s
interpretation. At the same time, we readily admit that their doctrine
is a just theological inference from the passage. If God swears that His
gracious purposes will be fulfilled and ordains Jesus to be His Surety
to men, and if also the fulfilment of the Divine promise depends on the
fulfilment of certain conditions on the part of men, the oath of God
will involve His enabling men to fulfil those conditions, and the Surety
will become in eventual fact a Surety on behalf of men. But this is only
an inference. It is not the meaning of the Apostle's words, who only
speaks of the Surety on the part of God. The validity of the inference
now mentioned depends on other considerations extraneous to this
passage. With those considerations, therefore, we have at present
nothing to do.

_Fourth_, the climax of the argument is reached when the Apostle infers
the endless duration of Christ's one priesthood.[133] The number of men
who had been successively high-priests of the old covenant increased
from age to age. Dying one after another, they were prevented from
continuing as high-priests. But Melchizedek had no successor; and the
Jews themselves admitted that the Christ would abide for ever. The
ascending argument of the Apostle proves that He ever liveth, and has,
therefore, an immutable priesthood. For, first, He is of the royal
tribe, and the oath of God to David guarantees that of his kingdom there
shall be no end. Again, in the greatness of His personality, He is
endowed with the power of an endless life. Moreover, as Priest He has
been established in His office by oath. He is, therefore, Priest for
ever.

A question suggests itself. Why is the endless life of one high-priest
more effective than a succession, conceivably an endless succession, of
high-priests? The eternal priesthood involves two distinct, but mutually
dependent, conceptions,--power to save and intercession. In the case of
any man, to live for ever means power. Even the body of our humiliation
will be raised in power. Can the spirit, therefore, in the risen life,
its own native home, be subject to weakness? What, then, shall we say of
the risen and glorified Christ? The difference between Him and the
high-priests of earth is like the difference between the body that is
raised and the body that dies. In Aaron priesthood is sown in
corruption, dishonour, weakness; in Christ priesthood is raised in
incorruption, in glory, in power. In Aaron it is sown a nat