But these higher doctrines, like stronger meats, are for those that are perfect men of full growth, (and answerable to them, those that are of full knowledge in Christianity,) that by long custom and conversation in the sacred writings have so exercised and improved their faculties that they can discern between good and bad, true and false doctrines, (which children, and raw, rude persons cannot do.) See Origen. cont. Cels. lib. 6. pag. 262. For Christ our high priest, that is entered into heaven before us, hath also suffered before us all that we can suffer, and so will be sure to be sensible of our condition, and to assist and aid and relieve us, that if we be not wanting to ourselves we shall be able to stand. And accordingly let us adhere to him, and pray confidently to him, make an open, free discovery of all our wants and requests to God, who, though he sits upon a throne, yet sits there to hear our requests most freely, (see note [a] John vii,) to relieve us in a fit season, and will do so when we most want and least look for it. Of which, if God see fit, I may have another season to instruct others catechistically that stand in need of it, (but at this time I shall not do it, but ascend to higher parts of Christian knowledge, the understanding of the figures and types of the Old Testament applicable to Christ under the gospel,) the danger being so great to them that do not understand them aright, and order themselves accordingly. [a] fall away] What παραπεσόντας, falling away, here notes, may best be collected from the context: and that first from the antecedents, the illumination, and tasting the heavenly gift, and partaking of the Holy Ghost, and tasting the good word of God, and the powers of the future age; and, secondly, by the consequents, crucifying again, and putting to an open shame the Son of God. The former shews from whence it is that they are said to fall, and the latter how deep the fall is that is here spoken of. The former consists of several degrees; first, φωτισθέντας, those that have been enlightened. That certainly signifies baptism, which among the ancients was generally called φωτισμός, illumination. And this contained under it not only the acknowledgment of the truth, ch. x. 26, but further also the vow of baptism, that of forsaking all wicked ways, and adhering constantly to Christ to their lives' end. Now all that were thus baptized, and thereby entered into the church, were received to absolution of all their sins past, admitted to be members of the church, and to enjoy the privileges of Christians, the mercies afforded men there, called the gift of God, John iv. 10. And they that have enjoyed the benefit and comfort of this for some time, may here fitly be expressed by γενσάμενοι τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς ἐπουρανίου, that have tasted the heavenly gift: and that phrase being annexed to the φωτισθέντες, illuminate, with the conjunction τε, and, may fitly be resolved to belong to the same matter, as a fuller expression of the φωτισθέντες, enlightened, those that by being baptized have been admitted to these privileges of Christians, and have tasted, enjoyed them for some time. But then, as beside these of baptism and pardon of sin, there were other χαρίσματα, extraordinary powers and gifts in the church; so here, beside the mention of being enlightened, and tasting the heavenly gift, are added these other phrases, that seem to be set on purpose to denote those higher endowments: first, Μέτοχοι γενηθέντες Πνεύματος Ἁγίου, made partakers of the Holy Ghost, those which have the Holy Ghost, which descended on the apostles, Acts ii, communicated to them, for so had many believers at that time in the church of Judæa, (see note [d] on Acts ii, and note [c] on Acts vi:) and, secondly, καλὸν γενσάμενοι Θεοῦ ῥῆμα, δυνάμεις τε μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, having tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the future age; where, first, μέλλων αἰών, the future age, is the very phrase used in the Septuagint, Isa. ix. 6, for the state of Christianity, where Christ is called πατὴρ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, the father of the future age, there being in the Jews' account two ages, the one before, the other after the coming of the Messias, and the second in respect of the former called μέλλων, future, (and so οἰκουμένη μέλλονσα, the future world, ch. ii. 5, that after the coming of the Messias,) and אחרים, the after or later days, ἐσχάται ἡμέραι, often mentioned in the New Testament; secondly, δυνάμεις, powers, is the ordinary word to denote miracles, and so δυνάμεις μέλλοντος αἰῶνος will be either those miraculous powers, extraordinary gifts, which were bestowed on believers by the coming of the Holy Ghost upon them, for