CH. VI. Wherefore let us leave discoursing on the principles of the doctrine of Christ, and go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead 2 works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of putting on of hands, and of the resurrec3 tion of the dead, and of the everlasting judgement and this will we do, if God permit. 4 For it is impossible to renew those unto repentance who have been once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have been made partakers of the holy 5 spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the 6 mighty works of the succeeding age †, and yet have fallen away; since they again crucify to themselves the son of 7 God, and expose him to public shame. For the land which drinketh in the rain that often cometh upon it, and produceth herbage useful to those for whom it is 8 tilled, receiveth blessing from God: but that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is near being cursed: whose end is to be burned. 9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things which belong to salvation, though we thus 10 speak. For God is not unjust, so as to forget your work and the love ¶ which ye have shewn toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the wants of the saints, and still 11 minister. But we desire that every one of you shew the same earnestness, to the full assurance of your hope unto 12 the end that ye be not slothful, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13 For when God made his promise to Abraham, because he 14 could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, "It is highly difficult. Compare Mark x. 23. 27. It is impossible, because whatever could be said or done to that end had been said and done already." Le Clerc on Hammond. Newcome. + Or, of the age that was to come. "The miraculous powers of the Christian dispensation." Ch. ii. 5. Newcome. hath drunk, N. ¶ and labour of love, R. T. bringeth forth herbs, N. "Assuredly I will greatly bless thee, and I will greatly 15 multiply thee." And accordingly, when Abraham had 16 waited patiently, he obtained the promise. For men in deed swear by one that is greater: and an oath for con17 firmation is to them an end of all gain-saying. In which matter God, being more abundantly willing to shew unto the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his 18 counsel, interposed by an oath that by two unchangeable things, in which it was impossible for God to speak falsely, we may havet strong comfort, who have fled for 19 refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us; which hope we have as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, and as 20 entering into the part within the veil; whither our forerunner hath entered for us, even Jesus, made a highpriest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedec. CH. VII. For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the 2 slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, to whom even Abraham gave a tenth part of all the spoils, first being by interpretation king of righteousness, and then king of 3 Salem also, which is, king of peace, without recorded father, without recorded mother, without pedigree, having neither beginning of days nor end of lifell, but 4 resembling the son of God, continueth perpetually. Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the 5 patriarch Abraham gave a tenth part of the spoils. And indeed those that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take + might have, N. N. m. genealogy, N. afterward, N. Of whose father, mother, pedigree, birth, and death we have no account.-Wakefield; who prefers this intelligible though free translation of the original to what must appear a strange paradoxical account to common readers. See his note. The short account of Melchisedec is contained in Genesis xiv. The writer runs a parallel between Melchisedec and Christ. Melchisedec was a priest, though not of a priestly family: of the termination of his priesthood we have no account: he was a king as well as a priest; and of an order superior to Aaron, who virtually paid tithes to Melchisedee in his ancestor Abraham. In all these respects Melchisedec is a type of Christ, who is a priest after the order of Melchisedec, and not after the order of Aaron. tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their own brethren, though these are descendants of 6 Abraham*: but he whose pedigree is not from the same stock with them, received tithes from Abraham, and 7 blessed him that had the promises. Now, without all • contradiction, the less is blessed by the greater. And here men who die receive tithes; but there he received 9 them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. And, if I may so speak, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed 10 tithes by Abraham. For he was yet unbornt, when Melchisedec met him. 11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law ‡,) what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchisedec, and that he should 12 not be called according to the order of Aaron? For, the priesthood being changed, there is || of necessity a change 13 of the law also. Now he of whom these things are spoken belongeth to another tribe, of which no man 14 gave attendance at the altar. For it is manifest that our Lord sprang out of Judah**; of which tribe Moses spake 15 nothing concerning the priesthood. And it is still far more evident; because another priest ariseth according 16 to the likeness of Melchisedec, who became such††, not according to the law of a carnal commandment, but ac17 cording to the power of an endless life: for the scripture witnesseth, "Thou art a priest for ever, according 18 to the order of Melchisedec." For indeed there is a disannulling of the former commandment, because of its 19 