unto God for us, yet had believers then an access into the grace and favour of God, though the way, the cause and means of it, was not manifestly declared unto them. The apostle doth not exclude them all from the grace and favour of God, but only shows their disadvantage in comparison of believers under the gospel, in that this way was not manifested unto them.

Obs. IV. The design of the Holy Ghost in the tabernacle, and in all its ordinances and institutions of worship, was to direct the faith of believers unto what was signified by them.

Obs. V. Typical institutions, attended diligently unto, were sufficient to direct the faith of the church unto the expectation of the real expiation of sin, and acceptance with God thereon.-God was never wanting unto the church in what was necessary unto it in its present condition, so as that it might be guided in its faith, and encouraged unto obedience.

Obs. VI. Though the standing of the first tabernacle was a great mercy and privilege, yet the removal of it was a greater; for it made way for the bringing in of that which was better.

Obs. VII. The divine wisdom in the economy and disposal of the revelation of the way into the holiest, or of grace and acceptance with himself, is a blessed object of our contemplation.-The several degrees of it we have considered on ch. i. 1.

Obs. VIII. The clear manifestation of the way of redemption, of the expiation of sin, and peace with God thereon, is the great privilege of the gospel.

Obs. IX. There is no access into the gracious presence of God, but by the sacrifice of Christ alone.

VER. 9, 10.—Ήτις παραβολη εις τον καιρον τον ενεστηκότα, καθ ̓ ὁν δωρα τε και θυσίαι προσφέρονται, μη δυνάμεναι κατα συνειδησιν τελειωσαι τον λατρεύοντα, μονον επι βρωμασι και πομασι, και διαφοροις βαπτισμοις, και δικαιωμασι σαρκος, μεχρι καιρον διορ

θώσεως επικειμενα.

'Hris TapaCoλn, Vul. Lat. Quæ parabola est; Syr. x, an exemplar or example;' so all render it, though it answer the Hebrew Swn, 'a parable or proverb.' Quod erat exemplar: so Beza and others.

ES TOV KALOOV TOV EVEσTηKOTA, Vul. Lat. Temporis instantis, of the instant time or season;' which Arias rectifies into in tempus præsens, 'for the time present.' Beza, Pro tempore illo præsente, for that present time: pro tempore tum præsente, for the time that was then present.' Syr. 275, for that time,' omitting Evɛotnkota.

Kað óv, Vul. Lat. juxta quam; it being uncertain what he refers quam unto, Arias rectifieth it, juxta quod; for óv answereth unto kaipov, and not unto mapaCoλn quo wherein;' Syr. in quo,' wherein.'

Awpа Tε Kaι voiai, Vul. Lat. Munera et hostiæ, dona et sacrificia; Syr. gifts,' that is, 'meat and drink offerings, and sacrifices by blood,' Syr. p, oblations and victims,' or 'bloody sacrifices.'

Κατα συνειδησιν τελείωσαι τον λατρεύοντα, Vul. Lat. Juxta conscientiam perfectum facere servientem; make him that did the service per

6

fect according to conscience:' others, in conscientia sanctificare cultorem: others, consummare. Of the sense of the word we have spoken before. Syr. Perfect the conscience of him that offered them.'

Movov ε Bowμaot, Syr. 'in meat and drink,' in the singular num

ber.

Kai diapopois Banтioμоis, Syг. 7, and in the washing of kinds kinds; that is, various kinds, with respect not unto the various rites of washing, but the various kinds of things that were washed.

פוקדא

Δικαιώμασι σαρκος, Vul. Lat. Justitiis carnis ; so it renders δικαιωμα, by justitia, or justificatio, constantly, but very improperly. Syr. D 07, precepts of the flesh:' Ritibus carnalibus, ordinances, institutions, rites of the flesh, concerning fleshly things.'

ETIKEμeva, Vul. Lat. impositis: others, imposita, 'incumbent on, lying on them.'

VER. 9, 10.-Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience, (which stood) only in meats, and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

I shall not alter the translation, but show what might be more properly expressed, as unto some instances, in our exposition.

Expositors have made use of various conjectures in their commentaries on this place. What is material in the most eminent of them, the reader may see in Mr. Poole's collections. But I must needs say, that in my judgment they have brought more difficulty into the text than they have freed it from. Wherefore, I shall not detain the reader in the examination of them; but I shall give that interpretation of the text which I hope will evidence its truth unto such who impartially seek after it, and are in any measure acquainted with the things treated of.

