by a preceptive law, as a part of that system of commands wherein the whole law consisted. See this law, and all the commands of it, Exod. xxviii. throughout.

Secondly, Why doth the apostle call this commandment «gxxs, carnal or fleshly.' Answ. It may be on either of these three accounts.

1. With respect unto the sacrifices, which were the principal part of the consecration of Aaron unto his office. And these may be called fleshly on two accounts. 1. Because of their subject-matter, they were flesh, or the bodies of beasts; as the Syriac reads these words, the commandment of bodies,' that is, of beasts to be sacrificed. 2. In themselves, and their relation unto the Jewish state, they reached no further than the purifying of the flesh. They sanctified unto the purifying of the flesh, as the apostle speaks, ch. ix. 13. And thus the whole commandment should be denominated from the principal subjectmatter, or the offering of fleshly sacrifices unto the purifying of the flesh.

2. It may be called carnal, because a priesthood was instituted thereby, which was to be continued by carnal propagation only; the priesthood appointed by that law, was confined unto the carnal seed and posterity of Aaron, wherein this other priest had no interest.

3. Respect may be had unto the whole system of those laws and institutions of worship, which our apostle, as was also before observed, calls carnal ordinances, imposed unto the time of reformation, ch. ix. 10. They were all carnal, in opposition unto the dispensation of the Spirit under the gospel, and the institutions thereof.

None of these ways was the Lord Christ made a priest. He was not dedicated unto his office by the sacrifice of beasts, but sanctified himself thereunto, when he offered himself through the eternal Spirit unto God, and was consummated in his own blood. He was not of the carnal seed of Aaron, nor did, nor could claim any succession unto the priesthood, by virtue of an extraction from his race. And no constitution of the law in general, no ordinance of it, did convey unto him either right or title unto the priesthood. It is therefore evident, that he was in no sense made a priest according to the law of a carnal commandment; neither had he either right, power or authority, to exercise the sacerdotal function, in the observance of any carnal rites or ordinances whatever. And we may observe,

Obs. V. That what seemed to be wanting unto Christ, in his entrance into any of his offices, or in the discharge of them, was on the account of a greater glory.-Aaron was made a priest with a great outward solemnity. The sacrifices which were of fered, and the garments he put on, with his visible separation

from the rest of the people, had a great ceremonial glory in them. There was nothing of all this, nor any thing like unto it, in the consecration of the Lord Christ unto his office. But yet indeed these things had no glory, in comparison of that excelling glory, which accompanied those invisible acts of divine authority, wisdom and grace, which communicated his office unto him. And indeed in the worship of God, who is a Spirit, all outward ceremony is a diminution and debasement of it. Hence were ceremonies for beauty and glory multiplied under the Old Testament, but yet, as the apostle shews, were all but carnal. But as the sending of Christ himself, and his investiture with all his offices, were by secret and invisible acts of God and his Spirit, so all evangelical worship, as to the glory of it, is spiritual and internal only. And the removal of the old pompous ceremonies from our worship, is but the taking away of the vail, which hindered from an insight and entrance into the holy place.

2. The way and manner whereby the Lord Christ was made a priest, is expressed positively: αλλα κατα δύναμιν ζωής ακατάλυτο, but according unto the power of an indissoluble life.' A denotes an opposition between the way rejected and this asserted, as those which were not consistent. He was not made a priest that way, but this. How is Christ then made a priest according to the power of an endless life? that is, saith one in his Paraphrase, installed into the priesthood after his resurrection.' What is meant by installed,' I do not well know. It should seem to be the same with us, 'consecrated, dedicated, initiated.' And if so, this exposition diverts wholly from the truth. For Christ was installed into his office of priesthood, before his resurrection, or he did not offer himself as a sacrifice unto God, in his death and blood-shedding. And to suppose, that the Lord Christ discharged and performed the principal act of his sacerdotal office, which was but once to be performed, before he was installed a priest, is contradictory to Scripture and reason itself. Ideo ad vitam immortalem perductus est, ut in æternum sacerdos noster esset. He was therefore brought unto an immortal life, that he might be our priest for ever, saith another. But this is not to be made a priest according to the power of an endless life. If he means, that he might always continue to be a priest, and to execute that office always unto the consummation of all things, what he says is true, but not the sense of this place; but if he means, that he became immortal after his resurrection, that he might be our priest, and abide so for ever, it excludes his oblation in his death from being a proper sacerdotal act, which that it was, I have sufficiently proved elsewhere, against Crellius and others.

Some think that the endless life intended is that of believers,

which the Lord Christ by virtue of his priestly office confers upon them. The priests under the law proceeded no further but to discharge carnal rites, which could not confer eternal life on them for whom they ministered. But the Lord Christ in the discharge of his office, procureth eternal redemption and everlasting life for believers. And these things are true, but they comprise not the meaning of the apostle in this place. For how can Christ be made a priest according to the power of that eternal life, which he confers on others? For the comparison and opposition that is made between the law of a carnal commandment, whereby Aaron was constituted a priest, and the power of an endless life, whereby Christ was made so, do evidence, that the making of Christ a priest, not absolutely, which the apostle treats not of, but such a priest as he is, was the effect of this endless life.

Wherefore the (an axaraλures, the indissoluble life here intended, is the life of Christ himself. Hereunto belonged, or from hence did proceed, that duvais, or power, whereby he was made a priest. And both the office itself, and the execution or discharge of it, are here intended. And as to the office itself, this eternal or endless life of Christ, is his life as the Son of God. Hereon depends his own mediatory life for ever, and his conferring of eternal life on us, John v. 26, 27. And to be a priest by virtue of, or according unto this power, stands in direct opposition unto the law of a carnal commandment.

