without an oath by so much is the new Covenant better then the old 21. For those Priests were made without an oath but this with an oath This whole verse must be read in a parenthesis because it containes an opposition between the old Priests and Christ in as much as they were made Priests without any oath of God but Christ with an oath By him that said unto him namely by him that said those words unto him Thou art a Priest for ever c. And by him that said those words to Christ God himself seems to be understood although the words next cited The Lord sware and will not repent him seeme not to be the words of God himself but of the Prophet who relates this oath of God But because the words following Thou art a Priest for ever are the words of God therefore by him that said unto him the Author might well meane God For although in these words there bee no oath of God expressed yet it is as much as if it had been expressed seeing the Prophet testifies that God uttering these words did swear which therefore the Author would not omit though he were to relate the words of God himselfe and not of the Prophet But if by him who said these words unto Christ we understand not God but the Prophet as some Interpreters upon that Psalme do who so expound these words as if the Psalmist had said The Lord sware c. Thou art a Priest for ever then the Prophet must be meant by a common forme of speech that Christ was made Priest by the Prophet because the Prophet by these words did foretell and declare that he should bee made Priest For many times in Scripture the declaring of a thing is said to be the doing of it In this sense Jeremy is said to have been appointed to root out and to destroy to build and to plant Jer. 1.10 So the Prophet Esay is said to raise up the tribes of Jacob to restore the preserved of Israel and to be given for a light to the Gentiles because he prophesied and foretold of these things The Lord sware and will not repent this oath argues that the matter of it was great certain and unchangeable and because God will not repent it therefore it was very good and acceptable to God So that the thing must not be altered or undone both in regard of the oath and of the goodnesse of it Unlesse by not repenting we conceive the setled constancie of God never to revoke or alter the matter For repentance attributed to God signifies only a change of the fact by way of resemblance from men who if they repent doe commonly alter the thing if it lye in their power 22. By so much was Iesus made the surety of a better testament These words are cleerely answerable to the beginning of the 20. verse as appeares by the particles of relation there and here in as much and by so much Jesus is called the surety of the Covenant or Testament because he contracted it with us in the Name of God and ratified it on Gods part making faith of it unto us that God would keepe the promises of his Covenant Not therefore as if he became our surety to God and tooke upon him the payment of our debts For we sent not Christ unto God is our name but God sent him to us in his Name And Christ came to us from God made a Covenant with us became surety for the promises of it and undertooke they should be performed And therefore he is not called a Surety simply but the Surety of the Covenant And he undertooke for the truth of Gods Covenant diverse wayes as by his perpetuall testimony in words for the force and strength of it by proving the faith of his function in it in many documents by his perfect innocency and holinesse of life by severall divine workes and miracles which he wrought by suffering a grievous death to assert the truth of his doctrine Hence his Apostle John produced those three witnesses of undoubted faith to confirme the truth of Christian Religion namely the Spirit water and bloud 1 John 5.8 Where by Spirit he understands that divine power in Christ which he shewed in his admirable workes by water the blamelesse and spotlesse life of Christ and by bloud his bloudy death For Christian truth approves it selfe by such witnesses That divine Spirit testified by so many wondrous workes doth it not evidently declare that Christ was a divine man sent from God and therefore that he preached nothing forged of himselfe but onely that which he had received from the God of truth Would that God who is most holy replenish an impostor with such so great gifts of his Spirit The most pure and holy life of Christ is it not an open testimony that Christ respected no earthly thing that he sought no worldly wealth no honors nor pleasures but had reposed all his hopes in God and in those heavenly goods which he promised unto others From whence otherwise could so great holinesse of life proceed and so great contempt of all worldly things For Impostors use not to trust in God and to expect from him the rewards of heaven Impostors use not to passe their life in such holinesse abstinence from all sin For why do they labour to delude men with their impostures and deceits Do they it only to deceive without any advantage to themselves and to expose themselves to nothing but diverse dangers and troubles which commonly accompany such impostures and making themselves guilty of this one thanklesse wickednesse to follow piety in all things else certainely nothing lesse Such kinde of persons seeke their owne commodity to gaine wealth to get a vaine glorious name and to abound in pleasure which whoso aymes at cannot leade a life innocent and void of all blame Hence the Apostle speaking of Impostors or false teachers doth justly affirme that they have their belly for their god and minde earthly things that they are enemies to the Crosse of Christ and have their conscience seared with a hot iron Phil. 3.18,19 and 1 Tim. 4.2 And Christ warning his Disciples to beware of false prophets tels them that such may be knowne by their fruits i. by their works which are an infallible signe of their deceit Doe men saith he gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7.16 For however for a time they may dissemble and make shew of godlinesse yet they cannot do it constantly For feigned holinesse lasteth not long and covert wickednesse lyes not long hid The life therefore of Christ being carried on in one perpetuall tenor of innocency and holinesse doth wholly vindicate him from the crime of any imposture Hence Christ himselfe contends with the Jews by this argument Which of you convinceth me of sin and if I say the truth why do yee not beleeve me John 8 46. q.d. Either convince
of it onely Therefore those grievous sinnes whereof men stood guiltie and for which they were subject to eternall death must first be expiated before they can enter and receive the eternall inheritance For those sinnes did hinder men from entring it which being purged away now nothing hinders but they may take possession of it But who shall do this shall all promiscuously no certainly but they which are called i. They to whom this eternal inheritance is offered by the Gospel of Christ and who accept this great grace of God by a lively faith For both of these use to be included in the word called But he simply saith they which are called might receive this eternall inheritance because all which are called may receive it if they will and be not wanting to themselves for in God and Christ there is no let 16. For where a Testament is there must also of necessitie be the death of the Testator Here he gives the cause why he said that by meanes of death this effect of remission of sinnes and receiving the eternall inheritance doth follow because saith he where a Testament is there of necessity the death of the Testator must intervene which reason hee confirmes by a Super-reason in the verse following But here some man may object that the Author doth but sophisticate with words and not draw a reall argument from the thing it selfe Seeing Christ was not the Author of any testament properly but onely the Mediatour of the Covenant although the Greeke writers use the word Testament to signifie a Covenant But the ambiguity of the word must not confound the natures and properties of the things so that what is true of one thing which the ambiguous word signifies should forthwith bee transfered to the other signified by the same word We answer That the speech is here of such a thing as is common to both the significations of the word the proper and improper or rather the generall and the speciall i. that is Covenant and Testament for we said before that every Testament is a Covenant an especiall and best kind of Covenant For Covenant is a generall name whereby those things are called that are more properly named leagues and testaments both which are Covenants And indeed almost throughout the old testament the originall word which our English translation renders Covenant doth properly signifie a League and were better so rendered for because God is a publike person and so is mankinde also therefore all Gods Covenants with man are properly Leagues Hence the Latine translations both vulgar and others constantly render them Faedera So for a testament if we consider the nature of it accuratly then any solemne act of any person testified by his death is properly a testament and he who testifies anothers act though he be no Author but onely the assertor of it is properly the testator of it For hence the Civilians have borrowed their termes of Testament and Testator which commonly concurre in the same person yet not necessarily but accidentally for whatsoever witnesse will testifie upon his death the verity and certainty of another mans last Will and Testament such a witnesse is truely a testator to that Testament And he that mediats to certifie a mans Testament and mediats so farre as to testifie it with his death hee is both the mediator and the testator of that Testament so that a mediator and a testator in respect of the same Testament are not functions incompatible but consentaneous that may easily concurre in the same person Yea hee that in this sence is the testator of a Testament is necessarily thereupon the mediator of it So that Gods two solemne Covenants or rather his Leagues the old and the new are truely and properly called Testaments because they are both testified by bloud and death to certifie confirme and establish them for the old Testament was testified by the bloud and death of calves and goates which was therefore called the bloud of the Testament as it is declared in the verses following But because the new Testament was testified certified confirmed and established by the death and bloud of Christ therefore Christ though hee were not the Author of it yet is most truely and properly the testator of it And because Christ did mediate for this Testament to certifie and publish it to the world that the old and former testament was abrogated and revoaked and that this new one was the last Will and Testament of his Father therefore also be was most truely and properly the Mediatour of it And hee was so constant and earnest a Mediator to certifie the truth of this new Testament that thereupon hee became the testator of it also to testifie and confirme it with his death and blood Nay because Christ was the Testator of it therefore hee must necessarily also be the Mediator of it for no man will testifie that truth or that cause with his bloud for which he no way mediats seeing he â—hat no way mediats for a thing will 〈◊〉 testifie it with his blood Wherefore in the words of these 16. and 17 verses though the Author for a while supposeth and takes it for graunted that not onely death but the death of the Testator which here is Christ must needs intervene to confirme the new Testament yet a little after at the 23. verse and so forward hee clearly demonstrats it For there he teacheth that the matter must not nor could not be effected by the bloud of beasts because he was both the Mediator and the high Priest of the Covenant or League who when he was to appeare before God in his heavenly Sanctuary and there to performe his offering certainly he was not to slay some beast to bring the bloud of it into that Sanctuary but must shed his own bloud to make himselfe his owne offering in heauen thereby to confirme and establish the new League or Covenant which as he might do so he must doe it for the great dignity and sublimity of the particulars therein contained So that in this respect the new Covenant comes neerer to the nature of a Testament then of a League which was the proper nature of the old Covenant For what effect could there be in the bloud of a beast to confirme and make faith unto us of heavenly promises Such a Confirmation had very ill beseemed this divine and heavenly Covenant especially seeing it might be confirmed by other bloud more sutable to it and by bloud that notwithstanding was to be shed for another cause which cause hath already been shewed at the 14. verse Whence wee may perceive that in these words in this 16. verse as they are also extended to Covenants or Leagues and to the Authors and Mediators of them somthing must be understood to make the truth of them fully to appeare which yet is not expressed because it makes nothing to the point in hand For these words of the Author here must be taken as it he had
