righteousness was not accepted. (2.) He was a personage in whom were united the kingly and priestly offices; and as such, he was a type of the Messiah, and greater than Abram himself. Under the former of these characters, he was by interpretation, king of righteousness, and king of peace; and under the latter, was distinguished as the priest of the most high God. This sin gular dignity conferred upon a descendant of Canaan shows that' God delights, on various occasions, to put more abundant honour upon the part that lacketh. (3.) He was what he was, considered as a priest, not by inheritance, but by an immediate divine constitution. Though as a man he was born like other men, yet as a priest he was without father, without mother, without descent, hav, ing neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God, abiding a priest continually. That is, neither his father nor his mother were of a sacerdotal family; he derived his office from no predecessor, and delivered it up to no successor, but was himself an order of priesthood. It is in this respect that he was made like unto the son of God; who was also a priest, not after the manner of the sons of Aaron, by descent from their predecessors; (for he descended from Judah, of which tribe Moses said nothing concerning priesthood;) but after the similitude of Melchisedek; that is, by an immediate divine constitution; or, as the New Testament writer expresses it, by the word of the oath ; and continuing ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

Ver. 19, 20. Melchisedek being priest of the most high God, be in that character blessed Abram. It belonged to the priests, by divine appointment, to bless the people. In this view the blessing of Melchisedek would contain more than a personal well-wishing: it would be prophetic. In pronouncing it, he would set his official seal to what God had done before him. It is not unlikely that he might know Abram previously to this, and be well acquainted with his being a favourite of heaven, in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed, and to whose posterity God had promised the land of the Canaanites: and if so, his blessing him in so solemn a manner implies his acquiescence in the divine will, even though it would be at the expense of his ungodly countrymen. His speaking of the most high God as possessor of heaven and

earth, would seem to intimate as much as this; as it recognises the principle on which the right of Abram's posterity to possess themselves of Canaan depended. There is much heart in the blessing. We see the good man, as well as the priest of the most high God, in it: from blessing Abram, it rises to the blessing of Abram's God, for all the goodness conferred upon him.

In return for this solemn blessing, Abram gave him tithes of all, This was treating him in character, and in fact presenting the tenth of his spoils as an offering to God.

Ver. 21. All this time the king of Sodom stood by, and heard what passed; but it seems without feeling any interest in it. What passed between these two great characters appears to have made ing impression upon him. He thought of nothing, and cared for nothing but what respected himself. He could not possibly claim any right to what was recovered, either of persons or things: yet he asks for the former, and speaks in a manner as if he would be thought not a little generous in relinquishing the latter..

Ver. 22, 23. Abram knew the man and his communications ; and perceiving his affected generosity, gave him to understand that he had already decided, and even sworn, in the presence of the most high God, what he would do in respect of that part of the spoils which had previously belonged to him. Abram knew full well that the man who affected generosity in relinquishing what was not his own, would go on to boast of it, and to reflect on him as though he shone in borrowed plumes. No, says the patriarch. I will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet that which was thine, save that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men that went with me, Aner, Eschol, and Mamre

In this answer of Abram we may observe, besides the above, several particulars :

1. The character under which he had sworn to God: JEHOVAH, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth. The first of these names was that by which God was made known to Abram, and still more to his posterity.* The last was that which had been

* What Moses says, in Exod. vi. 3, that God appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; but that by his name JEHOVAH he was not known to them, cannot be understood absolutely. It does not

just given to him by Melchisedek, and which appears to have made a strong impresssion on Abram's mind. By uniting them together, he in a manner acknowledged Melchisedek's God to be his God; and, while reproving the king of Sodom, expressed his love to him as to a brother.

2. His having decided the matter before the king of Sodom met him, as it seems he had, implies something highly dishonourable in the character of that prince. He must have been well known to Abram, as a vain, boasting, unprincipled man, or he would not have resolved in so solemn a manner to preserve himself clear from the very shadow of an obligation to him. And considering the polite and respectful manner in which it was common for this patriarch to conduct himself towards his neighbours, there must have been something highly offensive in this case, to draw from him so cutting and dismaying an intimation. It is not unlikely that he had thrown out some malignant insinuations against Lot and his old wealthy uncle, on the score of their religion. If so, Abram would feel happy in an opportunity of doing good against evil, and thus of heaping coals of fire upon his head.

The reason why he would not be under the shadow of an obligation, or any thing which might be construed an obligation to him, was not so much a regard to his own honour, as the honour of HIM in whose name he had sworn. Abram's God had blessed him, and promised to bless him more, and make him a blessing. Let it not be said by his enemies, that with all his blessedness, it is of our substance that he is what he is. No, Abram can trust in the possessor of heaven and earth to provide for him, without being beholden to the king of Sodom.

3. His excepting the portion of the young men who were in league with him, shows a just sense of propriety. In giving up

appear however to have been used among the patriarchs in so peculiar a sense, as it was after the times of Moses among the Israelites. From thence, it seems very generally to denote the specific name of the God and King of Israel. In this vlew we perceive the force and propriety of such language as the following: JEHOVAH is our judge, JEHOVAH is our lawgiver, JEHOVAH is our king. -Oh JEHOVAH, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

our own right, we are not at liberty to give away that which pertains to others connected with us.

Upon the whole, this singular undertaking would raise Abram much in the estimation of the Canaanites, and might possibly procure a little more respect to Lot. It had been better in the latter, however, if he had taken this opportunity to change his dwelling place.

DISCOURSE XXII.

ABRAM JUSTIFIED BY FAITH.

Gen. xv. 1-6.

ABRAM was the father of the faithful, the example or pattern of all future believers; and perhaps no man, upon the whole, had greater faith. It seems to have been the design of God, in almost all his dealings with him, to put his faith to the trial. In most instances it appeared unto praise, though in some it appeared to fail him.

Ver. 1. Several years bad elapsed, perhaps eight or nine, since God had first made promise to him concerning his seed; and now he is about eighty years old, and Sarai is seventy, and he has no child. He must yet live upon assurances and promises, without any earthly prospects. He is indulged with a vision, in which God appears to him, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. This is certainly 'very full, and very encouraging. If, after having engaged the kings, he had any fears of the war being renewed, this would allay them. Who shall harm those to whom Jehovah is a shield? Or if, on having no child, he had fears at times, lest all should prove a blank, this would meet them. What can be wanting to those who have God for their exceeding great reward? Abram had not availed himself of his late victory to procure in Canaan so much as a place to set his foot on but he shall lose nothing by it. God has something greater in reserve for him: God himself will be his reward; not only as he is of all believers, but in a sense peculiar to himself: he shall be the father of the church, and the heir of the world...