Christ's priesthood, and ability to save.
Heb. vii. 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
THE Mosaic economy was never intended to be either universal or perpetual ; not universal, because many of the principal rites prescribed by it could never be performed by those who were far distant from Judaea; nor perpetual, because, whilst it was yet in all its force and grandeur, its dissolution, and the establishment of a better in its stead, were ex- pressly and frequently foretold. The appointment of another priesthood to supersede that of Aaron, was of itself, as the Apostle teaches us, sufficient to prove, that the abolition of the Aaronic priesthood and of the whole Levitical law was to take place, as soon as that better priesthood after the order of Melchizedec should be established.
The shew wherein that priesthood was superior, is the great scope of the chapter before us. But it is to one particular only that we shall confine our atten- tion at this time; and that is, the continuance of it in one person, whilst the Aaronic priests were removed by death, and constrained to transmit their office to a successor.
We notice then, I. The perpetuity of Christ's priesthood —
" The priests under the law were many, because they were not suffered to continue by reason oi death : but this man, the Lord Jesus Christ, be- cause he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood." '' He ever liveth to make intercession for us."
[When in a vision he revealed himself to John, he said, " I am he that liveth, and was dead ; and behold, I am alive for evermore ^" " He was indeed crucified through weakness ; ^ Rev. i. 18.
2298.] Christ's ability to save. 27o
but yet he liveth by the power of God'' :" and " being raised from the dead, he dieth no more; death hath no more domi- nion over him^" Nor is it merely in a state of rest, that he liveth ; but for the purpose of carrying on his priestly office in our behalf. The high-priest under the law, when he had offered the sacrifice upon the altar, carried the blood within the vail into the holy of the holies, there to sprinkle it before, and on the mercy-seat, and to offer incense in the more immediate presence of his God. This is the very thing which Jesus now lives to effect. Having offered himself a sacrifice upon the cross, he is now gone with his own blood into heaven itself, there to exhibit it as a memorial before God, and as the ground of all his intercessions. In his Father's presence he pleads it for us as a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world, and as the price paid for all those blessings which his people stand in need of for their full and complete salvation. True it is, that he has entered into heaven, to take possession of that glory which by the covenant-engagements entered into by the Father was to be conferred on his human nature: but yet, it was not for his own glory only that he ascended thither, but for our good ; that he might carry on and perfect in our behalf the work he had undertaken for us. 07ily let us contemplate the ends for which the high-priest on the great Jay of atonement enteredinto the holy of holies ; and loe shall have a. distinct, and accurate, and perfect view of the ends for which our blessed Saviour is gone into heaven, and of the ivork tvhich he is there living to accom- plish^ ]
But without further dwelling on so clear a point, let us proceed to notice,
II. The consolatory truth resulting from it —
As the continual changing of the priests under the Mosaic dispensation shewed the weakness and un- profitableness of their ministrations ; so the unchang- ing continuance of Christ's priesthood shews that " he is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him." Here observe,