excellent then the Levitical Priest and now he proceeds further and hath something more to say and prove his super-excellency He had indeed touched upon those words Thou art a Priest for ever and seems here to repeat them yet if we accurately consider it 's one thing to be a Priest for ever and another to receive an eternal Priest-hood by a solemn Oath which now he undertakes to manifest So that the Subject of three verses following the 23d 24th 25th is the eternal effectual unchangeable Priest-hood of Christ made such by Oath And in them we may observe the Perpetuity of Christ's Priest-hood Efficacy The Perpetuity and Immutability is affirmed ver 23 24. The Efficacy ver 25. In ver 23. we have the discontinuance of the one in the 24th the continuance of the other And both together manifest the difference and so dissimilitude between them and the excellency of the one above the other and this is done comparatively For by comparison both the dissimilitude and the imparity are made to appear He begins with the Levitical Priest in this manner They truly were many Priests c. Where we have 1. Their Multitude 2. Their Mortality And the Mortality was the cause of their Multitude Their Multitude was evident For they were many Priests and their Mortality They died And hence he inferrs that they could not continue for the cause why they could not continue was Death The intention of the Apostle is to inform us of an imperfection and defect in the Levitical Priests that they were all and every one of them mortal and died one after another and none could possesse and keep the Priest-hood long but must transmit it to another Aaron first unto his Son then his Son to a third and that to a fourth and so to the last High-Priest So that though they might all joyntly be considered as one person morally by fiction of Law yet they were many men and many Priests physically and so the Priest-hood was continued by Succession and though the Priest died yet the Priest-hood continued till it was abolished In this respect it might be said to be immortal as Corporations and Societies are yet this is no perfect immortality nor real perpetuity This was their imperfection Christ's perfection was that he continued ever Ver. 24. But this man because he conâ—inâ—uth ever hath an unchangeable Priest-hood THe Copulative And in the former verse did signify the Connexion and that of another new argument to the former and here the Discretive But implies the difference between Christ and the Levitical Priest in that they were Priests but he a Priest they were many he but one they continued not he continues for ever In the words we have three propositions 1. That Christ continueth ever 2. He hath an unchangeable Priest-hood 3. Because he continueth ever therefore he hath an unchangeable Priest-hood The Apostle may seem to reason and argue thus He that continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priest-hood But Christ continueth ever Therefore he hath an unchangeable Priest-hood 1. This man continueth ever Where 1. By this Man is meant Christ who was truly Man though this Man this individual Man was united unto the Word so as never any was He was so united unto the Word that he might truly be said to be God Yet as God he was not he could not be a Priest and this is evident if we consider either what a Priest is or what he must do Therefore is it said This Man continueth for ever and in another place There is one God and one Mediatour between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. 2. He is said to continue ever that is liveth ever but this is to be understood of him as risen again from the Dead For before in the state of his Humiliation he was mortal and not only so but dyed Yet after the Resurrection he became immortal and shall never dye but continue for ever For Christ being raised from the Dead diâ—th no more Death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6. 9. 2. This Man hath an unchangeable Priest-hood The word translated Unchangeable may be understood 1. So as though the Apostle did inferr from the words of the Psalam Will not repent or change that Christ's Priest-hood should never be abolished and changed to another Order Or 2. Because it may signify not passing from one another to conclude from this that Christ continueth ever that his Priest-hood doth not pass from him to any other his Successor as the Priest-hood of Aaron did And this latter seems to be the genuine sense because he opposeth the Priest-hood of Christ unto that of Levi which did pass from one to another so that his Priest-hood did continue in this one individual Man who lives for ever 3. Because he continueth ever therefore his Priest-hood is unchangeable and doth not pass from him to another This follows clearly For if he individually be made a Priest and a Priest for ever and this by Oath and he that was thus made was immortal then his Priest-hood is personal and to be continued in him one single person for ever Now we enter upon the Comparison and make it in this form He that liveth and continueth ever so that his Priest-hood is not transmitted to another is more excellent then they who not continuing by reason of Death transmit their Priest-hood to their Successors who are many But Christ doth thus continue and the Levitical Priests do not Therefore He is a more excellent Priest § 26. This excellency is yet more because of the efficacy of the Priest-hood and the ability of the Priest when perpetuity and efficacy meet in one the Priest-hood must needs be excellent indeed But let 's hear the Apostle proving this Efficacy Ver. 25. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost or for ever that come to God by him seeing be ever liveth to make Intercession for them THE judgment of this Text is Dianoetical as is evident from the Illative Wherefore and in form he argueth thus He that ever liveth to make Intercession for them that come to God by him is able to save them for ever But Christ ever liveth to make Intercession for them that come to God by him Therefore he is able to save them for ever Where from his perpetual and effectual Intercession he inferrs his ability to save for ever and from both his super-excellency which is principally intended In the words we have 1. His ability to save them for ever that come to God by him 2. The reason of it because he ever liveth to make Intercession for them In the first we have 1. His active power 2. The subject upon which it works effectually 1. His active power that he is able to save to the uttermost 1. He is able that is he hath an active power to produce some excellent effect and reach some glorious end 2. This power is not physical but moral nay super-natural
them everlasting life Hee 's that Joshua who leads us and gives us possession of our spiritual and celestial Canaan 2. This Captain Prince and Authour was made perfect of God by Suffering or God made him perfect by Sufferings To be perfected in this place is to be consecrated and made a compleat Priest or at least to be put in an immediate capacity to act as a Priest Aaron and the Levitical Priests had their Consecration and it was not without Blood and the death of Sacrifices and the form was instituted and prescribed by God who alone could give them this Glory Power and Office That Christ was a Priest is expresse Scripture as we shall understand in this Epistle hereafter Yet such he could not be without Consecration neither could he be consecrated without Blood and suffering of Death and offering a bloody Sacrifice And the difference of the Consecration of other Priests and him was this that though both were consecrated by Blood yet they were consecrated by the blood of Beaâ—â—s sacrificed He by his own Blood when he sacrificed and offered himself without spot unto God The reason of this was Because he must be a Meditatour between God and sinful Man to reconcile them but no reconcilion without Blood and no Blood but his own Blood immaculate would be accepted For though God was merciful and willing to be reconciled yet his justice would admit of no reconciliation but upon satisfaction to be made by this Blood God did manifest his Justice and hatred of sin by punishing it in Christ before he would pardon it in Man It was God that did Consecrate him for no Man or Angel could conferr this Office upon him or make him an universal and eternal Priest to officiate and minister in Heaven only God could do this And he as supream Lord and Law-giveâ— could appoint and accept him to be Redeemer prescribe the manner of Consecration and as supream Judge accept of his Consecration once finished and invest him with this sacerdotal Power In these respects God is said to Consecrate him By him thus consecrated many Sons are brought to Glory There are many Sons brought to Glory he that brings them to Glory is God he doth this by Christ consecrated and made their Captain To bring to Glory is in the end to give possession of Glory and that everlasting and most excellent Estate prepared for the Sons of God These are many and are made his Sons by Regeneration and Adoption The one doth make them capable of the other gives them right to Glory which they shall fully enjoy when their heavenly Birth and gracious Adoption are perfected They derive their title from their Captain as consecrated by Suffering and received by Faith For as they are the Sons and Heirs of God so are they joynt-Heirs with Christ and in his right And if he never had been consecrated by Sufferings they never had been either Sons or Heirs or Glorified For he by his Sufferings merited all and laid the foundation of their eternal Happiness And for this Suffering he made him Captain and Head of all his Sons and gave him power to give eternal Life to as many as he had given him It 's God who brings these Sons to Glory by their Head and Captain He loved Man he gave his Son to Death he raised him up again made him King and Priest and gave him power to convert us and by him he adopts us and by him he gives us Glory The sum of all is this The glorification of sinful Man from first to last is from God it 's he and he alone that brings him to Glory yet though the persons glorified be many yet they are all Sons and none but Sons shall enjoy the Inheritance neither are they Sons by Nature or of themselves He makes them such by Christ and Christ was consecrated by Sufferings and made their Captain It became him for whom and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons to Glory thus to do God is here described from his efficiency where-by he is the cause of all things the universal Agent who produceth preserveth ordereth all things to their end especially his Sons unto Glory For though his works be many then some are more excellent then others and one of the chiefest is the Salvation of man Some do think that by these words for whom and by whom are meant that God is the final and efficient cause of all yet in strict sense God cannot in himself be said to be the end of any thing yet the manifestation of his glorious Perfection may be said to be intended by him in all his Works To consecrate the Captain of all his Sons by Sufferings did become him that is it seemed best to his divine Wisdom to use this means as most fit to manifest his justice and mercy in the Redemption and Salvation of man What Ways and means as conducing to this end he knew or his divine Wisdom did dictate unto him is hidden from us but this here mentioned he resolved upon as the best and most agreeable to his excellent perfection For God doth nothing but that which becomes him so glorious in himself and so excellent an Agent Men may do many things unbeseeming and no ways befitting them to do nay Angels have done many things which did not become so noble Spirits to do but God doth nothing but what God may do And this is the reason why Christ must taste of Death for every man Because it seemed good to God by that way and means to save sinful man And this is the relative consideration and connexion implyed in the causal conjunction For. They give a reason why Christ was lower then the Angels and suffered Death And why It became God so to do Ver. 11. For both he that Sanctifieth c. § 14. The Apostle in these and the following words doth manifest how it became God to cast Christ below the Angels and consecrate him by Sufferings and he doth so manifest it as that it may appear to be agreeable to Reason which is a spark or ray of divine Light To understand this the better you must remember 1. That Christ was lower then the Angels in suffering Death 2. That as God or Angel he could not suffer Death 3. If he could have suffered Death as a Spirit yet that Death was not so fit to redeem Man or expiate his sin and sanctify him 4. That seeing he must both dy and dy for man he must be Man and mortal Man to sanctify man These things premised the Apostle proves that it became God to make Christ a mortal Man and the reason is because he that sanctifyeth and they who are sanctifyed ought and must be of one and this is the coherence In the words themselves we have the unity and indentity of the Sanctifier and sanctified By the Sanctifier or the person sanctifying is meant Christ and by the sanctified sinful men by being of one that
