Sermons on Hebrew 7, Sermon 5
SERMON V.
Hebrews 7. 13, 14, 15, 16.
For he of whom theſe things are ſpoken pertaineth to another Tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the Altar.
For it is evident that our Lord ſprang out of Juda; of which Tribe Moſes ſpake nothing concerning Prieſt-hood.
And it is yet far more evident; for that after the ſimilitude of Melchiſedeck, there ariſeth another Prieſt,
Who is made not after the Law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endleſs life.
HAving undertaken, through the Lords aſſiſtance, briefly to go thorow this chapter: Laſt day we concluded the 12th. verſe of this chapter—The change of the Prieſt-hood, and ſo of the Law.
Now in theſe words which I have read, we have that great point proved, namely, That Jeſus Chriſt and his Prieſthood is of another kind, differing from the Levitical Prieſthood. And the Apoſtle proves it thus:
The Prieſthood under the Law was of the Tribe of Levi: But Jeſus Chriſt and his Prieſthood ſprang out of the Tribe of Judah: Two different Tribes, therefore two different Prieſthoods. The Prieſt-hood of Aaron was after the Law of a carnal commandment; the Prieſthood of Chriſt after the power of an endleſs life. It is of great concern to all our Souls, to have a right apprehenſion of the Prieſthood of Jeſus Chriſt; for therein lies our Salvation.
To begin with the 13th. verſe; For he of whom theſe things are ſpoken, pertained to another Tribe. [Theſe things are ſpoken] That is, the things ſpoken of before, in this chapter. Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who was prefigured by Melchiſedeck, who was the Prieſt of the moſt high God, without beginning of days, or end of life, without Deſcent; he of whom thoſe great and excellent things are ſpoken. This Jeſus Chriſt he pertained to another Tribe; not to the Tribe of Levi; what is that? A Tribe in Scripture ſignifies all thoſe that ſpring out of one Stock—Jacob had twelve Sons, and the people that came of them, were called twelve Tribes, diſtinguiſhing one from another. The Tribe of Levi, and the Tribe of Judah, &c. Now Jeſus Chriſt, of whom theſe things are ſpoken, pertained to another Tribe than that of Levi.
Whence firſt, obſerve, The great condeſcention of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, in aſſociating himſelf with the Children of men. That he that is the Eternal Son of God, was willing to be reckoned among men; amongſt the Tribes of men. For you read of him, Prov. 8. That he was with the Father from Eternity—Yet he rejoiced in the habitable parts of the Earth, and his delight was with the Sons of men, in v. 31. That the Eternal Son of God ſhould ſo far abaſe himſelf, to be reckoned among the Tribes of men—This is great condeſcention! But. ſaith the Apoſtle, It is evident, that our Lord ſprang out of Judah, i. e. that he took his Humanity out of that Family, which did belong to the Tribe of Judah, it is evident. And how is it evident, that Jeſus Chriſt, according to fleſh, came out of the Tribe of Judah? It is evident in the Genealogy, in Matth. 1. There you may read that Jeſus Chriſt, came out of the Tribe of Judah. That chapter and other ſuch chapters in the Scripture, may ſeem to be unprofitable places of Scripture, to them that do not underſtand the ſcope of them: But ſuch Scriptures are as neceſſary as any thing in the Bible, to prove by the Genealogy, that Jeſus Chriſt, the ſecond perſon of the ſacred Trinity, did come out of the Tribe of Judah: And for this he is called, The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, having power to defend his Church. In Gen. 49. there you have old Jacob bleſſing of the Tribe of Judah, and Prophecying that Chriſt ſhould come out of that Tribe; The Scepter ſhall not depart from Judah, nor a Law-giver from between his Feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him ſhall be the gathering of the People. The Scepter ſhall not depart from Judah; that is, the Kingly power and Government. That Tribe did hold it till Chriſt came in the Fleſh, and then Herod Reigned, who was not of the Tribe of Judah—This was old Jacobs Prophecy, that our Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſhould come out of Judah: And why ſo? This makes him not only a Prieſt, but a Royal Prophet; and this was according to the promiſe made to David; Thy Houſe and thy Kingdom ſhall be eſtabliſhed for ever before me: Thy Throne ſhall be eſtabliſhed for ever, i. e. in his Son, that is Chriſt, who came of the Seed of David; ſo that he is a King and a Prophet, in that he came of the Seed of David.
Come we now to the Obſervations, that are plain from this Verſe which I have read—The 13. ver. ſaith the Apoſtle—For he of whom theſe things are ſpoken, pertaineth to another Tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the Altar; not one man of the Tribe of Judah did Miniſter at Gods Altar.
