Whatever other rule, dignity, or pre-eminence there would or might have been in that state amongst men, the office of priesthood would have been needless, and would not therefore have been ap- pointed; for it is not natural, but a mere institution. So are things among the angels.) ‘There is dignity and pre-eminence in their order. Hence some of them are called D7 ONY, “ the first,” or “chief princes.” And this they seem to retain in their apostasy, one being everywhere represented as the head of the rest: “The devil and his angels.” But every one of them was immediately
412 - AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IV.
to perform his service and worship unto God in his own person, without the interposition of any other on their behalf. And so would it have been with Adam and his posterity in a state of in- teority and holiness,
2dly. Sin being entered into the world, there was no more wor- ship to be performed immediately unto God. Two cannot walk together unless they be agreed, Amos iii. 3. All our obedience unto God and worship.of him is our “ walking before him,” Gen. xvii. 1. This we cannot do, unless there be a covenant agreement between him and us. But this now by sin was utterly broken, and rendered useless as unto any such end. The agreement failing, the walking together also ceaseth. None could now obtain acceptance with God in any of their duties, on their own account, inasmuch as “all had sinned, and come short of his glory.”
Bdly. That the worship of God might be restored again in the world, zt was indispensably necessary ‘that some one must unter pose between sinners and the holy God. Should they approach unto him immediately in their own names, he would be unto them a consum- ing fire, Isa, xxvii. 4,5. And here, because God would not lose the glory of his grace, and other holy excellencies of his nature, but would have a revenue of glory continued unto him from the worship of his creatures here on earth; and because in his love he would not have all sinners to perish under the curse of the old covenant that they had broken; he found out and appointed, in the counsel of his will, the office of priesthood,—namely, that there should be one to trans- act the whole worship of sinners in the presence of God for them, and render what they should do themselves in their own persons acceptable unto him. This is the rise, reason, and foundation of that office which was undertaken. by the Son of God; for,—
4thly. In this condition no creature could undertake the office of being a priest for the church of God, which now consisted all of sinners. This both the nature of the office itself, and the work which he was to perform that should undertake it, do declare: —
(1st.) For the office itself, it was to be a gracious interposition be- tween God and sinners. The priest must approach unto God, even to his throne, representing the persons and worship of the church unto him, rendering them and it acceptable upon his account. Who was meet to be intrusted with this honour? who amongst the crea- tures could undertake this office? The best of them stand in need of goodness and condescension, to obtain and continue their own ac- ceptance with him; for in the strictness of his justice, and infinite purity of his holiness, “the heavens,” that is, the inhabitants of them, “are not pure in his sight,” and “he charged his angels with folly,” Job iv, 18, xv. 15. How, then, should any of them, upon his own account, and in his own name, undertake to appear for others,
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for sinners, in the presence of God? They were doubtless utterly unmeet to interpose in this matter.
(2dly.) The general work of such a priest is utterly exclusive of the whole creation from engaging herein; for the first thing that he undertakes must be to make atonement for sin and sinners. This is his first work, and the only foundation of what else he has to do, —namely, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people in whose stead he appeareth before God. That this could not be performed by any creature I have manifested on the second chapter. Failing in this, no other thing that can be done is of any value. Where- fore,—
5thly. The Son of God undertakes to be this priest for sinners: “ We have a great high priest, Jesus the Son of God.” The whole enunciation is expressive of his person jointly, and each nature therein is also distinctly signified. “The Son of God,”—which in the first place we intend and consider,—denotes his divine person and nature. How the second person in the Trinity did undertake to be a mediator and priest for all the elect of God, hath been opened in our exposition of the second chapter of the epistle, and it shall not here be again in particular insisted on. This counsel was of old between the Father and the Son, namely, that he, the Son, should become the “seed of the woman,’—that is, should be “ made of a woman,” and be thereby “made under the law;” that he should come to do the will of God in making atonement by the offering up or sacrifice of himself for sin; that he should undertake the cause of sinners, pay their debts, and satisfy for their offences,—that is, by his appearance and acting for them, he should procure acceptance for them and their services at “the throne of grace.” All this the Son of God undertook, and therein both became the high priest of his people and discharged that office for them. And herein is the mystery of God, his truth and his grace, made conspicuous, as hath been at large declared in our Exercitations; for,—