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And this will we

3. (Which I fhall partly now do A.D.63. do if God permit. in the Sequel of this Epiftle, and more fully (God willing) when I see you again.)

4 For it is impoffible for thofe who were once enlightned, and have tafted of the heavenly Gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghoft, 5 And have tafted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come ; 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance: feeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame,

4, 5, & 6. I will do this, I fay, for the Sake of those who still perfevere in their Chriftian Profeffion. For indeed, it would be a vain * and endless Undertaking for me to begin again and re-convert those among you, who, against the most folemn Engagements of their Baptifm, and the happy Experience of the Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, conferred from Heaven upon them; against all the Senfe they had of the great Mercies of the Laws and Privileges of the Gofpel; and, in Defiance of all thofe powerful + Demonstrations, whereby the whole Religion of Chrift has been fo amply confirmed to them; have wilfully revolted, and thrown off their Christianity, to embrace the Jewish or Heathenish Religion again. Becaufe fuch People have already refifted the utmost Evidences that can ever be offered for their Conviction, and done as perfect and publick at Difhonour to Chrift and his Religion, as if they had Crucified him anew as Malefactor.

7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth

forth herbs meet for
them by whom it is
dreffed, receiveth blef
fing from God:
8 But that which

beareth

a

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* άdúvatov. Not strictly impossible, but only highly improbable, or difficult.

+ The Powers of the World to come Δυναμης τε τι μέλο 2015 ára. Not of the Future State, but the Miracles (Auvάds) wrought in Confirmation of the Religion of the Meffiah, who was to come in the future or laft Age of the World.

paderyματίζοντας. Expofing Him to Infamy.

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left to the Effects of
delity.

9 But beloved, we
are perfwaded better
+ Compare things of you, and

2 Thef. ii. things that accompa-
ny falvation, though
we thus fpeak.

12, 13. Ephef. iv. 20. Rom. viii. 9.

10 For God is not

unrighteous, to for-
get your work and la-
bour of love, which
ye have shewed toward
his name, in that ye
have miniftred to the
faints, and do mi-

is fit for nothing, but to be left wild and barren, or elfe to be stubbed up and burnt; so these obftinate and wilful Apoftates deferve no further Means of Conviction, but are to be their Ingratitude and incurable Infi

9. But, I hope, dear Brethren, this is not your Cafe, at least, not of many of you; and therefore I give you this, only as a very earnest and neceflary Caution of the great Dan ger of falling from your Chriftian Profeffion.

10. And be affured, that whatever your Preffures and Afflictions may at prefent be; if you be not wanting to your felves, God will fupport you under them all. And I am the more confident of his special Affiftance toward you, as a just Reward for that eminent Degree of Charity, which you formerly have, and still do fhow to the poor diftreffed Chriftians of your Country.

Chap. x. nifter ‡. 33, 34.

11 And we defire,
that every one of you,
do fhew the fame dili-
gence, to the full af-
furance of hope unto
the end.

12 That ye be not
flothful, but followers
of them, who through
faith and patience in-
herit the promises.
who have reaped the
fame Means.

13 For when God
made promife to A-
braham, because he
could fwear by no
greater,

11. Let me therefore exhort you all, conftantly to perfevere in that good Difpofition and Practice, in full Affurance of fo glorious a Re

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greater, he fware by himfelf,

14 Saying, Surely, bleffing, I will bless thee, and multiplying, I will multiply thee. affuredly and greatly

Christ, the Saviour of Mankind (the A.D.63.
promised Seed) was to come. How
folemnly he was pleased to confirm
it, by fwearing by himself; Gen.
xxii. 16, 17. By Myself have I fworn,
That in bleffing, I will blefs (i. e. moft
blefs) thee, and in multiplying, I will

multiply (i.e. moft affuredly and greatly multiply) thee.

15 And fo after he had patiently endured, he obtained the pro

mife.

1,350

15. And accordingly, Abraham actually lived to fee a numerous (at leaft a very profperous) Family + of + Gen. xxiv. his own, as a prefent Reward of his Faith and Patience. But the Promife was further performed, by God's merciful and wondrous Difpenfations toward the Jewish Church; and is now abfolutely compleated to all Mankind, by the Bleffings of the Chriftian Religion.

16 For men verily fwear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all ftrife.

17 Wherein God willing more abundantly to fhew unto the heirs of promife the immutability of his counfel, confirmed it by an oath.

