Testament, is most untrue. For the gospel gives no precepts of holiness and obedience, that were not for the substance of them contained in the law. There is no precept in the gospel exceeding that of the law, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself." Only the gospel adds new motives unto obedience, new encouragements, and enforcements of it, with directions for its due performance.

2. That Christ should be no otherwise the way,' but only as he revealed and declared the gospel and the precepts of it, is not only untrue and injurious unto the honour of Christ, butdirectly contrary unto the design of the apostle in this place. For he is treating of the sacerdotal office of Christ only, and the benefit which the church doth receive thereby. But the revelation of the doctrine, or precepts of the gospel, was no duty of that office, nor did it belong thereunto. That he did, as the prophet of the church. But all bis sacerdotal actings are towards God, in the behalf of the church, as hath been proved.

3. That the ancient patriarchs went to heaven by a secret engine, and that some of them only in an extraordinary way, is plainly to deny that they were saved by faith in the promised seed; in other words, it is to affirm, that they were not saved by the mediation of Christ, which is contrary unto the whole economy of God in the salvation of the church, and to many express testimonies of the Scripture. These Socinian fictions do not cure, but corrupt the word of God, and turn away the minds of men from the truth unto fables. We shall therefore yet farther inquire into the true meaning of the Holy Ghost in these words.

The apostle by yw here, idor Twy yw, intends the same with what, ver. 3. he called ya Tay yay, the holy of holies;' the second part of the sanctuary whereinto the high priest alone could enter once a-year, as he declares in the foregoing verse. Only whereas he there spake of the material fabric of the tabernacle, and the things contained in it, here he designs what was signified thereby; for he declares not what these things were, but what the Holy Ghost did signify in and by them. Now, in that most holy place, were all the signs and pledges of the gracious presence of God; the testimonies of our reconciliation by the blood of the atonement, and of our peace with him thereby. Wherefore, to enter into these holies, is nothing but to have an access with liberty, freedom and boldness, into the gracious presence of God, on the account of reconciliation and peace made with him. This the apostle doth so plainly and positively declare, ch. x. 19-22. that I somewhat admire so many worthy and learned expositors should utterly miss of his meaning in this place. The holies then is the gracious presence of God, whereunto believers draw nigh, in the confidence of the atonement made for them, and acceptance thereon; see Rom.

v. 1-3. Eph. ii. 14-18. Heb. iv. 14, 15. x. 19. The atonement being made and received by faith, conscience being purged, bondage and fear being removed, believers do now, under the gospel, enter with boldness into this gracious presence

of God.

Secondly, We must consider what is the way' into these holies, which was not yet made made manifest. And here also expositors indulge in many conjectures very needlessly, as I suppose. For the apostle doth elsewhere expressly declare himself, and interpret his own meaning, namely, ch. x. 19, 20. This way is no other but the sacrifice of Christ, the true high priest of the church. For by the entrance of the high priest into the most holy place with blood, the Holy Ghost did signify that the way into it, namely, for believers to enter by, was only the one true sacrifice which he was to offer, and to be. And accordingly, to give an indication of the accomplishment of their type, when he expired on the cross, having offered himself unto God for the expiation of our sins, the vail of the temple which inclosed and secured this holy place from any entrance into it, was rent from the top to the bottom, whereby it was laid open unto all, Matt. xxvii. 51. And an evidence this is, that the Lord Christ offered his great expiatory sacrifice in his death here on earth, a true and real sacrifice, and that it was not an act of power after his ascension, metaphorically called a sacrifice, as the Socinians dream. For until that sacrifice was offered, the way could not be opened into the holies; which it was immediately after his death, and signified by the rending of the vail. This is des Tay ay, the only way whereby we enter into the most holy place, the gracious presence of God,

and that with boldness.

Thirdly, Of this way it is affirmed, unñw xsQuvięwodu, 'that it was not yet made manifest,' whilst the first tabernacle was standing. And a word is peculiarly chosen by the apostle to signify his intention. He doth not say, that there was no way then into the most holy place; none made, none provided, none made use of. But there was not a news, 'an open manifestation of it.' There was an entrance under the Old Testament into the presence of God, as unto grace and glory, namely, the virtue of the oblation of Christ; but this was not as yet made manifest. Three things were wanting thereunto.

I. It was only virtually, and not yet actually existent. The Lord Christ had not yet actually offered himself unto God, nor made atonement for sin. Howbeit, by virtue of the eternal agreement that was between the Father and him, concerning what he should accomplish in the fulness of time, the benefit of what he was so to do, was applied unto them that do believe, they were saved by faith even as we are. Hence is he

called, a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world;' that is, in and from the giving of the first promise.

2. Although the coming of his person was promised, and his sacrifice variously shadowed out, or represented unto the church, yet their perception and understanding thereof was weak and dark, proportionate unto the means of its revelation. Hence, whatever were its virtue and efficacy, yet was it not in itself and its own nature made manifest.

