ordinary So do Gods Ministers bless the people in the Lords name 4. A blessing of authority extraordinary So Melchisedec blessed Abraham and the Prophets and Patriarchs such as by inspiration they were directed to bless And this official blessing with authority proveth Superiority whether it be ordinary or extraordinary 5. There is a blessing of power of it self effectual So blesseth Christ and so God blesseth men From this 1. The Excellency of the office of Gods Ministers is evident who are appointed to bless the people in Gods Name 2. And how they should bee respected in love for their work sake 3. And how they should walk worthy of that high and holy employment leâ—t their sins make them vile and contemptible before the people as in Malachies time Mal. 2.9 Vers. 8. And here men that dye receive Tythes but there hee receiveth them of whom it is witnessed that hee liveth Another point of Comparison tending to this end The Levites in their tything were mortal men one succeeding another But Melchisedec in type of his Priesthood and Scriptural being and Christ in the truth of his Priesthood are immortal And therefore Melchisedec as the typical Priest and Christ as the true Priest are greater than Levitical Priests by as much as immortality is above mortality Then Every Age hath Christ for a Priest living in their own time to deal for them with God And what benefit they get by him in their own time hee can make forth-comming unto them even for ever Vers. 9. And as I may so say Levi also who receiveth Tythes paid Tythes in Abraham 10. For hee was yet in the loyns of his Father when Melchisedec met him Another reason to this same purpose Levi paid Tythes to Melchisedec in Abrahams loyns Therefore Melchisedec is greater in his Priesthood than the Levitical Priests So was Christ in Abrahams loyns will you say I answer Christ was the true represented Priest even when Melchisedec met Abraham and in Melchisedec's person as type the honour was done to Christ in truth and to his Priesthood by Abraham And again Christ was in Abrahams loyns onely in regard of the matter of humane nature not for the manner of propagation and so is exempted from the Law of natural posterity 1. Alwaies from this reasoning wee learn That as receiving Tythes proveth superiority in office So paying of Tythes or maintenance in room of Tythes proveth subjection to that office and office-bearers which receive the same And so maintenance of Ministers should be a matter of honouring of them or rather of him that sent them of its own proper institution though men turn it into a beggarly stipend and count the more basely of the office because of the manner of maintenance 2. From the reason of Levies paying of Tythes in Abrahams loyns wee learn That there is ground in nature for imputation of the Fathers deed unto the children descended of him by natural propagation so that as justly may God impute unto us Adams sins as to Levi Abrahams Tythes paying Vers. 11. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical Priesthood for under it the people received the Law what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec and not be called after the order of Aaron To the end of the Chapter he sheweth a necessity of the abolishing of the Levitical Priesthood and establishing of Christs One reason is in this verse because perfection was not to be had by the Levitical Priesthood By Perfection is understood a perfect satisfaction for our sins and a perfect purchase of all that wee have need of unto eternal life He proveth that such perfection could not be had by Aarons Priesthood because then there had been no need of another Priesthood after Aarons if perfection could have been by his Priesthood But the Scripture sheweth that there behoved to arise a Priest after Melchisedec's order by whom perfection was to be gotten Psalm 110. 1. Therefore perfection could not be by Aarons Priesthood From this wee learn That under the Law remission of sins and eternal life was not obtained by virtue of any sacrifice then offered but by the virtue of Christs Sacrifice and Christs Priesthood represented thereby 2. But why could not perfection be by that Priesthood He giveth a reason saying For under it the people received the Law The word importeth as much as the people were then legalized disciplined after a Legal manner that is the Law was still urged upon them still they were pressed to give perfect obedience under pain of the curse still God dealt in the external form of handing them as one not satisfied for any thing that was offered as yet in their name Therefore perfection could not be had by that service For it was evident that neither God was pacified nor their consciences quieted by any thing in that Priesthood but all were sent to the thing signified and to the time which was to come in the Messia's manifestation Then Comparing their time and ours for outward manner of handling as they were legalized that is straightly urged by the yoak of the Law wee were evangelized that is smoothly entreated under the Gospel God laying aside terrour entreating us to bee reconciled and to come and receive Grace for Grace Vers. 12. For the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the Law From the change of the Levitical Priesthood he inferreth of necessity the abolishing of the Levitical Law and of our obligation thereunto Then 1. The Levitical Priesthood and the Levitical Law do stand and fall together 2. The Levitical Law cannot stand with any other Priesthood than Aarons it cannot stand with Christs under the Gospel 3. Christs Priesthood seeing it is another than Aarons must have another Law other Ordinances and Statutes than Aarons a Law and Ordinances suitable unto it self 4. To use Levitical Ceremonies under the Gospel is to confound the Priesthood of Aaron and Christ. Vers. 13. For hee of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe of which no man gave attendance at the Altar 14. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah of which Tribe Moses spake nothing concerning Priesthood 15. And it is yet far more evident For that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest 1. Hee proveth that Aarons Priesthood is changed and the Ordinance thereof because Psal. 110. speaketh of Christs Priesthood that is fâ—eed from the service of the Altar By the Altar hee meaneth the material Altar commanded in the Law Another Altar hee knoweth not And Christs Priesthood hee declareth to be freed from the service of this Altar beside which no Law could tye it to any other Altar Then Christs Priesthood is freed from the Altar which God commandeth and all the service thereof And whosoever will erect another material Altar in Christs Priesthood and tye his Church unto it must look by what Law they do it 2. From
AN EXPOSITION OF ALL St. PAULS EPISTLES TOGETHER With an Explanation of those other Epistles of the Apostles St. James Peter John Jude Wherein the sense of every Chapter and Verse is Analytically unfolded and the Text enlightened By DAVID DICKSON Professor of Divinity in the University of Glascoe Published for the Benefit of such as desire clearly to understand and rightly to improve the Scriptures JOHN 15.4 Abide in mee and I in you As the Branch cannot bring forth fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine No more can yee except you abide in mee LONDON Printed by R. I. for Francis Eglesfield and are to bee sold at the Marygold in St. Pauls Church-yard 1659. TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS MARQUESSE Earl of Kintar Lord Cambel Lord of Lorn c. AND To the most Noble Lord the Lord Archibald Cambell Lord of Lorn his Eldest Son and Heir c. David Dickson wisheth all happiness THe name of Wisdome and Happiness most Illustrious Marquess hath alwaies and every where been very eminent and all men have justly commended him that hath been studious of both But few they are who well understand the things themselves For they that place their Happiness in any thing besides the enjoyment of God in the matter of true Wisdome are much mistaken That indeed is the true Wisdome by which wee are directly and infallibly led to solid and eternal Happiness It is a most sad spectacle and to wise observers not unprofitable to behold the misery of mankind joyned with madness Man is banished from Heaven and as a Vagabond wanders upon Earth tossed up and down with the stings of misery and a certain blinde desire of Happiness inquires after his Remedy But the Felicity hee should seek after above hee looks for among terrene trash and so misseth of it every where For the chiefest Good hee embraceth the meanest things and the deceitful shadows of Vanity By the frequent frustration of his conceived hopes hee is minded of his errour and urged with the perpetual agitation of a restless spirit to seek after the heavenly Country and his Fathers house But hee goes astray from the womb and his errour is endless encreasing and multiplying the miseries that hee flies from The contemplation of Divine Goodness conflicting with mans obstinacy and stubbornness heightens the sadness of this spectacle The fountain of happiness descends from Heaven cloathed with Majesty and Light as with a garment manifesting to those that are in the dark his invisibility to wit his eternal power and God-head shining forth in the works of Creation that hee might invite rebels into favour with him But they either look not towards God or looking to him they acknowledge him not or knowing him in some measure they glorifie him not as God but become vain in their imaginations and bowed downward they cry out Who will shew us any good None seriously pray Lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us God comes neerer in the works of his providence and leaves himself not without witness but communicates his good things to men unworthy gives Rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling