fraud and cruelty they had destroyed him as a malefactor. The apostles, and the church with them, gave testimony unto his resurrection and glory in heaven. Great expectation there was, what would be the end of these things, which way the scale would turn. After a while, a visible and glorious determination was made of this controversy; God sent forth his armies, and destroyed these murderers, burning up their city. Those enemies of the king, which would not have him to reign over them, were brought forth and slain before his face; so were all his enemies made his footstool. I do judge that these are the enemies of Christ, and the making of them his footstool, which are peculiarly here intended, namely, the destruction of the hardened unbelieving Jews, who had obstinately rejected his ministry and opposed it unto the end. Then were those his enemies who so refused him, slain and destroyed thereon. For,

First. This description of his enemies, as his enemies, peculiarly directs us unto this sense, the enemies of his person, doctrine, and glory, with whom he had so many contests, whose blasphemies and contradictions he underwent; they were his enemies in a peculiar

manner.

Secondly. This the word EkdExouevos, 'expecting,' better answers unto than unto the other sense. For the glorious visible propagation of the gospel and kingdom of Christ thereon, began and was carried on gloriously upon and after the destruction of Jerusalem, and the church of the Jews his enemies. With reference hereunto, expectation may be no less distinctly ascribed unto him, than if we extend the word unto the whole time, unto the end of the world.

Thirdly. The act of vengeance on these his enemies is not said to be his own, but peculiarly assigned unto God the Father and those employed by him. In the original promise, the words of God the Father to him, are, I will make thine enemies thy footstool;' I take it upon me, vengeance is mine, to revenge the injuries done unto thee, and the obstinacy of those unbelievers. Here in this place respect is had unto the means that God used in the work of their destruction, which was the Roman army, by whom they were, as the footstool of Christ, absolutely trodden under his feet, with respect unto this special act of God the Father, who in the execution of it proclaims that vengeance is his. For in the following words, the Lord Christ is said only to expect it, as that wherein his own cause was vindicated and revenged as it were by another hand, while he pleaded it himself in the world by that mild and gentle means of sending his Spirit to convince them of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Fourthly. This is that which the apostle constantly threatens the obstinate Hebrews, and apostate professors of the gospel withal, throughout this Epistle, the time of their destruction being now.at hand. So he doth, ch. vi. 4-8; in this chapter, ver. 26-31, where it must be spoken to.

Fifthly. This was that To AoTov, or what remained,' as unto the personal ministry of Christ in this world.

Obs. IV. The horrible destruction of the stubborn obstinate enemies of the person and office of Christ, which befel the nation of the Jews,

is a standing security of the endless destruction of all who remain his obstinate adversaries. I leave this interpretation of the words unto the thoughts of them that are judicious, and shall open the mind of the Holy Ghost in them according unto the generally received opinion of their sense. And to this end,

First. The subject spoken of is, the enemies of Christ, oi exopol, 'his enemies.' He hath had many enemies ever since his exaltation, and so shall have unto the consummation of all things; when they shall all of them be triumphed over. For his enemies are of two sorts.

1. Such as are so immediately and directly unto his person. 2. Such as are so to his office and work, with the benefits of the salvation of the church. Those of the first sort are either devils or men. All the devils are in a combination, as sworn enemies unto the person of Christ and his kingdom. And for men, the whole world of unbelieving Jews, Mahometans, and Pagans, are all his enemies, and do put forth all their power in opposition unto him. The enemies to his office, grace, and work, and the benefits of it, are either persons or things.

1. The head of this opposition and enmity unto his person, is antichrist, with all his adherents; and in a special manner, all worldly power, authority, and rule, acting themselves in subserviency unto the antichristian interest.

2. All pernicious heresies against his person and grace.

3. All others which make profession of the gospel, and live not as becomes the gospel, they are all enemies of Christ and his office.

The things which rise up in enmity and opposition to him, and the work of his grace, are, sin, death, the grave, and hell. All these endeavour to obstruct and frustrate all the ends of Christ's mediation, and are therein his enemies.

