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
the Heathen How is that Why you know how dreadful it was to Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar My name is dreadful among the Heathen and shall my People serve me unworthily and irreverently And so much for Melchisedecks Name and Title King of Salem and Priest of the most high God Here are two Offices met in one Person by which he was a special Type of Christ There was never any Person in the World but this Melchisedeck that did hold these two Offices rightfully Indeed we read of two of the Kings of Judah and Israel that undertook the Priests Office and his Work but they did bear the dreadful mark of Gods Judgment for joyning the Priestly Office with that of the King in the 2 Chron. 26. 17 18 19. We read that Uzziah attempted to burn Incense upon the Altar He went into the Temple of the Lord to burn Incense upon the Altar of Incense but Azariah the Priest went in after him and with him Fourscore Priests of the Lord that were valiant men and they withstood Uzziah the King and said unto him it pertaineth not unto thee Uzziah to burn Incense to the Lord but to the Priests the Sons of Aaron that are Consecrated to burn Incense go out of the Sanctuary for thou hast transgressed neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God Then Uzziah was wroth and had a Censer in his hand to burn Incense and while he was wroth with the Priests the Leprosie even rose up in his Forehead before the Priests in the House of the Lord and Uzziah the King was a Leper unto the day of his death thus the Lord smote Uzziah with Leprosie for joyning the Priestly Office with his Kingly Office Another King you read of was Jeroboam 1 Kings 13. and the beginning the Lord sent a Prophet to him to Prophecy ruin to him and upon his Prophecying against the Altar in Bethel The King put forth his hand from the Altar saying Lay hold on him and his hand which he stretched forth against him dryed up so that he could not pull it in again to him God will never bear it to have these two Offices joyned together but in Melchisedeck and Jesus Christ and therein was Melchisedeck a Type of Christ who is all in all to his Church and People for he is our King our Priest and our Prophet This therefore by our Protestant Writers is looked upon to be one mark of Antichrist the Pope who makes himself a Temporal Lord and joyns the same to his Priesthood falsly applying that place to himself in Luke 22. 38. And they said unto him Lord here are two Swords and he said unto them It is enough But Melchisedeck was a type of Christ being both King and Priest Now from hence we may have this comfortable Observation for all Believers That the Lord Jesus Christ is both our King and Priest This is of great use for the comfort of Believers He is a King he is a mighty King to defend his Church and People He is the King that reigns in Righteousness He is a King that governs us by his own Righteous Laws he protects us There is no King on Earth can ever spiritually and eternally destroy Christs Subjects or wholly root out the remembrance of Christs name in the World for he is mighty to save according to that in Psal 72. 11. Kings shall fall down before him and all Nations shall serve him for he shall deliver the needy when he cryeth the poor also and him that hath no helper This is our King our great Melchisedeck King of Salem He is our Priest he offered up himself as a Sacrifice for our sins by him we have an Atonement There may be some good Kings in the World but where is he that can be a Priest for us but our Lord Jesus Christ And therefore look into Heb. 7. 25. He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him because he ever liveth to make Intercession for us Our Lord Jesus Christ being the true King and Priest oâ— the most high God this makes him an Object of our Faith and Love that we may go to him as our King and our Priest But now we come to the second Branch of the â—ext the action of this Melchisedeck 〈◊〉 and Priest of the most high God He went out and met Abraham when Abraham returned from the slaughter of the Kings of the Countrey and blessed him Now these words relate to what we read in Gen. 14. there you will see how Melchisedeck blessed Abraham at v. 18. and so on And Melchisedeck King of Salem brought forth Bread and Wine And he was the Priest of the most high God and he blessed him and said Blessed be Abraham of the most high God Possessor of Heaven and Earth And blessed be the most high God which hath delivered thine Enemies into thy hand And he gave him tythes of all You see here that Melchisedeck met him and blessed him and carried to him a Royal Entertainment for he carried Bread and Wine to Abraham to refresh him and his Army after he had been fighting with the Kings This Abrahams Warfare was thus Abraham hearing that Lot his Brothers Son was taken captive and the people and goods of Sodom carried away you read that Abraham Armed his trained Servants born in his house three hundred and eighteen and pursued them to Dan And he and his Servants by night and smote them and pursued them to Hobah And he brought all the goods and also brought again his Brother Lot and his goods and the women also and the people Thus did Abraham by a small force overcome four Kings four great Kings This is Abraham that righteous man whom God call'd to fight his Battel And he subdued Kings and made his Enemies as stubble to his Bow It was not Abrahams force that did it He was one that went out in Faith and returns in Faith and Melchisedeck the Priest of the most high God met him and blessed him Here are three things to be observed in Abrahams Warfare 1. Abraham returns from the slaughter of the Kings Hence you may observe That Wars are good and lawful when there is a just cause for it For Abraham he had not done well in going out to fight and make war with those Kings if there had been no just cause for it nor would Melchisedeck the Priest of the most high God come out to bless him I mention this to confute that error and mistake of those who say it is not lawful to fight with carnal weapons But 2. From this action of Abrahams we may learn this special duty That when our Brethren Kindred or Relations are in distress we ought to venture our selves for their relief as far as lawfully we may For the Apostle tells us we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren So Abraham hearing that Lot his Brothers Son his person and family were taken and carried away captive