the world doth enlighten every man with his light yet not presently at his first rising but in processe of time as the Sun carrieth his light from one part of the world to another and by degrees dispels the darknesse Compare this place with John 9.5 and John 12.46 There remaine two opinions which strive as I may say for the mastery of the truth The one is that this comming of Christ into the world should be taken for that his comming when he made his first entrance among men to performe his ministeriall office The other is that it be understood of his entrance into the future world to come whereof this Author made mention before chap. 1.2 and chap. 2.5 and which is called by the single name of the world Rom. 4.13 Now the arguments which seeme to perswade us for the taking of it not for this present world but for the future world to come are chiefly three 1. Because God did not abrogate those Legall sacrifices and offerings before Christ entered and came into that future world but here the Author speakes of their abrogation 2. Because Christ saith A body hast thou prepared me For how can this be applyed to Christs first entrance upon his ministeriall function in this world among men Did Christ receive from God a new body and another different from what he had before then when he was first made knowne to the world by preaching of the Gospel And if wee should here understand that mortall body in which Christ first preached the Gospel what would this make to the abrogation of the Legall sacrifices Certainely either nothing at all or no way else but by many turnings and windings But if by this comming of Christ here wee understand his entrance into that future world to come then these words will much conduce to the matter For unlesse God had given Christ a new and incorruptible body he could not have entered that dwelling of immortality and there have offered himselfe to God and appeare before him neither could he have sitten at the right hand of this throne Therefore seeing God would abrogate and abolish those earthly sacrifices by the heavenly Sacrifice of Christ for that purpose God fitted him a body proper for that heavenly Sanctuary For that the Author in citing this testimony had a respect to these words is plaine by his words a little after at the tenth verse where he mentions the offering of the body of Christ By which forme of speech seeinghe useth it no where else he seemes as it were to point at these words in this testimony wherein God is said to have prepared a body for Christ 3. Because in an other passage of the 40. Psalme a little before this testimony cited by the Author David doth sing a song of thanksgiving unto God for his deliverance from a grievous calamitie saying He brought me up also out of an horrible pit out of the miry clay and set my feete upon a rock and established my goings and he hath put a new song in my mouth c. Psal 40.2,3 If therefore Christ may bee thought to have sung these words of the Psalme with the rest cited by the Author after his deliverance from death and the grave then might the Author well affirme that Christ said both these and the rest by him cited at his comming or entrance into that future world to come Now these words cannot be meant of Christs comming into the world by his Resurrection from the dead because when the Scripture speakes of his comming into this world she thereby usually understands his being made known unto the world but Christ after and by his resurrection was not made knowne unto the world but was seene of a few onely who were to be witnesses of it to the world And therefore when the time of his death drew neere and of his departure to his Father after his death he himselfe affirmed that he should be no longer in the world He saith sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not Of the words themselves we shall speake upon the next verse wherewith they wholly agree in matter But here let us enquire why the Author affirmes that Christ then when hee commeth into the world saith these words The Author seemes to affirme this from the following words which Christ alledgeth presently after Loe I come to do thy will O God ver 7. For to what purpose did Christ come into the world whether we understand this world or that to come If we understand this world wee must say that Christ then when he came into this world or as the Author speakes before chap 9.26 when first hee appeared said these words unto God his Father Because the Legall sacrifices and offerings please thee not therefore Loe I am come to do thy will i. to offer thee such a sacrifice that is wholly according to thy good will and pleasure But if yee please to understand the future world to come then we must affirme that Christ said them when he entered in thither Seeing O God thou dost no longer approve the Legall sacrifices Lo I come to doe thy will i. to offer up my selfe unto thee that so I may wholly expiate the sinnes of thy people For this is the will of God and the pleasure of the Lord that shall prosper in the hand of Christ Isaiah 53.10 That every one who seeth the Son and beleeveth on him should be freed from the guilt and paine of all his sinnes and have everlasting life John 6.40 But a body hast thou prepared me It is not necessary we should thinke that the Author mentioned these words in respect of any sence proper to his purpose but cited them onely because they stood connexed with the other words of the testimonie which were pertinent to his intention This hee himselfe seemes to intimate at the eighth and ninth verses following where in the repetition of this testimony he leaves out these words and takes only the rest that serve for his scope which is this That the Legall sacrifices are abrogate and in their place the Sacrifice of Christ is established Though at the tenth verse following the Author speakes of the offering of the body of Christ yet it is not altogether necessary that wee therefore should say that he had reference to these words seeing the body of Christ might by an Hebraisme be put for Christ himselfe Againe the Authour might have no respect to the proper sence of these words for this reason because in the Hebrew other words are read for them But because the Author followed the Greek Translation therefore he alleaged the words as they stood in the Greeke lest men well accquainted with the Greeke Translation should conceive that hee had corrupted or changed the text a rule that this Author hath observed in other passages also as hath been noted The Hebrew text hath it Mine eares hast thou opened wherein there is a manifest allusion to the custome commanded by God when any
thou art my son He confirms his former reason by a testimony from Scripture Psal 2.7 Why Christ hath a more excellent Name then Angels Because God gave Christ the Name or title of Sonne which is a title of honour above that of Angels whose name or title signifies them to be the Messengers or Legats of God The Angels in generall are some time in Scripture called the Sons of God as Iob 1.6 But God on his part never calls them so in generall much lesse doth he single out any one peculiar Angel apart from the rest to entitle him by the name or Son But God entitles Christ by that Name Thou art my Sonne thou and no other person properly For the Pronoune thou is here put exclusively to sequester all other persons beside from the participation of that name as a proper and personall title Indeed as the Angels in generall so all Christians are in common called the Sonnes of God but Christ onely is so called peculiarly personally and singularly This day have I begotten thee He confirms why Christ is singularly entituled and named the Sonne of God because God after a singular manner hath begotten him i. Raised him from the dead for in Davids Psalmes from whence this testimonie is taken extream dangers resemble death and made him most resemblant and like to God himselfe by giving him Immortality and universall Royalty to bee King over his people For this generating or begetting of Christ hath respect to his Resurrection and Ascension for so Saint Paul expresly refers it Acts 13.33 Not that Christ was not begotten or not called the Sonne of God before his Resurrection but because by his Resurrection he was most assimilated and made semblant unto God by being made an immortall and universall King whereby he had the highest degree under God therefore God is said to have then begotten him and then to call him his Sonne For God is called God by reason of his supream power and dominion whereof they also are called Gods and the sons of God that have power and dominion and the greater their power is or the nearer it resembles Gods power so much the rather and more neerly are they his sonnes And he is most of all his Sonne whose power and dominion is made either the same with Gods or equall to it Christ was the Sonne of God before his Resurrection for during his prophetick function he was a great Potentate and wrought powerfull miracles but after his Resurrection upon his Regall office he became most neerly and highly the Sonne of God because then God made him an immortall and universall Potentate for then all Power was given him in heaven and earth Mat. 28.18 This day It is an Hebraisme frequently added to speeches wherein some remarkable matter is either done or given or promised or commanded as in this place to the end that day might be kept in memory or as it were remaine for a day of Commemoration that the action of that day might be kept in perpetual remembrance See Gen. 4.14 Jer. 1.10 and many places in Deuteronomie And againe I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Sonne Hee confirmes that Christ is the Son of God from another testimony of Scripture 2. Sam. 7.14 which was literally spoken of by Solomon as the former testimony of David but both mystically of Christ Intimating the deare love and affection of God toward him whereupon it must needs follow that Christ must be exalted to a most excellent state and condition above all other persons And as these words were spoken of Solomon futurely before hee was borne and indeed the Sonne of God so also of Christ 6. And again when he bringeth in Another testimonie of Scripture to prove Christ better then the Angels because all the Angels are commanded to worship him which must needs follow upon the state and condition of his filiation For all servants must worship or reverence their masters sonne and heire especially then when his father had made over his inheritance or estate unto him This testimonie is taken out of 97. Psalme whereof the inscription in the Septuagint is A Psalme of David when the land was restored unto him namely when his kingdome was restored after his expulsion from it by Absolon but mystically meant of Christ And therefore againe may well be referred to his bringing in For after Christ was expelled the world by his death and buriall God brought him into the world againe by his Resurrection in raising him from the grave The first begotten Christ is the first begotten Sonne of God because God begot him before all his other sonnes who are called the brethren of Christ for God first begot Christ in that manner wherein God is said to beget sons for those he begets whom he assimilates and makes like unto himselfe and so Christ was the first that was assimilated or made like unto God in holinesse in such holinesse as he requires in the new Covenant Secondly Christ is the first begotten of God by his Resurrection because by the power of God hee was raised and brought in againe from death to an immortall life for which cause hee is called the first begotten from the dead and the first fruits of them that slept 1. Cor. 15.20 Lastly he is the first begotten in all things whatsoever whereby the faithfull of Christ become the sons of God for Christ hath preceded them all that as St. Paul speakes he in alâ— things might have the preeminence Col. 1.18 Into the world First to be upon the earth a while after his Resurrection from the grave but chiefly when he brought him into heaven which is the superiour and future world and seated him at his right hand for then Christ became the Lord and head over men and angels and till then the angels worshipped him not For in this sence the Apostle here takes the world as himselfe shewes in the next cap. ver 5. where he saith thaâ— the world to come is the world whereof he spake And let all the angels of God worship him The words are Imperative laying a Command upon all the angels of God none excepted to worship Christ and therefore it followes that Christ is made much better then the angels In the Hebrew of the Psalme it is Worship him all ye Gods where the word Gods is opposed to Idols which were the Heathen Gods whose woâ—shippers are there commanded to be ashamed and againe to those Idols Christ is opposed who not onely is not an Idol but so true a God that all other Gods who are not idols must worship him But because by Gods there we can understand none but the Angels therefore the Septuagint translâ—tes it the Angels of God whom this divine Author followes Worship him Vse divine reverence before him and unto him by standing up bowing downe and falling downe before him in â—he very same manner that is done or due to God himself Because Christ sustaines the
