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and filling their hands with parts of the sacrifices, Exod. xxviii. 19, 25, and by this they were perfected, and thoroughly fitted to appear before the Lord, and minister to him with acceptance. So Christ was consecrated to the office of high priest through sufferings or the blood of his own sacrifice; for God is said "to make the captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings," Heb. ii. 10, i. e. to consecrate him to that office by his sufferings; for the word which is translated to make perfect is the same that is used to signify the consecration of Aaron and his sons to the priest's office. It is used in the same sense, chap. v. 8, 9, 10. "Yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him, called (or denominated) of God an high priest, after the order of Melchisedec :" and the same word is rendered consecrated in chap. vii. 28. Now if Christ was consecrated to the priesthood by his own blood, then he must have suffered in order to his consecration, and before his hand could be filled to enter into the holy heavenly place with his offering, Heb. viii. 3, 4. Upon the whole, though Christ suffered on earth, giving his life a ransom for many, sustaining the curse of the law in our stead, and bearing our sins in his own body on the tree, yet it does not appear from scripture that in this he acted in the character of high priest, but of a voluntary substituted sacrifice; for he was not consecrated to be a priest upon earth, but to present his offering, and minister in the heavenly sanctuary, chap. viii. 2, 5, chap. ix. 11, 12, 13, 24. Yet I would not contend with those of a different opinion on this head, because it is not essential to the faith whether we consider him acting as a priest at his death, or not till he rose from the dead, if we only keep in view the person who died, and the end for which he died.

"For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing there are priests that offer gifts according to the law."

WITH respect to the time when Christ was actually made an high priest, or at least began to officiate as such, I would observe, (1) That as Aaron, his type, was not actually an high priest, nor could take that office upon himself till he was expressly called to it of God, and consecrated according to his directions (see Exod. xxviii, 1, chap. xxix., Lev. viii.), so the apostle, referring to this, says, "Even so Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest, but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec," Heb. v. 4, 5, 6. These passages are cited for the express purpose of shewing Christ's appointment to the priesthood, and they mark the time when he was actually vested in that office; for the first passage, viz. Psalm ii. 7, is applied to his resurrection from the dead, Acts xiii. 33, and connected with his sitting down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, and exaltation above angels, Heb. i. 3, 4, 5. As to the other passage, viz. Psalm cx. 4, it is the word of the oath whereby he was made an high priest (Heb. vii. 20, 21, 28), and