Verse 21

In the application of this assertion the Apostle affirms, that those Priests, 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 (Exodus 28, 29), there is mention made of no such thing. But their dedication consisted in three things.

1. A call from God expressed (chap. 28, ver. 1). We have showed how necessary this was to the first erection of any Priesthood, though it was to be continued by an ordinary succession. See chap. 5, 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 has been showed.

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 to that office whereunto they were called. And these two were peculiar to 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 confirmation to perpetuity.

But the Promise made to Phineas seems to be express for an eternity in this Priesthood. Behold, says God, I give to him my Covenant of Peace, and he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood (Numbers 25:12, 13). But this proves not a certain absolute perpetuity of this Priesthood of Phineas.

1. The Covenant intended, was not a complete solemn Covenant confirmed either by Oath or Sacrifice, but only a naked Promise or Declaration of the will of God. And that [in non-Latin alphabet] 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 to, or which any under the Law that had respect to legal administrations, were all of them commensurate to the duration and continuance of the Law itself. While 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 [in non-Latin alphabet] for ever, in this case constantly. It expresses 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, while that legal dispensation continued. And so it was in this Promise made to Phineas. For although there was an intercision made afterwards as to the continuance of the Priesthood in the line of his Family, by the interposition of Eli and his sons, who were of the Posterity of Ithamar, yet he returned again into the enjoyment of this Promise, in the Person of Zadock in the days of Solomon, and so continued until the second Temple was forsaken of God also, and made a den of thieves.

But neither with respect to 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 to Jesus Christ. So he swore by himself to 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 swore to David by his holiness, that his seed, namely Christ, should sit on the Throne for ever. Therefore although God never changes 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 has proposed and enjoined to 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, [in non-Latin alphabet] and they truly, that is, Aaron and all his Posterity that exercised the Priests' Office in a due manner, they were all made Priests, that is, by God himself. They did not originally take this honor to themselves, but were called of God. For he has no regard to them who in those days invaded the Priests' 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 to them what he saw convenient, and withheld what seemed good to him; what he did was sufficient to oblige the people to 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 to himself of making an alteration therein, as he saw good. And we may see, that

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, [in non-Latin alphabet], but He, this Man, he who was to be a Priest after the order of Melchisedec. He was made [in non-Latin alphabet] 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 does 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 to them. Therefore this Man was also to have another Call to, and Constitution of his Office, but he was to be confirmed therein by an Oath. Wherein this call of Christ to 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, 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 to the Son in Psalm 110:1. The Lord said to 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 (Psalm 2:7). Therefore when God will so far unveil a Decree and Purpose, as to testify it to be absolute, and unchangeable, he does it in the way of an Oath, as has been declared, chapter 6, verses 13–14. Or to the same purpose God affirms that he has sworn in the case.

If then it be demanded, When God thus sware to Christ? I answer, we must consider the Decree itself to this purpose, and the peculiar Revelation or Declaration of it, in which two this Oath does consist. And as to the first, it belongs entirely to 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 to Christ upon his Ascension into Heaven. For this Apprehension being pursued, will fall in with the [in non-Latin alphabet] of the Socinians in this whole Cause, namely, that the Kingly and Priestly Offices of Christ are not really distinct. Moreover it supposes the principal discharge of the Priesthood of Christ, in his sacrifice, to have been antecedent to 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 to him after his Ascension, (or that his death and Oblation therein belonged not to his Priestly Office) he had no preeminence herein to the Aaronical Priests. He might so have a subsequent privilege of the Confirmation of his Office, but he had none in his Call thereunto.

Therefore 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 to his Actual entrance upon, or discharge of any solemn Duty of his Office.

That additional expression, 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, [in non-Latin alphabet], 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.

2. The matter of this Oath, is, that Christ is and should be a Priest for ever. He was not only made a Priest with an Oath, which they were not, but a Priest for ever. This adds to the unchangeableness of his Office, that he himself, in his own Person was to bear, exercise, and discharge it, without substitute or successor.

And this, for ever, answers to the for ever under the Law; each of them being commensurate to the Dispensation of that Covenant which they do respect. For absolute Eternity belongs not to these things. The Ever of the Old Testament was the Duration of the Dispensation of the Old Covenant. And this, for ever, respects the New Covenant, which is to continue to the consummation of all things, no change therein being any way intimated or promised, or consistent with the wisdom and faithfulness of God, all which were otherwise under the Law. But at the end of the world, together with the Dispensation of the New Covenant, an end will be put to all the Mediatory Offices of Christ, and all their Exercise. And there are four things which the Apostle declares and evinces in this observation.

1. That our High Priest was peculiarly designed to and initiated into his Office by the Oath of God, which none other ever was before him.

2. That the Person of the High Priest is hereby so absolutely determined, as that the Church may continually draw nigh to God in the full assurance of faith.

