of the one and the good of the other, as they were, and as far as they were, heads of the covenants, are imputed to them who derive from them in their respective covenants. But after the first sin Adam ceased to be a head to his posterity, as to the good or evil of that covenant, which was now broken and disannulled. Neither was he, nor any of his posterity ever after, restored or assumed into the same state and condition. It is therefore highly vain, to confound the consideration of our concern in what Adam did as he was the head of the covenant, with what he afterwards did, and other intervenient progenitors might do. All this our apostle confirms at large, Rom. v. 7. Abraham was taken into a new administration of the covenant with new promises and seals. But he neither was, nor could be, made the head and representative of that covenant whereinto he was taken, otherwise than typically. Hence his moral good or evil could not be reckoned to his posterity in cove nant. But yet he was made the head and spring of the administration of its outward privileges; and this, so far as his trust extended, was imputed to his posterity, as in the case of circumcision. Wherefore seeing what he did to Melchisedec, belonged to the administration of the covenant committed to him, Levi is rightly said to have done it in him also. And so these things do mutually illustrate one another. But to deny that we were all in Adam as the head of the first covenant, that we sinned in him, that the sin which we in any sense have sinned is imputed to us, is not to dispute with us, but expressly to con tradict the Holy Ghost.

But we may take some observations from these words. As, Obs. IX. They who receive tithes of others for their work in holy administrations, are thereby proved to be superior to them of whom they do receive them.They are given to them among other ends, as an acknowledgment of their dignity. So it was when they were paid of old by God's institution; and so it would be still, if they might be paid or received in a due manner, with respect to the labour of any in gospel administrations. But whereas not one among thousands, doth give or pay them on any other ground but because they must do so whether they will or no; nor would do so any more, were it not for the coercive enforcing power of human laws; and whereas they on the other side that do receive them, do look on them not as a free pledge of the people's respect and the honour that they bear to them, but as their own right and due by law, they are a testimony neither of the people's obedience, nor of the minister's dignity, but only of the extreme disorder of all things in religion.

Obs. X. It is of great concern to us, what covenant we do belong to, as being esteemed to do therein what is done by our

representatives in our name.-There were never absolutely any more than two covenants; wherein all persons indefinitely are concerned. The first was the covenant of works, made with Adam and with all in him. And what he did as the head of that covenant, as our representative therein, is imputed to us as if we had done it, Rom. v. 12. The other is that of grace, made originally with Christ, and through him with all the elect. And here lieth the life and hope of our souls, that what Christ did as the Head of that covenant as our representative, it is all imputed to us for righteousness and salvation. And certainly there is nothing of more importance to us, than to know whether of these covenants we belong to; we are also some way concerned in them, by whom that one or the other of these covenant-states is conveyed to us. For before we make our own personal voluntary choice, we are by the law of our natures, and of the covenant itself, inclosed in the same condition with our progenitors, as to their covenant-state. thence it is that in the severest temporal judgments, children not guilty of the actual transgression of their parents, not having sinned after the similitude of them, by imitation, do yet ofttimes partake of the punishment they have deserved, being esteemed in some manner to have done what they did, so far as they were included in the same covenant with them. And many blessings on the other hand are they partakers of, who are included in the covenant of those parents, who are interested in the covenant of grace. For such parents succeed in the

And

And what Abraham

room of Abraham every one of them.. did as to the administration of the covenant intrusted with him, his posterity whose representative he was therein, are said to have done in him, as Levi is in this place, and therefore had the seal of the covenant given to them in their infancy. And an alteration in this dispensation of grace hath not yet been proved by any, or scarce attempted so to be.

VER. 11.-IN this verse, after so long a preparation and introduction, whereby he cleared his way from objections, and secured his future building, the apostle enters on his principal argument, concerning the priesthood of Christ, and all the consequences of it with respect unto righteousness, salvation, and the worship of God, which depend thereon. This being his main design, he would not engage into it, before he had in every respect declared and vindicated the dignity and glory of the person of Christ, as vested with his blessed offices. And from hence unto the didactical part of the Epistle, he proceeds in a retrograde order unto what he had before insisted on. whereas he had first declared the glory of the person of Christ in his kingly office, ch. i. then in his prophetical, ch. ii. iii.

For

and having now entered on his sacerdotal, he goes on to enlarge upon this last function; then he returns unto his prophetical, and shuts up the whole with a renewed mention of his kingly power, as we shall see in their order and proper places.

VER. 11.—Ει μεν εν τελείωσις δια της Λευϊτικης ιερωσυνης ην, (ὁ λαος γας επ' αυτη νενομοθέτητο.) τις ετι χρεια, κατα την ταξιν Μελχισεδέκ ἕτερον ανίστασθαι ἱερεα, και η κατα την ταξιν Ααρων λεγεσθαι.

Teksiwols, Syr. *017), consummatio, perfectio, a sacred perfection, or completeness of state and condition."

Aix ans Asvirions isgwouvns, Syr. *nbt kni¬nia 7'a, ‹ by the hand of the priesthood of Levi himself.' Because Levi himself received not the priesthood in his own person, but his posterity, Tremellius renders it Levitarum, the priesthood of Levites. The original leaves no scruple, by the Levitical priestbood,' the priesthood that was confined to the house, family, tribe, and posterity of Levi.