he armed his three hundred and eighteen Servants and goes and ventures his life for their Rescue so that when Kindred and Relations and Friends are in any eminent danger or distress we are to venture far for their Rescue or Deliverance 3. That when people fall into distress and streights we ought to forget all former injuries unkindnesses and affronts and appear for their help and assistance For so did Abraham who appeared for the deliverance of Lot from whom he had formerly received affronts As you may see in Gen. 13. 7. and so on And there was a strife between the Herd-men of Abrahams Cattel and the Herd-men of Lots Cattel and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the Land And Abraham said Let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee and between my Herd-men and thy Herdmen for we are Brethren See how calmly Abraham expostulates with Lot their Herd-men being at strife But Abraham a holy man said to Lot Is not the whole Land before thee separate thy self I pray thee from me if thou wilt take the left hand then I will go to the right or if thou depart to the right hand then I will go to the left He bid him chuse and take which side he would And Lot in a carnal manner looked not so much to the manners of the people as to conveniency and situation of the place He beheld the Plains of Jordan and that it was well watered every where and chose that way like many here amongst us who do not so much regard the people where they live or whether the Means of Grace be there as they do their carnal Interest and Profit But Abraham he gives him his choice and after these affronts offered to him went out to his Rescue when he was in distress And this we ought to do in the course of our lives if differences happen among Friends and Neighbours not to retain prejudices but be ready to help them in the time of their streights and necessities SERMON II. Hebrews 7. 1 2 3. 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 YOU have already heard of this Melchisedeck King of Salem Priest of the most high God How he met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him c. Precious Mysteries are hidden under this name Melchisedeck King of Salem King of Peace which are here applied by our Apostle to Jesus Christ our great King and high Priest Something hath already been spoken about the person of Melchisedck As for his name it is interpreted in the 6th and 7th verses who he was and of his being King of Salem and Priest of the most high God How in this respect he was so great a type of Christ Something also hath been spoken of his meeting of Abraham when he returned from the slaughter of the Kings Abraham was a Believer and one of those that the Apostle speaks of in Heb. 11. who by Faith waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens And something hath been spoken of a just War And about the helping and succouring our Friends and Relations that are in distress And doing good to them that did wrong or injury to us as Abraham did to Lot who had injured him There is one passage more in this verse that must be opened and applied And that is Melchisedeck's blessing of Abraham This Priest of the most high God met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him And how he blessed him How he blessed Abraham It is set down at large in Gen. 19. It 's said there that he came and met him in a Princely manner brought Abraham Bread and Wine to refresh him and his men of their hard Warfare Labour and blessed him in the name of the most high God There is a Mystery contained in this Melchisedecks blessing of Abraham which at present we are to consider the reason why Melchisedeck met Abraham and blessed him after lie had returned from the slaughter of the Kings There are several Reasons which may be profitable for us to consider 1. That Melchisedeck was neighbour unto Abraham for he was King in Salem which bordered upon the Canaanites where Abraham dwelt and went forth out of that Countrey to war with the Kings And Melchisedeck as a Neighbour met him to congratulate good Abraham in his success For indeed Christian Nations are to rejoice when a common Enemy is cast down But that 's not all 2. Melchisedeck and Abraham were men of the same Religion they both worshipped the same God though the Country round about them were Heathens yet Abraham was the Servant of the most high God And Melchisedeck was the Priest of the most high God And always good men of the same Religion rejoice at the good success of each other Melchisedeck was not a man of an envious spirit at Abrahams good success in his undertaking but he could rejoice with him He did rejoice as the Apostle hath it in Rom. 12. v. 15. with them that did rejoice It is a hard and difficult thing to a corrupt nature to rejoice at the good success of our Neighbours or Brethren The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy if men have any great good success Men of corrupt Natures they are afraid they should out-shine them and go beyond them and therefore there is a bad spirit among men which cannot rejoice at others good at the success of other men if they have it not themselves But Melchisedeck being a gracious man and a Servant of God he did not envy Abrahams good success he did not fear Abrahams greatness but he goes out and meets him and blest him 3. The Third and most special reason why Melchisedeck goes out to bless Abraham was because that Melchisedeck was the Priest of the most high God and Abraham was a Believer a great Believer in the true God Abraham was the man with whom God had made a Covenant and therefore in the 7th ver of this chap. it is said that Melchisedeck blessed him that had the promise How had Abraham received the Promise Why God singles him out of his Fathers Country and brings him into a strange Place and makes a Covenant with him and gives him a promise of a Seed in which all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed Now that Abrahams Faith might be firm in believing Gods promises it is said in the 6th of the Heb. 13. For when God made promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater he swore
it not Lawful for a man to enrich himself by War as well as by Trade Why did not Abraham take a Reward for his great Adventure The reason is plain for it shall not be said that Abraham is made rich by the spoils of the King of Sodoms Country The King of Sodom was a Heathen and an Enemy to Abrahams Religion and Abraham would not bring a scandal upon his Religion by his gettings in the World A Godly Gracious Man is very tender in his ways and dealings that he may not raise a scandal to Religion in his Worldly gettings Indeed men of the World they care not how they get Riches because the World is their God but Men professing Godliness as Abraham did they ought to be careful that they do not bring a scandal to Religion in their Worldly gettings For thus it was with Abraham he was very tender of the name of God he would not inrich himself in these ways Here we may learn both Justice Piety and Self-denial Here was Piety towards God he gave to God his due And here was Self-denial also he took nothing for himself nor for his Servants who were born in his House and such as he was bound to provide for And this should teach us that in all our actions of a publick nature we must take heed that we do not make private Interest our aim and end And so much for these words of Abrahams giving the Tenth of the spoil to Melchisedeck Now the Apostle comes to bring in the Mystery of these things in the following words being by interpretation King of Righteousness and afterwards King of Salem the Apostle found out the Mystery of the Son of God in Melchisedecks Name