necessity with that under the old, accompanied in its administrations with various utensils, ceremonies, and services; while neither this altar itself, nor any of its services, were of divine appointment. But,

Obs. VI. Sinners, under a sense of guilt, have in the gospel an altar of atonement, whereunto they may have continual access for the expiation of their sins.-He is the propitiation.

Thirdly. The limitation of the use of this altar ensues. 'Whereof they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle.' The persons excluded from the right mentioned, are οἱ τη σκηνῃ λατρεύοντες, those who serve the tabernacle.' The apostle speaks in the present tense,'those who do serve,' or 'who are serving,' at the tabernacle. For he hath respect unto the original institution of divine worship, and that was in and under the tabernacle; and he takes no notice of the things that ensued in the erection of the temple, which made no alteration in the worship itself. And supposing them in the state wherein they were at first appointed, he expresseth it in the present tense, that do serve.'

'That do serve;' the word is used constantly for the services that are used in sacred worship. So it is here: those who administered the things belonging unto divine worship in the tabernacle. These were the priests and Levites in their several orders and degrees. These had a right to eat of the altar in the tabernacle; that is, of the things that were consecrated thereby, and a part whereof was offered thereon. Hereunto they had a right by divine institution. For they who minister about holy things, eat the things of the temple; and they that wait at the altar, partake with the altar, 1 Cor. ix. 13. So also, ch. x. 18, wherein the apostle had respect unto the institutions of the law, giving right unto the priests to eat of things sanctified by the altar. And it was a right which did appropriate this privilege unto them. It was not lawful for any others to eat any thing from the altar, unless it were in the case of the thank-offering by especial indulgence, or in case of extreme necessity, Matt. xii. 3, 4. This right, or any other of an alike nature, they had not, to eat of that altar which we have.

E où payε oνK EXOVOLV EŽOVOιav, 'Whereof,'' of which;' the altar, and all the things which are sanctified thereby to eat.' Eating was the only way of the participation of meats from the altar: what was every one's portion was to be eaten. Hence, the apostle useth' to eat,' here, for any kind of participation. He doth not intend that we have an altar whereof some may eat, namely, of meats taken from it, and consecrated by it, which they had no right to do; but only that they have no right to participate of the benefits of our altar in any way or kind. Hereunto they had no right or title; that is, they had not by virtue of any divine institution. He doth not absolutely exclude such persons from ever attaining an interest in our altar. But he doth it in two respects: 1. They had no such right by virtue of their office and relation unto the tabernacle. 2. That whilst they adhered unto that privilege, and the use of meats thereby for the establishment of their hearts in peace with God, they could have no interest in this altar of ours. And we may see,

Obs. VII. That all privileges, of what nature soever, without a par

ticipation of Christ, as the altar and sacrifice of the church, are of no advantage unto them that enjoy them.

VER. 11, 12.—Ών γαρ εισφέρεται ζωων το αἷμα περι ἁμαρτίας εις τα άγια δια του αρχιερεως, τούτων τα σώματα κατακαίεται εξω της παρεμβολης. Διο και Ιησους, ἵνα ἁγιαση δια του ιδιου αίματος τον λαον, εξω της πύλης έπαθε.

VER. 11, 12.-For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood (being a sin-offering) is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest, are burnt without the camp. Wherefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

The apostle, in these words, proceeds to the confirmation of his whole present design in all the parts of it; and they are three.

1. To declare of what nature our altar and sacrifice are, and thereon of what nature and kind the duties of religion are, which proceed from these, and depend upon them.

2. To testify that the removal of all distinction of meats by virtue of this altar, was signified in the old institutions, which had their accomplishment in this altar and sacrifice.

3. To show the necessity of the suffering of Christ without the gate of the city, from the typical representation of it; so to make way for the declaration of the use that we are to make of it. All which will be evidenced in the exposition of the words.

VER. 11.-For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood (being a sinoffering) is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest, are burnt without the camp.

1. An instance is given unto the ends mentioned, in a sacrifice typical of the sacrifice of Christ. And this is Tepi aμaprias; that is, 'a sin-offering.' See ch. x. 6, with the exposition.

2. Two things are affirmed concerning this sacrifice. 1. That the blood of the beasts was brought unto the sanctuary by the high priest. 2. That the bodies of the beasts whose blood was so offered for sin, were burned without the camp.

