not call any unto, even such a reformation of persons as may prove a dissolution of its constitution, if God raise, gift, and providentially call any unto that work, assisting them in it, I should not doubt of the lawfulness of their ministry, as granted unto them by special privilege, though not communicated by external rule and order. It is good ordinarily to be genealogised into the ministry by established rule; but God can by virtue of his own sovereignty grant this privilege unto whom he pleaseth. And let not any imagine that such a supposition must needs immediately open a door unto 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 which they teach, the ends which they promote, the lives which they lead, the circumstances of the seasons wherein they appear, will sufficiently manifest whence such teachers are. 2. Having thus described Melchisedec, and manifested on what account the things mentioned were ascribed or did belong unto him, he mentions the things themselves, which were two. 1. That he received tithes of Abraham. 2. That he blessed him; in both which he demonstrates his greatness and dignity. 1. By the consideration of the person of whom he received tithes-it was Abraham himself. 2. By an especial circumstance of Abraham-it was he who received the promises, from whence the whole church of Israel claimed their privileges. 1. Aid:αTONE TOV Agaan, he received tithes of Abraham.' The Levitical priests received tithes of those who came out of the loins of Abraham, which was an evidence of their dignity by God's appointment. But he received them of Abraham himself, which evidently declares his superiority above them, as also herein above Abraham himself. And the apostle, by insisting on these things so particularly, shews, 1. How difficult a matter it is to dispossess the minds of men of those things which they have long trusted unto and boasted of. It is plain from the gospel throughout, that all the Jews looked on this as their great privilege and advantage, that they were the posterity of Abraham, whom they conceived on all accounts the greatest and most honourable person that ever was in the world. Now, although there was much herein, yet when they began to abuse it, and trust unto it, it was necessary that their confidence should be abated and taken down. But so difficult a matter was this to effect, that the apostle applies every argument unto it, that hath a real force and evidence in it, especially such things as they had not before considered, as it is plain they were utterly ignorant in the instructive part of this story of Melchisedec. And we see, in like manner, when men are possessed with an inveterate conceit of their being the church, and having all the privileges of it inclosed unto them, although they have long since forfeited openly all right thereunto, how difficult a thing it is to dispossess their minds of that pleasing presumption. 2. That every particle of divine truth is instructive and argumentative, when it is rightly used and improved. Hence the apostle presseth all the circumstances of this story, from every one of them, giving light and evidence unto the great truth which he sought to confirm. 2. That it might yet farther appear how great Melchisedec was, who received tithes of Abraham, he declares who Abraham was, in an instance of his great and especial privilege. It Was, τον έχοντα τας επαγγελίας, ο he who received the promises. This he singles out as the greatest privilege and honour of Abraham, as it was indeed the foundation of all the other mercies which he enjoyed, or advantages that he was entrusted withal. The nature of this promise, with the solemn manner of its giving unto Abraham, and the benefits included in it, he had at large declared, ch. vi. 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 unto him. The medium of the argument in this instance is liable only unto one exception; namely, that Abraham was not the first that received the promises, so that although he were not, yet there might be others greater than Melchisedec, who never made any acknowledgment of his pre-eminence. For the promise was given to Adam himself immediately after the fall, as also unto Noah in the covenant made with him, and to others also who before Abraham died in the faith. Answ. It is true, they had the promise and the benefit of it; but yet so as, in sundry things, Abraham was preferred above them all. For, 1. He had the promise more plainly and clearly given unto him, than any of his predecessors in the faith. Hence he was the first of whom it is said, that he saw the day of Christ and rejoiced, as having a clearer view of his coming, and of salvation by him, than any that went before him. 2. The promise was confirmed unto him by an oath, which it had not been unto any before. 3. The promised Seed was in it peculiarly confined unto his family or posterity; see Heb. ii. 17. 4. His receiving of the promise, was that which was the foundation of the church in his posterity, which he had peculiarly to deal withal. He had therefore the pre-eminence above all others in this matter of receiving the promises. But it may yet be said, that Abraham had not received the promises then, when he was blessed of Melchisedec, so that it was no argument of his pre-eminence at that time. But, 1. He had before received the same promise for the substance of it, which was afterwards more solemnly confirmed unto him, on the trial of his faith in offering his only Son, Gen. xii. 2, 3. ch. xiii. 15, 16. 2. He was then actually instated in a right unto all that farther confirmation of the promises which he received on various occasions, and what followed added not unto the dignity of his person, but served only unto the confirmation of his faith. So Melchisedec blessed him who had the promises. And we may observe, Obs. 1. We can be made partakers of no such grace, mercy, or privilege in this world, but that God can, when he pleaseth, make an addition thereunto.