Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 14 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Verſe 1. Then verily the firſt Covenant]
HEre the Apoſtle proveth what he had propounded, Chap. 8. verſ. 5. that his aſſertion might be ſound, ſuch as cannot be condemned, Tit. 2.8.
Ordinances] Gr. Justifications, viz. Ceremoniall, rituall, typicall.foreign.
A worldly Sanctuary] i.c. Terrene and ſhadowy, oppoſed to true and heavenly.
Verſe 2. The firſt wherein was, &c.] He ſpeaks nothing of he outer court, as not pertinent to his preſent purpoſe. But there was both in the Tabernacle and Temple, the Holy of Holies, the Sanctuary, and the Court of the people: Anſwerable whereunto are in man, The spirit, ſoul and body. 1 Theſſ. 3.23. And as the cloud, 1 King. 8.10, 11, filled firſt the moſt holy place, and then the holy, and then the outer Court; ſo doth the holy Ghoſt renue the ſpirit of our mi…des, and then our wills and affections, and then the our ward man.
Verſe 3. And after the ſecond veyl] This was not of any hard debar…ing matter, but eaſily penetrable then, and now alſo rent by Chriſt, to ſhew our eaſie acceſſe to God with confidence by the faith of him. Eph. 3.11.
Verſe 4. The golden Cenſer Or the Altar of incenſe, which though it belonged to the moſt holy place, yet was placed without the veil, Exod. 30 6, &c. that it might be of daily uſe, the ſweet incenſe offered thereon, eaſily piercing thorow the veil, and filling the moſt holy with it's ſavour.
Wherein was the golden pot, &c] In, or near to the Ark of the Covenant was this golden pot of Manna, and Aarons rod, and the Tables of the Teſtament, and the propitiatory or covering, and a crown of gold round about it. To inſinuate thus much (ſaith one) that we muſt be like the Ark of the Covenant, being builded and reared up ſtill toward the mark: not only when the Lord ſeedeth us with the ſweet Manna of his mercy, but alſo when he afflicteth us with the ſharp rod of his correction: and alwaies keep the Tables of the Teſtament, which are the Commandments; that by ſaith in Chriſt, who is the propitiation for our ſins, we may obtain the golden crown of eternall life.
Verſe 5. And over it the Cherubims] The Ark covering the Law within it, the Mercy-feat upon it, and over them two Cherubims covering one another; All theſe ſet forth Chriſt covering the curſes of the Law, in whom is the ground of all mercy; which things the Angels deſire to pry into, as into the patern of Gods unſearchable wiſdome and goodneſſe.
Verſe 6. Were thus ordained] Gr. Prepared, ſitted. finiſhed by the hand of the artificer, and therefore called worldly in a good ſenſe, ver. I.foreign.
Verſe 7. For the errours] Cr. The not knowings of the people: Thoſe errours that they could not help,foreign. and yet muſt elſe have anſwered for, Ignorat ſanè improbus omnis, ſaith Aristotle. Ignorance is the ſource of all ſin, the very well-ſpring from which all wickedneſſe doth wooze and iſſue. What will not an ignorant man doe, who knows not but he may doe any thing? The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of em…l…y, Pſal 74.12. Chriſt therefore expiated the ignorances of his people.
Verſe 8. The way into the holi…ſt] That is, into heaven, typified thereby.
Was not yet made manifest] In regard of performance, and that evidence of ſaith and doctrine that is held forth under the Goſpel. The myſtery of Chriſt was manifeſted piece meal, and parcel-wi…e Heb. 11.
Verſe 9.foreign. Which was a figure] Gr. A Parable; that is, ſuch a from of service as intimated ſome greater matter then to the ſenſe appeared; and called upon the people to look thorow the type to the truth of things, thorow the hiſtory, to the myſtery.
Verſe 10 Till the time of reformation] Gr. Of direction or correction, that is, Evangelicall and ſpirituall worſh…p, that ſhall take place in the Church, till the times of the reſtitution of all things ſhall come at the laſt day, Act. 3.21.
Verſe 11. Of good things to come] i.e. Of ſpirituals that were expected as things to come, when Chriſt came with a Cornu-copia, a horn of ſalvation in his hand. The Latines call proſperous things, Res ſiound…s, things to come.
A more perfect tabernacle] i. e. His humane nature, not made with hands, 107 of this building, that is, not by the power of nature, by the ordinary courſe of generation.
