“He will bless the House of Israel—he will bless the House of Aaron.” Psalm cxv.—
PRINTED BY R. THOMAS, 11, RED LION STREET, BOROUGH
1813.
CHRIST THE TRUE MELCHISEDEC.
“Now consider how great this Man was.”—Heb. vii, 4.
The sacred pages are an exhibition of the loving heart of a covenant God, Father, Son, and Spirit; from whence flow all the blessings of eternal life to guilty man. All spring from love, for God is love—he is love itself, the fountain of it. He loves himself, his Son, and the eternal Spirit—it is a perfection of his nature, boundless and incomprehensible. This eternal Three in the One Jehovah, hath condescended of his sovereign goodwill and pleasure, to love and chuse millions of men, though fallen and depraved, guilty and hell-deserving—yet in a way of mercy, pity, and compassion, determined to shew how far this love could go—the Covenant of Redemption being made in eternity, wherein the Father proposed to call his dear Son to engage in the Work of Salvation—the Son as graciously accepting, offering himself to be all, and do all in the great Work of Redemption, it was purposed he should assume the nature of his people—for this grand purpose, that he might represent them, obey, suffer, and die for them; for which he should be glorified in that nature—see the travail of his soul, and be delighted with all the happy consequences of his Work. This being settled in infinite wisdom, our dear Lord anticipated the pleasure of it before the world began—My delights were with the Sons of Men.
On the sixth day of the creation he formed his creature, Man, in the image in which he intended to appear four thousand years after. His heart was so intent upon this great Work, that directly after the Fall, yea, the very same day that Adam sinned, the dear Redeemer hastened to make known the Covenant of Redemption and Mercy—and even before he pronounced the Curse in consequence of transgression, he pronounced the Blessing!
Adam heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden—the WORD that was to be made flesh, that spoke for us in the Covenant—he came, and foretold his future incarnation—promised victory, and threatened Satan, who was the instigation of the Fall. He frequently manifested his gracious intention—proved himself to be the glorious Mediator, and that he longed to become incarnate, to manifest his grace by dying in our stead. In the act of cloathing our guilty parents, he shewed himself the end of the Law for Righteousness. In Abel’s Person and Offering, he shewed himself the acceptable Sacrifice—the Lamb to take away sin. In the Person of Noah, the Ark he built, the Sacrifice he offered, the Covenant made with him in the Rainbow (as the outward sign of it) were sweet tokens of him who is mighty to save. The Blessing of Shem, clearly pointed out his gracious intention—God shall enlarge Japheth, and HE (God) shall dwell in the tents of Shem. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
He afterwards singles out Abram, the Father of the Faithful, (of the line of Shem) called him out of darkness, favored him with several glorious visions of himself, as predicting his future incarnation, for he saw his day and was glad. Abraham, under peculiar leadings of Providence, was for a season, situated at Mamre, where he built an altar to the Lord. This Mamre was in Kirath-Arba, afterwards called Hebron, where David reigned for a season. But, alas, a christian is seldom long at ease; we have no continuing city, we seek one to come—no place, or house, or family, is free from trouble long together, from the palace to the most retired cot. Sad news was brought to Abraham, that his nephew, Lot, was taken prisoner, and almost all his goods seized, by Cherdorlaomer and his allies, who were at that time ravaging the country. Abraham directly took his servants and friends and pursued the enemy to Hobah, and overtook their captives and the booty, and of course restored Lot.