makes it manifest, what important mysteries depend on such minute considerations, as some would think were little to be regarded. But all things concerning him are full of divine mysteries, and every word about them that drops from infinite wisdom, ought to be an object of faith and admiration. When, therefore, we cease to inquire with all diligence into all the revelations made concerning Christ or his offices, or any thing which be longs unto them; we do really cease to be Christians. And there can be no greater evidence of our want of faith in him and love unto him, than if we neglect a due consideration of all things, that the Scripture reveals and testifies concerning him. The proposition itself is in those words-not without an oath.' Two things the apostle supposeth in this negative proposition.

1. That there were two ways whereby men either were or might be made priests, namely, they might be so either with, or without an oath. And he expresseth the latter way, applying it. negatively unto Christ, that he might include a negation of the former way with respect unto the priests under the law; both which he afterwards expressly mentioneth.

. 2. That the dignity of the priesthood depends on, and is declared by the way whereby God was pleased to initiate men into that office.

These two things being in general laid down, as those which could not be denied, the apostle makes application of them in the next verse distinctly, unto the priests of the law on the one hand, and Christ on the other, in a comparison between whom he is engaged. And we may observe, that,

Obs. 11. Nothing was wanting on the part of God, that might give eminency, stability, glory and efficacy, unto the priesthood of Christ: Not without an oath."-For,

1. This was due unto the glory of his person. The Son of God, in infinite grace, condescending unto the susception of this office, and the discharge of all the duties of it, it was meet that all things which might contribute any thing unto the glory or efficacy of it, should accompany his undertakings. For being in himself the image of the invisible God, by whom all things were created, it was meet that in his whole work, he should in all things have the pre-eminence, as our apostle speaks, Col. i. 15, 16. 18. He was in every thing that he undertook, to be preferred and exalted above all others, who ever were employed in the church, or ever should be; and therefore was he made a priest, not without an oath.

2. God saw that this was needful to encourage and secure the faith of the church. There were many things defective in the priesthood under the law, as we have partly seen already, and shall yet see more fully in our progress. And it suited the de-. sign and wisdom of God that it should be so.

For he never in

tended that the faith of the church should rest and be terminat. éd, in those priests or their office. What he granted unto them, was sufficient unto the end and use whereunto he had designed it; so as that the church might have all that respect for it, which was needful or for their good. But so many defects there were in that administration, as might sufficiently evidence that the faith of the church was not to acquiesce therein, but to look for what was yet to come, as our apostle proves by many instances in this chapter. But upon the introduction of the priesthood of Christ, God really and actually proposeth and exhibiteth unto the church, all that they were to trust unto, all that he would do, or was any way needful to be done for their peace and salvation. No other relief was to be expected for the future; therefore did God, in infinite wisdom and grace, for the stability and security of their faith, grant the highest and most peculiar evidences, of the everlasting confirmation of his priesthood. And hereby did he manifest, that this dispensation of his will and grace was absolutely unchangeable, so that, if we comply not therewithal, we must perish for ever. Thus the whole Scripture, and all contained therein, direct us to our ultimate hope and rest in Christ alone.

VER. 21.-IN the application of this assertion, the apostle af firms that those priests, pir yag, the priests under the law," were made without an oath. No such thing is mentioned in all that is recorded concerning their call and consecration. For where they are expressly declared in their outward circumstances, Exod. xxviii. xxix. there is mention made of no such thing. But their dedication consisted in three things.

1. A call from God expressed, uw inguiç yeyovores, Exod. xxviii. 1. We have shewed how necessary this was unto the first erection of any priesthood, though it was to be continued by an ordinary succession; see ch. v. 4. It is therefore granted, that in this general foundation of the office, Aaron had it, even as Christ had, though not in the same way or manner. For the call of Christ was far more eminent and glorious than that of Aaron, as hath been shewed.

2. It consisted in the appointment and preparation of those peculiar garments, and mystical ornaments, wherein they were to administer their office, and their unction with the holy anointing oil, when clothed with those garments.

3. In the sacrifices wherewith they were consecrated, and actually set apart unto that office whereunto they were called. And these two were peculiar unto them, there being no use of them in the consecration of Christ, for both of them did declare their whole administration to be external and carnal, and therefore could never make any thing perfect, nor were capable of a con firmation unto perpetuity.

But the promise made unto Phinehas, seems to be express for an eternity in this priesthood. "Behold," saith God, "I give unto him my covenant of peace, and he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood," Num. xxv. 12, 13. But this proves not a certain absolute per petuity of this priesthood of Phinehas. For,

1. The covenant intended, was not a complete solemn cove nant confirmed either by oath or sacrifice, but only a naked promise or declaration of the will of God. And that " is frequently used for such a promise, as wherein the nature of a covenant is not contained, is acknowledged by the Jews themselves.

2. All the special covenants or promises that God made unto, or with any under the law that had respect unto legal adminis trations, were all of them commensurate unto the duration and continuance of the law itself. Whilst the covenant of the law itself was in force, they also continued; and when that ceased, then also were they to cease. For the foundation being taken away, the whole building must come to the ground. Now that this old covenant of the law was to cease and be taken away, by the introduction of another and a better, God did openly and frequently declare under the Old Testament, as our apostle manifests by one signal instance in the next chapter. And this is the sense of bb, for ever,' in this case constantly. It expresseth a certain continuance of any thing so as not to be changed, or to have another thing substituted in the room of that whereunto it is applied, whilst that legal dispensation continued. And so it was in this promise made unto Phinehas. though there was an intercision made afterwards, as to the conti nuance of the priesthood in the line of his family, by the interposition of Eli and his sons, who were of the posterity of Itha mar, yet he returned again into the enjoyment of this promise, in the person of Zadok in the days of Solomon, and so continued until the second temple was forsaken of God also, and made a den of thieves.

