may know there is a judgment. I will expatiate in few words on the meeting, and bring into contact the characters of Melchifedech, king of Salem, who was an uncircumcifed prieft, a Gentile, and Ifrael's great progenitor, who received the promise. Their meeting was on Abram's return from the battle of the kings victorious. Genefis 14th chapter. And Melchifedech brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most High God. And he bleffed him and faid, Bleffed be Abram of the moft High God, poffeffor of heaven and earth, and bleffed be the moft High God, which hath delivered thy enemies into thy hands, and he gave him tithes of all.

Your great legiflator places before us two diftinguished characters, fublime and fingularly exalted, characterifing the Jewish and chriftian covenants. Abram reprefents and exhibits bloody offerings of beafts and birds, according to the law, as aforefaid. Melchifedech, bread and wine, reprefenting the chriftian facrifice of the Mais. The chriftian facrifice the Royal prophet fet forth in his Pfalm 1000 years prior to the inftitution. This Pfalm confirms the exalted ftate human nature would be entitled in the person of Chrift and completion of the promife, that in Abram's feed all nations fhould be bleffed. Pfalm 110. The Lord faid unto my Lord, "Sit thou on my Right-hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool. The Lord fhall fend the rod of thy ftrength out of Zion rule thou in the midst of thy enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,

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power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou haft the dew of thy youth. The Lord hath fworn, and will not repent. Thou art a prieft for ever after the order of Melchifedech. The lord at thy Right-hand fhail ftrike through kings in the day of his wrath He fhall judge among the heathens: he shall fill the places with the dead bodies: he fhall wound the heads over many countries he fhall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall he lift up the head.

The first, or Jewish covenant, reprefented by their progenitor Abram, was limited or confined betwixt the river of Egypt and the Euphrates, an extent infignificant. The fecond, or covenant of Chrift, reprefented by Melchifedech, unlimited and univerfal throughout the world, which general amnefty of grace without distinction to either Jew or Gentile takes in, according to the first inftitution or promife, the whole race of Adam, and in extent the whole world. The Jewish covenant, under Mofes, was confined to one Tabernacle, and from the reign of Solomon one Temple; both Tabernacle and Temple have had no being fince forty years from the death of the Meffiah, according to the prophets, which, to your knowledge, is now near eighteen centuries. And to the world I appeal for the confirmation and evidence of fcripture, and truth of my affertion, relating to propagation and uninterrupted perpetuity of the fecond or covenant of Chrift, from her establifhment to our prefent æra, our prefent æra, 1752 years, which verify the prophecy of Malachi, abolish

ing and repealing the old law, inftituting, confirming and establishing the new covenant of Chrift. Malachi 1ft chapter. I have no pleafure in you, faith the Lord of Hofts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For, from the rifing of the fun even unto the going down of the fame, my name fhall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incenfe thall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering; for my name fhall be great, among the heathens, faith the Lord of Hofts.

. To return to our two great types of the Jewish and chriftian covenants, Abram fubmits obedience, and pays tithes to his fuperior. Melchifedech accepts his homage and as fuperior bleffes him. Contraft thefe excellencies and most eminent characters, lay afide they being types of the two covenants (and Abram represented of the inferior) you will, by the rules of rectitude, decide Abram fuperior, having the privilege of being fingled by the Deity, in preference, from the whole mafs of the race of Adam, to be the great ancestor of the world's Redeemer, and fa.her of the Elect of God. He was a victorious prince, a man in years, of an unfhaken integrity, rich in all things divine and human, worthy to be ftiled the friend of God. He was appointed by God to offer facrifice to his adorable Majefty; he was most high in the favour of his God, and no man more exalted in the efteem of men. The kingdom of Melch fedech God had included in his gift to Abram's children, which was Jerufalem and country adjacent. The scriptures through

throughout exemplify this great character, the moft illuftrious, and fingularly refpectable. Yet this great favourite, prieft, and friend of God, pays tithes and receives Melchifedech's bleffing, the most demonstrative proof of inferiority. The caufe is evident. Melchifedech reprefenting Chrift in his facerdotal character and facrifice of the new covenant was entitled to this homage from Abram. The Royal prophet fpeaks of the profound reverence paid to Chrift at his birth. Let all the angels of God adore him and in the Perfon of the Father. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever a fceptre of justice, is the fceptre of thy kingdom.

The whole fcripture is an inexhausted store of praife, thanksgiving and adoration to God the Şon.

Mofes. Ifaiah 9th chapter. The people that walked in darkness have feen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the fhadow of death, upon them hath the light fhined. Thou haft multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy for every battle of the warriour is with confufed noife, and garments rolled in blood; but this fhall be with burning and fuel of fire.

This is manifeft to us by tradition, &c. that the new or chriftian covenant was fettled with a few of the lower clafs of men; for though the Jewish nation was wealthy and populous, and at that time expected the manifeftation, or birth of Chrift, yet, as the prophet obferves, he was rejected, and the joy of falvation confirmed to few. Chrift was derided, rejected, and cruci

fied forty years after the temple and city were deftroyed, the inhabitants either maffacred or fold flaves. The whole nation of the Jews, according to the scripture prophecies and prediction of Chrift, were and remain involved in the determined defolation this day. This cataftrophe began with the maffacre of the children in Bethlehem, by the order of king Herod, and ended in the deftruction of the Jewish nation, ungoverned race. The kingdom of Chrift, through our own mifconduct, is transferred to the Gentiles, as we are witneffes, to our eternal infamy.

Mordecai, Abfalom. Are you (an old mafter in Ifrael) so far ftraggled from the fheep-fold to be ignorant that if Adam had not eat of the tree of knowledge, we fhould have retained the Tree of Life; and can you plead ignorance, pretending not to know that circumcifion is an injunction of obedience to Ifrael, as forbidding the tree of knowledge to Adam; for both were exacted under the virtue of obedience. Confider this matter maturely. Can a fubject appear with greater fubmiffion in the presence-chamber than with a bald head, uncapping announce the most humiliating refpect? Caiphas, Annas, John, Alexander, and moft at that time of note, both priefts and rulers, who sharpened their tongues, and put Jefus Christ to death, were men renowned by their nation, were Sadducees, and placed their hope in circumcifion. And will Aaron and Eleazar dare tell us, that thefe great worthies were an inadequate tribe, not being Pharifees?

Mofes.