A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 127. Of the Priests entring into the holy place, with the blood of others.

THat there was a difference betwixt Christ, who did not offer himself often▪ and the legal high Priests, is evident by this note of comparison, a 1.1 A S. Christ did not as the legall high Priests did.

What an high Priest is, hath been shewed, Chap. 5. v. 1.

What the holy place was, whereinto he entered is shewed, v. 2. §. 14.

The time of his entering, in every year, is declared, v. 7. §. 41.

That which is here indefinitely set down with the blood of others, is particularly hinted to be blood of goats and calves. Hereof see v. 12. §. 56. The word b 1.2 o∣thers

is referred not to other persons, but to other kind of creatures. Accor∣ding to the notation, it signifieth that which belongeth to another, or is anothers, Luk. 16. 12. Rom. 14. 4. and 15. 20. It is derived from an adjective, which signifi∣eth▪ c 1.3 another, Joh. 5. 7, 32. See Chap. 11. v. 9. §. 44.

This indefinite phrase, blood of others, doth confirm the first difference betwixt Christ and the legal Priests. Christ offered himself: and with his own blood entered into heaven, v. 12. §. 57. and thereby procured remission of sins: But the Priests offe∣red the blood of beasts: and therewith entered into an earthy Tabernacle: and could cleanse no further then to the purifying of the flesh, v. 13. §. 75.

God appointed under the law the blood of beasts, because that was sufficient for the* 1.4 end whereunto it was appointed, namely to typifie a spiritual cleansing: not abso∣lutely to cleanse by it self.

If the Priest himself had been slain, his blood could not have purged himself, or* 1.5 any others from sin. For,

• 1. He was a man, and in that respect a sinner.
• 2. His blood was too mean a price, to redeem another, Psal. 49. 7.
• 3. He could not have carried his own blood when he was dead.
• 4. If a Priest should have offered himself for others, who would have been a Priest? For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, Rom. 5. 7.
• 5. It would have been counted a cruel law for a Priest to shed his own blood.

Herein we have an evidence of Gods tender respect to man in sparing his blood. Though man were ordained a Priest to typifie Christs Priest hood: though man in that function were to appeare before God: though he were to beare their names, yea and their sins, Exod. 28. 38. (all which Christ did:) yet when it came to the shedding of his blood, (as Christ did his) therin God spared him, and accepted the blood of beasts: as he accepted the Ram for Isaac, Gen. 22. 13.

How doth this amplifie Gods love to man, who was so tender of mans blood, and yet spared not his son, but gave him for us to death, Rom. 8. 32.

There was no other meanes to redeeme man from eternall damnation: therefore rather then man should perish eternally, God would give his son for him.

On the other side this doth much aggravate the Heathenish impiety and inhuma∣nity of▪ such Israelites as sacrificed their children to Idols. This was one of Ahaz his impieties, 2 King. 16. 3. God did expresly forbid it, Lev. 18 21. The Prophets much complained hereof, Isa. 57. 5. Ezek. 18. 20. This was one especiall cause of their captivity, 2 Kings 17. 7.

This also is an aggravation of the sin of murther and shedding mans blood un∣justly.

From the main difference that is here made betwixt the Priests under the law, that they every year went with blood into the holy place, and Christ who did not often, but once only offer himself, we may infer, that,

• 1. What the Priests did was imperfect. See Chap. 7. v. 27. §. 112.
• 2. What Christ did was perfect. See Chap. 7. v. 27. §. 115.

Notes

• a 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• b 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• c 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  Why blood of beasts ordai∣ned.
• * 1.5

  Why Priests offered not themselves.