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 ...

§. 32. Of many Priests under the Law.

Heb. 10. 11.

And every Priest standeth daily ministring, and offering oftentimes the same sacri∣fices, which can never take away sins.

THe Apostle proceedeth in setting out the excellency of Christs sacrifice, and here produceth another argument, by that rest which he took after he had of∣fered his one only sacrifice. This argument is plainly set down in the 12. verse, but amplified in this verse by the contrary course of the Priests under the law, who stand daily ministring and offering oftentimes.

This amplification manifesteth a difference betwixt the typicall Priests, and the true Priest, as well as betwixt the legal sacrifices and Christs sacrifice.

In this verse is shewed the insufficiency of those things, which the Priest did under the law.

Of a a 1.1 Priest in general. see Chap. 2. v. 17. §. 172. and Chap. 5. v. 1. §. 2, &c.

To shew that that insufficiency, which is here attributed to a Priest, is not to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 only of Aaron, who was the first Priest ordained under the law, and that in crildernesse; nor of any other peculiar Priest, but of the whole company of them 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were in any age from their first institution, till their abolition by the exhibiti∣•…•… Christ the true Priest, he useth this universall particle, every, for they were all* 1.2 〈◊〉〈◊〉 same mould, meer men, not to be compared to the true Priest, who is God∣•…•… Jesus Christ.

This particle of universality sheweth, that there were many of them, and that* 1.3 it only together, but also successively, one after another: hereof see Chap. 7. v. 23. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 97.

This number of Priests maketh one speciall difference betwixt Christ the true 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and the legal Priests: He alone by himself was able to do every thing that be∣•…•…ged to a Priest: but no one Priest under the law could do all that belonged to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 office: therefore there were many of them together: whereof some did some 〈◊〉〈◊〉, others did other.

Besides, none of them ever lived on earth, where their services were to be perfor∣red: they were all mortall, and thereupon there was a necessity of one generation 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Priests to scceeed another, but Christ ever liveth to go on himself with that work •…•…sh belongs to his Priesthood.

Notes

• a 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  (b) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.3

  Priests many. Christ one.