they were weak and imperfect, and so not always to be continued. The end represented in and by them, was to make Atonement for Sin, that the Anger of God being pacified, they might have Peace with him. The Covenant was then newly established between God and the Church, be∣fore any Laws were given about these Offerings and Sacrifices, Exod. 24. God knew that there would be among the People, and even the Priests themselves many sins and transgressions against the Rules and Laws of that Covenant. This of it self it could not dispense withal. For its Sanction was the Curse against every one that continued not in all things written in the Book of it; wherefore if this Curse on all just and righteous occasions should rigidly have∣been put in execution, the Covenant would only have proved the means and cause of the utter destruction and excision of the whole People. For there is no man that liveth, and sinneth not. And on many occasions sin abounded in that state of the Church, wherein Light and Grace were but sparingly dispen∣sed, in comparison of the times of the New Covenant: Wherefore God in his Mercy and Patience provided, that by sacred Gifts and Offerings atonement should be made for sin, so as that the Curse of the Covenant should not be put in immediate execution against the sinner, Lev. 17. 11. But there were two things to be considered in those sins which God had appointed that atonement should be made for. The first was, the external temporal Punishment which was due unto them according unto the Place which the Law or Covenant had in the Politie or Commonwealth of Israel. The other, that eternal Punishment was due unto every sin by the Law, as the Rule of all Moral Obedience; For the wages of sin is death. In the first of these, the Person of the Sinner in all his outward circumstances, his Life, his Goods, his Liberty, and the like, were concerned. In the latter, here his Conscience, or the inward man alone was so. And as unto the first of them, the Gifts and Sacrifices mentioned being rightly offered, were able in themselves ex opere operato, to free the Sinner from all temporal political inconvenience or detriment, so as that his Life and In∣heritance should be continued in the Land of Canaan, or his state preserved entire in the Commonwealth of Israel. This the Apostle here tacitely acknow∣ledgeth, namely, that the Gifts and Sacrifices were able to free the Sinner from temporal Punishment, and give him outward Peace in his Possessions. But as unto the latter, wherein Conscience was concerned, he denies that they had any such efficacy.
They were not able, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. It agrees in Gender with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 only, and not with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which being of the Neuter Gender, usually regulates the con∣struction in such conjunctions. But as most think it equally respects both the antecedent Substantives. And instances may be given where a Participle re∣specting more antecedent Substantives than one, may agree in Gender with either of them. As Leges & Plebiscita coactae. But I rather think that the Apostle confines the Impotency he mentions unto Sacrifices only; that is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, slain and bloody Sacrifices. For these things which were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Gifts and no more, were not designed to make Atonement for Sin; that was to be done by Blood, and no otherwise, so the words should be read; offered Gifts and Sacrifices that could not persect.
These Sacrifices were impotent and ineffectual unto this end, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. What the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which the Apostle so frequently mentions in this Epistle, I have before declared, and so what it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. It is indeed to persect, to consum∣mate, to sanctifie, to dedicate, to consecrate. But whereas these Sacrifices did all these things outwardly, and as unto the flesh, as the Apostle grants, ver. 7. he doth not here absolutely deny it unto them, but in a certain respect only.
They could not do it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as unto the Conscience of the Sinner before God. What he intends hereby, he doth more fully declare, Chap. 10. ver. 2. There is a Conscience condemning for sin. This could not be taken away by these Sacrifices. They were not able to do it; for if they could have done so, the sin∣ner would have had compleat Peace with God, and would not have had need to have offered these Sacrifices any more: But they were multiplied and often re∣peated, because of their disability unto this end; wherefore 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,