--------~~a~nd_h_~~S_o~n~p~~~u~s~Cl~'r_~~-~~--~55 f110uld be taken only of the Generations of this World, he adds, (as Rivet ex- '"'-A.F'I pounds it) Before tf.oulaidff the Fo11ndation of tbe Er11·th. Chap. r. Eightly; So then we are come to th1s, That he bath been before the Creati- ~ on ; yea, fi·om Everlafl:ing. Which, . r. Is made forth, in that it is faid, He was in the begmning, (meaning of the Creation) and therefore from Everlafl:ing. The Confequence of which appears; Both, r. becaufe there was but that one beginning ·of producing Things by God ; and fo what was then, mufl:. needs be before, yea, from Everla!l:ing, as having had no beginning. The Angels were not afore that beginning mention– ed by Moji:s. For 'tis faid, Exod. 20. 1 f. God made Heaven and Eartb, and all that i>t them is; whereof the Angels are part. And Mark._ 13. 19. 'tis termed, the begim;ing of the Creation which God created;. and fo of the Creation of any thing what-ever that God made. So then Chnfl: mufl: needs have had no begin– ning afore, as well as that he exifl:ed then. And, 2. In Scripture phrafe, in or from tbe Beginning, is ufed to exprefs Eternity. !fa. 43· 13. Fro11t the Beginning, when the Day was, I am. So they read it; that is, from Eternity. But, 3· if that will not carry it, you have it more exprefs, Prov. 8. 22. The Lord pojfejfed me afore his Worf<! of Old; 'tis fpoken of Chrifl:. Now to be fure, by that phrafe of being afore his Work._s, even God's Eternity is expreifed thereby; Pfal. 90. 2. Before the Mountai11s were brought forth, or ever tbou hadfl formed the Earth, and the World, even from Everlajling to Everlajling, tho~t art God. But, Ninthly, If you \VOUld have his Eternity yet more exprefs; fee Heb. 7· 3· where, mentioning Mc(chifcdeck._, Chrifl's Type, he renders him to have been his Type in this,-without Father, without Mother, without defcent, having nei– ther Beginning of Days, n'or End of Life: bflt made lik! 11nto the Son of God, a– bideth a Priejl continually. Where his meaning is to declare, that look what Melchifedeck._ was T;pice, or Vmbra!iter, in a Shadow, that our Chrifr was re– aUy and jitbjlantially. Jt is the manner and cufl:om of all Hifrorians, yea, and of Mofos, in that Sacred Story of his; if they bring in any Perfon more emi· nent, and as performing any more excel!ent Exploit, to relate his Parents, his defcenr, whom he came of, and what became of him. And this Mofes had been careful and diligent to relate of all the Patriarchs, telling us whofe Sons they were, rehearfing their Genealogy, how many Years they lived, and how then they died. Which is efpecially obfervable in that lbort Catalogue, Gen. 5· -In the clofe it is added, of every one, and he died, when he relates little elfe. But this M.elchifedeck._ was a Man greater in Dignity, in Office, than any of the Pa– triarchs, ( for whom would your [elves pitch on, as the greatefr of all that Moji:s wrote of, but Abrahant the Father of all the Faithful), Now ( fays the Apofl:le, verf. 4-) confider how great this Man was, 1/nto who11t even the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the Spoil!, yea (as ver[.5.) greater than all the Tribes; and fo the whole Nation of the Jews, and People of God that followed. For whereas all the other Tribes paid Tithes toLevi; ( fays the Apofl:Ie here) Levi, and all the Tribes paid Tithes to him in Abraham's Loins. Yea, and Verf. 6. Thu Man blejfed him, (namely .Abraham) who had the Promifts for himfelf and all hu Seed. And without all contraditJion, the lejfer is blefled of the greater, verf. 7· Now when Mofes had in his Story brought upon the Stage a Man thus height· ned and fublimated, which would for ever fet all curious Thoughts on longing to know who and what this Man was, what his Original was, what his End, who li1s Parents, &c. he caufeth him, as it were, on a fudden, to vanilh, con- _ trary to his wont, concerning other Perfons, as if he had been a'Man drop'd out of the Clouds: telling (as we fay ) neither whence he came, nor whither he would go. Paul, that obferv'd this, tells us plainly, that it was confolto, or on purpofc done. There was a Myfl:ery in it, which was to fignify the Eternity of Chrifl's Priefl:hood and Perfon; and whereas· neither .J/!J.elchifedcck._, nor any Crea– ture was or could exifl: from Everlafl:ing, and fo in the reality, could not have wherewith to fl1adow out Chrift's Exifl:en.ce from Everlafiing; there· fore
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