Secondly. There is the disposal of this subject, of these enemies of Christ. They shall be made his footstool,' we Tewo, until they be put, and placed in this condition; it is a state which they would not be in, but they shall be made, put,' and placed in it, whether they will or not, as the word signifies; ὑποποδιον των ποδων αυτού. used in a threefold sense in the Scripture.

A footstool is

1. For the visible pledge of God's presence and his worship. God's throne, as we have shown, was represented by the ark, mercy-seat, and cherubim, in the most holy place; whereon the sanctuary itself was his footstool, 1 Chron. xxviii. 2; Ps. xcix. 5, cxxxii. 7. So it is applied unto God, and his presence in the church; as the ark was his throne, so the sanctuary was his footstool.

2. It is applied unto God and his presence in the world; so heaven above is called his throne, and this lower part of the creation is his footstool, Isa. lxvi. 1. In neither of these senses are the enemies of Christ to be his footstool: therefore it is taken,

3. For a despised, conquered condition; a state of a mean, subjected people, deprived of all power and benefit, and brought into absolute subjection. In no other sense can it be applied to the enemies of Christ, as here it is. Yet doth it not signify the same condition absolutely, as unto all persons and things that are his enemies; for they are not of one nature, and their subjection to him is such as their natures

are capable of. But these things are intended in it: 1. The deprivation of all power, authority, and glory. They sat on thrones, but now are under the seat of him who is the only potentate. 2. An utter defeat of their design, in opposing either his person or the work of his grace in the eternal salvation of his church. They shall not hurt nor destroy any more in the mountain of the Lord. 3. Their eternal disposal by the will of Christ, according as his glory shall be manifested therein. Sin, death, the grave, and hell, as unto their opposition to the church, shall be utterly destroyed, 1 Cor. xv. 55-57, and there shall be no more death. Satan and antichrist shall be destroyed two ways. First. Initially and gradually. Secondly. Absolutely and completely. The first they are in all ages of the church, from the time of Christ's glorious ascension into heaven. They were then immediately put in subjection to him, all of them, because that they should not defeat any one end of his mediation. And he maketh continual instances, as he pleases, of his power over them in the visible destruction of some of his most principal and implacable enemies. And secondly, it will be complete at the last day, when all these enemies shall be utterly destroyed.

Thirdly. The word wc, 'until,' here, hath respect to both these, the gradual and final destruction of all the enemies of Christ.

Fourthly. This Christ is said to expect; henceforth' EKDEXOUEVOS, 'expecting.' Expectation and waiting are improperly ascribed to Christ, as they are in the Scripture to God himself, so far as they include hope or uncertainty of the event, or a desire of any thing, either as to matter, manner, or time, otherwise than as they are foreknown and determined. But it is the rest and complacency of Christ, in the faithfulness of God's promises, and his infinite wisdom, as to the season of their accomplishment, that is intended. He doth not so expect these things, as though there were anything wanting to his own blessed glory, power, or authority, until it be actually and completely finished; but, saith the apostle, as to what remains to the Lord Christ in the discharge of his office, he henceforth is no more to offer, to suffer, no more to die, no more to do anything for the expiation of sin, or by way of sacrifice, all this being absolutely and completely effected, he is for ever in the enjoyment of the glory that was set before him; satisfied in the promises, 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 for it. And from this interpretation

of the words, we may take these observations.

Obs. IV. It was the entrance of sin which raised up all our enemies against us. From thence took they their rise and beginning; as death, the grave, and hell: some that were friendly before, became our enemies thereon; as the law and some that had a radical enmity, got power thereby to execute it; as the devil. The state in which we were created, was a state of universal peace; all the strife and contention rose from sin.

Obs. V. The Lord Christ, in his ineffable love and grace, put himself between us and all our enemies; and took into his breast all their

swords, wherewith they were armed against us; so they are his ene

mies.

Obs. VI. The Lord Christ by the offering of himself, making peace with God, ruined all the enmity against the church, and all the enemies of it. For all their power arose from the just displeasure of God, and the curse of his law.

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

we are.

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

Obs. IX. It is our duty to conform ourselves to the Lord Christ in a quiet expectancy of the ruin of all our spiritual adversaries.

