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
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
useth this argument 1 Kings 19. 4. For I am not better than my Fathers my Fathers were mortal men and they are dead and why should I live I am not better than my Fathers he longed to be gathered to his Fathers Now to apply this If Children be in the common condition with their Fathers by nature Then this should First Teach us Humility Our Fathers where are they Their Bodies are rotting in the Grave whilst our Bodies and Carkases are alive We should consider that as our Fathers were so are we we should always consider our state and condition our Fathers are rotting in their Graves and we are going to our Fathers we should not therefore pride our selves in our Parts our Riches or Apparel for we are all as our Fathers were Secondly If we be in the common condition as our Fathers then let us humbly bless God if he hath raised us to Temporal and Spiritual blessings above what our Fathers were How many are there in the World that are as their Fathers were as to Poverty from one Generation to another Hath God raised thee or any of you to any Credit and Fulness in the World This is the Lords doing For some may say if they had been bound down in so short and low condition as their Fathers were they must have been poor and needy and hungry How many Children are there that inherit their Fathers Diseases Sicknesses Weaknesses and infirm Bodies and you have many Children that inherit nothing but their Fathers Vices and Wickedness for as Gods Covenant doth many times run in a Blood and there is a Seed to serve God from one Generation to another in some Families so on the other side the Devils Covenant runs in a Blood with many Fathers and Fore-fathers Grand-fathers Fathers and Grand-children all of a wicked Spirit that runs in the Family and therefore it is God that makes the difference in your Temporal and Spiritual condition But the Second and more special Point from this that Levi paid Tythes in the Loins of Abraham That Children are included in the actions of their Parents For God of his Eternal Counsel hath so ordered it that of such a Stock and such Persons from one Generation to another proceeding one out of another that the actions of the Fathers include the Childrens for Levi paid Tythes in Abraham and for this cause it was that the Curse of God came upon Mankind because we all ate of the forbidden Fruit in the Loins of our Father Adam Adams actions brought the guilt upon his Posterity as you may see in Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one man Sin entred into the World and Death by Sin and so Death passed upon all men for that all have Sinned And in the 18. ver Therefore as by the offence of one Judgment came upon all men to Condemnation By the offence of one How is that Why all Mankind were in the Loins of Adam for God did not make a Covenant with every man particularly but in his Father Adam Now as Levi did in the Loins of his Father Abraham testifie his homage and service to God by giving Melchisedeck the Tenths of the Spoil so we in the Loins of our Father Adam did shew our homage and service to the Devil when Adam did eat of the forbidden Fruit and so by Nature are become the Children of Wrath being in the Loins of our Father Abraham and so what Adam did we are accounted to do because we are in the Loins of Adam as what Abraham did Levi was accounted to do because he was in the Loins of Abraham This is the word of God This speaks therefore Three things to us First To vindicate the Justice of God in imputing of Adams Transgression to all Mankind for all Mankind were in the Loins of Adam God doth not Create Man now but Propagates Man through the Loins of their Parents There is but one work of Creation God himself Created but one Man but he put forth a Creating power in Propagating Mankind Through that one Man and by one Mans offence many are made Sinners This seems hard but if you consider you are in the Loins of Adam herein is the Justice of God cleared But observe this difference between our first Father Adam and other Fathers that 't is but Temporal punishment that comes upon Children for their Fathers Sins except they walk in their steps but there is Eternal punishment come upon us by our first Father Adams sin but all that repent and flie to Christ have that sin of Adam and all their actual sins forgiven through Christ the second Adam Secondly If this be so that we are included in the actions of our sinful Parents by Nature This loudly calls upon us to seek after a second Birth a new Birth that we may stand upon a new Foot and be upon a new Account in the sight of God for we are all sinners and loaden with sin and guilt as we are the Children of the first Man Adam but being born again we become the Children of God and therefore saith the Apostle in the forementioned place Rom. 5. 18. Therefore as by the offence of one man Judgment came upon all men to Condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto Justification of Life that is all men that Believe If thou hast but the first Birth all the Curses of the Law come upon thee but if thou hast a part in the second Birth all the blessings of the Gospel come upon thee It is Recorded of a great Man that had his Nativity as you call it cast by an Astrologer and the Astrologer told him I find by your Nativity that you are to be a man of sorrows in your Life to which he Answered But I am born again since I was born of my Mother and therefore I reckon my Nativity from that Birth And indeed he spoke true for if he had reckoned from his first Birth he might have been a man of Eternal sorrows but reckoning his Nativity from his second Birth there was a change made Thirdly That if Children naturally as they are in the Loins of their Parents are said to do that which their Parent did then it concerns all Parents for the love they have to their Children to take heed of intailing a Curse upon their Posterity a Curse upon their Children Parents have so much love for their Children that they commonly strive to make them great in the World yea greater than themselves but commonly they strive so hard for it as to bring a Curse with it see the 2. Kings and the 5. you read there of Gehazi that his thoughts were Covetous he runs after Naaman the Syrian to receive the Mony the Talents of Silver and the Raiment but what was the fruit of it see the 27. verse The Lerosie therefore of Naaman shall cleave to thee and unto thy seed for ever and he went out from his presence a Leper
