The Project Gutenberg eBook, Christ the True Melchisedec, by John Church This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. Title: Christ the True Melchisedec Author: John Church Release Date: January 3, 2019 [eBook #58603] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHRIST THE TRUE MELCHISEDEC***
Transcribed from the 1813 R. Thomas edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org
BEING THE SUBSTANCE
OF A
SERMON,
Preached on SUNDAY Evening, JULY 24th, 1813,
At the Obelisk Chapel.
BY J.
CHURCH,
MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL.
“Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day—he saw it and was glad.” John viii, 56.
“He will bless the House of Israel—he will bless the House of Aaron.” Psalm cxv.—
PRINTED BY R. THOMAS, 11, RED LION STREET, BOROUGH
1813.
“Now consider how great this Man was.”—Heb. vii, 4.
The sacred pages are an exhibition of the loving heart of a covenant God, Father, Son, and Spirit; from whence flow all the blessings of eternal life to guilty man. All spring from love, for God is love—he is love itself, the fountain of it. He loves himself, his Son, and the eternal Spirit—it is a perfection of his nature, boundless and incomprehensible. This eternal Three in the One Jehovah, hath condescended of his sovereign goodwill and pleasure, to love and chuse millions of men, though fallen and depraved, guilty and hell-deserving—yet in a way of mercy, pity, and compassion, determined to shew how far this love could go—the Covenant of Redemption being made in eternity, wherein the Father proposed to call his dear Son to engage in the Work of Salvation—the Son as graciously accepting, offering himself to be all, and do all in the great Work of Redemption, it was purposed he should assume the nature of his people—for this grand purpose, that he might represent p. 4them, obey, suffer, and die for them; for which he should be glorified in that nature—see the travail of his soul, and be delighted with all the happy consequences of his Work. This being settled in infinite wisdom, our dear Lord anticipated the pleasure of it before the world began—My delights were with the Sons of Men.
On the sixth day of the creation he formed his creature, Man, in the image in which he intended to appear four thousand years after. His heart was so intent upon this great Work, that directly after the Fall, yea, the very same day that Adam sinned, the dear Redeemer hastened to make known the Covenant of Redemption and Mercy—and even before he pronounced the Curse in consequence of transgression, he pronounced the Blessing!
Adam heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden—the WORD that was to be made flesh, that spoke for us in the Covenant—he came, and foretold his future incarnation—promised victory, and threatened Satan, who was the instigation of the Fall. He frequently manifested his gracious intention—proved himself to be the glorious Mediator, and that he longed to become incarnate, to manifest his grace by dying in our stead. In the act of cloathing our guilty parents, he shewed himself the end of the Law for Righteousness. In Abel’s Person and Offering, he shewed p. 5himself the acceptable Sacrifice—the Lamb to take away sin. In the Person of Noah, the Ark he built, the Sacrifice he offered, the Covenant made with him in the Rainbow (as the outward sign of it) were sweet tokens of him who is mighty to save. The Blessing of Shem, clearly pointed out his gracious intention—God shall enlarge Japheth, and HE (God) shall dwell in the tents of Shem. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
He afterwards singles out Abram, the Father of the Faithful, (of the line of Shem) called him out of darkness, favored him with several glorious visions of himself, as predicting his future incarnation, for he saw his day and was glad. Abraham, under peculiar leadings of Providence, was for a season, situated at Mamre, where he built an altar to the Lord. This Mamre was in Kirath-Arba, afterwards called Hebron, where David reigned for a season. But, alas, a christian is seldom long at ease; we have no continuing city, we seek one to come—no place, or house, or family, is free from trouble long together, from the palace to the most retired cot. Sad news was brought to Abraham, that his nephew, Lot, was taken prisoner, and almost all his goods seized, by Cherdorlaomer and his allies, who were at that time ravaging the country. Abraham directly took his servants and friends and pursued the enemy to Hobah, and overtook their captives and the booty, and of course restored Lot.