up in the Psalme But in the mysticall sence the particle all must be left wholly to his absolute universality and full amplitude for all things both in heaven and earth namely all creatures whatsoever are put in subjection under Christ because from the universality of Christs dominion God onely is excepted who did put all things besides in subjection under Christ 1 Cor. 15.27 For in that he put all be left nothing not put under him In these and the words immediately following the Author discovers and teacheth us that this place of the Psalme must be understood of some other man then an earthly man For the words being absolutely uttered are a cleere argument that the holy Ghost would have them taken in some other sence altogether universally in which latitude S. Paul also takes them 1 Cor. 15.27 In so much that in them the world to come is also comprehended And taking the words universally who sees not that during this mortall life they cannot be verified and fulfilled of a mortall man And therefore the Author immediatly addes But now we see not yet all things put under him Now while man lives this present and mortall life not yet not from the beginning of the world to this present time we see not all things universally made subject to any mortall man when notwithstanding man was made lesse or lower then the Angels but for a little time as wee shewed before And therefore the fulfilling of these words that all things universally even the world to come should be subject to man cannot be meant of any mortall man but of some man translated to immortality Yet who that immortall man should be the Author hath not hitherto declared But in the following verse he shews that it is Jesus Christ translated to immortality Whence it appeares that if we respect the mysticall sence of the words in this Psalme they must be taken principally and properly of Christ but of Christians onely respectively and as it were proportionably For no one of the faithfull shall solely and singly possesse all things but all joyntly as coheires shall possesse all things yet not all the faithfull joyntly shall possesse all things universally though ye sever them from Christ their head for they shall not have dominion over the Angels but Christ onely shall possesse all things universally for he only shall rule over the Angels that hath dominion over the faithfull And yet againe there is one person excepted from the dominion of Christ and that is God the Father who hath given to Christ his universall dominion 9. But we see Iesus who was made a little lower then the Angels Here he declares who that man was in whom the words of the Psalme were to be fulfilled namely that Jesus Christ was the man to whom all things universally and therefore the world to come was to be subject and therewithall makes way to handle the Priesthood of Christ And hence now it appeares that in this there is no absurdity or repugnancy to truth that he who in respect of his mortall nature was a little lower for a little time then the Angels should be exalted to become much higher then they for ever after Yea seeing the Scripture testifies that the man who was lesse then the Angels must become Lord of all who sees not that the exaltation of the man Christ far above all the orders of Angels doth excellently agree with Scripture And hereby the Author removes the absurdity that seemes in this That Christ a man should become far greater then the Angels and be said to be their Lord. For the suffering of death The Reason or cause why Christ for a little time was made a little lower then the Angels was this that he might suffer death And this was not the formall cause of his lownesse for he was not made lower then Angels in this respect by his suffering death an evill which they suffer not though it be true that he was also lower therein But the formall cause of his lownesse was his mortall nature in respect whereof he was made for a little while a little lower then the Angels And the finall cause of his lownesse in that mortall nature was actuall death for he was made in a mortall nature to this end that he might suffer death under it for unlesse his nature had beene dyable he could not have dyed Christ was made a mortall man whereby for a little while he was a little lower then the Angels but why to what end was he not at first made immortall but mortall It was to this end that he might be passive to suffer death for had he beene at first made immortall he could not have dyed We see him crowned with glory and honour Christ hath now an universall dominion over all not onely over this visible and present world and all the creatures here but also over the invisible and future world and all the creatures there which is a crowne or highest degree of glory and honour to him whereto he was exalted after his suffering of death And though it be most true that his suffering of death was the cause or occasion of his exaltation to glory for Paul expresly so affirmes it Phil. 2.8,9 Yet in this place the Author here intends not to speake of Christs death as the cause of his glory as appeares by the words here following For in what sence can it be said that Christ because he suffered death he was crowned with glory and honour that he should taste death for every man as if after his crowning with glory he suffered or were to suffer death But here his intent is to shew Christs death for the order of it that for time it was antecedent to his glory and his glory for time was consequent after his death We see him crowned We see him so by faith with the eyes of our soule and not by sence or the eyes of our body for we beleeve it from the pregnant testimonies of the holy Ghost in the Scriptures That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man To taste death is to dye for a little time as for a day or two as Christ did for when we take but a little of a thing then we are said to taste of it The final cause why Christ in nature was for a little while a little lower then the Angels was this That he might suffer death And the super-finall cause why he suffered death was this That his death might be propitious and salutiferous to men For the glory of God and the salvation of men required it that the Prince of salvation should taste of death to bring men to salvation yea God had so decreed Now that he might bring men to salvation by this meanes i. By suffering of death he must by nature be a mortall man and not an Angel because by nature Angels are immortall and naturally cannot dye And the efficient cause of both these subordinate finals
committing them to the care of Christ See John 6.39.40 and John 17.6,7 And by giving him power to give them eternall life Joh 17.2 For hee did predestinate them to be conformed to the image of Christ that Christ might be the first-borne among many brethren Rom. 8.29 And Christ and the faithfull are brethren in being signes and wonders For Christ was for a signe which should be spoken against Luke 2.34 And the Apostles were made a spectacle to the world unto angels and to men 1. Cor. 49. yet the faithfull are not the sonnes of God before they be given to Christ and beleeve in him for by faith they are made the sonnes of God But as soone as a man is given to Christ then hee becomes the son of God and unlesse he be so given he cannot be the son of God See John 6.44,45 14. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud After the Author had taught us the neere alliance of brotherhood betweene Christ and the faithfull he now shews what is the state and condition of the faithfull that from thence he might conclude that Christ also their Captaine and high Priest must needs have the like condition with them And so returnes to what he had said at the ninth verse before That Christ was made a little lower then the Angels expressing here the impulsive cause of that lownesse By flesh and bloud Here is understood an infirme fraile and ruinous nature and condition subject to divers evils even to death and corruption Of this nature and condition the faithfull who are Gods children are all partakers He also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same Therefore Christ also the Captaine and high Priest of the faithfull to whom he was so neerely allyed as to be their brother did himselfe also in the very same manner partake of the very same nature and condition of flesh and bloud to be as infirme fraile and ruinous as they subject to as many miseries as they even to death and corruption For he suffered death actually and was by nature subject to corruption yet he suffered not corruption actually for God by his power and by his grace rescued him from it and would not suffer his holy One to see corruption Acts 2.27 The summe of the Reasoning is Seeing Christ must be the Captaine and high Priest of mortall and fraile men therefore he must not be Angel but lower then the Angels even a mortall and fraile man like his brethren subject to divers sufferings even to death it selfe But the Incarnation of Christ cannot be concluded from these last words for then by the same reason the Incarnation of the faithfull or the rest of Gods children must needs be concluded from the former seeing Christ is said to partake of flesh and bloud likewise or in like manner with them But seeing the faithfull the rest of Gods children are not incarnate no more is Christ their Captaine and high Priest otherwise betweene Christ and the rest of Gods children there must be a great difference and unlikenesse in that wherein they are here concluded to be most semblant and alike namely in their partaking of flesh and bloud And granting the Incarnation here then from the death of Christ and his Resurrection following it the faithfull cannot take an example of their resurrection or immortality after death by death to be acquired and therefore by the death of Christ cannot be delivered from the feare of death as the Author inferres it in the verse next following That through death he might destroy the Devill The finall cause to what end Christ did partake of a mortall condition and of death it selfe whereby he was lower then the Angels is here expressed to be double whereof notwithstanding one end is dependent and consequent from the other The first is That by his death he might destroy the devill Christ by his death destroyes not the devill for his person for the devill by his person is an angell and therefore by nature indestructible incorruptible and immortall But Christ by his death destroyes the devill for his power he abolisheth and abrogates the kingdome and power that Satan hath in the world particularly his power of death and therefore he describes Satan by this circumlocution him that had the