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of hypocritical nominal Christians profess, there are uncontrollable evidences and demonstrations that they believe it not. 2. Love unto it, as that which is most desirable, which contains in it every thing wherein the soul takes delight and satisfaction: that love his appearing,' 2 Tim. iv. 8. 3. Longing for it, or desires after it: Even so come, Lord Jesus;' that is, come quickly,' Rev. xxii. 20. If the saints of the Old Testament longed after his appearance in the flesh, how shall not we do so for his appearance in glory; see Tit. ii. 13. Looking for and hasting unto,' 2 Pet. iii. 12. 4. Patient waiting for it, in the midst of all discouragements: These the world is filled withal; and it is the great trial of faith, Jude 20, 21. 5. Preparation for it, that we may be ready and meet for his reception, which is the substance of what we are taught in the parable of the virgins, Matt. xxv. Unto those that thus look for him, shall the Lord Christ appear unto salvation.

4. The manner of his appearance is, xagis duagrias, without sin. This may either respect himself, or the church, or both. In his first appearance in the flesh, he was absolutely in himself without sin; but his great work was about sin. And in what he had to do for us he was made sin, he bare our iniquities, and was treated both by God and man as the greatest sinner. He had all the penal effects and consequents of sin upon him; all dolorous infirmities of nature, as fear, sorrow, grief, pain; all sufferings that sin deserved, that the law threatened, were in him and upon him. Nothing as it were appeared with him, or upon him, but sin, that is, the effects and consequents of it, in what he underwent for our sakes. But now he shall appear perfectly free from all these things, as a perfect conqueror over sin, in all its causes, effects and consequents. 2. It may respect the church. He will then have made an utter end of sin in the whole church for ever. There shall not then be the least remainder of it. All its filth, and guilt, and power, and its effects in darkness, fear and danger, shall be utterly abolished and done away. The guilt of sin being done withal, the whole church shall then be perfectly purified, without spot and wrinkle, every way glorious; sin shall be no more. Respect may be had to both, himself and the church.

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5. The end of his appearance is the Tngav, salvation of them that look for him. If this word relate immediately unto his appearance, the meaning is, to bestow, to collate salvation upon them, eternal salvation.' If it respect them that look for him, it expresseth the qualification of their persons, by the object of their faith and hope; they look for him to be perfectly and completely saved by him. Where both senses are equally true, we need not limit the signification of the words to either of them. But we may observe,

Obs. VII. Christ's appearance the second time, his return

from heaven to complete the salvation of the church, is the great fundamental principle of our faith and hope, the great testimony we have to give against all his and our adversaries. And,

Obs. VIII. Faith concerning the second coming of Christ, is sufficient to support the souls of believers, and to give them satisfactory consolation in all difficulties, trials and distresses.

Obs. IX. All true believers do live in a waiting, longing expectation of the coming of Christ. It is one of the most distinguishing characters of a sincere believer so to do.

Obs. X. To such alone as so look for him, will the Lord Christ appear unto salvation.

Obs. XI. Then will be the great distinction among mankind, when Christ shall appear unto the everlasting confusion of some, and the eternal salvation of others; a thing that the world loves not to hear of.

Obs. XII. At the second appearance of Christ, there will be an end of all the business about sin, both on his part and ours. Obs. XIII. The communication of actual salvation unto all believers, unto the glory of God, is the final end of the office of Christ.

fax x ૭૬૭ ચૈત્

THERE HERE are two parts of this chapter. The first concerneth the necessity and efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ; from the beginning unto ver. 20. The other is an improvement of the doctrine, for the purposes of faith, obedience and perseverance, from ver. 20. to the end of the chapter.

Of the first general proposition of the subject to be treated of, there are two parts. First, A demonstration of the insufficiency of legal sacrifices, for the expiation of sin, ver. 1-4. Secondly, A declaration of the necessity and efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ unto that end; from ver. 4. unto ver. 19. Of this declaration, there are two parts. First, The substitution of the sacrifice of Christ in the place and room of all legal sacrifices, because of its efficacy unto the end which they could not attain, and without which, the church could not be saved, ver. 5-10. Secondly, A final comparison of his priesthood and sacrifice with those of the law, and their absolute preference above them, unto ver. 20.

In the first particular of the first general part, there are three things. 1. An assertion of the insufficiency of legal sacrifices unto the expiation of sin, wherein a reason of it also is included, ver. 1. 2. A confirmation of the truth of that assertion, from the consideration of the frequency of their repetition, which manifestly evidenceth that insufficiency, ver. 2, 3. 3. A general reason taken from the nature of them, or the matter whereof they did consist, ver. 4.

The first of these is contained in the first verse.

