Sermons on Hebrew 7, Sermon 8
SERMON VIII.
Hebrews 7. 23, 24.
And they truly were many Prieſts, becauſe they were not ſuffered to continue, by reaſon of death.
But this man, becauſe he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable Prieſthood.
BEing in our courſe of going through this Chapter; the laſt day, in the Morning Exerciſe, we concluded with v. 22. where Jeſus is ſaid to be made a Surety of a better Covenant.
The ſcope of the Apoſtle in all this Chapter, is to magnifie the Prieſthood of Chriſt, above the Levitical Prieſthood. His Argument that we inſiſted upon the laſt day, was taken from his ſolemn Inſtitution, in his Office. [He was made a Prieſt with an Oath, and by vertue of that he became a Surety of a better Teſtament. Theſe things have been opened.
Now theſe two verſes which I have read, for our conſideration and inſtruction, this morning, contain another Argument that the Apoſtle uſeth, to prove that the Prieſthood of Jeſus Chriſt, doth far excel all the Prieſthoods under the Law. And the Argument is drawn from the mortality of the Levitical Prieſts, and the immortality of Jeſus Chriſt the Son of God: That Prieſthood that was mortal, was never ſo excellent, as that which was immortal. The Prieſts of Levi were mortal, but the Prieſthood of Jeſus Chriſt is immortal, and unchangeable; and therefore a more excellent Prieſthood.
We begin with v. 23. For they truly were many Prieſts, becauſe they were not ſuffered to continue by reaſon of death. [They truly were many Prieſts.] Theſe words are two ways to be expounded. Firſt, They were many together: And then they were many ſucceſſively.
1. They were many together: For though there was but one High Prieſt to the Jewiſh Church, yet there were many Prieſts to offer Sacrifices under him: For he was not able; one man was not able to offer Sacrifices for all; therefore there were many Prieſts. But Jeſus our High Prieſt, had the aſſiſtance of no creature, he is alone. There is but one God, and one Mediator, the Man Chriſt Jeſus, 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is but one God, and one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Chriſt Jeſus [no other.] And this is brought in ordinarily, to confute that Errour of the Papiſts, who offer up Expiatory Sacrifices. They have their Prieſtly Office, to offer up Expiatory Sacrifices, for the living and the dead. And (as our Proteſtant Divines ſay) If they had no other Errour, it would juſtifie our ſeparation from them, becauſe they derogate from the Office of Jeſus Chriſt, and ſet up a Prieſtly Office in Goſpel-days, to offer an Expiatory Sacrifice. But we have but one High Prieſt, and one Saviour, which is ſufficient for the Salvation of our Souls. But then,
This word, [many Prieſts] is alſo to be expounded many ſucceſſively: That is, there were many Prieſts (ſaith the Apoſtle) becauſe they were not ſuffered to continue by reaſon of death. There were many Prieſts under the Law, but they could not continue by reaſon of death; therefore their Office paſſed from one to another: One takes up the Prieſtly Office, and then dies, and then another ſucceeds him. But Jeſus Chriſt, he hath an Office that doth not paſs from one to another: There is none can ſucceed our Lord Jeſus Chriſt in his Prieſtly Office: There is none can finiſh that work which he begun.
But the two general points that lie before us in this Text, to be conſidered of this morning, are,