power of death The power of Satan consists in this that he detaines men mancipated to his command and enslaved at his beck most obsequious to commit any sinne from the yoake of which slavery they have of themselves no meanes to pull their necke This power is by an Hebraisme called the power of death i. a mortiferous or deadly power because Satan by sin brings men to death and that death is eternall to them Christ therefore suffered death that he might overthrow the tyranny of Satan breaking all his forces that he might take from this power of holding men in deadly bondage and deliver them from it For hence it is that we are said to be delivered from the power of Satan See Acts 26.18 and Col. 1.13 And it is by the death of Christ that Satan is said to be devested and spoiled of all his dominion and power See John 12.31,33 and Col. 2.15 Now the reason why Christ destroyes the deadly power of Satan by his death is Because Christ by his death hath obtained the supreame power over all things whereby he is enabled to master all his enemies whereof Satan is the head first breaking their forces and last utterly destroying them This way of destroying Satans deadly power if we respect the nature of the action though Christ might have done it without his death yet it was so ordered by the decree and counsell of God that it should not be effected but by the meanes of his death and that for the second end of his death which is expressed in the next verse following namely to deliver them who through feare of death c. 15. And deliver them who through feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage The second or subordinate end of Christs death is to vindicate men from a fearefull bondage This servitude or bondage is the feare of death and of eternall death or as it may bee feared to last eternally for as it is the manner of slaves to feare so feare it selfe is a fearefull slavery hence S. Paul termes it the spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 And they are subject to this slavery of feare not who stand in actuall fear but who are liable to fear or by right ought to fear Hence it plainly appeares that all they who fear death have no share in this deliverance or libertie by Christ but remaine in a grievous slavery And all they are forced to fear death and the eternitie of it who have not a sure hope of their Resurrection And how grievous this slavery or bondage of it is appeares from the duration of it in that it continues upon men all the time of their life No minute
example of Aarons calling As was Aaron Aaron did not of his owne accord intrude himselfe into the office of high Priesthood but being thereto enjoyned and commanded by God he accepted of it by way of obedience to him that enjoyned it For God first did choose Aaron and after him his eldest son and by proper Laws determined the rights of succession in this office which were alwayes observed while the state was administred by the Laws of God Hitherto he hath specified severall properties of the high Priest all which may be reduced to three heads The first is that he offer for sinnes and negotiate the cause of men with God to which this may be referred that he must be a man 2. That he must be mercifull and propense toward sinners whereto this belongs that he himselfe be compassed with infirmity and thereupon offer for his owne sinnes as well as for the peoples 3. That he must be called to this office of God himselfe Now in an order retrograde or reverse beginning with the last he demonstrates that all these agree with Christ Whence it followes that Christ hath a truly Priestly dignity which he received from God and is touched with singular compassion toward the afflicted and will afford his owne people not onely opportune helpe but eternall happinesse 5. So also Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an high Priest Hee begins now with the last property of the high Priest and shewes that it agrees with Christ because Christ did not arrogate to himselfe the honour of this office This he doth to no other end then thereby to shew that the Priesthood of Christ was true and lawfull and that Christ had not been a true Priest if he had assumed this office of himselfe and not been called of God to receive it If I saith Christ glorifie my selfe my glory is nothing it is my Father that glorifies mee By the like reason willing to assert the truth of his doctrine hee denies that he spake of himselfe but refers his doctrine to his Father and professeth that he received it from his Father thereby intimating that his doctrine had not been true had hee spoken it of himselfe That which the Author saith here of Christ is so much the more remarkable because the Priesthood which Christ sustaineth is of that nature that no man can possibly take it upon him no man can possibly have but he upon whom God collates it But some man under the Law might arrogate the legall Priesthood and some did arrogate it when their state was corrupt But this high Priesthood of Christ to minister eternally in the Sanctuary of heaven to have absolute power and authority to take away from us all punishments of our sinnes to succour and helpe us in our miseries to deliver us from death and translate us to eternall life for these are the functions of his high Priesthood no mortall man can challenge this Priesthood or usurpe it or execute the functions of it unlesse God himselfe qualifie and raise him to such high faculties Therefore also the Author speaking of Christ and his high Priesthood used the word glorified that Christ glorified not himselfe because the Priesthood of Christ is a most glorious office containing most glorious functions all tending to eternall glory Hence it is manifest that Christ is not supreme God for if he were so from whom else could he receive this glory but from himselfe But this the Author plainly denyes shewing that otherwise hee could not bee a true and lawfull high Priest and therefore he was not the supreme God And we will passe by this point also that the supreme God can no way bee a Priest But he that said unto him Thou art my Sonne to day have I begotten thee The Author saith not barely that Christ was made a high Priest by God but presently produceth Gods edicts wherein he ordained Christ to be a high Priest from whence it manifestly appears that Christ did not arrogate the Priesthood to himselfe but was ordained into it by God himselfe The first of these edicts is taken out of Psalme 2. The other Psal 110. That these words were spoken of God himselfe no man can bee ignorant but in these very words Christ is ordained high Priest whence it manifestly follows that hee tooke not this dignity from himselfe but received it of God Concerning the former of these testimonies we have spoken sufficiently chap. 1.5 We shall here note only three things 1. That the God who or dained Christ to be high Priest was the Father of Christ For the Father only hath power to call Christ by the name of his Sonne as in these words he did Whence it appeares that Christ in this place how great soever he be yea as he is the Sonne of God is opposed to God and it and of him it is denyed that he tooke the Priesthood to himselfe 2. That the Priestly office of Christ is not really distinguished from his Kingly because these words of the Psalme Thou art my Sonne to day have I begotten thee which as we saw in the first chap. treat of Christs Kingly dignity in regard whereof he is chiefly the Sonne of God are by the Author in this place applyed to his Priesthood Wee may further adde here That Christ performed not his Priestly office at least not perfectly at the time when hee suffered the death of the Crosse neither was his death a perfect oblation expiatory for these words of the Psalme are cleerly interpreted by St. Paul of his resurrection and glory Act. 13. and here above chap. 1. But Christ in his death was most deeply humbled and debased Whereas in these words of the Psalme he is declared the Sonne of God and withall became far more excellent then the Angels as appeares before chap. 1.4,5 But in respect of his death most especially he was much lesse then the Angels As Christ suffered death hee exercised not his Kingly office but only did that whereby he might attaine it but when hee administers his Priestly office he withall executes the parts of his Kingly function Wherefore hee did not execute it actually in his death but was thereby prepared to execute it 3. In those words of the Psalme Thou art my Sonne to day have I begotten thee there is no intimation of any generation or begetting of Christ from the essence of his Father before all worlds but of such a generation whereby Christ was ordained a high Priest of God and therefore of such a one as was done in time for Christ was not made our high Priest from all eternity but from a certaine time namely upon his Resurrection 6. As he saith also in another place The other testimony of Scripture shewing the decree of God taken Psal 110. Hee saith i. God saith Thou art a Priest for ever In this testimony there is expresse treating of Christs Priesthood Whence it appeares that it was also treated of in the former testimony seeing both
me of sin or if ye cannot do that but that my innocency acquits me from all crime why do yee reject me as an Impostor and a counterfeit and do not rather acknowledge my doctrine for truth Lastly the Bloud of Christ i. his cruell and infamous death which he suffered with such constancy that hee might assert his doctrine and especially that hee might testifie himselfe to bee Christ and the Sonne of God what possible suspicion can this leave of the least fraud or falshood For if Christ had beene conscious to himselfe of any fraud or falshood would hee have cast himselfe upon so infamous and fearfull a death and endure it with such patiency and constancy of minde If he had an intent to get himselfe a name by lyes and deceits would he have cast himselfe so freely uponextreame reproach and disgrace and get fame by no other meanes but by an infamous death for being condemned to the Crosse what could he else hope for if hee were an Impostor But if Christ were no way conscious to himselfe of any fraud or falshood but suffered death to assert his doctrine who sees not but he must needs be void of all offence For if his doctrine were false it must needs be fained of himselfe For he publiquely professed that he had seene the Father had received commands from him and was sent from him into the world that he was the Son of God and the King of Gods people which God had promised long before Now if these things were false how could Christ be ignorant of their falshood but if he knew them to be false whence could he have such a contempt of death for the asserting of them whence could he have such an invincible constancy and courage of minde Seeing therefore we have Jesus a surety of the new Covenant attested with so many documents of the truth shall we doubt to joyne our faith unto him to rest upon the hope of those heavenly blessings which he hath promised in this Covenant to cast off the yoke of sin and to give our name up to God and his righteousnesse Some man may marvaile why the Author treating of Christs Priesthood both before and after should suddenly call him the surety of the new Covenant and not the Priest of it Why did hee not say by so much was Iesus made a Priest of a better Testament For the whole context of the Chapter seemes to require this It is very credible that in the word surety the Priesthood of Christ is also understood For it is the part of a surety not onely to promise something in the name of another and to interpose his faith for another but also if the cause require to performe the thing he promised in anothers name and among men there is cause if the principall performe it not for whom the surety interposed but here it proceeds upon a contrary cause for the former cannot here take place namely because he for whom Christ interposed as a surety doth performe his promises to us by Christ himselfe in which action the Priesthood of Christ doth chiefly consist For Christ as he is a Priest doth now in heaven nothing more intentively then to performe Gods promises unto us i. he takes away all punishment of our sins he endowes us with Gods gifts and graces and at last translates us into heaven 23. And they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death Here he