Moses spake nothing concerning the Priest-hood These words are added to signify that no man of that Tribe had right to officiate as a Priest For before he had said that no man of that Tribe did serve at the Altar but this was but matter of Fact for though none of Judah did serve at the Altar de facto yet some might de jure as having a right to officiate But these prove as none did serve so none could jure justly and lawfully do it For it they could they might prove their title out of the Books of Moses Yet this cannot be done because Moses never wrote of any such thing there is not in all his Books the lest tittle of the right of any of Judah to officiate as a Priest And the rule of the first Constitution of the legal Priest-hood is to be found there and no where else These words imply that a negative argument from the Scripture in matters of Religion is valid For that which is not to be found in the Scriptures truly understood either expresly delivered or by consequence to be deduced cannot be of divine authority so as to bind men to believe it or do it But those arguments which prove a Negative not only from the silence but also from exclusive terms are the strongest And in this particular cause we find Moses not only silent and saying nothing of the Tribe of Judah concerning the Priest-hood but also speaking so positively of the Levitical Priest as that he so confirms him to the Tribe of Levi and the House of Aaron that he peremptorily and clearly excludes all other persons of all other Tribes from that Office And here we may take notice of the wisdom of God which contrived this business so that he made Augustus though he thought of no such thing an Instrument of this evidence For though the Cense and Enrolment was general of all Countries within the Roman Empire whereof Judea was one yet by this he brought Mary to Bethlehem when she was ready to be delivered of Christ that so he might be born there according to the prophesy of Micah and that it might be evident that he was of the linage of David and so of the Tribe of Judah § 21. Hitherto the Apostle hath manifested that the Priest-hood was changed because the Tribe was changed and another Priest was risen of another Tribe But not content with this he proceeds to make this far more evident For so it followeth Ver. 15 16. And it is yet far more evident for that after the Similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest Who is made not after the Law of a Carnal Commandment but after the power of an endless life HEre the Apostle seems to insist upon two words in the Text of the Psalm 1. After the Order or Similitude of Melchisedec 2. A Priest for ever after that Order By both which he is thought to prove the change of the Priest-hood and the Law by the Introduction of a Priest of another Order and a Priest for ever The former proof was evident and sufficient yet this seems to make the change more evident and not only more but far more evident And so the words may be taken as by our Translatours they are turned That this must be understood we may consider 1. What that thing or proposition is which is made far more evident 2. How it is far more evidenced The thing evidenced is the change and abolition of the Levitical Priest-hood and the Law A thing is made evident when it is so clearly represented to the Understanding that if it be rightly disposed it must needs assent unto the truth of it once received as it is represented This evidence may be either immediate from Connexion of the terms distinctly understood or mediately from a third Argument This evidence of this change abolition abrogation is mediate And that argument whereby it 's made so evident is 1. That there must be and then was risen a Priest after the Order of Melchisedec 2. His Priest-hood must be personall and perpetual In the words we may observe two propositions The 1. That another Priest ariseth after the Similitude of Melchisedec The 2. This Priest is made not after the Law of a carnal Commandment but after the power of an endless life In this Proposition you must 1. Remember what hath been said formerly concerning the explication 2. You must note that Order mentioned before and Similitude here are the same and to be a Priest after the Similitude is the same with being a Priest after the Order of Melchisedec so that if Christ be of the same Order then he must be like unto Melchisedec By Order is meant a distinct and different kind of Priest-hood and though Christ's Priest-hood be like both to Aarons and Melchisedec's yet it was far more like unto Melchisedec which was far more exellent then that of Aarons This Order might be the better known if we knew the Law and Covenant whereof he was a Priest which was not only the Law of Nature according to which he did minister and serve the most high God as Creatour and Judge of this World but of the Law of Grace according to which he worshipped God as Redeemer by Christ promised to Abraham Seth Enoch Noah Shem and the rest of the Patriarchs before him who believed in Christ to come yet not as to descend from Abraham Whereas it 's said That another Priest ariseth you must know that his rising is his constitution manifestation and beginning of his Officiation And the rising of him was the fall of the Levitical Priest and the abolition of that Priest-hood The force of this proposition considered as a reason is in this That this other Priest is not only of another Tribe and in particular of Judah but after another Order For it might have been said That though Christ was a Priest of the Tribe of Judah yet he might be after the Order of Aaron and so he might be essentially the same kind of Priest though accidentally he might differ from the rest of the Levitical Priests as they were of that Tribe To take away all colour of any such conceit this is added That he was after the Similitude of Melchisedec and not of Aaron This doth prove the change far more strongly and therefore the evidence is far greater The second proposition to evidence the difference yet to be far greater informs us according to what Law he was made a Priest and this is done 1. Negatively not after the Law of a carnal Commandment 2. Affirmatively after the power of an endless life In the Negative we have 1. A Commandment 2. A carnal Commandment 3. The Law of a carnal Commandment 1. By Commandment we may understand the whole System of the Ceremonies and Mosaical Rites prescribed from God by Moses to that People For whatsoever else it may signify or include here yet these are principally if not solily meant 2. This Commandment or body
and strict Judge to condemn us But being propitiated and attoned by the Blood of Christ his Throne is the Throne of Grace and Mercy In this phrase he alludes unto the propitiatory or seat of mercy above the Ark in the Tabernacle or Temple which did typify the propitiation to be made by the Death of Christ upon which accepted of God man's Sins become pardonable and God reconcileable and without this reconciliation it 's no coming near this Throne If once it be made a Throne of Grace then we may come boldly unto it For it 's not like Mount Sinai a Mount of Darknesse Thunder Lightning and Terrour but Mount Zion a Mount of Light Grace and Glory So that now we need not fear God's Wrath but hope in his Mercy And though we may justly be afraid to approach if we look upon our selves yet when we consider that Divine Justice is satisfied by our High-Priest's Sacrifice and that he is the admissional of Heaven ready to take us by the hand and bring us to his Father and plead our cause with his Blood then we may come boldly and ought so to do To come is to pray or to approach for to pray to come with boldness is in the Name of Christ to pray with great confidence not onely to be admitted but to be heard for his sake For by him we have accesse unto that Grace wherein we stand Rom. 5. 2. By him we have accesse by one Spirit to the Father Ephes. 2. 18. And in him we have boldness and access with confidence in the Faith of him cap. 3. 