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470 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. v.
expressed, verse 8, “ Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf, which was the sin-offering for himself.” After this he offered distinctly for the people “a kid of the goats for a sin-offer- ing,” verses 3,15. And this was for an expiation of former sins, ex- pressing the sanctification and holiness that ought to be in them that draw nigh unto God.
2. There was an occasional offering or sacrifice which he was to offer distinctly for himself, upon the breach of any of God’s com- mandments by ignorance, or any actual sin: Lev. iv. 3, “If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people” (that is, in like manner as any of the people do sin), “then let him bring, for his sin which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the Lorp for a sin-offering.” After which there is a sacrifice appointed of the like nature, and in like manner to be observed,— (1.) For the sin of the whole people, verse 13; and then (2.) Forthe sin of any individual person, verse 27. And hereby the constant application that,we are, on all actual sins, to make unto the blood of Christ for pardon and purification was prefigured.
3. There was enjoined him another solemn offering, on the annual feast, or day of expiation, which he was to begin the solemn service of that great day withal: Lev. xvi. 3, “ Aaron shall thus come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering.” Verse 11, “And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atone- ment for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself.” After this, he offers also on the same day, for the sins of the people, verse 15 ;—a bullock for him- self, and a goat for the people. And this solemn sacrifice respecting all sins and sorts of them, known and unknown, great and small, in general and particular, represents our solemn application unto Christ for pardon and sanctification; which as to the sense of them may be frequently renewed. The Jews affirm that the high priest used at his offering this sacrifice the ensuing prayer: —'ny OWN FIN mayd N275D OWN NON TWP OY pms ‘21 may tas pad onxDN nw JONIP oY PAN ane as PIS cnNDNeA snywELr snmp sstondy speedy no‘nxon S59 pons and os Sy sa’ Am ova '> Jay Awe AND 3nD3 i295 ;—that is, “I beseech thee, O Lord, I haye done perversely, I have transgressed, I have sinned before thee; I and my house, and the children of Aaron, and thy holy people. I beseech thee, O Lord, be propitious unto, or pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquities, transgressions, and sins, wherein I have done amiss, transgressed, and sinned before thee, I and my house, and the sons of Aaron, and thy holy people; according as it is written in the law of Moses thy ser- vant, that in this day thou wouldst pardon and purify us from all our sins.’—Mishnaioth, Tract. Jom. Perek. iv. And all these several
VER. 3.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 471
sorts of sacrifices for himself were, all of them, as our apostle here speaks, atp awapriaiv, “forsins”’ And this was neces- sary, because he was encompassed with infirmities and obnoxious unto sin, and so stood in no less need of expi- ation and atonement than the people.
Expositors generally agree that this is peculiar unto the high priest according to the law, the Lord Christ being neither intended nor included in this expression; for we have showed that, in this comparison, the things compared being on some accounts infinitely distant, there may be that in the one which nothing in the other answers unto. And that the Lord Christ is not intended in this ex- pression appears,—
1. The necessity of this offering for himself by the high priest arose from two causes, as was declared:—(1.) From his moral infir- mity and weakness; that is, unto obedience, and obnoxiousness to sin. (2.) From God’s command and appointment; he had commanded and appointed that he should offer sacrifice for himself. But in neither of these had our Lord Christ any concern; for neither had he any such infirmities, nor did God ordain or require that he should offer sacrifice for himself.
2. Actually Christ had no sin of his own to offer for, nor was it possible that he should ; for he was made like unto us, “ yet without sin.” And the offering of the priest here intended was of the same kind with that which was for the people. Both were for actual sins of the same kind; one for his own, the other for the people’s.
8. It is expressly said, that the Lord Christ “ needed not, as they, to offer first for his own sins, and then for the people’s;” and that because he was in himself “ holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,” Heb. vii. 26, 27. This, therefore, belonged unto the weak- ness and imperfection of the legal high priest.
Two expositors of late have been otherwise minded. The first is Crellius or Schlichtingius, who says that the infirmities and evils that Christ was obnoxious unto, are here, by a catachresis, called “ sins ;” and for them he offered for himself. The other is Grotius, who speaks to the same purpose: “Cum hoe generaliter de omni sacer- dote dicitur, sequitur Christum quoque obtulisse pro se trip &uap- rid, 2. @., ut a doloribus illis qui peccatorum pcene esse solent, et oceasione peccatorum nostrorum ipsi infligebantur, posset liberari ;” —“ Whereas this is spoken generally of every priest, it follows that Christ also offered for himself for sins; that is, that he might be freed from those pains which are wont to be punishments of sins, and which, on the occasion of our sins, were inflicted on him.” It is well enough known what dogma or opinion is intimated in these expressions. But I answer,—