do intend sacrifices and offerings.' But he did not so do it immediately, at the speaking of these words, for they continued for the space of some hundreds of years afterwards; but he did so declaratively, as unto the indication of the time, namely, when the second should be introduced.

2. The end of this removal of the first, was the establishment of the second. This second, say some, is the will of God; but the opposition made before, is not between the will of God and the legal sacrifices, but between those sacrifices and the coming of Christ to do the will of God. Wherefore it is the way of the expiation of sin, and of the complete sanctification of the church by the coming, and mediation, and sacrifice of Christ; that is this second, the thing spoken of in the second place: this God would establish, approve, confirm, and render unchangeable.

Obs. XXIII. As all things from the beginning made way for the coming of Christ in the minds of them that did believe, so every thing was to be removed out of the way that would hinder his coming, and the discharge of the work he had undertaken. Law, temple, sacrifices, must all be removed to give way unto his coming. So is it testified by his forerunner, Luke iii. 4, As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight; and the rough ways shall be made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' So it must be in our own hearts, all things must give way unto him, or he will not come and take his habitation in them.

VER. 10. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

From the whole context, the apostle makes an inference which is comprehensive of the substance of the gospel, and the description of the grace of God which is established thereby. Having affirmed in Christ's own words, that he came to do the will of God, he shows what was that will of God which he came to do, what was the design of God in it, and the effect of it, and by what means it was accomplished; which things are to be inquired into. As, 1. What is the will of God which he intends; by which will.' 2. What was the design of it, what God aimed at in this act of his will, and what is accomplished thereby: 'we are sanctified.' 3. The way and means whereby this effect proceedeth from the will of God; namely, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ,' in opposition to legal sacrifices. 4. The manner of it, in opposition to their repetition: it was once for all.' But the sense of the whole will be more clear, if we consider,

First. The end aimed at; namely the sanctification of the church. And sundry things must be observed concerning it.

1. That the apostle changeth his phrase of speech into the first person, we are sanctified,' that is, all those believers whereof the gospel church-state was constituted, in opposition unto the church-state of the Hebrews, and those that did adhere unto it; so he speaks before, as also ch. iv. 3, 'We who have believed, do enter into rest.' For it might be asked of him, you that thus overthrow the efficacy of legal

sacrifices, what have you yourselves attained in your relinquishment of them? We have, saith he, that sanctification, that dedication to God, that peace with him, and that expiation of sin, that all those sacrifices could not effect. And observe,

Obs. XXIV. Truth is never so effectually declared, as when it is confirmed by the experience of its power in them that believe it, and make profession of it. This was that which gave them the confidence which the apostle exhorts them to hold fast and firm unto the end.

Obs. XXV. It is a holy glorying in God, and no unlawful boasting, for men openly to profess what they are made partakers of by the grace of God, and blood of Christ. Yea, it is a necessary duty for men so to do, when any thing is set up in competition with them, or opposition unto them.

Obs. XXVI. It is the best security in differences in and about religion, (such as these wherein the apostle is engaged, the greatest and highest that ever were,) when men have an internal experience of the truth which they do profess.

2. The words he useth are in the preterfect tense, yaoμevol εoμev, and relate not only unto the things, but the time of the offering of the body of Christ. For although all that is intended herein, did not immediately follow on the death of Christ, yet were they all in it, as the effects in their proper cause, to be produced by virtue of it, in their times and seasons; and the principal effect intended, was the immediate consequent thereof.

3. This end of God, through the offering of the body of Christ, was the sanctification of the church; we are sanctified.' we are sanctified.' The principal notion of sanctification in the New Testament, is the effecting of real internal holiness in the persons of them that do believe, by the change of their hearts and lives. But the word is not here so to be restrained, nor is it used in that sense by our apostle in this Epistle, or very rarely. It is here plainly comprehensive of all that he hath denied unto the law, priesthood, and sacrifices of the Old Testament, with the whole church-state of the Hebrews under it, and the effects of their ordinances and services. As, 1. A complete dedication unto God, in opposition unto the typical one, which the people were partakers of by the sprinkling of the blood of calves and goats upon them, Exod. xxiv. 2. A complete church-state for the celebration of the spiritual worship of God, by the administration of the Spirit, wherein the law could make nothing perfect. 3. Peace with God upon a full and perfect expiation of sin, which he denies unto the sacrifices of the law, ver. 1-4. 4. Real, internal purification or sanctification of our natures and persons, from all inward filth and defilement of them; which he proves at large that the cardinal ordinances of the law could not effect of themselves, reaching no farther than the purification of the flesh. 5. Hereunto also belong the privileges of the gospel, in liberty, boldness, immediate access unto God, the means of that access by Christ our high priest, and confidence therein; in opposition unto that fear, bondage, distance, and exclusion from the holy place of the presence of God, which they of old were kept under. All these things are comprised in this expression of the apostle, we are sanctified.' The designation of

such a state for the church, and the present introduction of it by the preaching of the gospel, is that whose confirmation the apostle principally designs in this whole discourse; the sum whereof he gives us, ch. xi. 40, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."

