(2.) Zéouy, it is “living.” This epithet is placed by apposition, without any note of distinction or conjunction. And it is said to be living, [1.] In opposition unto the way into the holiest under the tabernacle, which was, 1st. By death. Nothing could be done in it without the blood of the sacrifices. 2dly. It was the cause of death unto any one that should make use of it, the high priest only excepted, and he but once a-year. [2.] It is living as unto its efficacy; it is not a dead thing, it is that which hath a spiritual, vital efficacy in our access unto God. [3.] It is living from its effects; it leads to life, and effectually brings us thereunto, and is the only way of entering into everlasting life.
Obs. VII. All the privileges we have by Christ are great, glo- rious, and efficacious; all tending and leading unto life.
This new and living way of our approach unto God, is nothing but the exercise of faith for acceptance with God by the sacrifice of Christ, according unto the revelation made in the gospel.
8. He shows which way it thus leads to the holiest, or what is the tendency of it: it is “through the veil.” The apostle shows here expressly what he alludeth unto in the declaration he makes of our entrance into the holiest. The veil here intended by him was that between the sanctuary and the most holy place, whose description we have given on chap. ix.; for there was no possible entrance thereinto but through that veil, which was turned aside when the high priest entered. uie’ tors, rie What this veil was unto the high priest in his entrance «pms aéz0. into that holy place, that is the flesh of Christ unto us in ours; as
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Ate rov xa~ TUMETET LUT O56
506 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. X.
in the last place is described in exposition of this type, “ that is, his flesh.”
For the opening of these words, and the vindication of the apostle’s application of this type, we may observe,—
(1.) The flesh of Christ, the body of Christ, the blood of Christ, Christ himself, are all mentioned distinctly, as the matter of his sacrifice. See chap. ix. 14, 25, 28, x. 10.
(2.) This is done on various respects, to express either the dignity or the efficacy of the nature and manner of his offering.
(3.) In the sacrifice of Christ, the flesh was that which suffered peculiarly, as the great token and evidence of his real sufferings.
(4.) The whole efficacy of his sacrifice is ascribed unto every essen- tial part of the human nature of Christ, in that which either acted or suffered therein ;—to his soul, Isa. lili. 10; his blood, Heb. ix. 14; his body, verse 10; his flesh, as in this place. For these things were not distinctly operative, one in one effect, another in another, but all of them concurred in his nature and person, which he offered once wholly to God. So that where any of them is mentioned, the whole human nature of Christ, as unto the efficacy of it in his sacrifice, is intended.
(5.) Yet were these things distinctly typified and foresignified in the sacrifices and service of old. So was the flesh of Christ by the veil, as his whole nature by the tabernacle, his soul by the scape- goat, his body and blood by the sin-offering on the day of expiation, when the sacrifice was burnt without the camp.
(6.) Herein in an especial manner was the whole a type of the flesh of Christ, in that there was no entrance to be laid open into the holy place but by the rending of the veil. The time when the high priest entered into it, it was indeed turned aside; whereon it immediately closed again, and forbade an entrance and a prospect unto others. Wherefore there could be no entrance into that holy place abiding, unless the veil was rent and torn in pieces, so that it could close no more. For it came to pass on the death of the Lord Jesus, that “the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom.” And that which is signified hereby is only this, that by virtue of the sacrifice of Christ, wherein his flesh was torn and rent, we have a full entrance into the holy place, such as would have been of old upon the rending of the veil. This, therefore, is the genuine interpretation of this place, ‘We enter with boldness into the most holy place through the veil; that is to say, his flesh:’ we do so by virtue of the sacrifice of himself, wherein his flesh was rent, and all hinderances thereby taken away from us; of all which hinderances the veil was an emblem, and principal instance, until it was rent and removed,
The sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ unto all the ends of the
VER. 19-23. | EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 507
perfection of the church, in all duties and privileges, is that which the apostle instructs us unto herein. And there is great instruction given us, in this comparison of the type and antitype, into the way and nature of our access unto God in all our solemn worship. It is God as he was represented in the holy place to whom we address ourselves peculiarly; that is, God the Father as on a throne of grace: the manner of our access is with holy confidence, grounded solely on the efficacy of the blood or sacrifice of Christ. The way is by facth, as to the removal of the obstacles, and the view of God as reconciled. This is given us by the suffering of Christ in the flesh, which laid open the entrance into the holy place- Wherefore the apostle says not, that the veil was the flesh of Christ, as some pretend who have hence cavilled at the authority of this epistle on no other ground but because they could not apprehend the spiritual light and wisdom that is therein; only he says, we have our entrance into the holy place by virtue of the flesh of Christ, which was rent in his sacrifice, as through the rending of the veil a way was laid open into the holiest.