It may be it will be said, that it doth not necessarily follow, that if he have somewhat to offer, it must be himself. For he might offer somewhat else out of the Flocks and Herds, as they did of old. Nor indeed doth the Apostle intend directly to prove it in this place, namely, that it must be himself which he must offer. But it doth necessarily follow from the Arguments before insisted on; Chap. 7. For whatever else God had appointed or approved of to be offered in Sacrifice, he had ordained the Levitical Priesthood to offer, and appropriated the offering of it unto them, so as no such Sacrifice could ever be offered by any who was not of the seed of Aaron. Whereas therefore our High Priest was not of the Tribe of Levi, but of Judah, it is evident that he could not offer any of the things which were appropriated unto their ministry and service. And hence our Apostle in the next verse, affirms directly, that if he was on the Earth, that is, to officiate in his Office with the things of the Earth after the manner of other Priests, he could not be so much as a Priest at all, seeing all such services were appropriated unto and performed by the Priests of another Order. Again; if he might have done so, and accordingly had done so, our Apostle manifests that his Priesthood must have been ineffectual as unto the proper ends of it. For the Law could make nothing perfect; not only because of the Infirmity and Imperfection of its Priests, but also because of the Insufficiency of its Sacrifices unto the great ends of expiating sin, by whomsoever they were offered. For it is impossible, as he declares, that the Blood of Bulls or Goats should ever take away sin, or purge the conscience of the sinner. Chap. 10. 1, 2, 3. &c. Wherefore as it was necessary that he should have somewhat to offer, so it was necessary that this somewhat should be himself and nothing else.
It may be it will be said, that it doth not necessarily follow, that if he have somewhat to offer, it must be himself. For he might offer somewhat else out of the Flocks and Herds, as they did of old. Nor indeed doth the Apostle intend directly to prove it in this place, namely, that it must be himself which he must offer. But it doth necessarily follow from the Arguments before insisted on; Chap. 7. For whatever else God had appointed or approved of to be offered in Sacrifice, he had ordained the Levitical Priesthood to offer, and appropriated the offering of it unto them, so as no such Sacrifice could ever be offered by any who was not of the seed of Aaron. Whereas therefore our High Priest was not of the Tribe of Levi, but of Judah, it is evident that he could not offer any of the things which were appropriated unto their ministry and service. And hence our Apostle in the next verse, affirmes directly, that if he was on the Earth, that is, to officiate in his Office with the things of the Earth after the manner of other Priests, he could not be so much as a Priest at all, seeing all such services were appropriated unto and performed by the Priests of another Order. Again; if he might have done so, and accordingly had done so, our Apostle manifests that his Priesthood must have been ineffectual as unto the proper ends of it. For the Law could make nothing perfect; not only because of the Infirmity and Imperfection of its Priests, but also because of the Insufficiency of its Sacrifices unto the great ends of expiating sin, by whomsoever they were offered. For it is impossible, as he declares, that the Blood of Bulls or Goats should ever take away sin, or purge the conscience of the sinner. Chap. 10. 1, 2, 3. &c. Wherefore as it was necessary that he should have somewhat to offer, so it was necessary that this somewhat should be himself and nothing else.
