Christ It is a Priesthood of power and of an endless life Here are three things to be observed First Christs Priesthood is a Priesthood of power able to bring that to pass it was appointed for Pray look into Heb. 7. 18. There you will find that there was a disannulling of the Commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof to work upon the Soul of man But this of our Lord Jesus Christ is a Priesthood of power for what he did for us he did perfectly He cleanses us from our sins and he doth reconcile us to God He doth justifie us and he doth save us Thus Christs Priesthood is a Priesthood of power 2. It is not only a Priesthood of power but of an endless life How is that why it brings all Believers into a state of life Hence our life is said to be hid with Christ in God And when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory And then 3. It is a Priesthood of an endless life How is that All men die in this World sooner or later And the Priesthood of Aaron that is dead They could not continue by reason of death But Jesus Christ he ever liveth he is a Priest for ever and abideth our Intercessor and he hath brought everlasting life to us Hence you have those words of his in John 11. 26. Whosoever believeth on me shall never die He shall have an endless life How never die he shall be changed but not die in some sense Tho' there is a separation of Soul and Body yet that is a Believers gain and not his loss There is a change of a mortal life for an immortal life He shall lay down this earthly Tabernacle of the Body for a spiritual for an endless life And this is useful to us to quiet our minds and to make us patient under all afflictions and changes we find or meet with This may be comfort against approaching death to Believers For if there be an endless life we may triumph with the Apostle in 1 Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Thus you have heard that our Lord Jesus Christ hath a Priesthood of power and of an endless life SERMON VI. Hebrews 7. 17 18 19. For he Testifieth Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck For there is verily a disannulling of the Commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof For the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by the which we draw nigh unto God THE last time I spoke to you from this chapter I concluded with v. 16. where it is said that Jesus Christ is made a Priest after the power of an endless life These were the last words spoken to Now the Apostle to prove this he goes on to demonstrate it in these three verses which I have read unto you and to be opened this morning as God shall assist Christ Jesus was made a Priest after the power of an endless life our Apostle proves it First In v. 17. in these words for he testified Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Is made a Priest after the power of an endless life But Jesus Christ is made a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck And to prove this still more evidently he tells us in v. 18. That there is a disannulling of the Commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof God disannulled the Commandment going before He disannulled the old Priesthood to set up the Priest-hood of Jesus Christ for ever And the reason why God disannulled the Commandment going before is given in the latter end of verse 18. Because of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof And this he further amplifies in verse 19. For saith he the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did These particulars to be opened in the three verses To begin with verse 17. For he testifies thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck he testified why who testified why David testified or the Spirit of God by David testified In Psal 110. 4. there is the testimony The Lord he sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Mind it when David testified this the Levitical Priesthood was then in its greatest glory For David lived in a time when the service of God was performed according to the order of Aaron and the Levitical Priesthood yet David testified of another Priesthood David was in his day a Prophet in the Church of God and a great Prophet and he was inspired by the Holy Ghost to testifie this many hundred years before it came to be fully accomplished To testifie that Jesus Christ was the everlasting High Priest according to the order of Melchisedeck I shall not stand much upon this verse at this time because you have the same thing repeated again in verse 21. of this chapter There 't is brought in as a repetition of the Oath of God The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Here you have it twice together I shall therefore leave the more full handling of this till I come to the 21th verse In the words of v. 17. you may observe the Apostles scope in them why he mentions it here in v. 17. His scope is this to shew the excellency of the Priesthood of Christ above that of Aaron in two respects First That Jesus Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck The Apostle would have us to understand that Christ is not made Priest by the Law of a carnal Commandment which I spoke of in the verse before The Levitical Priesthood was made by the Law of a carnal Commandment I opened that the last day There was nothing in the service of that Priesthood but was meerly outward and bodily But Jesus Christ being a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck he is not a Priest after the Law of a carnal Commandment an outward and bodily Worship but the Worship of Christ is a spiritual Worship And this is the first branch of the excellency of Christs Priesthood above that of Levi. 2. The Apostles scope also is to prove that Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of an endless life because he is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck So that now we do not depend upon a dying Priesthood or upon such Ordinances and Ceremonies that are to be abolished before the time of the consummation of all Worship in this World But we are to worship God under such an High-priest as abideth for ever And we come to one who is able to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him He testified Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck From whence we may learn this Lesson
in Scripture Good Hezekiah when a Messenger came to him to bid him set his house in order for he must die how humble he was and how lowly he was But when a Messenger came and said he should live yet fifteen years and the Scripture saith he recovered of his sickness His heart was lifted up and he did not render unto the Lord the thanks that was due to him 2 Chron. 32. 24 25. When he was restored he forgat his mortality his heart was lifted up You see then the vanity of humane nature therefore if you would be humble think more of dying than of living 2. If all men must die it should teach all to improve our lives to do all the good we can whilst we live Saith Solomon Eccles 9. Whatever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might We have read and heard of some good Christians that have improved their lives and have stood much upon the considerations of their going to Eternity Oh that we might all do so 3. Seeing we must die as well as the Sons of Levi it should teach us contentment under all our troubles for death swallows all death buries all the sorrows and griefs of the Children of God If you have read the Martyrology of the Church of God you will see what strong consolation they have had at their deaths upon this account they knew that being in Christ death would set them free from all their sins and sorrows 4. If death be common to all and all must die then what cause have we to bless God for the promise of the glorious Resurrection for the hopes of Eternal Life for the Soul at death and the Resurrection of the Body to glory at the last day for those that are in Christ Oh how this should raise and comfort our spirits Saith the Apostle It is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption 't is sown in dishonour 't is raised in honour 't is sown in weakness 't is raised in power 't is sown a natural body 't is raised a spiritual body The consideration of this should raise our spirits I remember I have read of a speech of a dying Roman being asked where he would be buried he answered I care not where you bury me for my stench when I am dead will cause you to bury me Ah! but a true Christian can speak in a better Language as Job 19. 