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
the Psalmist cry out Lord what is man that thou art so mindful of him But what is this work of Creation to the work of Redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ when he took the Son of his love that is higher than the Heavens and had Glory with him before the World began when there was no Heaven no Earth to take his Son and to call him to this work to appear in the presence of God that we might be accepted by him Oh what infinite goodness is this Oh how should we get our Hearts affected with this He did not so with the Angels let us therefore labour to admire the riches and goodness of God the Father who hath called his Son to this Office and hath given him an Oath that he should be a Priest for ever Secondly As this Doctrin shews the great Love and Mercy of God so also The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ For if he that had a Glory with the Father before the World began would not have become Man would not have taken this Office we had all perished but that he who is higher than the Heavens should condescend so low as to take up the cause of poor sinners wretched sinners Do we know what we are Have we any sense of what we are by Nature Do we not find our selves Proud sinners Carnal sinners Unbelieving sinners vain and empty Creatures And for him that is above the Heavens to undertake for these poor Creatures Oh what infinite free Grace is this You know how it is among Men if you have a bad Man and he hath a bad Cause you will say there is not a man will undertake his Cause Our Lord Jesus Christ he hath to deal with bad Men and bad Women he undertakes for them to justifie them before God Oh the riches of the Grace of Christ in undertaking for such poor wretched sinners You may apply that in Rom. 5. 7 8. Scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Thirdly This Doctrin is A special ground of comfort for finding acceptance with God to every believing Soul to every one that comes to God by Christ by a true and unfeigned Faith You may come to God having such an High-priest If you mind the Scripture you will find the Scripture doth not only commend Faith in the Children of God but confidence which is the highest degree of Faith in Heb. 3. the Apostle speaking of Christ being set as a Son over his own House in v. 6. But Christ as a Son over his own House whose House we are if we hold fast the confidence and rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end If we hold fast confidence What is this confidence Why confidence is when we go about a business without fear doubtings distrust jealousies when we go freely and boldly about so saith the Apostle Let us go bodly to the Throne of Grace Why For we have such an High-priest that interceeds for us You know that a Man will bear and rely with confidence upon his Friend at Court and shall not we bear upon Christ when we draw nigh to God by Jesus Christ We may then draw nigh to God with a holy confidence not doubting For it is a dishonour to our Lord Jesus to want confidence in him labour therefore to strengthen your Faith by these things that ye may serve the Lord with a holy yet a humble confidence Lastly If such an High-priest became us who was holy harmless undefiled and separate from sinners Then surely such a People doth become this great High-priest which are holy harmless and such do mortifie their sin and do cast off the pollutions of the World As it becomes us to have such an High-priest so it becomes us to be holy as he is holy to be pure as he is pure I shall give you but one or two instances and so conclude in Philip. 4. 8. Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think on these things The Apostle gives this as a general rule if there be any thing that is good true and holy that to the Glory of God think on these things So in the Epistle to the Ephesians 4. 1. I beseech you therefore that you walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith ye are called that is that ye walk becomingly that you walk up to it I shall name but one Scripture more which the Apostle there writes for the instruction of Christian Women 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. In like manner also that Women adorn themselves in modest Apparel with shamefastness and sobriety not with Broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls or costly Aray but which becometh Women professing Godliness There is a Dress becoming Women professing Godliness and there is the Dress of a Harlot There is not a Woman in the Congregation but would be counted a Professor of Godliness Then look to your Attire wear those things that carry Sobriety Modesty and Shamefastness and such a Dress as becomes Godliness And since we have such an High-priest as becomes us who is holy harmless and undefiled how doth it become us to live to the glory of God and the honour of our Lord Jesus Christ FINIS A Catalogue of Books Printed for and are to be Sold by Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market-Place SEveral Discourses concerning Actual Providence A word in Season Defensive Armour against four of Satans most fiery Darts Sermons upon the whole first and second Chapter of the Canticles Thirteen Sermons upon several useful Subjects All published by John Collins D. D. of Norwich The Way of the Spirit in bringing Souls to Christ The Glory of Christ set forth with the necessity of Faith in several Sermons both by Mâ— Thomas Allen late Pastor of a Church at Norwich Enoch's Walk with God and Christ a Christian's Gain by Mr. Timothy Armitage late Minister at Norwich A Discourse of the preciousness of Christ and of the preciousness of Faith Precious Promises the Portion of Overcomers Sermons on