An Exposition of Pauls Epistles, Letter 15 · Body of epistle · Chapter 8
The Summe of Chap. VIII.
THis is the Sum of all that I have spoken: We have no Priest now, but Christ, who is equal in glory to his Father in Heaven, vers. 1. The offerer of his own body, signified by the Tabernacle, vers. 2. For, every Priest must offer something: Therefore, so must Christ, vers. 3. But, the typical Sacrifice hee could not offer, by the Law, albeit hee were on earth, vers. 4. Because hee is not of the Tribe of Levi, whose proper office was to meddle with the shadows. Therefore, hee must be the offerer of the Substance; that is, of his own Body, signified by the shadows, vers. 5. And, so, now, hee hath taken the office over the Levites head, and hath an office more excellent than they, and is Mediatour of a better Covenant, than the Covenant which was in their time, vers. 6. For, if that Covenant had been perfect, another had been needless, vers. 7. But another Covenant was needful: and God promised to make a new one, vers. 8. A better Covenant than that old, which the people brake, vers. 9. For, in this Covenant, God undertaketh, to make us keep our part of it, vers. 10.11. And, to pardon, where wee fail, vers. 12. Now, when God promised a New Covenant, hee declared the other to be old, and to be abolished, when the new came, vers. 13.
The Doctrine of Chap. VIII.
Vers. 1. Now, of the things which wee have spoken, this is the Summe: Wee have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty, in the Heavens.
1. THe Apostle, accommodating himself, to help the capacity and memory of the Hebrews, and urging the special point of his discourse, is worthy of imitation.
2. In saying, Wee have such an High Priest, who is set down on the right hand, &c. Hee setteth forth the glory of Christs person, that hee may commend his Priesthood.
Then, 1. The glory of Christs office is not seen, till the glory of his person be seen. 2. The glory of his person is not seen, till his glorious Soveraignty, and Government of the world be seen. 3. Yea, the glory of Christ is not rightly seen, till his equality with the Father, in glory, be seen and acknowledged.
3. In saying, that Christ, as High-Priest is set down on the right hand of the Throne, hee giveth us to understand, That Christ, as in his Divine Nature, hee is undivided from the Father, in Glory, and Dominion; So, in his humane Nature, hee is exalted to the fellowship of Divine Glory, with the Father: Because of the union of the humane Nature, with the Divine, in one person of the Mediatour: The two natures still remaining distinguished, but not divided, nor separated, the one from the other.
4. Hee noteth the place of this Glory, to be in the Heavens, wherein hee preferreth Christ, above the Levitical Priests: for, their Priesthood is onelyonly exercised on Earth, But Christs, in Heaven.
And therefore when wee will employ our High-Priest, wee have no earthly City to seek him in, but in the Heaven, the onelyonly place and palace of his residence.
Vers. 2. A Minister of the Sanctuary, and of the true Tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
1. For all this glory, yet Christ is still called here a Minister, to shew us,
That his high honour, hindreth him not to do his office for our good.
2. Hee is called A Minister of the Sanctuary, or, of the holy things: for the word will agree with both, and both tend to one purpose: for, the holy things were all tyed to the Sanctuary: and, hee that was Minister of the Sanctuary, was Minister of the holy things also, and that, in name of the Saints. Now the Sanctuary, or the holy things which here is spoken of, is the thing signified by the Sanctuary, and by the holy things. And so taking all the significations of the word together, we are taught,
That Christ in his glory, is not idle, but as a faithful Agent in the heavenly Sanctuary, taking the care of all the holy things, which his Saints and people are commanded to present, procuring and giving forth all holy and spiritual things from Heaven to his Saints, which their estate requireth.
3. He is called, a Minister of the true Tabernacle, which God pitched, and not man: That is, the Ministers of his own Body, miraculously formed by God; not after the ordinary manner of other men, signified and represented by the Typical Tabernacle.
Then, the Tabernacle and Temple under the Law, was but the shadow; and Christs Body was the true Tabernacle. For, 1. As the Symboles of Gods presence, was in the typical Tabernacle; so the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily in Christ. 2. As the typical Tabernacle had inclosed in it all the holy things, the Candlestick, Table of Shew-bread, Laver, Altar, &c. So hath the humanity of Christ, or Christ the Man, all holiness and perfection; the fulness of all good, and all holy things in him, Light, Food, Washing, and Reconciliation, and all in himself; that out of his fulness we may all receive Grace for Grace. 3. As the Tabernacle, in the outmost Coverings, seemed but base, yet had better stuff within; so, our Lord, when he dwelt in the Tabernacle of his flesh amongst us, was found in form as a man, and in the shape of a servant; but inwardly, was full of Grace and Truth.
