Abraham to make us diligent unto the assurance of hope for our diligence shall not be in vain These words with the former may imply at least distinct Reasons why we should labour for the full assurance of Hope unto the end 1. Because this assurance will be an Ancre to the Soul 2. It will be a sure and stedfast Ancre 3. It will be the more stedfast because it fastens within the Vail a sure ground 4. It fastens so much more strongly because it fastens there where our Fore-runner is entred yet because all this referrs to hope grounded on the Promise and Oath of God it may belong to the example of Abraham enlarged upon Lest we should be ignorant who this Fore-runner is he informs us that it is even Jesus made an High-Priest for ever after the Order of Melthisedec and so he returns and that in an excellent manner with much art to the principal intended subject of his Discourse formerly proposed and now rehearsed again as the Theme and Matter to be handled in the seventh Chapter following CHAP. VII Concerning the Excellency Perfection Immutability and perpetual continuance of Christ's Priest-hood § 1. THat the Reader may understand my Method it 's this 1. I will observe something by way of additions to my Exposition upon the former Chapters 2. Shew the Connexion of this with the former 3. Enter upon the Chapter it self The additions are these 1. That the Qualification described by the Apostle Chap. 6 4 5. from which some do and many may fall away is such as doth not reach that degree of Faith and other divine Vertues which is required in the Covenant upon which followeth the constant inhabitation of the Spirit as a constant spirit of Sanctisication Adoption Consolation For this donation of the Spirit and the effects thereof have a more immediate and firm connexion with eternal Life and the final Reward than any other inferiour degree of Grace 2. To minister constantly unto the persecuted Saints and suffer with them out of Faith in Christ and love unto the Brethren doth imply an higher Qualification than that which was described ver 4. 5. 3. Though these exercises and performances of Faith and Love do not in themselves merit or necessarily inferr the final Reward yet God will not forget them but certainly remember and reward them with an eternal Reward and in respect of this remembrance which God hath promised the final Reward doth necessarily follow 4. After that God had once given the Spirit of Adoption and accounts such as have received it as his Sons he is bound by his gracious Promise when it shall be requisite to chastise them to prevent their final ruine 5. In the example of Abraham the Apostle gives a Reason 1. Why he sware by himself which was because he could not swear by a greater 2. Why he confirmed the Promise with an Oath and it was to strengthen our hope of everlasting Glory whereof Christ hath taken possession for Himself and in our behalf § 2. The Connexion with the former to the observant Reader is clear enough For the words referr 1. Unto Chap. 5. ver 6 10. where he citeth the words of Psalm 110. 4. to prove the vocation of Christ unto his eternal Priest-hood 2. To Chap. 6 20 where he signisies that Christ as our Fore-runner was entred into Heaven where he was confirmed an everlasting Priest by Oath and so rehearseth the words of the Psalmist proposing them as the Theme and Subject of this seventh Chapter The digression comes in by a Parenthesis so that if it had been omitted yet the Apostle's discourse had been entire only the Repetition had been needless And though it be impertinent to the Subject proposed and intended yet it was very subservient to prepare their minds for the more attentive receiving of the Doctrine following § 3. To enter upon the Chapter it self we may observe therein 1. The Subject matter 2. The Scope 3. The Method The Subject matter is Priest-hood and especially the Priest-hood of Christ. The Scope is to shew the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood as far above all other Priest-hoods and particularly that of Aaron's The Method is General Particular In the general the Apostle speaks 1. Of the Priest-hood of Melchisedec from ver 1. to the 11. 2. Of the Priest-hood of Aaron from the 11th to the 20th 3. Of the Priest-hood of Christ from the 20th to the end The particular Method and Analysis is by divers Authors apprehended and declared diversly All agree 1. In the Subject which they determine to be the Priest-hood of Christ. 2. In the Scope which is to shew the excellency of Christ's Priesthood 3. In the manner how this excellency is set forth and that is not absolutely but by way of Comparison 4. That the comparison is not onely in quality that he was like Melchizedec but in quantity that he was more excellent than the Levitical Priests and this was one thing chiefly intended to represent unto the Hebrews who did so much honour the Priest-hood of Aaron the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood as far above Aaron's For the one was imperfect and could sanctify no man the other was perfect and could eternally save 5. That the Priest-hood of Melchizedec and Aaron here are spoken of onely in reference to Christ's Priest-hood 6. The things delivered by them are true though their several Methods are not so exactly consentaneous Junius makes the parts of the Chapter two the 1. Is concerning the Type Melchizedec 2. Concerning the Anti-type Christ. This is true though not accurate Yet he well observs three things 1. That this Chapter is rather concerning his Calling than his Ministry 2. That this Priest-hood is handled by way of Comparison 3. That the Proposition here handled is that of Psal. 110. 4. Dr. Gouge whose diligence and pains in the Explication of this Epistle are much to be commended doth much agree with Junius in the general For he observs that the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood is set out by way of Similitude Dissimilitude This implyes 1. That the Doctrine of Christ's Priest-hood is here delivered comparatively 2. That the Comparison is in quality yet the truth is that though the similitude and agreement and dissimilitude and disagreement in quality be necessarily presupposed yet it 's not principally intended For the intention of the Author is to demonstrate that Christ's Priest-hood was not only excellent but far more excellent than that of Aaron's because it was according to the Order of Melchizedec which was far above the Order of Aaron Where it 's further implyed that if Melchizedec as a Priest was but a Type and Christ the Anti-type then Christ was not onely more excellent than Aaron but than Melchizedec himself So that the Comparison is in quantity and the same not equal but unequal and the exceeding excellency was Christ's A Lapide taking the scope of the Apostle to be as it was to shew the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood
Scriptures of the Old Testament received by the Jews as Divine and from God the difficult Question is of whom that Psalm speaketh and whom he meaneth by man the Son of man so minded so visited by God so humbled so advanced Some will have it to be man in the day of his Creation some think it's man fallen some determine it to be man restored in Christ some are resolute that it is Christ himself as man Thus Cramerus Tarnovius and the Lutherans generally who bitterly inveigh against Calvin interpreting otherwise Calvin had his fellows followers Others tell us that it agrees to Man in the literal to Christ in the mystical sense others that there are two literal senses the one whereof agrees to Man the other which is the principal agrees to Christ. Vatablus seems to agree with this Cramerus teckons this amongst the prophetical Psalms The intention of the Psalmist is to praise God for his glorious works wherein he manifested his power wisdom and special mercy The works are not only those of Creation but of his special providence over Man and amongst those works of special providence that of restauration of Man by the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus Christ who is the principal subject of the Psalm according to the parts of it alledged in the New Testament where we find ver 2 6 8. applyed to Christ. Upon this ground Cramerus Tarnovius and others understand it only of Christ It 's true that some things here mentioned do agree to Man in the state of Creation yet the special care of Man in respect of his spiritual and eternal estate appears most of all in Christ to whom set at his right hand he subjected all things for this end That he might convert man and make him converted for ever blessed So that in the words alledged we may observe 1. God's special care of Man and his singular love towards him 2. The same manifested in a most glorious manner in the humiliation and exaltation of Christ. 3. The admiration or rather amazement at such a stupeâ—dious manifestation of such stupendious love All the works of God are in themselves excellent and wonderful but the work of Redemption by Christ is matter of greatest wonder and astonishment even to the Angels § 11. The Application follows where the Authour takes special notice of the last words cited out of the Psalm They are these Thou hast put all things in subjection under his Feet These are not the last words of the Psalm but of the words alledged out the Psalm These understood of Christ proves that which he intended That unto the Angels God hath not put in subjection the World to come but to some other even to Man that special Man whereof the Psalmist speaks Concerning these words he delivers two Propositions The first as a conclusion The second upon the By. The first as a conclusion is this That he left nothing that is not put under him this necessarily follows if God put all things under his Feet Therefore he is the Lord of the World to come and Angels are subjected as included in the word all That these words are understood of Christ and not of any other Man as Heinsius would have them to be is evident from 1 Cor. 15. 27. For he hath put all things under his Feet but when he saith All things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted who did put all things under him Where two things are observable as clear and evident 1. That it was Christ risen from the Dead and set at the right hand of God under whose Poet as his Foot-stool all things were put 2. That nothing is excepted as not put under but God who subdued all things unto him The second Proposition upon the By is But now we see not all things put under him The meaning whereof is that though God hath given him Dominion over all things and all things are subject to his Power yet he hath not as yet exerclsed his Power to destroy all Enemies and reduce all his People to subjection And this we shall never see till the last Saint be converted and Death the last Enemy destroyed which cannot be before the Resurrection whereby all his Servants and Vassals shall be made immortall and fully and for ever freed from Death Ver. 9. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels c. This is the second Application of those words of the Psalmist Thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels thou hast crowned him with Glory and Honour Which we find differently expounded translated read pointed Yet the matter is plain and it 's evident they speak of Christ and concerning Him deliver two things 1. His Humiliation 2. His Exaltation 1. His Humiliation in three things 1. That he was lower then the Angels 2. He suffered 3. He suffered Death for all men And the substance of the whole is That though in the state of his humiliation and mortality in respect of his suffering Death he was a little or a little while lower than the Angels yet he rose again and is now crowned with Glory and Honour at the right hand of God and made Lord of All. And there was a special reason why for a time he should be mortal and suffer Death even because that was the way unto Glory and the means of eternal deliverance determined by God Though all this be clear yet the place is wofully obscured and especially by Henisius whilst he tediously endeavours to make it more plain I will not trouble the Reader either with his pointing the words or his manner of rendring them or his exposition in all which he thinks Tâ—cla's Manuscript doth favour him which it doth not § 12. In these words these things are manifest 1. That the subject of them are the words of Psal. 8. 5. 2. That he applys them unto Christ. 3. That in them he observes the Humiliation and Exaltation of Christ. 4. Gives the reasons why Christ must first be humbled before he can be exalted and to shew this last is the scope of the Apostle in the rest of the Chapter unto the end It 's not to prove that Christ is Man as some do think nor to make a digression to speak of his Priest-hood as others tell us That he mentions some acts of Christ as a Priest and other things agreeing to him as Man and as a Priest or King it 's upon the By. In them we find three Propositions 1. That we see Christ for the suffering of Death Crowned with Glory and Honour 2. This Christ is he that was first made a little lower then the Angels 3. One end why Christ was made lower then the Angels was that by the Grace of God he might â—asto Death for every Man The meaning of the first Proposition is easy For it affirms 1. That Christ was Crowned with Glory and Honour 2. And that for suffering Death 3. They
