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to the things, but also the time of the offering; for although all therein intended did not immediately follow on the death of Christ, yet were they all in it, as the effects in their proper cause, to be produced by virtue of it in their due time.

This end of God, through offering the body of Christ, was the sanctification of the church, “we are sanctified." The principal notion of sanctification, in the New Testament, is the effecting of real internal holiness in the persons of believers by the change of their hearts and lives: but the word is not here to be restrained; nor is it used in that sense in this epistle or at least very rarely. It is here plainly comprehensive of all that he hath denied to the law, priesthood, and sacrifices of the Old Testament, with the whole church state of the Hebrews under it, and the effects of their ordinances and services; particularly a complete dedication to God, in opposition to the typical one; a complete church state for the celebration of spiritual worship, by the administration of the Spirit; peace with God upon a full and perfect expiation of sin, which he denies to the sacrifices of the law, ver i, 4; real internal purification, or the sanctification of our natures and persons; the privileges of the gospel, in liberty, boldness, and immediate access to God, in opposition to that fear, bondage, distance, and exclusion from the holy place of the divine presence, under which they of old were kept. All these things are comprised in this expression of the apostle, "we are sanctified.”

It was the "will," that is, the counsel, the decree of God, that the church should be sanctified. Our Lord Christ knew that this was the will of the Father, in whose bosom he was. And God had determined, which also the Son knew and declared, the legal sacrifices could not make effectual this his will so as that the church

might be sanctified. Wherefore the "will of God," here intended is nothing but the eternal, gracious, free purpose of his will, whereby he determined, or purpos ed in himself, to recover a church out of lost mankind, to sanctify them to himself, and to bring them to the enjoyment of himself for ever, see Eph. i, 4-9. And this will is not at all opposed to the legal sacrifices except when obtruded as the sufficient means of its accomplishment. Our sanctification is effected by the "offering of the body of Christ:"-in that thereby the expiation of our sins and reconciliation with God were perfectly wrought; and thereby the whole church of the elect was dedicated to God: he redeemed us thereby from the whole curse of the law, the original law of nature, and the covenant of Sinai; thereby he ratified the new covenant and all its rich promises; in short, Christ crucified is the wisdom of God, and the power of God to this end. (Ex«Qa) once for all, once only; it was never before that one time, nor shall ever be afterwards; there remains no more offering for sin; and this demonstrates both the dignity and efficacy of his sacrifice. Of such worth and dignity it was, that God absolutely acquiesced therein, and smelled a savor of eternal rest in it; and of such efficacy, that the sanctification of the church was perfected by it, so that it needed no repetition.

§16. (II.) From these verses and their exposition we are furnished with several observations:

1. We have the solemn word of Christ, in the declaration he made of his readiness and willingness to undertake the work of expiating sin, proposed to our faith, and engaged as the sure anchor of our souls.

2. The Lord Christ had an infinite prospect of all he was to do and suffer in the world, in the discharge

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of his undertaking; and an eternal evidence it is of his love, as also of the divine justice, in laying all our sins on him, seeing it was done by his own voluntary con

sent.

3. No sacrifices of the law, not all of them altogether, were a means for the expiation of sin suited to the glory of God or necessities of our souls.

4. God may in his wisdom appoint and accept of ordinances and duties to one end, which he will reject when they are appointed to another; so those sacrifices are in other places, for other ends, most strictly enjoined. How express, how multiplied are his commands for good works, and our abounding in them! yet when they are made the matter of our righteousness, or regarded as sufficient to answer the end of our justification at the divine bar, they are deservedly rejected.

§17. 1. The supreme contrivance of the salvation of the church is in a peculiar manner ascribed to the person of the Father.

2. The furniture of the Lord Christ (though the Son, and in his divine person the Lord of all) to the discharge of his work of mediation, was the peculiar act of the Father; He prepared him a body, he anointed him with the Spirit, it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell in him.

3. Whatever God appoints and calls any to, he will provide for them all that is needful for the discharge of such duties as come thereby to be incumbent on them; as he prepared a body for Christ; so he will provide gifts, abilities, &c. suitable to our proper work.

4. Not only the love and grace of God in sending his Son, are continually to be admired and glorified; but also the actings of infinite wisdom, in fitting and preparing his human nature, as every way meet for

the all important work, ought to be the special object of our contemplation.

5. The ineffable, but yet distinct, operation of the Father, Son, and Spirit, with respect to the human nature assumed by the Son, are not only an uncontrolable evidence of their distinct subsistence in the same individual divine essence; but also a guidance to faith, as to all their distinct actings towards us in the application of redemption to our souls.

§18. 1. It is the will of God, that the church should take special notice of this sacred truth, that nothing can take away sin but the blood of Christ alone; hence is the vehemency of the rejection of all other means in the repetition of these words.

2. Whatever may be the use or efficacy of any ordinance of worship, yet if they are employed, or trusted to for such ends as God hath not designed, he neither accepts of our persons in them, nor approves of the things themselves.

3. The foundation of the whole glorious work of salvation was laid in the sovereign will, pleasure, and grace of God, even the Father. Christ came only to do his will.

4. The coming of Christ in the flesh was, in the wisdom, righteousness, and holiness of God, necessary to fulfil his will, that we might be saved to his eternal glory.

5. The fundamental motive to Christ's undertaking the work of mediation was the will and glory of God; "Lo, I come to do thy will."

6. God's records in the roll of his book are the foundation and warranty of faith, in the head and members.

7. The Lord Christ, in all he did and suffered, had continual respect of what was written of him, see Matt. xxvi, 24.

8. In the record of these words, God was glorified in his truth and faithfulness; Christ was secured in his work and undertaking; a testimony was given to his person and office; direction is given to the church in all, wherein they have to do with God, namely, "what is written; the things which concern Christ the Mediator, are (as) the head of what is contained in the same records.

§19. 1. Whereas the apostle plainly distributes all sacrifices and offerings into those which were offered by the law, and that one offering of the body of Christ; the pretended sacrifice of the mass is utterly reject ed from any place in the worship of God,

2. God, as the sovereign law-giver, had always power and authority to make what alteration he pleas ed in the orders and institutions of his worship.

3. That sovereign authority alone is what our faith and obedience respect in all ordinances of worship.

4. As all things from the beginning made way for the coming of Christ in the minds of believers, so every thing was to be removed out of the way that should hinder his coming, and the discharge of his work; law, temple, sacrifices, must all be removed; so it must be in our hearts, all things must give way to him, or he will not come and take his habitation in them.

5. Truth is never so effectually declared, as when it is confirmed by the experience of its power in them that believe it, and make profession of it. "We are sanctified."

6. It is an holy glorying in God, and no unlawful. boasting, for men openly to profess what they are made partakers of by divine grace.

7. It is the best security in differences about religjon (such as these wherein the apostle is engaged, the greatest and highest that ever were) when men have an internal experience of the truth which they profess

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