Secondly. The whole fountain and principal cause of this state, this grace, is the will of God, even that will which our Saviour tendered to accomplish; by which will we are sanctified.' In the original it is, in which will; in for by: which is usual. Wherefore, we say properly, by which will,' for it is the supreme efficient cause of our sanctification, that is intended. And in that expression of our Saviour, 'Lo, I come to do thy will, O God,' it is evident, 1. That it was the will, that is, the counsel, the purpose, the decree of God, that the church should be sanctified. 2. That our Lord Christ knew that this was the will of God, the will of the Father, in whose bosom he was. And 3. That God had determined, which he also knew and declared, that legal sacrifices could not accomplish and make effectual, this his will, so as the church might be sanctified thereon. Wherefore, the will of God here intended, (as was intimated before) is nothing but the eternal, gracious, free act or purpose of his will, whereby he determined or purposed in himself, to recover a church out of lost mankind, to sanctify them unto himself, and to bring them unto the enjoyment of himself hereafter. See Eph. i. 4-9.

And this act of the will of God was, 1. Free and sovereign, without any meritorious cause, or any thing that should dispose him thereunto without himself; he purposed in himself. There are everywhere, blessed effects ascribed to it, but no cause anywhere. All that is designed unto us in it, as unto the communication of it in its effects, were its effects, not its cause. See Eph. i. 4, and this place. The whole mediation of Christ, especially his death and suffering, was the means of its accomplishment, and not the procuring cause of it. 2. It was accompanied with infinite wisdom, whereby provision was made for his own glory, and the means and way of the accomplishment of his will. He would not admit the legal sacrifices, as the means and way of its accomplishment, because they could not provide for those ends, for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin.' 3. It was immutable and irrevocable; it depended not upon any condition in any thing or persons without himself; he purposed in himself;' nor was it capable of any change or alterations from oppositions or interveniencies. 4. It follows hereon, that it must be infallibly effectual, in the actual accomplishment of what was designed in it, every thing in its order and season; it cannot in any thing be frustrated or disappointed. The whole church in every age, shall be sanctified by it. This will of God, some would have not to be any internal act of his will, but only the things willed by him, namely, the sacrifice of Christ; and that for this reason, because it is opposed to legal sacrifices, which the act of God's will cannot be. But the mistake is evident, for the will of God here intended, is not at all opposed unto the legal sacrifices, but only as to the means of the accomplishment of it, which they were not, nor could be

Obs. XXVII. The sovereign will and pleasure of God, acting itself in infinite wisdom and grace, is the sole, supreme, original cause of the salvation of the church, Rom. ix. 10, 11.

Thirdly. The means of accomplishment, and making effectual of this will of God, is the offering of the body of Christ Jesus. Some copies after nyaoμevol eoμev, read of, and then the sense must be supplied by the repetition of nylaouevo, in the close of that verse, who by the offering of the body of Christ were once sanctified.' But there is no colour for this supply, for the word 'once,' doth directly respect the offering of Christ, as the following verses, wherein it is explained, and the dignity of the sacrifice thence demonstrated, do prove. Wherefore this article belongs not to the text, for it is not in the best copies, nor is it taken notice of in our translation. Why, and in what sense the sacrifice of Christ is called the offering of his body, was before declared. And by which,' dia rns, refers not to the cause of our sanctification, which is the will of God, but to the effect itself. Our sanctification is wrought, effected, accomplished, by the offering of the body of Christ. 1. In that the expiation of our sin, and reconciliation with God, were perfectly wrought hereby. 2. In that the whole church of the elect was dedicated to God; which privilege they are called into the actual participation of, through faith in the blood of Christ. 3. In that thereby all the old legal sacrifices, and all that yoke, and burden, and bondage, wherewith they were accompanied, are taken out of the way, Eph. ii. 15, 16. 4. In that he redeemed us thereby from the whole curse of the law, as given originally in the law of nature, and also renewed in the covenant of Sinai. 5. In that thereby he ratified and confirmed the new covenant and all the promises of it, and all the grace contained in them, to be effectually communicated to us. 6. In that he procured for us all grace and mercy, and received these into his own disposition in the behalf of the church, effectually to communicate them to our souls and consciences. In brief, whatever was prepared in the will of God for the good of the church, it is all communicated to us through the offering of the body of Christ, in such a way as tendeth to the glory of God, and the assured salvation of the church.

This offering of the body of Christ, is the glorious centre of all the counsels of the wisdom of God, of all the purposes of his will for the sanctification of the church. For, 1. No other way or means could effect it. 2. This will do it infallibly, for Christ 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, spana, ' 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 shows, 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 πας μεν ἱερευς έστηκε καθ' ἡμέραν λειτουργων, και τας αυτας πολλακις προφέρων θυσιας, αἵτινες ουδέποτε δυνανται περιελειν ἁμαρτιας. Αυτος δε μιαν ὑπερ ἁμαρτιων προσενεγκας θυσίαν εις το διηνεκες, εκάθισεν εν δεξια του Θεού. Το λοιπον εκδεχομενος έως τεθωσιν οἱ εχθροι αυτου ὑποποδιον των ποδων αυτού. Μια γαρ προσφορα τετελειωκεν εις το διηνεκες τους ἁγιαζόμενους.

VER. 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 sacrifice 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 he 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, kai, 'and.' 2. The subject of the proposition in it, every priest.' 3.