Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 14 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Verſe 1. For this Melchiſedech]
SOme make him the ſame with Shem:] Others ſay it was the holy Ghoſt, others ſay Chriſt himſelf under the habit of a King and Prieſt. It is moſt probable that he was a mortall man, and a Canaanite, but yet a moſt righteous man, and a Prieſt of the moſt high God by ſpeciall diſpenſation: And that Kedarlaomer and the other Kings that over ran the countrey, and ſpoiled it, forbare, out of reverence to the man and his office, to meedle with Melchiſedcehs territories.
Verſe 2. Gave a tenth part of all] So to ſet forth his thankfulneſſe to God for the victory. The Lord is the man of warre, Exod. 1.3. The Lord and Victour of warres, as the Chaldee there expreſſeth it. Conquerours ſhould ſend to him, as Joah to David, to take the honour of the day, 2 Sam, 12.28. The very Heathens, after a victory, would conſecrate ſomething to their gods.
Verſe 3. Without father] viz. That we finde mentioned in the holy Scripture. Hence the Melchiſedechian heretikes held, That he was the holy Ghoſt, or at leaſt ſome created Angel.
Like unto the Son of God] As having neither fellow not ſucceſſour.
Verſe 4. How great this man Was] It is goodneſſe that renders a man great, and the grace of God that ennobleth, Iſa. 43.4. Heb. 11.2. Keep cloſe to God, and then ye ſhall be ſome of Gods Rabbins, as Daniel cals them, Chap 9.27. See Job 32.9. Great men indeed; not with a a belluine, but with a genuine greatnes.
The tenth of the ſpoils] Gr. The top of the heap.
Verſe 5. To take tithes of the people] If tithes be Jewiſh,foreign M Harm. ſaith on, and yet Miniſters muſt have a maintenance, how will men ſatisfie their conſciences in the particular quantity they muſt beſtow upon them? The Scripture ſpeaks only of the tenth part. Can any ſhew us where the old apportion is reverſed, and which is that quota pars now that conſcience muſt reſt in?
Verſe 6. Received tithes of Abraham] Gr.foreign. Tithed or tenthed Abraham, by the ſame Divine Right, whereby he bleſſed him. Melchiſedech did not take only that which Abraham was pleaſed to give him, but he tithed him, ſaith the text, he took the tenths, as his due.
Verſe 7. The leſſe is bleſſed, &c.] The Paſtour therefore bleſſing his people according to his office, is greater then his people, in that reſpect.
Verſe 8. That be liveth] Tithes then are due to the Miniſters of Chriſt that liveth, becauſe due to Melchiſedech, to whom Abraham paid them as a Prieſt, and tith-taker, and type of Chriſt. Who therefore ſhould receive them for him, but thoſe that are in his ſtead, 2 Cor. 5.20?
Verſe 9. Levi alſo paied tithes] If any ſhall object, So did Chriſt alſo, ſith he was in the loines of Abraham too; It may be anſwered, That though Chriſt was of Abraham, yet he was not by Abraham. But Levi was both.
Verſe 10. In the loins of his father] So we were all in the loins of Adam when he ſell (as all the county is in a Parliament-man) and ſell with him.
Verſe 11. If therefore perfection] i. e. Juſtification, ſanctification, ſalvation.
Verſe 12. A change alſo of the Law] For we are not under the law, but under grace. The Goſpel is poſt naufragium tabula, a plank after ſhipwrack, and hath its remuneration, Heb. 11.6, viz. of grace and mercy, by Law here ſome underſtood only the law of Prieſthood.
Verſe 13 Pertaineth to another tribe] That of Judab, v. 14. which therefore is firſt reckoned, Revel. 7. among thoſe that were ſealed; as of thoſe that came by Rachel, Nephthali hath the firſt place; becauſe in that tribe Chriſt dwelt, viz. at Capernaum, Ʋt utrobi que , ſuperemineat Chriſti praerogativa.
Verſe 14. Nothing concerning Priesthood] For when Reuben by defiling Bilhah, loſt his birth-right, the birth-right was given to Ioſebh, the kingdome to Iudah, and the Prieſthood to Levi. But God tranſlated the Prieſthood, and ſettled it upon his Son Chriſt, who ſprang out of Iudah, in a time, when it was commonly bought and ſold to the vileſt of men, and all was out of order.
