crucified is the wisdom of God, and the power of God to this end. This is the anchor of our faith, whereon alone it rests.

Fourthly, The last thing in the words gives us the manner of the offering of the body of Christ. It was done, spañaž, 'once for all,' say we; once only: it was never before that one time, nor shall ever be afterwards; there remains no more offering for sin.' And this demonstrates both the dignity and efficacy of his sacrifice. Of such worth and dignity it was, that God absolutely acquiesced therein, and smelt a savour of eternal rest in it. And of such efficacy, that the sanctification of the church was perfected by it, so that it needed no repetition. It also made way for the following state of Christ himself, which was to be a state of glory absolute and perfect, inconsistent with the repetition of the same sacrifice of himself. For, as the apostle shews, ver. 12, 13. after this sacrifice offered, he had no more to do but to enter into glory. So absurd is that imagination of the Socinians, that he offered his expiatory sacrifice in heaven; that he did not, he could not enter into glory, till he had completely offered his sacrifice, the memorial whereof he carried into the holy place. And the apostle lays great weight on this consideration, as that which is the foundation of the faith of the church. He mentions it often, and argues from it as the principal argument to prove its excellency above the sacrifices of the law. And this very foundation is destroyed by those who fancy to themselves, a renewed offering of the body of Christ every day in the mass. Nothing can be more directly contrary to this assertion of the apostle, whatever colour they may put on their practice, or whatever pretence they may give to it.

Wherefore the apostle in the next verses, argues from the dignity and efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ, by its difference from, and opposition to the legal sacrifices which were often repeated.

VER. 11-14— Και τας μεν έρευς έστηκε καθ ̓ ἡμέραν λειτέργων, και τας αυτάς πολλάκις προσφέρων θυσίας, αίτινες εδέποτε δύνανται περιελείν άμαρτιας. Αυτος δε μιαν ὑπερ άμαρτιων προσενεγκας θυσίαν εις τα διηνεκες, εκάθισεν εν δεξια το Θεό. Το λοιπον εκδεχομενος έως τεθωσιν οι εχθροί αυτε υποπόδιον των ποδών αυτό. Μια γαρ προσφορα τιτι λείωκεν εις το διηνεκες της ἁγιαζόμενες.

Vær. 11—14.—And every priest standeth daily ministering, and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God. From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

THESE words are an entrance into the close of that long blessed discourse of the apostle, concerning the priesthood and sacri

fice of Christ, their dignity and efficacy; which he shuts up and finisheth in the following verses, confirming the whole with the testimony of the Holy Ghost before produced by him.

Four things doth be here instruct us in, by way of recapitulation of what he had declared and proved before. 1. The state of the legal priests and sacrifices, as unto the repetition of them, by which he had proved before their utter insufficiency to take away sin, ver. 11. 2. In that one offering of Christ, and that once offered, in opposition thereunto, ver. 12. 3. The consequence thereof on the part of Christ; whereof there are two parts. First, His state and condition immediately ensuing thereon, ver. 12. manifesting the dignity, efficacy and absolute perfection of his offering. Secondly, As unto the continuance of his state and condition afterwards, ver. 13. 4. The absolute effect of his sacrifice, which was the sanctification of the church, ver. 14.

In the first of these, we have, 1. The note of its introduction, rai, and.' 2. The subject of the proposition in it, every priest.' 3. What is ascribed unto them in the discharge of their office; which is expressed, First, Generally, they stood ministering day by day.' Secondly, Particularly, as unto that part of their office, which is now under consideration; they often,' that is every day, offered the same sacrifices. 4. The inefficacy of those sacrifices though often offered; they could not take away sin.' Besides this work of daily offering the same sacrifices, which could not take away sin, there was nothing ensued on them of glory and dignity unto themselves, or benefit unto the church. This the apostle insinuates, although it be left out in the comparison, insisting especially on the contrary in the opposite sacrifice of Christ, both as unto his own glory, and the eternal salvation of the church.

1. The introduction is by xas, mostly a copulative, sometimes redditive, as it is here taken by us and rendered. In this latter way, it gives a further reason of what was before declared, of the efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ, by a comparison of it with those of the priests, which were often repeated. In the other sense it denotes a progress in the same argument, by a repetition of the consideration of the old sacrifices, and a new comparison of them with that of Christ. Both come to the same, and either may be allowed.

2. The subject spoken of, that is, was intus, every priest,' that is, say some, every high-priest; and so they interpret the words, standeth daily,' by a certain day once a-year,' referring the whole unto the anniversary sacrifice on the day of expiation. And it is not denied, but that the apostle hath a special regard thereunto, and mentioneth it expressly, as we have shewed on chap. ix. 7. 25. But it cannot be here so restrained; for

he makes application herein, of what he had spoken before of all the sacrifices of the law; and therein he reckons up all sorts of them, as we have seen, some of which, as the whole burntofferings, and all offerings in distinction from bloody sacrifices, were not offered by the high priest on that day, but by other priests on all occasions.

3. And the following expression of, Txe xa usgar XTURY, ⚫ standeth ministering every day,' declares the constant discharge of the priestly office in every daily ministration. This was the work that all the priests were designed unto in their courses. Wherefore, the words, as they do not exclude the annual sacrifice of the high priest, so they include the daily and occasional sacrifices of all the other priests; for these offerings of blood were also types of the sacrifice and offering of Christ. For all sacrifices by blood were to make atonement for sin, Lev. xvii. 11. And they were of no use but by virtue of the typical representation of the sacrifice of Christ. Therefore, all the priests, and their whole office, as unto all that belonged unto the offering of sacrifices, are comprised in this assertion. And it was necessary to extend the comparison to them all, that there might be no exception to the argument from it. And the following words, which give a description of the general way of their ministration, do enforce this interpretation, which is the third thing in them.

