that of what sort soever this promised covenant should be, yet the former was still to continue in force, obliging the church unto all the institutions of worship thereunto appertaining. Hereon depended the main controversy that the apostle had with them ; for he knew that this persuasion was destructive to the faith of the gospel, and would, if pertinaciously adhered unto, prove ruinous to their own souls. Wherefore the contrary hereunto, or the total cessation of the first covenant, he presseth on them with all sorts of arguments ;—as from the nature, use, and end of it; from its insufficiency to consecrate or make perfect the state of the church ; from the various prefigur- ations and certain predictions of the introduction of another cove- nant, priesthood, and ordinances of worship, which were better than those that belonged unto it, and inconsistent with them; with many other cogent evidences to the same purpose. Here he fixeth on a new argument in particular, to prove the necessity and certainty of its abolition ; and hereby, according unto his wonted manner, he makes a transition unto his following discourse, wherein he proves the
1 See vol. vi. of the author’s miscellaneous works.—Ep.
\ 174 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. VIL
same truth from the distinct consideration of the use and end of the institutions, ordinances, and sacrifices belonging unto that covenant, This he pursues unto the 19th verse of the 10th chapter; and so returns unto the parenetical part of the epistle, making due applica- tions of what he had now fully evinced.
Ver, 13.—In that he saith, A new [covenant], he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
A double argument the apostle here maketh use of: 1. From a special word or testimony. 2. From a general maxim of truth in all kinds :—
1. In the former we may consider, (1.) The testimony he makes use of; (2.) The inference unto his own purpose which he makes from it :—
(1.) The first consisteth in the adjunct of this other promised
_., covenant. It is called by God himself new: ’Ey rm ae MY every, Kauvyy,— “In that,” or “Whereas it is said, A new ;” or, ‘In that he calleth it, nameth it, A new.’ So it is expressly in the prophet, “ Behold, I will make a new covenant.” Thus every word of the Holy Ghost, though but occasional unto the principal subject spoken of, is sufficient evidence of what may be deduced from it. And by this kind of arguing we are taught, that the word of God is full of holy mysteries, if with humility, and under the conduct of his Holy Spirit, we do, as we ought, diligently inquire into them. This, therefore, he layeth down as the foundation of his present argument, That God himself doth not call this pro- mised covenant another covenant, or a second, nor only declare the excellency of it; but signally calls it. ‘a new covenant.”
(2.) That which he infers from hence is, that. reraraiane rqv mporny,
, .—he hath made the first old.” The force of the argu- Ateneo ment doth not lie in this, that he calleth the second new; but that he would not have done so had not he
made the first old. For reruraswue is of an active signification, and ~ denotes an authoritative act of God upon the old covenant, whereof the calling the other new was a sign and evidence. He would not have done so, but that he made the other old; for with respect thereunto this is called new. But yet it was the designation of the new covenant that was the foundation of making the other old.
The word respecting the time past, we must inquire what time it doth refer unto. And this must be either the time of the prediction and promise of the new covenant, or the time of its introduction and establishment. And it is the first season that is intended. For the introduction of the new covenant did actually take away and abolish the old, making it to disappear; but the act of God here
VER, 13.] _ EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 175
intended, is only his making it old in order thereunto, And he did this upon and by the giving of this promise, and afterwards by vari- ous acts, and in various degrees.
[1.] He did it by calling the faith of the church from resting in it, through the expectation of the bringing in of a better in the room of it. This brought it under a decay in their minds, and gave it an undervaluation unto what it had before. They were now assured that something much better would in due time be introduced. Hence, although they abode in the observation of the duties and worship it required, it being the will of God that. so they should do, yet this expectation of and longing after the better covenant now promised, made it decay in their minds and affections. So did God make it, old.
[2.] He did it by a plain declaration of its infirmity, weakness, and insufficiency for the great ends of a perfect covenant between God and the church. Many things unto this purpose might have been collected out of the nature of its institutions and promises, from the first giving of it, as is done by our apostle in his present discourses. But these things were not clearly understood by any in those days ; and as to the most, the veil was on them, so that, they could not see at all unto the end of the things that were to be done away. But now, when God himself comes positively to declare by that prophet that, it was weak and insufficient, and therefore he would make another, a better, with them; this made it old, or declared it to be in a tendency unto a dissolution.