the confirming themselves, and converting of others, (and so were generally the consequents and effects as of the Holy Ghost descending on the apostles, so of their imposing hands on others, and their receiving the Holy Ghost; for of such we oft read, that they spake with tongues, [b] renew them again unto repentance] What ἀνακαινίξειν signifies, may, I suppose, be best concluded by the notion of ἐγκαινίξειν, to dedicate, from whence we have ἐγκαίνια, the feast of the dedication of the altar, in the book of the Maccabees, mentioned in the Gospel. Agreeably when men, which by their creation after God's image were dedicated to his service, had fallen away from him into idolatry or sin, the receiving them to baptism upon vow of new life was the ἀνακαινίξειν εἰς μετάνοιαν, dedicating them anew to repentance or new life. And accordingly to prepare them for baptism they used to confess their sins, and the catechist to lay hands on them, and pray for absolution; as it is said of Constantine, Ἐξομολογούμενος τῶν διὰ χειροθεσίας εὐχῶν ἠξιούτο, "He confessed and obtained the prayers by imposition of hands," Euseb. de Vit. Const. I. 4. Consequently πάλιν ἀνακαινίξειν εἰς μετάνοιαν, again to renew to repentance, is to use some new course of dedicating and consecrating them anew, after some foul fall or wasting sin after baptism, and that was wont to be by penance and absolution. For μετάνοια, repentance, is sometimes taken for admission to pardon, or the whole proceeding of the church with the penitent in order to his absolution from the censures. So μετάνοιαν αἰτεῖν, to ask repentance, is to demand or beg admission to that course which should prepare them for absolution, Conc. Neocæs. Can. 52, and elsewhere frequently. And so in our sixteenth Article, the grant of repentance is put to explain that which had been before, in king Edward's Articles, the place for penitents, and in the Augustan confession, absolutionem [c] blessing] What εὐλογία, blessing, here signifies is somewhat uncertain, the word being capable of several acceptions. That which is most commodious to the matter in hand, and contrary to κατάρα, cursing, which follows, is, that it signify praise or approbation, by way of reward, the well done good and faithful servant, and the bliss attending it. And then, as any that doth his duty is said to be approved, and any that brings in fruit to be commended by God, (especially when it is considered that the similitude of the earth is here used to signify But after all this, thus said to you by way of caution, I have more comfortable hopes of you, and persuade myself that you will have your parts in the great signal deliverance (see note [b] ch. ii.) that now the faithful are to look for, preparatory to their eternal bliss, and not the destruction that attends others. [d] accompany salvation] That ἐχόμενος signifies adjoining, and that proportionably to the Septuagint, who render אחר, next after, by ἐχόμενα, hath been said note [b] on Mark i; and then so it must signify here, things that join near upon deliverance or salvation. The only difficulty will be, what notion belongs to σωτηρία, deliverance or salvation in this place. And that will most probably be the temporal deliverance here, preparative to the eternal rest hereafter, this being the interpretation of the promises, ver. 12, which by faith and endurance are possessed; whereas they that now for persecutions fall off, lose both their present and future reward, are destroyed here with the Jews the persecutors, and are lost eternally. And the ground of my hope is, because you have been formerly so courageous in professing of Christ and so charitable to poor Christians, and are so still; which works of yours God is, according to his promise of mercy in the gospel, bound to reward with giving more grace, and not to forsake and leave such without all grace, as those which for their obstinacy in sin are accursed by him, ver. 8. All the design of my present admonition and digression is, to stir up every one of you to the continuance of this diligence to the end, that you may ⁵ for whom, &i' obs. κατάρας ἐγγύς. ⁶ partaketh of. ⁸ are near. ⁷ reprobate and near a curse, ἀδάκιμος καὶ HAMMOND, VOL. II. A 8 That you do not now, like faint-hearted persons, give over your course, but imitate and follow their pattern, who, by faith continuing and enduring through all afflictions, did at last enjoy their part in the promises made unto them. 13, 14. Such were those promises which were made by God to Abraham under oath, under the style of blessing and multiplying him, by which was meant God's bringing his seed into Canaan, and all faithful Christians to the rest mentioned note [c] ch. iii. And these promises being made under oath, were in themselves most sure, and being faithfully relied on