4. In calling Christs Body, The true Tabernacle, which God builded, and not man, he teacheth us, To make use of Christ in truth, as the Church of old made use of the Tabernacle in the Type, that is, in him seek God. Towards him turn the eye of our soul, when we seem, to our selves, to be far removed to the end of the earth; in him offer all our spiritual sacrifices; in him seek our Washing, our Food, our Light, our Comfort; in him, as his Priests, make our Abode, and daily Dwelling. In him let us live and breathe.
5. In so calling Christ, hee appropriateth the sacrificing of his Body to himself, in his own person, as the personal and proper act of his Priesthood: for the offering of the which Sacrifice, once, and never after (as Heb. 7.27. sheweth) he keepeth still the stile of the onelyonly Minister of the true Tabernacle, as his own incommunicable Prerogative.
And therefore, whosoever presumeth to offer his Body, presumeth also to take his place.
Vers. 3. For, every High-Priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
He proveth, That Christ is the Minister of the Tabernacle of his own Body, by offering it up; because it behoved him, seeing he is a Priest, to offer up something, either the typical Oblations, or else his own Body represented by them. But the typical Oblations he could not offer, according to the Law, not being a Levite: Therefore he behooved to offer up himself, represented by the typical Oblations.
Then, the Apostle acknowledgeth no Priest, but either the Levitical Priest, or the Priest that offereth up his own Body. And, whosoever pretendeth to have the Office of a Priest now, usurpeth either the office of the Levite, or Christs Office.
Vers. 4. For, if he were on earth, he should not be a Priest; seeing that there are Priests, which offer gifts according to the Law.
1. He proveth, That Christ cannot offer up the typical Oblations; because he cannot be a Priest on earth, albeit he were on earth; because Priesthood on earth, is proper to the Levites onelyonly: For, they are the onelyonly Priests, by Law, on earth, and have prescribed to them, by Law, what they should offer.
Quest. You will ask me here, Was not Chriest a Priest when he was on earth?
I answer, Yes.
Quest. How then, saith the Apostle here, If he were on earth, he should not be a Priest?
I answer, Because, albeit he began his Priesthood upon earth, yet he could not brook his Office of Priesthood upon earth. For, as the High-Priest, who was the Type, carried the Sacrifice, once a year, through the Court, and before the Sanctuary killed the sacrifice, and then took the blood thereof in unto the Holiest of all, and presented himself there before the Lord, with the blood, to intercede for the people, and there remained, during the time of Intercession appointed to him: So Christ, carrying his sacrifice out of the City, offered up his Body on the Altar of his Godhead, to his Father; and by his own blood, entred into the heavenly Sanctuary, and sate down on the right hand of the Majestie on high, and there he liveth for ever to intercede for us; having then ended his sacrifice, as this Apostle proveth, Chap. 7.27. and Chap. 9.25, 26. And having no sacrifice now to offer on earth, it is with reason that the Apostle saith, If he were on earth, he should not be a Priest.
Whence we learn: 1. That Christ is not now on the earth, not in any place thereof; and therefore if any man say to us; Lo here he is; Lo there he is, we must not beleeve him: it is a false Christ he sheweth us, and not the true, as Christ himself forewarneth, Mat. 24.23. 2. That it is impossible that Christ should now be on the earth; for then should he lose his Priesthood, which is impossible: For, if he were on earth, he should not be a Priest, saith the Apostle here. 3. That Christs Priesthood is onelyonly discharged now in heaven, seeing he cannot be a Priest on earth.
2. His Reason is, They are Priests which offer Gifts, according to the Law. Then, Every Priest, who brooketh his Priesthood on earth, must offer Gifts according to the Law, as the Apostle here reasoneth: And such Priests as those Christ hath abolished, having changed the Priesthood, and the Law also.
Therefore, there can be no Priest by Office on earth at all, with Gods allowance.