VER. 1.—Σκιαν γας έχων ὁ νόμος των μελλόντων αγαθών, ουκ αυτην την εικονα των πραγμάτων, καθ' ενιαυτον ταις αυταις θυσίαις ὡς προσφέρου σιν εις το διηνεκες, ουδεποτε δυναται τους προσερχομένους τελειωσαί. There is no difficulty in the reading, nor much difference

נמוסא גיר טלניתא .about the translation of the words. Syr ,לא הוא קנומא,for the law, a shadow was in it : אית הוא בה

not the substance itself. Пersexopervous, pap, that shall offer them. Eis to dives that translator omits; supposing it the same with xal auTOY. But it hath its own signification: continenter; in assiduum; in perpetuum. Exer, habens,

obtinens, continens. AUTAY THY SIxova, ipsam expressam formam; ipsam imaginem. Two, sanctificare, perfectè sanctificare; perfectos facere; Vulg. Lat. make perfect.' Perficere, confirmare, to perfect, to confirm.'

VER. 1.-For the law, having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never, with those sacrifices which they offer year by year continually, make the comers thereunto (the worshippers) perfect.

There are in these words, 1. A note of inference, giving a connexion unto the preceding discourse, for. 2. The subject spoken of,-the law. 3. An ascription made unto it,-it had a shadow of good things to come. 4. A negation concerning it, derogatory unto its perfection; it had not the very image of the things themselves. 5. An inference or conclusion from both; can never with those sacrifices,' &c.

1. The conjunctive particle yag, for,' intimates that what follows, or is introduced thereby, is an inference from what he had before discoursed, or a conclusion made thereon. And this is, the necessity of the sacrifice of Christ. For having declared, that he had perfectly expiated sin thereby, and confirmed the new covenant, he concludes from thence, and proves the necessity of it, because the legal sacrifices could not effect those ends which they seemed to be appointed for. Wherefore, they must be taken away, to give place unto that whereby they were perfectly accomplished. This, therefore, he now proceeds to prove. God having designed the complete consunimation or sanctification of the church, that which only made a representation of it, and of the way whereby it was to be done, but could not effect it, was to be removed. For there was an appointed time, wherein he would perfectly fulfil the counsel of his infinite wisdom and grace towards the church herein. And at this time, which was now come, a full, clear understanding of the insufficiency of all legal sacrifices for that end, was to be given unto it. For he requires not faith and obedience in any, beyond the means of light and understanding which he affords unto them. Therefore, the full revelation and demonstration hereof, was reserved for this season, wherein he required express faith in the way whereby these things were effected.

2. The subject spoken of, is, vous, the law,' in. That which he immediately intends, is the sacrifices of the law, especially those which were offered yearly by a perpetual statute, as the words immediately following do declare. But he refers what he speaks unto the law itself; as that whereby these sacrifices were instituted, and whereon all their virtue and efficacy did depend. They had no more of the one or other, but what they had by and from the law. And the law here, is the

covenant which God made with the people at Sinai, with all the institutions of worship thereunto belonging. It is not the moral law, which originally, and as absolutely considered, had no expiatory sacrifices belonging unto it; nor is it the ceremonial law alone, whereby all the sacrifices of old were either appointed or regulated: but it is the first testament, the first covenant, as it had all the ordinances of worship annexed unto it, as it was the spring and cause of all the privileges and advantages of the church of Israel; and whereunto the moral law, as given on Mount Sinai, and both the ceremonial law and the judicial also, did belong. This he calls the law, ch. vii. 19. and the covenant or testament completely, ch. ix.

3. Concerning this law or covenant, the apostle declares two things. 1. Positively, and by way of concession, 'It had a shadow of good things to come. 2. Negatively, that it had not the very image of the things themselves; which we must consider together, because they contribute light to one another.

These expressions are metaphorical, and have therefore given occasion unto various conjectures about the nature of the allusions in them, and their application unto the present subject matter. I shall not trouble the reader with a repetition of them; they may be found in most commentators. I shall therefore only fix on that sense of the words, which I conceive to be the mind of the Holy Ghost; giving the reasons why I conceive it so to be.

Both the expressions used, and the things intended in them, ' a shadow,' and 'the very image,' have respect to the good things to come. The relation of the law unto them, is that which is declared. Wherefore, the true notion of what these TypesλλonTar ayatar, 'good things to come,' are, will determine what it is to have a shadow of them, and not the very image of the things themselves. The good things' intended, may be said to be μora, either with respect unto the law, or with respect unto the gospel; and were so, either when the law was given, or when this Epistle was written. If they were yet to come with respect unto the gospel, and were so when he wrote this Epistle, they can be nothing but the good things of heaven and eternal glory. These things were then, are still, and will always be unto the church-militant on the earth, 'good things to come; and are the subject of divine promises concerning future things. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before the world began,' Tit. i. 2. But this cannot be the sense of the words. For,

First, The gospel itself hath not the very image of these things, and so should not herein differ from the law. For that the very image of these things, are the things themselves, shall be immediately declared.

Secondly, The apostle, in this whole discourse, designs to