the hearts of his most ingrateful enemies with food and gladness that they might feel after the Lord and finde him whom they had lost so by the riches of his goodness and forbearance they might be reduced to repentance But they receive these benefits and sacrifice them to gluttony and intemperance And even with these things which Divine bounty vouchsafed arming themselves with the weapons of iniquity they rebel against God But here the Man-kindness of God doth not end but hee comes close to us reacheth forth his hand knocks at every mans breast produceth the Law written legibly upon every mans heart shakes their consciences stirs up their thoughts to summon those fugitive enemies to the Tribunal of Justice to accuse the guilty and convince them of their odious ingratitude takes away all excuse from those that are convicted and all this that men might repent and sue out for pardon But they convinced of their iniquity contumaciously lift up themselves against God fall out with conscience and lay violent hands upon it to bee silent they invade that truth of God written upon their hearts which once suppressed they imprison and with-hold in unrighteousness It s no wonder if God suffer such desperately stubborn and self-condemned creatures to walk in their own waies and leaves them to Satan giving them up to their own corrupt affections Alas Alas millions are lost and will bee so By how much the more this spectacle is lamentable by so much the goodness of God is more lovely which will not endure that Divine Grace should suffer a repulse by those which the good pleasure of God will have to be his own to come to themselves and be saved You will easily affirm that to be a joyful sight which for ever will bless the beholders and make them happy The Eternal Wisdome the Beloved of the Father the Delight of Angels the Light of the World the Life of Men the Son of Righteousness under whose wings is healing and salvation Our Lord Jesus Christ came down from the bosome of his Father Who having discharged the price of our Redemption conquered our enemies gets up into his triumphant Chariot passes through all places where his redeemed ones abide for their sakes hee sets up the banner of his love hee sends forth the voice of saving wisdome in the Gospel of Peace By the Ministery whereof hee opens the fountain of mans misery wider reproves of sin creates in them a sorrow after God holds forth wrath to come and terrifies demonstrates to them their folly unworthiness and impotency to deliver themselves from those evils and humbles them to an abnegation of their own wisdome and strength Hee offers himself a Mediatour for the restoring of amity betwixt God and man provokes in us a thirst after Life and Righteousness holds forth to us freedome from the Law of works as also the ratification of the New and Free Covenant of Grace to which hee causeth them to consent perswades them to embrace Christ that great gift of God and wholly resign themselves up to him Hee exhibits also to them Remission of sins and causes them to lay hold upon it to Justification Hee wills those that are justified to mortifie the old man and enkindles in them no less desire after holiness than after Heaven and Happiness it self Hee requires the fruits of Faith in obedience to the Divine Law and causes them to suck vital juice from the vine which they send forth in fruits worthy of the Gospel Hee commands that every one take up his own Cross which lies in his way to Heaven causing them to observe his commands and after the Lord of Glory bearing reproach for him through prosperity and adversity to pass on unto eternal life This is that saving Wisdome which deceives no man but justifies and blesseth all her Children and in like
that by the necessity of his office and the Command as also the fear of Gods displeasure Vers. 17. For if I do this thing willingly I have a reward but if against my will a dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto mee My Preaching saith hee if it bee voluntary it shall have a reward but if against my will yet I must discharge it because of the dispensation committed unto mee by the Command of God and that would bee without the glory of my voluntary Preaching If I should unwillingly preach the Gospel as they do who exercise their Ministery not out of any love to God and desire of converting Souls but for filthy lucres sake or out of vain-glory Vers. 18. What is my reward then Verily that when I preach the Gospel I may make the Gospel of Christ without charge that I abuse not my power in the Gospel Now hee saith that hee hath matter whereof to boast against his Reproachers as a reward of his not receiving any stipend from them in as much as hee Preached the Gospel to the Corinthians without charge unto them whereunto hee sub-joyns another reason That if hee had exacted a maintenance there where his Reproachers endeavoured to bring an evil report upon him then hee had abused his liberty Vers. 19. For though I bee free from all men yet have I made my self servant unto all that I might gain the more Hee extends the moderating of his liberty to all sorts of things indifferent wherein hee served not himself but others that hee might gain them Vers. 20. And unto the Jews I became a Jew that I might gain the Jews to them that are under the Law as under the Law that I might gain them that are under the Law That hee explains particularly in three things First that hee did conform himself to the Jew bound as they thought under the Ceremonial Law observing the Mosaical Ceremonies for time and place as the matter required as if hee had been under the yoke of Ceremonies and that hee did by the opinion of the Council at Ierusalem which left to the Jews born under that yoke whereof the Apostle was a free use of Ceremonies for a time but in no wise to the Gentiles Act. 21. 21 25. Vers. 21. To them that are without Law as without Law being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ that I might gain them that are without Law The second is That conforming himself to the Gentiles which were without Law hee laid aside the use of Ceremonies as one that was without Law but in the mean time hee intimates that hee did not understand the Moral or the law of love which is the perpetual Law of God and Christ from which hee could not bee freed but the Ceremonial Law from which indeed hee was freed that hee might freely for the advantage of the Gospel use Ceremonies or might abstain from using them Vers. 22. To the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some The third That hee conformed himself to those that doubted of their liberty abstaining from things lawful as they did finally hee accommodates himself in all things indifferent to all men for three causes First That hee might gain as many as possible or at leastwise some Vers. 23. And this I do for the Gospels sake that I might bee partaker thereof with you The second cause That the Doctrine of the Gospel might bee better esteemed of amongst all by his moderate carriage The third cause That serving the advantages of the Gospel hee might bee saved being made partaker of the Gospel with other Believers Vers. 24. Know you not that they which run in a race run all but one receiveth the prize So run that you may obtain Hitherto hee hath insisted upon his own example as the Antecedent of the Argument the force of this example follows or the hortatory conclusion viz. That the Corinthians would labour after temperance and not so mind their meat as to eat with offence that which was offered unto Idols To this end hee shews them that they must run in their Christian Race in which all not one only as it was usual in their sports that run according to the Laws of God were to bee crowned Vers. 25. And every man that striveth for the Mastery is temperate in all things Now they do it to obtain a corruptible Crown but wee an incorruptible And how that comes to pass hee shews viz. If after the example of those that contended in those Noble Games whether running or combating usually celebrated neer unto Corinth they should not indulge themselves in gluttony and pleasures but temperate in all things bearing all things whereby the conquering Crown might bee won In their Isthmian or Corinthian Games the Runners and Wrestlers inured themselves to a most temperate diet by way of Preparation for the Race as now horses are fitted for running The Conquerours in these Games were crowned with Lawrel or Ivy or were honoured with some such like reward After the same manner the Apostle would have Christians most moderate in their using the things of this world and abstinent from whatsoever may stop their course or hinder them in their warfare and that they might obtain an incorruptible that is an Eternal Crown laid up in heaven for all those who strive lawfully and finish their course Hee adds three Hortatory Arguments Argum. 1. Because you Christian Wrestlers may expect a more noble Crown than that corruptible one of those that sport in those Gymnastick Games Vers. 26. I therefore run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the ayr 27. But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should bee a cast-away Argum. 2. From his own example running and acting the part of a Champion and smiting his adversary certainly and seriously I earnestly keep down the body of sin and the old man and the lusts of the flesh that they may bee slain and I compel my body properly so called by virtue of Spiritual Discipline to bee subject to my Spirit Therefore do you the same thing For so the Apostle nurtured his body that in labours and watchfulness and fastings it might hold out in its duty that it might not wax wanton against the Spirit and the body of sin as much as lay in him bee destroyed Lest by any means Argum. 3. From the end of it I keep under the body of sin or the old man lest if I should live otherwise than I advise others to live I should bee a cast-away or as an hypocrite should bee blotred out of the number of the Saints Therefore do you the same thing that I do and to the same end The Apostle here does not oppose Reprobate to one that is Elect but to one that is Approved for as the