3. That this Priesthood is liable to no Alteration, Succession, or Substitution.

4. That from hence arises the principal advantage of the New Testament above the Old, as is declared in the next verse, and we may observe,

1. That although God granted great privileges to the Church under the Old Testament, yet still in every instance he withheld that which was the principal, and should have given perfection to what he did grant. He made them Priests, but without an Oath. In all things there was a reserve for Christ, that he in all might have the preeminence.

God by his oath declares the determination of his sovereign pleasure to the object of it. What he proposes and prescribes to us, he declares no more of his mind and his will about, but that he requires and approves of our obedience to it, but still reserves the liberty to himself of making those alterations in it and about it, that seem good to him. Nothing therefore in the whole legal administration being confirmed by the oath of God, it was always ready for a removal at the appointed season.

Christ his being made a Priest by the oath of God for ever, is a solid foundation of peace and consolation to the Church. For,

All the transactions between the Father and the Son, concerning his offices, undertakings, and the work of our redemption, have respect to the faith of the Church, and are declared for our consolation. Such were his solemn call to his sacerdotal office, and the oath of God whereby he was confirmed therein. I will not say that these things were needless on the part of Christ himself, seeing it became the glory of his person to be thus testified to in his condescension to office; yet was it in all these things the good and benefit of the Church that was designed. What the Lord Christ said of his prayer to God the Father, at least so far as it was vocal, it was not needful for him, but was only for the confirmation of the faith of others (John 11:41, 42), may be spoken of all other transactions between God and him; the faith of others was principally respected in them, and thereunto they were absolutely needful. For,

The things which God proposes to our faith through Christ, are exceeding great and glorious, and such as being most remote from our innate apprehensions, do need the highest confirmation. Things they are, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have they entered into the heart of man (1 Corinthians 2:9). Things unexpected, great and glorious are apt to surprise, amaze and overwhelm our spirits, until they are uncontrollably testified to. So when Jacob's sons told their father that Joseph was alive, and made governor over all the land of Egypt (Genesis 45:26), the tidings were too great and good for him to receive. But it is added, that when they gave evidence to their report by the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob revived (ver. 27, 28). The things of the Gospel, pardon of sin, peace with God, participation of the Spirit, grace and glory, are great and marvelous. Men at the hearing of them are like them that dream, the words concerning them seem like the report of the women to the Apostles, concerning the resurrection of Christ, they seemed as idle tales, and they believed them not (Luke 24:11). Therefore God discovers the fountains of these things that we may apprehend the truth and reality of them. His eternal covenant with his Son about them, his oath that he has made to him, whereby he was established in his office, and the like glorious transactions of his wisdom and grace, are revealed to this very end, that we might not be faithless in these things but believe. For can any thing that is proposed to us be supposed to exceed the duty of faith, when we see it either in itself, or in its springs and foundation solemnly confirmed by the oath of God? They are glorious things which we are to expect from the priesthood of Christ, and the discharge of that office. And is it not an unspeakable encouragement thereunto, that God has confirmed him in that office by his solemn oath to him? For two things evidently present themselves to our minds thereon. First, that this is a thing which the infinitely holy wise God lays great weight and stress upon. And what is he not able to effect when he does so, and consequently lays out the treasures of his wisdom, and engages the greatness of his power in the pursuit of it? And secondly, his counsel herein is absolutely immutable, and such as on no emergency can admit of alteration. If therefore the engagement of infinite wisdom, grace, and power will not excite and encourage us to believing, there is no remedy but we must perish in our sins.

As the things proposed in the Gospel as effects of the priesthood of Christ, are in themselves great and glorious, requiring an eminent confirmation; so the frame of our hearts with respect to them, is such from first to last, as stands in need of all the evidence that can be given to them. For there is in us by nature an aversion to them, and a dislike of them. In the wisdom of our carnal minds we look on them as foolish and useless. And when this woful enmity is conquered by the mighty power of God, and the souls of sinners wrought over to approve of these effects of divine wisdom and grace, yet no man can recount how many doubts, fears, jealous suspicions we are, as to our closing with them by faith, obnoxious to. Every one's own heart, if he have any acquaintance with it, if he be diligent in the examination of it, will sufficiently satisfy him what objections faith in this matter has to conflict withal. And it is to be feared that he who is insensible of the oppositions that arise against sincere believing, never yet knew what it is so to believe. To encourage and strengthen our hearts against them, to give power to faith against all oppositions, does God thus reveal the wisdom of his counsel and the glorious springs of this ministration whereinto our whole faith is principally resolved. And indeed we may try the sincerity of our faith by its respect to these things. It may be some, for ought I know, may be carried on in such an easy course and be so preserved from perplexing temptations as not to be driven to seek their relief so deep, as these springs of God's confirmation of the office of Christ by his oath do lie: but yet he that does not of his own choice refresh his faith with the consideration of them, and strengthen it with pleas in his supplications taken from there, seems to me to be greatly unacquainted with what it is truly to believe.