5 And have tasted the good word of God, and of the "world to come,

the powers

6 If they shall fall away,2 to renew them ° again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.3

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 dressed,5 Preceiveth blessing from God:

8 But that which

r

beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

10 For God is not unrighteous

6 to forget

2 And then are fallen away. Pu. 3 and make a mock of him. Co. Cr. Gen. 4 for. A. V. 5 tilled. Bi. Rh. We. 6 unjust. Wi. Rh. witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will. " See on GAL. i. 4.

ISA. i. 28: And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed. HEB. X. 29: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

P Ps. lxv. 10: Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers thou blessest the springing thereof.

4 ISA. v. 6: I will lay it [my vineyard] waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns. 'JER. xxvi. 6: Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. do. xliv. 22 Therefore [because of your evil doings] is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.

S

PRO. xiv. 31: He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor. See on MAT. X. 40, 42.

"your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

11 And we desire that "every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

а

13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, " he sware by himself,

14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

7

8

? Therefore. Whit. I will indeed thoroughly bless thee, and multiply thee abundantly. Pu.

ROM. iii. 4: Let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 2 THES. i. 6, 7: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.

"1 THES. i. 3: Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.

2 TIM. i. 18: The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well. See on Acts, xi. 29.

w See on MAT. xxiv. 13.

* COL. ii. 2: That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding.

Y PRO. XV. 19 The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain. 2 PET. i. 10: Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.

HEB. X. 36: For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. a See on LUKE, i. 73.

descent,' having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God abideth a Priest continually.

;

4 Now consider how great this man was, bunto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

с

5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

d

6 But he whose descent 2 is not counted 3 from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed e him that had the promises.

7 And without all contradiction the less 1 is blessed of the better.5

1 Gr. without pedigree. A. V. 2 pedigree. A. V. 3 numbered. Rh. the inferior. Pu. 5 the greater. Gen.

b See on HEB. V. 6.

NUMB. Xviii. 21, 26: I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe. DEUT. xviii. 1: The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel : they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance. 2 CHR. xxxi. 5: As soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. MAL. iii. 8, 9: Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

d GEN. xiv. 19: And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth. See on GAL. iii. 16, 17.

8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

9 And as I may so say," Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron ?

12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

15 And it is yet far more evident

6 as it may be said. Pu. 7 by. Pu.

for that

do. vi. 20 : made an REV. i.

HEB. v. 6: As he saith also in another place, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, High Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 18: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 8 Ver. 18, 19. HEB. viii. 7. See on GAL. ii. 21.

h Isa. xi. 1: And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. MAT. i. 3: Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar. LUKE, iii. 33: Which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda. ROM. i. 3: Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh. REV. v. 5: And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth

another Priest,

16 Who is made, 'not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endLess life.

17 For he testifieth, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in" of "a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

9

20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made Priest:

21 (For those Priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, "The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec :)

22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.10

23 And they truly were many Priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

"but it was the bringing in. GAL. iii. 24. A. V. of an oath. A. V. 10 covenant. Dod. Ham. Wh.

See on COL. ii. 14. *See on HED. v. 6, 10.

1 See on Roм. viii. 3.

without swearing

HEB. ix. 9: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience. See on AcTs, xiii. 39.

HEB. vi. 18. do. viii. 6.

See on ROM. v. 2.

P See on HBB. v. 6.