p. 6When Abraham was returning from routing Chedorlaomer and his allies, Melchisedec met him in the valley of Shaveh, in the King’s Dale, and tendered to him and his weary troops, a refreshment of bread and wine. He also blessed Abraham, and thanked God for giving him the victory. Abraham acknowledged him the Priest of the Most High God, and gave him the tenth part of the spoil. Perhaps this was to shew God’s approbation of Abraham’s conduct, and to point out the future victories of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross, in the hearts of his people, and, finally, over mystical Babylon, and its kings—the recovery of his elect, who lay in the hands of Satan, Sin, and Law; and of whom the Father had covenanted with his dear Son, that he should divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul unto death. While all who are interested in this great Work must exclaim, Unto him that washed us from sin in his own blood, to him be glory. Amen.
Now consider how great this Man was, to whom Abraham gave the tenth of the spoil, and that blessed Abraham; and truly the less is blessed of the greater. May God the Holy Spirit assist us in our views of this great Man, the God-man Mediator, the Priest, the King, the All in All.
We shall notice the opinion of others. We propose then to examine the Scripture testimony of p. 7this great One, and to answer the objections which rise in the mind, concerning the reality of this Person being Lord and Christ. We shall finally notice the Nature of his Blessings.
I believe the general opinion of this great Man is, that he was some King of Canaan, who was a good man, but whose genealogy cannot be traced. The Jews and Samaritans will have him to be Shem, their ancestor. The Arabians suppose him to be Ham. Dr. Owen will have him to be a descendant of Japhet; but how a descendant of Japhet came to be a king of Canaan, I know not. Some are inclined to think he fell from the Moon. But all these ideas are too mean, and none of them agree with what the Holy Ghost has said of him. Many years ago there was a Sect of Melchisedecian Heretics, who held that he was some celestial power or virtue not revealed; but that he was superior to Christ, and made intercession for angels, as the Saviour did for Men. The most general opinion is that he was merely a figure or type of our dear Lord; but we are about to prove he was more than the figure—he was the adorable Redeemer himself. We are not to make any thing in Scripture a type when the Scripture declares it is a substance, and infinitely exceeds all the figures. Our dear Lord is certainly represented by many figures, but in the case before us he is not; for the Apostle, treating upon the Subject, not considering it as mystical p. 8but real. He is not explaining a mystery, but merely commenting upon a reality. Now consider how great this Man was.—Perhaps no subject in the Bible has had a greater diversity of opinions than this, and the reason is, because Men are so dissatisfied with the Spirit’s testimony concerning him: let us therefore notice the Apostle’s own words, and follow him in his comment, and there rest satisfied. This will lead us to answer a few objections as we proceed.
The Apostle in this grand Epistle, is setting before the believing Hebrews the Dignity, Majesty, and Glory of Christ, as the Christ of God. He first proves him to be God over all, equal with the Father in power and glory, in all his essential attributes. He then shews how far he excels the angels, they being the work of his hands, and he their great Creator; and having accomplished the great Work of Atonement, he has entered into his joy, and is now representing our Persons before the throne; and as our great High Priest, still pleading the virtue of what he has done, before the Father. In the three following Chapters he shews the necessity there was that Jesus, our great High Priest, should be tried by temptation, that he might know how to succour the tempted—that his people, by believing, might find a Sabbath of Rest in him, he encourages them to hold fast their profession, seeing our great High Priest is passed into p. 9the heavens for them; and as he knew what sore temptations meant, they might warranty apply to him for all that grace they wanted in time of need. This is sweet encouragement to the Lord’s tried ones.