First. The sacrifice intended is the sin-offering. For concerning this kind of sacrifice, and this alone, the institution is plain, Lev. vi. 30. And no sin-offering, whereof any of the blood is brought unto the tabernacle of the congregation, to reconcile withal in the holy place, shall be eaten it shall be burnt with fire.' And that the whole body of the beast was to be carried out of the camp, and burned in a clean place, is ordained, ch. iv. 12. But the apostle hath especial respect unto the sin-offering on the great day of atonement, which was appointed by an everlasting statute, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year, Lev. xvi. 34, for it was the blood of that sacrifice alone that was carried into the most holy place by the high priest, ver. 14-17. And there was an especial institution for the burning of the bodies of the beasts, whose blood was

then offered, without the camp, the words whereof the apostle doth here repeat, ver. 27, And the bullock for the sin-offering, and the goat for the sin-offering; that is, the bodies of the beasts, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place by the high priests, 'shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.'

It is, therefore, evident, both what sacrifice is intended, and what are the things affirmed of it; wherein the apostle repeats two divine institutions, the one concerning the blood, the other concerning the bodies of the beasts that were sacrificed.

For the first of these, or the way and manner of the high priest's carrying the blood into the holy place to make atonement, see the Exposition of ch. ix. 6, 7.

Secondly. The burning of the bodies was ordained to be without the camp; namely, whilst the Israelites were in the wilderness, and abode in tents encamped round about the tabernacle, after the priests and Levites, who pitched immediately about it, Num. i. 53; the order and manner of which encamping, is appointed and described, Num. ii. which took up some miles in compass. Unto this camp of Israelites, the city of Jerusalem did afterwards answer, and all the institutions about it were applied thereunto. Wherefore, when this sacrifice was observed in the temple, the bodies of the beasts were carried out of the city to be burned. Hence, the apostle makes the suffering of Christ without the gate, to answer unto the burning of the bodies of the beasts without the camp,---the city and the camp being the same thing in this institution. And sundry things we may here observe, as unto the purpose of the apostle in this place; as, 1. That among all the sacrifices of the law, this sin-offering on the day of atonement, was the principal type of Christ and of his sacrifice, as hath been before fully demonstrated. 2. That the matter of this sacrifice was totally anathematized and devoted, as that which had all the sins and uncleannesses of the church upon it; whence he that burned the bodies of the beasts was legally unclean, Lev. xvi. 28, to manifest how fully the Lord Christ was made a curse for us. 3. That in this sacrifice there was no eating, no meats, or distinction of them, or privilege about them; all was consumed.

Hence, the apostle proves that meats did never contribute any thing towards the establishment of the heart before God. For there was no use of them in or about that sacrifice, whereby atonement was made for sin, whereon the establishment of the heart doth depend. Yea, there was herein a clear prefiguration, that when the great atonement was made, there should be no use of the distinction of meats left in the church.

And hereby farther way is made for the description of our altar and sacrifice, with the nature of the divine worship ensuing thereon.

VER. 12.-Wherefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

This is the altar which we have, this is the sacrifice on that altar, and this is the effect of it, namely, the sanctification of the people.

And the first thing in the words, is the note of inference from what was spoken before: dio kaι Inσovs, wherefore, Jesus also;' what he did was in compliance with the legal institutions mentioned. There was no obligation on him from that institution; but the end of it being a prefiguration of what he was to do, and suffer, it was necessary that he should comply therewith. So, although he did nothing but by his own will and choice, yet this reason of what he did is frequently assigned, namely, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.' Being to fulfil all righteousness, and the whole law, what he did was regulated by the predictions of the Scripture, and the typical representations of what was to be done; see ch. iii. 5, with the exposition. This is the ground of the inference here: Wherefore Jesus also; it must so be, because divine wisdom had given this prefiguration of it. And,

Obs. I. The complete answering and fulfilling of all types in the person and office of Christ, testifieth the sameness and immutability of the counsel of God in the whole work of the redemption and salvation of the church, notwithstanding all the outward changes that have been in the institutions of divine worship.-For hence it is manifest, that in the whole, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.

