VER. 17, 18.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 471
Before we proceed unto the explication of the remaining passages of these verses, what offers itself from what hath been already dis- coursed unto our instruction, may be observed; as,—
I. The promised Messiah was to be the great high priest of the people of God.
This the apostle here presumes, and proves elsewhere. And this we have elsewhereggnfirmed. The especial office of priesthood, for one to perform it In the behalf of others, came in after sin, upon the first promise. In the state of innocency every one was to be priest for himself, or perform in his own name the things which with God he had to do, according unto the law of his creation. This privilege failing by sin, which cut off all gracious intercourse between God and man, a new way was provided, and included in the first promise, for the transaction of things between God and sinners. This was by Christ alone, the promised seed. But because he was not to be immediately exhibited in the flesh, and it was the will of God that sundry sacrifices should be offered unto him; partly for his honour and glory in the world, and to testify the subjection of his people unto him; partly to teach and instruct them in the nature and benefits of the priesthood which he had designed for them, and to exemplify it im such representations as they were capable of; he did at several seasons institute various sorts of temporary, fading typical priests. This he did both before and after the law. Not that ever there was amongst them a priest properly and absolutely so called, by whom the things of men might be completely and ultimately transacted with God; only those who were appointed to administer before the Lord in the behalf of others were called priests, as rulers are called gods, because they represented the true Priest, and outwardly expressed his actings unto the people. The true, proper, and absolute high priest is Jesus Christ alone, the Son of God; for he alone had all the solemnities that were necessary for the constitution and confirmation of such a priest: as, in particular, the oath of God was necessary hereunto, that his priesthood might be stable and unchangeable. 1. Now, none was ever appointed a priest by the oath of God but Christ alone, as the apostle declares, chap. vii. 20, 21. And how this differences his office from that of others shall on that place be made manifest. 2. He alone had somewhat of his own to offer unto God. Other priests had somewhat to offer, but nothing of their own; they only offered up the beasts that were brought unto them by the people. But the Lord Christ had a body and soul of his own prepared for him to offer, which was properly his own, and at his own disposal, chap. x. 5. 3. He alone was set over the whole spiritual house of God, the whole family of God in heaven and earth. This belongs unto the office of a high priest, to preside in and over the house of God, to look to the rule and dis-
472 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [cHar. 11.
posal of all things therein. Now, the priests of old were, as unto this part of their office, confined unto the material house or temple of God; but Jesus*Christ was set over the whole spiritual house of God, to rule and dispose of it, chap. iii. 6. 4, He alone abides for ever. The true and real high priest was not to minister for one age or generation only, but for the whole people of God unto the end of the world. And this prerogative of the priggthood of Christ the apostle insists upon, chap. vii. 28, 24. 5. He afone did, and could do, the true and proper work of a priest, namely, “make reconcilia- tion for the sins of the people.” ‘The sacrifices of other priests could only represent what was to be done, the thing itself they could not effect; for “it was not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins,” as the apostle shows, chap. x. 4; but this was done effectually by that “one offering” which this high priest offered, verses 11-14. All which things must be afterwards insisted on in their proper places, if God permit. ‘This, then, is his prero- gative, this is our privilege and advantage.
II. The assumption of our nature, and his conformity unto us therein, were principally necessary unto the Lord Jesus on the ac- count of his being a high priest for us.
It behoved him to be made like unto us, that he might be a high priest. It is true, that, as the great prophet of his church, he did in part teach and instruct it whilst he was in the flesh, in his own person; but this was in a manner a mere consequence of his assuming our nature to be our high priest: for he instructed his church before and after principally by his Spirit, and this he might have done to the full though he had never been incarnate. So also might he have ruled it with supreme power as its king and head. But our high priest without the assumption of our nature he could not be, because without this he had nothing to offer; and ‘ of necessity,’ saith the apostle, ‘he must have somewhat to offer unto God.’ <A priest without a sacrifice is as a king without a subject. Had not God prepared him a body, he could have had nothing to offer. He was to have a self to offer to God, or his priesthood had been in vain; for God had showed that no other sacrifice would be accepted or be effectual for that end which was designed unto this office. On this, therefore, is laid the indispensable necessity of the incarnation of Christ.