Exercitation on Hebrews, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 1 · Exposition of verse 6
PRoceed we now with our Apostle in his description of the Person and Offices of the Messiah.
This beginning of the Epistle, as hath been declared, contains a summary Proposition of those things, which the Apostle intends severally to insist upon throughout the whole. And these all relate to the Person and Offices of the Messiah, the principal subject of this Epistle. Having therefore first declared him to be the great Prophet of the New Testament; and Secondly, the Lord, Ruler and Governour of all things, as also manifested the Equity of the Grant of that universal Soveraignty unto him, from the Excellency of his Person on the account of his Divine Nature, and the Operations thereof in the works of Creation and Providence, he proceeds to finish and close his general proposition of the Argument of the Epistle, by a brief intimation of his Priestly-Office, with what he did therein, and what ensued thereon, in the remaining words of this Verse.
And this Order and Method of the Apostle, is required by the nature of the things themselves whereof he treats. For the work of purging sins, which as a Priest he assigns unto him, cannot well be declared, without a previous manifestation of his Divine Nature. For it is opu… foreign, a work of him who is God and man. For as God takes it to be his property to blot out our sins, so he could not have done it by himself, had he not been man also: And this is asserted in the next words.
foreign.
Having by himself purged our sins.
The Vulgar Latin renders these words; purgationem peccatorum faciens; not without sundry mistakes. For First, Those words, foreign, by himself, and foreign, our, are omitted; and yet the Emphasis and proper sense of the whole depends upon them. Secondly, foreign, having made, is rendered in the present Tense, making, which seems to direct the sense of the words to another thing and Action of Christ, than …hat is here intended. And therefore the Expositors of the Roman Church, as Thomas, Lyranus, Cajetan, Estlus, Ribera, A Lapide, all desert their own Text, and expound the words according to the Original: The Antients also as Chrysostom, Theophilact, and Oecumenius, lay the chief weight of their whole Exposition of this place, on the words omitted in that Translation.
The doctrine of purging our sins by Christ, is deep and large, extending its self unto many weighty heads of the Gospel: but we shall follow our Apostle, and in this place pass it over briefly and in general, because the consideration of it will directly occur unto us in our progress.
Two things the Apostle here expresseth concerning the Messiah; and one, which is the foundation of both the other he implyeth or supposeth. First, He expresseth What he did; he purged our sins: Secondly, How he did it, he did it by himself. That which he supposeth as the foundation of both these is, that he was the Great High Priest of the Church; they with whom he dealt knowing full well that this matter of purging sins, belonged only unto the Priest.
Here then the Apostle tacitely enters upon a Comparison of Christ with Aaron, the High Priest; as he had done before with all the Prophetical Revealers of the Will of God; and as he named none of them in particular, no more doth he here name Aaron; but afterwards when he comes more largely to insist on the same matter again, he expresly makes mention of his name, as also of that of Moses.
And in both the things here ascribed unto him as the great High Priest of his Church doth he prefer him above Aaron. First, In that he purged our sins; that is, really and effectually before God, and in the Conscience of the sinner, and that for ever. Whereas the Purgation of sins about which Aaron was employed, was in its self but typical, external, and representative of that which was true and real, both of which the Apostle proves at large afterwards. Secondly, In that he did it by himself, or the offering of himself; whereas what ever Aaron did of this kind, he did it by the offering of the blood of Bulls and Goats, as shall be declared.
And hence appears also the vanity of the Gloss of a learned man on these words; postquam, saith he, morte sua causam dedisset ejus fidei per quam à peccatis purgamur, quod nec Moses fecerat, nec Prophetae. For as we shall see that Christs purging of our sins, doth not consist in giving a ground and cause for faith, whereby we purge our selves, so the Apostle is not comparing the Lord Christ in these words with Moses and the Prophets, who had nothing to do in the work of purging sin, but with Aaron who by Office was designed thereunto.
