whole and every part of it is animated by the wisdom and au- 2. There is nothing in all that is here affirmed by the apostle, which hath the least appearance of contradiction unto any thing that is recorded by Moses in the story of these things. Yea, as I shall shew, without the consideration and addition of the things here mentioned by the apostle, we cannot aright apprehend nor understand the account that is given by Moses. This will be made evident in the consideration of the particulars, wherein the difference between them is supposed to consist. 3. The apostle doth not take his account of the things here put together by him from any one place in Moses, but gathers up what is declared in the law, in several places, unto various ends. For, as hath been declared, he doth not design only to prove the dedication of the covenant by blood, but to shew also the whole use of blood under the law, as unto purification and remission of sin. And this he doth, to declare the virtue and efficacy of the blood of Christ under the new testament, whereunto he makes an application of all these things in the verses ensuing. Wherefore he gathers into one head, sundry things wherein the sprinkling of blood was of use under the law, as they are occasionally expressed in sundry places. And this one observation removes all the difficulties of the context; which all arise from this one supposition, that the apostle gives here an account only of what was done at the dedication of the first covenant. So in particular, by the addition of those particles, xa, di, ver. 21. which we well render moreover,' he plainly intimates, that what he affirms of the tabernacle and the vessels of its ministry, was that which was done afterwards, at another time, and not when the covenant was first confirmed. On these grounds we shall see that the account given of these things by the apostle, is a necessary exposition of the record made of them by Moses, and no more. First, He affirms that Moses took the blood, or as reayor, ⚫ of calves and goats.' And there is a double difficulty herein; for, 1. The blood that Moses so used was the blood of oxen, Exod. xxiv. 5,6. which seems not to be well rendered by μorx, ' of calves.' But this hath no weight in it. For 5, the word there used, signifies all cattle of the herd, great and small; every thing that is generis bovini: And there is no necessity from the words, that we should render 5 there by 'oxen,' nor μorx here by 'calves;' we might have rendered both words by 'ballocks." But, 2. There is no mention at all of goats in the story χων of Moses; and, as we observed, it is here omitted by the Syriac translator, but without cause. Answ. 1. There were two sorts of offerings that were made on this occasion; 1. Burnt-offerings; 2. Peace-offerings, Exod. xxiv. 5. They offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings.' The distinct expression of them, proves the offerings they offered ויעלו שלת ויזבחו שלמים ; to have been distinct burnt-offerings, and they sacrificed, or slew peace-offerings; and as for the peace-offerings, it is said that they were of bullocks or oxen; but it is not said of what sort the burnt-offerings were. Yea, and it may be, that although bullocks only are mentioned, yet that goats also were sacrificed in this peace-offering. For it is so far from being true, what Ribera observes on the place, that a goat was never offered for a peace-offering, that the contrary unto it, is directly expressed in the institution of the peace-offering, Lev. iii. 12. Wherefore, the blood of goats might be used in the peace-offering, though it be not mentioned by Moses. But, 2. The apostle observes, that one end of the sacrifice at the dedication of the first covenant was purging and making atonement, ver. 22, 23. For in all solemn sacrifices blood was sprink led on the holy things, to purify them, and make atonement for them, Lev. xvi. 14. 19, 20. Now this was not to be done, but by the blood of an expiatory sacrifice, it was not to be done by the blood of peace-offerings. Wherefore the burnt-offerings mentioned by Moses were expiatory sacrifices, to purge and make atonement. And, this sacrifice was principally of goats, Lev. xvi. 7. Wherefore the text of Moses cannot be well understood without this exposition of the apostle. And we may add hereunto also, that although the blood of the peace-offering was sprinkled on the altar, Lev. iii. 13. yet was it not sprinkled on the people, as this blood was; wherefore there was the use of the blood of goats also as a sin-offering in this great sacrifice. 3. In the dedication of the priests, these two sorts of offerings were conjoined; namely, peace-offerings and sin-offerings, or burnt-offerings for sin, as here they were. And therein expressly the blood of goats was used, namely, in the sin-offerings, as the blood of bullocks was in the peace-offering, Lev. ix. 3, 4. Neither is there mention any where of burnt-offerings or sin-offerings and peace-offerings to be offered together, but that one of them was of goats; and therefore was so infallibly at this time, as the apostle declares. Secondly, It is affirmed in the text, that he took the blood with water, scarlet-wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled it; but there is mention of none of these things in the story of Moses, but only that he sprinkled the blood. But the answer hereunto is plain and easy. Blood under the law was sprinkled either in VER. 18-22.1 Epistle to the Hebrews. less or greater quantities. Hereon there were two ways of sprinkling: the one was with the finger; when a small quantity of blood, it may be some few drops of it, were to be sprinkled, it was done with the finger, Lev. viii. 15. xvi. 14. The quantity being small, though the blood were immixed, and almost congealed, it might be so sprinkled. But there was a sprinkling whereunto a greater proportion of blood was required; as namely, when a house was to be sprinkled and thereby purified; this was done by mixing running water with the blood, and then The water prevented sprinkling it with scarlet-wool and hyssop, Lev. xiv. 50-52. For these things were needful thereunto. the blood from being so congealed, as that it could not be sprinkled in any quantity. The scarlet-wool took up a quantity of it, out of the vessel wherein it was; and the bunch of hysfor sop was the sprinkler. Whereupon when Moses sprinkled the altar, book and people, he did it by one of these two ways; other there was none. The first way he could not do it, namely, with his finger, because it was to be done in a great quantity. For It was therefore Moses took that half of it that was to be sprinkled on the people and put it into basons, Exod. xxiv. 6-8. infallibly done this latter way, according as our apostle declares. Thirdly, It is added by the apostle, that he sprinkled the book, which is not expressed in the story. But the design of the apostle is to express at large the whole solemnity of the confirmation of the first covenant, especially, not to omit any thing that blood was applied unto; because in the application he