Verse 11, 12, 13, 14

And every Priest standeth daily Ministring, and Offering oftentimes the same Sacrifices, which can never take away Sins. But this Man after he had Offered one Sacrifice for Sins, for ever sat down on the Right Hand of God. From henceforth expecting till his Enemies be made his Footstool. For by one Offering he has perfected for ever them that are Sanctified.

These words are an entrance into the close of that long blessed discourse of the Apostle, concerning the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ, their dignity and efficacy, which he shuts up and finisheth in the following verses, confirming the whole with the testimony of the Holy Ghost before produced by him.

Four things does he here instruct us in, by way of recapitulation of what he had declared and proved before. (1.) The state of the legal priests and sacrifices, as to the repetition of them, by which he had proved before their utter insufficiency to take away sin, ver. 11. (2.) In that one Offering of Christ, and that once Offered, in opposition thereunto, ver. 12. (3.) The consequence thereof on the part of Christ; whereof there are two parts. 1. His state and condition immediately ensuing thereon, ver. 12. manifesting the dignity, efficacy and absolute perfection of his Offering. 2. As to the continuance of his state and condition afterwards, ver. 13. (4.) The absolute effect of his sacrifice, which was the sanctification of the Church, ver. 14.

In the First of these we have, (1.) The note of its introduction, [⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩], and. (2.) The subject of the proposition in it, every Priest. (3.) What is ascribed to them in the discharge of their office; which is expressed, 1. Generally, they stood Ministring day by day. 2. Particularly, as to that part of their office, which is now under consideration; they often, that is, every day offered the same sacrifices. (4.) The inefficacy of those sacrifices though often Offered; they could not take away sin. Besides this work of daily Offering the same sacrifices, which could not take away sin, there was nothing ensued on them, of glory and dignity to themselves, or benefit to the Church. This the Apostle insinuates, although it be left out in the comparison, insisting especially on the contrary in the opposite sacrifice of Christ, both as to his own glory, and the eternal salvation of the Church.

1. The introduction is by [⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩], mostly a copulative, sometimes redditive, as it is here taken by us and rendered. In this latter way it gives a further reason of what was before declared, of the efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ, by a comparison of it with those of the Priests, which were often repeated. In the other sense it denotes a progress in the same argument, by a repetition of the consideration of the old sacrifices, and a new comparison of them with that of Christ. Both come to the same, and either may be allowed.

2. The subject spoken of, that is, [⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩], every Priest, that is, say some, every High-Priest, and so they interpret the words, standeth daily, by a certain day once a year, referring the whole to the anniversary sacrifice on the day of Expiation. And it is not denied, but that the Apostle has a special regard thereunto, and mentioneth it expressly, as we have showed on Ch. 9. 7, 25. But it cannot be here so restrained, for he makes application herein, of what he had spoken before of all the sacrifices of the Law; and therein he reckons up all sorts of them, as we have seen, some of which, as the whole burnt offerings, and all offerings in distinction from bloody sacrifices, were not Offered by the High-Priest on that day, but by other Priests on all occasions.

And the following expression of, [⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩], Standing, Ministring every day, declares the constant discharge of the priestly office in every daily ministration. This was the work that all the Priests were designed to in their courses. Therefore the words as they do not exclude the annual sacrifice of the High-Priest, so they include the daily and occasional sacrifices of all the other Priests; for these offerings of blood were also types of the sacrifice and Offering of Christ. For all sacrifices by blood were to make atonement for sin (Leviticus 17:11). And they were of no use but by virtue of the typical representation of the sacrifice of Christ. Therefore all the Priests, and their whole office, as to all that belonged to the Offering of sacrifices, are comprised in this assertion. And it was necessary to extend the comparison to them all, that there might be no exception to the argument from it. And the following words which give a description of the general way of their ministration, do enforce this interpretation, which is the third thing in them.

