by the sacrifice of Christ. There was no suitableness neither in them to us, nor in us to them, until it was introduced by the blood of Christ. Without this, heavenly things would not have been heavenly to the minds and souls of men; they would neither please nor satisfy them; unless they themselves are purged, all things, even heavenly things themselves, would be unclean and defiled to them, Tit. i, 15.

5. Every eternal mercy, every spiritual privilege, is both purchased for us, and sprinkled for our use by the blood of Christ.

6. There is such an uncleanness in our natures, persons, duties, and worship, that unless they and we are sprinkled with the blood of Christ, neither we nor they can have any acceptance with God.

7. The sacrifice of Christ is the one, only, everlasting fountain and spring of all sanctification and sacred dedication; whereby the whole new creation is purified and dedicated unto God.

VERSE 24.

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.

$1. Introduction, and subject stated. $2. (I.) The subject spoken of. $3. (II.) Christ's entrance into heaven itself. §4. (III.) The end of his sacerdotal entrance into heaven.

§1. THE opposition between the high priests of the law, and their sacrifices, with their efficacy, and the Lord Christ with his sacrifice and its efficacy, is farther carried on in this verse. Had he purified the things only on the earth, we could have entered only into an earthly sanctuary, as did the high priest of old. But 'he entered, as the apostle now declares, into heaven itself.

In the words there is,

I. The subject spoken of, "Christ."

II. A double proposition concerning him:-that he is not entered into the holy places made with hands; and that he is entered into heaven itself.

III. The end of what is so affirmatively ascribed to him; "to appear in the presence of God for us."

$2. (I.) The subject spoken of is "Christ." And what is in general ascribed to him, or spoken of him, is an entrance; that which was the peculiar dignity of the high priest of old, wherein the principal discharge of his duty consisted, and on which the efficacy of his whole ministration did depend. Wherefore such an entrance must our high priest have after he had of fered himself once for all.

§3. (II.) This entrance is "not into holy places made with hands," &c. What the apostle calls (Urodelypara) patterns in the foregoing verse, he here calls (avlilura) figures: they express the same things in different respects. As the delineation of heavenly things in them were obscure and dark, they were (Urodely pala) similitudes, resemblances of heavenly things; as that representation was a transcript from the original pattern and idea in the mind of God, and shewed to Moses in the mount, they were (aviilure) express figures.

The place into which he entered is called "heaven itself."

The apostle hath in several places affirmed, that in his ascension he passed "through the heavens;" and was made "higher than the heavens;" wherefore by this, "heaven itself," some place called so by way of eminency is intended. This in the scripture is sometimes called the "heaven of heavens," and the "third heaven;" the place of the peculiar residence of the

presence, majesty, and glory of God, and of his throne; where all his blessed saints enjoy his presence, and all his holy angels minister unto him.

The entrance of Christ into heaven as our High Priest, was into it as the temple of God, wherein the chief thing considerable is the throne of grace. For it is that which answers to the entrance of the high priest into the holy place in the tabernacle. And he entered likewise into heaven triumphantly, as it was the palace of God, the throne of the great king, and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; but this he did in the execution of his kingly office with authority and power.

$4. (III.) The end of this sacerdotal entrance of Christ into heaven is "now to appear in the presence of God for us;" (vuv) now, at this present season, and always. What the other priests did was of no continuance; but this "now" is expressive of the whole time, from the entrance of Christ into heaven to the consummation of all things. He never departs out of the sanctuary, to prepare for a new sacrifice, as others did. There is no moment of time wherein it may not be said, "He now is there (auDavisvai) to appear in the presence of God for us." Absolutely considered, his entrance into heaven had other ends; but this is the only end of his entering into it as God's temple, as our high priest: and the whole discharge of the remaining duties of his sacerdotal office are comprised in this word.

He thus appears (TW □ρоσOTW TH Oεe) vultui, conspectui; faciei Dei) in the immediate presence of God, in opposition to the typical symbols of it in the tabernacle, before which the high priest presented himself.

The high priest appeared before the ark, the cherubims, and mercy-seat, composed into the form of a

throne; Christ enters into the real presence of God, appearing in his sight, with full assurance of success in his undertaking, and his full discharge from all imputed guilt. Had he not made an end of it, had he not absolutely been freed from it, he could not have thus appeared with confidence and boldness in the presence of God.

This is said to be done (vzερ μwv) for us, which re fers only to the term "appear;" to appear for us, that is, to do all things with God for us, at the throne of grace, that we may be saved: he is, therefore, in this important view the great representative of the church, the whole church of his redeemed, towards God, There is more in it than merely for our good; it is as it were the appearance of an advocate, a law appearance in the behalf of others, thus 1 John ii, 1,2. He will at the end present to God his whole church, with the matchless work of his love and grace accomplished towards it. He first presents it to himself, and then to God, Eph. v, 26, 27. He presents them as the portion given him out of fallen mankind to be redeemed, saying, "Behold I and the children which thou gavest me; thine they were, and thou gavest them me;" I present them to thy love and care, holy Father, that they may enjoy all the fruits of thy eternal love, all the benefits of my death and sacrifice. Thus the actual application of redeeming grace and mercy to the church, and every member of it, depends on our great High Priest's intercessory appearance before God.

VERSE 25.

Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others.

$1. That Christ should offer himself more than once was both needless and im possible. $2. A popish objection answered. §3. Exposition continued.

$1. THE

HE high priest ended not this work of offering sacrifices by his entrance into the holy place, but was to repeat the same again every year; this, therefore, in correspondence with the type, might be expected from Christ also; that he should offer himself again, and so have another entrance into the presence of God: this the apostle not only denies, but in the next verse gives a demonstration of its impossibility. (Oude) nor yet, answers to the negative in the first part of the preceding verse. It doth not follow, saith the apostle, that because as an high priest he entered into heaven, as the high priests of the law entered into the holy place not made with hands, that he should therefore offer himself often, as the high priest offered every year; it was not required of him; it was both needless and impossible: needless, from the perfection of that one offering; "By one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified:" impossible, from the condition of his person, he could not die often.

§2. The expositors of the Roman church raise an objection on this place: if Christ cease to offer himself, then it seems his sacerdotal office ceaseth also; for it belongs to that office to offer sacrifices continually. But there is no force in the objection; for it belongs to no priest to offer any other or any more sacrifices but what were sufficient and effectual to the end of his office.