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Vers. 4. FOr if he were on earth, he should not be a Priest, seeing that there are Priests that offer gifts according to the Law] That is, as in the times of the old Testa∣ment, if the Priest had onely offered a sacrifice, and not gone into the holy of holies with the bloud thereof, sprinkling the mercy seat, praying and interceding that it
might be accepted for the sinnes of the people,* 1.1 the Priest had not done that worke of the Priest, and so he had not beene a compleat Priest; so if Christ had onely offered up himselfe here a sacrifice, and had not gone into heaven, the holy of holies, and car∣ryed the power and vertue of his death thither, to pray and intercede for us, he had not done the work of the great High Priest.
Vers. 5. Was admonished of God] One word in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.2 signifies to an¦swer as God doth men by oracles, Heb. 11.7. and 12.25. So 2 Matth. 12. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, being warned of God, as it should have been exprest there.
Vers. 6. He is the mediatour of a better Covenant,* 1.3 which was established upon better Pro∣mises] The promises of the new Covenant are said to be better in foure respects, 1. All the promises of the Law were conditionall, this doe and thou shalt live; those of the Gospell are absolute, of grace, as well as to grace. 2. This Covenant pro∣miseth higher things; here God promiseth himselfe, his Sonne, his spirit, a higher righteousnesse, and a higher Son-ship. 3. Because of their stability, those of the old Covenant were swallowed up in the curse; these are the sure mercies of David. 4. They are all promised upon our interest in Christ, 2 Cor. 1.20. This makes the promises sweet, because they lead us to Christ, the Fountaine of them.
Vers. 7. For if that first Covenant had been faultlesse] That manner of administra∣tion of the Covenant of Grace, may be said to be faulty two wayes, 1. As imper∣fect, dispensed in shadowes; their dwelling in the land of Canaan was to them a type of heaven. 2. As it did not make the person perfect, conveighed not grace. See 10. verse.
Vers. 9. And J regarded them not] Greeke, I did not care for them.
Vers. 10. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those dayes saith the Lord, I will put my law into their mind, &c] In this verse the Apostle sets down the Covenant of grace: That expression of writing the Law in the heart shews, 1. That the Law is not in any mans heart by nature; there is not a principle, and rule of conformity within, Rom. 7.9. 2. The Spirit of God makes use of the Law, to put a suitable disposition into the heart, to what the Law requireth. 3. In Con∣version, the Lord puts the whole Law into the heart;* 1.4 there is a conformity to the Law in all things. 4. The Lord so puts it there that he writes it; by which expres∣sion he signifies, that it shall for ever ever abide there. It is an allusion (saith Estius) unto the two Tables of the Law. They were first written by the finger of God, and then put into the Arke; so God first writes the Law in our hearts, and then puts it in our minds.
Vers. 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour] The teaching of men shall not be laid aside, but they must not depend on it;* 1.5 the teaching of God shall make it effectuall to them. See Estius.
All Gods people, little and great, weake and strong, shall know him; by knowing is not meant a bare apprehension, and notion of his being and nature, but a know∣ledge of acquaintance, a knowing him to be ones God reconciled to him in Christ,* 1.6 so Hos. 2.20.
Vers. 12. For J will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse, and their sinnes and their ini∣quities will I remember no more] Here are two things, 1. There conciliation of God with his people, I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse, He will be mercifull, or propitious, appeased, and pacified toward them,* 1.7 which hath respect to the ran∣some, and satisfaction of Christ. 2. He will pardon them completely; here are three words, unrighteousnesse. sinnes, and iniquities, to shew that he will forgive all kinds, and degrees of their sinnes, 1. The number of words implies the number of sinnes. 〈1 page missing〉〈1 page missing〉
2. Some of these words are of a higher nature; God will pardon the most hay∣nous sinnes; God himselfe undertakes all in the Covenant of Grace, as we may see in the 10, 11. and this 12. v. He will put his Law into our mind, he will be to us a God, he will teach us, and pardon our sinnes; Christ is the Mediatour and surety of this Covenant, he undertakes with God, that we shall be his people; and with us, that God shall be our God. He had three Offices to make good this; all implyed in these three verses Vers. 12. I will be mercifull, Or pacified, by that propitiation the High Priest shall make, there is his Priestly office, v. 11. He teacheth his Church outwardly by his word, inwardly by his spirit; there is his propheticall office, v. 10. He saith he will put his Lawes in their minds, there is his Kingly office; he is as King to see that we shall be obedient to God.
Mr. Bridge on 2 Heb. 17.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
Ibi vetus & no∣vum Testamen∣tum non accipi∣tur pro libris veteris & novi Testamenti sed pro foedere ope∣rum & foedere Evangelico. Et meliores promis∣siones dicuntur quibus promittebatur vita aeterna sub conditione fidei, quam Deus in suis praestituturas erat, iis quibus cadem quidem pro∣mittebatur vita, sed sub ijs conditionibus quibus homines erant impares; etsi tamen non inutiliter proponerentur, ut suae imbecilli∣tatis co victi ad Dei miserecordiam confugerent, eujus promissiones in Christo venturo apprehenderunt Patres, qui sub lege constituti ad Christi justitiam se converterunt. Rivetus. Isag. See Cartwright on 11. Rom. 4. and on 7. v. Vide Cam. Myroth; Evang.
Sumpta est Me∣taphora à mem∣branis aut tabu∣lis in quibus aut super quibus ali∣quid scribitur. Estius.
He gives them sound and sa∣ving know∣ledge.
See 2 Cor. 4.6.
The Scripture in propoun∣ding Gospell priviledges, sometimes us∣eth these three words, as Exod. 34.5. sometimes two. as Jer. 31.34. sometimes but one, as Ier. 33.8. See Ier. 31.33. and 32.38.39.40. (Where the Covenant is originally recorded) that God himselfe doth all.