18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impoffible for God to lye, we might have a strong confolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope fet before us.

16 & 17. Thus God was pleased to condefcend to the Manner of us Men, for our greater and more perfect Satisfaction. For an Oath is the highest and most decifive Evidence that can be given or defired, in any human Court. And because God could not appeal to any Greater than Himfelf, as Men do when they fwear by Himself, as the Author and Fountain of Truth. (ver. 13.)

18. So that the Affurance we Chriftians have of a future and eternal Salvation, on Condition of our Faith and patient Obedience, is upon the fureft Grounds that Heaven it felf can give; being founded both upon the Promife and the Oath of God: In either of which it is impoffible for Him to deceive us, who is Truth itself.

19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the foul, both fure and ftedfaft, and which entreth

19. This affured Hape of ours, like a strong Anchor to a Ship, holds up our Minds against all the Storms and Billows of this World; mount

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ing

A.D.63. treth into that within ing our Thoughts, and raising our the vail, Views above its prefent Cares and Fears; and presenting us with a lively Prospect of future and eternal Felicity.

20 Whither the

fore-runner is for us
entered, even Jefus,
made an high priest
for ever after the or-
der of Melchifedec.

20. Even of that glorious Happinefs, to which Jefus Chrift our Head is now exalted, as an Earnest, that we his true Members are hereafter to follow Him, who is thus become our High Priest; not like those Mortal and Temporary ones among the Jews; but, like Melchifedec, an Eternal Interceffor, Prince and Saviour to The Particulars of which Comparison, I come now, according to my Propofal, to explain.

us.

CHAP. VII.

The CONTENTS.

In what Refpects the Priesthood of Chrift resembles that of Melchifedec. Thence the Dignity and Excellency of it above the Levitical. And by the Change of the Priefthood is demonstrated the Sufpenfion of the Jewish Religion, and of the Obligation to the Ceremonial Law.

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For this Melchifedec, &c. or thus r yap i Medxıσedéx. For He (i. e. Chrift) is the Melchifedec.-i.e. The Antitype of that Melchifedec who was King of Salem.

king of Righteousness, and after that alfo, king of Salem, which is king of peace;

ing by interpretation whereof he was King, denoting A.D. 6.3. PEACE. He was alfo a Priest over his People, as well as a King; a fincere Worshipper of the True God, and approved of by Him in that High Office; and was in fuch Esteem and Authority, that the great Patriarch Abraham, at his Return from the Slaughter of the four Kings (Gen. xiv.) received his Bleffing, and paid him a Tenth of the Spoils he had taken. And thus he was a proper Type and Figure of Chrift, the Lord our Righteousness, our Juftifier, Peace-maker, and Great High Prieft.

3 *Without father, without mother, without defcent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God, † abideth a prieft continually.

3. Again, the Scripture Records give no Account of Melchifedec's Pedigree. He had no Descent from

|| Abraham, or was born of any || See Ver. 6. Priefly Family. The Scriptures fay nothing either of the Beginning or End of his Life; nor of the Time when he entered on his Priesthood, or And thus he, fo far, figuratively reprefents our Jefus, the Son of God, who was in the Begin

when he left it.

ning, before all things, who abideth for ever; and who, ‡ John i. 1. by his Refurrection and Afcenfion into Heaven, is become and viii. 35, the Eternal Lord and Governour of his Church, an ever- 38. lafting High Priest and Intercessor for all true Believers.

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4. Now

* 'Ayevεoλóyng Without any Catalogue or Regifler of Ancestors. Without Father, without Mother. The Care that Men of Figure, in all ancient Countries, took in Regiftring their Ancestors (and the Jews for particular Reasons above any other) made it a common Mode of Speech, to call fuch Perfons, whofe Pedigree was either obfcure or loft, Fatherlefs and Motherless. Thus, Patre Nullo, Matre Servá. Liv. Lib. IV.

Nullis Majoribus ortus. HORAT. Serm. Lib. I. Sat. 6.
Duos Romanos Reges effe quorum alter Patrem non habet, alter
Matrem- Nam de Servii Matre dubitatur, Anci Pater nullus.
SEN. Epift. 108.

Abideth a Prieft for ever Not MELCHISEDEC abideth a
Prieft for ever, but Melchifedec refembles Chrift (who) abideth, &c.
It is an Ellypfis, and os is understood. See Revel. i. 4, 5. where
the like Ellypfis may be seen,

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