foreign.Let us then see what it is that is here ascribed unto the Lord Christ. foreign, doth most frequently denote real actual Purification, either of outward defilements, by healing and cleansing, as Mark 1.40. Chap. 7.19. Luke 5.12. or spiritual defilements of sin, by sanctifying Grace, as Acts 15.9. 2 Cor. 7.1. Ephes. 5.26. But it is also frequently used in the same sense with foreign, and foreign, to purge by Expiation or Attonement, as Heb. 9.22, 23. And in the like variety is foreign also used. But foreign, to make a Purgation or Purification of our sins, cannot here be taken in the first sense for real and inherent sanctifying. First, Because it is spoken of as a thing already past and perfected; having purged our sins; when Purification by Sanctification, is begun only in some, not all at any time, perfected in none at all in this world. Secondly, Because he did it, foreign, by himself alone, without the use or Application of any other medium unto them that are purged. When real inherent Sanctification is with washing of Water by the word, Ephes. 5.26. or by Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, Titus 3:5. And the gloss above mentioned, that Christ should purge us from our sins in his death, by occasioning that Faith whereby we are cleansed, is excluded, as was in part shewed before by the Context. That is assigned unto the death of Christ, as done really and effectually thereby; which was done tipically of old in the Legal Sacrifices by the Priests; as is evident from the Antith…sis couched in that Expression by himself. But this was not the way whereby sins were of old purged by Sacrifices, namely, by the begetting a perswasion in the minds of men that should be useful for that purpose; and therefore no such things is here intended.
foreign.foreign then, is such a purging as is made by Expiation, Lustration and Attonement. That is foreign or foreign, Propitiatio; Attonement, Propitiation. So is that Word rendered by the LXX. Exod. 29.36. foreign, the day of Attonement, or Expiation. They do indeed mostly render foreign, by foreign, and foreign, to propitiate, to appease, to attone; but they do it also by foreign, to purge, as Exod. 29.37. and Chap. 30 10. So also in other Authors, foreign is used for foreign, that is, expiatio, expiamentum, piaculum; Expiation, Attonement, diversion of guilt. So Lucian, foreign, We cast him down headlong for an expiation of the Army: or as one that by his death should expiate, bear, take away the guilt of the Army. And such Lustrations were common among the Heathen, when Persons devoted themselves to destruction, or were devoted by others, to purge, lustrate, bear the guilt of any, that they might go free; such were Codius, Menaeceus, and the Decii, whose stories are known. This purging then of our sins, which the Apostle declareth to have been effected before the Ascension of Christ, and his sitting down at the Right Hand of God, consisteth not in the actual Sanctification and Purification of believers, by the Spirit in the Application of the blood of Christ unto them, but in the Attonement made by him in the Sacrifice of himself, that our sins should not be imputed unto us. And therefore is he said to purge our sins, and not to purge us from our sins. And where ever sins, not sinners, are made the Object of any Mediatory acts of Christ, that act immediately respecteth God and not the sinner, and intends the removal of sin, so as that it should not be imputed. So Chap. 2.17. of this Epistle; he is a merciful High Priest; foreign, to reconcile the sins of the people; that is, foreign, to make Attonement or Reconciliation with God for the sins of the people. And again; He underwent death, foreign, for the redemption of Transgressions under the first Covenant, that is, to pay a price for them, that transgressors might be set free from the sentence of the Law. So that foreign; is as much, as having made attonement for our sins.