25 26. I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God You that are in Christ comfort your selves and one another with these words SERMON IV. Hebrews 7. from verse 9 to 12. And as I may so say Levi also who received Tythes paid Tythes in Abraham For he was yet in the loins of his Father when Melchisedeck met him 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 Melchisedeck and not be called after the order of Aaron For the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the Law SEveral things have already been spoken of Jesus Christ as he was prefigured by Melchisedeck called the Priest of the most high God The last time I spoke to you from this Scripture we went to v. 9. of this chapter and I shall not repeat what hath been spoken but shall proceed this morning to open these verses which I have now read at this time These words of the Apostle are brought in still to prove that the order of Melchisedeck according to which Christ is a Priest for ever is greater than the order of Aaron or Levi. And he proves it thus because Levi who received Tythes of the people of Israel paid Tythes to Melchisedeck in the loins of Abraham Here is a Mystery and a very profitable Truth that lies couched in these words Levi is said to be in the loins of Abraham How is that why Levi was the third Son of Jacob by his wife Leah Gen. 49. 34. This Levi had a Family and a Tribe out of which in process of time God chose the Priesthood And it was a great honour to that Tribe above all the Tribes of Israel that God should raise out of them a people to serve him in the holy things in the Sanctuary and to be nearer to him than all the Tribes besides Now this Levi or Posterity or Family of Levi are said to be in the loins of Abraham when Abraham gave to Melchisedeck the Tenths of the spoils How in his loins Levi as I said before was the Son of Jacob and Jacob was but the Grand-son of Abraham for Abraham you know had Isaac and Isaac had Jacob and Jacob had this Son Levi who was the head of that Tribe of which the Priesthood was So that Abraham was the great Grand-father of Levi and of all his posterity and yet they are said to be in the loins of Abraham The Holy Ghost brings in this that Levi was in the loins of Abraham to teach us two things First That Children are in the common condition with their Parents and Progenitors And Secondly The actions of Children are included in the actions of their Fathers as Levi paid Tythes in Abraham 1. Children are in the common condition with their Parents and Stock they come of 'T is true God made a difference sometimes by his Providence and sometimes by his special Grace Though sometimes God in the way of his Providence advances Children above their Parents in this World So Saul and David were advanced to be Kings when their Fathers were not So many in the World that have been born of mean Parents and of Parents that have had no repute in the World are by the providence of God advanced to some repute and condition in the World This is by providence not by nature 2. Some advanced by special Grace to a far better condition than their Parents And so where Children are godly that come of wicked Parents this is an advancement of Grace Hezekiah and Josiah were advanced by special Grace above their Fathers But though God by his Providence and special Grace doth sometimes and often advance Children above the condition of their Parents yet they are in the common condition with them we are all such as inherit our Fathers sins and our Fathers infirmities Who can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean Job 14. 4. Fathers unclean and Children unclean and Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 25. 6. Having spoken of Man How much less Man that is a Worm and the Son of Man which is a Worm A Worm is a poor weak Creature as our Fathers were so are we And therefore saith the Prophet Elijah when he was weary of the World and requested of God that he might die he
there were some so fond of this old Yoke as that they would have imposed it upon those that had received the Christian Faith Now saith the Apostle Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a Yoke upon the neck of the Disciples which neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear Yet they were forced to bear it till God removed it And in Gal. 5. 1. Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the Yoke of Bondage 'T was a Yoke of Bondage How a Yoke of Bondage The Rites and Ceremonies of the Law they were painful and burdensom chargeable and burdensom to all the people to have all their Male-children circumcised which was to have their Fore-skin pulled off which was painful To have the first of their Flocks given to the Priests for Sacrifices To go three times a year to Jerusalem to appear in the City of Jerusalem In a word the Ceremonial Law was so painful and burdensom that the carnal people of that Church did complain of it Mal. 1. 7 8. Ye offer polluted bread upon mine Altar and the blind and the lame and the sick And in v. 13. Ye said Behold what a weariness is it ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord and ye brought that which is torn and the lame and the sick Thus you see the Law was so burdensom as they snuffed at it They were called upon for Sacrifices and they would bring the lame and the torn and the weak They were loth to bring to best of their Flocks when God required it But our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by his coming the Priesthood and Law is abrogated And saith Christ My yoke is easie and my burden is light Why for he hath taken the burden upon himself Our dear Lord Jesus instead of calling for the best of our flocks to be offered for Sacrifice he offered himself a Sacrifice for sins for ever and he accepts of our lame and weak performances that are done with a humble sincere heart relying upon his perfect Righteousness He hath offered up himself his blessed self for a Sacrifice for sin My yoke is easie and my burden is light Yea our Lord Jesus Christ by the change of the Priesthood doth not impose upon us a going three times a year to a certain place at a great distance to worship but he left us to our liberty to worship him in spirit and truth in any place As Christ said to the woman of Samaria in John 4. 21. The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father This is the sum of Christs Law that you should come to him by Faith and receive the Gospel and repent of your sins and to be holy as he is holy The Law of Christ calls for Faith calls for Repentance It also gives power to believe A true Believer he knows that he doth not only command a duty but he gives power also to perform it in some measure to his people The Apostle here gives you the reasons of the change of the Priesthood and of the Law and we are bound to bless the Lord for his new Law and this his new Priesthood and therefore they do very ill that do mingle the Worship of God with the Jewish Ceremonies when the Lord Jesus Christ hath abrogated them SERMON V. Hebrews 7. 13 14 15 16. