' which he will and doth make use of im and for the communication of the knowledge itself here promised, there is nothing intimated that is derogatory unto its use, continuance, or necessity. A suppo- sition thereof would overthrow the whole ministry of Jesus Christ himself and of his apostles, as well as the ordinary ministry of the church.
And these things are spoken in exposition of this place, taken from the meaning and intention of the word teaching, or the duty itself, whose continuance and further use is denied. But yet, it may be, more clear light into the mind of the Holy Spirit may be attained, from a due consideration of what it is that is so to be taught. And this is, “Know the Lord.” Concerning which two things may be observed :—
1. That there was a knowledge of Ged under the old testament, so revealed as that it was hidden under types, wrapped up in veils, expressed only in parables and dark sayings, For it was the mind of God, that as unto the clear perception and revelation of it, it
should lie hid until the Son came from his bosom to declare him, to make his name known, and to “bring life and immortality to
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VER. 10-12. } EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 163
light;” yea, some things belonging hereunto, though virtually re- vealed, yet were so compassed with darkness in the manner of their revelation, as that, the angels themselves could not clearly and dis- tinctly look into them. But that there were some such great and excellent things concerning God and his will laid up in the revela- tion of Moses and the prophets, with their institutions of worship, they did understand. But the best and wisest of them knew also, that notwithstanding their best and utmost inquiry, they could not comprehend the time, nature, and state of the things so revealed; for it was revealed unto them, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister in their revelation of those things, 1 Pet. i. 12. And as our apostle informs us, Moses in his ministry and institu- tions gave “testimony unto the things which were to be spoken” (that is, clearly) “afterwards,” Heb. ii. 5. This secret, hidden knowledge of God, principally concerned the incarnation of Christ, his mediation and suffering for sin, with the call of the Gentiles thereon. These, and such \like mysteries of the gospel, they could never attain the comprehension of. But yet they stirred up each other diligently to inquire into them, as to what they were capable of attaining, saying one to another, “ Know the Lord.” But it was little that they could attain unto, “God having provided some better things for us, that they without us should not be made per- fect.” And when that church ceased to make this the principal part of their religion, namely, a diligent inquiry into the hidden knowledge of God, in and by the promised seed, with a believing desire and expectation of its full manifestation, contenting them-
selves with the letter of the word, looking on types and shadows as
things present and substances, they not only lost the glory of their profession, but were hardened into an unbelief of the things signi- fied unto them in their real exhibition. Now this kind of teaohing: by mutual encouragement. to look into the veiled things of the mystery of God in Christ, is now to cease, at the solemn introduction of the new covenant, as being rendered useless by the full, clear revelation and manifestation of them made in the gospel. They shall no more, that is, they shall need no more, to teach, so to teach this knowledge of God; for it shall be made plain to the under- standing of all believers.) And this is that which I judge to be principally intended by the Holy Ghost in this part of the promise, as that which the positive part of it doth so directly answer unto.
2. The knowledge of the Lord may be here taken, not objectively y
and doctrinally, but subjectively, for the renovation of the mind in
the saving knowledge of God. And this neither is nor can be commu- nicated unto any by external teaching alone, in respect whereunto it may be said comparatively to be laid aside, as was intimated before.
We haye, I hope, sufficiently freed the words from the difficulties
164 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. VIII.
that seem to attend them, so as that we shall not need to refer the accomplishment of this promise unto heaven, with many ancient and modern expositors;~nor yet, with others, to restrain it unto the first converts to Christianity, who were miraculously illuminated; much less so to interpret them as to exclude the ministry of the church in teaching, or any other effectual way thereof. Somewhat may be observed of the particular expressions used in them :—
1. There is in the original promise the word jy, ¢r, “amplius,” “nomore.” This is omitted by the apostle, yet so as that it is plainly included in what he expresseth. For the word denotes the time and season which was limited unto that kind of teaching which was to cease, This season being to expire at the publication of the gospel, the apostle affirms absolutely then, “They shall not teach,” what the prophet before declared with the limited season now ex- pired, “They shall do so no more.”