in his sitting at the right hand of God, farre above all principalities and powers, Ephes. 1. 19, 20. All which did make way to the presenting of his Sacrifice before the Mercy-seat, which is the consummation of it, and without which he had not been a Priest. We have such an high Priest (saith the Apostle) as is set downe at the right hand of the Majestie in the heavens, for if he were on earth he should not be a Priest, seeing that there are Priests which offer gifts according to the Law, Heb. 8. 1, 4. Christ our high Priest having offered up himselfe an expiatory Sacrifice once for all, by his divine power rose againe from the dead, and is entered into the very heavens, to appeare in the presence of God for us, Heb. 9. 24. It was the same continued action, wherebyLev. 16.11,15. the Priest did offer without the holy place, and did then bring the bloud into the holiest of all, Heb. 13. 11. For the reason why it was shed was to present it to the mercy-seat, and to shew it unto the Lord there. So Christs act or office was not ended,Heb. 9.8.
Inchoari potest functio veri Sacerdotis stante typico Sacerdotio & perfecta esse non potest illo stante. Oblatio peracta in terra perfectissima fuit, sed perfectione partis non perfectione totius. Aliud est offerre in terra, aliud peracta oblatione manere in terra.
Heb. 1.3. & 10.5,6. & 9.12.
1 Cor. 5.7. nor fit to denominate him a compleate Priest, till he did enter with bloud and present his offering in the holiest of all not made with hands, Heb. 9. 24. And therefore he had not been a Priest if he should have continued on the earth, for there was another Priest-hood there, which was not to give place but upon the accomplishment of his; for the whole figure was to passe away when the whole truth was come. Now Christs oblation was the truth prefigured in the Priests sacrificing of the beast, and his entrance into heaven was the truth prefigured in the Priests carrying of the bloud into the holiest of all. And therefore both these were to be accomplished, before the Leviticall Priest-hood did give place.
Some referre this to the oblation of Christ, whereof they make two parts; the one expiatory, when Christ suffered upon the crosse: the other presentatory, when he doth appeare in heaven before God for us: the one of killing or suffering, the other of ostension: the one finished on earth, when Christ suffered without the gate:Heb. 13.11,12. because as no sin, so no punishment can come within the holy place: the other performed in heaven, satisfaction being first made on earth. The first was not a preparation of a Sacrifice, but a Sacrifice: the latter was not so much a Sacrifice, as the commemoration of the Sacrifice made: for appearing in heaven is not properly a sacerdotall act, unlesse it leane upon the vertue of the Sacrifice performed:Heb. 10.8,12. the first was an act of humiliation; the lat-ter
