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our redemption, sanctification, and salvation by Christ, as gives an immoveable foundation to faith to rest upIt is unbelief alone, made obstinate by prejudices insinuated by the devil, that hides these things from any, 2 Cor. iv, 3, 4.

2. The efficacy of all the offices of Christ towards the church depends on the dignity of his person. The offering of his blood was prevalent for the expiation of sin, because it was His blood, and for no other reason. The person of Christ is the principle of all hismediatory acts, although those acts be immediately performed by virtue of his distinct natures, some of one, some of another, according to their distinct properties and powers; wherefore he was so far a mediator and priest in both his natures, as that whatever he did in the discharge of those offices was the act of his entire person, whereon the dignity and efficacy of all he did depended.

3. There is nothing more destructive to the whole faith of the gospel than by any means to evacuate the immediate efficacy of the blood of Christ; every opinion of that tendency breaks in upon the whole mystery of the wisdom and grace of God in him: it renders all the institutions and sacrifices of the law, whereby God instructed the church of old in the mystery of his grace, useless and unintelligible, and overthrows the foundation of the gospel.

4. This was the greatest expression of the inexpressible love of Christ; "he offered himself;" this is the foundation of our faith and boldness in approaching to God, that Christ hath offered himself for us.

It is hence evident how vain and insufficient are all other ways for the expiation of sin, and the purging of our consciences before God. The sum of all false religion consisted always in contrivances for the expi

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ation of sin; and as superstition is restless, so the inventions of men have been endless in finding out means to this end: but if any thing within the power of men to invent or accomplish had been sufficient for this purpose, there would have been no need that the Son of God should have offered himself, see chap. X, 5-8; Micah vi, 8, 9.

§18. We may farther observe the following partic ulars:

1. Faith has a ground of triumph in the certain ef ficacy of the blood of Christ for the expiation of sin. "How much more." The Holy Ghost here and else where teacheth faith to argue itself into a full assurance. The reasonings he proposeth and insisteth on to this end are admirable, Rom. viii, 31-39. How heavenly, how divine, is that way of arguing to this purpose which our blessed Savior proposeth to us in the parable of the unjust judge and the widow! Lake xviii, 1-3. And in that other, of the man and his friend that come to seek bread by night! chap. xi, 57. Who can read them, but his soul is surprised into some kind of confidence of being heard in his supplica tion, if in any measure compliant with the rule prescribed? And the apostle's argument here leaves no room for doubt or objection. Were we more diligent in the exercise of faith, by arguings and expostulations upon scripture principles, we should be more firm in our assent to the conclusions which arise from them, and be enabled more to triumph against the assaults of unbelief.

2. Nothing could expiate sin, and free conscience from dead works, but the blood of Christ alone, and that in the offering of it to God through the eternal Spirit. The redemption of the souls of men is precious, and must have ceased for ever, had not infinite

Wisdom found out this way for its accomplishment. The work was too great for any other to undertake, or for any other means to effect; and the glory of God therein is hid only to them that perish.

3. It was to God, as the supreme ruler and law-giver, atonement for sin was to be made; "he offered himself to God." It was HE, whose law was violated, whose justice was provoked, to whom it belonged to require and receive satisfaction. And who was meet to tender it to him, but the man that was his fellow, who gave efficacy to his oblation by the dignity of his person? In the contemplation of the glory of God in this matter does the life of faith principally consist.

4. The souls and consciences of men are wholly polluted, before they are purged by the blood of Christ, And this pollution is such, as excludes them (in a sense) from all right of access to God in his worship, as it was with them who were legally unclean.

5. Even the best works of men, antecedently to the purging of their consciences by the blood of Christ, are but dead works. However men may please themselves in them, perhaps think to merit by them, yet from death they come, and to death they tend.

6. Justification and sanctification are inseparably conjoined in the design of God's grace by the blood of Christ. "Purge our consciences that we may serve the living God."

7. Gospel worship is such in its spirituality and holiness as becometh the living God; and our duty it is always to consider, that with him we have to do.

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And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance,

§1. Concerning the meaning of the word Testament. §2. The connexion and
argument 3. First, God designed for some an eternal inheritance. H
Secondly, by what way. 5. Thirdly, to whom. §6. Fourthly, an obstacle
: removed
7. Fifthly, by what means. $8. Sixthly, its Mediator. $9. Ser
enthly, his death. 11, 12. Observations.

"

§1. An inquiry may be justly moved, why we render the Greek word (dialиnn) by a testament in this place, whereas before we have constantly rendered by it a covenant? And the plain reason is, because from this verse to the end of the chapter the apostle argues from the nature and use of a "testament" among men, as he directly affirms in the next verse. This word (diabunn) is properly a "testamentary disposition of things;" as another Greek word (ovvonnn) is properly a covenant. For in the composition of the word there is nothing to intimate a mutual compact, which is nec essary to a covenant strictly so called. However there is a great affinity in the things themselves; for there are covenants which have in them grants and donations; and there are testaments whose force is resolved into some conditions and agreements. Such is their affinity, that one name may be expressive of them both.

The Hebrew word (n) could not be more properly rendered by any one word than by that which the apostle useth; for it being mostly used to express the covenant between God and man, it is of that nature as cannot properly be termed (ovvbyun) à covenant, or compact, upon equal terms of distributive justice

between distinct parties. But God's covenant with man is only the way, and the declaration of the terms, whereby God will dispose and communicate good things to us, which had more of the nature of a testament than of a covenant. Besides, the Hebrew term is often used to express a free promise, with an effectual donation and communication of the thing promised; but this hath more the nature of a testament than of a covenant; again, there is no word in the Hebrew language whereby to express a testament but that only; and therefore where the nature of the thing spoken of requires it, it is properly rendered "a testament." Wherefore the apostle having discoursed before concerning the covenant as it prescribed and required obedience, with promises and penalties annexed; he now treats of it as to the donation and communication of good things, with the grant of them. confirmed by death; in which sense it was a testament and not a covenant properly so called. And the apostle's argument from this word is not only just and reasonable; but, without it we could never håve right. ly understood the typical representation made of the death, blood, and sacrifice of Christ, in confirming the New Testament, as we shall see immediately.

This difficulty being removed, we may proceed in the exposition of the words.

§2. "And for this cause" (a) and, is emphatically expletive, denoting a progress in the present argument; as much as, also, moreover. "For this cause;" it is evident that here is a reason rendered of the necessity of Christ's death and sacrifice, by which alone our consciences may be purged from dead works; for it is the nature of his office to be the Mediator of the new covenant, which, being a testament, required the death of the Testator; and moreover the redemption of trans

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