It must therefore be inquired, how the Lord Christ was made a priest according unto this power. And I say it was, because thereby alone he was rendered meet to discharge that office, wherein God was to redeem his church with his own blood, Acts xx. 28. By power' therefore here, both meetness and ability are intended. And both these the Lord Christ had from his divine nature, and his endless life therein.

Or it may be the life of Christ in his human nature is intended, in opposition unto those priests, who being made so by the law of a carnal commandment, did not continue in the discharge of their office by reason of death, as our apostle observes afterwards. But it will be said, that this natural life of Christ, the life of the human nature, was not endless, but had an end put unto it in the dissolution of his soul and body on the cross.

I say therefore, this life of Christ was not absolutely the life of the human nature, considered separately from his divine; but it was the life of the person of the Son of God, of Christ as God and man in one person. And so his life was endless. For, first, in the death which he underwent in his human nature, there was no interruption given unto his discharge of his sacerdotal office, no, not for a moment. For, secondly, His person still lived, and both soul and body were therein inseparably VOL. V.

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united unto the Son of God. Although he was truly and really dead in his human nature, he was still alive in his indissolu ble person. And this the apostle hath a respect unto, in the testimony which he cites in the next verse, to prove that he is a priest for ever. The carnal commandment gave authority and efficacy unto the Levitical priests. But Christ is made a priest according to the power of an endless life; that is, through the power and efficacy of that eternal life, which is in his divine person, both his human nature is preserved always in the discharge of his office, and he is enabled thereby to work out eternal life on the behalf of them for whom he is a priest. And so the apostle proves the difference of this other priest, from those of the order of Aaron, not only from the tribe wherein he was to be, and from his type Melchisedec, but also from the way and means, whereby the one and the other were enabled to discharge their office.

VER. 17. THE proof of all before asserted, is given in the testimony of the psalmist so often before appealed to: "For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."

The introduction of this testimony is by agrues yag, or he witnesseth or testifieth; that is, David doth in the Psalm, or rather the Holy Ghost speaking in and by David, doth so testify. He doth not absolutely say that so he speaks,' but 'testifies; because he used his words in a way of testimony unto what he had delivered. And although one thing be now principally intended by him, yet there is in these words a testimony given unto all the especial heads of his discourse. As, 1. That there was to be another priest, a priest that was not of the stock of Aaron, nor tribe of Levi. For he says unto the Messiah prophesied of, who was to be of the seed of David, σv itgsus, Thou art a priest,' although a stranger from the Aaronical line. 2. That this other priest was to be after the order of Melchisedec, and was not to be called after the order of Aaron. 1—xaτα Tağıv,' after the order:" is a redundant, and not a suffix. 7 is from 727, and signifies 'a

על דברתי For he was

,אמרתי אני בלבי על דברת בני האדם : state or order of things

Eccles. iii. 18. "I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men," their condition and order of all things; that is, Tas. The priesthood of Christ in the mind of God, was the eternal idea or original exemplar of the priesthood of Melchisedec. God brought him forth, and vested him with his office, in such a way and manner, as that he might outwardly represent in sundry things, the idea of the priesthood of Christ in his own mind. Hence he and his priesthood, became an external exemplar of the priesthood of Christ, as unto its actual ex

hibition; and therefore is he said to be made a priest after his order, that is, suitably unto the representation made thereof in him. 3. That he was made a priest, namely, by him and his authority, who said unto him, "Thou art a priest;" as ch. v. 5, 6. 10. 4. That he was so after the power of an endless life; for he was a priest for ever. This word is applied to the law and legal priesthood, and signifies a duration commensurate unto the state and condition of the things whereunto it is applied. There was any of the law, an age whereunto its continuance was confined. So long all the promises annexed to it stood in force. And as ascribed unto the new state of things under the gospel, it doth not signify eternity absolutely, but a certain unchangeable duration, unto the end of the time and works of the gospel. For then shall the exercise of the priesthood of Christ cease, with his whole mediatory work and office, 1 Cor. xv. 28. Christ therefore is said to be a priest for ever. 1. In respect of his person, endued with an endless life. 2. Of the execution of his office unto the final end of it-he lives for ever to make intercession. 3. Of the effect of his of fices, which is to save believers unto the utmost, or with an everlasting salvation.

And the apostle had sufficient reason to affirm that what he proposed was eminently manifest, namely, from the testimony which he produceth thereof. For what can be more evident, than that the Aaronical priesthood was to be abolished, if so be that God had designed and promised to raise up another priest in the church, who was neither of the stock nor order of Aaron, nor called the same way to his office as he was, and who, when he was so raised and called, was to continue a priest for ever, leaving no room for the continuance of that priesthood in the church, nor place for its return when it was once laid aside? And we may observe that,

Obs. VI. The eternal continuance of Christ's person, gives eternal continuance and efficacy unto his office.-Because he lives for ever, he is a priest for ever. His endless life is the foundation of his endless priesthood. Whilst he lives, we want not a priest; and therefore he says, that because he lives, we shall live also.

Obs. VII. To make new priests in the church, is virtually to renounce the faith of his living for ever as our priest, or to suppose that he is not sufficient to the discharge of his office.

Obs. VIII. The alteration that God made in the church by the introduction of the priesthood of Christ, was progressive towards its perfection.-To return therefore unto, or look after legal ceremonies in the worship of God, is to go back unto poor beggarly elements and rudiments of the world.