12. But suppose we come what may we expect or what shall we receive We may obtain mercy and find Grace for help in the time of need All our time on Earth is a time of need for we alwayes have need of help yet somtimes we have greater need than at other seasons The word in the Original is seasonable help help in due season and then it 's most seasonable when most needful To afford this help must need be an act of Mercy and Grace whereby sins past are pardoned and power of Sanctification with assistance to prevent sin for time to come obtained And without this help mercy pardon and assistance it 's impossible to enter into God's eternal Rest but by it we assuredly may So that if we persevere and so enter it 's to be ascribed to that Grace and Mercy which we obtain by Prayer if we come short the fault will be our own who do not seek help by our continual and instant Supplications in the Name of Christ. To understand the force of this as a Reason delivered in these three last Verses we must call to remembrance 1. What the Duty is which is to labour to enter into Rest and to hold fast our Profession which is nothing else but perseverance 2. We must consider that it 's taken from Christ as a Priest and it 's very effectual For if 1. He be our great High-Priest 2. Passed into the Heavens and hath taken possession of that eternal Rest and also in our behalf 3. So merciful and sensible of our Infirmities 4. So ready to procure us help when we seek it by Prayer before the Throne of Grace then let us not onely with all diligence but with greatest hope and confidence labour to persevere For a conclusion of these four first Chapters let us observe 1. That the Subject of them is Christ's Prophetical Office as most excellent and above that of other Prophets Angels Moses 2. That though this be the principal and intended Subject yet he speaks something of his Regal and Sacerdotal Function yet onely upon the by and with some reference to his Prophetick Faculty 3. That the principal Duty which he urgeth so strongly upon us from his Prophetical Excellency is perseverance in the Profession of his blessed Doctrine and the Observation of his Laws given by him as a Regal Prophet and Apostle 4. In the pressing of this Duty he insisteth upon the latter part of Psal. 95. where he â— Sexs forth the Example most clearly 2. Applies it to these Hebrrews 5. The last reason is taken from his Priest-hood which is handled and brought in with such Art that it not onely servs for to perswade us to attend to his Prophetical Doctrine and continue in it but also to prepare and make way for his admirable discourse following concerning his eternal Priesthood and is an imperfect Transition CHAP. V. Ver. I. For every High-Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins § 1. BEfore I enter upon the Chapter it self the connexion of this part with the former must be considered and I find the Agreement to be two-fold 1. General 2. More particular The general is very clear for after that in the former four Chapters the Apostle had set forth the Excellency of Christ's Prophetical Office wherein he was far above the former Prophets Angels and Moses and thereupon had exhorted to perseverance in the Profession of his Doctrine declared in the Gospel and pressed the performance of the Duty both from the fearful Punishment of Apostacy and the glorious Reward of Constancy He now in this Chapter enters upon a discourse of his Priest-hood as â—ar more excellent than that of Aaron's so that there was all the Reason in the World to persevere in respect of this Office likewise This is the general Method The particular seems to be implyed in the Particle For which many times is a causal Conjunction and renders a reason of something formerly delivered For seeing he had formerly affirmed Christ to be an High-Priest here he proves him to be such indeed and to have the Nature Properties Qualities and Power of such an Officer This particular refers to the three last Verses of the former Chapter which made way for this discourse that follows § 2. As the occasion of the former Doctrine was an high conceipt which the Hebrews had of the Law as delivered to them by Prophets Angels Moses so the occasion of what follows was their high esteem of Aaron and the Levitical High-Priest The Scope is to demonstrate the Excellency of Christ's Priest-hood as far above that of the Law and perswade them to continue in their Faith in him as so excellent an High-Priest as far above all others The Method is this 1. He delivers his Doctrine 2. Confirms it 3. Applies it The Doctrine is this Christ is a perfect High-Priest more excellent than Aaron or any of the Levitical Order The Confirmation is from his Calling and Order his Ministration and his excellent Sacrifice and this continues from this Chapter to the 19th Verse of the tenth After this confirmation finished he proceeds in cap. 10. 19. to Application which is made principally by way of Exhortation In this Chapter the Apostle doth 1. Manifest Christ to be a Priest for ever according to the the Order
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
imprinted there more perfectly Yet the word turned Laws signifies in the Hebrew Doctrines And these are the Doctrines of the Gospel concerning Christ's Person Nature Offices and the Work of Redemption the Doctrines of Repentance Faith Justification Resurrection and eternal Life and these either presuppose or include the Moral Law For they must be such Truths as are necessary and effectual to Man's Salvation without the Knowledge and practice whereof sinful Man cannot attain eternal Life Further they are Doctrines concerning Christ as already exhibited glorified reigning and officiating in Heaven 2. The Book or Tables wherein they must be written are the mind and heart of Man By Mind some conceive is meant the Understanding and by Heart the Will and rational Appetite But by both words are meant the immortal Soul endued with a Power to understand and will or nill that which is understood The word in the Hebrew turned by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mind and intellective Faculty signifieth the inward parts because as the heart and reins are the inmost parts of the Body so the mind thoughts and rational Appetite are intima Anime the inmost parts if we may so speak of the Soul They are as it were the Center of that immortal Substance where all the active vigour and powers of the Soul are united There is the Spring and Original of all rational and moral Operations of all thoughts affections and inward Motions There is the directive Counsel and imperial commanding Power There is the prime Mover of all humane Actions as such This is the Subject fit to receive not only natural but supernatural Truths and Doctrines and all Laws There divine Characters may be imprinted and made legible to the Soul it self This is the most noble and excellent Book that any can write in This is an Allusion to the Tables of Stone wherein the Law was written for the Law was not written in the heart but in stone upon Phylacteries Frontlets Posts and Walls of their Houses And now the Scriptures and divine Revelations are written in Books so as that they are legible by the Eye they may be spoken and so uttered by Man as to be perceived by the Ear and from these be conveyed to the common sense and fancy and by degree be transmitted to the Soul which by them receives some imperfect representations not informations This immortal Soul is the Book or Table wherein these Laws and divine Doctrines must be written 3. The Scribe or Pen-man is God for it 's said I will give or put I will write He that said so was the Lord And it must be He because the Work is so curious and excellent that it 's far above the Sphere of created activity He alone can immediately work upon the immortal Soul to inform it move it alter it and mould it anew so as neither Man or Angel can do They may by the outward senses and the fancy come near the Soul but immediately prepare it and make lively Impressions and write clear Characters of divine Truth upon it they cannot They may move it and affect or disaffect it yet to take away the stony heart and make an heart of Flesh is far above their Power Therefore God doth alwayes ascribe this great Work unto himself 4. The Act and Work of this Pen-man is to write and write these Laws and write them in the heart How he doth it we know not That he doth it is clear enough His preparations illuminations impulsions inspirations are strange and wonderful of great and mighty force For in this Work he doth not onely represent divine Objects in a clearer light and propose high Motives to incline and turn the heart but also gives a divine perceptive and appetitive Power whereby the Soul more easily and clearly apprehends and more effectually affects heavenly things The Effect of this Writing is a divine Knowledge of God's Laws and a ready and willing heart to obey them and conform