edifying of the church 13. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that hee may interpret Hee infers an exhortation to what was fore-spoken that they might bee zealous of the gift of Prophecie for the good of the Church and to that end that hee which hath the gift of an unknown tongue might pray that hee might have also the gift of interpreting that tongue Vers. 14. For if I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful Reason 7. If any one speak unto God praying publikely in an unknown tongue hee doth ill because though hee that prayes understands yet the understanding of him that prays shall bee unfruitful to those that hear and do not understand and hee doth ill much more who speaks publikely to men in a tongue not understood Therefore the gift of Tongues is inferiour to that of Prophecie Vers. 15. What is it then I will pray with the Spirit and will pray with understanding also I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also Hence hee draws forth his exhortation because amongst those who had the gift of strange tongues some had the faculty miraculously to reason in divine mysteries some had the faculty of praying others did sing in those strange tongues and others gave thanks these gifts were divers and for divers uses hee commands them so to use them all that they may bee understood by the hearers for if any one pray by the Spirit or from the gift of the Spirit what profit shall it bee to the Church unless hee pray also with understanding i. e. so that the hearers may understand him Vers. 16. Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit how shall hee that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing hee understandeth not what thou sayest This hee confirms and adds the eighth Reason from the unprofitableness of it because when any one shall bless by the gift of the Spirit those that occupy the room of private men in the Church i. e. the rest of the hearers in the Assembly cannot joyn their prayers with him or say Amen unless hee speaks in a known tongue The matter is otherwise in Prophecying where all things are uttered in a known tongue Therefore c. Vers. 17. For thou verily givest thanks well but the other is not edified Hee gives a reason because the hearers in the Church neither understand nor are edified although that which is spoken is most excellent Vers. 18. I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all 19. Yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue Reason 9. From his own example who was most inabled in the gift of Tongues and yet hee had rather speak a few words which might bee understood by the hearers than many in a tongue unknown to the people Therefore the gift of Prophecie excels that of Tongues Vers. 20. Brethren bee not children in understanding howbeit in malice bee yee children but in understanding bee men Reas. 10. Backed with a Precept because this abuse of the gift of strange Tongues being no way profitable to the hearers is a childish and foolish ostentation whereas it became them to bee children indeed in respect to innocency but not in respect to knowledge Vers. 21. In the Law it is written With men of other Tongues and other Lips will I speak unto this people and yet for all that will they not hear mee saith the Lord. 22. Wherefore Tongues are for a sign not to them that beleeve but to them that beleeve not but prophesying serveth not for them that beleeve not but for them which beleeve Reason 11. Out of Isa. 28.11 and Ier. 5.15 because to speak with Tongues not understood in the Church is set down of God as a threatning for a punishment of unbelief But Prophecie serves for the edification of Beleevers Therefore let unknown Tongues bee rejected out of the Church and let Prophecie bee preferred Vers. 23. If therefore the whole Church bee come together into one place and all speak with Tongues and there come in those that are unlearned or unbeleevers will they not say that yee are mad Reason 12. Taken from the avoiding of Scandal Unbeleevers or Professors of a private condition will bee estranged from the Faith and they will say that both the Preacher and the People are mad if the time appointed for publick worship bee spent in the hearing of an unknown Tongue Therefore the gift of Tongues is inferiour to the gift of Prophesying Vers. 24. But if all prophesie and there come in one that beleeveth not or one unlearned hee is convinced of all hee is judged of all 25. And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face hee will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth Reason 13. From the special fruit which would ensue If laying aside the use of strange Tongues all the Prophets for hee denies that all the faithful in the Church were Prophets Chap. 12.29 should prophesie i. e. should propose the Oracles of the Prophets and their Doctrine to the edification of the Church For in this case if any unbeleever should come in or a private Christian one of their hearers should hear them prophesying hee is convinced of sin and condemned according to the sentence of the Law by all that prophesie and the secret sins of his heart are manifest unto him which when the hearer sees and observes the Grace of God laid open by the Prophets in the Gospel hee falls upon his face adores God and seriously gives testimony of Gods presence with the Prophets in the Church Therefore Prophecie is more excellent than the gift of Tongues The second Part. Vers. 26. How is it then Brethren when yee come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine hath a Tongue hath a Revelation hath an Interpretation let all things bee done unto edifying The other part of the Chapter in which hee gives seven Precepts concerning good order The first is that if the Spirit shall suggest to any one of the Prophets any godly Psalm to the praise of God or any Doctrine or expression of a strange Tongue for the use of the Church or revelation of a thing to come or of a mystery not observed before or the interpretation of a strange Tongue or of the Scripture Hee commands that the exercise of all these bee fitted to the edification of the Church that all may go out of the Assembly better than they came Vers. 27. If any man speak in an unknown Tongue let it bee by two or at the most by three and that by course and let one interpret Vers. 28. But if there bee no Interpreter let him keep silence in the Church and let him speak to himself
ought to renounce that yoak Vers. 4. But when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law 5. To redeem them that were under the Law that wee might receive the Adoption of Sons Having spoken of the servile and childish condition of the Church before the comming of Christ as to the outward man for as to the Spirit and inward man the faithful that saw the day of Christ were freed and rejoyced in the Lord now follows the manner of delivering the Church by the comming of Christ. The fulness of time Argum. 2. Now the fulness of time is come which the Father had fore-appointed to the Legal Pedagogie and that Guardianship of Legal Ceremonies is finished Therefore you Christians must renounce the yoak of Ceremonies Sent forth his Son Argum. 3. The Son of God is sent into the world takes upon him flesh and is born of the Virgin Mary and subjected to the Covenant of Works and the yoak of Legal Ceremonies that hee might redeem those that were subject to the Law Therefore yee Christians redeemed from the yoak ought to renounce it That the Adoption Argum. 4. For that end Christ is made subject to the Law that wee might clearly attain to the Adoption or to the Priviledge of Sons grown up held forth under the Gospel Therefore wee being under the Gospel ought to renounce the servile and childish yoak of Ceremonies unless wee would render the benefit of Redemption of none effect to us Vers. 6. And because yee are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Argum. 5. For a testimony of your Adoption and advancement to the priviledge of Sons now grown up God hath given you the holy Spirit by which together with other Sons of God out of Jews and Gentiles yee may call God confidently in every tongue your Father Therefore except yee would carry your selves as unworthy of this priviledge yee must renounce the childish and servile yoak of Ceremonies Vers. 7. Wherefore thou art no more a Servant but a Son and if a Son then an Heir of God through Christ. Argum. 6. Yee are no more in that servile condition under the yoak of Ceremonies but in a free state as Sons grown up and Heirs actually partakers of their Fathers goods or spiritual graces in a larger measure than the ancient Church and that by Christ manifested in the flesh Therefore now you must renounce that serviâ—e and childish yoak Vers. 8. Howbeit then when yee knew not God yee did service unto them which by nature are no gods 9. But now after that yee have known God or rather are known of God how turn yee again to the weak and beggarly elements whereunto yee desire again to bee in bondage Hee upbraids them with their ingratitude reprehending them for their observance of Legal Ceremonies as of daies and months c. in which they were neither born nor educated Howbeit Argum. 7. Before yee were Sons you were in a worser condition than the Jews to wit you were Idolatrous knowing not the true God and serving feigned Idols but now converted from that ignorance yee have known God or rather by the preventing Grace of God known and beloved yee are drawn to God that you might know him and are invested with the liberty of Sons How is it that a fresh as if you had been under no bondage do you turn again to the yoak of abolished ceremonial bondage Therefore this yoak you must renounce The force of this Argument is this yee bear the yoak of Ceremonies having less to pretend for your excuse and with a more signal note of ingratitude than the Jews born and brought up under the yoak Therefore you must renounce this yoak Again Argum. 