works, nor themselves consummated, but only had some outward purification of the flesh, it cannot be but they must all eternally perish. But that this was not their condition, the apostle proves from hence, because they were called of God unto an eternal inheritance, as he had proved at large concerning Abraham, ch. vi. Hence he infers the necessity of the mediation and death of Christ, as without the virtue whereof, all the called under the first covenant must perish eternally, there being no other way to come to the inheritance.

3. Whereas the apostle mentions only the sins under the first covenant, as to the time passed before the exhibition of Christ in the flesh, or the death of the mediator of the new testament, what is to be thought of them who lived during that season, who belonged not unto the covenant, but were strangers from it, such as are described, Eph. ii. 12.? I answer, the apostle takes no notice of them, and that because, taking them generally, Christ died not for them. Yea, that he did not so, is sufficiently proved from this place. Those who live and die strangers from God's covenant, have no interest in the mediation of Christ.

Wherein the redemption of these transgressions did consist, shall be declared in its proper place. And we may observe,

Obs. VI. Such is the malignant nature of sin, of all transgression of the law, that unless it be removed, unless it be taken out of the way, no person can enjoy the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Obs. VII. It was the work of God alone to contrive, and it was the effect of infinite wisdom and grace to provide a way for the removal of sin, that it might not be an everlasting obstacle against the communication of an eternal inheritance unto them that are called.

Fifthly, We have declared, 1. The design of God here represented unto us; 2. Who are the persons towards whom it was to be accomplished; and, 3. What lay in the way as an hindrance of it. That which remains in the words, is the way that God took, and the means that he used, for the removal of that hindrance, and the effectual accomplishment of his design. This in general was, first, the making, Tas vns diadyxns, of a new testament.' He had fully proved before, that this could not be done by that covenant against which the sins were committed, neither by the priests, nor sacrifices, nor any other duties of it. Therefore had he promised the abolition of it, because of its weakness and insufficiency unto this end, as also the introduction of a new covenant to supply its defects, as we have seen at large in the exposition of the foregoing chapter. For it became the wisdom, goodness and grace of God, upon the removal of the former for its insufficiency, to establish another that should be every way effectual unto his purpose,

VER. 15.]

Epistle to the Hebrews.

namely, the communication of an eternal inheritance unto them that are called. But then the inquiry will be, how this covenant or testament shall effect this end; what is in it, what belongs unto it that should be so effectual, and by what means it might attain this end. All these are declared in the words. And,

μεσίτης,

Sixthly, In general, all this arose from hence, that it had MTs, a mediator,' and that the Lord Christ, the Son of God, was this mediator. The dignity of his person, and thereon both the excellency and efficacy of his priestly office, whereunto alone respect is had in his being called here a mediator, he had abundantly before demonstrated. Although the word in general be of a larger signification, as we have declared on chap. viii. 6. yet here it is restrained to his priestly office, and his acting therein. For whereas he had treated of that alone in the foregoing chapter, here declaring the grounds and reasons of the necessity of it, he says, 'for this cause is he the mediator.' And proceeding to shew in what sense he considers him as a mediator, doth it by his being a testator, and dying, which belongs to his priestly office alone. And the sole end which in this place he assigns to his mediatory office, is his death; that by means Whereas therefore there were sins committed under of death.' the first covenant and against it, (and would have been so forever, had it continued,) which it was no way able so to take away as that the called might receive the inheritance, the Lord Christ undertook to be the mediator of that covenant, which was provided as a remedy against these evils. For herein he undertook to answer for and expiate all those sins. Whereas therefore, expiation of sin is to be made by an act towards God, with whom alone atonement is to be made, so as that they may be pardoned, the mediation of Christ here intended, is that whereby, suffering death in our stead, in the behalf of all that are called, he made atonement for sin.

.

But moreover, God had a further design herein. He would not only free them that are called from that death which they deserved, by their sins against the first covenant, but give them also a right and title to an eternal inheritance, that is, of grace and glory. Wherefore the procurement hereof also depends on the mediation of Christ. For by his obedience to God in the discharge thereof, he purchased for them this inheritance, and bequeathed it to them as the mediator of the new testament. The provision of this mediator of the new testament, is the greatest effect of the infinite wisdom, love and grace of God. This is the centre of his eternal counsels. In the womb of this one mercy, all others are contained. Herein will he be glorified to eternity.

1. The first covenant of works was broken and disannulled, hecause it had no mediator.

2. The covenant at Sinai had no such mediator as could ex

piate sin. Hence,

3. Both of them became means of death and condemnation. 4. God saw that in the making the new covenant, it was necessary to put all things into the hand of a mediator, that it also might not be frustrated.

5. This mediator was not in the first place to preserve us in the state of the new covenant, but to deliver us from the guilt of the breach of the former, and the curse thereon. To make provision for this end, was the effect of infinite wisdom.

Seventhly, The especial way and means whereby this effect was wrought by this mediator, was by death. Oavaty Vevoμers, Morte obita, facta, interveniente, intercedente, by means of death,' say we. Death was the means, that whereby the mediator procured the effect mentioned. That which in the foregoing verse is ascribed to the blood of Christ, which he offered as a priest, is here ascribed to his death, as a mediator. For both these really are the same: only in the one, the thing itself is expressed, it was death; in the other, the manner of it, it was by blood; in the one, what he did and suffered with respect to the curse of the first covenant, it was death; in the other, the ground of his making expiation for sin by his death, or how it came so to do, namely, not merely as it was death or penal, but as it was a voluntary sacrifice or oblation. It was therefore necessary to the end mentioned, that the mediator of the new testament should die; not as the high priest of old died, a natural death for themselves; but as the sacrifice died that was slain and offered for others. He was to die that death which was threatened to transgressions against the first covenant, that is, death under the curse of the law. There must therefore be some great cause and end why this mediator being the only begotten of the Father, should thus die.