five several useful Subjects all by Mr. John Longher Minister in Norfolk The Saints Ebenezer by Mr. Francis English late Minister in Norwich Directions to spell English right The History of the Protestant Reformation as it was begun by Luther The Dead Saint speaking being a Sermon preached upon the Death of Mr. Newcomb of Dedham in Essex The English Presbyterian The Miracles of Christ The ordinary matter of Prayer drawn into Questions and Answers Two Treatises the first Rejoycing in the Lord Jesus in all Cases and Conditions The second Of a Christian's Hope in Heaven and Freedom from Condemnation by Christ both by Mr. Robert Asty late Minister of Jesus Christ in Norwich Obedience to Magistrates recommended in a Sermon preached September the 9th 1683. being the Thansgiving Day for his Majesties Deliverance by Jonathan Clapham Rector of Wramplingham in Norfolk A Present for Youth and an Example for the Aged Two Discourses one of Spiritual Blessings the other That God hath an high account of the least Grace in the Saints by Mr. John Cromwell late Pastor of a Church of Christ in Norwich Infant Baptism of Christ's Appointment by Mr. Samuel Petto Minister of the Gospel in Sudbury in Suffolk Of the Conversion of Sinners to God in Christ the necessity nature means and signs of it with a concluding Speech to the Unconverted by Martin Finch a Servant of Christ in the Work of the Gospel in the City of Norwich Sincerity or the upright Man's Walk to Heaven delivered in several Sermons in the Parish Church of St. Michael in Long-stratten in Norfolk by James Oldfield late Minister there Alexipharmacon Spirituale Being a Defensative against the Poison and Sting of Death Or The great expedient how to make the Bed of the Grave so easie that we may lye down in Peace and take our Rest By Samuel Snowden Minister of the Gospel at Newton in Norfolk Christ set forth in several Sermons upon the seventh Chapter of the Hebrews by Mr. Robert Ottee late Pastor to a Congregation in Beckles in Suffolk Sacramental Discourses on several Select Subjects to which is added a Discourse of the Life of Faith by Christopher Amiraell Minister of the Gospel in Norfolk
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
on Earth so that the Pharisees said he was a Wine-bibber and a friend of Publicans and sinners The Answer is thus Our Lord Jesus Christ when he was here on Earth did converse with sinners for the saving of their Souls but never converst with them in their sin And so he is said to be separated from sinners Christ could have no more communion with their sins than Light with Darkness Yet he converst with sinners as he came to save and to seek them that were lost He came to save them not to mingle with them in their sins Therefore you may observe in Luke 19. when he goes to Zacheus his house some of the people murmured and said He is gone to be a Guest to a man that is a sinner in verse 7. But what saith Christ in verse 10. The Son of Man is come to seek and to save those that were lost Therefore he was to go to be a Guest to a sinner to save those that were lost It was easie with Christ to keep and converse with sinners and yet keep himself from the defilement of their sins As it is with a Physician he can go into the house of a sick person and yet keep himself free from the Contagion of the Disease The Adversaries of Christ could never charge him with any defilements of sin and herein the purity of our Lord Jesus Christ is set out to us And it became us to have such an High-priest But then here is the next thing which is his Exaltation Made higher than the Heavens That is an expression that carries much in it Here we have the Exaltation of our great High-priest He is made higher than the Heavens Heavens in the Plural number The Scripture mentions three Heavens First The Lowest Heaven is the Airy Heaven where the Fowls of the Air flie And of this you read in Gen. 1. about the 8th verse God called the Firmament Heaven when he had separated the Earth from the Heaven The second or middlemost Heaven is the Starry Heaven which God shewed to Abraham in Gen. 15. where the Sun Moon and Stars are contained But then There is a Third Heaven which is the place of the blessed where God doth manifest himself in his Glory and that Third Heaven the Apostle speaks of in 2 Cor. 12. 2. he tells us that he was caught up into the Third Heaven that is the place where the blessed are This is that which Solomon calls the Heaven of Heavens in that passage of his in 2 Chron. 2. 6. But who is able to build him an House seeing the Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him that is God Now saith the Apostle here in my Text Jesus Christ our High-priest is made higher than the Heavens he is made higher than the Terrestrial Heaven higher than the Starry Heaven and I pray mind what an Emphasis the Scripture puts upon this compare the words of the Text with Ephes 4. 10. the Apostle saith That he Ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things The Apostle in the Text saith that he is made higher than the Heavens and here he saith he is Ascended far above all Heavens Why Because in his exalted state of Glory he is taken up above to Gods right hand which is above all the Created Glory in Heaven For though the great God made a Heaven for the holy Angels and for the glorified Saints and doth there manifest his Glory so far as they are capable of receiving it yet still God is above all the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him saith Solomon How God is a Heaven in himself You know the Prophet tells us that he inhabits in Eternity and liveth in Eternity Now this Eternity was in God himself before the Heavens were made and tho he manifests himself in his Glory among the Saints and Angels yet he is above all and so the Glory of Christ is far above all the Glory of the Saints and Angels for the Glory of Christ is to sit at Gods right hand as the Apostle saith Heb. 1. 