brings a new difference betweene Christ a Priest after the order of Melchisedec and the Priests after Aarons order and withall proves him far more excellent then they And this difference is that they were many but Christ was but one himself onely The reason of both is taken from the 16. and 17. verses because they were mortall and one being dead another must succeed but Christ is immortall and lives for ever 24. But this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood The Priesthood of Christ is said unchangeable because it is not transitory to change the person and passe from one to another for seeing he lives for ever and hath no successor therefore the Priesthood doth alwayes remaine in his person For because his person is unchangeable and continueth for ever therefore also his Priesthood is unchangeable and continueth for ever in his person 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost From the former verse he drawes this as a consectary wherein appeares a great difference betweene Christ and the legall priests and his great preheminence above them Namely that Christ is able to save for ever and at all times which none of them could doe To the uttermost in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the uttermost of time at all times and for ever for uttermost must be referred to the perfection or fulnesse of time and not of his saving For although the salvation it selfe which Christ our Priest brings unto us be in all points perfect and complete yet this in this place is not deduced from the former verse but the other onely So that to the uttermost is all one with continually and perpetually as appeares by the latter words of this verse wherein the Author shews the reason of this as we shall shew there Able to save This salvation in reference to Christ is in it self as we said most perfect and absolute For Christ saveth us as he takes away all the guilt and punishment of all our sinnes as he succours us in our infirmities from sinking under them and consequently from falling into punishment for our sinnes thereupon as he receives our soules into his hands which he restores us in due time invested with eternall glory and happinesse Whereof wee treated chap. 2. and 4. and 5. That come unto God by him Christ doth not save all men actually but them that come unto God by him To come unto God is to worship God and serve him with all our heart by offering sacrifices unto him as the Author speakes afterward chap. 13.15 Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God And to come to God by Christ is to worship God in confidence of Christ trusting upon him and in obedience of Christ following his Commandements and to worship him in worshipping of Christ by adoring praising and praying to Christ For he that doth this doth not so much worship and serve Christ as God himselfe by Christ Seeing hee ever liveth to make intercession for them In these words hee expresly addes the reason of the Consectary at the beginning of the verse Christ is able to save to the uttermost continually and perpetually because hee liveth to the uttermost continually and perpetually for he liveth ever Christ is said to make intercession by way of resemblance to the legall Priest who by entring and offering in the most holy place did make intercession So also Christ by his entrance into the heavenly tabernacle by his owne blood and by his
said where a Testament is there must needs bee the death of the Testator or at least as in leagues which in a manner resemble Testaments the death of some creature whereby the League is confirmed by him that makes it for till death intervene a Testament or League is of no force and strength which exception or rather which correction of his generall saying why it was not added here the cause hath been already shewed We may also answer the former objection thus That his reasoning here is comparative by way of similitude not explicitely but contractedly as is ofen used And the words are to be taken as if he had said as when a Testament is made the death of the Testator must needs accede because it must be animated by the death of the Testator for while the Testator lives the Testament lives not or is not in force So also when the new League or Testament was ordained his death must accede that made it and was in stead of the Testator that the Testament might be firme and of force For though Christ made not the new Testament as the Author or principall agent of it yet because hee was the Mediator and instrument of his Father to speed it in his Fathers name therefore he may be said to have made it for wee commonly attribute the same action both to the agent who is the prime cause of it and to the Instrument who is the means of it From hence it manifestly appears what force the bloud of Christ hath in procuring us remission of sinnes namely these two forces first that by it the New Testament was established or confirmed and secondly that thereupon he offered himselfe to God for us in heaven So that his bloud was confirmatory to settle the eternall inheritance upon us and expiatory to procure an eternall redemption of our sinnes whereof the former is handled in this verse the latter in those precedent Why Christ is called here the Testator we have before sufficiently reasoned namely because he was the maine witnesse to certifie the truth of the Testament by his death and because he was the maine party by whose death the Testament which till then lay dead became alive and valid to be of force and effect Yet here wee shall adde one reason more because it will serve wondrously to annimate our faith and love toward Christ and that is because the inheritance conveyed unto us by this New Testament is properly the inheritance of Christ for hee is the unigenit or only begotten Sonne of God and was ordained to be Lord and heire of all his Fathers estate and hath admitted us that will accept of it to be co-heires and fellow-partners with him in it and dyed as the Testator to settle the possession of it upon us Or to speake in the words of Paul He hath received us to the glory of God Rom. 15.7 And the words of Christ to his Disciples tend to this sense I appoâ—nt unto you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed unto mee Luke 22.29 17. For a testament is of force after men are dead This is the reason why the death of the testator must accede to the testament hee hath made because all the while the testator lives his testament is dead and of no force to give any possession to the heire of the inheritance and estate thereby to be conveyed but when the testator is dead then the testament takes life and becomes of force for then the heire hath an actuall right and power to enter upon the inheritance And therefore he addes Otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth These are the same words in effect with the former and are but a consequence from them by that rule of reasoning which we call conversion by contraposition For if a testament be of force when the testator is dead then it must needs follow that while the testator is not dead the testament is of no force Which kinde of reasoning is frequent in Scripture yet among many passages we shall instance but in this one and in this the rather because the texts of it are much obscured by Interpreters who labour to reconcile them as if they seemed opposite whereas no two texts can be more according for they are wholly equipollent and each consequent to the other Christ saith He that is not with me is against me Mat. 12.30 and he saith againe He that is not against us is for us or which is all one He that is not against me is with me Luke 9.50 This latter saying in Luke is so farre from being opposite or contrary to the former in Matthew that it is a most immediate and necessary consequence from it For if this saying be true as it is because the truth hath said it He that is not with Christ is against him Then this also from thence must needs follow for a truth He that is not against Christ is with him Because this latter saying is the conversion of the former by contraposition 18. Whereupon neither the first was dedicated without bloud What he had said before in generall of testaments now he declares in particular and proves by an example in the first or Old Testament and makes way for himselfe to apply the same unto Christ and to the New Testament established by him For because under the Old Testament it selfe was confirmed by bloud and because almost all things were cleansed by bloud at least sinnes could not be cleansed without shedding of bloud Therefore from hence he gathers by way of similitude that death and shedding of bloud must needs intervene under the New Testament that thereby both the Testament it selfe might be confirmed and our sinnes purged Was dedâ—cated The Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as Interpreters note is properly said when some solemne act is done whereby a new thing being perfected and finished begins to come in use So the Consecration of Solomons new Temple was called the Dedication of it and the Consecration of the new Altar erected by Judas Maccabeus was called the Dedication of it 1 Maccab. 4.56 And the annuall celebration of that dedication is called the feast of the dedication John 10.22 yet this word applied to leagues signifies nothing else but to confirme them And leagues are then confirmed when they are so ratified as thereby they have force and strength to become obligatory and binding to all parties therein interessed For the confirmation of a league is some solemne act done by the confederates or in their name whereby they mutually so binde their faith that it shall not bee lawfull for either party to rescinde or revoke the league And although there bee many formes of confirmation for leagues yet anciently the usuall forme was by bloud and that of the Old Testament was performed by the bloud of beasts Wherefore with good reason the Author saith that it was not dedicate or confirmed without bloud i. it began not to come
the foundation of the world Of this one of these two reasons may seeme to be given The first that the oblation of Christ should therefore be iterated that it might have so much the greater force in expiating mens sins But if the oblation of Christ have it force from number in the iteration and frequentation of it then it must have begun from the beginning of the world because the sooner it began the greater would be the number of his oblations and thereupon a greater force would result from them The other reason is that if Christ should often iterate his oblation he must do it in this regard after the likenesse of the Legall high Priest whereby to some it may seeme reason that Christ also should often offer himselfe But if we must respect a likenesse to the Legall Priest and from thence reckon the nature and number of Christs oblations then Christ must have made the beginning of his oblations from the beginning of the world For by this meanes there must arise a kinde of analogie and just proportion betweene the number of oblations of Christ and the Legall Priest For seeing the people were under the Law for the space of about fifteene hundred yeares it is an easie matter to reckon how often the Legall Priests offered for seeing they offered every yeare therefore it must needs follow that they offered about fifteene hundred times That therefore the offerings of Christ might in some just number be answerable to so great a multitude of Legall sacrifices must not Christ begin his offerings from the beginning of the world For though he should so often offer as the Legall Priest did according as the analogy required yet he must offer often and so often as there might be a just proportion betweene the iteration and frequentation of both their offerings But this proportion would not be if Christ should offer onely some certaine times though they were a hundred For he must iterate his offering by spaces or distances of time answering to a lesse number of offerings which distances must not be small but great and those set and equall as of old under the Law as imagine once in every severall age of man But if this were done must he not have begun from the beginning of the world and not now at last when the world declines toward an end For seeing this is the last age of the world wherein Christ appeared it is not likely that it shall last longer then the