Hence we are Firſt to obſerve, That according to that order which God hath ſet among men; no man is to intermeddle with buſineſs out of his place: For the Tribe of Judah having no part of the Levitical Office, no man of them might preſume to give attendance at the Altar. Solomon tells us, That it is the wiſdom of the prudent to underſtand his way; but every fool will be medling: It is the wiſdom of a Man to underſtand his way, i. e. to know what God calls him to, and to mind his own work, and his proper buſineſs, in his calling and place. The Apoſtle gives this direction to the Church of the Theſſalonians, 1 Theſſ. 4. 11. Study to be quiet, and to do your own buſineſs: It is a great point of Godly wiſdom to give attendance to what God calls them to, and not to meddle with that which God has not called them to.
There are ſome that are reproved from this firſt obſervation.
Such as have given attendance to publick Work, and to Preaching, and alſo to Trading to; as if the work of the Goſpel were not ſufficient for one man. There is nothing more plain in Scripture than this, that thoſe whom God hath ſet to the work of the Miniſtry, are exempted from other Worldly Trades and Callings. It hath been an abuſe in this Nation, to think that men may Trade, and Buy and Sell, and run into all Worldly buſineſs, and yet undertake the Preaching of the Goſpel: Yea, ſome that are called the regular Clergy, yet give themſelves too much to Farming, Buying and Selling, and Secular Imployments; this doth come ſhort of their Calling, for mind what the Apoſtle ſaith to Timothy, in 1 Tim. 4. 13. Till I come, give thy ſelf to Reading, to Exhortation, to Doctrin.
So that you ſee it is the wiſdom of a man, to underſtand what they are Called to. No man gave attendance to the work of the Altar, but they that were of the Altar. And let me tell you this, God hath often had a ſpecial reſpect to them whom he found in their Callings, and hath choſen them to more eminent Services. You read, when Moſes was keeping his Fathers Sheep, (being in his Calling) the Lord appeared to him in the Buſh: And when God ſet up another Prophet in the room of Elijah, he takes another Prophet, who was in his Calling; he was Ploughing in the Field—So in Zechariah, when the Angel appeared to him, he was found in his Calling: God hath always delighted to own men in their Callings, and to find them therein.
And why did not the Tribe of Judah give attendance unto the Work of the Altar?
The Apoſtle gives the reaſon in the 14. ver. becauſe Moſes ſpake nothing concerning that Prieſt-hood. How Moſes! Moſes was the man by whom God revealed his mind in the Old Teſtament, and there was no other Prophet for the leading of the Church in that matter. Now Moſes when he comes to reveal the mind and will of God, concerning the Tabernacle and Prieſt-hood, Moſes ſaid nothing of the Tribe of Judah.
Whence obſerve, Secondly, That we muſt not meddle with any thing in the Worſhip of God, without a Divine Warrant from him: we muſt have a Warrant for what we do in the Worſhip of God. The Tribe of Judah would not meddle with any thing in the Worſhip of God, becauſe they had no Warrant from God for it.
This therefore is to be obſerved, That thoſe that bring in Popiſh and Superſtitious Inventions; we may ſay of them—Moſes, nor any of the Prophets in Scripture, ſpeak any thing concerning theſe things; and therefore we look upon the Papiſts, as to their Superſtitions, to be of an Unſcriptural Religion: For what Apoſtle, or what Prophet ſaid any thing, for the Worſhipping of Images? Or what Apoſtle, or what Prophet ſaid any thing to warrant the Praying in an unknown Tongue? What Prophet, or Apoſtle, or Pen-man of Scripture, hath ſaid any thing concerning the Sacrifice of the Maſs, for the Living and the Dead? Oh filthy traſh! What Prophet, or Apoſtle, or Pen-man of the Scripture, hath ſaid any thing concerning Praying Souls out of Purgatory, or to have Maſs read for them? What Prophet, or Apoſtle, or Chriſt himſelf ſaid any thing of Purgatory, or Croſſing themſelves, or their Childiſh Croſſes and Beads? Of theſe Popiſh Superſtitions, as it is here ſaid, ſo we may ſay of that, God hath ſaid nothing in all his Word, for theſe Superſtitious things: And therefore the people of God muſt never meddle with theſe things; and if you be tempted, or ſollicited to any Ceremony, ask the Queſtion, Have Moſes, or the Prophets, or Chriſt or his Apoſtles, ſaid any thing to this matter that you are ſo Zealous for? Oh ſearch the Scripture, and what you find there, you are to practiſe, in Faith and in the fear of God. Iſaiah 8. 20. To the Law and to the Teſtimony; if they ſpeak not according to this word, it is becauſe there is no light in them.
