11 But Christ being come, an High-priest of good things to come, by a

greater and more perfect hands, that is to say, not of

tabernacle, not made with

this building;

'12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

11 Χριςος δε παραγενομενος, αρχιερευς των μελλοντων αγαθων, δια της μείζονος και τελειοτέρας σκηνης, ου χειροποιητου, τουτ' εςιν, ου ταυτης

της κτίσεως,

12 Ουδε δι' αἱματος τραγων και μοσχων, δια δε του ιδιου αίματος εισηλθεν εφαπαξ εις τα ἁγια, αιωνιαν λυτρωσιν ευραμενος.

Now therefore why tempt ye God επιθειναι, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples. These ordinances respecting the purifying of the flesh, were imposed and continued until the time of Reformation, to shew that all the gifts and sacrifices, which were offered on earth, could not introduce the sinner, as a pardoned person, into the presence of the Deity.

Ver. 11.-1. But Christ, παραγενομενος, being come. The particle de, at the beginning of this verse, being used in its adversative sense, sheweth, that the apostle here states a comparison between the Levitical high-priests and Christ.

2. An High-priest of the good things which are to be, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle. In this translation, I have followed the order of the words in the original; because, in that order, they afford a sense suitable to the apostle's design; which was to shew, that Christ's ministrations as an High-priest, are greatly superior to those of the sons of Aaron, both in respect of the tabernacle in which he officiates, and in respect of the efficacy of his ministrations. He officiates in the greater and more excellent tabernacle not made with hands, called Heb. viii. 2. the true boly place which the Lord pitched and not man. And, the good things of which Christ is the Highpriest or Mediator, are all the blessings included in eternal redemption. See ver. 12. note 3. These blessings are here said to be, through the greater and more excellent tabernacle; that is, as I understand it, through the services of the greater and more excellent tabernacle, which Christ as an High-priest performed; namely, his dying on earth, and his presenting his crucified body before the throne of God in heaven, as a sacrifice for sin. But Beza, Peirce, and others, reading the first clause of the verse by itself, thus, But Christ being come an High-priest of good things to come, join what immediately follows with the beginning of ver. 14. in this manner; through a greater and more perfect tabernacle, hath entered into the holy place; understanding by the greater and more perfect tabernacle, our Lord's human nature. In support of this notion, Beza saith, that his human nature may as properly be 11 But Christ being come1 an High-priest of the good things which are to be through the greater and more perfect tabernacle,2 not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation,

12 Hath entered once into the holy places, (ds) not indeed by the blood of goats (Levit. xvi. 15.) and of calves,1 (Levit. xvi. 3.) but by his own blood, having obtained FOR US eternal redemption.3 (See Ephes. i. 7.)

an

11 But Christ being come, who is made an High-priest or Mediator of the blessings which are to be bestowed through the services of the greater and more excellent tabernacle not made, like the Mosaic tabernacle, with the hands of men, that is to say, a tabernacle not in this lower world,

12 Hath entered once for all into the holy places where God resides, (See Heb. ix. 5. note.) not indeed by the blood of goats and of calves, but by his own blood, or death as a sacrifice for sin; having thereby obtained for us, not redemption for a year, as the high-priest did by entering the holy places on earth, but everlasting redemption; so did not need to offer himself a second time.

called, a tabernacle, as his flesh is called a vail, Heb. x. 24. But not to dispute about the propriety of the figure, it appears an absurdity to say, that Christ entered into the holy place, through his own human nature as through a tabernacle. He entered into heaven clothed in his human nature, and not through it as through a place: for, on that supposition, he did not carry his human nature with him into heaven.

Ver. 12.-1. And of calves. Peirce observes, that the Hebrew word, Levit. xvi, 3. here translated, calves, properly signifies, bullocks of the second year; and that being so young, they might be called calves, which is the LXX. translation. Besides, we have calves of a year old, mentioned Micah vi. 6. and the apostle in the following verse, calls this blood, the blood of bulls. See chap. ix. 19. note 1.

2. But by his own blood. The essence of the sacrifice consisted in its death. But because its death was effected by the shedding of the animal's blood, and was shewed by sprinkling it in the holy places, the high-priest was said to enter into the inward tabernacle by the efficacy of the blood, that is, of the death of the victim, manifested by its blood which he carried with him. In like manner Christ is said to have entered, as an High-priest, into the holy places in heaven by his own blood; that is, by the merit of his own sufferings taken complexly. For he shed his blood when he suffered in the garden, when he was scourged, and when he was crowned with thorns, as well as when the nails were driven into his hands and feet on the cross, and the spear was thrust into his side.

3. Having obtained for us an eternal redemption; namely, from the grave, and from future punishment, followed by admission into heaven there to live

13 For if the blood of

bulls, and of goats, and the

13 Ει γαρ το αίμα ταυρων και τραγων, και σποδος δαμαashes of an heifer, sprink- λεως ραντιζουσα τους κεκοινωμενους, ἁγιαζει προς την της σαρκος καθαροτητα·

ling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh;

14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living

God?