8. Yee being advanced to the liberty of Sons grown up it is an unworthy thing willingly to return again to the yoak of slavery and to bee willing to bee in bondage Therefore you must renounce this yoak Beggerly Argum. 9. Those Legal Ceremonies the yoak whereof now yee affect although they had their pedagogical use before Christ came yet now Christ is come they have no use but are weak and beggerly rudiments which neither have virtue to justifie nor power to bring consolation nor their old use to prefigure Christ Therefore yee ought to renounce this so unprofitable a yoak Vers. 10. Yee observe daies and months and times and years 11. I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Argum. 10. Your bondage begun again in the observation of Legal Ceremonies as for example of daies Sabbaths New Moons set Feasts and Sabbatical years c. hath given mee just cause of fear left I have preached to you the Gospel of free Justification in vain Because this is a sign that you are revolted from Justification by Faith or from the Grace of Christ to seek Justification by Works of the Law Therefore unless yee will renounce the Gospel yee must renounce this yoak The second Part. Vers. 12. Brethren I beseech you bee as I am for I am as yee are yee have not injured mee at all The second part of the Chapter follows wherein is contained a loving Exhortation to return into the way and the wholesome opinion of Justification by Grace through Faith without the Works of the Law This Proposition of the Exhortation may bee laid down You must return to my Doctrine of Righteousness by Faith without the Works of the Law bee yee saies hee as I am or bee yee in the same opinion with mee The Arguments of the Exhortation are twelve Furthermore Argum. 1. Because I though in times past a Pharisee have been very stiffe for Righteousness by the Law but now being made a Christian I am as you and I seek with you your salvation no less than you your selves seek it Therefore yee must return to my opinion Brethren I beseech Argum. 2. My fear concerning you hath neither alienated my mind from you neither hath it caused a doubtful judgement of charity concerning you but as Brethren let mee friendly bespeak you and as Brethren let mee beseech you to return Therefore return yee No Argum. 3. My severe reproof ariseth not against you either from anger or hatred who have not privately injured mee at all but out of an earnest desire of your salvation Therefore return yee Vers. 13. Yee know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel unto you at first Argum. 4. I have suffered many things for preaching the Gospel unto you for yee know that I have preached the Gospel to you constantly through infirmities and a contemptible condition as to the outward-man whereunto through afflictions I am driven Therefore return yee to sound Doctrine sealed by my sufferings Vers. 14. And my temptation which was in the flesh yee despised not nor rejected but received mee as an Angel of God even as Christ Iesus Argum. 5. In
the things is without descent or genealogy without all Kindred and naturall or earthly consanguinity Nor end Mark 9. As Melchisedec in his historical and typical state So Christ is truly eternal without beginning of daies or end of life wherefore they seem to bee over curious and bold who dare to search after and define even out of the Scripture the Genealogy of Melchisedec which God hath purposely concealed Made like That this comparison may bee known to bee solid the Apostle shews that all the parts of this description are to bee conceived typically and in that assimilation wherein hee represented the Son of God as Priest eternal Vers. 4. Now consider how great this man was unto whom even the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils Mark 10. As Abraham although Conqueror of so many Kings and a Patriarch or a most noble Prince of the Fathers in paying tithes of the spoils yet hee acknowledgeth Melchisedec superiour to himself viz. wherein Melchisedec was a type of Christ So hee necessarily acknowledged Christ represented in that type much above himself Vers. 5. And verily they that are of the Sons of Levi who receive the office of the Priest-hood have a commandement to take tithes of the people according to the Law that is of their Brethren though they come out of the loyns of Abraham The Apostle proves this a mark of Christs excellency from this That Levi upon this very account is above his Brethren because according to the command of God hee received tithes of his Brethren Therefore for the same reason Melchisedec i◠superior to Abraham who of his own accord offering tithes acknowledged himself inferiour to Melchisedec Vers. 6. But hee whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham and blessed him that had the Promises Mark 11. Melchisedec who is not reckoned amongst the stock of the Levites did not onely receive tithes of Abraham but also as superior blessed Abraham Abraham himself I say who in the name of all the faithful first received the Promises Therefore Christ whose type and shadow hee onely was is much more excellent than both Abraham and all the Levitical Priests which sprung of him Vers. 7. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better Hee proves this to bee a mark of Excellency from this that it is without controversie that the less is blessed by the greater which is not to bee understood of the blessing of Praise whereby wee bless God not of the blessing of Charity whereby wee pray for good things one to another but of the blessing of Power whereby God effectually blesseth his or of Authority whether ordinary whereby Pastors and Parents by office commonly or extraordinary whereby the Embassadors of God extraordinary by special commission apply the blessing of God to any one by prayer In this kind hee that blesseth as such an one is greater than hee that is blessed Vers. 8. And here men that die receive tithes ◠but there hee receiveth them of whom it is witnessed that hee liveth Mark 12. Melchisedec although neither in a Physical state nor Civil yet in a typical and scriptural state received tithes as ever living as the Image of the immortal God But the Levites receive tithes as mortal men Therefore Christ represented by Melchisedec who by nature is God truly immortal compared with the Levites is far more excellent than they Vers. 9. And as I may so say Levi also who receiveth tithes payed tithes in Abraham 10. For hee was yet in the loyns of his Father when Melchisedec met him Mark 13. Melchisedec as a type of Christ and by consequence Christ himself the truth represented in Melchisedec received tithes not onely of Abraham but also of Levi who was in the loyns of Abraham according to the account of Natural Generation when Abraham offered tithes to Melchisedec and to Christ represented by him Therefore the true Melchisedec Christ both in himself and compared with the Levites is far more excellent than they It is true that Christ was to spring out of the seed of Abraham when Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedec but hee was not to spring of him according to the account of the eternal Priest-hood of a Mediatour whereof here hee speaks nor according to the account of his Natural Generation nor of his person simply but onely according to his humane Nature the matter of his flesh wherein although Christ was to administer his Priest-hood yet not as meer man as the Levites but as God-man the God of Abraham and Mediatour betwixt God and Abraham in which respect Christ is not contained in Abraham but is opposed in the type of Melchisedec both to Abraham and all others sprung from him as above them and far more excellent Therefore the Argument strongly holds Vers. 11. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical Priest-hood for under it the people received the Law what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec and not bee called after the order of Aaron Wee have spoken of the Excellency of Christ Person The second part of the Chapter follows wherein the excellency of Christs Priest-hood is proved to bee above the Levitical Priest-hood and that by seventeen Arguments Argum. 1. The perfection or effectual consummation of the worshipers of God as to the expiation of sin Justification Sanctification and Eternal life could not bee obtained by the Levitical Priest-hood Therefore the Levitical Priest-hood is imperfect nor so excellent as the Priest-hood of Christ. What further Argum. 2. Confirming the former If perfection could have been obtained by the Levitical Priest-hood there was no need that another more excellent Priest should arise viz. Christ after the order of Melchisedec not after the order of Aaron Hee leaves the Assumption to us to gather which is this But there was a necessity that a more excellent Priest should arise as it appears from Psalm 110. Therefore perfection by the Levitical Priest-hood cannot bee obtained but by the Priest-hood of Christ and therefore it is more excellent The people A Reason confirming the Major Proposition The Law was given under this Priest-hood and the people were exercised in its Discipline and whatsoever force the Law or the Legal Covenant had all this is ascribed by those that are zealous of the Law that the worshipers by this Priesthood might bee perfected but in vain Therefore if by this Priest-hood or the Law or by the Legal Covenant joyned with it the worshipers might obtain perfection there had been no need of a more excellent Priest-hood and another Law But seeing that perfection by this Priest-hood could not be obtained there was need of another more excellent Vers. 12. For the Priest-hood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the Law Argum. 3. Proving withall that Christ should arise a Priest after the order of Melchisedéc not denominated after the order of Aaron nor obnoxious to the Levitical Law The