Verſe 12.foreign. Neither by the bloud of calves] As the Leviticall high Prieſt did, ver. 7.
Having o…tained] Gr. Having found. See Rom. 4.1. The Latines alſo uſe invenire for acquirere, to finde, for to obtain. See alſo Mat. 16.25. Chriſt overcame by ſuffering, and by his own bloud purchaſed his Church, as an Acheldama, or field of bloud.
Verſe 13.foreign …or it…lu ciny, & cat carb n…s exti… per…nſti ſunt The aſhes of an heiſer] Gr. Aſhis and cinders m…xt together, as a monument of Chriſts moſt baſe and ut moſt affl…ctions; and of our juſtification and ſanctification thorow faith in his name.
Sprinkling the unclean] With an hyſop-bunch: to note, That none can have comfort either by the merit or ſpirit of Chriſt, without true mortification.
Verſe 14. By the eternall ſpirit] That is, By his deity, called the Spirit of holineſſe, Rom. 1.4. and the spirit, 1 Tim. 3.16. that gave both value and vertue to his death, both to ſatisfie, and to ſactifie.
Purge your conſcience] This is that eternall redemption, verſ. 12.
From dead Works] The moſt ſpecious performances of unregeneraoe perſons are but dead works: becauſe they proceed not from a principle of life, and have death for their wages, Rom 6. A will written with a dead mans had can hold no law. God will be ſerved like himſelf.
Verſe 15. For the redemption] Here he ſheweth the reaſons why it was needfull that Chriſt ſhould enter by his own bloud verſe 12. ſcil. to expiate our ſinnes, and to poſſeſſe us of heaven.
Verſe 16. For where a teſtament is] See the Note on Chap. 8.6. Here the teſtatour is Chriſt, heirs the Saints, legacies the gifts of the spirit, Executour the holy Ghoſt, wintneſſes Apoſtles, Martyrs. &c.
Verſe 17. Whiles the Teſtatour liveth] For it is in his power to alter it at his pleaſure, as reaſon requireth. Our Henry the ſecond firſt crowned, and then caſt off his eldeſt ſon Henry, not ſuffering him to be what himſelf had made him.
Verſe 18. Was dedicated] Or initiated to holy uſe, Levit. foreign.16.15, 16.
Verſe 19. He took the bloud] See Exod 24 8.
And sprinkled both the book] which as it ſeemeth, was laid on the Altar to be ſanctified thereby. the very book of cod is ſprinkled with the bould of Chriſt, that it may be opened, and of uſe to the faithſull.
Verſe 20. Saying, This is the bloud, &c.] A tropicall and ſacramentall expreſſion, whereunto our Saviour ſeemeth to allude in thoſe words of his, This Cup is the new teſtament in my bloud, &c. The Sacraments of the old teſtament had a reſemblance unto the New: but that was for works of the Law, this is for remiſſion of fins.
Verſe 21. He ſprinkled with bloud] This ſprinkling had a fore-ſhadowing of ſprinkling of the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Peter 1.2. Iſaiah 52.15. by his finger, that is, by his Spirit, Luke 11.20. with Matthew 12.28.
Verſe 22. Purged With bloud] Which yet of it ſelf impureth and fouleth.
Verſe 23. But the heavenly things] Thoſe ſpirituall good things ſet forth by the types of the Law: Or the Church under the Goſpel, called Ieruſalem that is above, &c.
Verſe 24.foreign. To appear in the preſence] As a Lawyer appears for his client, opens the caſe , pleads the cauſe, and it is carried.
Verſe 25. Not that he ſhould offer] As Popiſh Maſſe-mongers will have it. Eamus ad commun…m errorem (ſaid Domitius Calderinus to his friends, when they perſwaded him to goe to Maſſe, Anno Domini 1442.) Let us go to the common errour.
Verſe 26. To put away ſin] To abrogate it, Heb. 1.18. to binde it in a bundle, ſeal it up in a bag, Dan. 9.24. caſt it behinde him as cancelled obligations, Mic. 7. blot out the black hand-writing, with the red lines of his bloud drawn over it.
Verſe 27. But after this the judgement] Every mans deaths-day is his doomſday. Many of the Fathers held that mens ſouls were not judged till the laſt day. Which opinion is as contrary to Purgatory (for which Bellarmine alledgeth it) as the truth.
Verſe 28. The ſecond time without ſinne] Imputed to him, as Iſa. 53.6. 2 Cor. 5.21. See the Note there.