and Place by way of Interpretation How Why Melchisedeck is a Hebrew name which signifies a King of Righteousness Some Writers say it was given him upon his Righteous Government King of Righteousness And then the providence of God so ordered it that he was King of a Place that was called Salem which signifies Peace and so the Apostle saith by Interpretation this Melchisedeck was King of Righteousness and afterwards King of Salem Why doth the Apostle bring it in by way of Interpretation Because Melchisedeck and Salem were Hebrew words and the Apostle Writing to the people in Greek which Language they understood better than Hebrew therefore he Interprets the Hebrew words to them And here by the way we may briefly take notice That Learning Study and Reading is a necessary quality in a Minister of the Gospel For though Learning without Grace or the Spirit of God is an empty and insignificant thing yet if men are sanctified it is of great use to the Church of God But where is the Mystery contained in Melchisedecks name and place It lies in this that our Lord Jesus the Son of God is the King of Righteousness and Peace He is our King He is our Melchisedeck He is our King of Righteousness and our Peace The Scripture doth so assert Christ to be See Isa 3. 2. 1 2. 'T is a Prophecy of Christ Behold a King shall Reign in Righteousness and Princes shall Rule in Judgment A man shall be an hiding-place from the Wind and a covert from the Tempest As Rivers of Water in a dry place as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land Here is a glorious Promise of Jesus Christ A King shall Reign in Righteousness he shall be a hiding-place from the Wind and a covert from the Tempest when he sets up his Kingdom You commonly say in the Prayer of our Lord Thy Kingdom come but how few do understand it The Prophet tells us that a King shall Reign in Righteousness He shall be a hiding-place from the Wind and from the Tempest When storms and winds shall come upon his Church and People he will be as a hiding-place and will be a comfort and refreshment to them He will be as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land If you look into Psal 45. penned to set forth the Government of Christ of whom Solomon was a type saith he v. 7. Thou lovest Righteousness and hatest wickedness therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows Why because thy Scepter is a Scepter of Righteousness for thou hatest wickedness therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows But then Melchisedeck as a further type of Christ as he was King of Righteousness so also he was King of Salem King of Peace So if you look into Isa 9 6. For to us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his shoulders his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace To us that is to the Church a Child is born and what shall his name be called His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor For Christ is the greatest wonder of any thing in the World For the Son of God to be made flesh Now you see little of Christ he is little set up in the Nation But in time the Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will lift up his Son Jesus Christ as the King of Righteousness and as the King of Peace As soon as Christ came into the World the heavenly Host came down and sang praise to the most High Luk. 2. 14. Glory to God on the highest and on earth peace good will towards men But how is Christ called the Prince of Peace why in two respects 1. As he hath made Peace between God and Man And 2. As he makes Peace among men 1. As he makes Peace between God and Man For upon mans sin there was a dreadful enmity and hatred between the holy God and sinful man man hated God God hated sinful man till Christ this Prince of Peace came Yea the holy Angels that stand close to God they hated man and men hate one another upon that account For there is such a variance in the corrupt Nature of man that men are commonly Tigers Wolves Lions yea Devils one to another But Christ he hath satisfied Divine Justice by the death of the Cross and slain the Enmity between God and Man and so we are at peace with him For Christ hath reconciled us to God Hence you have that in Col. 3. He hath made peace between Jew and Gentile and Eph. 2. 14. saith the Apostle there For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us There was abundance of strife and variance between the Jew and Gentile Before Christ the Gentiles scorned the Jews for their Circumcision and the Jews scorned the Gentiles and called them Dogs But Christ hath taken away all this variance and enmity This Prince of Peace will remove all offences that stand in his way so that upon this account he is called the Prince of Peace Object But some may
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
We begin with the first verse This Melchisedeck saith the Apostle was King of Salem and Priest of the most high God Here is his Office It is much disputed amongst many who this Melchisedeck was Some have thought him to be an Angel because 't is said he was without Father and without Mother and without descent But that is clearly answered and confuted by the Apostle in the 5th chapter and the 1st and 2d verses For every High Priest was to be taken from among men not from among Angels but from among men And therefore Melchisedeck was a man and not an Angel And whereas it is said that he was without Father without Mother without descent which leads to that Opinion that he was no man That is spoken of him as to his Genealogy For it was the Custom of the Jews to keep Genealogies and Records of their Parentage in the Church that they might read them in their Church-Book But Melchisedeck had not this Record But he was a man and the most received Opinion is that this Melchisedeck was Shem the Son of Noah For you know that Noah had three Sons Shem Ham and Japheth These three Sons replenished the whole Earth after the Flood as you may read in Gen. 9. 18 19. And that this Melchisedeck was Shem and had his Name given him afterward Melchisedeck from his Kingdom and Goodness and the reasons for it are these First of all Shem lived Six hundred years he lived a Hundred years before the Flood and Five hundred years after the Flood as you may see in the 11 of Gen. the 10 and 11. verses He was One hundred years before the Flood and Five hundred years after it when the World was planted again and this is given as a reason why his Genealogy could not be found for the Flood destroyed all Persons but a few and their Records and Genealogies might be lost The Second reason given for Shems being this Melchisedeck is That he was the Person that in the 9th of Gen. God stiled him self the Lord God of Shem the 26. verse Thirdly Shem the Son of Noah had the Promise made to him as you may read in that 9th of Gen. he had the Promise of Propagating the Church of God and therefore it is said God shall perswade Japheth to dwell in the Tents of Shem and Shem was great Grand-sire to Abraham for Abrahams stock did spring out of this root of Shem. Fourthly Another reason is this that