§. 67. Of the meaning of the twelfth Verse.
For the Priest-hood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the Law.
THis twelfth verse is inferred as a consequence upon the change of the Leviticall Priest-hood. He proved, in the former verse, that that Priest-hood was changed by another, which was after another order, and substituted in the roome of it. Here∣upon he inferreth that the Law also must needs be changed.
The causall conjunction, a 1.1 FOR, is here a note of a consequence. The con∣sequence is insert'd upon the priviledge of a Priest-hood, which was inserted in the former verse within a parenthesis. The priviledge was this, under the Leviticall Priest-hood, the people received the Law. Thence it followeth that upon the change of the Priest-hood, the Law also must be changed.
The noune translated, b 1.2 Priest-hood, is the same that was used before, v. 11. §. 61.
Of this word, c 1.3 changed, see Chap. 6. v. 18. §. 135. Here it implieth such a change, as one Priest-hood is utterly abrogated and nulled, and another substituted in the r•…•…om of it. * 1.4 This noune change, here signifieth in effect as much as the word translated, disanulling doth v. 18. d 1.5 Both the words are compounded with the e 1.6 same simple verb, but different prepositions. We may not therefore think that the Apostle intends a translation of one and the same Priest-hood, from one Priest to a∣nother (though this word be sometimes used for translating the same thing from one place to another, Chap. 11. 5. Act. 7. 16.) but rather a taking of it clean away.
This phrase, f 1.7 of necessity, implyeth that it could not be otherwise.
There is such a mutuall dependence of the Law and Priest-hood one upon ano∣ther, as they cannot be separated. They are like Hippocrates twins: they live toge∣ther and die together.
By g 1.8 Law some take the particular ordinances about the Leviticall Priest-hood to be meant. But surely it here intendeth as much as it did in this clause, the peo∣ple received the Law, v. 11. Now the people did not receive such ordinances only as concerned the Priest-hood, but that whole Law which concerned the whole po∣lity of the Jewes.
The Apostle doth the rather take this occasion of demonstrating the abrogation of the Law, to draw their mind and hearts from it: that they might more firmly and stedfastly be set and settled on that Law, which is established by Christs Priest∣hood▪ and that is the Gospel. This is the principall intendment of this Epistle.