joyned with him in his Priesthoode nor Deputie nor Vicar vnder him in it nor Successour to his Office So neyther hath CHRIST anie joyned with him or Substitute or Successour to him in his Priesthoode Vers. 4. Nowe consider howe great this man was vnto whome even the Patriarch Abraham gaue the Tenthes of the Spoyles TO showe CHRIST'S Excellencie hee draweth them to consider Melchidek's excellencie aboue Abraham's that so they might see CHRIST'S Excellencie to bee farre more The reason in force goeth thus 1. If Melchisedek the Type bee more excellent than Abraham much more must CHRIST of whome hee is a Type 2. And if Melchisedek's greatnesse bee not easilie perceaved except there bee a due consideration of it much more CHRIST'S Greatnesse requyreth consideration and is worthie of contemplation 3. If Abraham by paying of Tithes acknowledge Melchisedek's superioritie Much more should all Abraham's Off-spring acknowledge CHRIST'S Superioritie whome Melchisedek typicallie represented by paying of what is due for the mayntaynance of his Service and bestowing on his Ministers who are appoynted to blesse in his Name whether it bee lesse or more which they bestowe in such a manner as it vilifie not nor disgrace their high Employment which CHRIST hath put vpon them and so dishonour him whose Servantes they are Vers. 5. And verilie they that are of the sonnes of Levi who receaue the Office of the Priesthoode haue a commaundement to take Tithes of the people according to the Lawe that is of their Brethren though they come out of the loynes of Abraham HEE prooveth that in Tithes taking Melchisedek was greater than Abraham who did paye Tithes Because for the same respect the Levites by taking Tithes of their Brethren as Priestes had a Superioritie over them for their Office cause who other-wayes were their equalls THEN 1. The Priestlie Office lifted vp the Levites aboue their Brethren who were sprung of Abraham as well as they 2. The commaund of taking Tithes was annexed to the Office of the Priesthoode in token of their Superioritie by Office over them who by nature were at least their equalls Vers. 6. But hee whose Descent is not from them receaved Tithes of Abraham and blessed him that had the Promises Vers. 7. And without all contradiction the lesse is blessed of the better HEE prooveth agayne Melchisedek to bee greater than Abraham and so greater than Levi because hee blessed him and therefore behooved to bee greater THEN 1. Abraham notwithstanding hee hee had the Promises yet got hee the Blessing by Melchisedek in Type and from CHRIST represented by him in Trueth 2. If Melchisedek was greater because hee blessed him as Type Then CHRIST farre more who blesseth in effect Now there are sundrie sorts of Blessings 1. There is a Blessing of Reverence and Worship So Men blesse GOD. This sorte importeth no Greatnesse in the Blesser but Subjection 2. There is a Blessing of Charitie So Men blesse one another by mutuall Prayer This sorte importeth no Superioritie neyther 3. There is a Blessing of Authoritie ordinarie So doe GOD'S Ministers blesse the People in the LORD'S Name 4. A Blessing of Authoritie extraordinarie So Melchisedek blessed Abraham and the Prophets and Patriarches such as by inspiration they were directed to blesse And this Officiall Blessing with Authoritie prooveth Superioritie whether it bee ordinarie or extraordinarie 5. There is a Blessing of Power of it selfe effectuall So blesseth CHRIST and so GOD blesseth Men. FROM THIS 1. The Excellencie of the Office of GOD'S Ministers is evident who are appoynted to blesse the people in GOD'S Name 2. And howe they should bee respected in loue for their Worke sake 3. And howe they should walke worthie of that high and holie Employment lest their sinnes make them vyle and contemptible before the people as in Malachie's tyme Mal. 2.9 Vers. 8. And heere men that die receaue Tithes but there hee receaveth them of whome it is witnessed that hee liveth ANother poynt of Comparison tending to this ende The Levites in their Tithing were mortall men one succeeding another But Melchisedek in type of his Priesthoode and Scripturall beeing and CHRIST in the Trueth of his Priesthoode are immortall And therefore Melchisedek as the typicall priest and CHRIST as the true Priest are greater than Leviticall priestes by as much as Immortalitie is aboue mortalitie THEN Everie Age hath CHRIST for a Priest living in their owne tyme to deale for them with GOD And what Benefite they get by him in their owne tyme hee can make foorth-comming vnto them even for ever Vers. 9. And as I may so say Levi also who receaveth Tithes payed Tithes in Abraham Vers. 10. For hee was yet in the loynes of his father vvhen Melchisedek met him ANother Reason to this same purpose Levi payed Tithes to Melchisedek in Abraham's loynes Therefore Melchisedek is greater in his priesthoode than the Leviticall priestes So was CHRIST in Abraham's loynes will you say I answere CHRIST was the true represented priest even when Melchisedek met Abraham and in Melchisedek's person as type the honour was done to CHRIST in trueth and to his Priesthoode by Abraham And agayne