CHAPTERS IX., X. 1-18.

SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST'S PRIESTHOOD FROM THE SUPERIOR VALUE OF HIS SACRIFICE.

CHAP. IX. VER. 1.-1. Every covenant of God had its proper privileges and advantages. 2. There was never any covenant between God and man but it had some ordinances or arbitrary institutions of external divine worship annexed unto it. 3. It is a hard and rare thing to have the minds of men kept upright with God in the observance of the institutions of divine worship. 4. Divine institution alone is that which renders any thing acceptable unto God. 5. God can animate outward, carnal things with a hidden, invisible spring of glory and efficacy. 6. All divine service or worship must be resolved into divine ordination or institution. 7. A worldly sanctuary is enough for them whose service is worldly.

VER. 2.-1. Every part of God's house and the place wherein he will dwell is filled and adorned with pledges of his presence and means of communicating his grace. 2. The communication of sacred light from Christ, in the gifts of the Spirit, is absolutely necessary unto the due and acceptable performance of all holy offices and duties of worship in the church. 3. No man, by his utmost endeavours in the use of outward means, can obtain the least beam of saving light, unless it be communicated unto him by Christ, who is the only fountain and cause of it.

VER. 3-5.-1. The more of Christ, by the way of representation or exhibition, any institutions of divine worship do contain or express, the more sacred and holy are they in their use and exercise. 2. It is Christ alone who in himself is really the Most Holy, the spring and fountain of all holiness unto the church. 3. The time of the burning of the incense was after the sacrifice of the sin-offering. 4. The incense was kindled with fire taken from the altar when the blood of the sacrifices was newly offered. 5. The mediatory intercession of Jesus Christ was a sweet savour unto God, and efficacious for the salvation of the church. 6. The efficacy of Christ's intercession dependeth on his oblation. 7. The glory of these types did no way answer the glory of the antitype, or that which was represented by them. 8. We are always to reckon that the efficacy and prevalency of all our prayers depends on the incense which is in the hand of our merciful high priest. 9. Although the sovereign will and pleasure of God be the only reason and original cause of all instituted worship, yet there is, and ever was, in all his institutions, such an evidence of divine wisdom and goodness as gives them beauty, desirableness, and usefulness unto their proper end. 10. All

the counsels of God concerning his worship in this world, and his eternal glory in the salvation of the church, do centre in the person and mediation of Christ.

VER. 6, 7.-A continual application unto God by Christ, and a continual application of the benefits of the mediation of Christ by faith, are the springs of the light, life, and comfort of the church.

VER. 7.-1. A spiritual illumination of the mind is indispensably necessary unto our walking with God. 2. Those who would be preserved from sin must take care that spiritual light do always bear sway in their minds. 3. They ought constantly to watch against the prevalency of corrupt prejudices and affections in their mind. 4. When the light of the mind is solicited by temptations to suspend its conduct and determination on present circumstances, to know that sin lies at the door, this is its last address for admission. 5. If error grow strong in the heart through the love of sin, truth will grow weak in the mind as to the preservation of the soul from

6. Nothing ought to influence the soul more unto repentance, sorrow, and humiliation for sin, than a due apprehension of the shameful error and mistake that is in it.

VER. 8.-1. The divine ordinances and institutions of worship are filled with wisdom sufficient for the instruction of the church in all the mysteries of faith and obedience. 2. It is our duty, with all humble diligence, to inquire into the mind of the Holy Ghost in all ordinances and institutions of divine worship. 3. 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 actual access into the grace and favour of God, though the way, the cause, and means of it were not manifestly declared unto them. 4. 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. 5. 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. 6. Though the standing of the first tabernacle was a great mercy and privilege, yet the removal of it was a greater. 7. 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. 8. 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. 9. There is no access into the gracious presence of God but by the sacrifice of Christ alone.

VER. 9.-1. There is a state of perfect peace with God to be attained under imperfect obedience. 2. Nothing can give perfect.

peace of conscience with God but what can make atonement for sin.

VER. 10.-1. There is nothing in its own nature so mean and abject but the will and authority of God can render it of sacred use and sacred efficacy, when he is pleased to ordain and appoint it. 2. The fixing of times and seasons for the state of things in the church is solely in the hand of God, and at his sovereign disposal. 3. It is a great part of the blessed liberty which the Lord Christ brought into the church,-namely, its freedom and liberty from legal impositions, and every thing of the like nature in the worship of God. 4. The time of the coming of Christ was the time of the final general reformation of the worship of God, wherein all things were unchangeably directed unto their proper use.

