in this exposition. It was the time when our Lord Jesus Christ
appeared in the flesh, and offered himself unto God. But why he should express that time by “the end of the world,” in the words that our Saviour designeth the end of the world absolutely by, Matt. xxvii. 20, is notso plain; for there was after this a long continuance and duration of the world to succeed,—so far as any knows, not less than what was past before it.
Various are the conjectures of learned men about this expression; I shall not detain the reader with their repetition. My thoughts are determined by what I have discoursed on chap.i.1, 2; the exposition of which place the reader may consult on this occasion, I hope unto his satisfaction. In brief, to give a short account of what more largely I have explained and fully confirmed in the place referred unto, aidv and aidévec do answer unto the Hebrew peiy and phy, And “the world,” not absolutely with respect unto its essence or substance, but its duration and the succession of ages therein, is signified by them. And the succession of the times of the world is considered with re- ference unto God’s distinction and limitation of things in his dealing with the church, called ofxovouiu rod rrnpwwaros rev xoupav, Eph. i. 10. And God’s distinction of time with respect unto the dispensation of himself in his grace to the church, may be referred unto three general
_ heads: first, the tume before the law; secondly, that which was spent
under the law; thirdly, that of the exhibition of Christ in the flesh, with all that doth succeed it unto the end of the world. This last
‘season, absolutely considered, is called rajpaya réiv xoupaiv, “ the ful-
ness of time,” when all that God had designed in the dispensation of his grace was come unto that head and consistency wherein no alteration should be made unto the end of the world. This is that season which, with respect unto those that went before, is called curéhere ray cidévav, “the end of the world,” or the last age of the world, the consummation of the dispensation of time, no change being afterwards to be introduced, like those which were made be- fore in the dispensation of God. This season, with respect unto the coming of Christ unto the Judaical church, is called D°P37 NNN, the
_ “latter days,” or the “end of the days;” namely, of that church-
state, of the dispensation of God in that season. With respect unto
the whole dispensation of God in the DDPIy, all the allotted ages of
the church, it was the last or end of them all; it was that wherein the whole divine disposition of things had its consummation. Wherefore both the entrance and the end of this season are called by the same name,—the beginning of it here, and the end of it Matt. xxviii. 20; for the whole is but one entire season. And the preposition é/, in this construction with a dative case, signifies the entrance of any thing; as éa? Suvdrw is “at the approach of death.” VOL, XXIIL 26
Reo el ss
402 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IX.
Wherefore, whatever hath been, or may be in the duration of the world afterwards, the appearance of Christ to offer himself was éa? owrersie ray aiovev, “in the end of the world;” that is, at the en- trance of the last season of God’s dispensation of grace unto the church. ‘Thus it was,’ saith the apostle, ‘in matter of fact; then did Christ offer himself, and then only.’
With respect unto this season so stated, three things are affirmed of Christ in the following words: 1. What.he did; “he appeared.” 2. Unto what end; “to take away sin.” 38. By what means; “by the sacrifice of himself.”
But there is some difficulty in the distinction of these words, and so variety in their interpretation, which must be removed. Tor these words, 6: rig Sucius airot, “by the sacrifice of himself,” may be referred either unto cis &dérnow d&puprias, “the putting away of — sin,” that goes before; or unto qeparépwras, “was manitest,” that follows after. In the first way the sense is, ‘He was manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself ;’—in the latter, ‘He appeared by the sacrifice of himself to put away sin;’ which confines his ap- pearance unto his sacrifice; which sense is expressed by the Vulgar ~ translation, “ per hostiam suam apparuit.” ‘ He appeared by his own host,” say the Rhemists. But the former reading of the words is evidently unto the mind of the apostle; for his appearance was what he did in general with respect unto the end mentioned, and the way whereby he did it.
1. There is what he did,—“ he appeared,” “he was mani- fested.” Some say that this appearance of Christ is the same with his appearance in the presence of God for us, mentioned in the foregoing verse. But it is, as another word that is used, so another thing that is intended. That appearance was after his sacrifice, this is in order unto it; that is in heaven, this was on earth; that is still continued, this is that which was already accom- plished, at the time limited by the apostle. Wherefore this “ap- pearance,” this gavépworg or “ manifestation” of Christ in the end of the world, is the same with his being “manifested in the flesh,” 1 Tim, ii. 16; or his coming into the world, or taking on him the seed of Abraham, to this end, that he might suffer and offer himself unto God. For what is affirmed is opposed unto what is spoken immediately before, namely, of his suffering often since the founda- tion of the world. This he did not do, but appeared, was manifested, (that is, in the flesh,) in the end of the world, to suffer and to ex- piate sin. Nor is the word ever used to express the appearance of Christ before God in heaven, His gauvépwoig is his coming into the world by his incarnation, unto the discharge of his office; his appear- ance before God in heaven is his iuganouss; and his illustrious ap- pearance at the last day is his émpdverw, though that word be used