The apostle, in these two verses, gives a summary account and reason of the imperfection of the tabernacle, and of all its services, wherein the administration of the old covenant did consist. This was direct and

proper unto his present argument. For his design is to prove the preeminence of the new covenant above the old, from the excellency of the high priest thereof, with his tabernacle and sacrifice. Unto this end, a discovery of the imperfections and weakness of the first tabernacle and services, was indispensably necessary. And if, notwithstanding its outward excellency and glory, it was no other but what it is here declared to be, as evidently it was not, then was it not only an unreasonable thing, and a plain rejection of the wisdom and grace of God, to adhere unto it, in opposition unto the gospel, which was done by the most of the Hebrews; but it was altogether unmeet and useless to be retained, together with the profession of the gospel, which the residue of them earnestly contended for. This was that which the apostle designed ultimately to convince them of; and in this a work both great and difficult was committed unto him. For there is nothing more difficult than to dispossess the minds of men of such persuasions in religion, as

they have been bred up in, and received by a long tract of tradition from their fathers. So we find it to be in such persuasions and observances as are evidently false and impious unto the understandings of all who are not under the power of such prejudices; so is it at present with them of the Roman church, and others. But these Hebrews had a pretence or plea for their obstinacy herein, which none other ever had in the like case but themselves; for the things which they adhered unto were confessedly of divine institution. Wherefore the apostle labours principally to prove, that in the will and wisdom of God they were to continue only for a season, and also that the season of their expiration was now come. And this he doth in this place, by a declaration of their nature and use whilst they did continue, whence it is evident that God never designed that they should have a perpetual station in the church; and that because they could not effect what he purposed and had promised to do for it. This is the substance of his present argu

ment.

There is in the words themselves,

1. The subject spoken of, ris, 'Which.'

6

2. The proper use and end of it, It was a figure.'

3. The limitation of that use as unto time, For the time then pre

sent.'

4. The especial nature of it, The offering of gifts and sacrifices.' 5. The imperfection of it therein, "They could not consummate the worshippers in conscience.'

6. The reason of that imperfection, 'It stood only in meats and drinks,' &c.

7. The manner of its establishment, 'It was imposed.'

8. The time allotted for its continuance, Until the time of reformation.'

1. The subject spoken of is expressed by ris, 'which.' Some would refer it unto Tapason following; and so read the words, which figure was for the time present.' But there is no cause for this traduction of the words. The verb substantive ny is deficient, as usually, and is to be supplied as in our translation, which was:' which,' that is, σκηνη, the tabernacle.' Not only the fabric and structure of it, but the tabernacle in both parts of it, with all its furniture, vessels, utensils, and services, as before described.

2. As unto its proper use and end, the apostle affirms that it was Tapa¤oλŋ, figura, exemplar, exemplum, comparatio, similitudo, typus, representatio. So variously is this word rendered by interpreters. Most fix on exemplar or exemplum; but they are TUTоs and vоdεyμа, not mapatoλn. And in all these versions, the proper sense of the word, as used in the Scripture, is missed. It is not an that the apostle intends, but, as it is rendered by the Syriac.

And this many have observed, namely, that it answers unto bw, but yet have missed the interpretation of it. is the same with 7`0, wherewith it is joined, as of the same signification and importance, Ps. xlix. 4, lxxviii. 2. And whereas it is said that the queen of Sheba tried the wisdom of Solomon, T, 1 Kings x. 1; the Targum renders it by, the Chaldeen, and the Syriac , being the

same with the Hebrew wn. Now T is ænigma, problema, yoipos, 'a riddle, a hard question;' and is to speak enigmatically, obscurely, so as that one thing is to be gathered out of another. So is

used also; Ezek. xx. 49. Is he not, b, proverbiator proverbiorum, one that speaks 'darkly and obscurely?' that expresseth one thing and intends another, using similitudes and metaphors. An obscure mystical instruction by figures, signs, symbols, metaphors, and the like.

Thus is TapaCoλn almost constantly used in the New Testament. So our Lord Jesus Christ expressly opposeth speaking in parables, unto a clear, plain, open teaching, so as to be understood of all; see Matt. xiii. 10-13; John xvi. 28, 29, 'Now speakest thou openly, and no parable.' Wherefore TapaCon, in this place, is an obscure mystical metaphorical instruction. God taught the church of old the mysteries of our redemption by Christ, by the tabernacle, its fabric, parts, utensils, and services; but it was but an obscure, parabolical, figurative instruction. So should the word here be rendered, a figurative instruction,' or the word 'parable' be here retained as it is in other places. This was God's way of teaching the mysteries of his wisdom and grace; which, as it was sufficient for the state of the church which was then present, so it instructs us in what he requires, what he expects from us, unto whom all these things are unfolded, made plain, and evident.

