are after the order of Aaron For Melchisedec was both a King and a Priest the Levites were onely Priests he had no Priestly pedigree these must have so he had neither predecessor nor successor these succeed one another he is an eternall Priest these dye lastly he is greater and worthier then Abraham himselfe and therefore much more so then the Leviticall Priests After the order of Melchisedec The order of Melchisedec is a little otherwise taken then the order of Aaron for by that is signified a likenesse onely with the Priest Melchisedec as the Author speakes afterward ver 15. but in this is contained not onely a likenesse with Aaron but also a naturall succession into his place and Priesthood 12. For the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the Law He brings a reason which notwithstanding was before tacitely shewed in the parenthesis which we explicated why a Priest must be ordained according to Aaron and no other rise according to the order of Melchisedec if by the Aaronicall Priesthood mens sins could have beene expiated perfectly The reason is because the Priesthood could not be abrogated or changed unlesse the Law whereby it was established were abrogated and changed also Wherefore either to preserve the authority of the Law it selfe if not for the dignity of the Leviticall Priesthood a Priest must have beene ordained after the order of Aaron if perfection came by that Priesthood But because this was not done therefore it is manifest that perfection could not be given by that Priesthood and consequently for the imperfection of it there was good cause it should expire He saith the Priesthood was changed not onely for that it was translated to another Tribe diverse from that of Levi wherein a Priest was ordained after the order of Melchisedec but also in that the Priesthood it selfe was altered and changed into another kinde different from the former Although to the end the Author might use this word in this latter sense for altered therefore from the former sense of changing the Tribe he might take occasion consequently to use it of the Law thereby to signifie the abrogation of the Law For hence afterward at the eighteenth verse when he speakes of the Law alone instead of the word changed he puts disanulling or abrogating And the abrogation of the Law though in this place it properly be referred to that part of the Law whereby the Aaronicall Priesthood was established yet we must know that upon the abrogation of that Sacerdotall Law all the force and authority of the Law of Moses was disanulled also especially concerning externall rites and ceremonies For together with the Priesthood not some one Law fell alone but many Lawes and divers rites fell with it neither is there any cause to thinke but that upon the expiring of so many Lawes all the rest of the same kinde and nature died also And besides upon the abrogation of one Commandement of Moses Law is not that bond of the Law dissolved which layes a curse upon him that continues not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law but upon the dissolution of this bond the whole frame of the Law must needs fall asunder For from that bond it appeares that it was the minde of the Law-maker that all the precepts or commandements of that Law should either stand together or by the fall of one the authority of the whole Law should faile 13. For he of whom these things are spoken Here the Author proves that the Priesthood being changed or another Priest after the order of Melchisedec being ordained the Law thereupon must needs bee changed or abrogated The reason is because the person designed by these words Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec descended not from Levi but from another Tribe out of which no person descending might lawfully approach to the Altar to offer sacrifice as a Priest But the Law which ordained the Priesthood of Aaron did expresly provide that no man not of the Tribe of Levi and no man of that Tribe not of the family of Aaron should exercise the Priesthood Whence it is manifest that a Priest after the order of Melchisedec could not be ordained unlesse the Law were violated Pertaining to another Tribe of which no man gave attendance at the Altar Attendance at the Altar is the performance of the Ceremonies by officiating at the Sacrifices and ordering those things that appertained to the Altar to such other services And attendance here must not be taken for the act of doing it but for the right to do it for it is wel knowne that some Kings did dare de facto to approach unto the Altar burn Incense there but by usurpation and without any right to do it 14. For it is evident our Lord sprang out of Iudah of which Tribe Moses spake nothing concerning Priesthood Here he confirmes his former reason that Christ our Lord of whom these words were spoken that he was a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec pertained to a Tribe of which no man gave attendance at the Altar or performed the office of Priesthood The reason is because it is evident that he sprang out of Judah of which Tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the Priesthood and therefore by the Law had no right to the Priesthood for this followes upon the former And the Author takes it for granted that he of whom the words of the Psalme are spoken is our Lord Christ the annointed of God That Christ sprang out of the Tribe of Judah he saith it is evident i. generally knowne to all men for no man was ignorant that Christ came from the line of David And he had good reason to take this for granted because these words of the Psalme Thou art a Priest for ever are spoken of him whom David in the beginning of that Psalme calleth his Lord speaking of him in the spirit but he that is the Lord of David must needs be our Lord also who seeing he is mentioned of the Lord Jehovah or the most high and onely God as a distinct person to whom the words were spoken from him that spake them Sit thou at my right hand and Thou art a Priest for ever certainely he can be no other then Christ our Lord the anointed of God For that this was acknowledged of the Masters and Doctors among the Jewes it is manifest from hence that Christ disputing with the Pharisees supposeth it as a thing no way doubtfull but confessed of all when he demanded of them How David could call Christ his Lord seeing as they had answered him he was his son For unlesse they had all acknowledged it the answer had beene easie to say that Christ was neither that Lord nor so called of David The Author also supposeth it for granted that our Lord Christ sprang from the Tribe of Judah because he wrote to them who were already perswaded that
Jesus of Nazareth was Christ And Christ though he was conceived by the holy Ghost without the act of any man yet is said to spring from Abraham from Judah and from David because he was borne of Mary the wife of Joseph who was of the posterity of David of Judah and of Abraham For any son that is borne of a mans wife which is accounted her husbands body though it be not begotten by the husband so it be not begotten by any other man is his son who is husband to the woman For God hath free liberty to give a man a son any way whether naturally by the husband or supernaturally without the husband For by the Law of God it was ordained of old that when the husband died without issue his brother if he have any should marry the widow and as soone as he had any childe by her it should be called the seed of her husband that was deceased With how much more reason may Christ justly be called the son of Joseph and therefore of David Judah or Abraham because though he were not begotten by Joseph himselfe yet he was begotten in his life time not by the act of any other man supplying the part of Joseph but by the worke and power of the holy Ghost and by him begotten upon Mary the espoused wife of Joseph The points by some disputed on this place whether Christ by his mothers side were not of the Tribe of Levi are doubtfull in themselves and impertinent to the matter For among the Jews no man was referred to any Tribe but by his father Hence in all the genealogies or pedigrees mentioned in Scripture men onely are named but the genealogies of women are never described or no otherwise but by the men as the genealogie of Iudith chap. 8. But if in any genealogie a woman be mentioned her parents are not inserted as Matth. 1. Boos begat Obed of Ruth Judas begat Pharez of Thamar David begate Solomon of her that had been the wife of Vrias The reason is because it mattered not for the tribe or pedigree of what woman the childe were borne whether of one or other For the father alwayes gave the tribe and family to the childe Wherefore the genealogie of Christ whether by Matthew or Luke is not framed from the ancestors of Mary but of Joseph 15. And it is yet more evident for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest By another argument taken from the nature of the Priesthood he shews that by the rising of another Priest after the order of Melchisedec the Law is abrogated q. d. If it be evident as it is that upon the translation of the Priesthood to another tribe or family contrary to the precept of the Law the Law it selfe is thereby abrogated much more is the abrogation of it evident upon the rising of another Priest after the order of Melchisedec If the Priesthood had been onely translated to another tribe or family and remained in the former qualitie of it without any other alteration certainly lesse violence had been done to the Law but seeing the Priesthood is translated into another family and tribe upon which the Law no way setled it and also altered into a new kinde of Priesthood much more is it evident that by this translation and alteration of the Priesthood the Law it selfe is changed and abrogated After the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest Another Priest notlike Aaron to be either of his family or of his continuance but like Melchisedec to continue a Priest for ever 16. Who is made not after the Law of a carnall commandment but after the power of an endlesse life The Priest after the similitude or likenesse of Melchisedec is not like the Priests after Aarons order who are made after the Law of a carnall commandment neither is hee a temporary Priest to live for a time onely as they did but an eternall Priest for ever After the Law of a carnall commandment By Law of commandment he meanes those particular precepts in the Law for the election and ordination of the Priest which are called carnall because they had respect onely to the flesh and considered onely the linage birth and death of the Priest binding the Priesthood to a certain tribe namely of Levi and to a certain family in that tribe namely of Aaron and providing for the mortalitie of the Priest by determining the rights of succession all which considerations are carnall respecting onely the flesh For the Law commanded that upon the death of one Priest another should succeed him to the end that though the Priests dyed yet the Priesthood might not die According to this carnall commandment or Lawes respecting the flesh that Priest was not to bee ordained who was to be made after the order of Melchisedec For hee had neither predecessour nor successour neither came hee from the family of Aaron The particle after doth here note the manner of the Priesthood for the constitution of it as applyed to some certaine rule or Law for though the word sometime signifie otherwise yet this is the most usuall sence of it So that here is proposed unto us the qualitie of that Priest who is after the likenesse of Melchisedec and a qualitie contrary to the qualitie of the Priests after Aarons order because as we have often noted every Aaronicall Priest was but temporary onely for a time but the Priest after Melchisedecs order is perpetuall and eternall for ever The words following do enforce this sence especially if wee regard the proofe contained in the verse following But after the power of an endlesse life The Priest after Melchisedees order is such a one as hath the power of perpetuitie such as an endlesse life requires to be Hee is not a carnall mortall and frail Priest that after a little time should need a successour but a most potent Priest that hath an absolute power an eternall Priest that hath an endlesse life For to this sence that which followes doth excellently agree 17. For hee testifieth Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec q.d. Therefore I say that the Priest after the order of Melchisedec is an eternall Priest because God openly testifies it when hee saith Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec 18. For there is verily a disanulling of the commandement going before He had said before that if the Priesthood were changed then the Law also must be changed and hitherto he hath proved that consequence Now he shewes the reason why the Law must be antiquated changed or abrogated For hee seemes to looke backward to the principall purpose and the scope of the former words partly expressed verse 12. and in a manner repeated verse 15. and so againe verse 16. where hee saith that Christ is not made a Priest according to the Law of a carnall commandment In which words he shewed that the commandment of the Law for ordaining of the
I Have perused this Comment or Exposition upon the Epistle to the Hebrewes and finding it to be learned and judicious plaine and very profitable I allow it to be Printed and published IOHN DOVVNAME THE EXPIATION OF A SINNER IN A COMMENTARY Vpon the Epistle to the HEBREVVES LONDON Printed by THO. HARPER and are to be sold by CHARLES GREENE at his Shop in Ivie Lane 1646. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THe History of Christ for his life doctrine and miracles for his death resurrection and ascension is copiously described by the foure Evangelists But the Mystery of Christ for the reasons causes and effects of his sufferings and actions especially since his ascension into heaven and session on the Throne of God is exactly revealed in the Epistle to the Hebrewes which seems in manner of an Appendex unto the Evangelists For that Epistle is frequently interserted with severall deep mysteries containing as it were the history of Christ in heaven How there in the behalf of the faithfull he executes the sacred office of his everlasting Priesthood whereby he is able to save them for ever who come unto God by him because he ever liveth to make intercession for them How he commiserates and succours them in all their afflictions and trialls for having himselfe been afflicted and tried he thereby learned the compassion of a mercifull high Priest How he expiates and propitiates them from all their former sinnes and from all their after-lapses whereinto they fall through ignorance or infirmity for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified How he justifies and here difies them to that eternall blessednesse whereof he is the heire and the donor to admit them as co-heires with him for he is become the author of eternall salvation unto all them that obey him How hee consecrates and dedicates their persons and all their sacrifices or holy services of prayers praises and thanksgivings which through him become acceptable to his Father for he is a Minister of the heavenly Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which God hath pitched and not men And therein is further accurately discoursed what admirable benefits and prerogatives are from Christ redundant to the faithfull for whom he hath obtained a Ministery so much more excellent by how much he is the Mediator of a better covenant established upon better promises What necessary duties of holinesse the faithfull on their part over and besides their faith to believe are bound to performe for the application and efficacie of those benefits to render them effectuall to their salvation which without holinesse can never be attained for as without faith it is impossible to please God so without holinesse no man shall see God What vertue and power those benefits have upon the conscience to withdraw her from dead workes and to engage her in all endeavours of holines to serve the living God by way of thankfulnesse to God for his grace in Christ for otherwise the soul is ingratefull and ungracious What solid comforts and assurances under all the distresses of this life arise unto the soule from her endeavours of holinesse without which no soule is capable of solid and assured comfort for a sensuall and sinfull soul may be sometime flattered and deceived but effectually comforted and assured she can never be untill in some measure she bee purged from her sinfulnes and qualified by deeds or desires of holinesse In the prosecution of these and the like points the divine Author of that Epistle proceeds after a grave and solid manner yet soaring sometime into expressions and reasonings so sublime that he seems to penetrate the highest heavens and there to behold our Saviours actions For the points he prosecutes are high mysteries of things so distant and remote from sense that as himself acknowledgeth c. 5. v. 11. many of them are hard to be uttered and therfore certainly hard to be understood Yet for the easier apprehension of them he alwaies CHAPTER I. GOD The supreme and universall father stiled in the old Covenant the God of Israel but in the new the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ At sundry times in the severall ages of the world as in the time of the servitude in Egypt in the time of the Judges of the Kings and of the Captivity and a while afterward till about the finishing of the second Temple And in divers maners At one time after one maner at another after another as to Moses God spake in a singular and familiar maner otherwise then to any other Prophet for he spake with Moses mouth to mouth Num. 12.6 And he knew Moses face to face Deut. 34.10 But to other Prophets God spake after another maner eyther by Angels as his delegates or by a voice sounding in their eares or by a vision before their eyes while they were awake or by a dream while they were asleep Spake Declared his will and pleasure for precepts promises or judgements whether by voice vision or dreame In times past Anciently during the time of the Tabernable and the first Temple for after the finishing of the second Temple God spake very rarely any way Vnto the Fathers Not to the Patriarchs but to the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the time of the Prophets and were ancestors to those Hebrewes to whom this Epistle is written By the Prophets As by Moses and Samuel by Elias and Elisha and by the rest of the Prophets whose workes are extant in the sacred Canon of Scripture 2. In these last dayes The time of the Gospel is called the last dayes partly as opposed to the words before in times past partly because the time of the Law and the Prophets was before it but chiefly because the Church under the Gospel shall not receive from God any more Innovation or alteration for the time of the Gospel shall last till time shall be no more till eternity and therefore is commonly called in Scripture the last dayes See Act. 2.17 By his son Jesus Christ who here is opposed to the Prophets by whom God spake in time past Not that the Prophets were no way the sons of God but because in comparison of Christ they were not so accounted For Christ by whom God spake the Gospel was more eminently the son of God then any of the Prophets 4 wayes 1. By his conception because he was conceived of a Virgin by the power of the Holy Ghost 2. By his function because he was sanctified by God and sent into the world to publish and confirme the new Covenant for which function he must needs resemble God as a son the father in divine wisdome holinesse and power This reason Christ gives why he called himself the son of God John 10.36 3. By his Institution because God appointed him his universall heire as an only son is to his father 4. By his Resurrection because thereby he was immortalised or enfranchised from death and mortality and consequently deified as the son of