CHRIST was in Abraham's loynes onelie in regarde of the matter of humane nature not for the manner of propagation and so is exempted from the lawe of naturall posteritie 1. Alwayes from this reasoning WEE LEARNE That as receaving Tithes prooveth superioritie in Office So paying of Tithes or Mayntaynance in towne of Tithes prooveth subjection to that Office and Office-bearers which receaue the same And so Mayntaynance of Ministers should bee a Matter of Honouring of them or rather of Him that sent them of its owne proper institution though men turne it into a beggarlie Steepende and count the more baselie of the Office because of the manner of Mayntaynance 2. From the Reason of Levie's paying of Tithes in Abraham's loynes WEE LEARNE That there is ground in Nature for imputation of the Father's deede vnto the Children descended of him by naturall propagation so that as justlie may GOD impute vnto vs Adam's sinnes as to Levi Abraham's Tithes paying Vers. 11. If therefore Perfection were by the Leviticall Priesthoode for vnder it the people receaved the Law vvhat farther neede was there that another Priest should ryse after the Order of Melchisedek and not bee called after the Order of Aaron TO the ende of the Chapter hee showeth a Necessitie of the abolishing of the Leviticall priesthoode and establishing of Christ's One Reason is in this Verse because Perfection was not to bee bad by the Leviticall priesthoode By Perfection is vnderstoode a perfect Satisfaction for our Sinnes and a perfect â—urchase of all that wee haue neede of vnto eternall Lyfe Hee prooveth that such perfection could not â—ee had by Aaron's priesthoode because then there had beene no neede of another priesthoode after Aaron's if perfection could haue beene by his priesthoode But the Scripture showeth that there behooved to aryse a Priest after Melchisedek's Order by
profitable still till CHRIST came namelie for that ende and vse But when Hee is come no ende nor vse more for it but that iâ— should bee abolished having served the Turne wherevnto it was ordayned THEN 1. Leviticall Ceremonies what-so-ever vse they might haue had before CHRIST are weake and vnprofitable after His comming 2. It is evill reasoning to say such Rites and Ceremonies were vsed before CHRIST came therefore they may bee vsed now also Vers. 19. For the Lawe made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope did by the which we draw nigh vnto GOD. HEE prooveth That those Rites were weake Because the Lawe whether Morall or Ceremoniall could not perfect anie thing that is justifie sanctifie and saue anie man 1. They served as a Pedagogue to leade a man to CHRIST for expiation of Sinne and purchase of Salvation but could not effectuate this by themselues And this maketh good the Aunswere to the Question in the former Verse THEN To seeke to bee perfected justified and saved by workes is to seeke that by the Lawe which could never bee brought to passe by it 2. What then doeth perfect all Hee aunswereth The bringing in of a better Hope perfecteth all That is CHRIST then boâ—ed for and looked vnto who is that Better Thing â—â—en the Ende and the Signification of those Legall Ordinances being brought in vnto Believers Hee dâ—eth perfect all THEN 1. What the Believers could not get vnder the Lawe by their outward service they got it by CHRIST hoped for and believed into 2. The Believers of olde rested not on the shadowes but had the Eye of their Hope on CHRIST 3. Hee commendeth this Better Hope that is CHRIST'S Priesthoode hoped for vnder the Lawe Because by it wee drawe nigh vnto GOD. Nowe Drawing nigh importeth a distance before drawing nigh and agayne Drawing nigh was the Priests prerogatiue vnder the Lawe THEN By Nature and without CHRIST wee are Aliens from GOD and farre away from Him But by CHRIST wee get Libertie to come nigh not onlie is GOD'S people but as Priestes through CHRIST to offer our Spirituall Oblations The Priestes Priviledge of olde is common to Belâ—evers now Vers. 20. And in as much as not without an Oath Hee was made Priest Vers. 21. For those Priests were made without an Oath but This vvith an Oath by Him that sayde vnto Him The LORD sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedek Vers. 22. By so much was IESUS made a Suretie of a better Testament 1. HEE goeth on to compare the Leviticall Priesthoode with CHRIST'S Two Comparisons are heere conjoyned First Leviticall Priestes were made without an Oath onelie by way of simple Ordinance and Direction GOD leaving rowme to himselfe howe long hee pleased to holde on the Direction and when hee pleased to chaunge it But CHRIST was made Priest with an Oath that hee should never bee chaunged THEN 1. When GOD gaue foorth the Ceremoniall Lawe hee reserved rowme to himselfe to chaunge it yea gaue evidence that hee was to chaunge it for hee obliedged the people during his will but not himselfe 2. But for CHRIST'S Priesthoode GOD is bound with an Oath Never to chaunge it and it leaneth on his nature which can not alter nor repent and vpon his Oath vvhich can not bee violated 2. Another Comparison betwixt the Leviticall Covenant and the