Vers. 5. Who serve unto the Example and Shadow of Heavenly things: as Moses was admonished of God, when he was about to make the Tabernacle: For see (saith He) that thou make all things according to the Pattern shewed unto thee in the Mount. He describeth the proper use of the Levitical Priests, to serve unto the Example of heavenly Things.
Then, 1. The Incarnation of Christ, his Death, and the Benefits thereof, signified by Levitical Shadows, are heavenly things, in regard of their heavenly Fruits, and Effects, and other heavenly respects, and are with an heavenly minde to be looked upon. 2. The Ceremonies of the Law, were not idle Rites; but, Examples and Figures of Christ and his Graces; by the which men were led, then, as by the hand to Christ, who was to come.
2. From Exod. 25.40. he proveth, they were Shadows of heavenly things; because the Pattern in the Mount represented the heavenly things: and Moses Tabernacle represented the Pattern in the Mount: Therefore it represented heavenly things. And unto this Pattern was Moses tyed.
Then, 1. God would not, no, not in the time of Types, suffer any device of man to come in, for representing any thing heavenly: Much less will he now. 2. Those which himself ordaineth he will have observed, and none omitted.
Vers. 6. But now hath Hee obtained a more excellent Ministery; by how much also Hee is the Mediatour of a better Covenant, which was established upon better Promises.
1. The offering of the Typical Oblations, hee hath made proper to the Levites. Now, the offering of the true Sacrifices, and service belonging thereunto, hee appropriateth to Christ, and calleth it, A more excellent Ministery.
Then, 1. The offering of the thing signified by the Levitical Types, is more excellent than all their offerings. 2. This Ministery is proper unto Christ onelyonly, in his own person.
2. From this hee preferreth the Mediatorship of Christ, to the typical: The Promises, and the Covenant now, to the Covenant then. His reasoning, is: As the Ministery is, so is the Mediatour. The Ministery is more excellent, in offering up himself, than the shadows. Therefore, the Mediatour is more excellent now, than the typical of old.
Then, The offering of Christs Body, which is the more excellent Ministery, is still annexed to the Person of the Mediatour onelyonly. And, whosoever intrudeth himself in that excellent Ministery, of offering up Christs Body, intrudeth himself also into the Office of the Mediatour.
3. In comparing the Covenant then, and now, hee maketh this the better, Because the Promises are better.
Whence wee learn, 1. That there was a Covenant betwixt God, and his Church, of old, under the Law: And, so Reconciliation to be had with God then. 2. That howsoever in substance of Grace, both the Covenants agreed, yet the form of this Covenant under the Gospel, is better: Because the express conditions are better, the Promises are more spiritual, and more free of straight conditions.
Vers. 7. For, if that first Covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
To clear the abolishing of the Old Covenant, hee proveth it, not to be faultless, Because a New Covenant was promised in place thereof. Not that any thing was wrong in that Covenant, but because it was imperfect, and all things needful not expressed in it clearly.
Whence wee learn, 1. That the Lords proceeding with his Church hath ever been from the less perfect, to the more perfect, till Christ came. 2. That where-ever God addeth, or altereth, what hee once did institute, by so doing, hee sheweth, that before his Addition, hee had not expressed all his Mind, as in the time of the Old Testament, 3. When once hee hath perfected his course taken with his Church, as now hee hath done under the New Testament, hee altereth the matter no more.
Vers. 8. For, finding fault with them, hee saith, Behold the daies come (saith the Lord) when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel, and the House of Judah.
1. Hee proveth, That there was an imperfection in the Old Covenant, Because God found fault with the people under it.
Then, The imperfection of the Covenant of Old, was especially in default of the parties with whom it was made; who, by their inability to fulfil it, or behold the drift of it, made it unable to save themselves.
2. In the words of Jeremiah 31.31. the Lord promiseth, to make a Covenant, afterwards, with the House of Israel, and Judah.
Then, 1. The party in the New Covenant, is not all Mankind, but the Church of the New Testament; the spiritual Israel, and Iudah. 2. This Covenant was not brought to light of old, but had its own time of manifestation. 3. Even then, the Church was made wise of the imperfection of the Old Covenant, that they might learn to look through the outward form of it, to a better. 4. The Hope, and Too-look, which they had towards the New Covenant, held up their heart, that they, without us, and our Priviledges, should not be perfected.
