[Christ is a king, not only over one city or country, but over the whole world; "his kingdom ruleth over all;" "he has the utmost ends of the earth for his possession;" he is "King of kings, and Lord of lords." In his own person he is holy, harmless, separate from sinners; "he loveth righteousness, and hateth iniquity;" he is indeed " the Holy One, and the Just." His laws are a perfect transcript of his mind and will, all holy, and just, and good. In his government he exercises the most perfect equity, not oppressing or despising any, but ever ready to afford protection, and succour, to all that call upon him. The very ends, for which he administers his government, are altogether worthy of his divine majesty; he rules his people, only that he may transform them all into his own image, and make them "partakers of his own holiness." In every view, he approves himself worthy of that august title which the voice of inspiration assigns him, "The Lord our Righteousness d." But Jesus is also called, "The Prince of peace;" nor is this without reason, since he reconciles us to an offended God, and makes peace for us by the blood of his cross: yea, he brings peace into the wounded conscience; and calms the tempests, which were wont to agitate the soul That typical king is also called a "priest of the most high God," yet, though glorious in this respect, he was only a shadow of Jesus, our great High Priest [Melchizedec, though a king, was not ashamed to execute the priestly office. Whether the bread and wine, which he provided for the refreshment of Abraham's troops, had any mystical signification, we pretend not to say but certainly he acted as a priest, when he blessed "Abraham; and was regarded as a priest by Abraham, who presented to him the tenth of all his spoils. As for Jesus, there was not any part of the priestly office which he did not perform. He was not indeed of that tribe to which the priesthood belonged, and therefore he was not instituted" according to the law of a carnal commandment;" but he was appointed of God with a solemn oath; and anointed to his office with a superabundant measure of the oil of gladness. Having, in order that he might have somewhat to offer, taken upon him our nature, he "presented himself an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour." ." And having shed his own blood, he is gone with it within the vail, and there carries on the work of intercession for us; and will soon come forth again, not like the Jewish High Priest, to bless one nation only, but, like Melchizedec, to bless the father of the faithful, together with all his children dispersed throughout the world.] The. d Jer. xxiii. 6. • Ps. xlv. 7. The parallel between them may be yet further noticed in II. The duration of their priesthood We are altogether indebted to the revelation of God for a just construction of what was related respecting Melchizedec, and of what was intentionally omitted in this history [Melchizedec, like other men, was doubtless born of human parents, and cut off by death from this state of existence. But there is no mention made of his birth, or parentage, or death: nothing is said of any predecessor, whom he followed in his office, or of any successor to whom he resigned his office. These omissions, which might have been accounted for from the brevity of that part of the Mosaic history, we are assured were ordered of God, on purpose that, by appearing "not to "have beginning of days or end of life," he might, as far as a mortal man could do, shadow forth the eternity of Christ's priesthood.] What was figuratively ascribed to him, is literally true with respect to Christ [Christ, though born after the world had stood 4000 years, was appointed to this office from all eternity; and actually executed it, by his representatives at least, from the first moment that Adam or Abel offered their sacrifices on the altar. Nor has he ceased from his priestly work: he is now within the vail, offering up the incense of his own prevailing intercession, while his people continue praying without. Nor will he desist from his labour as long as there shall continue one single soul, for whom to intercede before God. As he had none to precede him in his office, so will he have none to follow him; abideth a priest continually, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."] ADVICE He 1. Regard the Lord Jesus according to his real dignity [Jesus unites in himself the kingly and priestly character. None of the Levitical kings or priests ever attained to this honour. Uzziah, presuming to exercise the priestly office, was smitten with a leprosy, and made a monument of the divine displeasure to the latest hour of his life. But Jesus, as was foretold concerning him, was, like Melchizedec, a priest upon his throne." Let us view this combination of character with lively gratitude. Let us contemplate him as every way qualified to be a Saviour to us. And let us beg that he will exalt us also to "a royal priesthood, that we may offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through him."] 2. Look f Heb. vii. 23, 24, 25, 28. and xiii. 8. * Zech. vi. 13. g i 2 Chron. xxvi. 16—21. 1 Pet. ii. 5. 9. 2. Look to him for the blessings which he is authorized to bestow [As our exalted head "he is a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins." "He has received gifts. even for the most rebellious:" and, having given himself for us, he is fully authorized to bestow upon us the purchase of his blood. Shall we not then make our application to him? Shall we not open our mouths wide that he may fill them?” Surely, "if we be straitened, it is not in him, but in ourselves :" he would satisfy the hungry with good things;" he would "fill us with all the fulness of God." O that that "God, who raised him up from the dead, would now send him to bless us, in turning every one of us from our iniquities!”] 