1. The Dignity of the Christian Church, as now separated from the Church of the Jews. In all their confidence in their Worship, that which they principally boasted of was their High Friest and his Office. He was anointed with the Holy Oil. He wore the Garments that were made for Beauty and Glory. He had on his Forehead a Plate of Gold, with that glorious Inscription, Holiness unto Jehovah. And He alone entered into the Holy Place, having made Expiation of the Sins of the People. The Christians who were now separated from them, they despised, as those who had no lot nor portion in all this Glory; no such visible High Priest as they had. So the same Persons were afterwards reproached by the Pagans, that they had neither Temples, nor Altars, nor Images or visible Deities. So hard was it to call off the carnal minds of Men, from things visible and sensible in Divine Worship, unto those that are spiritual and heavenly. And herein lies the reproach of degenerated Christians, especially those of the Roman Church, that whereas the Gospel in asserting the pure, heavenly, spiritual Worship of God, had prevailed against the World, and triumphed over all that is carnal, invented to please the senses, and satisfy the superstitious minds of Men; they have made themselves the scorn and spoil of their conquered Enemies, by returning to the same kind of Worship in various degrees, which was before destroyed and triumphed over. And as therein they seem to make a public acknowledgement, That the Gospel, in the management of their Predecessors, had much injured the World, in the Introduction of a Worship spiritual and divine, excluding all those visible Glories which it had found out to entertain the minds of Men; so it will appear in the issue that they have made themselves Transgressors, by building up what was before destroyed. But the Primitive Christians did still oppose the spiritual Worship of sanctified Souls, in the observation of the Institutions of Christ, unto all the pretences of Glory and Beauty pleaded to be in their outward force. So the Apostle here, to evince the Dignity of the Christian Church against the Unbelief of the Jews, pleads their Relation unto an invisible spiritual High Priest, exalted in Glory and Dignity far above all that they could enjoy by virtue of a carnal Commandment.
1. The Dignity of the Christian Church, as now separated from the Church of the Jews. In all their confidence in their Worship, that which they principally boasted of was their High Friest and his Office. He was anointed with the Holy Oil. He wore the Garments that were made for Beauty and Glory. He had on his Forehead a Plate of Gold, with that glorious Inscription, Holiness unto Jehovah. And He alone entred into the Holy Place, having made Expiation of the Sins of the People. The Christians who were now separated from them, they despised, as those who had no lot nor portion in all this Glory; no such visible High Priest as they had. So the same Persons were afterwards reproached by the Pagans, that they had neither Temples, nor Altars, nor Images or visible Deities. So hard was it to call off the carnal minds of Men, from things visible and sensible in Divine Worship, unto those that are spiritual and heavenly. And herein lies the reproach of degenerated Christians, especially those of the Roman Church, that whereas the Gospel in asserting the pure, heavenly, spiritual Worship of God, had prevailed against the World, and triumphed over all that is carnal, invented to please the senses, and satisfie the superstitious minds of Men; they have made themselves the scorn and spoil of their conquered Enemies, by returning to the same kind of Worship in various degrees, which was before destroyed and triumphed over. And as therein they seem to make a publick acknowledgment, That the Gospel, in the management of their Predecessors, had much injured the World, in the Introduction of a Worship spiritual and divine, excluding all those visible Glories which it had found out to entertain the minds of Men; so it will appear in the issue that they have made themselves Transgressors, by building up what was before destroyed. But the Primitive Christians did still oppose the spiritual Worship of sanctified Souls, in the observation of the Institutions of Christ, unto all the pretences of Glory and Beauty pleaded to be in their outward force. So the Apostle here, to evince the Dignity of the Christian Church against the Unbelief of the Jews, pleads their Relation unto an invisible spiritual High Priest, exalted in Glory and Dignity far above all that they could enjoy by virtue of a carnal Commandment.
