improved, as it ought to be. That Christ died for us, all who own the gospel profess in words; though some so explain their faith or rather their infidelity, as to deny its proper use and evacuate its proper ends, What most men regard in this matter is, that Christ now lives a life of glory in heaven for himself alone But the text speaks quite the contrary: "He lives for ever to make intercession for us." And it deserves peculiar notice, that he lives for ever to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples. Without this constant effect of the mediatory life of Christ, the very being of the church would fail. Did he not live this life for us in heaven, neither the whole church, nor any one member of it, could be preserved one moment from utter ruin. But hereby are all their adversaries continually disappointed.

§15. Obs. So great and glorious is the work of saving believers to the utmost, that it is necessary the Lord Redeemer should lead a mediatory life in heaven, for the perfecting of it. "He lives for ever to make intercession for us." It is generally acknowledged that sinners could not be saved without the death of Christ; but that they could not be saved without his life following it, is not so much considered. See Rom. v, 10; chap. viii, 34, 35, &c. It is thought by some, probably, that when he had declared the name of God, and revealed the whole counsel of his will, when he had given us the great example of love and holiness in his life; when he had fulfilled all righteousness, redeemed us by his blood, and made atonement for our sins by the oblation of himself; confirming the truth he taught, and his acceptance with God in all by his resurrection from the dead, wherein he was "declared to be the Son of God with power;"-that he might have now left us to manage for ourselves, and to build

our eternal safety on the foundation he had laid. But, alas! when all this was done, if he had only ascended into his own glory, to enjoy his majesty, honor, and dominion, without continuing his life and office on our behalf, we had been left miserably poor and helpless; so that both we and all our right to an heavenly inheritance, should have been made a prey to every subtile and powerful adversary. He could therefore no otherwise comfort his disciples, when he was leaving this world, but by promising that he would not leave them orphans (opPav85, John xiv, 18;) that is, he would still continue to act for them, to be their patron, and to exercise the office of a mediator and advocate with the Father for them. Without this, he knew they must be "orphans," such as are not able to defend themselves from injuries, nor secure their own right to their inheritance.

$16. Obs. The most glorious prospect we can have of the things within the veil, the remaining transactions of the work of our salvation in the most holy place, is in the representation that is made to us of the intercession of Christ.

$17. Obs. The intercession of Christ is the great evidence of the continuance of his love and care, his pity and compassion towards his church. Mercy and compassion, love and tenderness, are constantly ascribed to him as our High Priest. See chap. iv, 15, chap. v, 1, 2. So the great exercise of his sacerdotal office in laying down his life for us, and expiating our sins by his blood, is still peculiarly ascribed to his love, Gal. ii, 20; Ephes. v, 2; Rev. i, 5.

But how shall we know that the divine Redeemer continues thus tender, loving, and compassionate? What evidence or testimony have we of it? Herein we have an infallible demonstration of it. As our High

Priest (duvapevov ovμtalysαι) “he is able to suffer," to condole with, to have compassion on his poor tempted ones, chap. iv, 15. All these affections doth he continually exercise in his intercession. It is from a sense of their wants and weaknesses, of their distresses and temptations, of their states and duties, accompanied with inexpressible love and compassion, that he continually intercedes for them; that their sins may be pardoned, their temptations subdued, their sorrows removed, their trials sanctified, and their persons saved: and doing this continually as an High Priest, he is in the continual exercise of love, care, and compassion.

VERSE 26.

For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.

$1. The scope of the words, whence appears the deplorable state of the present Jews. $2, 3. (I.) The words explained. $4--6. The Socinian notion of Christ's priesthood confuted and exposed. $7. (II.) Observations,

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§1. In this verse the apostle renders a reason of his whole preceding discourse, and why he laid so great weight upon the description of our High Priest. And he hath in it, probably, a respect to what he last asserted in particular concerning his ability to save them that came to God by him; "For such an High Priest became us, who is holy," &c. There is supposed and included in this assertion, that if we intend to come to God, we had need of an High Priest to encourage and enable us for it. And if in particular we need such an High Priest, it is supposed that without an High Priest, in general, we can do nothing in this matter. This therefore is the foundation which in this argument the apostle proceedeth on; that sinners, as we all

are, can have no access to God but by an High Priest. God had not only by the institution of that office among the Hebrews, declared that this was the way whereby he would be worshipped; but also with legal prohibitions, fortified with severe penalties, he had forbidden all men, the highest, the greatest, the best and most holy, to come to him any other way. way. And herein lies a great aggravation of the present misery of the Jews. High priests of their own they have none, nor have had for many ages. Hereon all their solemn worship of God utterly ceaseth. They are the only persons in the world, who, if all mankind would give them leave and assist them in it, cannot worship God as they themselves judge they ought to do. For if Jerusalem were restored into their possession, and a temple rebuilt in it more glorious than that of Solomon, yet they could not offer one lamb in sacrifice to God. For they know that this cannot be done without an high priest, and priests who infallibly derive their pedigree from Aaron, of whom they have not amongst them one in all the world. And so must they abide under a sense of being judicially excluded from all solemn worship of God until the veil shall be taken from their hearts, and, leaving Aaron, they return to him who was typified by Melchisedec, to whom even Abraham their father acknowledged his subjection.

§2. "Such an high priest (ETPETE ) became us.' Respect may be had therein either to the wisdom of God, or to our state and condition, or to both; such an high priest it was needful that we should have. If the condescency of the matter, which lies in a contrivance of proper means to an end, be intended, then it is God who is respected in this word; if the necessity of the kind or relief mentioned be meant, then it

is we who are respected. Such a one became us as could make atonement for our sins, purge our consciences from our dead works, procure acceptance with God for us, administer supplies of spiritual grace, give us assurance and consolation in our trials, preserve us by his power, be in a continual readiness to receive us in all our addresses to him, and to bestow upon us eternal life. Unless we have an High Priest that can do all these things for us, we cannot be saved to the uttermost. Such an High Priest we stood in need of, and such an one it became the wisdom and grace of God to give us. And here let us gratefully reflect, that God in infinite wisdom, love, and grace, gave us such an High Priest, as in the qualifications of his person, the glory of his condition, and the discharge of his office, was every way suited to deliver us from the state of apostacy, sin, and misery, and to bring us to himself through a perfect salvation. This the ensuing particulars will fully manifest.

§3. "Such an High Priest became us, as is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners." There is some allusion in all these things to what was typically represented in the instituted priesthood under the law. For the high priest was to be a person without blemish, not maimed in any part of his body. He was not to marry any one that was defiled, nor was he to defile himself among the people. In his ministration he wore on his forehead a plate of gold with that inscription; "Holiness to the Lord." But all these things were only outward representations of what was really required in such an high priest as the church stood in need of. The church was taught by them from the beginning that it stood in need of an High Priest whose real qualifications should answer all these typical representations of them. It is possible that our apostle, in this