A continuation of the exposition of the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the…

These things therefore are certain, and belong unto Faith in this Matter. First, That he was a mere Man, and no more but so; for (1.) Every High Priest was to be taken from among Men, Chap. 5. 1. So that the Son of God himself could not have been a Priest had he not assumed our Nature. (2.) That if he were more than a man, there were no Mystery in it, that he is introduced in the Scripture, without Father, without Mother, without Pedigree, for none but Men have so. (3.) Without this Conception of him there is no force in the Apostles Argument against the Jews. Secondly, That he came not to his Office by the Right of Primogeniture (which includes a Genealogy) or any other Successive way, but was raised up and immediately called of God thereunto. For in that respect Christ is said to be a Priest after his Order. Thirdly, That he had no Successor on the Earth, nor could have; for there was no Law to constitute an Order of Succession, and he was a Priest only after an extraordinary Call. These things belong unto Faith in this Matter, and no more.

These things therefore are certain, and belong unto Faith in this Matter. First, That he was a meer Man, and no more but so; for (1.) Every High Priest was to be taken from among Men, Chap. 5. 1. So that the Son of God himself could not have been a Priest had he not assumed our Nature. (2.) That if he were more than a man, there were no Mystery in it, that he is introduced in the Scripture, without Father, without Mother, without Pedigree, for none but Men have so. (3.) Without this Conception of him there is no force in the Apostles Argument against the Jews. Secondly, That he came not to his Office by the Right of Primogeniture (which includes a Genealogy) or any other Successive way, but was raised up and immediately called of God thereunto. For in that respect Christ is said to be a Priest after his Order. Thirdly, That he had no Successor on the Earth, nor could have; for there was no Law to constitute an Order of Succession, and he was a Priest onely after an extraordinary Call. These things belong unto Faith in this Matter, and no more.

Two things every way consistent with the scope and purpose of the Apostle, yea, Eminently subservient thereunto, I shall take leave to add; the one as my Judgment, the other as a probable Conjecture only. And the first is, that although he Lived and Dwelt in Canaan, then and afterwards principally possessed by the Posterity of the Son of Ham so called, yet he was none of the Seven Nations or People therein that were in the Curse of Noah devoted unto Bondage and Destruction. For whereas they were therein by a Spirit of Prophecy Anathematized and cast out of the Church, as also devoted unto Destruction, God would not raise up among them, that is of their Accursed Seed, the most glorious Ministry that ever was in the World, with respect unto Typical Signification, which was all that could be in the World until the Son of God came in his own Person. This I take to be true, and do somewhat wonder that no Expositors did ever take any Notice of it, seeing it is necessary to be granted from the Analogy of Sacred Truth.