hurt the bodies of men but their soules also so likewise wee beleeve it the office of the angels to protect not the bodies onely of the Saints but their soules also Satan hath power to inject evill thoughts into the mindes of men and to incite them to divers sinnes whom therefore the Scripture makes the Author and Parent of all sinne who workes effectually in the children of disobedience whom shee calls the Prince and god of this world who put it into the heart of Judas to betray Christ and into the heart of Ananias to lie unto the holy Ghost Now if Satan can doe this why cannot good angels inject good thoughts and by divers objects draw the minde to that which is acceptable unto God And when an angel is sent to deliver a man from danger he commonly delivers him no otherwise then by casting into his thoughts some advice or counsell whereby he may decline the danger or by putting some thought upon his adversary whereby to divert him from his entended enterprise Neither are wee to understand that the angels are sent forth only and soly for this end to minister to the Saints but that is the principall and chiefe end for many times the emissions redound to the benefit and profit of others both persons and kingdomes but especially concerning the affaires of the Church whereof Christ is Lord and Protector The Contents of this first Chapter 1. Doctrine Christ is greater then any of the Prophets Reason 1. Because God hath spoken by Christ in these last dayes verse 2. 2. Because Christ is appointed heire of all things eod 3. Because by him God made the new world eod 2. Doctrine Christ is greater then any of the high Priests verse 3. Reason 1. Because Christ is the brightnes of Gods glory and the expresse image of his person eod 2. Because Christ hath expiated our sinnes by himselfe even by his owne blood eod 3. Because Christ is now set downe at the right hand of Gods Majesty on high eod 3. Doctrine Christ is much greater then the Angels verse 4. Reason 1. Because Christ hath a greater name then they for he is called and is the true Son of God verse 4. 5. 2. Because the Angels are his subjects and servants for they must worship him and minister unto him verse 6. 7. 3. Because Christ hath a kingdome of righteousnes with a Throne and Scepter of righteousnes verse 8. 9. 4. Because Christ hath power finally to destroy and abolish this visible world and at the last day shall actually destroy it verse 11. 12. 5. Because Christ sitteth on Gods right hand on the Throne of God whereas the Angels minister and wait verse 13. 14. CHAPTER II. 1. THerefore Because wee have formerly proved that Christ is far more excellent then the Angels We ought to give the more earnest heed greater attention diligence and care To the things which we have heard to the doctrines precepts and promises of the Gospel the Author whereof who first published it upon earth was a person far more excellent then the Angels who published the Law upon Mount Sinai as the Author subjoynes it afterward at the third verse Least at any time we should let them slip He here expresseth the scope and end of their earnest attention and heed not to decline or revolt from the Gospel of Christ and he alludes to a leaking vessell that lets the liquor run out Now then we let the Gospel slip and run from us when either we forget it or give no further credit to it or neglect the precepts of it to conforme our lives to the holy rules therein delivered For when the Gospel hath not the force upon our soules to make us obedient to the rules of it then it may be said to leake or slip away from us 2. For if the word spoken by Angels He begins to bring a reason why we should take earnest heed that the Gospel slip not from us by an argument à mineri for if God punished the transgression of the Law which was lesse much more them of the Gospel which is greater The Law was the word or speech of God for God spake it to the people partly by himselfe and partly by Moses see Exod. 20.1 and in the same Chapter ver 22. Yet God spake not the Law either to Moses or the people immediately by himselfe but by the mediation and meanes of Angels who published and proclaimed it upon Mount Sinai see for confirmation hereof Acts 7.53 and Gal. 3.19 The Law therefore being published but by Angels is farre inferiour to the Gospel which was published by Christ a person greater then the Angels Hence we may collect two verities 1. That God truly and properly did not descend downe upon Mount Sinai and there publish the Law but an Angel susteining the Name and person of God published it in the Name of God For if God himselfe besides the Angels and accompanied with them had descended from heaven into the Mount to publish the Law then not onely the Authors argument had beene void but also the contrary must needs be concluded That the Law in this respect was more excellent then the Gospel because God himselfe who exalted Christ and made him head over the Angels came from heaven to earth and did publish the Law but the Gospel was published but by him who was exalted by God from earth to heaven 2. The second verity is That the Lord who published the Law upon the Mount was not the Sonne of God in the person of his deity For if the Law were given by the Son of God how can this Author affirme it was delivered by Angels and in that respect make it inferiour to the Gospel Or how is it at all inferiour to the Gospel in respect of the publishing if both it and the Gospel were published by one and the same person Was stedfast The Law was ratified and established made stedfast and firme when it was strengthened with power and force for obedience and supported with judgements and punishments against the transgressors of it For when a Law is but a bare precept and hath no penalty annexed to it then it is infirme and weake but when it is fortified with penalties then it is made stedfast and becomes a sanction for thereupon men dare not so easily violate and breake it And every transgression and disobedience The Law was made stedfast for this end that it might be fortified and supported against every transgression and disobedience whereby men would presume to breake it A transgression is a sin against an expresse and knowne Law for every transgression is a sin but every sin is not a transgression yet every sin may become a transgression namely if it be forbidden by an expresse and knowne Law Otherwise where there is no Law to be transgressed there can be no transgression A disobedience is a transgression done with malice and contumacy for as a transgression is one kinde of sin so
a disobedience is one kinde of transgression yet every transgression may become a disobedience namely if it be committed out of malice and contumacy Received a just recompence of reward Punishment is then a just recompence of reward when it is congruous and sutable to the sin according to the due desert of the sinne But these words of the Author cannot meane that every transgression of the Law without exception had a capitall punishment ordained by Law or was de facto inflicted for every penall Law was not alwayes put in execution And those transgressions which were committed out of ignorance or infirmity had their expiation appointed by Law but disobedients or contempts or as the Scripture termes them sinning presumptuously or with a high hand could not be expiated any other way then by that capitall punishment that by the Law was ordained see Numb 15.27 And seeing it is apparent that the Authour speakes of a matter openly and vulgarly knowne it is not credible that he would be understood of those private and secret judgements or punishments that God himselfe inflicted for such for the most part were concealed and not knowne Wherefore we must needs conceive that this Author takes not the particle every logically and strictly but vulgarly for the most part of transgressions and disobediences and hath speciall respect to the sacred precepts of the Law and to the examples of those persons whose transgressions against those Laws are mentioned and whom the Scripture testifies to have beene severely punished of God according to their demerits For if in some cases the rigour of the Law was mitigated as in the case of David those cases being extraordinary and rare must not take place against the generall rule Although David also had no small punishment from God upon him so that here the Author speakes of divine punishments which God himselfe inflicted for otherwise it would not follow that the Law was made stedfast with God therefore because the Magistrate punished transgressors but because God himselfe did it or tooke order it should be done either by the Magistrate or by others For when he speakes on the opposite part concerning the contemners of the Gospel the punishments are understood to be inflicted by God himself 3. How shall we escape If the transgressions of the Law were deservedly and justly punished by Gods hand much leste shall we escape it If we neglect so great salvation If we neglect the Gospel He might have called the Gospel the word spoken by Christ as before he termed the Law the word spoken by Angels for this had beene enough to inferre his conclusion and also a more eloquent opposition but he calls the Gospel Salvation for three reasons 1. To expresse the effect and fruit of the Gospel which is Salvation for as S. Paul saith of it It is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Rom. 1.16 2. To intimate the dignity and excellency of the Gospel above the Law because the Law contained no open promâ—se of salvation but onely hidden under shadowes of things and coverts of words neither did the Law specifie that condition whereby men might attaine salvation but that onely whereby they incurred condemnation and the punishment of death Hence S. Paul saith The Law worketh wrath Rom. 4.15 and he calls the Law the ministration of death and a killing letter 2 Cor. 3.6,7 So that the Law might be justly called rather the word of death and damnation then of life and salvation 3. To adde force and strength to his argument against the danger of neglecting the Gospel seeing thereby we neglect salvation it selfe to which the Gospel is the meanes And he cals not the Gospel simply salvation but great salvation Salvation may be manifold and various as of our bodies and goods in this life and such a salvation was to Gods people under the Law whereby God saved them from their enemies and thereupon is frequently in Scripture called their Saviour Hence David saith of them They forgat God their Saviour Psal 106.21 See Isai 45.15 and 49.26 and 63.8 But the salvation promised in the Gospel is a great and mighty salvation even the salvation of soules by the inheritance of eternall life Neglect This great salvation in the Gospel is neglected when either we despise the acceptance of it or beleeve not the promises of it or observe not the precepts annexed to the promises but live so as if there were no salvation at all or no promises extant of it or no precepts concerning it or as if none of these were knowne unto us So that the neglect here mentioned meanes not some one small sin of negligence by the single breach of some one precept but includes a contempt and despising of the Gospel for it is opposed to the transgressions and disobediences against the Law that were punished with death as a just recompence of reward at the former verse If therefore they escaped not punishment who transgressed the Law which promised not salvation but onely threatned condemnation how shall we escape if we neglect the Gospel wherein eternall salvation is openly promised and a totall remission of all our sinnes is offered yet onely upon condition that afterward we pollute not our selves with any wickednesse or accustome our selves to any sinne with pardon notwithstanding of our infirmity but live holily in the sight of God as farre as our faith in his promise and our hope of salvation may support us If I say we neglect or despise these things so worthy of all reverence and acceptance what greater ingratitude can we possibly shew to God whose grace the greater it is towards us the greater is our sin to despise it and to despise the greatest grace must needs make up the greatest sin Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord The Lord Christ was not the first Author of the Gospel as the Angels were not of the Law but God was the prime and first Author both of the Law and the Gospel But as the Angels were the first publishers and proclaimers of the Law upon Mount Sinai by commission received from God So Christ was the first publisher and preacher of the Gospel upon earth by a like Commission from his Father So the Gospel was preached by him who is Lord over the Angels and whom they reverence and adore as their Lord. But because this Gospel of salvation was preached by others also therefore to shew the difference in the order of time betweene him and others it is said of him that he preached it first and after him others preached it that were instructed in it by him And in this preaching first begun by Christ is included all whatsoever that he either taught or did or suffered to gaine beliefe to his preaching that he might first also confirme it by himself as afterward it was confirmed by others And lest any man might say that all men did not heare the preaching of Christ himselfe therefore
he saith that Christ was not the sole but the first preacher of it and after him others who were taught it by him and sent forth by him to preach it universally over all parts of the world who therefore were called the Apostles or Emissaries of Christ And was confirmed unto us by them that heard him In the confirmation of the Gospel the preaching of it is included or thereby supposed The Law was confirmed or made stedfast not onely by judgements and punishments annexed against the transgressors of it but also the publishing of the Law was confirmed and certified with wonderfull sights and sounds as the lightnings and thunders and trembling of the Mount and the voice of a Trumpet exceeding shrill that sounded long waxing louder and louder so that all the people in the Camp trembled Exod. 19.16 Now lest any man should think that the Gospel either in this regard was inferiour to the Law or was but a vaine novelty that wanted solid arguments and proofes both for the verity of it and the publishing of it therefore the Gospel also was confirmed and certified with most divine testimonies that were without all exception and such as were never seene nor heard of in the world before Vnto us To this Author and others By them that heard him that heard Christ publish and preach the Gospel The Gospel was first confirmed firmed by Christ by vertue of his miracles and sufferings and afterward his publishing of the Gospel his miracles and sufferings were confirmed by them that heard his preaching saw both his miracles and sufferings even by them that were constant auditors of his doctrines and spectators of his miracles such as were especially the Apostles and disciples of Christ Hence it may not improbably be gathered That Paul was not the Author of this Epistle For hee never exempts himselfe from the number of the Apostles nor reckons himselfe as a hearer of the Apostles as the Author of this Epistle here doth Paul alwaies preserved his Apostolick authority and maintained it entire against all that maligned it and he was especially so to doe when hee had to deale with the Hebrewes or Jewes who depraved and slighted his authority Neither was any Apostle the Author of it but some Apostolick person who had learnt the Gospel from some Apostle 4. God also bearing them witnesse The Apostles after Christ did second Christ in preaching and confirming the Gospel yet they confirmed it not by their owne power but by divine power for the confirmation of it was from God because God did beare witnes of their doctrine and gave his suffrage to their sayings Who therefore would not yeeld his faith and belief to so great a confirmation and to so great a testimony of so great a witnes Neither could these things be denied by these Hebrewes to whom this Epistle is written seeing they themselves had seene and heard the preaching of the Gospel confirmed before them Both with signes and wonders and divers miracles Here hee shewes by what meanes God did confirme the preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles namely by meanes of two sorts by the workes of miracles and by the gifts of the holy Ghost Signes were testimonies in generall that the Apostles were sent of God and spake the truth Wonders were signes also yet but one sort of signes namely the sublimest and most powerfull kinde that bred astonishment in the people such as raising the dead and the falling downe of Ananias dead And these signes and miracles were not all of one sort but various and diverse as casting out of devils raising the dead others falling downe dead giving sight to the blinde and blindnes to others as to Elymas the sorcerer by healing diseases not only by their word but by the shadow of Peter and by the handkerchief of Paul Concerning this confirmation of the Gospel St. Austine speaks very wittily Wee know saith hee that almost all the world was drawne unto Christ by the force of miracles They that deny this by eluding miracles they themselves make a greater miracle For when so few Apostles so unlearned men preached things so incredible to humane reason that all the world anciently seasoned with other Religions should beleeve them without any miracles this is a more incredible miracle then any of those miracles which they are said to have done And gifts of the holy Ghost for gifts the originall hath distributions The second meanes of confirming the Gospel preached by the Apostles was by the distributions or gifts of the holy Ghost This the Author names in particular because it is a most divine work most peculiar to the Gospel That at the preaching of the Apostles or at the laying on of their hands the holy Ghost was given to those that beleeved at their preaching He calls them distributions or gifts diversly imparted because the gifts in themselves were diverse and also were diversly imparted to diverse persons Not one and the same gift to all but one to one and another to another one to diverse and diverse to diverse in diverse manners to one in a lesse measure to another in a greater according to the measure both for quantity and quality that it pleased Christ to conferre these graces See 1. Cor. 12.11 and Ephes 4.5 For this variety and diversity in distributing the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost did greatly redound to the benefit and necessity of the Church who is one great Corporation or body mysticall composed of various and diverse members that some standing in need of others help might more mutually conspire in love and unitie among themselves According to his owne will The power to diversifie and varie the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost was not at the will and pleasure of the Apostles but was a prerogative reserved to God and the distribution was varied according to his own will 5. For unto the Angels He returnes to his former point of preferring Christ above the Angels for which he brings a new Argument and withall tacitely shewes the cause why Christ being one somewhat inferiour to the angels in respect of his mortall nature was at last advanced to be far greater and higher then they The reason hereof was because the future world to come was to be subject to Christ and not to the angels For to this purpose the words cited out of the eighth Psalme that the world to come must be subject to a man are by the Author applyed to Christ as the like is done by Paul 1. Cor. 15.27 and Ephes 1.22 And this testimony of Christ being made better then the angels seemes to be reserved for the last place because by this meanes he might both dissolve the doubt why Christ being first lower then the angels was at last made much higher then they and also might prepare himselfe an entrance to explicate the cause of that Imminution of Christ whereat he principally aimed and so gradually proceed to handle the Priesthood of Christ