And there is not only an inference in this expression, but an intimation of a similitude also, such as is between the type and the thing typified; as was that sacrifice or sin-offering under the law, so was this of Christ; 'Wherefore Jesus also.' There are sundry truths of great importance in these words, the consideration whereof will give us the just exposition of them. As,

1. That Jesus, in his sufferings, did offer himself unto God. This is plain in the words. That he might sanctify the people with his blood, Tale,' he suffered;' for in that suffering his blood was shed, whereby the people were sanctified; which utterly overthrows the Socinian figment of his oblation in heaven.

2. That in his sufferings, he offered himself a sin-offering in answer unto those legal sacrifices, whose blood was carried unto the holy place, and their bodies burned without the camp, which were sin-offerings only. It answered indeed unto all offerings made by blood, for blood was never used but to make atonement, Lev. xvii. 11, yet it had a peculiar representation in the sin-offering, on the day of expiation, Lev. xvi, as hath been before declared.

3. The end of this offering of Christ was, that he might sanctify the people. This was, finis operis et operantis, the end of what was done, and of him who did it.' 'Iva hath respect to the final cause; and the object of the work wrought, is rov λaov, 'the people;' not the church and people of the Jews in general, for the most of them were rejected from the benefit of this sacrifice; and to show that he left them herein, he suffered, and offered himself without the gate. In the typical sacrifice of expiation, the bodies of the beasts were carried out of the camp, and burned, to show that they were absolutely anathematized; but the blood was shed and offered at the tabernacle, in the midst of the congregation, because the whole congregation was to be sanctified thereby. But the Lord Jesus offered himself, and his blood, without the city or the camp, because he designed not either to

confine the benefit of his offering unto that people, nor to take them in unto it as a camp, a city, a church, or congregation. But this people are elsewhere called 'his people,' Matt. i. 21, and church or body, Eph. v. 25-27; that is, all the elect of God, both Jews and Gentiles, 1 John ii. 1, 2.

4. That which he designed and accomplished for this people, was 'their sanctification,' aytaon. What it is to be sanctified by blood, as offered, hath been before declared; and it is here manifest, by the respect that is had unto the great sacrifice of expiation. It is to have atonement made, or an expiation of the guilt of their sins; an acquitment obtained from the defilement of it, as separating from the favour of God, and a sacred dedication unto him.

5. This is that which the Lord Jesus designed for his church, and he did effect it by his own blood. When the blood of Christ is mentioned in this matter, it is emphatically called Sta Tov idov aiparos, his own blood;' purchased his church with his own blood,' Acts xx. 28; washed us from our sins in his own blood, Rev. i. 5, ix. 12, as in this place. And three things are included therein. 1. An opposition unto the sacrifices of the high priest under the law, which was of the blood of beasts, and not their own; see Heb. ix. 12, with the exposition. 2. An evidence of the unspeakable worth and value of this offering, whereon all its efficacy doth depend. Hence it is called 'God's own blood,' Acts xx. 28; See Heb. ix. 14. 3. A testimony of what it cost the Lord Jesus to sanctify the people, even his own blood.'

6. The last thing in the words, is the circumstance of the suffering of Christ; namely, that it was žw τns tuλns, · without the gate,' that is, of the city; namely of Jerusalem, which answered to the camp in the wilderness after the tabernacle was fixed therein. And sundry things are herein included. 1. That he left the city and church state of the Jews; whence he denounced their destruction as he went out of the gate, Luke xxiii. 18-30. 2. He put an end unto all sacrificing in the city, and temple, as unto divine acceptance; all was now finishing. 3. He declared that his sacrifice, and the benefits of it, were not included in the church of the Jews, but were equally extended unto the whole world, 1 John ii. 2; John xi. 52. 4. He declared that his death and suffering was not only a sacrifice, but a punishment for sin; namely, of the sins of the people, that were to be sanctified by his blood. For he went out of the city as a malefactor, and died the death which by divine institution was a sign of the curse, Gal. iii. 13. By all these things it appears how different our altar and sacrifice are from theirs under the law; and how necessary it is from thence that we should have a worship of another nature than what they had, wherein in particular the distinction of meats should be of no use. And we may observe,

Obs. II. That the church could no otherwise be sanctified, but by the blood of Jesus the Son of God; see ch. x. 4-7, with the exposition.

Obs. III. The Lord Jesus out of his incomprehensible love to his people, would spare nothing, avoid nothing, deny nothing, that was need

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