former But for so many offerings to be performed at spaces of time answerable as we have said it would scarce and nothing neere have beene enough to have begun at the beginning of the world The Author therefore doth beat downe the argument drawne from the multitude of the Legall offerings to conclude the frequency of Christ his offerings and shewes that if this resemblance or likenesse were to bee attended then of necessity it must follow that Christ must not only often suffer which of it selfe is absurd and inconvenient for men have but one death before Judgement and cannot die often as is declared in the following verse but also must have begun his sufferings and offerings from the beginning of the world The words since the foundation of the world are not necessarily to bee taken from the first Creation of the world but are onely opposed to the consummation or end of the world as appeares by the words immediatly following But this end of the world here doth not signifie the extreme and finall terme of the world nor yet some small space of time wherein the world must have an end but only the old age or last age of the world as opposed to her infancy and first age Wherefore also the foundation of the world in this place must be so extended as to signifie the infancy or first age of the world So Christ saith Luke 11.50 That the bloud of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world should be required of this generation Although the first bloud that was shed of the Prophets was done for the space of many yeers after the Creation of the world But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared Here the Authour removes the former consequent that was inconsequent and absurd by affronting it with the contrary and by inferring the contrary from the remotion of it Christ then did not begin his sufferings and offerings from the beginning of the world but now in the end of the world and therefore in the end of it hath he appeared and that once onely by one Sacrifice of himself The word appeared in this place may be taken either to signifie the appearance of Christ before God in his heavenly Sanctuary whereof the Author spake before verse 24. or to note his comming into this world to performe his office But there are chiefly two things that seeme to withstand the former sence First because these words may be better opposed to the words immediatly preceding then to those said in the former verse which latter notwithstanding the former sence of the word appeased requires For to the offering often to be made the appearance in heaven once made should be opposed But that it should be opposed to the words immediatly preceding it seemes both by the words in the end of the world manifestly opposed to those since the foundation of the world which goe immediatly before and also it seemes so by the manner of arguing which the Author here useth For as the thing it selfe declares he useth an Hypotheticall syllogisme whose proposition is in the words immediatly preceding and the assumption in these words for he argues from a remotion of the consequent which is this Christ must often suffer from the foundation of the world to the remotion of the antecedent that Christ must often offer himself And he removes that consequent by the position of the contrary as we said namely that Christ hath appeared once only in the end of the world to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himselfe Wherefore hee seemes to speak of that appearance which preceded both his suffering and offering namely of that appearance whereby Christ first manifested himselfe unto the world for the performance of his office upon earth whereby he began to be known to the world that appearance once made is rightly opposed to the suffering often to be made for as often as Christ must suffer so often hee must come into the world and appeare The other thing that seemes to withstand the former opinion is that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used by the Author is no where read for the appearance either of the legall Priest or of Christ before God to procure expiation but when it is absolutely spoken of any one as here it is it noteth nothing else but his manifestation among men But he saith that Christ hath appeared in the end of the world least any man should think that there
him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to feare the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to doe them That his heart be not lified up above his brethren and that he turne not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left All Gods Laws are his will for they are that will of God which God would have done hee therefore that doth Gods Laws he doth his will And seeing all the future Kings of his people were to doe Gods will as here it was writen of them therefore David also when he was become King was to doe the will of God as in this Chapter of Gods Booke it was written of him And therefore David againe was to write himselfe a copy of the Law in a booke he must read therein all the dayes of his life hee must keep all the words of it and not lift his heart above his brethren for in doing these things he did the will of God as it was written of him in a Chapter of the Law But some man may hereupon demand how shall this belong to Christ must he write out a booke of the Law of Moses and perpetually read in it and never depart from it The Answer is easie That for the mysticall sense we must not tye our selves to every single word but only to the breviat and sum of the matter that which is spoken properly of the type must be so applied to the antitype as the nature of the antitype requires The sum of the matter in this place is That the King of Gods people must be obedient to Gods will particularly to that will of God which God would have him to observe and consequently to that Law of God which God would have stand in force As long as the Law of Moses was in force so long the Kings over Gods people must observe that Law But that Law being by God abrogated no man is bound to observe it much lesse is the King of Gods people bound to it And a new Law being surrogated Gods people and their King must observe that new Law Wherefore the Law written in the Chapter of that booke must be so taken or understood of Christ as the nature of the thing will beare it and as the Majesty and divinity of Christ requires Many things are said of the shadow which the perfection of the body doth reject But we must further observe that the sence of the words in this Psalme may yet be further extended seeing in the Hebrew text to the sence whereof the Author might have more regard then to the Greek Translation it is simply said In the volume of the booke i. of the Law and although according to the Greek Translation we understand that Chapter of the Law which we cited in Deuteronomy yet that very Chapter hath reference to the whole Law of God or it referres the King to all the words and precepts of the Law which the King of Gods people was to exccute Wherefore in a mysticall sence we may understand all those things wherein Christ was to performe the will of God and particularly those that belong to his expiatory Sacrifice which here is the thing in hand Whence it is in a manner yet left doubtfull whether Christ said these words when hee came into this world or the world to come For if by this will of God wee understand nothing else but the sacrifice of Christ strictly and properly taken excluding his death from it then we must affirme that Christ said these things when he came into that future world But if we extend the sacrifice or offering of Christ more largely and include his death the necessary antecedent unto it as in this place it seemes wee must doe and as wee have before intimated that wee may not set aside the excellent and proper act of Christ himselfe pertaining to his offering and sacrifice most acceptable to God seeing he saith that he came to doe the will of God and that we know that Christ himselfe had also his part herein then the thing it selfe declares that these words must be attributed to Christ when he came into this world And it is no obstacle to this that both according to the Greek Translation and according to the literall sence of the Hebrew words we respect that place wherein the office of the King is described whence Christ as now made a King seemes to speake these things as David also did For besides that the Hebrew words of the Psalme are more large as wee have said and therefore especially in the literall sence may justly be more largely extended this also must be marked That Christ although he were not yet a King actually yet because he was for certaine to be one and ordained to a Kingdome by Gods immutable Decree hee might very well even then referre to himselfe the precept wherein the King of Gods people is commanded to do Gods will 8. Above when he said From the words of Christ the Author further inferres that the legall sacrifices and offerings were abrogated and in their place the sacrifice and offering of Christ was instituted And he shews this to be manifest from the very manner of Christs words and from the cleere opposition of the things therein specified Above i. in the first place when he spake of sacrifices and offerings to be rejected before he spake of his comming to doe the will of God Sacrifice and offering and burnt-offerings and offering for sin thou wouldst not neither hadst pleasure therein which are offered by the Law The words which are offered by the Law must be read as included in a parenthesis whereby the Author specifies that the legall sacrifices and offerings are abrogated because the sacrifices and offerings which Christ saith here that God would not have neither had any pleasure in them and therefore must be taken away are no other but the legal sacrifices which were instituted by the Law of Moses and were offered according to that Law 9. Then said he Christ after he had spoken the former words for the abrogation of the Legall sacrifices then hee added these that follow For these are the words of the Author relating the words of Christ Loe I come to doe thy will O God Because Gods will was to abrogate the Legall sacrifices therefore Christ comes to do that will and pleasure of God which God should surrogate in stead of the Legall sacrifices He taketh away the first that he may establish the second q.d. What is this else but to abrogate the former that he may establish the latter But that former thing was the Legall sacrifices which Christ abrogates the latter is the will of God which he establisheth 10. By the which will we are sanctified Here he shews what benefit we gaine by this will of God performed by Christ and establisheth in the place of the Legall sacrifices For it might be demanded
