It is not for nothing that the apostle minds the Hebrews that the season then present was the “ last days,” whereof so many things were foretold in the Old Testament. Many of their concernments lay in the knowledge of it: which, because they give great light unto the whole cause, as stated then between him and them, must be opened and considered. The sum is, that the end of their church and state being foretold to be a perpetual desolation, Dan. ix. 27, the last days being now come upon them, they might understand what they were shortly to expect and look for. The end of the Jews being a people, a church, and kingdom, was to bring forth the Messiah, whose coming and work must of necessity put an end to their old station and condition. Now, because herein is enwrapped the most infallible demonstration that the Messiah is long since come, the apostle mentioning the last days to intimate that upon necessity he must be come in them, I shall further open his design in this matter, but with briefness, having been large on this head in our Prolego- mena, and for their sakes who by any difficulties may be deterred from the consideration of them.
“God having from the foundation of the world promised to bring forth the ‘Seed of the woman,’ to work out the redemption of his elect in the conquest of Satan, did, in the separation of Abraham from the rest of the world, begin to make provision of a peculiar stock, from whence the Seed of the woman should spring, That this was the cause and end of his call and separation is evident’ from
VER. 1, 2.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 13
hence, that immediately thereupon God assures him that ‘in his seed all the kindreds of the earth should be blessed,’ Gen. xii. 1-3, xxii. 18 ; which is all one as if he had expressly said to him, ‘ For this cause have I chosen and called thee, that in thee I might lay a foundation of bringing forth the promised Seed, by whom the curse is to be taken away, and the blessing of everlasting life procured,’ as Gal. iii. 13, 14. For this cause was his posterity continued in a state of separation from the rest of the world, that He might seek a godly seed to himself, Num. xxii. 9; Mal. 1.15: for this cause did he raise them into a civil, regal, and church state, that he might in them typify and prefigure the offices and benefits of the promised Messiah, who was to gather to himself the nations that were to be blessed in the seed of Abraham, Gen. xlix. 10; Ps. xlv.; Hos. iii. 5; Ezek. xxxiv. 23. And all their sacrifices did but shadow out that great expiation of sin which he was to make in his own person, as hath been already proved.
“Things being thus disposed, God promised unto them that their civil political state, their condition as a peculiar nation and people, should be continued until the coming of the Messiah, Gen. xlix. 10; Ezek. xxi. 27. And this was made good unto them, notwithstand- ing the great oppositions of those mighty empires in the midst of whose devouring jaws they were placed, with some such short inter- cisions of the actual administration of rule amongst them, as, being foretold, impeached not the promise. They lost not their civil state until He came unto whom was ‘ the gathering of the nations.’ After that, though many of the individuals obtained mercy, yet their being a nation or people was of no peculiar use, as to any special end of God. Therefore was it immediately destroyed and irrecoverably exterminated. From that day God in a wonderful manner blasted and cursed all their endeavours, either for the preservation of what they then had, or for its recovery and restoration when lost. No means could ever retrieve them into a people or nation on the old account. What may be hereafter on a new, God knows. The end of the days was come; and it was to no purpose for men to endea- vour to keep up that which God, having accomplished the utmost of his design by and upon, would lay aside. And this season was fully evidenced to all the world by the gathering of the people to the Shiloh, or the coming in of the nations to partake in the blessing of faithful Abraham, Mice. iv. 1, 2.
“ Of their church-state there were two principal parts,—the temple itself, and the worship performed in it. The first of these (as was the tabernacle) was set up to typify him in whom the fulness of the Godhead should dwell bodily; and the latter the same person, as he was himself to be the great high priest and sacrifice. Both these also were to be continued until the coming of the Messiah; but by
14 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. I.
no endeavours afterwards. Hence was that promise of the glory of the second house, built after the captivity, and restored by Herod, because of his coming unto it who was signified by it, Hag. ii. 9; Mal. iii. 1. He was'to come whilst that temple was standing; after which it was to be of no more use. And therefore Ezekiel describes a third and spiritual temple to succeed in the room thereof. The con- dition of their sacrifices was the same. Therefore Daniel, foretell- ing the coming of the Messiah four hundred and ninety years after the captivity, adds that upon his death the daily sacrifice must cease for ever, and a total desolation ensue on all the things that were used, for the end accomplished, Dan. ix. 24-27. The nation, state, temple, sacrifices, being set apart, set up, and designed for no other end but to bring him forth, he was to come whilst they were stand- ing and in use; after which they were none of them to be allowed a being upon their old foundation. This is that which the apostle pointed at in mentioning the last days, that they might consider in what condition the church and people of the Jews then were.