priest, as an advocate, to commend to God those whose cause he undertakes, and to render God propitious to them ;* no one can attain perfection in the sacerdotal office, who has not sufficient favour and authority with God to be able to accomplish these objects. Nor, in reference to the second of these requisites, can any one be a perfect priest, who, whatever may be the influence of his favour and authority with God, is not willing to use it all in the cause of his people. For he would be deficient in that fidelity and mercy toward his people, which are necessary in every priest, and especially in every high priest of superior excellence. The scriptures give us this very idea. "For," says the apostle to the Hebrews, "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: "who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on "them that are out of the way: for that he himself "also is compassed with infirmity." "Wherefore "in all things it behoved" Christ, as the same apostle had before said, "to be made like unto his brethren, "that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, "to make reconciliation for the sins of the people:" which fully implies that in every priest no qualities are more necessary than mercy and fidelity. But the last requisite is equally indispensable in a perfect priest; who must be possessed of an immortal life, to be capable of perpetually defending and maintaining the cause of his people before God. Hence the following expressions of the same apostle when speaking of Christ.§ "But this man, because he "continueth ever, hath unchangeable priesthood. * I John ii. 1, 2. † Heb. v. 1, 2. Heb, ii, 17. § Heh. vii. 24, 25, 26. 28, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the "uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he "C ever liveth to make intercession for them. For "such an high priest became us, who is holy, harm"less, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.-For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of "the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, "who is consecrated for evermore." Since it is sufficiently evident, therefore, that the greatest authority and favour with God, and the greatest mercy and fidelity toward men, combined with an immortal life, render a priest absolutely perfect; there can be no doubt that by those things by which Christ attained all these requisites, by those very things he was also consecrated to his priesthood. Now those things, as every one must perceive, were Christ's pre-eminent excellencies, the perfect sanctity of his life, and principally that obedience which consisted in voluntarily surrendering himself to death, and freely submitting to those extreme pains and sorrows which he endured on account of our sins. For it is in consequence of these things, that Christ has so much favour and authority with God as to be able effectually to commend to him all his people. His willingness to do it is also the result of the same things. For he has learned by experience, what it is to be a man; what it is to bear hunger, thirst, poverty, and the deepest ignominy; what it is to be deserted by friends, to be rejected by others, to be the sport of all the basest of men; what it is to be assailed, harrassed, and oppressed, by dangers of every kind ; and lastly, as the consummation of calamity, what it is to suffer the most excruciating death on account of our sins. From an experience of these things, he has acquired such benevolence and compassion towards his people under all their afflictions and temptations, that he is ready to afford them assistance himself, and desirous that they may obtain abundant mercy from God in all circumstances. Hence the following language of the apostle to the Hebrews:* "Seeing then "that we have a great high priest, that is passed into "the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold "fast our profession. For we have not an high 66 priest which cannot be touched with the feeling "of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that wè may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time "of need."—In the last place, those who have put their trust in him, have no reason to fear that they shall ever be deprived of their advocate. For by his voluntary submission to death he has obtained an immortal life, on his attainment of which he is said to be perfected, or consecrated to an eternal priesthood after the order of Melchisedec. Thus the apostle to the Hebrews: "And being made perfect, "he became the author of eternal salvation to all "them that obey him; called of God an high priest "after the order of Melchisedec." Whence we conclude, that it was on his resurrection from the dead to an immortal life, that the Son of God was fully consecrated to the perpetual priesthood. For there is no doubt that the word here rendered " being "made perfect" means fully and perfectly consecrated. This is evident, both from the scope of the passage, which relates to this very point, and from * Heb. iv. 14-16. † Heb. iv, 9, 10. the use of the same word in a similar sense on a similar occasion; this being the term adopted by the Septuagint in various places to designate the consecration of the Aaronic priests,* and the victim whose entrails were delivered by Moses into the hands of the priests as a sign of the priesthood committed to them.† * Exod. xxix. 9. 33. 35. Levit. viii. 33. xvi. 32. + Kgios TEXEIWσews. Exod. xxix. 27. 31. 34. Levit. viii. 31. 28. 301 CHAPTER II. Proofs that the Scriptures attribute to Christ a real WE have already defined the general business of Christ's priesthood to be an advocacy with God on the behalf of men, and observed, that it is primarily and immediately exercised towards God. This we learn from the very design of the sacerdotal office. But the followers of Socinus suppose that our Lord performed all things pertaining to our salvation by himself in such a manner, that he neither now obtains, nor ever has obtained, any thing from God for us from his first entrance on his priestly office: so that they attribute to Christ no priesthood but such as is improperly so called. This opinion is equally contrary to the language of scripture, and to the nature and design of the priesthood. Whoever consults the sacred volume will find the priesthood of Christ invariably mentioned as a priesthood properly so called. Thus speaks the apostle to the Hebrews:* " If there"fore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for "under it the people received the law) what further "need was there that another priest should rise after "the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after "the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being "changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law." Here, from the priesthood conferred upon Christ, the apostle concludes, that there must have been a change of the law which had conferred the sacerdotal office exclusively on the family of Aaron. But this conclusion could not possibly be * Heb. vii. 11, 12. |