and believed by Abraham, were, though not presently, yet in time, performed to him, that is, to his seed the Jews. For as a man, when he would swear, always swears by the greatest person he knows, and an oath being taken by one of the contesting persons, one saying one thing, the other the contrary, sets an end to that affirming and denying, and confirms the judge to the believing of one party against the other (see note [e] 1 Tim. v.); So God was pleased to swear by himself, having no greater to swear by, ver. 13, and by that means to ascertain those to whom his promises belong, that is, all constant Christians, of the performance of his promise concerning believers, the spiritual seed of Abraham; That by promising first, which, when the condition is not neglected, is immutable, and then by adding an oath to it, he might give us security of enjoying what we hope for, of receiving the reward proposed to us: This hope being that which keeps us from being tossed and shipwrecked with the billows of the world; as being able indeed to see through the afflictions and persecutions of this world, and see somewhat beyond them, days of rest and release here, and beyond that, eternal rest hereafter in heaven, meant ⁹ consummation of your hope, πληροφορίαν τῆς ἐλπίδος. ¹⁰ cowardly, sluggish, νωθροί. ¹¹ longanimity, μακροθυμίας. ¹² is to them the end of all contestation for establishment, πάσης αὐτοῖς ἀντιλογίας πέρας εἰς βεβαίωσιν. ¹³ Wherefore, Ἐν ᾧ. ¹⁴ he interposed by oath, ἐμεσίτευσεν δρκῳ. ¹⁵ we may have, ἔχωμεν. [e] after the order] Κατὰ τάξιν, after the order, may here signify no more than sicut or quemadmodum, "even as" or "after the manner of:" for the words in the Psalmist are, על דברתי, which Aben Ezra explains by after the manner, or like as. Not that τάξιν should signify here as it would do being spoken of the Aaronical priest, for there it should signify a natural succession in that line from Aaron, observed among all the Levitical high priests; but only a similitude or agreement, in so many particulars nominated, with Melchisedek (see Cunæus De Rep. Heb.) particularly that of being a king and a priest together, which was so solemnly presignified of Christ by the prophets, and perhaps from thence taken into the heathen oracles, that about that time among the Romans the dignity of the pontificate was joined with the imperial, first by Augustus, and afterwards by the rest of the emperors. See Sueton. in August., and in Galba, c. 8, and in Claud. c. 22. And thereupon saith Tacitus An. l. 3. Nunc deum munere summum pontificem summum hominem esse, "Now by the gift of the gods the chief priest is the supreme man or emperor." One, of whose father or mother or pedigree there is no mention in the story in Genesis, as being indeed of another race, not of that which is recorded in scripture, see ver. 6. (which notes him to be no priest by descent, as the Levitical priests were, and accordingly their genealogies and pedigrees both on the father's and mother's side were preserved exactly,) as neither of his birth nor death, the time of his entering on or leaving his office; and so stands in the story as a kind of immortal priest, without any successor mentioned in his priesthood, (nay, perhaps the last priest of the true God that was in Phœnicia, idolatry presently coming in;) this Melchisedec, I say, is in all this an emblem of Christ, (and so is set down psalm ex,) who is such a priest as he, in respect of the conjunction of priesthood and regal office, of the no predecessors or successors in the line, of the title of king of righteousness and prince of peace, and of his continuing for ever in that office, that is, as long as there should be need of any, (as Melchisedec did, as long as the worship of God continued in Phœnicia.) And ye will soon discern what an eminent person this Melchisedec was, when ye but remember that the patriarch Abraham, that had undertaken the service of the true God, and was the stock from whence all the Aaronical priesthood sprang, did himself give him a tithe out of the choicest of the spoils which he took in the victory over the kings. [a] spoils] The true notion of ἀκροθίνια will be best discerned by considering the parts of it, θῖνες and ἄκρα: θῖνες signifies properly σωροί, heaps, whether of sand or corn, or any other goods. And Phavorinus observes that in the feminine gender it signifies (from that of heaps of sand) αἰγιαλὸς the sea-shore, but in the masculine it is taken for χρημάτων καὶ λίθων, an heap of goods or stones, and the like: so again saith he, p. 110, θῖνες δὲ εἰσιν οἱ σωροὶ τῶν πυρῶν ἢ κριθῶν, the word signifies heaps of wheat or barley; where, by the way, the ἢ πᾶσα ἀπαρχή that follows in the author, must not be taken as an interpretation of θῖνες, but subjoined to ἀπαρχὴ τῶν θινῶν before, and