more honourable then his house which he hath built that is then his people who are the house of God For as Moses must be joyned with the house of God whereof he was a principall part so Christ must be joyned with God who joyntly with God hath built his house and exerciseth dominion or Lordship over it So that Christ this way considered is not a part of the building but a part of the builder and therefore above the building Furthermore if the difference in dignity betweene Christ and Moses be the same that is betweene God and his house then consequently there will be also the same proportion in dignity betweene God and Christ that there is betweene Moses and Gods house For in proportions consisting of foure termes the proportion is alternable Wherefore as Moses is in dignity inferiour to the house for he is but Gods Minister or Legate there who though he be superiour to any one person there singly taken yet he is inferiour to the whole taken collectiyely or joyntly So Christ is a secondary unto God from whom he hath received all divine power and authority to build and governe Gods house in Gods Name But we must take notice that in all this comparison of Christ with Moses there is no consideration had of this that the ancient house wherein Moses was faithfull to God was one and this new house is another wherein God hath adjoyned Christ for the building and governing of it For to the purpose in hand it is enough that both of them are the houses of God and the latter wherein Christ governes is as it were succeeded in the roome of that wherein Moses was faithfull so that in this respect they may seem in a manner all one But if any man shall urge them to be diverse be shall thereby not only not diminish the dignity of Christ for the advance whereof all these things are said but greatly increase it for this new house in dignity far exceeds the old 5. And Moses verily was faithfull in all his house as a servant Before he delivered the Prerogative or Dignity of Christ above Moses but generally and indefinitly now he explicates it more particularly and clearly Which being done it will plainly appeare That Christ is more honourable then Moses so much as God is more honourable then his house which is his people that is Moses must bee reckoned with the house and Christ with God The particle and here signifies not copulatively but illatively as much as for For Moses verily was faithfull as a servant All the dignity that Moses had in Gods house was but a servile dignity for he ordered and governed the whole house of God not as Lord over it but as a Minister and servant unto God He was the steward of Gods house that is the principall servant of the family to whose charge the Master of the family committed the charge of it Wherefore hee was alwayes forced to depend upon the becke and pleasure of God as of his Lord expecting in all things his command For hence it was that he could neither move the camp nor pitch it till first he had received notice of it from God And this very argument he takes from the testimony of Scripture before cited for the faithfulnes of Moses in which verse God cals Moses his servant For a testimony of those things that were to be spoken after Herein is specified the chief office wherein the service of Moses consisted God spake to his servant Moses mouth to mouth and Moses was to testifie and relate unto the people afterward those things which he had heard spoken of God either concerning their present affairs in the wildernesse or concerning the Lawes and Ordinances to be observed for the future in the land of Canaan for in this place the word Testimony is figuratively taken for a relating or rehearsing of things that have beene heard spoken by another Hence the Gospel as it was first spoken by God is called the word of God but as it was reported and delivered by Christ or the Apostles it is not seldome called their testimony See 1 Cor. 1.6 and 1 Cor. 2.1 and 2 Thess 1.10 and 2 Tim. 1.8 and Rev. 1.2 and Rev. 6.9 and Rev. 12.11 And the two Preachers in the Revelation are called the witnesses of God to whom God will give power to preach 1260. dayes Rev. 11.3 For it seems they were therefore called the witnesses of God because they were to prophesie or preach 6. But Christ as a Sonne over his owne house Now hee opposeth and prefers the dignity of Christ before that of Moses because Moses was but as a servant in his Masters house but Christ as a Sonne in his Fathers house that is as the Lord and heire of Gods house And therefore Christ must not be reckoned among the goods of the house as Moses was but must be joyned with the Master of the house as Lord of the family And consequently Christ is so much worthier then Moses as God is worthier then his own house For these words Over his owne house may bee referred 2 wayes 1 They may bee referred to Christ as his owne house And then the comparison between Christ and Moses will carry an opposition in three things 1 That Moses was but the servant of God but Christ was the Son of God 2 Consequently to the first that Moses was only in the house as parcell of the house and so with the rest of the house subject to the Master of the house but Christ is over the house as Lord and heire of it 3 Consequently to both the former that Moses ordered anothers house but Christ governed his owne house that God had given him by right of inheritance 2. The words Over his owne house may bee referred to God as Gods owne house for the comparison seems to require that in each terme thereof mention should be made of Gods house For the Author either takes it for granted that this house of God whereof he spake was the house of Christ or he takes it not for granted If hee take it for granted to what purpose did he say that Christ is over his owne house for if he be Lord and Owner of it he must needs bee over it He might have said more briefly That Moses was a servant in Gods house as in anothers house but Gods house was Christs own house But if he take it not for granted then the reason of this comparison and the argument thence drawne will not appeare For meerly from hence That Christ is over his owne house but Moses was a servant in Gods house it will not follow that Christ is far more honourable then Moses for many times it is a greater honour to bee a servant in anothers house especially in Gods house then a Master over his owne Besides the argument here is about that house wherein both Christ and Moses were faithfull to God but faithfulnesse is seen more in anothers house
necessarily follow that Beliefe was the condition of their entring But as this oath proceeded from the wrath of God touching the non-entry of this generation so it was tempered and mingled with mercy for the next generation who were the children of this For concerning those children this generation had provoked God in saying they should be a prey and dye in the wildernesse But God makes it a part of his oath to the contrary that their children should not bee a prey in the wildernesse but they shall enter the land and possesse it Numb 14.30,31 Into my rest The land of Canaan is called a Rest because the Israelites were to reside and rest after their hard servitude for many yeares in Egypt after their tedious pilgrimage and travell through the vast wildernesse where they wandred for the space of forty yeares and after their severall battells with their enemies which they were to conquer and extirpate from that land Although there be another mysticall use of the word in the Chapter following And God calls it his Rest because the people got it neither by their power not by their desert but by Gods meere benefit and donation to them in performance of the promise he had sworn to their forefathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob. For God by his mighty arme and power brought them out of Egypt carried them through the wildernesse and cast out their enemies before them that they might possesse the land not for any righteousnesse in them but for the wickednesse of the Cananites thereby to performe his word sworne to their fathers Deut. 9 4.5.6 12. Take heed brethren Here he begins another Exhortation to diss wade them from Apostacy from the Christian Religion from the which they were declining and departing For the desertion of God must needs be a greater sinne then the tentation of him Take heed i. Bethinke your selves well and have a great care because the matter is very dangerous for when dangers are at hand we use to be heedfull and carefull Lest there be Lest there be now at this time or if it be not yet lest it creep upon you in time to come for Apostacie is as a serpent that will insinuate into your mindes at any time for it is easily introduced by diffidence and obstinacie In any of you Hee meanes not this distributively for any one single person among them but collectively of them all that all might have a care of all and each one of another An evill heart of unbeliefe An evill heart is an intractable or hard heart that is contumacious and refractory against God and his word And then the heart is especially evill and hard when it is incredulous and unbeleeving q.d. a heart so evill that it will not believe In departing from the living God Here he limits the unbeliefe whereof he spake before designing particularly what unbelief he meant For there is a double unbeliefe one of them who never yet did believe in God another of them who cease to believe and turne Apostates to their former beliefe in departing from it and consequently from God Now he departs from God who departs from Christ and his Religion as in the former Covenant he that departed from the Law departed from God himselfe For as he that believes in Christ doth not finally believe in Christ but in God by Christ as Christ himselfe declareth it John 12.44 So on the contrary he that departeth from Christ departs not only finally from Christ but from God who sent him and ordained him to bee our Lord and Saviour And God is called the living God in opposition to the Idols and false gods of the Gentiles who were as destitute of all life and sense as were their images and statues wherein they were worshipped This Epithet is added here to God thereby to strike so much the greater terrour into them that they might never think of departing from so great a God Therefore he saith afterward chapter 10. ver 31. It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God For hee must needs have an infinite power who is the true and living God Yet positively God is called the living God because he not onely lives truely and perpetually but also lives from himselfe and is the fountain of life to others from whom all living things have their life 13. But exhort one another daily Here he shewes the ordinary way and meanes whereby they may remedy this evill heart of unbeliefe namely if they mutually admonish and exhort one another yet that must not be done seldome at distant times but daily that their mutuall exhortations may be fervent and frequent While it is called to day As long as that day lasteth whereof mention is made in the Psalme before cited To day if ye will hear his voyce Whereupon we noted above that in the literall sence it signified that festivall and solemne day wherein the people resorted to the Temple to performe the worship and service of God where also the Law of God used to be read unto them To this festivall day in the mysticall sence doth answer our Christian festivall or time of Grace wherein we are invited to lay hold of eternall salvation whereto by the Gospel the passage is opened unto us While this day or time of the Gospel doth last we must exhort one another from unbeliefe in departing from God Lest any of you be hardned A man is then hardned when hee hath a will not to beleeve the promises of God or not to obey his precepts Through the deceitfulnesse of sinne He shewes the cause of this hardnesse to be sinne and the manner how sinne hardneth by deceaving us For therefore we are refractory to the voyce or word of God because we are deceived bysinne for we are entrapped by the baits and snares of sin by preferring the whispers of sin before the voyce of God for so the Serpent beguiled Eve and so doth sin deceive us still Yea even from the word of God and from his Commandment whence wee should take occasion to obey him thence will sinne take occasion to deceive us Rom. 7.11 14. For we are made partakers of Christ Hee seemes here to answere a tacite objection For these Hebrewes might thinke that these admonitions concerned not them that they need to take heed of unbeliefe and consequently of Gods wrath seeing they did already beleeve in Christ and so were estated in Christian happinesse To this hee answeres by granting that they were already made partakers of Christ that is of that happinesse which Christ bestowes upon the faith full yet upon that condition that they persevere in the faith of Christ to their lives end For this partaking of Christ or Christian happinesse as it referres to this life consisteth in a full right or title to happinesse but this right or title is presently lost when we recede or depart from the faith of Christ If we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end
example of Aarons calling As was Aaron Aaron did not of his owne accord intrude himselfe into the office of high Priesthood but being thereto enjoyned and commanded by God he accepted of it by way of obedience to him that enjoyned it For God first did choose Aaron and after him his eldest son and by proper Laws determined the rights of succession in this office which were alwayes observed while the state was administred by the Laws of God Hitherto he hath specified severall properties of the high Priest all which may be reduced to three heads The first is that he offer for sinnes and negotiate the cause of men with God to which this may be referred that he must be a man 2. That he must be mercifull and propense toward sinners whereto this belongs that he himselfe be compassed with infirmity and thereupon offer for his owne sinnes as well as for the peoples 3. That he must be called to this office of God himselfe Now in an order retrograde or reverse beginning with the last he demonstrates that all these agree with Christ Whence it followes that Christ hath a truly Priestly dignity which he received from God and is touched with singular compassion toward the afflicted and will afford his owne people not onely opportune helpe but eternall happinesse 5. So also Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an high Priest Hee begins now with the last property of the high Priest and shewes that it agrees with Christ because Christ did not arrogate to himselfe the honour of this office This he doth to no other end then thereby to shew that the Priesthood of Christ was true and lawfull and that Christ had not been a true Priest if he had assumed this office of himselfe and not been called of God to receive it If I saith Christ glorifie my selfe my glory is nothing it is my Father that glorifies mee By the like reason willing to assert the truth of his doctrine hee denies that he spake of himselfe but refers his doctrine to his Father and professeth that he received it from his Father thereby intimating that his doctrine had not been true had hee spoken it of himselfe That which the Author saith here of Christ is so much the more remarkable because the Priesthood which Christ sustaineth is of that nature that no man can possibly take it upon him no man can possibly have but he upon whom God collates it But some man under the Law might arrogate the legall Priesthood and some did arrogate it when their state was corrupt But this high Priesthood of Christ to minister eternally in the Sanctuary of heaven to have absolute power and authority to take away from us all punishments of our sinnes to succour and helpe us in our miseries to deliver us from death and translate us to eternall life for these are the functions of his high Priesthood no mortall man can challenge this Priesthood or usurpe it or execute the functions of it unlesse God himselfe qualifie and raise him to such high faculties Therefore also the Author speaking of Christ and his high Priesthood used the word glorified that Christ glorified not himselfe because the Priesthood of Christ is a most glorious office containing most glorious functions all tending to eternall glory Hence it is manifest that Christ is not supreme God for if he were so from whom else could he receive this glory but from himselfe But this the Author plainly denyes shewing that otherwise hee could not bee a true and lawfull high Priest and therefore he was not the supreme God And we will passe by this point also that the supreme God can no way bee a Priest But he that said unto him Thou art my Sonne to day have I begotten thee The Author saith not barely that Christ was made a high Priest by God but presently produceth Gods edicts wherein he ordained Christ to be a high Priest from whence it manifestly appears that Christ did not arrogate the Priesthood to himselfe but was ordained into it by God himselfe The first of these edicts is taken out of Psalme 2. The other Psal 110. That these words were spoken of God himselfe no man can bee ignorant but in these very words Christ is ordained high Priest whence it manifestly follows that hee tooke not this dignity from himselfe but received it of God Concerning the former of these testimonies we have spoken sufficiently chap. 1.5 We shall here note only three things 1. That the God who or dained Christ to be high Priest was the Father of Christ For the Father only hath power to call Christ by the name of his Sonne as in these words he did Whence it appeares that Christ in this place how great soever he be yea as he is the Sonne of God is opposed to God and it and of him it is denyed that he tooke the Priesthood to himselfe 2. That the Priestly office of Christ is not really distinguished from his Kingly because these words of the Psalme Thou art my Sonne to day have I begotten thee which as we saw in the first chap. treat of Christs Kingly dignity in regard whereof he is chiefly the Sonne of God are by the Author in this place applyed to his Priesthood Wee may further adde here That Christ performed not his Priestly office at least not perfectly at the time when hee suffered the death of the Crosse neither was his death a perfect oblation expiatory for these words of the Psalme are cleerly interpreted by St. Paul of his resurrection and glory Act. 13. and here above chap. 1. But Christ in his death was most deeply humbled and debased Whereas in these words of the Psalme he is declared the Sonne of God and withall became far more excellent then the Angels as appeares before chap. 1.4,5 But in respect of his death most especially he was much lesse then the Angels As Christ suffered death hee exercised not his Kingly office but only did that whereby he might attaine it but when hee administers his Priestly office he withall executes the parts of his Kingly function Wherefore hee did not execute it actually in his death but was thereby prepared to execute it 3. In those words of the Psalme Thou art my Sonne to day have I begotten thee there is no intimation of any generation or begetting of Christ from the essence of his Father before all worlds but of such a generation whereby Christ was ordained a high Priest of God and therefore of such a one as was done in time for Christ was not made our high Priest from all eternity but from a certaine time namely upon his Resurrection 6. As he saith also in another place The other testimony of Scripture shewing the decree of God taken Psal 110. Hee saith i. God saith Thou art a Priest for ever In this testimony there is expresse treating of Christs Priesthood Whence it appeares that it was also treated of in the former testimony seeing both
