ver. 10; his flesh, as in this place. For these things were not distinctly operative, one in one effect, another in another, but all of them concurred in his nature and person, which he once offered wholly to God. So that where any of them is mentioned, the whole human nature of Christ, as unto the efficacy of it in his sacrifice, is intended.

5. Yet were these things distinctly typified and fore-signified in the sacrifices and service of old. So was the flesh of Christ by the veil, as his whole nature by the tabernacle, his soul by the scape-goat, his body and blood by the sin-offering on the day of expiation, when the sacrifice was burnt without the camp.

6. Herein, in an especial manner, was the whole a type of the flesh of Christ, in that there was no entrance to be laid open into the holy place, but by the rending of the veil. The high priest entered into it by turning the veil aside, whereon it immediately closed again, and forbade an entrance and a prospect unto others. Wherefore, there could be no abiding entrance into that holy place, unless the veil was rent and torn in pieces, so that it could close no more. Accordingly, it came to pass on the death of the Lord Jesus, that the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom. And that which is signified hereby is only this, that by virtue of the sacrifice of Christ, wherein his flesh was torn and rent, we have a full entrance into the holy place, such as would have been of old, upon the rending of the veil. This, therefore, is the genuine interpretation of this place, 'We enter with boldness unto the most holy place through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.' We do so by virtue of the sacrifice of himself, wherein his flesh was rent, and all hinderances thereby taken away from us. Of all which hinderances the veil was an emblem and principal instance, until it was rent and removed.

The sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ unto all the ends of the perfection of the church, in all duties and privileges, is that which the apostle instructs us unto herein. And there is great instruction given us in this comparison of the type and antitype, into the way and nature of our access unto God, in all our solemn worship. It is God, as he was represented in the holy place, to whom we address ourselves peculiarly, that is, God the Father as on a throne of grace; the manner of our access is with holy confidence, grounded solely on the efficacy of the blood or sacrifice of Christ. The way is by faith, as to the removal of the obstacles, and the view of God as reconciled. This is given us by the suffering of Christ in the flesh, which laid open the entrance into the holy place. Wherefore the apostle says not, that the veil was the flesh of Christ, as some pretend, who have hence cavilled at the authority of this Epistle, on no other ground but because they could not apprehend the spiritual light and wisdom that is therein only he says, we have our entrance into the holy place by virtue of the flesh of Christ, which was rent in his sacrifice; as, through the rending of the veil, a way was laid open into the holiest. This is the first encouragement unto the duty exhorted to, from the benefit and privilege we have by the blood of Christ.

Another, to the same purpose, follows.

Ver. 21.—' And having a great high priest over the house of God,'

και ἱερέα μέγαν επι τον οικον του Θεου. Having, is understood from ver. 19; the word whereby the apostle expresseth our relation unto Christ, ch. iv. 15. He is our priest, he exerciseth that office on our behalf, and our duty it is in all things to be such as becometh this great high priest to own in the discharge of his office. What became him that he might be our high priest, as it is expressed, ch. vii. 26, shows what we ought to be in our measure that belong to his care, and say with boldness, We have a high priest;' which is another encouragement unto the diligent attendance to the duties we are here exhorted For it may be said, that notwithstanding the provision of a new way into the holiest, and boldness given us to enter thereinto, yet in ourselves we know not how to do it, unless we are under the conduct of a priest, as the church of old was in their worship. All those priests being removed, how shall we do now to draw nigh unto God, without such a conduct, such a countenance? The apostle removes this from them, and gives encouragement for what he had proved to be a duty before, namely, that we have a great high priest.

Three things are in the words: 1. That we have a high priest. 2. That he is a great priest. 3. That part of his office wherein, in this duty, we are concerned, which is, that he is over the house of God.

