the Order of Melchiſedec, of whom they had read, and whom they had in great eſteem, and after whoſe Order they were atiured by the Prophet David, another Prieſt was to riſe up in the Church, rendring Aaron's Prieſthood uſeleſs, and continuing the only means of reconcilins Sinners, and bringing them to eternaÞLife, to whom they muſt cleave : Ke initiates it with a Deſcription of the State of *{elchifed>c's Order, from ver. 1. to 17. and then proceeds to apply it to Chriſt, from ver. 37. to 28, Having aflerted, Chap. 6.20. That Feſus was made from eternity an High-Prieſt after the Order of Melchi- tedec, and declarcd to be ſo by his entrance within the Veil in Hea- ven at his Aſcenſion : He reaſoneth it out, by ſhewing what this Melchiſedec was. The Perſon pointed at by this Name, 15 mention- ed only once by Xfo/es, and that in Gen. 34. 18, 19, 20, It is cer- tain he was a Han who lived by Bread and Wine as well as Abraham, and received Tythes from him becoming a Man. His place of Ref1- derice was Salem, afterwards called Jeruſalem, in the Land of Ca- nan, Joſh. 10.1. The 7ews conceived him to be Shem the ſecond Son of Nah, which this Scripture denieth, for his Genealogy 1s well known in it; that he deſcended from Cham, third Son of Noah, becauſe an Inhabitant in Canaan, and that his Name Melchiſedec was the common Name of the Princes of that Country, whoſe Metro- polis was firſt called Tedcc, then Salem, then Feruſalem ; becauſe the King of it in 70/Þya's time was named 4doni-zedec, which is tynonmous with this, 1s all conjeQural ; this 1s certain he was, 6 Indowed with Royal Power, ſuch as the other Kings in Canaan had: The capital Seat in his Kirsdom was Salem, the name likely of both his City and Territory ; not that Salem of the Sichemites, Gen. 33. 18. afterwards cailed Schechem, demoliſhed and ſown with Salt by 4bimelech, Judg. 9. 34, 45. In Fohn the Baptiſt's time, raiſed again and called Salem, Folhn 3. 23, But Salem mentioned Pſalm 75. 2. more known by its famous Appellation, Jeruſalem. This ſhevs him to be a Man, as doti -his next Title. c His Authority in matters of Religion, as a prime Miniſter about holy things between God and Men, and therefore a Man, as Chap. 5. 1. fet up by the moſt high God for himſelf, and Conſecrated in his Order of Prieſthood by him, which ſhould moſt ilJuſtrioutly fet out that of his own Son. He managed all as a Prieft betwixt his own People and the great God, ruling of them in all matters civil, and teaching and ordering them in all ſacred things. d He went from 7eruſalem with neceſſary Re- freſhings ta meet Abraham, the Friend of God, the Father of Be- lievers, a Prince and a Prieſt himſelf, and of whoſe Poſterity was to come thz Meſſiah, now returning from his ViRory over Keder- lzomer and his Confederate Kings, with the reſcue of his Nephenv, and all his, to his Tents at Mamre. As he was paſſing near Salem, Melchijedec meets him, and entertains him, Gen. 14. 13, to 21. et was an att of his Szcerdotal Othce, ſuch as God enjoined on ſuch Othcers afterwards in Numb. 6.23,to 27. and not a common Wiſh and Detire only. The matter of Bleſſing is laid down, Gen. 14. 19. It was 11. God's Name, by his Commiſſion effeGually denounced on Abraham by Vertue of his Office, and God's Inſtitution, the height of 200d, and all the good in Heaven and in Earth within God's Poſ- :cffion 1s conveyed to him, Gen. 15. 1.
2 To whom alſo Abraham gave a tenth part of all f : firſt being by interpretation King of righteouſ: nels g, and after that alſo King of Salem, which is King of peace #.
f By which Tything to him, Abraham owns him to be God's Prieſt. As he had received blefling from God by him, ſo he returns to God, through him, his Acknowledgments, he divided, ſhared, and gave out his part to him, even the tenth part of all the Spoils, vr. 4 This ts the 4rit Scripture, Gen. 14. 20. that GIVES Us any Ac- count 0! paying the 71:55 of Goods to God in his Prieſts; which Cuſtom aiterwards obtzined among moſt Nations, to give the Tenths of the 5poils after Vitory to God. And this Abraham did, 2s due to the Ohce by Divine Inſtitution, having received a Eiciſing.trom it. g The Myftcry of his Name, T1:t!e and Deſcent,
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177 or 1991 which ſngnifieth a Xing or Governour, or my King and "1% Righteouſneſs. A ſupream Governour, not only formal. ly righteous in his own Diſpotition, bu* efficiently by juſt and ex- ceilent Laws making his Subjets righteous ; a King workinz Ki he tcouſneſs in a Canaun, and in ſuch a time of univerſal De-enerzcy from It, This God ordered tor ſome ſpecial uſe, (DG ws Type out his own Son, God-Man, the great Goſpel-Miniſter, to be the King of Righteouſneſs, who purchaſed it for, iniputeth it to, and in- fuſeth 1t into Sinners; who 1s fo fully, the Lord ov Righnt emuſne: that we are made the Righteouſneſs of God in him, Tn. 22. 1. For. 23.6. and 33. 15. Zech. 9. 9. and 2 Cor. 5. 21. þ The Myſtery ot his Title of Office, King of Salem : The due order of this is 0%ſer- vable : he 1s firſt King of Righteovineſs, and atter that he is King of Salem, that 1s, of Peace; the Fruit of whoſe Righteous Govern. ment was Peace. He. kept thts among his People, and round about him, while others were wafting and deſtroying their Kinzdoms by Luſts and Wars, This is eminently true of Chriſt The Prince «f Peace, Iſa. g. 6, 7. who gave ſome fignal of his Government, and begun his Prieftþood in the ſame Salem or Jeruſalem, where Me!chi- ſedec Reigned, Matth. 21.5, 9, 10. He 1s eminently the Koyal Pur. chaſer, Maker, and Dittributer of Peace, reconciling all things to God, Angels and Men, in Heaven and in Earth, and all Perſons, 7ews and Gentiles, and the Creation it ſelf to recovered Man, Colef, 1. 20,21, compare-Epheſ. 2. 13, to 18. The Prince and Price of our Peace, ſetting Peace within Souls, giving it to them withour, Peace, ſpiritual, temporal, and eternal ; his Kingdom aboundeth in it, Pſal.72.1,3,7. Iſa. 54-10,13. John 14.27. 7ames 3.18.
3 Without tarher z, without mother 4, + withour deſcent /, having neicher beginning of days, nor end * of life m, but made like unto the Son of God 7, ** abiderh a prieft continually 0. |