VI. The effectual heavenly vocation of believers is their great “privilege, wherein they have cause to rejoice, and which always ought to mind them of their duty unto Him that hath called them.
For these two ends doth the apostle mind the Hebrews of their participation in the heavenly calling ;—first, That they might con- sider the privilege they enjoyed by the gospel far above and beyond whatever they boasted of under the law; and, secondly, That he might stir them up unto the performance of their duty in faith and obedience, according as God requires of them who are called. And this calling will appear a signal privilege if we consider:—1. The state from whence men are called, which is a state of death, Eph.
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ii. 1; and of darkness, Col. i. 18, 1 Pet. ii. 9; and of enmity against God, Col. i. 21, Eph. iv. 18, Rom. viii. 7; and of wrath, John iii. 36, Eph. ii. 3. It is a state of all that misery which the nature of man is capable of or obnoxious unto in this world or to eternity. Or, 2. By whom they are called, even by God above, or in heaven, the Father of: our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. i. 9, Rom. viii, 28, 1 Pet. 1.15, Phil. iii. 14, Gal. v. 8. And, 3. From whence or what induce- ment it is that he calls them; which is from his own mere love and undeserved grace, Tit. iii. 3-5. And, 4. The discrimination of per- sons in this call. All are not thus called, but only those that are, in the eternal purpose of the love of God, designed to so great a mercy, Rom. viii. 28, 31, 82. And, 5. The outward condition for the most part of them that are called, which is poor and contempt- ible in this world, 1 Cor. i. 26-28, James ii. 5. And, 6. The means of this calling, which are the holy Word and Holy Spirit, John xvii. 17, 1 Cor. vi. 11, 2 Thess. ii. 14. And, 7. What men are called unto; which is to light, 1 Pet. ii. 9, Col. i. 18; and to life, John v. 24, 25; to holiness, Rom. i. 7, 1 Cor. i. 2, 1 Thess. iv. 7; and unto liberty, Gal. v. 13; unto the peace of God, Col. ii, 15, 1 Cor. vii. 15; and unto his kingdom, I Thess. ii. 12, Col. i 13; unto righte- ousness, Rom. viii. 30; and to mercy,,Rom. ix. 23, 24; and unto eternal glory, 1 Pet. v. 10. Of all these benefits, with the privilege of the worship of God attending them, are believers made partakers by their heavenly calling. And this minds them of their whole duty ;—(1.) By the way of justice, representing it unto them as meet, equal, and righteous, 1 Pet.i.15; (2.) Of gratitude, or thankfulness for so great mercy, 1 John iii 1, 1 Pet. ii. 9; (3.) Of encourage- ment, etc. Proceed we again unto the exposition of the words.
“Consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.” The words may be read either, “Consider Christ Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our profes- sion,” and so the person of Christ is placed as the immediate object of the consideration required, and the other words are added only as a description of him by his offices; or, “ Consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus,” and then the apostle and high priest of our profession are the proper objects of this con- sideration, and the name added doth but indigitate the individual person who was clothed with these offices.
This is the immediate duty which the apostle here presseth them unto, namely, the consideration of that apostle and high priest of our profession, whose greatness, glory, excellency, and pre-eminence ~ in all things he had declared. And herein the nature of the duty — and the object of it are represented unto us. 7
First, The nature of it, in the word “consider.” Some suppose that faith, trust, and confidence, are intended or included in this
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word. But xaravoiw is nowhere used in any such sense, nor will the present design of the apostle admit of any such interpretation in this place; for the duty he exhorts unto is in order unto faith, and constancy therein. And this is no other but a diligent inten- sion of mind, in their considerations, thoughts, meditations, and conceptions about Jesus Christ, that they may understand and _per- ceive aright who and what he is, and what will follow upon his being such. And this rational consideration is of singular use unto the end proposed. And as he afterwards blames them for their remissness and backwardness in learning the doctrine of the gospel, chap. v. 11-14; so here he seems to intimate that they had not suf- ficiently weighed and pondered the nature and quality of the person of Christ, and his offices, and were thereupon kept in their entangle- ments unto Judaism. This, therefore, he now exhorts them unto, and that by fixing their minds unto a diligent, rational, spiritual consideration of what he had delivered, and was yet further to deliver concerning him and them.