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another Tribe of which no man gave attendance at the Altar For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda of which Tribe Moses spake nothing concerning Priest-hood And it is yet far more evident for that after the similitude of Melchisedeck there ariseth another Priest Who is made not after the Law of a carnal commandment but after the power of an endless life HAving undertaken through the Lords assistance briefly to go thorow this chapter Last day we concluded the 12th verse of this chapter The change of the Priest-hood and so of the Law Now in these words which I have read we have that great point proved namely That Jesus Christ and his Priesthood is of another kind differing from the Levitical Priesthood And the Apostle proves it thus The Priesthood under the Law was of the Tribe of Levi But Jesus Christ and his Priesthood sprang out of the Tribe of Judah Two different Tribes therefore two different Priesthoods The Priest-hood of Aaron was after the Law of a carnal commandment the Priesthood of Christ after the power of an endless life It is of great concern to all our Souls to have a right apprehension of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ for therein lies our Salvation To begin with the 13th verse For he of whom these things are spoken pertained to another Tribe These things are spoken That is the things spoken of before in this chapter Our Lord Jesus Christ who was prefigured by Melchisedeck who was the Priest of the most high God without beginning of days or end of life without Descent he of whom those great and excellent things are spoken This Jesus Christ he pertained to another Tribe not to the Tribe of Levi what is that A Tribe in Scripture signifies all those that spring out of one Stock Jacob had twelve Sons and the people that came of them were called twelve Tribes distinguishing one from another The Tribe of Levi and the Tribe of Judah c. Now Jesus Christ of whom these things are spoken pertained to another Tribe than that of Levi. Whence first observe The great condescention of our Lord Jesus Christ in associating himself with the Children of men That he that is the Eternal Son of God was willing to be reckoned among men amongst the Tribes of men For you read of him Prov. 8. That he was with the Father from Eternity Yet he rejoiced in the habitable parts of the Earth and his delight was with the Sons of men in v. 31. That the Eternal Son of God should so far abase himself to be reckoned among the Tribes of men This is great condescention But. saith the Apostle It is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah i. e. that he took his Humanity out of that Family which did belong to the Tribe of Judah it is evident And how is it evident that Jesus Christ according to flesh came out of the Tribe of Judah It is evident in the Genealogy in Matth. 1. There you may read that Jesus Christ came out of the Tribe of Judah That chapter and other such chapters in the Scripture may seem to be unprofitable places of Scripture to them that do not understand the scope of them But such Scriptures are as necessary as any thing in the Bible to prove by the Genealogy that Jesus Christ the second person of the sacred Trinity did come out of the Tribe of Judah And for this he is called The Lion of the Tribe of Judah having power to
on all He is called a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation He is merciful and faithful Pray observe that the High Priests under the Law tho they were good men and godly men yet they fell short much in point of faithfulness to God and his People as for Example Aaron was a good Man yet he was not faithful in his Office for you know he turned aside with the People and made a Golden Calf here Aaron shewed his wickedness and unfaithfulness So old Eli he was a Godly man yet he failed of his faithfulness he suffered his Children to make themselves vile and restrained them not and so brought Judgment upon his House and therefore saith the Apostle the Law made Priests of men that had infirmities Aaron was a man that had infirmities and his Sons had infirmities that they were destroyed by Fire before the Lord. Eli had his infirmity but our Lord Jesus Christ he is without infirmity he is holy and harmless and therefore he had his Priesthood put upon him The Lord hath sworn and will never repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck But to proceed to the next verse Christ being thus solemnly Instituted in his office never to be changed saith the Apostle in the next words By so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Covenant By so much that he was made a Priest by the Oath of God by so much he was made a Priest of a better Covenant of a better Testament Now for that we must consider what the Office of a Surety is and then why Christ is said to be Surety of a better Covenant as he is the Priest of God and confirmed by his Oath First For the Surety you know he is a person that engageth himself for another Prov. 6. 1. My Son if thou be Surety for a Friend if thou hast stricken hands with a stranger c. How is that It may be a stranger he comes and challenges a debt of your Friend and your Friend he carries it very friendly with you to have you engage with the stranger for his debt and strike hands with him and to become Surety for your Friend In this sense Christ is called our Surety because it is the Office of the Priest to stand between God and Man and to offer up satisfaction by way of Sacrifice either typical or real Thus our Lord Jesus Christ in this respect is called our Surety Why because he undertakes for us to God and for God to us again He undertakes to satisfie the will of God And what is the will of God Why the will of God is to fulfil all Righteousness that is the will of God Jesus Christ as our Surety hath fulfilled all Righteousness Rom. 5. 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous So 2 Cor. 5. 21. For he hath made himself to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him And thus as our Surety he hath fulfilled all Righteousness for us And then as the Surety of the Covenant so he doth confirm all the Promises of God in the Covenant to us He engages for the Promises Hence you have that in 2 Cor. 1. 20. For all the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen So that we look to our Surety to fulfil all things for us And we look to our Surety that we have the Covenant and Promises made good to us For all the Promises are in him Yea and in him Amen But saith the Apostle he is made a Surety of a better Covenant or a better Testament For the word is rendred both ways Sometimes a Covenant sometimes a Testament But how is Christ Surety of a better Covenant I answer not better in respect of the matter of it or the substance of it For God in that Covenant did make himself over to his people to be their God And all Believers were saved by Faith as we are It was not better in respect of the matter of it But better in a threefold respect 1. Better in respect of a clearer and fuller manifestation to God in the Covenant The Covenant before us was under a Veil therefore saith the Apostle Eph. 3. 4 5. Whereby when ye read ye may understand the knowledge of the Mystery of Christ which in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of men as it is now revealed 2. Better in respect of the confirmation of it Heb. 9. 