HEB. V. 4, 5, 6. And no Man taketh this Honour to himself, but O NE great, if not the chief and main Defign of the Apostle, in this Epiftle to the Jews or Hebrews, is to convince them, that God, by fending his Son Jefus Chrift into the World, had antiquated and abolished the Law of Mofes, as to the Ceremonial and Judicial part of it, and had made a New Covenant with us; and that there now lay no Obligation on any Man, to bring Offerings and Oblations to the Temple as formerly, but that by our Faith in Jefus Chrift, who by the Oblation of himself once offer'd, has made a full, perfect and fufficient Atonement for the Sins of the whole World, we are fufficiently cleanfed from all our Sins, and that our Business and Duty now is to believe in chrift, and obey his Commandments. And as God has made a New Coveant with us, through Christ; fo he has also inftituted a New Priesthood. As Aaron was particularly called and appointed by God, to be the HighPriest under the Law, fo is Chrift under the Gospel. He taketh away the first, fays the Apostle, that he may Eftablish the fecond. He has taken away the Law, and the Legal Priesthood, that he may Eftablish the Gofpel and the Evangelical Priesthood. Heb.10.9. In this Chapter from whence I have taken my Text, he fhews us both what the Priesthood is, and by whom that Office is to be executed. My Text indeed, properly relates only to the latter of these ; however, in order to our better understanding of it, it will be convenient that I first speak a little of the former, that by knowing what the Nature of the Priesthood is, you may the better comprehend the Reason, why every Prieft ought to be particularly appointed by God to that Office. At the firft Verfe of this Chapter we are told, that every High-Priest taken from among Men, is Ordained for Men, in Things pertaining to God, that he may offer both Gifts and Sacrifices for Sins. That is, the Prieft is a Perfon taken or fet apart from the common Multitude, and appointed to act instead of them, in all things between them and God: To offer to God fuch Gifts and Sacrifices, as are proper to induce him to be good and gracious to us in the Forgiveness of our Sins; fuch as were the Burnt-Offerings and Sin-Offerings under the Law, and Prayers, Praises and Sacraments under the Gospel. He is to ftand in the Prefence of God to perform Divine Offices for the People, and for their Good and Benefit; to reconcile them to God, and God to them, to obtain Graces and Favours from him to them, and as it were to interpose between him and them. Then we have the Reafon given us, why it is neceffary, or at least most highly expedient, that this Priest fhould not be an Angel or Superior Being, which is free from the Infirmities of Humane Nature, but a Man like the People he is to intercede for, and to be taken out from among them; which is, that He may have Compaffion on the Ignorant, and on them that are out of the Way, for that be bimfelf alfo is compaffed with Infirmity. And by reafon hereof, he ought, as for the People, fo alfo for himself to offer for Sins. Thofe therefore who would have Prjefts to be Angels, and to discover no Infirmities which are common to all Mankind, do not rightly confider what is beft for themfelves,: For if Priests were exalted above Humane Nature, they could never be fo fenfibly touch'd with the Infirmities of others. If they were Angels, they would not know how to make Allowances for the Weakness of the Flesh and Blood, and would be ready to expect that the People should be Angels as well as themselves. Neither could they with that Earnestness and Fervour, offer up their Prayers and Interceffions for the Sins of others, when they had none of their own to beg pardon for. But though for this Reason it is most expedient that the Priests should be of the People; yet it is also requifite that they fhould be feparated or diftinguished from them, by a particular Defignation or Appointment to this Office: And not that any one who thinks himself capable of performing the Functions of a Prieft, fhould immediately and rashly thrust himself into that Office. For fo fays the Text, No Man taketh this Honour to himself but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. Thus it was under the Jewish Law, where we find the Nature of this Office was fuch, that no Man might legally affume it to himself, but only he that was of Aaron's Line, and fo call'd to it by God, who had affign'd Num.xvi. the Priesthood to that Line. And when Korab and 1. 