13. He gives us Glory in Heaven and his Angels have Glory in Heaven but Jesus Christ hath higher Glory than all these for he is at the Fathers right hand and he dwells in God himself and inheriteth Eternity see Ephes 1. 20 21. when the Apostle who is speaking of raising up Christ from the dead he saith He set him on his own right hand in Heavenly places far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominions Mind how high the Apostle goes with this when he raised up Christ from the dead he set him on his own Right hand far above all Principalities and Powers and Dominions What Principalities and Powers are these Why the holy Angels for Heaven is a Kingdom and there is a Government and an Order in Heaven There is Principalities and Powers there is Angels and Arch angels But when God raised Jesus Christ from the dead he raised him above the Angels he set him far above the Glory of the Saints And tho he prayed that the Saints might be where he is it is not meet that we should be received in that height of Glory where he is but we are to have the Glory of Christ communicated to us so far as we are capable to receive him as he is the second Person of the Trinity The Saints cannot reach to that Glory he is in but they shall have it so far as they are capable to receive him Phil. 2. 9 10. Wherefore God hath highly Exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name That at the Name of Jesus every Knee should bow of things in Heaven of things in Earth of things under the Earth All the holy Angels and Saints in Heaven do bow unto our Lord Jesus Christ and do homage to him in our Nature Why Because the Father hath made him higher than the Heavens above all the Glory of Heaven He is not only holy harmless separate from sinners but made higher than the Heavens And such an High-priest became us Now for Application This Doctrin is Four ways Useful to us First This shews the Riches of Gods Goodness and Mercy to poor sinful Man that he should appoint such a High-priest to interceed for us such a one as is not to be found among all the Children of Men. God had the whole Creation before him Angels and Men but there was no Person could be found that did become us that was fit to be our High-priest but he that is higher than the Heavens the Son of God Oh the great goodness of God! It will take up an Eternity to adore God for his goodness in our Salvation by Jesus Christ God hath done much for us in our Creation he hath made us rational Creatures out of nothing he hath made a World for us to inhabit and given us Dominion over the works of his hand hath made us but a little lower than the Angels which made
by himself Now we may conceive Melchisedeck knew all this and he went forth to meet him and blessed him that had received the Promise for he knew by the Spirit of God that Abraham was the Father of the Faithful and that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed and therefore he went out to bless him Now this is useful to us to all the Faithful for their comfort that are of the Seed of Abraham that they are under the blessing of the Priest of the most high God who was a Type of our Lord Jesus Christ and they shall be blessed Melchisedeck he did but act the part of our Lord Jesus Christ in blessing of a Believer for they are blessed by Christ and blessed with all Spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus therefore in the 24. of Luke you read that when Christ was ready to Ascend to Heaven in the 50. ver He led them as far as Bethany and laid his hands upon them and blessed them Here you have the Lord Jesus Christ who was Typified by this Melchisedeck he is blessing his own Disciples before his Ascention and after his Ascention he sent down his blessing which you read of in the 4. of the Ephesians He gave gifts unto men and all for the perfecting and edifying of the body of Christ Now the blessing of Christ both in the Type and in the Anti-type is of great Use to all Believers against the Curse of prophane men for these whom our great Melchisedeck blesses shall never receive a curse It is the way of the World to Curse the People of God and to imprecate all evil upon them and no doubt but there will be found a sort of men at this day that Curse the people of God But our great high Priest will preserve them the blessing of our Lord Jesus is with them and goes along with them Numb 23. 23. There is no Inchantment against Jacob nor no Divination against Israel therefore Moses tells the Children of God in the 23. Duteronomy and the beginning You shall remember how Balak the King of Moab hired Balaam to Curse you nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken to Balaam When you hear of Idolaters and Prophane men Cursing the People of God and Cursing of them that keep close to God you may know this that those people are under the blessing of our great Melchisedeck This you may observe from Melchisedeck's blessing of Abraham Come we now to the Second verse to consider Melchisedecks Place and Office Now saith the Apostle in the 2d verse to whom also Abraham gave a Tenth of all First being by interpretation King of Righteousness and after that also King of Salem which is King of Peace 1. We have here what Abraham did for Melchisedeck And then we have the Mystery brought in i. e. in Melchisedecks Name and Title 1. What Abraham did He gave him a Tenth part of all the spoil of the Four Kings that had Plundred the Country round about and this he gave to him as he was the Priest of the most high God and as one that was in that Sacred