of this Son of Noah of his stock came Christ according to the Flesh that you have in the Third of Luke speaking of the Genealogy of Christ according to the Flesh the 36th verse Which was the Son of Shem which was the Son Noah so that Christs Genealogy according to the Flesh is reckoned from Shem and for these Reasons it is most generally believed that this Melchisedeck was Shem the Son of Noah but whether that be so or no he was a Man for he could not be an Angel because he was a great and honourable Person in the World in whom the Propagation of the Church consisted Now we must not only consider his Person but his Place KING OF SALEM What is that Country Salem It was a Country that bordered upon the Land of Canaan where Abraham Sojourned and this Country of Salem bordered upon Canaan and in this place was the Temple built afterward and the City of Jerusalem For you must know Jerusalem is a word compounded of two words Jeru and Salem Salem is the latter part of the word Jerusalem Jeru signifies God will provide It is the same word which Abraham said to his Son when he was Offering him up for a Sacrifice he said God will provide and Salem signifies Peace as you may see in the 76 Psal in the 1 and 2. ver In Judah God is known in Salem is his Tabernacle i. e. in Jerusalem Now of this Place Melchisedeck was King He was King of that Country that bordered upon Canaan and he was Priest of the most High God Here he Governed as King and here he Governed as a Magistrate and here he kept up the Word of God as a Minister Hence you may observe That God would never in any Age of the World let his true Worship fall in the World but there should be some to keep it up Here you have a Melchisedeck that was King of Salem that kept up the true Worship in the Land of Canaan he kept up the Name of the most high and great God So that we may comfort our selves with this that God will never let his Worship fall to the ground This Melchisedeck was King of Salem and Priest of the most High God King of Salem There is a Mystery in that it is said he was Priest of the most high God and for this reason good Abraham shewed him that respect he did as to give him the Tenths of all the Spoils If Mechisedeck had been a Priest of Baal or of an Idol God Abraham would have turned his back upon him for it is the property of Godly men to bear their Testimonies against Idol-priests and from hence we may briefly take notice of this from Abrahams practice to shew our respects to the Ministers of God who faithfully labour in the Word and Doctrin But that which I would chiefly take notice of in this branch of the Text is this He is stiled Priest of the most high God that is one of the glorious Titles of our Lord Jesus Christ The Scripture speaks much of God as the most high in the 113. Psal 2 3 4. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore from the rising of the Sun unto the going down of the same the Lords Name is to be praised The Lord is high above all Nations c. The most high God This should teach us to use the Name of God always with a holy awfull Reverence not to speak of God as you do of Man You know Men look for their Titles when they come into place of greatness and honour they will be called your Highness and your Majesty and the like Shall we speak so to Man And shall we not speak to the most high God with an awful Reverence and Fear Our Lord Jesus Christ though he was the Son of God and equal with God yet taking upon him our nature when he comes to speak to God the Father he speaks with a holy Reverence Holy Father Our Lord Jesus Christ remembred the greatness of God the Father I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth Matt. 11. 25. So when he spoke to his Disciples about Prayer saith he Pray to your Father in Heaven all this is to shew how we must use the holy Name of God with Reverence There is a passage in Malachi where the Lord rebuked his People that carried it irreverently under his service For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my Name is dreadful among
say Doth not our Lord Jesus Christ himself tell us that he came not to send peace on the earth but a sword and to set men at variance Mat. 10. 34 35. how then is he the Prince of Peace Ans Know there is a worldly peace which lies in agreement in all that which is evil Christ did not come to send that peace Christ did not come to make peace between the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent The Church of God would want her tryals if there were not enmity between the two seeds But why doth he say that he came not to send peace but a sword The meaning is this It is by way of consequence for where the Gospel comes it is a Gospel of peace in it self But when Jesus Christ calls any to his Kingdom by the Gospel the World is then at enmity with them and quarrels with them The Scripture is full of Instances of this But I shall wind up this with a brief Application Is our Lord Jesus Christ King of Righteousness and Prince of Peace then what great reason have all men that hear of Jesus Christ to pay their homage unto him and to submit to his Soveraignty Jesus Christ he did not set up himself in opposition to Magistrates but he is the Head of all Magistracy By me Kings Reign and Princes decree Justice But the meaning is we must make him our Spiritual King and submit to his Rule and Laws Proud men of the World will not submit to the Rule and Laws of Christ therefore if we would be wise to Salvation we should subject our selves to his Word for he is our King and blessed are they that are in Covenant with him and can make Christ their King and obey him in all his commands Though you be despised in the eyes of the World If you look into 1 Tim. 6. 13 14 15. I give thee charge in the sight of God who quickeneth all things and before Jesus Christ who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keep this Commandment without spot unrebukeable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ which in time he shall shew who is the blessed and only King of Kings and Lord of Lords It may be while we speak of this Authority of Jesus Christ you see few men regard it But I give thee charge before God and Jesus Christ as thou wilt answer it at the day of Judgment that thou keep the command of Christ which in time shall be the only Potentate And therefore beloved let us subject our selves to Jesus Christ in all his ways in all his commands He is the King of Righteousness He is the Prince of Peace He will keep us in the ways of Righteousness He will keep us in inward peace in the worst of times And therefore if you desire Righteousness and to live in peace subject your selves to the Lord Jesus Christ SERMON III. Hebrews 7. from verse 4. to 8. Now consider how great this man was unto whom even the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of his spoils And verily they that are of the Sons of Levi who receive the Office of the Priesthood have a Commandment to receive Tythes of the people according to the Law that is of their Brethren though they come out of the loins of Abraham But he whose Descent