15 16. For this cause speaking of Christ he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of Eternal Inheritance So that now the Covenant is confirmed by the death of Christ which is a better confirmation than that of the old Law with the Sacrifices of Beasts 3. A better Covenant in respect of the fulness of the Spirit that goes along with the Gospel and so is made a Surety of a better Covenant than the Levitical Priesthood To come to some Application If this be so that our Lord Jesus Christ is made Surety of a better Testament then stand here and see the great and endless love of our Lord Jesus Christ 1. The greatness of his Love For you know that it is a good evidence of a mans love and kindness when he will be a Surety for one that he thinks can pay the debt But if a man will be Surety for one that is in debt and knows that he must pay the debt if he be Surety this is still greater love But yet farther if a man will be Surety for a man that is condemned to die and engage his life for him this is love beyond all love This is the case of our Lord Jesus Christ to take Mans Nature suffer himself to be under the Curse and suffer himself to be put to death Oh the great Mercy and unspeakable Love and Grace of Christ Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend But then secondly Here you may see his endless love because he undertakes to be our Surety for ever You have many a man in a sit of love or kindness will be drawn in to be a Surety but will repent of it and will get out of it as soon as he can and will never come into it again But our Lord Jesus Christ he engages to be an Everlasting Surety for us what then remains but that every one that understands these things should look to Jesus Christ Here is a special prop for our Faith As you have it in the verse before Christ brings in a better hope than was before He is a Surety of a better Covenant Therefore when fears arise in you about your sin remember that you have a
as white as snow You know the Prophet cured Naaman of a Leprosie and it was transferred to the Prophets Servant and to his Seed for ever so that Gehazi's Children were all Lepers and his Grand-children all Lepers so that these poor Children and Grand-children they might rise up and curse the base Spirit of Covetousness of their Father and Grand-father that brought this curse upon them So you have many a poor wretched Father and Mother given to Drunkenness and the poor Children they follow the same You know how it is with the Law of Nations If a man be a Traitor to the same his Blood is tainted his Children are tainted You know how it was with poor Covetous Achan that he and all his Family suffered for it so Corah Dathan and Abiram for envying Moses and Aaron they and their whole Posterity perished and suffered for their Fathers sin Levi paid Tythes in the Loins of Abraham and it was his mercy that he paid homage to God in the Loins of his Fore-father Now to proceed to open the following words Levi that received Tythes paid Tythes in Abraham If therefore perfection were in the Levitical Priest-hood c. Now here we come to the particular scope of the Apostle that Levi paid Tythes in the Loins of Abraham And tho the Priest-hood of Levi was holy yet it was not so holy as Melchisedecks So that here are three Points to be considered The First is That the Church and People of God of old received the Law under a Priest-hood Secondly The Law that they received under the Levitical Priest-hood was not perfect Thirdly There is a necessity of the change of the Law and the Priest-hood To the First of these That the Church and People of God of old that had the Laws and Ordinances of God they received them under a Priest-hood For the holy God never dealt with man immediately in a way of grace since the fall but by some middle person that stood between God and Man Therefore before God gave a Law Melchisedeck was set up a Priest and Head to be a Typical Mediator between God and Man between God and his People of which Jesus Christ was afterwards to come in the Flesh and shew himself the real Melchisedeck Heb. 5. 1. For every high Priest taken from among men was ordained for men in things pertaining to God Men may in things pertaining to man go without a Priest but in things pertaining to God they must have a Priest-hood for God is a holy God There is a vast disproportion between a holy God and sinful Man and considering his Greatness his Holiness and Righteousness the people receive the things of the Law under a Priest-hood Quest But you will say There was no Levitical Priest-hood for many hundred years after Mans fall for this Levitical Priest-hood was not till the Children of Israel came out of Aegypt I Answ Not so for then before the Levitical Priest-hood was every First-born of the Family the Priest of the Family as you may see in Numb 3. 12. And I behold I have taken the Levites from among the Children of Israel instead of all the First-born I have taken the Levites instead of the First-born that was the Priest of the Family This was the Law before the Levitical Priesthood that the first-born of the Family was the Priest of the Family to offer Gifts and Sacrifices And in allusion to this Jesus Christ our great High Priest is called the first-born of many Brethren Rom. 8. 29. And therefore this should teach us this duty That as God gives his Law and Ordinances first typical and then real That we should never go to God but by our great High Priest We ought always to have such a holy Reverence of the great God that we should never draw near to God without our great High-priest the Lord Jesus Christ 2. Though God did give the Levitical Law of old to his Church yet this Law did not make any thing perfect They were blessed Means and Ordinances of God and were of great use themselves but they did not make the comers thereto perfect All the Priesthood of the Law could not effectually cleanse sin away No and if he did come with his Sacrifice yet it could not justifie him neither could it truly sanctifie him But you will say If this Sacrifice did not take away sin to what end then served the Law I answer First to keep the Church in obedience till the fulness of time came that Christ should come in the flesh For if the Lord had not given them his Laws and Ordinances there would have been no distinction between the Church of God and the Heathen World Yea they would have run into all kind of Will-worship with the Heathen-world if they had not had his Laws and Ordinances 2. Though they could not make the comers to them perfect yet they were led by them to Jesus Christ where their perfection was Their Sacrifices led them to Jesus Christ This was the great end of all the Jewish Laws and Ceremonies to lead them to Jesus Christ For Gods Elect in those days did feed upon Jesus Christ as you may see in the Apostles words 1 Cor. 10. They did all eat of the same spiritual meat and they did all drink of the same spiritual drink The same that we eat and the same that we drink Those that had Faith in Christ did live under a dark dispensation yet they did eat the same spiritual bread that we do So that the Law you see was of use though it did not make the comers to it perfect This is the second thing 3. The Law being imperfect not making any person or things perfect therefore saith the Apostle there was a necessity of the change of the Law of the Priesthood This he proves thus If this Levitical Law and Priesthood could have made the Church and People of God happy God would never have spoken of another Priesthood after Melchisedeck and God would never have set up another Priest made by his Oath And therefore there was a necessity of another Law and another Priesthood a necessity of a change And here you may take special notice of a change of the Priesthood But what is to be understood by the change of the Law I answer By changing of the Law we are to understand an Abolition or Abrogation of the Levitical Law and all setled in a more clear manner on the Priesthood of Jesus Christ so that we now receive the Law by Christ in the room of the Ceremonial Law And it is a blessed change for us and it should abundantly raise our hearts in that now we have another Priesthood and another Law Why because the old Priesthood and the old Law could not make the comers to them perfect And it was a burdensom Priesthood and a burdensom Law See I pray you Acts 15. 10. you will find there that the old Law the Ceremonial Law is called a Yoke And
