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now recited or read out of the book. And this could be done for no other reason, but that the book itself being now sprinkled with the blood of the covenant, it was dedicated to be the sacred record thereof. Fourthly. In the text of Moses it is said that he sprinkled the people; in explanation whereof the apostle affirms that he sprinkled all the people. And it was necessary that so it should be, and that none of them should be excluded from this sprinkling. For they were all taken into covenant with God, men, women, and children. But it must be granted, that for the blood to be actually sprinkled on all individuals in such a numberless multitude, is next unto what is naturally impossible; wherefore it was done in their representatives; and what is done towards representatives as such, is done equally towards all whom they do represent. And the whole people, had two representatives that day. 1. The twelve pillars of stone that were set up to represent their twelve tribes, and, it may be, to signify their hard and stony heart under that covenant, ver. 4. Whereas those pillars were placed close by the altar, some suppose that they were sprinkled as representing the twelve tribes. 2. There were the heads of their tribes the chief of the house of their fathers, and the elders, who drew nigh unto Moses, and were sprinkled with blood, in the name and place of all the people, who were that day taken into covenant.

Fifthly. The words which Moses spake unto the people upon the sprinkling of the blood, are not absolutely the same in the story, and in the repetition of it by the apostle. But this is usual with him in all his quotations out of the Old Testament in this Epistle. He expresseth the true sense of them, but doth not curiously and precisely render the sense of every word and syllable in them.

Sixthly. The last difficulty in this context, and that which hath an appearance of the greatest, is in what the apostle affirms concerning the tabernacle and all the vessels of it; namely, that Moses sprinkled them all with blood. And the time which he seems to speak of, is that of the dedication of the first covenant. Hence a twofold difficulty doth arise; First. As to the time; and Secondly. As to the thing itself. For at the time of dedication of the first covenant, the tabernacle was not yet made or erected, and so could not then be sprinkled with blood. And afterwards when the tabernacle was erected, and all the vessels brought into it, there is no mention that either it or any of them were sprinkled with blood, but only anointed with the holy oil, Exod. xl. 9-11. Wherefore, as unto the first, I say, the apostle doth plainly distinguish what he affirms of the tabernacle, from the time of the dedication of the first covenant.

The manner of his introduction of it, kaι τηy σkηvnv dɛ, and moreover the tabernacle,' doth plainly intimate a progress unto another time and occasion. Wherefore the words of ver. 21, concerning the sprinkling of the tabernacle and its vessels, do relate unto what follows, ver. 22, and almost all things are by the law purged with blood;' and not unto those that precede about the dedication of the first covenant. For the argument he hath in hand is not confined unto the use of blood only in that dedication, but respects the whole use of the blood

of sacrifices under the law; which in these words he proceeds unto, and closeth in the next verse. And this wholly removes the first difficulty. And as unto the second, expositors generally answer, that aspersion or sprinkling with blood, did commonly precede unction with the holy oil. And as to the garments of the priests, which were the vessels or utensils of the tabernacle, it was appointed that they should be sprinkled with blood, Exod. xxix. 21, and so it may be supposed that the residue of them were also. But to me this is not satisfactory. And be it spoken without offence, expositors have generally mistaken the nature of the argument of the apostle in these words. For he argues not from the first dedication of the tabernacle and its vessels, which, for aught that appears, was by unction only; but making, as we observed before, a progress unto the farther use of the blood of sacrifices in purging according to the law, he giveth an instance in what was done with respect unto the tabernacle and all its vessels, and that constantly and solemnly every year; and this he doth to prove his general assertion in the next verse, that under the law almost all things were purged with blood. And Moses is here said to do what he appointed should be done. By his institution, that is, the institution of the law, the tabernacle, and all the vessels of it, were sprinkled with blood. And this was done solemnly once every year; an account whereof is given, Lev. xvi. 14-20. On the solemn day of atonement, the high priest was to sprinkle the mercy-seat, the altar, and the whole tabernacle with blood, to make an atonement for them, because of the uncleannesses of the children of Israel, the tabernacle remaining among them in the midst of their uncleannesses, ver. 16. This he takes notice of, not to prove the dedication of the first covenant with what belonged thereunto with blood, but the use of blood in general to make atonement, and the impossibility of expiation and pardon without it. This is the design and sense of the apostle, and no other. Wherefore we may conclude, that the account here given, concerning the dedication of the first covenant, and the use of blood for purification under the law, is so far from containing any thing opposite unto, or discrepant from, the records of Moses concerning the same things, that it gives us a full and clear exposition of them.

