Thomas Taylor, Christ Revealed: or, The Old Testament Explained. A Treatise of the Types and Shadowes of our Saviour contained throughout the whole Scripture: All opened and made usefull for the benefit of Gods Church, pp. 17-24:
Hebrews 7.3. Hee was likened to the Sonne of God. Wee must 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 Sunne of righteounesse shall arise. From him all have righteousnesse as from a fountaine.
II. In his Office. 1. Hee was King of Salem, of peace: 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 Ierusalem, Psal. 2.6. I have set my King on Sion. On his shoulders was the governement laid. Of whom Zach. 9.9. O Jerusalem behold, thy King cometh unto thee, hee is just and saved himselfe, poore 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; hee guides our feete 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 onely a King, but Priest of the 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 onely the kingdome was promised; neither would God admit the mingling of these Offices among them, as in Vzziah, 2. Chron. 26. But as this dignity was reserved unto Christ: so was it dispensed with in his speciall figure to bee 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 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 hee might be a more expresse type of Jesus Christ, who was truely without father as man, Luke 1.35. that holy thing which shall bee borne of thee, shall bee called the Sonne 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? Isai. 53.8. seeing he was before all worlds eternally begotten of his Father. And whereas Melchizedek onely had no beginning or end of life expressed: Christ is onely truely without beginning, neither shall have any end; for hee is the beginning and the ending. And although his humanity had genealogie, beginning, and ending of life, yet as he was the word hee had none. And although as the Sonne he was from the father; yet as God hee was from none, but as the word was of himselfe. 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. 1. For excellency of Person. 1. Melchizedek was greater then Abraham; for he blessed Abraham, and the greater blesseth the lesser, Heb. 7.7. signifying Christ the fountaine 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 Iesus 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 onely and sinfull: Christ God and man without sinne. Melchizedek as 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. 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 anointed with material oile as Aaron, nor received his Priesthood from any other, but onely so declared by the mouth of God: So Christ succeeded none, received his Priesthood from none, but anointed by the Spirit of God, Luke 4.18. and made 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 hee receives it from none, so hee passeth it not to any other, nor any can succeed him; but hee 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 againe, figured in Melchizedek.
[Use. I. Christ greater then Abraham.] I. If Christ bee the true Melchizedek, then must he needs bee greater than Abraham, though the Jewes vainely gainesay it, Ioh. 8.53. To him all our tythes and offerings, our sacrifice of praises are due, as tythes and offerings due from Abraham to Melchizedek. Hee is blessed and Prince onely, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, unto him be honour, and power everlasting, 1 Tim. 6.15, 16. So the foure and twenty Elders, Revel. 11.15, 17. And Angels, Beasts, Elders, and all creatures, Revel. 5.11, 12, 13.
[Use. 2. Comfort by Christ our Melchizedek.] 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 wee 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. Ioh. 4.25. When the Messiah is come hee will tell us all things. Wee detest the blasphemy therefore that tells us, that he hath left an imperfect doctrine, that must bee 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 onely but our King: not our Doctor onely, but our defendor; not a Priest onely to pray, but a King to obtaine for us, and bestow on us what he prayers for. What if he had never so much power in teaching, if he were impotent in defending? But he is a King of peace in himselfe and unto us, We have a powerfull advocate in heaven. They never tasted the sweetnesse of this doctrine, that seeke after any other Mediator.
[Use 3. We are blessed by our Melchizedek.] III. Hence is the happinesse of the Church, As Melchizedek blessed Abraham: So Christ our Melchizedek hath blessed all the faithfull posterity of Abraham, Eph. 1.3. with all spirituall blessings in Christ Iesus. But with difference. Melchizedek onely pronounced 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 then 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 owne sacrifice, but for Christs. 2. By actual procuring the blessing of remission of sinnes and righteousness restored, a more effectual blessing then Melchizedek could procure: His sacrifices could onely signifie these in the Messiahs, not actually apply them. 3. By gathering, calling, ruling and preserving in spirituall life his whole Church, as members of his owne 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, heereafter in the harvest: whereof Melchizedek must be a receiver from him the fountaine, not a giver. 5. By publishing and pronouncing on beleevers all this blessing in the preaching of the Gospell, 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 then Melchizedek is here, and a greater blessing then Abraham received from him. Let the world curse, wicked ones rage and revile against the Church and members, yet as Isaac said of Iacob, Gen. 27.33. I have blessed him, and therefore he shall be blessed; the same will Christ not say onely, but accomplish to them.
[Use 4. By our Melchizedek the Church abides forever.] IIII. Hence is the stability and perpetuity of the 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 wast it, time shall not outlast it, death shall not hinder the being and happinesse of it, no more then it could the eternity of the Priest himselfe, who rose gloriously from the dead, so shall the members. How happy a thing it is to be of this houshold.
[Use 5. Excellency of Christs Priesthood above the Leviticall.] V. The 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 loynes. 1. They were men onely 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 owne 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 then 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 do it daily. Heb. 7.27. which argued the perfection, Heb. 9.28. 6. They offered the blood of beasts which could not expiate sinne, nor wash the conscience of the sinner farther then purifying the flesh: but he (not with blood of bulls and goats, but) with his owne blood entred once into the holy place having obtained an eternall redemption, Heb. 9.12. and this blood purgeth the conscience from dead works, verse 14. 7. They served in an earthly fading Sanctuary made with hands, and entred into any holy place which perished and fayled, according to that elementary and temporary worship: but he is minister of the true Sanctuary and Tabernacle which the Lord pitches and not man, Heb. 8.2. this tabernacle is his owne blessed body in which he performed all his service, called, chap. 9.11. a great and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands, and vers. 24. is now entred not into holy places made with hands, but into the very Heaven to appeare in the sight of God for us. 8. They all cased, 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 daies, hath an eternall Priesthood, Heb. 7.24. and therefore neither hath nor needeth any successor in earth. Whence every repetition of his sacrifice bloodily or unbloodily 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.
[Use 6. Sin not to be accounted slight, whose sacrifice is so costly.] VI. The excellency of the person shewes the greatnesse of the Sacrifice, the greatnesse of the sacrifice the greatnesse 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 himselfe that must doe that. The least sinne which wee account so light could never be expiated, but by the blood of him that is God as well as man. All created strength cannot stand under the burthen of the least sinne. Therefore in the worthinesse of this person see the unworthinesse of thy sinne to hate and abhorre it, and thy selfe in dust and ashes for it. An haynous and execrable offence were that which nothing could take away but the death of the Prince.
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