the testimonies are alleadged for the same thing Some men that they may elude the true sense of the former testimony which the Holy Ghost shewes to be in the words Thou art my Sonne To day have I begotten thee say that those words are not alleadged as a testimony of Gods collating the Priesthood upon Christ but as a description of him who conferred this office upon him There men doe a manifest injury to the truth and to the words of the Author For how should these following words agree with the former as he saith also in another place doth hee not by these latter words manifestly declare that now another place or Psalm is cited by him wherein the same point is proved for which the former testimony was produced For ever The Priestood of Christ shall last for ever in the person of Christ without ever having any successour in his office for his office shall last as long as there needs any expiation for sinnes even to the end of the world and so long he shall continue in that office After the order of Melchisedeck The duration or terme of Christs Priesthood shall runne out like the duration of Melchisedecks Priesthood or as the Author expresseth himselfe afterward chap. 7.15 after the similitude of Melchisedeck But of these words we shall speake further chap. 7. where the Author explicates this likenesse more fully But here he tacitly meets with a doubt which some man might imagine touching the Priesthood of Christ in that Christ descended not from the family of Aaron or tribe of Levi to which tribe the Priesthood was limited by the Law of God For the type of Melchisedeck doth not only require an eternall Priesthood but also requires that no respect of tribe or family should be had therein as we shall shew hereafter 7. Who in the dayes of his flesh From the third property required in a high Priest and concluded to agree with Christ he ascends now to the second property and saith that Christ also was compassed with infirmity and by reason thereof offered for himselfe This he shews in this 7. verse and then at the 8. verse he inferres that from this infirmity Christ learned to be mercifull toward the distressed and afflicted In the dayes of his flesh By flesh hee understands the infirmity of Christ for flesh is the subject of infirmity and in a manner the cause of it And the dayes of his flesh are the dayes wherein he suffered for in that time chiefly his infirmity most appeared For then it most appeared that Christ was flesh When he had offered prayers and supplications Now he shews that Christ offered also for himselfe Of which his oblation his infirmity and afflictions were the cause the sence whereof how deepely it struck into his soule and how greatly it exercised him appeares from the things which he offered For he shews distinctly both what he offered and to whom as also the adjunct of his offering and the issue of it The matter of his offering was Prayers This is a generall word to signifie all petitions or rather all kinde of speech unto God And supplications which are the prayers or petitions of supplicants whose manner is to fall upon their knees casting themselves at the feet or touching the knees of them to whom they make their prayer The originall word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as some Interpreters note doth properly signifie an olive-branch wrapped about with wooll which supplicants held in their hands Hence we may easily imagine in what anguish of soule Christ was and what pangs of paine he felt when he was driven to such earnest prayers and devout supplications But what prayers and supplications the Author means will appeare from the words following wherein the person to whom he prayed is described in such manner that thence wee may easily understand what he prayed although the adjunct of his prayer doth partly also declare it Vnto him that was able to save him from death In these words he shews not only the person to whom Christ offered but also the cause why he offered him prayers and what the thing was for which he so earnestly prayed And this is the cause why he would describe God after this manner rather then simply name him for therefore he so devoutly supplicated to God because God onely is hee that can save from death which Christ by his prayers chiefly requested He indeed requested some other things besides for in the garden hee petitioned that the cup might passe from him i. he there was an humble supplicant prostrate upon his knees and afterward on his face praying againe and againe with great ardour of minde that hee might be delivered from the great anguish and heavinesse which hee felt in his soule And hanging upon the crosse he poured forth this lamentation unto God My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Wherein hee prayed that God would put an ease and an end to his extreme paines But the summe and breviate or at least the head of all those prayers was this for his delivery from death For hee that is delivered from death in that sence that Christ here desired hee hath found an end of all paines both of soule and body and hath obtained supreme happinesse This delivery Christ prayed for in commending his Spirit to God when he was ready to expire For to commend the spirit to God or to pray that God would receive it into his hands what is it else but to pray that he would preserve it and afterward restore it and consequently to recal him from death to life whose spirit it is That the Author had respect to these prayers of Christ it may appeare by their adjunct which he also mentions in saying That his prayers were offered up With strong crying and teares The holy History of the Evangelists doe testifie that Christ hanging upon the Crosse complained in the words of the Psalme with a great cry that God had forsaken him and afterward being ready to expire he commended his Spirit to God But the Sacred History mentions not any teares of Christ shed at that time yet notwithstanding it appeares that it was so and was knowne to the Authour to bee so Now this cry and teares doe further shew how deepely the sence of paine was impressed into him when it forced him to expresse such cryes and teares Hence it appeares further that Christ thus exercised with so great a sence of paines himselfe cannot but be moved at the miseries and paines of his people cannot but willingly hear the dolefull cryes and complaines and affoord his opportune succour and help in their afflictions and distresses From these words of the Authour it appeares how Christ offered for himselfe namely that hee offered not himselfe but his prayers for himselfe and then he offered them not when he became immortall in his heavenly Tabernacle but in the dayes of his flesh or infirmity For when he became immortall he could not
Melchisedec was a Priest for ever and takes it as it were for granted For unlesse she first suppose the perpetuity of Melchisedecs Priesthood how could she in this respect make Christ like unto Melchisedec The Author saith that Melchisedec was like unto Christ when it seems he should rather have said that Christ was like to Melchisedec Yet the Author not only might speake so but in a manner must He might say so because things alike are mutually so and each is like the other And hee must because when the Author would speake roundly and referre the words of the Psalme Thou art a Priest for ever directly to Melchisedec himselfe Melchisedec must be named in the first place and not the Sonne of God and therefore he is rightly inferred to be like the Sonne of God and not the Sonne of God like him For otherwise either the words of the Psalme must seem to bee referred to the Sonne of God as the Psalme it selfe referres them and not directly spoken of Melchisedec by the Author or certainly the perpetuity of Melchisedec must be asserted by this testimony of Scripture some other way yet not so roundly and briefly And besides the Author would tacitly shew by this manner of speech that the perpetuity of Melchisedec was but typicall and umbratilous compared to the eternity of Christ and therefore in this respect Melchisedec was rather to be likened to Christ then Christ to Melchisedec Abideth a Priest continually That abides continually which hath no intermission or cessation from being which being applied to time signifies perpetuity How Melchisedec is a Priest abiding perpetually and for ever the Priesthood of his antitype who is Christ may teach us Christ is therefore a Priest abiding for ever because his Priesthood lasteth a long time and so long as there is any use of a Priesthood or so long as the state of things shall so continue that there is no further need of any Priesthood And then there shall be no further need of any when the people of God are translated into heaven and shall need no further expiation of their sinnes So also Melchisedec was a perpetuall Priest because his Priesthood lasted a very long time and together with it the knowledge and worship of the true God among men was extinguished so that there was no further place or use of that Priesthood that was dedicate to the true God For a thing is said to abide for ever which both lasteth a long time and also so long as the nature of the thing will beare So David saith that he will praise God for ever so the Law is said eternall and the Gospel in this sense is called eternall and many other things in like manner This way Melchisedec is called an eternall Priest though in reference to Christ his Priesthood compared to the Priesthood of Christ hath but an umbratilous eternity as the shadow to the body For if the likenesse were in every respect then there would not be a figure and a truth but either both figures or both truths Therefore the likenesse betweene Melchisedec and Christ in this place consisteth in three things 1. As in the Priesthood of Melchisedec there was no respect had of his parentage or family for he is said to be without father mother and descent so neither in the Priesthood of Christ who according to the flesh descended from that Tribe who had no title to the Priesthood 2. That both were perpetuall Priests for ever Melchisedec in an umbratilous and figurative way but Christ solidly and really 3. As Melchisedec in his Priesthood had no predecessor nor successor so neither had Christ in his 4. Now consider how great this man was Here begins another part of the Chapter wherein the Author shews how farre Melchisedec surpasseth in dignity the Leviticall Priests That from thence it might appeare how farre more worthy that Priest is who is after the order of Melchisedec and of whom Melchisedec was but a shadow for such a Priest must needs farre surpasse any Priest that is after the order of Aaron For if the shadow were so excellent what shall we attribute to the body it selfe Now that Melchisedec was a more worthy person then the Leviticall Priests he proves by three reasons 1. Because Abraham gave him tithes 2. Because he blessed Abraham 3. Because hereupon the Scripture testifies that he lives for ever He calls therefore upon the Hebrewes to consider this man that he might stirre them up to ponder and weigh the dignity of Melchisedec q.d. I have briefly declared unto you from Scripture how farre she speakes or is silent concerning Melchisedec Now consider and ponder the particulars well that thence ye may know how farre he excells the Leviticall Priests Vnto whom even the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoiles The dignity of Melchisedec above the Leviticall Priests appeares first from this that even Abraham gave him tithes The particle even may be referred to Abraham and then it seemes added to exaggerate and amplifie the dignity of Melchisedec from the person of Abraham that not some vulgar person but even Abraham himselfe gave him tithes And to this opinion it elegantly agrees that to the name of Abraham is added the title of Patriarch and that with the article the the Patriarch Abraham For when we would amplifie the honour of a person we put an addition of title to his name Or as the order of the words require the particle even may be referred to the tithes and then it aggerates and amplifies the dignity of Melchisedec from the gift of Abraham that Abraham gave him tithes which is no vulgar present but a solemne and sacred portion So that the great dignity of Melchisedec is illustrated and magnified from two particulars as well from the person of Abraham who was the Patriarch as from the gift of Abraham which was a tenth of the spoiles The article the prefixed before Patriarch doth not evince that Abraham only was a Patriarch and no other men so but it notes that he was some principall and renowned Patriarch as indeed he was for he was the father and Prince of the Patriarcks and the first founder of the Jewish Nation for whose sake the Jews became a Nation because they were the seed which God promised him to be multiplyed unto him Now from all this that so great a person as Abraham the father and founder of the Jewish Nation should give a tithe to Melchisedec from all this I say appeares the great dignity of Melchisedec For he that receives tithes is greater then he that gives them and therefore Melchisedec must needs be greater then Abraham who yet was the greatest of all the Jewish Nation and consequently Melchisedec must needs be greater also then all the Jewish Nation 5. And verily they that are the sons of Levi He amplifies and illustrates his former argument and compares Melchisedec with the Leviticall Priests in the point of taking tithes In which respect he acknowledgeth
Aaron saying O Lord heare the prayer of thy servants according to the blessing of Aaron over thy people Ecclus. 36.17 8. And here men that die receive tithes Now followeth the third reason whereby he proves that Melchisedec is greater then the Leviticall Priests namely Because the Leviticall Priests receive tithes yet one of them dies after another and they succeed one another in the Priest-hood but Melchisedec hath a testimony of Scripture for him that he liveth Here i. here under the law and among us But there he of whom it is witnessed that he liveth There where wee read that Abraham gave him tithes he then received them whom the Scripture witnesseth that he lives But wee must note that the Author opposeth not Melchisedec to mortall men but to dying men onely neither doth he say that he is immortall but only that he liveth For life is not opposed to mortality but properly to death And there the Scripture saith That Melchisedec doth live where shee affirmes him to bee a Priest for ever And shee affirmes it in her comparison of him with Christ when she saith Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Psal 110.4 as we explicated it before in this Chapter vers 3. Where we shewed that Melchisedec was called a Priest for ever because he exercised his Priest-hood a long time even for the full terme of his naturall life and that he lived so long a Priest as there was any knowledge of the true God among the men of his time and any place for the Priest-hood so that Melchisedec in his Priest-hood resembled for his continuance all the Leviticall Priests who succeeded one after another which eternity of his was but umbratilous and figurative as we said of Christs eternitie And therefore the life of Melchisedec was nothing but a shadow of that life which is in Christ And if we respect the scope of the Authour it makes not to the matter that Melchisedec did at last yeeld to the law of nature and die for he speaks not of Melchisedec for himselfe but for Christ who truely lives for ever It sufficeth in Melchisedec that the eternall life of Christ was in some manner shadowed and signified in the Scripture And this is the reason why the Authour opposed Melchisedec to dying men and said he liveth for ever For when wee speake of the type as of the antitype we many times so speak of it as of the anti-type it selfe although the words must be applyed figuratively to the type and properly to the antitype 9. And as I may so say Levi also who receiveth tithes payed tithes or was decimated in Abraham Here at last comes in the other of the first reason which we said was bipartite and wherewith the Author now confirmes the dignity of Melchisedec namely that when Melchisedec tooke tithes of Abraham he tithed also Levi and all the Priests sprung from his loynes who were themselves to receive tithes To shew the great dignity of Melchisedec it was not enough for the Author to say that he tithed Abraham himselfe but Levi also who tooke tithes was by him tithed in Abraham For it is as much as if hee had taken tithes of Levi when he tooke them of him in whose loynes Levi was yet latent Therefore in a figurative way of speech the Author saith that Levi was tithed through Abraham For because he could not say properly that Levi gave tithes to Melchisedec through Abraham therefore lest his words should seem harsh he mollifies them thus as I may so say whereby hee plainely declares that what hee spake here of Levi must not bee taken literally and properly but in a certaine sence and forme of speech Levi also who receiveth tithes not in his owne person but in his posteritie so that it is not strange that hee is said to have given tithes in his father who is also said to have taken them in his children But now let us see how the Author proves this 10. For hee was yet in the loynes of his father when Melchisedec met him Here he proves that Levi gave tithes to Melchisedec through Abraham thus If at that time Levi had been a person severed from Abraham and had enjoyed his estate apart to himselfe this fact of Abraham in giving tithes to Melchisedec had nothing concerned him But because Levi was then so united and joyned with Abraham that he yet lay couched in Abrahams loyns therefore he also is justly accounted to have given tithes to Melchisedec in or through Abraham Which sentence notwithstanding must not be transferred to all the actions of a father but only to those which properly consist either in the increase or decrease of his estate which useth to descend to his children by right of inheritance and the payment of tithes is such an action for it so much decreaseth the fathers estate For they are paid out of the fathers goods which thus farre are already the childrens in that the right of inheritance thereto belongs to them especially if it be certaine that the father hath or may have children to succeed him in his estate as Abraham had to whom God had for certaine promised a posterity For as the heire after his fathers death doth in a manner represent the person of his father by his succeeding to him and possessing his estate so likewise the father before his children be severed from him and have a right to dispose of his goods as their own doth in a manner also represent the person of his heire and of all the rest of his children and what he then ordereth or doth in his goods the same in a manner his heires are accounted to doe I say in a manner because properly this cannot be said neither doth the Author himselfe say properly that it was done but acknowledgeth an impropriety in his words as we noted before Hence may easily be understood that which together with the Author we affirme that such acts of the parents must be extended only to those of their successors or posterity to whom the inheritance or some notable portion of their goods shall descend either for certainty as here to Abrahams posterity or at least in all probability For otherwise that force of inheritance whereof we speake will expire and what any man orders concerning his estate cannot be attributed to his children and posterity 11. If therefore perfection After that by comparing Melchisedec with the Leviticall Priests hee had shewed that Melchisedec was a Priest and a Priest much differing from the Leviticall as a person farre greater and worthier then they Now he proceeds to the third part of the Chapter And in regard that after those Leviticall Priests there must be another Priest ordained according to the order of Melchisedec and not according to the order of Aaron therefore he thence argues and proves the imperfection of the Leviticall Priesthood and also of the Law it selfe upon which that Priesthood was ordained and upon the
