UENESIS X! ,V. 57 the Dine, . 1. 12. and ofMkbifdekit is laid, that being made like, to the Sanne of God, he abideth a I' rie ft continually, He's. 7.3. Aild the Jew Do&ors (in Thaimitd. treat. of Power, c11. 3.) leati the text thus ,HeaPriefl, and nnt his fead. A Priefl or S acri- ficer,in Hebrew, Cohen, hat Is the name ofll'Íiniflra- cion, Efày 6t. 6, 1o. and fo the Chaldee para- phra It calleth hiss here (Mcf amafh,that is) a Mi- nifler befoee Godmcfl -high; but a princiaall Miaitier or officer next under God: as in 2 Sam.8.18. Da- vid tonnes are called Cobear , for which is writ- ten in I Chron. 18. 17. that they were the firIf at the Kings band, that is , the cbiefe about the King. The Greek word Hiercue(which the Apoftle ufeth in Heb.7.) hat the name of faeriftcing, or doing fa- cred(that is,holy)worltes. Titis PrielihoodofMel- ehifde.k,, was a figure of Chritt, as David faith, PCal.110. 4, Ieheoah(ware, and will not repent; thou art a Priefi for ever , according to the order of Mel - chifedek. Whichwords of David, are applied un- toChrilt, both by our Apolile, in Heb.7. and by the Hebrew Doctors ; as in Brefhith rabbit upon Gen. 14. alleaging that in Ptàl, i to. 4. it is ftid, Who úhe? He it the King Chrifl, cf whom itirwrit- ten, (Zach. 9. 9.) Beheld thy King eommeth unto thee, be ising, and having falvation. It was alto the anci- ent manner in other nations, for Kings to be fa- crificers, as Ariflotle fheweth, in Polit. b.3. c. o. St b.7. e.9. and Plauarch.in 0,uafl.Renì. ofGod] k.151 eljon, to the Mighty the High : which the Apoftle (following the Greeke verfion tranflateth, of God meff high,Heb.7.1.And here the name IEl,themigh- tie God, is firfi ufed in the hiltorie of Abrams ,vi- &orie; fee Gen. t. I. By this title the true God is diltinguilhed from the false Gods of the nations, who then were worlhipped,Efay 41.5,7.29. The Hebrews oblerve, that this werd A/I, in many pia ter, ftgnifieth the propertie ofinercie, as Eli Eli, mac. (Pill. 22. 2.) The Lord it Ail (Gad) and bath given light unto ut, (Pfal.118.27.) and the like : R. M- nachem on Gen. 14. Iy Verf. 19. he bled] this was a worke of the Prielis' office; to blef in the name of God for ever: t Chron. 23. 13. Nuns. 6.23, 27. and being done with authority in that name, without all ecntradi- Ilion ,the le fife it blefedof the better, though Abram had ace proud es, Hebr. 7. 6, 7. and herein he figured Chrilt, tent of God to blef i us,: in turning evey one of ee from OW iniquities, Afts 3. 26. Luke 24. 50. Elefed be, &c.] `This nianner of Melling, though uttered prayer -wife, implieth an affured pro - mile, as being done by an holy per(on in the name of God. To teach this, where one Prophet expreffeth Davidr words thus, be thou pleafed and bleffe; and,aet the bonfèofthy fervant be blefed, z Sant. 7.29. another recordeth them thus, it hash toleaftti thee to bleffe, &c. i Chron. 17.2. of God ] or, to GA, as oiCo the Gr. faith : but theChaldee tran- flateth it, /11,;.'è God : it meaneth, great, fpirituall and heavenly bl,ellìngs, from God, and making ns l acceptable to God in Chril't, EpheC1.3,6. A like ble(fing is on all Gods people, Pfal. 115.15. See alfo'Gen.t.22. and 2.3. and 12.2. 20 Ver.zo. hkffid be Grd] that is,tbanited, or praifid: for bleflìug upon men front God , fignifieth good things powerfully bellowed on thé,Deut.28.2,3, 4.butblefngofGod from men,is reverend tb mkt- giving : to where one Evangelift faith that Jefus bleffid, Matz 6,26, another faith, bee gave thanker, Luke 22. 19. enemies] ordifircfers. Melchifedek (or Sent) refpe&ed the injurie done to Abrarrh the bleffed of the Lord, and was not offended at the (laughter of his owne children the Elamites, that had captived Let : vet /l. 14,17. begave] that is , Abram gaze : whereupon the Apoftle biddeth us confider bow great [Melehfdek] mar; to reborn ezen the Patriarch Abram gave the tenth, Heb.7. 4. He being partaker of Me'dnfedek'r fpi- rituall things, his duty was alfc to mini /er onto him in carnall things, Rom. 15. 27. tenth] or tithe, one of ten, faith the Chaldee paraphrall. This was a fìgne of homage and thankfulneffe to God: for as tribute is payed to Kings for their atten- dance to the affaires of the Common-wealth j Rona. 13. 6, 7. fo Tithes in the law are called holy, and au leave- oferittg to t/x Lord, Levit. 27.3o. Num. 18.24. and before the Law, laakób payed them to the Lord, Gen. 28. 22. and hee appointed his tithes to the Priefts, Num. 28.8.2r. And Abram the tenth generation from Sem, here payeth to the Prieff Melchifedcb,(who is generally thought to be Sem) the tenth of all. The Priefts alto and Le- rites of the Law,who now were in Abrams luines, did in hint pay tithes to A4elehfdek: wherefore his Priefthood was greater then theirs, Heb. 7,9, 10,1 1 . This fervice was allo kept among the hea- thens : Pifhatus tyrant of A:henr, writeth to So- lon thus ; Al the Athenians doe feparate the tithe of their fruits, not to beaten unto our ufi, but fir publieh facrificer , and common profits, &c. D. Laert. in vita Salons. So among the Latines, they were wont to pay tithes to their god Hercules, Pomp. Leith' de Saeerdot, ]Llácrob. Saturn. 1.3. c. 12. ofall] the Apoltle faith, the tithe of the foiles: and Co it was a fpeciallthankfnlnelfe for dievi &ory God had gi- Ca. ven him. So of the ( poiles which Ifrael got from e a Madian, a tribute was levied unto the Lord, and gi- ven to the Prieff,Nnm,3 r.28,29.4i. A like cnftonte continued among tiheGentiies,for King Cyrus his fouldiers, (by the advice ofCroefur) were flayed from fpoiling the Lydians City, that the tithes might firft be payed to Inpfter,Herodoe.in Clio. And here endeth the Hiltory of Melehifedek, who is fpeken of , and left , (as the Apoftle obferveth) without father, rvitboee mother, without rehearfill of genealogic, having neither beginning ofdaies, nor end of life ; brit made like unto the fomte of God , abidtb a Priefl perpetually, Heb.7. 3. Vcr.z 1. the fouler] Hebr. Jamie : one put for ma- nie; and fouler, for pertmr, the men and women of Sodom, whom Abram had brought backe from the encmie. See Gen. r 2. g. and 3.2. So the Greek tranflateth, the men. Vert 22. if up n) band] So they were wont, when they did f'uvea re,D.rn. t 2.7.Rev.10.5,6.Tlhe Chaldee exp'oundeth it of lifting up inprayer: it leer meth to be a vow that Abram made when he went to the w:u re; wherein Ise both prayed for vi£to, rie 2I 22
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