the Old Testament pertinent to his purpose or because he thought them not to be mentioned by reason of that sinne whereby they made themselves and their posterity subject unto death especially seeing in those Canonicall bookes we no where reade that God ever pardoned our first Parents for their sinne although the Author of the booke of Wisdome in the beginning of the tenth chapter affirmes That Wisdome preserved the first formed father of the world that was created alone and brought him out of his fall that is she freed him from the guilt and punishment of his sinne Therefore he begins with Abel their son placing him in the first place as the first person among those whose piety towards God and Gods love toward them is celebrated in Scripture and then shews what Abel obtained by his faith Of him therefore he saith That he offered a more excellent sacrifice then Cain Some render it a more bountifull sacrifice others a more valuable thinking the Author intended to note that Cain as an ungratefull and a distrustfull person offered onely a few fruits but Abel to testifie his affection and faith offered things of more value namely the firstlings and fattest of his sheepe But the more simple and certaine meaning is that Abels sacrifice was not more bountifull or more valuable of it selfe then the others but more acceptable unto God who accepted and esteemed it better and more excellent by reason of the righteousnesse and godlinesse of the person that offered it for upon that ground it is that God esteemes and values all offerings made unto him Now there was no other cause of that godlinesse and consequently of Gods acceptation of Abels sacrifice but onely Abels saith whereby he stood perswaded that God was and was a Rewarder of those that seeke him and sue to him for his favour by godlinesse and righteousnesse And there was no other cause of his faith but that he had in him the substance of things hoped for for his hope of Gods favour and of Gods reward did breed this faith of God in him Furthermore he whose offering God hath in esteeme his person must needs be in more esteeme with God for from this roote growes the true happinesse of every man But that Cain offered the fruits of the earth and Abel the firstlings of his cattell the reason was because Cain was an husbandman and Abel an heards-man So both of them offered their sacrifice to God out of that substance wherein each abounded And that the word sacrifice which properly signifies an offering from the Herd which is slaine should be tacitly referred to Cains offering which was onely of fruits this must be attributed to the runne of the comparison the fitting whereof doth many times make way to some abusions or improprieties By which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous The words by which are better referred to Abels faith then to his sacrifice for the following words and by it he being dead yet speaketh are in like manner referred to his faith for they expresse a peculiar fruit of it But where did Abel obtaine this testimony of his righteousnesse even in that passage of Scripture where God had respect to him and to his sacrifice but not to that which Cain offered as we reade it Gen. 4.4,5 or as the Author declares himselfe in the words following God testifying of his gifts For therein God testified of his gifts or offerings that they were acceptable unto him in that he had respect unto them And very probable it is that God shewed his testimony and acceptance thereof by some fire sent from heaven which consumed the sacrifice and offering of Abel And when God doth accept of a mans gifts and offerings being graciously pleased to receive them he doth thereby testifie and witnesse that man to be a righteous person seeing no gifts or offerings are acceptable to God but such as come from a righteous man for the sacrifice of fooles or sinners is an abomination to him And when God in his discourse with Cain rendred him a reason why he had no respect to his offering he shewed cleerely enough that both Cain did not well and that Abel did well which is to be just See Gen. 4.7 And by it be being dead yet speaketh Another fruit of Abels faith which was the cause that God would be an avenger of his innocent bloud to persecute and banish from his presence his brother that had murdered him Abels bloud is said to speake or cry unto God by way of metaphor because God thereby is vehemently incited and moved to take vengeance for the murder of a person that was righteous and acceptable to God as if his bloud had cried and sued to God for justice to be done upon the murtherer So in the Revelation the souls of them that were slaine for the word of God are said to cry with a loud voice How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth Revel 6.10 5. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him In the second place hee brings the Example of Enoch and sheweth what he obtained by his faith Into what place Enoch was translated the Scripture expresseth not but from what the Authour addes that he should not see death it appeares hee was translated into such a place wherein men see not death i. Are exempt and free from dying which seemes to be no other or at least no other knowne to us then that heavenly habitacle of Immortalitie wherein God and Christ and the holy Angels dwell But because the Scripture expresly saith not that Enoch obtained this favour by his faith therefore the Authour proves it by adding For before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God The reason may runne thus Enoch was translated because he pleased God which the thing it selfe shewes and the Scripture testifies that before his translation he pleased God But without faith it is impossible to please God therefore Enoch was translated by his faith The consequence of this argument shal be defended afterward Or rather the reason may thus be gathered Enoch was translated because he pleased God and because he pleased God therefore hee had Gods testimoniall of it And againe because hee pleased God therefore hee had in himselfe some substance of things hoped for and some evidence of things not seene and because hee had in him this substance and evidence of things hoped for and not seene therefore hee had faith and because he had faith therefore by his faith hee was translated For in affirmative arguments that which is first in nature is last in course of reason He had this testimony namely either from the holy Scripture or from the holy Ghost by whom the Scripture was indited But the giving or the taking of this testimony must not be joyned with the preceding words before his translation
better if it had beene an impossibility never to have beene borne So sometime we call them happy who were not borne in troublesome and sad times whereto also in a manner we may referre the words of Christ Behold the dayes are comming in the which they shall say Blessed are the barren and the wombes that never bare and the paps which never gave suck Luke 23.29 In like manner they who by their death have prevented some calamities by dying before they suffered under them are in that respect commonly called happy because they might have lived so long as to have suffered them And in this sence a Philosopher said That it was best for a man not to be borne and it was next to best to dye presently after he was borne Contrarily wee often call them unhappy who dyed before they had brought their state to some happy condition or lived not to see those happy times that immediately succeeded their death Therefore in the number of these non-entities they may be reckoned who though they were yet unborne yet might have beene borne Hence with very good reason as we may call those unhappy who shall never be borne but are intercepted by the end of the world and therefore shall never attaine that heavenly and eternall happinesse so much more are we happy and blessed who are already borne because by the providence and goodnesse of God the perfection of the godly is deferred to our times whereby there remaines to us a passage and entrance to it And to comprise the matter in a few words and answer briefly In that decree of God whereby he is said to have provided some better thing for us who were not yet borne then it would have beene if he had long since perfected the godly wee must be considered neither as already borne nor yet as to be borne after infinite ages to come but as they who might be borne while yet the end of the world was not for many ages to be deferred and Gods decree being passed must be borne Happy therefore we are by vertue of this Decree but otherwise wee should have beene unhappy Better for us that is for us that are Christians for this must not be restrained onely to the Hebrewes to whom this Epistle was written but must be extended to all men under the same covenant namely to all Christians Whence in a manner it appeares that the former examples of those who suffered such various afflictions belong to the Jews under the old Covenant and not to the Christians under the new God having provided Gods Decree is here signified For the thing here specified depends onely from the decree and ordinance of God as if he had said God having procured for to provide is to procure That they without us should not be made perfect How variously the Author useth the word perfecting in this Epistle may appeare from our former explications and here he takes it in a sence different from all the former He said in the last verse preceding that they received not the promises and now he iterates the very same thing and saith in other words they are not made perfect And therefore in this place to receive the promise and to be made perfect that is finally to attaine eternall blessednesse is all one thing And in this sence it seemes he used this word of Christ before chap. 5.9 where he opposed Christ being made perfect to Christ subject unto sufferings Now they who do receive that promise of eternall life and happinesse are fitly said to be perfected first because before they attaine it whether they are living or dead they are many wayes imperfect and secondly because when they have attained it they have filled up the measure of their happinesse and made it so absolute that it neither hath any defect neither can it receive any accesse but is for ever finished The Contents of the 11. Chapter are Notions The principles of Faith are two 1. Every subsistence of a thing hoped for is faith 2. Every sight of a thing unseene is faith ver 1. The necessity of faith is that without it it is impossible to please God ver 6. The chiefe points or specialties of faith are two 1. To beleeve that God is 2. To believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him v. 6. 1. Doctrine By faith we know the world was made by God v. 3. Reason Because in the things that are seene we have a sight of things unseene ibid. 2. Doctrine By faith the Patriarchs obtained a good report ver 2. Example As Abel Enoch and Noah Abraham Isaac and Jacob Moses Josua and Rahab c. Reason 1. Because they had a sight of things unseene which God had promised them 2. Because they had a subsistence of things hoped for for they hoped for the things promised 3. Doctrine The Patriarchs have not yet received the promise Reason Because God hath so provided that they without us should not be made perfect CHAPTER XII 1. WHerefore seeing we also He enters upon an exhortation to the Hebrewes to be constant in the faith especially not to be discouraged by reason of the afflictions which they suffered And this exhortation he inferres from the examples specified in the former Chapter and confirmes it with new arguments for their better encouragement We also q.d. Let not us shew out selves inferiour to them whose examples were formerly mentioned but let us also performe the same things which they did Are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses The Author addes this because it is of great force to stir us up unto the course and conflict of our faith And in this his exhortation he useth an elegant allegory drawne from the simily of a race which was a thing then much in use He brings us in as it were upon a spacious theater whereunto a multitude of spectators are collected which having filled all the seates and roomes doth encompasse the runners round about like a thick cloud and he makes us to be runners having the eyes of such a multitude of spectators upon us And as anciently such a multitude of spectators did adde courage to the runners and was a mighty spur unto them to contend for the victory so also to us so many witnesses who have themselves formerly laboured in the same race should adde courage that we might runne the race begun to the utmost of our strength and breath He calls them witnesses not only in allusion to the spectators at a race as wee said who are a kinde of witnesses of their activity that run but also and much rather because they testifie of God of his righteousnesse and goodnesse and all of them with one voice as it were say that God is and is a rewarder of them that seeke him and that he as the supreme depositary keeps the prize for them that run well that he is most faithfull in his promises and can even after death make them happy who