1. The Mortality of the Levitical Prieſthood, which concerns us all. And then,
2. The Immortality of our High-prieſt, the Son of God: He is our Prieſt for ever.
1. The Mortality of the Prieſts of old; (ſaith the Apoſtle in the Text) They were not ſuffered to continue by reaſon of death. [That word death] concerns all Mankind. How many of the Children of Adam, Sons and Daughters of Adam, ſince the beginning of the World? They are all dead. But this preſent Generation, and a little time will bury all of us. That Doom which God denounced againſt Adam, in Gen. 3. In the day that thou eateſt thereof, thou ſhalt die the death; that reaches all that come out of the Loins of Adam. We bring ſin into the World with us, and ſin brings death; as you have it in Rom. 5. That death came in by ſin. By one man ſin entred into the World, and death by ſin; and ſo death paſſed upon all men. Every one that is born into the World, is born in ſin: Every one that is born into the World, by ordinary generation; and ſo cannot continue long in the World, by reaſon of death. Indeed there are, and ever have been, many of the Children of Men, that have had great priviledges and dignities, above others: But none ever were exempted from death, except ſome few, as Enoch and Elijah. Some have been Kings and great men of the Earth; ſome have been made honourable Prophets, ſome Apoſtles, ſome Miniſters have in their days been burning and ſhining Lights: But all are dead; they were not ſuffered to continue, any of them, by reaſon of death. All are gone: The Prophets, do they live for ever? and your Fathers, where are they? Kings, Lords and Potentates of the Earth, and mighty men, death hath Lorded it over them all; they were not ſuffered to continue by reaſon of death: Therefore it ſhould teach us while we live, to ſpend our days well, to do what good we can, to honour God what we can; and to ſay to our own Souls, Let me not loſe my time, for I cannot continue long by reaſon of death. Solomon tells us, in Eccl. 9. 10. (which every one ſhould well obſerve) Whatever thine hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might, becauſe there is no work in the grave whither thou art going But while men are on Earth, God hath appointed every one to do ſomething, for his honour and glory. For [mind it] the Levitical Prieſts, tho' they were not ſuffered to continue, becauſe of death; becauſe they were mortal; yet this did not exempt them from the ſervice of God; tho' they were choſen from among men, and ſo ſubject to death, yet they were to attend the ſervice of God while they lived. There is a ſort of people (and I mention it for their ſakes:) There are a ſort of people, I ſay, that becauſe life is ſhort, therefore they will give up themſelves to eaſe, ſloth and pleaſure, and make as much as they can of a ſhort life,. Theſe were the people in Iſa. 22. 13, 14. And behold, joy and gladneſs, ſlaying Oxen, and killing Sheep, eating Fleſh, and drinking Wine; Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we ſhall die. And this thing was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hoſts; ſurely this iniquity ſhall not be purged from you, till ye die—Let us eat and drink, for to morrow we ſhall die—Thus ſays many a poor creature, that hath no conſcience of duty to God or Man: He will take all the pleaſure he can in this ſhort life. But a life of eaſe, ſloth and pleaſure, is a bad preparation for death. 'Tis true, God doth allow Reſt to the Aged, where the body is abated in ſtrength, where the mind is grown dull and heavy through infirmity of Age, God allows that: But where people are in their full ſtrength, full of life and vigour; for theſe to give themſelves up to ſloth and idleneſs, and not doing the work of their day; this is an iniquity that ſhall not go unpuniſhed, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts. And this is further to be obſerved, for encouragement; That as God appoints every one their work for their day; ſo if they be faithful, he will ſpirit them for the work of the day; If they give not themſelves up to a life of eaſe, ſloth and pleaſure, he will ſpirit them to what he calls them to, in that day. As you read of Saul, when God called him to be King; it is ſaid, God gave him another heart, a publick heart. So you alſo read in Numbers, that when God appointed ſeventy Elders, to bear part of the Government with Moſes; it is ſaid, Numb. 11. v. 25. The Lord came down in a Cloud, and gave of the ſpirit of Moſes unto the ſeventy Elders, and it reſted upon them, and they propheſied. God called them to ſervice, & he gave them of Moſes his ſpirit: So when he laid aſide the Miniſtration of Moſes, and ſent forth Apoſtles for the Miniſtration of his Spirit. Read what the Apoſtle ſaith in 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not ſufficient of our ſelves—All our ſufficiency is of God. Who hath made us able Miniſters of the New Teſtament. So that God was never wanting in affording his holy Spirit to mortal men, for that which he called them to; which is great encouragement, to be doing the work of God in our day.
Moſes and Aaron were two great bleſſings to the people in their day, tho' they could not continue long, by reaſon of death: And if we would have Magiſtrates and Miniſters to be bleſſings, we are to pray for them, that God would ſpirit them for the work he hath called them to.
But then there is another thing to be obſerved in the Prieſthoods Mortality; and that is their ſucceſſion, [They could not continue by reaſon of death:] yet they had their ſucceſſion one after another: And we ought to pray that there may never want a ſucceſſion of men to carry on the work of God: And this ought to be our care alſo, as far as in us lies, that there may be a Generation brought up for the ſervice of God, when another goes away. When Abraham died, his Son Iſaac ſucceeded him: When Aaron died, Eleazar ſucceeded his Father, and took up the work of God, that his Father had laid down. So it would be the happineſs of Families, and a happineſs to Children, that Children would take up the work that their Fathers have laid down, by reaſon of death. We live in an Age, wherein there is a great decay of godly Miniſters: The old Generation wearing off, and many gone to the duſt, and but few come in, that have the ſame Spirit, the ſame Grace, and ſhine with the ſame Light, as their Fathers did, who are dead and gone. We ought all of us to pray (as our Saviour ſaith) that as the Harveſt is great, the Lord would ſend forth Labourers into his Harveſt. A good ſucceſſion ſpeaks a great favour of God, to Families, Churches and Nations. See how careful Moſes was in that: When God had told him that he muſt die, in Numb. 27. 16. Let the Lord, the God of the ſpirits of all fleſh, ſet a man over the Congregation. Theſe were the words of Moſes, when God told him that he muſt die, and be gathered to his Fathers. And truly, ſo ſhould all godly Parents, and godly Miniſters ſay, Let the God of the ſpirits of all fleſh, bring in ſome to my Family, that may go out and in before my Family: And let the God of the ſpirits of all fleſh, bring in ſome to his Church, to guide them, and to teach them. But now God, he anſwered Moſes's prayer; as you may ſee in the following words. And the Lord ſaid unto Moſes, Take thee Joſhua, the Son of Nun, a man on whom is the Spirit; Lay thine hand upon him. And thus much for the Mortality of the Levitical Prieſthood.