imperfection of that Priesthood and Law he proves the abrogation of both If perfection were by the Leviticall Priesthood By perfection here he understands nothing else but a true and perfect expiation of sinne whereby the guilt not of some sinnes only but of all even of the most grievous offences and crimes is taken away whereby all punishments of sinne not only temporall concerning this life but the eternall punishment of death it selfe is remitted and forgiven whereby a right to eternall life is granted unto men and lastly whereby not only all guilt of all sinnes but all sinnes themselves are taken away from men For in these things consisteth the true perfection of men before God If therefore this perfection could have been brought to men by the Leviticall Priesthood certainly there had been no need nor use of a new Priesthood after the order of Melchisedec for every Priesthood is ordained for the expiation of sinnes But if a perfect expiation of sinnes could have been effected by the Priesthood after the order of Aaron what need a new Priest bee super induced after the order of Melchisedec to performe those actions which might have been done by the former Wherefore seeing God would ordaine a new Priest and also now hath ordained him hence it appears that by the Leviticall Priesthood no man could obtaine perfection or perfect expiation and certainly no man did obtaine it For by that Priesthood some sinnes only were expiated namely as we shewed before ignorances and infirmities but great offences as crimes and villanies were punished with death Neither had that expiation any force to take away eternall death but only to release some temporall punishments proper to this life Neither in those sacrifices was there any power to withdraw men from sinne it selfe all which particulars the Author prosecutes in the passages following Yet the Author useth not the word perfection in one sense only for there are divers perfections of a thing and therefore we must still gather from the matter handled what perfection hee meanes Here because hee speaks of perfection flowing from the Priesthood therefore no other can be understood but that which is seen in a perfect expiation of sinne namely that a man bee wholly spotlesse and blamelesse subject neither to paine nor losse by any sentence of condemnation in the sight of God In which sense he useth the same word chap. 10. 14. For under it the people received the Law For what purpose the Author inserted these words into his former argument we shall see afterward and for the present shall speake of their explication Under it i. under the Priesthood as if the people had received the Law under the Priesthood and so most Interpreters affirme But this sense is contrary to the words in the originall which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and doe not signifie under it but upon it and contrary to the truth of the thing for the Law was not given under the Priesthood as if the Priesthood had been extant before the Law given but rather contrarily a great and principall part of the Law was already given before the Priesthood was ordained so that it might be more truly said the Priesthood was given under or after the Law then the Law under or after the Priesthood And lastly this sense is contrary to the mind of the Author and makes nothing to the purpose For what makes it to the purpose in hand that the Law was given in the time of the Priesthood For would it thence follow either that perfection must be by that Priesthood or if perfection were by it that there were no need of another Priesthood or lastly if the Priesthood were abrogated that then the Law were abrogate Wherefore as the Greeke words sound it is said in this place that the people received the Law not under the Priesthood but upon the Priesthood And to receive the Law upon the Priesthood is nothing else but of the Priesthood concerning or touching it Which sense some Interpreters doe acknowledge as Junius and Tremellius and Piscator For the Greeke particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answers the Hebrew Hal which often notes the object or matter of a thing Now therefore these words may seem to cohere with the minde of the Author three wayes 1. If we say that in them he shews the cause why he named the Leviticall priesthood and no other q.d. therefore I name the Leviticall priesthood because the people received the Law of it 2. That in them he shews cause why it might seem that perfection came by that Priesthood namely because the people received the Law of it 3. That those words containe a confirmation or peculiar reason why if perfection came not by the Leviticall priesthood there must not be another Priest ordained diverse from the Leviticall For though this would bee sufficient of it self to exclude another Priest yet it follows so much the more if not only perfection be by the Leviticall Priesthood but also that Priesthood was established by the Law and of this reason wee most approve Therefore it is as much as if the Author had said If perfection be by the Leviticall Priesthood especially seeing concerning it Laws were given to the people what need is there for the ordination of another Priest for many times in Scripture a reason of a sentence is inserted before the sentence bee fully uttered in all the parts of it Whereof among other places we have an example 1 Pet. 4.1.2 in these words For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin which must be read as in a parenthesis For they containe the cause why Christians must suffer in the flesh with Christ i. crucifie the flesh because he that hath suffered in the flesh i. whose body is put to death he hath ceased from sinne And the reason is generall agreeing to all the dead Therefore the words which follow from the beginning of the second verse That he no longer should live c must not be joyned with the words next preceding Ceased from sinne but they being included in a parenthesis as a generall reason they must be referred to the former words arm your selves as to their finall cause The mind of the Author in this place will be more plain if we transfer these words to the end of the verse thus Therefore if perfection be by the Leviticall Priesthood what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec and not be called after the order of Aaron especially seeing of that Priesthood the Law was given to the people For thence it presently followes that together with this Priesthood the Law must be abrogated when a Priest ordained according to the order of Melchisedec which should not be abrogated unlesse there were some default in it That another Priest should rise From his former grounds he inferres that a Priest after the order of Melchisedec must be another and a different Priest from those Priests that
because the Law made men high Priests which have infirmity i. such as can never depose their infirmity which alwayes held them in this condition that after expiation for their sinnes and errors they againe fell into the like sinnes and errors which required againe another expiation But the word of the oath which was since the Law The word containing the oath whereof he spake before vers 20. That oath whereby Christ was ordained Priest was since the Law and therefore the Priesthood of Christ is no way depending or established by the Law For here the word of the oath made since the Law is opposed to the Law Maketh the sonne who is consecrated for evermore Maketh the sonne Priest The sonne is here put eminently for the Sonne of God and opposed to common men who have infirmities as those men had whom the Law made Priests so in many places of Scripture Christ is opposed to the rest of men See Gal. 1.1 and Ephes 2.7 Consecrated for evermore Christ is expiated for evermore not in respect of the time past as of old under the Law under which the Priests by reason of their infirmities were forced to renue their expiation every year But Christ by his one single expiation upon the crosse was freed from all further sufferings and paines for evermore so that hee hath no further need to expiate or offer for them any more for ever And hence againe it appears that Christ was not fully perfectly our high Priest before he was consecrated expiated and perfected for evermore That is before he became immortall The Contents of this seventh Chapter are 1. Melchisedec was a Priest v. 1. Reason 1. Because he blessed men sacerdotally for so he blessed Abraham v. 1. 2. Because he received tithes for Abraham gave him a tenth v. 2. 2. Melchisedec was a singular Priest v. 3. Reason 1. Because there were no more Priests of his order for he was without father or mother without predecessour or successour v. 2. 2. Because he was a perpetuall Priest for he had neither beginning of dayes nor end of life but remained a Priest continually v. eod 3. Melchisedec was greater then Abraham v. 1. Reason 1. Because he blessed Abraham sacerdotally v. eod 2. Because he received tithes from Abraham v. 2. 3. Because he was in a manner an eternall person that had no parentage neither beginning of dayes nor end of life 4. Melchisedec was greater then the Leviticall Priests v. 5. Reason 1. Because he blessed them in Abraham who had the promises of them that they should be his seed v. 6. 2. Because he tithed them in tithing Abraham for they were then in the loynes of Abraham v. 5. 9. 10. 3. Because he was a singular and an eternall Priest but they were many and mortall for they dyed and succeeded one another v. 8. 5. Christ is not a Priest after the order of Aaron v. 11. Reason 1. Because Christ sprang not from the tribe of Levi as Aaron did but from Juda another tribe v. 13. 14. 2. Because Christ was not ordained by vertue of any carnall law that respected his birth and parentage as Aaron and his successours were v. 16. 3. Because Christ was made with an oath to make his Priesthood immutable and irrevocable but they without an oath v. 20. 21. 4. Because Christ was a singular and eternall Priest whose Priesthood is unchangeable but they were many and mortall and their Priesthood transitory changing upon death from one person to another v. 23 24. 5. Because Christ is in a divine and blessed state for he is inviolable unharmable undefileable seperate from sinners and seated in heaven They had not the substance of this state but only some shadow of it v. 26. 6. Because Christ needed but one offering for himselfe whereby to expiate and put off his infirmities for ever they needed yearly a new expiation for their infirmities v. 27 28. 6. Christ is a Priest after the order of Melchisedec chap. 6. v. ult Reason 1. Because Christ is a Royall Priest both a King and a Priest as Melchisedec was v. 1. 2. Because Christ is a singular Priest having no other Priest after his order but himselfe for he was without predecessour and successour as Melchisedec was v. 3. 3. Because Christ is an eternall Priest who liveth for ever as Melchisedec is said to have done 7. The Leviticall Priesthood is expired v. 11. Reason 1. Because Christ another Priest is raised up who is not after Aarons order v. eod 2. Because the Priesthood is translated from the tribe of Levi upon whom the Law had setled it v. 13 14. 3. Because that Priesthood was ruled by a carnall law with respect to the birth life and death of the Priest v. 16. 4. Because it made no perfect expiation for sinnes for thereto it was weake and unprofitable v. 18 19. 8. The Leviticall Law is expired v. 12. Reason 1. Because that Priesthood is abrogate and changed v. eod 2. Because the commandements and precepts of it were carnall touching the line the birth and death of Priests touching washings of the flesh of men and sacrificing the flesh of beasts v. 16. 3. Because it made no perfect expiation for sin but to that effect was weake and unprofitable CHAPTER VIII 1. Now of the things which we have spoken this is the summe Wee have such an high Priest Hee had before spoken many things concerning Christ our high Priest both for his quality what manner of person hee is and for his dignity how farre hee exceedeth the legall Priests Now being partly to adde something further and partly to repeat something formerly spoken he calles this repetition the summe of what hee had spoken Now the summe may signifie either the breviat of what hee had spoken or else the maine head and principall point which last sense is most agreeable to this place q.d. Of all those things which have been or may bee spoken concerning Christ our high Priest the main head or principall point is this That we have such an high Priest who is set on the right hand c. Who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens Of these words we treated chap. 1.3 And by them is signified unto us so great a dignity and Majesty in Christ our high Priest that there was scarce extant any shadow of it in the ancient legall Priests seeing none of them did ever sit at the right hand of that throne which was placed in the oracle of the Sanctuary namely of the Mercy-seat or covering of the Arke which was all over shadowed by the wings of the Cherubines and called the Throne of God whereupon God was said to sit between the Cherubines But all those legall high Priests when they entred into the oracle or most holy place of the Sanctuary were forced to stand before the Arke and so before the Mercy-seat upon it But Christ is so great an high Priest that he sits on
that benefit of such efficacie and power as to containe the people in their duty perpetually after And therefore it is apparent that the Holy Ghost intended some other sense farre more excellent In the literall sense then that remission must bee understood to bee really performed for the taking away of their temporall punishment but in the mysticall sense it must be understood of Gods promise to be performed in due time for the releasing especially of eternall death under condition of repentance as the nature of the new Covenant requires it And hence it is why the Iews being afterward forgetfull of this divine benefit as of a thing past did againe fall into divers sinnes and forsake Gods law But the Christian or the people of the new covenant may be excited to do their duty perpetually and serve God cheerfully to the end they may at last really obtaine the blessing promised them a right whereto they now enjoy and not make themselves unworthy of it by their own fault 13. In that he saith a new Covenant he hath made the first old By these words he shewes that the old Covenant is in a manner condemned and rejected For when God saith hee will make a new Covenant he thereby antiquates and abrogates the old Whence it plainely appeares that the old Covenant was in it selfe blameable and faultie and therefore contained no great and excellent promises in it And from hence it is most manifest that the new Covenant is cleerly different from the old neither differs it onely in perspicuity and cleernesse as many men beleeye but in the very promises and conditions of it Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away From the former words he inferres by the way that the old Covenant although at that time it seemed to bee of force among the Jewes and to stand while their Temple and their state were standing yet by little and little it grew to decay as a thing waxing old and already antiquated of God For that which waxeth old though it bee yet for a time extant and appeare yet after a while it will wholly decay and vanish seeing to wax old is nothing else but by little and little to be destroyed and abolished This the Authour doth ominate of Moses Covenant and the event was answerable to his prediction For not long after the Temple and State of the Jews was overthrowne whereupon the Mosaick religion and the publike worship of God prescribed in the old Covenant did fall and vanish so that at this day there appeares nothing of it but onely some relicks and shatters in the tolerated Synagogues of that scattered Nation The Contents of this eighth Chapter are 1. Doctrine Christ is a greater Priest then any of the legall Priests verse 1. Reason 1. Because he is set at the right hand of Gods throne whereas the legall Priest stood before the Mercy-seat which was but the shadow of Gods throne verse 1. 2. Because Christ Ministers in the true heavenly Sanctuary whereof the legall Sanctuary was but a shadow verse 2. 3. Because Christ offers himselfe to God a gift and sacrifice whereof the legall offerings were but shadows verse 3. 4. 4. Because Christ is the Mediator of a better Covenant established upon better promises then the former verse 6. 2. Doctine The Gospel or new Covenant is better then the old legall Covenant verse 6. Reason 1. Because the Gospel hath a better Mediatour so much as Christ is better then Moses verse eod 2. Because the Gospel is established upon better promises eod 3. Because the old Covenant was faulty for God found fault with it as weak and unprofitable verse 7. 8. 4. Because the Gospel hath better Lawes for they are written in the mindes and hearts of the faithfull ver 10. 5. Because the Gospel breeds an universall knowledge of God in all men from the least to the greatest verse 11. 6. Because the Gospel allowes an universall pardon of all sinnes whatsoever v. 12. 7. Because the new Covenant doth antiquate and abolish the old v. ult CHAPTER IX 1. THen verily the first Covenant The particle then for therefore shewes that these words so follow the former that in a manner they are deduced or inferred from them Yet they seem not inferred from the words immediatly preceding though they have some connexion even with them also but rather from the words neer the beginning of the former chapter where the Author made a comparison of Christ with the legall Priests and affirmed that their Tabernacle their Ministery and offerings to God were but terrene shadows of that heavenly Sanctuary wherein Christ doth minister and offer himselfe to God and therefore that the Priesthod of Christ was farre more excellent then theirs To this point he seemes now to returne and to handle a little more largely what before hee had but briefly touched concerning the ministery and service of the legall Priests The word first in the originall hath no substantive with it wherewith to agree yet must not be referred to the Tabernacle as some copies translate it for it hath a cleare reference to the Covenant which in the last verse of the former chapter is called the first and here againe repeated so for by this reference of it all things wil most rationally correspond and comply both with the preceding and subsequent passages Had also ordinances of divine service Ordinances are institutes i. Arbitrary and positive Lawes or precepts depending on the sole will and pleasure of the Law-maker or ordainer to determine any action for the manner and other circumstances which in it selfe and by the Law of nature is indifferent and may be done many wayes to be notwithstanding performed after some one way For Gods Covenant doth not containe promises only which are to be performed on Gods part solely but they also comprehend Commandements and Precepts of services and duties to be performed on our part which we if we enter the Covenant must promise and covenant to performe as God on his part doth covenant to performe his promise The matter or subject of these ordinances was divine service how God should be publikly worshipped and served The true nature of divine worship and service The originall word here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies worship and not service for worship and service in reference to God though by most Interpreters on the holy Scriptures they bee confounded and put indifferently each for other yet indeed their natures are very different and contradistinct For worship properly signifies any holy reverence which by some lowly gesture we performe to God as by standing up bowing downe kneeling downe or falling downe before him whereof the Scriptures afford us many examples But service properly signifies any holy action performed immediatly to the honour of God as prayer praise thanksgiving and sacrificing whereof also the examples are frequent in Scripture and particularly all the Ministery of the legall Priesthood by offering
