This act then was the only religious rite mentioned till the time of Abraham, after which others seem to have been added to it*, though there is no particular account of them till the establishment of the Mosaic law. Neither is it known in what manner God revealed himself to the Patriarchs before Abraham, or even to him in his first revelation. It is not indeed of much consequence, since, whether it was by a dream, a vision, or an angel, it is very evident, that it was in so clear and convincing a manner as not to allow of any mistake concerning it. Until that time the only limitation of the Messiah's descent, was, as before observed, to the seed of Noah; but when God was pleased to call Abraham, he immediately promised that from him this important blessing should proceed; thou shalt be a blessing, are not wholly agreed. In the early part of his life, the Author thought very differently about it; but the more he has considered this doctrine, and the more deeply he has studied the Bible, the more fully he is convinced of the truth of Christ's Sacrifice, and Atonement. * See Gen. xxviii. 18-22. said he, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. But before the next revelation which God made to Abraham, a singular circumstance, and very difficult to be explained, occurred in the history of his life*. This was his meeting with Melchisedeck, after his successful expedition against the four kings, his giving tithes to him, and receiving a blessing from him. Although there certainly was no direct prophecy of Christ given upon this occasion, yet as Melchisedeck has always been considered as an acknowledged type and representation of Christ; as he is mentioned as such in the 110th Psalm; and as the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews enlarges upon this circumstance with so much force and energy, it would be improper to pass it over unnoticed. The opinions of the ancients as well as the moderns concerning this extraordinary personage are various, and many of them wild and improbable. By some he has * Gen. xiv. 18. been been supposed to be Christ himself in a human shape; but that idea contradicts itself, since he was certainly a type of Christ, and the same person cannot be both type and antitype. Others have supposed the Holy Ghost to have assumed that shape; and others, a divine person, but not the Redeemer; and these strange and fanciful notions gave rise to the ancient and modern heresies, of the Melchisedecians *. But an opinion much more general, and better supported, is, that Melchisedeck was the same as Shem the son of Noah, who might possibly be living at that time; and the Jews for the most part, strongly assert this, though contrary to the opinion both of Josephus and of Philo. But surely the description * For some account of them, see Calmet's Dict. and Beza on Heb. vii. 1, who speaks of them with great violence and indignation. + Lightfoot was of this opinion. See also a learned and ingenious Dissertation, in order to prove this in Taytor's "Illustrations of Scripture," London 1803. See also Patrick's Commentary, in which a different opinion is maintained. * given of him, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, cannot be applicable to Shem. With what propriety could it be said of Shem, whose Father and Mother are known, and whose descent is traced up to Adam, that he was without Father, without Mother, without descent? Nor could it truly be affirmed of him, that his descent was not counted from them; that is, from the same family from which the sons of Levi descended, when we know that Abraham himself derived his origin direct from Shem; and there is even ground for believing, that immediately after the transgression of Ham, the promise itself was confined to the family of Shem +. But though there is sufficient reason to suppose that all these opinions concerning Melchisedeck are unfounded, it is not so easy to determine who he was. The Scriptures have not informed us, and it must now continue for ever wrapped in * Απαίωρ, αμητωρ, αγενεαλογηλος. + Mn yevεadoyuevos e avlar. Heb. vii. 3 and 6. Gen. ix. 26, &c. See Patrick and Wells. impenetrable impenetrable obscurity. It should be observed, that the knowledge of God was not at that time wholly confined to the family of Abraham; for Balaam, wicked as he was, was a worshipper of God and a prophet 400 years after this time. Melchisedeck, as it appears from the account of him in Genesis, was both a King and a Priest, a union of offices frequent in the early ages *; and probably all that the Apostle meant, by his singular description of him to the Hebrews, was, that, contrary to the usual custom of Moses, a person of that great eminence and piety is mentioned by him, without giving any account of his Father, his Mother, or his descent; and without giving any intimation concerning the time when he began, or when he ceased to live. The similitude between Christ and Melchisedeck, seems to consist in these parti *Proofs of this in the most ancient Authors are abundant; as for instance, in Homer; Helenus in the Iliad, and Nestor in the Odyssey are so styled and in Virgil, Anius. Among the Romans Rer was a title appropriated to a priestly office, and Numa officiated as a priest. culars, |