In the 5th Chapter, the Apostle carries on the subject of the Priestly Office of Christ, knowing it to be of such vast importance to the Church. He shews the commission of Jesus to act as High Priest, and they, the Hebrews, well knew that no man had a right to this Office but he that was called of God, as was Aaron. So our dear Lord was called to it in the Covenant, in which the Father glorified him, and as God-Man Mediator, called him Son, and told him he should be a Priest for ever, after a peculiar Order, that is, of Melchisedec: his own Order, not of Levi or Aaron’s, but his own divine Order.—The Apostle then complains of these Believers, they were dull of apprehension, or else he would tell them many more very great things; but they had had the Gospel preached to them nearly thirty years, yet had made little or no progress in the things of God. He complains that they were but babes in knowledge, unskilful, weak, and had got no further than the first principles of the christian Religion, which he begs they will leave, and press after greater lessons in the School of Christ, namely, The final Perseverence of God’s p. 10elect, though they might backslide, and even some of them go such sad lengths, as even to give up their profession for a time, that nothing short of the precious blood of Christ applied to their hearts by the Spirit, could ever renew them to Gospel repentance. Ministers could not—they could not do it themselves—but a sight of Christ, put to open shame for them, would ever accomplish it.
The Apostle proceeds to stimulate them to persevere in the good ways of God, notwithstanding their weakness, sins, infirmities, strange feelings, and at times, want of confidence—no heart to pray or believe, but all deadness, darkness, and sorrow; amidst all oppositions, yet to keep on, encouraged by this, that a covenant God had provided every needful mercy in Christ; that he has covenanted with him, and all his seed in him, that they might have hope in his faithfulness, and not in their own feelings or experience, which would waver, or change. But for the further encouragement of that hope, he would have them remember, that Christ is their Head and Representative—that the Father’s love is the same to them as to him; that Christ and they are one; that they are beheld in him complete; and that as their High Priest, he is perfect—done a perfect Work; that he ever lives, and that his great Work he is now doing in heaven, and will live to do for ever, is simply, to bless his people, as he blessed their father, Abraham, when he returned p. 11from battle. And now, oh ye believing Hebrews, Consider how great this man was to whom Abraham gave a tenth part of the spoil.
Passing by the curious conjectures of men, let us attend to the mind of the Spirit, and by close attention it will be clearly seen that the Melchisedec which met Abraham was the adorable Redeemer himself. We begin with the 6th verse of me 5th Chapter—As he saith also in another place, THOU art a Priest for ever, after the Order of Melchisedec, WHO in the days of HIS flesh, offered up strong cries and tears to God, and was heard in that HE feared—though HE were a SON, yet learned HE obedience by the things which HE suffered, and being made perfect, HE became the author of eternal salvation to all that obey HIM; called of God an High Priest, after the Order of Melchisedec—of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. Can any point be more clear than this; The terms Thou, Who, He, a Son, Him, in the days of his flesh—and surely if Melchisedec had been a mere Man, Paul would not have complained of the Hebrews being dull of understanding this Subject, of God manifest in the flesh, before his incarnation, when he met Abraham, and afterwards by actually taking our nature.
I would observe the connection between the p. 12last verse of the 6th Chapter, and the opening of the 7th. The Apostle, encouraging Believers, who fled for refuge, tells them their fore-runner is gone to heaven, and is acting there as High Priest for them, after the Order of Melchisedec—it is essential to this Order only to make intercession in heaven. From which passage we may then conclude, that Melchisedec and the second Person in the ever blessed Trinity were, and are the same; for none but Christ in our nature ever did, or will intercede for us in heaven.