frees us from all punishment and lastly makes us capable of eternall life Whence it so much the more appeares how the purging of our consciences doth certainely follow upon the bloud and death of Christ and upon his subsequent offering in heaven Purge your conscience from deâ—d workes How much more shall the bloud of Christ purge Shall is so the future tense here that it carries the force of the time present For in such arguments drawne from comparison wee love to use the future tense in the consequent member of it If this be so much more shall that For herein we respect not any futurity of time but a futurity of consequence and of truth for many times wee conclude in that manner of things past The conscience here is opposed to the flesh for as the bloud of beasts offered did purge the flesh so the bloud of Christ offered through the Spirit doth penetrate unto the conscience and purge it And sinnes are called dead workes not formally as if they had no life or activity in them but effectively because they are deadly works that brings death to the sinner and of their owne nature keepe the sinner dead for ever These deadly works are the spots and blots that defile our conscience and from these our conscience is purged by the bloud of Christ not onely in that we are freed from the guilt of them in the sight of God and consequently from all punishment of them but also in that wee are delivered from the sence of that guilt and from the feare of punishment and so our conscience is cased of a grievous burden And it was not for nothing that the Author would rather say purge our conscience then our minde the inward part of us opposite to the flesh Because thereby he would shew that the bloud of Christ doth also cleanse away that misery and torment of the conscience whereby men conscious of their wickednesse doe tremble and quake for feare of Gods Judgements This is most certaine that true and solid peace of conscience in them that have sinned doth ground it selfe upon this that God hath declared his will they should be free from all the guilt of their sinnes And yet it may be that men freed in the sight of God from the guilt of their sinnes may not enjoy a peaceable and quiet conscience because they are destitute of the knowledge or faith of it Therefore the bloud of Christ offered to God through the eternall Spirit doth not onely abolish all the guilt of our sinnes but also doth certifie and make faith thereof unto us as we heard before Whence it commeth to passe that there ariseth a great calme and quiet of conscience in their minds who have tasted the efficacy and vertue of Christ his bloud and sacrifice and we may well say that though formerly their conscience were oppressed with many crimes yet then their conscience is wholly disburdened and they finde no guiltinesse in it And this is the scope which God proposed unto himselfe in the death of Christ and the things following thereon For he would not therefore binde himselfe by the bloud of Christ and establish a new Covenant because there might be danger that he would not stand to his promises who is most true and faithfull of his word but because we should want no assurance of his grace and mercy towards us And hence also it is that when Christ was raised from the dead and invested with immortality God exalted him into heaven and committed unto him the whole care and arbitrement of our salvation For the efficacy and force of Christs death and the consequents upon it must be distinguished from their scope whereat God aymed although that efficacy were subservient to this scope and effectuall to the compassing of it The efficacy of Christs death and the consequents upon it was very great both to obliege God to performe his promises and to produce the reall effect of them upon us but the scope is as we have said to make assured and undoubted faith unto us of so great grace of God of so great salvation and remission of sins to the end that wee being fully certified thereof might againe on our part performe our duty and wholly devote our selves to God Whence the Author adding afterward this end or effect of purging our conscience to be performed by us on our part doth thereby teach us that in this purging of our conscience he included not only an Immunity from punishmenâ— arising from the abolishing of our guilt before God but also a security from them proceeding from our certaine knowledge that our guilt is abolished Now for the matter of our Impunity or freedome from punishment our punishment is not only temporall but also eternall opposite to life eternall From the punishment of eternall death those sacrifices 〈◊〉 the Law were so farre from freeing any man that they could exempt no man from temporall death or capitall punishment for they only tooke away some other light penalties or inconveniences of this life Neither did God write all his Lawes in bloud ordaining death for every offence but moderated the rigor of his Law with singular justice and equity Upon some offences hee laid the penalty of death which no sacrifice could release upon others he laid a fine and a sacrifice The mulct or fine was to bee paid to the party grieved but the sacrifice to himselfe for thereupon he remitted the penalty due to himselfe but would have restitution made of the injury done to man So for example for theft the penalty was a restituon of the double triple or quadruple to be paid to the party thereby damaged but besides this restitution the theft was expiated by sacrifice which was instead of a penalty to the most mercifull God Lastly there some things totally void of all true offence as for example if any man had touched a dead body though it were of duty to bury him which was rather a matter of piety then of offence yet because this and other such like cases were condemned by the Law of uncleannes therefore they were to be expiated either by some sacrifice or by the holy water of separation Therefore all the use of those sacrifices was to expiate some lighter faults or uncleannesses of the flesh but great offences were punished with death Hence David acknowledging his sinne exiable by no sacrifices of beasts saith to God Thou desirest not sacrifices else would I give them but thou delightest not in burn offerings Psal 51.16 He means in the expiation of such crimes as his was and therefore he flyes to the sole mercy and clemency of God and resolves to pacifie God with the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart The force of which sacrifice if it be made seasonably and abound afterward in the fruits of good workes is established and ratified by the Law of the Gospel Now the bloud and sacrifice of Christ takes away all guilt and penalties of all sins
even of the most heynous in them who having tasted the force of that sacrifice do afterward live holily I say all kind of penalties not only of temporall death but of eternall which by force of the law all incurred that had truly and morally sinned For temporall life opposed to temporal death proceeded from the observation of the Law otherwise then eternall life did opposed to eternall death For to attain or preserve temporall life it sufficed to keep the Law taken in an open and literall sease as they call it and to expiate certain offences by certain rites and sacrifices But the latter could no man attaine by force of the Law unlesse a man had kept the precepts of it taken in a mysticall sense i. most fully and perfectly as the Gospell proposeth them For seeing eternall life was not contained in the promises of the Law but in a mysticall sense it was great equity that he who would attaine it by the benefit of the Law should likewise keep the precepts of the Law in a mysticall sense Neither only so but it must be kept exactly and without any sinne so that there should need no sacrifices or expiations For no sacrifices were of such force as to take away the guilt of eternall death and so estate a man in a right to eternall life neither did the Law open any other way to arrive at a plenary justification joyned with the reward of eternall life then by the merit of workes To serve the living God Here is the effect of this Expiation wrought in us by the bloud and offering of Christ For when our conscience doth clearly acknowledge that in respect of God it is freed from all guilt of all sinne even the most grievous and nothing can hinder us but our selves from enjoying the reall effect of our being acquitted from all sinne it comes to passe here by that we must needs have strong motives to carry us on to the worship and service of God and to receive the faith of Christ to the end wee may effectually enjoy so great a blessing and having once enjoyed it never lose it but afterward abstaine from all sinne with all our possible endeavour knowing well that so great a blessing is attained and preserved with true piety Hence it appeares that this purging of our conscience gotten by the bloud of Christ must be so understood in this place that for the reall effect of it it depends upon our duty on our part i. then it begins to have it effect in us when our faith and obedience begins toward God and Christ and is continued by the continuance of our faith and obedience and by constancie and perseverance in faith and godlinesse to the end is at length consummated and doth rest in a full and immutable right to eternall life the effect whereof will most certainly follow in due time For unlesse this effect and complement of our expiation depend reciprocally upon our duty and our duty and will to serve God flowed immediatly from it what one man among a thousand would serve God upon the expiation of his finnes if he knew that without this he could be expiated effectually and released from the guilt of all his sinnes and enjoy a full right to eternall life because therefore this offering of Christ doth withdraw us from sinne and makes us afterward serve the living God hence it comes to passe that Christ doth expiate us by one only offering or that our expiation flowing from the offering and sacrifice of Christ is eternall and lasteth forever For what need the offering be iterated if men once expiated sinne no more For although sometime by error or infirmity the true worshippers of God may offend yet because the offering of Christ doth not so properly intend to expiate such light offences as sinnes that are more heynous as appears by the proper nature of the new Covenant as it stands distinguished from the old therefore the oblation of Christ must not be iterated for our light infirmities and lapses Therefore for the removing of the guilt of such light offences the perpetuall residence of Christ our high Priest in his heavenly Sanctuary and his intercession to his Father for us is abundantly sufficient so that for them he need not shed his bloud againe and after the shedding of it enter into his Sanctuary The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not alwayes signifie all kind of obedience and service done unto God but chiefly that divine service done to God publikly most properly as hath before been shewed those holy reverences which we perform in the worship of God Yet the Author useth it here by a Metonymie for all divine service that is joyned with the worship of God for worship and service are mutuall adjuncts connexed each to other For so great a benefit of God as the expiation of all our sins should easily move us to perform divine services unto God by praises and thanksgivings and wholly to devote out selves to worship to good a God for then we take courage to approach unto God to worship and serve him and to hope that the honour we do him will not be unacceptable unto him when we feel our conscience clean quiet as purged from all sin Or else the word here is taken by way of Metaphor whereby all good works pleasing unto God and done for his sake are accounted for sacrifices and offerings acceptable to God and that wholy endeavours them may fitly be said to serve God God is here called the living God according to the ordinary phrase of Scripture which notwithstanding in this place wants not an emphasis Not only because hereby the true God is distinguished from all the feigned gods of the Gentiles which because they were nothing but woodden or stony Idols and therefore woodden and stony gods were called vaine and livelesse gods and are opposed to the living God But also to shew the cause why we should worship and serve God and withall the happinesse of those that devote themselves unto him For seeing hee is the living God hee is also the true God who can reward his worshippers and servitors with great benefits and recompence them with fearfull judgments who neglect him To this end Paul writing to the Thessalonians saith Yee are turned from Idols to God to serve the living and true God 1 Thess 1.9 And the word there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies to serve And God is eminently called the living God not only because he truly lives but also because he is the fountaine of life to all other things which do live In which sense sometimes hee alone is said to live or to have life and immortality in himself 15. And for this cause Here the Author confirmes his former assertion by a new argument in that Christ is the Mediatour of the new Testament or that Christ made the New Testament and sealed it with his bloud For this is the nature of
yearly can never make the commers thereunto perfect for therefore it is that those offerings are iterated yeare by yeare This reason he doth by the way confirm by another reason because the law hath only a shadow of future blessings and not the very image of them Therefore the causal particle for hath not reference to what was said immediatly before but must in this place be referred to his principall doctrine though more remote which was That the legall high Priest offered year by year but Christ once only A shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things Those good things to come may be understood more largely or strictly First largely to comprehend both eternall happinesse it selfe promised or bequeathed us in the new Testament also all the helps and meanes for the acquiring of it affoorded us under the same Testament and pourtrayed in the legall shadowes such as are Christ himselfe our high Priest his Bloud his Offering his Sanctuarie and such like for these were future and to come in respect of the Law Or they may be taken strictly onely for the happinesse promised us Neither of these sences are disagreeing to the text yet the latter is more probable by reason of those words in the former chapter verse 11. wherein Christ is said to be a high Priest of good things to come and so the Priest and his Priesthood are manifestly distinguished and if ye marke it well so is his Sanctuarie and his Sacrifice But seeing there is no open mention of these good things to come but only in that text and this which we have now in hand that in both the same thing is handled it is most agreeable to reason that the good things to come in this place should be taken strictly for the happinesse onely promised us in the new testament which comprehends our perpetual deliverance from all punishments of all our sins our eternal inheritance of eternall life For by the admitting of this sense wee shall the more easily interpret the words following concerning the very image of the things For this condition seemes plainely taken from the Law and attributed to the Gospel Of those things which are not so much the parts of our happinesse as the means and adjuncts of it the Gospel doth not exhibit unto us the image but the substances themselves but of those promises it proposeth to us in this life rather the image then the substance although our deliverance from the punishments of our sinnes doe in some measure begin in this life But it exhibits unto us the very image of them in as much as it describes and promiseth them most openly to us so that are may seem in a manner to see them before our eyes But the Law had only a shadow of those good things from whence we could but conjecture very darkly and imperfectly what and what manner of things they were To that shadow contained in the Law were proportionably answering both the sacrifices by meanes whereof those good things were attained and also the high Priest the Sanctuary and such like But now seeing a clear and perfect image of those celestiall goods is proposed unto us and promised us in plaine and open tearmes therefore there are required other sacrifices which have an apparent and manifest vertue and efficacie to procure those goods unto us which can beget in our soules a most assured hope of them and can draw us to a course of life sutable to them Can never by those sacrifices which they offered yeare by yeare continually The words yeare by yeare doe not seem to cohere with offered for then there is a great and hard transposition of the words but agree rather with those sacrifices for so the sense is facile and usuall as if hee had said the same sacrifices recurring yeare by yeare whereby he would intimate that under the Law the same sacrifices were offered yet not every day and moneth but every yeare and every yeare sacrifices were offered yet not diverse but the same the same kinde yeare by yeare The space of time whereby those sacrifices were distant one from another was a yeare and when the yeare came about the sacrifice was of the same kinde Which they offered The persons who did make the offering were the high Priests to whom the Law enjoyned it But here the words are put in a passive sense to signifie the sacrifices which were offered For ordinary it is that an active forme of speech doth carry a passive sense So Luke 12.20 The words are active This night shall they require thy soule But the sense is passive this night thy soule shall be required Continually In this there is more signified then in the words yeare by yeare for it intimates that the course of yeares wherein yeare by yeare the same sacrifices were iterated was not interrupted nor intermitted but constantly continued and the continuance of this custome was not short for the space of some few yeares successively but a long continuance for many ages Can never make the commers thereunto perfect Although the same sacrifices were yeare by yeare iterated without intermission for a long continuance yet the Law by means of those sacrifices could never perfect the Commers thereto The Commers were all such amongst Gods people as came to worship God and serve him by means of those sacrifices and therefore in the verse following the same persons in the same respect are called the worshippers For in the peoples accesse or comming to the Tabernacle is also included that divine worship and service which there they performed Seeing their Accesse and Comming thither was but for worship and service and seeing again that worship and service might bee done no where else but by comming there for the Law forbad the people to offer sacrifice in any other place but the Sanctuary To perfect signifies to expiate or purge from sinne and to expiate so fully and finally that the party once expiate shall want nothing else shall need no other oblation of any other sacrifice nor no iteration of the same and consequently shall feele no further conscience of his sins 2. For then would they not have ceased to be offered This sentence should not be rendred negatively then they would not have ceased for this negation is quite contrary to the sense and reasoning of the Author But affirmatively thus for then would they have ceased to be offered For because the same sacrifices were yeare by yeare offered continually therefore from thence he proves that they could not perfect the worshippers or commers to the sacrifices and this their imperfection he further confirmes ab absurdo for if the same sacrifices could have perfected the commers thereto they would have ceased from being iterated and offered againe yeare by yeare continually For what need the same sacrifices be iterated yeare by yeare if they could perfect the commers to them by expiating their sinnes fully and finally for if the
