\\INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 5\\

The apostle having made mention of Christ as an high priest, in the
preceding chapter, proceeds in this to give an account of an
high priest, and applies the character of him to Christ; and shows
that he is of another order of priesthood than that of Aaron, even of
the order of Melchisedec; of whom he could say many things, but the
Hebrews were dull of hearing them; which leads him to blame them for
their rudeness, and non-proficience. The description of the high
priest is taken from his relation to men, separation from them, and
ordination for them; from his oblation of their gifts and sacrifices;
from his sympathy with them, and from his call of God,
\\#Heb 5:1-4\\ all which are accommodated to Christ; as his vocation
of God, \\#Heb 5:5,6\\ confirmed by two testimonies out of
\\#Ps 2:7 110:4\\ his being a man, and having infirmities, though
sinless ones, and his sympathy with men, and compassion on them,
\\#Heb 5:7\\ his obedience and sufferings, and the oblation of himself,
whereby he became the author of salvation to his people, which is the
main thing in his priesthood, \\#Heb 5:8,9\\ and which was not of
the order of Aaron, though in some things there was an agreement with
it, but of the order of Melchizedek, \\#Heb 5:10\\ of whom the
apostle could say many surprising things; but these Hebrews were dull
of apprehension, and incapable of receiving them, \\#Heb 5:11\\. And
then he proceeds to blame them for their dulness, which he aggravates
by the time they had been in the school of Christ, when it might have
been expected they would have been teachers of others; by their being
yet scholars, and of the lowest class, who had need to be taught the
first rudiments of the Christian religion; yea, by their being as
babes that stood in need of milk, and could not bear meat,
\\#Heb 5:12\\. And then follows a description both of babes, and of
adult persons; such as are unskilful in the word of righteousness are
babes, and use milk; but those who exercise their spiritual senses,
to discern between good and bad doctrine, are adult, and can digest
strong meat, \\#Heb 5:13,14\\.