ut of the Numbers of Men for whom he was to Miniſter, and herefore to be a Man. He was not to bean Angel, nor to miniſter for them; and being ſeparated from Men, is to be put into another and higher Rank and Order, Exod. 28. 1. than he was in before : No Perſon was to uſurp it, but to be deſigned to it according to the Divine Lav ſetled in that behalf. This was accompliſhed in Chriſt's Perſon, and he hath not fince ſeleted out of Men any ſuch Order of Prieſts properly ſo called in the Chriſtian Church. His Officers being ſo far from being XHigh-Prieſts, that they are not ſo much as in the enumeration of their Titles ſtiled *14:5c Priefts ; and as far 1s it from truth, that there is now as Prieſts, , ſo Altars, Sacrifices, Temples in the Chriſtian Church properly fo called : ſince it is expreſ- ly againft the New Teſtament, and 1f ſo ſpoken of by the Fathers, it muſt be underſtood figuratively, and Metaphorically, or elſe it is untrue, b Kavicure the defigned Perſon is conFitated and /et over
was obliged to his Work by the expreſs Law of God, Lev. chap. 1. It1s a Rule for what the Prieſts ought to do, and ſo is the whole Book, to which they are to be punQually obedient, even to Sucrifice tor particular Sinners in the church, as they were guilty and brought their Sacrifice, Lev. chap. 4. and for the whole Church of Ijrael on the Atonement-day, Lev. 16.15. to 34. bh He had alſo his proper Sacri- fice for his own Sins commonly, Lev. 4. 3. extraordinarily on the Day of Atonement annually, Lev. 16. 1,6, to15. It is not neceſſary to 4 Prief to be a Sinner, but it is to be merciful. Adam offered Prayers and Praiſes to his Creator for himſelf and Eve in Innocency ; but ſince the Fall our Lord Jeſus Chriſt is the only High-Prieſt without Sin, and yet moſt merciful, as well as moſt ſenſible of the Sins and Miſeries of penitent believing Sinners. He offers up the Sacrifice to God truly propitiatory, as his Types did the typical ones, and pro- _ the Pardon which God promiſed to give upon his ſo ſacrificing o Him.
4 * And no man taketh this honour unto himſelf 7, *2 Ch:
bur he that is called of God, + as was Aaron #.
26. 18
7 This conneteth the laſt thing, deſcribing the typical Levitical 7
Prieſt. hood their Call to it. Not any perſon whatſoever hath, or can lawfully take to himſelf the honourable Office of an High-Prielt, ſo as to be the Author or End of it. Many have uſurped this Office, and others have diſtributed it contrary to God's Law, whoſe Prieſt- hood, Offerings and Miniſtry, are no true ones, eſpecially where Men are ſelf-officiating, corruptly managing of it, as E/i's Sons, and Jeroboam's Prieſts, or ſelf-benefiting by it, 1 Sam. 2. 13, Oc- and Mich. 3. 11. This was ſo honourable an Office, as it was united to
the Princedom in Melchiſedeck and Fethro. k He that is according.
to God's Law (the Author of its Prieſthood, its Work and Suc- ceſs ) qualificd in himſelf, ſeparated from others, and aRually ho- noured by God with it, he ought to take this Office, and execute his Work in it to God's Glory, depending'on him! for his Bleſſing. Aaron is the particular Inſtance of the Divine Call to this Office, God ſeparated his Tribe, Family, and Perſon for his Service 1 the room of the Firſt-born : God qualified him for it, intailed the High- Pcieſt-hood to his Seed and Off-ſpring, with the ſubordinate Prieſt-
hood. He Solemaly conſecrated him by Moſes, confirmed Is Ws
I. ſt, 1 ChroN.
23. 1Þ
V WI Chap. V-:
and deſtroying the
own Call of him to it by the bloſſoming Rod, 17. and
Rival with him for it, Exod. 28. 29, 49. Numb. 3. 16,
17: 5. 5 So alſo Chriſt glorified not himſelf to be made an high prieſt / : but he that aid unto him 7, Thou art
my Son 7, to day have I begotten thee o.
1 The Spirit now draws the Parallel, and ſhews, that whatſoever is requiſite in God's High-Prieſt, is tranſcendently fulfilled 1n the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the Infirmities of his Types which were accidental to the Office excepted. He begins the Parallel in his Call to it, God-Man, the great Goſpel-High-Prieſt anointed to this Office in the Fleſh with the Holy Ghoſt, was not tainted with Ambition, neither did uſurp this Honour and Dignity, John 8. 54. though there never was perlo1; qualified forit, or deſerved it like him. He never did intrude him- ſelf upon the Office, or take the Sacerdotal power to him, whatever others have done, and uſurped it. m But God the Father beſpeak- eth him, and calleth him to this high Office, as he did Aaron -, He choſe him, ſeparated, ſent and anointed him for it. No lels Perſon than the Eternal Jehovah could conſtitute and inveſt him 1n what was ſo high for Dignity, ſo glorious for Power; he did by ſpeaking com- miſfionate him for it, and did publiſh and teſtifie the Conſtitution, glorifying him in it, as. is teſtified, Pſalm 2. 7. n Thou, 15 not Da- vid, but Chriſt, as itis interpreted, Chap. 1. 5. and Adts 13. 33» at my only begotten S5n, my natural Son, Fohn 1. 14, 18. The firit-born of God, Pſalm 89. 27. Compare Rom. 8. 29. Coloſ,t. 18. As Jus Son, the Father could appoint him to what calling he pleaſed. By his Primogeniture he had right to the Prieſthood and Kingſhip; and to theſe doth the Father call him, as who would not be denicd by him : From Eternity he had a Right and Title to this Office, but his ſolemn Inveſtiture in it was 9 on the Reſurreftion-day, then was he be- gotten to it; not only dedicated as Hannah did Samuel to the Pricft- hood, but ſolemnly after his Confecration by his own Blood to 1t, Chap. 9, 16, 11, 12, 23, 24. Compare Rom. I. 4. was he by the Fa- ther proclaimed to be the Son-Mediator, King, Pricſt, and Prophet, and made to enter the Holy of Holieſt in Heaven, and to fit down there on his Father's Rizht-Hand, inveſted with Glory and Power for the Execution of his Offices, and this of his Prieſt-hood 1n ſpecial, which he is daily fulfilling with him by his Intercetſion fee Chap. 25, 28, and 9.24. Compare Pſalm 2. 8.
6 As he ſaith alſo in another place, ® Thou art a prieſt tor ever p, after the order of Melchiledec .