shall never be destitute of a powerful and effectual Priest able for ever to save and this doth minister unto sinful man most sweet and heavenly comfort And this comfort is so much the greater because Ver. 22. By so much was Jesus made the Surety of a better Testament THat is by so much was Jesus a better and more excellent Priest The words with the 20th verse make up the Major proposition and these with those understood in general or of a Priest in general without mention of the Levitical Priest or Christ may make the proposition Categorical or a simple Axiom which otherwise must be Hypothetical and a compound Connex In a simple Syllogism the principal part of the Question is the Consequent or Predicate and is always disposed in the Proposition which for that reason is called the Major because of the principal and greater part of the Question But to return unto the Text which is the conclusion of the former Premises wherein we must consider two things or rather Axioms 1. That Christ is an excellent Priest 2. That He is a more excellent Priest To explicate the former you must know That to be the Surety of a Covenant in this place is to be a Priest and this may easily appear by the Context this in general In particular we must enquire 1. What the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used and translated by many in this place a Testament and in the eighth Chapter following Ver. 6. a Covenant doth signify 2. What it is to be a Surety of this Testament or Covenant 3. What Covenant or Testament is here meant 1. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Law a Covenant a Testament To know this we need not consult Lexicons as Varinus who interprets it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Law or Budâ—us with whom it signifies a Testament and Covenant For the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets translated into Greek will tell us that it alwayes signifies a Law or a Covenant and for the most part both So it doth in the Writings of the Apostles and Evangelists where it very seldom signifies the last Will and Testament of a Man The same thing is a Law in respect of the Precepts and a Covenant in respect of the Promises for Laws are nothing else but Pacts and Covenants between the Prince and People and the Laws of God alwayes have their precepts and their promises For in respect of God there is a two-fold Obligation one whereby he binds his People to Obedience another whereby he binds himself to reward upon Obedience performed On the People's part there is also a two-fold bond the first arising from the Law whereby they are bound to obey or suffer the second is from their voluntary Submission to God and promise of Obedience The former is passive this latter active yet these Laws of God can never properly be called a Testament tropically and metaphorically they may And because Covenants had their Sanction not by promises and comminations but by some solemn Rites and Sacrifices and Feasts therefore the Obligation was so much the stronger and the danger of them which should violate them the greater This was a Law and Covenant between God and Man and not only so but a Covenant between God Redeemer and sinful Man of which more anon 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned Surety signifies one that undertakes for another to see something paid or performed and though the word is not found in the New Testament except in this place yet we find it three times in the Apocryphal Books from whence several Expressions used by the Apostles are taken And we have the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to be Surety for another as Prov. 6. 1. 17. 18. 20. 16. And thus the Septuagint turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thrice And they interpret it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 43. 9. 44. 32. Psal. 119. 121. and this in the Canonical Books But Varinus tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Meâ—â—â—s a Mediator and so it 's taken here as it s expounded by the Apostle in the Chapter following and because a Priest doth undertake to procure from God both the confirmation and performance of the Promises unto the People and to that end mediates between both therefore he is a Surety and Mediator of the Covenant and in this respect a Surety and Mediator of the Covenant is a Priest But thirdly What Covenant is this 1. The Text faith it 's the better Covenant 2. If it be the better then there is another for a Comparison must be between two 3. In the following Chapter we learn that there were two Covenants the first of the Law made with the Fathers the second of the Gospel This is that of the Gospel which is described out of Jeremy 31. of which more at large when we come to that Text. 4. As the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law so the Priest-hood of Christ and the Gospel go together and cannot be separated Thus far the first Proposition which considers Christ absolutely in himself which was this That he is an excellent Priest because a Surety of an excellent Covenant What it is to be the Surety or Mediator of this Covenant you shall hear more at large Chap. 8. 6. The Comparative Proposition which is That Christ is a more excellent Priest is now to be considered This Comparison is implyed in the words By so much and better So much answers to as much Ver. 20. It 's between the Levitical Priest and Jesus who are compared in quantity Where we must note 1. That both are excellent because both were instituted of God 2. That the excess and advantage is on Christ's part he was the more excellent 3. The reason of the excellency is their manner of Constitution for the Levitical Priest was made without Christ with the Oath of God and is much as a Priest made by Oath doth excel him that is made without so much Christ is more excellent 4. The excellency was not onely in this that Christ was made a Priest by Oath but also and chiefly because by that Oath he was made personally an everlasting Priest of a better far more excellent and everlasting Covenant This is the fourth Argument taken out of the Psalm to prove comparatively the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood so that the believing Hebrews had no cause to repent of chusing Christ to be their Priest and depending upon him for Salvation As for the Socinian who makes Christ a Surety of this Covenant in respect of his holy Life miraculous Works and Death sealing it as a testimony by his Blood and not in respect of his satisfaction merit and intercession we shall say something hereafter and so proceed unto the Text following Ver. 23. And they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of Death c. § 25. HItherto the Apostle had proved by several Arguments That Christ was more
They were all in themselves considered indifferent things and a fit matter and subject of some positive Law 3. The offering and also the shedding of the blood of Christ were in respect of Christ acting and officiating in both purely moral and divine in the highest degree of Service For his suffering of Death for the sin of man at the Command of his heavenly Father was the highest degree of obedience that ever was performed to God There was in it so much love to God so much love of Man so much self denial so much humility and patience and such a resignation of himself to God as never could be parallel'd It was so excellently qualified that it was in a moral sense most powerfull to move God to mercy who is so mightily inclined to mercy of his own accord It was most pleasing unto God and most highly accepted of God considered in it self But seeing it was the suffering of a party different from man guilty who was bound himself to make satisfaction or to suffer according to the Law transgressed that it should be so far accepted of God as to make the Sinner pardonable and that certain pardon should follow upon Repentance and Faith depended upon the free will of God who in strict justice might have refused any satisfaction offered him in behalf of man who deserved to dye and might justly have been condemned to eternal Death It was one thing to accept the service and obedience in it self and another thing to accept it so for sinful man as to determine such inestimable benefits should follow thereupon and accrue to the sinful guilty Wretch The Socinian upon the Text is very muddy and obscure And 1. Though he deny Christ's satisfaction and merit yet he confesseth that the shedding of the blood of Christ even of its own nature had force and power to procure unto Christ all power in Heaven and Earth and all judgment and arbitrament of our Salvation and to produce in us the cleansing of Conscience This is not only obscure but if well examined false For what is it of its own nature to procure For if he mean by the word procure merit upon satisfaction it 's true that by his blood he satisfied and merited but both these he denies If he understand that of it own nature it did so procure this power and this effect so as it did solely or principally depend upon the will of Christ as Man for he denies him to be God and not principally and solely upon the will of God it 's false Here I must demand What difference he makes between procuring and meriting and also take occasion to shew the nature of meriting which is a moral act upon which some good or reward doth follow not necessarily and exnaturá rei but voluntarily according to the will of him in whose power the reward is but of this else-where 2. He puts a difference between Christ's Priest-hood and his Mediatourship and makes his Mediatourship to end with his Death and his Priest-hood there to begin But the Apostle makes no such difference but in this Epistle he takes Mediatour and Priest for the same That his Mediatourship should end and his Priest-hood should begin with and upon his Death I will believe when he can prove it which he can never do for there is not the least ground for it in the Word of God and it must needs be false upon this account that both are the same 3. He affirms that the blood of Christ takes efficacy and force to purge fin from the subsequent oblation of Christ in offering himself in Heaven and this he not only here but else-where doth often assert But 1. It 's very clear and certain that the total resignation of himself unto the will of his heavenly Father and his willing suffering of Death the voluntary laying down of his life the making himself a whole Burnt-offering was properly the oblation of himself This was on Earth this was the great act of Obedience the great Service that was so acceptable to God wherein Christ shewed himself a mirrour of so many heavenly virtues The representing of himself slaln in Heaven was not this offering nor the appearing before his Fathers Throne upon his Ascension The Scripture no where affirms it he cannot instance in one place for this And though God did require it yet it was not the meritorious act therefore never let him or any of that party delude us with his false and groundless notion of offering himself in Heaven By his Death Christ did satisfy and merit by his Resurrection and Ascension he makes his Death effectual unto us both by revealing the Gospel and sending the Spirit to work Faith in us and make us capable of remission and eternal life and by his Intercession and pleading his blood he obtains actual pardon and in the end full fruition of eternal life This is the meaning of those words Who was delivered for our Offences and rose again for our Justification Rom. 4. 25. 4. He tells us that Christ was filled with the eternal Spirit that is with the power of God which clarified him from all mortality and made him eternal subject to no destruction This is a strange fancy of his own and invented because he is so great an Adversary to Satisfaction And 1. He saith that eternal Spirit is the power of God which he so understands as that he denies him to be God 2. The power is either God himself or some active power whether natural or supernatural created by God in some of his Creatures or an act of God extrinsecally supporting and preserving something creued Now that which made Christ's Sacrifice and Suffering so acceptable to God and so efficacions was the sanctifying power of the Spirit enduing him with such heavenly virtues and supporting him in this great Service of sacrificing himself For if he had not received a divine and supernatural active power of holiness and righteousness inherent in his Soul which so strongly inclined and moved him to obedience in greatest temptations and had been extrinsecally supported by him this Offering had never been so acceptable to God nor efficacious to purge the Conscience And this was a far more glorious effect of the Spirit then to make him immortal and bring him into Heaven For this immortality and entrance into Heaven were Rewards not Virtues and only made way for the exercise of his Regal and Sacerdotal Power in the Palace and Temple of Heaven 5. He saith that by the Offering of Christ is signified his singular and only care for the Expiation of our Sins and for our Salvation Where it is to be observed 1. That he understands this of Christ as entred by his Ascension into Heaven 2. That by Expiation he means Remission and Sanctification without any respect unto Propitiation and Satisfaction by blood antecedent 3. Christ's offering of himself is a religious Service performed unto God as Supream Lord and Judge offended with sinful
Christ's Priest-hood in respect of the Constitution and now proceeds to prove his excellency in respect of the Ministration For if he be a Priest he must minister and officiate and his ministration is two-fold or there be two parts thereof The first whereof Which is his great Offering was performed on Earth The second Which is his Intercession is performed in Heaven He was a Priest elect when he offered on Earth He was a Priest constituted and confirmed before he did intercede in Heaven These things premised the Author doth 1. Sum up briefly the substance of his former Discourse Concerning the constitution of Christ's Priest-hood ver 1. 2. Proceed to set forth his excellency in respect of his Ministration 1. More generally in this Chapter 2. More particularly hereafter That he may do this the better he takes it for granted that the due ministration of a Priest requires 1. A Tabernacle or Temple 2. A Sacrifice or something to be offered 3. A Covenant whereof he must be Mediatour These things presupposed he proves the excellency of Christ's ministration in respect 1. Of the Tabernacle which is not made with hands but pitched by God ver 2. 2. Of the thing offered and the service both which are supernatural and divine not after the pattern of heavenly things ver 3 4 5. 3. Of the Covenant which he did confirm and make effectual as Mediatour which is better then that of Works whereof the Levitical High-Priest was Mediatour ver 6. That it was better he proves because it was established upon better Promises Where two things are observable 1. That the Promises of the Covenant were better 2. That it's stable and firm Ibid. To make both these evident he 1. Recites the words of the Prophet Jeremy concerning both the Covenants 2. In the words he 1. Informs us 1. Of the deficiency of the former ver 8 9. 2. Of the excellent Promises of the latter ver 10 11 12. 2. From the word Now he inferrs the abolition of the former to bring in the latter ver 13. CHAP. IX VVHerein the Apostle proceeds farther to evidence the excellency of Christ's ministration and this he doth more particularly by setting forth the excellency of his great Sacrifice and Offering That he may do this the better he singles out from all the other legal Services the anniversary Sacrifice of Expiation with the Blood whereof the High Priest alone once in the year only entred into the Holiest of all and proving Christ's Sacrifice upon the Cross to be far more excellent than this he doth clearly evince the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood The parts of the Chapter are two The first is concerning the Typical Tabernacle Priests Service The Tabernacle is described ver 1 2 3 4 5. The Priests ver 6 7. The Service Ibid. The imperfection of their Service ver 8 9 10. The principal part of the Tabernacle was the Holy of Holies The principal Priest the High Priest The principal Service the presenting of the Blood of the Expiatory Offering in the Holiest place Where the Apostle observes 1. That because none but the High Priest alone might enter within the 2d Veil therefore the way into the Holiest was not yet made manifest 2. That because the Services and so the Ministration were but carnal therefore they could not perfect the Performers The second part is concerning the Antitypical Tabernacle Priest Service and especially the Service of Christ's great Offering which he proves to be far more excellent then the legal great Sacrifice of expiation and so than all other legal Sacrifices from the Effects and Consequents thereof For by it Christ entring the Holy place 1. Obtained eternal Redemption ver 11 12. 