Office And here I might take occasion to shew and observe That the Ministers of God ought to have maintainance allowed means For so Abraham did he allowed this great Minister a Tenth part Before the Law of Moses you shall find that Jacob Vowed a Vow to God that he would give the Tenths of all his increase to him Gen. 28. and the last verse How is that He would not give it to God himself no but the meaning is he would give it to those that belonged to God I know it hath been a long dispute whether Tenths or Tythes ought to be continued any longer or any more than Altars and Sacrifices in a Reformed Christian Church I shall not determine that but this we may all be assured of that if Tythes or Tenths be of the Ceremonial Law and so are abolished yet the moral equity is to abide to the end of the World That those that Minister at Gods Altar should have honourable and comfortable maintainance I confess I never delighted to insist upon such Doctrin as this is nor shall I at this time but because it lies in my way let me give you a few hints If you lay aside the Old Testament in this matter there is nothing more frequently urged in the New Testament the Epistle to the Galatians the 6 and the 6. Let him that is taught in the Word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things so did Abraham he gave Tythes of all i. e. of all sorts of things that he took from the Kings after his Conquest And the Apostle in the 1 to the Corinthians the 9. and the 13. ver saith Do you not know that they which Minister about Holy things live of the things of the Temple And they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar And the Apostle gives a special charge to Timothy who was a Minister in the 1st Epistle to Timothy 4. 13. To give attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrin meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them not to Farming Buying Selling and Trading but give thy self to these things spend thy time in these things But some will say Paul wrought with his hand 'T is true but it was upon a particular occasion And saith he I have power to forbear working And he tells the people of Corinth I have taken Wages of other Churches He calls his Maintainance Wages because it was for Work done And tho' there be a sort of Men that are ready to call these men hirelings that take allowance for their Labour you may see what our Saviour saith to his Disciples in the 10th of Luke and the 7th ver saith he The Labourer is worthy of his Hire and if so they may call the Disciples of Christ Hirelings There is a sort of men that looks upon Ministers maintainance to be a matter of Liberty and Charity and if they be poor they should consider them because of their Poverty sake and not for their Work sake but this is to abase the Doctrin of the Gospel God is my Witness I speak not these things from a greedy covetous disposition to increase my own maintainance but I speak it for your profit But there is one thing to be Observed in Abrahams giving the Tenths to Melchisedeck which is of special Use to us all That is he gave the Tythes of all to Melchisedeck and took nothing for himself for if you read in the 14. of Gen. when the King of Sodom offered him to take of the spoil in the 22. ver said Abraham I will not take from a Thread even to a Shoe-latchet I will not take any thing that is thine lest thou shouldest say I have made Abraham rich Here you may observe Abrahams Piety and Justice he would give unto God his due but would take nothing for himself Why so Is
many times comfort in it But we are not to live upon in-comings of promises but we are to go out to all the promises of God by Faith in Christ For mind what the Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 1. 20. all the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen all the promises therefore thou mayst take up with any promise that is suitable to thy wants that is suitable to thy condition thou mayst plead it with the Lord As for example Dost thou want inward peace Thou mayst plead over the promise of peace The Lord hath promised to keep him in peace whose mind is set upon him Again Do you want outward supplies Are you streightened in Food and Rayment Be diligent in your Calling and plead that promise He will give Bread to them that fear him in the 34. Psal they that fear the Lord shall not want any good thing Plead this promise let hunger and wants drive you to the promise Again Do you want light and counsel and direction in your ways Plead that promise in Isaiah The Lord shall guide thee continually And that in the 25. Psal Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord him will the Lord direct in his ways Oh ye that have Abrahams Faith cleave to the promises hang upon the promises all the promises in Christ are yea and in him Amen They are ratified in Christ And that promise of our Lord Jesus Christ abideth Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Ask according to the promise seek according to the promise Plead the promises of God when you fall into any Darkness and trouble of mind I say plead promises for God he gives you all the promises to live upon and let not any poor Christian be troubled or discouraged about receiving mercy for his own weakness or the meanness of his condition for you must know that every Believer is an Heir of the promise though a poor weak frail Creature yet an Heir of the Promise This we ought to live upon in times of trouble But then there is another thing concerning Melchisedecks blessing Abraham that had received the promise The Question here may be What need was there of Melchisedecks blessing of Abraham who had Gods promise for Abraham was happy enough in the promise if he had not met Melchisedeck to have blest him For Answer hereunto there are two Reasons given for it First of all It was Melchisedecks Place and Office for he was Priest of the most high God to bless them that did belong to God for you read of Three sorts of Persons in Scripture blessing others Parents blessing their Children Kings blessing their Subjects and Ministers blessing their People as you have it in Numb 6. 