Moses and Aaron, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
3. Melchizedek a type of Christ.
HEbrews 7. 3. He was likened to the Sonne of God. We must Melchizedek a type of Christ, in 4. respects. 1.search wherein and how Christ was the truth of that figure.
I. In the notation of his name Melchizedek signifieth King of righteousnesse: Our Saviour was indeed properly King of righteousnesse, Heb. 7. 2. Isai. 11. 4. Psal. 45. 6, 7. thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse, thou lovest righteousnesse, Mal. 4, 2. Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse shall arise. From him all have righteousnesse as from a fountaine.
II: In his Office. 1: He was King of Salem, of peace: 2. Peace by Christ most excellent. Hebr. 7.So Christ is called, the Prince of peace, Isa. 9. 6. not of a corner, but of all the world; and of Salem, that is, of Jerusalem, Psal. 2. 6. I have set my King on Sion. On his shoulders was the government laid. Of whom Zach. 9. 9. O Jerusalem, behold thy King commeth unto thee, he is just and saved himself, poor and riding upon an asse: but with this difference, Melchizedek brings peace earthly, temporall: but Christ is our peace, Ephes. 2. 14. by whom we have peace with God; he guides our feet into the way of peace, and leades us to peace eternall: So he was true king of true peace, so was not Melchizedek. 2. Melchizedek was not onelyonly a King, but Priest of the most high God, Gen. 14. 18. So Christ was both King and Priest; King, Revel. 1. 5. Prince of all the kings of the earth; Priest, Heb. 4. 14. Our great high Priest. This was not usuall in the Jewes Policy, or progeny of David, to whom onelyonly the kingdome was promised: neither would God admit the mingling of these Offices among them, as in Uzziah, 2 Chron. 26. But as this dignity was reserved unto Christ: so was it dispenced with in his speciall figure to be both a great King and Priest.
III. In his originall. Without Father or Mother, genealogy, beginning or end of dayes; without kindred, that is, none 3. Heb. 7.of these mentioned in Scripture, or in the story of his life. Although he had both father, mother, kindred, birth, death; yet the Lord of set purpose would have all these concealed in scripture, that he might be a more expresse type of Jesus Christ, who was truely without father as man, That holy thing Luk. 1. 35.which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God; without mother as God, without kindred according to his Deity, in respect of his Divine nature without generation, for who can declare his generation? Isa. 53. 8. seeing he was before all worlds foreign.eternally begotten of his Father. And whereas Melchizedek onelyonly had no beginning or end of life expressed: Christ is onelyonly truly without beginning, neither shall have any end; for he is the beginning and the ending. And although his humanity foreign. Apoc. …. 11.had genealogie, beginning, and ending of life, yet as he was the word he had none. And although as the So…e he Melchizedek quoad Scripturam: Christus quoad▪ natuvam.was from the Father; yet as God he was from none, but as the word was of himself. Here also is a difference; Melchizedek was without genealogy according to Scripture: Christ according to nature.
IV. In the excellency of his 1. Person, 2. Priesthood.4.
1. For excellency of Person. 1. Melchizedek was greater than Abraham; for he blessed Abraham, and the greater blessith the lesser, Heb. 7. 7. signifying Christ the fountain and originall of all blessing in heavenly and earthly things, Ephes. 1. 3. 2. Melchizedek refreshed Abraham and his Army, returning weary from the battell and journey, with bread and wine. Here Abraham was a receiver. Melchizedek a giver; a manifest type of Jesus Christ, refreshing and comforting all his followers, and members of his militant Church in their journey and wearinesse, with his word and Sacraments. Matthew 11. 28. I will refresh you. 3. Melchizedek was man Ego reficiam vos.onelyonly and sinfull: Christ God and man without sinne. Melchizedekas the sonne of God. Christ indeed the Sonne of God.
