CHRIST Set forth in several Sermons UPON The 7th Chapter to the HEBREWS By Mr. Robert Ottee Late Pastor to a Congregation in Beckles in Suffolk LONDON Printed for Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market-place 1690. To the READER THese Sermons are put out after the Authors death they were taken in Short-hand from the Preacher and every wise and candid Reader will easily think that every thing is not so Exact and Perfect as if the Author had Viewed and Corrected things himself but however it is much desired by those that had sat long under his Ministry that these Sermons might be Published because they treat of such an excellent Subject setting forth our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ our great High Priest and Mediator in a plain and Spiritual manner holding forth Christ as an object of Faith that those who are yet unbelievers may be incouraged to look to him and be saved that they may know the way of coming to God by him and that those that have believed thro Grace may learn to make more constant use of the Lord Jesus Christ for Sanctification and Consolation all their days seeing we do receive all Spiritual blessings thro him The chief design of these Sermons is to extol Christ of whose Person and of the Worth of our Redemption by him when Ministers have said all they can the half is not told of him yea it may be said How little a portion is known of him It seems those that heard these Sermons Preached were much affected with them and it is hoped the Lord will please to put in by his Spirit to bless them to those that shall read them Martin Finch To the Congregation lately pertaining unto the Care and Oversight of Mr. Robert Ottee Preacher of the Gospel at Beckles in Suffolk Dear Brethren YOu have here presented to your view those profitable Sermons which sounded sweetly in your Ears He Preached on this Chapter as for your Edification and Consolation so as he told me for his own for he had many Warnings of putting off his Tabernacle They were Preached on the former part of the Lords day for he Preached on the afternoon from other Scriptures more suitable to the greater part of his Auditors These were his last Sermons We read of the great Prophet Elijah that he left his Mantle when he was caught up to Heaven 2 King 2. 13. by which great Wonders were effected And by the blessing of God who giveth the increase great things may be wrought by a spiritual though not miraculous operation in the reading of these Sermons By these we may understand what a great blessing you enjoyed in such a Minister for above Thirty years who was abundant in Labours And likewise how great your Loss is under which you yet mourn He was as is well known an Interpreter one of a Thousand Job 33. 23. An Apollos mighty in the Scriptures Acts 18. 24. Though you are in want of a good Shepherd to feed the Flock yet you must say as Abraham of old to his Son Isaac God will provide I intend brevity and only add a word or two more to you that were his Flock Remember how you have received and heard and hold fast and repent Rev. 3. 3. Brethren farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you I remain Your willing Servant for Jesus sake WILL. BIDBACK Christ set forth SERMON I. Hebrews 7. and 1 2 3 verses For this Melchisedeck 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 Righteousness and after that also King of Salem which is King of Peace Without Father without Mother without descent having neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like unto the Son of God abideth a Priest continually HAving lately spoken many things of drawing near to God as it is the duty of all men to do and of true Believers especially And that there is no drawing near to God but by our great High-Priest our Lord Jesus Christ And the Lord having sworn that this Christ is a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedeck It will be very necessary through Gods assistance to open and apply this Melchisedeck as he was a type of Jesus Christ I know that there are many in this Congregation that are but Babes in Christianity and have need of Milk rather than strong meat plain Preaching and that which is easie for them to understand But there are several other able Christians here amongst us that have had their sense of the things of God of many years standing that may be able to digest stronger meat and for their sakes I would according to my measure of ability open this Mystery of Christs Everlasting Priesthood under this type of Melchisedeck that so we may grow more perfect in our knowledge There are many great and profitable Mysteries couched in Melchisedeck's Name and Office And so great a Mystery it is as the Apostle spends a great part of this Chapter in opening of that Mystery How Christ is a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck and then makes application of the whole in the latter part of the Chapter and therefore I intend God willing to go through this Chapter briefly in the former part of the day For besides the Gospel Mysteries that are held out in this Melchisedeck here are divers practical Truths to be handled as we go along which are of daily use to us Now the Apostle having in the last words of the foregoing chapter said Christ is made a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck he comes now to describe Melchisedeck to them First by his Name and Office and then by his pious action in going out to meet Abraham As for his Name we shall not need to stand upon that because the Apostle interprets it in the following words His Offices were both King and Priest King of Salem and Priest of the most high God Secondly By the work that he did which was that he met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blest him That is the sum of the first verse In the 2d verse we have set down what Abraham did for Melchisedeck Abraham gave the tenth part of all the spoil that he took from the four Kings after his Conquest And he did not give this unto Melchisedeck as to an ordinary man but to him who was by interpretation the King of Righteousness and King of Salem that is King of Peace In the 3d. verse the Apostle shews the resemblance between Melchisedeck and Jesus Christ Melchisedeck was without Father and without Mother without descent having neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like unto the Son of God abideth a Priest of God continually Here lies the Mystery