Verſe 15. After the ſimilitude of Melchiſedech] i. e. After an order diſtinct and different from that of Aaron.
Verſe 16. Of a carnall command.] i. e. External and ceremonial,
But after the power] Both of God the Father who made him a Prieſt, and of God the Son who is the Father' of eternity, Iſa. 9.6. and a Prieſt for ever: which word [for ever] the Apoſtle expoundeth and improveth in the laſt clauſe of this verſe, The power of an endleſſe life.
Verſe 17. For he testifieth]Hieron. Thus the Authour ſtill argueth out of Scripture: as knowing that, Quicquid non habet autheritaum ex Scripturis eadem facilitate contemnitur, qua approbatur, Whatſoever is not grounded upon Scripture authority, is as eaſily rejected as received
Verſe 18. For there is verily a diſannulling] Gr.foreign. An outing, caſſating, expunging.
Of the commandment] See the Note on Ver. 12. & 16.
For the Weakneſſe and unprofitableneſſe] ſc. To juſtifie, ſanctifie, ſave, Rom. 8.2. though as a ſchoolmaſter to Chriſt, and a rule of life, it is of ſingular uſe ſtill.
Verſe 19. But the bringing in] The Law is a ſuperintroduction to Chriſt our hope, who is the end of the law to every believer, Rom. 10. 4.
We draw nigh to God]Epheſ. 3.12. Having boldneſſe and acceſſe with confidence by the faith of Chriſt our high Prieſt: who lead us by the hand, and preſents us to his heavenly father, as Joſeph did his two ſons to Jacob, that the might bleſſe them.
Verſe 20. Not without an oath] A ſingular confirmation: what a monſtrous ſin then is unbelief?
Verſe 21. And will not repent] Will not change his minde upon pretence that ſecond thoughts are better. Thoſe that can play with oaths, and can ſlip them as eaſily as monkies do their collars, have nothing of God in them.
Verſe 22. Jeſus was made a ſurety] As he was our ſurety to God for the diſcharge of our debt (the ſurety and debtour in law are reputed as one perſon) ſo he is Gods ſurety to us, for the performance of his promiſes.
Verſe 23. By reaſon of death] Neither their holineſſe, nor learning could priviledge them from deaths impartiall ſtroke. —Non te tua plurima Pentheu, labentem texit pictas. All our learning alſo is ſoon refuted with one black Theta, which underſtanding us not, ſnappeth us unreſpectively without diſtinction, and putteth at once a period to our reading, and to our being.
Verſe 24. He continueth ever] What need then is there of a Vicar, as the Pope will needs be ſtiled?
An unchangeable]foreign. Gr. Impaſſable. He needeth no ſucceſſour.
Verſe 25. To the uttermost] Perpetually and perfectly, ſo as none ſhall need to come after him to finiſh what he hath begun, He is a thorow-Saviour, a Saviour in ſolidum, and doth not his work to the halves.
Verſe 26. Who is holy] As the high-Prieſt of old, Lev. 21.18. Exod. 28.
Harmleſſe] Without any birth-blot.
Ʋndeſiled] Free from a ſtuall pollution, without originall blemiſh or actuall blot, 1 Pet. 1.19.
Higher then the heavens] That is, then the Angels, thoſe heavenly Courtiers, Dan. 10.13.
Verſe 27.foreign. Who needeth not daily] Or, On a certain day of the year, ſc. at the feaſt of the exp…ations, Levit. 16.29. See Heb. 1.1.
Firſt for brown ſins] Elſe how could he ſtand before God for others: The Prieſts therefore had their laver wherein to waſh, before they offered any mans ſacrifice. The brazen Altar ſtood without, the incenſe-altar of gold, within the Sanctuary: to ſignifie that our own luſts muſt be ſacrificed, ere we take upon us to pray for our ſelves or others. David obſerveth this method, Pſal, 25. & Pſal. 51. He firſt gets pardon for himſelf, and then makes requeſt for Sion.
Verſe 28. For the law maketh] As if the Apoſtle ſhould ſay, Shall I ſumme up and ſhut up all in a word? The law maketh men high Periſts which have infi…mity, &c. Dull ſcholars muſt have it over and over.Seneca. Nunquam ſatis dicitur, quod nunquam ſat is diſcitur.