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fully set, of overcoming these. It was therefore, as St. Paul well observes, an act highly be

pristine state, except in the case of beings of the Melchisedekian order. Eternal beings, who have no beginning of days, must pass through their probation at whatever period of their existence Omniscience sees most fitting: and this circumstance, with others, must produce an existing similarity between their trials and those of the eternal Son of God. All beings of this order must be pre-informed of the appointed task they are ordained during some period of their existence to perform; and hold themselves in readiness to fulfil it at whatever epoch Almighty God appoints, though of the determined period they are probably uninformed; as they probably also are of the extent of the trials they are doomed to endure; which circumstances must render their trials infinitely subordinate to those of the Trinity; for Omniscience must from all eternity with certainty have known, in the dread event of exemplified evil, the full extent of sufferings it was pledged to endure. The pre knowledge of impending trials, though ignorant of their extent, and of the time when they are ordained to occur, must, however, render the probation of eternal beings far more difficult and arduous, than that of those who have passed it in their primeval state, but wisely proportioned to the strength and powers of this most illustrious order; though at the same time infinitely subordinate to the trials which the Trinity purposed in itself in Jesus Christ our Lord. The trial of eternal beings also in another instance resembles those of Christ; they like him descend from realms of light and bliss to scenes of death and woe, (at least, in the two instances of this kind that occurred on our earth,) an arduous dread transition, rendering also their trials upon this account more poignant than can ever happen unto beings who have undergone them in their primeval state. And though Melchisedek passed his probation on our earth under very widely different circumstances to those which did our ever blessed Lord, yet it was a probation, and doubtless an arduous one too. He had to struggle with the conflicting inclinations of an heavenly and a corrupted nature; he lived in perilous times-nation warring against nation, and the wickedness of mankind arrived to such

coming him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, in reconciling all things both in heaven and in earth

an height, as to draw down upon the cities of the plain God's special and heaviest judgments. In the midst of this crooked and depraved generation, Melchisedek did reign king of righteousness, king of peace; and, according to Josephus, worthy the title which was conferred upon him, namely, the Just King. Now, a righteous, peaceful, and just monarch, it cannot be supposed could religiously and courageously fulfil the duties of his station without opposition from a perverse and wicked world; the truth of which observation the history does, we think, very fully confirm; for we find this Melchisedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, meeting and blessing Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Pagan kings, (Heb. viii.), boldly stepping forth in defence of the true religion; whose rites, we find from Josephus, he celebrated, and of which he was a professor. This historian further states, that Melchisedek not only friendly feasted Abraham at his own table, but also highly praised him, and rendered public thanks to the great God for that He had vouchsafed to grant him victory over his wicked enemies. And this was alone an act sufficient to show that he lived, ruled, reigned, and ministered for God, above the fear of men; consequently must have exposed himself to injury from a depraved and evil world. And in addition to the high offices. of king and priest, he was likewise a prophet; for "he blessed him who had the promises."

We trust this inquiry will not be attributed to vain curiosity; for it has been entered into and inserted here, as supplying additional proofs, not only of the eternal existence of the great I AM, but also of the infinite benignity of the divine nature, which has ever demonstrated itself by exercising his creative power, doubtless for the purpose of disseminating happiness and im parting good; likewise because it still further manifests the necessity of trials for effecting the same. Momentous truths for us to contemplate on. Let us therefore attend to the advice of the great apostle-and “consider how great a man Melchisedek was."

unto his perfect self, to make the glorious Captain of their great salvation perfect through sufferings. And this we know the Almighty Father did; for though Christ was a Son, yet it pleased the Father to bruise him, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, infinitely perfect, He became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; called of God an high priest forever after the eternal order of Melchisedek. Comprised also in the eternal purpose of Almighty God which He purposed in himself in Jesus Christ our Lord, was the spoliation of the power of darkness. The infernal leader of these impious hierarchs had been opposed, and his impious impotence exposed in heaven by his high compeer Michael the prince of angels. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not. But Satan had not only waged war in heaven, but sowed tares on earth, in direct and impious opposition unto him, who had sowed it with good seed; and there is much eason to conclude, committed far more extensive depredations. These loudly called for Jehovah's own sore, strong, and mighty sword, to punish the crooked, piercing serpent. (Isaiah.) For though a being, subordinate to Almighty God's own Son, had been ordained to hurl him down. from heaven, yet in a future contest with the great leviathan, this arch-angelic victor appeals unto the Lord, and prayed that He would himself rebuke the devil. (Jude 9.) He had opposed Omnipotence, and Omnipotence himself, with his

own arm, has brought salvation to him. And how did it please Omnipotence to achieve this vast exploit? He doubtless might have instantly consumed him with the spirit of his mouth, and destroyed him with the brightness of his coming. (2 Thess. ii. 8.) But had God thus ordained what triumph had been obtained by such a victory? But far different was the purpose of Omniscience, which He purposed in Christ; and though it is enough for us to know that the purposes of Omniscience are ever purposed in consummate wisdom-that the purposes of him who made the earth by his power, hath established it by his wisdom, and stretched out the heavens by his discretion, (Jer. x. 12,) are ever perfect, wisest, best,yet our finite understandings may plainly here perceive the excellence of counsel which purposed this purpose. For how could Omnipotence so gloriously demonstrate the power of light over darkness, and the impious impotence of the infernal potentate, as by facing himself his heaviest battery-as by himself sustaining and defeating the utmost fury of its fierce attack?

Of the devices of the infernal foe we are not ignorant; his weapons of assault we too well know are baits to seduce, or terrors to affright probationary beings from out the path of duty. The first of these had been indignantly repulsed by our victorious Lord; but had he not sustained and completely triumphed over a conflict with the latter, what victory had been gained? and how could Omnipotence so gloriously demonstrate to the beholding universe, the impious impotence

of the wily potentate, as by sustaining his assault and defeating his attack, in a poor, frail, polluted nature, he had himself degraded; as by illustrating in this the perfect victory of virtue over every trial, that could possibly assail it? Thus to defeat him, was a work well worthy of omnipotence. Omnipotence itself it was that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the deadly dragon. (Isa. li. 9.) And the weaker was the instrument with which He fought the dragon, the more illustrious was the glorious victory. The weakness of the instrument animated the hopes of the infernal chieftain, completed his delusion, and the Redeemer's triumph. The wicked one is snared in the work of his own hands. God chooses foolish things to confound the wise, weak things to confound the mighty, base things and things which are despised, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. The serpent's head was broke, though the victor's heel was bruised; it was through death that the Almighty Son of God destroyed him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. Had not the great celestial champion vanquished the dragon, in the hour God gave the power of darkness wherein to do its worst, the battle of the Lord Jehovah had been lost, not won.

But when we fix our admiring eyes upon the cross of Christ, we there behold a constellation of all virtues, a complication of all woes; we there behold stretched out in agony, a frail enfeebled nature, over whom the wily, wicked

*This assertion will be fully proved hereafter.

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