2. Purgeth the Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God ver 13 14. 3. Confirms the new Covenant makes it effectual and unalterable ver 15. This Confirmation is illustrated 1. From the Testaments of Men confirmed by the Death of the Testator ver 16 17. 2. From the Sanction and Confirmation of the former Covenant by Blood ver 18 19 20. The former purifying and expiating Virtue of Christ's Sacrifice is illustrated from the Purification Expiation and Consecration of most things under the Law by Blood And hence inferrs That heavenly and spiritual things must be purified by better Sacrifices ver 21 22 23. 4. Entring Heaven he appears before God for us making Intercession and needs not come out of that Holy place again to re-iterate his Death and Sacrifice as the High Priest under the Law did but he stayes there pleading his One Offering of eternal Virtue untill he come to Judgment and give the actual possession of eternal life to all such as wait for him and this is the ultimate benefit of this Great Offering ver 24 25 26 27 28. CHAP. X. VVHetein 1. The Doctrine of Christ's Sacrifice is continued 2. The same Doctrine is applied Of this Doctrine there be two parts 1. Concerning the imperfection of the legal Offeringâ— 2. Concerning the perfection of Christ's The imperfection of the former was in this They could nor sanctify because 1. They were but shadows ver 1. 2. They were re-iterated and left a conscience of sin ver 2 3. 3. They were but carnal and the Blood of Bulls and Goats could not take away the spiritual stain and guilt of Sin to purge the immortal Soul 4. God did reject them as insufficient for that purpose and did accept Christ's one Offering This is proved out of Psal. 40. 7 8 c. and here 1. The words are cited ver 5 6 7. 2. The principal thing intended thence concluded that not by them but this Sacrifice of Christ we are sanctified ver 8 9 10. 3. They being many offered many times by many Priests could not take away sin but this one Sacrifice offered but once and by one Priest doth consecrate the Sanctified for ever ver 11 12 13 This he proves out of Jer. 31. 1. Citing the words ver 15 16 17. 2. Thence concluding the eternal Virtue of this Offering ver 18. Thus far the Doctrine now follows the Application continued from this place to the latter end of the last Chapter In this Application we may consider 1. The Duties exhorted unto which are many but the principal is Perseverance 2. The Motives 3. Sometime the Means The first Duty exhorted unto is To draw near with a sincere Heart in assurance of Faith 2. The Motives The holy place is open A new way is made We have an High Priest ver 19 20 21 22. The second Duty is To hold fast our Profession and persevere ver 23. The Means 1. To stir up one another ver 24. 2. Not to forsake the Assemblies ver 25. The Motives 1. God is faithful who hath promised ver 23. 2. The time is near at hand ver 25. 3. If we fall away after we have received the Truth the Sin will be very hainous the punishment very grievous and unavoidable ver 26 27 28 29 30
understands the removing of guilt and punishment and affirms that by the oblation they are removed whereas instrict sense it did not remove them but make them removeable and so he himself saith afterward That it had then only an efficacy and power 2. He distinguisheth between the Slaughter and the offering of the Sacrifice and saith That the Slaughter was on Earth and the Offering in Heaven That Christ dyed and suffered Death on Earth is clear That he willingly suffered this Death to expiate the sin of Man in obedience to his heavenly Father none can truly deny and this willing Suffering for sin in obedience may be truly said to be an offering and an act of a Priest as properly a Priest though they will not have him to be a Priest untill he entered Heaven which is very untrue Was not the High Priest a Priest before he entred with the expiatory blood into the holy Place There were many Sacrifices offered to God the Blood whereof was not presented in the holy place yet it may be granted that if type and antitype agree so far as the Scripture makes them so to do then Christ must present himself in Heaven and he did so For by his own Blood he entered in once into the holy Place Heb. 9. 12. But whether he entered as mortal or immortal in Soul only or in Soul and Body as dead or living when he presented himself before the Throne of the great eternal Judge may be doubted That his Soul that very day he dyed was in Paradise it 's certain and that entrance was properly by Blood with his Soul separated from his Body and made the expiation For when he enters the second time forty days after his Resurrection he enters as immortal in Soul and Body to make Intercession not to make Satisfaction and expiation or to merit § 10. Sâ—te down on the right hand of the Majesty on High This was a reward for his suffering and being obedient unto Death the Death of the Cross. This agrees unto him as the Word incarnate and in respect of his Man-hood And thus to sit is to be next to God above all Men and Angels and every Creature in holiness bliss honour and especially in Power and Dominion This properly agrees to him as King This is not to participate of the divine perfections and excellency as infinite and eternal but so far as the most noble Creature was capable From all this is manifest the excellency of Christ above all Prophers both as a Prophet and in other respects For as a Prophet he knew more of God and of his mind then all the Prophets joyned in one He declared his Will more fully clearly and powerfully then he did and this both by himself and by his Apostles God gave the Spirit not in measure but in fulness unto him He is more excellent not only as a Prophet but in other respects 1. As the Son of God 2. As Heir of all things 3. As he by whom the Worlds were made 4. As he is the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the expresse Image of his Person 5. As upholding all things with the word of his Power 6. As by himself purging our Sins 7. As set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high There is not the least of these though all be very great but therein he far excels the Prophets This might be added that he spake by him 1. As by his Son so did he not by any of the Prophets 2. In the last Days after which he will speak no more to mortal Men neither will there be any need § 11. The second Proposition is That Christ is more excellent then the Angels Being made so much better then the Angels This might be a conclusion of the former words but that in them Christ is compared with the Prophets Therefore we will consider it as a distinct Proposition concerning Christ as compared with the Angels And if he be more excellent then them he must needs be more excellent then the Prophets He is more excellent then the Angels in the seven sormer Respects but the Divine Apostle seems to insist principally upon the last as will appear by that which follows The occasion of this Discourse may be this because the Jews or Hebrews might say That though Christ was more excellent then the Prophets yet he was inferiour to the Angels by whom the Law was given and who spake to the Fathers and the Prophets so that they were Prophets and God spake by them and it 's not like that Jesus of Nazareth was above them or equal with them This is the more probable because it follows If the Word spoke by Angels c. Chap. 2. 2. Which implys that some part of the Old Testament especially the Law was declared by Angels For the Law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour Gal. 3. 19. The Revelation was signified to John by an Angel of Christ Revel 1. 1. And this Angel calls himself a Prophet For he had the Testimony of Jesus which was the Spirit of Prophecy and was one of the Brethren the Prophets Revel 19. 10 22 9. So that some part of the New Testament was delivered by Angels Now to take away this conceit of the excellency of Angels above Christ he not only affirms that Christ is equal with but above the Angels and not only affirms it but ptoves it His first argument in form is this He that hath inherited a more excellent Name then Angels is more excellent then the Angels but Christ hath inherited a more excellent Name therefore he is more excellent § 12. Let 's first consider the terms of the Major then the connexion of those termes or the Consequence The terms are Angels Name a Name by Inheritance 1. Angels are Spirits or spiritual Substances the most noble and excellent Creatures God made and because Angels are good or bad who being made good became bad by their own folly here the Apostle understands the holy loyal and obedient Angels who never sinned against God They are called Angels by reason of their Office and imployment not of their nature The Word signifies Messengers because they are God's Messengers sent by him not only to do but declare his Will Angelus is the same that Malaach Nâ—â—tius Legaâ—us and those names agree to their Prophetical Office 2. These Angels have a Name but Christ a more excellent Name By Name in this place is not signified a bare Title but the Dignity and Power of Christ and a more excellent Name as a more excellent Dignity and Power Thus the word Name is used Phil. 2. 9. Ephes. 1. 21. For Fame Glory Dignity it 's signified by Name in the Old Testament and in many other Authours and in several Languages That the Apostle understands thus for a Title not only of Dignity but Power inherent in the person whose Titlo it is may easily appear from what follows 3. This more excellent Name
Christ hath by Inheritance it 's Hereditary and he is invested with it and actually possessed of it to enjoy it for ever Yet the word in the Greek signifies sometimes only to acquire possesse enjoy and so doth Iarash in Hebrew The Connexion is clear for whosoever hath greater dignity and power then another and that justly must needs be more excellent For excellency is a proper necessary consequence of Power § 13. For to which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son By these words he proves that Christ hath or doth inherit a more excellent Name which is the minor 1. This is a proof by an inartificial argument or testimony which depends upon the authority of the Person testifying 2. The party testifying is God therefore the authority is Divine and without exception especially to the Hebrews who acknowledged the Old Testament to be from God and infallible 3. He produceth two places out of the Old Testament 4. He alledgeth both especially the first by way of interogation affirmative which is a more vehement Negation For to which of the Angels said he that is to none and he challengeth the Hebrews or any other to prove that God said so to any Angel The first Testimony we find Psal. 2. 7. which must first be examined The words are used by the Apostle to prove the Resurrection of Christ Act. 13. 33. and his Priestâ—â—ood Chap. 5. 5 1. By the first place Psal. 2. we understand that upon the Resurrection after the time of his Humiliation was past he was made a King and by the second Hebr. 5. 5. he was made and created a Priest 2. That both are to be understood of Christ and of Christ raised up from death 3. That upon this Resurrection Christ was constituted King and Priest universal and supream in Heaven and Earth Therefore he said after his Reâ—â—rrection and before his Ascension All Power is given unto me in Heaven and iâ— Earth Matth. 28. 18. Therefore this day is not Eternity nor are the words to be understood of his eternal Generation as some of the Ancients expounded them but it 's the day of Resurrection when he laid aside the Form of a Servant and that Work which in that Form he must accomplish was finished This place truly understood doth plainly inform us that as none of the Angels did so humble themselves as he did to do so great and glorious a Service as he performed so none of them were rewarded with the honour and power of an universal Kingdom and Priest-hood as he was He had a better Name a higher place and a greater power for the Regal power he gave him was such that the very Angels were subject unto him as to their Lord and Soveraign The second place alledged we find 2 Sam. 7. 14 16. and the words of that former History contracted a Câ—ron 22. 10. in this manner The Lord speaking of a Son who should succeed him faith He shall build an House for my Name and he shall be my Son and I will be his Father and I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom over Israel for ever To understand this passage of Scripture you must consider 1. That the words are to be understood of Solomon for David intending to build a House and Temple to God was certified by Nathaâ— from the Lord that he should not build Him an House but Solomon his Son who should sit in his Throne after him should undertake and finish that Work 2 That Solomon was but a Type of Christ and that in three things 1. In building God's House 2. In being a King And 3. In the perpetuation of his Kingdom 3. You must know that when any words are spoken of a Type as a Type they are to be understood of the Anti-type and that principally to agree more exactly to the Aâ—â—â—-type For here to build God a spiritual House and to succeed David as an everlasting King did agree fully to Christ not to Solomon 4. The words understood both of the Type and the Anti-type make but one literal sense For that I call the literal sense which is intended by the Spirit And this is the excellency of the Scripture that by the same word it signifies not onely one but several things and thaâ— as the words signify things immediately at first hand so these things signify other things-things past or present or things to come For such was the wonderful Wisdom of God that he ordered things of old so that they plainly shadowed out things to come and so did teach Mysteries not onely by words but things and many things by one word 5. Christ and his Apostles do sometimes so quote the words of the Old Testament that they onely Point at the place and refer the hearer to it where he may read more than he hears and the whole when a part onely is spoken 6. This place joyned with the former doth plainly tell us that to be a Son is to be a King universal over the Church for ever and this is the more excellent Name and hereditary Power given to Christ never given to the Angels David himself by these words understood that God therein promised the Messâ—as and his eternal Saviour who was afterwards called the Son of David and his Throne and Kingdom the Throne and Kingdom of David By Son in both places is meant 1. Not a Servant 2. Not any kind of Son but the first-born 3. Not the first-born of any but of a King 4. Not the first-born of any King but of God as universal and Supream King for his Son this Son must be Heir and Lord of all § 14 Ver. 6. And again when he bringeth in the first-begotten c. These words are taken out of Psal. 97. and are found in the Septuagint Deut. 32. 43. They are brought to prove the excellent Name of Christ above the Angels affirmed in the Minor of the Apostle's Argument Expositors differ in the manner of bringing in these words upon the former but agree in the matter The difference is two-fold 1. About the Adverbs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The bringing of Christ into the World whether it was his Incarnation as some affirm or his coming to Judgment as others For the Adverbe 〈◊〉 turned again some make it onely a word of Connexion of these words with the former as an Addition of a third Proof of the Minor out of a third place His first was from Psal. 2. The second from 2 Sam. 7. which is added to the former in this manner And again The third is this from Psal. 97. So that the word here signifies onely an Addition of a third Proof to the two former Thus Beza Trimellius Vatablus the Tigurines Zurick Erasmus Sasbout and our English Translators understand it Others think this too harsh a Transposition and joyn it with the Verbe
