2. Hereunto is added the “high priest ;’—both in one, as the king- dom and priesthood are also promised, Zech. vi. 13. Both the Hebrews and we are now to look for all in him. These offices of old were in several persons. Moses was the apostle, or ambassador of God, to declare his will and law unto the people; and Aaron was the high priest, to administer the holy things in the worship of God. This was the poverty of types, that no one could so much as represent the work between God and the chureh, I will not deny but that Moses was a priest in an extraordinary manner before the institution of the Aaronical priesthood; but his officiating in that office being but a temporary thing, which belonged not to the condition of the Judaical church, it was not considered by our apostle in his comparing of him with Christ. To manifest, there- fore, unto the Hebrews how the Lord Christ hath the pre-eminence in all things, he instructs them that both the offices, that of an
Tov aprispsa.
apostle, which of old was executed by Moses, and that of the high
priesthood, committed unto Aaron, were vested in him alone, in- tending afterwards to evince how far he excelled them both, and
le i
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VER. 1, 2.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS, 503
how excellent were his offices in comparison of theirs, though they came under the same name.
3. The limitation adjoined is, “ of our profession:” “The apostle and high priest of our profession.” The words may be taken objectively and passively, ‘The apostle and high priest whom we profess,—that is, believe, declare, and own so to be; or they may actively denote ; the author ‘of our profession, — the apostle and high priest who hath revealed and declared the faith which we profess, the religion which we own, and therein exerciseth in his own person the office of the priesthood.’ In this sense he is called “ The author and finisher of our faith,” chap. xii. 2. Our faith objectively, and our profession, are the same. Our profession is the faith and worship of God which we profess, This is our 6morcyia, even the gospel, with the worship and obedience required therein. And the Lord Christ was and is the apostle of this profession, as he revealed the will of God unto us in the gospel, as he brought life and immortality to light thereby, teaching and instructing us in the whole will of God, as Moses did the Jews of old. He is also the high priest of this our profession, inasmuch as he himself offered the one and the only sacrifice which in our religion we own and profess, and continues alone to perform the whole office of a priest therein, as Aaron and his successors did in that of the Jews. It belonged not unto the office of the high priest to institute and appoint any thing in the worship of God, but only to execute his own duty in offering sacrifices and interceding for the people. So the Lord Christ,—who, as the apostle of our pro- fession, instituted the whole worship of God to be observed therein, —as our high priest doth only offer the sacrifice of the church and intercede for the people.
The word “ our” is added by way of discrimination, and is regu- lated by the compellation and description foregoing: “Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, he is the apostle and high priest of our profession ;’—‘ Whatever by others he be esteemed, he is so to us; and our inestimable privilege and honour it is that he is so,’
This is the present exhortation of the apostle. That which he finally aims at, is to prevail with these Hebrews to hold fast the beginning of their confidence unto the end. To this purpose he ex- horts, warns, and chargeth them,by all the bonds of mutual love and endearedness, by the greatness of the privilege which they are made partakers of, and the inexpressibleness of their concernment therein, that they would fix themselves unto a diligent consideration of him in whom all those offices now in our profession,—which of old were shared amongst many, in a low, carnal administration of them,—are gloriously vested. And how useful this would be unto them, and wherein this consideration doth consist, shall afterwards be made to
Ths omoro- ylas away.
504 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IIL
appear. For the present we shall make some observations on the passages of the text that have been opened.
VIII. The business of God with sinners could be no way trans- acted but by the negotiation and embassy of the Son.
He must become our apostle; that is, be sent untous. He did, indeed, at sundry times send servants and messengers into the world about his affair with us; but whereas they could never accomplish it, “last of all he sent his Son,” Matt. xxi. 37; Heb. i.1,2. There was a threefold greatness in this matter, which none was fit to manage but the Son of God:—
1. A greatness of grace, love, and condescension. That the great and holy God should send to treat with sinners for the ends of his message, for peace and reconciliation, it is a thing that all the crea- tion must admire, and that unto eternity. He is every way in him- self holy, good, righteous, and blessed for evermore. He stood in no need of sinners, of their service, of their obedience, of their being. But he was justly provoked by them, by their apostasy and rebellion against him, and that unto an indignation beyond what can be ex- pressed. His justice and law required their punishment and de- struction; which as he could have inflicted unto his own eternal glory, so they did not in any thing, nor could by any means, seek to divert him from it. Yet in this condition God will send a message unto these poor, perishing rebels, an embassy to treat with them about peace and reconciliation, But this now is so great a thing, includes such infinite grace, love, and condescension in it, that sinners know not how to believe it. And, indeed, who is fit to tes- tify it unto them? Objections that arise against it are able to shake the credit and reputation of any angel in heaven. Wherefore God commits this message unto his Son, his only Son, makes him his apostle, sends him with these tidings, that they may be believed and accepted: 1 John v. 20, ‘The Son of God came, and gave this understanding.’ It is true that God sent others with some parts of this message before; for “he spake by the mouth of his holy pro- phets from the beginning of the world,” Luke i. 70; but yet as the first promise was given out by the Son of God himself, as I have elsewhere declared, so all the messages of the prophets in or about this matter depended on the confirmation of them that he was after- ward to give in his own person. So saith our apostle: Rom. xv. 8, “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.” The truth of God in this matter delivered by the prophets was further to be attested by Jesus Christ, to whose testimony they re- ferred themselves, And with respect hereunto he tells the Pharisees, _ that if he had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin. If the sealed book of prophecies concerning the judgment of