And this the Apostle further declareth by manifesting the Way whereby he did it; that is, foreign, by himself, that is, by the Sacrifice and Offering of himself; as Chap. foreign.9.14. Ephes. 5.2. The High Priest of old made Attonement, and typically purged the sins of the People, by sacrificing of Beasts according unto the Appointment of the Law, Levit. 16. This High Priest by the Sacrifice of himself, Isa. 53.10. Heb. 9.12. Of the nature of Propitiatory or Expiatory Sacrifices, we must treat at large afterwards. We keep our selves now, unto the Apostles general Proposition, expressing briefly the Sacerdotal Office of Christ, and the Excellency of it, in that he really purged our sins, and that by the Sacrifice of himself. And this was in and by his death on the Cross, with his antecedent preparatory sufferings. Some distinguish between his Death, and the Oblation of himself. This they say he performed in Heaven, when as the High Priest of his Church, he entered into the Holiest not made with hands, whereunto his death was but a preparation. For the slaying of the Beast, they say, was not the Sacrifice, but the offering of its blood upon the Altar, and the carrying of it into the Holy Place. But this utterly overthrows the whole Sacrifice of Christ, which indeed is the thing by them aimed at. It is true, the slaying of the Beast was not the whole Sacrifice, but only an essential part of it, as was also the offering of its blood; and the sprinkling of it in the Holy Place, in the anniversary Sacrifice of Attonement, but not in any other. And the Reason why the whole Sacrifice could not consist in any one Action, arose meerly from the imperfection of the things and persons employed in that work. The Priest was one thing, the Beast to be sacrificed another, the Altar another, the Fire on the Altar another, the Incense added another, each of them limited and designed unto its peculiar end, so that the attonement could not be made by any one of them, nor the Sacrifice consist in them. But now in this sacrifice of Christ all these meet in one, because of his Perfection; He himself was both Priest, Sacrifice, Altar and Incense, as we shall see in our progress; and he perfected his whole sacrifice at once, in and by his death and blood-shedding, as the Apostle evidently declares, Chap. 9.12.14.
Thus by himself did Christ purge our sins, making an Attonement for them by the sacrifice of himself in his death, that they should never be imputed unto them that believe.
And this part of this Verse will afford us also this distinct Observation.
So great was the work of freeing us from sin, that it could no otherwise be effected but by the self-sacrifice of the Son of God.
Our Apostle makes it his design in several places to evince that none of those things from whence mankind usually did, or might with any hopes or probabilities expect relief in this case, would yield them any at all.
The best that the Gentiles could attain, all that they had to trust unto, was but the Improvement of natural Light and Reason, with an attendance unto those seeds and Principles of Good and Evil, which are yet left in the depraved nature of man. Under the Conduct, and in Obedience unto these, they sought for Rest, Glory, and Immortality: how miserably they were disappointed in their aims and expectations, and what a wofull issue all their endeavours had, the Apostle declares and proves at large, Rom. 1.18. unto the end.
The Jews, who enjoyed the benefit of Divine Revelation, having lost for the most part the true spiritual import of them, sought for the same ends by the Law, and their own diligent Observation of it. They rested in the Law; Rom. 2.17. namely, that by it, they should obtain Deliverance from sin, and Acceptance with God; and followed after it, Chap. 9.31. that is, to attain Righteousness and Salvation by it. And this seemed to be a sufficient bottom and foundation for them to build upon: for having lost the spiritual Understanding, the use and End of the Law, as renewed unto them in the Covenant of Horeb, they went back unto th… primitive Use and End of it, upon its first giving in Innocency; and foolishly thought, as many more yet do, that it would do the same things for sinners, that it would have done for men, if they had not sinned in Adam; that is, have given them Acceptance with God here, and Eternal Life hereafter; Wherefore the Apostle in many places takes great pains to undeceive them, to rectifie their mistake, and to prove that God had no such design in giving them the Law, as that, which they would impose upon him.
And First, He asserts and proves in general, that the Law would deceive their Expectation; and that by the deeds of the Law no flesh should be justified, Rom. 3.20. and that it would not give them life, Gal. 3.21. or Righteousness. And that they might not complain, that then God himself had deceived them in giving a Law that would not serve the turn for which it was given; he declares, Secondly, That they had mistaken the End for which the Law was renewed unto them; which was not that it might give them Life or Righteousness, but that it might discover sin, exact obedience, and by both drive and compell them to look out after some other thing, that might both save them from their sin, and afford them a Righteousness unto Salvation. And furthermore, he Thirdly, Acquaints them whence it was, that the Law was become unsufficient for these ends; and that was, because it was become weak through the flesh, Rom. 8.3. The Law was able to continue our Acceptance with God, in that condition wherein at first we were created; but after that man by sin became flesh, to have a Principle of Enmity against God in him, bringing forth the fruits of sin continually, the Law stood aside, as weakened and insufficient to help and save such an one. And these things the Apostle expresly and carefully insists upon in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians.
