Christ; and all manifested their own insufficiency to give the least
real relief unto mankind from under the fruits of their apostasy from God. See 1 Cor. i. 5. To give time unto Satan to fix and establish his kingdom in the world, that the destruction of him and it might be the more conspicuous and glorious. These, and sundry
other things of a like nature, do evince that there was a condecency iP
unto divine wisdom in the determination of the season of the ap-
4
VER. 27, 28.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 405
pearance of Christ in the flesh; howbeit it is ultimately to be re- solved into his sovereign will and pleasure. '
Obs. IV. God had a design of infinite wisdom and grace in his sending of Christ, and his appearance in the world thereon, which could not be frustrated. “He appeared to put away sin.” The footsteps of divine wisdom and grace herein I have inquired into in a peculiar treatise, and shall not here insist on the same argument.t
Obs. V. Sin had erected a dominion, a tyranny over all men, as by a law.— Unless this law be abrogated and abolished, we can have neither deliverance nor liberty. Men generally think that they serve themselves of sin, in the accomplishment of their lusts and gratification of the flesh; but they are indeed servants of it and slaves unto it. It hath gotten a power to command their obedience unto it, and a power to bind them over to eternal death for the dis- obedience unto God therein. As unto what belongs unto this law and power, see my discourse of Indwelling Sin.
Obs. VI. No power of man, of any mere creature, was able to evacuate, disannul, or abolish this law of sin; for,—
Obs. VII. The destruction and dissolution of this law and power of sin, was the ereat end of the coming of Christ for the discharge of his priestly office in the sacrifice of himself. No other way could it be effected. And,—
Obs. VIII. It is the glory of Christ, it is the safety of the church, that by his one offering, by the sacrifice of himself once for all, he
_ hath abolished sin as unto the law and condemning power of it.
¥
VERSES 27, 28. Kal x00 boo aminciras ros avdpiros drat arobave, werd OF rolré npiciss oirw xual 6 Xpiords hrak mpooeveydelg ig rd TOAAGY aveveyneiv cpaprias, én devrépov ywpls cuapring dpdnoeras roi aiiriy dmexdexomévors
€1g OWTnpicy.
Kal xa door, “et sicut,” “ et quemadmodum,” * Agéxsiras, “ statutum,” “ con- stitutum est.” Tots dvdparors. Syr., Y2 ™22>, “to the sons of men;” of Adam, all his posterity. “Azaé. Syr., 721 S777, “that at one time,” “a certain ap- pointed time.” Merd d¢ rovro. Vulg., “post hoc autem.” “ Postea vero;” “ and afterward.” Syr., Pome “nS 724, and after their death,” the death of them.
So also Christ 2x7aZ. Syr., 127 S74, “one time,” “at one time.” Eis 70 dve- veyxelv. Vulg., “ ad exhaurienda peccata;” Rhem., “ to exhaust the sins of many ;” without any sense. ” Avaz@épw may signify “to lift” or “ bear up;” not at all “to draw out of any deep place,” though there may be something in that allusion. Syr., SET 727 F2YP, “and in himself he slew” (or “ sacrificed”) “ the sins of many.” “In himself;” that is, by the sacrifice of himself he took them away. Beza, “ ut in seipso attolleret multorum peccata ;” that he might “ lift” or “ bear up” the sins of many in himself: he took them upon himself as a burden, which
‘ See vol. v. of miscellaneous works, on Justification. 2 See vol, vi. ibid.
406 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IX.
he bare upon the cross; as opposed to yaple &waprios, afterwards, “not burdened with sin.” Others, “ad attollendum peccata multorum in semet Jpsums ue’ tO take up unto himself” (that is, “ upon himself”) “ the sins of many.’
The Syriac reads the first clause, “He shall appear the second time unto the salvation of them that expect” or “look for him.” All others, “ He shall appear unto” (or “be seen by”) “ them that look for him, unto salvation :” unto which difference we shall speak afterwards,
Ver. 27, 28.—And [in like manner] as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this [aflerwards]| the judgment: so also Christ was once offered to bear [i himself | the sins of many ; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation.
' These verses put a close unto the heavenly discourse of the apostle concerning the causes, nature, ends, and efficacy, of the sacrifice of Christ, wherewith the new covenant was dedicated and confirmed. And in the words there is a treble confirmation of that singularity and efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ which he had pleaded before: 1. In an elegant instructive similitude, “And as it is appointed,” ete.~ verse 27. 2. Ina declaration of the use and end of the offering of Christ; “‘He was once offered to bear the sins of many.” 3. In the consequent of it; his second appearance, unto the salvation of be- lievers, verse 28.
In the comparison, we must first consider the force of it in general, and explain the words. That, as we have observed, which the apostle designeth to confirm and illustrate, is what he had pleaded in the foregoing verses concerning the singularity and effi- cacy of the offering of Christ; whereon also he takes occasion to declare the blessed consequent of it. Hereof he gives an illustra- tion, by comparing it unto what is of absolute and unavoidable ne- cessity, so as that it cannot otherwise be, namely, the death of all the individuals of mankind by the decretory sentence of God. As they must die every one, and every one but once; so Christ was to die, to suffer, to offer himself, and that but once. The instances of those who died not after the manner of other men, as Enoch and Elijah, or those who, having died once, were raised from the dead and died again, as Lazarus, give no difficulty herein. They are instances of exemption from the common rule by mere acts of divine sove- reignty; but the apostle argues from the general rule and consti- tution, and thereon alone the force of his comparisons doth depend, and they are not weakened by such exemptions, As this is the certain, unalterable law of human condition, that every man must die once, and but once, as unto this mortal lifes so Christ was She and but once, offered. s