is made to them. For God is pleased to exercise and try the faith of the church by heresies, which are fierce, pertinacious, and subtle oppositions made to the truth. Now none of them, which aim at any consistency in and with themselves, or are of any real danger unto the church, did ever reject all gospeltruths, but some general principles they will allow, or they would leave themselves no foundation to stand upon, in their opposition unto others. Those therefore singly opposed by them at any time, as the deity or satisfaction of Christ, justification by faith, and the like, being so opposed, become the present truth of the age, in the instance of adherence whereunto, God will try the faith of his people, and requires that they be earnestly pleaded for. And this is that which the apostle Jude intends, ver. 3. where he exhorts us, sayirdi, to contend,' strive,'' wrestle,' with all earnestness and the utmost of our endeavours, for the faith once delivered unto the saints; namely, because of the opposition that was then made unto it. And a truth may come under this qualification, by persecution as well as heretical opposition. Satan is always awake and attentive unto his advantages; and therefore, though he hate all truth, yet doth he not at all times equally attempt upon every thing that is so. But he waiteth to see an inclination in men from their lusts, or prejudices, or interests in this world, against any especial truth, or way of divine worship, which God hath appointed. When he finds things so ready prepared, he falls to his work, and stirs up persecution against it. This makes that truth to be the present truth to be contended for, as that wherein God will try the faith, and obedience, and patience of the church. And the reasons why we ought with all care, diligence and perseverance, to attend unto the preservation and profession of such truths, are obvious unto all.

Obs. II. Important truths should be strongly confirmed.— Such is that here pleaded by the apostle, and therefore doth he so labour in the confirmation of it. He had undertaken to convince the Hebrews of the cessation of their legal worship, out of their own acknowledged principles. He deals not with them merely by his apostolical authority, and by virtue of the divine revelations of the will of God, which himself had received; but he proceeds with them on arguments taken out of the types, institutions and testimonies of the Old Testament, all which they owned and acknowledged, though without his aid they had not understood the meaning of them. On this supposition, it was necessary for him to plead and press all the arguments from the topic mentioned, which had any cogency in them; and he doth so accordingly.

Obs. III. Arguments that are equally true, may yet on the account of evidence not be equally cogent; yet,

Obs. IV. In the confirmation of the truth, we may use every help that is true and seasonable, though some of them may be more effectual unto our end than others.-This we are instructed in, by the apostle affirming in this place, that what he now affirms is yet far more evident. And this evidence, as we observed before, may respect either the things themselves, or the efficacy in point of argument. For in themselves, all things under the Old Testament, were typical and significant of what was afterwards to be introduced. So our apostle tells us, that the ministry of Moses consisted in giving testimony to those things which were to be spoken or declared afterwards, ch. iii. But among them, some were far more clear and evident as In the latter sense, the to their signification than others were. things which he had discoursed about Melchisedec, and his priesthood, were more effectually demonstrative of the change of the Levitical priesthood, than what he had newly observed concerning the rising of our Lord Jesus Christ, not of the tribe of Levi but of Judah, although that had life and evidence also in itself, which is principally intended.

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The argument itself is next expressed, whereunto this full evidence is ascribed, ει κατα την ὁμοιότητα Μελχισεδεκ ανισταται ίρινο iriges, if another priest do arise after the similitude of Melchisedec.' And in the words there is, 1. The modification of the proposition in the particle ". 2. The notation of the subject spoken of-another priest. 3. His introduction into his officehe did arise. 4. The nature of his office, and the manner of his coming unto it-after the likeness of Melchisedec.

E, if, is generally taken here not to be a conditional, but a causal conjunction. And so, as many judge, it is used, Rom viii. 31. 2 Cor. v. 15. 1 Thess. iii. 8. 1 Pet. i. 17. And it is rendered in our translation by for," "for that another priest;" as Beza rendereth it by quod, because. Others by ex eo quod, and siquidem. Syr. And again this is more known by that which he said."' All take it to be an intimation of a reason proving what is affirmed; and so it doth if, with the Vulgar, we retain si, or siquidem, if so be.' And it is yet far more evident, if so be that another priest.'

As to the argument in general, we must observe, 1. That the design of the apostle in this place, is not to demonstrate the dignity and eminency of the priesthood of Christ from that of Melchisedec, his type, which he had done before sufficiently ; he doth not produce the same words and arguments again unto the same purpose: but that which he aims at is from that testimony, whereby he had proved the dignity of the priesthood of Christ, now also to prove the necessary abolition of the Levitical priesthood. Wherefore, 2. He doth not insist on the

whole of the testimony before pleaded, but only on that one thing of another priest, necessarily included therein.

2. The subject spoken of is issus irgos, that is not merely

, that is, nos, alius; as the Syriac understood it, who renders it by : but it is alienus, that is intended. Every was by the law absolutely forbidden to approach unto the priest's office, or altar, or sacred employment. So irges, another,' in this case, is a stranger,' one that is not of the house or family of Aaron. And nothing can be more evident, than that the Levitical priesthood, and the whole law of divine worship, must be taken away and abolished then, if it appear that any, irgos, or stranger,' may be admitted into that office; much more, if it were necessary that it should so be. For the law of the priesthood took care of nothing more than that no stranger that was not of the house of Aaron, should be called to that office; see Exod. xxix. 33. Lev. xxii. 10. Num. i, 51. and Num. iii. 10. Aaron, and his sons, they shall wait on the priest's office, np, and the stranger that cometh nigh, that is, to discharge any sacerdotal duty, shall be put to death.' And God gave an eminent instance of his severity with respect unto this law in the punishment of Corah, though of the tribe of Levi, for the transgression of it. And he caused a perpetual memorial to be kept of that punishment, to the end they might know, that no stranger who is not of the seed of Aaron should come near to offer incense before the Lord, Num. xvi. 40. And hence our apostle in the next verse observes, that this priest was not to be made after the law of a carnal commandment, seeing his making was a dissolution of that law or commandment. If therefore there must be isgus irgos, another priest,' that was not of the lineage of Aaron, the other is abolished.