accordingly the punctuation must be altered from what it is in the printed copy, thus, Ἀπαρχὴ τῶν θινῶν (θῖνες δὲ εἰσιν οἱ σωροὶ τῶν πυρῶν ἢ κριθῶν ἢ πᾶσα ἀπαρχή.) Then for the word ἄκρα, it signifies the top, or prime, or choice part of any thing (as ἀκρόδρυα are the prime part of the trees, viz. the fruits upon them, οἱ καρποὶ δενδρικοί.) And then these two put together in composition are the prime, or chief part of whatsoever it is that is meant by θῖνες: and what that is particularly in any place, the matter spoken of must determine. Thus when the notion of θῖνες is that of corn or fruits, &c., then ἀκροθίνια are in the Grammarians αἱ ἀπαρχαὶ τῶν καρπῶν, the prime, or choice, of the fruits, or first-fruits, such as among all men were wont to be consecrated to the gods (not in order of time the first that are gathered, but) for quality the fairest or best of the heap. So when the notion of θῖνες is the heaps of goods taken in war, τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν πολέμων, be it gold or other pillage, χρυσία or σκύλα, then the ἀκροθίνια are the prime and choice of those, ἀπαρχαὶ λαφύρων the prime part of the prey, which generally was dedicated and presented to God (such as is mentioned 1 Sam. xv. 21, under the title of the chief things of the spoil, sheep and oxen, &c. to sacrifice unto the Lord in Gilgal.) And this is by Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon and Euripides called ἀκροθίνια. And there is a memorable place in Arrian's Κυνηγετ.: Χρῆ, saith he, ἐπὶ θήρα ἄρχεσθαι ἀπὸ θεῶν, &c., καὶ ἀπαρχὸς ἀλισκομένων ἀνατίθειναι, οὐ μεῖον ἢ ἐν τῇ νίκῃ πολέμῳ ἀκροθίνια, "Men ought in hunting to begin from the gods, and to present to them the first-fruits of what they have taken, no less than in a victory in war the chief of the spoils." So when θῖν signifies the sea-shore, then ἀκροθίνια are the prime of those rarities ἂς ἀνατίθεισαι οἱ ἐξ ἐμπορίας, which the merchants, when they return from a voyage, offer up as ἀναθέματα to the gods. From these so many notations of the word, it comes not only to signify any or each of these, but in general, πᾶσα ἀπαρχή, all the prime, or choice, of any kind; but this καταχρηστικῶς, saith he, by way of abuse, not in the first propriety. Agreeably hereunto, δεκάτη τῶν ἀκροθινίων will here signify a tithe or tenth given to Melchisedek, as to the priest of God (not of the ἀκροθίνια, a tenth part only of them, for that were δεκάτη ἀκροθινίων, but) tenth of all, Gen. xiv. 20, and that tenth paid ἐκ τῶν ἀκροθινίων, out of the choice, or prime, or best of the store, for that was wont to be picked out and dedicated to God. The whole difficulty then remaining will be, not whether he paid a full tithe of all the spoils, for that is already cleared by Genesis, he gave him tithes of all, and by this chapter, ver. 2, δεκάτην ἀπὸ πάντων, a tithe from all, to which ἐκ τῶν ἀκροθινίων is added, not to deny what was before said, but to specify that this tithe of all was Now the Levitical priests had commission by law to receive tithes of all Jews that came from Abraham, as Levi did, that is, from their own countrymen: [b] people according to the law] Τὸν λαὸν here signifies the Jews, that people called oft τὸ ἔθνος, the nation, and ὁ λαός, the people, as when Caiaphas prophesies that it was expedient that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not, and many the like; and so here, with an addition, τὸν λαὸν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, the people that were under the Mosaical law, that is, punctually the Jews. And this is more probable than that κατὰ τὸν νόμον should belong to ἀποδεκατοῦν, tithe, according to the law, for that had been said before in ἐντολὴν ἔχουσιν, they have commandment, and needed not again be so suddenly repeated; and secondly, the τουτίστι, that is, that follows, seems to set τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν, their brethren, as an interpretation of what went immediately before, which cannot be of the κατὰ νόμον ἀποδεκατοῦν, tithe according to law, but will very readily be so of the τὸν λαὸν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, the people according to the law, in this notion of it, that people to which the law was given, the legal people, the people of the Jews. But Melchisedec, who was no kin to Abraham, nor of that people, a stranger to him, received tithes from him, (which is an argument of greater dignity than to receive it only from his own people,) and blessed him who was so special a favourite of God's as to receive promises of such a nature, so oft repeated to him. And this is a clear argument that Melchisedec was a greater person than Abraham. And in the Levitical law they that receive tithes die, succeed, and are succeeded, their succession of one after the death