7. Envy not the condition of the most proud and cruel adversaries of the church; for they are absolutely in his power, and shall be cast under his footstool at the appointed season.

$10. 1. There was a glorious efficacy in the one offering of Christ.

2. The end of it must be effectually accomplished towards all for whom it was offered; or else it is inferior to the legal sacrifices, for they attained their proper end.

3. The sanctification and perfection of the church being the designed end of the death and sacrifice of Christ, all things necessary to that end must be inclu ded,

VERSES 15---18.

Wherefore the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us; for after that he had said before, 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 I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more; now, where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

§1. The connexion and design of the words. The latter part of them elliptical. $2. An objection implied and answered. $3. The words have been before explained. The apostle's argument from them. 4. The doctrinal part of this epistle concluded. The author's devout acknowledgement of divine assistance in this laborious work.

§1. THE foundation of the whole preceding discourse was laid in the description of the new covenant, whereof Jesus was the mediator, which was confirmed, and ratified by his sacrifice, as the old covenant was by the "blood of bulls and goats," chap. viii, 10-13. Having now abundantly proved what he designed concerning them both, his priesthood and his sacrifice, he gives us a confirmation of the whole, from the testimony of the Holy Ghost, Jer. xxxi, in the description of that covenant which he had given before;

and because the crisis which he had brought his argument to was, that the Lord Christ, by reason of the dignity of his person and office, with the everlasting efficacy of his sacrifice, was to offer himself but once, which includes an immediate demonstration of the insufficiency of all those sacrifices which were often repeated, and consequently their removal out of the church; he returns to that passage of the Holy Ghost, for the proof of this particular also, from the order of the words.

Wherefore there is an ellipsis in the words, which must have a supplement to render the sense perfect: "after he had said before, ver. 11, he said;" that is, after he had spoken of the internal grace of the covenant, he said this also, that their sins and iniquities he would remember no more; for from these words doth he make his conclusive inference, ver. 18, which is the sum of all that he designed to prove.

§2. The Hebrews might object to him, as they were always ready enough to do it, that all things were but his own conclusions, which they would not acquiesce in, unless confirmed by scripture testimonies; therefore he appeals to their own acknowledged principles of the Old Testament; so manifesting, that there was nothing now proposed to them in the gospel, but what was promised and represented in the Old Testament, and was therefore the object of the faith of their forefathers.

The author of this testimony is "the Holy Ghost" not only as holy men of old wrote as they were acted by him, and so he was the author of the whole scripture; but because, also, of his continual presence and authority in it, (paplupei) he bears witness actually, and constantly by his authority in the scriptures; not to us only, who are apostles, and other Christian teachers,

but to all of us; Israelites, who acknowledge the truth of the scriptures, and own them as the rule of our faith and obedience. (Kaι To TVɛuua тo ayιov) even also the Holy Spirit himself. Herein we are directed to his holy divine person, and not an external operation of divine power; and it is that Holy Spirit himself, who continueth to speak to us in the scripture.

§3. The words themselves have been explained at large in chap. viii, where they are first produced. We are here only to consider the apostle's argument from the latter part of them; which is, that the covenant being confirmed and established, by the one sacrifice of Christ, there can be no more offering for sin; for God will never appoint what is needless in his service, least of all in things of so great importance as offering for sin; yea, the continuation of such sacrifices will overthrow the faith of the church and all the grace of the new covenant; for, saith the apostle, and the Holy Ghost testifieth, that as it was confirmed by the one sacrifice of Christ, perfect pardon and forgiveness of sin is prepared for the whole church, and tendered to every believer. To what purpose then should there be any more offerings for sin? Yea, they who look for, and trust to any other, despise the wisdom and grace of God, the blood of Christ, and the witness of the Holy Ghost, for which there is no remission, ver, 28, 29.

§4. And here we are come to a full end of what we may call the dogmatical part of this epistle, a portion of scripture filled with heavenly and glorious mysteries, and may well be termed, in a sense, "the light of the Gentile church, the glory of the people Israel," the foundation and bulwark of evangelical faith.

I do therefore here, with all humility, with a sense of my own weakness and utter disability for so great a

work, thankfully own the guidance and assistance, which hath been given me in the interpretation of it, as a mere effect of sovereign and undeserved grace; from that alone it is, that having, many and many a time, been at an utter loss as to the mind of the Holy Ghost, and finding no relief in the worthy labors of others, he hath graciously answered my poor weak supplications in supplies of the light and evidence of truth.

VERSES 19--25.

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an High Priest over the 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 water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised.

$1. The apostle's professed design. The subject stated. $2--6. (I.) The ground and reason of the exhortation. $7--10. (II.) The manner of our using this privilege. §11, 12, (III.) The special duty exhorted to, $13---16. (IV.)

Observations.

$1. IN these words the apostle enters on the last part of the epistle, which is altogether hortatory; for though there be some occasional intermixtures of doctrines, consonant to those before insisted on, yet the professed design is to propose to, and press on the Hebrews such duties as the truth he had insisted on direct to, and make necessary to all believers; and in all his exhortations there is a mixture of the ground of those duties, their necessity, and privilege. In these words there are three things:

I. The ground and reason of the duty exhorted to, with the foundation of it, as the special privilege of the gospel, ver. 19-21.

II. The way and manner of our using this privilege to that end, ver. 22.

III. The special duty exhorted to, which is, perse verance, and constancy in believing, ver. 23.

§2. (I.) Having therefore, (adελ001) brethren, he hath in this appellation a peculiar respect to those among the Hebrews, who had received the gospel in sincerity; had he called them heretics and schismatics, and I know not what other names of reproach, he had, in all probability, "turned that which was lame quite out of the way;" but he had another spirit, was under another conduct of wisdom and grace, than most men are now acquainted with. (Ovv) therefore, seeing that things are now made manifest to you, seeing it is so evidently testified unto in holy writ, that the old covenant sacrifices and worship could not make us perfect, nor give us access to God; and seeing all things are accomplished by the office and sacrifice of Christ; and seeing privileges are thereon granted to believers which they were not before made partakers of;-let us make use of them to the glory of God, and our own salvation, in the duties which they necessarily require, and which duties are utterly inconsistent with Mosaical worship. We may now freely enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus; but an entrance, in any sense, into the most holy place, is inconsistent with, and destructive of all Mosaical institutions. "Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest;" the privilege intended is directly opposed to the state of things under the law; they therefore are utterly mistaken who suppose this entrance to be an entrance into heaven after this life for all believers; or the apostle doth not here oppose the glorious state of heaven to the church of the Hebrews, and their legal services; but the privileges of the gospel state and wor