by his suffering and dying, bring more glory to the righteousness, holiness and law of God, than either was derogated from them by the sin of man, or could be restored to them by his eternal ruin; yet was it not consistent with the veracity of God in that sanction of the law, that this substitution should be of a nature no way cognate, but ineffably inferior to the nature of him that was to be delivered. For these, and other reasons of the same kind, which I have handled at large elsewhere, it was impossible,' as the apostle assures us, that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin.' And we may observe,

Obs. I. It is possible that things may usefully represent, what it is impossible that in and by themselves they should effect.This is the fundamental rule of all institutions of the old testament. Wherefore,

Obs. II. There may be great and eminent uses of divine ordinances and institutions, although it be impossible that by themselves, in their most exact and diligent use, they should work out our acceptance with God.-And it belongs to the wis dom of faith, to use them to their proper end, not to trust to them, as to what they cannot of themselves effect.

Obs. III. It was utterly impossible that sin should be taken away before God, and from the conscience of the sinner, but by the blood of Christ.-Other ways men are apt to betake themselves to for this end, but in vain. It is the blood of Jesus Christ alone that cleanseth us from all our sins, for he alone was the propitiation for them.

Obs. IV. The declaration of the insufficiency of all other ways for the expiation of sin, is an evidence of the holiness, righteousness and severity of God against sin, with the una voidable ruin of all unbelievers.

Obs. V. Herein also consists the great demonstration of the love, grace and mercy of God, with an encouragement to faith, in that when the old sacrifices neither would nor could perfectly expiate sin, he would not suffer the work itself to fail, but provided a way that should be infallibly effective of it, as is declared in the following verses.

VER. 5-10.-THE provision that God made to supply the defect and insufficiency of legal sacrifices, as to the expiation of sin, peace of conscience with himself, and the sanctification of the souls of the worshippers, is declared in this context. For the words contain the blessed undertaking of our Lord Jesus Christ, to do, fulfil, perform and suffer all things required in the will, and by the wisdom, holiness, righteousness and authority of God to the complete salvation of the church, with the reasons of the efficacy of what he so did, and suffered to that end. And we must consider both the words themselves, so far especially as they consist in a quotation out of the Old Testa

ment, with the validity of his inferences from the testimony which he chooseth to insist on to this purpose.

VER. 5-10. Διο εισερχομένος εις τον κόσμον, λέγει• Θυσίαν και προσε φοραν εκ ηθέλησας, σωμα a κατηρτίσω μοι. Ολοκαυτώματα και περι ἁμαρτίας εκ ευδοκήσας. Τοτε είπον· Ιδε ήκω, (εν κεφαλίδι βιβλια γεγραπται περι εμε), τα ποιησαι, ὁ Θεός, το θέλημα σε Ανωτερον λέ γων· ότι θυσίαν και προσφοραν και ὁλοκαυτώματα και περὶ ἁμαρτίας εκ ηθέλησας, εδε ευδόκησας· αίτινες κατα τον νόμον προσφέρονται. Τότε είρηκεν· Ιδε ήκω τε ποιησαι, ὁ Θεός, το θέλημα σα· Αναίξει το πρώτον, ένα το δευτέρον στηση. Εν ώ θεληματι ἡγιασμένοι εσμεν οι δια της προσα φοράς της σώματος το Ιησε Χρίστο εφάπαξ.

Some few differences may translations.

be observed in the ancient and best

A. Vul. Lat. ideo quapropter. Syr. : for this, for this cause.' Ovolav xai #gooQoçar: hostiam et oblationem, sacrificium, victimam. The Syriac renders the words in the plural number, sacrifices' and offerings.' Ewua de naτngtion poi, aptásti, adaptásti mihi; præparásti, perfecisti; a body hast thou prepared,' i. e. fitted for me, wherein I may do thy will.' Syr.