is not counted from them received Tythes of Abraham and blessed him that had the Promises And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better GOD the Father having promised to his Son Jesus Christ and confirmed it to him by an Oath that he should be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Upon this Promise and Oath much of the Faith and Comfort of the Church of God springs Therefore the Apostle is so large here in this chapter to set forth the Priviledges Prerogatives and Dignities of Melchisedeck of whose order Christ is a Priest for ever Last day the three verses were opened where Melchisedeck is said to be without Father without Mother without Descent having neither beginning of days nor end of life made like unto the Son of God abideth a Priest continually I have not time now to repeat what was said then We shewed in what sense Melchisedeck is said to be without Father without Mother without Descent without beginning of days or end of life And how in all these things he was made like unto the Son of God I proceed now to the words I have read and the scope of the Apostle in them is still to amplifie and set out to us the greatness of this Melchisedeck who was the fore-runner of the Son of God and in his days did represent to the Church the Son of God Now the greatness of this Melchisedeck the Apostle proves three ways in the words which I have read 1. In that this great man Abraham the Patriarch gave him the Tenths of all the spoils verse 4. 2. He proves Melchisedecks greatness by this that he blessed him that had received the Promise And The third proof of his greatness is this that while Levi dies Melchisedeck liveth These are the three main points the Apostle insists upon in these words I have read The first proof that the Apostle brings of Melchisedeck's greatness is v. 4. Consider how great this man was unto whom even the Patriarch Abraham gave the Tenths of the spoil He calls Abraham the Patriarch for this reason because he was the first Father of all the Jewish people they all proceeded out of his Loins in that promised seed Isaac Now consider saith the Apostle how great this Melchisedeck was in that the Patriarch the first Father of the Church of God gave to him the tenth of the spoil when Abraham returned from the slaughter that was spoken of before And here the Apostle brings it over again for a great proof of Melchisedecks greatness But now here the Question will be How this can be a proof of his greatness while he received from Abraham the tenths of the spoil for according to the account that men have of things the Receiver is inferiour to the Giver He that gives seems to be greater than he that receives And our Saviour saith It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive How is this then a proof of Melchisedecks greatness I Answer to that The Giver is greater than the Receiver where the giving and receiving is in a way of Alms that is our Saviours meaning It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive in a way of Alms but this was not the case between Abraham and Melchisedeck For mind it Melchisedeck did not receive of the Patriarch Abraham the Tenths of the Spoils as an act of Abrahams kindness but as Tribute that Abraham paid to God and to Melchisedeck who was the Priest of the most high God Abraham gave to Melchisedeck the Tenths of the Spoil as due to God It is a very false and fantastical notion of
people that if they are able to give to the Ministers they think themselves as great as the Minister Whereas all those gifts are but as Tributes Prov. 3. 10. Honour the Lord with all thy Substance and with the first Fruits of all thy Increase so shall thy Barns be filled with plenty and thy Press burst forth with new Wine Thus Abraham he had got a great Spoil from the Enemies He honoured God with the substance he had got and he carried it to Melchisedeck and gives it him as Tribute due to God and expected a blessing thereupon Many people complain of their streights and losses when they come to render God his due But here is the promise Honour the Lord with thy Substance so shall thy Barns be filled with plenty and thy Press burst forth with new Wine The more you take from the heap the more you add to the blessing of of what you have I will but read that passage in Mal. 3. 8 9 10. Will a man rob God Yet ye have robbed me but ye say Wherein have we robbed thee In Tythes and Offerings Ye are Cursed with a Curse for ye have robbed me even this whole Nation Bring ye all the Tythes into the Store-house that there may be Meat in mine House and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts if I will not open to you the Windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it Commonly blessings fall upon such Families as make Conscience of these things Abraham the Patriarch gave unto Melchisedeck the Tenths of the Spoils This is the First thing to shew Mechisedeck's greatness that he received Gods Tribute In the next place the Apostle goes on and compares this Melchisedeck with the Tribe of Levi Now saith he in the 5. ver they that are of the Sons of Levi Who are they Why Levi was one of the Sons of Jacob and the third Son that he had by his Wife Leah Of this House God raised the Priesthood of Aaron God set that Tribe apart for his holy Service and appointed them their maintainance for though they had as good a right to the Land of Canaan as any of the other Tribes had yet when God comes to share the Land among the Twelve Tribes he would give no part of it to the Tribe of Levi But he would be their portion in the 18. Numb 20. And the Lord spake unto Aaron Thou shalt have no Inheritance in their Land neither shalt thou have any part among them I am thy part and thy Inheritance among the Children of Israel Why would not God give them a part of the Land Because God would have them to attend upon the Service of the Tabernacle and the Commandment was that they should have the Tenths They should not follow secular Callings and Imployments as other people did but they should spend their days in the Service of the Tabernacle The moral equity whereof still abideth though the Ceremonies be abolished But then it is said that this Melchisedeck that received Tythes from Abraham his descent was not to be accounted from them that is from Abraham or from the Tribe of Levi he was without descent We know not certainly what Parentage he was of Only God had a mind to set up another Priesthood than that of Levi which our Lord Jesus Christ shall keep up which shall not be in that Line that was to die but this shall live for ever He whose descent was not from them blessed him that had the promises and without all controversie the lesser is blessed of the greater who had the promises Why the Patriarch Abraham he is the Person here meant He is singled out to be the Father of the Church For Abraham was set up of God above all men then living in the World to be the Head and Father of the visible Church of the Jews that was to come that was a people separated from all the World besides for many Ages and Generations And Abraham was not only made the Father and Head of them the visible Church of the Jews but of the invisible of Believers to the end of the World they are all to be planted in and by the Faith that was in Abraham according to the promise Rom. 4. 