23. Speak unto Aaron and to his Sons saying On this wise shall you bless the Children of Israel saying unto them the Lord bless thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace Now that this was not a Ceremony of the old Law that Ministers and Priests should bless the People appears by the New Testament because the Apostles of Jesus Christ in their Epistles did use to conclude their Epistles with Benedictions But this is not all here intended and therefore 2. This blessing of Abraham it was a blessing of Ratification to confirm Abrahams in the Promise That was the principal reason of Melchisedecks blessing of Abraham that he might be ratified and confirmed in his Faith concerning the Promise From whence we may observe That the strongest Faith had need of strengthning The Faith of the Saints doth need confirmation It is said of Abraham in Rom. 4. that being not weak in Faith he staggered not at the promise verse 20. yet if you look into another Scripture you will find Abraham sometimes staggering at the promise of God through unbelief For if you look into Gen. 15. 1. The Lord said unto him Fear not Abraham I am thy shield and exceeding great reward Then said Abraham Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless and the Steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus Abraham had the promise of a seed before in chap. 12. But he sometimes staggered at the promise Abraham was at first weak in Faith but after God had confirmed his Faith by this means then Abraham believed the Lord. So Abraham was once weak in Faith but now he was strong in Faith Again Abraham also grew strong in Faith by a higher confirming means and that was the Oath of God Heb. 6. 14. Surely in blessing I will bless thee So that Abraham that was commended for the strength of his Faith he was once weak in Faith till God had confirmed his Faith this way And this was the cause of Melchisedecks blessing him And also the Lord for the strengthning of his Faith carries him abroad and bid him look now towards the Heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them And he said unto him so shall thy seed be And then he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for Righteousness Now the Reasons of weakness in Faith are these 1. Here we know but in part and therefore believe but in part 2. The flesh is weak in all Believers Christ said The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak 3. Those that have most Faith are commonly most assaulted by Satan and therefore have need of the most confirming means When our Saviour saw Peter firm in his profession of Faith saith Christ Satan hath desired to winnow thee like Wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not Ahraham though he had the promise yet he wanted a Melchisedeck to bless him Now the third thing is Melchisedeck's being without beginning of days or end of life Aarons Sons and all the Priests of the Levitical Priesthood they die but Melchisedeck he liveth he liveth in his order in the order of his his Priesthood for Jesus Christ is a Priest for ever after Melchisedeck's order But here men receive their Priesthood that die saith the Apostle so leave their work But Christ Jesus he liveth for ever who was here prefigured by Melchisedeck But the Sons of Levi they must die for it is appointed for all men once to die and after that comes Judgment Your Prophets do they live for ever Many of the Fathers of the Old World lived a great while But Kings Priests and Prophets must die Great and holy men must die I should enlarge upon this but I shall improve it these three or four ways 1. This should teach us to walk humbly as poor mortal creatures such as death will strip of all our glory all our beauty Oh! what is it that makes men proud and haughty and lifts up their spirits It is because they think more of living than of dying You have a strange instance of this
the Priest 't is true those Ceremonies are not necessary to Salvation but they may be used to Edification the Martyr replyed again Give me the Salvation and give me the Edification to be sure there is an unprofitableness in all these things But some will say these are Ornaments of the Church of God To that I Answer So is a painted Glass an Ornament to the House yet it shuts out the Light more than a plain Glass the Light doth not shine out so clear through a painted Glass These painted and carnal Ceremonies do shut out the Light of the Gospel for the Light of the Gospel shines out more pure and clear in the plain Administration of the Gospel and therefore all those things that carnal Men so magnifie are unprofitable Now I proceed to the 19. ver For the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by which we draw nigh to God This is still to demonstrate the point in hand The weakness and unprofitableness of the Law The Law made nothing perfect i. e the Levitical and Ceremonial Law could not Cleanse the Conscience neither Justified the Person it never could reach the main end which is the happiness of Men. But God brings in another thing a higher thing for that see Heb. 10. 