Evangelicall Covenant As farre as the Oath is aboue the chaungeable commaundement by so much is the Newe Covenant better than the Covenant vnder the Lawe TEHN 1. There was a Covenant or Testament vvhereby Believers were saved as well vnder the Lawe as vnder the Gospell 2. The Covenant now though in substance of Salvation one with the former yet in the manner of downe-setting the Articles and the forme of it is better than the Covenant then more cleare more free more full more largelie extended and more firme 3. CHRIST is heere called Suretie of this Covenant THEN 1. CHRIST must see the Covenant keeped and bee good for it 2. GOD hath CHRIST to craue for our performance of the Covenant and wee haue CHRIST to craue for GOD'S parte of the Covenant Yea and CHRIST to craue to giue vs grace to performe that which GOD requyreth of vs in his Covenant 3. IESVS is content to bee Suretie and the Father hath consented and ordayned and made him Suretie So it resteth onelie that wee bee content also and make much of CHRIST that hee may doe all our Worke for vs and all GODS Worke in vs. Vers. 23. And they truelie were manie Priestes because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death Vers. 24. But this Man because He continueth ever hath an vnchaungeable Priesthoode ANother Excellencie of Christ's Priesthoode aboue the Leviticall which may bee braunched out in these particulars following 1. The Leviticall Priestes were manie both at one tyme and one after another by reason whereof that Priesthoode was weakened whyle one parte of the Office for such a tyme was in the handes of this man and another parte for another tyme was in the handes of that man And because one man could not bee readie to take the Sacrifices from all the people therefore severall men behooved to take severall partes of the burden But in Christ's Priesthoode there is but one Man even Himselfe His Priesthoode is vndivided no man beareth a parte of the burden with him Hee alone attendeth all mens Sacrifices by himselfe Hee is at leasure for everie man's employment at all tymes in the greatest throng of Sacrifices THEN As long as CHRIST is at leasure no reason to employ another to carrie our Prayers 2. The Leviticall Priesthoode did passe from one person to another Death made interruption But CHRIST'S Priesthoode can not passe from his owne person to anie other neyther Death nor anie other infirmitie can interrupt his Office THEN 1. To make anie Priest by speciall Office in the New Testament beside CHRIST is to vent the Priesthood of CHRIST and make it imperfect lyke AARON'S which for the same reason That it had manie Priestes was weake and imperfect and inferiour to CHRIST'S 2. To make Priestes by Office in the New Testament to offer vp anie corporall sacrifice is to make CHRIST'S Pristhood separable from his owne person vvhich is agaynst the nature of CHRIST'S Priesthood which can not passe from one to another for so importeth the worde 3. To make pluralitie of Priestes in Christ's Priesthood Vicars or Substitutes or in anie respect part-taker of the Office with him is to praesuppose that Christ is not able to doe that Office alone but is eyther dead or weake that hee can not fulfill that Office contrarie to the Text heere which sayeth Because hee continueth ever hee hath an vnchaungeable Priesthood or a Priesthood which can not passe from one to another Vers. 25. Wherefore Hee is able also to saue them to the vttermost which come vnto GOD by Him seeing
encowrage to take course for reliefe in him 5. It setteth a man on worke to vse the appoyncted meanes to finde GOD. 6. It certifieth a man of GOD'S impartialitie towardes everie one that seeketh to Him and maketh him to holde on the way seeking diligentlie and never to giue over And so it bringeth a man to denye himselfe and to haue communion with GOD. Vers. 7. By Fayth Noah beeing warned of GOD of thinges not seene as yet mooved with feare prepared an Arke to the saving of his House by the which hee condemned the world and became Heyre of the Righteousnesse which is by Fayth IN NOAH'S example obserue 1. Hee believeth the Deludge is comming and feareth and prepareth the Arke THEN 1. Fayth apprehendeth Iudgementes threatened in the Worde as well as Mercies in the Promises 2. Fayth apprehending the Threatening mooveth to feare 3. That is right Feare which setteth a man on worke to prevent the Daunger 2. By his diligence hee condemned the worlde THEN The paynes which the Godlie take to eschew wrath condemneth carelesse beholders of their diligence 3. By this hee became Heyre of the Righteousnesse which is by Fayth that is came evidentlie to be seene to bee such THEN 1. There is a Righteousnesse which is onelie by Fayth 2. That Righteousnesse is Heyrship to all true Believers 3. Some speciall poynct of Fayth may bring this Heyrship vnto â—ight and giue evidence of a mans Right therevnto Vers. 8. By Fayth Abraham when hee was called to goe out into a place which hee should after receaue for an Inheritance obeyed and hee went out not knowing whither hee went ABRAHAM'S following of GOD'S Calling and leaving of his Countrey is counted a worke of Fayth