150

Heb.

Therefore he said, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.

me:

sure:

7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God.

8 Above, when he

said, Sacrifice, and ofings, and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither had pleasure therein, (which are of

fering, and burnt-offer.

SECT. fering thou wouldest not [accept,] but a body thou wouldest not, but a bɔhast provided me, in which I may render thee dy hast thou prepared a more acceptable service: In whole burnt- 6 In burnt-offerings X. 6. offerings and sin-offerings thou hadst no compla. and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleacency, when considered in this view, and in re7 ference to this great event. Then I said with the most chearful consent, "Behold, I come; in the volume of the book, which contains the ancient prophecies, it is written of me, that I should accomplish this service, and I delight to do thy will, O my God; for thy law in all its 8 branches is within my heart." Having in effect said above, As for sacrifice and offering, whether they were burnt-offerings, or sacrifices for sin, thou didst not desire [them] or take pleasure [in them, which comprehends the most material and considerable of those things which were offered by the law;) 9fered to God under the law; Then he said, Be- 9 Then said he, Lo, hold I come to do thy will, O God. So that I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh see, he taketh away the first, that is, burnt-offeraway the first, that he ings and sacrifices, that he may establish the se- may establish the second, that is, doing God's will; pointing there- cond. in to that great act of, obedience, by which the pardon of sin was to be secured, and the Di10 vine honour most effectually promoted. the execution of which will we are sanctified, cleansed from our sins, and recommended to the the body of Jesus Divine acceptance, even by the offering up the Christ once for all. body of our Lord Jesus Christ once for all, as an atoning sacrifice.

11

you

In

And this agrees with what I observed above to be the property of a true and effectual atone

e A body hast thou provided me.] After
having deliberately considered the various
interpretations which have been given of
this text, I find none so probable as that
of Mr. Pierce, who supposed that the ori-
ginal reading of the Hebrew which the
Seventy follow, instead of D'IN was 1
18; and that sometimes signifies to

procure, as well as to dig; and then their
version will be justified, and the apostle's
following it easily accounted for. Next
to this is the solution of the ingenious and
learned Mr. Saurin, who supposes the Se-
centy chose to explain the phrase of boring
the ear, by that of preparing the body for

service, as better known to those for whom
the version was intended; and therefore
preferred also by the apostle, who, though
he directs this epistle to the Hebrews, to
whom the other custom might be known,
intended it for general use. Saurin's Serm.

ment

10 By the which will we are sanctified

through the off ring of

11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering often

Vol. XI. p. 17-23. The interpretation given by Elsner, (Observ. Vol. II. p. 362,) is much to the same purpose with this of Mr. Saurin.

f Volume of the book.] This is, in the Pentateuch, the only book containing prophecies of Christ written before David's time. As if he had said, I rejoice, that I am registered in thy book as thy servant. This is the sense of Bishop Fell. On the whole, I think the apostle so plainly argues from this text, that it proves the psalm to which he refers to be a literal prophecy of the Messiah; and consequently the twelfth verse of it, which affords the only material

argument against this interpretation, must either be explained of those iniquities, which, though not properly Christ's own, were laid upon him; or rather those calamities which he bore for the expiation of sin.

Reflections on the readiness of Christ to be our sacrifice.

sacrifices which never take away sins:

12 But this Man, after he had offered one ever sat down on the

sacrifice for sins, for

right hand of God:

151

xiii.

Heb.

oftentimes the same ment. For indeed every priest of the Mosaic SECT. can law standeth daily ministering, and offering the same sacrifices often, which, as appears from that very circumstance of the repetition of them, can x. 11. never avail to take away the guilt of sins; But 12 he, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ, having of fered one ever-efficacious sacrifice for the sins of all who shall believe in him, and obey him, hath for ever sat down at the right hand of God; never more to stand and minister in such a manner as he has done, but answering the great character drawn in the prophet, (Zech. vi. 13,) of a priest on a throne, where royal dignity, and certain conquest, are added to his other glories; For the rest, waiting only till the appointed time 13 come, in which according to the promise we have been contemplating, all his enemies shall be made the footstool of his feet. For by that one 14 offering up of himself, concerning which we have been speaking, he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified by it, and on whom its blood is, as it were, sprinkled, and hath rendered all believers perfectly acceptable to God, and made effectual provision for raising them to a state of complete holiness, felicity, and glory.

15 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foot

stool.

14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are

sanctified.

IMPROVEMENT.