Lordship of Christ we are to take up three practical Duties which I shall but name and so go on 1. If our Jesus Christ be our great Lord our King Then it is our Duty to study Obedience to his Laws and Commands not to take him only for a Saviour but our Lord For mind it Earthly Lords require Honour and Obedience and shall we call Christ our Lord and Master and not do the thing that he Commands or have no regard to his Word or to his Commands See I pray John 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me You pretend love to Christ shew it then in keeping his Commands and in the 23. ver If any man love me he will keep my word so the 15. ver If ye love me keep my Commandments and you shall abide in my love Christ puts all upon love Though he be a great Lord and might exact all service in a way of fear and dread yet he will have all in Love When you are tempted to any sin say My Lord forbids me and I must obey his Commands He hath told us if we love him we shall keep his Words 2. If Jesus Christ be our great Lord then we ought with confidence to rest upon him for protection for preservation for he is a great Lord For pray mind it Though Jesus Christ makes but little noise in the World and other Lords seem to carry a great name yet Jesus Christ is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings and as he is the Fathers Vicegerent he over-rules all the Kings and Kingdoms in the World and therefore you may rest in him as the great Lord and as the Apostle writes to Timothy the 1. and the 6. and 15. which in time he shall shew who is the blessed and only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords then let us rest upon him for Protection 3. If Jesus Christ be our Lord then are we not only to walk according to his Commands but after his Example in Meekness and Humility see John 13. 13. saith Christ to his Disciples Ye call me Lord and Master and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet you ought also to wash one anothers Be not proud then but say hath my Lord and Master condescended so to his Disciples And shall I slight them and cast them off I have given you an example saith Christ labour then to honour Jesus Christ Now in the next place Here you find that the Apostle useth one word in the Text mind that it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah and in the 15. ver it is far more evident Why doth the Apostle so insist upon it I Answer It is to teach us Ministers that Preach the Gospel to make things evident to the Peoples understandings Plain and evident to their understanding It is a great part of their Ministerial work to inform their Judgments and therefore pray that you may have a plain Gospel-Minister 1 Cor. 2. 5. that in every thing you are inriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge men may make a great noise in Preaching but little to Edification But then here is the Question What is it that the Apostle will make evident That is the main Point in the Text. Why he makes evident that Jesus Christ our great High-priest was not a Priest after the Law of a carnal Commandment but by the power of an endless Life And these are the words I shall briefly open and apply That Jesus Christ our great High-priest was not made a Priest after the Law of a carnal Commandment but after the power of an endless Life Here are two things to be observed First The Apostles removing the Priest-hood of Christ from the Levitical Priest-hood that it was not made after the Law of a carnal Commandment Secondly He gives a description of the true Nature of the Priest-hood of Christ That it is a Priest-hood of power and of an endless Life First of all saith the Apostle He was not made a Priest after the Law of a carnal Commandment What is that Why it is a carnal Commandment that made all subject to the Ceremonial Law You will say Was the Ceremonial Law Carnal Did not God Command it how was it then Carnal Why it was a Command that respected Carnal things Carnal in Scripture is taken two ways First Carnal is taken for that which is sinful and in this sence the Law of Moses was not made by a Carnal Commandment Sometimes Carnal is set in opposition to Spiritual things and so it is put for things concerning the Body and not for the Soul If we have sown unto you Spiritual things Is it a great thing if we shall reap your Carnal things And in this sence the Ceremonies of the Law were called Carnal things because they did only reach to the Body they were but shadows of Heavenly things and therefore the Apostle in his Epistle to the Colossians called them Worldly rudiments Col. 2. 20. Why so Because all those Ceremonial Laws were not of an heavenly nature as the things of the Spirit are but they only concerned outward things Mind this The Jews they doted much upon their Ceremonial Rites before Christ came and after Christ came they did stick much to their carnal and worldly Ceremonies And therefore the Apostle Paul in a holy anger speaks to the Galatians O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth to turn aside from Christ the substance to carnal things to worldly things which are but shadows And this is to be observed and oh that we could observe it more that in the corrupt nature of man there is a carnal disposition that leads him out to worship God in a carnal way And that is the scope of the Apostle here Look upon the Worship and Religion of the Papists and you will see 't is but a carnal Religion They have their curious Images and Pictures What doth this avail a Soul to have a rich pompous Altar a rich Garment for the Priest to have pompous Processions and curious Musick What are these to the Soul And as for us that have the Reformed Religion how many amongst us delight to worship God after the Law of a carnal Commandment Are there not too many amongst us which are more for old Abrogated Ceremonies than they are for a Gospel Worship Bewail and lament the Apostacy of this Generation These Ceremonies of the Old Testament tho' they were carnal and low things in themselves yet they had a spiritual signification put upon them by God and so had a great excellency in them whilst God was pleased to continue them But now that God hath abolished them Paul calls them carnal things And so we may call all Mediums of Worship that are not of Gods appointment Now for the second which is the description of the Priesthood of
from the words That we must always keep close to Scripture-testimony to take up that which is the matter of our Faith We must take it up on Scripture-testimony and not by the will of man And so I come to the 18th verse For there is verily a disannulling of the Commandment going before A Disannulling And then he shews the reason of it and that is for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof First saith he Verily there is a Command going before What Command was that why the Command of the Levitical-way of Worship which did go before Christs coming in the flesh That is the meaning For the Law as to the Administration of it it was before the Gospel it was before Christ came to be our spiritual High-priest and Sacrifice tho' he was promised before yet it was before Christ came in the flesh and all those things were but types and shadows of heavenly things of things which were to come As the shadow sometimes goes before the body so did the Law come before Christ The Levitical Priesthood goes before the Evangelical Priesthood of Jesus Christ But saith the Apostle there is a disannulling of the Command going before disannulling what is that why it is an abrogating and making void so as no man is bound to this Command to that kind of Worship that was under the Law He is not bound to offer those Sacrifices the command of those Sacrifices is disannulled He is not bound to observe those Rites those manifold Ceremonies for the command is disannulled and made void by the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh Pray attend to those things for it may be of use to them that are studious to know the mind of God in the Scripture The Apostle gives the reason why there is a disannulling of the Command and Law of the old way of Worship What Reason Why saith he Because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it The weakness and unprofitableness of all the Levitical Priesthood and Service is the reason why God removed it Weakness and unprofitableness that is if a Man did spend all his days in that kind of Worship and Service without looking beyond it it profited nothing it was not able to effect the great things the Soul stood in need of and therefore in Gal. 4. 