Judah: it is yet far more evident from the words of the HOLY GHOST by David, whereby He is expressly called a priest, and for ever, after the ancient order.

The priests of the family of Aaron were made by a law which had regard to external rites and ceremonies; which, moreover, arranged for a succession of priests, one to come after another on that other's death. But this Man was made by no such law, but by "the power of an endless life." He had none to precede Him save in a figure; He has none to follow, for He never can die again. He hath those who for ever will represent Him on earth, through whom, as His instruments, He will ever act.

18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

Here are reasons given why the Levitical law and ministry were disannulled or done away; they were weak, unprofitable, unable to justify or sanctify. Indeed, they were meant only to prepare the way for, and to lead up to, the better sacrifice, that which was real, not typical; the better, because more efficacious, ministry; the better, because purer, law, "by which we draw nigh unto GOD:" by all which means we are made partakers of the Divine Nature.

20 And inasmuch as not without an oath He was made priest:

21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but This with an oath by Him That said unto Him, The LORD Sware and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec :)

22 By so much was JESUS made a surety of a better testament.

The Apostle is in these verses again pointing out the superiority of our blessed Redeemer as a Priest to the Jewish priests. He was made with an oath, they without an oath: He, therefore, so much the more solemnly.

23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

24 But this Man, because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

Here, again, (for, as being of the utmost possible consequence, again and again does the SPIRIT repeat it,) it is our LORD's superiority to the Jewish priesthood which is declared. They were many, because they were mortal men, made after "the law of a carnal commandment;" He was one, because immortal, "after the power of an endless life."

25 Wherefore

Being Himself everlasting, and having a Priesthood which can never pass away.

He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Teacher of teachers! Priest of Priests! from Thee

The sweet, strong prayer

Must rise, to free

First Levi, then all Israel, from the snare.

The Apostle now shows how the LORD JESUS was, as we may say, qualified for His office.

26 For such an high priest became us, Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,

That is, wholly free from everything which makes men sinners; pure in His conception, birth, life, and death.

and made higher than the heavens ;

27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's for this He did once, when He offered up Himself.

"Once," that is, once for all; once, never again to be repeated, yet ever to be commemorated on the altars of the Church.

28 For the law maketh men high priests which

have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the SON, Who is consecrated for evermore.

Once, again, the Eternal SPIRIT points out the superiority of the blessed JESUS to all other priests. They have infirmity, He has none; they were made by the law, He by the Oath; they first, under an imperfect and preparatory condition, He afterwards, when "life and immortality had been brought to light;" they for a time, He for ever, in His own Person in the highest heavens, by the priests of His Church on earth.

CHAPTER VIII.

1 Now of the things which we have spoken

That is, concerning our LORD JESUS CHRIST as the everlasting Priest of His Church, and concerning His superiority to the priests of the family of Aaron,

this is the sum: We have such an high priest,

Such as has been just before described, "Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, made higher than the heavens ;" "Who by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

Who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

So high above all others is His dignity, and so excellent, that He Who said unto Him, "Thou art a Priest for ever," said also, "Sit on My right hand, until I make Thy foes Thy footstool."

2 A minister

The word properly means, a sacrificing minister.

of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which RD pitched, and not man.

By "sanctuary" we may understand that portion of the Church which is in Paradise, of which the holy of holies was a type, as are now the chancels of our churches. By "tabernacle" is meant the portion still "militant here on earth," which is called "true," that is, real, not figurative, as was the Jewish tabernacle. To both of these is the LORD CHRIST the minister: to the former in His very Person as the glorified Son of Mary; to the latter by His ordained servants the Bishops and Priests, who are workers together with Him."

This "true tabernacle," the Catholic Church, the LORD is said to have "pitched," for, in His own Person, as "the Word made Flesh," He founded it-the Jewish Church He founded by the ministry of men.

3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices:

By the word "gifts" we understand unbloody offerings, such as bread, and fruits, and wine; by "sacrifices," victims whose blood was poured out. The High Priest, the Apostle says, by the nature of his office, has to make such offerings. Wherefore, he continues,

wherefore it is of necessity that this Man have somewhat also to offer.

Our LORD's offering was, we know, Himself, His whole self, Body, Soul, and Spirit. Nothing less could satisfy Thy love, O my SAVIOUR; nothing less could atone for thy sin, O man.

O Love, Who unto death hast grieved
For this cold heart, unworthy Thine,
Whom once the chill dark grave received,
I thank Thee for that grief divine:
I give Thee thanks that Thou didst die
To win eternal life for me,

To bring salvation from on high:

Oh draw me up through love to Thee.

4 For if He were on earth, He should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

If He were on earth, that is, if He had not died, He would not be a Priest, inasmuch as there were priests, those of the house of Levi, who were priests by GoD's appointment, and their priest

E

hood was taken away only by, and at, the death of JESUS; but He died that He might offer the sacrifice of Himself, the only true and prevailing sacrifice; and He rose and ascended, that He might have heaven for His sanctuary, and thus in His own very Person be a Priest for ever.

5 Who

That is, the Jewish priests.

serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of GOD when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.

GOD, in the Mount Sinai, gave Moses a sight of the heavenly sanctuary, and bade him make the tabernacle after that pattern: hence, as the Jewish tabernacle was a shadow of the true tabernacle, so were the priests of the Jewish tabernacle shadows of the true Priest, to pass away when He in His human nature took His office on Him.1

By "heavenly things" may also be meant what is so often called in the Gospels "the kingdom of heaven," that is, the Catholic Church, of which the LORD JESUS is the Priest.

The Apostle now goes back to the subject of which he began to speak in vii. 18, namely, the fact that the Levitical law had been disannulled by the New Testament.

6 But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

Canaan was the rest promised in the old law: heaven itself is that of the new. As heaven is better than Canaan, so is the Mediator and Priest of the new covenant better than Moses, the mediator of the old, and its priests.

The doing away of the old law he proceeds to show was foretold by Jeremiah xxxi. 31.

7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second."

1 Col. ii. 10; Heb. x.

2 Gal. ii. 21.