Myre reQavepacbar: Vule. Lat., “nondum propalatam esse;” made palam, “open,” “manifest.” Syr., DoT mS3nN 82, “not yet revealed.” “Manifestata,”’ “facta manifesta;” “not made evidently to appear.”
Toy trav é&yloy odov. Vulg. Lat., “viam sanctorum,” “the way of the holies.” Beza, “ viam ad sacrarium,” “the way into the sanctuary.” “ Viam in sancta sanctorum,” “the way into the most holy place.” None suspect éyiay to be of the masculine gender.
*Exovons oreo. Wulg. Lat., “habente statum,” “having” or “continuing its state or condition.” And oréois is sometimes so used; “having its station;” “adhue consistente,” as yet abiding, continuing its state, standing, consisting.
Ver. 8.—The Holy Ghost this signifying, | Syr., signify- ing hereby, evidently declaring,| that the way into the holiest of all [the way of the most holy place, of the holies] was not as yet made manifest, whilst yet the first tabernacle was standing, | kept its station |.
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The apostle in this verse enters on a declaration of the use which he designed to make of the description of the tabernacle, its furni- ture and its utensils, which he had before laid down, Now, this was not to give a particular account of the nature, use, and sig- nification of every thing in it,—which he declined in his close of the recounting of them, affirming that it belonged not to his pur-
pose to treat of them particularly on this occasion,—but from the ~
consideration of the whole, in its structure, order, and services, he would prove the dignity, pre-eminence, and efficacy of the priest- hood and sacrifice of Christ, above those which belonged thereunto, And hence would he manifest the unspeakable advantage of the church in the removal of the one and introduction of the other. The first inference which he makes unto this purpose is laid down in this verse. And it is taken from what he had observed immediately before concerning the time and manner of the high priest’s entrance into the most holy place. It was done by him alone, and that only once a-year, and that not without the blood of the sacrifices which he offered. None of the people were ever suf- fered to draw nigh thereunto ; nor might the rest of the priests them- selves come into the sanctuary, the place of their daily ministra- tion, whilst the high priest went in, and was in the most holy place. ‘In this ‘order, this disposal of the institutions of divine service, saith he,'‘there was that instruction provided for the use of the church which I shall now declare.’ And three things he expresseth with respect hereunto: 1. Who gave that instruction; it was the
Holy Ghost. 2. The way whereby he gave it; it was by the mani- — fest signification of his mind, in and by what he did, appointed,
ordered, or prescribed. 3. What was the instruction he gaye;
VER. 8.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 235
namely, “that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, whilst the first tabernacle was standing.” And concern- ing this we must inquire, 1. What is here intended by “the holiest of all.” 2. What is the “way into this holiest of all,” or “the way of the holies.” 3. How this way was “manifest,” and how-it was “not manifest.” 4, What was the duration of that state wherein this way was not manifest; namely, “whilst the first tabernacle was standing.”
First, The author of this instruction was the Holy Ghost: “The Holy Ghost this signifying;’ that is, saith Grotius, “Deo per afflatum suum Mosi hae precipiente.” So they speak by whom the divine personality of the Holy Ghost is denied. But it is not only here supposed, but it may be hence undeniably proved. For he that by his word and works teacheth and instructeth the church, isa person. For acts of un- derstanding, will, power, and authority, such as these are, are the acts of a person, We intend no more by a person, but one that hath an understanding, will, and power of his own, which he is able to act and exert. Moreover, he is a divine person. For he who by his authority and wisdom disposed of the worship of God under the old testament, so as it might typify and represent things afterwards to come to pass and be revealed, is so, and none other. He who doth these things, and can do them, is he in whom we believe, the Holy Spirit. And as he is the immediate author and appointer of all divine worship, so there are characters of his wisdom
and holiness on all the parts of it.
Secondly, The way whereby he gave this instruction was by the signification of the things intended,—“ signifying, declar- ?
ing manifestly, evidently, openly.” He did it not by ‘eel % any especial revelation made unto Moses about it, he
did not in words declare it, or express it as a doctrinal truth; but this signification was made in the nature and order of the things appointed by him. The framing of the tabernacle and the consti- tution of the services belonging thereunto, made this declaration. For things in his wisdom were thus disposed, that there should be the first tabernacle, whereinto the priests did enter every day, ac- complishing the divine services that God required. Howbeit in that tabernacle there were not the pledges of the gracious presence of God,—it was not the especial residence of his glory: but the peculiar habitation of God was separated from it by a veil; and no person living might so much as look into it, on pain of death. But yet, lest the church should apprehend that indeed there was no ap- proach, here or hereafter, for any person into the gracious presence of God, he ordained that once a-year the high priest, and he alone, should enter into that holy place with blood. Hereby he plainly