2. There was a promise and conveyance of an inheritance unto
- ment; as much as “also,
VER. 15.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 321
them, namely, of the land of Canaan, with all the privileges of it. God declared that the land was his, and that he gave it unto them for an inheritance. And this promise or grant was made unto them without any consideration of their previous obedience, out of mere love and grace. The principal design of the book of Deuteronomy is to inlay this principle in the foundation of their obedience. Now the free grant and donation of an inheritance of the goods of him that makes the grant, is properly a testament. A free disposition it was of the goods of the testator.
3. There was in the confirmation of this grant the intervention of death. The grant of the inheritance of the land that God made > was confirmed by death and the blood of the beasts offered in sacri- fice; whereof we must treat on verses 18-20. And although cove- nants were confirmed by sacrifices, as this was, so far as it was a covenant, namely, with the blood of them; yet as in those sacrifices death was comprised, it was to confirm the testamentary grant of the inheritance. For death is necessary unto the confirmation of a testa- ment; which then could only be in type and representation ; the testa- tor himself was not to die for the establishment of a typical inheritance.
Wherefore the apostle having discoursed before concerning the covenant as it prescribed and required obedience, with promises and penalties annexed unto it, he now treats of it as unto the donation and communication of good things by it, with the confirmation of the grant of them by death; in which sense it was a testament, and not a covenant properly so called. And the arguing of the apostle from this word is not only just and reasonable, but without it we could never have rightly understood the typical representation that was made of the death, blood, and sacrifice of Christ, in the confir- mation of the new testament, as we shall see immediately. ~
This difficulty being removed, we may proceed in the ‘exposition of the words. ;
First. That which first occurs is the note of connection, in the conjunction “and.” But it doth not here, as some- times, infer a reason of what was spoken before, but is emphatically expletive, and denotes a progress in the present argu- ” “ moreover.”
Secondly. There is the ground of the ensuing assertion, or the manner of its introduction: “ For this cause.” Some say that it looks backward, and intimates a reason of what was spoken before, or why it was necessary that our consciences should be purged from dead works by the blood of Christ, namely, because “ he was the mediator of the new covenant;” others say it looks forward, and gives a reason why he was to be the mediator of the new testament, namely, “that by means of death for the transgressions,” etc. :
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Kai.
Ala rolro.
322 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. Ix.
It is evident that there is a reason rendered in these words of the necessity of the death and sacrifice of Christ, by which alone our consciences may be purged from dead works. And this reason is intended in these words, Ard rotro,—“ For this cause.” And this necessity of the death of Christ the apostle proves, both from the nature of his office, namely, that he was to be “the mediator of the new covenant,” which, being also a testament, required the death of the testator; and from what was to be effected thereby, namely, the “redemption of transgressions” and the purchase of an “ eternal in- heritance.” Wherefore these are the things which he hath respect unto in these words, “ For this cause.”
But withal the apostle in this verse enlargeth his discourse, as designing to comprehend in it the whole dispensation of the will and grace of God unto the church in Christ, with the ground and reason of it. This reason he layeth down in this verse, giving an account of the effects of it in those that follow. » Hereunto respect is had in this expression.
For the exposition of the words themselves,—that is, the declara- tion of the mind ‘of the Holy Ghost, and nature of the things con- tained in them,—we must leave the order of the words and take that of the things themselves. And the things ensuing are declared in them:—1. That God designed an eternal inheritance unto some persons. 2, The way and manner of conveying a right and title thereunto was by promise. 3. That the persons unto whom this inheritance is designed are those that are called. 4, That there was an obstacle unto the enjoyment of this inheritance, which was transgression against the first covenant. 5. That this obstacle might be removed, and the inheritance enjoyed, God made a new covenant; because none of the rites, ordinances, or sacrifices of the first covenant, could remove that obstacle, or expiate those sins. 6. The ground of the efficacy of the new covenant unto this end was, that it had a mediator, a high priest, such as had been already described. 7. The way and means whereby the mediator of the new covenant did expiate sins under the old was by death; nor could it otherwise be done, seeing this new covenant, being a testament also, required the death of the testator. 8. This death of the mediator of the new testament did take away sins by the redemption of them: “For the redemption of transgressions.” All which must be opened, for the due exposition of these words.