9. the Apostle calls them weak and beggarly Elements you see what he calls those things that were once the Ordinances of God But he so calls them in respect of Gospel dispensations so here they are weak and unprofitable There are several things in Scripture that are said not to profit us As First the knowledge of Christ after the Flesh see John 6. 13. It is the Spirit that quickeneth the Flesh profiteth nothing he spake it in reference to his Doctrin The Flesh that is the Fleshly knowledge of Christ As those people the Papists who count themselves the only wise people it profiteth nothing to know Christ after the Flesh tho if they were certain they could lie in the manger where Christ lay and Kiss the Cross and go to the Sepulchre of Christ it is only filthy knowledge and profiteth nothing So again the Scripture tells us that Bodily Exercise profiteth little 1 Tim. 4. 8. For Bodily Exercise profiteth little but Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Bodily Exercise profiteth nothing Some have no other Religion but what lies in Bodily Exercise Thirdly The Scripture tells us that meats profit nothing see Heb. 13. 9. It is a good thing to have the Heart established with Grace and not with Meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein The Jews of old made a great distinction about Meats so the Papists now hold it a great sin to eat Meat in Lent and to eat Flesh on Wednesdays and Fridays but saith the Apostle this profiteth nothing This distinction of Meats profiteth nothing to the Soul Now saith the Apostle here in the Text the Commandment is disannulled for the weakness and unprofitableness of it How is that Why if Men went no further in the Law than bringing a Lamb or a Bullock for a Sacrifice go up to Jerusalem to Worship and be very strict in observing all the Rites and Ceremonies of the Law of Moses these things profited nothing The Lord disannuled the Commandment concerning all the Jewish Rites and Ceremonies for the weakness and unprofitableness in them But then you will say Why did God appoint them seeing they were weak and unprofitable I Answer Though they were weak and unprofitable as to reach the main end of Mans Salvation yet God had other holy ends in appointing of them First of all to keep his Children and People under obedience until the fulness of time did come that Christ was to be manifested in the Flesh for this is to be observed that all Mankind are addicted to Worship a Deity some God or other or something that they made their God All the Heathen Worshippers are for Worshipping some God or other and if God had left this people without Divine Rites and Ceremonies they would have run into the Rites and Ceremonies of the Idolatrous Heathens which were worse God did by his Children in the time of the Law as Parents do with their Children they set them about things that are little worth or of little effect to keep them from doing worse So God left his People the Divine Rites and Ceremonies to keep them from running into Heathenish Idolatry Secondly God had still a further end and that is Tho they were not perfect of themselves yet by this they were directed to look unto Jesus Christ and his Priesthood and his Sacrifice and tho they were no more perfected by them than the body is by the shadow yet the shadow shews that there is a Body so those things were weak and unprofitable in themselves but they led to Christ the substance so they were of holy use to all the Faithful and Elect of God But to come to the application of this Point and so to pass on If this be so that all the Mosaical Rites and Ceremonies were weak and imperfect and God for that reason abolished them because they could not reach the main end of Mans happiness Then here you may see the folly of those Men that set up these Rites and Ceremonies and humane Inventions in part of their Worship If Gods own Institutions were weak and unprofitable what are Mens Inventions Are their Priestly Vestments profitable Their Crossings and Cringings profitable What profit is there in bowing the Knee at the word Jesus What profit is there in these things And yet many Men Glory in these things and magnifie them above the Gospel of Jesus Christ Some say these things are Edifying I remember a dispute between a Martyr and a Popish Priest the Martyr objected that he could not comply with that kind of Worship because of their many Ceremonies said
the Priest 't is true those Ceremonies are not necessary to Salvation but they may be used to Edification the Martyr replyed again Give me the Salvation and give me the Edification to be sure there is an unprofitableness in all these things But some will say these are Ornaments of the Church of God To that I Answer So is a painted Glass an Ornament to the House yet it shuts out the Light more than a plain Glass the Light doth not shine out so clear through a painted Glass These painted and carnal Ceremonies do shut out the Light of the Gospel for the Light of the Gospel shines out more pure and clear in the plain Administration of the Gospel and therefore all those things that carnal Men so magnifie are unprofitable Now I proceed to the 19. ver For the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by which we draw nigh to God This is still to demonstrate the point in hand The weakness and unprofitableness of the Law The Law made nothing perfect i. e the Levitical and Ceremonial Law could not Cleanse the Conscience neither Justified the Person it never could reach the main end which is the happiness of Men. But God brings in another thing a higher thing for that see Heb. 10. 1. For the Law having a shadow of things to come and not the very Image of the things can never with those Sacrifices which they offered Year by Year continually make the comers thereto perfect They could never make the comers to them perfect and still they had dark apprehensions of God 'T is true the Elect could see Christ but they that went no further than these Ceremonies and Levitical Worship tho they were very strict in them yet these were very short in cleansing them from sin It made not the comers to them perfect When the People of God of old had offered a Sacrifice and performed all their Sacrifice according to the Law yet they were to look to a higher Priesthood and a higher Sacrifice for the cleansing of their sins Heb. 9. 9. Which was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices that could not make him that did the service Perfect as pertaining to the Conscience It could not cleanse him from the guilt of sin which lay upon his Conscience This is done by the bringing in of a better hope by the which we draw nigh to God These are the Words which I shall spend the remaining part of my time in But the bringing in of a better hope by the which we draw nigh to God Here the Question is What is meant by this hope 1. For the word hope here it is to be taken for the thing hoped for That is the hope here the coming of the Messiah the Salvation by Christ the Priesthood of Christ and the blessings that attend it And this is called hope in a twofold respect 1. In respect of the time when David did testifie this of Christs coming So it was a blessing to come and a thing to be hoped for by the Fathers of old For this is to be observed that all the time the Church lived under the Levitical Priest-hood they lived in the hopes of the coming of Christ and of the Messiah which was the great thing hoped for and looked for And therefore when Jesus Christ was born and the Angels came to give intimation of his Birth see how Zechariah who was one of the Levitical Priesthood expresses himself in his Song Luk. 1. 