VERSES 11–14.

And every priest standeth daily ministering, and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin, for ever sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool; for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

§1. Introduction. $2. (I.) Exposition of the words (3 The legal sacrifices could not take away sin. $4. But Christ's one sacrifice could. $5, 6. How affected towards his enemies. $7. The perfection and effect of his sacrifice. $8-10. (II.) Observations,

§1. THESE Words are an entrance into the close of the apostle's elaborate blessed discourse, concerning the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ, their dignity and efficacy, which he finished in the following verses, confirming the whole with the testimony of the Holy Ghost before produced.

§2. (I.) “And every priest," &c. (K«ı) and, gives a farther reason of the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice, by a comparison of it with those of the priests, which were often repeated. (Пas Lεpɛus) every priest; that is, say some, every high priest, referring the whole to the anniversary sacrifice on the day of expiation; but it cannot be here so restrained, for now he makes application of what he had spoken before of all the legal sacrifices.

And the following expression, (έστηκε καθ' ημέραν Aerapywv) stood ministering every day, declares the constant discharge of the priestly office in every daily ministration. Therefore all the priests, while it was in force, and their whole office, as to all that belonged to the offering of sacrifices, are comprised in the assertion.

Stood or standeth ready for, and employed in the work of the priestly office; (Alapyv) ministering, a

general name of employment about all sacred duties, services, and offices whatever; (nab' nμɛpav) day by day, as occasion required according to the appointment of the law; for, beside the daily sacrifice morning and evening, any man might bring his sin offering, and trespass offering, his peace offering, his vow, or free will offering to the priest at any time to be offered on the altar.

For this cause they came to be always in readiness to "stand ministering daily." to which their office was confined. There was no end of their work, they were never brought to that state by them as the High Priest might cease from the ministering, and enter into a condition of rest; they all fell under the same censure, that they could not take away sin.

§3. They "could not" (πepieñei) take them out of the way; that is, absolutely, perfectly, as the word denotes, either from before God the judge, ver. 4, or as to the sinner's conscience, giving him assured peace; no, (8dɛtole duvavlai) they could not do it; the defect was in their own nature; therefore they could not do it by any means, nor at any time, Isa. i, 11; Mich. vi, 6, 7. If the apostle proveth, beyond contradiction, that none of them can ever take away any sin, how much less can the inventions of men effect that great end?

$4. "After he had offered one sacrifice for sins;" he offered only one sacrifice, not many; and it was but once offered; and that before he sat down on the right hand of God, which was the immediate consequence of his offering, see on chap. vii, 3; chap. viii, 1; which here includes a double opposition to, and preference above the state of the legal priests upon their oblations; for although the high priest in his anniversary sacrifice entered into the holy place, where were the visible pledges of the divine presence; yet he sat not, but

stood in a posture of humble ministration, sufficiently remote from any appearance of dignity and honor; again, his abode in the typical holy place was for a short season only; but Christ sat down at the right hand of God (els to diyvenes, in perpetuum) for ever, in an unalterable state and condition, never to offer sacrifice any more. God was absolutely pleased, satisfied, and highly glorified by his offering; for if it had not been so, the human nature of Christ had not been immediately exalted into the highest glory of which it was capable see Eph. v, 1, 2; Phil. ii, 7—9.

$5. From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool." I acknowledge my thoughts are inclined to a peculiar interpretation of this place, though I will not oppose absolutely what is commonly received; the assertion is introduced by (To λorov) henceforth, say we, as to what remains, that is, of the dispensation of the personal ministry of Christ; He came to his own, very few believed on him; the generality of the people, the rulers, priests, and guides of the church, engaged against him, persecuted, falsely accused, killed, and crucified him. Under the veil of their rage and cruelty, he carried on his work, taking away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Having fulfilled this work, and thereby wrought out the eternal salvation of the church, “he sits down on the right hand of God;" yet did they triumph, that they had prevailed against him, and destroyed him, as some of their posterity do this day. It was the judgment of God, that those, his obstinate enemies, should, by his power, be utterly des troyed in this world, as a pledge of the eternal destruction of those, who will not believe the gospel, Matt. xxii, 7; Luke xix, 27.

After our Lord Christ left this world, there was a mighty contest between the dying apostate church of the Jews, and the rising gospel church of believers. The Jews boasted on their success in that they had destroyed him as a malefactor. The apostles and the church gave testimony to his resurrection and glory in heaven. Great expectation there was, what would be the end of these things, which way the scale should turn. After a while, a visible and glorious determination was made of this controversy; God sent forth his armies, and destroyed these murderers, burning up their city. Those enemies of the King, which would not have him to reign over them, were brought forth, and slain before his face; and so were all his enemies made his footstool. These, I judge, are the enemies of Christ, and this the making of them his footstool.

This description of his enemies, as his, peculiarly directs to this interpretation; these being peculiarly the enemies of his person, doctrine, and glory, with whom he had so many contests, and whose blasphemous contradictions he patiently underwent; and to this, the word, (EndεXoEvos) expecting, better answers, than to the other sense; for the visible propagation of the gospel was carried on gloriously after the destruction of Jerusalem, and these his enemies; and expectation may be no less distinctly ascribed to him, in reference to this event, that if we extend the word to the hole time, to the end of the world.

The act of vengeance on these his enemies, is not said to be his own, but is peculiarly assigned to God the Father, who employed the Romans, by whom these rebellious foes were, as the footstool of Christ, absolutely trodden under his feet.

§6. I leave this interpretation to the thoughts of the judicious, and shall further consider them according to

the generally received opinion, (Or Expor) "his enemies." He hath had many enemies since his exaltation, and so shall have to the consummation of all things, when they shall all be triumphed over. All the devils are in a combination, as sworn enemies to the person of Christ and his kingdom; and for men, the whole world of unbelieving Jews, Mahometans, and Pagans, pernicious heretics and false professors, are all in different respects his enemies; but "they shall be made his footstool;" (EWS TEAWON) “until they be put;" they shall be placed in this condition whether they will or no, as the word signifies. (Υποπόδιον των ποδών αυτών) "the footstool of his feet," a despised conquered condition; a state of a mean subjected people, deprived of all power and benefit, and brought into absolute sub-1 jection. They sat on thrones, but now are under the seat, yea, under the feet of him, who is the only potentate. They shall not hurt, or destroy in the Lord's holy mountain. Sin, death, the grave, and hell, as to their opposition to the church, shall be utterly destroyed, 1 Cor. xv, 55-57. The word (Ew) until, hath here respect to both the gradual and final destruction of all the enemies of Christ. "Henceforth expecting;" expectation and waiting are ascribed to Christ, as they are in the scripture to God himself, only in the improper sense of the terms; not including hope, or uncertainty of the event, or a desire of any thing, otherwise than as they are foreknown and determined; but expectation here is the rest, and complacency of Christ in the faithfulness of God's promises, and his infinite wisdom as to the season of their accomplishment; but, saith the apostle, as to "what remains" to the Lord Christ, in the discharge of his office, he is henceforth no more to offer; he is for ever in the enjoyment of the glory that was set before him, satisfied in the prom