1. The first hath been spoken unto on many occasions. Only the apostle calls him not here our high priest,' which he doth most frequently, but a priest,' with the addition of 'great;' a great priest,' which answers directly to the Hebrew expression, b, as the high priest was called; yet the apostle hath a respect unto his eminency above all other priests whatsoever. He is great in his person, God and man, as he had described him, ch. i. ii. iii.; great in his glorious exaltation, ch. viii. 1, 2; great in his power and the efficacy of his office, ch. vii. 25; great in honour, dignity, and authority; the consideration whereof leads both unto the confirmation of our faith, and the ingenerating of a due reverence in our hearts towards him. For as he is so great as that he can save us unto the uttermost, or give us acceptance before God, as unto our persons and our duties; so he is so glorious, that we ought to apply ourselves to him with reverence and godly fear. 2. That which, unto the particular end designed in this place, we ought to consider in his office is, that he is over the house of God. The apostle doth not therein consider the sacrifice of himself, which he proposed as the foundation of the privilege whence the ensuing duty is inferred, but what he is and doth after his sacrifice, now he is exalted in heaven; for this was the second part of the office of the high priest. The first was, to offer sacrifice for the people, the other was, to take the oversight of the house of God; for so it is particularly expressed with respect unto Joshua, who was an eminent type of Christ, Zech. iii. 6, 7. The whole care of ordering all things in the house of God was committed to the high priest; so is it now in the hand of Christ, he is over the house of God, to order all things unto the glory of God and the salvation of the church. The house of God, τον οικον του Θεού, that is, the whole house of God, the family of heaven and earth, that part of the church above, and that here below, which make up but one house of God. The church here below is comprised in the first place;

for unto them it is that this encouragement is given, unto whom this motive of drawing nigh is proposed, namely, as they have a high priest. And it is in the heavenly sanctuary wherein he administereth, or in the house of God above, into which also we do enter by our prayers and sacred worship; so is he for ever over his own house.

Óbs. VIII. The Lord Christ doth peculiarly preside over all the persons, duties, and worship of believers in the church of God.-1. In that all their worship is of his appointment, and what is not so, belongs not to the house of God. 2. In that he assists the worshippers by his Spirit, for the performance of this duty. 3. That he makes their services accepted with God. 4. In rendering their worship glorious by the administration of his Spirit; and, 5. In rendering it effectual through the addition of the incense of his intercession. For other things that may be hence educed, see our exposition of ch. iv. 14-16.

VER. 22.—Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

The duty is here expressed, whereunto these encouragements and privileges do direct and lead. And this duty is described, 1. By the nature of it, 'Let us draw near.' 2. The qualification of the persons by whom it is to be performed, with a true heart.' 3. The manner of its performance, 'in full assurance of faith.' 4. The preparation for it; which is twofold. First. That our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience.' Secondly. That our bodies are washed with pure water.'

1. The duty itself is expressed by πроσeрxwμea, the word whereby the whole performance of all divine, solemn worship, was constantly expressed. For God having fixed the residence of the signs of his presence unto a certain place, namely, that of the tabernacle and altar, none could worship him but it was by an approach, an access, a drawing nigh unto that place, the means of their worship, and the pledges of God's presence therein. So were they to bring their gifts, their offerings, their sacrifices; every thing wherewith they worshipped in it was an approximation unto God. Now all these things, tabernacle, temple, altar, as we have shown, were types of Christ and the gracious presence of God in him, and they were appointed only unto this end, to teach the church to look for an access to God in and by him alone. Wherefore the apostle tells the Hebrews, that as they had under the old testament an approach unto God, and were then οἱ προσερχομενοι, 'those that came and drew nigh unto him,' yet it was defective in three things. 1. That it was by carnal means, the blood of bulls and goats.' 2. That it was not unto God himself, but only some outward pledges of his presence. 3. That in this access they were always excluded from an entrance into the holiest. This way being now removed, there is that appointed in the room thereof, which is liable to none of these defects. For, 1. It is not by things carnal, but in a holy spiritual way and manner, as the ensuing description of it doth manifest. 2. It is not unto any outward pledges of the divine presence, but immediately unto

God himself, even the Father. 3. It is into the most holy place itself, the special residence of God, and of our high priest Christ Jesus. Wherefore this drawing near containeth all the holy worship of the church, both public and private, all the ways of our access unto God by Christ. And the charge given for this duty, is the first inference the apostle maketh from the consideration of the benefits we receive by the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ.