2. For the excellency of his Sacrifice, or his Priesthood, which was greater than Aarons. For, 1. Levi and Aaron paid tythes in Abrahams loines to Melchizedek, Heb. 7. 9. Preheminence of Christ's Priesthood above Aarons. Psal. 110. 4.and the inferiour payes tythes to the Superiour: Such is the Priesthood of Christ after▪ the order of Melchizedek, not of Aaron. 2. In regard of the entrance. Melchizedek was not annointed with materiall oyle as Aaron, nor received his Priesthood from any other, but onelyonly so declared by the mouth of God: So Christ succeeded none, received his Priesthood from none, but annointed by the Spirit of God, Luke 4. 18. and made a Priest by the Oath of God, Psal. 110. 4. The Lord sware and will not repent, thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. 3. In regard of the continuance of his Priesthood. For as he receives it from none, so he passeth it not to any other, nor any can succeed him; but he endureth ever, having an everlasting Priesthood, Heb. 7. 24. The Leviticall Priesthood ended particularly in the death of every high Priest, and universally and finally in the death of our high Priest: But Christ is eternall, who died, but rose again, figured in Melchizedek.
I. If Christ be the true Melchizedek, then must he needs Use. 1. Christ greater than Abraham.be greater than Abraham, though the Jewes vainly gainsay it, Joh. 8. 53. To him all our tythes and offerings, due from Abraham to Melchizedek. He is blessed and Prince onelyonly, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, unto him be honour, and power everlasting, 1 Tim. 6. 15, 16. So the four and twenty Elders, Revel. 11. 15, 17. And Angels, Beasts, Elders, and all creatures, Revel. 5. 11, 12, 13.
II. For the comfort of the Church, that Christ is the true Melchizedek, both a Priest and a King. 1. As he is a Priest Use. 2. Comfort by Christ our Melchizedek.we are assured of a perfect reconciliation by his all-sufficient Sacrifice. 2. Of sound instruction, for the Priest must teach the Law, his lips must present knowledge. Joh. 4. 25. When the Messiah is come he will tell us all things. We detest the blasphemy therefore that tells us, that he hath left an imperfect doctrine, that must be eeked with traditions. 3. Of his blessed intercession, which is meritorious and acceptable. Samuel out of his love to the people, 1 Sam. 12. 23. saith thus, God forbid that I should sinne, and cease to pray for you; but I will teach you the good way: Christs love to the Church is no lesse; therefore he will both teach and pray. 4. Of powerfull protection and safety. For he is not our Priest onelyonly, but our King: not our Doctor onelyonly, but our Defendor; not a Priest onelyonly to pray, but a King to obtain for us, and bestow on us what he prayes for. What if he had never so much power in teaching, if he were impotent in defending? But he is King of peace in himself and unto M…gnum in … habe…m …atro…um.us. We have a powerfull advocate in heaven. They never tasted the sweetnesse of this doctrine, that seek after any other Mediator.
III. Hence is the happinesse of the Church. As Melchizedek Use. 3.blessed Abraham: So Christ our Melchizedek hath We are blessed by our Melchizedek.blessed all the faithfull posterity of Abraham, Ephes. 1. 3. with all spirituall blessings in Christ Jesus. But with difference, Melchizedek onelyonly pronouncing blessing, Gen, 14. 19. Blessed art thou of God possessor of heaven and earth: But our Melchizedek meriteth and bestoweth blessings of higher kind also than could Melchizedek. For, 1. Christ blesseth by meriting blessing, through his most perfect sacrifice pacifying his Fathers wrath: Melchizedek offered no such sacrifice to no such effect, his was accepted by mercy, not for merit, not for his own sacrifice, but for Christs. 2. By actuall procuring the blessing of remission of sinnes and righteousnesse restored, a more effectuall blessing than Melchizedek could procure: His sacrifices could onelyonly signifie these in the Messiah's, not actually apply them. 3. By gathering, calling, ruling, and preserving in spirituall life his whole Church, as members of his own body, and by the donation of his spirit: none of which blessings Melchizedek could give. 4. By bestowing eternall life on beleevers, here in the first fruits, hereafter in the harvest: whereof Melchizedek must be a receiver from him the fountain, not a giver, 5. By publishing and pronouncing on beleevers all this blessing in the preaching of the Gospel, and sealing it to the hearts of the elect by the daily effectuall voyce of his spirit by the word: which Melchizedek could not doe. Therefore a greater than Melchizedek is here, and a greater blessing than Abraham received from him. Let the world curse, wicked ones rage and revile against the Church and Members, yet as Isaac said of Jacob, Gen. 27. 33, I have blessed him, and therefore he shall be blessed; the same will Christ not say onelyonly, but accomplish to them.
