in Scripture Good Hezekiah when a Messenger came to him to bid him set his house in order for he must die how humble he was and how lowly he was But when a Messenger came and said he should live yet fifteen years and the Scripture saith he recovered of his sickness His heart was lifted up and he did not render unto the Lord the thanks that was due to him 2 Chron. 32. 24 25. When he was restored he forgat his mortality his heart was lifted up You see then the vanity of humane nature therefore if you would be humble think more of dying than of living 2. If all men must die it should teach all to improve our lives to do all the good we can whilst we live Saith Solomon Eccles 9. Whatever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might We have read and heard of some good Christians that have improved their lives and have stood much upon the considerations of their going to Eternity Oh that we might all do so 3. Seeing we must die as well as the Sons of Levi it should teach us contentment under all our troubles for death swallows all death buries all the sorrows and griefs of the Children of God If you have read the Martyrology of the Church of God you will see what strong consolation they have had at their deaths upon this account they knew that being in Christ death would set them free from all their sins and sorrows 4. If death be common to all and all must die then what cause have we to bless God for the promise of the glorious Resurrection for the hopes of Eternal Life for the Soul at death and the Resurrection of the Body to glory at the last day for those that are in Christ Oh how this should raise and comfort our spirits Saith the Apostle It is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption 't is sown in dishonour 't is raised in honour 't is sown in weakness 't is raised in power 't is sown a natural body 't is raised a spiritual body The consideration of this should raise our spirits I remember I have read of a speech of a dying Roman being asked where he would be buried he answered I care not where you bury me for my stench when I am dead will cause you to bury me Ah! but a true Christian can speak in a better Language as Job 19. 25 26. I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God You that are in Christ comfort your selves and one another with these words SERMON IV. Hebrews 7. from verse 9 to 12. And as I may so say Levi also who received Tythes paid Tythes in Abraham For he was yet in the loins of his Father when Melchisedeck met him If therefore perfection were by the Levitical Priest-hood for under it the people received the Law what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchisedeck and not be called after the order of Aaron For the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the Law SEveral things have already been spoken of Jesus Christ as he was prefigured by Melchisedeck called the Priest of the most high God The last time I spoke to you from this Scripture we went to v. 9. of this chapter and I shall not repeat what hath been spoken but shall proceed this morning to open these verses which I have now read at this time These words of the Apostle are brought in still to prove that the order of Melchisedeck according to which Christ is a Priest for ever is greater than the order of Aaron or Levi. And he proves it thus because Levi who received Tythes of the people of Israel paid Tythes to Melchisedeck in the loins of Abraham Here is a Mystery and a very profitable Truth that lies couched in these words Levi is said to be in the loins of Abraham How is that why Levi was the third Son of Jacob by his wife Leah Gen. 49. 34. This Levi had a Family and a Tribe out of which in process of time God chose the Priesthood And it was a great honour to that Tribe above all the Tribes of Israel that God should raise out of them a people to serve him in the holy things in the Sanctuary and to be nearer to him than all the Tribes besides Now this Levi or Posterity or Family of Levi are said to be in the loins of Abraham when Abraham gave to Melchisedeck the Tenths of the spoils How in his loins Levi as I said before was the Son of Jacob and Jacob was but the Grand-son of Abraham for Abraham you know had Isaac and Isaac had Jacob and Jacob had this Son Levi who was the head of that Tribe of which the Priesthood was So that Abraham was the great Grand-father of Levi and of all his posterity and yet they are said to be in the loins of Abraham The Holy Ghost brings in this that Levi was in the loins of Abraham to teach us two things First That Children are in the common condition with their Parents and Progenitors And Secondly The actions of Children are included in the actions of their Fathers as Levi paid Tythes in Abraham 1. Children are in the common condition with their Parents and Stock they come of 'T is true God made a difference sometimes by his Providence and sometimes by his special Grace Though sometimes God in the way of his Providence advances Children above their Parents in this World So Saul and David were advanced to be Kings when their Fathers were not So many in the World that have been born of mean Parents and of Parents that have had no repute in the World are by the providence of God advanced to some repute and condition in the World This is by providence not by nature 2. Some advanced by special Grace to a far better condition than their Parents And so where Children are godly that come of wicked Parents this is an advancement of Grace Hezekiah and Josiah were advanced by special Grace above their Fathers But though God by his Providence and special Grace doth sometimes and often advance Children above the condition of their Parents yet they are in the common condition with them we are all such as inherit our Fathers sins and our Fathers infirmities Who can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean Job 14. 4. Fathers unclean and Children unclean and Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 25. 6. Having spoken of Man How much less Man that is a Worm and the Son of Man which is a Worm A Worm is a poor weak Creature as our Fathers were so are we And therefore saith the Prophet Elijah when he was weary of the World and requested of God that he might die he
