Verse 15, 16, 17

That the Aaronical Priesthood was to be changed, and consequently the whole law of ordinances that depended thereon, and that the time, wherein this change was to be made, was now come, is that which is designed to confirmation in all this discourse. And it is that truth whereinto our faith of the acceptance of evangelical worship is resolved. For without the removal of the old, there is no place for the new. This therefore the Apostle now fully confirms by a recapitulation of the force and sum of his preceding arguments.

And it is yet far more evident for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there arises another Priest, who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifies, you are a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

There are four things to be considered in these words. 1. The manner of the introduction of this new argument, declaring its especial force with the weight that the Apostle lays upon it; And it is yet far more evident.

2. The medium or argument itself which he insists upon, which is, that from what he had already proved, there was another Priest to arise after the similitude of Melchisedec.

3. The illustration of this argument in an explication of the ways and means whereby this Priest arose, declared both negatively and positively: Who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

4. The confirmation of the whole with the testimony of David. For he testifies, you are a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

The manner of the introduction of this argument is emphatical: [in non-Latin alphabet]. And it is yet far more evident.

The conjunctive particle [in non-Latin alphabet] connects this consideration to that foregoing, as of the same nature and tendency.

The thing spoken of is said to be [in non-Latin alphabet]. Of what he said before he affirmed that it was [in non-Latin alphabet] ver. 14, namely, that our Lord sprang of Judah; evident, manifest, demonstrable: but this he adds is [in non-Latin alphabet], which composition of the word intends the signification, arguing yet a more open and convincing evidence.

Hence he adds, that it is [in non-Latin alphabet], magis patet: abundantius manifestum, comparatively with what was said before; of an abundant efficacy for conviction; that, whose light nothing can stand against. But we must observe that the Apostle does not compare the things themselves absolutely with one another, and so determine that one is of a more evident truth than the other; but he compares them only with respect to the evidence in arguing to his end. There is more immediate force in this consideration to prove the cessation of the Levitical Priesthood, that another Priest was to rise after the similitude of Melchisedec, than was merely in this, that our Lord sprang of the tribe of Judah; but of this afterwards.

And therefore he adds [in non-Latin alphabet] yet; that is, above all that has been collected from the consideration of Melchisedec, there is yet this uncontrollable evidence to our purpose remaining.

The Apostle we see lays great weight on this argument, and withal proceeds gradually and distinctly from one thing to another in the whole discourse. It may be we see not why he should insist so much upon, and so narrowly scan all particulars in this matter. For being freed by the Gospel from the power of temptations about it, and being of the Gentiles, who were never concerned in it, we cannot be sensible of the just importance of what is under confirmation. The truth is, he has the greatest argument in hand that was ever controverted in the Church of God and upon the determination whereof the salvation or ruin of the Church did depend. The worship he treated of, was immediately instituted by God himself; and had now continued near 1500 years in the Church. All this while it had been the certain rule of God's acceptance of the people or his anger towards them; for while they complied with it, his blessing was continually upon them; and the neglect of it was still punished with severity. And the last caution that God had given them by the ministry of the last Prophet he sent to them, was, that they should abide in the observance of the law of Moses, lest he came and smote the whole earth with a curse (Malachi 4, last). Besides these and sundry other things that were real and pleadable in the behalf of the Mosaical worship, the Hebrews esteemed it always their great and singular privilege above all other nations; which they would rather die than part withal. And the design of the Apostle in this place is to prove that now utterly unexpectedly to the Church, after so long a season, their whole worship was to be removed, to be used no more, but that another system of ordinances and institutions absolutely new, and inconsistent with it, was to be introduced. And upon the compliance of the Hebrews with this doctrine, or the rejection of it, depended their eternal salvation or destruction.

