evils which may befal particular persons by reason of them, if their original and end be not duly attended to. Hence have proceeded self-conceit, despising of others, emulations and strifes. Some, who have received them in the lowest degree, may be apt, perhaps, to despond, and refuse to trade with what they have, because their stock is inferior to their neighbours. But what is this to us; may not God do what he will with his own? If God will have some of the sons of Abraham to pay tithes, and some to receive them, is there any ground of complaint? To him that has the most eminent gifts, God has given of his own, and not of ours; he has taken nothing from us to endue him with, but supplied him out of his own stores. Whoever, therefore, is unduly exalted with them, or envies because of them, he despises the prerogative of God, and contends with him that is mighty.

(3.). God distinguishes persons with respect to office. He makes, and so accounts, whom he will faithful, and puts them into the ministry. This of old, Korab repined against, and there are not a few who free themselves from envy at the ministry by endeavouring to bring it down into contempt; but the office is honourable, and so are they by whom it is discharged in a due manner; and it is the prerogative of God to call to it whom he pleases.-Finally observe, That, no privilege can exempt persons from sub-. jection to any of God's institutions, though they were; of the loins of Abraham.'

VERSES 6-10.

But he whose descent is not counted from them, received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises, and without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the better; and bere men that die receive tithes, but there he receiveth them of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. And as I inay say so, Levi also who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham: for he was yet in the loins of his Father, when Melchisedec met bim.

The scope and argument of the words. I. Exposition of their several parts. II. Observations: 1. It is a great mercy and privilege when God will make use of any in blessing others with spiritual mercies, parental and ministerial blessings. 2. God is pleased, in the outward ministration of his worship, to make use of poor frail dying

men. Additional observations.

In these five verses the apostle pursues and concludes that part of his argument from the consideration of Melchisedec, which concerned the greatness and glory of him who was represented by him, and his pre-eminence above the Levitical priests; for if Melchisedec, who was but a type, was in his own person, in so many instances more excellent than they, how much more must Christ be esteemed to be above them who was represented by him; for he whom another is appointed to represent, must be more glorious than he bywhom he is represented. The apostle concludes in these verses, and thence proceeds to another great inference and deduction from what he had taught concerning this Melchisedec-That the Levitical priesthood must necessarily cease upon the introduction of that better priesthood, which fore-signified by that of Melchisedec.

was

I. (My YεVERNONSLEVO) He whose descent is not counted." The Syriac version, He who is not written in their genea

logies,' properly enough, for the apostle speaks of the genealogies recorded in the book of Genesis, wherein there is none of Melchisedec; and it is the writing by divine inspiration that his argument is founded on. Note. It is good ordinarily to be, as it were, genealogized into the ministry by established rule; but God can, by virtue of his own sovereignty, grant this privilege to whom he pleases and let not any imagine that such a supposition must needs immediately open a door to confusion, for there are invariable rules to try men and their ministry at all times, whether they are sent of God or not. The doctrine they teach, the ends they promote, the lives they lead, the circumstances of the times, &c. will sufficiently manifest whence such teachers are.

:

Received tithes of Abraham.' The Levitical priests received tithes of those who come out of the loins of Abraham, which was an evidence of their dignity by God's appointment; but Melchisedec received them of Abraham himself, which evidently declares his superiority to both; and the apostle, by insisting on these things so particularly, shews how difficult a matter it is to dispossess the minds of men of those things which they have long trusted to and boasted of.

And blessed him that had the promises.' This he singles out as the greatest privilege and honour of Abraham, as it was indeed the foundation of all his other mercies. The nature of this promise, with the solemn manner of giving it to Abraham, and the benefits included in it, he had at large declared before, (chap. vi. ver. 13-16.) Hereby Abraham became the father of the faithful, the heir of the world, and the friend of God; so that it exceedingly illustrates the greatness of Melchisedec, in that this Abraham paid tithes to him.

But it may yet be said, that Abraham had not received the promises then, when he was blessed of Melchisedec : we reply, he had before received the same promise, for the substance of it, which was afterwards more solemnly confirmed to him, on the trial of his faith in offering his

only son, (Gen. xii. 2, 3. chap. xiii. 15, 16.) He was then actually instated in a right to all that farther confirmation of the promises which he received on various occasions; and what followed added not to the dignity of his person, but served only to the confirmation of his faith. So Melchisedec blessed him who had the 'promises.'

But what if Abraham was thus blessed of Melchisedec, does this prove that he was less than he by whom he was blessed? Yes, says the apostle, and that by virtue of an unquestionable general rule; And without all contradic'tion, the less is blessed of the better.' The words (70 ελαττον and το κρειττονος) less and greater, are in the neuter gender, and so rendered in most translations; (Illud quod minus est, &c.) The Syriac reduces them to the masculine; He who is the less is blessed of him who is greater,' or more excellent, which is the true sense of the place. The words prevent an implied objection: (xwpis maons avriλoyias) without, beyond, above, all reasonable contradiction, as that which is evident in the light of nature. There are some truths, which have such an evidence in themselves, and such a suitableness to the principles of reason and the light of nature, that no colour of opposition can be made to them. And if any from strong prejudices persist in opposing them, they are not to be contended with, but neglected. What is here intimated is, that there are some principles of truth so secured in their own evidence and light, as that being unquestionable in themselves, they may be used and improved as concessions, whereon other less evident truths may be confirmed and established. The due consideration hereof is of great use in the method of teaching, or in the vindication of truth. In all teaching, especially in matters that are controverted, it is of great advantage to fix upon some unquestionable principles, whence those which are less evident, or are more opposed, may be deduced, or be otherwise influenced and confirmed. A neglect hereof makes popular discourses weak in their application; and

those wherein men contend for the truth, infirm in their conclusions. Hence the apostle resolves his present argument into such an unquestionable principle, as reason and common sense must admit of.

The proposition is, That the less is blessed of the greater; that is, he that is blessed, is therein less than the other, or beneath him in dignity. He treats only of sacerdotal benedictions, and, with respect to them, the rule is not only certainly true, but openly evident. But to illustrate the whole, and to shew how far the rule mentioned may be extended, we may reduce all sorts of blessings to four heads:

1. There is (benedictio potestativa) such a blessing as consists in an actual, efficacious communication of the matter of the blessing to the person blessed. Thus God alone can bless absolutely.

2. There is (benedictio authoritativa) a kind of blessing by which men, in the name, that is, by the appointment and warranty of God, declare any to be blessed; pronouncing the blessings to them, whereof, they shall be made partakers; and the blessing of Melchisedec in this place seems to have a mixture in it of both these; for, as it is plain that he blessed Abraham by virtue of his sacerdotal office, which our apostle principally considers, so I make no question but he was peculiarly actuated by immediate inspiration from God, in what he did. And in this sort of blessing the apostolical maxim maintains its evidence in the light of nature.

(Nde μev-ekel de) Here verily but there.' These words, here' and there,' express the several different states under consideration. Here, in the case of the Levitical priesthood; there, in the case of Melchisedec, (Gen. xiv.)

The foundation of the comparison, that whereon both agreed, is in this, that they received- tithes. It is expressed of the one sort only, the Levitical priests, but is understood .of the other also, as supplied in our translation. The opposition and difference lie in the qualification and properties