Christ It is a Priesthood of power and of an endless life Here are three things to be observed First Christs Priesthood is a Priesthood of power able to bring that to pass it was appointed for Pray look into Heb. 7. 18. There you will find that there was a disannulling of the Commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof to work upon the Soul of man But this of our Lord Jesus Christ is a Priesthood of power for what he did for us he did perfectly He cleanses us from our sins and he doth reconcile us to God He doth justifie us and he doth save us Thus Christs Priesthood is a Priesthood of power 2. It is not only a Priesthood of power but of an endless life How is that why it brings all Believers into a state of life Hence our life is said to be hid with Christ in God And when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory And then 3. It is a Priesthood of an endless life How is that All men die in this World sooner or later And the Priesthood of Aaron that is dead They could not continue by reason of death But Jesus Christ he ever liveth he is a Priest for ever and abideth our Intercessor and he hath brought everlasting life to us Hence you have those words of his in John 11. 26. Whosoever believeth on me shall never die He shall have an endless life How never die he shall be changed but not die in some sense Tho' there is a separation of Soul and Body yet that is a Believers gain and not his loss There is a change of a mortal life for an immortal life He shall lay down this earthly Tabernacle of the Body for a spiritual for an endless life And this is useful to us to quiet our minds and to make us patient under all afflictions and changes we find or meet with This may be comfort against approaching death to Believers For if there be an endless life we may triumph with the Apostle in 1 Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Thus you have heard that our Lord Jesus Christ hath a Priesthood of power and of an endless life SERMON VI. Hebrews 7. 17 18 19. For he Testifieth Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck For there is verily a disannulling of the Commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof For the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by the which we draw nigh unto God THE last time I spoke to you from this chapter I concluded with v. 16. where it is said that Jesus Christ is made a Priest after the power of an endless life These were the last words spoken to Now the Apostle to prove this he goes on to demonstrate it in these three verses which I have read unto you and to be opened this morning as God shall assist Christ Jesus was made a Priest after the power of an endless life our Apostle proves it First In v. 17. in these words for he testified Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Is made a Priest after the power of an endless life But Jesus Christ is made a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck And to prove this still more evidently he tells us in v. 18. That there is a disannulling of the Commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof God disannulled the Commandment going before He disannulled the old Priesthood to set up the Priest-hood of Jesus Christ for ever And the reason why God disannulled the Commandment going before is given in the latter end of verse 18. Because of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof And this he further amplifies in verse 19. For saith he the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did These particulars to be opened in the three verses To begin with verse 17. For he testifies thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck he testified why who testified why David testified or the Spirit of God by David testified In Psal 110. 4. there is the testimony The Lord he sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Mind it when David testified this the Levitical Priesthood was then in its greatest glory For David lived in a time when the service of God was performed according to the order of Aaron and the Levitical Priesthood yet David testified of another Priesthood David was in his day a Prophet in the Church of God and a great Prophet and he was inspired by the Holy Ghost to testifie this many hundred years before it came to be fully accomplished To testifie that Jesus Christ was the everlasting High Priest according to the order of Melchisedeck I shall not stand much upon this verse at this time because you have the same thing repeated again in verse 21. of this chapter There 't is brought in as a repetition of the Oath of God The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Here you have it twice together I shall therefore leave the more full handling of this till I come to the 21th verse In the words of v. 17. you may observe the Apostles scope in them why he mentions it here in v. 17. His scope is this to shew the excellency of the Priesthood of Christ above that of Aaron in two respects First That Jesus Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck The Apostle would have us to understand that Christ is not made Priest by the Law of a carnal Commandment which I spoke of in the verse before The Levitical Priesthood was made by the Law of a carnal Commandment I opened that the last day There was nothing in the service of that Priesthood but was meerly outward and bodily But Jesus Christ being a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck he is not a Priest after the Law of a carnal Commandment an outward and bodily Worship but the Worship of Christ is a spiritual Worship And this is the first branch of the excellency of Christs Priesthood above that of Levi. 2. The Apostles scope also is to prove that Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of an endless life because he is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck So that now we do not depend upon a dying Priesthood or upon such Ordinances and Ceremonies that are to be abolished before the time of the consummation of all Worship in this World But we are to worship God under such an High-priest as abideth for ever And we come to one who is able to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him He testified Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck From whence we may learn this Lesson
