[2.] His heart is hereby inclined to compassion, and acquainted with what it is that will afford relief. In his throne of eternal peace and glory, he sees his poor brethren labouring im that storm which with so much travail of soul himself passed through, and is inti- mately affected with their condition.. Thus Moses stirs up the Israelites unto compassion unto strangers, from the experience they had themselves of the sorrows of their hearts: “Thou knowest the heart of a stranger.” And the Jews tell us that the onby, or officers that he set over the people in the wilderness, were of those elders who were so evilly entreated by the taskmasters in Egypt; that from their own sufferings they might know how to exercise tenderness over their brethren, now put under their rule.
[3.] This compassion moves and excites him unto their relief and succour. ‘This is the proper effect of mercy and compassion. It sets power on work for the relief of them whose*condition it is affected — withal. So said she,
; Avyaras,
“Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco.”—Virg. Ain. i. 634,
Being exercised with evils and troubles herself, she had thence
VER. 17, 18.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 481
learned to relieve the miserable so far as she was able. This is the ability ascribed unto our high priest,—compassion and mercy, arising from an experience of the sufferings and dangers of human nature under temptations, exciting his power for the relief of them that are tempted.
(3.) Lastly, The advantage of the brethren from hence lies in the succour that he is thus able to afford unto them. This in general, as we have showed, consists in a speedy coming in with relief unto them, who being in distress, do ery out or call for it. There are three things that tempted believers do stand in need of, and which they ery out for:—[1.] Strength to withstand their temptations, that they prevail not against them. [2.] Consolation to support their spirits under them. [3.] Seasonable deliverance from them. Unto these is the succour afforded by our high priest suited. And it is variously administered unto them; as, lst. By his word or promises. 2dly. By his Spirit; and that, (1st.) By communicating unto them supplies of grace or spiritual strength; (2dly.) Strong consolation ; (8dly.) By rebuking their tempters and temptations. 3dly. By his providence disposing of all things to their good and advantage in the issue. And what is more in the words will be manifested in the ensu- ing observations taken from them.
I. The principal work of the Lord Christ as our high priest, and from which all other actings of his in that office do flow, was to make reconciliation or atonement for sin.
This John declares, 1 Kpist. ii. 1, 2, “ We have an advocate with the Father,..... and he is the propitiation for our sins.’ What he doth for us in heaven as our advocate, depends on what he did on earth when he was a propitiation for our sins. This work was that which was principally regarded in the first promise, Gen. iii. 15, namely, that which he was to do by his sufferings. To shadow out and represent this unto the church of old, were all the sacrifices of the law and the typical priesthood itself instituted. They all directed believers to look for and to believe the atonement that was to be made by him. And that this should be the foundation of all his other actings as a high priest, was necessary,—
1. On the part of his elect, for whom he undertook that office. They were by nature “enemies” of God and “ children of wrath.” Unless peace and reconciliation be made for them in the first place, they could neither have encouragement to go to him with their obe- dience, nor to accept any mercy from him or acceptation with him; for as enemies they could neither have any mind to serve him nor hope to please him. Here lie the first thoughts of all who have any design seriously to appear before God, or to have to do with him: ‘ Where- with shall we come before him? how shall we obtain reconciliation with him? Until this inquiry be answered and satisfied, they find
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482 AN EXPOSITION OF THE | [CHAP. II.
it in vain to address themselves unto any thing else, nor can obtain any ground of hope to receive any good thing from the hand of God. This order of things the apostle lays down, Rom. v. 8-10. The first thing to be done for us, was to reconcile us to God whilst we were “sinners” and “enemies.” This was done by the death, by the blood of Christ, when, as our high priest, he offered himself a sacrifice for us. This being performed, as we have abundant cause of and encourage- ment unto obedience, so also just ground to expect whatever else belongs unto our salvation, as he also argues, Rom. vii.
2. It was so on his own part also. Had not this been first accomplished, he could not have undertaken any other act of his priestly office for us) What the Lord Christ doth in heaven on our behalf was prefigured by the entrance of the high priest into the holy place. Now this he could not do unless he had before offered his sacrifice of atonement, the blood whereof he carried along with him into the presence of God. All his intercession for us, his watch- ing for our good, as the merciful high priest over the house of God, is grounded upon the reconciliation and atonement which he made; his intercession, indeed, being nothing but the blessed representation of the blood of the atonement. Besides, this was required of him in the first place, namely, that he should “ make his soul an offering for sin,’ and do that in the body prepared for him which all the sacrifices and burnt-offerings of old could not effect or accomplish. And therefore hereon depended all the promises that were made unto him about the success of his mediation; so that without the performance of it he could not claim the accomplishment of them.