3. The third thing in the text is the time or season wherein the tabernacle was so parabolically or mystically instructive. It was aç TOV καιρον τον ενεστηκοτα. Some few copies for τον read τουτον, as doth that now before me, 'Unto this present time.' This reading is generally rejected by expositors, as not suited unto the mind of the apostle in this place. For he intends not the time that was then present when he wrote the Epistle, not the times of the gospel, not the time after the resurrection of Christ, until the destruction of the temple, which the addition of that word would denote; for God had prepared another kind of instruction for that season, and not by parables or mystical metaphors. But yet the word may be retained, and a sense given of the words both sound and proper. For as may well signify as much as until;' or be taken TEλkwe, as it is often. ELS TOUTOV KαιρOV, 'unto this season;' until the time that God would grant another kind of teaching, which now he hath done. It served until this present season wherein the gospel is preached, and all the things signified by it are accomplished. But I shall rather follow the reading of the most copies, though the Vulgar Latin reading, temporis instantis, seems to favour the first. And Arias rectifying it into in tempus præsens, gives the same sense also. But the word evεστηkota, being of the preterimperfect tense, signifies a time that was then present, but is now past. And it is therefore well rendered by our translators, 'the time then present,' as if Tore had been in the text; the time then present, when the tabernacle was made and erected. Ὁ καιρος ὁ ενεστηκως, the season of the church, which was then present. For the apostle in this whole discourse, not only respects the tabernacle, and not the temple, but he considers the first erection of the tabernacle in a peculiar manner; for

then was it proposed as the means of the administration of the first covenant, and the worship thereunto belonging. It is the covenants which he principally designeth a comparison between. And he doth in that way of the disposition and administration of them, which was given and appointed at their first establishment. As this in the new covenant was the person, office, sacrifice, and ministry of Christ; so as unto the first, it was the tabernacle and all the services of it.

Wherefore the time then present was the state and condition of the church at the first setting up of the tabernacle. Not as though this time was confined unto that or those ages, wherein the tabernacle was in use, before the building of the temple. But this instruction which was then signally given, was the whole of what God granted unto the church, during that state wherein it was obliged unto the ordinances and services which were then instituted. The instructions which God thought meet to grant unto the church at that season were obscure, mystical, and figuratively representative; yet was it sufficient for the faith and obedience of the church, had it been diligently attended unto, and what the Holy Ghost signified thereby. So are all God's ways of instruction in all seasons. We cannot err, but either by a neglect of inquiring into them, or by looking for more than God in his wisdom hath committed unto them.

6

And this sense those who render Tapaßoλn by a figure, type, or example,' must come unto; for the use of it is confined unto the time of the erection of the tabernacle, and the institution of the ordinances thereunto belonging. But a type or figure was unto them of no use, but so far as it was instructive, which was obscurely and mystically. And that this is the sense of the word, the apostle declares, ver. 8, where he shows the substance of what the Holy Ghost signified by the building, disposal, and services of the tabernacle; that is, what he taught the church thereby, parabolically and figuratively. This kind of instruction, whatever now it seem to us, was meet and fit for them unto whom it was given. And by the administration of grace in it, it was a blessed means to engenerate faith, love, and obedience in the hearts and lives of many unto an eminent degree. And we may consider from hence what is required of us unto whom the clear revelation of the wisdom, grace, and love of God are made known from the bosom of the Father by the Son himself.

4. The especial nature and use of this tabernacle and its service is declared in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices.' Kað óv. The Vulgar Latin reads 'juxta quam; making the relative to answer unto ήτις, or to παραβολη. But the gender will not allow it in the original. Kal' óv is as much as ev, in which time, during which season.' For immediately upon the setting up of the tabernacle, God gave unto Moses laws and institutions for all the gifts and sacrifices of the people, which were to be offered therein. This was the first direction which God gave after the setting up of the tabernacle, namely, the way and manner of offering all sorts of gifts and sacrifices unto him. And the apostle here distributes all the p, all the sacred offerings,' into dupa and Svotas, that is, unbloody and bloody sacrifices; as he did before, ch. v. 10, where the distinction hath been explained.