SINCE the shadows are now fled away, and the substance is come: Ver. since the most substantial blessings are bestowed by the gospel; 1 let us celebrate the praises of him by whom we have received them; of him, who so cheerfully presented himself a spotless sacrifice to God for us. In the body which God hath prepared for 5 him, he fulfilled all righteousness, and made a most perfect atonement in that he, once for all, made full expiation for the sins of his people, having no sin of his own to expiate: and O! with what grateful emotions of heart should we commemorate his love; reflecting that when all other sacrifices would have been vain, he should so readily cry out, Lo, I come, I delight to do thy will, O God; when that will of his heavenly father was, that his body should be offered in so painful and so tragical a manner! With such readiness let us too concur in every intimation of the Divine good pleasure: let us, like the blessed man whom David described, not only fear the Lord, but delight greatly in his commandments, (Psal. cxii. 1,) and labour that the law of God may be inscribed on our hearts, and the characters grow larger and deeper there. This shall please God better than the most costly sacrifices,

even

152

SECT.

xiii.

Where there is remission, there needs no more sacrifice:

even of his own ritual; better than any whole burnt-offering, and sin-offering, though it were an ox or a bullock, which hath horns Ver. and hoofs, Psalm lxix. 31.

10

May we be so sanctified through the sacrifice of Christ, according to the will of God, that we may approach the Divine Being with acceptance. And may we daily be looking to Jesus as sat 12, 13 down at his Father's right-hand, where he waits till his enemies are made his footstool. Let us likewise expect that great event in full assurance of faith. Let our affections be there where Jesus sits; and let us live in cheerful confidence, that the Saviour, in whose cause we are engaged, will finally appear triumphant over all his enemies, and ours. Amen.

SECT.
XIV.

Heb.

SECT. XIV.

The Apostle urges Christians to improve the privileges which such an High Priest and covenant gave them, to the purposes of a fiducial approach to God, a constant attendance on his worship, and a benevolent love to each other. Heb. X. 15-25.

HEBREWS X. 15.

HEBREWS X. 15.

Holy Ghost also is

16 This is the covenant that I will

make with them after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will write them;

HAVE spoken of Christ, as having by one of- WHEREOF the fering of himself, for ever perfected those that a witness to us: for afare sanctified; and this is a representation very ter that he had said beX. 15. agreeable to the word of God: for even the fore, Holy Ghost testifieth to us in that passage (Jer. xxxi. 33, &c.) which I have quoted above, af16ter having before said, This [is] the covenant which I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord: I will give my laws to be written on their hearts; I will also inscribe them on their minds: my Holy Spirit shall work in them cordial dispositions humbly to practise and I 17 obey them; He adds in consequence of this, their sins and their transgressions, how many and aggravated soever they may have been, I will 18 never remember any more. But where there is] such an entire remission of these, as this great amnesty, this universal pardon implies, which sin. wipes out the very remembrance of all offences, [there is] no more room for any sacrifice for sin, which implies that they are remembered, and remain to be expiated.

a Testifieth to us.] Or, as it might be rendered, bears witness with us, that is, assents to, and confirms by his testimony

This

17 And their sins

and iniquities will I re

member no more.

18 Now, where remission of these is there is no more offering for

what I have said; in which sense the ori-
ginal word is used, as Raphelius hạth
shown by several Greek Classics.
b New

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to

20 By a new and living way which he through the vail, that

hath consecrated for us

is to say, his flesh;

High Priest over house of God:

full assurance of faith,

153

SECT.

Therefore we should draw nigh through the blood of Jesus; This therefore, my dear brethren, is now our χίν. enter into the holiest happy case; and let us endeavour to enjoy and by the blood of Jesus, improve it aright. Having such liberty to enter Heb. into the holy places by the efficacy of this atoning X. 19. blood of Jesus: [Having that] new-discovered 20 and ever-living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the vail, that is, by means of his flesh, or of that human nature in which he hath vailed his Divine glories, and to which it ever becomes us to pay a regard in our 21 And having an access to God: And [having] also such a 21 the great and glorious Priest over the House of God, who most faithfully manages his Father's concerns, and bears a most tender regard to ours; 22 Let us draw near Let us not stand at a distance as if God were 22 with a true heart, in inaccessible; but, on the contrary, let us draw having our hearts near with a sincere and affectionate heart, in the sprinkled from an evil full assurance of faith, supported by such consiconscience, and our derations as these, which may well embolden us, (conscious as we are of our own unworthiness,) to make our approach unto him in the most cheerful expectation of his blessing. Only let us take care that this approach be made in a regular and proper manner, as ever we desire to meet with Divine favour and acceptance; particularly, as the water of purification was to be sprinkled on the Israelites, to cleanse them from any pollutions they might have contracted, so let us see to it that we come, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, tree from all allowed guilt and indulged sin. And this is indeed our case, if we are true Christians: our hearts are thus sprinkled by the purifying and cleansing blood of Jesus, as well as our bodies in baptism washed with pure water, intended to represent

bodies washed with pure water.

