Secondly, this was so necessary a part of his Priest-hood, that without it he had not been a complete Priest. 1Thus Heb. 8. 4. If he were on earth, he should not be a Priest: That is, If he should have abode on earth, he should not have been a complete Priest. Paul saith not, that if he had offered that his sacrifice on earth, he had not been a Priest, for that was necessary; but that if he had staid still on earth, after he had offered it, he had not been a Priest, that is, a perfect Priest; for he had then left his office imperfect, and had ⟨p. 120⟩done it but by halves, seeing this other part of it (the work of Intercession) lay still upon him to be acted in heaven. Thus the High-priest, his Type, if he had only offered Sacrifice without the Holy of holies, had not been a perfect High-Priest: For to enter into the Holy of holies, and to act the part of a Priest there,2 was the proper, peculiar work of the High-Priest, as such. Which shows, that Christ had not been an High-Priest, if he had not gone to heaven, and Priested it there too, (as I may so speak) as well as upon earth. Yea, if Christ had not gone to heaven, and were not now become a Priest there, then the Levitical Priest-hood were still in force, and should share the honour with him; and the High-priest must continue still to go into the Holy of holies. To this purpose you may observe, that so long as Christ was on earth, though risen, the Types of the Law held in force, and were not to give way, till all the truth signified by their Ministry, was fully accomplished; and so, not until Christ was gone into heaven, as a Priest, and there had begun to do all that which the High-priest had done in the Holy of holies, and as his Type foresignified. And this is plainly the meaning of what follows (in that Heb. 8. ver. 4.) as the reason or demonstration why that Christ should not have been a Priest, if he had not gone to heaven, (not only as a King, but as a Priest too, as he had affirmed, ver. 1.) Seeing (says he) that there are Priests upon earth, that do offer gifts according to the Law. The force of the Reason lies thus: There are ⟨p. 121⟩already Priests, and that of a Tribe he was not of, that offer gifts on earth, before he came into the world. And therefore if that had been all his Priest-hood, to be a Priest on earth, they would plead possession before him, having been Priests before him.
Secondly, this was so necessary a part of his Priest-hood, that without it he had not been a compleat Priest. 1Thus Heb. 8. 4. If he were on earth, he should not be a Priest: That is, If he should have abode on earth, he should not have been a compleat Priest. Paul saith not, that if he had offered that his sacrifice on earth, he had not been a Priest, for that was necessary; but that if he had staid still on earth, after he had offered it, he had not been a Priest, that is, a perfect Priest; for he had then left his office imperfect, and had ⟨p. 120⟩done it but by halves, seeing this other part of it (the work of Intercession) lay still upon him to be acted in heaven. Thus the High-priest, his Type, if he had only offered Sacrifice without the Holy of holies, had not been a perfect High-Priest: For to enter into the Holy of holies, and to act the part of a Priest there,2 was the proper, peculiar work of the High-Priest, as such. Which shews, that Christ had not been an High-Priest, if he had not gone to heaven, and Priested it there too, (as I may so speak) as well as upon earth. Yea, if Christ had not gone to heaven, and were not now become a Priest there, then the Leviticall Priest-hood were still in force, and should share the honour with him; and the High-priest must continue still to goe into the Holy of holies. To this purpose you may observe, that so long as Christ was on earth, though risen, the Types of the Law held in force, and were not to give way, till all the truth signified by their Ministery, was fully accomplisht; and so, not untill Christ was gone into heaven, as a Priest, and there had begun to doe all that which the High-priest had done in the Holy of holies, and as his Type foresignified. And this is plainly the meaning of what follows (in that Heb. 8. ver. 4.) as the reason or demonstration why that Christ should not have been a Priest, if he had not gone to heaven, (not onely as a King, but as a Priest too, as he had affirmed, ver. 1.) Seeing (sayes he) that there are Priests upon earth, that doe offer gifts according to the Law. The force of the Reason lyes thus: There are ⟨p. 121⟩already Priests, and that of a Tribe he was not of, that offer gifts on earth, before he came into the world. And therefore if that had beene all his Priest-hood, to be a Priest on earth, they would plead possession before him, having been Priests before him.