3. Consecrate to him, not the tenth only of your spoils, but all that you possess [Though we should "honour him with our substance, and with the first-fruits of all our increase," yet that is by no means sufficient: we should dedicate to him all that we possess in mind, or body, or estate. We are not indeed called to dispose of all our goods in charity, but to ascribe to his bounty every thing we possess, and "whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, to do it all to his glory." Have we overtaken and destroyed our spiritual enemies? Let us acknowledge that "his was the power, and the glory, and the victory." Let us see him in all things, and glorify him for all things; and present to him both our bodies and our souls a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service!."] k Acts iii. 26. 1 Rom. xii. 1. CVI, ISAAC A TYPE OF CHRIST. Gen. xxii. 6-10. And Abraham took the wood of the burntoffering, and laid it upon Isaac his son: and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife: and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am 1, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burntoffering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering. So they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of: and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order; and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. MANY and wonderful are the instances of faith and obedience recorded in the scriptures. But no action whatever Vo L. II. C whatever (those only of our Lord himself excepted) has at any time surpassed or equalled that related in the text. It justly obtained for him who performed it, the honourable title of The Father of the Faithful, and, The Friend of God. We shall find it profitable to consider I. The history itself Abraham had often enjoyed intimate and immediate communion with the Deity. But now he heard the command which was of a most singular and afflictive nature nor [God in some way clearly intimated to Abraham his will: left him to doubt one moment, whether it were his voice or not. He commanded Abraham to take his only, his beloved son, Isaac, and to offer him up as a burnt-offering in a place that should afterwards be pointed out. How strange the order! How difficult to be complied with! How well might Abraham have said, "Would God I might die for thee, O Isaac, my son, my son!"] Instantly, however, and without reluctance, he arose to execute the will of God [Had he presumed to reason with God, what specious arguments might he have adduced for declining the way of duty! The certainty of his being reproached by Sarah, "A bloody husband art thou to me :" the offence that would be taken by all the neighbouring nations against him, his religion, and his God: the counteracting and defeating of all the promises which had been made by God himself, and which were to be accomplished solely in and through his son Isaac: all this, with much more, might have been offered in excuse for his backwardness, if indeed he had been backward, to accomplish the will of God. But he conferred not with flesh and blood".] Nor was he diverted from his purpose during the whole of his journey [Having prepared the wood, he proceeded instantly, with Isaac and his servants, towards the place, that God had pointed out. Nor did he open his intentions to Sarah, lest she should labour to dissuade him from his purpose. But what must have been his thoughts every time that he looked on Isaac? Yet never for one moment did he relax his determination to execute the divine command. Having come in sight of the mountain, he ordered his servants to abide in their place, lest they should officiously interpose to prevent the intended offering. a Jam. ii. 21. 23. Exod. iv. 25. 26. a Gal, i. 16. offering. He put the wood on his son, and carried the fire and the knife in his own hands. Affecting as these prepara tions must have been to a father's heart, how must their poignancy have been heightened by that pertinent question, which was put to him by his son! His answer, like many other prophetical expressions, conveyed more than he himself bably was aware at the moment. Without giving a premature disclosure of his intention, he declares the advent of Jesus, that Lamb of God, who in due time should come to take away the sin of the worldf. Thus for three successive days did he maintain his resolution firm and unshaken.] *. pro Having arrived at the spot determined by God, he with much firmness and composure proceeded to execute his purpose [He built the altar, and laid the wood upon it in due order. Then with inexpressible tenderness announced to Isaac the command of God. Doubtless he would remind his son of his preternatural birth; and declare to him God's right to take away, in any manner he pleased, the gift he bestowed. He would exhort him to confide in God as a faithful and unchangeable God; and to rest assured, that he should, in some way or other, be restored, after he was reduced to ashes, and have every promise fulfilled to him. Having thus gained the consent of his son, he binds him hand and foot, and lays him on the altar; and, with a confidence unshaken, and obedience, unparalleled, holds up the knife to slay the victim. Whether shall we more admire the resolution of the father, or the submission of the son? O that there were in all of us a similar determination to sacrifice our dearest interests for God; and a similar readiness to yield up our very lives in obedience to his will!] Nothing but the interposition of God himself prevented the completion of this extraordinary sacrifice [God had sufficiently tried the faith of his servant. He therefore, by a voice from heaven, stopped him from giving the fatal blow; ordered him to substitute a ram in the place of Isaac; renewed to him with an oath his former promises; rendered him a pattern to all succeeding generations; and, no doubt, is at this instant rewarding him with a weight of glory, proportioned to his exalted piety.] Almost every circumstance in this narrative deserves to be considered in II. Its typical reference Waving • Ver. 7, Ver. 8. John i. 29. # Job i. 21. |