72 73. To perform the mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant the Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham This was the great promise The coming of Jesus Christ the Messiah that should do what the Law could not do The Law made nothing perfect but Jesus Christ the Messiah made all things perfect This was the hope the Father had therefore if you look into Luk. 2. you shall find that good and just man old Simeon who waited for the consolation of Israel which was the Lord Jesus Christ At ver 29. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Oh this was a joyful thing to him When he came into the Temple he took the Child in his arms and said Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation This was the hope of them of old 2. Christ in his Priesthood Death and Suffering is stiled our hope also For saith the Apostle we are saved by hope and where is our hope but in the Death and Intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ all our hope is in him But then he is stiled here a better hope How is it a better hope In two respects than all the Jewish Sacrifices and Levitical Priesthood could give for that Priesthood gave hope only of temporal blessings clearly but very darkly of spiritual blessings We can scarcely read one word of the Kingdom of Heaven under the Mosaical dispensation See I pray Lev. 26. 2. and so on Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord If ye walk in my Statutes and keep my Commandments and do them then will I give you Rain in due season and the Land shall yield her increase and the Trees of the field shall yield their fruit And your threshing shall reach unto the Vintage and the Vintage shall reach unto the sowing-time and ye shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your Land safely These are all promises and blessings and encouragements to serve God according to the command of God But not a word of Heaven here This was the tenour of the first Covenant they had hopes of Legal Priviledges and Temporal Blessings These are the great things the Law of Moses runs upon But now we have a better hope Jesus Christ our High-priest If any man will follow me he shall have the light of life The New Testament runs all upon heavenly things But 2. Better hope in respect of the manner of revealing of it For this must not be denied but that all the true Saints and Believers under the Old Testament had their hope of Heaven as we have but very poorly and darkly They had their hopes of Grace and heavenly things and therefore it is said of Abraham in Heb. 11. 10. He looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God They had all these things in sight but darkly And while Moses was read amongst them they had a Veil upon their face But we with open face behold the glory of God and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. But then the next is By which we draw nigh to God The bringing in of a better hope by which we draw nigh to God How is that You must know that God and sinful man are at a great distance
when God is said to revoke a Threatning or disannul a Law he is then said after the manner of men to repent But concerning the Priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ that is so settled not only by Promise but by Oath to take us off from all doubting and hesitation about this matter the Lord hath Sworn and will not Repent concerning his Son Jesus Christ but he has solemnly Justified him to be a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedeck which Law cannot be Abrogated Now here the Question is Vpon what account is it that the Priesthood of Jesus Christ by which we draw nigh to God hath such a solemn Justification above the Levitical Presthood Why Jesus Christ is made a Priest with an Oath when other Priests are made without an Oath There are many Grounds and Reasons of that which may be a great help to our Faith First of all God hath a greater honour for his Son that for all the Children of Men. He is nearer to the Father and dearer to the Father and therefore whatever he bestows upon his Son shall never be taken away from him God set up the posterity of the Tribe of Levi for the Priesthood but he only set them up as Servants for a time for saith our Lord a Servant abideth not in the House for ever but a Son abideth for ever Levi and his posterity they were but Servants and God turns them out but he setteth up his Son for ever The Father Loveth the Son and giveth all things to him he honoureth his Son he will have all his holy Angels to bow down to his Son in Heb. 1. 3 5. the Apostle speaking of Christs purging us from sin saith he in the 5 ver To which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and again Let all the Angels Worship him The Angels of God are much better than Men in respect of the excellency of their being One Angel hath more strength than thousands of Men but they must all Worship the Son and he that is set down at the right hand of God the Father the Father hath given his Oath he shall never be removed but abide for ever Secondly The Priesthood of Jesus Christ hath this solemn Institution to be confirmed by a Divine Oath Because he is alsufficient to go through that great work God raised up the Priesthood of Old to do Service but not such Service as our great High Priest He never said unto the People believe in the High Priest but he said believe in my Son Jesus believe in him because he is able to save The other High Priests were not able to Save the High Priests of old could never give their lives for a Sacrifice for the Peoples lives they were only to offer up Bulls and Goats and Heifers and such kind of Offerings but our great High Priest he is appointed of the Father to give himself a Sacrifice for his people and therefore has a higher Priesthood than the Levitical Priest-hood John 10. 17 18. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again This Commandment have I received of my Father God never put so hard a service upon those High Priests of old but he put this upon his own Son and his Son was willing to bear his Command I am willing to receive this Command from my Father God hath sworn and he will not repent that his Son should be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck because that none were ever able to carry on that work but he Thirdly Jesus Christ is thus solemnly justified and made a Priest by Oath in the Church of God because the Church is his own Body and his own People The Priesthood of old God set them up for his Service and he will reward them for it for they had the Tenths of the People which was then great but still the Church was not their People nor their Body but Jesus Christ he is as a Son over his own House Heb. 3. 6. Christ is as a Son over his own House It is a great blessing to have such a High Priest as hath an interest in the whole People to whom he is a Saviour for he is the head of that People and a Saviour of the Body If the Lord Jesus Christ his Priesthood were disannulled the Church would be lost they could not be brought to Salvation Thine they were and thou gavest them me The Church is given to Christ to be his Mystical Body and he is their Priest for ever to sanctifie and cleanse it that he may present it to himself a Glorious Church without spot or wrinkle But then Fourthly Jesus Christ is made a Priest by Oath for ever because unto him shall be the gathering in of all Gods Elect of all nations in the World and they are all to come to his Priesthood it is of a large extent When the Levitical Priesthood was confined to the Jews only they could not offer a Sacrifice for the Heathens or another People but Jesus Christ he is an Offering for all People in all Nations of those that Believe in his Name And this is according to Jacobs Prophesie in Gen. 49. 