15, 16. the high-priests and kings were actually anointed (though they principally and most frequently); for the Lord said unto 1 Kings xix. Elias, Go anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room therefore hence it hath been concluded that the three offices of prophet, priest, and king, belonged to Jesus as the Christ', and that upon good reason. For the commonwealth of Israel was totally ordered and disposed, both in the constitution and administration of it, for and with respect unto the Messias. The constitution of that people was made by a sejunction and separation of them from all other nations on the earth: and this began in Abraham, with a peculiar promise of a seed in whom all the 'nations should be blessed, and be united into one religion. That promised seed was the Messias, the type of whom was Isaac.. This separation was continued by the administration of that commonwealth, which was a royal priesthood: and that administration of the people 1 Pet. ii. 9. did consist in three functions, prophetical, regal, sacerdotal ; all which had respect unto the Messias, as the scope of all the prophets, and the complement of their prophecies, as the Lord of the Temple, and the end of all the sacrifices for which the Temple was erected, as the heir of an eternal priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, and of the throne of Psal. cx. 4. David, or an everlasting kingdom. Being then the separation 1 Τοῦτο τὸ χρίσμα μὴ μόνον ̓Αρ χιερεύσι παραδοθῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα προφήταις καὶ βασιλεῦσιν, οἷς καὶ αὐτοῖς τούτῳ χρίεσθαι μόνοις ἐξὸν ἦν τῷ μύρῳ. Euseb. Demonst. Evang. 1. iv. c. 15. and Hist. 1. i. c. 3. Wherefore St Augustine, recollecting a place in his eighty-three questions, in which he had taught, the two fishes in the Gospel 'duas illas personas significare (quibus populus ille regebatur, ut per eas conciliorum moderamen acciperet,) regiam scilicet et sacerdotalem, ad quas etiam sacrosancta illa unctio pertinebat' [Quæst. 61. § 2. Vol. VI. p. 33 F.], makes this particular retraction: 'Dicendum potius fuit, maxime pertinebat, quoniam unctos aliquando legimus et prophetas.' Retract. 1. i. c. 26. [Vol. 1. p. PEARSON. 39 F.] 2 Οὐ μόνους δὲ ἄρα τοὺς ἀρχιερωσύνῃ τετιμημένους—τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατεκόσμει παρ' Εβραίοις ὄνομα ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς βασιλέας, οὓς καὶ αὐτούς, πνεύματι θείῳ προφῆται χρίοντες, εἰκονικούς τινας χριστοὺς ἀπειργάζοντο· ὅτι δὴ καὶ αὐτοί, τῆς τοῦ μόνου καὶ ἀληθοῦς Χριστοῦ, τοῦ κατὰ πάντων βασιλεύοντος θείου λόγου, βασιλικῆς καὶ ἀρχικῆς ἐξουσίας τοὺς τύ πους δι ̓ ἑαυτῶν ἔφερον ἤδη δὲ καὶ αὐτ τῶν τῶν προφητῶν τινὰς διὰ χρίσματος χριστοὺς ἐν τύπῳ γεγονέναι παρειλήφαμεν. ὡς τούτους ἅπαντας τὴν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀληθῆ Χριστόν, τὸν ἔνθεον καὶ οὐράνιον λόγον, ἀναφορὰν ἔχειν, μόνον ἀρχιερέα τῶν ὅλων, καὶ μόνον ἁπάσης τῆς κτίσεως βασιλέα, καὶ μόνον προφητῶν ἀρχιπροφήτην τοῦ πατρὸς τυγχάνοντα. Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 1. i. c. 3. 12 Luke iv. 21. was to cease at the coming of the Messias, being that could not cease so long as the administration of that people stood, being that administration did consist in those three functions, it followeth that those three were to be united in the personof the Messias, who was to make all one, and consequently, that the Christ was to be Prophet, Priest, and King. Again, the redemption or salvation which the Messias was to bring, consisteth in the freeing of a sinner from the state of sin and eternal death, into a state of righteousness and eternal life. Now a freedom from sin in respect of the guilt could not be wrought without a sacrifice propitiatory, and therefore there was a necessity of a priest; a freedom from sin in respect of the dominion could not be obtained. without a revelation of the will of God, and of his wrath against all ungodliness, therefore there was also need of a prophet; a translation from the state of death into eternal 94 life is not to be effected without absolute authority and irresistible power, therefore a king was also necessary. The Messias, then, the Redeemer of Israel, was certainly anointed for that end, that he might become Prophet, Priest, and King. And if we believe him whom we call Jesus, that is, our Saviour and Redeemer, to be Christ, we must assert him by his unction sent to perform all these three offices. Praan That Jesus was anointed to the prophetical office, though Propacation we need no more to prove it than the prediction of Isaiah, Isai. Ixi. 1, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; the explication of our Saviour, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears; and the confession of the synagogue at Nazareth, who all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth: yet we are furnished with more ample and plentiful demonstrations; for whether we consider his preparation, his mission, or his administration, all of them speak him fully to have performed it. To Jeremiah indeed God said, Before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations; and of John the Baptist, He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And if these became singular prophets by their preparative sanctification, how much more eminent must his prophetical preparation be, to whose mother it is said, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of Jer. i. 5. Luke i. 15. Luke i. 35. mission 95 the Highest shall overshadow thee? If the Levites must be of this office till he begin to be about thirty years of age. Then Luke il 23. As for his mission, never any was confirmed with such The Jews John i. 34. Rabbi, he John iii. 26. behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come unto him; and Now the prophetical function consisteth in the promul John i. 18. 