But whence is this difference? Is it that the sin is less in believers than in other men? or is it because God is less displeased with sin in them than the unbelieving? Nay, God is equally displeased with equal sins in whomsoever found; and if there be any difference, he is more displeased with sin in believers than in any others; but the difference ariseth merely from the event. Regenerate persons will, through grace, certainly use the means of grace and repentance for the obtaining of pardon, which the other will not; and if they also are assisted so to do, even they in like manner shall obtain forgiveness. No man therefore can take any true relief against the guilt of sin from his state and condition; which may be an aggravation, but can be no alleviation of it. Again, there are degrees of sin amongst the unregenerate, who live in a course of sin all their days. And sometimes here, but certainly hereafter, God deals with them not only according to their state of sin, and their course of sin, but according to the degrees and aggravations of sin in great variety. All do not sin equally, nor shall all be equally punished.

§8. Obs. 4. Our "ignorance" is both our calamity, our sin, and an occasion of many sins to us. Having declared that the high priest was first to offer sacrifices for the sins of men, and then that he was to be compassionate towards them, both in their sins and sor rows; the first instance which the apostle gives of those who are concerned herein, is of "them that are ignorant." How small a portion is it that we know of God! We cannot by searching find out the Almighty to perfection, such knowledge is too wonderful for us. If we know him so as to believe, fear, and obey him, it is all that is promised us in this life. Wherefore let the best of us take care that we be not

puffed up with a vain conceit of our knowledge. Alas! how many things are to be known in God, that we have no knowledge of; and nothing do we know as we ought, or as it shall be known. Let us endeavor, therefore, in the constant use of all means, to grow in the knowledge of God, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; and the more we learn, the more we shall see is to be learned. Let us long for the time, or rather that eternity, when all these shades shall fly away; all darkness be removed from our minds, and all intercepting veils from about the Divine Being and glory; when we shall see him as he is, with open face, and know as we are known, which is the eternal life and blessedness of our souls. But while we are on earth, who is not sensible of the inconveniences and perplex- · ities that he is continually cast into by the remains of darkness and ignorance? who is not sensible how much his love and obedience are weakened by them? Herein then our merciful High Priest exerciseth "compassion" towards us, and leads us on, if we are not slothfully wanting to ourselves, with fresh discoveries of divine light and truth, which-although they are not absolutely satisfactory to the soul, nor do utterly take away its thirst after the all-fulness of the eternal fountain of them; yet-hold our souls in life, relieve us from frequent surprisals, and constantly increase our knowledge to the perfect day.

§9. We shall conclude with the following additional observations.

1. Sin is a wandering from the way; see chap. iii, 10.

2. No sort of sinners are excluded from an interest in the care and love of our compassionate High Priest, but only those who exclude themselves by their unbelief.

3. It was well for us, and enough for us, that the Lord Christ was compassed with the sinless infirmities

of our nature.

4. God can teach a sanctified use of sinful infirmities; as he did to the priests under the law.

VERSE 3.

And by reason hereof he ought as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

$1. (1.) The words explained. §2. An objection answered. §3. (II.) Observations. 1. The absolute holiness of Christ had a signal influence on the efficacy of his sacrifice, and is a great encouragement to us. §4. 2. Whoever dealeth with God or man about the sins of others, should look well in the first place to his own.

§1. (1.) "AND by reason hereof:" the pronoun (Tauly) this, plainly and immediately refers to (0Velay, propter hanc, or istam infirmitatem) "infirmity." Had the high priest under the law been without any sinful infirmity, as the Lord Christ was, he should have had nothing to do, but to offer sacrifice for the sins of the people. But it was otherwise with him; (a) he ought to suffer for his own sins; the condition wherein he was, as well as the divine appointment, required it. (Kabwg Tepi T8 λa8) "In like manner as for the people," that is, either the whole people collectively, or all the people distributively, as their occasions required. In the former way the great anniversary sacrifice, which he celebrated in his own person for the whole body of the people, is principally intended: Lev. xvi, 16, 24: to which we may add the daily sacrifice belonging to the constant service of the temple, which is therefore used synechdochically for the whole worship thereof, Dan. viii, 11, 12. For herein also was the whole church equally concerned.

In the latter way it respects all those occasional sacrifices, whether for sin or trespasses, or free-will offerings, which were continually to be offered by the priests alone, so for himself; in like manner, on the same grounds, and for the same reasons, that he offered for the people. He had a common interest with them in their daily sacrifices, which was the public worship of the whole church: and therein he offered sacrifice for himself also, together with the people, because he was encompassed with infirmities, and obnoxious to sin, and so stood in no less need of atonement and expiation than they. Expositors generally and justly agree, that this is peculiar to the high priest according to the law, the Lord Jesus Christ being neither intended nor included in this expression.

§2. There remaineth one difficulty only to be removed, which may arise from the consideration of this discourse, for if the high priest of old, notwithstanding his own sins, could first offer for himself, and then for the people, and so make expiation for all sin, what necessity was there that our High Priest should be absolutely free from all sin, as our apostle declares he was, and that it was necessary he should be? Chap, vii, 25, 26. For it seems, according to this precedent, he might first have offered for his own sin, and then for ours. We reply,

1. It is one thing to expiate sin typically, and another to do it really. One thing to do it in representation by virtue of somewhat else, another to do it effectually by itself. The first might be done by them that were sinners, the latter could not.

2. That a real atonement might be made for sin, it was required that our nature, which was to suffer and to be offered, should be united to the divine nature in the

person of the Son of God; but this it could not be, had it not been absolutely sinless.

§3. (II.) Obs. 1. The absolute holiness and spotless innocency of Jesus Christ in his offering himself, had a signal influence on the efficacy of his sacrifice, and is a great encouragement to our faith and consolation. Had he any sin of his own he could never have taken all sin from us. From hence it was, that what he did was so acceptable to God, and that what he suffered was justly imputed to us, seeing there was no cause in himself why he should suffer at all, 2 Cor. v, 21, "He made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." The apostle Peter, mentioning the redemption which we have by his blood, in the sacrifice of himself, says it was "as of a lamb without spot and without blemish," 1 Pet. i, 19. And treating again of the same matter, he adds, "who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth," chap. ii, 22.

§4. Obs. 2. Whoever dealeth with God or man about the sin of others, should look well in the first place to his own. The high priest was to take care about, and first to offer for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. And they who follow not this method, will miscarry in their work. It is the greatest evidence of hypocrisy for men to be severe toward the sins of others, and careless about their own. By such persons are the souls of men ruined; they undertake the dispensation of the gospel for their conversion to God, and yet know nothing of it themselves. With what confidence, with what conscience can we endeavor this towards others, if we do not first take the highest care of the matter ourselves? Some that should watch over others, are open and profligate sinners themselves. The preaching, exhortations, and re