z66 'The Harmony of the 'Divine Attributes f"...A./1 r. A Lamb in refpefr of its natural innocency and meeknefs, that futfers without refi. Chap 23. fiance, was a fit emblem of our Saviour, Whofe Voice'""' not heard in the Street, who did 1./V""\..i not break_ the bruifed Reed, nor quench the fotOakjng Flax. He wns oppre!Jed, and he wns af flirJed, yet he opemd not hi, Mouth. He waJ brought"' a Lamb to the flaughter, and aJ aSheep before the Shearers iJ dumb, fo he opened not hi< Mouth, Ifa. 53· 7• 2. The Lamb was to be without Spot, to fignify his abfolute PerfeCtion. We are re· deemed with the preciouJ Blood of Chrifl, "' a Lamb without Blemifb ad withoiJI Spot, 1 Pet. t. 17, r8. 3· The Lamb was to be feparated from the Flock four days; the Lord Jefus was fepa· rated from Men, and confecrated to be the Sacrifice for the World, after three or four Years fpent in his Miniflerial Office, preparing himfelf for thatgreat Work. 4· The Pafchal Lamb was facrificed and fubflituted in the place of the firf\-born. The Levitical Prief\hood not being inflituted at their going forth from Eg,pt, every Mafler of a Family had a right to exercife it in his own Houfe. Our 1\.edeemer fuffered in our f\ead, to propitiate God's Juflice towards us. · 5· The Blood was to be fprinkled upon the Pofls of the Door, that Death might not enter into their Houfes. That facred Ceremony was typical: for the fign it felfhad no refem. blance of fparing, and certainly the Angel could diflinguifh between the IfaeliteJ and the E~yptia111 without the bloody Mark of God's Favour: But it had a final refpe[t to Chrifl. We are fecured from Deflruetion by the Blood of Jprinkfing. They were to eat the whole Flefh of the Lamb, to fignify our entire taking of Chrifl upon the Terms of the Gofpel to be our Prince and Saviour. 6. The EffeCts attributed to the Pafchal Lamb, v/<•. 1\.edemption from Death and Bon· dage, clearly reprefent the glorious Benefits we enjoy by Jefus Chrif\. The dellroying Angel pal\ over their Houfes, and caufed the Egyptian' to rellore them to full Liberty. That which all the dreadful Signs wrought by Mofe' could not do, was effected by the Palf-over; that overcame the Stubbornnefs of Ph4raoh, and infpired the lfi·aelites with Courage to undertake their Journey to the promifed Land. Thus we pafs from Death to Life, and from Bondage to the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, by virtue of Chrifl's Blood. 3· 1\.eafonable Perfons reprefented our Saviour either in their Offices, Actions, or the memorable Accidents that befel them. Jofeph the beloved of his Father, fent by him to vifit his Brethren, by them unworthily !old to Strangers, and thereby raifed to be their Lord and Saviour, was a lively Type of him. Jonah three days and nights in the Whales Belly, and miraculoully ref\ored, was a Type of his lying in the Grave, and 1\.efurretlion. MofeJ in his Prophetical, David in his King! y Office prefigured him. The Prieflly Office being the Foundation of the other two, and that upon which our Salvation prin. cipally depends, was illuflrated by two glorious Types, Me!chifedec and A.ron. The one the High·prief\ in ordinary, the other rhe Priefl of God by extraordinary defignati· on. I will briefly touch upon the refemblance between him and Chrill. Altho' Sacrifices were offered from the Beginning; yet he is the firfl to whom that Title is given, as called to that Office in a fpecial manner. The Divinity of Chrifl"s Perfon, the Eternity of his Office, and the infinite value of his Oblation were fhadowed forth by him. Melchifedec is introduced into the Sacred Story, as one defcending from Heaven, and afcending thither, without any account of his Birth or Death. The Silence of the Scripture is my!le· rious: for the Spirit conduCted holy Men in their Writings. The Levitical Priells de· fcended by natural Generation from their Predecelfors, and had Succelfors in their Office, which were annex'd to the 1\.ace of Levi. But Me!chifedec is reprefented without Father and Mother, without Beginning and End ofDap, whofe Priellhood was permanent in himfelf. For things and Perfons have a double Being, real in themfelves, and notional as they exifl in the Mind ; fo that no mention being made of his coming into the World, or leaving it the Silence of the Scripture is equivalent to his continual Duration, Now in this was an Adumbration of Chrifl, who was the Eternal Son of God, and really came from Heaven to execute his Office, and afcended thither. And altho' his Oblation was finiU1'd on the Earth, and his Intercellion !hall ceafe in Heaven; yet the EffeCts of it fhall be eternal in his People, and the Glory of it in himfelf. The Apof\le obfervesanother refemblance between rhe fupreme Quality of Melchifedec King of Salem, and Jefus ;~f~~f;, ~~d~~~:r0~a~~e~itY1~~0~~~1: ~i~hP;~~;neH~lg~de;~:~ :!~eSe~~~;.~ni::~~~:: cred Office of the Prieflhood. And by thofe glorious Titles are fignilied the Benefits our f~;:~~;dc~~;~isg~e~~f~;rs~~~t J~fti~!hb;f~~~~8. 0fn~~f:~~~~~~g h~~c~~~~h:sL~; our R;ghteoufoefs, and is fa id to have brought i" eternal Righteoufoefr, for that refpeCts hiS Prieflly
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