VER. 11.-1. The bringing forth and accomplishing the glorious effects of the hidden wisdom of God, were the true and real good things intended for and promised to the church from the beginning of the world. 2. These things alone are absolutely good to the church, all other things are good or evil as they are used or abused. 3. So excellent are these good things, that the performance and procuring of them were the cause of the coming of the Son of God, with his susception and discharge of his sacerdotal office. 4. Such a price and value did God put on these things, so good are they in his eyes, that he made them the subject of his promises to the church from the foundation of the world. 5. The human nature of Christ, wherein he discharged the duties of his sacerdotal office, in making atonement for sin, is the greatest, the most perfect, and excellent ordinance of God, far excelling those that were most excellent under the old testament. 6. The Son of God undertaking to be the high priest of the church, it was of necessity that he should come by or have a tabernacle wherein to discharge that office. 7. God is so far from being obliged unto any means for the effecting of the holy counsels of his will, that he can when he pleaseth exceed the whole order and course of the first creation of all things, and his providence in the rule thereof.

VER. 12.-1. The entrance of our Lord Jesus Christ as our high priest into heaven, to appear in the presence of God for us, and to save us thereby to the uttermost, was a thing so great and glorious as could not be accomplished but by his own blood. 2. Whatever difficulties lay in the way of Christ, as unto the accomplishment and perfection of the work of our redemption, he would not decline them, nor desist from his undertaking, whatever it cost him. 3. There was a holy place meet to receive the Lord Christ after the sacrifice of himself, and a suitable reception for such a person after so glorious a performance. 4. If the Lord Christ entered not into '

the holy place until he had finished his work, we may not expect an entrance thereinto until we have finished ours.

VER. 13, 14.-1. There is such an evidence of wisdom and righteousness, unto a spiritual eye, in the whole mystery of our redemption, sanctification, and salvation by Christ, as gives an immovable foundation unto faith to rest upon in its receiving of it. 2. The efficacy of all the offices of Christ towards the church depends on the dignity of his person. 3. There is nothing more destructive to the whole faith of the gospel than by any means to evacuate the immediate efficacy of the blood of Christ. 4. Christ's offering himself was the greatest expression of his inexpressible love. 5. It is evident how vain and insufficient are all other ways of the expiation of sin with the purging of our consciences before God. 6. Faith hath ground of triumph in the certain efficacy of the blood of Christ for the expiation of sin. 7. Nothing could expiate sin and free conscience from dead works but the blood of Christ alone, and that in the offering himself to God through the eternal Spirit. 8. It was God, as the supreme ruler and lawgiver, with whom atonement for sin was to be made. 9. The souls and consciences of men are wholly polluted before they are purged by the blood of Christ. 10. Even the best works of men, antecedently to the purging of their consciences by the blood of Christ, are but dead works. 11. Justification and sanctification are inseparably conjoined in the design of God's grace by the blood of Christ. 12. Gospel worship is such, in its spirituality and holiness, as becometh the living God.

VER. 15.-1. It is an act of mere sovereign grace in God, to provide such a blessed inheritance for any of them who had sinfully cast away what they were before intrusted withal. 2. All our interest in the gospel inheritance depends on our receiving the promise by faith. 3. The conveyance and actual communication of the eternal. inheritance by promise, to be received by faith alone, tends exceedingly unto the exaltation of the glory of God, and the security of the salvation of them that do believe. 4. Effectual vocation is the only way of entrance into the eternal inheritance. 5. Though God will give grace and glory unto his elect, yet he will do it in such a way as wherein and whereby he may be glorified also himself. 6. 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. 7. 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. 8. 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. 9. The efficacy of the mediation and death of Christ extending 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. 10. The first covenant did only forbid and condemn transgressions; redemption from them is by the new testament alone. 11. 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 further proved in the following verses.

VER. 16, 17.-1. It is a great and gracious condescension in the Holy Spirit to give encouragement and confirmation unto our faith, by a representation of the truth and reality of spiritual things in those which are temporal, and agreeing with them in their general nature, whereby they are represented unto the common understandings of men. 2. There is an irrevocable grant of the whole inheritance of grace and glory made unto the elect in the new covenant. 3. As the grant of these things is free and absolute, so the enjoyment of them is secured from all interveniences by the death of the testator. VER. 18.-1. The foundation of a church-state among any people, wherein God is to be honoured in ordinances of instituted worship, is laid in a solemn covenant between him and them. 2. Approbation of the terms of the covenant, consent unto them, and solemn acceptance of them, are required on our part unto the establishment of any covenant between God and us, and our participation of the benefits of it. 3. It was the way of God from the beginning, to take children of covenanters into the same covenant with their parents. 4. It is by the authority of God alone that any thing can be effectually and unchangeably dedicated unto sacred use, so as to have force and efficacy given unto it thereby.

VER. 19.-1. There can be no covenant between God and men, but in the hand or by virtue of a mediator. 2. A mediator may be either only an internuncius, a messenger, a day's-man, or also a surety and an undertaker. 3. None can interpose between God and a people in any sacred office, unless he be called of God and approved of the people, as was Moses. 4. A covenant that consisted in mere precepts, without an exhibition of spiritual strength to enable unto obedience, could never save sinners. 5. In all our dealings with God, respect must be had unto every one of his precepts. 6. The