perpetual communion with God arising from the confederation of Marriage right whereby the people in covenant become the possession of Gods peculiar love and God becomes a blessed possession to his people and both these God promiseth I will bee their God saith hee and they shall bee my people and I will account them for my people Vers. 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord For all shall know mee from the least to the greatest The third promise is of continual instruction and teaching by the holy Ghost so that they shall not fetch the knowledge of God from the decrees and opinions of men nor shall hang their Faith upon the authority of mens teachings nor shall stick in the bare speculation of those things they shall hear preached as it befalls the unregenerate who live not under the New Covenant but by the means of teaching which are of divine institution they shall bee all as well the least as the greatest instructed in and indued with a lively effectual knowledge love and observance of God so that neither in it self nor in the estimation of beleevers hee that plants or hee that waters shall bee any thing in comparison with God But God onely shall 〈◊〉 the teacher who teacheth efficaciously and gives the increase Vers. 12. For I will bee merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more The fourth promise is of eternal remission of sins whereby God for the sake of Christs obedience shews himself reconciled to the faithful that are in covenant Vers. 13. In that hee saith A New Covenant hee hath made the first Old Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away From the words of Ieremy hee infers a twofold consectary The first is the Legal or Levitical Covenant because it is declared by the Prophet to bee Old in the Epithite New it waxeth old and is vanished Now that The other Consectary drawn from hence in the times of Ieremiah the Prophet the Legal or Levitical Covenant was neer its dissolution and vanishing and by consequence after the comming of Christ under whâ—â— all things become new it expired Than which nothing could be more effectually spoken to move the Hebrews that renouncing the Levitical Ceremonies they would consecrate themselves wholly to Christ alone CHAP. IX HEE prosecutes the Comparison of the Levitical Priest-hood with the Priesthood of Christ and further shews the excellency of the Priesthood of Christ There are two parts of the Chapter In the first hee proves by fifteen Arguments that the Priesthood of Christ is more excellent than the Levitical to vers 16. In the second part hee removes the scandal of the Cross or of the death of Christ by demonstrating the sufficiency and necessity of it to the end Vers. 1. Then verily the first Covenant had also ordinances of Divine service and a worldly sanctuary As to the first part the seven first Arguments are so many characters of the imperfection of the Levitical Priest-hood from whence the excellency of Christs Priest-hood is commended Argum. 1. The first Covenant appertaining to the Levitical Priesthood had onely shadowed rites of Justification and an earthly Sanctuary Therefore it follows that the Priesthood of Christ which contains true Justification according to the New Covenant and an heavenly Sanctuary as before was shewed is much more excellent Vers. 2. For there was a Tabernacle made the first wherein was the Candlestick and the Table and the Shew-bread which is called the Sanctuary Hee explains this Argument First By describing the parts of the Sanctuary and the sacred things in it further hee describes the typical rites of Justification The Tabernacle that Moses erected had two parts The fore-part was called the Holy the inner part the Holy of Holies in the fore-part was the Candlestick in the South part of the house set on the left hand Against it in the North part of the house was the Table with the Shew-bread so called because they were set before God by which was signified that light and life is vouchsafed to them which come unto God And in this part was the Altar of incense placed before the entrance to the inner part whereby the offering of prayers was signified Vers. 3. And after the second veil the Tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all The veil that hung in the entrance of this part is here understood to bee the first veil The other veil which divided the fore-part from the Holy of Holies here 't is called the middle veil and the inner house which was behind that is called the Holy of Holies the fore-part figured out the Church upon earth the hinder part figured Heaven or the place wherein God manifests himself to the Church Triumphant Vers. 4. Which had the golden Censer and the Ark of the Covenant over-laid round about with Gold wherin was the golden Pot that had Manna and Aarons Rod that budded and the Tables of the Covenant In the Holy of Holies was 1 The Golden Censer which was used by the High Priest entring in once a year fit to signifie the intercession of Christ praying for us and making our prayers acceptable unto God 2 There was the Ark of the Covenant covered over with Gold whence God uttered his voice a fitting type of Christ the word incarnate and opening the Counsel of God to us 3 There was the pot of Manna conveniently signifying that hidden Manna which God truly was in Christ to the faithful for their food unto eternal life 4 There was the Rod of Aaron that budded fitly signifying the effectual blessing which Christ gives to the labours of his Ministers 5 The Tables of the Covenant were put into the Ark which taught us that the fulfilling of the Law is onely to bee sought in Christ. Vers. 5. And over it the Cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy-seat of which wee cannot now speak particularly There were Angels Cherubims with wings towards each other covering the Ark between which wings God as it were saâ—e and gave out answers when hee was enquired of whereby the Ministery of Angels waiting upon CHRIST The great mystery of godliness dwelling in unapproachable light was propounded in the type And because here is enough said of the glory of the outward Tabernacle or of the earthly place the Apostle breaks off his discourse concerning the terrene Tabernacle Vers. 6. Now when these things were thus ordained the Priests went alwaies into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the service of God The place hath been spoken of in the next place hee describes the shadowy rites of Justification and first of all those which the Priests daily exercised in the fore-part of the Tabernacle burning incense taking care for bread for the furnishing of the Table oyl for the Lamp and the rest according to the Law Vers. 7. But into the second went the High Priest alone once every year not
rest and now hee sheweth the stability of the gripe which the Beleever taketh of these grounds in the similitude of the gripe which a Ships Anchor taketh being cast on good ground In the former Verse by Hope was meant the thing hoped for and laid hold on by Hope In the Relative which in this Verse hee understandeth the Hope which doth lay hold In the similitude of an Anchor cast out of a Ship Hee giveth us to understand 1 That albeit wee have noâ— gotten full Possession of the Promises in this life yet wee get a gripe of them by Faith and Hope 2. That Hopes gripe is not a slender imagination but solid and strong like the gripe of an Anchor 3. That the Beleever is not exempted from some tossing of trouble and temptations while hee is in this World yea subject rather to the same as a Ship upon the Sea 4. That whatsoever tossing there be yet all is safe The Souls Anchor is cast within the Heaven The Soul is sure 2. Hee giveth the Anchor all good properties It is weighty solid and firm It will not drive nor bow nor break it is so sure and stedfast Again it is sharp and peircing It is entred into that within the Veil that is into Heaven represented by the Sanctuary beyond the Veil And so the ground is good as well as the Anchor to hold all fast Vers. 20. Whither the Fore-runner is for us entred even Iesus made an High-Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec 2. Hee commendeth our Anchor-ground for this that Christ is there where our Anchor is cast as our Fore-runner In continuing the Comparison and calling Christ our Fore-runner hee bringeth to mind 1. Christ being once in the Ship of the Militant Church tossed and tempted as others albeit without sin 2. That hee is now gone ashore to Heaven where the ship of the Church is seeking to land 3. That his going ashore is as our Fore-runner and so his landing is an evidence of our landing also who are to follow after him 4. That his going before is to make easie our Entry Hee is the Fore-runner for us for our behoof to prepare a place for us 5. That our Anchor is where Christ is and so must be the surer for his being there to hold all fast till hee draw the Ship to the shore 2. Christ is entred into Heaven and made an High-Priest for ever Then 1. CHRIST in Heaven is invested in an office for us 2. His Office is the High-Priesthood The Truth and Substance of the typical Priesthood 3. His Office is for ever and so for the benefit of all Ages that wee now as well as others before us may have the benefit of his intercession 3. Hee is said to be made an High-Priest after his entry in Heaven Then albeit Christ was Priest for his Church from the beginning yet was it never so declared as after his Ascension when hee sent down blessings sensibly upon his Church since which time hee doth so still The Summe of Chap. VII I Brake off my speech of Melchisedec will the Apostle say now I return