the way was made open into the holiest of all; now the Lord Messiah was not a priest after their order, nor could he offer the sacrifices appointed by the law. Hence it is evident, that he could not have been a priest, had he been to continue and administer on earth, for so their priesthood, with which his was inconsistent, could never have had an end. For this could not be without his entrance as a priest into the heavenly sanctuary.

It appears therefore how vain is the pretence of the Socinians from this place, to prove that Christ did not offer his expiatory sacrifice on the earth. For the apostle speaks nothing of his oblation, (which he had before declared to have been once for all) before he entered into heaven to make intercession for us; but only of the order of his priesthood, and the state and condition wherein the present administration of it was to be continued.

§7. (III.) Obs. 1. God's institutions rightly stated do never interfere. So we see those of the ancient priesthood and that of Christ did not. They had both of them their proper bounds and seasons; nor could the latter completely take place, until the former had expired. The entrance of Christ into the holy place. which stated him in that condition wherein he was to continue the exercise of his priesthood to the consummation of all things, put an absolute period to the former priesthood, by accomplishing all that was thereby signified.

§8. Obs. 2. The discharge of all the parts and duties of the priestly office of Christ in their proper order were needful to the salvation of the church. His oblation was to be on the earth, but the continued discharge of his office was to be in heaven. Without this the former would not profit us; if he had done

no more he could not have been a priest. Unless the foundation of a propitiation for our sins be first laid we can have no hopes of acceptance with God; but when this is done, unless we have a continual application of the efficacy of it to our souls, neither our peace with God nor our access to him can be maintained.

VERSE 5.

Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God, when he was about to make the tabernacle; for see, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

$1. The connexion of this passage with the preceding discourse 2. (I.) Exposition of the words. $s. God's admonition to Moses. 4, Concerning the pattern shewn to Moses on the mount. Not an ætherial fabric; but §5. The incarnation and mediation of Christ. §6. Objection answered. $7. (II.) Observations.

$1. THE Connexion of these words with the preceding discourse, which gives us the general design of the apostle, is to be previously considered. He had before intimated that the high priests according to the law did not minister the heavenly things and that the Lord Christ alone did so: whence he concludes his dignity and pre-eminence above them. The argument in general whereby the apostle proves that they served to the "example and shadow of heavenly things," and no more, is taken from the words of God to Moses. And the force of it is evident; for God in those words declares that there was something above and beyond that material tabernacle which was prescribed to him. For he shewed him an original or an exemplar, when on the top of the mount, which the tabernacle below did but represent; and therefore they who ministered in it could serve only as "the example and shadow of heavenly things." This therefore is the apostle's argument from this testimony; "If

God shewed to Moses on the top of the mount that which was heavenly, and he was to make an example or shadow of it, then they that ministered therein served only to the example and shadow of heavenly things.

§7. (I.) "Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things." (Olives) who, refers to the priests mentioned ver. 4: "Seeing that they are priests," &c. particularly to the high priests. ver. 3; (Tas yap apxiepeus) "for every high priest;" which high priests (λalpɛv801) do serve; it is a sacred word, and signifies only to minister in holy worship and service; it respects therefore all that the high priests did, in the worship of God, in the tabernacle or temple. "Unto the example," (Urodεypal,) for a specimen; that whereby any thing is manifested by a part or instance; a resemblance, an obscure representation. Hence it is added, (non) "and the shadow." Some suppose a shadow is here taken artificially, and opposed to an express image or complete delineation of any thing; as the first lines in comparison of any thing that is afterwards to be drawn to the life. Others take it naturally, as opposed to body or material substance. See Col. ii, 17. It is indifferent in whether sense we here take the word, for what is affirmed is true in both. If we take it in the first way, it intends that obscure delineation of heavenly mysteries, which was in the legal institutions. If it be used in the last way, then it declares that the substance of what God intended in all his worship was not contained in the services of those priests. There were some lines and shadows to rep resent the body, but the body itself was not there. "Of heavenly things." The things which God shewed to Moses on the mount.

§3. "As Moses (expatia) was admonished of God. See Rom. xi, 4; Matt. ii, 22, &c. Moses had an immediate word, command, or oracle from God to the purpose; and was to use great caution about what was enjoined him, that there might be no mistake. The original denotes admonition: (Exod. xxv, 40, n) "and look to it and do," take diligent care about it. The same is the sense of the Greek word (opa) when thus used, take heed, look well to it. When John, upon surprisal, would have fallen down before the angel to worship him, he replieth; (oga un) "See thou do it not;" avoid it with care, Rev. xxii, 9, "When he was about to make the tabernacle." The original word (μeλλwv) expresseth that which is immediately future. It was given him upon the entrance of his work, that it might make an effectual impression upon his mind. "To make the tabernacle;” (ETITEλEN, perficere) to accomplish, to perfect, to finish; it includes here the beginning as well as the end of the work. The same with another Greek word (O) in Acts vii, 44, where this whole passage is somewhat otherwise expressed, but to the same purpose.

§4. The warning and charge itself is, that he should "make all things according to the pattern shewed him in the mount." What this pattern was, how it was shewed to Moses, and how he was to make all things according to it, are not easy to be explained.

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For the pattern itself, expositors generally agree, that on the top of the mount God caused to appear Moses the form, fashion, dimensions, and utensils of that tabernacle which he was to erect. Whether this representation was made to Moses by way of internal vision, as the temple was represented to Ezekiel; or whether there was an ætherial fabric proposed to his bodily senses, is hard to determine. However, this

(nn) exemplar, or pattern, our apostle here calls "heavenly things."

I know not that there is any thing in this exposition contrary to the analogy of faith, or inconsistent with the design of the apostle. But withal I must acknowledge, that it is such as I know not how fully to embrace, for the reasons following:

1. If such a representation were made to Moses in the mount, and that be the pattern intended, then the tabernacle with all its ministry was a shadow of that. But this is contrary to our apostle in another place, who tells us that indeed all legal institutions were only a shadow, but withal that the substance or "body was of Christ," Col. ii, 17.

2. I do not see how the priests could minister in the earthly tabernacle as an "example and shadow" of such an ætherial tabernacle. For, if there were any such thing, it immediately vanished after its appearance; it ceased to be any thing, and therefore could not any longer be any heavenly thing; wherefore, with respect to that, they could not continue to serve to the example of heavenly things.

3. No tolerable account can be given of the reason or use of such a representation. For God doth not dwell in any such tabernacle in heaven, that it should be to represent his holy habitation. And as to that which was to be made on earth, he had given such punctual instructions to Moses, confirming the remembrance and knowledge of them in his mind by the Holy Spirit, by whom he was acted and guided, as that he needed no help from his imagination.

4. Whatever Moses did, it was for a testimony to the things which were to be spoken afterwards, chap. iii, 5. But these were the things of Christ and the