From ABRAHAM'S Example then let vs learne 1. That Fayth in GOD will cause a man quyte his Countrey and Parentes and everie dearest thing at GOD'S Calling 2. Fayth counteth GOD'S Promises better than present Possessions and is content to quyte the one for the other 3. Yea it is content with a Promise of better in generall and for the speciall manner of performance standeth not to bee blinde 4. Fayth is willing to obey as soone as it seeth a Warrand Vers. 9. By Fayth hee sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange countrey dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Iaakob the Heyres with him of the same Promise ABRAHAM's sojourning in Canaan is counted another worke of his Fayth Wherein wee learne 1. That Fayth can for a whyle suffer to bee a Stranger even from that wherevnto it hath best Right 2. When Fayth hath certayntie of an heavenlie Inheritance it can bee content with a small Portion of thinges earthlie 3. A man who sojourneth amongst Idolaters should bee sure of a Calling therevnto and beeing amongst them ought to behaue himselfe as a Stranger and Sojourner 4. Yea where hee hath best Right on earth he ought to haue a Pilgrimes mynde Vers. 10. For hee looked for a Citie which hath Foundations whose builder and maker is GOD. THAT which mooved Abraham to behaue himselfe as a Sojourner on earth was the hope of a setled during place with GOD in the societie of the Saynctes in Heaven THEN 1. Heaven is a setled commodious and safe Dwelling Place All places heere are but mooueable Tabernacles 2. The Fathers vnder the Lawe looked for entrie into their â—ternall rest in the Kindome of Heaven after the ending of their Pilgrimage heere 3. The hope of Heaven is able to make a man content with Pilgrims Fare and Lodging heere-away Vers. 11. Through Fayth also Sara her selfe receaved strength to conceaue Seede and was delivered of a Chylde when shee was past age because shee judged Him faythfull who had promised SARA is reckoned in the Catalogue of Belâ—evers and her laughing through vnbeliefe is not remembered but her victorie over her missbeliefe is commended THEN 1. Even Women are made Patternes of believing and wyselie walking with GOD worthie to bee imitated of Men. 2. GOD marketh not the defects of Fayth but the soundnesse thereof howe small so ever it bee what good is in His Children and not what sinnes they are clogged with 2. When shee is past age by Fayth shee getteth strength to conceaue THEN 1. Fayth resteth on GOD'S Promise albeit carnall reason seeme not to second it 2. Fayth maketh vs capeable of Benefites which otherwayes wee could not receaue 3. The moe hinderances that Fayth hath it is the more commendable 3. That which vphelde her was the faythfulnesse of GOD. THEN 1. The consideration of the properties of GOD who promiseth is a speciall helpe to make vs rest on the Promise which Hee maketh 2. Hee that giveth vnto GOD the Glorie of Faythfulnesse shall receaue for a Rewarde the full Performance Vers. 12. Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so manie as the Starres of the Skye in multitude and as the sand which is by the Sea shore innumerable THE Promise was of innumerable Children as the Starres of Heaven And so was the Performance THEN Iustifying Fayth not onelie believeth the Great Promise of Redemption but also other inferiour promises which depende therevpon the believing whereof giveth evidence of believing the Mayne Promise of Salvation through the MESSIAH And therefore it is that by the Fayth of such Promises the Faythfull are heere declared to bee justified QVESTION How can this bee that ABRAHAM'S Seede should bee so manie I ANSWERE 1. Because the one is as innumerable as the other For they are compared together in this respect 2. Superlatiue speaches are to bee expounded according to the scope and not captiouslie to bee wrested beside the purpose of the speaker and beyonde the common acceptation of the bearer Nowe the scope of the speach is to rayse the dulnesse of the mynde in weyghtie matters to the due consideration of a trueth in the due measure which otherwayes should haue beene vnder-valued This is the proper intent of the â—igure hyperbolicke in the ordinarie vse of Rhetoricke Vers. 13. These all died in Fayth not having receaved the Promises but having seene them a-farre off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were Strangers and Pingrimes on the earth HEE commendeth the Fayth of the Patriarches and SARA that they died in the Fayth not having obtayned the Promises THEN 1. Fayth loseth the commendation except wee persevere therein even vntill death 2. Where wee haue a word of Promise made to the Church or to our-selues albeit wee see it not performed in our tyme wee may goe to death in assurance that it shall bee performed 3. They who would die in Fayth must liue in Fayth 2. Though they receaved not the Promises yet they sawe them a-farre off and were fullie perswaded of them and embraced them THEN Albeit Fayth come not vnto a Possession yet it commeth vnto a beholding of the Possession comming vnto a Perswasion of the Possâ—ssion and a sorâ— of friendlie Salutation thereof