to him again and in his Excellency will shew you Christs Excellency who is Priest after his order Wee have no more of him in Scripture but what wee finde Gen 14.19 20. And there hee is King and Priest both vers 1. Bearing a mystery in his Name and Office vers 2. Without Father or Mother or end of life as hee standeth in Scripture that hee might resemble Christ vers 3. Acknowledged to be superiour to Abraham by his paying of tythes unto him vers 4. Even as Levi for that same cause is superiour to the Brethren vers 5. Superiour also because hee blessed Abraham vers 6 7. Superiour to Levi for his typical immortality vers 8. And for his taking tythes of Levi in Abrahams loyns vers 9 10. Yea the Priesthood of Levi because imperfect calleth for a Priest of another Order to give perfection which is Christ vers 11 12. And so both the Priesthood and all the Ordinances thereof are abolished by the Messias who behoved to be of another Tribe than Levi vers 13 14. And of another Order also vers 15. Bodily shadows were in the Priesthood of Levi but endless Truth in Christ vers 16. As Davids words do prove vers 17. By which also it is prophesied That Aarons Priesthood shall be disanulled when Christs Priesthood is come because it was not able to do mens turn under the Law as Christs doth under the Gospel vers 18 19. And God obliged not himself to make Aarons Priesthood stand as hee sware to establish Christs vers 20 21. And so the Covenant under the Messias is declared to be better than under Levi vers 22. Again the Priesthood of Levi had sundry Office-bearers but Christ hath none in his Priesthood with himself nor none after himself vers 23 24. Therefore he is able alone to work out our salvation throughly vers 25. For such a Priest have wee need of who needeth not offer up daily his Sacrifice for hee hath offered one and never more vers 26 27. And no wonder for under the Law mortal men might be Priests but under the Gospel onely the Son of God is Priest and that for evermore vers 28. The Doctrine of Chap. VII Vers. 1. For this Melchisedec King of Salem Priest of the most High God who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him BY saying FOR hee giveth a reason why hee calleth Christ a Priest after the Order of Melchisedec because such a one was Melchisedec his Type therefore such a one it behoved Christ in Truth and Substance to be as the Type imported hee should be 1. Hee repeateth from Gen. 14.18 19 20. as much as served to resemble any thing in Christ but never a word toucheth hee of Melchisedec's bringing forth of Bread and Wine to Abraham Therefore hee did not account this any typical action having any resemblance of that which was to be done of Christ his Anti-type for then should hee not have failed to mark it seeing hee observeth the mystery of his Name and place of dwelling which is less 2. Melchisedec and the Church in Salem where Melchisedec was Priest were not of Abrahams family Therefore albeit God did chuse Abrahams Family as the Race wherein hee was to continue the ordinary Race of his Church yet had he Churches and Saints beside 3. This meeting of Abraham and entertaining him and his company with Bread and Drink being the exercise of an ordinary virtue sheweth That it is the duty of all men and namely of Kings Great men and Church-men to countenance and encourage according to their place and power those who hazard themselves in Gods service and good causes 4. To come to a particular Comparison of the Type and the Truth 1. As Melchisedec was King and Priest in his Kingdome so is CHRIST King and Priest in his Kingdome both to
sinful man might be a Priest But now when the Son of God is the Sacrifice and hath offered up himself already and is gone in into the Sanctuary with his own blood to make intercession there must be no more any sacrificing till hee come out of the Sanctuary again at the day of judgement nor any Priest but hee till hee have ended his intercession For such an High-Priest became us who is holy harmless c. Question But why is it unbeseeming us under the Gospel to have a Priest without these properties I answer The Sacrifice of the New Testament is the unspotted Lamb of God Jesus Christ holy harmless c. Therefore it becommeth us to have such a Priest who is holy harmless and undefiled For it were unseemly that the Priest should be worse than the Sacrifice Next our Priest hath our sins original and actual to remove and Heaven to open unto us And therefore it were unbeseeming that any should be our Priest who hath not his own sins altogether removed nor yet hath gotten entry as yet into Heaven himself 1. In that hee draweth them of necessity to quit all mens Priesthood and betake them unto Christ as Priest onely wee learn That our necessities being well weighed with the insufficiency of any beside Christ to do our turn wee shall be forced to quit all Priests but Christ onely For what Priest can know all our needs all our sins all our thoughts all our desires all our prayers all our purposes and wait on upon our business with God night and day to see that no wrath break out upon us Who can do this but Christ onely What Man What Saint What Angel 2. In that hee reckoneth a number of perfections necessary to be in a Priest in the time of the Gospel all of them in Christ and all such as wee stand in need of wee learn That all the perfections whereof wee have need in a Priest are all in Christ And the perfections which are in Christ we have need of them all and should make use of them all 3. The first property of a Priest under the Gospel is this Hee must be holy that is of his own nature holy in his original holy Then no sinful man can be a sufficient Priest in the New Testament to do for us who wants holiness by Nature 4. The next property Our Priest must be harmless ill-less free from any original guiltiness Then No man come of Adam by natural propagation can be a Priest for us now to satisfie our necessities who have sin original in us 5. The third property Wee have need of a Priest undefiled that is free from actual sin Then No Priest can suffice us who are defiled with actual sin but Christ who never sinned 6. The fourth property A Priest meet for us must be free from the pollution of those amongst whom hee converseth Then Wee who are of polluted lips and lives and dwell among such a people communicating many waies of their guiltiness cannot have sufficient comfort through any Priest who can be infected with sin And hee who is a man of polluted lips is not meet to be a Priest for us The fift property A Priest meet for us behoved to have his residence in Heaven and have commandment over Heaven to open it unto us and give us entry Then None other but Christ could suffice us on whom by nature the doors of Heaven are closed No Priest out of Heaven is meet for us Vers. 27. Who needeth not daily as those High-Priests to offer up Sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the peoples For this hee did once when hee offered up himself 1. The sixt property of a fit Priest for us Hee must have no need to offer Sacrifice for his own sins Then neither Levi nor any sinful man after him can be a Priest ander the New Testament but Christ onely who never sinned and so had never need to offer for himself 2. The seventh property Hee must not have need to offer daily for the peoples sins who must be our Priest For if he should offer the second day then the first daies Sacrifice should be declared unsufficient Or else why offereth hee again after that which is sufficient Then 1. The Priest of the New Testament needeth not to offer oftner than once 2. And if Christs Sacrifice were offered oftner than once or daily hee could not be a fit Priest for us nor offer a perfect Sacrifice for us for the oft offering should declare the former offerings unsufficient and imperfect 3. Hee giveth a reason why Christ needed not to offer up oftner Because hee hath offered up himself once for the sins of the people Then 1. Christ was both the Priest and the Sacrifice in his own offering 2. Christs Sacrifice cannot be offered up by any but himself another than Christs self cannot offer up Christ. 3. Betwixt the comming of Christ and the writing of this Epistle which was sundry years after Christs Ascention the Apostle knew no offering of Christ but that onely once upon the Cross and yet times out of number was the Sacrament of the Lords Supper celebrated before this time 4. In that hee maketh that once offering the reason of his not offering daily it teacheth us That the perfection of that once offered Sacrifice maketh the repetition needless And whosoever maketh it needful that Christ be offered daily maketh both Christ an imperfect Priest and his Sacrifice imperfect also Vers. 28. For the Law maketh men High Priest which have infirmity but the word of the oath which was since the Law maketh the Son who is consecrated for evermore Hee giveth a special reason why it beseemeth not us under the Gospel to have a sinful man for our Priest because this is the very difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel 1. The Law maketh men which have infirmities High Priests But the word of the oath which was since the Law maketh the Son and none but the Son who is consecrated for evermore Then The Scripture knoweth no Priest but the Levitical Priests of Aarons posterity for the time of the Law or else that one Priest which was made by an oath for the time of the Gospel Beside these the Apostle acknowledgeth none nor were there any other in his time in the Church 2. Hee maketh the difference of the Law and the Gospel to stand amongst other things in the difference of Priests so as the Gospel cannot admit such Priests as the Law admitted Then To have Priests now after the similitude of the Priests under the Law were to remove the difference which God hath made betwixt the Law and the Gospel 3. The differences as the Apostle setteth them down here are 1. The course taken about Priests under the Law was alterable they were made without an oath the Law-giver declaring it to be his will to change that course when hee saw it fit But the course taken about the Priests
