. namely, such an one as should by his suffering and dying bring
more glory unto the righteousness, holiness, and law of God, than
either was derogated from them by the sin of man, or could be
restored unto them by his eternal ruin,—yet was it not consistent with the veracity of God in that sanction of the law that this sub- stitution should be‘of a nature no way cognate, but ineffably inferior unto the nature of him that was to be delivered. For these, and other reasons of the same kind, which I have handled at large else- where, “ it was impossible,” as the apostle assures us, “that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” And we may observe,— _ ;
Obs. I. It is possible that things may usefully represent what it is impossible that, in and by themselves, they should effect.—This is the fundamental rule of all institutions of the old testament. Wherefore,—
Obs. II. There may be great and eminent uses of divine ordi- nances and institutions, although it be impossible that by them- selves, in their most exact and diligent use, they should work out our acceptance with God.—And it belongs unto the wisdom of faith to use them unto their proper end, not to trust unto them as unto what they cannot of themselves effect.
Obs. III. It was utterly een that sin should ps taken away
446 AN EXPOSITION OF THE {CHAP. xX.
before God, and from the conscience of the sinner, but by the blood of Christ.—Other ways men are apt to betake themselves unto for this end, but in vain. It is the blood of Jesus Christ alone that cleanseth us from all our sins; for he alone was the propitiation for them.
Obs. IV. The declaration of the insufficiency of all other ways for the expiation of sin is an evidence of the holiness, righteousness, and severity of God against sin, with the unavoidable ruin of all unbelievers.
Obs. V. Herein also consists the great demonstration of the love, grace, and mercy of God, with an encouragement unto faith, in that when the old sacrifices neither would nor could perfectly expiate sin, he would not suffer the work itself to fail, but provided a way that should be infallibly effective of it, as is declared in the following verses.
VERSES 5-10.
The provision that God made to supply the defect and insuffi- ciency of legal sacrifices, as unto the expiation of sin, peace of con- science with himself, and the sanctification of the souls of the worshippers, is declared in this context; for the words contain the blessed undertaking of our Lord Jesus Christ to do, fulfil, perform, and suffer, all things required in the will, and by the wisdom, holi- ness, righteousness, and authority of God, unto the complete salva- tion of the church, with the reasons of the efficacy of what he so did and suffered unto that end. And we must consider both the words themselves, so far especially as they consist in a quotation out of the Old Testament, and the validity of his inferences from the testimony which he chooseth to insist on unto this purpose.
Ver. 5-10.— Ard eioepyduevog sig riv xbomov, Aéye1, Ovorav nai wpoo- Popa obn HOEAnous, Coma Of xaTNpTicw Wor bAOKaUTMMUaTE Hol TEP) BfLEp- Tig ovx edOdunous. Tore eiarov, Idod juw (2v xepuasds PiCAlov yeypamras wep) 00) rov worjout, 6 Osis, rd JEAnwa oov. *Avwrepov Ayo, Ors Suciay nai rpoopopay nal bronauTamara nal weph amauprias ox HlEAnTuS, ovdt edddxnouc: (alrwes narc roy voor xpoodéporras) Tore etpyrev, “Idd uw Tov Toca, 6 Osds, rd JEAnucd cour cvaspe? rd rparor, Iva rd Oewrepoy Ornon By WO Serna HyIaowevos EoMev OI FHS TPoGPopas Tov awmarog Tov "Inood Xprorot eoawaé.
Some few differences may be observed in the ancient and best translations.
Aw. Vulg. Lat., “ideo quapropter.” Syr., 829 D122, “for this,” “for this cause.”
OQuolav xl mxpooPopev, “hostiam et oblationem,” “ sacrificium, ‘victimam.” The Syriac renders the words in the plural number, “sacrifices and offerings.”
Sao 08 xarnpricw wot, “aptasti,” “adaptasti mihi,” “ preepardsti,” “perfe- cisti.” “ A body hast thou prepared;” that is, ‘ fitted for me, wherein I may do thy will.’ Syr., 22Y208 PI 839, “but thou hast clothed me with a body;” very significantly, as unto the thing intended, which is the incarnation of the Son of God. The Ethiopic renders this verse somewhat strangely: “ And when he en-
VER. 5-10.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 447
tered into the world, he saith, Sacrifices and offerings I would not; thy body he hath purified unto me;” making them, as I suppose, the words of the Father, Obx evdcxnows. Vulg., “non tibi placuerant;” reading the preceding words in the nominative case, altering the person and number of the verb Syr., ¥? noNy, “thou didst not require,” “non approbasti;” that is, “they were not well pleasing,” nor “accepted with God,” as unto the end of the-expiation of sin.
ed
*Idod yxa. “ Ecce adsum,” “ venio.” Ovx abirnous, ovde evdcxnoxs. The Syriac omitteth the last word, which yet is emphatical in the discourse. Tore sionxev. Vulg., “tunc dixi,’ “then I said;” that is, cio», for “he said,” for the apostle doth not speak these words, but repeats the words of the psalmist. The reading of the words out of the Hebrew by the apostle shall be considered in our passage.' Ver. 5-10.—Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared [ fitted for] me: in burnt- offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no plea- sure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God; [that _ I should do thy will.| Above when he said, Sacrifice, and offering, and burnt-offerings, and [offerings] for sin, thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure [ therein, | which are offered by the law; then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [ for all.]