may often be comprised in one word, used and employed by the Holy Ghost for our instruction; and therefore, every word of the Scripture is diligently to be searched into. It is indifferent whether we render the words, the forerunner for us,' that is, our forerunner is entered, or the forerunner is entered for us.' In the first way, the qualification of his person, a ⚫ forerunner for us;' in the latter, the design of his action, the ⚫ forerunner acting for us,' is intended. Both come to the same purpose, and our translators so place the words, as if they inclined unto the latter sense. Two things we are to inquire into. 1. What is a forerunner? 2. What the Holy Ghost would instruct us in, by this ascription unto Christ-he is a forerunner entering within the vail for us?

1. Пgodgouos, præcursor, is one who in an affair of public concern, makes speed by himself unto the place whereunto the affair belongs, to give an account of it, and to dispose of all things needful and suited unto the disposal of the affair that he reports. Commonly, indeed, such a public harbinger is inferior unto those who come after, under whose conduct, the main of the affair doth abide. But this is only where he who is the forerunner or harbinger is so, and no more. But now, although the Lord Christ be a forerunner also, yet he is more; he is the person in whose hand lieth the whole affair and its conduct. And he was himself, the forerunner, because of the greatness of the matter he had in hand, not manageable by any other. And we may consider the words distinctly. 1. His being a forerunner. 2. For us. 3. Where he is so, within the vail.

First, He is in his entrance into heaven, or the holy place, πρόδρομος, godgopas, a forerunner.' This, the high priest of old, when he entered once a-year into the holy place, was not. He entered thereinto himself, but he made no way for any to follow after. He did not go before the people to give them an entrance into the holy place; but both by his entrance and his return, signified their exclusion for ever. We have then, herein, another instance of the excellency of our High-priest and his office. When he entered into the holy place, he did it not merely for himself, but to go before, to lead and conduct the whole church into the same glory.

Secondly, He is a forerunner, te, for us; that is, for all believers, for the whole church in all times, ages and places. And this he is, three ways.

First, By way of declaration. It belongs unto a forerunner to carry tidings, and to declare what is the success that hath been obtained in the affair which he giveth an account of. The Lord Christ, entering into heaven, makes an open declaration, that he hath led captivity captive, spoiled principalities and

powers, triumphed over them, that he hath obtained his portion, and divided the spoil with the strong, Isa. liii. 12. that he hath rescued his church from the power of sin, Satan, death and law. And there were two parts of the triumphant declaration made by this forerunner of the church. 1. That he had discharged his original engagement for the salvation of believers under the Old Testament, on the faith whereof, they were accepted with God, and saved. Hence, upon his entrance within the vail, they also join in that doxology, Rev. v. 9—12. And he was their forerunner also. For although I have no apprehension of the limbus patrum fancied by the Papists, yet I think the fathers that died under the Old Testament, had a nearer admission into the presence of God, upon the ascension of Christ, than what they enjoyed before. They were in heaven before, the sanctuary of God; but were not admitted within the vail, into the most holy place, where all the counsels of God in Christ are displayed and represented. There was no entrance before, either as to grace or glory within the vail, Heb. ix. 8. For, as I said, within the vail are all the counsels of God in Christ laid open, as they were typified in the holy place. This, none could or were to behold, before his own entrance thither. Wherefore, he was their forerunner also. 2. To declare the redemption of all the elect that were to follow him in their several generations. This is triumphantly declared in heaven, Psal. xlvii. 5-7. lxviii. 18. 24-26.

Secondly, By way of preparation. And this is two-fold.

1. With respect unto our present gracious entrance into the holiest, by faith and prayer. This way was not made for us, whilst the old tabernacle was standing, chap. ix. 8. But this way is now prepared for us by our forerunner, chap. x. 19—22. We have an entrance into heaven, even whilst we are here on the earth. An entrance is made for our faith, for our hope, for our prayer; wherever they enter, our souls do enter, and are present. And this entrance we make daily, and that with boldness and assurance, on the account of our forerunner.

2. As unto our future entrance into glory. Under this capacity as a forerunner, it belongs unto him to prepare mansions for us in his Father's house, whither he is gone, and which he hath promised to do, John xiv. 2, 3. He prepares mansions for us, and he prepares us for those mansions, suiting grace and glory unto each other. Heaven, indeed, is ready for us, whenever we are meet and ready for heaven.

Thirdly, By the way of possession. He had now obtained. for the church, eternal redemption, and purchased for them, and in their name, an everlasting inheritance, Acts xxvi. 18. This he went, for them, and in their name, to take possession ef, and to reserve it in the heavens for them, 1 Pet. i. 4. Here

on, being by adoption made heirs of God, they become to be co-heirs with Christ, Rom. viii. 17. and are at last admitted into the same glory with him. So is he a forerunner for us.