3. Standeth daily Ministring, [⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩], standeth, or rather stood; they did so while their office was in force, which was their duty by the Law so to do. For the Apostle respecteth not what was their present acting as to matter of fact, but speaks of the whole service of the Priests indistinctly, as past or present, with regard to what was to be done, by virtue of the first institution of them, and the service which the Tabernacle was erected for.

Stood, or standeth ready for, and employed in the work of their office, [⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩], Ministring; a general name of employment about all sacred duties, services, and offices whatever, and therefore it compriseth all the service of the Priests about the Tabernacle and Altar, wherein they Ministered to God according to his appointment. And this extends to all that were partakers of the priesthood, and was not confined to the High-Priest. See Chap. 9. 1. This they did, [⟨ in non-Latin alphabet ⟩], that is, day by day, as occasion did require, according to the appointment of the Law. Not only the daily sacrifice Morning and Evening is intended, nor yet the doubling of them on the Sabbath, and other festivals, but all the occasional offerings for the people, as their necessities did require. For any man might bring his sin-offering, and trespass-offering, his peace-offering, his vow, or free-will-offering to the Priest at any time to be Offered on the Altar.

For this cause they came to be always in a readiness to stand Ministring daily; and hereunto was their office confined. There was no end of their work, after which they should enter into another and better state, as the Apostle shows it of the Lord Christ in the next verse. And this is a high argument of the imperfection of their sacrifices, they were never brought to that state by them as the High-Priest might cease from Ministring, and enter into a condition of rest.

4. Their general ministry is described by the especial duty which is under present consideration; they offered oftentimes the same sacrifices; they were the same sacrifices that were offered, of the same general nature and kind. They were indeed distributed into several sorts, according to their occasions and institutions; as, whole burnt-offerings, sin-offerings, trespass-offerings, and the like; but their general nature was one and the same, falling all under the same censure, that they could not take away sin. They had not any one peculiar service that could effect this end: And they offered them often, daily, monthly, occasionally, annually, according to divine institution. In this defect as to the efficacy and frequency in the repetition, is the sacrifice of Christ directly opposed to them. Hence,

In the last place the Apostle passes that sentence concerning them all, whose truth he had before sufficiently confirmed, they cannot, they never could take away sin. They could not take them out of the way, that is, absolutely, perfectly, as the word denotes. They could not do it before God the Judge, by making a sufficient atonement for them (ver. 4). They could not do it as to the conscience of the sinner, giving him assured peace with God thereon. It may be they could not do it at any one time, but in the constant continuance in the use and observation of them, they might do it; if they were multiplied, if they were costly, if they were observed in an extraordinary manner, they might effect this end? No, says the Apostle, they could not do it, the defect was in their own nature and power, they cannot do it. They could not do it by any means, nor at any time: the word is a vehement negation, respecting all the powers of those sacrifices, and all the times wherein they were used. And therefore as to those things which might seem to give them their efficacy, as their multiplication, their constancy, their cost, extraordinary care about them, God does reject them in a peculiar manner, when trusted to for the taking away of sin (Isaiah 1:11; Micah 6:6, 7).

If all those divine institutions in the diligent observation of them could not take away sin, how much less can any thing do so, that we can betake ourselves to for that end?

There are innumerable things invented in the Papacy to take away sin, and its guilt, especially of those sins which they are pleased to call venial. And all men on the conviction of sin, are apt to entertain thoughts that by some endeavours of their own, they may so take them away. To comply with this presumption are all the Papal inventions of confession, absolution, indulgences, masses, penances, purgatory, and the like, accommodated. Others trust solely to their own repentance and following duties, as do the Socinians, and all men in their unrenewed estate. But certainly if the Apostle proves this assertion beyond contradiction, that none of them can ever take away any sin, their legal institutions of divine worship, and their observations could not do it; how much less can the inventions of men effect that great end? This account he gives us of the inefficacy of the sacrifices of the priests, notwithstanding their diligent attendance on their offerings (ver. 11).