of another is recorded in the scripture, and so their death punctually set down: but in that place of Genesis Melchisedec hath no other mention made of him but that he liveth, no kind of mention of his death. So again, if you compare it, you shall find that Levi also, who under the law hath the privilege of receiving all the tithes, did in Abraham's person (as the sons are included in the parents) pay tithes to Melchisedec; which shews again the dignity of that priesthood above the Levitical. For Levi was in the loins of his great grandfather Abraham, and as it were included in him, and so may be said in some sense to have done what he did, and paid what he paid. This is an argument that the Levitical priesthood was not so perfectly able to make a perfect expiation of sin, (although it be true that it was instituted by the law of God for that time;) for if it were, there would then have been no need, as it seems there was, that God should institute another sort of priest, to wit, his own Son, to be such a priest as Melchisedec was, and not such an one as Aaron. Now this is clear by our Saviour's being of the tribe of Judah, a tribe from whence the priests were not to come. And more clear by the distinct words concerning him, of his being such a priest as Melchisedec was, not as Aaron. For by that it is manifest that Christ, who is now our priest, and installed to it after his resurrection, was not made a priest by any law that provides for the mortality of priests, and so appoints them in a succession, as the Aaronical priesthood was, but by that Spirit that powerfully raised him from the dead, never to die again, and so to be a priest for ever. According as the psalmist testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever &c. And indeed that this Mosaical law should be evacuated there was reason, because it was so unable and uneffectual to do that which was designed, viz, the expiating of, or cleansing from sin. For the Mosaical law got no man any freedom from sin, was able to give no man strength to fulfil the will of God, and could not purchase pardon for any that had broken it. This therefore was to be done now afterwards by the gospel, which gives more sublime and plain promises of pardon of sin, which the law could not promise, of an eternal and heavenly life to all true penitent believers: which gracious tenders, now made by Christ, give us a freedom of access to God, and confidence to come and expect such mercies from him, to lift up pure hands, &c. 1 Tim. ii. 8; and in all reason we are to make that use of it, and not to fall off from Christ to Mosaical observances. [c] draw nigh] What is the importance of ἐγγίξειν here, will appear by the Hebrew הרב, which signifies promiscuously to draw nigh, and to offer. From it comes the ordinary word Corban, which the evangelists render a gift, viz., that which is presented and consecrated to God in the temple, and the place where the offerings were laid up was also called by that name, and τὰ δῶρα, gifts, Luke xxi. 4. So כבש signifies also both to draw nigh, and to offer. From the first notion of it the word ἐγγύς, near, seems to be derived, the consonants or radicals in both being the same, and accordingly it is fitly rendered by ἐγγίξω, to draw near. So Exod. xix. 22. Οἱ ἐγγίζοντες ἱερεῖς Κυρίῳ, the priests that draw nigh unto the Lord; and Lev. xxi. 21. Οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ τοῦ προσεναγκεῖν θυσίας, He shall not draw nigh to offer sacrifices. And this and the other signification of the Hebrew words are here both contained under the word ἐγγίξω to draw nigh, which is here answerable to either of those Hebrew: for that is the meaning of it here, that we by our high-priest Christ are made a kind of priests ourselves, enabled to draw nigh to God, and offer up ourselves to him, to present our bodies to him a living sacrifice, Rom. xii. 1, to lift up pure hands, 1 Tim. ii. 8, that is, to do as the priests were wont to do. This the vulgar Latin seems to have considered, when he renders ἐγγίξειν here offerre, to offer; not as Lucas Brugensis conjectures, as if he had read προσεναγκεῖν, but out of the exact critical notation of the word and προσεγγίξειν among these writers and the translators of the Old Testament. And the Levitical priests are a number of men succeeding one another, by whom provision is made for the mortality of the men, which otherwise will bring it to an end. But Christ, being now no longer mortal, hath no successor in his priesthood, his priesthood passes not from him to any other. By all which evidences it appears, to our present comfort, that he living for ever can intercede for ever for us, bestow on us whatever we stand in need of, and so from time to time relieve and succour against all temptations those that are true