Come we now to the ſecond Point, and general Obſervation: And that is, The Immortality of our great High prieſt, our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Here our chief comfort lies; that though all Mankind die, and are not ſuffered to continue by reaſon of death: But this man, becauſe he ever liveth, hath an unchangeable Prieſthood.
Now what is ſpoken of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, of his abiding for ever; it muſt be underſtood and applied to him, as Man, as he is Man, God-Man, and Mediator between God and Man; as he is taken from among men, to ſtand for Man in things pertaining to God. And ſo he is the ſame yeſterday, to day, and for ever: He continues for ever. And ſaith our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, The Son abideth in the houſe for ever, John 8. 37. The Servant abideth not in the houſe, but the Son abideth for ever. The houſe of God hath the Son of God always there, as their High-prieſt, he is ſet over them. The very Adverſaries of Chriſt acknowledge this, Joh. 12. 35. The people anſwered him; We have heard out of the Law, that Chriſt abideth for ever. It was a ſtumbling to them: And therefore here lies the Objection.
How is it ſaid, that Chriſt abideth for ever, and liveth for ever, when it is certain that he died? We read in Matth. 2. 50. that he gave up the Ghoſt. [He died and gave up the Ghoſt.] How is it then ſaid, that he abideth for ever, and liveth for ever, as our High-prieſt?
I anſwer; To that we muſt conſider four things, to clear that Obiection.
Firſt of all, Tho' Chriſt did die for a time, yet his death was not ſuch a forced death, as man's is, but a voluntary death: He laid it down, and took it up again of himſelf. So you have it in John 10 17, 18. Therefore doth the Father love me, becauſe I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of my ſelf. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. Here you ſee, our Lord Jeſus Chriſt did not die, as we die, by a forced death; he laid it down, and he took it up again, when he pleaſed.
2. Tho' our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, as to his Humanity, was in the ſtate of death; yet it was impoſſible that he ſhould be holden of death, or the grave, Acts 2. 24. Why not poſſible? You ſee that men are holden of death, thouſands of years, and they are not riſen to this day. Why not poſſible that he ſhould be holden of death? Why? becauſe the Divine Nature was Hypoſtatically United to the Humane Nature, God and Man; and therefore it was impoſſible for him to be holden of death.
Thirdly, Chriſt's death was but to do the great part of his Prieſtly Office; and ſo there was no intermiſſion of his Prieſtly Office. The Apoſtle tells us, that he being a Prieſt, he muſt offer ſomething as other Prieſts had done: Now he offered himſelf as the great Sacrifice for our ſins, to the Juſtice of God; ſo that in his death, his Prieſtly Office was ſo far accompliſhed; and therefore he is ſaid to abide for ever, and to have an unchangeable Prieſthood.
Fourthly and Laſtly, Jeſus Chriſt is Riſen again, and Dies no more; and therefore he is ſaid to live for ever, Rom. 6. 8, 9. Now if we be dead with Chriſt, we believe that we ſhall alſo live with him; knowing that Chriſt being raiſed from the Dead, Dieth no more, Death hath no more dominion over him; hence you read in Rev. 1. 18. I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore: This he ſpake when he appeared to John walking in the midſt of the Golden Candleſticks, in his Prieſtly attire; I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, Death hath no more dominion over Jeſus Chriſt; therefore he is ſaid to continue for ever: And (ſaith the Apoſtle) be continuing for ever, he hath an unchangeable Prieſthood, i. e. he hath a Prieſthood that can never be ſeparated from his Perſon, to paſs from one to another; ſo the word ſignifies; and therefore our Tranſlators put it ſo in your Margent. He hath a Prieſthood that paſſeth not from one perſon to another. Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, his great High-Prieſt-hood paſſeth not from one to another; and there are theſe three Reaſons for it:
Firſt, Becauſe he is all-ſufficient to finiſh the work of our Redemption: He is Almighty, and therefore in Pſal 89. which is a Propheſie of Chriſt under David, as his Type, in the 19. ver. Then thou ſpakeſt in Viſion to the holy one, and ſaidſt, I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one choſen out of the people: So Iſa. 9. 6. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and his Name ſhall be called Wonderful, Counſellor, the Mighty God, the Everlaſting Father, the Prince of Peace. There is none ever able to take up the work of Chriſt, if he ſhould lay it down; but our Redeemer he is mighty and alſufficient to finiſh the work of our Redemption. And then,
Secondly, As he is Mighty and All-ſufficient in his Perſon, as God-man, ſo alſo his death hath a perpetual virtue in it, and therefore it is ſaid, he offered up himſelf once for all, Heb. 7. 27 the latter part of the Verſe; for This he did once, when he offered up himſelf; he took away ſin when he offered up himſelf.
