Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Melchizedek a Type of Christ - Part 3

To conclude this "mini-series" on the role of Melchizedek as a type of Christ, here is a final contribution from a noted Puritan whose writings on typology only came to light in the 20th century.

Edward Taylor, Upon the Types of the Old Testament, Vol. 1, pp. 49-53:

There is an Enquiry made by almost all who [Melchizedek] was. Some have dreamed Strangly of him asserting him to be Christ himselfe, others, to be the Holy Ghost. others to be Angell, in the shape of a man: but these all are wide in their guesses. Others more rationaly judge him to be Shem, Noahs Son. Thus Some Jewish Rabbie: & many Christians both Papists, & Protestants. but great reason lies against this. for he is neither without Father nor without Mother, nor without descent in Scripture, all which are asserted of Melchisedeck in Scripture. further in that it is said, that by the Name Melchisedeck he hath none of these. The Reply is this, that the Saying of the Spirit is not a description of the Name of the Person, but of the person distinguisht by this name. Further. its altogether improbable that Shem the Father of the Church Line, Should leave his own Posteritie, & betake himselfe to the Cursed race of Cham. & be so honoured by them as to be Crownd their king, when as in the meantime his own Children not regard him: this is not to the usages of the world but Contrary to the Law of Nature working in Parents, & Children. Nay Still its not likly that Abraham Should be a Stranger in the Land & if Shem his Eminent Predicessor Should now Reign. Its very likely that Shem never Came into Canaan: But probably Melchizedeck was a Godly, & Eminant man of God of Chams posterity, because he is found amongst them, Crowned king by them, & reigning over them: & tho he is said, to be Fatherless, Motherless, descentless, without beginning of Dayes, or End of Life, it is to be understood in a Scripture Sense, & not absolutly. but the meaning is this that the Spirit of God gives us none account of any of these things unto us. & thus much touching whom he is.

But what he is the Scripture Tells us Heb. 7.3. He is made like unto the Son of God, i e, a Type of him. hence Christ is set forth as having it given him under oath from God Ps. 110.4. The Lord hath sworn, & will not repent, saying, thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedeck. Heb. 5.19. C.7.17. Hence then he is a Type of Christ & he typifies him Especially as to his Eternall Mediation. And herein we may see this Type as Typically in his {Name/Person

First. His Name is Typicall. & this as to the Name of his {Person/Kingdom

1. The Name of his Person which is Melchizedeck. The Apostle tells you Heb. 7.2. it is being interpreted King of Righteousness, noting that Righteousness kinged in him, & hee kinged it in Righteousness. He reigned in Righteousness, & Righteousness reigned in him. His Kingdom was righteous by his Righteous Reign: & his person was Righteous, by inherent & adherent righteousness: & so a fit Emblem of Christ, whose name is Jer. 23.6. [Heb.] the Lord our Righteousness. & kingdom a Kingdom of Righteousness Isa. 11.4.5. Righteousness reigning in him, & he reigning in Reighteousness as Heb. I.8.9.

2. The Name of his Kingdom which is Salem. King of Salem that is King of Peace. for tho Salem was the name of his Royall City, yet it gave name to his Kingdom: For Kings Dominions in those early days were Sildom extended over the Whole Nation; but Confined unto the Speciall limits & Properties of Cities. Hence their Kingdoms are designd by the name of their Royall Cities as Gen. 14.I.2. Josu. 12.9. --. Now there was probably Peace of all sorts in his Kingdom that ought to be. Kingdom. Peace: Peace with men: Peace with God: Peace in Conscience, & Peace in his Countrey. For he was a Peace maker with God, being Priest of the most high God. Hence Peace reigned in him: & he mannaged his reign in Peace, & so is rightly Stiled [Heb.] King of Peace Gen. 14.18 Heb. 7.2 Hereby rightly delineating the Lord Jesus in his Mediatoriall title who is Stiled by the Prophet [Heb.] Isai. 6.9. Prince of Peace. His Kingdom being a Kingdom of Peace. Hence the Angells of God Sang that Chrismall Caroll at his Birth Lu. 2.14. Glory to God in the highest: Peace, & Good Will among men. His Kingdom is indeed a Kingdom of Peace Where Peace rules Col. 3.15. Playes the King, & doth fix her Garrisons Philip. 4.7: Peace with God: for he came to make peace Joh. 14.27. & his Royall City, or Kingdom is not onely Stiled, Salem Peace: But Jerusalem Gal. 4.2 Rev. 21.1. the Vision of Peace.

Secondly, His Person is Typicall: & typifies the Lord Jesus in Severall Respects. viz in Respect of his {Excellencie/Office.

1. The Excellency of his Person is set down unto us as if it had

1. Absolute Eternity. As if he was dropt out of Heaven, & Cought up into Heaven again. Heb. 7.3. Without Father, without Mother without Descent, without begining; Without end: Not that he was so in Nature. for he had all these. But in a Scripturall account. for the Scripture hath Conceald all these from us, & kept them in Secret. that none of them are recorded in it. whereas it gives us an account of Abrahams &c line. So that as to these things he Seems so excellent as if he was absolutely Eternall & So typifies Christs Personall Excellency to be eternall, nay absolutely Eternall Who can declare his Generation Isai. 53.8. Without begining, without End Rev. I.8. As to his Godhead without Mother: as to his Manhood without father.