unto them a Power to know and do the Word of God This is that Work of the Spirit which is called Vocation Renovation Regeneration Conversion actively taken without which Man cannot repent believe obey and turn to God It 's said to be a quickning of Man dead in sin a putting God's fear in Man's heart a putting God's Spirit within Man to cause him to obey his Laws a calling out of Darkness into Light a writing upon the fleshy Tables of Man's heart By this writing Man is said to have a new Heart and Spirit not that God creates in Man a new Soul or new Faculties but because he gives new Power new Light new Life new Qualifications so that Man is made partaker of a divine Nature and moulded anew with so much alteration that he is another Man though not for Substance yet for Qualities and Operations All this tends to an imperfect explication of this Promise wherein this new Covenant differs from and is more excellent than the former For that had no Promise of God's writing his Laws and Doctrines in Man's heart or of giving any sanctifying or renewing Power to enable them to observe and keep his Judgments Yet lest we mistake this excellent and most comfortable part of Scripture many things are to be observed 1. Concerning the Laws 2. Concerning the heart 3. Concerning God's writing in the heart 1. The Laws the Laws of God are written in the heart not the inventions fancies of men nor natural nor mathematical nor moral Philosophy much less the Errors and Blasphemies of Seducers and false Prophets It 's true that humane Learning and Languages are excellent means to find out the sense of the Scriptures and are great Blessings ordained of God for that end and being used with Prayer and sanctified may do much Yet we must know that these Doctrines are not only those of the Moral Law but these high Mysteries concerning Christ the Redemption Repentance Faith Justification Resurrection and the eternal Punishments and Rewards in the World to come as they are revealed in the Gospel For the matter and subject of them is God's Kingdom and the Government of God-Redeemer ordering Man to his final and eternal estate as I have manifested in another Treatise 2. The heart of Man is by Nature a very untoward and indisposed Subject and not capable of these heavenly Doctrines It 's blind and perverse and there is an Antipathy between it and these Laws It hath some little parcels of the Law of Nature written in it but not any thing of these heavenly and evangelical Truths it neither knows them nor can relish them And when they are represented unto it yet it hath no intellective Power to understand them nor any Will or Desire to seek them or inclination to obey the Laws of God which direct unto everlasting life It 's not only ignorant but filthily blotted and blurred with Errours both in matters of Religion and humane Conversation And this is the condition not only of Heathens
and illiterate People but also of all natural men though of excellent parts and highly improved and exquisite humane Learning both Arts and Languages Besides Ignorance and Error corrupt Lusts inordinate Affections violent Passions indispose it very much and make it most averse from that which is just and good and strongly bent upon that which is evil As it hath no true Notions of the greatest good so it hath no mind to use the means which conduce to the attaining thereof This defacement of so noble a Substance is the Work of the Devil and Sin 3. Concerning God's writing his Laws in the heart of Man you must know 1. That they are not written there by Nature as you heard before If they were what need God write that which is already written 2. He writes nothing in this heart but his Laws and his saving Truths Therefore that which is not written without in the Scripture he doth not promise to write within the Heart and whosoever shall fancy any Doctrine received in his heart to be written by the hand of Heaven and yet cannot find it in the Gospel is deceived and deluded 3. Before these divine Doctrines can be written in the heart all Errors Lusts false Opinions must be rased and rooted out of the Soul and it must be made like blank paper This is the reason why we are commanded to prepare our selves for the hearing and reading of God's Word to be like good ground to put away all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness all Malice all Guile and Hypocrisies and Envies and evil-speaking and like new-born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word of God 4. God doth not write his Laws in our heats by Enthusiasm Rapture and Inspiration as he wrote his Word in the hearts of the Prophets and Apostles but he makes use of the Word and the Ministers of the Gospel and the Instructions of Man as also of the outward senses as of the Eye and Ear and also of the inward and of Reason and of all the powers he hath given Man to do any thing in this Work And whosoever will not use these means and exercise this Power by Reading Hearing Meditation Conference Prayer let him never expect or think that God will write these things in his heart The neglect of these helps is the Cause why Enthusiasts who pretend the Spirit and persons of high attainments as they boast as though they were above Ordinances have so little solid and saving Knowledg of God's Word fall into so many absurd abominable Errors 5. The Effect of this writing of God is not only Knowledge but also a Love of the Truth Light and Integrity Power and Dominion over Sin and the powerful Sanctifications and Consolations of the Spirit And whosoever doth not find these in his heart let him not think that God hath written his Laws in his heart For he writes with Power and leavs a permanent Tincture of holiness and a constant habitual inclination to that which is good just and right 6. God doth not write these Laws perfectly and fully in Man's heart whilst he is in the Flesh for he proceeds in this Work by degrees Therefore seeing God hath ordained means and commanded them to be used no Man must neglect them whilst this mortal life continues for these Truths are not written in any of our hearts further than we use these means which were given not only for the first inscription of these Laws but for the encrease and perfection of our divine Knowledge This was the way which Christ and his Apostles took for the Conversion Edification and Confirmation of their Disciples If this were not so what need was there of so many Epistles and in particular of this to be written to so many Converts and regenerate Saints 7. Though God doth both begin and encrease our Knowledg and Sanctification by these means yet this Work of his is immediate upon the Soul and far more excellent than these means can reach § 11. The end of this Promise made and the issue of it performed is to acknowledg and receive God as our God in Christ and to submit unto him with a real hearty and total Submission as to our onely Lord and Redeemer that so he may protect and bless us and we may serve and obey him And this we cannot do except God first write his Laws in our hearts therefore this must needs be the first Promise upon which the rest do depend and that whereby he in great Mercy binds himself to give us his preventing Grace and the continuance of it For such is our Case that except he prevent us by granting and vouchsasing unto us both the means of Conversion and the Power of his Spirit to make them effectual upon our immortal Souls we can never take him to be our God so as to become his People and loyal Subjects And upon this done he will be our God and take us for his People and so he promiseth here in this Ver. 10. And I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People THis is the second Promise of this new Covenant Where we must understand what it is for God to be a God unto any People and for any Persons to be his People This latter is easily known if we know the former 1. Therefore it is not for God to be God absolutely in himself most perfect glorious infinitely and eternally blessed for so he was from everlasting Yet except he be thus God in himself he cannot be a God to any Creature Neither 2. Is it to be a God by Creation Preservation and Ordination for so he is to all Creatures and to every one of them whilst they have their Being Nor 3. Is it to be a God in an higher degree to men as immortal and rational Creatures for so he is to all men Nor 4. Is it meerly to be a God in a peculiar manner to some certain People by choosing and singling them from amongst other men so as to enter into some special Covenant with them and to take a special care of them and to bless them with some special blessings and deliverances for so he was a God to the Jews But 5. It is to be a God unto any Persons or People by a new Covenant of eternal Mercy and Salvation by Jesus Christ exhibited and glorisied And to be his People is to be his Subjects of his special Kingdom so as to receive from him as their Lord-Redeemer spiritual and eternal Protection and Blessings This is the meaning of this Expression in this place In a word it 's a Promise of admission into his Kingdom of Grace and Glory To know this more distinctly we must take notice that to be God in this manner is so to exercise his Wisdom Power and Mercy in Christ as to protect and deliver us from all evill and give us all Blessings necessarily required to make us eternally and fully happy Thus much is