the Law entred The comparison goeth thus 1. The Levitical High Priest entred into the material and artificial Sanctuary and a Typical sacrifice became him But Christ entred not into that Typical Sanctuary Therefore a Typical Sacrifice became not him 2. The Levitical High Priest entered bodily into the figurative Sanctuary But Christ did enter bodily into the true Sanctuary in Heaven it self 3. The High Priest entered in behalf of the people with the names of the twelve Tribes upon his breast and shoulders But Christ is entered in in behalf of us all his People to appear for us bearing the particular memory of every Saint in his Memory The High Priest entered in to appear for a short time and stayed not within the Sanctuary But Christ is entred in to appear now all the time from his Ascension unto this day and constantly still while it is called Now. Vers. 25. Nor yet that he should offer himself often as the High Priest entereth into the Holy Place every year with blood of others He proveth that he had offered a better Sacrifice than the Levitical because he behoved to offer an Offering not to be repeated as the Levitical and so a more perfect Offering The comparison goeth in dissimilitudes 1. The High Priest entered in with the blood of others But Christ entered in with his own blood 2. The High Priest made an Offering of other things than himself But Christ did offer himself Then the Offering of Christ is the personal action of Christ himself None can nor may offer him but himself For the Priest must be either better than the Sacrifice or as good at least as the Sacrifice But none can be so good as Christ nor be more excellent or better therefore none can offer Christ but himself 3. The High Priest offered his Sacrifice oftner But Christ offered not himself oftner than once Then to imagine an Offering of Christ often is both to give the lye to this Text and to make Christs Offering by repeating of it imperfect and like to the Levitical For if once offering of Christ be sufficient often offering is superfluous And if often offering be needful then that once offering was not sufficient and so was not perfect which were blasphemy to say 2. If any man pretend to offer Christ often it is not Christ that giveth him warrant so to do For here it is declared That he hath no hand in offering himself often Vers. 26. For then must be often have suffered since the foundation of the world But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself He proveth That Christ cannot be often offered Because then saith he must he often have suffered Then 1. No Offering of Christ without the suffering of Christ His Passion and Death is inseparable from his Sacrifice If Christ were often offered he behoved to be often slain and put to death But that cannot be that he should suffer and be slain oftner therefore he cannot be offered up in a sacrifice oftener And they who will take upon them to offer Christ again and again take upon them to slay him and put him to new suffering again again 2. The offering of Christ in an unbloody sacrifice is a a vain imagination which the Apostle acknowledgeth not For if that were possible then were the Apostles words here false and his reasoning ridiculous which were blasphemy to say 2. Hee saith He behoved to have suffered often since the beginning of the World Because as often as new sins were committed and new Remission was to be bestowed as often behoved hee to have suffered to expiate these sins and to purchase the new Remission since the beginning of the World But this is impossible Therefore his Offering often is impossible Then 1. They who make it needful to offer Christ often make it needful also that Hee should have taken on flesh sooner than Hee did and been slain sooner than Hee was and slain as often as new sins were to be expiated and forgiven from the beginning of the world And so by this vain conceit they do ranverse all the wisdome of God about Christ and set to Him an Order and Course of their own making themselves wiser than God 2. It is by the Apostles estimation as vain a conceit and as impossible to offer Christ oftner than once now in the end of the world as to have offered Him before Hee came in the flesh since the beginning of the world 3. But now saith hee once in the end of the world hee hath appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself Then 1. No Sacrifice of Christ doth the Apostle acknowledge but such as is joyned with His bodily appearance in the world for that end Once hath Hee appeared and once onely hath Hee sacrificed Himself saith the Apostle 2. The Apostle understood no Offering of Christ but onely one and once to be offered for time fore-gone or time to come from the beginning of the world unto the end thereof 3. This one Offering once offered was sufficient to expiate the sins of the saved before it was offered and therefore must have force also to expiate the sins of the saved without repetition now after it is once offered 4. Whose sins Christ doth take away for those Hee appeared for those Hee made a Sacrifice of Himself And whose sins Hee doth not put away for those Hee appeared not Hee sacrificed not 4. In calling the time of Christs Suffering The end of the world hee giveth us to understand That there cannot be so much time betwixt Christs First and Second Comming as was betwixt the worlds beginning and his First Comming But a great deal of less time need force else were not that time the end of the world Vers. 27. And as it is appointed unto men once to dye but after this the Iudgement Another Reason to prove That Christ neither could nor should offer oftener than once from the Common Law laid upon man of Once dying Which Law Christ having once satisfied by dying when he offered up himself there is no reason he should offer himself again and so dye again 1. It is appointed saith hee for men once to dye Then 1. It is come by Gods just appointment that men should dye since His Law is broken by men 2. The Common Law of Nature appointeth but one death once to be suffered And though God by singularity of Miracles make some Exceptions yet the Common Law standeth for a rule beyond which no reason Christ should be tyed since his once dying is sufficient 3. Every man must take Deaâ—h to him and prepare himself to obey the Appointment 2. Hee saith After Death commeth Judgement Then 1. Every mans particular Judgement Day followeth his departure out of this life and general judgement abideth all at length 2 The time of Grace and mercy getting is onely in this life nothing but Justice remaineth either to absolve the
Reconciled or to condemn the unreconciled sinner Mens Devises for the Relief of the Dead are but Delusions of the Living Vers. 28. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for Him shall Hee appear the second time without sin unto Salvation Hee applyeth the Common Law of dying once to Christ saying Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many Then 1. It is as unreasonable that Christ should offer Himself oftner than once as it is to exact of Him the laying down of His life oftner than once for that is to exact more than the severity of Gods Justice requireth of Him 2. Christs Death was not for any sin in Him but for our sins 3. Hee took not away the sins of every man in particular for many dye in their sins and bear their own judgement but the sins of many the sins of his own Elect People Mat. 1.21 Hee shall save his people from their sins 2. Hee saith That unto them that look for him hee shall appear the second time Then 1. After that once offering of Christ and ascending to Heaven Hee is not to be corporally present on earth again till the Day of Judgement The Apostle acknowledgeth corporal presence no oftner 2. To look for Christs corporal presence upon earth then and not till then is the property of true Beleevers 3. Corporal presence is joyned with Appearance the one is put here for the other 3. Hee will appear the second time without sin Then In his first comming hee was not without our sin yet lying upon him by imputation as his baseness and misery declared But the glorious manner of his second comming shall make evident That hee is without sin that is Fully exonored by that one Offering of the debt thereof which hee took upon him 4. In stead of saying That those who look for him shall be without sin hee saith That Christ shall appear without sin To teach us 1. That the defraying the Debt of the sins of such for whom Christ hath undertaken lyeth upon Christ and not upon the Beleevers for whom hee undertook 2. And that if his once sacrificing himself for them did not expiate their sins sufficiently then Sin should cleave unto Christ until His second comming 3. That Christs freedome from Sin shall evidence our freedome from Sin for whom hee became Surety 5. Hee will appear unto them who look for Him unto salvation Then 1. The full accomplishment of the salvation of the Beleevers shall not be until Christs second comming Though their souls be blessed before yet the full blessedness of soul and body is deferred till then 2. As Christs Glory shall testifie then that His once offering freed Him of the Suretiship for our sins So our salvation shall testifie that His Offering was sufficient to exonor us 3. They that love not his comming cannot look for salvation The Summe of Chap. X. THis once offering of Christ putteth the main difference betwixt this Sacrifice and those offerings of the Law which because they were repeated could never perfect the worshiper vers 1. For if they could have perfected the worshiper they should have ceased to be repeated vers 2. Now cease they did not but were repeated vers 3. Because they could