TeAcimbeig, then, is, “consecrated,” “dedicated, “consummated” sacredly. And it was necessary that Christ should be so, both from the nature of his office and work, which he was sacredly and solemnly to be set apart unto; and to answer the types of the Aaronical priesthood, which were so consecrated and set apart. And in this consecration of the Lord Christ unto his office of the priesthood, and his offering of sacrifice by virtue thereof, we may consider,—1. The
534 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [ CHAP. V.
sovereign disposing cause; 2. The formal cause constitutive of it; 8. The external means. 1. For the first, it was God, even the Father. He by his sovereign authority disposed, designed, called, and sepa- rated the Lord Christ unto his office; which we have spoken unto once, and must again consider it on the verse following. 2. The formal cause of it was his own will, obedientially giving up himself unto the authority and will of the Father, and that out of love unto and delight in the work itself, Ps. xl. 6-8. And in especial did he thereby dedicate, separate, and consecrate himself unto the principal work and duty of his office, or the offering of a sacrifice, John xvii. 19. 3. The external means were his own sufferings, especially in the offering of himself. This alone hath any difficulty attending it, how the Lord Christ can be said to be consecrated by his own suffer- ings in his offering, when his offering was an act of that office which he was consecrated unto. But I answer, that seeing an external means of the consecration of Christ was necessary, it could be no other but only his own sufferings in the offering of himself. For,— (1.) It was impossible for him, unworthy of him, and beneath both the dignity of his person and excellency of his office, with the very nature of it, that he should be consecrated by any other sacrifice, as of beasts and the like, as were the priests of old. To suppose the suffering and offering of beasts to be useful to this purpose, is repug- nant to the whole design of God, and destructive of the office of Christ itself, as is manifest. (2.) He could not consecrate himself by an antecedent offering of himself; for he could not die often, nor suffer often, nor indeed had any need, or could righteously on the part of God have so done. It was therefore indispensably necessary that he should be consecrated, dedicated, and perfected himself, in and by the sacrifice that he offered for us, and the suffering where- with it was accompanied. But withal, this was only the external means of his consecration; concerning which we may observe two things:—(1.) That as to the main or substance of his office, he was consecrated by his sufferings only in a way of evidence and mani- festation. Really he was so by the acts of God his Father and him- self before mentioned; only hereby he was openly declared to be the high priest of the church. (2.) There were some acts and duties of his sacerdotal office yet remaining to be performed, which he could not orderly engage into until he had suffered, because they supposed and depended on the efficacy of his suffering. These he was now made meet and fit for, and consequently unto the complete discharge of the whole course of his office.
Being thus consecrated, éyévero, “he was made,” “ he became,” or “he was” only. Nothing was now wanting unto the great end aimed at in all these things, which is ex- pressed in the next place.
*Eytvro,
VER. 9.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 535
Alsios owrnpiag aiwviov. Where his consecration is before men- tioned, chap. ii. 10, he is said to become dpynyis cwrnpins, a “captain of salvation.” And it is affirmed of him with respect unto his actual conduct of believers unto salvation, by the plentiful and powerful administration of his word and Spirit, supplying them with all fruits of grace and truth needful unto that end. Somewhat more is here intended. Airis is both “a cause in general,” and “he who is in any kind the cause of another thing.” And sometimes an “ efficient cause,” and sometimes a “‘ meritorious cause” is expressed thereby. In the first sense it is used by Isocrates ad. Phileb.: ods ray ayabdy huiv airious tvras,—“ The gods are the au- thors” (or “ causes”) “ of good things unto us;” that is, they bestow them on or work them in us. And Aristotle, de Mundo, useth a phrase of speech not unlike this: ‘H éy odpayg divamsg oburuow atriog yivercl owrnpiag,—“ The power that is in heaven is the cause of safety to all things.” And sometimes it is taken for a meritorious or procuring cause, or him by whom any thing is procured; though most fre- quently in other authors he who is guilty or deserves evil is intended thereby. So he: Otx éya airis siur AAG Leds nai woipa, So afriog is expounded by Eustathius, tredduvog xa! xordosws &E10g; but it is of the same importance with respect unto what is good. The apostle, therefore, hath in this word respect unto all the ways and means whereby the Lord Christ either procured salvation for us or doth actually bestow it upon us.