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418 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. IY.
wards it; but, still keeping what it had before, it was carried on towards that completeness and perfection which it is capable of in this world, and which it hath received by Jesus Christ. Presently upon the giving of the first promise, God instituted some kind of worship, as sacrifices, to be a means of intercourse between him and sinners, in and by the grace and truth of that promise. This was the privilege of them that did believe. After this he made sundry additional ordinances of worship, all of them instructive in the nature of that promise, and directive towards the accomplish- ment of it. And still there was an increase of grace and privilege in them all. They were “the mountains of myrrh and hills of frankincense” on which the church “waited until the day brake, and the shadows fled away,” Cant. iv. 6. All along the church was still a gainer. But when the time came of the actual accomplish- ment of the promise, then were all former privileges realized unto believers, new ones added, and nothing lost. We have lost neither sacrifice nor high priest, but have them all in a more eminent and excellent manner. And this is enough to secure the application of the initial seal of the covenant unto the infant seed of believers. For whereas it was granted to the church under the old testament as a signal favour and spiritual privilege, it is derogatory to the glory of Christ and honour of the gospel to suppose that the church is now deprived of it; for in the whole system and frame of wor- ship God had ordained “the better things for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” And he says not, ‘There is an high priest,’ but, “We have an high priest;” because all our con- cernment in spiritual things depends absolutely on our personal interest in them. They may do well to consider this, who, 1. Either know not the nature of this priesthood, or do not at all endeavour to improve this office of Christ as that which they have an interest in. Some call themselves Christians, and exercise themselves in the outward worship of God, who are ready to despise, yea, and deride, all spiritual improvement and use of this great privilege, that we have a high priest, and scarce take it any more into any real consideration in the worship of God than if there were no such thing at all. 2. Those who, not contented with it, have invented and appointed unto themselves a priesthood and sacrifice, to the contempt of this of Christ. Had our apostle dealt with these He- brews on the principles of the present church of Rome, he would have told them, ‘You had under the law an high priest, but we have now a pope, a pontifex maximus, a great high priest; far richer, braver, and more potent, than yours was. You had many bloody sacrifices, but we have one in the host, of more use and profit than were all yours whatever. But dealing with the principles of the gospel, he declares and proposeth to them “ Jesus the Son of
VER. 15.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 419
God,” as our only priest, sacrifice, and altar. yor pene y intimating that others we have none.
“That cannot be touched with a feeling,” “ who cannot be affected with a sense,” “ who cannot suffer with.” The negative expression, oh dvvéwevov, “ who cannot,” as it includes and asserts a power and ability for the work or acts mentioned, so it doth it in opposition unto and to the exclusion of some other consi- derations, that infer a disability to this purpose. Now, the ability here intended is either moral only, or moral and natural also. If it be moral only, and intend a constant goodness, kindness, tender- ness, and benignity, attended with care and watchfulness, unto the end proposed, it may be asserted in opposition to the high priests among the Jews. For as they were the best of them but men, and sinful men, who did ofttimes indulge to their private and carnal affections, to the disadvantage of the people of God,—as did Eli, to the ruin of the church’s worship, 1 Sam. ii. 17, 22-25, 28-30, ete.,— and were none of them able at any time to have a due comprehen- sion of all the temptations and infirmities of the people; so many of them were evil men, proud, haughty, wrathful, and such as de- spised their brethren and relieved them not at all. In opposition hereunto, it is affirmed of our high priest that he is able to do quite otherwise,—that is, with a moral ability of heart, will, and aftec- tions. He can and doth, always and constantly, concern himself in all the sins, sufferings, sorrows, Reniptiotinns, and infirmities of his people.
Again; there may not only be a moral but also a natural ability included in the word. And in this sense there is respect had unto the human nature of Christ, and something moreover ascribed unto him [more] than could have been in him if he had been God only, —which is a great encouragement unto us to make our addresses to him for help and assistance. And this seems to be designed from the following words, wherein mention is made of his being “tempted like unto us.’ To understand this ability, we must inquire into the meaning of the next word, expressing that which it is applied unto or exercised about.