Subd. 13. A Mercy-Seat, and a Propitiation for our fins.

Rom. iii. 25. Chrift Jefus, whom God hath fet forth as a mercy-feat in his own blood; to fhew his method of justification concerning the remiffion of past fins, through the forbearance of God. Read from ver. 21, and comp. Exod. xxv. 17 to 22; Levit. xvi. 2, 13, 14; Heb. xii. 24; and note on Rom. Mi. 25; in Locke, Taylor, and Improved Version.

haτngiov, mercy feat, occurs in the N. T. only in Heb. ix. 5, and in Rom. iii. 25; where it refers to Christ as the perfon by whom God communicates his favours, alluding to the mercy-feat, or lid of the ark, from which oracles were delivered.

1 John ii. 1, 2. Jefus Chrift is the propitiation Marμos for our fins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. 1 John iv. 10. God fent his Son to be a propitiation λarpov for our fins.. Aarμos occurs only in these two inftances in the New Teftament.

Christ is a propitiation for our fins, by dying in order to avert the evil confequences of iniquity. His death was neceffary previous to his resurrection, by which affurance is given of everlasting life to those who truly believe in, and confequently obey, him: ii. 23, 24, 25. For fuch believers will purify them. felves from fin, iii. 3, 5; will love one another, ver. 23, will keep God's commandments, and abide in

God, and God will abide in them, ver. 24, and iv. 7, 12, 15; and will give them everlasting life through his Son, v. 11, 12, 13. See fect. ii. fubd. 1, 2, 3.

Subd. 14. An Altar.

Heb. xiii. 10. We have an altar θυσιαστήριον, of which they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle.

Here the altar, by a metonymy, is put for the victim which is offered upon it as in 1 Cor. ix. 13, where the first part of the verfe explains what follows. Eating of the flesh of the victim denotes an affent to that particular religious worship, of which the facrifice is a part. This is expreffèd in 1 Cor. x. 18 to 21. Jewish priests and Levites, then, have no right to eat the flesh, and drink the blood, of Christ, John vi. 55 to 57, 63; which is given for the life of the world, ver. 51, 53, 54; till they be lieve in him as their Meffiah, Heb. xv. 8, 9; and act upon the principle that pious praife, and benevolent actions, ver. 15, 16, are the most acceptable facrifices to God; and these will fupercede the neceffity of Jewish burnt-offerings. See ch. ii, fec. 7.

SECTION II.

Literal characters peculiar to Christ.

Subd. 1. A privilege to lay down his life, and to receive it again.

John x. 17. For this my Father loveth me; because I lay down my life, that I may receive Aaßw it again. Ver. 18. None taketh arget it from me; but I lay it down, of myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to receive λαβειν it again. This

have received exaßov from

Λαμβανω

την εντολην covenant I

my Father.

Aaußava is rendered to receive, in the public version of John i. 12; v. 34; vii. 23; xii. 48; xiv.,

17; Matt. vii. 8; xxi. 22; 10; A&ts xx. 24; xxvi. 10,

Mark xi. 24; Luke xi. 18; James i. 7; comp. This verb, therefore,

5; and even of John x. 18. fhould be tranflated the fame in the two other inftances in which it occurs in ver. 17 and 18, because the refurrection of Chrift is decifively, and frequently, afferted in the New Teftament, to have been ac complished by the power of the Father. See Acts ii. 22, 23, 24; iii. 15; iv. 10; x. 40; xiii. 30,37; xvii. 31; Rom. iv. 24, 25; vi. 4; x. 9; 1 Cor. xv. 15; Gal. i. 1; Ephes. i. 17, 20; Colofs. ii. 12; 1 Thess. i. 9, 10; 1 Pet. i. 20, 20. When

Jefus, therefore, fays, destroy this temple, (meaning his body,) and in three days eyega aulov I will raise it up, John ii. 19 to 22; eyew fignifies, I will occafion it to be raised, (fee Eff. vii. p. 31,) which he did, by laying down his life for this very purpose. See John x. 17, 18.

Exia is tranflated authority, in the public verfion of Matt. vii. 29; xxi. 23; Mark i. 27; John v. 27. To lay it down. See Matt. xxvi. 53; John xviii. 6, II.

Evroλn promiffio divina, John x. 18; hoc præmium virtutis meæ mihi eft a Deo promiffum. Schleufner. In 1 Kings xi. 11; the Sept. render

1 by Tas EVTOλas. The public Eng. ver. is Covenant. Comp. 1 Kings iii. 9, 10, 14; and John X. 17. In Pfa. cxi. 7. EvToha is fynonymous with dialyan in ver. 5 and 9. διαθηκη

EVTOλn in John x. 18, by being tranflated covenant, feems beft to correfpond with the connection, with the general language of Scripture on the fubject, and with what is recorded concerning the foreknowledge which Chrift had of his future power and glory.

In ver. 17, Jefus fpecifies the condition upon which he confents to lay down his life. Ver. 18, he fays, that the refignation of his life was fanctioned, and the restoration of it affured, by divine authority: and ver. 10, 15, he declares, that the purpose for which he gave up his own life was, that the sheep

may have life, and that they may have it abundantly, i. e. for ever: fee ver. 28; comp. Heb. xiii. 20.

Dr. Taylor, in his key to the Romans, numb. 166, fays, "a covenant is a grant or donation of bleffings, "confirmed by a proper authority. The gospel

covenant is established by the promise of God, and "ratified by the blood of Chrift." Agreeably to this, Ifaiah represents Jehovah as faying of the Meffiah, I will give thee for a covenant to the people, for a light to the nations. Ifai. xlii. 6; xlix. 8. And Malachi, iii. 1, predicts the Meffiah under the appellation of the Meffenger of the covenant. The author of the epiftle to the Hebrews calls him the Mediator of the new covenant, ix. 15; xii. 24; and the Mediator of a better covenant, viii. 6. The death of Chrift he calls the blood of the covenant, X. 29, fee ver. 10, 14, 19; and the blood of the everlasting covenant, xiii. 12, 20; see ix. 15, 16, 26, 28. Jefus himself, also, at the last supper, when he offers the cup, fays, this is my blood of the new covenant, which is fhed for many for the remiffion of fins. Matt. xxvi. 28. Or as Luke, xxii. 20, expreffes it, this cup is the new covenant through my blood, which is poured out for you.

Jefus had a foreknowledge imparted to him, that if he voluntarily fubmitted to die, God would raise him up, John x. 17, 18; vi. 62, 63; and grant him the power of raising and giving eternal life to mankind, John v. 21 to 30; vi. 40, 51, 54; vii. 25