that respect fit to represent and be a Type of Christ as our ever-living Priest But if he was translated and continued a Priest untill the moment of his translation then the representation is more full and lively yet this we find not clearly testified any where of him Some think That the Taxis or Order of his Priest-hood was of perpetual continuance and so it was in Christ the Antitype of whom it 's said He is a Priest for ever § 16. Besides all this the Apostle hath something more to say of the excellency of Melchisedec in respect of the Levitical Priests For it followeth Ver. 9. 10. And as I may so say Levi also who receiveth Tythes paid Tythes in Abraham For he was yet in the Loynes of his Father Abraham when Melchisedec met him THis is another agrument and in form is this He who so received Tythes that he did not give any is more excellent then him that so Tythes others that he Tythed himself But Melchisedec so Tythed Abraham that he was not Tythed by any Superiour Priest and the Levitical Priest did so Tythe his Brethren that himself was Tythed Therefore Melchisedec is the more excellent Priest The minor is proved ver 10. For Levi was then in the Loyns of Abraham when Melchisedec met him and tythed him and Levi in him The sum is Melchisedec Tythed Levi and in him the Levitical Priests therefore he was more excellent And because it was not proper but tropical to say that Levi paid Tythes and that to Melchisedec in Abraham therefore he abates somewhat in his expression by adding if I may so say For by a Trope he might so say though properly he could not because neither Levi nor any Priest of Levi did then actually but only virtually exist in his cause This so is true as that it must be rightly understood otherwise it may be an occasion of errour For Christ himself according to the Flesh was then in Abraham's Loynes yet Christ 1. Was not meerly Man 2. He was not to Descend of Abraham by natural propagation 3. He was in Abraham as the Anti-type of Melchisedec and so could not pay Tythes to him 4. He was to be advanced higher then Melchisedec was and rewarded with far greater priviledges yet none of these did agree to Levi or his Sacerdotal Posterity and so as paying Tythes in Abraham he was inferiour and of an inferiour Order of Priest-hood And here I might take occasion to observe that Parents and Children may be truly accounted as one person and this not only before they be born but in many cases after that they actually exist in themselves and by reason of this unity and identity the Children may be said to do or suffer what their Parents do and suffer and on the contrary § 17. Hitherto the Apostle hath described Melchisedec and set forth his greatness and excellency and now he proceeds to manifest the greatness and excellency of Christ the Antitype and of his Priest-hood as far more excellent then that of Aaron's which is the second part of this Chapter and this is the Coherence and Connexion And as the Theme of the former Discourse was Melchisedec the last word of Psal. 110. 4 So now he goes on to handle in the first place these words of that Text Another Priest after the Order of Melchisedec For though in them we do not read the word and Adjective Another yet it 's implyed because the place doth speak of Christ as another Priest distinct not only from Aaron but from Melchisedec So that the Doctrine or Proposition which he discourseth upon is That after Aaron and the Levitical Priest there must be another Priest after the Order of Melchisedec From this proposed he inferrs several conclusions of great moment concerning the insufficiency and mutation of the Levitical Priest-hood and the efficacy and sufficiency of Christ's Priest-hood And to ground this Discourse he presupposeth that the end of all legal Priest-hood instituted by God is perfection and then begins to argue in this manner Ver. 11. If therefore Perfection were by the Levitical Priest-hood for under it the People received the Law what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the Order of Melchisedec and not be called after the Order of Aaron VVHere we must note 1. That the words are Interrogative and imply that the hypothetical or connex Axiom is Negative and the negation is more vehement and peremptory For if perfection had been by that Priest-hood and that Law there was no further need of another Priest of another Order so far different from that of Aaron's That Priest-hood would have been sufficient and there had been no reason of alteration nor any necessity of a Priest of another Order 2. These words A Priest after the Order of Melchisedec are found in this 11th ver by was of supposition and afterward repeated more fully and expresly out of the Psalm and enlarged upon 3. He gives a reason 1. Why there must be another Priest of another Order 2. Why this other Priest must be constituted in a more perfect manner then the former was And the reason of both is from the insufficiency of the Levitical Priest and the sufficiency of Christ's Priest-hood 4. He joyns both the former and the latter Priest-hoods and the several and distinct Laws according to which being made they must minister 5. From the words of the Psalmist he 1. In this verse inferrs the imperfection both of the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law And 2. In ver 12. the alteration of the Priest-hood and the Law 6. In this Text ver 11. the Apostle's argument in form is this If Perfection were by the Levitical Priest-hood under which they received the Law then there was no farther need that another Priest should rise after the Order of Melchisedec and not called after the Order of Aaron But another Priest after the Order of Melchisedec and not of Aaron must rise Therefore there is no perfection by the Levitical Priest-hood or the Law The consequence presupposing perfection to be the end of Priest-hood and that God doth nothing needless and in vain and that the bringing in of another Priest and Priest-hood is clear and undoubtful The assumption he proves from the words of the Psalm which positively affirms That there shall and must be another Priest after the Order of Melchisedec For if they be the words of God by his Spirit inspiring David the Jews acknowledging the divine authority of the Book of Psalms could not deny it For the words of the Psalmist being the words of God must needs be true yet the words of the assumption are not expresly and wholly found in the Psalm but implyed consequentially For if God constitute another Priest after the Order of Melchisedec and signifies his Will to do so then necessarily it follows that there is further need of such a Priest 7. This Syllogism is Compound and to be referred to the second Connex which
takes away the Consequent to take away the Antecedent If we resolve this Text into simple absolute Propositions They are these 1. There is no Perfection by the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law 2. There is further need of another Priest 3. This other Priest is after the Order of Melchisedec 4. He is not called after the Order of Aaron The first Proposition presupposeth perfection to be the end of Priest-hood and the Laws of God Where we must understand what is meant by perfection in this place perfection is expiation justification sanctification consecration as may appear Hebr. 10. 1 2 4 10 14. For to perfect sinful man is to free him from Sin and the consequents thereof so as to make him righteous holy and capable of eternal happiness in a near Communion with God And here we may take notice of the errour of Crellius who takes expiation for remission and sanctification without any satisfaction Whereas it 's evident that both in the Scriptures and especially in this Epistle it signifies to pacify and propitiate by Blood and something offered to God without which there is no justification and sanctification And this is evident from Chap. 10. 10. where it 's said We are sanctified through the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ. And ver 14. For by one Offering he hath perfected or rather consecrated the Sanctified for ever In both which places it's evident that there must be 1. An Offering or Sacrifice to propitiate God offended 2. That Sanctification and Consecration are by this Propitiation and no ways without it This perfection is the end of Priest-hood and Law For Priest-hood was ordained and with the Priest-hood Laws were made to avert the Wrath of God to procure his favour and to be means conducing to sinful man's Salvation and eternal Happiness and that Priest-hood and that Law which cannot do these things nor reach this end is insufficient and can save no sinful man nor give him hope of Life This perfection is denied to the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law for the Levitical Priest could offer no Sacrifice that could expiate Sin or propitiate God offended or purge the Conscience from dead works Neither could the Law do any such thing as is plainly asserted ver 19. and Chap. 10. 1 2 3 4. And here we must enquire 1. What is here meant by the Law 2. What is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under which 3. Why this clause is added and inserted 1. Some will have this Law to be the Law of the Constitution of the Levitical Priest-hood others will have it to be the rule of their administration others will have it to be the Law of Worship Service and Obedience of the People with the Promises and Comminations and the simple word Law in this place included in the compound Verb may signifie all these Thus understood it 's opposed to the Promise made to Abraham and to the Gospel and the Jews sought Righteousness and Life by this Law and the Ministery of the Levitical Priest-hood and were confident of Salvation This was their great errour 2. By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translatours turn under it that is under the Levitical Priest-hood some understand with it and about the same time the people received or were subjected to the Law Junius translates it and Vatablus expounds it differently from the rest in this manner For it that is for Sanctification the people received the Priest-hood or the Law of Priest-hood and so referr the Relative It not to Priest-hood but to perfection or sanctification and with them the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in this place not under but for Crellius seems to agree with them in part but not fully for he referrs the Relative as others do to the word Priest-hood and so will have it rendred That the people received the Law of or touching or concerning the Priest-hood that is the Law of Priest-hood yet according to the use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Septuagint the place may be rendred thus For under or by the Priest-hood the People were directed or ordered For with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to guide order direct yet because the Apostle puts a plain difference between the Priest-hood and the Law and makes the one depend upon the other and joyns them inseparably and this in the very next Verse therefore the first sense is the best that with the Priest-hood and about the time of the Institution the People received the Law But thirdly Why is this Clause added and inserted It was inserted to inform us in general 1. That there is no Priest-hood especially instituted by God without a Law and Covenant 2. That this Priest-hood was not without a Law and that Law and Covenant was the same which God made with their Fathers in the Wilderness 3. That as the Law is such is the Priest-hood for as they cannot be