ises, the power, and wisdom of God, for the complete effecting of his mediatory office, in the eternal salvation of the church, and by the conquest and destruction of all his and their enemies in their proper times and

seasons.

§7. "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." He did not repeat his offering as the legal priests did theirs; he is sat down at the right hand of God, expecting his enemies to be made his footstool, (wherein they had no share after their oblation) "because, by one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified." This being done, there is nothing that should detain the Lord Jesus out of the possession of his glory. (Miα проσPoçα) by one (Μια προσφορα) offering; the eminency of which the apostle had before declared, and which here he refers to. "Them that are sanctified;" those who are dedicated to God by virtue of this sacrifice, and to whom all the other effects are confined. First, to sanctify and then to perfect them, was the design of Christ in offering himself. So the church of Israel was first "sanctified," dedicated to God by the sacrifices, wherewith the covenant was confirmed, Exod. xxiv, and afterwards perfected, so far as their church state and worship would permit; but now he hath brought them into the most perfect and consummate church state, and relation to God, that the church is capable of in this world, (eç To Sinvenes) for ever, so that there shall never be any alteration made in that state, nor even any addition of privilege. $8. (II.) From this interpretation of the words, we may make these observations:

1. If all those divine institutions, in the diligent observance of them, could not take away sin, how much less can any thing, that we can betake ourselves to, avail to that end?

2. Faith in Christ jointly respects both his oblation of himself by death, and the glorious exaltation that ensued. He so offered one sacrifice for sin, as that in consequence of it, he sat down on the right hand of God for ever. Neither of these separately is a full object for faith to find rest in; but both in conjunction are an immoveable rock to build on. And,

3. Christ, in this order of things, is the greatest example of the church. He suffered, and then entered into glory. "If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him."

4. The horrible destruction of the stubborn enemies of Christ's person and office among the Jews, is a standing security of the endless destruction of all who remain his obstinate adversaries.

§9. It was the entrance of sin, which raised up all our enemies against us; from them came death, the grave, and hell.

2. The Lord Christ, in his ineffable love and grace, put himself between us and our enemies; and took into his breast all their swords, wherewith they were armed against us.

3. The Lord Jesus by the offering of himself, making peace with God, ruined all the church's enemies; for all their power arose from the just displeasure of God, and the curse of his law.

4. It is the foundation of all consolation to the church, that Christ, even now in heaven, takes all our enemies to be his, in whose destruction he is infinitely more concerned than we are.

5. Let us never esteem any thing, or any person, to be our enemy, but only so far as, and in what, they are the enemies of Christ.

6. It is our duty to conform ourselves to the Lord Christ, in a quiet expectation of the ruin of all our spiritual adversaries.

7. Envy not the condition of the most proud and cruel adversaries of the church; for they are absolutely in his power, and shall be cast under his footstool at the appointed season.

$10. 1. There was a glorious efficacy in the one offering of Christ.

2. The end of it must be effectually accomplished towards all for whom it was offered; or else it is inferior to the legal sacrifices, for they attained their proper end.

3. The sanctification and perfection of the church being the designed end of the death and sacrifice of Christ, all things necessary to that end must be included.

VERSES 15---18.

Wherefore the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us; for after that he had said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more; now, where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

$1. The connexion and design of the words. The latter part of them elliptical. $2. An objection implied and answered. 3. The words have been before explained. The apostle's argument from them. §4 The doctrinal part of this epistle concluded. The author's devout acknowledgement of divine assistance in this laborious work.

$1. THE HE foundation of the whole preceding discourse was laid in the description of the new covenant, whereof Jesus was the mediator, which was confirmed, and ratified by his sacrifice, as the old covenant was by the "blood of bulls and goats," chap. viii, 10-13. Having now abundantly proved what he designed concerning them both, his priesthood and his sacrifice, he gives us a confirmation of the whole, from the testimony of the Holy Ghost, Jer. xxxi, in the description of that covenant which he had given before;

and because the crisis which he had brought his argument to was, that the Lord Christ, by reason of the dignity of his person and office, with the everlasting efficacy of his sacrifice, was to offer himself but once, which includes an immediate demonstration of the insufficiency of all those sacrifices which were often repeated, and consequently their removal out of the church; he returns to that passage of the Holy Ghost, for the proof of this particular also, from the order of the words.

Wherefore there is an ellipsis in the words, which must have a supplement to render the sense perfect: "after he had said before, ver. 11, he said;" that is, after he had spoken of the internal grace of the covenant, he said this also, that their sins and iniquities he would remember no more; for from these words doth he make his conclusive inference, ver, 18, which is the sum of all that he designed to prove.

§2. The Hebrews might object to him, as they were always ready enough to do it, that all things were but his own conclusions, which they would not acquiesce in, unless confirmed by scripture testimonies; therefore he appeals to their own acknowledged principles of the Old Testament; so manifesting, that there was nothing now proposed to them in the gospel, but what was promised and represented in the Old Testament, and was therefore the object of the faith of their forefathers,

The author of this testimony is "the Holy Ghost" not only as holy men of old wrote as they were acted by him, and so he was the author of the whole scripture; but because, also, of his continual presence and authority in it, (papluper) he bears witness actually, and constantly by his authority in the scriptures; not to us only, who are apostles, and other Christian teachers,

but to all of us; Israelites, who acknowledge the truth of the scriptures, and own them as the rule of our faith and obedience. (Kai To TVεμα TO αylov) even also the Holy Spirit himself. Herein we are directed to his holy divine person, and not an external operation of divine power; and it is that Holy Spirit himself, who continueth to speak to us in the scripture.

§3. The words themselves have been explained at large in chap. viii, where they are first produced. We are here only to consider the apostle's argument from the latter part of them; which is, that the covenant being confirmed and established, by the one sacrifice of Christ, there can be no more offering for sin; for God will never appoint what is needless in his service, least of all in things of so great importance as offering for sin; yea, the continuation of such sacrifices will overthrow the faith of the church and all the grace of the new covenant; for, saith the apostle, and the Holy Ghost testifieth, that as it was confirmed by the one sacrifice of Christ, perfect pardon and forgiveness of sin is prepared for the whole church, and tendered to every believer. To what purpose then should there be any more offerings for sin? Yea, they who look for, and trust to any other, despise the wisdom and grace of God, the blood of Christ, and the witness of the Holy Ghost, for which there is no remission, ver. 28, 29.

$4. And here we are come to a full end of what we may call the dogmatical part of this epistle, a portion of scripture filled with heavenly and glorious mysteries, and may well be termed, in a sense, "the light of the Gentile church, the glory of the people Israel," the foundation and bulwark of evangelical faith.

I do therefore here, with all humility, with a sense of my own weakness and utter disability for so great a