11. He received the sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith which he had yet being Uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them that Believe though they be not Circumcised that Righteousness might be imputed to them also Hence you have it that when the Saints die in Scripture they are said to go to Abrahams Bosom Lazarus died and was carried by Angels into Abrahams Bosom And saith our saviour They shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven Abraham was the Father of all Believers all Believers take hold of that Covenant and are United with Abraham in that Glory that follows Faith Therefore Melchisedeck was a great man to receive Gods Tribute and to bless him that had the Promise It was a great dignity to Abraham and his Seed to have the promise If a man have not an interest in Gods promises he is nothing though he seems to have all Let Worldly men boast of their Honours Wealth and Dignities yet if they have not a right to Gods promises they are never the better This was Abrahams dignity that he had the blessing for himself and for his Posterity and for all that should Believe in Jesus Christ 'T is a great mercy to have Gods promises For this should teach Three things The First is To take up all our mercies in a way of promise Godliness hath the promise of this Life that now is and of that which is to come saith the Apostle Observe this he that takes up his mercies only in a way of common Providence hath a common Heart in the Use of them but he that takes up his mercies by Faith in the way of Gods promises hath a Spiritual Heart in the Use of them This was Abrahams blessing that what he received was in the way of promise It was this that made the Children of Isaac so blessed when the Son of Ishmael was not because the Son Isaac was the Son of the promise Secondly If Believers have the promise This teacheth them contentment under streights and present wants of Temporal things for the Grave will soon bury all those things but the promises for the Soul live for ever bless God therefore for promises And Thirdly This teacheth us to live upon Gods promises and to plead them as our afflictions and streights are upon us I say to live upon promises and to plead promises for we have no other hold upon the holy God but by his promises Some Christians do wait in their afflictions for the in-comings of a promise I speak not against the in-comings of a promise for there is
in Scripture Good Hezekiah when a Messenger came to him to bid him set his house in order for he must die how humble he was and how lowly he was But when a Messenger came and said he should live yet fifteen years and the Scripture saith he recovered of his sickness His heart was lifted up and he did not render unto the Lord the thanks that was due to him 2 Chron. 32. 24 25. When he was restored he forgat his mortality his heart was lifted up You see then the vanity of humane nature therefore if you would be humble think more of dying than of living 2. If all men must die it should teach all to improve our lives to do all the good we can whilst we live Saith Solomon Eccles 9. Whatever thine hand findeth to do do it with all thy might We have read and heard of some good Christians that have improved their lives and have stood much upon the considerations of their going to Eternity Oh that we might all do so 3. Seeing we must die as well as the Sons of Levi it should teach us contentment under all our troubles for death swallows all death buries all the sorrows and griefs of the Children of God If you have read the Martyrology of the Church of God you will see what strong consolation they have had at their deaths upon this account they knew that being in Christ death would set them free from all their sins and sorrows 4. If death be common to all and all must die then what cause have we to bless God for the promise of the glorious Resurrection for the hopes of Eternal Life for the Soul at death and the Resurrection of the Body to glory at the last day for those that are in Christ Oh how this should raise and comfort our spirits Saith the Apostle It is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption 't is sown in dishonour 't is raised in honour 't is sown in weakness 't is raised in power 't is sown a natural body 't is raised a spiritual body The consideration of this should raise our spirits I remember I have read of a speech of a dying Roman being asked where he would be buried he answered I care not where you bury me for my stench when I am dead will cause you to bury me Ah! but a true Christian can speak in a better Language as Job 19. 25 26. I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God You that are in Christ comfort your selves and one another with these words SERMON IV. Hebrews 7. from verse 9 to 12. And as I may so say Levi also who received Tythes paid Tythes in Abraham For he was yet in the loins of his Father when Melchisedeck met him If therefore perfection were by the Levitical Priest-hood for under it the people received the Law what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchisedeck and not be called after the order of Aaron For the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change also of the Law SEveral things have already been spoken of Jesus Christ as he was prefigured by Melchisedeck called the Priest of the most high God The last time I spoke to you from this Scripture we went to v. 9. of this chapter and I shall not repeat what hath been spoken but shall proceed this morning to open these verses which I have now read at this time These words of the Apostle are brought in still to prove that the order of Melchisedeck according to which Christ is a Priest for ever is greater than the order of Aaron or Levi. And he proves it thus because Levi who received Tythes of the people of Israel paid Tythes to Melchisedeck in the loins of Abraham Here is a Mystery and a very profitable Truth that lies couched in these words Levi is said to be in the loins of Abraham How is that why Levi was the third Son of Jacob by his wife Leah Gen. 49. 