separated but depend one upon another so the one cannot exceed or excell one another Every Covenant of God hath a Mediator and as the Covenant is better and established upon better Promises so the Mediator or Priest is more excellent For the end of the Priest is by his Ministration to avert the Wrath of God to make Reconciliation for the People and procure the Blessings promised in the Law and Covenant and no other therefore the Levitical Priest-hood could not so officiate or minister as to procure any Blessings but such as the Law or God in the Law did promise nor turn away any Judgments but such as it did threaten And this seems to be the special Reason why these words were added to signify that as there was no perfection by the Priest-hood so neither could there be by the Law and that because there could be no Expiation and Sanctification spiritual and eternal by the Law therefore there could be none by the Priest-hood The sum of all this is That there is no Expiation Remission and eternal Happiness by the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law And whereas the Hebrews or others might demand Why then did God institute that Priest-hood and give that Law if there be no perfection by either of them severally or both joyntly Doth God any thing in vain The Answer is That both the Priest-hood and the Law were indeed from God and he can do nothing in vain neither did he ordain the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law in vain For they were sufficient for that end he intended them But that was not spiritual and eternal Sanctification or the Confirmation of the eternal Covenant but a legal Consecration and Confirmation of that Covenant which was to continue onely for a time And as the Law had but the shadow of far better things to come so the Priest-hood was but a Type of a far better Priest-hood to which this was subordinate For as the Law was but a School-Master to Christ so it may be said of the Priest-hood that it did but lead
unto is To consider Christ the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession and to presevere in his Doctrine ver 1. 2. The Reasons by which he presseth the performance of this Duty are 1. Christ was not only faithful in his Trust as Moses was but also far greater then Moses in two respects For 1. Moses was but part in the House builded Christ was the Builder of all things and especially of the Church ver 3 4. 2. Moses was but a Servant in that House Christ was the Lord and Owner ver 5 6. 2. If they persevere in his Doctrine and the Faith they shall be his House of Glory wherein God shall for ever dwell and make them fully blessed ver 7. 3. If they that disobeyed and hardned their hearts against Mose's Doctrine fell in the Wilderness and by a peremprory Oath were shut out of God's Rest much more shall they disobeying the Gospel and falling from the Faith be shut out of God's eternal Rest in Heaven In this Reason we must consider 1. That it 's taken out of Psal. 95. the words whereof are recired ver 7 8 9 10 11. 2. That from these words applied unto them he dehorts them from Unbelief and Apostacy and exhorts them to use all means of perseverance that so he might be partakers of that eternal Rest which Christ had merited for them ver 12 13 14 15. 3. He wisheth them to take special notice of such as did and such as did not enter into God's Rest and what was the cause of the exclusion of those whom God destroyed in the Wilderness and would not suffer to enter into Canaan and that was Unbelief ver 16 17 18 19. CHAP. IV. VVHerein the Discourse upon the words of the Psalm is continued and application made by way of Exhortation And 1. The Duty exhorted unto is To be obedient and mix the word with Faith ver 1. 2. The Reasons are 1. They are partakers of the heavenly Call and the Gospel was preached unto Them as well as to their Fathers 2. They not mixing the Word with Faith but being disobedient to the heavenly Call did not enter but came short ver 2. 3. They which do believe do enter into God's Rest ver 3. And here lest they should be ignorant what Rest of God is meant and to be expected he informs them of a three-fold Rest of God 1. His Rest of Creation 2. His Rest which he promised in the Land of Canaan to their Fathers 3. His spiritual and eternal Rest promised in the Gospel It was not the first ver 3 4. For after this he speaketh of another Rest ver 5. It was not the second into which many of their Fathers because of unbelief did not enter and after this he limitteth another Time and Rest which had never been mentioned if Joshua who brought their Fathers into the Land of Canaan had brought them into This ver 6 7 8. It 's a spiritual and eternal Rest in Heaven which remaineth for the People of God and is to be enjoyed when they cease from all their works of Obedience and Sufferings as God did from his when he had finished the work of Creation ver 9 10. 4. If they do not persevere they may fall after the example of their unbelieving Ancestors and lest they should presume or be secure he lets them know that Christ by the piercing Word of the Gospel will discover their inward and most secret sins and will be a severe and impartial Judg ver 11 12 13. 5. The same great Prophet who hath called us by the Word of the Gospel is our High Priest very sensible of our infirmities and entred into Heaven the eternal Rest of God in our behalf and if we wanting strength do come boldly by him before the Throne of Grace we shall obtain help in due season when we have greatest need ver 14 15 16. CHAP. V. VVHerein after the discourse of the excellency of Christ's prophetical Office he begins to speak of his Priest-hood And 1. Delivers the Doctrine thereof from this Chapter to ver 19 of the 10th 2. Applies the same and continues the Application from the 19th verse of the 10th Chapter unto the latter end of the last The scope of the Apostle in the Doctrine is To demonstrate the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood in respect of 1. The Constitution from the beginning of this Chapter to the 8th 2. The Ministration from the beginning of the 8th to the middle of the 10th In this Chapter we have 1. A Discourse of Priest-hood 2. A Digression begun in the latter end of this Chapter and continued in the 6th 1. The Discourse is 1. Concerning a Priest in general 2. Concerning Aaron 3. Concerning Christ. 1. An High Priest in general is described 1. From his Vocation He is taken from amongst men and ordained ver 1. 2. From his Ministration He must offer Gifts and Sacrifices for sins Ibid. 3. From his Qualification He must be merciful and compassionate ver 2 3. 2. Vocation which consists in Election and Ordination is not from Man but God for no Priest-hood can be efficiently conducing to Man's spiritual good except it be instituted from Heaven as Aaron's was ver 4. 3. Therefore Christ did not usurp his Sacerdotall Power but he had his Vocation Confirmation Consecration from God 1. His Vocation he finds Psal. 2. in these words Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee by which upon his Resurrection he was made and constituted King and Priest ver 5. 2. His Confirmation he reads Psal. 110. 4. I have sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec ver 6. 3. His Consecration which tended to his fuller Constitution was finished in his Agony and Death upon the Cross by which he became the Author of eternal Life to as many as obey him ver 7 8 9. Thus far the Author's Discourse of Priest-hood which is closed up with the Repetition of the words of Confirmation 1. Because the Confirmation followed the Consecration 2. From the same the Apostle takes occasion to make the Digression which followeth And therein he reproves them of their Ignorance contracted by their negligence which was such that whereas for the time they might have been more and apt to able teach others yet were Babes had need to be taught again the first Principles and were uncaple of the Doctrine which he intended to deliver concerning the Priest-hood of Christ ver 11 12 13 14. CHAP. VI. VVHerein 1. The Digression is continued 2. The principal Subject resumed ver 20. In the Digression we have 1. His Resolution 2. An Exhortation In the Resolution 1. The Thing Resolved upon 2. The Reasons of his Resolution The thing resolved upon is expressed 1. Negatively Not to go back and lay the Foundation 2. Affirmatively To go on with his intended Discourse ver 1 2 3. The Reasons are 1. If any of them after a clear conviction and considerable
is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Jer. 17. 9. Of this heart and these motions it 's said That the Word of God is the discerner For this Law must needs discern them otherwise it could not discover the pravity and rectitude of them as it must do if it will be a perfect Rule of Judgment The word discerner may signify a perfect judicial knowledg To understand this the better you must observe 1. That when it 's said the Word or the Law is a discerner it 's meant that God in his Word discovers and distinguisheth these 2. That in Judgment he will as clearly discern all moral acts and operations of the Soul as agreeable or disagreeable to this Law and will judge the party accordingly 3. That he by execution will make this Word effectual to the eternal confusion of disobedient and rebellious Wretches And lest any should think that something might be concealed from the Judge it 's added Ver. 13. Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sighâ— but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with wâ— on we have to do THis place informs Us of the perfect knowledg of God as He is Judge without which his Judgment cannot be just and perfect It presupposeth that perfection and attribute of God's understanding whereby he fully and clearly knoweth himself and all things else In this place it 's an exercise of that perfection restrained to things created and especially to matters of Judgment as all Persons and Causes of Men to whom the Gospel is made known as to be judged by him Where we may observe 1. The object all and every thing For it 's said not any thing and all things 2. The manifestation and clear representation of all in general and every thing in particular For there is not any Creature that is not manifest and all things are naked and open We need not here stand upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned here opened For in it there is a Metonymy and a Metaphor whether the Metaphor be taken from a body laid upon the back or flead and excoriated or divided through the back-bone it all comes to one for it signifies some thing made manifest 3. They are thus manifest in his sight naked and opened to him Which implies two things 1. That they are manifest naked opened that is very clearly most evidently and fully discovered to him 2. That if they be so clearly and fully manifest in his sight and to his eyes he must needs know them fully and clearly The sum of this is that God knows all things fully and clearly and therefore cannot be ignorant of any Man or any thing in any Man who must have to do with him that is be judged by him This is the matter of this Text considered in it self and is the same with that of the Prophet I the Lord search the Heart and try the Reins even to give every Man according to his â—ays and the fruit of his doings Jer. 17. 