126 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. VIII.
[4.] All these things had respect unto and issued in that actual deliverance which God then wrought for that people. And this was the greatest mercy-which that people ever were or ever could be made partakers of, in that condition wherein they were under the old. testament. As unto the outward part of it, consider what they were delivered from, and what they were led into, and it will evidently appear to be as great an outward mercy as human nature is capable of. But besides, it was gloriously typical, and representative of their own and the whole church’s spiritual deliverance from sin and hell, from our bondage to Satan, and a glorious traduction into the liberty of the sons of God. And therefore did God engrave the memorial of it on the tables of stone, “I am the LorD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” For what was typified and signified thereby is the prin- cipal niotive unto obedience throughout all generations; nor is any moral obedience acceptable unto God that doth not proceed from a sense of spiritual deliverance.
And these things are here called over in this promise of giving a new covenant, ‘partly to mind the people of the mercies which they had sinned against, and partly to mind them that no concur- rence of outward mercies and privileges can secure our covenant- relation unto God, without the special mercy which is administered in the new covenant, whereof Jesus Christ is the mediator and surety.
Thus great on all accounts was the day, and the glory of it, wherein God made the old covenant with the people of Israel; yet had it no glory in comparison of that which doth excel. The light of the sun of glory was on this day “ seven-fold, as the light of seven days,” Isa. xxx, 26, <A perfection of light and glory was to accompany that day, and all the glory of God’s work and his rest therein, the light of seven days, was to issue in it.
From the things we have observed, it is fully evident both what was the “covenant” that God made, and who were “the fathers” with whom it was made. The covenant intended is none other but that made at Sinai, in the third month after the coming of the people out of Egypt, Exod. xix. 1; which covenant, in the nature, use, and end of it, we have before described. And the fathers were those of that generation, those who came out of Egypt, and solemnly - in their own persons, they and their children, entered into the cove- nant, and took upon them to do all that was required therein; whereon they were sprinkled with the blood of it, Exod. xxiv. 3-8, Deut. v. 27. It is true, all the posterity of the people unto whom the promise was now given were bound and obliged by that cove- nant, no less than those who first received it; but those only are in- tended in this place who actually in their own persons entered into
VER. 9.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 127
covenant with God. Which consideration will give light unto what is affirmed, that “ they brake his covenant,” or “ continued not in it.”
A comparison being intended between the two covenants, this is the first general part of the foundation of it. with respect. unto the old.
The second part of it is in the event of making this covenant; and this is expressed both on the part of man and God; or in what the people did towards God, and how he carried it towards them thereon.
_First, The event on the part of the people is in these words, “ Be- cause they continued not in my covenant,”—"Or: abroi odx évémesvcev gy x O1adHxN WLov.
WS, “which,” in the original, is expressed by ér, which we render “ because ;” drs, as it is sometimes a relative, sometimes a redditive, “which,” or “because.” If we follow our translation, “ because,” it seems to give a reason why God made a covenant with them not like the former; namely, because they continued not in the former, or brake it. But this indeed was not the reason of it. The reason, I say, why God made this new covenant not according unto the former, was not because they abode not in the first. This could be no reason of it, nor any motive unto it. It is therefore mentioned only to illustrate the grace of God, that he would make this new covenant notwithstanding the sin of those who brake the former; as also the excellency of the covenant itself, whereby those who are taken into it shall be preserved from breaking it, by the grace which it doth administer. Wherefore I had rather render é+: here by “which,” as we render 18 in the prophet,—“ which my cove- nant;” or “for,’—‘“for they abode not.” And if we render it “ because,” it respects not God’s making a new covenant, but his rejecting them for breaking the old.
That which is charged on them is, that they “ continued not,” they “abode not” in the covenant made with them. This God calls his covenant, “They continued not in my covenant;” because he was the author of it, the sole contriver and proposer of its terms and promises. 152i), they “brake,” they rescinded, removed it, made it void. The Hebrew word expresseth the matter of fact, what they did; they “ brake” or made void the covenant: the word used by the apostle expresseth the manner how they did it; namely, by not continuing faithful in it, not abiding by the terms of it. The use of the word wéw, and iuwévw, unto this purpose, hath been before declared. And what is intended hereby we must inquire :—