sincere Christians, that serve Christ with all their hearts, that adhere constantly to him. And this was a sort of high priest that we sinful weak creatures had need of, one that being mercifully disposed is also uncapable of suffering any hurt, of being defiled or corrupted, or consequently of dying, ver. 25, and to that end is advanced to a pitch above our sinful corruptible condition here; Who hath no necessity oftentimes, as upon the great day of expiation once a year, (see ch. x. 11,) to offer sacrifice, first for his own, then for the people's sins, as the high priest did under the law. All that was necessary for him to do, in proportion to those offerings of the Levitical priest, was performed by him at once, by his death upon the cross; by which he both offered for himself, that is, made expiation as ¹³ covenant, διαθήκης. ¹⁴ a priesthood that passeth not away. ¹⁵ perpetuity, εἰς tō warṭṭhēs. ¹⁶ free from evil, undefilable, ἄκκος, ἀμίαντος. ¹⁷ upon a day, καθ' ἡμέραν. Now to recapitulate all that we have said in this matter of Christ's being our high priest: The high priest which intercedes for us Christians is one that is entered into heaven, and there sits at the right hand of God, that is, reigns there; hath all power given unto him, and so is a king and priest together; actually bestows upon us all those things for which he intercedes for us, grace and pardon to all obedient, sincere Christians, and is able and ready to help us in time of need; One that ministers and officiates in his church; that hath the ordering of the true, not typical figurative temple and tabernacle, that which is not built by human workmen, but by God, (all power being given unto him in heaven and in earth, having dominion instated on him over his church to deliver them, and over his enemies to destroy them.) A minister, I say; for so every priest is, his business being peculiarly to sacrifice and offer burnt-offerings and sin-offerings, &c. ch. v. 1; and agreeably Christ was to have some sacrifice to offer to God as a priest, and that was himself, presenting himself in heaven, the true sanctuary, after the slaying him upon the cross, ch. ix. 12. And for his being a minister not on earth only, but now more especially in heaven, and there exer- And those priests which officiate here on earth do attend on and perform none but that figurative typical service, which signified and represented this offering of Christ, presenting himself to God in heaven, and there interceding for us. (So that that which was by God himself said to Moses, when he was to make the tabernacle, that he should take care to make it according to the pattern shewed him in the mount, may fitly be applied by way of accommodation to this matter; this offering of Christ's in heaven being indeed that substantial idea of which all the service of the tabernacle was but a type or shadow, and so fitly styled an heavenly pattern.) But as for Christ's office or ministry that he thus exerciseth, it is above that of the Levitical priests, which consisted only in typical observances, and as much above them as the covenant which Christ mediated between God and man was above the Mosaical economy. Of this covenant it is observable, first, that it is now settled as a law, in which both parties are mutually bound to each other, God to man, and man to God; and secondly, that it is a much more excellent, perfect, beneficial covenant than the former, the duties now required more spiritual and sublime, and the promises now proposed infinitely better promises than those which were under the law; (viz. not only legal impunity, which the sacrifices under the law yielded, but pardon and remission, that pardon not only for light faults, sins of error, &c., for which those sacrifices were designed, but even for wilful sins, if forsaken and repented of, yea, and the pouring out the Spirit on all flesh, giving spiritual gifts for the building up of the church, not only to a few, as to one or two prophets under the law, but to many, even to all, Gentiles as well as Jews, yea, to all Christians in some measure; and lastly, instead of the promises of a temporal Canaan, the plain promises of eternal life and bliss.) ³ those being priests, ἄντων ἱερῶν. ⁵ enacted, νεομοθέτηται. ⁴ wait upon the image, ὑποδείγματι λατρεύουσι. For if the covenant under the law had been so perfect, that it could not have been improved or bettered, there would have been no need of a second covenant. 