1. For the Law having a shadow of things to come and not the very Image of the things can never with those Sacrifices which they offered Year by Year continually make the comers thereto perfect They could never make the comers to them perfect and still they had dark apprehensions of God 'T is true the Elect could see Christ but they that went no further than these Ceremonies and Levitical Worship tho they were very strict in them yet these were very short in cleansing them from sin It made not the comers to them perfect When the People of God of old had offered a Sacrifice and performed all their Sacrifice according to the Law yet they were to look to a higher Priesthood and a higher Sacrifice for the cleansing of their sins Heb. 9. 9. Which was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices that could not make him that did the service Perfect as pertaining to the Conscience It could not cleanse him from the guilt of sin which lay upon his Conscience This is done by the bringing in of a better hope by the which we draw nigh to God These are the Words which I shall spend the remaining part of my time in But the bringing in of a better hope by the which we draw nigh to God Here the Question is What is meant by this hope 1. For the word hope here it is to be taken for the thing hoped for That is the hope here the coming of the Messiah the Salvation by Christ the Priesthood of Christ and the blessings that attend it And this is called hope in a twofold respect 1. In respect of the time when David did testifie this of Christs coming So it was a blessing to come and a thing to be hoped for by the Fathers of old For this is to be observed that all the time the Church lived under the Levitical Priest-hood they lived in the hopes of the coming of Christ and of the Messiah which was the great thing hoped for and looked for And therefore when Jesus Christ was born and the Angels came to give intimation of his Birth see how Zechariah who was one of the Levitical Priesthood expresses himself in his Song Luk. 1. 72 73. To perform the mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant the Oath which he sware to our Father Abraham This was the great promise The coming of Jesus Christ the Messiah that should do what the Law could not do The Law made nothing perfect but Jesus Christ the Messiah made all things perfect This was the hope the Father had therefore if you look into Luk. 2. you shall find that good and just man old Simeon who waited for the consolation of Israel which was the Lord Jesus Christ At ver 29. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Oh this was a joyful thing to him When he came into the Temple he took the Child in his arms and said Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation This was the hope of them of old 2. Christ in his Priesthood Death and Suffering is stiled our hope also For saith the Apostle we are saved by hope and where is our hope but in the Death and Intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ all our hope is in him But then he is stiled here a better hope How is it a better hope In two respects than all the Jewish Sacrifices and Levitical Priesthood could give for that Priesthood gave hope only of temporal blessings clearly but very darkly of spiritual blessings We can scarcely read one word of the Kingdom of Heaven under the Mosaical dispensation See I pray Lev. 26. 2. and so on Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord If ye walk in my Statutes and keep my Commandments and do them then will I give you Rain in due season and the Land shall yield her increase and the Trees of the field shall yield their fruit And your threshing shall reach unto the Vintage and the Vintage shall reach unto the sowing-time and ye shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your Land safely These are all promises and blessings and encouragements to serve God according to the command of God But not a word of Heaven here This was the tenour of the first Covenant they had hopes of Legal Priviledges and Temporal Blessings These are the great things the Law of Moses runs upon But now we have a better hope Jesus Christ our High-priest If any man will follow me he shall have the light of life The New Testament runs all upon heavenly things But 2. Better hope in respect of the manner of revealing of it For this must not be denied but that all the true Saints and Believers under the Old Testament had their hope of Heaven as we have but very poorly and darkly They had their hopes of Grace and heavenly things and therefore it is said of Abraham in Heb. 11. 10. He looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God They had all these things in sight but darkly And while Moses was read amongst them they had a Veil upon their face But we with open face behold the glory of God and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. But then the next is By which we draw nigh to God The bringing in of a better hope by which we draw nigh to God How is that You must know that God and sinful man are at a great distance
who is a propitiation for our Sins We have an Advocate that is we have one that stands up for us in our stead and appears on our side Also it hath reference to a Favourite of the Kings Court that is oft in the Kings presence and ready to speak for his Friend So Joseph was an Intercessor for his Father and Brethren unto King Pharaoh when they came into the Land of Egypt Gen. 47. Joseph was a Favourite of the King of Egypt And he appeared in the presence of the King for his Father and Brethren You shall find the Prophet Elijah offers to make himself an Intercessor to the King for the Shunamitish Woman 2 King 4. 13. Wouldst thou be spoken for to the King In this sense Jesus Christ is said to be our Intecessor He is said to appear in the 〈◊〉 of God for us Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entred 〈◊〉 the Holy places which are the figures of the true 〈◊〉 into Heaven it self Now to appear in the presence of God for us and to make Intercession for us This is not to be understood as if Jesus Christ in Heaven did prosâ—rate himself to the Father for us and make actual prayers for us It is not so to be understood In the days of his Flesh he sent up strong cryes to God in his state of Humiliation Heb. 5. 