15 And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the

first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

14 Ποσῳ μαλλον το αίμα του Χριςου, ὁς δια πνευματος αιώνιου ἑαυτον προσηνεγκεν αμωμον τῷ Θεῷ, καθαριεί την συνειδησιν ὑμων απο νεκρων εργων, εις το λατρευειν Θεῳ ζωντι;

15 Και δια τουτο διαθηκης καινης μεσιτης εςιν, όπως θανατου γενομενου, εις απολυτρωσιν των επι τη πρωτη διαθηκη παραβασεων, την επαγγελιαν λαβωσιν οἱ κεκλημενοι της αιωνιου κληρονομιας.

eternally with God in unspeakable felicity. These are the good things said ver. 11. to be through the service of Christ in the greater and more perfect tabernacle.

Ver. 13.-1. Sanctify to the cleansing of the flesh. The things mentioned, sanctified the bodies of the polluted, not by any natural efficacy (for they rather defiled them) but by the appointment of God, who, considering them as acts of obedience, was pleased on their account to remit the civil punishment, which, as their political ruler, he had a right to inflict on the polluted. But the shedding of the blood of Christ, both by the appointment of God and by its own efficacy, availeth to the procuring an eternal pardon for penitent sinners. See Ess. vii. Sect. 1. Art. 3. and Whitby's note on Heb. x. 14.-The sentiment expressed in this and the following verse deserves attention, not only for its strength in the proof, but because it is a beautiful illustration of the apostle's doctrine, Heb. viii. 5. that the Levitical services were all shadows of heavenly things. For, the sanctification effected by the legal rites being the sanctification of nothing but the body, it was in a religious light of little use, unless it was a representation and pledge of some real expiation. Now what real expiation of sin is there in the whole universe, if the sacrifice of Christ is excluded? We must therefore acknowledge that the Levitical rites which sanctified the flesh, derived their whole virtue from their being, as the apostle affirms, figurative representations of the real atonement which Christ was to make in heaven, for sanctifying the soul of the sinner.

16 For where a testa

ment is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

16 Όπου γαρ διαθηκη, θανατον αναγκη φερεσθαι του διαθεμενου.

Ver. 14.-1. Who through the eternal Spirit, offered himself. A number of MSS. together with the Vulgate version, instead of @πνευματος αιωνικ, have πνευματος άγια. But the Syriac hath here, spiritum qui est in eternum. Besides, the common reading is found in most MSS.-Christ is said to have offered himself through the eternal Spirit, because he was raised from the dead by the Spirit, 1 Pet. iii. 18. consequently he was enabled by the Spirit to offer himself to God; that is, to present his crucified body before the shrone of God in heaven. See Heb. viii. 5. note 5.

2. To worship the living God. The epithet, living, is given in scripture to God, to signify the greatness of his power, which might deter sinners from approaching him in acts of worship, if they were not assured of pardon through the sacrifice of Christ. To give the blood or death of Christ this efficacy, was a proper reward of his obedience to death.

Ver. 15.-1. Of the new covenant. See Heb. viii. 7. note 2. The word 8129ann, here translated covenant, answers to the Hebrew word Berith, which all the translators of the Jewish scriptures have understood to signify a cowenant. The same signification our translators have affixed to the word διαθηκη, as often as it occurs in the writings of the evangelists and apostles; except in the history of the institution of the supper, and in 2 Cor. iii. 6. and Heb. vii. 22. and in the passage under consideration: in which places, copying the Vulgate version, they have rendered διαθηκη by the word testament. Beza, following the Syriac version, translates διαθηκη every where by the words fadus, pactum, except in the 16, 17. and 20. verses of this chapter, where likewise, following the Syriac version, he hath, testamentum. Now if καινη διzdawn, the new testament, in the passages above mentioned, means the gospel-covenant, as all interpreters acknowledge, παλαια διαθη ww, the old testament, 2 Cor. iii. 14.-and фраτη διαθηκη, the first testament, Heb. ix. 15. must certainly be the Sinaitic covenant, or law of Moses, as is evident also from Heb. ix. 20.-On this supposition it may be asked, 1. In what sense the Sinaitic covenant or law of Moses, which required perfect obedience to all its precepts under the penalty of death, and allowed no mercy to any sinner however penitent, can be called, a testament, which is a deed conferring something valuable on a person, who may accept or refuse it as. he thinks fit. Besides, the transaction at Sinai in which God promised to continue the Israelites in Canaan, on condition they refrained from the wicked practices of the Canaanites and observed his statutes, Lev. xviii. can in no sense be called a testament.-2. If the law of Moses is a testament, and if to render that testament valid the death of the testator is necessary, as the English translators have taught us, ver. 16. I ask, Who was it that made the testament of the law? was it God or Moses? And did either of them d'e to render it valid ?-3 I observe, that even the gospel-covenant is improperly called a testament, because, notwithstanding all its blessings were