10. That when Shilo shall come unto him shall be the gathering of the People compare this with Isa 49. and there you will see the thing further illustrated in the 6 ver And he said It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my Servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayst be my Salvation unto the ends of the Earth Observe it the Father said unto the Son It is but a light thing for thee to be a Priest only for Jacob and Israel I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles It was but a light thing for Christ to be a Saviour to Israel in the Land of Judea But Jesus Christ shall be a Saviour to all the Earth I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles Fifthly He is made a Priest for ever and confirmed therein by an Oath Because of his transcendent Wisdom Mercifulness Faithfulness and Holiness above all the Priests of old He is a High Priest to appear for Man in things appertaining to God and had need of Wisdom And saith the Apostle in him are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge And for mercy it was a necessary qualification in the High Priests of old that he might be a Man of compassion and pity to succour the poor and tempted and afflicted in the Church And our Lord Jesus Christ he is transcendently Merciful He will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoking Flax he will have compassion
High-priest who hath undertaken to fulfil all Righteousness for us and undertakes as a Surety for us SERMON VIII Hebrews 7. 23 24. And they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death But this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood BEing in our course of going through this Chapter the last day in the Morning Exercise we concluded with v. 22. where Jesus is said to be made a Surety of a better Covenant The scope of the Apostle in all this Chapter is to magnifie the Priesthood of Christ above the Levitical Priesthood His Argument that we insisted upon the last day was taken from his solemn Institution in his Office He was made a Priest with an Oath and by vertue of that he became a Surety of a better Testament These things have been opened Now these two verses which I have read for our consideration and instruction this morning contain another Argument that the Apostle useth to prove that the Priesthood of Jesus Christ doth far excel all the Priesthoods under the Law And the Argument is drawn from the mortality of the Levitical Priests and the immortality of Jesus Christ the Son of God That Priesthood that was mortal was never so excellent as that which was immortal The Priests of Levi were mortal but the Priesthood of Jesus Christ is immortal and unchangeable and therefore a more excellent Priesthood We begin with v. 23. For they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death They truly were many Priests These words are two ways to be expounded First They were many together And then they were many successively 1. They were many together For though there was but one High Priest to the Jewish Church yet there were many Priests to offer Sacrifices under him For he was not able one man was not able to offer Sacrifices for all therefore there were many Priests But Jesus our High Priest had the assistance of no creature he is alone There is but one God and one Mediator the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is but one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus no other And this is brought in ordinarily to confute that Errour of the Papists who offer up Expiatory Sacrifices They have their Priestly Office to offer up Expiatory Sacrifices for the living and the dead And as our Protestant Divines say If they had no other Errour it would justifie our separation from them because they derogate from the Office of Jesus Christ and set up a Priestly Office in Gospel-days to offer an Expiatory Sacrifice But we have but one High Priest and one Saviour which is sufficient for the Salvation of our Souls But then This word many Priests is also to be expounded many successively That is there were many Priests saith the Apostle because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death There were many Priests under the Law but they could not continue by reason of death therefore their Office passed from one to another One takes up the Priestly Office and then dies and then another succeeds him But Jesus Christ he hath an Office that doth not pass from one to another There is none can succeed our Lord Jesus Christ in his Priestly Office There is none can finish that work which he begun But the two general points that lie before us in this Text to be considered of this morning are 1. The Mortality of the Levitical Priesthood which concerns us all And then 2. The Immortality of our High-priest the Son of God He is our Priest for ever 1. The Mortality of the Priests of old saith the Apostle in the Text They were not suffered to continue by reason of death That word death concerns all Mankind How many of the Children of Adam Sons and Daughters of Adam since the beginning of the World They are all dead But this present Generation and a little time will bury all of us That Doom which God denounced against Adam in Gen. 3. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death that reaches all that come out of the Loins of Adam We bring sin into the World with us and sin brings death as you have it in Rom. 5. That death came in by sin By one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men Every one that is born into the World is born in sin Every one that is born into the World by ordinary generation and so cannot continue long in the World by reason of death Indeed there are and ever have been many of the Children of Men that have had great priviledges and dignities above others But none ever were exempted from death except some few as Enoch and Elijah Some have been Kings and great men of the Earth some have been made honourable Prophets some Apostles some Ministers have in their days been burning and shining Lights But all are dead they were not suffered to continue any of them by reason of death All are gone The Prophets do they live for ever and your Fathers where are they Kings Lords and Potentates of the Earth and mighty men death hath Lorded it over them all they were not suffered to continue by reason of death Therefore it should teach us while we live to spend our days well to do what good we can to honour God what we can and to say to our own Souls Let me not lose my time for I cannot continue long by reason of death Solomon tells us in Eccl. 9. 10. which every one should well observe Whatever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might because there is no work in the grave whither thou art going But while men are on Earth God hath appointed every one to do something for his honour and glory For mind it the Levitical Priests tho' they were not suffered to continue because of death because they were mortal yet this did not exempt them from the service of God tho' they were chosen from among men and so subject to death yet they were to attend the service of God while they lived There is a sort of people and I mention it for their sakes There are a sort of people I say that because life is short therefore they will give up themselves to ease sloth and pleasure and make as much as they can of a short life These were the people in Isa 22. 13 14. And behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing Sheep eating Flesh and drinking Wine Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die And this thing was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die Thus says many a poor creature that hath no conscience of duty to God or Man He will take all the pleasure he