regarded as a priest by Abraham, who presented to him the tenth of all his spoils. As for Jesus, there was not any part of the priestly office which he did not perform. He was not indeed of that tribe to which the priesthood belonged, and therefore he was not instituted " according to the law of a carnal commandment ;" but he was appointed of God with a solemn oath ; and anointed to his office with a superabundant measure of the oil of gladness^. Having, in order that he might have somewhat to offer, taken upon him our nature, he " presented himself an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour." And having shed his own blood, he is gone with it within the vail, and there carries on the work of intercession for us ; and will soon come forth again, not like the Jewish high-priest, to bless one nation only, but, like Melchizedec, to bless the father of the faithful, together with all his children dispersed throughout the world.]
Thus both in their 7iames and offices is there a very striking agreement between Melchizedec and Christ. But the parallel between them may be yet further noticed in,
II. The duration of their priesthood —
We are altogether indebted to the revelation of God for a just construction of what was related re- specting Melchizedec, and of what was intentionally omitted in his history —
[Melchizedec, like other men, was doubtless born of hu- man parents, and in due season cut off by death from this present state of existence. But there is no mention made of his birth, or parentage, or death : nothing is said of any pre- decessor, whom he followed in his office, or of any successor to whom he resigned his office. These omissions, which might have been well accounted for from the brevity of that part of the Mosaic history, we are assured were ordered of God, on purpose that, by appearing " not to have beginning of days or end of life," he might, as far as a mortal man could do, shadow forth the eternity of Christ's priesthood.]
What was figurately ascribed to him, is literally true with respect to Christ —
[Christ, though born after the world had stood four thou- sand years, was appointed to this office from all eternity ; and actually executed it, by his representatives at least, from the first moment that Adam or Abel offered their sacrifices on the
»^ Ps, xlv. 7.