Thirdly, As a forerunner, he has entered within the vail; that is, into heaven itself, the place of the glorious presence of God. And this also may be considered two ways.

1. With respect unto what he hath already done for us; and two things are included therein. 1. That he had completely finished the work he had to do upon the earth. He had absolutely won the victory, and secured the church from all its spiritual adversaries. Without this, a triumphant entrance into heaven had not been granted unto him. 2. God's blessed approbation of all that he had done here below, Isa. liii. 11, 12. Phil. ii. 7-11.

2. With respect unto what he hath yet to do for us. Hence it is that he is not said absolutely to enter into his glory, but to enter as a priest, as through a vail, as into the holy place, where he continues as our forerunner in the exercise of that office, as the apostle declares in the close of the verse: "made an high priest after the order of Melchisedec," whereof we must treat in the next chapter.

Obs. XXVI. Now the Lord Jesus having thus entered into heaven as our forerunner, gives us manifold security of our entrance thither also, in the appointed season. This he assures us of, John xiv. 3. 19. For, 1. He passed through all the storms of trials, temptations, persecutions, and death itself, that we are exposed unto, and yet is landed safely in eternal glory. His anchor was trust and hope, in all his storms, chap. ii. 13. Isa. 1. 7-9. And it was tried to the utmost, Psal. xxii. 8-10. It preserved him in them all, and will be no less faithful unto the whole church. As he hath thus gone before us, he is able to succour us, and hath given us in himself a pledge of success. 2. He is now where our hope is fixed, namely, within the vail, where he takes care of it and will preserve it to the end.

Obs. XXVII. Again, if the Lord Christ be entered into heaven as our forerunner, it is our duty to be following him with all the speed we can. And it is required hereunto, First, That we be willing to follow him in the way wherein he went, as well as to the place whither he is gone. And the way he went was, 1. The way of obedience, chap. v. 8, 9. 2. The way of suffering, chap. xii. 2. Holiness and the cross, are the two essential parts of the way whereby our forerunner entered into glory. Secondly, That we burden not ourselves with any thing that will retard us, chap. xii. 1.

Obs. XXVIII. And we may see whereon the security of the church doth depend, as to the trials and storms which it under

goes in the world. He that can consider the opposition that is made unto it in the world, the counsel, the power, and the malice which are engaged unto its ruin on the one hand, and its own weakness, solitariness, helplessness on the other, cannot but admire whence it is that it is preserved one moment from destruction.

There is no proportion between its visible defence, and the visible opposition that is made unto it. It is Jesus our forerunner who is within the vail, taking care of all our concerns, that is alone our security.

Obs. XXIX. And what will he not do for us, who, in the height of his glory is not ashamed to be esteemed our forerunner? What love, what grace, what mercy, may we not expect from him? And,

Obs. XXX. When our hope and trust enter within the vail, it is Christ as our forerunner, that in a peculiar manner they are to fix and fasten themselves upon.

CHAPTER VII.

VERSES 1-3.

THERE are almost as many different analyses given of this

chapter, as there are commentators upon it. And sometimes the same person proposeth sundry of them, without a determination of what he principally adheres unto. All of them endeavour to reduce the whole discourse of the apostle, unto such a method as they judge most artificial and argumentative. But, as I have elsewhere observed, the force of the apostle's reasonings doth not absolutely depend on any such method of arguing, as we have framed unto ourselves. There is something in it more heavenly and sublime, suited to convey the efficacy of spiritual truth, as to the understanding, so to the will and affections also. For this reason, I shall not insist on the reducing of this discourse unto any precise logical analysis, which none of the ancients do attempt. But whereas, those methods which are proposed by learned men, whereunto, in their judgment, the apostle's arguing is reducible, are only diverse, and. not contradictory unto one another; the consideration of all, or any of them, may be of good use to give light unto sundry passages in the context. Those who have laboured herein with most appearance of accuracy, are Piscator and Gomarus. My design being to examine and consider all the apostle's arguings, and their connections particularly, I shall content myself with a plain and obvious account of the whole in general.

The design of the apostle in this chapter, is not to declare the nature, or the exercise of the priesthood of Christ, though the mention of them be occasionally inserted in some passages of it. For the nature of it, he had spoken unto, chap. v. and treats of its use at large, chap. ix. But it is of its excellency and dignity that he discourseth in this place, and that not absolutely neither, but in comparison with the Levitical priesthood of the church under the Old Testament. As this was directly conducing unto his end, so it was incumbent on him in the first place, to confirm: for if it were not so excellent, it was to no purpose to persuade them to embrace it, who were