460 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. V.
the way. All sorts, therefore, of sins and sinners are comprised in these expressions. And with respect unto them it is required of a high priest,—(1.) That he should not take the provocation of them so high or immoderately as to neglect them or cast them off on their account. (2.) That he should have such pity and compassion to- wards them as is needful to move him to act for their relief and deliverance. And this the high priest of old was prompted unto,—
8. Emel nal abris wepineirou dodeverny. "Eres, “quoniam,” “seeing it isso;” xai abrég, “that even he himself.” His own state and condition will mind him of his duty in this matter. Tlepixeiras aodévesav. This is more than if he had said that he was dodevfs, “weak and infirm:” ‘ He is beset and compassed about on every hand with infirmity.’ Tepimesmévqy exwv dodéverny, as is the meaning of the phrase, ‘having in- firmity round about him,’ attended with it in all that he sets himself unto. Now this dodéve is twofold:—(1.) Natural. (2.) Moral. (1.) There is an infirmity which is inseparable from our human nature. Such are the weaknesses of its condition, with all the dolorous and afflictive affections in doing or suffering that attend it. And this our Lord Jesus Christ himself was compassed withal ; whence he was “a man of sorrow, and acquainted with grief,” as hath been declared. Had it been otherwise he could not have been such a merciful high priest as we stood in need of; nor, in- deed, any priest at all, for he would not have had any thing of his own to offer, if he had not had that nature from which in this life that sort of infirmity is inseparable, Matt. xxvi. 41. (2.) There is a moral infirmity, consisting in an inclination unto sin and weakness as to obedience. “Ovrwy nudv dodevaiv, Rom. v. 6, “ When we were yet infirm (without strength),” is the same with “Ovray quay cmuap- rwrav, verse 8, “ while we were yet sinners;” for our weakness was such as was the cause of our sin. See 1 Cor. viii. 7. And the words, both substantive, adjective, and verb, are frequently used in the New Testament to express bodily weakness by sickness and infir- mities of every kind. Nothing hinders but that we may take it here in its most comprehensive signification, for infirmities of all sorts, natural, moral, and occasional. For the first sort do neces- sarily attend the condition of our human nature, and are requisite unto him that would discharge aright the whole office of a priest. And the following verse, affirming that “for this cause” it was necessary for him “to offer sacrifice for himself;’ declares directly that his moral or sinful infirmities are also included. He himself was subject to sin, as the rest of the people. Whence there were peculiar sacrifices appointed for the anointed priest to offer for him- self and his own sin. And for the last, or infirmities in bodily dis- tempers unto sickness and death, it is a necessary consequent of the
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VER. 2.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 461
former. Wherefore, as these words have respect unto them that go before, or yield a reason why the high priest is such a one as “ can have compassion on the ignorant,” they express the infirmity of nature which inclined him thereunto from a sense of his own weak- ness and suffering. As they respect what ensues, verse 8, they in- tend his moral infirmities, or sinful infirmities, with their conse- quences; from whence it was necessary that he should offer sacrifice for himself. And in the latter sense the things intended belong peculiarly to the high priest according to the law, and not to Christ.
And this obviateth an objection that may be raised from the words. For it may be said, ‘If this be so, why is it mentioned in this place as an advantage for the inducing of the high priest unto a due measure of compassion, or to equanimity and forbearance? For if this were not in Christ, he may be thought to come short in his compassion of the legal high priest, as not having this motive unto it and incentive of it.’ Ans. (1.) That natural infirmity whereof our Lord Christ had full experience, is every way sufficient unto this purpose; and this alone was that which qualified the legal high priest with due compassion. His moral infirmity was not any ad- vantage unto him, so as to help his compassion towards the people; which was, as all other graces, weakened thereby. It is therefore mentioned by the apostle only as the reason why he was appointed to offer sacrifice for himself, which Christ was not to do. And what advantage soever may be made of a sense of moral weakness and proneness unto sin, yet is it in itself an evil, which weakens the duty that it leads unto; nor where this is can we expect any other discharge of duty but what proceeds from him who is liable to sin and miscarriage therein. Now, the Lord Christ being absolutely free from this kind of infirmity, yet made sensible of the one by the other, doth in a most perfect manner perform all that is needful to be done on our behalf. (2.) The apostle treats not of the nature of the priesthood of Christ absolutely, but with respect unto the legal high priests, whom he exalts him above. It was necessary, there- fore, that their state should be represented, that it might appear as well wherein he excelled them as wherein there was an agreement between them. And this he did, among other things, in that he was not obnoxious unto any moral infirmity, as they were. From the whole we may observe,—