Verse 15, 16, 17, 18
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: For after that he had said before. This is the Covenant that I will make with them, after those days, says the Lord: I will put my Laws into their Hearts, and in their Minds will I write them. And their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more Offering for Sin.
The foundation of the whole preceding discourse of the Apostle, concerning the glory of the priesthood of Christ, and the efficacy of his sacrifice, was laid in the description of the New Covenant, whereof he was the Mediator, which was confirmed and ratified by his sacrifice, as the Old Covenant was by the blood of bulls and goats (Hebrews 8:10, 11, 12, 13). Having now abundantly proved and demonstrated, what he designed concerning them both, his priesthood and his sacrifice, he gives us a confirmation of the whole, from the testimony of the Holy Ghost, in the description of that Covenant which he had given before. And because the crisis which he had brought his argument and disputation to, was, that the Lord Christ by reason of the dignity of his person and office, with the everlasting efficacy of his sacrifice, was to offer himself but once, which virtually includes all that he had before taught and declared, including in it an immediate demonstration of the insufficiency of all those sacrifices which were often repeated, and consequently their removal out of the Church; he returns to those words of the Holy Ghost, for the proof of this particular also. And he does it from the order of the words used by the Holy Ghost, as he had argued before from the order of the words in the Psalmist (ver. 8, 9).
Therefore there is an ellipsis in the words, which must have a supplement to render the sense perfect. For to that proposition, after he had said before (ver. 11), with what follows (ver. 16), there must be added in the beginning of the 17th verse: He said; after he had said or spoken of the internal grace of the Covenant, he said this also, that their sins and iniquities he would remember no more. For from these words does he make his conclusive inference (ver. 18), which is the sum of all that he designed to prove.
There is in the words, 1. The introduction of the testimony insisted on, The Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. The Hebrews might object to him, as they were ready enough to do it, that all those things were but his own conclusions and arguings, which they would not acquiesce in, unless they were confirmed by testimonies of the Scripture. And therefore I did observe in my first discourses on this Epistle, that the Apostle dealt not with these Hebrews as with the churches of the Gentiles, namely, by his apostolical authority; for which cause he prefixed not his name and title to it; but upon their own acknowledged principles and testimonies of the Old Testament; so manifesting, that there was nothing now proposed to them in the Gospel, but that which was foretold, promised, and represented in the Old Testament, and was therefore the object of the faith of their forefathers. The same way does he here proceed in, and call in the testimony of the Holy Ghost, bearing witness to the things that he had taught and delivered.
And there is in the words, (1.) the author of this testimony, that is, the Holy Ghost; and it is ascribed to him, as all that is written in the Scripture is so, not only because holy men of old wrote as they were acted by him, and so he was the author of the whole Scripture; but because also of his presence and authority in it, and with it continually. Hence whatever is spoken in the Scripture is, and ought to be to us as the immediate word of the Holy Ghost: he continues therein to speak to us, and this gives the reason of
(2.) The manner of his speaking in this testimony; [in non-Latin alphabet], he bears witness to us, he does it actually and constantly in the Scriptures by his authority therein. And he does so to us, that is, not to us only who preach and teach those things, not to the Apostles and other Christian teachers of the Gospel; but to all of us of the Church of Israel, who acknowledge the truth of the Scriptures, and own them as the rule of our faith and obedience. So does he often join himself to them to whom he wrote and spoke of, by reason of the common alliance between them as Hebrews; see (Hebrews 2:3) and the exposition of that place.
This is that which the Holy Ghost in the Scripture testifies to us all, which should put an end to all controversies about those things. Nothing else is taught you, but what is testified before hand by God himself.
1. It is the authority of the Holy Ghost, alone speaking to us in the Scripture, whereinto all our faith is to be resolved.
2. We are to propose nothing in the preaching and worship of the Gospel, but what is testified to by the Holy Ghost: not traditions, not our own reasons and inventions.
3. When an important truth consonant to the Scripture is declared, it is useful and expedient to confirm it with some express testimony of Scripture.
Lastly, the manner of the expression is emphatical, [in non-Latin alphabet], even also the Holy Spirit himself. For herein we are directed to his holy divine person, and not an external operation of divine power, as the Socinians dream. It is that Holy Spirit himself that continues to speak to us in the Scripture.
That is the first thing in the introduction of the testimony.
2. There are two things in this testimony of the Holy Ghost; the (1.) is the matter or substance of it. (2.) The order of the things contained in it, or spoken by him. The introduction of the former is in the words we have spoken to; that of the latter, in the close of the verse; in these words, for after he had spoken before.
Of the testimony itself, which is declarative of the nature of the New Covenant made in Christ, and confirmed in him, there are two general parts. (1.) That which concerns the sanctification of the elect, by the communication of effectual grace to them for their conversion and obedience. The (2.) is concerning the complete pardon of their sins, and the casting them into everlasting oblivion.
The first of these the Holy Ghost witnesses in the first place, but he stays not there; afterwards he adds the latter, concerning the pardon of sin and iniquities, this being that alone wherein at present the Apostle is concerned, and from there he confirms his present argument. He distinguishes it from the other, as that which was of particular use in itself. And therefore, ver. 17. is to be supplied by, and from there or thereon also, their sins and iniquities I will pardon.
The words themselves have in both parts of them, been explained at large on chap. 8. where they are first produced as the great foundation of the ensuing discourses of the Apostle, so that they are not here again to be opened. We are only to consider the argument of the Apostle from the latter part of them; and this is, that the covenant being confirmed and established, that is, in the blood, and by the one sacrifice of Christ, there can be no more offering for sin. For God will never appoint nor accept of any thing that is needless, and useless in his service, least of all in things of so great importance as is the offering for sin. Yes, the continuation of such sacrifices would overthrow the faith of the Church, and all the grace of the New Covenant. For, says the Apostle, in the New Covenant, and by it, the Holy Ghost testifies, that as it was confirmed by the one sacrifice of Christ, perfect pardon and forgiveness of sin is prepared for and tendered to the whole Church, and every one that believes. To what purpose then should there be any more offerings for sin? Yes, they who look for, and trust to any other, they fall into that sin, for which there is no remission provided in this Covenant, nor shall any other offering be accepted for them for ever. For they despise both the wisdom and grace of God, the blood of Christ, and the witness of the Holy Ghost, whereof there is no remission; so he disputes, ver. 28, 29. of this chapter.
And here we are come to a full end of the dogmatical part of this Epistle, a portion of Scripture filled with heavenly and glorious mysteries, the light of the Church of the Gentiles, the glory of the people Israel, the foundation and bulwark of faith evangelical.
I do therefore here with all humility, and sense of my own weakness and utter disability for so great a work, thankfully own the guidance and assistance which has been given me in the interpretation of it, so far as it is, or may be of use to the Church, as a mere effect of sovereign and undeserved grace. From that alone it is, that having many and many a time been at an utter loss as to the mind of the Holy Ghost, and finding no relief in the worthy labours of others, he has graciously answered my poor weak supplications, in supplies of the light and evidence of truth.