The Apostle then goes on with this Subject in the 7th Chapter. After declaring this Melchisedec is in heaven, interceding according to his own peculiar Order, he adds, For THIS Melchisedec, King of Salem, Priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him—to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all. First, being, by interpretation, King of Salem, which is, King of Peace—he being without Father, without Mother, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, abideth a Priest continually.—Consider now, how great this man was.—It is my grief, I cannot read the Greek for myself; but upon good authority I have to remark, that the verb Substantive not to be used here in any tense, but must be read Person—and is instead of was—so the text should be read, Now consider how great p. 13this Person is—the Person who continues a Priest for ever, spoken of in the close of the 3rd verse, and which must be read in the tense the Apostle speaks it. From which it appears plain, that the Person who in the text met Abraham, is now in heaven, interceding for his Church.—Abraham gave him the tenth of the spoil, and therefore acknowledged him to be his divine Priest and King. The Apostle then proceeds with the Subject, and says, (5th verse) that this glorious Person, this High Priest is not of the descent of Levi, not at all of that tribe—as all Priests that belonged thereto were imperfect and died, but this Melchisedec now receiveth tithes, because he is our ever-living Priest. And at the close of the 8th verse the Apostle says, It is witnessed of him that he liveth, that is, that he is alive now—and in the 3rd verse says, he abideth a Priest continually. This surely can never be said of any mere man, of any typical character, of any Canaanitish King, or any Priest, but our great Melchisedec. Some may object that he may be said to live as many departed saints do, but then it could not be said of him that he continued to live in his Office, as a Priest for ever.
I think this Subject appears more clearly by the titles the Holy Ghost gives him. The Apostle having asserted the identity of the Person, goes on to prove the fact, by the name Melchisedec, King of Righteousness. This title belongs to Jesus only, p. 14of whom it was prophesied, Behold a King shall reign in righteousness, and Princes shall rule in judgment. This was first accomplished upon the ascension of our dear Lord, when he was exalted at the Father’s right-hand, and the decree went forth that all men should bow to him. This shews him to be the righteousness of his people, and that he fills Zion with it; and that one day he will appear as the judge of quick and dead, and act before assembled worlds, as a righteous Judge—King of Righteousness.
The next title is King of Peace—as the author, the preacher, and revealer of all Peace, external, internal, and eternal. This title some have conjectured belonged to some Canaanitish king who reigned in Salem, afterwards called Jerusalem.—But the Apostle tells the Hebrews to regard the meaning of the title, King of Peace—though the time of his actual reigning in Jerusalem was not come, nor will it till the latter day glory. At present he is King of Peace, in the Gospel, in the Conscience, and in Mount Zion.—Without Father.—The human nature he had assumed at that time, in which he appeared to Abraham, was without Father or Mother, without Descent; for as a Priest, the Apostle is proving the fact, that he had no predecessors or successors, so of course, unlike the tribe of Levi. As God, he was without Father; the divine nature was underived, not begotten. He p. 15is the Son of God, in his official capacity, but not in the divine essence. His human nature was without Father—“The Son of Man but no Man’s Son,” Erskine.—Without Mother. The body, the likeness, the form in which he appeared to Abraham, was without Mother, for it was many years afterwards he was born of the Virgin; and though she had the honour to bear him yet she was purely passive is the act of the formation of his nature. In these same senses he was without Descent—he had no predecessors or successors, as God, or as the High Priest of our Profession. Hence he is said to be the first and the last; if so, then there were none before him, and there can be none after him. The objection to this expression is, that it only refers to a want of the knowledge of his Genealogy; but though this might be the case of some persons, or of any, yet they certainly descended from some one. It might as well be argued that because I stand alone, and never heard of any one relation in the world, that I was without descent. But then the Apostle speaks in stronger terms still, and which can only be applied to Divinity itself—having neither beginning of days, nor end of life: this expression must refer to his Divine Nature. He is himself the beginning, in whom God made all things. In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth; that is, in Christ; he was in the beginning with God, one with him in the council and secret purposes of God; as well as the everlasting God; nor p. 16will he ever die as Man any more. As Priest he never did die at all; as God, in his Divine Nature, it is impossible. As the glorious Mediator, he ever lives, and all who are united to him live also.—
But made like the Son of God. This expression, like, seems dark to many at first sight, but when we look at the Subject altogether, it is very clear that none can be like God but God himself. None can be like such a Priest, after such an Order, but the High Priest, Jesus himself. The body he was to assume from the beginning, he frequently assumed a likeness of. Hence Nebuchadnezzar saw one like the Son of God in the Furnace. Now no christian can for a moment disbelieve that this was Christ; and that, long before his incarnation, the likeness that appeared was the likeness of his body, now glorified. This appeared to Joshua, to Moses, to Lot, to Abraham, Jacob, Ezekiel, and John.—These all saw the likeness of the body that is now in heaven. So that this Son of God appeared like the Son of God, after his glorification. He loved our nature so well that he anticipated the assumption of it; he rejoiced in the habitable parts of the earth, and his delights were with the Sons of Men. This the dear Redeemer shewed frequently, by his visits to our earth, in the likeness of that body which is now raised and glorified, and to which likeness the bodies of God’s elect are predestinated to be conformed.