is manifest what we are to thinke of that repentance and sorrow of minde as they call it which appears in persons dying who while they lived and were healthy followed their sinnes or as the Author said before sinned willingly after they had received the knowledge of the truth For upon their death-bed the time of a true fruitfull repentance is past and they are called as it were to the tribunall of Gods judgement For although it is better even then to sue also for Gods mercy with tears and cryes then by casting away of all hope to doe nothing at all for the compassing of mercy yet by force of the new Covenant it death follow and no time granted them for the putting off the old man with his workes and putting on the new they cannot be saved Therefore such have need of some extraordinary grace and favour from God which we have reason to think befals but a few and to none of those who lived prophanely as Esau did 18. For ye are not come Here begins another part of the Chapter wherein the Author useth a new argument to perswade them from falling from the Grace of God and Religion of Christ and from being so prophane as to be more indulgent to fornications uncleannesses and other sinnes then to enjoy that happinesse whereto they have gotten a right by their faith in Christ For he shewes of what great priviledges they are made partakers by receiving the Religion of Christ and this he doth by framing of a comparison of them with those things which long since befell to their ancestours in the publishing of the Law at Mount Sinai And withall he doth tacitly disparage that glorious and terrible manner wherein the Law was proclaimed which happily was no small motive to the Hebrewes to think that they were not to forsake the Law whose proclamation was performed with such Majesty Having shewed the great benefits accruing by the Gospell he thence infers that they ought with all their endeavour to obey the voice of the Gospell otherwise they shall fall upon terrible and infallible judgements not amoveable by any tears and cryes First therefore he mentions the things that of old happened to the Israelites at the publication of the Law and afterward to them he opposeth the things happening to Christians at the publication of the Gospell For saith he ye are not come to the Mount that might be touched Ye came not namely then when ye were initiated unto Christ and were made members or subjects unto him as our ancestors came long since when they became bound to the rules of the Law And the things whereto the Israelites then came he shews to be partly contemptible partly terrible Mount Sinai was a thing contemptible which hee therefore termes the tractable Mount or the Mount that might be touched not only because it might be so but because it often had been so for many times it had been both touched and trampled on both by men and beasts whereto it was no lesse exposed then any other Mountaine The Israelites came to this Mount because by Gods command they were assembled at the foot of it that there they might hear God delivering the Law from the Mount And that burned with fire But the rest of the things that hereupon he mentions are very terrible for the Mount burned with fire which was so great and so high that it burned up unto heaven as the sacred History relates it Nor unto blacknesse and darknesse and tempest By blacknesse we may understand that thicke cloud wherein God is said to have descended and the darknesse was the great shadow which was caused by the overspreading of that cloud which being extremely thick must needs induce an extraordinary darknesse And the Tempest was not by any violence of windes and raine as by lightnings and thunders which rush with as much violence as windes in a tempest and many times are accompained with a tempest All things were composed and suted to inject feare and terror for from the thicke cloud and the darkenesse that it caused there issued forth a horrible burning of fire the lightnings shined out and the thunders clapped and besides the thunders was a noise more fearefull for the noise of a trumpet that sounded long and loud and by degrees rose lowder and lowder filled the whole ayre and that nothing might want for rerrour the whole Mount from the top to the bottome trembled and quaked to the extreme amazement of the people 19. And the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words The words were the commandements of the Law and the voice was the voice of God wherewith the words of the Law were uttered from the top of the Mount out of the midst of the fire For after that the whole multitude summoned by the sound of the trumpet stood at the foote of the Mount ready to heare the Law then God with a voice undoubtedly no lesse terrible then the sound of the trumpet published his will in the Law For how terrible Gods voice was hereby it appeares in that the Israclites supplicated that God would speake no more unto them For so it followeth in the rest of the verse Which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more The voice of God was so terrible to the people that thereby they were afraid of their lives and therefore entreated Moses that if there were any more to be spoken he would speake it and not God lest say they we dye See Exod. 20.18,19 and Deut. 5.25,26 20. For they could not endure that which was commanded If these words cohere with the words immediately following in the verse and if so much as a beast touch the Mountaine it shall be stoned c. So that these words be taken for that which was commanded and which the people could not endure wee may well doubt how this agrees with the Sacred history from whence no such things seemes to appeare that the people therefore deprecated Gods further speech unto them because they feared that command of not touching the Mount and could not endure it as a thing too grievous and dangerous to them but rather therefore because they were terribly afraid of that fire out of which God spake and because they imagined that God could not long speake with man but that man unable to beare the voice and majesty of God must needs dye as appeares by their words to Moses See Deut. 5.24,25,26 Yet because by their words there it is manifest that they feared to be consumed by the fire out of which God spake it seemes that it could proceed from no other reason but because they were afraid they might easily offend God and provoke him whereupon that fire would take hold of them For why otherwise should they be so afraid of that fearefull but harmelesse fire which hurt Moses nothing at all And wherein could they sooner and more easily offend God then if any of them
earth but now hee hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also heaven For here it is manifest that the whole verse is meant of God But who shall wee say is understood by him who spake on earth By him may be understood both God himselfe and that single Angel who bare the name and person of God in Mount Sinai If by him wee understand God himselfe then here will be no opposition betweene divers persons but onely betweene divers places from whence God delivered the Law and from whence the Gospel Namely that the Law was published on earth from Mount Sinai but the Gospel was published by God from heaven You will say that God then no lesse published the Law from heaven then afterward he did the Gospell seeing God himselfe descends not from heaven but as he sent Christ from heaven to preach the Gospel so he sent an Angell from heaven in his name to deliver the Law To this I answer There is a great difference between the mission or sending of Christ from God and of that Angel For Christ being sent from God carried himselfe alwayes as a person diverse from God which the thing it selfe declares for he was the sonne of man and called himself Gods messenger sent from God did manifestly professe and testifie that his doctrine was not his owne but his who sent him that he spake nothing of himselfe but what he had received and heard from the Father But that Angell so descended from heaven that hee bare the person and name of God and therefore he alwayes speaks as if he had been God himselfe And this was the cause why Christ had not such Majesty and visible glory about him as had that Angel For Christ had but that Majesty and glory which became Gods legate or messenger and he a man and a mortall man But that Angell had that Majesty and glory which was sutable to God himselfe if God himselfe had descended from Heaven It may therefore be well said that God himselfe descended in that Angell and must be considered as if he himselfe had spoken upon earth Contrarily because God sent Christ to preach the Gospell as his Apostle or messenger and sent him from heaven as a person distinct from him not as of old he sent Moses from the earth that is but from Mount Sinai therefore now with good reason he is said to deliver his oracles and to publish his pleasure to us from heaven But it is a far greater matter to deliver oracles from heaven it selfe then from earth or from some earthly mountaine seeing heaven is far higher and worthier then any mountaine Therefore although the manner which God used in publishing and revealing his Gospel was not if we respect the outward shew and splendour of it so illustrious as that wherewith he published the Law yet indeed it was far more divine and perfect and in all respects most beseeming the perfect discipline of Evangelicall truth For what else did it signifie that God descended on earth to publish the Law but that the precepts of the Law were earthly and not heavenly For they that speake from a low place seem to speake but low matter and they earthly that speake from the earth as we read in the Gospell of John chap. 3.31 But contrarily that God remaining in heaven and not descending himselfe on earth either in his own person or in the person of another hath spoken to us by Christ sent from heaven as his Interpreter and messenger what else can this signifie but that he hath spoken heavenly things and that Christ is far greater then Moses For as it is written in the fore-cited place of John He that commeth from above is above all and he that commeth from heaven is above all In this sense therefore that Angell representing God must stand for God and Christ must not be compared with that Angell who represented the person and name of God but with Moses and the difference between Christ and Moses must stand in this that God spake to Moses on earth but to Christ in heaven and that God sent Moses from the mount to the Israelites but Christ from heaven to Christians If this be displeasing to any man which yet we beleeve to be most agreeable both to the truth and to the Scripture and to the Text we may say which is our other answer to the question proposed and another sense of the words that by him who spake on earth must be understood that Angell who in Gods name published the Law on Mount Sinai and by him who spake from Heaven must be understood the most high God himselfe For he that by himselfe delivers Laws on earth doth thereby shew that he is not the most high God For the Majesty of the most high God permits not that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords should depart from his inaccessible light and from his heavenly throne to descend downe upon earth But hee that offers himselfe as God to be heard from heaven he by far greater reason must be reckoned for God himselfe But you will say when did God himselfe publish the Gospell from heaven I answer This was done then when by his voice uttered from heaven he testified that Christ was his beloved Sonne and therefore his Ambassadour and withall commanded us to heare him For shall not God himselfe be thought to speak to us from heaven when we heare that doctrine which God himselfe authorised by his voice uttered from heaven For although by the wise determination of God the promiscuous multitude heard not this voice with their ears yet it was heard and published by them whose testimony is irrefragable But in the publishing of the Law was no such thing Whence it is manifest that even in this sense the Authors argument wants no force For it is a greater crime to turne away from God who spake from heaven then from an Angell who spake on earth though he sustained the name of God Hee turnes away from God and as it were turnes his backe upon him who refuseth either to beleeve or obey the voice of God 26. Whose voice then shooke the earth From these words it seems to be gathered that the Author by him who spake on earth understands God himselfe For here he mainifestly attributeth to God himself the shaking of the earth i. of Mount Sinai which happened at the publishing of the Law from thence But nothing hinders why this action may not be ascribed both to God and to the Angell who in publishing the Law sustained the person of God as likewise that speaking or uttering the oracles a little before mentioned For the Angell properly and immediatly did both shake the earth or mountaine and also spake and God did it mediatly by that very Angell But in these words there is a tacit answer to an objection and withall a strong reason why Christians must obey the voice of God published by Christ For some man
might say that the Law was published with great terrour insomuch that the earth was shaken with the voice of God whence we may easily gather what a fearfull punishment remaines to the forsakers of the Law To this terrour of the Law he Author opposeth a far greater terror and shews that under the Gospell matters will be far more terrible for not only the earth but heaven it selfe shall be shaken From whence any man may easily perceive that there shall be no place of escape from Gods punishments for them who have been disobedient against the voice of the Gospell For whither shall they flye if the heavens themselves which doe encompasse the earth round about shall be shaken yea shall fall and perish as we are taught in the following verse Whose voice The thunder called the voice of God By the voice of God wee may understand those thunders by whose cracks the Mount quaked and trembled for in severall places of Scripture the thunder is called the voice of God See Job 37.4,5 and Psal 18.13 and Psal 29. per tot Shooke the earth Some part of the earth as Mount Sinai and the plaine adjoyning Whence it appears that under the times of the Gospel there will be another manner of earthquake when not only some one mountaine or some small territory but the whole universall earth shall be shaken and broken to the lowest foundations of it But now he hath promised saying The word now doth not expresse the time of the promise but the time of performance of the thing promised namely the time wherein God will shake both heaven and earth So that now must be referred to the times of the Gospell as the shaking of Mount Sinai was to the times of the Law Therefore the minde of the Author is to say Now under the times of the Gospel God will shake not only the earth but the heaven also as he promised by the Prophet saying Yet once more I shake not the earth only but also heaven This Prophesie is extant Hag. 2.6 But the Author would speake briefly and speedily expresse the thing in the words of God himselfe as in many passages St. Paul also doth In the Hebrew it is yet once it is a little while i. there yet remaines but a very small time for the fulfilling of that which God there promiseth for the moving of heaven and earth But in the Greek translation of the Septuagint whom hitherto our Author hath followed in the testimonies he hath cited out of Scripture we read it yet once It may be the Septuagint did not read the Hebrew word mead a little while but only achath once But we need not marvell why here the Author would rather follow the Greek translation seeing it suiteth better with the mysticall sense of the Prophets words For in the literall sense these words containe a Prophesie that it should come to passe that God would move heaven and earth by raising up divers countries and nations who should come to the Temple at Jerusalem and bring with them the desire of all Nations that is that which is desireable and precious among all Nations namely silver and gold to adorne the Temple of God as it is explicated in the words following But because these words of moving heaven and earth are more magnificent then only to contain so narrow a sense therefore we must needs conceive that they carry some other more proper sense namely that God shall really shake heaven and earth to which sense the Greeke translation as we said better agrees For it cannot be but in a qualified manner that the time should be called a little while which is extended from this Prophesie to the end of the world If any demand how it can be said that God will yet once more shake heaven and earth seeing hee never shooke heaven before Wee answer It is said because the earth is there mentioned which God did shake before namely at the publishing of the Law Not the earth only but also heaven The Hebrew text hath it simply the heaven and the earth but the Author would rather speake thus that he might more fitly and evidently oppose that shaking which shall come to passe in the times of the Gospel to that shaking which fell out at the publishing of the Law that now under the Gospell not the earth only as then it was but also the heaven it selfe shall be shaken 27. And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken From the words yet once more the Author gathers what manner of shaking shall come upon heaven and earth and saith that those words doe signifie or declare the removing of the things that are shaken By removing is signified the abolition or destruction of heaven and earth for those things that are wholly abolished and destroyed are extremely removed not only from their former place but from all place See chap. 7. ver 12. That are shaken is put for that shall be shaken the present tense for the future a forme of speech usuall among the Hebrews especially the Prophets But how doe the words yet once more signifie that heaven and earth shall bee so shaken that by their shaking they shall be removed or abolished They signifie it by this reason that if heaven and earth should remaine after this shaking it scarce seems possible but that they must be once shaken againe yea it must necessarily be so if as it appears from other words of the Prophets heaven and earth must one day be abolished for then at the least when they are abolished they must be shaken and so they shall be shaken not yet once more but twice It is therefore manifest that these words yet once more do signifie such a shaking of heaven and earth as shall be accompanied with their removing or abolishing And hence also it is plaine that this Epistle was written in Greek seeing this collection of the Author is grounded only upon the Greek translation for in the Hebrew text it cannot take place unlesse as we said the word Mead a little while be expunged which at this day is read in all copies and seems necessary to the literall sense As of things that are made He inserts the cause which argues and shews the removing or abolishing of heaven and earth that in due time it shall certainly come to passe namely because they are things made But the words things made in this place must needs bee taken somewhat strictly For even that heaven which shall not be shaken was made and our future glorious and heavenly bodies shall be made Therefore things made do in this place signifie those things that were made of some grosse and corporeall matter as are all things of this creation as the Author speaks before chap. 9.11 or else which were made of such matter which receives a forraine forme besides and beyond her naturall inclination for matter receiving such a forme suffers a kinde of violence and
