He yet proceeds:—“ (1.) Accedit quod cum Christus sacerdos dicitur et quidem talis qui seipsum obtulerit, et mors ipsius, sine qua offerre se non potuit, apertius includitur, quam regni mentio nullo pacto complectitur; (2.) et cura ipsius admodum tenera. et solicita quam pro nobis gerit, et qua expiationem peccatorum nostrorum perficit, magis quam regii muneris mentione indicatur. Unde non parum consolationis ex divina Christi potestate nobis accedit (3.) que alias magnitudine et sublimitate sua vilitatem nostram abster- rere potuisset, quo minus tanta cum animi fiducia ad ipsum confu- gere, et opem ab ipso expectare auderemus.”
Ans. (1.) How, according unto the judgment of these men, “the death of Christ is more openly and plainly included in his being called a priest,” than in his being a king, I know not; for he was not, if we may believe them, “a priest in his death,” nor did his
_ SECT. 11.] EXPLAINED AND VINDICATED. 187
death belong unto his discharge of that office, only they say it was “necessarily antecedent” thereunto. But so also was it unto the discharge of his kingly office; for he “ ought first to suffer, and then to enter into his glory,” Luke xxiv. 26. And his exaltation unto his glorious rule was not only consequent unto his humiliation and suffering, or unto his death, but did also depend thereon, Rom. xiv. 9; Phil. ii 7-11. Wherefore, with respect unto the antecedent necessity of the death of Christ, there is no difference between these offices, it being equal with regard unto them both. Had he placed the difference between these two offices with respect unto the death of Christ herein, that Christ as a priest died and offered himself therein unto God, which no way belonged unto his kingly office, he had spoken the truth, but that which was destructive unto all his pretensions. For what is here asserted, it constitutes no difference at all between them. (2.) It is acknowledged that the consideration of the priesthood of Christ bespeaks much care and tenderness to- wards the church, which is a matter of great consolation unto us. But,—[1.] It is so when this care and tenderness are looked on as the effects and fruits of that love which he manifested and exercised when in his death he offered himself a sacrifice for the expiation of our sins, and continueth to intercede for us, thereby rendering his oblation effectual. Herein doth the Scripture constantly place the love of Christ, and thence instructs us in his tender care and compassion thence arising, Eph. v. 25-27; Gal. ii, 20; Rey. i. 5. Remove this consideration of the priesthood of Christ, which is done by these men, and you take away the foundation and spring of that care and tenderness in him towards us as a priest whereby we should be relieved and refreshed. Wherefore,—[2.] This consola- tion is nowhere proposed unto us as that which ariseth absolutely from the office itself, but from what, out of his unspeakable love, he underwent and suffered in the discharge of that office; for being therein exercised with all sorts of temptations, and undergoing all sorts of sufferings, he is merciful and tender in the discharge of the remaining duties of this office. See Heb. ii, 17, iv. 15, 16, and v. 7, 8, with our Exposition on those places. I do not, therefore, see how they who deny that Christ suffered any thing in being our high priest, can, from the consideration of the priesthood, draw any other arguments for his care and tenderness than what may be taken from his other offices. [8.] Christ as a king, absolutely considered, without respect unto his sufferings, is no less tender to, no less care- ful of his church, than he is as he is a priest, his love and other qualifications for all his offices being the same; only his preparation for the exercise of his care and tenderness, by what he suffered as a priest, makes the difference in this matter ; the consideration whereof
188 TRUE NATURE OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST [EXERC. XXXII.
being removed, there remains none at all. To conceive of Christ as the king of his church, and not to conceive withal that every thing in him as such is suited unto the consolation and encouragement of them that do believe, is highly to dishonour him. He is, as a king, the shepherd of his flock, his pastoral care belonging unto his kingly office, as kings of old were called the shepherds of their people. But in his rule and feeding of the church as a shepherd, he is pro- posed as acting all manner of care and tenderness, as the nature of the office doth require, Isa. xl. 10,11. (3.) It is a fond imagination, that believers should be frighted or deterred from going unto Christ asa king because of their own vileness and his glorious dignity, seeing that glorious dignity was conferred on him on purpose to re- lieve us from our vileness. There is no office of Christ but con- taineth its encouragements in it for believers to make use of it and improve it unto their consolation; and that because the ground of all their hopes and comforts is in his person, and that love and care which he acts in them all. But that we should consider any one of them as a means of encouraging us with respect unto another, the Scripture teacheth us not, any otherwise than as the effects of his priestly office, in his oblation and intercession, are the fundamental reasons of the communication of the blessed effects of his kingly power unto us. For all the benefits we are made partakers of by him flow from hence, that he loved us, and gave himself for us, washing us in his own blood. Even the glorious greatness of God himself,—which, absolutely considered, is enough to deter us, as we are sinners, from approaching to him,—as he is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, is a firm foundation of trust, confidence, and consolation; and therefore the glory of Christ in his kingly power must needs be so also.