Ο λαός γαρ επ' αυτη νενομοθέτητο, Μ. S. ενενομοθέτητο, corruptly ; Nam sub hoc, populo sancita est lex, Beza. For under it the law was established to the people.' Sub ipso populus legem accepit, acceperat Syr. 8 o ha7, by whom, or whereby the law was imposed upon the people.' If 727, by whom, relate unto Levi, the sense is mistaken; and much more by the Arab. which takes the law only for the law of the sacerdotal office, from which it is plainly distinguished. The Ethiopic reads the whole verse to this purpose: And the people did according to the law of the priesthood which was appointed; what need was there therefore that he should give another priest, whose appointment one should say was according to Melchisedec?' which argues the great unskilfulness of that interpreter.

Tis STI xgua, quid adhuc, quid amplius opus erat, esset; necessarium fuit? What need was there yet, or moreover.' Syr. Nn, wherefore,' ad quid? to what purpose

Avorada, Oriri. Beza, Exoriri. Surgere, Vul. Lat. Syr. Op, should arise.' Oriri, properly, κατα την τάξιν, Syr, 72, in or after the likeness of Melchisedec,' secundum ordinem.

6

Και η κατά την ταξιν Ααρων λέγεσθαι, Et non secundum ordinem Aaron dici, Syr. 8, which is rendered in the translation in the Polyglot, sed dixit, but he said, it shall be, or he shall be in the likeness of Aaron: Dixisset autem, which, regulated by the precedent interrogation, gives us the true sense of the place. Suppose there must another priest arise, yet if' perfection had been by the Levitical priesthood, he would have said that he should be of the order of Aaron.'

VER. 11. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law) what farther need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron. The first thing in the words, is the introduction of the ensuing discourse and argument, in those particles of inference, μ, if therefore.' If things be as we have declared, he had a peculiar scope and design in all those things. These he is now introducing. The improvement of his whole preceding discourse, and the whole mystery of the priesthood of Melchisedec, he will now make an application of unto the great cause he had in hand. He hath proved by all sorts of arguments, that the priesthood of Melchisedec was superior unto that of -Aaron. Before he had evinced that there was to be another priest after his order; and this priest must of necessity be greater than all those who went before him of the tribe of Levi, in as much as he was so, by whom he was represented before the institution of that priesthood. Now he will let the Hebrews know whither all these things do tend in particular, and what doth necessarily follow from, and depend upon them. This he lays the foundation of in this verse, and declares in those following. And that they might consider how what he had to say was educed from what he had before proved, he introduceth it with these notes of inference, un, if therefore. And to comprehend the meaning of these words in general, with the design of the apostle in them, we may ob

serve,

1. That his reasoning in this case is built upon a supposition which the Hebrews could not deny. And this is, that riλswois, perfection or consummation,' is the end aimed at in the priesthood of the church. That priesthood which perfects or consummates the people, in order unto their acceptance with God, and future enjoyment of him, their present righteousness and future blessedness, is that which the church stands in need of, and cannot rest till it comes unto. That priesthood which doth not do so, but leaves men in an imperfect unconsummated estate, whatever use it may be of for a season, yet cannot it be perpetual unto the exclusion of another. For if so, either God had not designed to consummate his people, or he must do it some other way, and not by a priesthood. The first is contrary to the truth and faithfulness of God in all his promises, yea, would make all religion vain and ludicrous. For if it will never make men perfect, to what end doth it serve, or what must do so in the room thereof? That this should be done in any other way, than by a priesthood, the Hebrews did neither expeet nor believe. Tor they knew full well, that all the ways

appointed by the law, to make atonement for sin, to attain righteousness and acceptance with God, depended on the priesthood and the services of it, in sacrifices and other parts of divine worship. If therefore the apostle proves that perfection could not be attained by, nor under the Levitical priesthood, it necessarily follows, that there must be some more excellent priesthood remaining as yet to be introduced. This therefore he undeniably evinceth by this consideration. For,

2. Look unto the Levitical priesthood in the days of David and Solomon. Then was that order in its height and at its best; then was the tabernacle first, and afterwards the temple, in their greatest glory, and the worship of God performed with the greatest solemnity. The Hebrews would grant, that the priesthood of Levi could never arise to a higher pitch of glory, nor be more useful than it was in those days. Yet, saith he, it did not then consummate the church: perfection was not then attainable by it. This the Jews might deny, and plead that they desired no more perfection than what was in those days attained unto. Wherefore our apostle proves the contrary; namely, that God designed a perfection or consummation for his church, by a priesthood, that was not then attained. This he doth by the testimony of David himself, who prophesied and foretold that there was to be another priest after the order of Melchisedec. For if the perfection of the church was all that God ever aimed at by a priesthood; if that were attained, or attainable by the priesthood in David's time, to what end should another be promised to be raised up of another order? To have done so, would not have been consistent with the wisdom of God, nor the immutability of his counsel. For unto what purpose should a new priest of another order be raised up, to do that which was done before? Wherefore,

3. The apostle obviates an objection that might be raised against the sense of the testimony produced by him, and his application of it. For it might be said, that as after the institution of the Levitical priesthood, there was yet mention of another priest to rise, it might be some eminent person of the same order, such a one as Joshua the son of Josedec after the captivity, who was eminently serviceable in the house of God, and had eminent dignity thereon, Zech. iii. 4-7. So that the defect supposed might be in the persons of the priests, and not in the order of the priesthood. This the apostle obviates, by declaring that if it had been so, he would have been called or spoken of as one of the order of Aaron. But whereas there were two orders of the priesthood, the Melchisedecian and Aaronical, it is expressly said that this other priest should be of the former, and not of the latter.

4. He hath yet a farther design, which is not only to prove