immediately design and qualify for this Work § 3. Thus you have heard 1. That a Priest is an Officer in Religion 2. That his proper Work is to offer Gifts and Sacrifices The third thing is the disposition which is most suitable to his place 3. He must be merciful and inclined to compassion as one who himself hath his Infirmity For it followeth Ver. 2. Who can have Compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himself also is compassed with Infirmity THis disposition and affection is so necessary that no man without it is fit to be a Priest For this reason God contrived a way whereby Christ after he was risen from the dead ascended into Heaven obtained fulness of joy in his presence and pleasures for evermore at his right hand might be sensible of Man's misery To understand the words of the Text we must consider 1. What it is to have Compassion 2. Upon whom he must have Compassion 3 Why he should be the more compassinaâ—e To have Compassion is to be inwardly affected with the misery of another so as to be moved and inclined so far as we are able to help relieve and comfort them Therefore saith one Misericordia est â—iseria aliena in corde nostro The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to suffer moderately or rather in some certain measure 1. He must suffer for he that is merciful doth suffer with them that suffer and mourn with them that mourn for we should be like fellow Members of one Body and as there is a Sympathy or fellow-feeling amongst the Members of one Body so there should be amongst us Yet as our own Passions and Affections should be moderated by the rules of Reason so must this Compassion be it must neither be boundless nor irregular For there be such hainous Offenders and abominable Sinners that they are no fit Subjects either of the Mercy of God or Man and we may exceed in our Compassion Therefore the Rules of divine Wisdom and Justice must regulate and measure the same otherwise we may make our selves unfit to officiate for others yet this was seldom the fault of Priests whose Compassion was usually defective 2. The parties to be pityed and the Subject of the Priest's Compassion were the ignorant and such as are out of the way Ignorance and Errour are often taken for sins yet not such as are capital and crying crimes but Offences committed out of ignorance infirmity and violence of temptation for which under the Law Sacrifices were prescribed and accepted upon the Confession of the Delinquents for there was no Sacrifice to expiate capital sins for they must be punished by Death They which were ignorant and seduced out of the way willing to confess and desirous of pardon were to be pitied as a fit Subject of the high-High-Priest's Compassion 3. The reason why he should the more have Compassion on these was because he was compassed himself on every hand with the like infirmity and might easily fall into the like Sin This should make him the more careful to make Reconciliation for them as for himself because he might fall into the same condition and it was the Wisdom of God to make such kind of Persons to be Priests § 4. The end of the Priest's officiating and his Compassion was to make Reconciliation for his own and their sins For Ver. 3. And by reason hereof he ought as for the People so also for himself to offer for Sins THe reason why he must be merciful and sensible of the guilt and misery of the People was that he might offer for their Sins and because he was compassed with infirmity and had his own Sins therefore he must offer for himself His own infirmity and sin might move him both to pity them and also seek their pardon as his own To offer for Sins is to do that upon which God hath promised to pardon and remission is the very end and ultimate effect of all propitiatory Sacrifices and the Service of all lawful Priests Before I conclude this part of the Chapter it may be expedient to resolve two Questions The first is Whether it be necessary and essential to a Priest to have sins of his own for which he must offer The second is Whether in the times of the Gospel after Christ had offered his Sacrifice and was confirmed an eternal Priest in Heaven there be many persons properly called Priests and such as are here described To both I answer Negatively For 1. It 's not essential to a Priest to have sins of his own or that he be a Sinner For Christ himself is a most perfect and compleat Priest and yet without Sin yet he is merciful and as sensible of our miseries as any ever was And this indeed was a necessary qualification in a Priest that must make reconciliation for Man and he that is unmerciful is no ways sit to be a Priest for guilty Wretches yet a Priest may be merciful and yet without sin though there never was any such Priest in the World but Jesus Christ the Son of the living God For the second there never was in proper sense since Christ's Ascension into Heaven in the Church-Christian any such Priest as is here described And it 's observable that such as officiate in the Church-Christian and minister in holy things are in the New Testament called Ministers Elders Bishops Pastors Teachers Men of God Apostles Evangelists Prophets but never styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Priests much less High-Priest neither are there any Temples Altars Sacrifices in the time of the Gospel that are properly such Some of the Church of Rome do affirm The Masse to be a Sacrifice and the same with that which Christ offered upon the Cross and propitiatory for the Sins of the Living and the Dead Yet seeing they confess 1. That it 's incruâ—ntum unbloody therefore it must needs essentially differ from that Sacrifice and Oblation wherein the Blood of Christ was once shed never to be shed again never to be re-iterated 2. Seeing it 's not essentially the same it cannot be properly propitiatory 3. Seeing it 's not expiatorium redemtorium as they grant it is not How should it be the same 4. That which is a representation commemoration and application of that Sacrifice once offered never to be offered again can neither be the same nor propitiatory And as it is not the same Sacrifice but essentially different from it it 's no Sacrifice at all in proper sense neither can any wit of Man prove it so to be Therefore in respect of it their Priests can be no Priests their Tables no Altars their Temples no Temples When divers of the Ancients call the Ministers of the Gospel or Bishops Priests the Service of the Eucharist a Sacrifice and the Communion-Tables Altars they must either be understood to speak tropically and metaphorically or deliver that which is untrue and also contradict
or rather no hope of recovery 2. That he was perswaded better things of them though the negligence of many had been great In his Exhortation ver the 11. two things are chiefly to be taken notice of 1. The duty exhorted unto which was perseverance 2. The reasons whereupon he urgeth the performance § 2. To begin with the Resolution the thing resolved upon is expressed in the first words 1. Briefly Leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ let us go â—â— to perfection 2. More largely Not laying again the Foundation c. This Resolution doth imply that in Christianity there is a Doctrine 1. Of Principles 1. Of perfection The first is for Babes and Children the second is for persons of full age The Principles are like Premises and the more perfect Doctrines like unto Conclusions and as some premises contain many excellent and precious Truths deducible from them and have affinity with many others reducible to them so these principles Both Principles and higher Doctrines must be taught in their time according to the capacity of the persons to be taught And the best must begin with the principles and after they are once well grounded in them they must proceed to higher points The Apostle here presupposeth the principles taught and once learned by these Hebrews therefore he resolves now to lay them aside and omit the Doctrine of them and to ascend to higher matters What he meant by leaving the principles he explains more at large and in particular It was Not to lay again the foundation of Repentance from dead works c. Where 1. He compares the work of man's Salvation to a Building And 2. The teaching of principles to the laying of the foundation which is the first and principal part of the Building supporting all the rest of the Superstructure and the teaching of these prime Truths is the laying of the foundation upon which the rest of Christianity depends 3. To lay this Foundation again presupposeth that he had formerly done this work and initiated them and to do this again implies they had lost their Christianity and were relasped into that Condition wherein they were before they did believe and were baptized and there was need of re-baptizing them 4. Yet this he would not do and to leave the Doctrine of the beginning or principles of Christ and not to lay the foundation of Christianity are the same And lest they or any other should be ignorant what these principles of Christianity and fundamental Doctrines were he informs us That they were the Doctrines Of Repentance Faith Baptism c. To understand these words the better we must consider 1. What was the way and order of initiating Christians 2. What Doctrine is contained in these particular Fundamentals 1. The way and order was this That 1. When they had taught them Repentance and Faith and they had willingly received this Doctrine and signified their acceptation then they most solemnly promised to repent and believe that Doctrine they did professe 2. Upon their promise and profession they were baptized 3. Being baptized they were confirmed by imposition of hands and receiving the Holy Ghost 4. Being confirmed they were exhorted to persevere to the end in hope of Resurrection to eternal life and fear of Condemnation to eternal punishment To lay the foundation in this manner was to admit them Christians again after they had lost their former Christianity 2. The Doctrine contained in these Particulars may easily be understood by the words themselves The first Head or Topick is that of Repentance from dead Works where by dead Works are meant Sins which pollute us spiritually and morally and also render us liable to Death of which hereafter Chap. 9. 14. Repentance from these is an acknowledgment of them with grief of heart and a resolution to forsake them and reform This Doctrine presupposeth the Creation especially of Man in the Image of God and contains those Truths we read in Scripture concerning Satan's Temptation man's Fall and Sin what Sin is and what the Consequents thereof be one whereof is Punishment and Death Knowledge Confession godly sorrow hatred of Sin returning to God this is the first part of the Creed The second Head is Faith in God under which comes in the Doctrine of God who so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son to redeem us from our Sins by dying for us and rising again to apply and communicate the benefits of his Redemption The particulars of these parts are the Incarnation the Offices of Christ his Humiliation In taking upon him the form of a Servant and being obedient unto Death the Death of the Cross The immediate effects thereof which are satisfaction merit and putting man into a capacity of Salvation his Resurrection upon which he was made King and Priest his Ascension into Heaven his sitting at the right right hand of God to reign as King and make Intercession as a Priest and so make his satisfaction and merit effectual 3. The third Head is the Doctrine of Baptisms wherein Repentance and Faith are professed new obedience promised and both sealed and confirmed by Baptism To this Head may be referred the Covenant and the confirmation of it This Covenant presupposeth the Gospel with the Precepts and Promises thereof This was revealed by Christ as a Prophet sending the Holy Ghost to reveal it therein commanding promising and performing as a King As it presupposeth the Covenant in general so it doth the making thereof in applying the Precepts and Promises unto the particular persons to be baptized who on their part must professe and promise upon which done the confirmation on Gods part and Man's doth follow in Baptism We need not trouble our selves with the word Baptisms which is plural nor debate the reason why he used that number whether it was because the Baptisms of John and Christ both instituted from Heaven did differ in several particulars and so were Baptisms or because the Baptism of Christ was two-fold of Water and the Spirit which both must joyntly concurr to Regeneration or because that though Baptism in general in respect of the Institution be one yet in respect of several individual persons baptized it 's multiplyed For the Baptism of Peter is one the Baptism of Paul another and so many Baptisms there may be said to be as there are persons Baptized It 's certain he meant but one Baptism Rite and Ceremony instituted by Christ applyed to many several persons and so the Syriack Translatour using a Nown singular understood it 3. The fourth Head is that of Imposition of hands and by this may be meant either the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost proper to the Apostolical Times given upon imposition of the hands of the Apostles and Prayer or the sanctifying Power of the Spirit to confirm them in the Truth and enable them to keep the Covenant of God Under this Head come all the Gifts Virtues and saving-Graces of the Spirit without