p. 17I would make the remark here, as we have answered the above objection, so another is started, How, and in what sense could this Melchisedec receive tithes? And, if a divine Person, What did he do with them? On this I must confess there is a difficulty. Paul says he met Abraham—yet the word (as say the learned) means being in company together. We shall now investigate this Subject a little, and attend to its signification.
If this Melchisedec was only a Canaanitish King, I can see no reason why Abraham should give him the tenth of the spoils he had taken in battle; for I do not read of any king assisting in this war, or even minding the stuff, or guarding the coast; for it seems to have been a law among the warriors to divide the spoil, as in the 1st of Samuel, 30th Chap. But as his part shall be that goeth to battle, so shall his be that tarrieth by the stuff, they shall part alike. Now considering how great this Man was (or this Person is) to whom Abraham gave the tenth, we are prone to ask those questions that are of no importance to us, as, If this was Christ, what use could they be to him—and what did he do with them? We may as well ask, How the Lord and his attendants eat, when Abraham made an entertainment at the tent door—they appeared to him to eat. So, after his resurrection from the dead they gave him a piece of broiled fish p. 18and of an honey comb, and he took it, and did eat before them. This may lead us to ask still more curious questions, as, What body was it in which our Lord made those appearances, and what became of it? These things we must die to know; it is but of little consequence to us now—what tithes Abraham gave him he knew how to dispose of.—But in this instance the glory of our Lord appears; for it is clear no man on earth was so great as Abraham; so the Apostle argues, and truly the less is blessed of the greater—Abraham, the less, was blessed of Melchisedec, the greater. This was peculiar to his Order only, nor does there want another Priest to arise after his similitude, seeing he ever liveth to represent his people.
There was undoubtedly something of importance in this act of Abraham’s, and in which we may see, First, Abraham’s gratitude to the Captain of his Salvation, who had given him success in this war, which was just and necessary. So we find the Israelites devoted a part of the spoils taken in battle, to the Lord, and the rest was divided among them, (See Numbers xxxi, 25 v. to the end).—When Jacob vowed to the Lord, he said, Of all thou shall give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee;—and hence in his posterity we find the tenth of their portions were to be consecrated to the Lord, and this tenth, so devoted, was a type of God’s elect, Jews and Gentiles, who were to be devoted p. 19to his service. God, by the Prophet Isaiah, Chap. vi, says, But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return and shall be eaten. Abraham giving the tenth to Melchisedec, and keeping the rest, (thus dividing the spoil) was an exhibition of what the Saviour would do, actually, when he should divide the spoil with the strong; when he should rise up early to the prey, and in the evening of his death divide the spoil—give to God’s Law and Justice infinite satisfaction—to his people all the blessings he secured, and get to himself a name above every other, that at his name every knee should bow.—Thus he divides the spoil, because he poured out his soul unto death. So in the hearts of his elect, by the conquest of his grace, when he spoils the works of the Devil in us, as well as for us, and by Faith, leads us to get victory over every sin and every fear, and enables us to give him the heart in a way of love, the mind in his service, and all our powers devoted to his glory, body, soul, and spirit, time and talents: this is giving him the tenth. We have got the blessings he has enabled us to get by Prayer and Faith, and we give him the glory due to his holy name—while he oft refreshes us with himself as the Bread of Life, fills us with the Wine of his love, and blesses us with communion with himself—so we give him tithes of all—hence the Apostle says, that he now receiveth them.—Thirdly. This act may be a type of that important p. 20period when our glorious High Priest will receive his elect at his second coming, when the faithful of whom Abraham was a figure, will come from their graves, and meet Jesus—and he will come from the third heaven and meet them, introduce them into the heavenly country, the new heaven and earth. Here our Priest will bless us, and here we shall cast our crowns at his dear feet, and sing—Worthy the Lamb that was slain. Thus we shall give him tithes of all.
