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:

Εἰσὶν ἱερεῖς γεγονότες.

1. A call from God, expressed chap. xxviii. 1. We have showed how necessary this was unto the first erection of any priesthood, though it was to be continued by an ordinary succession. See chap. 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 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 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 confirmation unto perpetuity.

But the promise made unto Phinehas seems to be expressed 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 perpetuity of this priesthood of Phinehas. For,

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 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 administrations, 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 Diy," 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. 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 unto 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."

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.

Καὶ οἱ μὲν

σίας.

This is the account the apostle gives of the Aaronical priests, Kai oi év, “And they truly,"-that is, Aaron, and all his μέν, xwpis ópxamo- 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.

Ο δέ.

Μεθ' όρκωμο

σίας.

Therein his

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;" i d, "but he," " this man," he who was to be "a priest after the order of Melchisedec." He was made use' opnaμooías,-"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. 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 Ωμοσε Κύform; and, 2. The matter of it. The form of it is in pros xui où μsthese words, "The Lord sware, and will not repent." Tassa. And the matter of it is, that he in his own person should be "a priest for ever."

καὶ με

1. The person swearing is God the Father, who speaks unto the Son in Psalm cx. 1: "The LORD said unto my Lord." And the oath of God is nothing but the solemn, eternal, and 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," Ps. 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, chap. 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 prov 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 pre-eminence 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.

ληθήσεται.

That additional expression, "And he will not repent," declares the nature of the oath of God and of the purpose conO μsTaus- firmed thereby. When God makes an alteration in any law, rule, order, or constitution, he is or may be said, dvopwτotulãs, 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 Σὺ ἱερούς. oath, which they were not, but a priest for ever. This adds unto the unchangeableness of his office, that he himself in his own person was to bear, exercise, and discharge it, without substi

tute or successor.

Εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.

And this "for ever" answers unto the "for ever" under the law, each of them being commensurate unto the dispensation of that covenant which they do respect; for absolute eternity belongs not unto these things. The "for 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 unto 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 unto all the mediatory offices of Christ, and all their exercise. And there are four things which the apostle declareth and evinceth in this observation:--

1. That our high priest was peculiarly designed unto 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 unto God in the full assurance of faith.

3. That this priesthood is liable to no alteration, succession, or substitution.

4. That from hence ariseth the principal advantage of the new testament above the old, as is declared in the next verse; and we may observe,

Obs. IV. That although God granted great privileges unto the church under the old testament, yet still in every instance he withheld that which was the principal, and should have given perfection unto 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 pre-eminence.

Obs. V. God by his oath declares the determination of his sovereign pleasure unto the object of it.—What he proposeth and prescribeth unto us, he declares no more of his mind and his will about but that he requireth and approveth of our obedience unto it; but still reserves the liberty unto himself of making those alterations in it and about it that seem good unto Him. Nothing, therefore, in the whole legal administration being confirmed by the oath of God, it was always ready for removal at the appointed season.

Obs. VI. Christ's being made a priest for ever by the oath of God, is a solid foundation of peace and consolation to the church. For,— Obs. VII. All the transactions between the Father and the Son, concerning his offices, undertakings, and the work of our redemption, have respect unto 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 unto in his condescension unto 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 unto God the Father, at least so far as it was vocal, that it was not needful for him, but was only for the confirmation of the faith of others, John xi. 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,

1. The things which God proposeth unto our faith through Christ are exceeding great and glorious, and such as, being most remote from our innate apprehensions, do need the highest confirmation.