that had the Promises Where 1. Abraham had the Promises 2. Yet Melchizedec blessed him The Promises which Abraham had and whereby God had bound himself unto him were many As 1. That his Seed should be as the Sand of the Sea though in humane Reason according to the course of Nature there was little or no hope of it and this Seed should be both according to the Flesh of the Jews and far more numerous according to the Spirit of the Gentiles For he was made the Father and Head of all Believers in the Generations following both Jews and Gentiles 2. He had a Promise of the Land of Canaan where he then sojourned and where at that time Melchizedec was both King and Priest 3. He had the great Promise of all That in his Seed all Nations should be blessed And this Seed which was Christ to descend of him according to the Flesh who should be the great High-Priest and bless all Nations These words are added to shew how great Abraham was Yet secondly Though he was so great yet Melchizedec blessed him and he was blessed What kind of Benediction this was I have formerly shewed There is one universal Authour of Benediction who blesseth all things and that is God as Creator There is one universal Authour of all spiritual and special Blessings tending to the eternal happiness of sinful Man and that is God Redeemer by Christ There be many others who ministerially under God and by power from God do bless men as the Patriarchs as Moses as the Levitical Priests as Ministers of the Gospel yet one of the greatest was this Melchizedec blessing Abraham And lest any should reply that inferiours may bless superiours and equals may bless equals it follows Ver. 7. And without all Contradiction the less is blessed of the better The Argument in Form is this The less is blessed of the better But Melchizedec blessed Abraham Therefore Melchizedec was better and greater than Abraham In the words two Propositions 1. The less is blessed of the better 2. This is without all Contradiction The former Proposition is concerning the imparity of the party blessing and the party blessed the one is greater and better and the other is less and inferiour Yet this is to be understood of the party blessing as blessing and the party blessed as blessed and the blessing here meant is an authoritative powerful and effectual blessing because otherwise it cannot infer a superiority And the reason is because he that communicates any good unto another who wants it is more excellent in that respect than him that receives it and in this respect is more like unto God whom all lawful Priests and other persons blessing by commission from him do represent and in that particular Act of Benediction 2. And this is so clear and evident a Truth that reason cannot deny and contradict but presently assents unto It 's like a Principle clear in its own light and far above those remote Conclusions which are doubtful and uncertain And this doth evidently prove the Conclusion That Melchizedec in blessing Abraham who had the Promises was far greater than Abraham § 15. Thus far the Authour hath made it manifest that Melchizedec as a Priest was greater and more excellent than Abraham Now not content with this which did imply his greatness above the Levitical Priests he proceeds to prove more explicitly and expresly that he was greater than them and that in respect of Tythes two wayes 1. In respect of his immortal Priest-hood 2. In that Levi and so the Levitical Priest was in a manner tythed in Abraham his Father 1. He was greater in respect of his perpetual and immortal Priest-hood for thus it follows Ver. 8. And here men that dy receive Tythes but there he receiveth them of whom it 's witnessed that he liveth THis by many is made a third Argument to prove the greatnesse and excellency of Melchizedec and if we consider the Reasons in general it is so Yet if we consider them more distinctly the former two Reasons proved him greater than Abraham and greater than the Levitical Priests consequentially But this is the first immediate and direct Argument and Proof of his excellency above the Priests of the Tribe of Levi In Form it 's thus The Priest receiving Tythes of whom it 's witnessed that he liveth is greater than those who receiving Tythes do dy But Melchizedec receiving Tythes is witnessed to live and the Levitical Priests tything their Brethren dy Therefore he is more excellent The former Proofs were taken from Abraham as the party giving Tythes this from the party receiving Tythes that is from the Priest's tything not from the Persons tythed In the Words we have 1. A similitude or agreement 2. A dissimilitude or difference of the Priests They both agree in this that they were Priests and received Tythes They differ in that the one dies the other is witnessed to live The Propositions are two 1. That here men that die receive Tythes 2. There he receiveth them of whom it 's witnessed that he liveth By the Word or Adverb here is meant either the time or place the time was the time of the Mosaical dispensation whilst the Law was in force the place was at Jerusalem and in the Land of Canaan as in the Possession of Jacob's Posterity where the Priest's of the Tribe of Levi Tythed the Jews Yet though they were above their Brethren in receiving Tythes yet they were not better in that they died Of the Death of Aaron and other Aaronical Priests the Scripture makes express mention as likewise of their Successors and doth signify not only that they are mortal but that they died Yet Enoch was mortal and yet died not but was translated The second Proposition is That there he receiveth Tythes of whom it 's witnessed that he liveth 1. This he is Melchisedec as a Priest who as such Tythed Abraham 2. Of him it 's affirmed that he liveth 3. It 's witnessed that he liveth 4. This Proposition is annexed to the former by a discretive Particle But to signify the difference between the Levitical Priests and Melchisedec they die but he liveth 5. It 's said There that is in the time before the Law when Melchisedec met Abraham or it may referr unto the place of Scripture Gen. 14. that there it 's witnessed That he liveth and to Psal. 110. There is no difficulty in this Axiom except in this That it 's witnessed That Melchisedec liveth which some understand of the silence of the places of Scripture which mention Melchisedec especially Gen. 14. For though the holy Writings tell us that Aaron and other Levitical Priests died and that their Order of Priest-hood was only Temporary and to be altered abolished and so to die yet it 's no where said that Melchisedec died and this as was said before is conceived to be done of purpose by the Spirit that he being represented as living and not dying might be in
of Ceremonies and Rites is carnal that is outward bodily fleshly For besides Circumcision which was in the Flesh their Sacrifices and Offerings were outward and bodily and they had their effect upon their Bodies and Flesh in freeing the People from legal guilt and impurities 3. There was a Law which did direct how these must be used and binding them to the observation of them and this Law had promises of some legal Blessings and Deliverances and Comminations of some temporal penalties That they were carnal it doth imply that they were not spiritual had no power upon the immortal Soul and could not any waies procure spiritual and eternal Blessings nor free from the eternal penalties due to Sin Neither could that Priest who was by such outward Rites and Ceremonies consecrated by his Ministration according to that Law expiate any sin nor make any spiritual reconciliation The Levitical Priest was made after this Law and to minister according to the same But here it 's said That Christ was not made a Priest after this Law which was a body of carnal precepts in respect of the Priest the Tabernacle the Service and Ministry and the effects thereof For if He had been made after the Law He could have done no more then they did and then both He and his Ministry had been defective frail and of a short continuance therefore it 's denied that he was made a Priest after that Law concerning the consecration ministration succession and operation of the Levitical Priest 2. The affirmative He was made a Priest after the power of an endless or indissoluble life Where we have 1. Life 2. An indissoluble life 3. The power of an endless indissoluble life 1. Life is either the bare continuance and duration of a living Beeing or the happiness and perfection of that Beeing in this latter sense most Expositors take it 2. This life whether it be the continuance of that more perfect Beeing which is living or the happiness thereof may be temporary or perpetual in respect of time to come so that though it may have beginning yet it never shall have end Such a life is here meant 3. The power here may be a Law which is powerful not only in binding but in promising so that the event thereof will be endless happiness as the Gospel is said to be the power of God unto Salvation Christ is said to be made according to this powerful Law and so is 1. Of eternal continuance himself in his person And 2. Hath power by this Law to give eternal life to such as are his People depend upon him and come to God by him For by his death he merited and by his life and intercession he procureth spiritual and eternal Expiation and Blessings Neither of these could the Levitical Priest by that carnal Ceremonial Law and his Ministration according to it effect That Christ must be made such a Priest he proves in the next words Ver. 17. For he testifieth Thou are a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec VVHere two things 1. That Christ is made a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec 2. That this is testified The force and Emphasis is in the words for ever and testified The first Proposition is concerning the Eternity of Christ's Priest-hood the second concerning the declaration of this Eternity or Perpetuity And we must 1. Consider the meaning of the words 2. Declare the end for which they are brought In the first part we have 1. The Order of Melchizedec 2. The perpetuity of the Priest constituted according to that Order 1. Melchizedec was formerly affirmed to have no end of dayes and so in some respect was of endless life and for this particular Reason these words so often taken up are repeated here the sixth time Christ is made a Priest after this Order as one who must continue for ever In the second part it 's said that this was testified where to testify is Solemnly by a formal and powerful Edict to declare and pronounce him not onely to be a Priest but a Priest for ever And it was God himself as Supream Lord who made this Declaration before all the Angels of Heaven and by it constituted and confirmed Christ an everlasting Priest The end why these words are alledged and here repeated is to prove that Christ was not made a temporary Priest according to a carnal and temporary Law but according to a Law and Power of endless life that is that he was made an everlasting Priest of everlasting power to save The words prove this effectually 1. Because the words of the Psalmist signify expresly that he was a Priest for ever 2. Because it was God as the Supream Lord who by his solemn Declaration made him such This is the Apostle's Discourse upon those words of the Psalm I have said Thou art a Priest for ever The Scope of the Apostle in all this is 1. To prove that the Priest-hood was changed 2. It was changed to bring in a better Priest 3. Christ is this Priest and more excellent than the Levitical Priest as being a Priest of perpetual continuance and of everlasting power and therefore was to be honoured far above Aaron or any Priest of that Order § 22. Hitherto the Apostle hath proved that the Priest-hood was changed and given the Reason which was because by it there was no perfection And by the Change of the Priest-hood the Change of the Law is inferred and in the words following he gives the Reason why the Law must be changed This is the coherence of this Text with the former So that this is his Method He proves 1. By the words of the Psalm That there must be another Priest besides and after the Levitical Priest 2. That if the other Priest be brought in the Levitical Priest-hood must be changed 3. That if the Priest-hood be changed the Law is changed 4. He infers the Change of the Priest-hood from the Change of the Tribe and of the Order 5. He infers from the words of the Psalm that this other Priest must be an everlasting Priest and of everlasting power 6. He gives the Reason of this Change and that was because there was no perfection by the former Priesthood as there is by the latter Now because the Priest-hood and the Law are alwayes so inseparably joyned that they live and dy stand and fall begin and end together therefore he take it for granted that having proved the change of the Priest-hood he had proved the Change of the Law For as the Priest-hood could do nothing but was useless without the Law so the Law could do nothing but was useless without the Priest-hood Therefore he thought it needless any farther to prove the Change of the Law for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it was changed was evident enough and proceeds to give the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Change thereof in this manner Ver. 18. For there is verily a disanulling of the