weakness and unprofitableness. For the law made nothing * their brethren, though these come out of the loins of Abraham, N. + So Wakefield. He was then in the loins of his father, Gr. and N. Or, for concerning it, the people received a law. See Peirce. **For it was plain of old that our Lord was to spring, etc. Wakefield. ++ Or, if after the likeness of Melchisedec there arise another priest who has become sucb, etc. #God, N. perfect; but it was the bringing in of a better hope, by 20 which we draw near to God. And inasmuch as he became 21 a priest not without an oath; (for those were made priests without an oath; but this with an oath, by him who said to him, "The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, according to the or22 der of Melchisedec;"") by so much was Jesus made the 23 surety of a better covenant. And they indeed were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue, by 24 reason of death: but this person, because he continueth for ever, hath a priesthood which passeth not from one 25 to another. Wherefore he is able to save also in the fullest degree those who come to God by him, since he 26 ever liveth to interpose for themt. For such a highpriest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 who needeth not, as the high-priests, daily to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people for this he did once for all, when he offered up 28 himself. For the law appointeth men high-priests that *Or, but the introduction of a better hope did, or will do so. +"to make intercession for them," N. See Sykes. To officiate, to discharge the office of a high-priest in their behalf," Comm. and Essays, vol. ii. p. 265. The word EVTUYxava, is of very general import. It signifies interposing in any way, either for or against another. It is applied to Christ only twice in the New Testament, here and Rom. viii. 34. There is no reason to limit the sense to intercession, or praying for, or against another. "The perpetual intercession of Christ here noted,” says Mr. Lindsey, (Seq. p. 88. note) "may, perhaps, be the continual operation and effect of his miracles and doctrine in the world, by which men are brought to believe in God by him, and to be saved." Perhaps it may mean that Christ in his exalted state is exerting his powers in some unknown way for the benefit of his church. This text gives no countenance to the custom of offering prayers to God through the intercession of Christ. The only remaining places in which the word xava occurs in the New Testament are Acts xxvii. 24. Rom. viii. 27; xi. 2. This he did, i.e. offer up sacrifice, first, for his own sins. But Christ in a moral sense was sinless. See ver. 26, and ch. iv. 15. His sins therefore were merely ceremonial, that is, being a descendant of the house of Judah, ver. 14, he was, as to the priesthood, in an unconsecrated state. And as Aaron was consecrated to his priestly office by the blood of animal sacrifices, so Christ was consecrated to his nobler office by the sacri fice of himself. This way of representing the death of Christ was adapted to conciliate have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was after the law, appointeth the Son, who is made perfect for ever. CH. VIII. Now the sum of what has been said is this: We have such a high-priest, as sitteth on the right hand of 2 the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the most Holy Place, and of the true tabernacle, which 3 the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high-priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is necessary that this High-priest also have somewhat to 4 offer. For if he were on earth he would not be a priest; since there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: 5 who serve to the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was instructed of God, when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, "See," saith God," that thou make all things according to the pattern which was shewn 6 thee on the mount." But now our High-priest† obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much he is the mediator of a better covenant, which is established on 7 better promises. For if that first covenant had been fault less, then no place would have been sought for the se8 cond. For, finding fault with those things, God saith, the prejudices of the Hebrew Christians. Moreover, as the posterity of Aaron were successively removed by death, ver. 23, successive priests were consecrated by successive sacrifices; but Christ lives for ever, and has no successor. Also, priests under the law were subject to infirmity, and might desecrate themselves by ceremonial pol. lution, ver. 28; it was necessary, therefore, that they should be re-consecrated by the daily sacrifice. But Christ being incapable of ceremonial pollution, his one sacrifice was sufficient. He is now perfect for ever. But in the same sense in which Christ offered up a sacrifice for his own sins, in that very sense did he offer himself a sacrifice for the sins of the people. That is, not to appease the wrath of God for moral offences, which is an idea quite remote from the author's mind, and foreign to his argument; but, to consecrate believers, and to bring them out of an unholy into a holy state, by a figurative application of the blood of Christ, as the Israelites were formerly purified and made ceremonially holy by the real sprinkling of the blood of animal victims. See ch. ix. 11-28. These observations must be carried in mind by the reader of this epistle, in order to understand the writer's language and doctrine in the ninth and tenth chapters concerning the priesthood of Christ. See Grotius and Crellius in loc. and in ch. v. ver. 3. the divine Majesty, N. whose law hath been established, Wakefield. + Or, Christ, S. 7. N. m. |