8, 9. Which appears by this, because when he speaks in the prophet Jeremy, ch. xxxi. 31. of making a new covenant, he doth it by way of complaint, or finding fault with the weakness and imperfection of the former, (see ch. vii. 18,) after this manner or form of speech: The covenant which I will now make is not after the rate of the covenant which I made with the Israelites by Moses, (a covenant made up of external carnal commandments,) when I brought them out of Egypt; for that was not effectual to them, was not able to attract them to obedience or perseverance; but they fell off from me, and consequently I forsook them, saith the Lord. [a] I regarded them not] The whole place being by this writer cited out of Jeremy, ch. xxxi. 32, some difficulty there will be to accord this part of the citation, ἡμίλησα αὐτῶν, I regarded them not, with that which we now find in the Hebrew there. For the words בַּעַלְתִּי בָּם, as our Hebrew copies now read, ordinarily signify ἐκυρίεσσα αὐτῶν, I ruled over them, which is very far distant both from the designed sense of that place, if we will judge by the context, and from the words, I regarded them not, as they are here recited. The unfitness of that rendering in that place in the prophet is visible to any reader that observes the words immediately precedent, which my covenant they brake, to which these other cannot connect (but rather the contrary) and I ruled over them, or, I was their Lord. Here our English have put husband for Lord, and although for and, and yet farther altered it in the margent, Should I have continued an husband unto them? by way of interrogation; which, as it makes the sense directly contrary to what it would be without the interrogation, so it is a confession, that that contrary sense is (in the truth) it which alone is agreeable to the place. It is therefore far more reasonable to consider, that the words which are here recited in this author, and are exactly agreeable to the context in the prophet, (which is designed to set down the Israelites' breaking of covenant, and God's dealing with them by way of punishment,) are the very words by which the Greek translator had rendered that place in the prophet, which makes it necessary to conclude, that either the Hebrew copy now is in this particular varied from what it was when they translated it, or that בַּעַל hath some other signification than that which is ordinarily taken notice of. That all copies transcribed from hand to hand should be subject to some light changes, is nothing strange; nay, it is evident, by comparing 2 Kings xx. 12, with Esay xxxix. 1, that such mistakes have been committed: for there in a story, which in both those places is exactly the same, we now read בְּרֵאֲדָךְ Berodach in the former place, and בְּרֵאֲדָךְ Merodach in the latter, which must needs be imputed to the hand of the scribe, and not to any other original. So in the same story, in the very next verse, 2 Kings xx. 13, we read וַיִּשְׁמַע, And Hezekiah heard, or hearkened, but Isa. xxxix. 2, it is וַיִּשְׁמַח, And Hezekiah was glad of them; where the light change of ח into ע is visibly the error of the scribe. And so the eighteenth psalm, which was certainly delivered by David in one fixed, certain form, is yet varied in many particulars, 2 Sam. xxii., which cannot be imputed to any cause but that of the transcribers; and the Masorites' pains, coming long after these changes were come in, can give no security or fence against them. And then it is not impossible but that thus it hath happened in that place of Jeremy which is here cited. Accordingly the annotations under the name of Hugo Grotius conceive, that the Septuagint read it בַּחַלְתִּי, not בַּעַלְתִּי, and accordingly ren- But this is the covenant which I will make in the latter days, or age of the Messiah, in time of the gospel; I will, instead of those external carnal ordinances and observations, give them spiritual commands for the regulating their affections, precepts most perfectly agreeable to all rational minds; and by the exceeding greatness of that grace and mercy, in this and many other particulars, ver. 12, I shall incline their affections willingly to receive my law, as well as convince their understandings of their duty, and so I will take pleasure in them, and they shall perform obedience unto me, live like a people of God, worthy of such a Leader. And there shall be no need of such pains in teaching men what they are to do, as under Moses's law, (which consisted of many outward performances which had no such inward essential goodness in them, as that a man's own reason should prompt him to them, and approve them as best and most excellent, if they were not taught by the law-maker, and kept still in their minds by instruction in the law;) but the precepts now proposed being so agreeable to human reason, they shall be found written by every man in his own heart, (as it were,) able of themselves to approve themselves to men: (see Deut. xxx. 11.) Especially when that part of the covenant is considered, promise and assurance of pardon for all forsaken sins, as also for frailties and weaknesses daily