The Dignity and Identity of this glorious Person may be clearly seen by the nature of his Priestly Office—this is what the Apostle is proving by a quotation from the 110th Psalm—Thou art a Priest for ever, after the Order of Melchisedec. How mean is the common idea that he was a Canaanitish king, and that Christ is a Priest after his order. Had Christ been constituted a Priest after any Order of human Beings, it would have been after the Order of Aaron, a Priest of God’s own appointment; but Christ is a Priest after his own Order. When God means to swear he swears by himself, because there is no greater—when he means to draw a similitude of himself he likens himself to himself; and when Jesus reveals himself as a Priest after an Order, it is his own Order, and his glory will he not give to another.
The Apostle in this Epistle, is setting forth the p. 21Divinity and Glory of Jesus, as God-Man Mediator; and shews how far he excels angels, and then how far he excelled Moses. He then points out how far he excelled Aaron; and in his Office of High Priest, how far he excelled all the Priests of the Levitical Order—they were mere men, he the God-Man—they were mortal and died, he was immortal, and ever lived. The fact is, that the Son of God having finished the great Work of Redemption, sat down on the right-hand of God, agreeably to what is said in the 110th Psalm—The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right-hand, for THOU art a Priest for ever. This makes it evident that the Priests under the Old Testament Dispensation typified Jesus, as exercising his Priestly Office before his ascension; but the Order of our Melchisedec is appearing in a glorified state, at the right-hand of the Majesty in heaven, representing and blessing his people. This is the Order the Father appointed him, and in this he continues. This he revealed to Abraham, and in the act of blessing him shewed what he was to be and do, upon his glorification, after his battle was over, of which Abraham’s war was but a faint shadow. That Melchisedec is the Son of God appears evident from his call to the Priesthood. So the Apostle has coupled these two texts together in the 5th Chapter—Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. As he saith, also, in another place. Thou art a Priest for ever, after the Order of Melchisedec. From which we p. 22must infer that Melchisedec is the eternal Son of God—for God declaring Christ to be his Son, was at the same time constituting him a Priest for ever, after his own Order, as King of Righteousness and Peace, fulfilling the one, and making the other for his Church. Upon his ascension he was to abide a Priest and King for ever—the eternity of his Priesthood clearly demonstrates the fact—the term for ever—a Priest for ever. This was essential to his Order, eternal Priesthood, therefore he must be eternal, which could never be said of any mere man—of course the Son, or second Person, is the Melchisedec that met Abraham, that now liveth and abideth. The Apostle also declares that his Order is Perfection, and the Power of an endless Life, in opposition to the Levitical Priesthood, which was imperfect, and they carnal men.—The Father’s language to the Son in the 110th Psalm, according to the learned Morrison’s Scripture Dictionary, is rendered literally in the original, Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever, upon or according to my Word, O MELCHISEDEC. This is addressed from the Father to the Son, and to no other Person. On this verse, the good Dr. Hawker remarks, that the Psalmist is tracing up the Subject to the everlasting Council of Peace between them both, in Jehovah swearing-in Christ into his Priestly Office, even that of an everlasting Priesthood. These things cannot be said of any mere man; nor does it any where assert p. 23that Melchisedec was a type—but the above arguments clearly prove he was the eternal Son of God; and to doubt this, or be ignorant of it, the Apostle declares the Hebrews were dull of hearing; and surely so are many of God’s people, to this day, upon this Subject—therefore, Consider now how great this Person is—he is called the great God, the great Saviour, great King, great Prince, great Shepherd, great High Priest; great in his nature, his love, his mercy, his wisdom, his glory, his grace, his power; and these he delights to shew to his dear people, who are called upon to consider him—these are said to fly for refuge to him, to cast anchor within the veil, either of his flesh, and lay hold of his eternal Divinity, or into ultimate glory, and view Jesus as an ever-living Priest, carrying on their cause, representing their Persons, pleading the virtue of his blood and righteousness, and abideing till all his foes become his footstool, and the mystery of God shall be finished; then the Son will deliver up the mediatorial kingdom to the Father, and God, Father, Son, and Spirit shall be all in all.
