the note of similitude expresseth an agreement in an "“extraordinary call," but not in its manner and spe cial kind; for that of Christ, as to the manner, was incomparably more excellent and glorious than that of Aaron.

§3. (II.) Obs. 1. It is an act of sovereignty in God to call whom he pleaseth to his work and special service, and eminently so, when it is to any place of honor and dignity in his church. The office of priesthood among the Jews was, at the first plantation of the church, the highest and most honorable; and who would not think now but that God would call Moses to this dignity, and so secure also the honor of his posterity after him? But he takes another course, and calls Aaron and his family, leaving MOSES and his children after him in the ordinary rank of Levites. By a mere act of sovereign pleasure, God chose him from the many thouands of his brethren. Under the New Testament none was ever called to greater dig. nity, higher honor, or more eminent employment, than the apostle Paul. Christ takes him in the midst of his persecuting madness and blasphemy, turns his heart to himself, and calls him to be his apostle and honored witness, bearing his name to the ends of the earth. And this he himself mentions, on all occasions, as an effect of sovereign grace and mercy. What merit was there, what previous disposition to their work, in a few fishermen about the lake of Tiberias, or sea of Galilee, that our Lord Jesus Christ should call them to be his apostles, advancing them to twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel?

§4. In his ordinary calls there is the same sovereignty, though somewhat otherwise exercised; for in such a call there are three things:

1. A providential designation of a person to such an office or employment. When any office in the house of God, suppose that of the ministry, is fixed and established, the first thing that God doth in the call of any one to it, is the providential disposition of the circumstances of his life, directing his thoughts and designs toward such an end.

2. It is a part of this call of God, when he blesseth and prospereth the endeavors of men to prepare themselves with those previous dispositions and qualifications as are necessary to the actual susception of this office. Such as an inclination of their hearts in compliance with his designation: an especial blessing of their endeavors for the due improvement of their natural faculties and abilities in study and learning; the communication of peculiar gifts, rendering them able to discharge the duty of their office; and an outward call according to rule, for admission into the church: in all which God acts according to his own will and pleasure. Hence we should cultivate an awful reverence of God, and an holy readiness to comply with his call, and not run away from it, as did Jonah, chap. i. Nor be weary of it because of difficulty and opposition, as at sundry times it was ready to befall Jeremiah, chap. xv, 10, chap. xx, 7-9, much less desert it on any earthly account whatever; seeing that he who sets his hand to this plough and takes it back again, is unworthy of the kingdom of heaven: and it is certain that he who deserts his calling on wordly accounts, first took it up on no other. We may also learn hence, not to envy one another, on account of whatever God is pleased to call any to.

§5. We may further observe-The highest excellency and utmost necessity of any work to be done for God in this world, will not warrant our engaging

in it, unless we are called thereto. Yea, The more excellent any work of God is, the more express ought our call to be. And, It is a great dignity and honor to be duly called to any service, or office, in the house of God.

VERSE 5.

So also Christ glorified not himself, to be made an high priest; but He that said to him, thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten thee.

$1-3. (I) Explanation of the words. $4. (II.) Observations. 1. The office of a high priest over the house of God, was an honor and glory to Jesus Christ. $5. 2. Relation and love are the cause of God's committing all authority over the church to Jesus Christ.

§1. (I.) THE description of an high priest according to the law, with respect to his nature and employment, ver. 1, his qualifications, ver. 2, his special duty with regard to himself and others, ver. 3, and his call, ver. 4, being completed, we have in this verse an application of the whole to our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Oulo: xai) “so also," and so, or, in like manner, réferring to the last express instance of a call to office. As they were called of God, "so," or in like manner, was "Christ also." This is primarily regarded, though respect may be had to it in all the particular instances of analogy and similitude which follow.

Christ is an high priest. Had he been of the tribe of Levi, and of the family of Aaron, he would have been so acknowledged by all; but how he should become so who was a stranger to that family, who sprang of the tribe of Judah, (concerning which Moses spake nothing of the priesthood) might be highly questioned. Fully to remove the whole difficulty, the apostle in. the preceding verse lays down a concession in an uni

versal maxim, that none-who had not a right thereto by virtue of an antecedent constitution, which Christ had not, as not being of the tribe of Levi-could be a priest, without an immediate call from God, such as Aaron had, and therein acknowledgeth, that if he were not extraordinarily called of God, he could be no high priest.

§2. "He glorified not himself to be made an high priest." Outward call by men, or in virtue of a divine legal ordinance he had none; if, therefore, he be a priest he must be made so by God. Hence the Socinians (joining with the Jews) vainly raise a cavil against the deity of Christ. If he were God, say they, why did another glorify him? why did he not glorify himself? There were, indeed, some force in the objection against us, if we held that the Lord Messiah were God only. But our doctrine concerning his person is that which is declared by our apostle, Phil. ii, 6-8, “Being in the form of God, he thought it no robbery to be equal with God; but he made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was in the likeness of men." But although he was perfectly and completely constituted an high priest, by the acts of God the Father (which we need not here repeat) yet his solemn consecration and dedication, not to his office, but to the actual discharge of it, were effected by acts of his own, in his preparation for, and actual offering up himself a sacrifice once for all. And so he was perfected and consecrated by his own blood. Wherefore he did not glorify himself to be "made an high priest;" that was an act of the will and authority of God. But how is it said that Christ "glorified not himself?" Was there an addition of glory or honor made to him thereby? Nay, doth not the scripture every where declare this as an act of the highest con

descension in him? How, therefore, can he be said not to glorify himself therein? Let those answer this inquiry, who deny his divine nature and being. They will find themselves in the same condition as the Pharisees, when our Savior posed them with a question to the same purpose, viz. how David came to call Christ his Lord, who was to be his son so long after? To us these things are clear and evident; for if we consider the divine nature of Christ, it was an infinite condescension in him to take our nature, and therein to execute the office of a priest for us; yet with respect to the nature assumed, the office itself was an honor and dignity to him.

§3. "But he that said unto him." There is an ellipsis in the words, which must be supplied to complete the antithesis; "but he glorified him who said,&c."

It is not easily apprehended how the apostle confirmeth the priesthood of Christ, or his call to office by these words: they are twice used elsewhere by himself to other ends, Heb. i, 5, Acts xiii, 33, for these originally signify the eternal relation that subsists between the Father and the Son. Various have been the opinions of interpreters about the precise import of this testimony; but not to recount them, we may observe towards ascertaining the true sense, that it is not the priesthood of Christ, but his call to it, which the apostle asserts; and that he intends to shew only that it was God the Father, from whom he had all his mediatory power, as king, priest, and prophet to his church. And, this is evidently proved by the testimony, in that God declares him to be his Son, and accepts of him in the discharge of his commission. For this solemn declaration of his relation to God the Father in his eternal sonship, and the Father's approbation of him, prove that he undertook nothing, but