a The Spirit uo ſets this Prieithood above the Levitical by In- ſtance, which Inſtance being not fo proper or dirctt, ht: Form Of 1ntroducing 1t 1s confiderable, as ws I> Ov» car, as t0 jay the it 078, which 1s a Greek Elegancy of Speech, when that is uttercd which 1s remarkadle, and yet hard to be undcrftood ; and it is not only conclufrue to what was tpoken before : T'l! (reab a word mare, and then end the Dilcourte, but interpretative of what hs was about to lay concerning Levi, born 152 years after this tranſation ; as I may jo ſay, or in ſome ſenje it may be juid, þb Levi, not ſo much taken perjonully as colledively ; tor the Tribe that ſprung ot him, who were Prieſts or Minifters to 7{jrae/, which Levi perionally was no*f. He was the third Son of Faco5, and his Seed God ſeparated for, and conſecrated to his Service, ſetling the Prieſthood in Aaron's Family, winch was a Branch of that Tribe, ard making all the reſt Servants to them. c Theſe did receive theſe Tentiis by God's Law from thei: Bretliren, and thefe paid Tenths by, or in Abrcham, and ſo ſheer them to be inferior in Oifice to Me!chiſedec, who received this H%- maze trom them as due to God, and to him as his High Priet. This was not properly, but figuratively ; true Pareats and Chilercn being accounted here as one Perſon betore they exift. as well as af- ter, Levi, not actually exiſting then, but vertualiy 1n his Parer*. Chriſt was in his Loins vertually too, as to his Humanity, but not 2 deſcend of him by natural Propagation, but by Miracle ;, and in as an Anti-type to this Helchifſedec, and one to be ſet above him, 1:1 whom elchiſedec himſelf was to be bleiſed, and therefore could us? pay Tenths to him in Abraharn.
10 For he was yet in the loins of his father when Melchiſedec mer him d.
d For, introduceth the proof, that Lev! tithed in Abraam, betus vertually in him, as his produftive Cauſe z fo near 1s the Unity atid Identity of Parents and deſcending Children ; and as truly were the Poſterity of Adam in him when he ate, ſinned, and feil, Rom. 5. 12. To remove all queſtion of the rruth of it, the time 15 annexed t© it when Melchiſedec mer A4br.cham, and blctied him, then did Lew! pay Teaths in him, fo as 3felchiſedec was greater ahan the Levitical Prieſt; Chriſt typified by him being greater than Iumſelf muſt be greater than them alſo. EEE
11 * If therefore perfeAion were by the Levitical prieſthood e (for under ir the people received the law f ) what further need way there g that anorher prieſt ſhould ariſe after the order of Melchiſedec, and notbe called after the order of Aaron ?
e Now the Spirit infers trom the Dofrine of Meichiſedec's Prieft- hood, the dignity and perpetuity of Chri8F's typified by it. So that 1t 18 not Aaron's Prieſthood, but Chriſt's, which the Hebrews were to utc for their Salvation after Aaron's was expired. For Perfeftion was nof to be had by Aaron's Prieſthood or Law, but by a better, of ano- ther Order, even Chriſt and his Law. The form of theſe words are mnterrogative, implying a vehement denial of what is queried in them. A perfe&ing of perſons to Life eternal by Expiation, Juſti- fication, Renovation, 7c. See Chap.g.g. and 10. I. trecing Sinners from Guilt, Stain, Filth, and Conſcquents of their Sins, by an expta- tory ſatisfaQtory Sacrifice to God, and fitting of the!: for an eternal enjoying him : A Self-effictency to theſe thinzs without Chritt, 1 25 to the Aaronical Prieſthood vehemently denied ; as to this, that 15 defe&tive. f For with the Prieſthood, about the time of its Infti- tution by God, the I[ſraelitiſh Church, God's covenanted people, 7e- ceived the Law; by which, as well as by its Prieſthood, there is no Expiation, Remiſſion, nor cternal Life to be obtained, Gal.3.17,18, 19. compare Ma!.2.4, to 8. This Law and Prieſihond beins Types of far better to ſucceed them, they were but leading to them, which in the fulneſs of Time were to be revealed, and which ſhould pertect what they could not, Gal.3.23,24. and 4. 3, 4, 5- g If was needful fince the Levitical Prieſth»9d and Law could not periect Sinners, that another ſhould take place which could perfe& them. Dad there- fore, who lived above 4oo years after their Inſtitution, and teeling their Imperfe@ion, did by the Spirit foreſee and tell of a Roy.:/ Priefthozd and Law to take place after this, that ſhould perfe& Sin- ners, which could not .be done by any called aiter Aaron's imperfect Order. This was the Lord Ch:iſt the Meſtah, who muſt be after the Order of Melchiſedec, Plal. 110.4, and who by his Priefthozd and Law ſhould abundantly effe& it ; which was far more exceilent for both, than any of the Levitical Family can pretend to.
12 For the prieithood being changed-h, there 1s made of necefſity a change alſo of the law 7.
h For, refers to the Expiration of the Aaronical Order, to whici1 theſe Hebrews now are not bound, for that a better Prieſthood and Law were to fill up their room in the Church. The Levitical Prie/t- hond was changed and aboliſhed to make way for this; God detign- ing that to continue for a time, and then to expire, 'when the truth perfe&ting it ſhould take place. 7 The mutation of the Priefthood indiſpenſibly requirech the change of the Law, i. e. the legal Diſpen- ſation of the Covenant of Grace, and the bringing in with another Prieſthood a hetter Hope, Gal. 3. 17, to 27. compare ver. 18, 19. of this Chapter, even the Covenant of Grace in the Goſpel-Ditpenſa- tion of it. This was made neceſſary by the Decree of God, who de- termined, thit both Priefthood and Law ſhould expire together, and accordingly hath fulfilled it. For when Chriſt the Goſpel-High- Prieſt had in his Perſon and Work perſetted all of it in Heaven, hz roots out that Order of Prieſthood, aboliſheth the Law, ſcatters the people which would cleave to it; demoliſheth the Temple and City to which he confined the Adminiſtration, fo as all Detizns and En- deavours of Fews, or of apoſtate Chriſtians, to repair, or to reſtore it, hath been 1neffeQual to this day.
13 For he of whom thele things are ſpoken, per- caineth to another tribe &, of which ro man gave ar- rendance ar the altar /,
H EB R E nz hap. VI;
- y 1s the Man th;
*GCal.2.21.
Chap. VII,