10. The force of it as a reason is this That seeing we must be judged according to a just Law by a most exact impartial and all-knowing Judge it concerns us much to labour and use all means to persevere For if we neglect this work or perform it sleightly or secretly in our deceitful hearts turn away and depart from God he will one day summon 〈◊〉 to Judgment we must appear before his Tribunal he will fully and clearly discover the persidiousness of our hearts shut us out of his eternal Rest and cast us into everlasting Flames and though now we will not believe it yet then we shall find it to our woe what a fearful thing it is to â—isobey the Laws of this most Just All-knowing and Almighty God Men now do little regard the Word of God and his Commands Promises Threatnings fear not to transgress his decrees seldom seriously think of that Day when all their baseness and treachery shall be discovered to their everlasting shame confusion and destruction This will be the end of such as do not consider with whom they have to do § 7. The third Reason is from the Priest-hood of Christ For Chap. 3. ver 1. we are exhorted to consider the Apostle and the High-Priest of our Profession He hath formerly pressed the duty of perseverance upon the consideration of his Apostleship and prophetical excellency and here urgeth it again upon the consideration of his Priest-hood This is the first connexion of these words with ver 1. of the third Chapter Again he seemed in the two former Reasons taken from the sad consequent of Apostacy and the severity of the Judge to set before them the Arduum or difficulty of the performance and in these words the possibile that though it be difficult yet it may be done by means of our great High-Priest The former arguments tended to work fear this to cause hope the former well considered might make them careful and diligent this last might encourage and give them comfort This is the second Coherence with the Text immediately antecedent But the words must be considered in themselves before we can understand the force of the Reason contained in them For this end we must take notice that the subject matter of them is the Priest-hood of Christ or Christ our great High-Priest Jesus the Son of God And concerning this High-Priest He 1. Affirmeth some things 2. From the things affirmed inferrs the main Conclusion He affirms of him 1. That he is entred into Heaven 2. Is very merciful to us and compassionate 3. Will prove very helpful The conclusion inferred is To hold fast our Profession Seeing Christ as Priest is the subject of the Text and this last part of the Chapter let 's hear what he writes Ver. 14. Seeing then that we have a great High-Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Where we may observe 1. The eminency of the person 2. The excellency of his Office 3. His Relation to us THe person is Jesus of Nazareth the Son of the Virgin Mary conceived at Nazareth born at Bethlehem and Crucified at Jerusalem This Jesus is Son of God not only because of his supernatural Conception and Birth but his eternal Generation For that Word which was from everlasting and by which the World was made was made Flesh and did assume that humane Nature conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary and possesseth the same inseparably and eternally This is the eminency of the Person who is Superiour to all Men and Angels The excellency of his Office is that he was a Priest and not only so but an High-Priest as Aaron was above other Priests and President in all matters of Divine Worship and might perform some sacerdotal Acts which none but he might do Many High-Priests were of that Dignity that they were equal with Kings But he was not only High-Priest but
above that of Aaron's finds seven Arguments in this Chapter to prove it The first three are taken from the excellency of Melchizedec's Priest-hood the fourth from the Imperfection of the Levitical Order the fifth from the Confirmation of Christ's Priest-hood by the Oath of God the sixth from Christ's Immortality the last from the excellent vertue of Christ's Sacrifice And he well observs that the Apostle in this Discourse doth urge and urge again and very much insist upon these words of the Psalmist I have sworn Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec § 4. But if we well consider the whole Chapter till we come to the Conclusion it 's nothing but a Discourse upon those words And he begins with the last word Melchizedec then he proceeds to another a Priest after the Order of Melchizedec which was Christ then to the words I have sworn and will not repent lastly to those Then art a Priest for ever And if you observe not this you shall hardly ever find the genuine Order of the Apostle's Discourse And the Text of the Psalm is excellently handled by way of Explication and Illation or drawing Conclusions from it The first part therefore from the first Verse to the eleventh is concerning Melchizedec declaring out of Gen. 14. who he was and that he was not only a King but a Priest and that his Priest-hood was more perfect and excellent than that of Aaron's The second part from Ver. 11. to the 19th infers from this that there must be another Priest not of the Order of Aaron but of Melchizedec that the Levitical Priest-hood must be abolished because it could sanctify no man or give him hope of everlasting life for this Sanctification and Perfection must be by another Priest which the Spirit signifies even whilst the Order of Aaron was in force must be of another Order and of another Tribe The third part from Ver. 19. to the 23. takes notice of those words I have sworn and will not repent and thence infers that seeing he was made and confirmed a Priest by oath and the Levitical Priest was not therefore was he the Surety of a better Covenant The fourth part from Ver. 23. to the 26. infers not onely the difference of Mortality and Immortality between the Priests of the Law and of Christ but also from his Immortality and eternal Priest-hood his ability to save for ever such as come to God by him In the last part from Ver. 26. to the end he seems to infer the eternal vertue of Christs Sacrifice from his innocency and holiness which was such as he had no Infirmity This last doth not appear in the Text either as expressed or deducible from it yet it may well be presupposed because the party to whom this Priesthood was thus confirmed by Oath could not be any man that had sins and infirmities of his own but was the Son of God who as Man never knew any sin This Discourse is to be understood of the Constitution and Confirmation not the Ministration of Christ's Priest-hood and in the very words of Confirmation the Apostle observs four clear and evident Arguments of the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood above that of Aaron's and a fifth implyed or presupposed § 5. The first part is concerning Melchizedec upon the Explication of which Word the Knowledge of the whole Proposition doth depend and in it we have 1. A Description of this Melchizedec from Ver. 1. to the 4. 2. His greatness and excellency inferred from this Description from Ver. 4. to the 11th The whole may be reduced to two Propositions The first whereof declareth who he was The second how great he was In the Description which is taken from Gen. 14. 18 19 20. we may observe 1. His Offices 2. The Acts of his Priestly Office 3. The Interpretation of his Name and the place of his Residence 4. The perpetuity of his Sacerdotal Office 1. His Offices were two 1. His Regal for he was King of Salem 2. His Sacerdotal he was Priest of the most High God The Acts of his Priest-hood are two 1. His blessing 2. Tything of Abraham The Interpretation of his Name informs us that he was King of Righteousness Peace The Perpetuity of his Priest-hood is signified in that he had no Predecessor from whom nor Successour to whom he might derive his Priest-hood His Offices and Acts of his Priest-hood are expressed in the Text of Moses the Interpretation is taken from the signification of the words whereof his Name is composed and from the signification of Salem The perpetuity is concluded from the reticency and silence of the Text This was the onely place in the Scriptures of the Old Testament where any mention is made of this Person before that of Psal. 110. 4. The first part in the Description informs us of his Offices that he was 1. King of Salem 2. Priest of the most High God Who this Melchizedec was is much doubted whether he was God Angel or Man For some affirm that he was the Spirit of God some that he was an Angel some that he was a Man And of such as affirm him to be Man many think him to be Shem who was certainly living at that time Others deny it and bring strong Arguments for the Negative and it 's very likely if not certain it was not Shem whose Genealogy and Descent is evidently and expresly delivered in Scripture and there can be no Reason why he should change his Name and take another It 's certain he was a Person that lived in Salem in the Land of Canaan at that time that Abraham sojourned there and lived at Mamre The word King as distinct from that of Priest doth imply his Civil Power And because Civil Power of Government may be in one or more it signifies the Civil Power in one yet this Civil Power may be in one either despotically in an absolute or arbitrary way or limited And whether this Power be in one by commission and trust or without commission and whether it be greater or less we find that any eminent single Person that had Power to command others in Scripture is called a King What kind of Power Civil this Melchizedec had over his Subjects we do not read neither need we trouble our selves That he was a King and had Civil Power such as the other petty Kings of Canaan had need not to be doubted The place whereof he was King is expressed to be Salem which might be either the City of his residence or his Territory belonging to that City or both This Salem in all probability was that place which was called Jerusalem in after times for so we find it called Joshua 10. 1. and the Name of the King then wa◠Adonizedec which is the same Name with that of Melchizedec for both signify a Prince of Governour call him King or Lord of Righteousness that is a righteous Prince or Governour And some tell us 1. That the first
King of Righteousness and after that also King of Salem which is King of Peace MElech and so Melchi in Hebrew signifies King Prince or Governour and such is being one person is eminent in Power above the rest Zedeck is Righteousness in that Language This name agrees with Adonizedeck of Adon or Adoni Lord and Zedeck Righteousness as before This Name did truly agree unto this Person and he did answer to his Name He was a just King and did Order and Govern his People in Righteousness by just Judgment and according to just Laws and sought their weal and common good Such all Civil Governours should be for justice is essential to good Government and God never gave any power to any person but bound him to Righteousness nay further governing Power is no Power without wisdom and justice it may be potâ—ntia but not potestas Some Princes are more righteous then other yet this man was eminently righteous because he proved a Prince of Peace For the Fruit of Righteousness is Peace and the more wise and just the Government of any State shall be the greater the Peace and Happiness of the People But Righteousness must go before and after that Peace will follow and Kings must first be Kings of Zedeck before they can be Kings of Salem If the Kings of Sodom had been such they had not been invaded subdued and spoiled by a forraign Enemy The words seem to imply that Zedeck and Salem were two places from whence he had his Name and Title first from the one then from the other or that because he was so just first he was called the King of Righteousness and after that because by his just Government the People enjoyed so great Peace He was called King of Salem § 9. The fourth and last particular is the perpetuity of his Priest-hood For thus it 's written Ver. 3. Without Father without Mother without Descent having neither beginning of Dayes nor end of Life but made like unto the Son of God abideth continually a Priest FOR the better understanding of these words we must consider 1. That if Melchisedec was a man living in Abraham's Dayes he had both Father and Mother and Descent and beginning of Dayes and end too except he as Enoch was translated not to see Death otherwise these words properly understood and strictly taken might justly give occasion to think he was an Angel in humane shape which was the opinion of some 2. Therefore for the most part the words are understood Tropically to this purpose That as he is described Gen. 14. the first and only place of the Old Testament that speaks more largely of him Moses the Historian makes no mention of his Father or Mother or Descent or Birth or Death And he was directed thus to do by the Spirit of purpose either because he being ignorant of all these the Spirit did not reveal them unto him or if he did and he knew them yet he was ordered and moved by the Spirit to conceal them that according to that Description he might appear a more lively and perfect Type of Christ. 