IV. Hence is the stability and perpetuity of the Use. 4. By our Melchizedek the Church abides for ever.Church and members. That Christ is the true Melchizedek, that is, an eternall Priest; the Church must be eternall. For a Priest cannot be without a Church, nor an eternall Priest without an eternall Church, but of Christ it is said, thou art a Priest for ever. Therefore Tyrants shall not waste it, time shall not out-last it, death shall not hinder the being and happinesse of it, no more than it could the eternity of the Priest himself, who rose gloriously from the dead, so shall the members. How happy a thing is it to be of this houshhold.
V. The excellency of Christs Priesthood above the Leviticall. Use. 5. Excellency of Christs Priesthood above the Leviticall.This is the scope of the Apostle in describing Melchizedeks Priesthood so largely. For the Leviticall Priests were homagers to this, yea, to the shadow of it in Melchizedek, while they were in Abrahams loines 1. They were men onelyonly of men: Christ the Sonne of God, true God and man. 2. They were sinfull men, and must offer first for themselves, and then for others, Heb. 5. 3. But Christ was sinlesse, he needed not offer for his own sinnes, Heb. 7. 26, 27. 3. For their office, they were but ministers of holy things, and of salvation propounded in them: Christ because of this order was author of salvation to all that obey him., Heb. 5. 9. 10. 4. They were many, and all ministers of a temporary covenant: but he is but one, who hath obtained a more excellent office, in that he is Mediator of a better testament established upon better promises, Heb 8. 6. For the promises of the covenant of grace are more excellent than those of the Legall covenant. 5. They offered often, and the repetition of sacrifices argued their invalidity and imperfection: but he offered but once, and needed not doe it daily, Heb. 7. 27. which argued the perfection, Heb. 9. 28. 6. They offered the bloud of beasts which could not expiate sinne, nor wash the conscience of the sinner, farther than purifying the flesh: but he (not with bloud of bulls and goats, but) with his own bloud entred once into the holy place, having obtained an eternall redemption, Heb. 9. 12. and this bloud purgeth the conscience from dead works, verse 14. 7. They served in an earthly fading Sanctuary made with hands, and entred into an holy place which perished and failed, according to that elementary and temporary worship… but he is minister of the true Sanctuary and Tabernacle which the Lord pitcht and not man, Heb. 8. 2. this tabernacle is his own blessed body, in which he performed all his service, called, chap. 9. 11. a great and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands, and verse 24, is now entred not into holy places made with hands, but into the very Heaven, to appear in the sight of God for us. 8. They all ceased, dyed, one succeeded another; as mutable was their whole service, which also ceased and deceased, and gave place to the truth of it, when the fulnesse of time came: but this true Melchizedek, being without beginning or end of dayes, hath an eternall Priesthood, Heb. 7. 24. and therefore neither hath nor needeth any successor in earth. Whence every repetition of his sacrifice, bloudily or unbloudily in the Masse, is an high and hatefull blasphemy, a denyall of Christs person to be above the person of Melchizedek, and of his sacrifice to be above Aarons, or that it was offered by the eternall spirit of his Deity.
VI. The excellency of the person shewes the greatness of 6. Sin not to be accounted slight, whose sacrifice is so costly.the Sacrifice, the greatness of the sacrifice the greatness of the sinne, Melchizedek, because he was but likened to the Sonne of God, Heb. 7. 3. could not offer a Sacrifice to take away sinne: he must be the Sonne of God indeed, and God himself that must doe that. The least sinne, which we account so light, could never be expiated, but by the bloud of him that is God as well as man. All created strength cannot stand under the burthen of the least sinne. Therefore in the worthiness of this person see the unworthiness of thy sinne, to hate and abhorre it, and thy self in dust and ashes for it. An hainous and execrable offence were that, which nothing could take away but the death of the Prince.