and divine and that 's evident from the effect which is Salvation he is able to save This Salvation is not natural or temporal but spiritual and a full deliverance from sin the greatest evil and the most woful Consequents thereof for he so delivers that he makes the parties saved fully happy and blessed 3. He might save Man and that spiritually and yet but for a time but he is able to save for ever and this is full and compleat Salvation indeed and it 's indifferent whether the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be turned to the uttermost or for ever for both are intended Neither could Christ save fully and to the uttermost except he should save for ever with an everlasting Salvation 2. The subject and parties whom he thus saves are not all and every one but such as come to God by him Some will not come to God at all some will come to God but not by him But they who will be saved must 1. Come to God and none else And 2. Must come to God by him and by none else This is the qualification and right disposition of the subject without which it 's not capable of Salvation For Actus activorum sunt in passo unit disposito may be applyed here For as this rule is true in natural so it 's true in supernatural Phisophy To come to God some times is to turn from Sin and Satan to God and Righteousness and the further we depart from Sin the nearer we come to God For this coming is a spiritual and divine motion between the terms of Sin and God it 's from Sin and to God Sometime it 's to worship God which if done aright presupposeth the former motion When a man doth worship God he turns his back upon all other things and leaves all other business and company and turns his face the face of his Soul to God as Supream Lord and the fountain of all happiness One part of Worship is to pray and present our petitions unto God wherein as we seek for many things so amongst others we sue for pardon This is a principal Suit which sinful man hath to his God therefore to come to God in this place is by prayer to sue earnestly for pardon of Sin everlasting Salvation and the more sensible of Sin we are the more powerful is our prayer Yet we may come to God and sue earnestly for mercy and not speed except we take the right way We must therefore not only come but come by Him that is by Christ God is not accessible to sinful guilty man without a Mediatour who may and can satisfy his justice merit his favour and mercy and will effectually intercede for him and plead his Cause These things only Christ can and will do and if we will speed we must believe that he alone is our Mediatour and rely upon him alone as our only Propitiatour and Intercessour And all such as live under the Gospel must rely upon him as having suffered Death already offered his great Sactifice obtained eternal Redemption hath ascended Heaven and is set at the right hand of God where he is made an everlasting King and interceding Priest They who thus come to God by him renounce all righteousness in themselves acknowledg themselves guilty and miserable Wretches plead the Blood of Jesus Christ and cast themselves wholly upon his infinite mercy which he hath merited and God hath promised with a resolution to subject their selves wholly to him and obey him for ever Thus the Saints of God did come to him by Faith 1. In the Seed of the Woman who should bruise the Serpents Head Then 2. In Christ as the Seed of Abraham in whom all Nations should be blessed 3. In the Son of David who should sit upon his Throne and reign for ever and ever 4. In him as exhibited and glorified The faith of the former was but implicite the faith of these last is more explicite clear and distinct This is his ability to save wholly and to the uttermost 2. The reason of this is Because He ever liveth to make Intercession for then Where we must consider 1. What it is to make Intercession 2. For whom this Intercession is made 1. To intercede is to sue plead and sollicite for another and so in generall it 's taken here This Intercession presupposeth that he is immortal is in Heaven appears continually before his Father's Throne for all his Clients in the Court of Heaven He hath great interest in the supream Judge as a most beloved Son before a Father sitting in the Throne of Grace He sues for Pardon and Salvation He pleads his own Blood and Propititation his Father's Promise his Clients Faith and except he should plead his Propitiaion he could not make the cause of his Client good Therefore we have his Intercession and Propitiation joyned together for he is our Advocate with the Father and the propitiation for our Sins 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. This is directly against the Socinian 2. The parties for whom he pleads are they who come to God by him for it 's in vain and against the rules of that Court to plead for any others who are impenitent and unbelieving For though the Scripture saith He died for all to make their sin 's reâ—sissible yet it no where saith He makes Intercession for all to obtain actual Remission and Salvation For his Blood and Sacrifice doth merit Remission the Covenant doth promise it to Believers Faith makes us immediately capable and justifiable and by virtue of the Promise gives us right Christ's Intercession obtains actual pardon These who come to God by him are his Clients and he undertakes their cause and is alwayes ready to carry it for them The reason why Advocates were appointed by the imperial Laws as Civilians tell us was to supply the defects of such Clients as could not alwayes be present were ignorant of the Law and could not manage their own cause before the Judge So the imperfection of our prayers our unworthiness and our many defects gave occasion to the supream and universal Lord and Judge out of his abundant mercy to appoint Christ Jesus Advocate-General in the Court of Heaven and to make our Justification to depend not only upon his death suffered on Earth but his intercession made in Heaven He is that Angel which John saw in Heaven who came and stood by the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given unto him much Incense which he should offer or add unto it the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar which was before the Throne Rev. 8. 3. This is an allusion to the Levitical Priest offering Incense in his Golden Censer upon the Golden Altar before the Throne or Mercy-seat of God and praying for the People And in this he was a Type of Christ making such Intercession in Heaven as that the prayers of penitent Sinners perfumed with the Incense of his merits and offered unto God the
and he stood so strictly upon these terms that except these were performed he would neither promise not give Remission and Salvation but Man must lye under his eternal displeasure Christ's mediation by intreaties or interpretations and declarations of the will of both the partie could do no good to be hately a Prophet would not serve the turn Therefore to mediate in this place is to be a Surety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as you heard in the former Chapter And as Sponsor and Surety he first undertake to satisfy God's Justice by his own purest Blood and so make an arâ—â—â—ment and way for God's metoy to make promises upon easy terms and for the performance of the terms and conditions he by this Blood merits the Grace of the Spirit to enable man to repent's believe reform and relye wholly upon God's mercy procured by Christ's Sacrificeâ— neither is this all but in the second place he undertakes to obtain the mercies promised by his intercessions and pleading his blood in Heaven for penitent and believing Sinners That he is Mediatoâ—â— by his Blood shed and offered is evident from Chap. 9. 16. where it 's said That for this cause is he the Mediator of the new Covenant that by means of Death for the Redemption or Remission of the Transgressions that were under the first Covenant they which are called might receive the Promise of eternal Inheritance Where we may observe 1. That he was the Mediator of the new Covenant 2. That he was Mediator for his Sacrifice and offering of himself without spot to God 3. That whereas there was no expiation of Sin by any Sacrifice of the Law the sins then committed were expiated and remitted by vertue of his Death and Sacrifice 4. That except this expiation and remission had been obtained by this death the called could not have received the Promise of eternal Inheritance That he is Mediator of this Covenant by his Intercession is evident from 1 Joh. 2. 1. and other places Now both these agree to Christ as a Priest and therefore he is the Mediator of this new Covenant of better Promises as a Priest The Levitical Priests were Mediators for the former Covenant by their Offerings and Prayers to obtain the Promises of that Covenant and this Mediation was but a shadow and an obscure Representation of this heavenly and far more excellent Service and Ministry For 5. He by reason of this Mediation obtained and so enjoyed a more excellent Ministry and Office of Priest-hood For he that could lay the foundation of such an excellent Covenant by satisfying divine Justice and as Surety make it so valid so effectual and of eternal continuance must needs be a more excellent Priest in respect of his Ministration which had far more glorious effects than the Ministration of the High-Priests under the Law Where by the way observe That Christ is an High-Priest in respect of his Office and a Minister in respect of his Officiation which was the work and end of his Office From all this the force of the Argument is clear and evident for every Cause is to be valued according to its causal activity and the effects produced by it For that cause which produceth more noble and excellent Effects Physical Moral or Divine is more noble and excellent And seeing Christ as Priest by his Ministration doth produce far more glorious supernatural and divine Effects tending most effectually to Man's spiritual and eternal happiness therefore he is far more excellent than the Levitical Priests which were Mediators only of a far inferior Covenant and yet could not by their Officiation make that effectual Yet the Apostle not contented with this that he obtained a better Ministry further adds that the Ministry was so much the more excellent as the Covenant whereof he was Mediator was more excellent But the Covenant was far better and more excellent by many degrees therefore the Ministry is such too The major Proposition would easily be granted That the more excellent the Covenant the more excellent the Ministry But the Assumption might be excepted against and that several wayes as 1. There was no other Covenant or 2. If there was it was not better or more excellent Both these he therefore proves and 1. That the Covenant was better for it was established upon better Promises In which words we may observe two Arguments one expressed the other implyed For 1. The more excellent the Promises and the Rewards and Duties promised are the more excellent the Covenant must needs be this is expressed 2. When he saith that it 's established upon better Promises he implies that it is stable firm and raâ—fied so as not to be altered such the former was not Both these he proves and that two wayes 1. By an Artificial Argument 2. By Testimony § 6. First By an Artificial Argument Ver. 7. For if the first Covenant had been faultless then there should have no place been sought for the second IN the handling of this Text I will 1. Consider it absolutely and explain it 2. Inquire into the Apostle's Argumentation 3. Examine what the Apostle intends to prove 1. Absolutely considered it presupposeth as a thing well-known to these Hebrews that there are two Covenants the first and the second Upon this presupposed we find two absolute Propositions 1. That the first Covenant was not faultless 2. There was place sought for a second And both these are presupposed here as a ground of the Apostle's Argumentation though both are proved afterwards By this first Covenant is meant as we shall understand anon the Covenant made with the Israelites in the Wilderness after they were come out of Aegypt of it we find it affirmed that it was faulty or not faultless Not to be faultless is to be imperfect and defective and so not able to sanctify and perfect any man though the Jew thought otherwise and through his Unbelief and erroneous Imagination sought perfection by it Yet God in giving it intended no such thing but aimed at other ends for which it was sufficient neither could it possibly perfect any man because it neither gave Man any sanctifying Power to enable him to perform spiritual Obedience neither could the Priests by their Ministration expiate any Sin Therefore to be faulty is not to be unjust or justly blamable or insufficient for those ends God intended it but to be unable to justify as the Jew falsly judged it to be 2. There was place sought for a second The second was the Covenant of Grace in the Gospel called the second because it came in after the first It 's true that the Promise was 430 years before the Law and was the same for Substance with the Gospel but differed in this that it held out Christ onely in Promise to be exhibited in time then to come and required Faith in him not yet incamate But this new Covenant of the Gospel required Faith in Christ already come Between these two the Promise and the new
Othâ—â— imagine it was the whole World which with the parts thereof both the Tabernacle and Temple did represent wherein the Heaven of Heavens is the Sanctum Sanctorâ—n the Holiest of all and the Sanctuary through which the High-Priest passed into the Holiest place the Aethercal part of the World where the Sun and Moon and Stars represented by the Lights in the Golden Candlestick do ever shine Others determine it to 〈◊〉 the Heaven of Heavens whereof they make some different parts as one to be the place of Angels and Saints and another far more glorious which was the place of God's most blessed and special presence That Christ entred the Heaven of Heavens and that 〈◊〉 he ever ministers and makes Intercession there is express Scripture what difference and degrees of places be there we do not certainly know But let the Tabernacle â—e his Body or the Church Militant or the World or the Heaven of Heavens the second doubt is Whither these words concerning this Tabernacle are to be referred If to the former words which say that Christ being rome an High-Priest of good things to come then it 's nothing but this That Christ is the Minister and High-Priest of a far more glorious Sanctuary But some refer them to the word entred and make the sense to be that as the High-Priest under the Law passeth through the first Sanctuary to enter into the second which is the Holiest of all so Christ passed through the Militant into the Church Triumphant And it 's very true that Christ hath his Sanctuary and Temple here on Earth and that 's his Church wherein God dwels in a special manner and he passed through and from this into the Church Triumphant of Saints and Angels where God is more gloriously present and powerful nay he entred through the Aetherdal part of the World into the highest Heavens and through the Heaven of Angels and Saints unto the highest and most glorious place and Throne of God But the former sense that Christ is come an High-Priest and Minister of a far more glorious and excellent Sanctuary seems to be more genuine and confirmed by Chap. 8. 2. § 11. The third Proposition is concerning Christ's Service and Sacrifice offered in this Temple For Christ not by the Blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood iâ—â—red in once into the holy place Where 1. We have the Holy place 2. Christ's Entrance into it 3. His Entrance once 4. His Entrance once by Blood not of Goats and Calvs but by his own Blood 1. The Holy place is the Heaven of Heavens signified by the Holiest of all in the Tabernacle and in the Temple for that was the place into which the High-Priest with Blood entred in once every Year so that there is no difficulty in this particular And that Christ entred into Heaven is clear enough For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into Heaven it self there to appear before God for us Ver. 24. of this Chapter 2. Christ entred into this Holy place But there is a Question made of the time when he entred That he entred forty dayes after the Resurrection it 's clear and express For he was taken up into Heaven Acts 1. 