High-priest who hath undertaken to fulfil all Righteousness for us and undertakes as a Surety for us SERMON VIII Hebrews 7. 23 24. And they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death But this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood BEing in our course of going through this Chapter the last day in the Morning Exercise we concluded with v. 22. where Jesus is said to be made a Surety of a better Covenant The scope of the Apostle in all this Chapter is to magnifie the Priesthood of Christ above the Levitical Priesthood His Argument that we insisted upon the last day was taken from his solemn Institution in his Office He was made a Priest with an Oath and by vertue of that he became a Surety of a better Testament These things have been opened Now these two verses which I have read for our consideration and instruction this morning contain another Argument that the Apostle useth to prove that the Priesthood of Jesus Christ doth far excel all the Priesthoods under the Law And the Argument is drawn from the mortality of the Levitical Priests and the immortality of Jesus Christ the Son of God That Priesthood that was mortal was never so excellent as that which was immortal The Priests of Levi were mortal but the Priesthood of Jesus Christ is immortal and unchangeable and therefore a more excellent Priesthood We begin with v. 23. For they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death They truly were many Priests These words are two ways to be expounded First They were many together And then they were many successively 1. They were many together For though there was but one High Priest to the Jewish Church yet there were many Priests to offer Sacrifices under him For he was not able one man was not able to offer Sacrifices for all therefore there were many Priests But Jesus our High Priest had the assistance of no creature he is alone There is but one God and one Mediator the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is but one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus no other And this is brought in ordinarily to confute that Errour of the Papists who offer up Expiatory Sacrifices They have their Priestly Office to offer up Expiatory Sacrifices for the living and the dead And as our Protestant Divines say If they had no other Errour it would justifie our separation from them because they derogate from the Office of Jesus Christ and set up a Priestly Office in Gospel-days to offer an Expiatory Sacrifice But we have but one High Priest and one Saviour which is sufficient for the Salvation of our Souls But then This word many Priests is also to be expounded many successively That is there were many Priests saith the Apostle because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death There were many Priests under the Law but they could not continue by reason of death therefore their Office passed from one to another One takes up the Priestly Office and then dies and then another succeeds him But Jesus Christ he hath an Office that doth not pass from one to another There is none can succeed our Lord Jesus Christ in his Priestly Office There is none can finish that work which he begun But the two general points that lie before us in this Text to be considered of this morning are 1. The Mortality of the Levitical Priesthood which concerns us all And then 2. The Immortality of our High-priest the Son of God He is our Priest for ever 1. The Mortality of the Priests of old saith the Apostle in the Text They were not suffered to continue by reason of death That word death concerns all Mankind How many of the Children of Adam Sons and Daughters of Adam since the beginning of the World They are all dead But this present Generation and a little time will bury all of us That Doom which God denounced against Adam in Gen. 3. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death that reaches all that come out of the Loins of Adam We bring sin into the World with us and sin brings death as you have it in Rom. 5. That death came in by sin By one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men Every one that is born into the World is born in sin Every one that is born into the World by ordinary generation and so cannot continue long in the World by reason of death Indeed there are and ever have been many of the Children of Men that have had great priviledges and dignities above others But none ever were exempted from death except some few as Enoch and Elijah Some have been Kings and great men of the Earth some have been made honourable Prophets some Apostles some Ministers have in their days been burning and shining Lights But all are dead they were not suffered to continue any of them by reason of death All are gone The Prophets do they live for ever and your Fathers where are they Kings Lords and Potentates of the Earth and mighty men death hath Lorded it over them all they were not suffered to continue by reason of death Therefore it should teach us while we live to spend our days well to do what good we can to honour God what we can and to say to our own Souls Let me not lose my time for I cannot continue long by reason of death Solomon tells us in Eccl. 9. 10. which every one should well observe Whatever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might because there is no work in the grave whither thou art going But while men are on Earth God hath appointed every one to do something for his honour and glory For mind it the Levitical Priests tho' they were not suffered to continue because of death because they were mortal yet this did not exempt them from the service of God tho' they were chosen from among men and so subject to death yet they were to attend the service of God while they lived There is a sort of people and I mention it for their sakes There are a sort of people I say that because life is short therefore they will give up themselves to ease sloth and pleasure and make as much as they can of a short life These were the people in Isa 22. 13 14. And behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing Sheep eating Flesh and drinking Wine Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die And this thing was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die Thus says many a poor creature that hath no conscience of duty to God or Man He will take all the pleasure he