2. The principal qualification of the persons exhorted unto this duty, is a true heart, aλnzivne kapdias. God, in an especial manner, requireth truth in the inward parts in all that come unto him, Ps. li. 6. Especially he doth so in his worship, John iv. 24. Now truth respects either the mind, and is opposed unto falsehood, or respects the heart and affections, and is opposed unto hypocrisy. In the first way, all false worship is rejected, all means of the worship of God not of his own institution. But the truth of the heart here intended is the sincerity of heart, which is opposed unto all hypocrisy. Two things are therefore comprised in this qualification:

Obs. IX. 1. That the heart is that which God principally respects in our access unto him.-The Hebrews, in their degenerate condition, rested in the outward performance of duties; so as that they made their access outwardly according to the institutions and directions of the law, they were regardless of themselves and of the inner man, and of the frame thereof. But it is the heart that God requires, and accordingly that it be under the conduct of doctrinal truth in the light of the mind, and not only that it be true, and free from hypocrisy in the acts of worship that it goes about, but also that in its habitual frame it be holy, and throughout leavened with sincerity. Thence it is denominated a true heart. If men be sincere in the acts of worship, but fail of it in point of walking in conversation, they will not be accepted in it.

Obs. X. 2. Universal, internal sincerity of heart, is required of all those that draw nigh unto God in his holy worship.-It is so, 1. From the nature of God. 2. From the nature of the worship itself. 3. From the conscience of the worshippers, which can have neither boldness nor confidence without it. What is required unto that sincerity or true heart, without which we cannot fully draw nigh unto God in any duty of his worship, I cannot now declare.

3. There is the way and manner, together with the principle to be acted in all our accesses unto God, εν πληροφορια της πίστεως, in the full assurance of faith.' First. Without faith it is impossible to please God.' Wherefore faith is required in this access on a twofold account: 1. Of the qualification of the person, he must be a true believer who hath this access, all others are utterly excluded from it. 2. Of its actual exercise in every particular duty of access. 'Abel, by faith, offered his sacrifice.' And there is no duty acceptable unto God, which is not quickened and enlivened by faith. Secondly. As unto this access unto God by Christ, the apostle requires that there be a full assurance of faith. Many have disputed wherein this assurance of faith doth consist, what it is that belongs thereunto. We must consider the design of the apostle, and scope of the place, and what they do require. The word is used only in this place, though the verb,

Anpopopew, be elsewhere, Rom. iv. 21, xiv. 5, to signify a full satisfaction of mind, in what we are persuaded of. Here two things seem to be included in it.

First. That which in other places the apostle expresseth by wappnoia, which is the word constantly used to declare the frame of mind which is, or ought to be, in gospel worshippers, in opposition unto that of the law. And it hath two things in it: 1. An open view of the spiritual glories, of the way and end of our approach unto God, which they had not. 2. Liberty and confidence; liberty of speech, and confidence of being accepted, which in their bondage condition they had not. Therefore the apostle thus expresseth the way and manner of our approaching to God by Christ, in opposition unto that under the law, and affirms it to be in the full assurance, and spiritual boldness of faith. This is the plerophory of it, which frame of mind is plainly directed unto.

2. A firm and immoveable persuasion concerning the priesthood of Christ, whereby we have this access unto God, with the glory and efficacy of it faith, without wavering. For many of the Hebrews who had received in general the faith of the gospel, yet wavered up and down in their minds about this office of Christ, and the glorious things related of it by the apostle; supposing that there might some place be yet left for the administration of the legal high priest. This frame the apostle confutes; and shows that under it men could have no access to God, nor acceptance with him. Wherefore the full assurance of faith here, respects not the assurance that any have of their own salvation, nor any degree of such an assurance; it is only the full satisfaction of our souls and consciences in the reality and efficacy of the priesthood of Christ to give us acceptance with God, in opposition unto all other ways and means thereof, that is intended. But withal, this persuasion is accompanied with an assured trust of our own acceptance with God in and by him, with an acquiescence of our souls therein.

Obs. XI. The actual exercise of faith is required in all our approaches unto God, in every particular duty of his worship. Without this no outward solemnity of worship, no exercise of it, will avail us. Obs. XII. It is faith in Christ alone that gives us boldness of access unto God.

Obs. XIII. The person and office of Christ, are to be rested in with full assurance in all our accesses to the throne of grace.

4. There is a twofold preparation prescribed unto us for the right discharge of this duty. 1. That our hearts be sprinkled from an evil conscience. 2. That our bodies be washed with pure water. It is plain that the apostle in these expressions alludeth unto the necessary preparations for divine service under the law. For whereas there were various ways, whereby men were legally defiled, so there were means appointed for their legal purification, which we have declared on ch. ix. Without the use and application of those purifications, if any of them that were so defiled, did draw nigh unto the worship of God, he was to die, or be cut off. These institutions the apostle doth not only allude unto, and make application of things outward and carnal, unto things inward and spiritual; but withal declares what was their nature and