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3. His introduction into his office is expressed by anotarai, there ariseth; oritur, exoritur. Syr. Np, Surgit. Vul. Lat. Exurgal, arose,' in an extraordinary manner, Judges v. 7. "Until I Deborah arose, I arose a mother in Israel;" that is, by an extraordinary cull from God to be a prophetess and a deliverer. Deut. xviii. 18. " A prophet will I raise up unto you,' which was Christ himself. So God" raised up a horn of salvation in the house of his servant David," Luke i. 69. that is, with an extraordinary power and glory. So was this priest to arise, not springing out of, nor succeeding in any order of priesthood before established. But all things in the law lay against his introduction; and the body of the people in the church, was come unto the highest defiance of any such priest. But as God had fore-signified what he would do, when the time of the reformation of all things should come, so when he performed his word herein, he did it in that manner, with that evidence of his

glory and power, as introduced him against all opposition. For when the appointed time is come, wherein the decrees of God shall bring forth, and his counsel be accomplished, all difficulties, though appearing insuperable, shall vanish and disappear, Zech. iv. 6, 7.

4. The nature of his priesthood is declared in its resemblance unto that of Melchisedec, natα TAY μLTATα. The apostle intendeth not to express the words of the Psalmist, 7, which he constantly renders xara Taživ, according unto the order; but he respects the whole conformity that was between Melchisedec and our Lord Jesus Christ, in the instances which he had before insisted on. For whereas God had ordered all things in the Scripture concerning Melchisedec, that he might be аpaμowμsvos TN VIN TO, ver. 3. made like unto the Son of God,' he is said to arise, nad iμosorna, according to the likeness or similitude of Melchisedec.' For every similitude is mutual; one thing is as like unto another, as that is unto it. This therefore is evident, that there was to be another priest; rigos, not only as, merely another,' but anλoyevns, one of another stock and race;' and a priest he was to be after the similitude of Melchisedec, and not so much as after the similitude of Aaron. The arising of Christ in his offices puts an end unto all other things that pretend an usefulness unto the same end with them. When he arose as a king, he did not put an end unto the office and power of kings in the world; but he did so unto the typical kingdoms over the church, as he did to the priesthood by arising as a priest. And when he ariseth spiritually in the hearts and consciences of believers, an end is put unto all other things, that they might before look for life, or righteousness, or salvation by.

VER. 16.-This verse containeth an illustration and confirmation of the foregoing assertion, by a declaration of the way and manner how this other priest, who was not of the seed of Aaron, should come unto that office. And this was necessary also for the prevention of an objection, which the whole discourse was obnoxious to. For it might be said, that whatever was affirmed concerning another priest, yet there was no way possible, whereby any one might come so to be, unless he were of the family of Aaron. All others were expressly excluded by the law. Nor was there any way or means ordained of God, any especial sacrifice instituted, whereby such a priest might be dedicated, and initiated into his office. In prevention of this objection, and confirmation of what was before declared, the apostle adds,

VER. 16.-Who was made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

The words declare, 1. That this priest was made so; and, 2. How he was made so, both negatively and positively.

1. He was made so: is yeyors, which priest was made,' or who was made a priest.' The force of this expression hath been explained on ch. iii. 2. and ch. v. 5. The Lord Christ did not merely on his own authority and power take this office on himself. He became so, he was made so, by the appointment and designation of the Father. Nor did he do any thing in the whole work of his mediation, but in obedience unto his command, and in compliance with his will. For it is the authority of God alone, which is the foundation of all office, duty and power, in the church. Even what Christ himself is and was unto the church, he is and was so by the grace and authority of God, even the Father. By him was he sent, his will did he perform, through his grace did he die, by his power was he exalted, and with him doth he intercede. What acts of God in particular do concur unto the constitution of this office of Christ, and to the making him a priest, have been declared before.

2. The manner of his being made a priest, is expressed negatively, ×××τa tov voμov evroλns oxgxixns, not after;' or 'not according unto the law of a carnal commandment.' Syr. 757

,the law of bodily commandments.' It is unquestionable, that the apostle by this expression intendeth in the first place the law of the Levitical priesthood, or the way and manner whereby the Aaronical priests were first called and vested with their office, and then any other law, constitution, rule, or order of the same kind. He was made a priest neither by that law, nor any other like unto it. And two things we must inquire into. 1. Why the call of the Aaronical priests is said to be after the law of commandment. 2. Why this commandment is said to be fleshly.

First, For the first, we may observe that the whole law of worship among the Jews is called by our apostle, voμos twv SYTEAwy dayμast, Eph. ii. 15. The law of commandments in ordinances.' And it is so called for two reasons.

1. Because commands were so multiplied therein, that the whole law was denominated from them. Hence it became (vys Jurßurтuxтes, a yoke hardly to be borne,' if not altogether intolerable, Acts xv. 10. 2. Because of that severity wherewith obedience was exacted. A command in its formal notion expresseth authority, and the multiplication of them severity; and both these God designed to make eminent in that law, whence it hath this denomination, a law of commandments.' Hereof the law of the constitution of the office of the priesthood, and the call of Aaron thereunto, was a part, and he was therefore made a priest by the law of commandments; that is,