VER. 27, 28.] - - EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 407
But there is more in the words and design of the apostle than a bare similitude and illustration of what he treats of, though expo- sitors own it not. He doth not only illustrate his former assertion by a fit comparison, but gives the reason of the one offering’ of Christ, from what it was necessary for and designed unto. For that he introduceth a reason for his former assertion, the causal con- nection, x«/, doth demonstrate; especially as it is joined , with xaé’ 6cov,—that is, “in quantum,” “inasmuch as:” Bee in which sense he constantly useth that expression, chap. ili. 3, vii. 20, vill. 6. ‘And inasmuch as it was so with man- kind, it was necessary that Christ should suffer once for the expia- tion of sin and the salvation of sinners.’ How was it with mankind in this matter? On the account of sin they were all subject unto the law and the curse thereof. Hereof there were two parts:
Ka’ dros.
1. Temporal death, to be undergone penally on the sentence of
God. 2. Hiernal judgment, wherein they were to perish for ever- more. In these things consist the effects of sin, and the curse of the law. And they were due unto all men unavoidably, to be inflicted on them by the judgment and sentence of God. ‘It is appointed, decreed, determined of God, that men, sinful men, shall once die, and after that come to judgment for their sins.’ This is the sense, the sentence, the substance of the law. Under this sen- tence they must all perish eternally, if not. divinely relieved. But
‘inasmuch as it was thus with them, the one offering of Christ, once
offered, is prepared for their relief and deliverance. And the relief
is, in the infinite wisdom of God, eminently proportionate unto the
7 hy
evil, the remedy unto the disease, . For,—
1. As man was to die once legally and penally for sin, by the seritence of the law, and no more; so Christ died, suffered, and of- fered once, and no more, to bear sin, to expiate it, and thereby to take away death so far as it was penal.
2. As after death men must appear again the second time unto jadgment, to undergo condemnation thereon; so after his once of- - fering, to take away sin and death, Christ shall appear the second time to free us from judgment, and to bestow on us eternal salva- tion,
In this interpretation of the words I do not exclude the use of the comparison, nor the design of the apostle to illustrate the one offering of Christ once offered by the certainty of the death of men once only; for these things do illustrate one another as so com- pared. But withal I judge there is more in them than a mere comparison between things no way related one to another, but only haying some mutual resemblance in that they fall out but once; yea, there seems not to be much light nor any thing of argument in a comparison so arbitrarily framed. But consider these things in
08 AN EXPOSITION OF THE: ‘[cHap. Ix. |
their mutual relation and opposition one unto the other, which are the same with that of the law and the gospel, and there is much of - light and argument in the comparing of them together. For whereas the end of the death, suffering, and offermg of Christ, was to take away and remove the punishment due unto sin, which consisted in this, that men should once die, and but once, and afterwards come to judgment and condemnation, according to the sentence of the law; and it was convenient unto divine wisdom that Christ for — that end should die, suffer, offer once only, and afterwards soma them for whom he died unto salvation. ;
And this is the proper sense of zxaé” écov, oe quantum,” which — ‘ interpreters know not what to make of in this place, but endeayour variously to change and alter. Some pretend that some copies read zaé éy, and one zaé’ 6; which they suppose came from zaéae. But the only reason why the word is not liked, is because the sense is not understood. Take the mind of the apostle aright, and his ex- pression is proper unto his purpose. Wherefore there is im these verses an entire opposition and comparison between the law and the gospel; the curse due to sin, and the redemption that is by? 4 Christ Jesus.) And we may observe, that—
~Obs. I. God hath eminently suited our relief, the means aa’ 4 causes of our spirituat deliverance, unto our misery, the means and causes of it, so that his own wisdom and grace may be exalted and our faith established—That which is here summarily represented by our apostle in this elegant antithesis, he declares at large, — Rom. v., from verse 12 to the end of the chapter.
But we proceed with the interpretation of the words) In the first part of the antithesis and comparison, verse 27, there are three — things asserted: 1. The death of men, 2. The judgment that ensues, and, 3. The cause of them both. - The last is first to be explained.
First, “It is appointed,” “determined,” “enacted,” “statutum est.” _ It is so by him who hath a sovereign power and authority 4 in and over these things; and hath the force of an un- alterable law, which none can transgress. God himself hath thus appointed it; none else can determine and dispose of these things And the word equally respects both parts of the assertion, death and judgment. They are both equally from the constitution ce God, which is the cause of them both. oe