(1.) It declared the impossibility of obtaining reconciliation and peace with God any other way but by the promise. For representing the commands of the covenant of works, requiring perfect, sinless obedience, under the penalty of the curse, it convinced men that this was no way for sinners to seek for life and salvation by. And herewith it so urged the consciences of men, that they could have no rest nor peace in themselves but what the promise would afford them, whereunto they saw.a necessity of betaking themselves.
(2.) By representing the ways and means of the accomplishment of the promise, and of that whereon all the efficacy of it unto the justification and salvation of sinners doth depend. This was the death, blood-shedding, oblation, or sacrifice of Christ, the promised
‘seed. This all its offerings and ordinances of worship directed unto;
as his incarnation, with the inhabitation of God in his human nature, was typed by the tabernacle and temple. Wherefore it was so far from disannulling the ‘promise, or diverting the minds of the people of God from it, that by all means it established it and led unto it. But,—
8. It will be said, as was before observed, ‘That if it did neither
abrogate the first covenant of works, and come in the room thereof,
nor disannul the promise made unto Abraham, then unto what end. did it serve, or what benefit did the church receive thereby?’ I
'. answer,—
(1.) There hath been, with respect unto God’s dealing with
- the church, o/xovousa réiv xoupaiv,—a “certain dispensation” and dis-
position of times and seasons, reserved unto the sovereign will and pleasure of God. Hence from the beginning he revealed himself morurpimwg and rorkvuwepc, as scemed good unto him, Heb. i. 1. And this dispensation of times had a rA7/paue, a “fulness” assigned unto it, wherein all things, namely, that belong unto the revelation and communication of God unto the church, should come to their height, and have as it were the last hand given unto them. This was in the sending of Christ, as the apostle declares, Eph. i. 10, “That in
80 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [ CHAP. VIII.
the dispensation of the fulness of times he might bring all unto a head in Christ.” Until this season came, God dealt variously with the church, é oxy cogig, “in manifold” or “various wisdom,” according as he saw it needful and useful for it, in that season which it was to pass through, before the fulness of times came. Of this nature was his entrance into the covenant with the church at Sinai; the reasons whereof we shall immediately inquire into. In the mean- time, if we had no other answer to this inquiry but only this, that in the order of the disposal or dispensation of the seasons of the church, before the fulness of times came, God in his manifold wis- dom saw it necessary for the then present state of the church in that season, we may well acquiesce therein, But,—
(2.) The apostle acquaints us in general with the ends of this dispensation of God, Gal. iii, 19-24: “ Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not of one, but God isone. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid ; for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our school- master to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Much light might be given unto the mind of the Holy Ghost in these words, and that in things not commonly discerned by exposi- tors, if we should divert unto the opening of them. I will at present only mark from them what is unto our present purpose.
There is a double inquiry made by the apostle with respect unto the law, or the covenant of Sinai: [1.] Unto what end in general it served. [2.] Whether it was not contrary to the promise of God. Unto both these the apostle answereth from the nature, office, and work of that covenant. For there were, as hath been declared, two things in it: [1.] A revival and representation of the covenant of works, with its sanction and curse. [2.] A diree- tion of the church unto the accomplishment of the promise. From these two doth the apostle frame his answer unto the double in- quiry laid down. i
And unto the first inquiry, “unto what end it served,” he answers, “Tt was added because of transgressions.” The promise being given, there seems to have been no need of it, why then was it added to it at that season? “It was added because of transgressions.” The fulness of time was not yet come, wherein the promise was to be fulfilled, accomplished and established as the only covenant wherein
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VER. 6.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 81