refers the And this was the order of purification and dedication of all things belonging unto the new Moses coming down covenant, unto the blood of Christ. the things which concerned the book. from the mount, told the people by word of mouth, all things which God had spoken unto him, or the sum and substance of the covenant which he would make with them, Exod. xxiv. 3. And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord; that is, the words spoken on Mount Sinai, the ten commandments, and all the judgments of the Lord, that is, all the laws contained in chap. xxi-xxiii. with this title, DWDM KİN, These are the judgments,' chap. xxi. 1. Upon the oral rehear sal of these words and judgments, the people gave their consent unto the terms, of the covenant. The people answered with one voice, All the words which the Lord hath said we will do,' Exod. xxiv. 3. Hereon Moses made a record, or wrote all the words of the Lord in a book, ver. 4. This being done, the altar and And it is evident that the book pillars were prepared, ver. 4. which hehad written was laid on the altar, though it be not expressed. When this was done, he sprinkled the blood on the After which, when the book had been sprinkled altar, ver. 6. with blood as it lay on the altar, it is said, he took the book, that is, off from the altar, and read in the audience of the people, ver. 7. The book being now sprinkled with blood, as the instrument and record of the covenant between God and the people, the very same words which were before spoken unto the people are now recited or read out of the book. And this could be done for no other reason, but that the book itself being now sprinkled with the blood of the covenant, it was dedicated to be the sacred record thereof. Fourthly, In the text of Moses it is said that he sprinkled the people; in explanation whereof the apostle affirms that he 'sprinkled all the people.' And it was necessary that so it should be, and that none of them should be excluded from this sprinkling. For they were all taken into covenant with God, men, women and children. But it must be granted, that for the blood to be actually sprinkled on all individuals in such a numberless multitude, is next unto what is naturally impossible; wherefore it was done in their representatives; and what is done towards representatives as such, is done equally towards all whom they do represent. And the whole people, had two representatives that day. 1. The twelve pillars of stone that were set up to represent their twelve tribes, and, it may be, to signify their hard and stony heart under that covenant, ver. 4. Whereas those pillars were placed close by the altar, some suppose that they were sprinkled as representing the twelve tribes. 2. There were the heads of their tribes, the chief of the house of their fathers, and the elders, who drew nigh unto Moses, and were sprinkled with blood, in the name and place of all the people, who were that day taken into covenant. Fifthly, The words which Moses spake unto the people upon the sprinkling of the blood, are not absolutely the same in the story, and in the repetition of it by the apostle. But this is usual with him in all his quotations out of the Old Testament in this epistle. He expresseth the true sense of them, but doth not curiously and precisely render the sense of every word and syllable in them. Sixthly, The last difficulty in this context, and that which hath an appearance of the greatest, is in what the apostle affirms concerning the tabernacle and all the vessels of it; namely, that Moses sprinkled them all with blood. And the time which he seems to speak of, is that of the dedication of the first covenant. Hence a twofold difficulty doth arise: First, As to the time; and Secondly, As to the thing itself. For at the time of the dedication of the first covenant, the tabernacle was not yet made or erected, and so could not then be sprinkled with blood. And afterwards when the tabernacle was erected, and all the vessels brought into it, there is no mention that either it or any of them were sprinkled with blood, but only anointed with the holy oil, Exod. xl. 9-11. Wherefore, as unto the first, I say, the apostle doth plainly distinguish what he affirms of the tabernacle, from the time of the dedication of the first covenant. The manner of his introduction of it, a ty cunvnv de, ' and moreover the tabernacle,' doth plainly intimate a progress unto another time and occasion. Wherefore the words of ver. 21, concerning the sprinkling of the tabernacle and its vessels, do relate unto what follows, ver. 22. and almost all things are by the law purged with blood;' and not unto those that precede about the dedication of the first covenant. For the argument he hath in hand is not confined unto the use of blood only in that dedication, but respects the whole use of the blood of sacrifices under the law; which in these words he proceeds unto, and closeth in the next verse. And this wholly removes the first difficulty. And as unto the second, expositors generally answer, that aspersion or sprinkling with blood, did commonly precede unction with the holy oil. And as to the garments of the priests, which were the vessels or utensils of the tabernacle, it was appointed that they should be sprinkled with blood, Exod. xxix. 21. and so it may be supposed that the residue of them were also But to me this is not satisfactory. And be it spoken without offence, expositors have generally mistaken the nature of the argument of the apostle in these words. For he argues not from the first dedication of the tabernacle and its vessels, which, for aught appears, was by unction only; but making, as we observed before, a progress unto the farther use of the blood of sacrifices in purging accord. ing to the law, he giveth an instance in what was done with respect unto the tabernacle and all its vessels, and that constantly and solemnly every year; and this he doth to prove his general assertion in the next verse, that under the law almost all things were purged with blood. And Moses is here said to do what he appointed should be done. By his institution, that is, the institution of the law, the tabernacle, and all the vessels of it, were sprinkled with blood. And this was done solemnly once every year; an account whereof is given, Lev. xvi. 14-20. On the solemn day of atonement, the high priest was to sprinkle the mercy-seat, the altar, and the whole tabernacle with blood, to make an atonement for them, because of the uncleannesses of the children of Israel, the tabernacle remaining among them in the midst of their uncleannesses, ver. 16. This he takes notice of, not to prove the dedication of the first covenant with what belonged thereunto with blood, but the use of blood in general to make atonement. and the impossibility of expiation and pardon without it. This is the design and sense of the apostle, and no other. Wherefore we may conclude, that the account here given, concerning the dedication of the first covenant, and the use of blood for purification under the law, is so far from containing any |