satisfaction made Neither is it cruelty but Justice to require explation to be made and to accept it for a guilty Person and so upon the same to remit him is a great Mercy The second word is Not to remember To remember Sin in this place is an Act of a Judge taking notice of Sin so as to punish the Sinner Not to remember is not to charge the Sin upon the Sinner and so punish him but to free him from the Punishment and the Guilt too so that he shall neither be punished nor be liable to Punishment And it 's observable 1. That he will not only be mercifull but he will not remember 2. That though in the Hebrew there be but one Negative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet in the Septuagint and the Apostle we find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a double Negative where by the Multitude of words is signified that God's Mercy will be very great and by the Negatives that it will be very certain and the Sinner shall have no cause to doubt And both the words and the Negatives imply that God will certainly and abundantly pardon and he will in no wise punish 3. This Remission is eternal and takes away the Guilt of Sin for ever and puts the sinful guilty wretch once pardoned in a condition of eternal safety In the Law notwithstanding their Sacrifices for Sin and Burnt-Offerings and Expiations there was a yearly remembrance of Sin upon the day of Expiation and their many Sacrifices offered by many Priests often could not take away Sin But Christ by one Offering consecrated the sanctified for ever and by his Blood entring into the Holy place obtained eternal Remission and made Sin eternally pardonable And upon Repentance and Faith follows actual and eternal Remission and freedom from all Guilt and Punishment for evermore So that the pardon here promised is plenary for it 's total of all sins and perpetuall and an Act of eternal Amnesty or Oblivion will be passed in the supream Court of Heaven No sin not any shall in any wise be remembred any more 4. The party pardoning is God who makes the Covenant and in the Covenant this Promise For it 's said I will be mercifull I will not remember He is the supream Law-giver and the supream Judg and if he once justify none can condemn His Sentence cannot be revoked and null'd there lyes no Appeal from his Tribunal his Decrees once passed stand firm for ever Yet God pardons as propiâ—â—ated by the Blood of Christ and â—s there upon freely and abundantly merciful For to pardon one whom he may justly punish is Mercy to pardon many grievous sins is abundant Mercy to pardon for ever is eternal Mercy It is the Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious â—â—ng-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth Keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity and Transgression and Sin Exod. 34. 6. 7. Where we may observe that Mercy goes before Remission He loved and piâ—yed us when we were sinful and Enemies and gave his only begotten Son for us that by his Blood he might make way for his Mercy make our Sins paâ—â—â—onable and when the Sinner once repetus and believs and the Blood of Christ is once pleaded then he actually freely abundantly eternally pardons How are God's justified Ones bound to praise him with all their heart for evermore 5. The Persons pardoned are not all Sinners and every Transgressout For though God's Mercy â—e as he himself is infinite yet it 's by his Wisdom and Justice limited to certain Persons For though Christ hath merited pardon by his death yet no Sinner as a Sinner is capable of it his Death makes Sin and Faith makes the Sinner pardonable God must write his Laws in Man's heart and Man must know his God and Saviour and believe in him and Christ must make Intercession before Man can be actually justified Therefore this Promise follows all the rest Except Man receive God for his God and God become his God no pardon can be expected God received as our God and engaging himself to be our God in Christ doth justify And this is great Mercy of God that seeing Man is by Nature uncapable of Remission because sensless of his Sin and ignorant of his Saviour he writes his Laws in his heart to take away the stony and sensless quality thereof and makes it tender and sensible and so Man sees his Sin hates it is humbled and grieved for it willing to turn unto his God He enlightens him and lest he should despaire he manifests unto him his Saviour and his infinite Mercy in him promiseth pardon invites and calls him and lets him know there is plentiful Redemption Upon all this Man is willing to submit himself and take God to be his God in Christ and now he is in a capacity of pardon and justifiable Thus Man by God's Grace and performance of his Duty by the power of that Grace is prepared for this great Mercy of Remission and Justification And they who through neglect of hearing God's Word and Prayer continue in their Sin and harden their hearts can have no hope of this great benefit which God is so willing to give and sinful Man unwilling upon God's terms to receive These words thus explained contain this Promise That God will forgive Man his Sin and justify him and the words are brought in upon the former by the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek turned by our Translators For. And as I have observed before it 's sometimes expletive sometimes illative for therefore sometimes causal and accordingly is rendred Sometimes the Hebrew Particle signifies When. If it be expletive it 's used onely to bring in this last Promise and joyn it with the rest But if it be not such but used here as a rational Conjunction the Connexion of these words with the former is very doubtful Some make Remission to be the ground of all the other Priviledges which God doth promise because he will forgive their Sins Thus Dr. Gouge seems to understand it Yes this seems to give a Reason why God will write his Laws in their hearts be their God and so teach them as that they shall know him and it 's this That he may make them capable of Remission and being made such he may remit them This is certain that this is a distinct Promise of the Covenant different from the rest and it 's such a Promise and of so great a Blessing that the Law had none such neither by the Observation of it could any Man obtain Pardon and Justification And it 's certain and clear enough that one end why God made this Covenant and in the same promised to write his Laws in our hearts was that by them so written we might repent and believe and by them obtain Remission For the chief Laws and Commandments of this new Covenant are those of Repentance and Belief
