ceremonies, and the over scrupulous observance of them; for the kingdom of God is not "meat and drink," but righteousness and peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost, Rom. xiv, 17.

§3. With respect to those doctrines the charges are, "Be not carried about" with them, see Ephes. iv, 14. There is an allusion to ships, and the impression of the mind upon them. In themselves they are light, and are easily carried about of winds; and the false doctrines may be compared to winds, because those who would impose them on others, commonly do it with a great and vehement blustering. You must be circumcised, or you cannot be saved, as Acts xv, 1; unless you believe and practise these things, you are heretics and schismatics, &c. and the effects of them on the minds of some are those of contrary winds at sea; they toss them up and down; they run them out of their course; and threaten their destruction. First, they fill the minds of men with uncertainties, as to what they have believed; and then for the most part they alter the whole course of their profession; and lastly, they bring them to be in danger of eternal ruin. In proof of these things, witness the Galatian churches.

$4. The end to be aimed at, in the profession of religion is, "that the heart be (ßeßada) established; so confirmed in faith, as to have a fixed persuasion of the truth; or a just firm settlement of mind in the assurance of it, as opposed to being tossed to and fro; that through the truth, the heart enjoy peace with God, which alone will establish it; giving it firmitude and rest in every condition, being stayed on God.

$5. (Xapili) by grace. "Grace" here is to be taken comprehensively, for the good will and love of God towards men, by Jesus Christ, as revealed in the gos pel. This is that alone which doth, which can estab

lish the heart of a sinner in peace with a holy and just God, Rom. v, 1.

"Not with meats." Not that the heart may be established by meats also, but that grace is the only way thereof, though some foolishly pretended, that it might be done by eating, or by abstinence from eating, of meats, by virtue of divine prohibition, "touch not, taste not, handle not," Col. ii, 21; which distinction of meats arose from the altar; for the beast that might be offered at the altar in sacrifice being clean, and the first fruits being thus dedicated unto God, the whole of the kind became clean to the people; and what had not the privilege of the altar, was prohibited.

And hence we may see the reason why the Jews laid so great a stress on these meats, viz. because the taking of them away declared, that their altar, which was the life and centre of their religion, was of no more use. And hence we may also see the reason of the apostle's different treating with them in this matter; for, speaking of meats in their own nature, he declares, that the use of them is a thing indifferent, wherein every one is to be left to his own liberty, to be regulated only by the circumstance of giving offence or scandal, see Rom. xiv; but when he treats of them as a pretended necessary observance, as connected with the altar, he utterly condemns them, Gal. iv; Col. ii, 16-23.

"For it is (nanov) a good thing;" it is excellent, approved of God, and our incumbent duty to labor after. And in this positive comparative is included, it is good and excellent to such a degree, as to be far better than what they pretended.

§6. "Which have not profited them that have been occupied therein," (evois teρitalyavles) them who have talked in them. To walk in meats, is to observe the 55

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doctrines concerning them; "touch not, taste not, handle not." And he speaketh of the time past, as well as of the time then present; for of themselves they never profited those that observed them. They were a part of the yoke that was imposed on them, until the time of reformation, chap, iv, 10; and so far as any trusted to them, as a means of acceptance with God, they were pernicious to them; which the apostle intimates by a common figure, when he says, that "they did not profit" them; that is, they tended to their hurt; and much more after their obligation ceased.

§7. And there are many weighty directions intimated and included in these words, for the use of the church in all seasons; as,

1. That there is a revelation of truth given to the church in the word of God, which is the only doctrinal foundation and rule of faith.

2. That this doctrine is every way suited to promote divine grace in believers, and the attainment of their own salvation.

3. That doctrines unsuited to this first revelation by Christ and his apostles soon sprung up to the trouble of the church, and they have continued to do so in all ensuing ages.

4. Where such doctrines are entertained they make men double minded, unstable, turning them from the truth, and drawing them at length into perdition.

5. The ruin of the church in after ages arose from the neglect of this apostolical caution, in giving way to various and strange doctrines.

6. Herein lies the safety of all believers and all churches; namely, to keep themselves precisely to the first complete revelation of divine truth in the word of God, let men pretend what they will, and bluster while they please; in an adherence to this principle we

are safe; and if we depart from it, we shall be hurried and carried about through innumerable uncertainties into ruin.

7. And we see, that those who consider any thing but grace, as the only means to establish their hearts in peace with God, shall in vain exercise themselves in other things and ways to that end.

VERSE 10.

We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

$1. The direct design of the words. $2. Our altar, what. $3. On what ground, and in what respect, they who serve the tabernacle have no right to partake of our altar. §4. Observations.

§1. THE design of the context, and coherence of the words, have in general been spoken to before; having asserted the only way of the establishment of the heart in peace with God, and the uselessness of all distinction of meats to that purpose, he here declareth the foundation of the truth; for whereas the sole ground of all distinction of meats, and other ceremonies among the Jews, was the altar in the tabernacle, with its nature, use, and services, he lets them know that "we have an altar" and services quite of another kind than those which arose from the altar of old, such as he describes, ver. 13-15; this is the direct design of the apostle in this place, and the proper analysis of his words,

§2. The altar which we now have, is Christ alone, for he was both priest, altar, and sacrifice to the church, as to all the use and efficacy of them, which is evident in the context; for this altar is, in its nature, use, and efficacy, opposed to the altar in the tabernacle; and indeed the apostle expressly declares that Jesus sanctified the people with his own blood, which was to be

done at or on the altar; and "by him," as our altar, we are to offer our sacrifices unto God, yer. 15, "the fruit of our lips, confessing unto his name:" which leads us off from all thoughts of any material altar. Estius, one of the soberest expositors of the Roman church, concludes, that it is Christ, and his sacrifice alone, is intended in this place.

§3. "Whereof they have no right to eat ( TpƐvOVTES) who serve the tabernacle;" he speaks in the. present tense, those who do serve, or who are serving at the tabernacle; for he hath respect to the original institution of divine worship, which was in the tabernacle; and he takes no notice of the things that ensued on the erection of the temple, because it made no alterations in the worship itself, and he supposeth them to be in the state wherein they were appointed; "who serve;” namely, the priests and Levites in their several orders and degrees, who had a right to eat of the altar, or the things that were consecrated thereby, and a part of which was offered thereon. "They who wait at the altar, are partakers with the altar," 1 Cor. ix, 13; x, 18; nor was it lawful for any others to eat any thing from the altar, unless in the case of the thank-offering by special indulgence, or in extreme necessity.

"Whereof they have no right to cat" (8, i. e̟, Auriaclups) of which altar, and all the things which are sanctified thereby; to eat; what was every one's portion was to be eaten, hence the apostle useth the word (Qayer) to eat here for any kind of participation; they have no (εstian) right or title, by virtue of any divine institution; he doth not absolutely exclude such persons from ever attaining an interest in our altar; no, far from it; but he doth it in two respects; they had no such right by virtue of their office and relation to the tabernacle; and—whilst they adhered to the use of