; But thou hast clothed me with a body : פנרא דין אלבשתני

very significantly, as unto the thing intended, which is the incarnation of the Son of God. The Ethiopic renders this verse somewhat strangely, And when he entered into the world, he saith, Sacrifices and offerings I would not: thy body he hath purified unto me.' Making them, as I suppose, the words of the Father. Oux sudaznoas; Vulg. non tibi placuerant; reading the preceding words in the nominative case, altering the person and number of the verb. Syr. nxx, Thou didst not require,' non approbásti; that is, they were not well pleasing, nor accepted with God,' as unto the end of the expiation of sin. Id new, ecce adsum, venio. Ovx ndeλnoas xde sudoxnoas. The Syriac omitteth the last word, which yet is emphatical in the discourse. Tor sign; Vul. tunc dixi, then I said; that is, or, for ' he said;' for the apostle doth not speak these words, but repeats the words of the psalmist.

The reading of the words out of the Hebrew by the apostle, shall be considered in our passage.

VER. 5-10.-Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not; but a body hast thou prepared (fitted for) me. In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin, thou hast had no pleasure. Then said 1, Lo I come, (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will O God; (that I should do thy will.) Above, when he said, Sacrifice and offering, and burnt-offerings, and offerings for sin, thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein, which are offered by the law: then said he, Lo I come to do

thy will (O God.) He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will, we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. A blessed and divine context this is, summarily representing unto us, the love, grace and wisdom of the Father; the love, obedience and suffering of the Son; the federal agreement between the Father and the Son, as to the work of the redemption and salvation of the church; with the blessed harmony between the Old and New Testament, in the declaration of these things. The divine authority and wisdom that evidence themselves herein, are ineffable, and do cast contempt on all those by whom this epistle hath been called in question; as sundry other passages in it do in a peculiar manner. And it is our duty to inquire with diligence into the mind of the Holy Spirit herein.

As unto the general nature of the arguing of the apostle, it consists of two parts. 1. The introduction of a pregnant testimony out of the Old Testament unto his purpose, ver. 5-8, and part of the 9th. 2. Inferences from that testimony, asserting and confirming all that he had pleaded for.

In the testimony he produceth, we may consider, 1. The manner of its introduction, respecting the reason of what is asserted; wherefore, 2. Who it was by whom the words insisted on were spoken-he saith. 3. When he spake them; when he came into the world. 4. The things spoken by him in general; which consist in a double antithesis. First, Between the legal sacrifices, and the obedience of Christ in his body, ver. 5. Secondly, Between God's acceptance of the one and the other, with their efficacy unto the end treated of, which must be particularly spoken unto.

1. The introduction of this testimony is by the word do, 'wherefore,' 'for which cause,' for which end.' It doth not give an account why the words following were spoken, but why the things themselves were so ordered and disposed. And we are directed in this word, unto the due consideration of what is designed to be proved: and this is, that there was such an insufficiency in all legal sacrifices, as unto the expiation of sin, that God would remove them, and take them out of the way, to introduce that which was better, to do that which the law could not do. Wherefore, saith the apostle, because it was so with the law, things are thus disposed of in the wisdom and counsel of God, as is declared in this testimony.

2. Who spake the words contained in the testimony: y, ' he saith. The words may have a threefold respect.

1st, As they were given out by inspiration, and are recorded in the Scripture. So they were the words of the Holy Ghost, as the apostle expressly affirms of the like words, ver. 15, 16. of this chapter.

2dly, As they were used by the penman of the psalm, who speaks by inspiration. So they were the words of David, by whom the psalm was composed. But although David spoke or wrote these words, yet is not he himself the person spoken of, nor can any passage in the whole context be applied to him, as we shall see in particular afterwards. Or if they may be said to be spoken of him, it was only as he bare the person of another, or was a type of Christ. For although God himself doth frequently prefer moral obedience before the sacrifices of the law, when they were hypocritically performed, and trusted to as a righteousness, unto the neglect of diligence in moral duties; yet David did not, would not, ought not in his own name and person to reject the worship of God, and present himself with his obedience in the room thereof, especially as to the end of sacrifices in the expiation of sin. Wherefore,