34. This Levi had a Family and a Tribe out of which in process of time God chose the Priesthood And it was a great honour to that Tribe above all the Tribes of Israel that God should raise out of them a people to serve him in the holy things in the Sanctuary and to be nearer to him than all the Tribes besides Now this Levi or Posterity or Family of Levi are said to be in the loins of Abraham when Abraham gave to Melchisedeck the Tenths of the spoils How in his loins Levi as I said before was the Son of Jacob and Jacob was but the Grand-son of Abraham for Abraham you know had Isaac and Isaac had Jacob and Jacob had this Son Levi who was the head of that Tribe of which the Priesthood was So that Abraham was the great Grand-father of Levi and of all his posterity and yet they are said to be in the loins of Abraham The Holy Ghost brings in this that Levi was in the loins of Abraham to teach us two things First That Children are in the common condition with their Parents and Progenitors And Secondly The actions of Children are included in the actions of their Fathers as Levi paid Tythes in Abraham 1. Children are in the common condition with their Parents and Stock they come of 'T is true God made a difference sometimes by his Providence and sometimes by his special Grace Though sometimes God in the way of his Providence advances Children above their Parents in this World So Saul and David were advanced to be Kings when their Fathers were not So many in the World that have been born of mean Parents and of Parents that have had no repute in the World are by the providence of God advanced to some repute and condition in the World This is by providence not by nature 2. Some advanced by special Grace to a far better condition than their Parents And so where Children are godly that come of wicked Parents this is an advancement of Grace Hezekiah and Josiah were advanced by special Grace above their Fathers But though God by his Providence and special Grace doth sometimes and often advance Children above the condition of their Parents yet they are in the common condition with them we are all such as inherit our Fathers sins and our Fathers infirmities Who can bring a clean thing out of that which is unclean Job 14. 4. Fathers unclean and Children unclean and Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 25. 6. Having spoken of Man How much less Man that is a Worm and the Son of Man which is a Worm A Worm is a poor weak Creature as our Fathers were so are we And therefore saith the Prophet Elijah when he was weary of the World and requested of God that he might die he
Oath The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck These words are taken out of Psal 110. 4. Now for an Oath we must consider there are two sorts of Oaths vain and prophane Oaths and sacred Oaths As for vain and prophane Oaths which men use in their common talk are especially forbidden in the third Commandment Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain To swear lightly and vainly by the name of God or by their Faith and Troth these are great provocations to the Lord. As you may see in Jer. 23. 10. For the Land is full of Adulterers for because of swearing the Land mourneth the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up Prophane swearing and false swearing which is a common thing among your bad people causeth the Land to mourn But then as there is a prophane and vain and common swearing which brings a Curse along with it so there is a sacred swearing and that is when men are lawfully called thereto to confirm a testimony An Oath for confirmation is the end of all strife saith the Apostle Now this holy and sacred swearing is here attributed to God the Father concerning the Priesthood of his Son Jesus Christ And you may observe in Scripture that God is said to swear two ways 1. Sometimes he swears in his wrath to confirm his threatnings and often in his mercy to confirm his promise 1. Sometimes God is said to swear in his wrath to confirm his threatnings As you may see Heb. 3. 11. In v. 10. saith he I was grieved with that generation they do always err in their hearts So I sware in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest Mind it The people were now in the wilderness and they were going into the Land of Canaan the Land of Rest the Land of Promise but they grew so bad and so provoking to God whilst they lived upon his mercy in the wilderness that at last God sware they should not enter into his Rest the Land of Canaan God confirmed by an Oath why by an Oath to drive them to the more terrour to take them off from their presumption God threatned they should not enter into his Rest and he confirms it by an Oath that they may have no hopes of entring into his Rest But 2. Often in Scripture God is said to swear in mercy for the confirming of his promise that his people might have stronger consolation Not but that Gods promise of it self is sure But he condescends to our weakness that we might have stronger consolation See Heb. 6. 17 18. Wherein God more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an Oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation You see here the Apostle declares the end of Gods adding an Oath to his Promise That Believers might have more comfort that their hearts might be strengthned and their patience might be strengthned till the promise was accomplished He sware by himself because he could swear by no greater he sware by himself Mind that When men swear to confirm a thing they swear by the Great God who knows their ways and thoughts And so they are said to swear by a greater But because God could not swear by a greater saith the Apostle he sware by himself For this was one of the titles of God the Great God When the poor Heathens that had not the Scriptures they by the light of Nature sware by God who made Heaven and Earth Under the title of Optimus Maximus that was the term they gave the great God the best of the great Gods Now because God could not swear by a greater he sware by himself that he would bless Abraham and all the faithful And here in the Text when he is setting up his Son the Lord Jesus Christ as our great High-priest that we might have greater consolation it 's said The Lord sware and will not repent We know God cannot repent both words are true for the Lord is not as man that he should repent Why doth David and the Apostle after him take up these words The Lord hath sworn and will not repent I answer there is a special Emphasis in it First of all God speaks thus of himself after the manner of men that we might be put out of all doubt of his truth and faithfulness For though he is most unchangeable in his words in his promises and in his purposes as the Apostle James hath it James 1. 17. Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning God is immutable But he speaks thus after the manner of men that we might be put out of all doubt that he will not repent Secondly There is still a higher intendment of the Holy Ghost in these words The Lord hath sworn and he will not repent i. e. He will never abrogate or disannul the Priestly Office of Christ as he did that of Aaron For so you read in the words before which were spoken to the last day God did abrogate and did make void the Covenant concerning the Levitical Priesthood But now he will never revoke this or disannul this He hath sworn and will never repent Though God be unchangeable yet we find in Scripture that he sometimes revokes his threatnings and calls them back again As for example God threatned by Jonah that Nineveh should be destroyed in forty days But God revoked it because there was a tacit condition in the threatning therefore he revoked it So when God sent Hezekiah the Message concerning his death he sent his Prophet to him to bid him set his house in order For saith he in the name of the Lord thou shalt die and not live Yet upon Hezekiahs humbling himself by prayer the Lord called back that word again and added to Hezekiahs life fifteen years In this sense the Prophet Joel is to be understood You find in chap. 2. in the last part of it that the Lord threatens dreadful Judgments to the people Now in verse 12 13. saith the Prophet Wherefore also now thus saith the Lord Turn ye even to me with all your hearts with fasting and with weeping and with mourning rent your hearts and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil Who knows if he will repent and return and leave a blessing behind As if he should say The threatning is gone forth for your destruction but if ye will return unto God who knows but that he will repent and leave a blessing behind That is he may call in his Threatnings and alter his Dispensation So that