7. but it is not agreeable to his state of Glory that Jesus Christ should now send up Prayers and Supplications to God for us But when it is said that he appears in the presence of God for us and makes Intercession for us the meaning is this That he doth present himself in Heaven as our Surety and as our Sacrifice and as one that hath made satisfaction to all the demands of the Law and also manifesting his Will That all that come unto God by him should have the benefit of his Death He doth appear before God as the Sacrifice for our sins that the benefit may come to every Soul that come unto God by him that is the meaning Therefore it is said Heb. 12. 24. The Apostle tells them they are come to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel Abels blood did speak when Abel said nothing his blood did speak and cry And so the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ speaketh his Death speaketh His Suffering speaketh That is always before the Holy God for an expiatory Sacrifice for sin to them that believe on him An Expiatory Sacrifice And this was typified of old by the High-priests carrying the Blood of the Sacrifice into the most Holy place sprinkling that Blood upon the Mercy-seat see Levit. 16. 15. Then shall he kill the Goat of the Sin-offering that is for the People and bring his Blood within the Vail and do with that Blood as he did with the Blood of the Bullock and sprinkle it upon the Mercy-seat When the Priests of old did kill the Offering whether it was a Goat or whether it was a Bullock he was to take of the Blood of the Beast and carry it within the Vail What is that You must know that in the Temple there were three parts there was the outward Court which the Gentiles might come into as well as the Jews then there was the Temple where the people generally went to Pray and where the Sacrifices were slain and then there was the third place which was called the most Holy place the Sanctum Sanctorum and that was separated by the Vail the Vail was drawn before it and when the Priest had Offered the Blood of the Sacrifice he was to go within the Vail where was the Mercy-seat and where God did give his Answers to his Peoples Requests and this Blood of the Sacrifice was to be sprinkled upon the Mercy-seat Why so Why to signifie that God would shew Mercy unto his People by way of Atonement and Sacrifice that he would shew them Mercy that way because of the uncleanness of the Children of Men therefore God would have no Communion with them but by the Blood of Atonement And this was a Type of Heaven it self Christ saith the Apostle is gone into the most Holy place to Heaven it self there to appear in the presence of God for us And as the High-priest of old did carry the Blood of the Sacrifice into the most Holy place on Earth so our Lord Jesus Christ did carry his Blood into Heaven which is the most Holy place of all which speaks better things than the Blood of Abel which cries for vengeance but the Blood of Jesus Christ calls for mercy for every one that comes to God by him This is the meaning of his making intercession for us But now in the Third place Why doth the Apostle say in the Text that Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Why is Christs ability to save us put upon his ever living to make intercession The Scripture mind it doth lay a great stress here and the weight and burden of our Salvation is laid in this upon Christs ever living to plead and maintain the great end of his death and suffering for poor sinners he ever liveth and the Reasons are these First If Jesus had died and never rose again our hopes of Salvation by him had perished with him and been buried in his Crave If Christ had died and never rose again our hopes of Salvation by him had died also and been buried in the Grave with him Mind what the Apostle speaks to this purpose 1 Cor. 15. 14. If Christ be not risen then is our Preaching in vain and your Faith is also vain If Christ be not risen our Preaching is in vain How is that Our preaching Salvation by Jesus Christ is in vain it is to no purpose if he be a dead man still and your Faith is vain your Believing in him is vain if he be in the state of death still Why so Because in the Grave there is no work nor no knowledge the dead know nothing the dead can do nothing therefore if Jesus Christ were in the state of Death if he were in the Grave and not risen again it is in vain for us to preach Salvation by Jesus Christ and your believing in him for Salvation is vain But in as much as he ever liveth and is come out of the state of Death he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him You may observe in Scripture that that time that our Saviour Christ died and was laid in the Grave his Disciples and Followers on Earth their hopes died with him as you may read in Luk. 24. of the two Disciples going to Emmaus what a sad discourse they had together when Christ asked them what communication they had together they said unto him Concerning one Jesus of Nazareth which