defend his Church In Gen. 49. there you have old Jacob blessing of the Tribe of Judah and Prophecying that Christ should come out of that Tribe The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his Feet until Shiloh come and unto him shall be the gathering of the People The Scepter shall not depart from Judah that is the Kingly power and Government That Tribe did hold it till Christ came in the Flesh and then Herod Reigned who was not of the Tribe of Judah This was old Jacobs Prophecy that our Lord Jesus Christ should come out of Judah And why so This makes him not only a Priest but a Royal Prophet and this was according to the promise made to David Thy House and thy Kingdom shall be established for ever before me Thy Throne shall be established for ever i. e. in his Son that is Christ who came of the Seed of David so that he is a King and a Prophet in that he came of the Seed of David Come we now to the Observations that are plain from this Verse which I have read The 13. ver saith the Apostle For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another Tribe of which no man gave attendance at the Altar not one man of the Tribe of Judah did Minister at Gods Altar Hence we are First to observe That according to that order which God hath set among men no man is to intermeddle with business out of his place For the Tribe of Judah having no part of the Levitical Office no man of them might presume to give attendance at the Altar Solomon tells us That it is the wisdom of the prudent to understand his way but every fool will be medling It is the wisdom of a Man to understand his way i. e. to know what God calls him to and to mind his own work and his proper business in his calling and place The Apostle gives this direction to the Church of the Thessalonians 1 Thess 4. 11. Study to be quiet and to do your own business It is a great point of Godly wisdom to give attendance to what God calls them to and not to meddle with that which God has not called them to There are some that are reproved from this first observation Such as have given attendance to publick Work and to Preaching and also to Trading to as if the work of the Gospel were not sufficient for one man There is nothing more plain in Scripture than this that those whom God hath set to the work of the Ministry are exempted from other Worldly Trades and Callings It hath been an abuse in this Nation to think that men may Trade and Buy and Sell and run into all Worldly business and yet undertake the Preaching of the Gospel Yea some that are called the regular Clergy yet give themselves too much to Farming Buying and Selling and Secular Imployments this doth come short of their Calling for mind what the Apostle saith to Timothy in 1 Tim. 4. 13. Till I come give thy self to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrin So that you see it is the wisdom of a man to understand what they are Called to No man gave attendance to the work of the Altar but they that were of the Altar And let me tell you this God hath often had a special respect to them whom he found in their Callings and hath chosen them to more eminent Services You read when Moses was keeping his Fathers Sheep being in his Calling the Lord appeared to him in the Bush And when God set up another Prophet in the room of Elijah he takes another Prophet who was in his Calling he was Ploughing in the Field So in Zechariah when the Angel appeared to him he was found in his Calling God hath always delighted to own men in their Callings and to find them therein And why did not the Tribe of Judah give attendance unto the Work of the Altar The Apostle gives the reason in the 14. ver because Moses spake nothing concerning that Priest-hood How Moses Moses was the man by whom God revealed his mind in the Old Testament and there was no other Prophet for the leading of the Church in that matter Now Moses when he comes to reveal the mind and will of God concerning the Tabernacle and Priest-hood Moses said nothing of the Tribe of Judah Whence observe Secondly That we must not meddle with any thing in the Worship of God without a Divine Warrant from him we must have a Warrant for what we do in the Worship of God The Tribe of Judah would not meddle with any thing in the Worship of God because they had no Warrant from God for it This therefore is to be observed That those that bring in Popish and Superstitious Inventions we may say of them Moses nor any of the Prophets in Scripture speak any thing concerning these things and therefore we look upon the Papists as to their Superstitions to be of an Unscriptural Religion For what Apostle or what Prophet said any thing for the Worshipping of Images Or what Apostle or what Prophet said any thing to warrant the Praying in an unknown Tongue What Prophet or Apostle or Pen-man of Scripture hath said any thing concerning the Sacrifice of the Mass for the Living and the Dead Oh filthy trash What Prophet or Apostle or Pen-man of the Scripture hath said any thing concerning Praying Souls out of Purgatory or to have Mass read for them What Prophet or Apostle or Christ himself said any thing of Purgatory or Crossing themselves or their Childish Crosses and Beads Of these Popish Superstitions as it is here said so we may say of that God hath said nothing in all his Word for these Superstitious things And therefore the people of God must never meddle with these things and if you be tempted or sollicited to any Ceremony ask the Question Have Moses or the Prophets or Christ or his Apostles said any thing to this matter that you are so Zealous for Oh search the Scripture and what you find there you are to practise in Faith and in the fear of God Isaiah 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them The Third thing observable in this Text is the Title that is given to our Saviour Jesus Christ in the 14. ver It is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah our Lord Why doth he say our Lord To teach us that we must never speak of Jesus Christ or think of him without an awful fear and reverence for he is our Lord our great Lord He is so by reason of his Deity and because of the Fathers Ordination for he hath set his Son upon his holy Hill Zion as King Psal 2. and in Eph. 1. 22. the Apostle tells us he is made the Head over all things to his Church surely then he is a great Lord. And from this
