CONTENTS

OF THE

SECOND VOLUME.

Of Christ's Priestly Office

Of Christ's Kingly Office

Of Christ's humiliation

Of Christ's exaltation

Of the application of redemption

Of union with Christ

Of effectual calling

Of the benefits of effectual calling

Of justification

Of adoption

The divine call to leave the devil's family explained and

urged

1

Of sanctification

Union with Christ the only way to sanctification

Of the benefits flowing from justification, adoption, and

sanctification

Of assurance

Of peace of conscience

Of joy in the Holy Ghost

Of increase of grace

Of perseverance in grace

Of the benefits which believers receive at death

Of benefits at the resurrection

Of the duty which God requireth of man

Page 3

47

64

80

The moral law the rule of man's obedience

The moral law summarily comprchended in the ten com-

mandments

Love to God and our neighbour the sum of the ten com-

mandments

The preface to the ten commandments

108

124

139

161

167

202

237

249

259

270

271

275

279

283

289

294

300

311

320

328

337

349

(2)

The duties required
The sins forbidden
Of the words, before me

Of the second commandment

The church's prayer against the Antichristian beast
The duties required in the second command
The sins forbidden

Of the third commandment
The duties required
The sins forbidden

Of the reason annexed to this command
Of the fourth commandment
The duties required
The sins forbidden

Of the reasons annexed to this command
Of the fifth commandment

The duties required

The mutual duties of husbands and wives

ib.

371

397

398

402

413

422

431

433

441

457

466

469

479

483

488

489

497

AN

ILLUSTRATION ·

OF THE

DOCTRINES

OF THE

CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

OF CHRIST'S PRIESTLY OFFICE.

HEBREWS Vii. 17.-Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

I1

is evident from the context, that the apostle is speaking of Christ as a Priest, applying to him this passage taken from Psal. cx. 4. Thou art a Priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec. Where two things are proposed; 1. That he is indeed a Priest, whose business it is to offer sacrifices. 2. That he is so after the order of Melchisedec; noting thereby the similitude betwixt the two, the one being a notable type of the other. This likeness consists not in an unbloody sacrifice, that of bread and wine, which Melchidesec brought forth to Abraham when he returned from the slaughter of the kings who had taken Sodom and Gomorrah; but, (1.) In the name, Christ being the true King of righteousness,' and 'King of peace,' in which respect Melchisedec was only a type of him, Heb. vii. 2. (2.) In their original; ver. 3. Melchisedec is represented as without father, without mother, without descent, having no beginning of days;' nothing being recorded of his birth and parentage, he is like an immortal. In this he was a notable type of Christ, who had no father as man, no mother as God, was God himself from eternity, and his goings forth were of old, from everlasting. (3.) In their continuance, because Melchisedec's death is no where recorded, ver. 8.; but is represented as one who liveth. So Christ our High Priest liveth for ever, to VOL. II. A

€

make intercession for us. (4.) In their office, Melchisedec was priest of the most high God, and King of Salem, or Jerusalem. So Christ is a Priest,, who offered himself a sacri- || fice to God, and he is constituted King of Zion, of the church. (5.) In respect of unity. Melchisedec is set forth as having neither predecessor nor successor in his office. So Christ was set up to be a priest froin everlasting, and is represented as a lamb slain from the foundation of the world; and the sacrifice that he offered being perfect, there is no more occasion for any other priests; and he has no successor, having an unchangeable and perpetual priesthood. (6.) In respect of a dignity; Melchisedec being proposed as greater than Abraham. So Christ is greater than both: for he said, Before Abraham was, I am. Thus Christ is a Priest, and that for In this office is contained the grand relief of poor souls distressed and perplexed with the guilt and burden of n their sins. When all other remedies have been tried in vain, it is the blood of the sacrifice of Christ, sprinkled by faith upon the trembling conscience, that must cool and refresh, and sweetly compose and settle it..

1

८

W

The doctrine arising from the text is,.

DOCT. Christ.executeth the office of a Priest,, in his once offering himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for

us.

In discoursing from this doctrine, I shall,

I. Shew that Christ is truly and properly a Priest.
II. Explain the nature of Christ's priestly office.
III. Make some practical improvement.

I. I am to shew that Christ is truly and properly a Priest. This is evident, if we consider, 1. That the scripture holds him forth as such, Psal. cx. 4. and Heb.. v. and other places of that epistle. 2. Because he exercises the acts of the priestly office, in offering sacrifice, and praying for his people. 3. Because he was typified by such as were really priests, as all the Levitical priests, and Melchisedec.

Quest. Wherein did. Christ's priestly office differ from the priestly office under the ceremonial law?

1. The priests under the law were priests after the order of Aaron: but Christ is a priest after the order of Melchise-Fer dec. Who this Melchisedec was, it is in vain to inquire, and cannot possibly be known, the Holy Ghost designedly con

3