The Third thing obſervable in this Text, is the Title that is given to our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, in the 14. ver. It is evident that our Lord ſprang out of Judah [our Lord] Why doth he ſay our Lord? To teach us, that we muſt never ſpeak of Jeſus Chriſt, or think of him without an awful fear and reverence; for he is our Lord, our great Lord: He is ſo by reaſon of his Deity, and becauſe of the Fathers Ordination; for he hath ſet his Son upon his holy Hill (Zion) as King, Pſal. 2. and in Eph. 1. 22. the Apoſtle tells us, he is made the Head over all things to his Church; ſurely then he is a great Lord.
And from this Lordſhip of Chriſt, we are to take up three practical Duties, which I ſhall but name, and ſo go on.
1. If our Jeſus Chriſt be our great Lord, our King; Then it is our Duty to ſtudy Obedience to his Laws and Commands; not to take him only for a Saviour, but our Lord: For mind it, Earthly Lords require Honour and Obedience; and ſhall we call Chriſt our Lord and Maſter, and not do the thing that he Commands, or have no regard to his Word, or to his Commands? See I pray John 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. You pretend love to Chriſt, ſhew it then in keeping his Commands; and in the 23. ver. If any man love me, he will keep my word; ſo the 15. ver. If ye love me keep my Commandments, and you ſhall abide in my love; Chriſt puts all upon love. Though he be a great Lord, and might exact all ſervice, in a way of fear and dread, yet he will have all in Love. When you are tempted to any ſin, ſay, My Lord forbids me, and I muſt obey his Commands—He hath told us, if we love him, we ſhall keep his Words.
2. If Jeſus Chriſt be our great Lord, then we ought with confidence to reſt upon him for protection, for preſervation, for he is a great Lord—For pray mind it—Though Jeſus Chriſt makes but little noiſe in the World, and other Lords ſeem to carry a great name, yet Jeſus Chriſt is the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings; and as he is the Fathers Vicegerent, he over-rules all the Kings and Kingdoms in the World; and therefore you may reſt in him as the great Lord; and as the Apoſtle writes to Timothy, the 1. and the 6. and 15. which in time he ſhall ſhew, who is the bleſſed and only Potentate, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; then let us reſt upon him for Protection.
3. If Jeſus Chriſt be our Lord, then are we not only to walk according to his Commands, but after his Example, in Meekneſs and Humility; ſee John 13. 13. ſaith Chriſt to his Diſciples, Ye call me Lord and Maſter, and ye ſay well, for ſo I am; If I then your Lord and Maſter, have waſhed your feet, you ought alſo to waſh one anothers. Be not proud then; but ſay, hath my Lord and Maſter condeſcended ſo to his Diſciples? And ſhall I ſlight them and caſt them off? I have given you an example (ſaith Chriſt;) labour then to honour Jeſus Chriſt.
Now in the next place; Here you find that the Apoſtle uſeth one word in the Text [mind that] it is evident that our Lord ſprang out of Judah; and in the 15. ver. it is far more evident.
Why doth the Apoſtle ſo inſiſt upon it?
I Anſwer, It is to teach us Miniſters that Preach the Goſpel, to make things evident to the Peoples underſtandings: Plain and evident to their underſtanding. It is a great part of their Miniſterial work, to inform their Judgments; and therefore pray that you may have a plain Goſpel-Miniſter, 1 Cor. 2. 5. that in every thing you are inriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge; men may make a great noiſe in Preaching, but little to Edification.
But then here is the Queſtion, What is it that the Apoſtle will make evident? That is the main Point in the Text.
Why, he makes evident, that Jeſus Chriſt our great High-prieſt, was not a Prieſt after the Law of a carnal Commandment, but by the power of an endleſs Life. And theſe are the words I ſhall briefly open and apply:
That Jeſus Chriſt our great High-prieſt, was not made a Prieſt after the Law of a carnal Commandment, but after the power of an endleſs Life. Here are two things to be obſerved;
Firſt, The Apoſtles removing the Prieſt-hood of Chriſt, from the Levitical Prieſt-hood; that it was not made after the Law of a carnal Commandment.
Secondly, He gives a deſcription of the true Nature of the Prieſt-hood of Chriſt; [That it is a Prieſt-hood of power, and of an endleſs Life.]
Firſt of all (ſaith the Apoſtle) He was not made a Prieſt after the Law of a carnal Commandment. What is that? Why it is a carnal Commandment that made all ſubject to the Ceremonial Law. You will ſay, Was the Ceremonial Law Carnal? Did not God Command it? how was it then Carnal? Why, it was a Command that reſpected Carnal things.
