VER. 1, 2.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 511
Thus they had no one that was king, priest, and prophet to the church; nor could any be so after the giving of the law, the kingdom being promised unto the tribe of Judah, and the priesthood confined to the house of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi. Neither could any typical person alone of himself answer exactly and completely that wherein he was a type; for besides their own imperfections and failings, even in the discharge of their typical office,—which rendered them a weak and imperfect representation of him who was abso- lutely perfect in all things,—they could not in and by themselves at all discharge their office. Kings who were his types were to act, and did act, according to the counsel of others, and those sometimes none of the best; as David was much guided by the counsel of Ahithophel, which was to him as if he had “inquired at the oracle of God,” 2 Sam. xvi. 23. But Christ, our king, hath all stores of wisdom and counsel in himself, and “needed not that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man,” John ii. 25. So it was pro- phesied of him that “upon one stone,” the foundation-stone of the house of God, “there should be seven eyes,” Zech. iii. 9. Counsellors are 6pdarpmol BacirAtwv,— the eyes of kings.” And in the monarchy of Persia, whence this prophet was newly come, there were always seven of them: Ezra vii. 14, “Thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors;” and their names at that time are reckoned up, Esth. i. 14. ‘But,’ saith he, ‘all these eyes shall be on the foun- dation-stone itself, so that he shall no way need the advice or counsel of others. Or, to the same purpose, it may denote a perfection of wisdom and knowledge, which by that number is frequently signified. And for the high priest, he could do nothing alone. Unless he had an altar and a sacrifice, fire from above and a tabernacle or temple, his office was of no use. But our Lord Jesus is all this,—both _priest, Heb. iv. 14, and altar, Heb. xiii. 10, and sacrifice, Eph. v. 2, and tabernacle or temple, John ii. 19, 21, Col. i. 9, and the fire, Heb. ix. 14, all in his own person, as shall, God willing, be afterwards declared. The like may be said of the prophets. Who sees not, then, herein the great privilege of the new testament, seeing we have these things all really which they had only in type, and all in one which among them were distributed amongst so many, and those all weak and imperfect.
Now, seeing that he is thus all unto us, two things do naturally and necessarily follow :—
1. That we should seek for all in him. To what end were all typical offices, with their attendancies, instituted in the church of old? was it not that in them, one thing in one, another in another, they might find and obtain whatever was needful or useful for or unto the worship of God, their own edification and salvation? And shall we not seek for all in him who was represented, and that but
512 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. III.
darkly and infirmly, by them all? Whatever any one stood in need of in the commonwealth of Israel, he might have it fully answered either by king, priest, or prophet. And shall we not be perfectly justified by him who is really and substantially all in one? Yea, all our defects, weaknesses, and troubles, arise from hence, that we make not our applications unto him for that assistance which he is able, ready, and willing to give unto us.
2. As we must go to him for all, so we must receive and take him for all, that he may be all and in all. We are not only to address ourselves unto him as our priest, to be interested in his sac- rifice and the atonement made thereby, but as our king also, to rule us by his Spirit, and to instruct us as the apostle of our profes- sion. To take Christ, as some do, for a prophet, the apostle of God, but not as a high priest, or a priest properly so called, is to reject the true Christ, and to frame an idol to ourselves in our own imaginations. It is the same to divide him with respect unto any of his other offices or parts of his work whatever.
The exposition of the second verse yet remaineth, which will make way for that observation which is comprehensive of the principal design of the apostle in this place. Having laid down the sum of his exhortation, by an addition of the fidelity of Christ the apostle maketh a transition to the comparing of him with Moses as to his office apostolical or legatine, as afterwards he proceeds to compare him with Aaron in his office sacerdotal.
Ver. 2.—“ Being faithful to him who appointed him, even as Moses in his whole house.”
Entering upon a comparison of the Lord Christ with Moses as he was the apostle of God, or one sent by him to reveal his will, he recommends him to the faith of the Hebrews under the principal qualification of a person in that office, “He was faithful.” This being a term of relation, he further describes it by its respect unto God, and that act of God whereunto it answered, “To him that appointed him:” and then in general expresseth the comparison intended; 1. By naming the person with whom he compared him, “Even as Moses ;” and, 2. The subject of his employment, “ The whole house of God.”