This was, say the Socinians, that he might confirm the doctrine that he taught. He died as a martyr, not as a sacrifice. But,

1. There was no need that he should die to that end. For his doctrine was sufficiently confirmed by the Scriptures of the Old Testament, the evidence of the presence of God in him, and the miracles which he wrought.

2. Notwithstanding their pretence, they do not assign the confirmation of his doctrine to his death, but to his resurrection from the dead. Neither indeed do they allow any gracious effect to his death, either towards God or men, but only make it something necessarily antecedent to what he did of that kind. Nor do they allow that he acted any thing at all towards God on our behalf; whereas the Scripture constantly assigns our redemption, sanctification and salvation to the death and blood of Christ. These persons, 1. Deny that of itself it

hath any influence into them: wherefore, 2. They say that Christ by his death confirmed the new covenant; but hereby they intend nothing but what they do also in the former, or the confirmation of his doctrine, with an addition of somewhat worse. For they would have him to confirm the promises of God as by him declared, and no more, as though he were God's surety to us, and not a surety for us to God. Neither do they assign this to his death, but to his resurrection from the dead. But suppose all this, and that the death of Christ were in some sense useful and profitable to these ends, which is all they plead, vet what use and advantage was it of, with respect to them, that he should die an accursed death, under the curse of the law, and a sense of God's displeasure. Hereof the Socinians, and those that follow them, can yield no reason at all. It would become these men, so highly pretending to reason, to give an account, on their own principles, of the death of the only begotten Son of God, in the highest course and most intense acts of obedience, that may be compliant with the wisdom, holiness, and goodness of God, considering the kind of death that he died. But what they cannot do, the apostle doth in the next words.

Eighthly, The death of the mediator of the new testament,' Was εις απολυτρωσιν, των παραβάσεων, * for the redemption of transgressions, and for this end it was necessary. Sin lay in the way of the enjoyment of the inheritance which grace had prepared. It did so in the righteousness and faithfulness of God. Unless it were removed, the inheritance could not be received. The way whereby this was to be done, was by redemption. The redemption of transgressions, is the deliverance of the transgressors from all the evils they were subject to on their account, by the payment of a satisfactory price. The words used to express it, λυτρον, αντίλυτρον, λυτρωσις, απολυτρωσις, λυτρώσθαι, will admit of no other signification. Here it must answer the purging of conscience by the blood of Christ. And he calls his life a ransom,' or price of redemption. And this utterly destroys the foundation of the Socinian redemption and expiation for sin. For they make it only a freedom from punishment by an act of power. Take off the covering of the words, which they use in a sense foreign to the Scripture, and their proper signification, and their sense is expressly contradictory to the sense and words of the apostle. He declares Christ to have been the high priest and mediator of the new testament, in the same acts and duties. They teach that he ceased to be a mediator, when he began to be a priest. He affirms that the blood of Christ doth expiate sins; they, that he doth it by an act of power in heaven, where there is no use of his blood. He says that his death was necessary to, and was the means or cause of the redemption of transgressions, that is, to be a

price of redemption or just compensation for them; they contend that no such thing is required thereunto. And whereas the Scriptures do plainly assign the expiation of sin, redemption, reconciliation and peace with God, sanctification and salvation, to the death and blood-shedding of Christ; they deny them all and every one to be in any sense effects of it, only they say it was an antecedent sign of the truth of his doctrine in his resurrection, and an antecedent condition of his exaltation and power; which is to reject the whole mystery of the gospel.

Besides the particular observations which we have made on the several passages of this verse, something may yet in general be observed from it. As,

Obs. VIII. A new testament providing an eternal inheritance in sovereign grace, the constitution of a mediator, such a mediator for that testament in infinite wisdom and love, the death of that testator for the redemption of transgressions, to fulfil the law and satisfy the justice of God, with the communication of that inheritance by promise to be received by faith in all them that are called, are the substance of the mystery of the gospel. And all these are with wonderful wisdom comprised by the apostle in these words.

Obs. IX. That the efficacy of the mediation and death of Christ extended itself to all the called under the old testament, is an evident demonstration of his divine nature, his pre-existence to all these things, and the eternal covenant between the Father and him about them.

Obs. X. The first covenant did only forbid and condemn transgressions; redemption from them is by the new testament

alone.

Obs. XI. The glory and efficacy of the new covenant, and the assurance of the communication of an eternal inheritance by virtue of it, depend hereon, that it was made a testament by the death of the mediator, which is farther proved in the following verses.

VER. 16, 17.-Όπε γαρ διαθήκη, θανατον αναγκη φέρεσθαι το διαθε μsevou. Διαθηκη γαρ επι νεκροις βεβαια επει μη ποτε ισχύει ότε ζη διαθέμενος.

Davalor avaden Qigiodai, Syr. Nun 17 x1, the death of him is declared,' shewed, argued, or proved. Mors intercedat necesse est. Necesse est mortem intercedere. Ar. Necesse est mortem ferri; which is not proper in the Latin tongue: however, there is an emphasis in ga, more than is expressed by intercedo. AaiEYOU, Syr. 77 177, of him that made it;' of the testator. Ex vxgos, Syr. n by, in him that is dead,' in mortuis, among them that are dead,' Bia, Vulg. confirmatum est; and so the Syriac: ratum est, more proper.