Thirdly, That which the Holy Ghost did thus signify and instruct the church in, (the rotro, “this,” in the words,) was, “that the way into the most holy place” (“the way of the holies”) “was not yet made manifest.” And for the explication hereof we must consider the things before proposed :—
1, What the apostle intends by “the holies.” It is generally sup-
posed by expositors that itis heaven itself which is hereby intended. Hence some of the ancients, the schoolmen, and sundry expositors of the Roman church, have con- cluded that no believers under the old testament, none of the ancient
Touro.
Tov aio.
238 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IX.
patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, or David, were admitted into heaven © whilst the first tabernacle stood; that is, until the ascension of Christ. Hereon they framed a limbus for them in some subterranean recep- tacle,—whither they suppose the soul of Christ went, when it is said that he “descended into hell,”—where they were detained, and whence by him they were delivered. But whatever becomes of that imagination, the most learned expositors of that church of late, such- as Ribera, Estius, Tena, Maldonate, ‘A Lapide, do not fix it on this text; for the supposition whereon it is founded is wholly alien from the scope of the apostle, and no way useful in his present argument. For he discourseth about the privileges of the church by the gospel and priesthood of Christ in this world, and not about its future state and condition. Besides, he says not that there was no entrance into the holies during that season, but only that “the way of it was not yet manifest.” Wherefore they might enter into it, although the way whereby they did so was not yet openly declared; for they had but a shadow, or dark, obscure representation of good things to come. And this is the interpretation that most sober expositors do give of the words: Heaven with eternal blessedness was proposed unto the faith, hope, and expectation of the saints under the old testament. This they believed, and in the hope of it walked with ‘God, as our apostle proves at large, Heb. xi. Howbeit the way, that is, the means and cause of communicating the heavenly inheritance unto them, namely, by the mediation and sacrifice of Christ, was but obscurely represented ; not illustriously manifested, as it is now,’ life and immortality being brought to light by the gospel. And as these things are true, so this interpretation of the words being con- sonant unto the analogy of faith, is safe, only we may inquire whether it be that which is peculiarly intended by the apostle in this place or no.
The comment of Grotius on these words is, that the apostle signi- fies “‘ superaetherias sedes. Via ed ducens est evangelium, praecepta habens vere ccelestia. Eam viam Christus primus patefecit; adi- tumque fecit omnibus ad summum celum. Pervenient quidem, ed, Abrahamus, Isaacus, Jacobus, ut videre est, Matt. viii. 11, et alii viri eximii, ut videbimus infra, cap. xi. 40. Sed hi ed pervenient quasi per machinam, non per viam; extraordinarié quidam et rara Dei dispensatione.” But these things are most remote from the mind of the Holy Ghost, not only in this place, but in the whole Seripture — also. For,—
(1.) How far the gospel is this “way into the holiest” shall be declared immediately. That it is so because of the heavenly pre- cepts which it gives, that is, which were not given under the old testament, is most untrue. For the gospel gives no precepts of holiness and obedience that were not for the substance of them con-
VER. 8.] . EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 239
tained in the law. There is no precept in the gospel exceeding that in the law, “Thou shalt love the Lorp thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself’ Only the gospel adds new motives unto obedience, new encouragements and enforcements of it, with directions for its due performance.
(2.) That Christ should be no Bees the way but only as he revealed and declared the gospel and the precepts of it, is not only untrue and injurious unto the honour of Christ, but directly contrary unto the design of the apostle in this place. For he is treating of the sacerdotal office of Christ only, and the benefit which the church doth receive thereby; but the revelation of the doctrine or precepts of the gospel was no duty of that office, nor did it belong thereunto. That he did as the prophet of the church; but all his sacerdotal actings are towards God in the behalf of the church, as hath been proved.
(3.) That the ancient patriarchs went to heaven by a secret engine, and that some of them only in an extraordinary way, is plainly to deny that they were saved by faith in the promised Seed,—that is, to affirm that they were not saved by the mediation of Christ; which is contrary unto the whole economy of God in the salvation of the church, and to many express testimonies of the Scripture. These Socinian fictions do not cure but corrupt the word of God, and turn away the minds of men from the truth unto fables. We shall there- fore yet further inquire into the true meaning of the Holy Ghost in these words,