3. The words have special reference unto his Priest-hood and gives us a real difference between him and the Levitical Priest and makes him far more like unto the Son of God our everlasting Priest For the Levitical High-Priests had their Priest-hood by Descent and Birth and upon their Death their Successors For as born of a Father of the Tribe of Levi and the House of Aaron after he was once consecrated and as born of a Mother who was a woman married to one of that House so they derived the Priest-hood from the first Investiture after the first Institution And whosoever could not manifest his Genealogy and Descent from that Family could not minister and officiate as a Priest As they had beginning of Dayes and by their Birth and Descent derived their Priest-hood from their Predecessors so they were Mortal and had end of Dayes and so transmitted their Priest-hood to their Successors Thus did not Melchisedec who though he might have Father and Mother and Descent and so beginning and end of Dayes as a man yet as a Priest he had no Predecessor from whom by Birth he might receive his Sacerdotal Power nor Successor who derived his Priest-hood from him So Christ the Son of God derived his Priest-hood from no mortal Predecessor but immediately from his heavenly Father neither will he transmit it to any Successor but when all Enemies shall be subdued and he shall deliver up his Commission by vertue of which he doth now officiate and intercede in Heaven He shall resign the same together with his Kingdom to God who gave him both And thus perhaps Melchisedec this great Priest and lively Type of Christ did And if there be any Priest-hood according to the Law of Nature which is of perpetual continunuance then he seems to be an extraordinary Priest according to the Law For there is the Law of Nature the Law of Moses the Law of Grace and every one of these may have their ordinary Priests and their extraordinary supream Pontiffs immediately instituted of God and the extraordinary supream Pontiff according to the Law of Nature must be above Aaron who was a High-Priest according to that Law which was but for a time and to be abolished and so more fit to typifie Christ the Mediatour and Priest of the New Covenant which shall stand for ever And these things I referr and in them submit my Judgment to the wise and judicious who may take occasion to seek further whether Melchisedec's Sacerdotal Title did not continue to him in Heaven till Christ's Ascension and then was delivered up to Christ and so it continued in him for ever and in this respect he abideth a Priest continually The first three verses seem to be one Proposition and all the whole description till the last words the subject or antecedent and abiding continually the predicate yet so that there are many simple Propositions in the antecedent And it 's observable that Righteousness Peace and Blessing of Melchisedec are perpetual § 10. After the explication of this Description we must consider wherein Melchisedec and Christ agree for there must be an agreement between the Type and the Antitype They agree in Offices Acts and Continuance 1. Melchisedec was a Priest and a King so was Christ Melchisedec was a King first of Righteousness and after of Peace so is Christ for he is the most righteous and just Administratour of his universal and perpetual Spiritual Kingdom and by Righteousness procures an everlasting Peace for our eternal Righteousness is from Him and the Fruit of this Righteousnesse is the perpetuall Peace of all his Loyall and Obedient Subjects 2. Melchisedec as a Priest received Tythes of Abraham and blessed him so Christ doth bless all such as believe in him and makes them eternally happy and all our spiritual Blessings and our eternal Bliss we expect to receive by him and
from him As Abraham gave Melchisedec as blessing him so all Christians should give the tenth and a competent portion of all their Goods to maintain his Servants Messengers and Ministers who labour in the Word and Doctrine without which his Worship cannot be maintained And all those who deny to do this are Enemies to Christ and to Christian Religion and cannot be excused There is a Generation of men who under pretence of Reformation and greater Purity would have all Tythes taken away and their design is to starve the Ministry enrich themselves and friends but the issue of all this will be the destruction of the Ministry the famishing of Souls and the decay of Christianity Others would have Ministers to continue but they must pinch them and keep them poor This is a base spirit and temper and no wayes suitable to the profession of Christianity Ministers indeed should not cover Riches and the Splendor of the World for thus to do is base on their parts and no wayes becoming the faithful Servants of Christ. Yet they should be comfortably maintained and such as receive any real spiritual Blessing and Comfort by them will not grudge to minister unto them and will be far from taking from them that allowance which by just Laws is settled upon them as firmly as any man's Inheritance except in the right of Alienation Some do honour Learning and are willing to have it maintained and if there be sufficient reason for this then it will follow that the most excellent Learning of all other and the most beneficial to mankind and in the exercise thereof effectually conducing to eternal Salvation should be honoured and maintained much more Some conclude from hence and not without cause That seeing Melchisedec was a Type of Christ in all things here mentioned then Christ Blessing man must receive Tythes by his Ministers as due unto Him For if he was a Type in the rest no wit of man can according to the tenour of this Scripture deny him to be a Type in receiving Tythes And this is so much the stronger 1. In this that he insists in the following words more largely upon this particular of Tythes then any of the rest 2. Because Tythes or something as good as Tythes are plainly necessary to the maintainance of Christian Religion 3. Because Christ hath ordained a maintainance 3. He was a Type in the continuance of his Priest-hood For as he did not receive his Priest-hood by Descent from any Predecessor nor transmit it to Successors in that manner as the Levitical Priest's did So Christ had no Predecessor from whom by Birth nor Successor to whom he should derive it And as Melchisedee's Priest-hood was effectual for that excellent end for which it was ordained and because it was not so carnal and imperfect as that of Aaron's was there was no reason it should be abolished So Christ's Priest-hood being perfect and effectual to bring in an eternal glorious estate upon a perfect Righteousness there was all the reason in the World it should continue for ever and never be altered § 11. After the Description of Melchisedec which is absolute follows his excellency and greatness set forth comparatively And before I enter upon the words somethings must be premised and enquiry must be made of 1. What the order and connexion of these words with the former is 2. What the Apostle's Scope is 3. In what manner the Apostle doth proceed 4. What kind of Comparison this is 5. How the words and discourse of the Apostle is brought in 1. The order is this 1. After that the Authour had informed us out of Gen. 14. who this Melchisedec was he goes on to speak of the Order of Melchisedec So that the Subject of the former words was Melchisedec the last words of the Text Psal. 110. 4. and of these words following the Order of Melchisedec For the words of the Psalmist do imply that there was one Melchisedec a Priest 2. That there was an especial distinct Order of that Priest-hood This is the Order 2. The intention and scope of the Authour is to shew the excellency of the Priest-hood of Melchisedec And 2. From thence to conclude the excellency of Christ's Priest-hood For if Melchisedec who was but the Type then much more Christ the Anti-type of that Order must needs be excellent 3. The manner of the Apostle's proceeding is Dianoetical for he proves the excellency of this Order by illation and deduction of certain conclusions from the express words of the Text Gen. 14. This act of Reason is called discourse which discovers the truths included in the bowels of the Premises By this manner of arguing is manifested the vanity of irrational Sectaries which call for expresse Scripture in points of Controversy and reject all Consequences These implicitly deny our Dianoetical faculty given us by God and tacitly blame Christ and his Apostles for drawing conclusions from expresse places of the Word Though this discoursive power as used to clear a truth whereof we doubt and are ignorant of imply an imperfection yet as it is a deducing and inferring one truth out of another it is a perfection and may agree to Angels nay to God himself because we find him by his Spirit in his Word doing so 4. But what kind of Comparison is this It 's indeed a Comparison in quantity of imparity yet it presupposeth a Comparison in quality For it implyeth That Abraham was great and excellent and that the Levitical Priest's were such and Melchisedec also They all agree in this that they were excellent but they differ in the inequality and imparity of excellency for one was more excellent then another Abraham was above the Levitical Priest and Melchisedec above Abraham his Order was the most excellent and this is the thing which as he intends so he clearly proves The Order of his Priest-hood was such a by the acts thereof did manifest the dignity and worth thereof 5. The Authour brings in this discourse with a word of Exhortation For he begins thus Consider So that from these words unto ver 11. we have an Exhortation directed unto these Hebrews and so to us The Text therefore is Ver. 4. Now consider how great this Man was to whom even the Patriach Abraham gave the tenth of the Spoils § 12. IN these words with those that follow we have 1. The Duty in general which is Consideration 2. The Matter and Subject to be considered 1. I will not stand upon the word which seems to be a Metaphorical but the thing signified by it which is the principal Consideration therefore as intended in this place is an act of the Understanding and especially the act of Judgment yet presupposing the antecedent act of Apprehension Yet it 's not any act of Judgment whether Noetical or Dianoetical but a serious and more intense act wherein we use the utmost activity of our discerning faculty And because the Understanding of man as imperfect cannot in an instant
to Christ. God never intended them for that perfection which is here meant though if rightly observed and used they might make good the Promises of that former Covenant § 18. Because there was no perfection by that Priest-hood therefore there was further need of another Priest which is the second Proposition David who lived above 400 years after the first Institution of the Levitical Priest-hood and knew the imperfection thereof being inspired from Heaven and enlightned by the Spirit fore-saw that the Lord would make his Lord and Saviour sit at his right hand not onely a King but also a Priest and give him an eternal Priest-hood and did fore-tell that in times to come he would say to Christ I have sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec These words Paul by the same Spirit knew as well as any other to be meant of Christ as a Priest and that to make him such was an Act of God which did presuppose his excellent Wisdom which could neither decree nor effect any thing needless And therefore from them infers the necessity of another Priest which God would never have brought in nor have signified his Will to do so if the Levitical Priest had been sufficient and able to save sinful Man Yet there might have been another Priest endued with excellent power and priviledges that might have been sufficient to sanctify God's People and of some Order but 3. This Priest must be after the Order of Melchisedec This is the third Proposition This was very fitting and suitable to the Divine Wisdom seeing Melchizedec was so great a Priest and of such an excellent Order that from the Creation we do not read of a greater Yet why might he not be called after the Order of Aaron Could not God have raised a Priest of that Order far more excellent than Aaron Not to dispute God's power and what he could have done yet his Will was otherwise For 4. This other Priest must not be called after the Order of Aaron And this is the fourth and last proposition of the Text which informs us That though he might have his Name and so his bate Title after that Order yet this was no wayes fitting But if he should be constituted according to that Order for to be called may signify either to be named or to be constituted then there could be no difference between the Levitical Priest and Him neither could there be any hope of Perfection or Sanctification by him This