14. John iii, 2. gation, confirmation, and perpetuation of the doctrine containing the will of God for the salvation of man. And the perfect administration of this office must be attributed unto Jesus. For no man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath deJohn xvii. 8, clared him. He gave unto the apostles the words which his Father gave him. Therefore he hath revealed the perfect will of God. The confirmation of this doctrine cannot be denied him, who lived a most innocent and holy life to persuade it; 1 Pet. ii. 22. for he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who wrought most powerful and divine works to confirm it, and was thereby known to be a teacher come from God; who died 1 Tim. vi. 13. a most painful and shameful death to ratify it, witnessing a good confession before Pontius Pilate; which in itself unto that purpose efficacious, was made more evidently operative in the raising of himself from death. The propagation and perpetual succession of this doctrine must likewise be attributed unto Jesus, as to no temporary or accidental prophet, but as to him who instituted and instructed all who have any relation to that function. For the Spirit of Christ was in the prophets : and when he ascended up on high, he gave gifts unto men. For Eph. iv. 11, he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. It is then most apparent that Jesus was so far Christ, as that he was anointed to the prophetical office, because his preparation for that office was most remarkable, his mission unto that office was undeniable, his administration of that office was infallible. 1 Pet. i. 11. Eph. iv. 8. 12. Prised Now as Jesus was anointed with the unction of Elizeus Psal. cx. 4 to the prophetical, so was he also with the unction of Aaron to the sacerdotal office. Not that he was called after the Heb. vii. 14. order of Aaron; for it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood but after a more ancient order, according to the prediction of the Psalmist, The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Heb. vii. 21. Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. But though he were of another order, yet whatsoever Aaron did as a priest was wholly typical, and consequently to be fulfilled by the Messias, as he was a priest. For the priesthood did not begin in Aaron, but was translated and conferred upon his family before his consecration. We read of the priests Exod. xix. 22. which came near the Lord; of young men of the children of Exod. xxiv. 5. Israel which offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen unto the Lord: which without question were no other than the first-born', to whom the priesthood did belong. Jesus, therefore, as the first-begotten of God, was by right a priest, and being anointed unto that office, performed every function, by way of oblation, intercession, and benediction. Every high-priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: where- Heb. viii. 3. fore it is of necessity that this man, Jesus, if he be an highpriest, have somewhat also to offer. Not that he had anything beside himself, or that there was any peculiar sacrifice allowed to this priest; to whom, when he cometh into the Heb. x. 5. world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: and, by the offering of this body Heb. x. 10. of Jesus Christ are we sanctified. For he who is our priest hath given himself an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet- Eph. v. 2. smelling savour2. Now when Jesus had thus given himself a propitiatory sacrifice for sin, he ascended up on high, and entered into the Holy of Holies not made with hands, and there appeared before God as an atonement for our sin. Nor is he prevalent only in his own oblation once offered, but in his constant intercession. Who is he that condemneth? saith the apostle; it Rom. viii. 34. is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even 96 at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Upon this foundation he buildeth our persuasion, that he is Heb. vii. 25. able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Nor must we look upon this as a servile or precarious, but rather as an efficacious and glorious intercession, as of him to whom 1 For the Hebrew y signifying juvenes, by all the Targums is rendered , that is, primogeniti: and so the Arabic and Persian translations. 2 'Unus ipse erat qui offerebat et quod offerebat.' S. August. 'Utipse-unum cum illo maneret cui offerebat, unum in se faceret pro quibus offerebat; unus ipse esset qui offerebat et quod offerebat.' Id. De Trin. [l. iv. § 19. Vol. viii. p. 823 c.] 3 Παράκλητον ἔχομεν Ἰησοῦν Χρι στόν, οὐχ ὡς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν προκαλινδούμενον τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ προσπίπτοντα δουλικῶς. ἅπαγε τὴν δούλην ὄντως ὑπόνοιαν καὶ ἀναξίαν τοῦ πνεύματος· οὔτε γὰρ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦτο ἐπιζητεῖν, οὔτε τοῦ υἱοῦ πάσχειν, ἢ ὡς περὶ θεοῦ διανοεῖσθαι δίκαιον· ἀλλ ̓ οἷς πέπονθεν ὡς ἄνθρωπος, πείθει καρτερεῖν ὡς λόγος καὶ παραινέτης. τοῦτο νοεῖταί μοι ἡ πарákλnois. S. Greg. Naz. Orat. 36. [Or. 30. § 14. Vol. 1. p. 550 c.] |