11. He was carried up into Heaven Luke 24. 71. And He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all Heavens to fulfil all things Ephes. 4. 10. But there seems to be another entrance before this and that was immediately upon his Death For when he had given up the Ghost immediately the Vail of the Temple was rent in the midst from the top to the bottom and his Soul separated from his Body and commended into his Fathers hands entred into Paradise That he entred at that time into Heaven with his Soul separated from his Body the Text doth seem to affirm And what should the renting of the Catapetasm and the Inner-Vail immediately upon his Death signify but that the great High-Priest was ready to enter Heaven Again it may be said more properly that he entred Heaven with or by his Blood when his Soul was separated from his Body than when his Body was risen and made immortal and both Soul and Body joyntly ascended For it was the custom of the High-Priest according to God's Institution upon the slaying of the Sacrifice and taking of the Blood to enter the holy Place and the Type and Anti-type should agree especially in this particular Further the expiatory Offering was not compleate till the Blood was presented before the Throne of God in the inner Sacrary and it was suitable to the Type that the great High-Priest should after he was slain on Earth present himself as slain in Heaven before the Supream Judge as having suffered Death and satisfied Justice for the sin of man But all this I leave to the judgment of Learned men who shall seriously search the Book of God and impartially examine whether God doth not speak this in Scripture And howsoever it 's certain that whether he entred thus then yet he so entred at one time or other that he obtained eternal Redemption 3. He entred once This informs us that though the High-Priest entred once every year and so might enter above a thousand times yet Christ entred thus but once For as we shall read both in the latter end of this and also in the beginning of the next Chapter once to enter or one entrance in this manner was sufficient because one Death one Offering was able to do that which all the Offerings of all the high-High-Priests under the Law could not do neither was any more Offering needful seeing this had done all that was requisite for satisfaction and merit 4. This entrance was by or with Blood and this is set down negatively and affirmatively Negatively this was not blood of Goats and Calves and that with which the Legal High-Priests did enter within the Vail For as we may read Levit. 16. upon the day of expiation a Bullock and a Goat must be slain and with the Blood of these he must enter the holy Place The reason of this is because the blood of Beasts could not satisfy divine justice expiate the sin of man and purge his conscience and immortal Soul and so make the eternal penalty removable Therefore it must be a far more excellent blood the blood of the Son of God his own blood which was pare unspotted and most precious The reason 1. Why it must be by blood is because as without blood under the Law there was no Legal Remission or Expiation so it was the Will of God that without blood there should be no eternal Remission For though God was merciful and sate in the Throne of Grace and Mercy yet his Justice did require that satisfaction should be made and seeing sin was committed and punishment was deserved and due by his Law violated therefore sin must be punished before it could be pardonable
power to purge the Conscience To proceed unto particulars the parts of the Comparison are two 1. The Proposition 2. The Reddition The first Ver. 13 the second Ver. 14. In the first we have the Cause the Blood of Bulls and Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer then the Effect sanctifying to the purifying of the Flesh. Of the Blood of Bulls and Goats which is the same with the Blood of Goats and Calvs Ver. 12. you have heard before for that was the Expiatory Blood wherewith the Priest entring the most Holy place did sprinkle the Mercy-Seat and the Effect of this was the Expiation of the Sins of the Priest and the People whereby they were freed from such penalties as the Law imposed upon persons for some Legal and Ceremonial Offences The second purifying was by the Ashes of a red Heifer mixed with running Water and sprinkled upon Persons or things polluted by touching or being near the dead Of this you may read at large Numb 19. The Effect of both was sanctifying by cleansing from some Legal pollution and Guilt but neither of these could free any person from the Obligation to eternal penalties nor spiritually purify and make holy the Spirit and Soul of Man Some think that the Blood did signify the Death and bloody Sacrifice of Christ the Water the sanctifying Spirit Yet both are here compared with the Blood of Christ as Shadows of it This is the Proposition § 13. The Reddition followeth Ver. 14. Where we have two absolute Propositions and part of the Comparison 1. That Christ offered himself through the eternal Spirit without Spot unto God 2. That the Blood of Christ who thus offered himself doth purge the Conscience from dead Works to serve the Living God 3. The Comparative part is that it hath much more Power or doth much more purge the Conscience The first Proposition is Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot unto God Where we may consider 1. The Priest 2. The thing offered 3. The manner how 4. The thing by which 5. The Person to whom the Offering was made 1. The Priest was Christ the Word made Flesh and the Son of God designed a Priest by God 2. The thing offered by this Priest was Himself that is his own Life his own Body and some add his own Soul This was spoken in opposition to such things as the Levitical High-Priests offered as Buls and Goats for none of them offered either other men or themselvs 3. The manner how this was offered is this that it was offered without Spot The thing offered and the Offering and the manner of offering were all pure 4. That by or through which he made this Offering was the eternal Spirit By Spirit some understand the Soul which is said to be eternal because it 's immortal And certainly in respect of his Body he may rather be said to be the thing offered and in respect of his Soul the Priest offering For this offering is said to be the doing of God's Will and an Act of Obedience unto death the death of the Cross and this is a proper Act of his immortal Soul and Spirit Yet this Soul and Body too were united to the Word which as God was an eternal Spirit in which respect some understand by eternal Spirit the Word and Divine Nature of Christ And both Soul and Body were in the highest degree sanctified and supported especially in suffering death by the Holy Ghost which some think is here meant It 's certain he did offer himself by his immortal Spirit sanctified and supported by the Holy Spirit and united to the Word which with the Father and the Holy Ghost are one God and eternal spiritual Substance 5. The party to whom he offered himself was God as supream Lord of Life and Death Law-giver and Judg of Man-kind For he alone had power to appoint him to be Priest to be Offering and to offer and also to accept this Offering in behalf of sinful Man and thereupon to justify him believing and reward him with eternal Life All these are expressed and joyned together to set forth the Excellency and the immanent and internal Vertue of Christ's Blood For How excellent and of what rare vertue and causality must that Blood Death Sacrifice be which was the Blood of Christ who was by God's own immediate Commission and Designment made the highest and the greatest Priest and offered Himself the best Sacrifice that ever was and that through the eternal Spirit purely spiritual and most holy and impolluted and that unto God the supream Lord and Judg and in that manner that the very Act of offering from first to last was most exactly conformable to his Will It had all the perfections of a Sacrifice and in the highest degree The Levitical High-Priest was a Priest but far inferiour to Christ he offered Goats and Calvs but not himself and if he had offered himself yet the thing offered had been nothing to this he offered indeed to God yet he had not that near Relation unto Agreement with and Interest in God as this Priest had He offered by or through his own Spirit which was very imperfect and the imperfections of his very Act of Offering were very many and great Therefore it was no wonder that it should not have the like rare efficiency with this The second Proposition in this Verse is That Christ's Blood doth purge the Conscience c. This is the outward Efficacy and Working of this Blood upon a certain Subject rightly disposed In the words we may observe 1. The Conscience which is the Subject 2. The pollution of the Conscience 3. The purging and cleansing of it 4. The â—ind and Consequent of this cleansing 1. The Conscience is the Spirit and immortal Soul of Man which is Intimum Hominis the in most and most excellent part yet this is not here considered meerly as a spiritual immortal intellective and free Substance created and preserved by God but as subject unto his Power bound by his Laws conscious to it 's own Disobedience and sensible of it For the Blood of Christ doth actually purge no other Soul nor any Soul but thus qualified neither without this Qualification is the Soul immediately capable of this Purgation 2. The Pollution of the Soul is from dead Works where by dead Works it 's generally granted are meant Sins and that not only of Commission but Omission All the Works of Man should be living Works and issue from a Soul endued with a spiritual and supernatural Life have a spiritual and supernatural Form which is Conformity to Divine Law and should tend unto a supernatural and spiritual end When they either issue from a Soul destitute of this heavenly Life or want this Conformity they are dead Works base and such as becomes not so excellent a Creature The ordinary Reasons given by Authors why Sins are called dead Works are because they are the Works of men dead in sin want the Life and
Rom. 8. 17. so may we likewise say If no Sons then no Heirs None can be Sons that are not justified none can be justified which believe not in the Death and Blood of Christ there can be no Belief in this Blood if not shed This Death and Blood of Christ 1. Expiates sin and makes it remissible 2. Merits the eternal Inheritance promised and the Promise too 3. It merits the Spirit to enable Man to keep the Covenant so as to obtain and receive the Inheritance 4. It merits a Power in Christ 1. To reveal the Gospel and give the Spirit to work Repentance and Faith in sinful Man's heart 2. Upon Repentance and Faith and his Intercession a Power to give Remission and the eternal Inheritance Take away this Death this Blood there is no Expiation of Sin no Inheritance no Covenant and suppose a Covenant and a Promise yet it 's ineffectual invalid without this Blood this Death For all the heavenly Promises are made for and in consideration of this Blood satisfying his Justice and meriting his Favour so that without it they are all nothing to purpose neither without it can the called though obedient to the heavenly Call ever have any Right unto or Possession of eternal Life So that the whole strength and efficacy of the Covenant doth depend upon this Blood for by it our Sins are expiated and our Consciences purged so as to be capable of the Inheritance This is a most clear Text to prove that the Saints even under the Law were called and saved and that not by the Ministry and Sacrifice of the Levitical Priests but by the Blood of Christ the vertue whereof extended to former times even the times of Adam Neither did they trust in their Sacrifices and their Priests and the Blood of Bulls and Goats and their Water of separation but in the Blood of Christ yet their Faith was very implicit The third Proposition is Christ is the Mediator of the new Covenant for this Reason and for this End An excellent Covenant must have an excellent Priest and Mediator and seeing this Covenant doth promise eternal Remission and an eternal Inheritance it requires such a Priest as shall be able by his Ministry and Service to obtain this Remission and Inheritance This no Priests by their Sacrifices or any other Service could do but Christ could and therefore not they but He and He alone was made the Mediator of this new Covenant For by his Death he expiates sin and purgeth the Conscience so that the called receive the Promise of eternal Inheritance and the vertue of this Death is universal in respect of time and persons called The Sum of all this is That Christ by reason of his Death and Blood expiating Sin and purging the Conscience is the Mediator of the new Testament or Covenant to confirm and make it effectual to the Heirs of the Promise § 15. This Confirmation of the new Covenant is illustrated from a two-fold Similitude the one is taken a Jure Naturali the other a Jure Ceremoniali The first is taken from the Law of Nature for to it the Civilians refer the Rules of Testaments and Wills and is delivered Ver. 16. For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator Ver. 17. For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilest the Testator liveth THis is an imperfect and contract Similitude for the parts thereof as of all Comparisons are two 1. The Proposition 2. The Reddition And yet the Proposition is only expressed and the Reddition is only implyed and to be supplied from the antecedent Context In the Proposition we may observe two things 1. The necessity of the Death of the Testator barely asserted Ver. 16. 2. The Reason thereof rendred Ver. 17. The Argument in Form may be this That which is not of force whilest the Testator liveth that necessarily requireth the Death of the Testator to make it of force But a Testament is not of force whilest the Testator liveth Therefore it requireth to make it of force the Death of the Testator The Assumption is expressed 1. Affirmatively A Testament is of force after men who are Testators are dead 2. Negatively It 's of no strength whilest the Testator liveth The Comparison at large is this As the Death of the Testator is necessary to make the Testament of force so the Death of Christ is necessary for to make the new Covenant of force For though Christ might in some respect be a Mediator of the new Covenant yet he could not make it valid firm and effectual without his death neither we under the Gospel nor the Fathers under the Law could without this Death be saved by it And as the death of the Testator gives full force and efficacy to the Testament and this Confirmation is an Effect of his Death so the Death of Christ gives full force to the new Covenant and makes â—â— effectual and this validity and efficacy is an Effect of this Death of Christ and manifests the excellency of this Sacrifice and of Christ the Priest who offered it The things compared as like are the Death of Christ and the Death of a Testator The things wherein they agree are 1. The like Effect of both which is to confirm and make effectual some Instrument 2. The necessity of both for that end to confirm and make effectual § 16. The Propositions in the first part of the Comparison are these 1. There are Testaments of men 2. These are not of force whilest the Testators live 3. They are of force upon the Death of the Testators 4. The Death of the Testators is necessary to make them of force 1. The matter of all Testaments is a temporal estate of these earthly Goods which God hath given Man to preserve this temporal Life The Testator is one that hath a just Title unto these Goods so that he hath power to dispose of them The Testament it self is the manner of disposing these Goods so as to give the same Right which he had in them unto other Persons after his Death and therefore it must signify his Will concerning these Goods and nominate the Persons who must succeed him so as to have them And because it 's an Act of Reason so to do therefore the Testator when he makes his Will must be Compos mentis and have the Use of his Reason and also sui Juris and not under the power of another The end of it is to prevent future suits and dissensions and Injustice about his Estate The Light of Nature doth teach men thus to dispose of their temporal Goods and therefore they are of ancient and universal Use. 2. These are not in force whilest the Testators live and the Reason of this is not only because whilest they are living they have need of or do use their Goods and though they make their Will in their life-time yet they
