revelation, and taught many things concerning the nature of sin, its expiation and cleansing; representing, though darkly, good things to come. So it is yet continued as a part of the revealed will of God. And the light of the gospel being brought unto it, we may learn things far more clearly out of it, than ever the Jews of old could do.

And the force of the argument here insisted on by the apostle, against the absolute perpetuity of the law, which was of old, and yet continueth to be the head of the controversy between the Jews and the church of Christ, is so unavoidable, that some of them have been compelled to acknowledge that in the days of the Messiah, legal sacrifices and the rest of their ceremonies, shall cease; though the most of them understand that their cause is given away thereby. And they have no other way to free themselves from this argument of the apostle, but by denying that Melchisedec was a priest, or that it is the Messiah who is prophesied of, Psal. cx. which evidences of a desperate cause, and more desperate defenders of it, have been elsewhere convinced of folly. Wherefore, this important argument is confirmed by our apostle in the ensuing verses. And we may see,

Obs. VI. How it is a fruit of the manifold wisdom of God, that it was a great mercy to give the law, and a greater to take it away. And,

Obs. VII. If under the law the whole worship of God did so depend on the priesthood, that that failing or being taken away, the whole worship of itself was to cease, as being no more acceptable before God; how much more is all worship under the New Testament rejected by him, if there be not a due regard therein unto the Lord Christ, as the only Highpriest of the church, and to the efficacy of his discharge of that office.

Obs. VIII. It is the highest vanity to pretend use or continuance in the church, from possession or prescription, or pretended benefit, beauty, order, or advantage, when once the mind of God is declared against it. The pleas of this kind for the old priesthood and law, excelled all that can be insisted on, with respect unto any other things for which any pretend a veneration in divine worship; yet were they of no validity or efficacy.

VER. 13.—Εφ' όν γαρ λέγεται ταυτα, φυλῆς ἑτερας μετεσχηκεν, αφ' ής ουδείς προσέσχηκε τω θυσιαστηρίω.

EQ' iv, in quem; in quo, Vul. Lat. bo vby mana7 722 177, Syr. For he concerning whom these things are spoken." For he on whom these things are said,' Rhem. improperly. Quλng itigas μITIxnxar, Vul. de alia tribu est, Rhem. is of ano

ther tribe,' omitting the especial force of the word μrrynx, though the substance of the sense be retained. Syr. 7nx, was born' of another tribe. Particeps fuit, did derive his genealogy from, and so had his especial relation unto another tribe. Пgons, ministravit, attendit; Vul. præsto fuit. The Ethiopic, And if any one will say so (or as one may say) he placeth another tribe, because they kept not the altar,' mistaking both the meaning of the design, and sense of the apostle's words.

VER. 13. For he of whom these things are spoken, pertaineth unto another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

The causal conjunction yag, doth not only intimate a pursuit of the foregoing argument, and the confirmation of the supposition whereon it was built, but also an entrance upon the express application of the whole preceding discourse, unto the person of Jesus Christ, the true and only High-priest of the church.

6

1. In the words there is, the subject to be further treated on, described, εφ' όν λεγεται ταυτα. That mig, de quo, he concerning whom,' quem designaverunt hæc, ad quem hæc pertinent, 'he who is designed in all these things,' he unto whom they do all belong.' He, with respect unto whom, Taura, these things; that is, all that hath been spoken concerning Melchisedec and his priesthood, all things that do naturally follow and ensue thereon. For although sundry of them were spoken first and immediately concerning other persons and things; yet they all belong ultimately and perfectly unto Christ alone, whom they did represent and make way for. And we may observe hence,

Obs. I. That it is our duty in studying of the Scripture, to inquire diligently after the things which are spoken concerning Jesus Christ, and what is taught of him in them.-This doth our apostle find out, in all that was spoken concerning Melchisedec and the Levitical priesthood. This Jesus himself gives in charge, John v. 39. "Search the Scriptures, they are they which testify of me." Our principal aim in searching the Scriptures ought to be, that we may find out what they say, and what they testify concerning Christ. And this was the practice of the prophets of old, with respect unto all the revelations which they received, 1 Pet. i. 10-12. Let the pains and industry, and skill of men in the reading and interpreting of the Scriptures, be what they will, without this design, they will never rightly be understood, nor duly improved. For as those things which concern his person, office, and grace, with the mysteries of the wisdom of God in them all, are the principal subject of them; so all other things which are taught and VOL. V.

Gg

revealed in them, are never apprehended unto any good end or purpose, unless their relation unto him, and dependance upon him, be rightly understood. Some are charged that they esteem of no preaching but that which is concerning the person of Christ, which how faise an accusation it is, their preaching and writings do discover. But this they say indeed, that is, some do so, that seeing it is the design of God to gather all things into a head in Christ, that preaching is to little purpose, which doth not, more or less expressly, evidence the relation of all truths and duties unto him.

2. It is added Quans itigas μersoxnxs, he pertained unto another tribe. To confirm his argument concerning the changing or abolition of the priesthood, the apostle supposeth the distribution of the people into tribes, according unto the number of the sons of Jacob. And as these tribes had a common interest in the church, so some of them had peculiar privileges granted and confirmed unto them by law. So the priesthood was granted, confined, and confirmed unto the tribe of Levi, and unto the family of Aaron in that tribe. And it was so confined thereunto, as that all the rest of the tribes were for ever excluded from any interest therein, and all that belonged unto them incapacitated thereof. But unto one of the tribes, so ex. cluded from an interest in the legal priesthood, did he belong, of whom these things are spoken. And this I look upon as the principal reason of the distinction of that people into their tribes; namely, that God thereby might provide for their instruction, as to the continuance of the legal worship among them, which could be no longer continued than the priesthood was reserved unto that one tribe, whereunto it was originally granted, μrix: see the meaning of the word in our exposi sition on chap. ii. 14. His share, lot, and interest lay in another tribe.

