He is the Mediator of the new covenant: 143 xi. unto him without measure, concur with that benevolence which SECT. subjected him to it for our sakes, to recommend him to our humblest veneration, and our warmest affections. To conclude, since it is so expressly said, that the Holy Ghost signified in some degree the great and important doctrines of the gospel 8 by the constitution of the Jewish ritual; let us think of that ritual, whatever obscurity may attend it in part, with a becoming esteem; and peruse it with a view to that great antitype, who is in every sense the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believeth; to him, who by fulfilling it hath given it a glory, much brighter than that which was reflected upon it from the face of Moses, or the most splendid magnificence of Solomon's temple, SECT. XII. The Apostle discourses, by way of digression, on the necessity of shedding Christ's blood, and the sufficiency of the atonement made by it. Heb. IX. 15, to the end. HEBREWS IX. 15. AND for this cause he is the Mediator of the new testament,that transgressions that I HEBREWS IX. 15. HAVE just mentioned the offering which SECT. Christ made of himself to God by the eternal xii. by means of death, for Spirit; and it is a subject so delightful and so im-Heb. the redemption of the portant, that I must dilate upon it a little more ix. 15. were under the first largely. Attend to it therefore, that he is in testament, they which this respect, and for this purpose, the Mediator are called might re- of a new and better covenant far preferable to ceive the promise of that of Moses; that death being undergone, for eternal inheritance. the redemption and expiation of transgressions against the former covenant, and which could not be removed by it, they who are called to the engagements and benefits of this, might receive the promise of an eternal inheritance, to which that of Sinai had no immediate reference; its promises only relating to an inheritance in Canaan, and to those temporal enjoyments which were there conferred upon those who were obe16 For where a tes- dient to the Divine law: I say, it is in conse-16 tament quence the usual translation of it.—Redemption in b Immediate reference.] For the proof c By 144 SECT. xii. 17 For a testament are dead: otherwise it whilst liveth. the testator was dedicated without blood. Which implies the death of that, which confirms it. quence of his undergoing death, that he effec- tament is, there must tually secures these blessings to us by his covealso of necessity be the death of the testator. Heb. nant; for where a covenant [is] answerable to IX. 16. that which typified this of what I now speak, it necessarily imports the death of that by which the 17 covenant is confirmed: For you know that sacrifical rites have ever attended the most cele- is of force after men brated covenants which God hath made with is of no strength at all, men; so that I may say, a covenant [is] confirmed over the dead, so that it does not avail, nor has any force at all, while he by whom it is 18 confirmed liveth. From whence, and on which 18 Whereupon neiprinciple we may observe, neither was the first ther the first testament [covenant] of which we have been speaking, I mean that of Moses, originally transacted without 19 the blood of an appointed sacrifice. For 19 For when Moses when every command was spoken and delivered according to the law by Moses to all the people, it is expressly said, that taking the blood of calves and goats mingled with water, and dipping into it a piece of scarlet wool, and a bunch of hyssop, he sprinkled the book itself, which contained the covenant, and all the people who were to 20 enter into it; Saying at the same time, This [is] the blood of the covenant which God hath commanded with respect to you, appointing you to declare your consent to the terms of it, as you desire Divine favour and acceptance. And the tabernacle, and all the vessels of Divine ser c By which the covenant is confirmed] Mr. Pierce would render it, of that sacrifice which is appointed by God to pacify; and he brings a remarkable instance from Appian where diabos signifies pacifier. He saith the scope of the writer requires that it should be so translated here; and accordingly in the next verse he renders it, The pacifier can do nothing, as long as he liveth. But I think if das be rendered, he by whom it is confirmed, the argument will be clearer. Yet I confess considerable difficulties attend both these interpretations; though the connection with what follows appears easier upon that which I have given. The reader will do well, if he consult Dr. Whitby upon this passage, who assigns and vindicates an interpretation much the same with that which is proposed in this version and paraphrase. The phrase avalun pegoat, which I have rendered, necessarily imports, is very strong; the death must be produced, it must not only be effected, but also made apparent. Elsner hath shewn, (Observ. vice had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with and hyssop, and sprink led both the book and all the people. water and scarlet wool, 20 Saying, This is the blood of the testaenjoined unto you. ment which God bath 21 Moreover, be sprinkled likewise with blood, Vol. II. p. 361,) that the word pipeda is used in a forensic sense, for what is produced, and proved, or made apparent in a court of Judicature. d Scarlet wool, and hyssop.] It is certain that Moses, in his account of this transaction, (Lev. xvi.) does not mention all these circumstances. Probably St. Paul received them from tradition. Ceremonies of a similar kind are prescribed. Lev. xiv. 4-6; 49-52, as in cleansing the leper. And it is highly probable, that the sprinkling the blood of the sin-offering might be done in this method. The blood was mixed with water, to preserve it from coagulating; and perhaps to this the mix. ture of sacramental wine with water, which pretty soon prevailed in the primitive church, might have some intended reference. It is the opinion of Dr. Owen that the ceremony here referred to, was constantly performed on the day of atonement. But it is certain it is not expressly prescribed in the account given us of the ritual of that day. e No Yet it was not necessary Christ should suffer often: 145 xii. Blood, both the taber- vice with which it was furnished, he also sprink- SECT. nacle, and all the ves- led with the same blood of the sacrifices. sels of the ministry. And 22 And almost all indeed almost all things were under the law puri-Heb. things are by the law fied by blood in their first consecration; and it was IX. 22. purged with blood: by blood that they were cleansed from polluof blood is no remis- tion, whether general or special. And if any and without shedding 23 It was therefore necessary that the patheavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things terns of things in the themselves with better sacrifices than these. transgression had been committed through ig- [It was] therefore necessary, according to the 23 Divine appointment, that the