For al

But neither with respect unto him or any other, is there any mention of the oath of God. For indeed God did never solemnly interpose himself with an oath in a way of privilege or mercy, but with direct respect unto Jesus Christ. So he sware by himself unto Abraham, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed, whereby he declared the immutability of his counsel, in sending his Son to take his seed upon him. So he sware unto David by his holiness, that his seed, namely Christ, should sit on the throne for ever. Wherefore, although God never changeth any real internal acts of his will, or his purposes, for with him there is neither variableness nor shadow of turning; yet he often works an alteration in some things, which on some conditions, or for some time, he hath proposed and enjoined unto

his church, unless they were confirmed by his oath. For this declares them to be absolutely immutable.

This is the account the apostle gives of the Aaronical priests, xas of μer xweis ignauorias, and they truly,' that is, Aaron and all his posterity that exercised the priest's office in a due manner, they were all made priests, that is, by God himself. They did not originally take this honour unto themselves, but were called of God. For he hath no regard unto them who in those days invaded the priest's office with violence, deceit, or bribery, and so not only corrupting, but evacuating the covenant of Levi. Those that entered into and executed their office according to the law, are here intended by him. These were all made priests in the way of God's appointment; but neither all of them, nor any of them, were made priests by an oath. God, into whose sovereign will and pleasure all these things are resolved, granted unto them what he saw convenient, and withheld what seemed good unto him; what he did was sufficient to oblige the people unto obedience, during that dispensation of his will; and what he did not add, but reserved for a further dispensation of his grace, intimated that liberty which he reserved unto himself of making an alteration therein, as he saw good. And we may see, that,

Obs. III. Although the decrees and purposes of God were always firm and immutable, yet there was no fixed state of outward dispensations, none confirmed with an oath, until Christ came.-Nor shall we find any rest in any thing, until we come to Christ.

The apostle in the next words declares in particular, and positively, what he had in general and negatively before laid down; but this with an oath, de, but he, this man,' he who was to be a priest after the order of Melchisedec. He was made μ' igxμories, with an oath.' This is first asserted, and then proved by the testimony of the psalmist; and the assertion may have a double signification. 1. That this oath was constituent of his office. Therein his call and consecration did consist. 2. That his call, constitution, or consecration, was confirmed and ratified with an oath. And the latter sense is intended; for so doth the antithesis require. Those legal priests had a divine constitution and call, but they had no confirmation by the addition of an oath: God used not an oath in or about any thing that belonged unto them. Wherefore this man was also to have another call unto, and constitution of his office, but he was to be confirmed therein by an oath. Wherein this call of Christ unto his office did consist, what were the acts of the divine will thereabout, and what was the manifestation of them, I have declared at large in the exercitations about the priesthood of Christ. Two things are to be considered in this oath. 1. The form; and, 2. The matter of it. 1. The form of it is in those words, wors Kugios

nai & μiraμiλndnotra, The Lord sware, and will not repent.' And the matter of it is, that he in his own person should be a priest for ever.

The person swearing is God the Father, who speaks unto the Son in the Psal. cx. 1." The Lord said unto my Lord;" and the oath of God is nothing but the solemn eternal unchangeable decree and purpose of his will, under an especial way of declaration. So the same act and counsel of God's will is called his decree, Psak ii. 7. Wherefore, when God will so far unveil a decree and purpose, as to testify it to be absolute and unchangeable, he doth it in the way of an oath, as hath been declared, ch. vi. 13, 14. Or to the same purpose, God affirms that he hath sworn in the case.

If then it be demanded, When God thus sware unto Christ? I answer, we must consider the decree itself unto this purpose, and the peculiar revelation or declaration of it, in which two this oath doth consist. And as to the first, it belongs entirely unto those eternal federal transactions between the Father and the Son, which were the original of the priesthood of Christ, which I have at large explained in our Exercitations. And as for the latter, it was when he gave out that revelation of his mind, in the force and efficacy of an oath in the Psalm by David. It is therefore not only a mistake, but an error of danger in some expositors, who suppose that this oath was made unto Christ upon his ascension into heaven. For this apprehension being pursued, will fall in with the garov dos of the Socinians in this whole cause, namely, that the kingly and priestly offices of Christ are not really distinct. Moreover, it supposeth the principal discharge of the priesthood of Christ, in his sacrifice, to have been antecedent unto this oath, which utterly enervates the apostle's argument in these words. For if he were made a priest, and discharged his office without an oath, as he must be and do on this supposition, that the oath of God was made unto him after his ascension, (or that his death and oblation therein belonged not unto his priestly office), he had no preeminence herein unto the Aaronical priests. He might so have a subsequent privilege of the confirmation of his office, but he had none in his call thereunto.

Wherefore this oath of God, though not in itself solely the constituent cause of the priesthood of Christ, yet it was, and it was necessarily to be, antecedent unto his actual entrance upon, or discharge of any solemn duty of his office.

That additional expression, & præusλnbnostas, and he will not repent,' declares the nature of the oath of God, and of the purpose confirmed thereby. When God makes an alteration in any law, rule, order or constitution, he is, or may be, said, agwoжNs, to repent.' This God by this word declares shall never be; no alteration or change, no removal or substitution, shall ever be made in this matter.