A commentary on the whole Epistle to the Hebrews. By M. John Calvin. Translated…A commentarie on the vvhole Epistle to the Hebrevves. By M. Iohn Caluin. Translated…

And yet with Abraham did God contract the covenant of salvation. To conclude then, even this man although he were the most excellent of all others, yet he had one more excellent than he above him: to wit, Melchizedek.

And yet with Abraham did God contract the couenant of saluation. To conclude then, euen this man although he were the most excellent of all others, yet he had one more excellent than he aboue him: to wit, Melchisedec.

Of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.] Ver. 8 As I have already said, he takes it as a proof that Melchizedek liveth, because no mention is made of his death. True it is this hath no place in others, but there is great reason why it should have place in Melchizedek, because he is the image and figure of Christ: for in as much as the question is here of the spiritual kingdom of Christ, and of his Priesthood; humane conjectures ought to have no place: neither is it lawful to know any more than that which the scriptures do set before us. Yet we are not to gather from hence, that this man who met Abraham, should be yet living: as some have foolishly imagined. For this is to be referred to the quality of the person which Melchizedek sustained: to wit, in that he represented the person of the son of God. Moreover the Apostle minds to show by these words, that the dignity of Melchisedecks Priesthood is perpetual, whereas the Priesthood of the Levites was but for a time. For thus he frames his argument, Those to whom the law assigns tithes to be paid, are mortal men: in which is showed that the right of that Priesthood was once to be abolished, in regard they ended their lives. But the scripture makes no mention at all of the death of Melchizedek, when it speaks of the tithes that were paid unto him: thus then he limits not the right of ⟨p. 143⟩his Priesthood within any compass of time, but rather closely shows that it endures for ever. Now this he adds, to the end it might not seem that the law which immediately followed did derogate any thing from the first, as the custom in other things is. For otherwise some might have replied that this right of Priesthood which Melchizedek enjoyed, is now abolished, because God gave another law by Moses, by which he transported it over to the Levites. But the Apostle prevents this reply, when he saith that the tithes were paid to the Levites for a time, because they lived not always: but that Melchizedek kept the right for ever which God had once given him, because he was immortal.