A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 2. Of a Priest being taken from among men.

Verse 1.

For every High-priest taken from among men, is ordained for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 things pertaining to God: that he may offer both gifts and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for sinnes.

THe description of an High-priest is here set down, to demonstrate the 〈◊〉〈◊〉* 1.1 of that which in the later end of the former Chapter was delivered •…•…∣ing Christs being an High-priest. It is therefore inferred by this causal 〈◊〉〈◊〉 FOR. As if the Apostle had said, I may well avouch that Christ is our 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪priest, FOR all the essential pains of an High-priest belong to him: So as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the full underwent whatsoever was meet to be undergone by an High-priest 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he came to save to the uttermost, Heb. 7. 25. and to leave nothing that he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to be finished by another.

Of a Priest, and of an High-priest, See Ch. 2. v. 17. §. 172.

The first branch in the description of an High-priest, is, that he is taken 〈◊〉〈◊〉* 1.2 among men; that is, he being a man himself, of the same nature that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 are, is taken out of the society of men, not out of the society of Angels, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 other spirits

Or, according to the proper signification of the Greek Preposition, it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thus translated, * 1.3 Out of man, that is, out of the stock where others are; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the same nature with others. In this sense all are said to be * 1.4 of one, and to be •…•…∣kers of flesh and bloud, Ch. 2. v. 11. §. 164. & v. 14. §. 139.

The former English phrase, From among men, may intend as much. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is said of the Paschal Lamb or Kid, Ye shall take it out from the sheep, or fr•…•…m 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Exod. 12. 5.

To shew that this holds true of all sorts of Priests, extraordinary as Melchize∣•…•…; ordinary as Aaron and his posterity: typical as the legal Priests, and the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 true Priest Jesus Christ, the Apostle premiseth this general particle * 1.5 every. Hence it appeareth, that no person can be a fit Priest for men, but a sonne of man:* 1.6 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the same nature and mould: of the same fellowship and society. When God first ordained Priests, he thus said, Take Aaron and his sonnes from among the children of Israel, Exod. 28. 1.

• 1. Priests are in special manner for men: They stand betwixt God and men, and therefore it is requisite that they be men. For this end Christ himself was made man Ch. 2. v. 17.
• 2. It becomes Priests to have compassion on their brethren: Therefore they •…•…ost be of the stock of mankinde. For this end also was Christ of man, that he might be a mercifull High-Priest, Chap. 2. 17.

• 1. This may well be pressed against those hereticks that deny the humane nature of Christ: or deny that he took that nature from the Virgin Mary: but say he brought it from heaven. If so, then were he no true Priest. Of these hereticks, See Chap. 2. v. 14. §. 140. The like may be pressed against those who make Angels Mediators, and in that respect Priests: For it belongs to the Office of a Priest to be a Mediator betwixt God and man. This qualification of a Priest to be from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 men cuts off all such spirits from that office; neither is there any clause of Scripture that makes for them in this case.
• 2. This instructs us in the great respect of God to man: and that two 〈◊〉〈◊〉:
  • 1. In that he so beheld mans weaknesse, as to afford unto him such a Priest as he might endure. If Christ, onely as God, had been our Mediatour, the brightnesse of his glory would have confounded us. The appearance of An∣gels oft afrighted sonnes of men, though they appeared in mans shape: Instance the case of Gideon and Manoah, Judg. 6. 22. & 13. 22. The like is noted of Za∣•…•…, Luk. 1. 12.
  • 2. In that God did over-look our unworthinesse. For though we had sinned, and thereby our nature was odious in his sight, and a fit object for his wrath, yet he made this very nature a means of Mediation and Reconcilati∣on: 1. Typically, in the legal Priests: then truly in his own Son, a Son of man Jesus Christ.
  • 3. This is a matter of great Comfort and Encouragement to us children of men. For we may well infer, that he who hath ordained a Priest from among men, will assuredly accept of us in that Priest, and will not reject our persons or prayers: As Ma•…•…oahs wife said to her husband, If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would 〈◊〉〈◊〉 have accepted a burnt-offering (Judg. 13. 23.) So we may say, If the Lord would condemn us all, he would not take a Priest from among us to be for us in things pertaining to God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The inference.
• * 1.2

  How one ta∣ken from a∣mong men.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.6

  No fit Priest but out of man