Obs. VI. Whatever state or condition we are called unto, what is necessary unto that state is indispensably required of us——So are holiness and obedience required unto a state of reconciliation and ~ peace with God.
VERSE 4.
Ei wiv yep iv eal vis, ove? av Hy iepeds, dvrwv ray lepewv reiv xpoopepéy- TOV Hare roy yomwoy Ta Owpa,
Vulg. Lat., “si esset super terram;” all others, “in terra,” to the same pur-
pose. Syr., 829823, “in the earth.” O00 dy jy lepede, SI ND N82 EN, “ even also he should not be a priest.” ”Ovray ray fepewv. The Vulgar omits fepéwy, and renders the words, “cum essent qui offerrent.”. Rhem., “whereas there were who did offer.” The Syriac agrees with the original. Beza, “manentibus illis sacerdotibus;” “ quum sint alii sacerdotes.”
30 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. VIII.
In the preceding discourses the apostle hath fully proved, that the introduction of this new priesthood under the gospel had put an end unto the old; and that it was necessary so it should do, be- cause, as he had abundantly discovered in many instances, it was utterly insufficient to bring us unto God, or to make the church- state perfect. And withal he had declared the nature of this new priesthood. In particular he hath showed, that although this high priest offered his great expiatory sacrifice once for all, yet the con- summation of this sacrifice, and the derivation of the benefits of it — unto the church, depended on the following discharge of his office, with his personal state and condition therein; for so was it with the high priest under the law, as unto his great anniversary sacrifice at the feast of expiation, whose efficacy depended on his entrance afterwards into the holy place. Wherefore he declares this state | of our high priest to be spiritual and heavenly, as consisting in the ministry of his own body in the sanctuary of heaven.
Having fully manifested these things, unfolding the mystery of them, he proceeds in this verse to show how necessary it was that so it should be,—namely, that he should neither offer the things appointed in the law, nor yet abide in the state and condition of a priest here on earth, as those other priests did. In brief, he proves that he was not in any thing to take on him the administration of holy things in the church according as they were then established — by law. For whereas it might be objected, ‘If the Lord Christ was a high priest, as he pleaded, why then did he not administer the holy things of the church, according to the duty of a priest?’ To which he replies, that so he was not to do; yea, a supposition that he might do so was inconsistent with his office, and destructive both of the law and the gospel. For it would utterly overthrow the law, for one that was not of the line of Aaron to officiate in the holy place; and God had by the law made provision of others, that there was neither room nor place for his ministry. And the gospel © also would have been of no use thereby, seeing the sacrifice which — it is built upon would have been of the same nature with those under the law. This the apostle confirms in this verse.
Ver. 4.—For indeed if he were on earth, he should not — be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law.
The words are a hypothetical proposition, with the reason or confirmation of it. The proposition is in the former part of the verse, “ For indeed if he were on earth, he should not be a priest.” Hereof the remainder of the words is the reason or confirmation, “Seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law.”
VER. 4.] « EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. ol
And we may consider first the causal connection, “ for,’ which relates unto what he had discoursed immediately before, as intro- ducing a reason why things ought to be as he had declared. He had in sundry instances manifested his present state and condition, with the way and manner of the discharge of his office. A priest he was; and therefore he must have somewhat to offer; which must be somewhat of his own, seeing the law would not accommo- date him with a sacrifice, nor yet the whole creation; the law having prepossessed unto its own use all that was clean and fit to be offered unto God. A sanctuary he must also have wherein to officiate; and this was to be heaven itself, because he was himself exalted into heaven, and set down at the right hand of God. And of all this there was yet another special reason: “ For if he were on the earth,” ete.
“Tf indeed he were on earth.” The emphasis of the particle uév is not to be omitted,—‘If really it were so;’ for therein is force granted unto the concession that the apostle here makes: ‘Truly it must be so.’ “If he were on earth,” includes two things :—
1. His continuance and abode on the earth:—If he were not exalted into heaven in the discharge of his office ; if he were not at the right hand of God; if he were not entered into the heavenly sanctuary, but could have discharged his whole office here on the earth, without any of these things. If he were thus on the earth, or thus to have been on the earth.