3dly, The words are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ; when he cometh into the world, he saith.' And it is a vain inquiry, when in particular he spake these words; unto whom, or where, any mention is made of them in the story of him. It is no way needful that they should be literally or verbally pronounced by him. But the Holy Ghost useth these words in his name as his, because they declare, express, and represent his mind, design and resolution in his coming into the world, which is the sole end and use of words. On the consideration of the insufficiency of legal sacrifices (the only appearing means unto that purpose) for the expiation of sin, and the making of reconciliation with God, that all mankind might not eternally perish under the guilt of sin, the Lord Christ represents his readiness and willingness to undertake that work, with the frame of his heart and mind therein.

The ascription of these words unto the Lord Christ on the reason mentioned, gives us a prospect into, 1. The love of his undertaking for us, when all other ways of our recovery failed, and were disallowed as insufficient. 2. Into the foundation of his undertaking for us, which was the declaration of the will of God concerning the insufficiency of these sacrifices. 3. Into his readiness to undertake the work of redemption, notwithstanding the difficulties that lay in the way of it, and what he was to undergo in the stead of the legal sacrifices.

Obs. I. We have the solemn word of Christ, in the declaration he made of his readiness and willingness to undertake the work of the expiation of sin, proposed unto our faith, and engaged as a sure anchor of our souls.

3. The season of his speaking these words in the manner declared, was, icegxoμevos liç tay xorov, on his coming into the world; wherefore, coming (or when he cometh) into the world, he saith,' sexoutros, veniens or venturus; when he was to enter into the world, when the design of his future coming

into the world, was declared. So exquires is, he that is to come,' Matt. xi. 3. and exiles, John iv. 25. That, therefore, may be the sense of the words; upon the first prediction of the future coming of the Son of God into the world, the design, mind and will wherewith he came, was declared.

Refer the words unto some actual coming of the person spoken of into the world, and various interpretations are given of them. When he came in sacrifices typically, say some but this seems not to be a word accompanying the first institution of sacrifices; namely, sacrifices thou wouldst not have.' His coming into the world, was his appearance and public shewing of himself unto the world, in the beginning of his ministry; as David came out of the wilderness and caves, to shew himself unto the people, as king of Israel, saith Grotius. But the respect unto David herein, is frivolous; nor are those words used with respect unto the kingly office of Christ, but merely as to the offering himself in sacrifice to God.

The Socinians contend earnestly, that this his coming into the world, is his entrance into heaven after his resurrection. And they embrace this uncouth interpretation of the words, to give countenance unto their pernicious error, that Christ offered not himself in sacrifice to God, in his death, or whilst he was in this world. For his sacrifice they suppose to be only metaphorically so called, consisting in the representation of himself unto God in heaven, after his obedience and suffering. Wherefore, they say that by the world which he came into, the world to come mentioned, chap. ii. 5. is intended. But there is nothing sound, nothing probable or specious in this wresting of the words and sense of the Scripture. For, 1. The words in the places compared, are not the same. This is xMe only; those are exμm μ, and are not absolutely to be taken in the same sense, though the same things may be intended in various respects. 2. Or is the habitable part of the earth, and can on no pretence be applied unto heaven. 3. I have fully proved on that place, that the apostle in that expression, intendeth only the days and times of the Messiah, or of the gospel, commonly called among the Jews,

ny, the world to come,' that new heaven and earth, wherein righteousness should dwell. But they add that xoμs itself is used for heaven, Rom. iv. 13. Το κληρονομον αυτόν είναι του κοσ pov,that he should be the heir of the world; that is, of heaven, the world above. But this imagination is vain also. For Abraham's being heir of the world, is no more but his being the father of many nations: nor was there ever any other promise which the apostle should refer unto, of his being heir of the world, but only that of his being the father of many nations, not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles also; as the apostle explains it, Rom. xv. 8-12. Respect also may be had