which the Apostle hath left written unto us Gal. 5.18 But if yee be lead by the Spirit yee are not under the Law Now the workds of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery fornication uncleannesse tasciviousnesse Idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkennesse revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith weeknesse temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts If we live in the Spirit let us also walke in the Spirit Now what can bee more cleare then that these words doe openly teach that all they who after they have received the faith of Christ doe follow the workes of the flesh and are not lead by the Spirit of God shall not inherit the Kingdome of God nor avoid eternall damnation And therefore if they will aspire to salvation they must with all speed lay aside their vices and bee effectually adorned with Christian virtues For in this place here the Author seems not to teach that men sinning wilfully after knowledge of the truth should have no hope at all lest of pardon and salvatoin but only that they have none till they actually put off their sinnes and qualifie themselves with such virtues as become Christians For unlesse they doe this he saith plainly that the sacrifice and offering of Christ will no way doe them good Seeing besides that one only sacrifice and offering of Christ there remaines no other to be expected as his words fully declare in that he saith there remaineth no more sacrifice q. d. besides that one only offering of Christ whereof we have treated hitherto there remaineth no other for them Whence further it seems that by these words all hope of conversion is not cut off to such as sinne wilfully after their knowledge of the faith but only all hope of pardon and salvation is so long cut off as they forsake not their sinfull courses and doe not the workes of true piety worthy of Christian repentance Although it is most true that some sinnes are so foule among which is Apostacie and such as have neare affinity with it whereof we spake Chap. 6. that if we looke into the nature of the New Covenant wee may well say that there is no hope of coversion from them because without the speciall mercy of God not comprehended in the Covenant the yoke of such sinnes cannot be loosed and cut off Sacrifice for sinnes is sacrifice whereby sinnes are expiated as appeares by the following verse whereto this sacrifice for sinnes is opposed a certaine fearfull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation Wherefore as in these last words punishment is signified so in the former is pardon intimated 27. But a certaine fearefull looking for of judgement Here he illustrates his former negation by an affirmation of the contrary To them who after knowledge of the faith sin wilfully there remaines no more sacrifice for their sins but there remaines for them a fearfull looking for of judgement Judgement is here as in many other places taken by a metonymy for punishment because by judgement punishment is decreed It is not necessary wee should take expectation or looking for properly here seeing men given to sinne if wee respect their minds and thoughts do for the most part expect or looke for nothing lesse then punishment and damnation Therefore such men are said to looke for judgement metaphorically because for certaine a judgement remaines unto them or metonymically because they ought to looke for it This expectation or looking for is called fearfull in regard of the object because the judgement or punishment looked for or remaining to them is for the greatnesse of it horrible and fearefull And fiery indignation In these words he expresseth what the fearefull judgement or punishment shall be that remaines to such as sin wilfully after their knowledge of the faith namely they shall be caught and devoured by an extreame hot fire whereinto God will cast them in his indignation There is no doubt but by these words is signified that last judgement or punishment which in the last judgement must be inflicted upon all evill-doers For wee know they shall be tormented with mighty flames of fire and destroyed for ever although we exclude not other punishments of God in this life which use to be the fore-runners of that horrible vengeance to come For of all punishments that by fire is most fearefull and horrible and therefore is used to signifie the most grievous and wrathfull punishments In the Sermons of the Prophets when there is speech of some grievous judgements or punishments of God many times fire is mentioned See Deut. 32.22 and Job 15.34 and Job 20.26 and Psal 11.7 and Psal 21.9 and Psal 78.21 and Psal 97.3 and Psal 140.10 and Isaiah 10.16 Isaiah 26.11 and Isaiah 30.33 The anger also or wrath of God is in Scripture called a fire and among other passages in the 12. chapter following God himselfe by reason of the wrath wherewith he burnes against the ungodly is called a consuming fire And in this place by fiery indignation which shall devoure the adversaries of God is understood the wrath of God Which shall devoure the adversaries The adversaries of God are they that alwayes were his enemies and never submitted unto him or they that having once submitted doe afterward rebell against him Such are they who constantly reject the Religion of Christ or having once received it afterward forsake it or receiving and retaining it doe not submit their soules to the precepts of it 28. He that despised Moses Law He confirmes his former assertion by a comparison of this case with the like under the Law To despise a Law is to oppose the being power and execution of the Law that it may be void and of no force or so to disobey it that he may overthrow it And he was said to despise Moses Law who did presumptuously violate any commandement of that Law for which the punishment of death was ordained without mercy And this was framed especially against them who despised the first precept of the Decalogue and revolted to the worship of false gods For the first Commandement is the foundation of all the rest and he that despiseth or opposeth it doth seeme thereby to overthrow the whole Law of God and to revolt from it Hence we may gather that among wilfull sinners as appeares by their description added in the verse following they hold the first ranke who revolt from Christ For they who forsake Christ the Son of God do also forsake God himselfe and manifestly offend against the fundamentall Law of the Christian Religion Died without mercy under two or three witnesses i. must dye or be put to
death for here is not considered what was done but what by the Law of Moses ought to be done 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy Here is the reddition of the former comparison which as the words themselves shew was drawne from the lesse to the more For it is a farre fowler offence to despise and reject the Son of God then Moses the Gospel then the Law Wherefore if to those who wilfully offended against Moses and the Law there was granted no pardon nor no place left for mercy much lesse must they hope it who despise the Son of God and much more are they to feare a more heavy judgement And therefore he can have no hope in the mercy of God that is found to be in so high an offence and in so wicked a state of life Who hath trodden under foote the Sonne of God They tread the Sonne of God under foote first who are obstinate enemies of the Gospel then Apostates who forsake the most holy Religion thereof either in their judgement and their profession or in their profession onely and after those who in profession adhere to the Son of God but in their lives and manners doe trample upon his holy ordinances and tread them under their feete And there is a great emphasis in the word treading underfeet for thereby is signified the most high contempt of the Son of God who is most worthy of all honour that the great wickednesse whereof such wretches are guilty may appeare more evidently And hath counted the bloud of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified and unholy thing He aggravates the wickednes of these men especially of Apostats who count the bloud of Christ a vulgar and common thing therefore unholy and profane For profane is opposed to holines especially to such holines which is in the bloud of the Sonne of God who being in his person most holy his bloud also must needs be holy Now they profane the bloud of Christ who either forsake Gods Covenant consecrated and hallowed by the bloud of Christ or else esteeme it not of that value as for his sake whose bloud it was to abolish their sins and afterward lead an holy life Wherewith he was sanctified Sactified here is not referred to Christ as he had beene sanctified with his owne blood but to the wicked sinner who by his Apostacy profanes that blood wherewith he was once sanctified For the bloud of Christ is so farre from being an unholy thing that it is most holy and so holy that thereby every man is sanctified or hallowed yea they themselves were thereby once sanctified who afterward through their foule ungodlinesse counted it unholy And we are said to be sanctified by the bloud of Christ because by it our sinnes are expiated through faith in Christ For they who receive the faith of Christ and so incorporated into the new Covenant they obtaine pardon of all their former sinnes by vertue of the Covenant and therefore also by vertue of that bloud wherewith the Covenant was establisted For an Impunitie wherein the remission of sins doth properly consist is here by attained in such a manner that they have not onely a right to it by vertue of the Covenant but doe actually enjoy it as long as they persist in the faith on condition their faith be lively and working by love because so long God doth neither really punish them unlesse it be by way of correction to further their salvation neither hath he any intention to punish or destroy them but rather ordains and orders them to eternall salvation by removing all obstacles that may hinder it if they be not wanting to themselves And all this depends upon the new Covenant and the bloud of Christ wherewith it is confirmed and established And therefore no Christian given to vices can have any hope from the bloud of Christ as long as hee changeth not his life and manners For that is most true which the Apostle hath written If wee walke in the light as hee is in the light wee have fellowship one with another and the bloud of Iesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth us from all sinne 1. John 1.7 Hence it appeares that wee are sanctified and cleansed by the bloud of Christ for the time to come yet upon this condition if for the time to come wee walke in the light as God is in the light i. If wee endeavour to bee like God in holinesse and righteousnesse persisting therein constantly to our lives end Yet the word Sanctifying in this place may signifie that separation of Christians from other men whereby through the knowledge of Gods truth they are sequestred from the profane and common sort of men and consecrated for the service of God For by the bloud of Christ wherewith the new Covenant is established men are moved to embrace Christian religion and receive it for the true And hath done despite unto the spirit of grace By the Spirit is understood that holy Spirit powred into the faithfull which is called the Spirit of grace because it is given by the singular grace and goodnes of God To this Spirit he doth despite whosoever rejecteth the Religion of Christ or esteemes it not so much as therefore to live holily according to the direction and suggestion of that Spirit For he gives not that credit to it that he ought and besides he doth in a manner as much as if he accounted it false 30. For we know him that hath said Vengeace belongeth unto me He confimes here what he said before of their fearfull punishments who wilfully runne into these sinnes Aud for this purpose hee citeth here the words of God Deut. 32.35 wherein God challengeth to himselfe recompence vengeance and judgement or professeth of himselfe that he will execute it Although God speake it there of vindicating his owne people and punishing those that oppressed them but the Author here applies them to that punishment which God himself will inflict upon his owne people if they rebell against God and Christ The meaning is that God will lay a heavy vengeance and judgement upon those that are rebellious and obstinate against the Sonne of God For we all know how great how powerfull and how terrible he is that hath reserved recompence and vengeance to himselfe Yet in these words Vengeance belongeth to me and I will recompence The intent is not so much to shew who the person is that hath this right to take vengeance as to leave it to our consideration how great and potent the person is who challengeth the execution of it to himselfe that hence it may appeare how grievous and how certaine the punishment of the wicked shall be Saith the Lord Here the person is expressed who challengeth to himselfe the execution of vengeance yet not so much for the designing of his person as for the notifying of his power that he is the Lord Jehovah the most high onely and Almighty God maker of