command: Do not let go the anchor. Hold fast your profession
of Christ as Son of God and Son of man, as Priest and King. Let us draw
nearer, and that boldly, unto this great High-priest, Who is enthroned
on the mercy-seat, that we may obtain the pity which, in our sense of
utter helplessness, we seek, and _find_ more than we seek or hope for,
even His grace to help us. Only linger not till it be too late. His aid
must be sought in time.[68] "To-day" is still the call.

Pity and helping grace, sympathy and authority--in these two
excellences all the qualifications of a high-priest are comprised. It
was so under the old covenant. Every high-priest was taken from among
men that he might sympathise, and was appointed by God that he might
have authority to act on behalf of men.

1. The high-priest under the Law is himself beset by the infirmities of
sinful human nature, the infirmities at least for which alone the Law
provides a sacrifice, sins of ignorance and inadvertence.[69] Thus only
can he form a fair and equitable judgment[70] when men go astray. The
thought wears the appearance of novelty. No use is apparently made of it
in the Old Testament. The notion of the high-priest's Divine appointment
overshadowed that of his human sympathy. His sinfulness is acknowledged,
and Aaron is commanded to offer sacrifice for himself and for the sins
of the people.[71] But the author of this Epistle states the reason why
a sinful man was made high-priest. He has told us that the Law was given
through angels. But no angel interposed as high-priest between the
sinner and God. Sympathy would be wanting to the angel. But the very
infirmity that gave the high-priest his power of sympathy made sacrifice
necessary for the high-priest himself. This was the fatal defect. How
can he bestow forgiveness who must seek the like forgiveness?

In the case of the great High-priest, Jesus the Son of God, the end must
be sought in another way. He is not so taken from the stock of humanity
as to be stained with sin. He is not one of many men, any one of whom
might have been chosen. On the contrary, He is holy, innocent,
stainless, separated in character and position before God from the
sinners around Him.[72] He has no need to offer sacrifice for any sin of
His own, but only for the sins of the people; and this He did once for
all when He offered up Himself. For the Law makes mere men, beset with
sinful infirmity, priests; but the word of the oath make