. VER. 9, 10.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 245
cessary. And if, notwithstanding its outward excellency and glory, it was no other but what it is here declared to be, as evidently it was not, then was it not only an unreasonable thing, and a plain rejection of the wisdom and grace of God, to adhere unto it in opposition unto the gospel,—which was done by the most of the Hebrews,—but it was altogether unmeet and useless to be retained with the profession of the gospel, which the residue of them earnestly contended for. This was that which the apostle designed ultimately to convince them of. And a work herein both great and difficult was committed unto him. For there is nothing more difficult than to dispossess the minds of men of such persuasions in religion as they have been bred up in, and received by a long tract of tradition from their fathers. So we find it to be in such persuasions and observances as are evidently false and impious, unto the understand- ings of all that are not under the power of such prejudices: so is it at present with them of the Roman church, and others. But these _ Hebrews had a pretence or plea for their obstinacy herein which
none other ever had in the like case but themselves; for the things which they adhered unto were confessedly of divine institution. Wherefore the apostle labours principally to prove, that in the will and wisdom of God they were to continue only for a season, and also that the season of their expiration was now come. And this he doth in this place, by a declaration of their nature and use whilst they did continue; whence it is evident that God never designed them a perpetual station in the church, and that because they could not effect what he purposed and had promised to do for it. This is the substance of his present argument.
There are in the words themselves, ‘L. The subject spoken of, 4115, “which.” 2. The proper use and end of it; it was “a figure.” 3. The limitation of that use as unto time; “for the time then pre- sent.” 4. The especial nature of it; the “offering of gifts and sacrifices.” 5. The imperfection of it therein; “they could not consummate the worshippers in conscience.” 6. The reason of that imperfection; it “stood only in meats and drinks,” etc. 7. The manner of its establishment; it was “imposed.” 8. The time allotted Jor tts continuance ; “until the time of reformation.”
1, The subject spoken of is expressed by rs, “which.” Some would refer it unto rapaoa7 following, and so read the words, “ Which figure was for the time present.” But there is no cause for this traduction of the words. The verb sub- stantive, 7, is deficient, as usually, and is to be supplied as in our translation, “which was.” “Which,” that is, oxy, “the taber- nacle;’—not only the fabric and structure of it, but the tabernacle in both parts of it, with all its furniture, vessels, utensils, and ser- vices, as before described.
"Haris.
246 AN EXPOSITION OF THE | [CHAP, 1X.
4
2. As unto its proper use and end, the apostle affirms that it was mapacory,— figura,” “exemplar,” “exemplum,” “com- paratio;” “similitudo,” “typus,” “representatio:” so variously is this word rendered by-interpreters, Most fix on “ex- emplar” or “exemplum;” but they are rimog and bréderyua, not sapaucor;. And in all these versions the proper sense of the word as used in the Scripture is missed. It is not 1239 that the apostle intends, but Wid, as it is rendered by the Syriac.
And this many have observed, namely, that it answers unto wid, but yet have missed in the interpretation of it. WD is the same with 7 wherewith it is joined, as of the same signification and importance, Ps. xlix. 5, Ixxviii. 2. And whereas it is said that the queen of Sheba tried the wisdom of Solomon i773, 1 Kings x, 1; the Targum renders it by ronia, the Chaldee Sn, and the Syriac xdnp, being the same with the Hebrew by, Now "0 is enigma, problema, yerpos, “a riddle,” “a hard question;” and 73n is to speak enigmatically, obscurely, so as that one thing is to be gathered out of another. So is 2 used also, Ezek. xx. 49, “Is
Tlapa Goan.
he not Dewy owinn,” « proverbiator proverbiorum ?”—“one that speaks darkly and obscurely ;” that expresseth one thing and in- tends another, using similitudes and metaphors; an obscure, mystical instruction, by figures, signs, symbols, metaphors, and the like. Thus is rapa6oay almost constantly used in the New Testament. So our Lord Jesus Christ expressly opposeth speaking in parables
unto a clear, plain, open teaching, so as to be understood of all.,
See Matt. xiii 10,13. John xvi. 28, 29, “ Now speakest thou openly, and no parable.” Wherefore rapaGory, in this place, is an obscure, mystical, metaphorical instruction. God taught the church of old the mysteries of our redemption by Christ, by the tabernacle, its fabric, parts, utensils, and services; but it was but an obscure, parabolical, figurative instruction. So should the word here be
rendered, “a figurative instruction,” or the word “parable” be here
retained, as it is in other places. This was God’s way of teaching the mysteries of his wisdom and grace; which, as it was sufficient for the state of the church which was then present, so it instructs