Chapter we have the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first and Covenant understood Few or none make any mention of Priest-hood The Predicate and that which is affirmed of this Covenant is That it had Ordinances of Divine Service and a worldly Sanctuary The meaning is that in the time of the Law the Levitical Priest-hood and the Tabernacle there were such Ordinances and a Sanctuary belonging to the Covenant In the words we have the Sum and Abridgment of the nine following Verses which describe unto us both the Ordinances of Service and the Sanctuary In the words therefore we have two things 1. The Ordinances 2. A Sanctuary The Ordinances of Divine Service imply That there was under the Law the Work of Service and the Ordinances of this Service And because there is Service due to Man and Service due to God and Latreia signifies both therefore the Translators for difference sake and to signify what Service is here meant do add the word Divine For Divine and Religious Service is due only unto God and is to be performed to him as Supream Lord and it cannot without injury be given to any other And when it is so given to any but the true and living God it 's called Idolatry and is against the first Commandment Some distinguish between Service and Worship and it 's true they differ much if Worship be taken for Adoration which is terminated upon the divine Excellency and Dignity and not upon his Power yet the words are used indifferently But whereas the Socinian Expositor saith that Latreia properly signifies Worship he is much deceived as will be evident if we examine the places of the Old Testament where the Septuagint turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to serve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that so often This Service of God is two-fold 1. Positive 2. Moral The Moral is the principal as being spiritual and performed by a Spirit unto a spiritual and eternal Substance which is God Positive and Ceremonial is far inferiour and is here meant This Ceremonial Service which never should be performed without the Moral had Ordinances as a Rule to direct both Priest and People in the performance of it and these Ordinances were given by God and were part of the Ceremonial Law determing what religious Rites and Ceremonies must be used especially by the Priests For the Service here meant is chiefly that which was proper to the Priests for as we now serve God by the Ministers in publick so they then by their Priests The word turned Ordinances is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used above 60 times by the Septuagint to interpret the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and though it often signifies Ceremonials yet not alwayes Men ever depending upon God as upon their Supream Lord are ever bound to serve him that they may receive Protection and Happiness from him He that will not serve a God is a profane Atheist he that servs any but the true God is an Idolater he that servs the true God after his own fancies and the inventions of Man is a superstitious fool he that inventeth Rites and Ceremonies and Modes of serving God and imposeth them on others is a presumptuous Wretch For as God alone doth know what kind of Worship and Service is fittest to be performed unto him so he onely hath Power to impose it The highest degree of Service is due unto him alone and he alone hath Power to make Ordinances for it This is the Service and the Ordinances of God which must be performed in some place of his special presence Therefore there was then a worldly Sanctuary A Sanctuary is an holy place consecrated to God and sanctified by his presence There is a bodily and earthly and also a spiritual Sanctuary This was a bodily earthly Sanctuary a Type of a far better and to difference it from a fat better it 's called a worldly Sanctuary though the word may signify a beautiful decent and glorious place And in respect of outward earthly decency beauty and glory it did excel It was made not according to the fancy of Man but according to a pattern given from Heaven and every thing in it was Mystical and the greatest Glory of it was God's special presence This Sanctuary was said to be the Throne and Palace of God residing as a glorious Being in the midst of his People It may be considered mystically as shadowing a far more excellent Throne and Palace which may be Heaven the Humanity of Christ and the Souls and Bodies of sanctified Persons or it may be considered as a convenient place for God's People to assemble there for publick Worship In the former consideration it 's abolished in the latter it may continue for if all things in the Worship of God must be done decently and orderly then surely it 's decent and orderly according to the Law of Nature and the Law of God to have convenient places for Religious Assemblies and Publick and Divine Worship To think there is any holiness in these places as places is the superstitious conceipt of some to think they may not be called Churches is the superstitious fancy of others For a Church or Kirk is but a convenient place where Christians ordinarily assemble to perform Divine Service and God's presence is not tyed to the place but to God's People observing God's Ordinances in this place neither is he tyed to any special presence in such place but by vertue of his gracious Promise neither is there in these places any divine special effectual and spiritual presence there but to such as there worship him in Spirit We are not so bound to these places as though God would not accept our Service else-where or more in such a place than in another but onely in respect of conveniency and the testification of our Union with God's People in the Christian Religion § 4. After that the Subject and Heads of his following discourse were determined and named he proceeds to discourse of them more particularly 1. Of the Sanctuary 2. Of the Service and Ordinances So that we may in the following nine Verses observe a Description 1. Of the Sanctuary or Tabernacle Ver. 2 3 4 5. 2. Of the Service from Ver. 6. to the 10. 1. This Sanctuary leaving out the Court where they sacrificed is divided into two parts The first is the Holy place The second the Holiest of all The holy place divided from the Court by the first Veil or Hanging is described from the sacted things and Utensils therein which are here said to be the Candlestick the Table the Shew-Bread and this was called the Sanctuary Both the place and Utensils of the place had their mystical Representations though not so well known to us The second part divided from the Sanctuary by the second Veil and called the Holy of Holies that is the Holiest of all is set forth from the things therein As 1. The Golden Censer 2. The Ark
and heavenly things principally intended are the Consciences and immortal Souls of men which being purged make up the Body of the Church which is Militant first on Earth and after that to be Triumphant in Heaven 2. The better Sacrifice above the former is the Sacrifice of Christ and the pure unsported Blood of him who offered himself by the eternal Spirit to God The purifying vertue of this Sacrifice was in this that Christ the Son of God innocent holy righteous as Surety and Hostage of Man-king appointed to be so by God did deny himself took up the Cross shed his Blood for to expiate the Sin of Man and was obedient unto death the death of the Cross For him so excellent to suffer death so willingly for so glorious an end and that at the Command of God was the highest and purest degree of Obedience that ever was performed unto God and was highly accepted and did fully satisfy divine Justice so far as was required In the offering of this Sacrifice he gave himself wholly to his heavenly Father and became as it were a whole Burnt-Offering being wholly consumed with the Zeal of his Father's Glory and the Love of Man-kind And here it is to be noted upon the By That though in the Text we read Sacrifices in the plural number yet this one Sacrifice of Christ is onely meant Estius thinks it's an Enallage of number the Plural for the Singular for the Sacrifice whereby heavenly things are purified is but only one once offered Yet it may be called Sacrifices because it had more vertue than all other purifying Sacrifices and also because it was one of those expiating Sacrifices which were offered unto God yet more excellent than all the rest It 's like that expression of Jâ—phtah's Butial for it 's said he was buried in the Cities of Gâ—lead that is one of the Cities of that Country which was Mizpeh as some think Judg. 12. 7. 