[Carnal] in Scripture is taken two ways.
Firſt, [Carnal] is taken for that which is ſinful; and in this ſence the Law of Moſes was not made by a Carnal Commandment.
Sometimes [Carnal] is ſet in oppoſition to Spiritual things; and ſo it is put for things concerning the Body, and not for the Soul: If we have ſown unto you Spiritual things; Is it a great thing if we ſhall reap your Carnal things. And in this ſence the Ceremonies of the Law were called Carnal things, becauſe they did only reach to the Body; they were but ſhadows of Heavenly things, and therefore the Apoſtle in his Epiſtle to the Coloſſians, called them Worldly rudiments, Col. 2. 20. Why ſo? Becauſe all thoſe Ceremonial Laws were not of an heavenly nature, as the things of the Spirit are; but they only concerned outward things. [Mind this] The Jews they doted much upon their Ceremonial Rites, before Chriſt came, and after Chriſt came, they did ſtick much to their carnal and worldly Ceremonies. And therefore the Apoſtle Paul in a holy anger, ſpeaks to the Galatians; O fooliſh Galatians! who hath bewitched you, that you ſhould not obey the Truth? to turn aſide from Chriſt the ſubſtance, to carnal things, to worldly things, which are but ſhadows. And this is to be obſerved, and oh that we could obſerve it more! that in the corrupt nature of man, there is a carnal diſpoſition, that leads him out to worſhip God in a carnal way: And that is the ſcope of the Apoſtle here. Look upon the Worſhip and Religion of the Papiſts, and you will ſee 'tis but a carnal Religion: They have their curious Images and Pictures.—What doth this avail a Soul, to have a rich pompous Altar, a rich Garment for the Prieſt; to have pompous Proceſſions, and curious Muſick? What are theſe to the Soul? And as for us, that have the Reformed Religion; how many amongſt us delight to worſhip God after the Law of a carnal Commandment? Are there not too many amongſt us, which are more for old Abrogated Ceremonies, than they are for a Goſpel Worſhip? Bewail and lament the Apoſtacy of this Generation.
Theſe Ceremonies of the Old Teſtament, tho' they were carnal and low things in themſelves, yet they had a ſpiritual ſignification put upon them by God, and ſo had a great excellency in them, whilſt God was pleaſed to continue them. But now that God hath aboliſhed them, Paul calls them carnal things: And ſo we may call all Mediums of Worſhip, that are not of Gods appointment.
Now for the ſecond, which is the deſcription of the Prieſthood of Chriſt: [It is a Prieſthood of power, and of an endleſs life.] Here are three things to be obſerved.
Firſt, Chriſts Prieſthood is a Prieſthood of power; able to bring that to paſs it was appointed for. Pray look into Heb. 7. 18. There you will find, that there was a diſannulling of the Commandment, going before, for the weakneſs and unprofitableneſs thereof, to work upon the Soul of man. But this of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, is a Prieſthood of power; for what he did for us, he did perfectly. He cleanſes us from our ſins, and he doth reconcile us to God. He doth juſtifie us, and he doth ſave us. Thus Chriſts Prieſthood is a Prieſthood of power.
2. It is not only a Prieſthood of power, but of an endleſs life. How is that? why, it brings all Believers into a ſtate of life. Hence our life is ſaid to be hid with Chriſt in God: And when Chriſt, who is our life, ſhall appear, then ſhall we appear with him in glory. And then,
3. It is a Prieſthood of an endleſs life—How is that? All men die in this World, ſooner or later—And the Prieſthood of Aaron, that is dead—They could not continue, by reaſon of death.—But Jeſus Chriſt [he ever liveth] he is a Prieſt for ever, and abideth our Interceſſor—and he hath brought everlaſting life to us. Hence you have thoſe words of his, in John 11. 26. Whoſoever believeth on me, ſhall never die—He ſhall have an endleſs life. How! never die? he ſhall be changed, but not die in ſome ſenſe. Tho' there is a ſeparation of Soul and Body, yet that is a Believers gain, and not his loſs. There is a change of a mortal life, for an immortal life: He ſhall lay down this earthly Tabernacle of the Body, for a ſpiritual, for an endleſs life. And this is uſeful to us, to quiet our minds, and to make us patient under all afflictions and changes, we find or meet with. This may be comfort againſt approaching death, to Believers. For if there be an endleſs life, we may triumph with the Apoſtle, in 1 Cor. 15. 55. O death! where is thy ſting! O grave! where is thy victory?
Thus you have heard, that our Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath a Prieſthood of power, and of an endleſs life.