1st, Standeth daily ministering;' sors, standeth' or rather stood; they did so while their office was in force, it was their duty by the law so to do. For the apostle respecteth not what was their present acting as to matter of fact, but speaks of the whole service of the priests indistinctly, as past or present, with regard unto what was to be done, by virtue of the first institution of them, and the service which the tabernacle was erected for.

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Stood' or standeth' ready for, and employed in the work of their office, Tugyar, ministering;' a general name of employment about all sacred duties, services, and offices whatever, and therefore it compriseth all the service of the priests about the tabernacle and altar, wherein they ministered unto God according to his appointment. And this extends unto all that were partakers of the priesthood, and was not confined unto the high priest; see chap. ix. 1. This they did, gv, that is, ‹ day by day,' as occasion did require, according to the appointment of the law. Not only the daily sacrifice morning and evening is intended, nor yet the doubling of them on the Sabbath, and other festivals, but all the occasional offerings for the people, as their necessities did require. For any man might bring his sinoffering, and trespass-offering, his peace-offering, his vow, or freewill-offering unto the priest at any time to be offered on the al

tar. For this cause they came to be always in a readiness to stand ministering daily; and hereunto was their office confined. There was no end of their work, after which they should enter into another and better state, as the apostle shews it of the Lord Christ in the next verse. And this is a high argument in proof of the imperfection of their sacrifices; they were never brought unto that state by them, as the high priest might cease from ministering, and enter into a condition of rest.

2dly, Their general ministry is described by the especial duty which is under present consideration; they offered oftentimes' the same sacrifices; they were the same sacrifices that were of fered, of the same general nature and kind. They were indeed distributed into several sorts, according unto their occasions and institutions; as, whole burnt-offerings, sin-offerings, trespass-offerings, and the like; but their general nature was one and the same, falling all under the same censure, that they could not take away sin. They had not any one peculiar service that could effect this end and they offered them often, daily, monthly, an nually, occasionally, according to divine institution. In this defect as unto the efficacy and frequency in the repetition, is the sacrifice of Christ directly opposed unto them. Hence,

4. In the last place, the apostle passeth that sentence concerning them all, whose truth he had before sufficiently confirmed, they cannot,' they never could, take away sin.' They could not take them out of the way,' that is, absolutely, perfectly, as the word denotes. They could not do it before God the Judge, by making a sufficient atonement for them, ver. 4. They could not do it as unto the conscience of the sinner, giving him assured peace with God thereon. It may be, they could not do it at any one time; but in the constant continuance in the use and observance of them, they might do it: if they were mul tiplied, if they were costly, if they were observed in an extraordinary manner, might they not effect this end? No, saith the apostle, they could not do it,' ademort duvavtaι; the defect was in their own nature and power, they cannot do it.' They could not do it by any means, nor at any time. The word is a vehement negation, respecting all the powers of those sacrifices, And therefore, as and all the times wherein they were used. unto those things which might seem to give them their efficacy, as their multiplication, their constancy, their cost, extraordinary care about them, God doth reject them in a peculiar manner, when trusted to for the taking away of sin, Isa. i. 11. Micah vi 6, 7.

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Obs. I. If all those divine institutions in the diligent observance of them could not take away sin, how much less can any thing do so, that we can betake ourselves unto for that end? There are innumerable things invented in the papacy to take

away sin, and its guilt, especially of those sins which they are pleased to call venial. And all men, on the conviction of sin, are apt to entertain thoughts, that by some endeavours of their own, they may so take them away. To comply with this presumption are all the papal inventions of confession, absolution, indulgences, masses, penances, purgatory, and the like, accommodated. Others trust solely unto their own repentance and following duties, as do the Socinians, and all men in their unrenewed estate. But certainly, if the apostle proveth this assertion beyond contradiction, that none of them can ever take away any sin, their legal institutions of divine worship, and their observances could not do it; how much less can the inventions of men effect that great end. This account he gives us of the inefficacy of the sacrifices of the priests, notwithstanding their diligent attendance on their offerings, ver. 11.

VER. 12-14.-In these verses the apostle opposeth that one sacrifice of Christ unto the legal offerings that the priests attended unto, and that in three things. 1. In the nature of it, and its perfection, ver. 12. 2. The consequence on the part of Christ by whom it was offered, ver. 12, 13. 3. In the effect of it towards the church, ver. 14.

VER. 12.-1. There is a note of opposition, answering the **, and,' in the verse forgoing; de, but,' it is not exceptive, but alternative.

2. The person spoken of, avres, he; that is, he of whom we speak, he whose body was offered once for all, Jesus Christ the high priest of the new testament; but this man,' say we.

3. What is ascribed unto him in those words, μiav dzię żuszTINY πgotevesxas Jucia, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin.' He offered as the priests did; he offered for sin as they did also; so far there was an agreement. But, 1. He offered only one sacrifice, not many; and what is included therein, that this sacrifice was of himself, and not the blood of bulls and goats. 2. It was but once offered; and it is principally called one sacrifice,' because it was but once offered; and the time when he offered this sacrifice is also proposed, not absolutely, but with respect unto what ensued. It was before he sat down on the right hand of God, that is, before his entrance into glory, after he had offered one sacrifice for sin. And the way of mentioning these things doth manifest, that the principal intention of the apostle, is to speak unto the different consequences of this offering of the priests of old, and of Christ. And this observation, of his offering one sacrifice only for sin, is mentioned in opposition unto the frequent repetition of their sacrifices; but he mentioneth it only transiently, to make a way for the great ensuing dif