3. There were many blessed privileges that attended the opening of this way, in the actual existence of it, in the obla tion of Christ, which the church of the Old Testament was not acquainted with, nor made partaker of. And although these things belonged not unto the essence of the way, yet they did se as unto our entrance into it. We could not without them, that is, the administration of the Spirit in gospel-ordinances, make use of this way, though prepared and set open, unto the glory of God, and our own spiritual advantage.

Wherefore, the plain open manifestation of the way into the holiest, which the apostle denies unto the church under the Old Testament, consists in these three things.

1. In the actual exhibition of Christ in the flesh, and his sacrifice of himself, making atonement for sin; for hereby alone was the way laid open unto an access with boldness, into the gracious presence of God. Without this, the law and its curse were like the cherubim and flaming sword, that turned every way to keep sinners from drawing nigh unto God. Hereby were they removed, a new and living way being consecrated for our access unto him.

2. In the full plain declaration of the nature of his person, and of his mediation. And therefore, although the gospel be not this way in the precepts of obedience which it gives unto us, yet is it the declaration and manifestation of this way, and it is our sole direction how to make use of it, or how to enter by it into the most holy place. This they enjoyed not under the Old Testament, but were limited to typical institutions, directing the priests how to enter into the sanctuary made with hands, which were but an obscure representation of these things.

3. In the introduction or revelation and establishment of those privileges of gospel-worship, whereby believers are led comfortably into the presence of God, as our apostle declares, ch. x. 19, 20. For they are full of light and grace, and a guide unto all the steps of faith and obedience in this way. Hereunto may be added all those things which we have declared to belong unto that perfection or consummation of the church-state, which the law could not bring it unto; on ch. vii. 11.

In these things consisted that manifestation of the way into the most holy place, which is here denied unto the Old Testament.

Fourthly, The continuance of this state is added: ans #gwins was, whilst the first tabernacle was standing.'

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1. By the first tabernacle,' the apostle understands not that first part of the tabernacle, into which the priests entered, continually accomplishing the divine services, which before he had so called. But he intends the whole tabernacle, with respect unto the true tabernacle of the body of Christ, which succeeded into its room. Neither yet doth he understand precisely that tent or tabernacle which was erected in the wilderness, which was not in itself of any long continuance, nor designed thereunto; for it was only suited unto the service of the church, whilst it was in an unsettled condition. But he intends the whole worship instituted together with it, and belonging unto it, celebrated afterwards in the temple, according unto the laws of that tabernacle. For there was the same worship, and the same order of things, in the one and the other; and so the same signification made at first by the Holy Ghost in the constitution of the tabernacle, was still continued under the temple also.

2. It was continued whilst this first tabernacle, or the tabernacle in this sense, it exons oTao, was standing.' Having its station, that is, according unto the mind of God, it had its state and use in the church. This it had absolutely until the death of Christ, and no longer; for until then, both the Lord Christ himself, and all his disciples, continued the observance of all its services, according to the mind of God; for he was made under the law of it whilst it was in force. Declaratively it continued until the day of Pentecost; for then, in the coming of the Holy Ghost, the foundation of the gospel church-state, order and worship, was solemnly laid, whereon a new way of worship being established, the abrogation of the old was declared. And this was yet farther made known, by the determination put unto the observance of it by the Holy Ghost among the Gentile converts, in the council of the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. Actually it continued until the destruction of the temple, city and people, some years after. Its first station it had in God's appointment, the second in his connivance, and the third in his patience.

It is the first of these that is here intended. The tabernacle, that is, the laws and service of it, preserved its station and use in the church, by God's ordinance and appointment, unto the death of Christ. Then did he pronounce concerning it, and all things belonging unto it, It is finished.' Then was the vail rent, and the way into the holiest laid open. Then was peace with God publicly confirmed by the blood of the cross, Eph. ii. 14, 15. and the nature of the way of our access unto him made known. And some things we may hence observe, which also

tend unto the further explication of the mind of the Holy Ghost in the text.

Obs. III. Although the Lord Christ was not actually exhibited in the flesh, under the Old Testament, nor had actually offered himself 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 shews 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 παραβολή εις τον καίρον τον ενεστηκοτα, καθ ̓ ὃν бида τε και θυσίαι προσφέρονται, μη δυνάμεναι κατα συνείδησιν τελείωσαι τον λατρεύοντα, μόνον επι βρώμασι και πομασι, και διάφοροις βαπτισμοις, και δικαιωμασι σαρκος, μέχρι καιρο διορθώσεως επικείμενα,

*HTIS Tagaboλn, Vul. Lat. Quæ parabola est; Syr. xn, an exemplar or example;' so all render it, though it answer the Hebrew, a parable or proverb.' Quod erat exemplar: so

Beza and others.

EIS TOY XHIROY TOY EvertAzorα, 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. 1, for that time,' omitting TOTO.

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Kadir, Vul. Lat. juxta quam; it being uncertain what he