XI. I. FIRST, Lay before you what Account SER M. the Scriptures give concerning Melchifedec. II. SECONDLY, I fhall examine in what' Refpects his Priesthood differed from the Aaronick Priesthood: And then III. THIRDLY, I fhall enquire why and how our Lord was to be a Prieft after his Order. I. FIRST, I fhall obferve what the Scriptures fay, or what Account they give, of Melchifedec. And to do this in Order, it will be neceffary in the firft Place to turn to the fourteenth Chapter of Genefis. There we read that Chedorlaomer King of Elam (who was the fame with Ninyas the Son of Ninus, who was at this Time King of Affyria, the Seat of whofe Empire was at Elam in Perfia*; that this Chedorlaomer) with three other Kings, who were confederate with him, as being his Deputy Princes over fome of his adjacent Provinces, after they had fmote and wafted the Country round about, turned themselves against the Kingdoms of Sodom and Gomorrha, put them to * See Shuckford's Connect. Vol. II. p. 3, 4« P 3 Flight SER M. Flight, plundered their Cities, and took Lot, XI. who was Abraham's Brother's Son, among the Captives. The News of this being brought to Abraham, be armed his trained Servants, 318 that were born in his Houfe, pursued the Kings, and furprizing them in the Night, wholly vanquished them, and brought back all the Spoils that they had taken, and also rescued his Brother, i. e. his Nephew, Lot, and his Goods, and the People that belonged to him: After his Return, Melchifedec, King of Salem, who lived not far from Sodom and Gomorrba (the Defence of whofe Kings Abraham had fo generously undertaken) being much affected with the Conduct of the Patriarch, came out to meet him and in order to refresh him, after his Battle and Fatigue, he brought along with him Bread and Wine. And this fame Melchifedec, being alfo the Priest of the Most High God, blessed Abrabam and Jaid, Bleed be Abraham, of the Moft High God, Poffeffor of Heaven and Earth. And bleffed be the Most High God, which bath delivered thine Enemies into thine Hand. Abraham again, on his Part, being full of religious Reverence and Refpect, and willing to acknowledge the Civilities and Bleffings he had received from Melchifedec, gave him the XI. Tithes or Tenths of the best of the Spoils he SER M. had taken *, thereby acknowledging God, r whofe Priest Melchifedec was, for the Donor L of his Victory. This is all the original Account which is given us of Melchifedec; who is mentioned no more in all the Old Teftament, excepting once in the Book of Pfalms. There we read, that the Lord bás fworn unto the Meffiah, and will not repent, Thou art a Prieft forever after the Order of Melchifedec. Pf. cx. 4. Thefe are the only two Places in the Old Teftament where there is fo much as Mention of him. Nor is he any where fpoken of through all the New Teftament, except in this one Epiftle from whence my Text is taken. But as the infpired Writer of this Epiftle fpeaks fuch great and high Things of him; therefore many curious and inquifi+ tive Pens have been employed to find out, more particularly than the Scriptures teach us, who he was. Some have imagined him to be the Holy Ghost; others || the Son of God himself under * Δεκάτην — ἔδωκεν ἔκίων ̓Ακροθινίων, Heb. vii. 4. + See the Authors cited in Bibl. Bib, on Gen. xiv. p. 353. Note*. - 352. See Bibliotheca Biblic. on Gen. xiv. 18. p. 350.. SER M. the Form of a Man. But neither of these XI. Characters agree with that little Account which Mofes gives us of him. For he mentions his Name, the Place of his Abode, and his Quality or Degree. His Name was Melchifedec, he was King of Salem, and alfo Prieft of the Most High God. All these are true Characters of a Man; and cannot properly be understood of any Person who is not fo. And the holy Penman supposes, in the first Verse of this Chapter, from whence I have taken my Text, that every High Prieft is taken FROM AMONG Men, as well as ordained to officiate for Men. We may therefore fafely infer from that little which is faid of him, that he was one of the Kings in the Land of Canaan, whereof there were many, but a pious and devout Man, and a Worshipper of the true God, of which in those Days: there were but few among the idolatrous Nations. * To go further than this, and to affert that he was Shem, the Son of Noah, as is generally affirmed by the Jewish Writers, and fome Chriftians that follow them, favours, I think, of Rashness and Folly, in looking: Bibl. Bib. ibid. too in the Chap XI. too curiously into a Matter which God feems SER M. to have concealed defignedly from us. For fo fhall we think, if we read the Character the holy Penman gives of him, ter next but one to my Text. This Melchifedec (faith he) King of Salem, Priest of the Moft High God, who met Abraham returning from the Slaughter of the Kings, and blessed bim: To whom alfo Abraham gave a tenth Part of all, first being by Interpretation King of Righteoufness, and after that also King of Salem, which is King of Peace, without Father, without Mother, without Defcent, having neither Beginning of Days, nor End of Life, but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a Prieft continually, Heb. vii. 1-3. Now who will-dare to name us the Parentage, the Family, and Stock of one whom the Holy Ghoft witneffes was without Father, without Mother, without Defcent, or Genealogy? And though it appears that Shem was alive when this Victory was gained, yet who can with Modesty affirm Melchifedec to be Shem, whofe Father, and Mother, and Genealogy we know; as well as when he was born, how long he lived, and when he died? Not that we are to imagine that Melchifedec descended immediately from Heaven, or that, |