Secondly. The second thing to be considered, is the nature of the argument in this context; and there are three things in it, neither of which must be omitted in the exposition of the words.

He designeth, 1. To prove yet farther the necessity of the death of Christ, as he was the mediator of the new testament, both as it had the nature of a testament, and that also of a solemn covenant.

2. To declare the necessity of the kind of his death, in the way of a sacrifice by the effusion of blood; because the testament, as it had the nature of a solemn covenant, was confirmed and ratified thereby.

3. To manifest the necessity of shedding of blood in the confirmation of the covenant, because of the expiation, purging, and pardon of sin thereby. How these things are proved, we shall see in the exposition of the words.

Thirdly. There are in the words themselves,

1. A proposition of the principal truth asserted, ver. 18.

2. The confirmation of that proposition; which is twofold, 1. From what Moses did, ver. 19. 2. From what he said, ver. 20.

3. A farther illustration of the same truth, by other instances, ver. 21.

4. A general inference or conclusion from the whole, comprising the substance of what he intended to demonstrate.

In the proposition, there are five things considerable; 1. A note of introduction, whereupon.' 2. The quality of the proposition, it is negative, neither was.' 3. The subject spoken of, the first.' 4. What is affirmed of it, it was 'dedicated.' 5. The way and manner thereof, it was not without blood.'

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First. The note of introduction is in the particle 60v, which the apostle frequently makes use of in this Epistle, as a note of inference in those discourses which are argumentative. We render it by therefore,' and 'wherefore;' here, whereupon.' For it intimates a confirmation of a general rule by especial instances. He had before laid it down as a general maxim, that a testament was to be confirmed by death. For thereupon the first testament was confirmed with the blood of sacrifices shed in their death. Wherefore, let not any think strange that the new testament was confirmed by the death of the testator; for this is so necessary, that even in the confirmation of the first, there was that which was analogous unto it. And moreover, it was death in such a way, as was required unto the confirmation of a solemn covenant.

Secondly. The proposition hath a double negative in it, ovde and Xwpis aiμaros, neither was it without blood; that is, it was with blood, and could not otherwise be.

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Thirdly. The subject spoken of is ʼn pwrn, the first,' that is SiaOnkn, testament,' or covenant. And herein the apostle declares what he precisely intended by the first or old covenant, whereof he discoursed at large, ch. viii. It was the covenant made with the people at Horeb. For that and no other was dedicated in the way here described. And to take a brief prospect into this covenant, the things ensuing may be observed.

1. The matter of it, or the terms of it materially considered, before it had the formal nature of a covenant. And these were all the things that were written in the book, before it was laid on the altar, namely, it was that epitome of the whole law which is contained in chapters xx. xxi. xxii. xxiii. of Exodus. And other commands and institutions that were given afterwards, belonged unto this covenant reductively. The substance of it was contained in the book then written.

2. The manner of the revelation of these terms of the covenant. Being proposed on the part of God, and the terms of it being entirely of his choosing and proposal, he was to reveal, declare, and make them known. And this he did two ways. 1. As unto the foundation and substance of the whole, in the decalogue. He spake it himself on the mount, in the way and manner declared, Exod. xix. xx. 2. As unto the following judgments, statutes, and rites, directive of their walking before God, according to the former fundamental rule of the covenant.

These he declared by revelation unto Moses; and they are contained in chapters xxi. xxii. and xxiii.

3. The manner of its proposal; and this also was twofold. 1. Preparatory. For before the solemn covenanting between God and the people, Moses declared all the matter of it unto the people, that they might consider well of it, and whether they would consent to enter into covenant with God on those terms, whereon they gave their approbation of them. 2. Solemn, in their actual and absolute acceptance of it, whereby they became obliged throughout their generations. This was on the reading of it out of the book, after it was sprinkled with the blood of the covenant on the altar, Exod. xxiv. 7.

'The covenant

4. The author of this covenant was God himself. which the Lord hath made with you,' Exod. xxiv. 8. And immediately after, he is thereon called 'the God of Israel,' ver. 20, which is the first time he was called so; and it was by virtue of this covenant. And the pledge or token of his presence, as covenanting, was the altar, the altar of Jehovah; as there was a representative pledge of the presence of the people in the twelve pillars or statues.

