but here he receiveth them of whom it is testified that he liveth; "made like unto the Son of God, and abiding a priest continually." That Melchisedek was an illustrious type of Christ, has, by our ablest commentators, always been allowed. He concentrated in himself a twofold nature, human and celestial: and this latter nature had eternally existed: before Abraham was he was; and he like Christ descended from the heavens ; and in these instances, singly and most eminently typified our ever blessed Lord.

Dr. Doddridge's comment on this wondrous. personage is as follows: "Melchisedek having neither beginning of days nor end of life mentioned in Scripture; but being in that respect as if he were immortal, and therein made like unto the Son of God, who existed before all worlds, he remaineth a priest for ever." The remoteness and conciseness of the history not supplying any genealogy of his earthly parentage, we must remain ignorant on that point. Of his rank and character we are pretty fully informed. For, first, his name was Melchisedek, which, being interpreted, signifies that he is King of Righteousness, or a most righteous sovereign. Josephus tells us "that the king of Solyma was called Melchisedek, (which is as much as to say, the Just King,) for in truth he was no less. And then his title, taken from the place where he resided and ruled, is. King of Salem, that is, King of Peace; for it is

* Having recognized this truth, it is much to be regretted that the Doctor should seek to explain away a fact he had thus tacitly acknowledged.

well known that Salem, in the Hebrew tongue, is peace, as Melech is king, and isedec, righteousness. And in these particulars he illustriously typified the great heavenly King of Righteousness, the mighty King of kings and Lord of lords. For King of Righteousness, King of Peace, and a Just King, are the express titles which distinguish Christ. And he is also denominated Priest of the Most High God; and as Aaron never had this appellation affixed to him, which he would have had, if Melchisedek had not been a priest of the most high God in a sense entirely different to that in which Aaron was ordained to minister to God, (though he likewise, in various particulars, was an illustrious type of Christ,) we may presume that Melchisedek had ministered unto God, in his sanctum sanctorum, before he came on earth. And we are indeed expressly told that he is made like unto the Son of God; and like him abides a priest continually. He is therefore again, on this account, an exclusive and most appropriate type of him who on his glorious throne for ever sits, and acts in the joint characters of Priest and King. And that very ancient city Salem, which was afterwards Jerusalem, and over which Melchisedek, in justice, peace, and righteousness, reigned upon earth, is always represented in the sacred volume, and allowed to be, a type of the heavenly Jerusalem, over which our blessed Lord will reign in peace and equity and righteousness, for ever and for

ever.

Now, such a being as Melchisedek, at the early * Doddridge.

period he appeared on earth, must have been highly beneficial to the interest of religion; and as he was not only king but priest, we may feel assured that such a personage ministered in that character to the glory of God and the advantage of mankind. And that these most momentous objects were effected by Melchisedek, concise as is the history, does very plainly appear. Immediately subsequent to the fall of man, the everlasting gospel was preached unto Eve; the everlasting gospel was preached unto Abraham,-“ In thee shall all nations be blessed." (Gal. iii. 8.) Subsequent to this promise being made to Abraham, Melchisedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met him returning from the slaughter of the kings and deliverance of Lot, and brought forth bread and wine. Whether this bread and wine were designed to typify Christ's sacred body broken and sacred blood effused, and accompanied by sacramental influence, we cannot ascertain. The recital only adds, that it was administered by the priest of the God most high; that after participation "he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram 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." The reason of this heavenly benediction being thus pronounced on Abraham, is given by St. Paul-" He blessed him who had the promises." (Abraham rejoiced to see Christ's day, and he saw it and was glad. John viii. 56.) We may hence be led to suspect that Melchisedek himself was a preacher of the

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gospel, which we know was preached to Abraham, as, according to Josephus, he also was of the religion which typified the gospel. His relation is as follows: "Melchisedek was held worthy, by reason of his justice, in all men's opinions, to sacrifice as the priest of the most high God. This Melchisedek friendly entertained Abraham and all his followers, not suffering them to want any thing that was fit for their sustenance. He feasted them at his own table, highly praised him, and rendered public thanks to the great God for that He had vouchsafed to grant him victory."

Whether the probation of this celestial personage terminated by the death of his human nature, as the history is silent on this point, cannot be ascertained. Previous to the appearance of Melchisedek on earth, Enoch, we know, was translated into paradise without dying; and Melchisedek, who, from the relation, seems to have passed his probation on our globe, with glory, safety, and honour, may most probably have been in like manner received in the secondary heavens. One thing is certain, that the human nature of Christ alone has been admitted into the holiest of holies; and the human nature of Melchisedek would doubtless be, as was the prophet Elijah's, spiritualised and glorified in the paradisaic regions.

CHAPTER X.

THE preceding pages having now, we conceive, clearly ascertained the rank of the illustrious Being who propitiates for our sins, and also the universal influence of the propitiation procured through Christ's merits, we proceed most particularly to inquire why Christ must needs have suffered, (Acts xvii. 3,) and on what account his sufferings were so acceptable to God. Some premising observations, involved in this subject, are, however, here essential to be stated.

We have already found reason and Scripture uniting to prove the necessity of probationary states; that if virtue were not tested, intellectual beings would be mere machines; and that a felicity worthy of Deity to bestow, or intelligence, to receive, cannot exist without the existence of evil. On the indispensable necessity of evil for the production of probationary states, we have had in the preceding pages frequent occasion to descant; and the liability of evil unto which the Scripture, we conceive, clearly describes even the ever-blessed Trinity as exposing its glorious self, elicits this necessity into fullest demonstra