brings us to This is the Hope and Faith of the Gospel But I do but touch upon these things by the by Now saith the Apostle he is able to save to the uttermost He carries it through Now to do a thing to the uttermost is to do all that can or ought to be added to that thing For there is nothing to be added to that work which is wrought to the uttermost So our Lord Jesus Christ in this Salvation work he carries it thorow to the uttermost to the uttermost There is nothing to be added to our Salvation And therefore our Protestant Divines stand much upon this Scripture against all Popish Adorations If Jesus Christ be able to save to the uttermost then there is no need of Merit Meritorious works no need of Priests Oblations Popish Pardons and Indulgences And if our Lord Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost then away with all Merits and all Priests for Oblations and all things that the ignorant Souls of men rest in He is able saith the Apostle to save to the uttermost Able to save that is a word of great emphasis Christ is able to carry through the great work of Salvation That is the point we are to insist upon The work of Salvation is a great work 'T is a greater work than the work of Creation For mind it the works of the great God some are greater than others and this work of Salvation is the greatest of all his works The work of Creation is a great work and Gods Wisdom his Omnipotence and his Goodness is much to be adored in the works of Creation For the work in two respects 1. As it is a work that all the three persons in the Sacred Trinity in the Godhead did co-operate and work together in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost created the World For though we say God the Father is Maker God the Father hath that work Attributed to him not that he did it without his Son and without the Holy Ghost Heb. 1. 2. It is said by Jesus Christ God made the World The Son wrought with the Father And you read in Genesis That the Holy Ghost also moved upon the face of the Deep So that the work of Creation is the work of the Godhead Father Son and Holy Spirit A great work Then again 2. If you consider the work it self The work of Creation is a great and wonderful work For mind it The Great God to make all things out of nothing This is a work that none but God could do For God to make Heaven and Earth Angels and Men and all living Creatures and all out of nothing it is a work of an Infinite God For mind it The wisest and the strongest man in the World cannot make a House or a poor Cottage out of nothing He must have matter to work upon Man can make nothing out of nothing And therefore the Philosopher took up this Maxim Nothing produceth nothing You cannot make a thing out of nothing Man cannot make one drop of Water to drink out of nothing he must go somewhere for that Water But for the Great God to raise Heaven and Earth out of nothing is to be adored And therefore saith the Psalmist When I consider the Heavens the work of thy hands the Sun Moon and Stars I said What is man Lord that thou shouldst be so mindful of him The work of Creation is a great and glorious work beyond all the power of Men and Angels But still the work of Salvation is greater than that For God is pleased to magnifie that work and to be at more cost about that work than he was about the work of Creation And in two respects the work of Salvation is greater than the work of Creation First Because in the work of Creation there was nothing to resist God in that work there were no Devils then in Being to Rebel against that work of God There was no wicked reprobate Person to resist God in the work of Creation But in the work of Salvation Men and Devils oppose the Wisdom of God and the Power of God and the Grace of God But he carries it through all opposition Secondly Though the work of Creation was a great work of God Yet there was no need that the Son of God should be made manifest in the Flesh for that work The work of Creation could be carried on without the Incarnation of the Son of God God did but say Let there be Light and there was Light Gods word did all there By Faith we understand the World was made by the Word of God Heb. 11. 3. But when God comes to work Salvation for mankind there is a great train of Work The Son of God must be made Man and suffer Death for poor Man and he must rise again So that the work of Salvation is greater than the work of Creation But how is Christ said to be able to save and to carry on this work First As he is God the Almighty God so nothing can stand before him to hinder the accomplishment of that which he hath undertaken to save a Soul from Death Where Christ undertakes for that all the powers of Hell cannot hinder it If he had been but a meer Man he had been stopped in this work Men and Devils would have hindred him in this work I say Reprobate Men and Devils would have hindred him in this work But being God he Triumphs over Principalities and Powers as you have it in Col. 2. 15. He spoiled Principalities and Powers These Principalities and Powers are the Devils which Reign in their Kingdom as Princes and Potentates do here on Earth But the Devils themselves dread our Lord Jesus Christ as you may see Mat. 8. 29. they cryed out What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God Art thou come to Torment us before the time They knew him to be the Son of God and they begg'd leave of him to go into the Herd of Swine Thus you see our Lord Jesus Christ as he is God hath power to overcome all the Devils in Hell Therefore he is able to save them for the Devils dreaded Christ and said Art thou come to torment us before the time They knew Christ would come to Judge them one day and they were unwilling to come to Judgment before their time Now as he is the mighty God and as all the Powers of Hell are under him so he is able to save to the uttermost none can stand before him to hinder his accomplishing the work of Salvation Secondly He is able to save as he is our great High-priest over the house of God That the Apostle would have us to keep our eye upon as he is the Priest of God All the Priests before him were not able to save them that came to God by them tho' they did good service and were useful in offering Gifts and Sacrifices for the People yet they could not save them