Lordship of Christ we are to take up three practical Duties which I shall but name and so go on 1. If our Jesus Christ be our great Lord our King Then it is our Duty to study Obedience to his Laws and Commands not to take him only for a Saviour but our Lord For mind it Earthly Lords require Honour and Obedience and shall we call Christ our Lord and Master and not do the thing that he Commands or have no regard to his Word or to his Commands See I pray John 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me You pretend love to Christ shew it then in keeping his Commands and in the 23. ver If any man love me he will keep my word so the 15. ver If ye love me keep my Commandments and you shall abide in my love Christ puts all upon love Though he be a great Lord and might exact all service in a way of fear and dread yet he will have all in Love When you are tempted to any sin say My Lord forbids me and I must obey his Commands He hath told us if we love him we shall keep his Words 2. If Jesus Christ be our great Lord then we ought with confidence to rest upon him for protection for preservation for he is a great Lord For pray mind it Though Jesus Christ makes but little noise in the World and other Lords seem to carry a great name yet Jesus Christ is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings and as he is the Fathers Vicegerent he over-rules all the Kings and Kingdoms in the World and therefore you may rest in him as the great Lord and as the Apostle writes to Timothy the 1. and the 6. and 15. which in time he shall shew who is the blessed and only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords then let us rest upon him for Protection 3. If Jesus Christ be our Lord then are we not only to walk according to his Commands but after his Example in Meekness and Humility see John 13. 13. saith Christ to his Disciples Ye call me Lord and Master and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet you ought also to wash one anothers Be not proud then but say hath my Lord and Master condescended so to his Disciples And shall I slight them and cast them off I have given you an example saith Christ labour then to honour Jesus Christ Now in the next place Here you find that the Apostle useth one word in the Text mind that it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah and in the 15. ver it is far more evident Why doth the Apostle so insist upon it I Answer It is to teach us Ministers that Preach the Gospel to make things evident to the Peoples understandings Plain and evident to their understanding It is a great part of their Ministerial work to inform their Judgments and therefore pray that you may have a plain Gospel-Minister 1 Cor. 2. 5. that in every thing you are inriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge men may make a great noise in Preaching but little to Edification But then here is the Question What is it that the Apostle will make evident That is the main Point in the Text. Why he makes evident that Jesus Christ our great High-priest was not a Priest after the Law of a carnal Commandment but by the power of an endless Life And these are the words I shall briefly open and apply That Jesus Christ our great High-priest was not made a Priest after the Law of a carnal Commandment but after the power of an endless Life Here are two things to be observed First The Apostles removing the Priest-hood of Christ from the Levitical Priest-hood that it was not made after the Law of a carnal Commandment Secondly He gives a description of the true Nature of the Priest-hood of Christ That it is a Priest-hood of power and of an endless Life First of all saith the Apostle He was not made a Priest after the Law of a carnal Commandment What is that Why it is a carnal Commandment that made all subject to the Ceremonial Law You will say Was the Ceremonial Law Carnal Did not God Command it how was it then Carnal Why it was a Command that respected Carnal things Carnal in Scripture is taken two ways First Carnal is taken for that which is sinful and in this sence the Law of Moses was not made by a Carnal Commandment Sometimes Carnal is set in opposition to Spiritual things and so it is put for things concerning the Body and not for the Soul If we have sown unto you Spiritual things Is it a great thing if we shall reap your Carnal things And in this sence the Ceremonies of the Law were called Carnal things because they did only reach to the Body they were but shadows of Heavenly things and therefore the Apostle in his Epistle to the Colossians called them Worldly rudiments Col. 2. 20. Why so Because all those Ceremonial Laws were not of an heavenly nature as the things of the Spirit are but they only concerned outward things Mind this The Jews they doted much upon their Ceremonial Rites before Christ came and after Christ came they did stick much to their carnal and worldly Ceremonies And therefore the Apostle Paul in a holy anger speaks to the Galatians O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth to turn aside from Christ the substance to carnal things to worldly things which are but shadows And this is to be observed and oh that we could observe it more that in the corrupt nature of man there is a carnal disposition that leads him out to worship God in a carnal way And that is the scope of the Apostle here Look upon the Worship and Religion of the Papists and you will see 't is but a carnal Religion They have their curious Images and Pictures What doth this avail a Soul to have a rich pompous Altar a rich Garment for the Priest to have pompous Processions and curious Musick What are these to the Soul And as for us that have the Reformed Religion how many amongst us delight to worship God after the Law of a carnal Commandment Are there not too many amongst us which are more for old Abrogated Ceremonies than they are for a Gospel Worship Bewail and lament the Apostacy of this Generation These Ceremonies of the Old Testament tho' they were carnal and low things in themselves yet they had a spiritual signification put upon them by God and so had a great excellency in them whilst God was pleased to continue them But now that God hath abolished them Paul calls them carnal things And so we may call all Mediums of Worship that are not of Gods appointment Now for the second which is the description of the Priesthood of