3. For the heavenly things and the Consciences of men to be purified is to be freed from Sin that is from the Guilt and Dominion of Sin which is to be justified and sanctified as these words are usually taken This Purification is vertual or actual for when the Blood of Christ was shed offered and accepted for the Sins of men then they may be said to be purified virtually as upon the death of Christ we are said to be reconciled because made reconcilable And when by Faith this Blood is sprinkled upon our Consciences and pardon obtained by Christ's Intercession for peniâ—ent and believing Sinners then they are said to be actually purified and when they are wholly freed from all the Guilt and Power of Sin then they are perfectly purified 4. This Purification by this Sacrifice was necessary for supposing God's Will and Decree concerning the eternal Happiness of sinful Man in Communion with his God it was necessary Man should be purified for otherwise he could have no fellowship with God so as to derive eternal Happiness from him For as God is Light and just and holy so they must be Light just and holy who shall see and enjoy him And because no Sacrifice but this of Christ could thus qualify him therefore it was necessary both that he should be purified and purified with this Sacrifice § 22. Thus far you have heard of the necessity of the death of Christ for the Confirmation of the Covenant illustrated by Similitudes taken from the Law of Nature and the Ceremonial Law of Moses Therefore the Jews except they were very ignorant could have no cause to be offended with this death upon the Cross seeing it was so necessary to the purchasing of the eternal Inheritance and the purging of mens Consciences that they might be capable of the Possession and have a Title unto it for the ground of the Promise from whence the Title is immediately derived is this Sacrifice without which the Promise was never made neither if it had been made could it without this have been valid But let 's consider what follows for he saith Ver. 24. For Christ is not entred into the Holy places made with hands which are Figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear before God for us THese words considered absolutely in themselvs seem to be plain and easily understood but the coherence is doubtful Some and amongst the rest Esâ—ius takes little notice of it as not much material Many others finding the causal Conjunction For do agree that in these words the Apostle gives a Reason of something that went before but they differ much in the particular Explication of the Reason Dr. Gouge conceivs that the Apostle's intention is to prove that the Sacrifice of Christ is more excellent than the Sacrifices of the Law and this is true but yet imperfect Beza thinks that the Author in this Text begins another and a new Collation or Comparison to prove the excellency of this Offering and this cannot be denyed Dr. Lushington who is said to be the Translator of Crellius tells us that here is proved That the Heavenly places are purified by better Sacrifices and that because Christ entred not into the earthly Sanctuary but into Heaven it self This doth presuppose that Heaven it self is purified by the Blood of Christ and that Christ entred thereinto for that end But this is difficult to understand and supposeth that which few will grant him A Lapide differs from all these and saith that the Apostle gives in this Text a Reason why he called the Church heavenly or heavenly things and that is because Christ entred into Heaven to unlock the Gates and open the Doors thereof that the faithful might enter thereinto This is not so clear and satisfactory though it hath something of Truth To find out the Connexion we must observe 1. That the Conjunction for or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes expletive and redundant 2. Sometimes the same that but or moreover is 3. That though it be called by the Grammarians a Causal yet it doth not alwayes imply a Cause but it 's used to bring in any other Reason or Argument and therefore might be called a rational Conjunction Yet Whittington in his Grammar saith that a Causal Conjunction signifies the Cause or Order of that which goeâ— before where he implies that it doth not alwayes joyn the Cause and the Effect 4. Let it be taken for a Conjunction which joyns these words to the former so as to contain a Reason we must consider what was formerly â—ffiâ—med and how it 's here proved To this end let us remember that the Subject of the former discourse was Purification or Expiation of things by Blood of Sacrifices and these things are earthly and carnal or spiritual and heavenly Of these latter he affirmed that it was necessary they should be purified with better Sacrifices The manner how he proves this is this He presupposing that these heavenly things must be purified proves 1. That they were purified by
he received Christianity and had felt the sanctifying and comforting power and divine effects of this Spirit in his own soul. For God by his Spirit had entred into him and done much towards his Salvation This is therefore a Sin against God the Father who loved us and sent Christ to redeem us against God the Son who had shed his precious Blood for the Expiation of our sins against God the Holy Ghost who had begun the Work of Sanctification and Consolation in us The penalty of this Sin is signified absolutely to be this that he is counted worthy of sore Punishment Sore Punishment is grievous heavy bitter Punishment To be worthy of it is to deserve it by some hainous Sin and not only so but to be liable to it for one may be worthy of Punishment yet not liable to it when he is under no Law yet whosoever is under the Obligation of a Law and yet transgresseth it he is not only worthy to suffer and deserving of Punishment but liable and bound to suffer For the nature of Law is to bind either to Obedience or Punishment But where there is no Law there is no Wrath that is no Punishment due yet one may be liable to Punishment which he hath deserved and yet no Man takes notice to censure or judg him But the Apostate from Christianity shall be accounted worthy and that not only by Man but by God who will not only take notice of the Sin but sentence him to the Punishment the sore Punishment deserved that is he will judg him without Mercy § 29. Thus far the parts have been considered and explicated absolutely the next thing to be done is to examine the whole under the Notion of a Comparison in quantity and it 's signified by these words Of how much sorer Punishment The things principally compared are the Punishments 1. To be inflicted upon such as transgress Moses Law 2. Upon Apostates under the Gospel Both are sore and great but the latter far more grievous than the former For a just Judg will judg according to the Law and a just Law will determine and proportion the Punishment according to the Offence To transgress Moses Law was a grievous Offence to sin willfully against the Gospel after we have received the knowledg thereof is far more hainous The Punishment of the former was death without Mercy the Punishment of the latter far more grievous This presupposeth the Gospel to be far above the Law as being a Covenant of Grace and greatest Mercy for in and by it God comes far nearer unto Man The Son of God is the Mediator one far more excellent than any Levitical High-Priest The Blood of this Son of God expiating Man's Sin which is far more precious than the Blood of Buls Goats doth confirm it The Spirit of God which the Law did not minister is the Spirit of Grace enlightning inspiring sanctifying Man and enabling him to keep the Conditions and comforming him To revolt from and rebell against God loving sinful Man against the Son of God redeeming him against the Spirit-sanctifying him is like the Sin of Devils and one of the highest Man can commit and far more hainous than the Violation of the Covenant made with Israel For by this a man wilfully refuseth to be saved and puts himself in a most desperate Condition after God had brought him out of the Spiritual Aegypt and the Kingdom of Darkness and brought him to the Borders of the heavenly Canaan Now as the Sin is more hainous far more hainous so the Punishment must be grievous far more grievous God hath no Mercy for such a Wretch for the Sin agrees directly with that Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven It remains we consider the whole as a Reason that so we may understand the force of it The Scope of the Apostle is to perswade and exhort to perseverance the Reason is because that if they persevere not but fall away there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment c. that is the Punishment that they must suffer is grievous and unavoidable That it is both grievous and unavoidable he proves 1. By a Comparison from the Transgressors of the Law For if Apostates under the Law were grievously and certainly punished then much more should the Apostates under the Gospel who have received the Knowledg of the Truth be so punished for as their Sin is more grievous and provoking so their Punishment must be answerable This is the force of the Reason This Argument hath some Affinity with that of Chap. 2 Ver. 1 2 3 4 c. yet that refers more to the Prophetical this more to the Sacerdotal Office of Christ. § 30. Yet though the Apostate may be worthy of Punishment yet it may be be questioned and demanded 1. Who the Judge is And 2. Whether he will proceed to Judgment and execute it But both these the Apostle puts out of doubt in the words following Ver. 30. For we know him that he hath said Vengeance belongeth unto me I will recompence saith the Lord And again The Lord shall judg his People IN which words he doth inform us 1. Who the Judg is 2. That he will certainly punish And here he cites a place out of the Old Testament which affirmeth both that God is Judg and also will execute Judgment This is more than if he had barely affirmed these things for he produceth God as Witness and so by Scripture confirms them The place is Deut. 32. 