But Thirdly, Though the Law, and an earnest endeavour after the Observation of it in general, would not serve to save us from our sins, yet there were especial Institutions of the Law, that were appointed for that End and Purpose; as namely, the Sacrifices in particular; which were designed to make Attonement for the delivery of sinners, and to procure their Reconciliation with God. These the Jews principally rested on, and trusted unto; and indeed to expect Righteousness and Justification by the Mosaical Sacrifices, as they did, was far more rational, than to expect it by the Works of the Moral Law as some now do; for all Good works what ever, are required in the Law, and so far are works of the Law: For in the Sacrifices, there was a supposition of sin, and an appearance of a compensation to be made, that the sinner might go free; but in the Moral Law, there is nothing but absolute universal and exact Righteousness required or admitted, without the least provision of relief for them who come short therein. But yet our Apostle declar…s, and proves that neither were these available for the End aimed at, as we shall see at large on the ninth and tenth Chapters of this Epistle.
Now within the compass of these three, Natural Light or Reason, with ingrafted principles of Good and Evil, the Moral Law, and the Sacrifices thereof, do lye and consist, all the hopes and endeavours of sinners after Deliverance and Acceptance with God. Nothing is there that they can do, or put any confidence in, but may be referred unto one of these heads. And if all this fail them, as assuredly they will, (which we might prove by Reasons and Demonstrations in numerable, though at present we content our selves with the Testimonies above reported) it is certain, that there is nothing under Heaven can yield them in this case the least relief.
Again, This is the only way for that End which is suited unto the Wisdom of God. The Wisdom of God is an infinite abysse, which as it lyes in his own Eternal breast, we cannot at all look into. We can only adore it, as it breaks forth and discovers it self in the Works that outwardly are of him, or the Effects of it. Thus, David in the consideration of the Works of God, falls into an admiration of the Wisdom whereby they were made, Psal. 104.24. and Psal. 136.5. The Wisdom of God opens and manifests its self in its Effects; and thence according unto our measure, do we learn what doth become it, and is suitable unto it. But when the Holy Ghost cometh to speak of this Work of our Redemption by Christ, he doth not only call us to consider singly the Wisdom of God, but his Various and manifold Wisdom, Ephes. 3.10. and affirms that all the Treasures of Wisdom are hid in it, Col. 2.3. plainly intimating that it is a work so suited unto, so answering the Infinite Wisdom of God in all things throughout, that it could no otherwise have been disposed and effected. And this as well upon the account of the Wisdom of God its self absolutely considered, as also as it is that Property whereby God designs and effects the glorifying of all other Excellencies of his Nature; whence it is called various, or manifold; so that we may well conclude that no other way of Deliverance of sinners was suited unto the Wisdom of God.
Secondly, This was alone answered the Holiness and Righteousness of God. He is an holy God, who will not suffer the guilty to go free, of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and his Judgement is that they who commit sin are worthy of death. Sin is contrary to his Nature; and his Justice requireth that it go not unpunished. Besides he is the great and supream Governour of all; and whereas sin breaketh and dissolveth the dependance of the creature upon him, should he not avenge that defection, his whole Rule and Government would be disannulled. But now if this Vengeance and Punishment should fall on the sinners themselves, they must perish under it eternally; not one of them could escape, or ever be freed or purged from their sins. A commutation then there must be; that the Punishment due to sin, which the Holiness and Righteousness of God exacteth may be inflicted, and Mercy and Grace shewed unto the sinner. That none was able, fit, or worthy to undergo this penalty, so as to make a compensation for all the sins of all the Elect, that none was able to bear it, and break through it, so as that the End of the undertaking might be happy blessed and glorious on all hands, but only the Son of God, we shall farther manifest in our progress; and it hath been elsewhere declared.