not take away sin vers 4. Wherefore as the Scripture doth witness Psal. 40. Sacrifices of the Law were to bee abolished and Christ His Sacrifice to come in their room vers 5 6 7 8 9. By which Sacrifice once offered wee are for ever sanctified vers 10. And as their Sacrifice was imperfect so was their Priesthood also ever repeating the same Sacrifices which could not because they were repeated abolish sin vers 11. But Christ hath ended His Sacrificing in His once offering and entred to His Glory to subdue His Enemies vers 12 13. Having by that once offering done all to his Followers that was needful to perfect them vers 14. As the word of the New Covenant Ier. 31. proverb vers 15 16 17 18. Having spoken then of Christs Divine Excellency and of the Priviledges which the Faithful have in Him I exhort you to make use of it in special seeing wee have by Chrisâ—â— blood access unto Heaven vers 19. By so perfect a Way as is Christs Fellowship of our Nature vers 20. And so great Moyen by Christ before us there vers 21. Let us strengthen our Faith for the better holding of our Justification and Sanctification through him vers 22. And let us avow our Religion constantly vers 23. And help forwards one another vers 24. Neglecting no means publick nor private for that end as some Apostates have done vers 25. For if wee make wilful Apostacy from his known Truth no Mercy to be looked for vers 26. But certain Damnation of us as of his Enemies vers 27. For if the Despisers of the Law were damned to death without mercy vers 28. What Judgement abideth those who so abuse Jesus his Grace and Spirit as wilful Apostates do vers 29. For Gods threatning in the Law is not in vain vers 30. And it is a fearful thing to fall as a Foe in Gods Hand vers 31. But rather prepare you for such sufferings as you began to feel at your Conversion vers 32. Partly in your own persons and partly by your fellowship with Sufferers vers 33. Which you did joyfully bear in hope of a Reward vers 34. Therefore retain your Confidence vers 35. And be patient vers 36. God will come and help shortly vers 37. And till hee come you must live by Faith and not by sense But if you will not you shall bee rejected vers 38. But I and you are not of that sort that shall make Apostasie but of the number of true Beleevers who shall persevere and be saved vers 39. The Doctrine of Chap. X. THat hee may yet further show the impossibility of offering Christ oftner hee giveth the often repetition of Levitical Sacrifices year by year for a reason of their imperfection and inability to perfect the worshiper and therefore of necessity Christs Sacrifice could not be repeated except wee should make it imperfect like the Levitical and unable to perfect the worshiper as the Legal Sacrifice was The force of his reasoning is this The most solemn Sacrifice offered by the High-Priest himself Levit. 16. and lest subject to repetition of all the Sacrifices being offered not so often as each month or each week or each day as some Sacrifices were but once a year onely yet because they were repeated year by year they were declared by this means unable ever to make the commers thereunto perfect Therefore Christs Sacrifice could not be often offered lest for that same reason it should be found imperfect also And this is his drift in vers 1. Hee proveth his reason to be good thus If they could have perfected the commer then they should not have been repeated but ceased from being offered because
Yea now under the Gospel coming unto Christ we are in better case than they who lived before Christ because they were bound to all the Ceremonial and Typical Ordinances of the Law under the Old Covenant But we are exempted from that Old Covenant and are entred into the New which freeth us from that yoke which the Israelites could never bear 16. Without Christ we stand alone and none to plead for us before our Judge But when we come to Christ we finde him a Mediator both to deliver us from the Old Covenant and to take burthen for us for keeping of the New Covenant 17. Without Christ unrighteous and unholy When we come to Christ we come to be sprinkled with his blood for Justification and Sanctification also and for receiving of all other benefits bought by that blood He compareth this blood with Abels as speaking better things For albeit we by our sins have made our LORD to serve yea and to dye also ye doth his blood not speak against us as Abels did speak against Cain and the Earth for drawing down of a curse on both But speaketh to GOD still to pacifie his wrath and to pardon us and to our conscience to cleanse it and make it quiet within us From this comparison of men under the Law and under Grace we learn 1. That the impenitent and unrenewed man how secure soever he â—it yet he is in a fearful estate the wrath of the Judge from his Justice Seat being ready to break out upon him 2. That the wakened conscience lying in the sense of its own sins and fear of the offended Iudge is much to be pitied 3. That the holiest man on earth if GOD reveal unto him the terror of his Justice he will be shaken with fear 4. That the onely remedy against the challenge of the Conscience and fear of the Law and Wrath is to have recourse to JESUS CHRIST 5. That he who is fled as a true penitent to JESUS CHRIST for refuge to be saved and directed and ruled by him is a true Member of the true Catholick Church of the Elect whatsoever be mens estimation of him 6. That the more graciously we be dealt with under the Gospel the more must we beware of Fleshliness and Prophanity For to this end all his speech doth tend Vers. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven From these considerations he chargeth them to beware leâ—t they make light account of Christs Doctrine The word importeth a shifting off Christ speaking by some excuse or pretence Then 1. The way to eschew Prophaness and Apostasie is to embrace and make much of Christs speaking unto us in his Word 2. Whatsoever pretences and excuses a man use to cloak his not-giving hearty obedience to the Doctrine of Christ it is but a refusing of him and a turning away from him make of it what he will 2. Hee urgeth this by threatning more certain and heavy judgements than upon the despisers of Moses who is said to speak on Earth because he was but the earthen vessell which carried Gods will to his people and by earthly Types and Figures made offer of Grace unto them But Christ as God by his own Authoritie casting Heaven open in the plainness and spirituality of the Doctrine is said to speak from Heaven Then As much as Christs person is more excellent than Moses and His Authority above his and the Heavenly clearness of Christs gracious Offer above his dark Types As much more heavy and certain Wrath shall overtake the despisers of his Doctrine than the despisers of Moses Law 3. Hee joyneth himself in the same danger with the people if He should turn away or refuse Then Preachers shall do well to lay the edge of their threatnings to their own hearts and to enroll themselves amongst the threatned That bitterness towards the people may be seen to be removed and their own sluggishness may be roused up seeing they have none to preaâ—h unto them but themselves Vers. 26. Whose voyce then shook the Earth But now Hee hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the Earth onely but also Heaven To put an edge upon the Threatning he sheweth how terrible Christ is in shaking of the Earth by His Voice at Mount Sinai and by the shaking of Heaven and Earth at the Day of Iudgement Then 1. The terrible quaking of the Earth and burning of the Mount Sinai was pronounced by the Voice of Christ who therefore is declared to be the Lord God for so Exod. 19. is he called 2. His Terrour at the Day of Judgement may be seen in that little resemblance of Mount Sinai 3. The Terribleness of Christ should make us stand in awe of His Word Vers. 27. And this Word Yet once more doth signifie the removing of those things which are shaken as of things which are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain Hee commenteth upon the testimony of Haggai Chap. 1. 6. and from this word Once concludeth that Heaven and Earth shall passe away and be changed at the power of Christs uttering of his voyce That these changeable Heavens and Earth being removed he may make a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein his Subjects and his Kingdome over them may remain for ever setled Then 1. It is a good mean to get the understanding of Gods mind in the Scripture to consider and weigh the force of the words thereof and what they do import by due consequence 2. No more change shall be of any thing after the day of Judgement because Once more and no oftener is Christ to shake the same 3. It is for the standing of Christs Kingdome that the creature is moved shaken and chanâ—ed yâ—ed All things made shall be shaken But Christs Kingdome and the salvation of his subjects shall never be shaken Vers. 28. Wherefore wee receiving a Kingdome which cannot bee moved let us have grace whereby wee may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear From the nature of this Kingdome granted unto us in Christ and from his terribleness he exhorteth us to stedfastness of Faith and humble obedience Hee saith Wee have received it because wee have received the Right and Title by the Gospel and some beginning of it Then As we receive Christ in the Gospel wee receive the Kingdome of Heaven with him in Right and Title yea in begun possession which groweth by degrees 2. Hee requireth of a receiver of this Kingdome a reverent serving of God Then right is given to this Kingdome before our service be done Not because we have seâ—ved heretofore but to oblige us to serve God hereafter 3. Hee will have us to serve God acceptably that is pleasantly and chearfully Next with reverence or shamefastness and godly fear Then 1. It is not enough that wee do