vertually contained in the reception or rejection of the person of Christ. This is the Life the Soul and Foundation of all Gospel truth without which it is of no power or efficacy unto the Souls of men But I have treated at large of these things elsewhere I cannot but Observe that as whosoever rejects refuses forsakes the Gospel rejecteth and forsaketh the Person of Christ so on what account soever men take up the Profession of it and perform the Duties of it if the foundation be not laid in a reception of Christ himself of the Person of Christ all their profession will be in vain This is the first aggravation of this sin it is committed immediately against the Person of the Son of God and therein his Authority Goodness and Love But it may be thought if the Person of Christ be concerned herein yet it is indirectly or consequentially only and in some small degree No saith the Apostle but he that is guilty of this sin doth trample on the Son of God or tread him under foot The word is rendred with great variety but that of our Translation is proper and 't is the highest expression of scorn contempt and malice amongst men To tread under foot is to despise and insult over as is plain in the Metaphor And this contempt respects both the Person of Christ and his Authority He is proposed in the Gospel was professed by this sort of sinners for a while to be the Son of God the true Messiah the Saviour of the World Hereon Faith in him and all holy reverence unto him are required of us as on him whom God had exalted above principalities and powers and whom therefore we ought to exalt and adore in our Souls But now by this sort of Persons he was esteemed an Evil doer a Seducer one not at all sent of God but one that justly suffered for his crimes Herein they trod under foot the Son of God with all contempt and scorn Again it respects his Authority This the Gospel declared and those who had come unto any profession of it as those had done whereof he speaks in this place as all must have done who contract the guilt of this sin did avow and submit themselves unto The profession they made was to Observe and do all that he had commanded them because all Power was given unto him in Heaven and Earth This they now utterly rejected and despised as unto the outward observance of his Commands Ordinances and Institutions of Divine Worship they openly rejected them betaking themselves unto other Modes and Rites of Divine Service in opposition and contradiction unto them even those of the Law Neither did they retain any regard in their minds unto his Authority I. Though there may be sometimes an appearance of great severity in Gods Judgments against sinners yet when the nature of their sins and the aggravation of