Ver. 9.—1. There is a revelation of truth given to the church in the word of God, which is its only doctrinal foundation and rule of faith. 2. This doctrine is cognate and every way suited to the pro- motion of the grace of God in believers, and the attainment of their own salvation. 3. Doctrines unsuited to this first revelation by Christ and his apostles, as recorded in the Scripture, did soon spring up, unto the trouble of the church. 4. Usually such doctrines as are empty of truth and substance, useless and foreign to the nature and genius of evangelical grace and truth, are imposed by their authors and abettors with a great noise and vehemence on those who have been instructed in the truth, 5. Where such doctrinesare entertained,
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CHAP. XIII. 12.] PRACTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 543
they make men double-minded, unstable, turning them from the truth, and drawing them at length into perdition. 6. The ruin of the church in after ages arose from the neglect of this apostolical caution, in giving heed to various and strange doctrines, which at length overthrew and excluded the fundamental doctrines of the gos- pel. 7. Herein lies the safety of all believers and of all churches, namely, to keep themselves precisely unto the first complete revela- tion of divine truth in the word of God. 8. They who decline in any thing from grace, as the only means to establish their hearts in peace with God, shall labour and exercise themselves in other things to the same end, whereby they shall receive no advantage.
Ver. 10.—1. The Lord Christ in the one sacrifice of himself is the only altar of the church of the new testament. 2. This altar is every way sufficient in itself for the ends of an altar, namely, the sanctification of the people. 38. The erection of any other altar in the church, or the introduction of any other sacrifice requiring a material altar, is derogatory to the sacrifice of Christ, and exclusive of him from being our altar. 4. Whereas the design of the apostle, in the whole of his discourse, is to declare the glory of the gospel and its worship above that of the law, of our priest above theirs, of our sacrifice above theirs, of our altar above theirs, it is fond to think that by “our altar” he intends such a material fabric as is every way inferior to that of old. 5. When God appointed a material altar for his service, he himself enjoined the making of it, prescribed its form and use, with all its utensils, services, and ceremonies, allow- ing of nothing in it or about it but what was by himself appointed. 6. Sinners under a sense of guilt have in the gospel an altar of atone- ment, whereunto they may have continual access for the expiation of their sins. 7. All privileges, of what nature soever, without a par- ticipation of Christ, as the altar and sacrifice of the church, are of no advantage to them that enjoy them.
Ver. 11, 12.—1. The complete answering and fulfilling of all types in the person and office of Christ testifieth the sameness and immutability of the counsel of God in the whole work of the re- demption and salvation of the church, notwithstanding all the out- ward changes that have been in the institutions of divine worship. 2. The church could no otherwise be sanctified but by the blood of Jesus, the Son of God. 3. The Lord Jesus, out of his incomprehen- sible love to his people, would spare nothing, avoid nothing, deny nothing, that was needful to their sanctification, their reconciliation, and dedication toGod. 4. There was, by divine constitution, a con- currence in the same work of suffering and offering, that satisfaction unto the law and its curse might be made by it, as penal in a way of suffering and atonement, or reconciliation with God by the way
544 SUMMARY OF DOCTRINAL AND _—_‘ [CHAP, XIIL 18.
of a sacrifice or offering. 5. The whole church is perfectly sanctified by the offering of the blood of Christ as to impetration; and it shall be so actually, by virtue of the same blood in its application. 6. When the Lord Jesus carried all the sins of his own people in his own body unto the tree, he left the city, as a type of all unbelievers, under the wrath and curse of God. 7. Going out of the city as a malefactor, he bore all the reproach that was due to the sins of the church, which was a part of the curse.
Ver. 13, 14.—1. All privileges and advantages whatever are to be ’ foregone, parted withal, and renounced, which are inconsistent with an interest in Christ and a participation of him. 2. If it were the duty of the Hebrews to forsake those ways of worship which were originally of divine institution, that they might wholly give up them- selves unto Christ in all things pertaining unto God, much more is it ours to forego all such pretences unto religious worship as are of human invention. 38. Whereas the camp contained not only eccle- siastical but also political privileges, we ought to be ready to forego all civil accommodations also, in houses, lands, possessions, converse with men of the same nation, when we are called thereunto on the account of Christ and the gospel. 4. If we will go forth to Christ as without the camp, or separated from all the concerns of this world, we shall assuredly meet with all sorts of reproaches. 5. Be- Jievers are not like to meet with any such encouraging entertain- ment in this world as to make them unready or unwilling to desert it, and go forth after Christ, bearing his reproach. 6. This world never did nor ever will give a state of rest and satisfaction to be- lievers. 7. In the destitution of a present satisfactory rest, God hath not left believers without a prospect of that which shall afford them rest and satisfaction to eternity. 8. As God hath prepared a city of rest for us, so it is our duty continually to endeavour the attainment of it in the ways of his appointment. 9. The main business of be- lievers in this world is diligently to seek after the city of God, or the attainment of eternal rest with him; and this is the character whereby they may be known.