Vers. 9. Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers, in the day when I took them by the hand, to lead them out of the Land of Aegypt, because they continued not in my Covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
1. The Prophet distinguisheth the Old Covenant, from the New, by describing the Old, what it was, how broken and how punished. For the first, the ten Commandements, and the rest of the Law delivered unto them, when they came out of Aegypt, was the Covenant of Old, wherein God promised, To be their God, upon condition, That they did all that hee commanded them, and, they accepted the condition. So, albeit there was Grace here, in sundry Articles, covenanted, yet the form of the Covenant, was like the Covenant of Works. Compare Ier. 17.23. with Ier. 31.31, 32, 33, &c.
2. For the next: They continued not in it, through leaning to their own strength, and seeking to establish their own Righteousness, being ignorant of the Righteousness of God. They dealt deceitfully in the Covenant, and fell to open Idolatry, from time, to time. So, By the Covenant of Works, no man will be found stedfast.
3. For the punishment of it: I regarded them not. In the Hebrew, it is as much, as, I Lorded it over them. That is, used My Husbandly and Lordly Authority over them, and so mis-regarded them.
Whereof wee have to learn, 1. That as Gods Lordship, and Husbandship, is an Obligation of doing well to the Covenant-keeper: So is it a Declaration of his just Freedome, and Authority, to punish the Covenant-breaker. 2. That when God is pleased to exercise his Dominion and Authority over Covenant-breakers, the transgressour falleth in mis-regard with God: that is, As little account is made of his life, as of one without the Covenant. 3. That to be mis-regarded of God, is the sum of all judgement. 4. That the impotency of the people, to keep the Old Covenant, did not exempt them from the punishment due to the breaking of it.
4. The Lord maketh their instability in the Old Covenant, the Reason of his making of a New one. Wherein the Lords bounty is very remarkable; Who, out of our evil, taketh occasion, to do us so much more good: And, because of mens instability in the Old Covenant, maketh another Covenant, whereby hee maketh us to persevere in obedience.
Vers. 10. For, this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel, after those daies, saith the Lord: I will put My Laws into their mind, and write Them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Mee a People.
This is the better Cevenant, containing better Promises, whereof Christ is Mediatour, and Surety, unto all them that beleeve in Him.
Wherein consider, 1. That all the Articles are Promises; and, so, do require in the party that will joyn in the Covenant, Faith, to embrace the Promises; that the Covenant may be agreed unto on both sides: God promising, and the needy Sinner heartily accepting. 2. That what is required in the Old Covenant, as a Condition, is here turned into a Promise, by God, in the New. In the Old Covenant, hee required obedience to his commandements: and here hee promiseth, to write his Laws in our hearts. God undertaketh to do our part in us, if wee will beleeve in Him. 3. That the sense of Wants, and the feeling of our Imperfections, yea, of our hearts wickedness, and carefulness, both of heart and mind; yea, the feeling of the inlacks, or defects of Repentance and Faith, are not just hinderances to make a soul that gladly would be reconciled with God, in Christ, stand back, from embracing this Covenant: But, by the contrary, the feeling of sinfulness, in mind, and heart, are Preparations, to fit us, and set us on, to joyn in this Covenant, wherein God undertaketh to help, and remedy, all these felt evils, through His Christ, by putting His Laws in our Mind, and writing them in our Hearts. For, what is this else, but t… illuminate our Mind, more and more with the understanding of his will, and to frame our hearts and affections to the obedience of the same? 4. That by the Covenant, comfort is provided for sinners, who are humbled in the sense of their sins: and no door opened for presumption, nor room given to prophane persons to go on their ways, blessing themselves. For, the maker of the New Covenant presupposeth two things: First, that his party renounce his own righteousness, which he might seem able to have by the Old Covenant. Next, that he flee for relief to God in Christ, to have the benefits promised in this New Covenant. Which if he do, it is impossible that he can either lean to his own merits, or live in the love of his sinful lusts. 5. That by this Covenant such an union is made betwixt God and the Believer, that the Believer is the Lords adopted childe, and the Lord is the Believers God, all-sufficient for ever, promising to be all to the Believer, which, to be our God, may import, and to make the Believer all that one of his people should be.