-He who had received the promises, was afterwards blessed. We depend upon an infinite fountain of grace and mercy, from whence it is made out unto us by various degrees, according to the good pleasure of God. Neither will he give unto us, nor are we capable to receive in this world, the whole of what he hath provided for us, in the enjoyment whereof our final blessedness doth consist. Wherefore, as it is required of us to be thankful for what we have, or to walk worthy of the grace we have received, yet we may live in constant expectation of more from him, and it is the great comfort and relief of our souls that we may so do. Obs. II. It is the blessing of Christ, typified in and by Melchisedec, that makes promises and mercies effectual unto us He is himself the great subject of the promises, and the whole blessing of them cometh forth from him alone. All besides him, all without him, is of, or under the curse. In him, from him, and by him only, are all blessings to be obtained. Obs. III. Free and sovereign grace is the only foundation of all privileges.-All that is spoken of the dignity of Abraham, is resolved into this, that he received the promises. VER. 7.-BUT what if Abraham was thus blessed by Melchisedec, doth this prove that he was less than he by whom he was blessed? It doth so, saith the apostle, and that by virtue of an unquestionable general rule. VER. 7. Χωρίς δε πάσης αντιλογίας, το ελατίον ύπο τα κρειττονος ευλο The words play and xgusler, less and greater,' are in the neuter gender, and so rendered in most translations, illud quod minus est, à majore; only the Syriac reduceth them to the mas ་ IHe who is the • הו דבציר מתברך מן הו דמיתר מנה,culine Jess, is blessed of him who is greater, or more excellent than him,' which is the sense of the words. Xagis di Tαons artiλoyias, Erasm. Porro nemo negat: absque ullo, omni, contradictione, and without all contradiction.' VER. 7.-And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the greater. The words prevent an objection, which is supposed, not expressed. And therefore are they continued with those foregoing by the conjunction d, as carrying on what was before asserted by a farther illustration and confirmation of it. And there is in them, 1. The manner of the assertion; and, 2. The proposition itself. 1. The manner of it is in these words, yagis mmons Mutidaɣixe without, beyond, above, all reasonable contradiction.' A truth this is that cannot, that will not be gainsaid, which none will deny or oppose; as that which is evident in the light of nature, and which the order of the things spoken of doth require. All truths, especially divine truths, are such as ought not to be contradicted, and which no contradiction can evert, or change their natures, that they should not so be. But against some of them, not for want of truth, but either from want of evidence in themselves, or for want of light in them unto whom they are proposed, contradictions may arise, and they may be called into dispute or question. Thus it hath fallen out with all truths which we receive by mere supernatural revelation. The darkness of the minds of men, unable clearly to discern them, and perfectly to comprehend them, will raise disputes about them, and objections against them. But some truths there are, which have such an evidence in themselves, and such a suitableness to the principles of reason and natural light, that no colour of opposition can be made unto them. And if any out of brutisk affections or prejudices do force an opposition unto them, they are to be neglected and not contended withal. Wherefore that which is here intimated is, that there are some principles of truth that are 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 any unquestioned truths from opposition. In all teaching, especially in matters that are controverted, it is of great advantage to fix some unquestionable principles, whence those which are less evident, or are more opposed, may be deduced, or be otherwise influenced and confirmed. Neglect hereof, makes popular discourses weak in their application, and those wherein men contend for the truth, infirm in their conclusions. This course therefore the apostle here useth, and resolveth his present argument into such an unquestionable principle, as reason and common sense must admit of. 2. The proposition thus modified, is, te i^atler iwe tu ngeirionas Sureyrar, that the less is blessed of the greater; that is, wherein one is orderly blessed by another, he that is blessed is therein less than, or beneath in dignity, unto him by whom he is blessed, as it is expressed in the Syriac translation. Exposi tors generally on this place distinguish the several sorts of be nedictions that are in use and warrantable among men, that so they may fix on that concerning which the rule here mentioned by the apostle, will hold unquestionably. But as unto the especial design of the apostle, this labour may be spared; for 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 unto four heads. 1. There is benedictio potestativa; that is, such a blessing as consists in an actual efficacious collation on, or communication of the matter of the blessing unto the person blessed. Thus God alone can bless absolutely. He is the only Fountain of all goodness, spiritual, temporal, eternal, and so of the whole entire matter of blessing, containing it all eminently and virtually in himself. And he alone can efficiently communicate it unto, or collate it on any others, which he doth as seemeth good unto him, according to the counsel of his own will. All will grant, that with respect hereunto, the apostle's maxim is unquestionable, God is greater than man. Yea, this kind of blessing ariseth from, or dependeth solely on, that infinite distance that is between the being or nature of God, and the being of all creatures. This is God's blessing, noin 10, an addi tion of good,' as the Jews call it, a real communication of grace, mercy, privileges, or whatever the matter of the blessing be. 2. There is benedictio authoritativa. This is when men in the name, that is, by the appointment and warrant of God, do declare any to be blessed, pronouncing the blessings to them, whereof they shall be made partakers. And this kind of blessing was of old, of two sorts. First, Extraordinary, by virtue of especial immediate inspiration, or a spirit of prophecy. Se condly, Ordinary, by virtue of office and institution. In the first way Jacob blessed his sons, which he calls a declaration of "what should befal them in the last days," Gen. xlix. 1. And such were all the solemn patriarchal benedictions, as that of Isaac, when he had infallible direction, as to the blessing, but not in his own mind as to the person to be blessed, Gen. xxvii. 27-29. So Moses blessed the children of Israel in their re spective tribes, Deut. xxxiii. 1. In the latter way, the priests, by virtue of God's ordinance, were to bless the people with this authoritative blessing. "And the Lord spake unto Moses, |