they apprehend the peril so will their fear be and they cannot apprehend the Judgment but as very grievous near at hand pressing hard upon them and unavoidable and so it will terrify and torment them before the time of Execution The sum of this Text is that as there is no hope of mercy and pardon so there remains a fearful expectation of grievous punishment and the same unavoidable § 28. And lest the Apostate should slatter himself and promise impunity to his Soul the Apostle proceeds to prove it unavoidable and very grievous according to the hainousness of the Sin and this he doth in these words Ver. 28. He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three Witnesses Ver. 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trâ—dden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace THese words are a Comparison and it 's two-fold 1. In quality 2. In quantity The first is presupposed and implyed The second intended and expresly delivered The first in quality informs that as he that transgressed Moses Law was punished without mercy so shall he be that Sins wilfully under the Gospel after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth In the second in quantity we may observe 1. The Proposition ver 28. 2. The Reddition ver 29. In the handling of these we must consider 1. The parts absolutely 2. The whole under the notion of a Comparison 3. The force of the Comparison as it is a reason In the Proposition we may take notice of 1. The party to be punished 2. The manner of judicial proceeding 3. The punishment it self 1. The party to be punished is one that transgressed Moses Law that is the Law of God given to Israel by Moses where we have the Person and the Crime or Cause The Person is one under the Law of Moses while it was in force before the time of the Gospel The Crime is a transgression of that Law and this transgression was not any disobedience but such as for which there was no Expiation appointed no Remission in that Law promised it was such a Crime as God determined to be capital and to be punished with a Capital punishment and loss of Life The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Septuagint intrepret by the word used in the Text and both signify to revolt and that Revolt from the Law was answerable to Apostacy from the Gospel This was a breach of that fundamental Law Thou shalt have no other Gods but me This was a revolt from the true God their God whom they had acknowledged to be their God unto Idols Yet there might be other Crimes which might so grate upon the Foundation as to amount to this hainous sin of Revolt 2. The manner of proceeding against such a Transgressour was by information and delation of such a Transgressour before a competent Judge who must proceed Secunduns allegata probata and could not justly sentense the party but upon evidence Sometimes the fact might be notorious or confessed and sometimes maintained by the party offending yet the ordinary way was by Witnesses and in case of a man's life he required two witnesses at least in which respect singular is testis nullus testis The end of witnesses was Evidence that so the merit or demerit of the Cause might appear to the Judge and so the Cause be in an immediate capacity for Sentence 3. The demerit of the cause once made evident Judgment passed upon the party and he was sentenced to Death without any mercy and this Judgment must be executed So that if the Judge did make the Law of Moses his rule he could not acquit or absolve the party nor impose any other punishment nor help the Offender by commutation nor abate the least of this penalty for he by his transgression had made himself uncapable of mercy In this Proposition two things are especially to be noted 1. The Crime which was hainous 3. The Punishment which was Death without mercy § 29. The Reddition follows in the next words where we must observe as before 1. The Sin 2. The Penalty 1. The Sin is described or rather aggravated from three particulars It 's 1. A creading of the Son of God under foot 2. A counting the Blood of the Covenant whereby the Transgressor was sanctified an unholy thing 3. A doing of despite unto the Spirit of Grace The Sin is Apostacy and no man can Apostate from Christianity once received but he shall be guilty of the Contempt 1. Of the Son of God 2. Of the Blood of the Covenant 3. Of the Spirit of Grace The first aggravation therefore is from the contempt of the Son of God For 1. The Apostate treads under foot the Son of God the expression is metaphorical and presupposeth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and affirmeth that he though the Son of God is trodden under foot To tread a thing under foot is 1. To undervalue it if it be of any worth 2. To vilify it 3. To vilify it very much 4. To expresse this contempt by casting it upon the Ground and trampling upon it which is the greatest debasement and is sometimes an expression of utter detestation Thus Jezabel was thrown down upon the Earth and trampled upon by Jehu's Horses To vilify and debase things that are base is no fault and to despise unworthy men is tolerable but the Apostate undervalues vilifieth and in an high degree the Son of God and the greater his dignity the greater the indignity He is not meer man though man yet as man the best of men for he is the Son of God and that not any kind of Son but the only begotten and beloved Son of God the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his person and so the Son of God that he is God Though he did descend so low for a little time as to be made man and humbled himself so far as to take upon him the form of a Servant and in that form to be obedient unto Death the Death of the Cross yet in this low estate he was the Son of God But after his humiliation even as man he is advanced to the right hand of God and is made Lord of Men and Angels an everlasting King an everlasting Priest Yet this Son of God the Apostate Christian so far vilifies as that he denies him to be God to be the Son of God to be a just Man nay judgeth him to be an Impostor a false Prophet a Malefactor and justly and worthily Crucified and if he had been living on Earth and in the Apostate's power he would have dealt with him as they did Thus neither the Person and Deity of Christ nor his Natures nor the personal Union of them nor
High-Priest ascended into Heaven 2. This Blood of Sprinkling speaketh better things thau the Blood of Abel This Blood is the Blood of Christ and the End and so the principal Effect is to cleanse away Sin yet this it cannot do except it be first shed and then sprinkled Once shed it hath a cleansing Power and Vertue yet actually cleanseth and purifieth no man till it be sprinkled upon him The Blood of sprinkling is Blood to be sprinkled and it is to be sprinkled upon the unclean to make clean and therefore the Blood of Sprinkling is by a Metonymy cleansing and purifying Blood Yet there was a sprinkling of Blood in the Sanction and Confirmation of the Old Covenant and so Blood of Sprinkling here may be the Blood of Confirmation for as you heard Chap. 9. 16 17. a Testament is of force after men are dead so upon and by the death of Christ the new Covenant was made firm valid and in full force and power for that end God intended it If Christ had not dyed God might have abrogated or altered his Covenant but upon his death he was bound to stand to it for ever and the Title to the heavenly Inhâ—râ—tance is good to all such as observe the terms and conditions yet in this Expression it is very probable the Apostle alludes to the Legal Purifications by Water Ashes Blood which being sprinkled upon such as were Legally unclean or upon the Lepers did purify them The like Effect Christ's Blood hath upon all such as are capable of it therefore do we read that the Blood of Christ doth cleanse us from all Sin 1 Joh. 1. 7. and to cleanse is to forgive to be cleansed is to be pardoned as is implyed in that Text If we confess our Sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness Ver. 9. This Blood is sprinkled upon such as confess repent believe pray receive the Sacraments The means of sprinkling is the Word Sacraments and principally the Spirit or whatsoever worketh or increaseth and strengthneth Faith and then it 's sprinkled when it 's so applyed as that the Person receiveth the benefit of Christ's Passion one Effect and the principal is Remission of Sin and Sanctification whereby we are freed from Sin and the woful Consequents thereof for this Blood speaketh better things than that of Abel Abel's Blood was shed so was Christ's Abel's Blood shed speaketh so Christ's Blood shed speaketh Abel's Blood speaketh to God so Christ's speaketh to him likewise they both speak loud and cry so that God hears Abel's Blood was precious Christ's far more precious and the Cry of both is heard in Heaven Thus far they agree yet differ much for the one cryes for Mercy the other for Judgment the one cryes against Man that did shed it the other for Man though his Sins did cause it to be shed The meaning is that Cain's Murther of his Brother Abel did so much offend God that it moved him to revenge it Christ's death as caused by the cursed cruel impenitent Jews did so far provoke God that he fearfully punished them and their Children according to their own words Let his Blood be upon us and our Children yet as suffered for the Sin of Man and offered unto God it was so pleasing so precious and so highly accepted that for and in condsieration of it God was effectually moved both to reward him and pardon all penitent and believing Sinners and that for evermore This Blood spake when it was shed and speaks effectually when pleaded before the eternal Judg. 3. They were come to this Mediator to this Blood They were not come to the Mount of Fire Smoak Darkness Terrour Death where there was no Mediator to make their peace with God no blood to cry for Metcy and cleanse them from their Sin and free them from eternal Death But they were come into that Society where Christ was their Mediator and Priest where they were freed from the Law of Sin and Death and under the Covenant of Free Mercy Grace and Life where the Blood of Christ sprinkled upon their Souls did cry aloud to Heaven for Mercy and did cleanse them from all Sin for ever And now since they were received into an heavenly Society where Angels and the best of men both living and dead were their fellow-Subjects God Redeemer sitting in the Throne of Grace their Soveraign Christ the Son of God their Priest who shed his Blood to wash away their Sins and though they had many Offences yet upon their Repentance would make Reconciliation for them and though they had many failings yet he was a righteous Advocate with their Father and would plead their Cause with his own Blood procure their pardon according to the Covenant of Grace so that they should be justified and live for ever there was no Reason in the World to return to Sinai and the Law again and forsake the best and happiest Kingdom that ever was a Kingdom of eternal Righteousness and Peace If they did Heaven might be astonished and Earth amazed at their Folly In this with that which follows the Apostle seems to sum up briefly in a few words all the former Arguments taken from the excellency of the Prophetical Office of the Covenant of the Priest-hood of Christ and he doth this in that manner that he clearly takes away all colour of excuse from such as should incline to Apostacy § 23. Therefore he further argues thus Ver. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven THE words are a Dehortation wherein we have 1. The Sin dehorted from 2. The Reason why we should take heed of it 1. The Sin is to refuse him that speaketh 2. The Reason is taken from the greater Punishment to be suffered if they do refuse 1. To refuse him that speaketh implyes 1. That Christ doth speak and God by him To speak is not only to reveal the Doctrine of the Gospel which is the thing spoken but also to command Repentance and Faith in Christ with a Promise of Righteousness and eternal Life and a Commination of eternal Death unavoidable To refuse him that thus speaketh is either to reject this Doctrine and not receive it or if they have once received it to renounce it so that this Refusal includes both Unbelief and also Apostacy from the Christian Profession But they who had made Profession of this Doctrine must not refuse to continue in it nor renounce it to the dishonour and Contempt of God who out of greatest Mercy had tendred Salvation upon fairest terms 2. The Reason is taken from the hainousness of the Sin and the grievousness of the Punishment both which are set forth by a Comparison in Quantity And this Comparison presupposeth many things as 1. That God did speak in former times