View Hebrews 10 in the note window.
1: From all that has been said it appears, that the law,
the Mosaic dispensation, being a bare, unsubstantial shadow of
good things to come, of the gospel blessings, and not the
substantial, solid image of them, can never with the same kind
of sacrifices, though continually repeated, make the comers
thereunto perfect, either as to justification or sanctification.
How is it possible, that any who consider this should suppose
the attainments of David, or any who were under that dispensation,
to be the proper measure of gospel holiness; and that Christian
experience is to rise no higher than Jewish?
2: They who had been once perfectly purged, would have
been no longer conscious either of the guilt or power of
their sins.
3: There is a public commemoration of the sins
both of the last and of all the preceding years; a clear proof
that the guilt thereof is not perfectly purged away.
4: It is impossible the blood of goats should take
away sins - Either the guilt or the power of them.
5: When he cometh into the world - In the fortieth
psalm the Messiah's coming into the world is represented.
It is said, into the world, not into the tabernacle,(Heb 9:1); because all the world is interested in his
sacrifice. A body hast thou prepared for me - That I may
offer up myself.(Ps 40:6),&c.
7: In the volume of the book - In this very psalm it
is written of me. Accordingly I come to do thy will - By
the sacrifice of myself.
8: Above when he said, Sacrifice thou hast not chosen - That is,
when the Psalmist pronounced those words in his name.
9: Then said he - in that very instant he subjoined.
Lo, I come to do Thy will - To offer a more acceptable
sacrifice; and by this very act he taketh away the legal,
that he may establish the evangelical, dispensation.
10: By which will - Of God, done and suffered by Christ.
We are sanctified - Cleansed from guilt, and consecrated to God.
11: Every priest standeth - As a servant in an humble posture.
12: But he - The virtue of whose one sacrifice remains
for ever. Sat down - As a son, in majesty and honour.
13: (Ps 110:1).
14: He hath perfected them for ever - That is, has done all that
was needful in order to their full reconciliation with God.
15: In this and the three following verses, the apostle
winds up his argument concerning the excellency and perfection
of the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ. He had proved this
before by a quotation from Jeremiah; which he here repeats,
describing the new covenant as now completely ratified, and all
the blessings of it secured to us by the one offering of Christ,
which renders all other expiatory sacrifices, and any repetition
of his own, utterly needless.
16: (Jer 31:33), &c
19: Having finished the doctrinal part of his epistle,
the apostle now proceeds to exhortation deduced from
what has been treated of (Heb 5:4), which he begins
by a brief recapitulation. Having therefore liberty to
enter, -
20: By a living way - The way of faith, whereby we live indeed.
Which he hath consecrated - Prepared, dedicated, and established
for us. Through the veil, that is, his flesh - As by rending
the veil in the temple, the holy of holies became visible and
accessible; so by wounding the body of Christ, the God of heaven
was manifested, and the way to heaven opened.
22: Let us draw near - To God. With a true
heart - In godly sincerity. Having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience - So as to condemn us no longer
And our bodies washed with pure water - All our
conversation spotless and holy, which is far more
acceptable to God than all the legal sprinklings and
washings.
23: The profession of our hope - The hope which we professed
at our baptism.
25: Not forsaking the assembling ourselves - In
public or private worship. As the manner of some is
- Either through fear of persecution, or from a vain
imagination that they were above external ordinances.
But exhorting one another - To faith, love, and good works.
And so much the more, as ye see the day approaching
- The great day is ever in your eye.
26: For when we - Any of us Christians. Sin wilfully - By total
apostasy from God, termed "drawing back," (Heb 10:38).
After having received the experimental knowledge of the gospel
truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins - None but that
which we obstinately reject.
28: He that, in capital cases, despised
(presumptuously transgressed) the law of Moses died
without mercy - Without any delay or mitigation of his
punishment.
29: Of how much sorer punishment is he worthy, who
- By wilful, total apostasy. It does not appear that this
passage refers to any other sin. Hath, as it were,
trodden underfoot the Son of God - A lawgiver far more
honourable than Moses. And counted the blood wherewith
the better covenant was established, an unholy, a
common, worthless thing. By which he hath been sanctified
- Therefore Christ died for him also, and he was at least
justified once. And done despite to the Spirit of grace
- By rejecting all his motions.
30: The Lord will judge his people - Yea, far more rigorously
than the heathens, if they rebel against him.(De 32:35), &c.
31: To fall into the hands - Of his avenging justice.
32: Enlightened - With the knowledge of God and of his truth.
34: For ye sympathized with all your suffering brethren, and
with me in particular; and received joyfully the loss of your
own goods.
35: Cast not away therefore this your confidence - Your faith
and hope; which none can deprive you of but yourselves.
36: The promise - Perfect love; eternal life.
37: He that cometh - To reward every man according to his works.
38: Now the just - The justified person.
Shall live - In God's favour, a spiritual and holy life.
By faith - As long as he retains that gift of God.
But if he draw back - If he make shipwreck of his faith
My soul hath no pleasure in him - That is, I abhor him;
I cast him off.(Hab 2:3), &c.
39: We are not of them who draw back to perdition
- Like him mentioned (Heb 10:38).
But of them that believe - To the end, so as to attain eternal life.