The last consideration is, The Work he carries on as a Priest, under this peculiar Order. The Priest under the old Law, no doubt, typified him; but perhaps very little further as types than his death, or entering into the Holy of Holies. Here they as types fail, and we see Jesus of another Order, and under a different view, upon his glorification, p. 24carry on his Priestly Office in heaven. Aaron the High Priest, in many things typified him, tho’ Christ was not of that Order, but of the tribe of Judah, of which Moses spake nothing pertaining to the Priesthood. But our dear Lord is become the author of eternal salvation to his people, and still officiates as an High Priest after his own Order—and this Order is not to make an atonement, or fulfil the Law, this he had done; but exalted to bless his people for ever.—This Office was shewed to Abraham when Christ met him, and refreshed him with bread and wine, a figure of his body and blood, which were to be offered up in sacrifice, and upon that offering his intercession was founded, and all blessings are dispensed by him, as it followed, and he blessed Abraham. Hence, having purged our sins, he has sat down at his Father’s right-hand to bless us for evermore. This is peculiar to his Order only, for this he ever lives. Perhaps every blessing he communicates as a Priest, is included in that prescribed form the Priests used under the old Law, Numbers 6th Chap, verse 22, to the close.
He met, and blessed Abraham with Righteousness and Peace; and to this day he gives the same to us, for as many as are of Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. Hence the benediction, the Lord give thee Peace. And the Apostle says, He is exalted to give Repentance and Remission of Sins—thy sins are forgiven thee; go in peace. He p. 25blesses us with converting grace. God hath sent his Son to bless us, by turning us from our iniquities, with a better righteousness. David describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works, with the adoption of children—to them gave he power to become the Sons of God—with spiritual life. The Lord commanded his blessing on Mount Zion, even life for evermore. He blesses them with his preserving power; his guiding Spirit in all his Offices; the light of his countenance; a new nature and a new name—these are all included in his Priestly Benediction, which the Priests could only pronounce, and we can only pray for, but which it is his glory to give, as our Melchisedec—the Lord bless thee and keep thee—the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee—the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the Children of Israel, and I will bless them. This act of the Redeemer’s intercession and blessing, is in an authoritative way—Father I will that those whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory—which God grant us all.—AMEN.
p. 26Thus we have endeavoured to prove that Christ is the true Melchisedec, without a type or figure—that he was not Shem, nor his Grandson, nor an earthly King, however pious; but that it was Jesus appearing in the likeness in which he should appear for ever, before the throne, to bless his people in. This fact we have attempted to prove from express passages, from his glorious titles, from the peculiarity of his Order, and the nature of his Work, as a Priest.
For a most judicious handling of this Subject I refer my Readers to Morrison’s Bibliotheca Sacra—to which I am much indebted.
KING of Salem, bless my soul!
Make a wounded sinner whole!
King of righteousness and peace,
Let not thy sweet visits cease.Come, refresh this soul of mine
With thy sacred bread and wine;
All thy love to me unfold,
Half of which cannot be told.Hail, Melchisedec divine!
Thou great High Priest shalt be mine;
All my powers before thee fall—
Take not tythe, but take them all.
FINIS.
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