tabernacle, and those instruments and utensils belonging to it, which were the copies or imitations of things in the heavens, should be purified by the blood of these animal victims; but the celestial things themselves, with more excellent sacrifices than theyf, even with the sacred blood of Christ himself, which these offerings were designed to ty24 For Christ is not pify. And the expedience of this appears from 24 entered into the holy the method which God bath in fact taken; places made with hands, which are the for it is plain, that Christ is not entered into an figures of the true; earthly tabernacle, or holy places made with but into heaven itself, hands, though adorned with ever so much art and expence;] which] at best [were] but the figures, or imperfect copies, of the true: but he is entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us, as our great High Priest, and ever-glorious and powerful intercessor. Not that it was necessary he should offer 25 ten, as the high priest himself frequently, as the High Priest entered entereth into the holy into the most holy place yearly on the day of atoneplace, every year with ment, with the blood of others, that is, of bullocks 26 (For then must and goats: For then, as the Jewish sacrifice he often have suffered was often repeated, so it would have been neces- 26 now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself of blood of others: since e No forgiveness.] I look upon this as a Certain proof, that the sin-offerings were not merely tokens of friendship restored between God and the offender? but that the blood was looked upon as the consideration on which the pardon was granted, being an acknowledgement on the part of the offerer that he had deserved death if God had been strict to mark offences. f The celestial things themselves with more excellent sacrifices.] It may perhaps seem strange, that celestial things should be sary spoken of as needing to be purified and Conclusion 148 xii. The legal sacrifices could not make them perfect : SECT. therefore the thoughts of judgment, and its awful eternal consequences, stir us up to a diligent preparation for death. Let it engage us to make an immediate application to Christ as the great Saviour, with entire submission to his princely authority; for if that be disregarded, how shall we meet him as our Judge! For when he appears the second time for the salvation of his people, he will execute righteous vengeance on his enemies; and that vengeance can never appear so terrible, as when considered as coming from the mouth of him who was once manifested to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself. SECT. xiii. Heb. SECT. XIII. The Apostle returns from his digression to prove, that the legal ceremonies could not by any means purify the conscience; and from thence argues the insufficiency of the Mosaic law, and the necessity of looking beyond it. Heb. X. 1-15. HEBREWS X. 1. HEBREWS X. 1. a shadow of good with those sacrifices thereunto perfect. γου OU see that it is the design of all this dis- FOR the law having course, to raise your minds from the Mo- things to come, and X. 1. saic law to the gospel; and it is an important not the very image of design, which the dearer you are to me, the the things, can never more earnestly I must pursue. For the law hav- which they offered ing, as it were, only a shadow, or imperfect year by year continusketch, of future good things, and not the com- ally, make the comers plete delineation, or the very image of the things [themselves,] could by no means, even by those sacrifices, of atonement which they always offer yearly, and are the most solemn which belong to the whole Hebrew ritual, perfect those who come unto [them, so as to remove the moral guilt of their offences, and bring them into a state of reconciliation with God, and to that set a Shadow and image: oniar, sixcya.] Here is an allusion, I apprehend, to the different state of a painting, when the first sketch only is drawn, and when the piece is finished; or to the first sketch of a painting, when compared with what is yet more expressive than even the compleatest painting, an exact image. I cannot be of opinion with Mr. Pierce, that exwy, image, here signifies the original from whence the delineation draught is made. It is a very unusual sense of the word; nor can I think, Rom. i. 23, sufficient to justify and support it. Besides, even under the gospel, we have not the heavenly blessings them tled selves, but only a clearer representation or revelation of them. b Sacrifices which they always offer year. ly.] The sacrifices offered on the day of atonement, being by far the most solemn of any of the expiatory kind among the Jews, are mentioned here with the utmost propriety. And this interpretation seems to supersede the necessity of following Mr. Pierce's translation, who would, by transposing the points, render it, The la having only a shadow of good things to come yearly, can never with the same sacrifices, which they continually offer, make the comers thereunto perfect. c They The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin: 149 SFCT. Heb. tled peace of conscience, which results from a 2 For then would sense of his favour. And indeed the very cir they not have ceased cumstance of their yearly repetition is a proof to be offered; because that the worshippers of this; for otherwise, that is, could they have X. 2. once purged, should made such a complete reconciliation, they would have had no more con- have ceased to be offered any more, at least by science of sins. 5 But in those sacrifices there is a remem. brance again made of sins every year. 4 For it is not pos bulls and of goats should take away sins. the same persons: because they who had per- 3 And indeed the reason of this is plain; for 4 sible that the blood of [it is] in the nature of things impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should, on the whole, take away sins, or make a real atonement to God as the great governor of the world, for the moral guilt of any transgression: though it may by Divine appointment put a stop to any farther prosecution which might proceed in Jewish courts, or any such extraordinary judgment, as the peculiar state of things among that people 5 Wherefore, when might otherwise require. Therefore when the 5 world, he saith, Sacri- Messiah is described in David, as making his enfice and offering thou trance into the world, he saith, in those wellwouldest known words, (Psal. xl. 7.) " Sacrifice and of he cometh into the c They would have ceased to be offered.] This reading is more easy and natural than that which our translators have followed; while they have placed this in the margin. It is supported by many copies, and adopted by the Vulgate and Syriac version. d Looks back upon the year compleated.] I am surprised that Diodate should imagine this must have been expressly revealed to the apostle: I think it sufficiently appears from the tenor of the Mosaic l; for if the expiation was to be offered T 2 fering yearly for the whole people, it must in- |