Negative he infers from the words after the Order of Melchizedec For if he be after that Order and so constituted he could not be constituted after the Order of Aaron which was far inferiour to that of Melchizedec's which was far more excellent § 19. Yet because the words speak of another Priest therefore the Apostle infers two things 1. The Change of the Priest-hood 2. From that the Change of the Law For so we read Ver. 12. For the Priest-hood being changed there is made of necessity a Change of the Law VVHere the Apostle doth two things 1. Presuppose the Change of the Priest-hood 2. Proves from that Change a necessary Change of the Law The Reason why he presupposeth the former Change is because it was necessarily implyed in the words of the former Verse and a necessary Consequent of the words of the Psalm which expresly speaks of another Priest and the same after another Order therefore he might well presuppose it The Reason why he infers a necessity of the Change of the Law is because some might reply That though the Priest-hood was changed and another Priest brought in yet that other Priest might officiate according to the Law and so be a Mediator of that Covenant The Apostle's Argument in Form is this If the Priest-hood be changed the Law of necessity must be changed But the Priest-hood is changed Therefore of necessity the Law must be changed The words of the Text are not difficult therefore I will briefly handle them and 1. Reduce them to propositions 2. Declare the meaning of the word Changed 3. Examine the force of the Consequence 1. The Propositions are two 1. The Priest-hood is changed 2. There is made of necessity a Change also of the Law 2. By Change in this place is meant an abolition and taking away the Levitical Priest-hood For God never intended it to continue to the end but had fixed a time how long it should be in force and when that time once came it might be said to be abolished by exspiration Yet it seems rather to be taken away by actual Constitution of another Priest-hood the Priest-hood of Christ for when he had offered up his great Sacrifice and began to officiate and make Intercession in Heaven the other Priest-hood did cease and could not consist with this which was far better but was made useless When that which is perfect and can perfectly sanctify for ever shall come then that which was imperfect and could not sanctify was put away That it must be changed and the reason why it must be changed you heard before and this is the reason why the Apostle doth presuppose it as a thing made evident and to be granted 3. The force of the Consequence is clear enough to him that shall observe what hath formerly been said In the words of the second Proposition considered in it self we may observe 1. The Change of the Law 2. The necessity of the Change 3. This necessity of this Change after the Change of the Law 1. By Change is meant the abrogation of the Law which answers to the abolition of the Priest-hood Though the bringing in of this Law 430 years after the Promise could not make void the Promise yet the bringing in of a better Law and Covenant made null and void this Law And God as he limited a time how long it should continue so he determined to take it away by a better Covenant and would not abrogate it till that was established and published For the promulgation of the Gospel and the Instituton of Christianity did abrogate it and made it of no force And this was the great Mercy of God 1. That he would change and abrogate that which was imperfect and insufficient 2. That he would not abrogate it till he had confirmed that which was better 2. Of necessity there must be a Change of this Law This implies that the Change was not casual and contingent or arbitrary or any wayes to be provented yet this was not an absolute necessity but upon supposition of the Decree and Promise of God and the Sanctification of sinful Man and the Imperfection and Inability of the Levitical Priest-hood to effect any such thing So that it 's necessitas Consequentiae non Consequentis This word of necessity seems to make the Proposition modal though in strict sense it is not so for the truth of the Proposition doth not depend upon any absolute Connexion of the terms as
to null and abrogate it The effect of this Gospel upon the Expiation made by Christ is the Perfection that is the Justification and Sanctification of sinful guilty Man whereby he is freed from the sad and woful Consequents of Sin and especially from the condemning vindicative Justice of God and eternal death and so may draw nigh to God Where we must consider 1. What it is to draw nigh to God 2. Why this Clause is added To draw nigh to God is sometimes a Duty somtimes a Reward and Priviledge given for Christ's merit to such as perform the Duty As it is a Duty it 's sometimes a coming to the place where God hath put his Name and where he vouchsafed his special presence as in the Tabernacle and Temple he did for to worship him It 's sometime a worshipping of God or performing any divine Service unto him for then we pretend to leave the World and turn our backs upon all things and to present our selves before his Throne as in Prayer and other Duties Again it is a turning from our sins with a Resolution to forsake them and an engagement of our selvs and that with our whole hearts to be his Servants and obedient Subjects And this we cannot do effectually without Faith in Christ and the further we depart from sin the nearer we draw to him and are more like unto him This is a Duty But to have peace with God to be reconciled to him so as to have free access with boldness and confidence to the Throne of Grace where he sits as propitiated by the Blood of Christ and as a Father looks upon us as his Children is a great and gracious reward and special priviledg and presupposeth the former Duty performed and the party performing it in the state of Justification and Reconciliation For being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ By whom also we have acccess by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand c. Rom. 5. 1 2. To understand this more fully we must consider That the words are in some sort Metaphorical wherein the Apostle alludes either to the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai where he represented himself very terrible as sitting in the Throne of Justice and not of Grace and Mercy so as that to draw nigh unto him was a present Death The People must keep at a distance only Moses might come near and ascend the Mount which was a special and extraordinary favour or he may allude unto the legal dispensation under which no unclean person as a Leper or one defiled by touching a dead body or some other way might come into the Congregation or nigh the Tabernacle or Temple so as to worship with God's People before they were cleansed and purified but upon their purification finished they might draw nigh and come with the rest of God's unpolluted Servants to Worship and to serve their God so as to have communion with him and receive mercies blessings and comforts from him So in this place such as are perfected that is justified and sanctified through Faith by the Blood of Christ have liberty to draw nigh to God as to a Father to seek and receive mercies and increase of Grace and heavenly Comforts and have sweet communion with him Before their justification and reconciliation they stood at a distance from their God and looked upon him as a consuming Fire and to draw near was danger though even then they might have some hope of mercy They are like the Publican standing a far off and beating upon his Brest and saying Lord be merciful to me a Sinner but when their Consciences are purged and their Souls by Faith are cleansed in the Blood of Christ they then have liberty and draw nigh to serve and worship God with confidence that he will accept their persons prayers and other Services This is the drawing nigh to God here meant yet you must know that these approaches are not so nigh in this life but that there is some distance But in the place of Glory the approach shall be so near as that it will take away all distance and we shall have immediate and full communion with our God The reason why this Clause was added which is the second thing is to let us know how far more excellent the Gospel is above the Law For by the Law no Man was brought nigh to God or might approach unto him in this manner It 's true they might draw nigh to the place of God's special presence if legally clean or cleansed and by observation of the Law escape some temporal Judgments obtain some temporal Blessings and enjoy some earthly Comforts yet continue spiritually unclean guilty and liable to eternal penalties be far from God with their hearts remain unjustified unsanctified and so could have no spiritual peace with God nor any heavenly comfort neither could they draw nigh to God with boldness so as to have any near communion with him To draw nigh to God as to a Father in Christ is a far more excellent priviledg and could not be obtained by the Law Some do make these words a reason to prove that Perfection was had by the Priest-hood of Christ because by it we draw nigh to God And it 's true that by Christ as a Priest and the Gospel we obtain this priviledg which the Law could not give us For to draw nigh to God presupposeth the party approaching perfected and sanctified and by what we are sanctified by that we draw nigh and this priviledg doth prove perfection by the Gospel as the effect doth prove and manifest the cause So that the argumentation in form is this By what we draw nigh to God by that we are perfected But by the Priest-hood of Christ and the Gospel we are perfected Therefore by them we draw nigh to God For as we must not seperate the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law so neither must we divide the Priest-hood of Christ and the Gospel In all this discourse two things are observable 1. That God did not take away the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law till he brought in the Priest-hood of Christ and the Gospel 2. That he took away that which was imperfect to bring in that which was perfect and far more excellent And all this was done as to manifest his wisdom so especially his mercy and serious intention to save man For he would leave nothing undone that was necessary for the compleating of man's eternal Salvation For if the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law could have justified Man and so given life He had never sent Christ and made him a Priest and revealed the Gospel For then both Christ and Gospel had been needless and useless to that end For as the Apostle saith If there had been a Law given which could have given life verily Righteousness should have been by that Law Gal. 3. 21. But because both Law and Priest-hood were insufficient therefore he decreed