35 36. and he seems to divide it into two for Ver. 35. he saith Vengeance and Recompence belong to me Ver. 36. For the Lord will judg his People In the Text we have these Propositions 1. Vengeance belongeth to the Lord. 2. He will recompence 3. He will judg his People 4. The Lord himself saith so 5. They knew it was the Lord who said so 1. Vengeance belongeth to the Lord. Where by the way observe that the Apostle doth not follow as usually he doth the Septuagint according to our Copies but the Hebrew Text which is this Vengeance is mine and Retribution The Septuagint translates thus In the day of Vengeance I will recompence They seem to follow the Samaritan Hebrew Text in the former and the Targum in the â—â—tter part of the Clause yet neither the Vulgar nor the Syriack nor the Chaldee Paraphrast nor the Arabick follow them in their Translation of the first words In this Proposition we have 1. Vengeance 2. The party to whom it belongs By Vengeance is meant vindicative Justice punishing Offenders the acts whereof are Condemnation and Execution and it 's proper to a Judg as a Judg as it is Power of punishing as here it may be taken either for the Power or the Act and Exercise of the Power The party to whom it belongs is the Lord as he is the supream and universal Judg for he that is the supream Law-giver must needs be
heard them Luke 10. 23 24. 3. The joy of Simeon when he saw his Saviour though then but an Infant and imbraced that blessed Babe in his arms doth manifest the same 4. We might add that the times of the Gospel were more excellent because the Angels came to School on Earth amongst Men to learn something that they had not known before This is implyed by these words of Paul And to let all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ. To the intent that Now unto Principalities and Powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord Eph. 3. 9 10 11. And by those of Peter 1 Pet. 1. 17. Which things the Angels desire to look into 5. Upon the exhibition of Christ and the revelation of the Gospel the rule of Faith was more fully clearly and distinctly declared as the former places do signify and the Holy Ghost was more plentifully powred down from Heaven So that the times of the Gospel were times of far greater perfection then the former had been 2. This better thing was provided by God who disposeth of all times and of all things to be done as knowing both what and when is most fit to be effected And as by his Wisdom he contrived this better thing so by his Will he determined it and when the time came by his Almighty Power he accomplished what he had provided This implieâ— that it was his Work and from his own free Will he made this provision without any thoughts of Man 3. He provided this better thing for us that is for Paul and the Hebrews and all such as lived under that excellent dispensation and enjoyed the light of the Gospel For they are the parties who had the benefit and the priviledg which the Elders and Ancient worthies expected but never received in their times § 40. They were not perfected without us this is the second Proposition which 1. Implies That they were perfected 2. Expresly affirms That they were not perfected without us 1. The former times were times of imperfection both in respect of the object of Faith which was Christ to come and also in respect of the revelation and proposal of the rule which was then more dark and implicite and therefore before Christ's exhibition and the clear light of the Gospel the Saints and Elders of Old could not be perfected What the imperfection of their Souls and Spirits separated was before the time of Christ's Ascention we know not so clearly and we are ignorant in part of that perfection which they then acquired But certainly besides that some of them were raised with Christ their condition was much bettered The knowledg of their Saviour was much increased and their joyes much advanced But that this perfection should be their deliverance out of the dark Limbus and upper part of Hell I cannot be perswaded I find no Scripture for it 2. Yet they were not perfected without us who live under the Gospel God so ordered it that as their Faith was not so perfect as ours so their estate should not be bettered till the glorious light of Heaven shined out upon us and them joyntly and upon us both together If they were not made perfect without us and they received not the promise and we did and they continued constant in Faith how much more are we who have received it bound to be constant and persevere § 41. Though we find many examples in Scripture proposed for imitation and several Duties pressed thereupon yet we find no place in this kind so full so large so particular as this of the Apostle wherein he singles out the prime and choisest Worthies of God which have lived in all Ages before Christ from the beginning of the World And it 's a kind of Induction which though not expresly yet implicitely reacheth almost a general For examples logically considered are but particular individuals which united together make up a Totum genericum which many say is nothing but species â—â—sima but we must not quarrel about words Morally and Theologically taken they do illustrate and make plain the matter whereof they are examples but as examples do not bind except the matter be found in some precept in force or of universal and perpetual obligation as this of Faith and perseverance in Faith is Yet this is observable in Scripture that God doth not only give us examples for imitation but commands us to follow them and they are added to the precepts to make the duty more evident more easy and more fit for encouragement Surely there was some special reason why the Authour should so inlarge in this topick of examples The reason seems to be the necessity of Faith in respect of Salvation which was such as that never any of the best of Saints could attain it or did attain it without this Virtue Besides as there was danger so there was great fear of Apostacy because of many temptations And it 's remarkable that he doth not instance in any Ceremonial Duty as of Sacrifice and such like nor in the works of the Law but in Faith yet a most lively and working Faith and he doth manifest that this was a fundamental virtue from the beginning As for his method it 's as clear as such a matter is capable of and the subject is handled with a great deal of artifice He 1. Describes Faith and makes that the basis and foundation of his following Discourse not only to let them know what the duty was he formerly exhorted unto but to give light to the Examples following 2. He signifies that it was an ancient and general vertue whereby the Elders became so famous 3. Because it was fit in producing so many Examples to observe some Order and so begin with one more ancient than the rest as with Abel who was the second Son of the first Man and lest it might be said that there were many Ages of the World before his time he informs us that the World had a beginning and that by Faith we believe it and therefore his first Example is one living in the beginning of the World and from him draws the Series or Catalogue down to latter times CHAP. XII Wherein the Exhortation to Perseverance is continued § 1. THE Analysis of this Chapter is easy for in the Exhortation continued we must observe 1. The Duty exhorted upto which is Perseverance 2. The Reasons and Motives whereupon it 's urged Which are 1. The former Examples 2. The Example of Christ. 3. The Nature of their Sufferings as they come from God 4. Divers ill Consequents if Apostacy and the Causes and Occasions thereof be not avoided 5. The Excellency of the Church under the Gospel above the Church under the Law 6. The Manner of revealing the Gospel 7.