can in this short life But a life of ease sloth and pleasure is a bad preparation for death 'T is true God doth allow Rest to the Aged where the body is abated in strength where the mind is grown dull and heavy through infirmity of Age God allows that But where people are in their full strength full of life and vigour for these to give themselves up to sloth and idleness and not doing the work of their day this is an iniquity that shall not go unpunished saith the Lord of Hosts And this is further to be observed for encouragement That as God appoints every one their work for their day so if they be faithful he will spirit them for the work of the day If they give not themselves up to a life of ease sloth and pleasure he will spirit them to what he calls them to in that day As you read of Saul when God called him to be King it is said God gave him another heart a publick heart So you also read in Numbers that when God appointed seventy Elders to bear part of the Government with Moses it is said Numb 11. v. 25. The Lord came down in a Cloud and gave of the spirit of Moses unto the seventy Elders and it rested upon them and they prophesied God called them to service he gave them of Moses his spirit So when he laid aside the Ministration of Moses and sent forth Apostles for the Ministration of his Spirit Read what the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient of our selves All our sufficiency is of God Who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament So that God was never wanting in affording his holy Spirit to mortal men for that which he called them to which is great encouragement to be doing the work of God in our day Moses and Aaron were two great blessings to the people in their day tho' they could not continue long by reason of death And if we would have Magistrates and Ministers to be blessings we are to pray for them that God would spirit them for the work he hath called them to But then there is another thing to be observed in the Priesthoods Mortality and that is their succession They could not continue by reason of death yet they had their succession one after another And we ought to pray that there may never want a succession of men to carry on the work of God And this ought to be our care also as far as in us lies that there may be a Generation brought up for the service of God when another goes away When Abraham died his Son Isaac succeeded him When Aaron died Eleazar succeeded his Father and took up the work of God that his Father had laid down So it would be the happiness of Families and a happiness to Children that Children would take up the work that their Fathers have laid down by reason of death We live in an Age wherein there is a great decay of godly Ministers The old Generation wearing off and many gone to the dust and but few come in that have the same Spirit the same Grace and shine with the same Light as their Fathers did who are dead and gone We ought all of us to pray as our Saviour saith that as the Harvest is great the Lord would send forth Labourers into his Harvest A good succession speaks a great favour of God to Families Churches and Nations See how careful Moses was in that When God had told him that he must die in Numb 27. 16. Let the Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh set a man over the Congregation These were the words of Moses when God told him that he must die and be gathered to his Fathers And truly so should all godly Parents and godly Ministers say Let the God of the spirits of all flesh bring in some to my Family that may go out and in before my Family And let the God of the spirits of all flesh bring in some to his Church to guide them and to teach them But now God he answered Moses's prayer as you may see in the following words And the Lord said unto Moses Take thee Joshua the Son of Nun a man on whom is the Spirit Lay thine hand upon him And thus much for the Mortality of the Levitical Priesthood Come we now to the second Point and general Observation And that is The Immortality of our great High priest our Lord Jesus Christ Here our chief comfort lies that though all Mankind die and are not suffered to continue by reason of death But this man because he ever liveth hath an unchangeable Priesthood Now what is spoken of our Lord Jesus Christ of his abiding for ever it must be understood and applied to him as Man as he is Man God-Man and Mediator between God and Man as he is taken from among men to stand for Man in things pertaining to God And so he is the same yesterday to day and for ever He continues for ever And saith our Lord Jesus Christ The Son abideth in the house for ever John 8. 37. The Servant abideth not in the house but the Son abideth for ever The house of God hath the Son of God always there as their High-priest he is set over them The very Adversaries of Christ acknowledge this Joh. 12. 35. The people answered him We have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth for ever It was a stumbling to them And therefore here lies the Objection How is it said that Christ abideth for ever and liveth for ever when it is certain that he died We read in Matth. 2. 50. that he gave up the Ghost He died and gave up the Ghost How is it then said that he abideth for ever and liveth for ever as our High-priest I answer To that we must consider four things to clear that Obiection First of all Tho' Christ did die for a time yet his death was not such a forced death as man's is but a voluntary death He laid it down and took it up again of himself So you have it in John 10 17 18. Therefore doth the Father love me because I lay down my life that I may take it again No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again Here you see our Lord Jesus Christ did not die as we die by a forced death he laid it down and he took it up again when he pleased 2. Tho' our Lord Jesus Christ as to his Humanity was in the state of death yet it was impossible that he should be holden of death or the grave Acts 2. 24. Why not possible You see that men are holden of death thousands of years and they are not risen to this day Why not possible that he should be holden of death Why because the Divine Nature was Hypostatically United to the Humane Nature God