482 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. V.
Jonah, chap. 1; nor to be weary of it, because of difficulty and opposition which we meet withal in the discharge of our duty, as it sundry times was ready to befall Jeremiah, chap. xv. 10, xx. 7-9; much less desert or give it over on any earthly account whatever, seeing that he who sets his hand to this plough, and takes it back again, is unworthy of the kingdom of heaven,—and it is certain that he who deserts his calling on worldly accounts, first took it up on no other. 2. That we should not envy nor repine at one another, whatever God is pleased to call any unto, 3. That we engage into no work wherein the name of God is concerned without his call; which gives a second observation, namely, that,—
Obs. II. The highest excellency and utmost necessity of any work to be done for God in this world, will not warrant our undertaking of it or engaging in it, unless we are called thereunto. Yea,—
Obs. III. The more excellent any work of God is, the more ex- press ought our call unto it to be.
Both these observations will be so fixed and confirmed in the consideration. of the instance given us in the next verse, as that there is no occasion here to insist upon them.
Obs. IV. It is a great dignity and honour, to be duly called unto any work, service, or office, in the house of God.
VERSE 5.
The description of a high priest according to the law, with respect, —1. Unto his nature; 2. His employment, verse 1; 3. His gualifi- cation, verse 2; 4. His especial duty, with regard (1.) to himself, (2.) to others, verse 3; 5. His call, in the instance of him who was the first of the order, verse 4,—being completed, an application of the whole is in this verse entered upon unto our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is done in all the particulars wherein there was or could be an agreement or correspondency between them and him with respect unto this office. And it was necessary to be thus declared by the apostle, unto the end designed by him, for two reasons:— 1. Because the original institution of those priests and their office was to teach and represent the Lord Christ and his; which was his main intention to manifest and prove. Now this they could not do unless there were some analogy and likeness between them; neither could it be apprehended or understood for what end and purpose they were designed, and did so long continue in the church, 2. That the Hebrews might be satisfied that their ministry and service in the house of God was now come to an end, and the whole use where- unto they were designed accomplished. For by this respect and relation that was between them, it was evident that he was now actually exhibited, and had done the whole work which they were appointed to prefigure and represent. It was therefore impossible
VER. 6.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS, 483
that there should be any further use of them in the service of God; yea, their continuance therein would contradict and utterly over- throw the end of their institution. For it would declare that they had a use and efficacy unto spiritual ends of their own, without respect unto him and his work whom they did represent; which is to over- throw the faith of both churches, that under the old testament and that under the new. Wherefore a full discovery of the proportion be- tween them, and relation of the one unto the other, was necessary, to evince that their continuance was useless, yea, pernicious. But on the other side, it could not be but that those high priests had many imperfections and weaknesses inseparable from their persons in the administration of their office, which could represent nothing nor receive any accomplishment in our Lord Jesus Christ. For if any thing in him had answered thereunto, he could not have been such a high priest as did become us, or as we stood in need of. Such was it that they were subject to death, and therefore were neces- sarily many, succeeding one another in a long series, according to a certain genealogy: “They truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: but this man, be- cause he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood,” or a priesthood that passeth not from one to another, chap. vil. 23, 24. Herein, therefore, there was a dissimilitude between them, because of their being obnoxious unto death; whence it was inevitable that they must be many, one succeeding to another. But Jesus Christ was to be one high priest only, and that always the same.
Again, they were all of them personally sinners, and that both as men and as high priests; whence they might and did miscarry and sin, even in the administration of their office. Wherefore it was needful that they should offer sacrifice for their own sins also, as hath been declared. Now, as nothing could be represented hereby in Jesus Christ, “ who knew no sin,” “ did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth,” nor could he therefore offer sacrifice for him- self; so these things do cast some darkness and obscurity on those instances wherein they did represent him. Wherefore our apostle steers a straight course between all these difficulties: for, First, He manifests and proves that the legal high priests were indeed types of Jesus Christ in his office, and did bear forth a resemblance of him therein; as also, that they were appointed of God for that very end and purpose. Secondly, He shows what were their qualifications and properties; which he distinguisheth into two sorts:—1. Such as belonged essentially, or were required necessarily, unto the office it- self, and its regular discharge. 2. Such as were unavoidable conse- quents or concomitants of their personal weakness or infirmity. This latter sort, in this application of their description unto Christ and his office, as prefigured thereby, he discards and lays aside, as things