And this, First should teach us to live in an Holy Admiration of this mighty and wonderful product of the Wisdom, Righteousness, Grace and Goodness of God, which had found out, and appointed this Way of delivering sinners, and have gloriously accomplished it in the self-sacrifice of the Son of God. The Holy Ghost every where proposeth this unto us, as a Mysterie, a great and hidden Mysterie, which none of the Great, or Wise, or Disputers of the World, ever did or could come to the least acquaintance withall. And three things he asserts concerning it. First, That it is revealed in the Gospel, and is thence alone to be learned and attained, whence we are invited again and again, to search and enquire diligently into it; unto this very End, that we may become wise in the Knowledge and Acknowledgement of this deep and hidden Mysterie. Secondly, That we cannot in our own strength, and by our own most diligent Endeavours, come to an holy Acquaintance with it, notwithstanding that Revelation that is made of it, in the letter of the Word; unless moreover we receive from God, the Spirit of Wisdom Knowledge and Revelation, opening our eyes, makeing our minds spiritual, and enabling us to discover these depths of the Holy Ghost in a spiritual manner. Thirdly, That we cannot by these helps attain in this life unto a perfection in the knowledge of this deep and unfathomable Mysterie; but must still labour to grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of it. Our thriving in all Grace and Obedience depending thereon. All these things the Scripture abounds in the Repetition of. And besides, it every where sets forth the blessedness and Happiness of them, who by Grace obtain a spiritual insight into this Mysterie; and themselves also find by experience the satisfying Excellency of it, with the Apostle, Phil. 3.8. all which Considerations are powerful motives unto this Duty of enquiring into, and admiring this wonderful Mysterie, wherein we have the Angels themselves for our Associates and Companions.
2. Consider we may also the unspeakable Love of Christ in this work of his delivering us from sin. This the Scripture also abundantly goeth before us in; setting forth, extolling, commending this Love of Christ, and calling us to an holy consideration of it. Particularly it shews it accompanied with all things that may make Love expressive and to be admired. For, First, It proposeth the Necessity and Exigency of the Condition wherein the Lord Christ gave us this relief; that was when we were sinners, when we were lost, when we were Children of Wrath, under the Curse, when no eye did pitty us, when no hand could relieve us. And if John mourned greatly, when he thought that there was none found worthy in Heaven or Earth to open his Book of Visions, and to unloose the seals thereof; how justly might the whole Creation mourn and lament, if there had been none found to yield Relief, when all were obnoxious to this fatal ruine. And this is an exceeding commendation of the love of Christ, that he set his hand to that work which none could touch; and put his shoulders under that Burden which none else could bear, when all lay in a desperate condition. Secondly, The greatness of this delivery; it is from Wrath, and Curse, and Vengeance Eternal: Not from a Trouble or Danger of a few dayes continuance, not from a momentary suffering, but from Everlasting Wrath, under the curse of God and power of Satan in the execution of it; which necessarily attend sin and sinners; And Thirdly, The Way whereby he did it; not by his word whereby he made the world; not by his Power whereby he sustains and rules the things that he hath made; not by paying a price of corruptible things; not by revealing a way unto us only, whereby we our selves might escape that condition wherein we were, as some foolishly imagine; but by the sacrifice of himself, making his soul an Offering for sin; and offering up himself unto God through the Eternal Spirit; by laying down his Life for us; and greater love can no man manifest than by so doing. And Fourthly, The Infinite Condescension that he used to put himself into that condition, wherein by himself he might purge our sins. For to this purpose when he was in the form of God, he emptied himself of his Glory, made himself of no account, was made flesh, took on him the form of a servant, that he might be obedient unto death, the death of the Cross. And Fifthly, The End of his undertaking for us; which was the bringing of us unto God, into his Love and Favour here, and the Eternal Enjoyment of him hereafter. All these things, I say, doth the Scripture insist frequently and largely upon, to set forth the Excellency of the Love of Christ, to render it admirable and amiable unto us; And these things should we lay up in our Hearts and continually ponder them, that we may give due Acceptance and entertainment to this wonderful Love of the Son of God.