who is a propitiation for our Sins We have an Advocate that is we have one that stands up for us in our stead and appears on our side Also it hath reference to a Favourite of the Kings Court that is oft in the Kings presence and ready to speak for his Friend So Joseph was an Intercessor for his Father and Brethren unto King Pharaoh when they came into the Land of Egypt Gen. 47. Joseph was a Favourite of the King of Egypt And he appeared in the presence of the King for his Father and Brethren You shall find the Prophet Elijah offers to make himself an Intercessor to the King for the Shunamitish Woman 2 King 4. 13. Wouldst thou be spoken for to the King In this sense Jesus Christ is said to be our Intecessor He is said to appear in the 〈◊〉 of God for us Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entred 〈◊〉 the Holy places which are the figures of the true 〈◊〉 into Heaven it self Now to appear in the presence of God for us and to make Intercession for us This is not to be understood as if Jesus Christ in Heaven did prosâ—rate himself to the Father for us and make actual prayers for us It is not so to be understood In the days of his Flesh he sent up strong cryes to God in his state of Humiliation Heb. 5. 7. but it is not agreeable to his state of Glory that Jesus Christ should now send up Prayers and Supplications to God for us But when it is said that he appears in the presence of God for us and makes Intercession for us the meaning is this That he doth present himself in Heaven as our Surety and as our Sacrifice and as one that hath made satisfaction to all the demands of the Law and also manifesting his Will That all that come unto God by him should have the benefit of his Death He doth appear before God as the Sacrifice for our sins that the benefit may come to every Soul that come unto God by him that is the meaning Therefore it is said Heb. 12. 24. The Apostle tells them they are come to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel Abels blood did speak when Abel said nothing his blood did speak and cry And so the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ speaketh his Death speaketh His Suffering speaketh That is always before the Holy God for an expiatory Sacrifice for sin to them that believe on him An Expiatory Sacrifice And this was typified of old by the High-priests carrying the Blood of the Sacrifice into the most Holy place sprinkling that Blood upon the Mercy-seat see Levit. 16. 15. Then shall he kill the Goat of the Sin-offering that is for the People and bring his Blood within the Vail and do with that Blood as he did with the Blood of the Bullock and sprinkle it upon the Mercy-seat When the Priests of old did kill the Offering whether it was a Goat or whether it was a Bullock he was to take of the Blood of the Beast and carry it within the Vail What is that You must know that in the Temple there were three parts there was the outward Court which the Gentiles might come into as well as the Jews then there was the Temple where the people generally went to Pray and where the Sacrifices were slain and then there was the third place which was called the most Holy place the Sanctum Sanctorum and that was separated by the Vail the Vail was drawn before it and when the Priest had Offered the Blood of the Sacrifice he was to go within the Vail where was the Mercy-seat and where God did give his Answers to his Peoples Requests and this Blood of the Sacrifice was to be sprinkled upon the Mercy-seat Why so Why to signifie that God would shew Mercy unto his People by way of Atonement and Sacrifice that he would shew them Mercy that way because of the uncleanness of the Children of Men therefore God would have no Communion with them but by the Blood of Atonement And this was a Type of Heaven it self Christ saith the Apostle is gone into the most Holy place to Heaven it self there to appear in the presence of God for us And as the High-priest of old did carry the Blood of the Sacrifice into the most Holy place on Earth so our Lord Jesus Christ did carry his Blood into Heaven which is the most Holy place of all which speaks better things than the Blood of Abel which cries for vengeance but the Blood of Jesus Christ calls for mercy for every one that comes to God by him This is the meaning of his making intercession for us But now in the Third place Why doth the Apostle say in the Text that Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Why is Christs ability to save us put upon his ever living to make intercession The Scripture mind it doth lay a great stress here and the weight and burden of our Salvation is laid in this upon Christs ever living to plead and maintain the great end of his death and suffering for poor sinners he ever liveth and the Reasons are these First If Jesus had died and never rose again our hopes of Salvation by him had perished with him and been buried in his Crave If Christ had died and never rose again our hopes of Salvation by him had died also and been buried in the Grave with him Mind what the Apostle speaks to this purpose 1 Cor. 15. 14. If Christ be not risen then is our Preaching in vain and your Faith is also vain If Christ be not risen our Preaching is in vain How is that Our preaching Salvation by Jesus Christ is in vain it is to no purpose if he be a dead man still and your Faith is vain your Believing in him is vain if he be in the state of death still Why so Because in the Grave there is no work nor no knowledge the dead know nothing the dead can do nothing therefore if Jesus Christ were in the state of Death if he were in the Grave and not risen again it is in vain for us to preach Salvation by Jesus Christ and your believing in him for Salvation is vain But in as much as he ever liveth and is come out of the state of Death he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him You may observe in Scripture that that time that our Saviour Christ died and was laid in the Grave his Disciples and Followers on Earth their hopes died with him as you may read in Luk. 24. of the two Disciples going to Emmaus what a sad discourse they had together when Christ asked them what communication they had together they said unto him Concerning one Jesus of Nazareth which