Ver 14.—How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purify your
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conscience from dead works to serve the living God!
This verse contains the inference or argument of the apostle from
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VER. 13, 14.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 293
the preceding propositions and concessions. The nature of the argument is “ minori,” and “& proportione.” From the first, the inference follows as unto its truth, and formally; from the latter, as to its greater evidence, and materially.
There are in the words considerable, 1. The subject treated of, in opposition unto that before spoken unto; and that is, “the blood of Christ.” 2. The means whereby this blood of Christ was effectual unto the end designed, in opposition unto the way and means of the efficacy of legal ordinances; he “offered himself” (that is, in the shedding of it) “unto God without spot, through the eternal Spirit.” 38. The end assigned unto this blood of Christ in that offering of himself, or the effect wrought thereby, in opposition unto the end and effect of legal ordinances; which is, to “ purge our con- sciences from dead works.” 4. The benefit and advantage which
we receive thereby, in opposition unto the benefit which was ob-
tained by those legal administrations; that we may “serve the living God.” All which must be considered and explained.
‘Irirst, The nature of the inference is expressed by, “ How much more,” ‘This is usual with the apostle, when he draws any inference or conclusion from a comparison between Christ and the high priest, the gospel and the law, to use an ai&qors
in expression, to manifest their absolute pre-eminence above them:
oom Pardo.
See Heb. ii. 2, 3, iii. 3, x. 28, 29, xii. 25. Although these things
agreed in their general nature, whence a comparison is founded, yet
were the one incomparably more glorious than the other. Hence elsewhere, although he alloweth the administration of the law to be glorious, yet he affirms that it had no glory in comparison of what doth excel, 2 Cor. iii. 10. The person of Christ is the spring of all the glory in the church; and the more nearly any thing relates thereunto, the more glorious it is.
There are two things included in this way of the introduction of the present inference, “ How much more:’—
1. An equal certainty of the event and effect ascribed unto the blood of Christ, with the effect of the legal sacrifices, is included in it. So the argument is “& minori.” And the inference of such an argument is expressed by, “much more,” though an equal certainty be all that is evinced by it. ‘If those sacrifices and ordinances of the law were effectual unto the ends of legal expiation and purifica- tion, then is the blood of Christ assuredly so unto the spiritual and eternal effects whereunto it is designed.’ And the force of the argument is not merely, as was observed before, “4 comparatis,” ‘and “& minori,” but from the nature of the things themselves, as the one was appointed to be typical of the other.
2. The argument is taken from a proportion between the things
- themselves that are compared, as to their efficacy. This gives a
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294° AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. 1X.
greater evidence and validity unto the argument than if it were taken merely “& minori.” For there is a greater reason, in the nature of things, that “the blood of Christ should purge our con- sciences from dead works,” than there is that “the blood of bulls and of goats should sanctify unto the purifying of the flesh.” For that had all its efficacy unto this end from the sovereign pleasure of God in its institution; in itself it had neither worth nor dignity, whence, in any proportion of justice or reason, men should be legally sanctified by it. The sacrifice of Christ also, as unto its original, depended on the sovereign pleasure, wisdom, and grace of God; but being so appointed, upon the account of the infinite dignity of his person, and the nature of his oblation, it had a real efficacy, in the justice and wisdom of God, to procure the effect mentioned in the way of purchase and merit. This the apostle refers unto in these words, “‘ Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unto God.” That the offering was “himself,” that “he offered himself through the eternal Spirit,” or his divine person, is that which gives assurance of the accomplishing of the effect assigned unto it by his blood, above any grounds we have to believe that “the blood of bulls and goats should sanctify unto the purifying of the flesh.” And we may-observe from this, “ How much more,” that;—
Obs. I. There is such an evidence of wisdom and righteousness, unto a spiritual eye, in the whole mystery of our redemption, sanc- tification, and salvation by Christ, as gives an immovable foundation unto faith to rest upon in its receiving of it.The faith of the church of old was resolved into the mere sovereign pleasure of God, as to the efficacy of their ordinances; nothing in the nature of the things themselves did tend unto their establishment. But in the dispen- — sation of God by Christ, in the work of our redemption by him, there is such an evidence of the wisdom and righteousness of God in the things themselves, as gives the highest security unto faith. It is unbelief alone, made obstinate by prejudices insinuated by the devil, that hides these things from any, as the apostle declares, 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. And hence will arise the great aggravation of the sin, and condemnation of them that perish.