A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews viz, on the sixth, seventh, eight, ninth, and tenth chapters : wherein together with the explication of the text and context, the priesthood of Christ ... are declared, explained and confirmed : as also, the pleas of the Jews for the continuance and perpetuity of their legal worship, with the doctrine of the principal writers of the Socinians about these things, are examined and disproved / by J. Owen ...

VER. XX.

Saying; This is the Blood of the Testament which God hath enjoyned unto you.

The Difference between the words of Moses and the Repetition of them by the Apostle is not material, as unto the sense of them. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Behold, in Moses, is rendred by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 This; both demonstrative Notes of the same thing. For in pro∣nouncing of the words Moses shewed the Blood unto the People; And so Behold the Blood, is all one as if he had said, this is the Blood. The making of the Covenant in the words of Moses is expressed by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 hath cut, divided, solemnly made. This the Apostle renders by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, hath enjoyned or commanded you. And this he doth partly to signify the Foundation of the People's Acceptance of that Covenant, which was the Authority of God, enjoyning them or requiring them so to do; partly to inti∣mate the nature of the Covenant it self which consisted in Precepts and Injunctions principally, and not absolutely in Promises as the New Covenant doth. The last words of Moses, Concerning all these words, the Apostle omits. For he includes the sense of them in that word, which the Lord commanded you. For he hath respect therein both unto the words themselves written in the Book, which were Precepts and Injuncti∣ons, as also the command of God for the Acceptance of the Covenant.

That which Moses said, is, This is the blood of the Testament. Hence the Apo∣stle * 1.1 proves that Death and the shedding of blood therein was necessary unto the con∣secration and establishment of the first Testament. For so Moses expresly affirms in the Dedication of it; This is the blood of the Covenant; without which it could not have been a firm Covenant between God and the People; Not I confess from the nature of a Covenant in general; for a Covenant may be solemnly established with∣out Death or Blood; but from the especial end of that Covenant, which in the confirmation of it, was to prefigure the confirmation of that new Covenant, which could not be established but with the blood of a Sacrifice. And this adds both force and evidence unto the Apostles Argument. For, he proves the Necessity of the Death and Blood-shedding or Sacrifice of Christ in the confirmation of the New Covenant, from hence, that the Old Covenant which in the Dedication of it was prefigurative hereof, was not confirmed without Blood. Wherefore, whereas God had solemnly pro∣mised to make a new Covenant with the Church, and that different from or not ac∣cording unto the Old, which he had proved in the foregoing Chapter, it follows una∣voidably, that it was to be confirmed with the Blood of the Mediator, (for by the blood of Beasts it could not be) which is that Truth wherein he did instruct them; And no∣thing was more cogent to take off the scandal of the Cross and of the sufferings of Christ.

For the Enuntiation it self, This is the blood of the Covenant, it is figurative and Sacramental. The Covenant had no blood of its own; but the blood of the Sa∣crifices is called the blood of the Covenant, because the Covenant was dedicated and established by it. Neither was the Covenant really established by it. For it was the Truth of God on the one hand, and the stability of the People in their profes∣sed Obedience on the other, that the establishment of the Covenant depended on. But this blood was a confirmatory sign of it, a Token between God and the Peo∣ple of their mutual engagements in that Covenant. So the Paschal Lamb was cal∣led

Gods Pass-over, because it was a sign and token of Gods passing over the houses of the Israelites when he destroyed the Aegyptians, Exod. 12. 11, 21. With reference it was unto those Sacramental Expressions, which the Church under the Old Te∣stament was accustomed unto, that our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Institution of the Sacrament of the Supper, called the Bread and the Wine, whose use he appointed therein, by the names of his Body and Blood; and any other Interpretation of the words wholly overthrows the Nature of that holy Ordinance.

Wherefore this Blood was a confirmatory Sign of the Covenant. And it was so, (1) From Gods Institution, he appointed it so to be, as is express in the words of Moses. (2) From an Implication of the Interest of both Parties in the blood of the Sacrifice; God, unto whom it was offered, and the People on whom it was sprinkled. For it being the blood of Beasts that were slain, in this use of it each Party as it were engaged their lives unto the Observation and Performance of what was re∣spectively undertaken by them. (3) Typically, in that it represented the blood of Christ, and fore-signified the Necessity of it unto the confirmation of the New Covenant; See Zech. 9. 11. Matth. 26. 28. Luk. 22. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 15. So was it the blood of the Covenant, in that it was a sign between God and the Peo∣ple of their mutual consent unto it, and their taking on themselves the Perfor∣mance of the Terms of it, on the one side and the other.

The Condescension of God in making a Covenant with men, especially in the ways of the Confirmation of it, is a blessed Object of all holy Admiration. For, (1) The infi∣nite Distance and disproportion that is between him and us, both in Nature and State or Condition; (2) The Ends of this Covenant which are all unto our Eternal Advantage, he standing in no need of us or our Obedience; (3) The Obligation that he takes upon himself unto the Performance of the Terms of it, whereas he might righteously deal with us in a way of meer Soveraignity; (4) The Nature of the Assurance he gives us thereof, by the blood of the Sacrifice, confirmed with his Oath; Do all set forth the ineffable Glory of this Condescension. And this will at length be made manifest in the Eternal Blessedness of them by whom this Cove∣nant is Embraced, and the Eternal Misery of them by whom it is Refused.

The Apostle having given this full Confirmation unto his principal Assertion, he adds, for the Illustration of it, the use and efficacy of blood, that is, the blood of Sacrifices, unto Purification and Attonement.

Notes

• * 1.1

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