10, 11. his Accomplices fought this Priesthood, and murmur'd against Aaron upon that Account, pretending 3. that all the Congregation was holy every one of them, and confequently might any of them Minifter in the Priests Office, the Earth opened her Mouth and 32, Swallowed them up, and their Houses, and all the Men that appertained to KORAH and all their Goods, 30. and they went down quick into the Pit. And whereas two hundred and fifty Princes of the Affembly, famous in the Congregation, Men of renown undertook to offer 18. Incense, which was a part of the Priest's Office, there came out a Fire from the Lord and confumed them. And 35 Β the N 29 3.8. 1. the Cenfers or Pans wherewith they offer'd Incense, that is the Cenfers of thefe Sinners against their own Souls, were by God's exprefs Command made into 45. broad Plates for a Covering of the Altar: to be a Memorial to the Children of Ifrael, that no Stranger which is not of the Seed of Aaron, come near to offer Incense before the Lord, that he be not as Korah and bis Company. I.I And as it was under the Legal Priesthood; fo is it now under the Evangelical: As then no Man could take upon him that Sacred Office who was not of the Seed of Aaron, and fo particularly appointed thereunto by God, who called Aaron and his Sons to that Holy Function; fo is it now under the Gospel. For our Great High-Prieft, Jefus Chrift himself, did not affume this Office of himself, but waited God's Call, as the Text teaches us. So alfo Chrift glorified not himself to be made an HighPrieft, but he that faid unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he faith alfo in another place, Thou art a Priest for ever, after the Order of Melchifedech. From whence I fhall observe to you; First, That the Priesthood is an Honourable Secondly, That no Man ought to intrude upon Thirdly, I will fhew how it is that God now calls his Priefts, who are to Minifter to him according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Firft Then I will fhew you that the Priesthood is an honourable Office. This appears evident from the very Words of the Text, which fays, No Man taketh this Honour to himself but he that is called of God. God is the Original Fountain of Honour, and whatsoever Honour does not proceed from him, is but imaginary and fantastical. So that if God God has made the Priesthood an honourable Office, we may be very well fatisfied that it is really fo. Now let us a little confider how it is an Earthly Prince advances Men to Honour. He separates them from the rest of the People by Titles of Distinction, he advances them to be Governours and Rulers of the rest of his Subjects, if any one has a Petition or Addrefs to offer to him, he is not to intrude himfelf rudely into his Prince's prefence, but must be therefore introduced and prefented by one of those Honourable Perfons. And after this manner God has honoured his Priefts, the Minifters of his Holy Word and Sacraments, He has taken them from among Men, feparated them from the rest of his People, and given them Names of Title and Distinction, fuch as Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, Angels of the 1.Cor.xii. Churches, Ambafadors for Christ, Bishops or Overfeers, Rev.i.20. Presbyters or Elders, and fuch like. He has appointed 2 Cor. v. them to be Governours and Rulers in his Church, 20. commanding the People whom he has committed A. xx. to their Charge, to bold fuch in Reputation, to know them which labour amongst them, and are over them Phil. ii. in the Lord, and which admonish them, and to efteem 29. them very highly in Love for their Works fake. He has 1 Theff.v. exprefly required you, To remember them which have 12. the Rule over you, who have spoken unto you the Word of God; and to follow their Faith. And to Obey them that have the Rule over you, and submit your felves, for they watch for your Souls, as they that must give an Account, that they may do it with Joy, and not with Grief; for that is unprofitable for you. And as God has appointed his Priests to Rule and Govern his People in Spiritual Matters; fo he has alfo appointed them to bring the Petitions or Addreffes of his People to him, to offer up their Publick Prayers and Supplications; for the Priest (as I obferv'd to you before) is ordained for Men in thing: pertaining to God, that he may offer both Gifts and Sarifices for Sin. He is alfo to declare God's Will to 28. 28. 17. Heb. xii. 7. 17. |