Thirdly, Chriſt hath an Everlaſting Prieſthood, an unexchangeable Prieſthood; For he is admitted to ſit at the Lords right hand for ever, Heb. 10. 12. So that you may ſee he hath an unexchangeable Prieſthood. And thus much for the opening and explanation of this Verſe. For application theſe things are divers ways uſeful.
Firſt, For the Comfort, the unſpeakable Comfort of them that truely believe in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Here we have an unexchangeable Prieſthood; to reſt upon Chriſt for our hope: The Apoſtle tells us, that he is our hope of Glory. And Oh, what a mercy and bleſſing it is, that our hope is not in Man, whoſe Breath is in his Noſtrils, but in the Eternal Son of God! In him who continues for ever. Look into the World, and there you will find abundance that live in their Worldly hope; but where are their hopes built, but commonly upon Men whoſe Breath is in their Noſtrils? When their Friends die, their hopes die: But here we have an Immortal Saviour to build our hopes upon, one that continues for ever: And this was Jobs comfort in the midſt of his affliction, as you may ſee in Job 19. 25. He knew his Redeemer lived; his Children were all dead and gone, but his Redeemer lived, and that was his comfort; his eſtate was gone, but ſtill his Redeemer lived, and that was his comfort; his Friends had left him, ſtill his Redeemer lived, and he knew himſelf muſt die, and Worms conſume his Body, yet ſtill his Redeemer lived. Oh Soul, reſt thou in the Faith of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and take comfort of Goſpel Truth! [That Jeſus Chriſt liveth for ever.]
As Jeſus Chriſt liveth for ever; So he liveth for the good of all Believers: He liveth for our good, if we Believe in him; and therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, he is able to ſave to the uttermoſt, all thoſe that come unto God by him, ſeeing he ever liveth to make interceſſion for us.
Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt doth live everlaſtingly for our good; our life is bound up in the Everlaſting life of Chriſt, ſaith the Apoſtle in Col. 3. and the beginning, Our life is hid with Chriſt; that is, the life of our Souls: And when he ſhall appear, then ſhall we alſo appear with him in Glory. I remember the words (in 1 Sam. 25.) when that wiſe Woman Abigail came to David to appeaſe his wrath againſt her Husband and Family, ſhe uſed this expreſſion, in ver. 29. But the Soul of my Lord ſhall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God: I allude to it; that the Lord Jeſus Chriſt is the bundle of life for all the Saints; the Eternal life of every Believer is bound up in him; he is the great bundle of life: for (ſaith he) becauſe I live, ye ſhall live alſo—And again, This is the Record which God hath given; that he hath given Eternal life; and this life is in his Son. Oh make Faith of this! or elſe all the Preaching of Chriſt will not be profitable to you, if you cannot make Faith of it.
And as this doth ſpeak comfort, ſo it alſo ſpeaks duty; And what is that? Why that we live to him that liveth for ever; remember that Scripture, 2 Cor. 5. 14. For the love of Chriſt conſtraineth us, becauſe we thus judge; that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live, ſhould not henceforth live to themſelves, but unto him which died for them and roſe again. As Chriſt did die for us [for our Sins] ſo he did riſe again for our Juſtification. Oh ſhall we not then live to him! Many are apt to forget their dead Friends and Relations, tho they have done much for them, and they know it not; as Solomon ſpeaks in Eccleſ. 9. 5. for the living know that they ſhall die, but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten, and they know it not; and if their Sons come to honour they know it not, and if they be brought low they perceive it not: But our Living Redeemer, he knoweth all; he knows all the Souls that are put upon his work of Salvation; and therefore we ſhould live to his Glory. Our dear Lord may ſay to us, I live for ever; I know all things: Why then do you ſlight my Work, and ſlight my Ordinances, and ſlight my People? Why do you not live more to my Glory. And then,
Laſtly, This ſhould be a ſtrong motive for Men to come to Chriſt. Ye truſt in dying Friends, dying comforts, dying Relations, and fix your hope upon things that crumble away to duſt; When Peter made his confeſſion of Chriſt, Joh. 6. 68. To whom ſhould we go? thou haſt the words of Eternal Life. Go from Chriſt, and you go to death and Damnation: Go to him, and you come to Life, and to Everlaſting Salvation: For he ever liveth an High-prieſt, to make Interceſſion for us.
Now the Inference follows in the next words.