signify God's Will what Christ should be the Oath did signify that this his Will should stand immâ—table for ever Yet the word of the Oath may be nothing else but the words of the Psalmist I have sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec Where we have 1. The thing Christ's everlasting Priest-hood 2. The confirmation of this thing which is by Oath the Oath of God 3. This word of this Oath was after the Law For 1. The prophesy that God would thus swear unto his Son in future times was four hundred years and more after the Law 2. The Oath it elf was sworn actually above a thousand years after the Law and then when Christ was ascended into Heaven and set at the right hand of God and that is now a thousand six hundred years and above before these present times So that whereas the Apostle had handled the several parts of his great Text Psal. 110. 4. severally now in these words he sums and knits them all up together in one divine Axiom informing us who this everlasting Priest was and the time when he was fully constituted After the several parts considered severally follows the consideration of them joyntly in their opposition which is easily understood For 1. The former High-Priests were but Servants but Christ is the Son 2. They had infirmities Christ had none 3. They were made Priests by the Law Christ by the word of the Oath 4. The Law was before the word of the Oath after 5. They were made Priests without an Oath but for a time Christ was made with an Oath a Priest for evermore So that in these words we have in brief all the former supercellencies of Christ summed up and to this end that these Hebrews should not rely upon the Law and legal Priest-hood which God in the very constitution of it intended to continue but for a time but upon Christ who was able to save them for ever and therefore by Oath made an everlasting Priest CHAP. VIII Concerning the Tabernacle or Sanctuary wherein Christ must minister the Service he must perform and the Covenant whereof he must be Mediatour § 1. ALL do grant that the scope of the Apostle is this Chapter as in the former is to demonstrate That Christ is a more excellent Priest then Aaron or any of that Order and thus it agrees with the former and the two latter Chapters This he doth 1. By summing up the matter of the former Chapter 2. By producing new Arguments These arguments are taken from his ministration as some conceive and this ministration is proved to be more excellent from 1. The place which is Heaven 2. The Offering and Service 3. The Covenant whereof he is Mediatour Janius thinks that the Authour continues his Discourse concerning the vocation of this great High-Priest and determines the subject of this part to be the Office to which he was Called and proceeds to speak of the execution of this Office in the Chapter following and not before But this is not accurate because the vocation of Christ to be a Priest after a certain Order made him an Officer and gave him a sacerdotal Office But if he mean by Office Officiation Function and the exercise of his pontifical Power then it 's true that this is the subject of this Chapter The principal matter of the ninth and a great part of the tenth Chapter is concerning one principal piece of his Service and Mistration which was the great Sacrifice of himself and the excellent virtue and eternal efficacy of the same So that the proper subject of this part is Christ's ministration or officiation yet this must be rightly understood for the Apostle doth not here instance in or insist upon any work or service in particular of his Priest-hood but informs us of certain rules of this officiation But to return to the words themselves we thus read Ver. 1. Now of the things which we have spoken this is the Sum We have such an High-Priest who is set on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens THese words are said to be a Transition and it 's certain they are a part of one A Transition is perfect or imperfect the perfect is defined to be Epilogus dictorum Propositio dicendorum for it not onely informs in a few words what hath been said already but also proposeth the Subject of the ensuing Discourse These words are the first part of a Transition wherein we may consider 1. That some things were spoken already 2. The Sum of them 3. The things spoken and sum'd up 1. Something 's were spoken and delivered already in the three former Chapters especially in the seventh where the Apostle had discoursed at large and that with great Wisdom and profound Learning and discovered and unfolded many excellent truths concerning the Priest-hood of Christ contained in certain Texts of the Old Testament A Transition is a Rule of Art and the first part of it doth necessarily presuppose something already handled and more largely treated upon 2. These things spoken of already are sum'd up The word in the Original for the most part is a Sum or brief Contraction of many things into few and the Verb signifie to contract abridge or epitomize We find it once used in the Apocryphal Books Ecclus. 32. 8. Let thy Speech be short comprehending much in few words The words in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where we have the definition of a Sum as here it 's taken not for a Sum of Money as Act. 2â— 28. but of words It is a speaking of many things in few words for when the things are many and our words expressing them are few then we may be said to sum up and contract our Speech Yet this may be done when nothing hath been formerly delivered but as it is a part of a Transition this Contraction presupposeth something spoken formerly and at large Some think the word signifies the chief and principal things formerly delivered though we hardly find any where this signification yet when we contract many words into a few we do little to purpose if we omit the principal matters or take in any other A transition whereof this is the principal part belongs to Logick and is a part of Method The use of it is handsomely to tye and knit the parts of a Discourse together to give light and make it perspicuous to manifest the order of things and the dependance of one upon another and so it helps the apprehension the judgment and the memory especially The same is done chiefly by the Epilogue and former part which is the summing up of a large Discourse in a few words 3. The things summed up or the matter of this Sum is 1. That we have such an High-Priest c. Where we have two Propositions 1. We have an High-Priest 2. We have such an High-Priest who is set on the right hand of the
so made as that it abrogated the Law of Moses and the Legal Covenant Yet because the Law was given and that Covenant made by God and not by Man and had continued in force about 1500 years many could not be satisfied in the matter of Abrogation and made scruple of rejecting and neglecting of it For that which is confirmed by Law and long Custom can hardly be made void The unbelieving Jew did reject the new Covenant and adhere to the old as instituted from Heaven and sufficient to justify and save those who observed it Some believing Jews feared to neglect it and judged Christ insufficient without it and thought Moses and Christ joyntly must bring them to Heaven and some of the Gentiles seduced by them were entangled with the same Errour So that it was observed by some as necessary by some as indifferent till the ruine of Jerusalem the destruction of the Temple and the dispersion of the miserable and captive Jews into all Nations And then when there was no face either of a Civil or Ecclesiasticall Polity in that Nation then it vanished and did not appear It was abrogated therefore by the Promulgation of the Gospel decayed by little and little after that time and in the end was totally abolished The Apostle had in the former Chapter proved the Change of the Law and the Abrogation thereof from the Change and Abolition of the Priest-hood and gives the reason why it was to be abrogated to be this because it could justify and sanctify no Man And this he made good out of Psal. 110. 4. And here he implies that it must be abrogated because it was not faultless but defective and confirms the repeal of it from the words of the Lord by Jeremiah saying I will make a new Covenant and his chief Scope is to prove that Christ hath obtained a better Ministry because he was the Mediator of a better Covenant And that Covenant was better not onely because it was established upon better Promises but in that it was new and so made that it abrogated the former and it self was to continue for ever For God never promised to make another after this new one was once confirmed by the Blood of Christ. § 17. In all this Discourse he takes it for granted and presupposeth it as certain that Christ was the Mediator of this Covenant and in this he may seem to beg and not to make good the assirmative of the Question For the Jew might reply That suppose it were granted that there must be a new Covenant so made as to take away the old as God by the Prophet doth positively affirm it yet How doth it appear that Christ and not some Levitical High-Priest shall be the Mediator of it To remove this and the like Scruples it 's to be observed 1. That no Levitical Priest could be a Mediator of any Covenant but the former made with the Fathers as is evident from the Institution of that Priest-hood and the Rules of Legal Ministration Therefore he was clearly excluded from this Mediation of this new Covenant 2. That if Jesus of Nazareth was the Messias whom God promised the Fathers expected the Prophets fore-told then it will necessarily follow that he was the great Prophet above all former Prophets above Moses above Angels and he must be the great and eternal High-Priest according to the Order of Melchizedee a Minister of the heavenly Sanctuary and a Mediator of this far better Covenant But the reason why he takes it for granted and goes not about to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messias was because that was done unto his hands and made evident many wayes For the fulfilling of so many Prophecies of the Old Testament and that so fully even to particular Circumstances in him who was called Jesus of Nazareth the Angel's Testimony who certified his Mother of his Conception the Testimony of an Angel with a Multitude of the heavenly hoast at his Birth did signify this So did the words of his Father at his Baptism and Transfiguration his glorious Works his heavenly Wisdom Knowledg and Doctrine besides the Testimony of John the Baptist his prodigious and stupendious Death and Resurrection Ascension the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles the Revelation of the Gospel the rare and excellent gifts of this heavenly Spirit received by such as believed on him and the wonderful works done in his Name did sufficiently and superabundantly prove him to be the Messias § 18. From all this the intelligent Reader may easily understand the Subject Scope and Method of the Apostle in this Chapter The Subject is the Ministry of Christ constituted a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedec The Scope is to manifest that Christ is a far more excellent Priest than that of Aaron's Order in respect of his Ministry The Method is to set forth his superexcellent Ministry in respect of the Tabernacle the Service and the Covenant whereof he was Minister for the more excellent the Sanctuary the Service the Covenant the more excellent the Priest The Sanctuary whereof Christ is Minister is heavenly his Service and Offering not â—arnal but supernatural and divine the Blessings promised in the Covenant whereof he is Minister and which by his Ministry he procures are spiritual and eternal and such as once obtained make sinful Man fully and for ever happy And because the Covenant is so excellent and so effectual by his Ministration it 's of eternal continuance The Application of all this to our selves is of Information Exhortation Consolation for by this Doctrine we 1. Understand how excellent and effectual Christ's Priest-hood is in respect of his Ministration in the best Sanctuary by his best Service making effectual the best Covenant that ever was made 2. It stirs us up to admire the wonderful Wisdom of God which contrived such an excellent Priest-hood and Ministry and his infinite Mercy in ordering both for our eternal Salvation For Who are we that the Son of God should be our eternal Priest offer up himself a Sacrifice to confirm his Covenant which he hath made with us and that God should appoint him to minister in the heavenly Sanctaary and by his Ministry there obtain for us the excellent Blessings which he hath merited and God hath promised That he should deal thus with us and do thus for us may be matter of amazement to the very Angels of Heaven How often should we think and seriously meditate on these things and magnify his Wisdom and be eternally thankful for his unspeakable Mercy and engage our selves to his Service for evermore 3. It 's matter of sweetest Comfort that there is so excellent an High-Priest that he is our High-Priest that after he had sacrificed himself on Earth he should minister for us in Heaven that God should make so excellent a Covenant with us promise Power to keep it and bind himself upon the keeping of it to be our God for ever and eternally