It was therefore very necessary that the Apostle should proceed warily, distinctly and gradually, omitting no argument that was of force and pleadable in this cause, nor to remark on them in an especial manner, which contained an especial evidence and demonstrative force in them, as he does in this instance. For this introduction of it, and it is yet far more, or abundantly more evident, is as an hand put in the margin of a writing calling for a peculiar attendance to, and consideration of the matter directed to. And we may see,

That present truths are earnestly to be pleaded and contended for. So the Apostle Peter would have believers established in the present truth. All truth is eternal, and in itself equally subsistent and present to all ages. But it is especially so either from the great use of it in some seasons, or the great opposition that is made to it. So this doctrine about the abolition of the Mosaical ceremonies and institutions with the introduction of a new priesthood and new ordinances of worship, was then the present truth, in the knowledge and confirmation whereof, the Church was eternally concerned. And so may other truths be at other seasons. And any of them may be so rendered by the opposition that at any time is made to them. For God is pleased to exercise and try the faith of the Church by heresies which are fierce, pertinacious and subtle oppositions made to the truth. Now none of them, which aim at any consistency in and with themselves, or are of any real danger to the Church, did ever reject all Gospel-truths, but some general principles they will allow, or they would leave themselves no foundation to stand upon, in their opposition to others. Those therefore singly opposed by them at any time, as the deity or satisfaction of Christ, justification by faith and the like, being so opposed, become the present truth of the age, in the instance of adherence whereunto God will try the faith of his people, and requires that they be earnestly pleaded for. And this is that which the Apostle Jude intends (ver. 3), where he exhorts us to contend, strive, wrestle with all earnestness and the utmost of our endeavors, for the faith once delivered to the saints; namely, because of the opposition that was then made to it. And a truth may come under this qualification by persecution as well as heretical opposition. Satan is always awake and attentive to his advantages; and therefore though he hate all truth, yet does he not at all times equally attempt upon every thing that is so. But he waits to see an inclination in men from their lusts, or prejudices, or interests in this world, against any especial truth, or way of divine worship which God has appointed. When he finds things so ready prepared, he falls to his work, and stirs up persecution against it. This makes that truth to be the present truth to be contended for, as that wherein God will try the faith and obedience and patience of the Church. And the reasons why we ought with all care, diligence and perseverance to attend to the preservation and profession of such truths, are obvious to all.

Important truths should be strongly confirmed. Such is that here pleaded by the Apostle, and therefore does he so labor in the confirmation of it. He had undertaken to convince the Hebrews of the cessation of their legal worship, out of their own acknowledged principles. He deals not with them merely by his apostolical authority, and by virtue of the divine revelations of the will of God which himself had received; but he proceeds with them on arguments taken out of the types, institutions and testimonies of the Old Testament, all which they owned and acknowledged, though without his aid they had not understood the meaning of them. On this supposition it was necessary for him to plead and press all the arguments from the topic mentioned, which had any cogency in them; and he does so accordingly.

Arguments that are equally true, may yet on the account of evidence not be equally cogent; yet

In the confirmation of the truth we may use every help that is true and seasonable, though some of them may be more effectual to our end, than others.

This we are instructed in by the Apostle, affirming in this place, that what he now affirms is yet far more evident. And this evidence, as we observed before, may respect either the things themselves, or the efficacy in point of argument. For in themselves all things under the Old Testament were typical and significant of what was afterwards to be introduced. So our Apostle tells us that the ministry of Moses consisted in giving testimony to those things which were to be spoken or declared afterwards (chap. 3:5). But among them some were far more clear and evident as to their signification than others were. In the latter sense the things which he had discoursed about Melchisedec and his priesthood, were more effectually demonstrative of the change of the Levitical priesthood, than what he had newly observed concerning the rising of our Lord Jesus Christ not of the tribe of Levi but of Judah, although that had life and evidence also in itself, which is principally intended.

The argument itself is next expressed whereunto this full evidence is ascribed, [in non-Latin alphabet]; if another priest do arise after the similitude of Melchisedec. And in the words there is (1) the modification of the proposition in the particle [in non-Latin alphabet]; (2) the notation of the subject spoken of; another priest. (3) His introduction into his office, he did arise. (4) The nature of his office, and the manner of his coming to it: after the likeness of Melchisedec.

[In non-Latin alphabet], if, is generally taken here not to be a conditional but a causal conjunction. And so, as many judge, it is used: (Romans 8:31; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Thessalonians 3:8; 1 Peter 1:17). And it is rendered in our translation by For, For that another Priest; as Beza renders it by quod, because. Others by ex eo quòd, and siquidem. Syr. and again this is more known, by that which he said. All take it to be an intimation of a reason proving what is affirmed; and so it does if with the Vulgar we retain si, or siquidem, if so be. And it is yet far more evident, if so be that another priest.