Verse 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: For, all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
1. While he saith, They shall not teach every man his neighbour, he doth not mean, that his Word, and Ordinances, and Ministry appointed by him, or brotherly communion, for mutual edification, shall be mis-regarded, or not made use of: But by the contrary, That he will himself be their Teacher in these his own means: First, giving his children a greater measure of the Spirit, and a more neer communion with himself than of old. 2. Making his children so wise unto salvation, as they shall not hang their Faith upon mans authority: but search by all means, till they understand the minde of God, the infallible Teacher, as he hath revealed himself in his Word, 3. So clearing the Truth which is outwardly taught unto them, by his own Instruments, after so sure and perswasive a manner, by his Spirit inwardly, that the outward Teaching, shall be no Teaching, in comparison of the inward concurrence; according as we hear those Samaritans were taught, who believed indeed the womans report, that they might go to Christ: But when they were come to him, got so great satisfaction from himself, that they said unto her, Now we believe, not because of thy saying, for we have heard him our selves, and know, that this is indeed that Christ, John 4.42. So will the Lord inwardly make his Truth powerful unto Salvation to his own, that they may say to those that are his Instruments, Now we believe, not because of your saying, but because we have heard him our selves.
Then, 1. It is not Gods will, that other mens belief should be the Rule of our belief: but that we all search to understand the Scriptures, and Gods will revealed therein. 2. It is easie from this ground, to answer that famous question, How know you such and such grounds of Salvation? We answer, It is an Article of the New Covenant, They shall be all taught of God.
2. He saith, They shall all know me, from the least to the greatest.
Then 1. The New Covenant admitteth all Ranks and Degrees of persons, and excludeth none, high nor low, that love to embrace it. 2. It may be, in sundry points of truth, some of them be ignorant and mistaken, more than other some: But of the saving knowledge of God in Christ, they shall all have light, in a saving measure. 3. The greatest, as well as the meanest, in whatsoever respect of Place or Gifts, must be Gods Disciples in the study of saving Knowledge, and hearty obedience.
Vers. 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins, and their iniquities will I remember no more.
1. To make us believe the former Promises, he addeth to a New Article, of the Remission of sins: because from the Conscience of those, ordinarily do arise our doubts and difficulty of drawing near to God.
Then, 1. The conscience of sin, must not drive us away from God: but rather force us to run unto God more humbly: because, onelyonly to such as come unto him, in his Christ, is remission of sin promised. 2. Whatsoever sort of sins they be, unrighteousness, or sin, or inquity, they shall not hinder God to be gracious to the penitent, fleeing to this Covenant for refuge.
2. In saying, For I will be merciful, 1. He maketh his mercy, pardoning sin, the reason of his bestowing the former good things: His giving of one grace, the reason of giving another, even grace for grace. 2. He maketh his mercy the ground of all this favour, and nothing in the mans person, or works, or worthiness of his faith. 3. The word Merciful, is in the Original, Pacified; and doth import both Gods respect to the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, which pacifieth him towards us; and also our duty in looking towards it, as the price of our reconciliation.
3. In that the Lord joyneth the promise, of putting his Law in the minde, and writing it in our heart, with the promise of remission of sins, he teacheth us, That he will have every confederate soul, that seeketh the benefit of this Covenant, to joyn all these benefits together, in their claim, with remission of sin, seeking to joyn the illumination of their minde, renovation of their heart, and life, at least in their desires and endeavours: and not to sever one of them from another, but study in uprightness to have them all.
4. While he saith, He will remember their sins no more, he teacheth, 1. That he will never forgive sin, nor forget it, but set it ever in his sight, till a man enter into this Covenant with him, through Christ. 2. That when he hath forgiven sin, he forgeteth sin also: whatsoever he remitteth, he removeth from his remembrance.
Vers. 13. In that he saith, A New Covenant, he hath made the first Old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old, is ready to vanish away.
From the name that the Lord giveth this Covenant, in calling it New, he draweth two consequences: The first, that the former Covenant by this word was declared old. Next, that as it was declared old, it was so declared shortly after to be abolished.
Then 1. The least word that proceedeth out of Gods mouth, is weighty, and worthy of consideration. 2. Whatsoever Gods word doth import, by due consequence must be taken for Gods truth, and Gods minde, as if it were expressed. 3. Seeing Christ is come, and the time is now of this New Covenant, we know, that by Gods authority, the Levitical, ordinances, and whole form of the Legal Covenant, and ceremonial forms of worship are abrogated.