was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the People and how the Chief-priests and Rulers delivered him to be condemned to Death and have Crucified him and we trusted it had been he that should have Redeemed Israel and besides all this to day is the Third day since these things were done When Christ was in the state of Death their hopes were dead but saith the Apostle Peter in 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead As if he should say we were as dead men in our hopes but when we saw his Resurrection our hopes began to revive again and therefore he saith Blessed be God who hath begotten us to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead The Resurrection of Christ declares him to be a sufficient Saviour and therefore in Rom. 8. When the Apostle Paul fell a triumphing in that Salvation we have by Christ and what doth he lay as a ground for it in ver 34. saith he Who shall condemn us It is Christ that died yea rather rose again and is set at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us yea rather is risen again Why doth he make more of the Resurrection of Christ than of the Death of Christ Because if Christ had Died and not Risen again and Ascended to the Father we had not had such ground for our hope But rather is Risen again For alas if our hopes of Salvation did hang upon a Dead Man it would have been a dead hope but our hope is upon a living Saviour For this end saith the Apostle Rom. 14. 9. For this end Christ both died and rose again that he might be the Lord both of the dead and the living If he had not revived again and risen again he could not have been the Lord of the dead and the living The Apostle hath a remarkable passage to this purpose further in 1 Cor. 15. 17 18. If Christ be not raised your Faith is vain ye are yet in your sins then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished If Christ be still in the state of Death and the Grave then they that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished Those Believers that did die in the Faith of Jesus Christ they are perished if he be not still alive and at the right hand of God they are perished and ye are yet in your sins So that you see what a great stress the Scriptures put upon Christs Rising again Therefore saith John in the Revelation I am he that liveth and I live for evermore Amen Why Amen He puts Amen to it that our Faith may be fixed on him as able to save those that come unto God by him Secondly Our Lord Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him and that because he ever liveth to make intercession Because there can be no Accusation or Condemnation take place against any Soul where there is such an intercessor If Christ were out of Heaven where all Mens hearts and ways are seen and known all the sins of our Life and Conversation would rise up against us and Condemn us and Accuse us But saith the Apostle who shall Condemn Who shall lay any thing to our charge It is Christ that hath Died yea rather that is Risen again and sits at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us No Accusation from Satan and our Sins can stand before the intercession of Christ for though our sins be such as deserve everlasting Damnation yet there is more worth and vertue and preciousness in the Death and Resurrection and Intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ than there is vileness in all our sins for his Intercession is the presenting of his suffering for us and of all the satisfaction he hath made for Sin and the manifesting his Will that those that come unto God by him may have the benefit of his Sufferings Thirdly He is the great Favorite Our Lord Jesus Christ he is one that brings us into favour with God He came and made peace on Earth and hath purchased peace in Heaven If a Man should undertake to interceed for a poor Rebel that had been a Rebel himself they would never regard him or give any regard to his Intercession but if a Man will interceed for a poor Rebel at Court that was always a Favourite of the King that never Rebelled or provoked him you will say this Man will carry it Now saith the Scripture We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous not Jesus Christ the Unrighteous but Jesus Christ the Righteous who is our Advocate that kept himself always in the Favour of God and in his Fathers Love Such an High-priest doth become us who is Holy Harmless Separate from Sinners and made higher than the Heavens We need one that is Jesus Christ the Righteous and therefore he ever liveth and is able to save those that come unto God by him He ever liveth to make Intercession that was always in the favour of the Father This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased shewing that he was well pleased with his Suffering and Intercession and sets on his Right hand on high Upon all these accounts it is that Christ ever liveth to make Intercession for us And upon these reasons he is able to save all that come unto God by him I shall wind up all with a word or two of Application First then here we see That our Salvation is out of our selves and that it rests solely and alone in our Lord Jesus Christ For the best works that ever any of the Children of God did are not able to save them because no mans works are perfect before God The best works that we can do are not able to save us in any measure But our Lord Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost We are very apt to rest in our own doings and duties especially if any thing be done by us in a right manner We are very apt to take up our Rest too much therein We are apt to draw too much comfort for our selves for what we do rather than from what Christ hath done for us But 't is for want of lively Faith in Christ But if you will be safe and have true comfort you must come from works See how the Apostle sets Works and Grace in opposition in the matter of Election and so it holds as to Justification Rom. 11. 6. And if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then it is no more grace otherwise works is no more works What is the meaning of this The meaning is this That if we rest upon our works for our Salvation and Acceptation with God