to our Christian Brethren and now the Apostle exhorts to Duties of another kind as first of Chastity Ver. 4. Marriage is honourable in all and the Bed undefiled but Wheremongers and Adulterers God will judg VVHere we have 1. A Duty which is Chastity and Fidelity in Marriage 2. The Reason why we should be chaste and that is because Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judg 1. The Duty is expressed in most Copies and Translations Indicatively not Imperatively for it 's not said Let Marriage be honourable in all c. but It is honourable Yet this is not material for suppose the Indicative-Reading should be true yet a Duty is plainly implied for 1. The Texts both antecedent and consequent are hortative to Duties 2. That Marriage should be honourable and the Bed be undefiled is certainly a Duty and an Exhortation thereunto is implied 3. The Reason added doth prove as much The Duty exhorted unto is Chastity and Chastity is two-fold first of single then of married Persons This is of married Persons who according to God's Constitution and their own Contract give their Bodies one unto another and are bound to be faithful And this Fidelity is to preserve the honour of Marriage which they do whilest they keep the Marriage-Bed undefiled When it 's said Marriage is honourable and the Bed undefiled the meaning is Marriage ought to be honourable and the Bed ought to be undefiled Not only Adultery but also Fornication and all Uncleanness dishonour the Body and this is evident from these words of the Apostle For this is the Will of God even your Sanctification that you should abstain from Fornication That every one of you should know how to possess his Vesselin Sanctification and Honour 1 Thess. 4. 3 4. Where we may observe that by Vessel according to the Hebrew is meant the Body 3. That by Sanctification in that â—lice is understood Chastity as opposed to the Lust of Concupiscence 3. That this Sanctification is the Honour of the Body therefore when it 's said That he that commiâ—â—eth Fornication sinneth against his own Body 1 Cor. 6. 18. the meaning is He dishonoureth his own Body As Marriage must be honourable so the Bed must be undefiled which latter words explain the former for then is Marriage honourable when the Marriage-Bed is kept undefiled For by Bed is meant the Marriage-Bed and the Bodies of the Parties married to be undefiled is not to be polluted by Adultery And if it be it 's dishonoured if it be not then the Honour of it is preserved So that the sense of the whole is this Let married Persons be faithful one unto another and take heed of dishonouring their Bodies by Adultery To signify this Duty to be general and to bind all such as are Man and Wife he faith Marriage is and by God's Institution ought to be honourable in all that is in all married Persons both Man and Wife whilest they are Man and Wife And as it ought to be honourable so it ought to be undefiled in all In these words Whoredom and Adultery are prohibited and ehorted from This Chastity is the Duty of Christians more than of other Persons because they know God's Institution and their Bodies are the Members of Christ and the Temples of the Holy Ghost 2. The Reason and Motive is because Whore-â—ougers and Adulterers who dishonour their Bodies and defile the Marriage-Bed God will Judge that is punish So that the Dissuasive is à Poena from the Punishment which God will certainly inflict and they shall certainly suffer if they be not chaste but prove guilty of Adultery This Punishment is not only eternal after this Life if they repent not but also temporal even in this Life though they may repeht This is evident in David who though he repented yet suffered grievously for his Adultery More of Marriage Chastity Adultery may be read in my Thâ—c-Politica § 5 The fifth Duty pressed upon them followeth Ver. 5. Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have For He hath said I will never leave thee nor for sake thee Ver. 6. So that we may boldly say The Lord is my Helper I will not fear what Man shall do unto me IN these words we must consider 1. The Duty 2. The Reason why we should perform it The Duty is 1. Negative Be not covetous 2. Astirmative Be contented For if we look at the Law and so consider the words they are 1. A Prohibition 2. A Precept If we look upon the Performance of the Duty as expressed by the Author we have 1. A Dehortation 2. An Exhortation The Dehortation is this Let your Conversation be without Covetousness The meaning whereof in brief is Be not coveâ—ouâ— The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned by our English Translators Conversation by the Viugar and Vatablus Mores Manners by the Syriack and Arabick Mens Animus the Mind All these may be easily reconciled for Conversation signifies humane Actions as they are habitually morally-good or evil these as Habits are termed by the Moralists Mores Manners or Customs as vertuous or vicious And because the Principle of these Actions are the Mind as taken for the Understanding and the Will therefore the word may be turned mind or affection for so the word in Greek doth sometime signify Some do understand by the Original word the means whereby we seek these earthly things and the manner how we use spare or spend them And this sense differs not much from the former This Duty doth presuppose 1. A right Judgment of these worldly Goods in respect of themselves the end for which they are given the manner how they are justly acquired used expended 2. A right disposition of the heart agreeable to this Judgment These things presupposed we may the better inquire into the nature of Covetousness which is defined by many to be An immoderate love and desire of these earthly Goods The object and matter therefore in general is these earthly Goods whether corporeal movable or immovable or incorporeal according to the distinction of the civil Law These are considered as conducing to the preservation and continuance of man's Life therefore called our Livelyhood The principal things as most necessary and more immediately preserving Life are Food and Raimenâ— And because Mony answers in value and the esteem of men all those things which may be called Goods and by It upon exchange they may be purchased and acquited therefore covetousness is called sometimes the love of many 1 Tim. 6. 10. And here our Conversation must be free from the love of mony so the Original is The proper act of Covetousness is in the heart and mind of man conceiving and judging of these things as more necessary or excellent then they are which is a kind of overvaluing and setting too high a price on them 2. Affecting loving and desiring them immoderately above the worth of them and that measure which God hath