that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inherit16 ance. For where such a covenant is, there must also necessarily be the death of him by whom the covenant is 17 confirmed. For the covenant is of force after he is dead;

whereas it is of no strength while he by whom it is con18 firmed liveth. Whence neither was the first covenant 19 originally transacted without blood. For when Moses had spoken all the commandment according to the law to all the people, * he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and the book 20 itself, and sprinkled all the people, Saying, + This is the blood of the covenant, which God hath enjoined unto 21 you. And in like manner he sprinkled with blood both 22 the tabernacle and all the vessels of the service. And almost all things are according to the law purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveIt was therefore necessary, that the patterns of

23 ness.

* Exod. xxv. 7, 8. † Ver. 8.

inheritance promised to Abraham: not by means of legal sacrifices, but of his meritorious death; for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant-That is, for the redemption of transgressors, from the guilt and punishment of those sins, which were committed in the time of the old covenant. The article of his death properly divides the old covenant from the new.

V. 16. I say, By means of death; for where such a covenant is, there must be the death of him by whom it is confirmed-Seeing it is by his death that the benefits of it are purchased. It seems beneath the dignity of the apostle, to play upon the ambiguity of the Greek word, as the common translation supposes him to do.

V. 17. After he is dead-Neither this, nor, after men are dead, is a literal translation of the words. It is a very perplexed passage.

V. 18. Whence neither was the first-The Jewish oovenant, originally transacted without the blood of an appointed sacrifice.

V. 19. He took the blood of calves-Or heifers, and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop-All these circumstances are not particularly mentioned in that chapter of Exodus, but are supposed to be already known, from other passages of Moses; and the book itself Which contained all he had said; and sprinkled all the people-Who were near him. The blood was mixed with water to prevent its growing too stiff for sprinkling: perhaps also, to typify that blood and water, John xix. 34.

V. 20. Saying, This is the blood of the covenant which God hath enjoined me to deliver unto you-By this it is established.

V. 21. And in like manner he ordered the tabernacle-Wheu it was made, and all its vessels to be sprinkled with blood, once a year.

V. 22. And almost all things-(For some were purified by water, or fire:) are according to the law, purified with blood-Offered or sprinkled: and according to the law, there is no forgiveness of sins, without shedding of blood—All this pointed to the blood of Christ, effectually cleansing from all sin, and intimated, there can be no purification from it, by any other means.

V. 23. Therefore-That is, It plainly appears from what has been said, Įt

things in heaven should be purified by these, but the heavenly things themselves by better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter into the holy place made with hands, the figure of the true; but into heaven itself, now 25 to appear in the presence of God for us. Nor did he enter, that he might offer himself often (as the high-priest entered into the holy place every year with the blood of 26 others.) For then he must often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages hath he been manifested, to abolish 27 sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed for 28 men once to die, and after this the judgment: So Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, will appear the second time without sin, to them that look for him unto salvation.

CHAP. X. 1. For the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices which they offer year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect.

was necessary-According to the appointment of God, that the tabernacle and all its utensils, which were patterns-Shadowy representations, of things in heaven should be purified by these-Sacrifices and sprinklings; but the heavenly things themselves-Our heaven-born spirits: what more this may mean, we know not yet; by better sacrifices than these-That is, by a better sacrifice, which is here opposed to all the legal sacrifices, and is expressed plurally, because it includes the signification of them all, and is of so much more eminent virtue.

V. 24. For Christ did not enter into the holy place made with hands-He never went into the holy of holies at Jerusalem, the figure of the true tabernacle in heaven, ch. viii. 2, but into heaven itself, to appear in the presence of God for s-As our glorious High-priest and powerful Intercessor.

V. 26. For then he must often have suffered from the foundation of the world -This supposes, 1. That by suffering once, he atoned for all the sins which had been committed from the foundation of the world: 2. That he could not have atoned for them without suffering: at the consummation of the ages-The sacrifice of Christ divides the whole age or duration of the world into two parts, and extends its virtue backward and forward, from this middle point wherein they meet, to abolish both the guilt and power of sin.

V. 27. After this, the judgment-Of the great day: at the moment of death, every man's final state is determined. But there is not a word in Scripture, of a particular judgment, immediately after death.

V. 28. Christ having once died, to bear the sins-The punishment due to them: of many-Even as many as are born into the world: will appear the second time-When he comes to judgment: without sin-Not as he did before, bearing on himself the sins of many, but to bestow everlasting salvation.

CHAP. X. Ver. 1. From all that has been said it appears, that the law, the Mosaic dispensation, being a bare, unsubstantial shadow of good things to come -Of the gospel blessings, and not the substantial, solid image of them, can never with the same kind of sacrifices, though continually repeated, make the comers thereunto perfect-Either as to justification or sanctification. How is

5 should take

*

2 Otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered? Because the worshippers, having been once purged, would 3 have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices, there is a commemoration of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible, that the blood of bulls and of goats away sins. Therefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou hast not 6 chosen, but a body hast thou prepared for me. Burntofferings and sacrifices for sin thou hast not delighted in. 7 Then said I, Lo I come (in the volume of the book it is 8 written of me) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice, and offering, and burnt-offerings, and offering for sin, thou hast not chosen, neither delighted in, 9 which are offered according to the law; Then said he, Lo, I come, to do thy will. He taketh away the first, 10 that he may establish the second: By which will we are

sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus 11 Christ once for all. And indeed every priest standeth

daily ministering and offering often the same sacrifices, 12 which can never take away sins: But he having offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down at the right hand 13 of God, From thenceforth waiting till his † enemies be

* Psalm xl. 7. † Psalm cx. 1.

it possible that any who consider this, should suppose the attainments of David, or any who were under that dispensation, to be the proper measure of gospel holiness? And that Christian experience is to rise no higher than Jewish?

