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the time of Noah. So universally did idolatrous worship prevail throughout all the nations of the east, that Nahor, the immediate successor of Serug, and the grandfather of Abraham, had joined in the idolatrous worship, as before mentioned.

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This ancient Noahotic church, had now come to its final consummation. Nahor and Terah his son, the father of Abraham, alone remained to fill up the lineal descent; but being idolaters, nothing can be said concerning them respecting the true church. We shall, therefore, pursue the order of the sacred history, which

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The covenant, which was established with Abraham, was not new. It related to the coming of Messiah, and was only a repetition of the promise which God made to Adam; and which he renewed with Noah concerning the certainty of the fulfilment of the ancient promise,that the Holy One should, in the fulness of time, appear in the world to redeem man.

A command was given to Abraham, which was not known in any of the former churches. At this period, God commanded circumcision to be strictly observed by him and his posterity; but when they went into Egypt, this rite was neglected, and was again commanded to be observed before they entered the holy land.

An opinion seems to have been entertained by most people, that Abraham was a person of little consequence, a private individual; and if we were to be guided by many commentators, we should conclude that he was a farmer, a grazier, a kind of itinerant wanderer. But the historical vestiges of antiquity, which are preserved to the present day, give us a very different account of the patriarch. Some writers have been hold enough to affirm, that no particulars of the epoch of Abraham are to be found in ancient profane history. Such, however, may be convinced of their error by turning to Josephus, Antiq. c. 8. where he quotes the statement of Berosus, the Chaldean historian. And in Justin. lib. xxxvi. c. 2. we have the testimony of Trogus Pompeius, who says, 'the Jews derive their origin from Damascus, a famous city of Syria; their kings were Abraham and Israel.' See also Clemens Alexandrinus, Strom. V. and Eusebius, lib. xiii. c. 12. This is also perfectly consistent with scripture, for we find it there stated, that he was a mighty prince, Gen. c. xxxiii. 2. And even the sons of Ishmael, were twelve princes according to their nations. Gen. c. xxv. 16.

At this period, sacrificial worship was again instituted by divine authority. Sacrifices were understood by Abraham to point to a Redeemer: the dispensation, therefore, given to Moses, which by way of distinction, has been called the Mosaic dispensation, and this church, the Israelitish church, was more properly the Abrahamic dispensation; for the primary commands given to Moses, were only a renewal of those given to Abraham, and which had been neglected during their stay in Egypt.

But the full display of this dispensation was not to be manifested for the term of 400 years, during which time they were to be strangers in a land, not their own. In the fourth generation, all things respecting this dispensation were to be then promulgated, Gen. xv. 16. This was literally accomplished; for Moses, who led them out of Egypt, was the fourth generation from Levi, who went into Egypt, viz. Levi, Koath, Amram, Moses. In this generation, the law, the commandments, the rites, and ceremonies, were promulgated on Mount Sinai, in the presence of the whole Hebrew nation.

It is proper here to observe, that the worship of God was not wholly extinct at the time of the call of Abraham, for he was met by Melchizedeck, king of Salem, and priest of the most high God. By this we learn, that, before the time of Moses, the patriarchal Monarch was also a priest, Gen. iv. 3. "And Melchizedeck, king of Salem, brought forth the bread and wine, and he was the priest of the most high God;" that is, he was a priest of that order which had long been established for the worship of the God of heaven at Salem, the ancient name of Jerusalem. This, as I have observed in another place, is mentioned by David, who refers to the church established by Noah, in which the priests were of a different order from those of the Israelitish

church. Psalm lxxvi. "In Judah God is known, his name is great in Israel. In Salem also is his tabernacle :" but which should be, "In Salem also was his tabernacle." For there was, at that period, an order of priesthood, established among the heathen for the worship of idols, as we learn from scripture; those nations famous for idolatry, the Amalekites, Amonites, Chaldeans, &c. being then powerful nations.

Many have supposed, from what is said in the epistle of Paul, as it stands in the English translation, that this Melchizedeck was Christ, and that there never was such a person king of Salem. But this is a great error, and if admitted, it would make the account of Abraham's returning from the battle of the kings, when he was met by Melchizedeck, not a relation of a literal, but altogether of a spiritual, transaction.

In the translation, the passage runs thus: "Jesus, made an high-priest forever, after the order of Melchizedeck, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually." Heb. vii. The passage in the original is anατ αμήτως αγενεαλογητος no father, no mother, no genealogy,' that is, no descent from any sacerdotal family, as the Levitical priests had. This is plain from the following verses of the same chapter, 4, 5, 6. "Now, considering, how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And, verily, they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people, according to the law. But he (Melchizedeck) whose descent is not counted from them (i. e. the

sons of Levi) received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him." Besides, ayevεaλoynros cannot refer to Melchizedeck's having no natural genealogy, or natural father and mother; but the Apostle says, "whose descent, (or register,) was not counted after the manner of the sons of Levi." For his deficiency in this kind of priestly genealogy, or descent from any sacerdotal family, is mentioned as one instance of his resemblance to Christ, whose genealogy is particularly traced both by Matthew and Luke, as not having descended from a sacerdotal family, but as having sprung from Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood. See Parkhurst's Gr. Lex. This is also rendered very clear in the Syriac version of the testament, which is one of the most ancient, and was in use when Peter was at Antioch. It is there said, "whose father and mother were not written in their genealogies," viz. in the genealogies of the priests, for all the families of the priests, as well as those of other tribes, from Jacob, were written in their genealogies, which were kept in the temple. But as this method of registering the families by their names, and tribes, had its formal beginning under Moses, there could be no account given of Melchizedeck, who lived 500 years before the commencement of the priesthood of Aaron. That there was a priesthood established for the worship of the most high God, consequently a dispensation prior to that of the Jewish, is also evident from various parts of scripture. We read that, when the Hebrews came out of Egypt, Jethro the father-in-law of Moses was a priest of Midian, and offered sacrifice, at which Moses and Aaron attended, with all the elders of Israel. Exod. xviii. 12. which proves that Jethro was a priest of the most high God, as well as Melchizedeck.

After the time of Moses, we find that this very,an

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