punishment and other evils eminent and Reverence is this fear redoubled or graduated as wee have said The manner therefore how to make our worship and service of God acceptable and pleasing unto him is by seasoning our souls with these two affections of Modesty and Reverence which are the true and firme foundations whereupon are framed those holy gestures of standing up bowing downe and kneeling downe to him which are the proper acts whereof Gods outward worship doth consist as we have formerly specified For if the use of reverend gestures be decent and due to any person upon earth much more is the use of them decent and due to the most high God of heaven Seeing of all other persons in the world we should most fear to displease God by any appearance of indecency in the least circumstance and seeing God above all others hath all power to benefit us and all right to punish us In which consideration the Author immediatly subjoynes 29. For our God is a consuming fire Here he adjoyns the reason why we must worship and serve God in this acceptable manner with modesty and reverence namely because God is a consuming fire God is a fire of anger So God is called by reason of his anger and wrath wherewith he is so provoked by finne that hee growes hot and burnes against it and as often as hee burnes with wrath he consumes and destroyes ungodly men as suddenly and as fiercely as doth a most vehement fire And it seems that Moses from whom the Authour tooke these words tooke occasion to call God by this name Deut. 4.24 because that God descended downe upon Mount Sinai in a great flame of fire the smoke whereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace Exod. 19.18 and because God spake out of the middest of the fire that they who heard his voyce saw no other similitude of him Deut. 4.11 and because a fire proceeding from God burnt up some who in his worship and service carried not themselves toward him with that modesty and reverence that was acceptable unto him So he burnt up the two Priests the sons of Aaron who durst burne incense unto him with strange fire that was not sacred and fallen from heaven Levit. 10.2 So hee burnt up those two hundred and fifty men who being not Priests durst approach to offer and burne incense unto him Numb 16.35,39 Hence also it is that God appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire out of the middest of a bush Exod. 3.2 And in the Psalmes of David God is sometime introduced with a fire going before him and burning up his enemies round about Psal 97.3 And in that vision of Daniel the Ancient of dayes did sit whose throne was like the fiery flame and his wheels like burning fire and a fiery stream issued and came forth from before him Dan. 7.9,10 Yet we must not think that God doth burne with perpetuall flames of anger For God is rather charity as Saint John doth testifie And of love Therefore God is alwayes a fire of love and charity towards men especially Christians unlesse it be when mens sinnes doe quench this fire of love and charity in him and kindle that other fire of anger and wrath Seeing then our God is a fire to consume those who dare presume to worship or serve him immodestly or irreverently or in any manner not acceptable unto him it therefore concernes us to bee carefull that in all our approaches to his worship or service we carry our selves with all modesty and reverence lest our God bee also unto us as a consuming fire The Contents of this 12. Chapter are 1. Duty We must be constant in professing the faith and patient in bearing the the crosses of it ver 1. Motive 1. Because wee have a cloud of witnesses who eye us in our course of faith and piety ver 1. 2. Because we have Christ for an example and paterne who did endure the crosse and the contradiction of sinners and despised the shame of it for the glory set before him v. 2. 3. 3. Because the crosse is but Gods chastisement upon us which argues his fatherly love to us as his children ver 5 6 7. for chastisement is universall whereof all are partakers except bastards ver 8. Wee take it patiently from our carnall fathers v. 9. Jt lasteth but a few dayes ver 10. and it smarts but only for the present v. 11. 2. Duty We must follow peace and holinesse v. 14. Motive Because without them no man shall see the Lord ibid. 3. Duty We must be diligent to keep one another from falling away Motive Because Apostacy is a bitter root that will both trouble and defile many v. 15. 4. Duty We must take heed of profanesse v. 16. Motive 1. Because Esau who first despised his birth-right afterward lost his blessing finally and could not recover it though hee sought it with teares v. 16 17. 2. Because the Church whereto we come is not an earthly mount where a God on earth speakes all in terrour as it was with the Israelites v. 18 19 20 21. But an heavenly mount whereof the assembly is God in heaven and Christ the Mediator thousands of Angels the first-borne of the Church and the spirits of the Righteous v. 22 23 24. 3. Because the Doctrine we are to hear was not spoken on earth as was the law but from heaven v. 25. 4. Because the time shall once come under the Gospel wherein God shall bee more terrible then ever he was at Mount Sinai for hee shall shake both heaven and earth to pieces even to abolsh them v. 26.27 5. Because we receive from God an infinite benefit even a Kingdome that is immutable and inconcussible v. 28. 6. Because God is a fire to consume the profane v. ult CHAPTER XIII 1. LEt brotherly love continue In the former Chapter hee exhorted them to severall duties concerning God as to constancy in the Faith and patience under the Crosse and to Holinesse and also disswading from the maine contrary vices of Apostacy and profanenes Now in this Chapter hee proceeds to humane duties in certaine mutuall good offices of men one toward another beginning with brotherly love which is our first and chiefest degree of Charitie towards men particularly such men as are our brethren They are eminently called our brethren who have one common spirituall father with us and are begotten into Christ from our heavenly Father by that incorruptible seed which is the word of the Gospel For if the faithfull who are sanctified are all brethren unto Christ who doth sanctifie them as was shewed before chap. 2.11 with much more reason are they brethren one to another because their mutuall resemblances between themselves are much more manifold And this brotherly love consisteth in the inward affect of it and in divers outward effects of doing good for faith and love also are both dead if they be ineffectuall This love must continue and remaine
doctrines as we see it fall out with persons that are strangers With these diverse and strange doctrines they must not be carried about which as it seemes is a Metaphor taken from ships and vessels at sea which are many times agitated and tossed diverse wayes by diverse and contrary winds Which similitude St. Paul also useth where he saith That wee henceforth bee no more children tossed too and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive Ephes 4.14 And wee are carryed about with a doctrine as with a winde when wee give as it were the sailes of our soules unto it by embracing and following it For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace and not with meats To his generall exhortation he subjoynes a speciall reason or motive Whence it appeares that the Author in this generall exhortation had chiefly a speciall reference to some particular doctrines whereto the Hebrews bore a great propension of minde which could hardly be any other then such as were drawne from the Law of Moses For there could be no danger that they would decline from the purity of Christian discipline to any other but the ordinances of the Law And in the first place the sacrifices and offerings which were usually made under the Law if not to believe that by them they obtained the expiation of their sinnes for they had been sufficiently taught already under the Gospell that the sinnes of all beleevers were fully purged by the bloud of Christ yet at least that they might enjoy the feasts of those sacrifices and society with the rest of the Jewes communicating with them in their Religion and consequently in their whole state which thing they supposed might be permitted them especially in their sacrifices and peace-offerings as being not offered for sinne but either upon vow or upon some other voluntary devotion and which seemed not to be excluded by the sacrifice of Christ which was only expiatory for sinne For even in those sacrifices except the holocaust or whole burnt-offerings part went to the honour of God as the bloud and the fat part to the Priest and part to the use of those that offered whereto they invited one another in the court of the Temple and did eat together feasting and cheering themselves before the Lord. Therefore this holy feasting together being an argument of their communion with the rest of the people might flatter their soules and make them desire the legall sacrifices and offerings if not all yet at least the peace-offerings and take it heavily that they were restrained from them and withall from the society of the Jews Common-wealth as unworthy persons because of the Christian Religion especially as it stood pure and refined from the legall ceremonies As also to be inhibited from the Religion and state of the Jew was troublesome to the flesh for to enjoy both was very pleasing carnally and to eat the holy meats before the Lord had a shew of piety and might seem somewhat to prevaile with God With this error therefore whereinto they were prone to fall the Author meets two wayes and withall declares what sacrifices and what offerings whether for sinne or peace wee should offer unto God namely spirituall sacrifices wherein there is no use of eating For though many are of opinion that the Author here treats of not observing that difference of meats which was so precisely and carefully ordained under the Law yet we think otherwise for these reasons 1. Because the Author seems to recall them from the use of meats and not to grant the use of them for he speaks not of a liberty to eat but of a necessity to abstaine and he opposeth grace to meats because it is good the heart should be established or refreshed or recreated not with meats but with grace but the heart is not recreated with meats not eaten but eaten therefore grace is here opposed not to the use of meats but to abstinence from them 2. Because the following reason proposed ver 10 11. doth openly treat of that eating of the sacrifices which to Christians was not convenient neither can this reason by any meanes be applied to the abolishing of the difference of meats 3. Because from the words spoken here the Author infers at the 15. verse as the particle therefore shewes that wee must offer spirituall sacrifices by Christ Whence it may be gathered that by these words that service and eating of sacrifices anciently ordained under the Law is here reprehended and condemned for that from this is rightly and immediatly inferred but is not inferred from the abolishing of the difference of meats But now let us consider and weigh the Authors argument The first way is contained in these words by way of prevention For they who desired those sacrifices and holy banquets might say It is good to establish the heart with meats that is to recreate it after the Hebrew phrase who call recreating of the heart establishing of it See Gen. 18.5 where Abraham invited the three men of whom we treated before to establish their heart with a morsell of bread that is to take some little repast The Author seems to have reference to the words of Moses Deut. 12.18 who speaking of eating holy things saith And thou shalt rejoyce before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest thine hand unto To this objection the Author answers by opposing unto it a greater and more excellent good by saying It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace not with meats As if he had said To establish the heart with meats is not so good but to doe it with grace is truly good as he presently demonstrates By grace he meane that grace of God which is revealed and offered unto men in the Gospell consisting in a plenary remission of the guilt and paine of all our sinnes even the most heinous in a perfect expiation of all our sinnes by the sacrifice and offering of Christ in loosing from the neckes of men that yoke of the ceremoniall law wherein are contained the ordinances for carnall sacrifices in justifying us not by merit of works but by faith and after justification in giving us possession of eternall life in due time This is the thing the good thing wherewith not our bodies but our hearts and soules are in a wonderfull manner recreated and refreshed and he that hath tasted and relished such grace in his soule will no more desire the meats and banquets of sacrifices And the Author speaking of grace doth very fitly and properly use the phrase of establishing the heart For our hearts that is our souls which are commonly signified by the name of the heart are established and recreated not properly with meats which reach not to them but with the grace of God and is made active and lively to performe all Christian duties Which have not profited them
that have been occupied therein Here he brings the reason why in a manner he denied that the heart is established with meats or that such establishing is not so good a thing namely because they that have exercised therein have found no profit thereby To be occupied in meats or as the Greek hath it to walke in meats seeing here as we have shewed meats signifie the meats of the sacrifices or of the holy things is nothing else but to partake of those carnall sacrifices and to accustome the eating of things offered and consecrated and placing therein a part of Gods worship and serice By those who are said to be occupied in those meats are meant the Jewes before they were illuminated in the doctrine of Christ Which have not profited them The Jews found no true profit by eating those meats For as Christ saith of Manna John 6.49 Your fathers did eat Manna in the wildernesse and are dead So may it well be said of the meats of the sacrifices and things consecrated to God Your fathers did eat the meats of sacrifices and are dead But he that recreates and fills his soule with that grace of God which is revealed and exhibited to men in the Gospell hee shall live for ever Therefore the words not profited doe not simply exclude all profit and advantage wholly for the meats of the sacrifices did profit something in respect of that time to repaire the strength of the body for a short time but they had not a true profit belonging to the Spirit but only a carnall profit that was transitory and fugitive not durable and eternall In which sense also Christ saith of his flesh eaten in a carnall way as his Disciples understood it Joh. 6 63. It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing that is it furthereth nothing unto life to produce in men a spirituall and eternall life It is the Spirit that vivifies men which as from the spirituall eating of the flesh of Christ slaine for the life of the world and from the spirituall drinking of his bloud so from that sweet taste of that divine grace which was confirmed by the death and bloud of Christ doth distill into our soules and so revives and quickens us From these words of the Author it is manifest that to Christian Religion it is nothing pertinent or profiting to eat any true meat properly and consequently not the flesh and bloud of Christ For if the body of Christ were properly eaten and therein consisted a part of Religion would not the Author have opposed the meat of Christs flesh and bloud to the meats of those sacrifices would he have said we have an altar whereof it is not lawfull for them to eat no not for the Priests if it be lawfull for the Priests to eat the body and drinke the bloud of Christ offered every day upon the altar and unlawfull not to eat and drinke it Would he have left us only the sacrifice of praise and good workes for the sacrifices and offerings of all animals and other creatures which might be turned into meats 10. We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle Hitherto the Author hath shewed that there is very little or no cause why Christians should desire those sacrifices of the Law and the meats of those offerings or should place some part of Gods worship or service in them or should take it grievously that for the profession of Christian Religion they are drawne from commerce and communion with the Jewes and their state Now he shews further that it is not lawfull for Christians to eat the meats of sacrifices as was anciently done under the Law He therefore saith We have an altar Any man may easily perceive that these words are figurative and improper taken from the ordinances in the discipline of Moses which for the most part cannot be applied to the discipline of Christ but by way of abusion and impropriety whereof we had no few examples formerly especially in the comparison of Christ with the Leviticall Priests For for comparisons sake we many times use such words of a thing which without respect to the comparison wee would never use The same impropriety falls out againe here In the Christian Religion to speake properly there is no Altar no Tabernacle to serve no Sacrifices which can be eaten neither if we respect the eating of sacrifices or the abstinence from them is there any such difference betweene Christians as if some were Priests and Ministers of the Tabernacle and others were not Therefore in such sayings we must not weigh every word singly by it selfe as what is signified by the Altar what by the Tabernacle and whereto it answers but we must enquire for the sense of the whole sentence Wherefore these words import nothing else but that Christians have no other sacrifices but such whereof they have no power to eat By those which serve the Tabernacle which under the Law were only Priests and Levites are signified all Christians in generall Christians therefore are said to be in that condition as if under the Law there had been such an Altar whereof and of the sacrifices laid upon it and offered unto God it was not lawfull for any man to eat no not for the Priests themselves and other Ministers of the house of God much lesse for the rest of the people For if there had been such an Altar under the Law then it is apparent unto all men that the eating of sacrifices and things offered unto God should have had no place under the Law But thus it is under the Gospell and therefore the eating of sacrifices must be to Christians unlawfull 11. For the bodies of those beasts whose bloud is brought into the Sanctuarie by the high Priest for sinne are burnt without the campe Here the Author proves by his assertion in the former verse why in Christianitie the matter is so ordered that under the Gospel there is such an Altar whereof the Sacrifices are not permitted to be eaten of any man Yet he proposeth his argument so concisely and briefly that he seemes rather to point at it then explicate it And it manifestly appeares that the Authour takes it as graunted for a ground That Christians have no other Sacrifice but what is resembled by the entrance of the high Priest into the Sanctuary or by those beasts onely whose bloud was brought into the Sanctuary by the high Priest and their bodies were burnt without the campe For unlesse the Author took this for graunted he could not from this that in those sacrifices it was not lawful to eat the flesh of the offering simply conclude that it is not lawfull for us Christians to eat sacrifices or that we have an altar whereof we may not lawfully eat And this he might well take for granted because by that Sacrifice whereby our high Priest entred into his Sanctuary under the new Covenant all things were perfomed whether we