V. 2. They who had been once perfectly purged, would have been no longer conscious either of the guilt or power of their sins.

V. 3. There is a public commemoration of the sins both of the last and of all the preceding years: a clear proof, that the guilt thereof is not perfectly purged away.

V. 4. It is impossible the blood of goats should take away sins-Either the guilt or power of them.

V. 5. When he cometh into the world-In the 40th Psalm the Messiah's coming into the world is represented. It is said, Into the world, not into the tabernacle, (ch. ix. 1,) because all the world is interested in his sacrifice. A body thou hast prepared for me-That I may offer up myself.

V. 7. In the volume of the book-In this very Psalm, it is written of meAccordingly I come to do thy will-By the sacrifice of myself.

V. 8. Above when he said, Sacrifice thou hast not chosen-That is, when the Psalmist pronounced those words in his name:

V. 9. Then said he-In that very instant he subjoined: Lo I come to do thy will-To offer a more acceptable sacrifice; and by this very act, he taketh away the legal, that he may establish the evangelical dispensation.

V. 10. By which will-Of God, done and suffered by Christ, we are sanctified-Cleansed from guilt, and consecrated to God.

V. 11. Every priest standeth-As a servant, in a humble posture.

V. 12. But he The virtue of whose one sacrifice remains for ever, sat down -As a Son, in majesty and honour.

14 made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected 15 for ever them that are sanctified. And this the Holy 16 Ghost also testifieth to us, after he had said before, * This

is the covenant which I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws into their hearts, 17 and write them on their minds, And their sins, and their 18 iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

19 Having therefore, brethren, free liberty to enter into 20 the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, 21 that is, his flesh, And having a great high-priest over the 22 house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart, in

full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure 23 water. Let us hold fast the profession of our hope with24 out wavering, (for he is faithful that hath promised,) And

let us consider one another, to provoke one another to 25 love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the

* Jer. xxxi. 33, &c.

V. 14. He hath perfected them for ever-That is, has done all that was needful in order to their full reconciliation with God.

V. 15. In this, and the three following verses, the apostle winds up his argument, concerning the excellency and perfection of the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ. He had proved this before by a quotation from Jeremiah; which he here repeats, describing the new covenant, as now completely ratified, and all the blessings of it secured to us by the one offering of Christ, which renders all other expiatory sacrifices, and any repetition of his own, utterly needless.

V. 19. Having finished the doctrinal part of his epistle, the apostle now proceeds to exhortation, deduced from what has been treated of, ch. v. 4, which he begins by a brief recapitulation. Having therefore liberty to enter

V. 20. By a living way-The way of faith whereby we live indeed: which he hath consecrated-Prepared, dedicated, and established for us, through the veil-That is, his flesh-As by rending the veil in the temple, the holy of holies became visible and accessible, so by wounding the body of Christ, the God of heaven was manifested, and the way to heaven opened.

V. 22. Let us draw near-To God, with a true heart-In godly sincerity: having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience-So as to condemn us no longer and our bodies washed with pure water-All our conversation spotless and holy; which is far more acceptable to God than all the legal sprinklings and washings.

V. 23. The profession of our hope-The hope which we professed at our baptism.

V. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves-In public or private worship, as the manner of some is-Either through fear of persecution, or from a vain imagination that they were above external ordinances: but exhorting one another-To faith, love, and good works: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching-The great day is ever in your eye.

26 day approaching. For when we sin wilfully, after hav ing received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth. 27 no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking

for of judgment and fiery indignation, which is ready to 28 devour the adversaries. He that despised the law of Moses died without mercy under two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall be be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant, by which he hath been sanctified, an unholy thing, and done despite 30 to the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said,

*Vengeance is mine: I will recompense: and again, 31 The Lord will judge his people. It is a fearful thing to 32 fall into the hands of the living God. But call ye to

mind the former days, in which, after ye were enlight33 ened, ye endured so great a conflict of sufferings: Partly being made a gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflictions; partly being partakers with them who were so 34 treated. For ye sympathized with my bonds, and received with joy the spoiling of your goods, knowing that ye have for yourselves in heaven a better and an enduring 35 substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, 36 which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye 37 may receive the promise. For yet a very little while,

* Deut. xxxii. 35, &c.

V. 26. For when we-Any of us Christians, sin wilfully-By total apostasy from God, termed drawing back, ver. 38, after having received the experimental knowledge of the gospel truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins-None but that which we obstinately reject.

V.. 28. He that-In capital cases, despised-Presumptuously transgressed, the law of Moses died without mercy-Without any delay or mitigation of his punishment.

V. 29. Of how much sorer punishment is he worthy, who-By wilful, total apostasy, (It does not appear that this passage refers to any other sin;) hath, as it were, trodden under foot the Son of God-A lawgiver far more honourable than Moses, and counted the blood wherewith the better covenant was established, an unholy, a common, worthless thing: by which he hath been sanctified-(Therefore Christ died for him also, and he was, at least, justified once ;) and done despite to the Spirit of grace-By rejecting all his motions.

V. 30. The Lord will judge his people-Yea, far more rigorously than the heathens, if they rebel against him.

V. 31. To fall into the hands-Of his avenging justice.

V. 32. Enlightened-With the knowledge of God and of his truth.

V. 34. For ye sympathized with all your suffering brethren, and with me in particular; and received joyfully the loss of your own goods.

V. 35. Cast not away therefore this your confidence-Your faith and hope; which none can deprive you of, but yourselves.

V. 36. The promise-Perfect love, eternal life.

V. 37. He that cometh-To reward every man according to his works,