b New and living way.] Dr. Owen illustrates this, by observing that the blood of other sacrifices was to be used immediately upon its effusion; for if it were cold and congealed, it was of no use to be offered or sprinkled: but the blood of Christ is, as it were, always warm, having the same spirit of lite and sanctification moving in it. So that the way of approach by it is said to be won n poSurs, living, yet, (putting it for Christ who is the Way,) always, as it were, newly slain. See Owen on the Spirit, p. 356.

The vail.] It is well known, that the tail was a curtain separating the holy from the most holy place. The priest could

not pass to the sanctuary, unless he passed
through it: so Christ could not pass into
heaven as our High Priest, till he had taken
human flesh in his way; and till it had
been, as it were, put aside by death. And
I cannot forbear thinking, that it may fur-
ther refer to the Shechinah being valed by
this curtain, which bore so remarkable an
analogy to the Divine glory of Christ, as
vailed by assuming human nature.

d Bodies washed with pure water.] Mr.
Pierce would make this the beginning of
another sentence; and having wushed our
bodies with pure water, that is, "having
been solemnly devoted to God in baptism,
let us answer the engagements of that holy
ordinance by holding fast the profession of

our

154

And hold fast the profession of our hope.

gos

23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without waver

24 And let us con

SECT. represent our being cleansed from sin. And xiv. since we have received such benefits by the Heb. pel which we have embraced, let us hold fast the ing: (for he is faithful X. 23. profession of [our] hope, without ever giving that promised.) way to the pressure and agitation of any temptation, or wavering in a case where we have such certain and indubitable evidence; for we know that whatever storms and tempests may arise, he [is] assuredly faithful who hath promised; he will stand by to defend us, and to make us more than conquerors over all. And let us consider each other, and reflect seriously on the circumstances in which we and our brethren are situated, that we may judge what influence we can have over them for their advantage, and may endeavour accordingly to provoke, and stimulate them on to the exercise of sincere love, and to a readiness to all good works, by our exhortations, and especially by our example, and by such a conduct towards them as may engage the return of their affection, and the exertion

24

25

sider one

another to

provoke unto love, and

to good works:

together, as the man

of their zeal for the general good: Not de- 25 Not forsaking the
serting the assembling ourselves together, for assembling of ourselves
the solemn purposes of public worship, as the ner of some is; but
manner of some now [is] in order to decline exhorting one another;
that reproach and persecution which the attend- and so much the more
as ye see the day ap-
ance on such assemblies may draw after it; but proaching.
exhorting and comforting [one another] as much
as we can; and this so much the rather, as ye see
the day approaching, that awful day, in which
we must appear before the tribunal of God, and
that day of vengeance upon the Jewish nation,
which Christ hath described as so terrible an em-

our faith, &c. considering that he is faith-
ful to the engagements he was pleased to
seal unto us by it." But I think the sense
will be very easy and intelligible, if it be
connected with the preceding words, as
referring to the custom of washing their
bodies in clean water, before they went
to worship at the temple, especially upon
their solemn days.

e Profession of [our hope.] Instead of
ελπίδος, hope, our translators read πις έως,
faith, upon the authority only of a single
manuscript. See Dr. Mills in loc.

Mr.

f Assembling ourselves together.]
Pierce is of opinion, that when the apostle
adds, as the manner of some is, he intends
to blame the conduct of the Jews, who
on account of their old prejudices against
the Gentile converts, absented themselves
from the assemblies into which they were
admitted; and perhaps also to censure a

blem

similar behaviour in the Gentile converts arising from prejudices they had newly contracted against the Jews. And he imagines this, in some measure, is intimated by the use of the word swiovraywyn. (Compare 2 Thess. ii. 1.) But I think the account given of the ground of this caution in the paraphrase, is on the whole much more certain.

g Day approaching.] They knew that the day of Christ's final judgment, being certainly future, came nearer and nearer. And from what Christ had said concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, as to happen in the lives of some who had been present with him about thirty years before the date of this epistle, (compare Mat. xvi. 28,) they might infer that that was now near, though they should not have been able to trace it up into its causes, or to calculate the exact time.