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5. Those with whom this covenant was made, were the people; that is, all the people, as the apostle speaks, none exempted or excluded. It was made with the men, women, and children,' Deut. xxxi. 12, even all on whom was the blood of the covenant, as it was on the women; or the token of the covenant, as it was on the male children in circumcision; or both, as in all the men of Israel.

6. The manner on the part of the people of entering into covenant with God, was in two acts before mentioned. 1. In a previous approbation of the matter of it. 2. In a solemn engagement into it. And this was the foundation of the church of Israel.

This is that covenant, whereof there is afterwards in the Scripture, such frequent mention, between God and that people, the sole foundation of all especial relation between him and them. For they took the observance of its terms on themselves, for their posterity in all generations until the end should be. On their obedience hereunto, or neglect hereof, depended their life and death in the land of Canaan. No farther did the precepts and promises of it, in itself extend. But whereas it did not disannul the promise that was made unto Abraham, and confirmed with the oath of God, four hundred years before, and had annexed unto it, many institutions and ordinances, prefigurative and significant of heavenly things; the people under it had a right unto, and directions for the attaining of an eternal inheritance. And something we may hence observe.

Obs. I. The foundation of a church-state among any people, wherein God is to be honoured in ordinances of instituted worship, is laid in a solemn covenant between him and them.-So it was with this church of Israel. Before this, they served God in their families, by virtue of the promise made unto Abraham; but now, the whole people were gathered into a church-state, to worship him according to the terms, institutions, and ordinances of the covenant. Nor doth God oblige any unto instituted worship, but by virtue of a covenant. Unto natural

worship and obedience, we are all obliged by virtue of the law of creation, and what belongs thereunto. And God may, by a mere act of sovereignty, prescribe unto us the observance of what rites and ordinances in divine service, he pleaseth. But he will have all our obedience to be voluntary, and all our service to be reasonable. Wherefore, although the prescription of such rites be an act of sovereign pleasure, yet God will not oblige us unto the observance of them, but by virtue of a covenant between him and us, wherein we voluntarily consent unto and accept of the terms of it, whereby those ordinances of worship are prescribed unto us. And it will hence follow,

1. That men mistake themselves, when they suppose that they are interested in a church-state by tradition, custom, or as it were by chance, they know not how. There is nothing but covenanting with God, that will instate us in this privilege. Therein we do take upon ourselves, the observance of all the terms of the new covenant. Ånd they are of two sorts; 1. Internal and moral, in faith, repentance, and obedience. 2. Such as concern the external worship of the gospel, in the ordinances and institutions of it. Without such a covenant formally or virtually made, there can be no church-state. I speak not at all of any such covenants as men may make, or have made among themselves, and with God, upon a mixture of things sacred, civil, and political, with such sanctions as they find out, and agree upon among themselves. For whatever may be the nature, use, or end of such covenants, they no way belong unto that concerning which we treat. For no terms are to be brought hereinto, but such as belong directly to the obedience and ordinances of the new testament. Nor was there any thing to be added unto, or taken from the express terms of the old covenant, whereby the church-state of Israel was constituted. And this was the entire rule of God's dealing with them. The only question concerning them was, whether they had kept the terms of the covenant or not. And when the things fell into disorder among them, as they did frequently, as the sum of God's charge against them was, that they had broken his covenant; so the reformation of things attempted by their godly kings before, and others after the captivity, was by reducing the people to renew this covenant, without any addition, alteration, or mixture of things of another nature.

2. That so much disorder in the worship of God under the gospel hath entered into many churches, and that there is so much negligence in all sorts of persons about the observance of evangelical institutions, so little conscientious care about them, or reverence in the use of them, or benefit received by them; it is all much from hence that men understand not aright the foundation of that obedience unto God which is required in them and by them. This indeed is no other but that solemn covenant between God and the whole church, wherein the church takes upon itself their due observance. This renders our obedience in them and by them no less necessary than any duties of moral obedience whatever. But this being not considered as it ought, men have used their supposed liberty, or rather fallen into great licentiousness in the use of them, and few have that conscientious regard unto them which it is their duty to have.

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