31. 4. They must remember their former constancy in great Afflictions when they suffered in their own persons and also with others ver 32 33 34. 5. If they persevere the Reward will be great the enjoyment will be very certain and shall not long be delayed ver 35 36 37 38. CHAP. XI VVHerein Perseverance is urged upon other Reasons and Motives as 1. From the excellency of Faith in it self For 1. It can secure us of glorious Rewards to come 2. Assure us of things far above sense and reason ver 1. 2. From the Effects and also the Consequents thereof For 1. The Effects thereof are so excellent that by them the Saints of antient time became famous and obtained an excellent Testimony from God himself which is upon Record in sacred Scripture ver 2. 2. By it we know the World was made of things that did not appear ver 3. 3. From the particular examples of the Elders endued with this heavenly Virtue who obtained so good Report And in this Argument from Example we must observe 1. That it is only proposed in this Chapter and applied in the next 2. That the rare Effects of this Faith in them were that they 1. Obtained great Mercies 2. Suffered great Afflictions 3. Did rare Exploits 3. That they being many are Marshalled in order and reduced to three Companies 1. Such as lived near the Creation and before the Flood 2. Such as lived after the Flood before the Law 3. Such as lived under the Law till near the time of the Incamation 4. Some are mentioned by Name and the effects of their Faith specified and expressed some are not named at all 5. The Apostle insists most largely in Abraham and Moses as rare and eminent Patterns 6. All these lived before the exhibition of Christ and this is their great commendation that in the times of imperfection their Faith was so excellent and had so rare effects CHAP. XII VVHerein 1. The Motive from Examples proposed in the former Chapter is applied and these Hebrews exhorted to imitation ver 1. 2. The unparallel'd Example of Christ is proposed as a mighty Motive seeing for the Joy that was set before him he with great patience endured more then ever any did and that from wicked men ver 2 3. 3. Though they had suffered much yet they had not resisted to Blood and loss of their lives ver 4. 4. They must consider that all their Afflictions which they Suffer come from God as a Father loving them and looking upon them not as Bastards but as Sons and chastising them in Wisdom to make them more holy and more happy ver 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. And the Means of perseverance which they must use are 1. To encourage themselves and renew their strength 2. To live in peace and holiness 3. By Discipline to cast out from amongst them Apostates and scandalous Persons as Fornicators and profane Persons as Esau And the Motives to use these means are 2. Lest they be turned out of the way 3. Lest the Blessing be irrecoverably lost ver 12 13 14 15 16 17. 5. The sad estate of fear and bondage under the Law and the blessed and glorious estate under the Gospel in the Kingdom of Christ should perswade them much To be constant and never to think of returning back to Judaism again ver 18 19 20 21 22 23 24. 6. If they which refused to hearken to the Law given on Earth were severely punished How much more must they suffer who disobeyed him speaking from Heaven ver 25 7. They must persevere in their Profession and serve God accordingly because the former dispensation under the Law is altered and taken away and the dispensation of the Gospel shall never be shaken That this Dispensation continues for ever he proves out of Haggai by whom God said Once more I will shake not only Earth as I did when I gave the Law but Heaven too And after this there never shall be any more shaking or alteration in his Spiritual Kingdom ver 26 27 28. And lest they should not live according to their Profession he lets them know that God is a consuming Fire ver 29. CHAP. XIII VVHerein the Apostle 1. Exhorts 2. Concludes 1. He exhorts to brotherly-Love Hospitality and other Duties and urgeth the performance by several Reasons and Motives from ver 1. to the 18th 2. He concludes with Request Intercession Intreaty Information Salutation Benediction These things give light unto the Whole and the more particular Explication you may expect in the Comment AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE Hebrews CHAP. 1. § 1. OF the Divine authority the Authour the Language and Translation of this Epistle others have spoken at large the Matter is the principal thing To do something cast in my mite after other learned men have done their part and to unfold the mysteries thereof is my design And before I enter upon particulars I think it expedient to acquaint the Reader with the scope and method of the Apostle The end and scope is easily known if we read the whole together and seriously consider the Contexture For upon this done it will appear and that very clearly that the whole and all the parts tend to the confirmation of the blebrews in that Christian Faith which they had professed and for which many of them had suffered For the divine Authour knew full well there was danger of Apostacy or at least of doubting in all because of the relapse of some He was not ignorant what the Devil by subtil perswasions or cruel persecutions might do For though some were strong yet many were weak and losse of Goods Imprisonment Banishment and hazzard of Life were shrewd temptations And though it was God who must assist strengthen support and establish them yet he might make him an Instrument in that work so far as to furnish them with Weapons and Armour and perswade them to make use of them Yet we must not think that the inward motive which stirred him up to write was meetly his natural affection to his Brethren and desire of their good or that he used only such means to confirm them in the Truth as natural reason and humane prudence did dictate We must have far higher conceits of this Letter which for matter is divine and far above the dictates of reason For he was inspired moved and infallibly directed by the Holy Ghost The principal Subject of the whole is Christ's prophetical and sacerdotal Office wherein he did excell not only the former Prophets and Priests but Angels too The attentive and intelligent Reader will easily find this and from thence observe his method For he single out his prophetical Office wherein he proves him far more excellent then Prophets Angels and Moses himself and all this in the first four Chapters In the fifth he begins his discourse of his Priest-hood as far above that of Aarons yea above Melchlsedeâ—ks and in this he Tpends the fifth
sixth seventh eight ninth and part of the tenth Chapter The test of the Epistle from the 15th verse of the tenth unto the end is chiefly exhortation to continue in the profession of that Faith in Christ their only Prophet and their only Priest and a life sutable to this profession as the only way and means whereby they may obtain eternal Salvation For no other kind of profession and life could serve them yet in all this you must understand that the divine Authour with his reasons whereby he demonstrates the excellency and sufficiency of Christ doth intermix exhortations motives reproofs and sometimes digressions yet all to good purpose so that no part or parcel is impertinent The reason why I pitched upon this Epistle is 1. Because in it we find more of Christ's propheticall and especially of his sacerdotal Office then in all the Scriptures besides 2. To clear it from the false Glosses of Crellius who seeks to elude those places which so clearly contradict their Socinian Errours especially in the Deity and Satisfaction of Christ. And this I do the rather because his Book is translated and speak Socinianism in English and goes abroad under the â—â—me of Dr. Lushington for though we find not his name in the Book printed yet he is charged with the Translation and making it publick Whether it be a meer Translation I cannot say because I have not seen Crellius § 2. To enter upon the first part which is concerning Christ's prophetical Office we must observe that the substance of the first four Chapters is reduced to two Propositions The first is That Christ is a Prophet more excellent then the former Prophets then Angels then Moses The second That therefore he must be heard The first is the Doctrine the second the use That he is far above the former Prophets and the Angels is proved in the first Chapter The Use is to hearken unto him in the second where we have a digression in the third he is proved to be more excellent then Moses The Use is an Exhortation to hearken unto him and believe him the reason is lest as the Israelites hardning their hearts were overthrown in the Wildernesse So we not believing Christ never attain our eternal Sabbatism or Rest upon this the Apostle enlargeth in the third and four Chapters His excellency above the former Prophets we may understand in the three first verses above the Angels in the rest of the Chapter So that the Propositions of this first Chapter are two First That Christ is more excellent then the Prophets Secondly Christ is more excellent then the Angels To understand the first Proposition we must note that the excellency of one above another cannot be known except they be compared and laid together Therefore the Apostle though he do not expresse it yet implyes a Comparison which is in quantity and presupposeth a former in quality That in quality is this That as the holy men of Old were excellent so is Christ they are excellent he is excellent both are excellent That in quantity is That though they were excellent yet he is more yea far more excellent The meaning whereof is that 1. They are compared as Prophets for they were Prophets and so Christ is a Prophet 2. Christ is a more excellent Prophet not only the party prophesying is more excellent but also as a Prophet or in respect of his propheticall Office and the exercise thereof § 3. God who at sundry times c. ver 1. Before we can understand that Christ is more excellent then the Prophets we must know 1. Who those Prophets were 2. Who Christ is Therefore the Apostle gives us here 1. A description of the Prophets ver 1. 2. Of Christ ver 2 3. The former Prophets are described to be men by whom God spake unto the Fathers at sundry times and in divers manners or ways This implyes that a Prophet is one by whom God speaks to men and because God spake to men by them and also by Christ therefore both they and Christ are Prophets In prophecy therefore we may consider 1. The matter 2. The form 1. The matter is the mind of God infallibly made known to Man or Angel here to Man 2. The form is the infallible declaration unto Man of this mind of God first infallibly known The mind of God is Something contrived by his Wisdom and decreed by his will concerning Man as subject to his Power and ordinable to an estate of happinesse or misery 2. This is represented unto Man apprehended by Man and both infallible so that he hath a more certain and infallible knowledg of the thing revealed The form thereof is an infallible declaration of thi mind of God known infallibly It may be declared to others by Word Writing Both and this declaration also must be infallible or else God doth not speak by them For because that God is true and necessarily true therefore his Word is necessarily true Hence the Divine authority and absolute Truth of the Scriptures because God speaks in them and by them to us and for this reason are they â—â—â—â—ed The Word of God God speaks to Men immediately mediately by men infallible and inspired falllble not inspired He spake immediately and at the first hand to the Prophets mediately by the Prophets at the second hand at the third hand by such as understand and teach the Doctrine of the Scriptures A Prophet as receiving his knowledg from God may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Roâ—h in respect of his declaration and speaking to others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he is but God's Instrument Officer Minister if he prophesy by Word he may be said to be God's mouth if by Writing God's hand or scribe or secretary And because God is the principal Agent upon whom in this work the Prophet totally depends therefore he is said to speak by them God spake by the Prophets § 4. This explication premised doth give us to understand what the Prophets were 〈◊〉 Men by whom God spake unto the Fathers of Old at sundry times in divers 〈◊〉 1. God spake by them and this did make them fit to be Prophets and this may be sâ—id to be the general wherein they agree with Christ For God spake by him and in that respect he was a Prophet 2. In the rest they differ from him and that in four things 1. They spâ—â—e to the Fathers that is their Ancestors who lived formarly in the times of the Prophets 2. They prophesyed of Old in former days before the incarâ—ation and exâ—ibition of Christ. 3. God spake by them to the Fathers at several times â—â— as some 〈◊〉 it in many parts This implyes 1. That the Prophets by whom God spake were 〈◊〉 For the Doctrine of the Old Testament was not either spoken or written by one man but by many 2. That Doctrine was delivered by parts the whole body and systeme was not 〈◊〉 up at once but first one part then