3. He describes in general this other tribe whereof he was, by its legal exclusion from all the service of the altar; "Of which no man gave attendance at the altar." What tribe that was in particular, he declares in the next verse, shewing not only of what tribe he was, but also what it was necessary he should be. Another tribe, aq' is, whereof,' from which none that was genealogized, attended at the altar; that is, had right so to do, or was not forbidden by the law so to do. God doth not reckon that to be done in his service, which he hath not appointed, much less which he hath forbidden. What other inroads were made on the sacerdotal office, we know not; but one of the tribe here intended by the apostle, whereof none was to attend the altar, did draw nigh to offer incense, for which he was rebuked by the high-priest, and punished of God, 2 Chron. xxvi. 19. And God exercised the greater severity herein, that

the church might understand, that when he introduced and allowed of a priest of another tribe, that old priesthood must of necessity cease and be abolished. "No man gave attendance," that is, had right so to do.

That expression, goriгxxxs vw during, attended, waited, on the altar,' may be a synecdochical description of the whole priestly office, from the principal work and duty belonging thereunto. But I suppose the apostle may not only include the priests, unto whom the immediate work of sacrificing at the altar did belong; but all those who attended the services of it, though they could offer neither burnt incense nor sacrifice; that is, all the Levites in their courses. For he so excludes the tribe, whereof he speaks, from the least relation unto the sacerdotal work or office. None of them ever did or might draw near nor minister unto the altar in any sacred services whatsoever. See 1 Cor. ix. 13.

This entrance doth the apostle make into the confirmation of his assertion, that the priesthood was changed, and therewithal the law. For it appears that there was to be a priest, who had no right by the law so to be; seeing he was of that tribe which the law utterly excluded from any interest in the sacred services of the altar; and much more those which were peculiar unto the Aaronical priests. Thus,

Obs. II. All men's rights, duties and privileges in sacred things, are fixed and limited by divine institution. And,

Obs. III. Seeing Christ himself had no right to minister at the material altar, the re-introduction of such altars, is inconsistent with the perpetual continuance of his priesthood.

VER. 14. THE apostle confirms his assertion by a particular application of it unto the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. VER. 14.—Пgodnλov γαρ ότι εξ Ιουδα ανατεταλκεν ὁ Κύριος ήμων, εις ήν περὶ ἱερωσυνης Μωσης ελάλησε,

Φυλήν ουδεν

Пeg isgwσurns, Vul. Lat. de sacerdotibus, without countenance from any copies of the original or ancient translation.

The words contain a double assertion. 1. That our Lord sprang of the tribe of Judah. 2. That of that tribe, Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood. There wants nothing to complete the proof of his argument, but that our Lord was a priest, which he therefore proves in the ensuing verses. VER. 14. For it is evident (or manifest) that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood.

In the first part of the words, there are two things consider able. The manner of the proposition, or the modification of

προδηλον εστι. the assertion, godha T. The conjunction ye, foi,' doth only shew that a reason or proof of what was before laid down, is here introduced. And of this he saith, palam est, manifestum, it is manifest, open,' a thing confessed; evident, as we say, in itself. A thing easy to be proved, but that it is by no man denied. Only whereas do is manifest' or evident, eonλor seems to intimate what was manifest beforehand; as is to evidence a matter beforehand.' And this may not only respect, but be confined unto the preceding promises and declaration, that the Messiah should be of the tribe of Judah. But we may consider in general, how this is said to be a thing evident, or manifest in its application unto our Lord Jesus Christ. › And,

1. This was included in the faith of believers, who granted him to be the Messiah. For nothing was more plainly promised under the Old Testament, nor more firmly believed by the church, than that the Messiah was to be of the tribe of Judah, and of the family of David. And thus it was gonor, • manifest to them beforehand.' For unto Judah the promise was solemnly confined, Gen. xlix. S-10. and frequently reiterated unto David, as I have shewed elsewhere. Whoever, therefore, acknowledged our Lord Jesus Christ to be the true Messiah, as all the Hebrews did unto whom our apostle wrote, though the most of them adhered unto the law and to its ceremonies, they must and did grant, that he sprang of the tribe of Judah. And none of the unbelieving Jews made use of this objection, that he was not of the tribe of Judah, which if they could have managed, had absolutely justified them in their unbelief. This was sufficient unto the purpose of the apostle, seeing he proceeded not only on what was granted among them, but firmly believed by them, and not denied by their adver

saries.

2. It was in those days manifest by his known genealogy. For by the providence of God, his parents were publicly enrolled of that tribe and of the family of David, in the tax and recognition of the people appointed by Augustus Cesar, Luke ii. 4. And this was made yet more famous by the cruelty of Herod, seeking his destruction among the children of Bethlehem, Mat. ii. And the genealogies of all families, whilst the Jewish commonwealth continued in any condition, were carefully preserved, because many legal rights and constitutions did depend thereon. And this preservation of genealogies was both appointed of God, and fenced with legal rights for this very end, to evidence the accomplishment of his promise in the Messiah. And to this end was his genealogy written and recorded by two of the evangelists, as that whereon the truth of his being the Messiah did much depend.