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VER. 18, 14.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 289
’ all the particulars wherein there was a representation of the sacrifice of Christ and the purging virtue of it in this ordinance; yet the mention of some of them is of use unto the explication of the apostle’s general design: as,—
(1.) It was to be a red heifer, and that without spot or blemish, whereon no yoke had come, verse 2. Red is the colour of guilt, Isa. i. 18, yet was there no spot or blemish in the heifer: so was the guilt of sin upon Christ, who in himself was absolutely pure and holy. No yoke had been on her; nor was there any constraint on Christ, but he offered himself willingly, through the eternal Spirit.
(2.) She was to be led forth without the camp, verse 3; which the apostle alludes unto, Heb. xiii. 11, representing Christ going out of the city unto his suffering and oblation.
(3.) One did slay her before the face of the priest, and not the priest himself: so the hands of others, Jews and Gentiles, were used in the slaying of our sacrifice.
(4.) The blood of the heifer being slain, was sprinkled by the priest seven times directly before the tabernacle of the congregation, verse 4; so is the whole church purified by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ.
(5.) The whole heifer was to be burned in the sight of the priest, verse 5: so was whole Christ, soul and body, offered up to God in _ the fire of love, kindled in him by the eternal Spirit.
(6.) Cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet, were to be cast into the midst of the burning of the heifer, verse 6; which were all used by God’s institution in the purification of the unclean, or the sanctifi- cation and dedication of any thing unto sacred use, to teach us that all spiritual virtue unto these ends, really and eternally, was con- tained in the one offering of Christ.
(7.) Both the priest who sprinkled the blood, the men that slew the heifer, and he that burned her, and he that gathered her ashes, were all unclean, until they were washed, verses 7-10: so when Christ was made a sin-offering, all the legal uncleannesses, that is, the guilt of the church, were on him, and he took them away.
_ But it is the use of this ordinance which is principally intended. The ashes of this heifer, being burned, were preserved, that, being mixed with pure water, they might be sprinkled on persons who on any occasion were legally unclean, Whoever was so, was ex- cluded from all the solemn worship of the church. Wherefore, with- out this ordinance, the worship of God and the holy state of the chureh could not have been continued. or the means, causes, and ways of legal defilements among them, were very many, and some of them unavoidable. In particular, every tent and house, and all persons:in them, were defiled, if any one died among them; which ~ could not but continually fall out in their families, Hereon they
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290 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IX.
were excluded from the tabernacle and congregation, and all duties of the solemn worship of God, until they were purified. Had not therefore these ashes, which were to be mingled with living water, been always preserved and in a readiness, the whole worship of God must quickly have ceased amongst them. It is so in the church of Christ. The spiritual defilements which befall believers are many, and some of them unavoidable unto them whilst they are in this ‘ world; yea, their duties, the best of them, have defilements adher- ing unto them. Were it not that the blood of Christ, in its puri- fying virtue, is in a continual readiness unto faith, that God therein hath opened a fountain for sin and uncleanness, the worship of the church would not be acceptable unto him. In a constant applica- tion thereunto doth the exercise of faith much consist.
3. The nature and use of this ordinance are further described by its object, “the unclean,’—xexomomévous; that is, those that were made common. All those who had a liberty of approach unto God in his solemn worship were so far sanctified ; that is, separated and dedicated. And such as were deprived of this privilege were made common, and so unclean,
The unclean especially intended in this institution were those who were defiled by the dead. Every one that by any means touched a dead body, whether dying naturally or slain, whether in the house or field, or did bear it, or assist in the bearing of it, or were in the tent or house where it was, were all defiled; no such person was to come into the congregation, or near the tabernacle. But it is cer- tain that many offices about the dead are works of humanity and mercy, which morally defile not. Wherefore there was a peculiar reason of the constitution of this defilement, and this severe inter- diction of them that were so defiled from divine worship. And this was to represent unto the people the curse of the law, whereof death was the great visible effect. The present Jews have this notion, that defilement by the dead arises from the poison that is dropped into them that die by the angel of death; whereof see our exposition on chap. i. 14. The meaning of it is, that death came in by sin, from the poisonous temptation of the old serpent, and befell men by the curse which took hold of them thereon. But they have lost the understanding of their own tradition. This belonged unto the bond- age under which it was the will of God to keep that people, that they should dread death as an effect of the curse of the law, and the fruit of sin; which is taken away in Christ, Heb. ii, 14; 1 Cor. xv. 56, 57. And these works, which were unto them so full of defile- ment, are now unto us accepted duties of piety and mercy.