2. As having a Civill, & Sacred Supremicy. There was Priestly & Kingly dignity in Him. Hence Excelling Abraham the Father of the Faithfull: He is described to be the Priest of the Most High God: & Abraham onely the Servant of the Most high God. A King is invested with the Supremicy of Civill Dignity, & a Priest (or Chiefe Priest as he seems to be) with the Supremicy of Sacred Dignity. Neither of which were rightly found in Abraham. He could onely act the part of a Private Priest for his own family. Hence his Person excelled in Dignity. & this is further cleared thus

1. In that Sacred Homage that Abraham gave him. Heb. 7.4. Consider how great this man was, to whom the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the Spoiles? So he gave him tithes of all that he had. Gen. 14.

2. In that Speciall Benefit he Confered upon Abraham. He Blessed him: & in this respect he was as a Mediator between God & Abraham to hand Gods blessings down upon him. Hence the Apostle takes it as an undoubted argument of his Superiority. Heb. 7.7. And also He feasted Abraham, & his Army returning from the Slaughter of the Kings Gen. 14.18. & this is another note of his Greatness: & in all these things there is plainely a typicall Representation of Christ in whom alone there resides the Highest Kingly Supremicy, & the Supremest Sacred Dignity upon the face of the Earth: & under the Canopie of Heaven: insomuch that the Angells of God adore him, Heb. 1.5. & the Divells Dread him Mark. I.24. Such is his Excellency that all Homage, & Obedience belongs unto. Joh. 5.23. He bestows all Blessings of all Sorts. Hence they come from the Father thro Christ as the Mediator Eph. I.3. & Grace, the Fountain from which they flow, is Stiled the Grace of Christ as the Font, & Reare of almost every Epistle of Paul Shews. So also he hath made a feast of fat things, a Feast of Wines on the Lees, of fat things full of marrow; of wines on the Lees, Well refined Isai. 25.6 for all people. & Saith eat, oh friends, drinke yea drink abundantly, oh beloved! Can. 5.1. Yea, he fed the bodies of five thousand men at once besides Women & Children. Matt. 14.25. & at another time four thousande men beside women, & Children C:15.38. But the great dainties he Chiefly makes are for their Souls: Spirituall Dainties: The fruits of the Tree of Life, the Hidden Mannah, as Rev. 2.17.17. He will abundantly Satisfy them with the fat things of his house. & make them to drinke of the Rivers of his pleasures Ps. 36.8.

2. The Offices he beares are also Typicall. Melchizedeck was a type of Christ in the Offices he bore. as that of

1. A King. He was a King: & doubtless herein he typified Christs Kingly Office. as hath been made out already.

2. A Priest. Melchizedeck was a Priest of the Most high God. & in this Sense Chiefly was he Typicall. Ps. 110. [Heb.] v. 4 this word Dibrathi read order comes from [Heb.] to Speake. & is variously used. Some read it secundum verbum meum according to my Word: & then they Supply the note of Similitude, thus, as Melchizedeck it may be read Secundum Rem, aut Negotium. according to the imployment of Melchizedeck Eccles. 3.18 its read according to the State Buxtorfe observes that Aben Esra expounds it by [Heb.] secundum a Consuetdinem, after manner of Melchizedeck. But none mend the Septuagint, & the Apostle, tho not keeping so Strickly to the word yet rendring the intent of it by [Gk.] Heb. 5.6: & in Heb. 7.15 [Gk.] according to the Order & likeness of Melchizedeck. His Priesthood then is Cut out by Christs, that it might be to Gods people a Type of Christs. & here we are to Consider Wherein it is so. & this will appeare in its {Constitution/Concomitants

1. Its Constitution. This seems to be immediate from God. Melchizedeck seems to receive it immediatly from God: & not being Ordained to it, or put in it by man, having neither Predicessor, nor Successour. The Spirit of God gives us none account of any that preceded, or that Succeeded him in it. Hence he was alone in it, and at length delivered it up to God alone, who ordained him in it. & thus it Typifies Christs Priesthood, which he received immediatly of God: & from no man: being of the Tribe of Judah, & not of Levi, the Priestly tribe Heb. 7.14: Hence he began it, was alone in it, & at length delivers it up, as well as the Kingdom to the Father I Cor. 15.24, none proceeding from him, none preceding of him in it.

2. Its Concommitants. These were typicall in Melchizedecks Priesthood holding forth the like in Christs, as these

1. The Kingly Office did accompany the Priesthood in Melchizedeck: it was not so in other Priests. Judah had nothing to do with the Mitre: as Levi had nothing to do with the Crown. Jacob wills the Scepter to Judah. Gen. 49.10. & Moses bequeaths the Urim & Thummim unto Levi Deut. 33.8. So they were both in Christ. Kingship & Priesthood were wedded together in the Lord Jesus. The Miter & the Crown were both upon his Head. The Urim, & Thummim upon his breast was attended with the Scepter, & Sword in his hand, as well as in Melchizedecks.

2. The Excellency of this Office did excell Aarons. The Apostles drift in Heb. 7. in great measure is, to proove Christs Priesthood more excellent than Aarons: & this he doth by proving Melchizedecks more excellent than Aarons. & that in that Aaron & all Levi paid tithes to Melchizedeck. So in that he prooves Melchizedeck better than Abraham. & in that his Priesthood is the first in Scripture recorded & that as an Eternall Priest hood: & in that God gave by Oath a Priesthood to Christ according to the Order of Melchizedecks. Hence here is an Excellency attends this Priesthood above Aarons, & therein it is a type of Christs Priesthood, as far Excelling Aarons.

3. The Duration of it. For there seems to be a Shadow of its Eternity in that its said to be without begining of dayes, or End of Life. & this is a proofe of Christs Priesthood to be Eternall & so it typified Christs to bee. & thus Melchizedeck typified Christs Eternall Mediatory Office.

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