Obs. X. 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.

VER. 14.-For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

In this verse the apostle, 1. Gives the great reason of what he had stated with reference unto the Lord Christ in the discharge of his office; namely, that he did not repeat his offering, as the priests under the law did theirs, every year, and every day; but that he sat down at the right hand of God, expecting his enemies to be made his footstool; wherein they had no share after their oblations: And the reason is, because by one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified. This being done, there is no need of any daily sacrifice, nothing that should detain the Lord Jesus out of the possession of his glory. So the particle, yap, 'for,' infers a reason in these words, of all that was assigned before unto him, in opposition unto what was done by the priests of the law; it was by one offering.

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2. What he did so effect, which rendered all future offerings and sacrifices impossible. By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.' What he did, was a poopopa, by one offering; as what the priests of old did, was also by offerings and sacrifices. The eminency of this offering the apostle had before declared, which here he refers unto; it was not of bulls, or goats, but of himself, he offered himself to God; of his body, that is, his whole human nature. And this offering, as he had observed before, was only once offered; in the mention whereof, the apostle includes all the opposition he had made before, between the offering of Christ and those of the priests, as to its worth and dignity.

3. That which is effected hereby, is, τετελειωκεν εις το διηνεκες τους ayaloμevove, that he hath 'perfected for ever them that are sanctified;' those on whom his work is effected are thereby sanctified. They who are dedicated unto God, who are sanctified, or purged, by virtue of this sacrifice; unto them all the other effects are confined. First to sanctify

them, then to perfect them, was the design of Christ in offering of himself, which he purposed not for all men universally. So in the foundation of the church of Israel, they were first sanctioned and dedicated unto God, in and by the sacrifices wherewith the covenant was confirmed, Exod. xxiv. and afterwards were perfected, so far as their condition was capable thereof, in the prescription of laws and ordinances for their church-state and worship. The word here, TETEλELOKEV, was used before. He hath brought them into the most perfect and consummated church-state, and relation to God, as unto all his worship, that the church is capable of in this world. It is not an absolute, subjective, virtual, internal perfection of grace that is intended; the word signifies not such a perfection, nor is made perfect' ever used to that purpose; nor is it the perfection of glory, for he treats of the present church-state of the gospel in this world. But it is a state and condition of that grace and those privileges, which the law, priests, and sacrifices, could never bring them unto. He hath by his one offering wrought and procured for them the complete pardon of sin, and peace before God thereon, that they should have no more need of the repetition of sacrifices; he hath freed them from the yoke of carnal ordinances, and the bondage which they were kept in by them, prescribing unto them a holy worship, to be performed with boldness in the presence of God, by an entrance into the holy place. He hath brought them into the last and best churchstate, the highest and nearest relation unto God that the church is capable of in this world, or which the glory of his wisdom and grace hath assigned unto it. And this he hath done as to dinvekes, 'for ever,' so as that there shall never be any alteration in that estate whereunto he hath brought them, nor any addition of privilege or advantage be ever made unto it.

Obs. XI. There was a glorious efficacy in the one offering of Christ. Obs. XII. The end of it must be effectually accomplished towards all for whom it was offered; or else it is inferior unto the legal sacrifices, for they attained their proper end.

Obs. XIII. The sanctification and perfection of the church, being that end designed in the death and sacrifice of Christ, all things necessary unto that end must be included therein, that it be not frustrate.

VER. 15-18.-Μαρτυρεί δε ἡμιν και το Πνεύμα το άγιον Μετα γαρ το προειρηκεναι· αὕτη ἡ διαθηκη ἣν διαθήσομαι προς αυτούς μετα τας ἡμέρας εκείνας, λέγει Κύριος, διδους νομους μου επι καρδίας αυτών, και επι των διανοιων αυτων επιγραψω αυτούς Καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιων αυτών και των ανομιων αυτών ου μη μνησθω ετι. Όπου δε άφεσις τούτων, ουκ ετι προσφορα περὶ ἁμαρτίας.

VER. 15-18.-Whereof 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.