As to the argument in general, we must observe (1) that the design of the Apostle in this place is not to demonstrate the dignity and eminency of the priesthood of Christ from that of Melchisedec his type, which he had done before sufficiently; he does not produce the same words and arguments again to the same purpose: but that which he aims at, is, from that testimony, whereby he had proved the dignity of the priesthood of Christ, now also to prove the necessary abolition of the Levitical priesthood. Therefore (2) he does not insist on the whole of the testimony before pleaded, but only on that one thing of another priest, necessarily included therein.

2. The subject spoken of is [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]; that is not merely [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], that is, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]alius: as the Syriac understood it, who renders it by [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]: but it is [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]alienus, that is intended. Every [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] was by the law absolutely forbidden to approach to the priest's office, or altar, or sacred employment. So [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], another in this case is a stranger, one that is not of the house or family of Aaron. And nothing can be more evident than that the Levitical priesthood and the whole law of divine worship must be taken away and abolished then, if it appear that any [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], or stranger, may be admitted into that office; much more, if it were necessary that it should so be. For the law of the priesthood took care of nothing more than that no stranger, that was not of the house of Aaron, should be called to that office. See Exodus 29:33, Leviticus 22:10, Numbers 1:51, and Numbers 3:10: Aaron and his sons they shall wait on the priest's office [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] and the stranger that comes nigh, that is, to discharge any sacerdotal duty, shall be put to death. And God gave an eminent instance of his severity with respect to this law in the punishment of Corah, though of the tribe of Levi, for the transgression of it. And he caused a perpetual memorial to be kept of that punishment, to the end they might know, that no stranger who is not of the seed of Aaron should come near to offer incense before the Lord (Numbers 16:40). And hence our Apostle in the next verse observes, that this priest was not to be made after the law of a carnal commandment, seeing his making was a dissolution of that law or commandment. If therefore there must be [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], another priest, that was not of the lineage of Aaron, the other is abolished.

3. His introduction into his office is expressed by [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], there arises. Oritur, Exoritur. Syr. [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] Surgit. Vul. Lat. exurgat, arose, in an extraordinary manner (Judges 5:7). Until I Deborah arose, I arose a mother in Israel; that is, by an extraordinary call from God to be a prophetess and a deliverer. Deuteronomy 18:18: A prophet will I raise up to you; which was Christ himself. So God raised up a horn of salvation in the house of his servant David (Luke 1:69), that is, with an extraordinary power and glory. So was this priest to arise, not springing out of, nor succeeding in any order of priesthood before established. But all things in the law lay against his introduction; and the body of the people in the church was come to the highest defiance of any such priest. But as God had fore-signified what he would do, when the time of the reformation of all things should come, so when he performed his word herein, he did it in that manner, with that evidence of his glory and power, as introduced him against all opposition. For when the appointed time is come, wherein the decrees of God shall bring forth, and his counsel be accomplished, all difficulties though appearing insuperable, shall vanish and disappear (Zechariah 4:6, 7).

4. The nature of his priesthood is declared in its resemblance to that of Melchisedec, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]. The Apostle intends not to express the words of the Psalmist, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], which he constantly renders [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], according to the order; but he respects the whole conformity that was between Melchisedec and our Lord Jesus Christ, in the instances which he had before insisted on. For whereas God had ordered all things in the Scripture concerning Melchisedec, that he might be [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], ver. 3, made like to the Son of God, he is said to arise [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], according to the likeness or similitude of Melchisedec. For every similitude is mutual; one thing is as like to another, as that is to it. This therefore is evident, that there was to be another priest; [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], not only [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], merely another, but [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], one of another stock and race; and a priest he was to be after the similitude of Melchisedec, and not so much as after the similitude of Aaron. The arising of Christ in his offices puts an end to all other things that pretend a usefulness to the same end with them. When he arose as a King he did not put an end to the office and power of kings in the world; but he did so to the typical kingdoms over the church, as he did to the priesthood by arising as a Priest. And when he arises spiritually in the hearts and consciences of believers, an end is put to all other things, that they might before look for life, or righteousness, or salvation by.