Third. The third thing now to be spoken about is to show where and how Jesus Christ outwent and went beyond these priests, in all their qualifications and offices, for the comfort of poor saints.
1. They who were called to the priesthood under the law were men, but He is both God and man (Heb 7:3,28).
2. Their qualifications were very scanty, but Jesus was in every way qualified in an infinite and full way.
3. They were consecrated but for a time, but He for evermore (Heb 7:23,24).
4. They were made without an oath, but He with an oath (Verses 20,21).
5. They as servants, but He as a Son (Hebrews 3:6).
6. Their garments were but such as could be made with hands, but His the very righteousness of God (Exo 28; Rom 3:22; Phil 3:8,9).
7. Their offerings were but the body and blood of beasts, and such like, but His offering was His own body and soul (Heb 9:12,13; 10:4,5; Isa 53:10).
8. Those were at best but a shadow or type, but He was the very substance and end of all those ceremonies (Heb 9:1,10,11).
9. Their holy place was but made by men, but His, or that which Jesus is entered, is into Heaven itself (Heb 9:2,3,24).
10. When they went to offer their sacrifice, they were forced to offer for themselves, as men compassed about with infirmity, but He holy, harmless, who did never commit the least transgression (Heb 7:26; 10:11).
11. when they went to offer, they were fain to do it standing, to signify that God had no satisfaction therein; but He, when "He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God," to signify that God was very well pleased with His offering (Heb 10:12).
12. They were fain to offer "oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins,"; but He, "by one offering hath perfected forever them that are sanctified" (Heb 10:11,14).
13. Their sacrifices at best could but serve for the cleansing of the flesh, but His for cleansing both body and soul—the blood of Jesus Christ doth purge the conscience from dead works, to live a holy life (Heb 9:13,14).
14. Those high priests could not offer but once a year in the holiest of all, but our High Priest He ever liveth to make intercession for us (Heb 9:7; 12:24,25).
15. Those high priests, notwithstanding they were priests, were not always to wear their holy garments,can but Jesus never puts them off of Him, but is in them always.
16. Those high priests, death would be too hard for them, but our High Priest hath vanquished and overcome that cruel enemy of ours, and brought life and immortality to light through the glorious Gospel (Heb 7:21,23; 2:15; 2 Tim 1:10).
17. Those high priests were not able to save themselves; but this is able to save Himself, and all that come to God, by Him (Heb 7:25).
18. Those high priests' blood could not do away sin; but the blood of Jesus Christ, who is our High Priest, "cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
19. Those high priests sometimes, by sin, caused God to reject their sacrifices, but this High Priest doth always the things that please Him.
20. Those high priests could never convey the Spirit by virtue of their sacrifices or office; but this High Priest, our Lord Jesus, He can and doth give all the gifts and graces that are given to the sons of men.
21. Those high priests could never, by their sacrifices, bring the soul of any sinner to glory by virtue of itself, but Jesus hath by one offering, as I said before, perfected forever those that He did die for. Thus, in brief, I have shown in some particulars how and wherein Jesus our High Priest doth go beyond those high priests, and many more without question might be mentioned, but I forbear.
Christ the forerunner of the saints.
FIFTH. A fifth office of Christ about the second covenant was that He should be the forerunner to Heaven before His saints who were to follow after. First, He strikes hands in the covenant, [and then] He stands bound as a Surety to see everything in the covenant accomplished that was to be done on His part; [next] He brings the message from Heaven to the world; and before He goeth back, He offered Himself for the same sins that He agreed to suffer for; and so soon as this was done, He goeth post-haste to Heaven again, not only to exercise the second part of His priestly office but as our forerunner, to take possession for us, even into Heaven itself, as you may see, where it is said, "Whither the Forerunner is for us entered" (Heb 6:20).
First. He is run before to open Heaven's gates—Be ye open, ye everlasting doors, that the King of Glory may enter.
Second. He is run before us to take possession of glory in our natures for us.
Third. He runs before to prepare us for our places, and we come after, "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:1- 3).
Fourth. He is run thither to make the way easy, in that He hath first trodden the path Himself.
