1 See vol. xii. Vindiciee Evangelice.
SECT. 12.] EXPLAINED AND VINDICATED. 161
will of God, he gave up himself unto death for us. This love and obe- dience, the Socinians say, is the sacrifice intended in this place, which is therefore metaphorical; but that Christ offered himself a sacrifice in his death they deny that the apostle here asserts. But,—(1.) In all other places where there is any mention of the offering of Christ, it is expressly said that he offered “himself,” or his “soul,” or his “body,” Isa. ii. 10; Heb. ix. 14, x. 10; yea, as here he is said to offer sacrifice in his death, so his suffering therein is affirmed to be necessary to his ' sacrifice of himself, chap. ix. 25,26. He “gave himself for us a sacri- fice,” is no more but that he suffered when he offered himself, as the apostle expressly affirms. (2.) Although spocpopé may be used for a metaphorical sacrifice, and so possibly may Suofa also, yet when- ever they are conjoined in the Scripture, they denote all sorts of proper sacrifices, as is evident from the place before cited; and there- fore they can intend here nothing but that sacrifice which all those proper sacrifices prefigured. Besides, Suc/a, unless the metaphor be evident and cogent, doth signify nothing but a sacrifice by immo- lation or killing. ve, as we have showed, is but opérrew, “to kill,” only it is to slay in sacred services; with respect whereunto also the other word is used in good authors. So Plutarch affirms of the Gauls, that they believed S<0d¢ chivas yaiporag dvdpimav oparrapévan alwart, nad ralrny redciordéryy Ivoiav,— that the gods delighted in the blood of slain men, and that this was the most perfect sacrifice.” *Avopwrocpauyia, if it respect things sacred, is the same with dvépwo- Svsiw. So, whereas the Lord Christ was duviov éopayiowévoy, “ a Lamb slain,” Rey. v. 12, xiii. 8,—being called “a Lamb,” and “the Lamb of God,” as all acknowledge, with respect unto the paschal lamb,—it is said rdéoyo. jyéiv 20b0n Xpioric, 1 Cor. v. 7, “ Christ our passover,” _ our paschal lamb, “ is sacrificed for us.” @vo/a, therefore, being used
to express the nature of the death of Christ with respect unto God, nothing can be intended thereby but a proper and bloody sacrifice. (3.) Our adversaries acknowledge that the Lord Christ did offer himself as a complete expiatory sacrifice to God. Task, then, when he is positively and directly affirmed to offer himself an offermg and sacrifice unto God, why is not that the expiatory sacrifice which he offered? They have not any thing to reply, but only that he offered not that sacrifice in his death, but upon his entrance into heaven; which is only in favour of their own hypothesis, to contra- dict the apostle to his face. (4.) Ipocpopay xa! Suciav are regulated by the same verb with iauriv, Mapédaxsy eavriv rpoopopdy xual Suoiay: so that there can be no other sense of the words but “ Christ offered himself a sacrifice,” or “gave himself a sacrifice.” And whereas it is objected that +apad/dau: is not used for sacrificing, or offering sacrifice, besides that it is false, as may be seen in Micah
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162 TRUE NATURE OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST [EXERC. XXXL
vi. 7, where {2 in the original is rendered by rapudidau, so here was a peculiar reason for the use of this word, because the apostle included in the same expression both his giving himself for us and the manner of it, namely, by giving himself a sacrifice unto God for us. (5.) Whereas it is said that this sacrifice was “a sweet-smelling savour unto God,” it doth not advantage our adversaries, as I shall elsewhere manifest, from the rise, nature, and first use of that expres- sion. At present it may suffice that it is used expressly concerning expiatory sacrifices, Lev. iv. 31, and whole burnt-offerings, which were of the same nature, chap.i. 9. And whereas this is the first kind of sacrifice appointed: under the law, and is said expressly to “make atonement,’ verse 4, and therein to be “an offering of a sweet savour unto the LorD,” it plainly declares that all other sac- rifices which made atonement were in like manner a sweet savour unto the Lord; on the account whereof that of Christ, wherein God rested and was well pleased, is so called. But of these things we must treat elsewhere more at large.
13. Heb. v. 6, 7, “As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death,” etc. The reader may consult the exposition of this place, wherein the difficulties of it are removed, and the intention of the Holy Ghost in it is truly explained. At present I shall only observe some few passages in confirmation of the truth under consideration ; as,—(1.) The works, acts, or duties, here assigned unto Christ, are assigned unto him expressly as he was a high priest, as is unde- niably manifest in the context; wherefore they are sacerdotal acts, or acts of Christ as a priest. (2.) He performed them “in the days of his flesh,” and that when he was in great distress, standing in need of aid and assistance from God; that is, at the time of his death. (3.) It is therefore here plainly affirmed, that our Lord Jesus Christ, as a high priest, did, in his dying for us, offer unto God. If we inquire in other places what he offered, it is expressly said that it was “himself,” his “soul,” his “body,” aswe have proved. And that Christ, as a high priest, in the days of his flesh offered himself unto God, is all that we need for the confirmation of what we assert concern- ing the time, place, and nature, of the exercise of his priesthood. It will be excepted that Christ is not said in this place to offer himself, but only to offer up “ prayers and supplications;” which are a meta- phorical and not a real sacrifice. But the apostle did not solemnly introduce him as called to the office of a high priest, and acting the powers of that office, merely with respect unto prayers and sup-