Transcribed from the 1813 R. Thomas edition ,
CHRIST
THE TRUE MELCHISEDEC.
BEING THESUBSTANCE
OFA
SERMON,
Preached on SUNDAY Evening, JULY24th, 1813,
At the Obelisk Chapel.
BY J.CHURCH,
MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL.
“Your FatherAbraham rejoiced to see my day—he saw it and wasglad.” John viii, 56.
“He will bless the House ofIsrael—he will bless the House of Aaron.” Psalm cxv.—
PRINTED BYR. THOMAS, 11, RED LION STREET, BOROUGH
1813.
p. 3CHRISTTHE TRUE MELCHISEDEC.
“Now considerhow great this Man was.”—Heb. vii, 4.
The sacred pages are an exhibitionof the loving heart of a covenant God, Father, Son, and Spirit;from whence flow all the blessings of eternal life to guiltyman. All spring from love, for God is love—heis love itself, the fountain of it. He loves himself, hisSon, and the eternal Spirit—it is a perfection of hisnature, boundless and incomprehensible. This eternal Threein the One Jehovah, hath condescended of his sovereign goodwilland pleasure, to love and chuse millions of men, though fallenand depraved, guilty and hell-deserving—yet in a way ofmercy, pity, and compassion, determined to shew how far this lovecould go—the Covenant of Redemption being made in eternity,wherein the Father proposed to call his dear Son to engage in theWork of Salvation—the Son as graciously accepting, offeringhimself to be all, and do all in the great Work of Redemption, itwas purposed he should assume the nature of his people—forthis grand purpose, that he might represent p. 4them, obey,suffer, and die for them; for which he should be glorified inthat nature—see the travail of his soul, and be delightedwith all the happy consequences of his Work. This beingsettled in infinite wisdom, our dear Lord anticipated thepleasure of it before the world began—My delights werewith the Sons of Men.
On the sixth day of the creation he formed his creature, Man,in the image in which he intended to appear four thousand yearsafter. His heart was so intent upon this great Work, thatdirectly after the Fall, yea, the very same day that Adam sinned,the dear Redeemer hastened to make known the Covenant ofRedemption and Mercy—and even before he pronounced