Exposition of Hebrews 6-10, Exegesis of chapter 9 · Exegesis of verses 13, 14
VER. XIII, XIV.
THere is in these Verses an Argument and Comparison. But the Comparison is such, as that the ground of it is laid in the Relation of the Comparates the one unto the other; namely, that the one was the Type, and the other the Antitype, otherwise the Argument will not hold. For although it follows, that he who can do the greater, can do the less, whereon an Argument will hold à majori ad minus; yet it doth not absolutely do so, that if that which is less can do that which is less, then that which is greater can do that which is greater; which would be the force of the Argument, if there were nothing but a naked comparison in it. But it necessarily follows hereon, if that which is less, in that less thing which it doth or did, was therein a Type of that which was greater, in that greater thing which it was to effect. And this was the case in the thing here proposed by the Apostle. The words are:
foreign;
The words have no difficulty in them as to their Grammatical Sense; nor is there any considerable variation in the rendring of them in the old Translations. Only the Syriac retains foreign that is foreign, from ver. 11. instead of foreign here used. And both that and the Vulgar, place foreign here before foreign, as in the foregoing Verse, contrary unto all Copies of the Original, as to the order of the words.
For foreign, the Vulgar reads foreign, per Spiritum Sanctum. The Syriac follows the Original, foreign by the Eternal Spirit.
foreign, the Original Copies vary, some reading foreign, our, but most foreign, your; which our Translators follow.
For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats, and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth unto the purifying of the flesh:
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God, purge your Conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?
The words are Argumentative, in the form of an Hypothetical Syllogism; wherein the Assumption of the Proposition is supposed, as proved before. That which is to be confirmed, is what was asserted in the words foregoing; namely, That the Lord Iesus Christ by his blood hath obtained for us eternal redemption. foreignThis the Causal Redditive Conjunction, For, doth manifest; whereunto the Note of a Supposition, If, is premised as a Note of an Hypothetical Argumentation.
There are two Parts of this Confirmation: (1) A most full declaration of the way and means whereby he obtained that Redemption; it was by the offering himself through the Eternal Spirit without spot unto God. (2) By comparing this way of it with the Typical Sacrifices and Ordinances of God. For arguing ad homines, that is, unto the satisfaction and conviction of the Hebrews, the Apostle makes use of their Confessions, to confirm his own Assertions. And his Argument consists of two Parts. (1) A Concession of their efficacy unto their proper end. (2) An Inference from thence unto the greater and more noble efficacy of the Sacrifice of Christ, taken partly from the relation of Type and Antitype that was between them, but principally from the different nature of the things themselves.
To make evident the force of his Argument in general, we must observe, (1) That what he had proved before, he takes here for granted, on the one side and the other. And this was that all the Levitical Services and Ordinances were in themselves carnal, and had carnal ends assigned unto them, and had only an obscure representation of things spiritual and eternal; and on the other side, that the Tabernacle, Office and Sacrifice of Christ were spiritual, and had their effects in eternal things. (2) That those other carnal earthly things were Types and Resemblances in God's appointment of them, of these which are spiritual and eternal.
From these Suppositions the Argument is firm and stable, and there are two Parts of it; (1) That as the Ordinances of old being carnal, had an efficacy unto their proper end to purifie the unclean as to the flesh; so the Sacrifice of Christ hath a certain efficacy unto its proper end; namely, the purging of our Consciences from dead works. The force of this Inference depends on the Relation that was between them in the appointment of God. (2) That there was a greater efficacy; and that which gave a greater evidence of it self in the Sacrifice of Christ with respect unto its proper end, than theirs was in those Sacrifices and Ordinances with respect unto their proper end. How much more. And the reason hereof is, because all their efficacy depended on a meer arbitrary Institution. In themselves, that is, in their own Nature, they had neither worth, value nor efficacy, no not as unto those Ends whereunto they were by Divine Institution designed: But in the Sacrifice of Christ, who is therefore here said to offer himself unto God through the eternal Spirit, there is an innate glorious worth and efficacy, which sutably unto the Rules of Eternal Reason and Righteousness, will accomplish and procure its effects.