3. The general way whereby our Lord Christ came unto this ministry is expressed: Térevye,— He obtained it.” Tuyxdvw is either “sorte contingo,” “to have a lot or portion,” or to have any thing befall a man, as it were by accident ; or “assequor,” “ obtineo,” to “attain” or “obtain” any thing which before we had not. But the apostle designeth not to express im this word the especial call of Christ, or the particular way whereby he came unto his ministry, but only in general that he had it, and was possessed of it, in the appointed season, which before he had not. The way whereby he entered on the whole office and work of his mediation he expresseth by xexAnpovdunxe, Heb. i. 4,—he had it by “inheritance ;” that is, by free grant and perpetual donation, made unto him as the Son. See the exposition on that place.
There were two things that concurred unto his obtaining this ministry: (1.) The eternal purpose and counsel of God designing him thereunto ; an act of the divine will accompanied with infinite wisdom, love, and power. (2.) The actual call of God, whereunto many things did concur, especially his unction with the Spirit above measure for the holy discharge of his whole office. Thus did he obtain this ministry, and not by any legal constitution, succession, or carnal rite, as did the priests of old. And we may see that,—
Obs. V. The exaltation of the human nature of Christ into the office of this glorious ministry depended solely on the sovereign wisdom, grace, and love of God.— When the human nature of Christ was united unto the divine, it became, in the person of the Son of God, meet and capable to make satisfaction for the sins of the church, and to procure righteousness and life eternal for all that do believe. But it did not merit that union, nor could do so. For as it was utterly impossible that any created nature, by any act of its own, should merit the hypostatical union, so it was granted unto the human nature of Christ antecedently unto any act of its own in way of obedience unto God; for it was united unto the person of the Son by virtue of that union. Wherefore, antecedently unto it, it
Tirevye.
could merit nothing. Hence its whole exaltation, and the ministry
that was discharged therein, depended solely on the sovereign wis-
VER. 6.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 53
dom and_pleasure of God. And in this election and designation of the human nature of Christ unto grace and glory, we may see the pattern and example of our own. For if it was not upon the consideration or foresight of the obedience of the human nature of Christ that it was predestinated and chosen unto the grace of the hypostatical union, with the ministry and glory which depended thereon, but of the mere sovereign grace of God; how much less could a foresight of any thing in us be the cause why God should _ choose us in him before the foundation of the world unto grace and glory ! :
4, The quality of this ministry, thus obtained, as unto a compara- tive excellency, is also expressed: A:agopwripus,— More excellent.” The word is used only in this epistle in this sense, chap. i. 4, and in this place. The original word denotes only a difference from other things; but in the comparative degree, as here used, it signifies a difference with a preference, or a compara- tive excellency. The ministry of the Levitical priests was good and useful in its time and season; this of our Lord Jesus Christ so differed from it as to be better than it, and more excellent; rorrw &wevov. And,—
5, There is added hereunto the degree of this pre-eminence, so far as it is intended in this place and the present argu- ment, in the word éo,—“by how much.” ‘So much more excellent, by how much.’ The excellency of his ministry above that of the Levitical priests, bears proportion with the excellency of the covenant whereof he was the mediator above the old covenant
Ara Qopurépus.
"Orw.
-. wherein they administered ; whereof afterwards.
So have we explained the apostle’s assertion, concerning the ex- cellency of the ministry of Christ. And herewith he closeth his discourse which he had so long engaged in, about the pre-eminence of Christ in his office above the high priests of old. And indeed, this being the very hinge whereon his whole controversy with the Jews did depend, he could not give it too much evidence, nor too full a confirmation. And as unto what concerns ourselves at present, we are taught thereby, that,— |
Obs. VI. It is our duty and our safety to acquiesce universally and absolutely in the ministry of Jesus Christ—That which he was so designed unto, in the infinite wisdom and grace of God; that which he was so furnished for the discharge of, by the communica- tion of the Spirit unto him in all fulness; that which all other priest- hoods were removed to make way for, must needs be sufficient and effectual for all the ends unto which it is designed. It may be said, ‘This is that which all men do; all that are called Christians do fully acquiesce in the ministry of Jesus Christ.’ But if it be so, why do we hear the bleating of another sort of cattle? What mean those