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beyond its limits, that the number of
houses without the wall greatly exceeds
that within. The houses in the city
have flat roofs, while those in suburbs
have domes. Damascus is said to con-
tain 500 mansions entitled to be called
palaces; and the general splendour of
its houses is much extolled in the East.
But little of this is visible in the streets,
which in general present walls of mud
or sun-dried brick, which fill the nar-
row streets with dust in dry weather,
and render them perfect quagmires
when it rains. The houses themselves
are built with the same materials, al-
though stone might be easily obtained
from the adjoining mountains. The
streets present scarcely any windows,
and only low and mean-looking doors;
but these often conduct to large interi-
or courts paved with marble, refreshed
by gushing fountains, and surrounded
by apartments ornamented and furnish-
ed in the best and richest oriental taste.
The thirsty Arabs from the Desert re-
gard Damascus with rapture, and are
never tired of expatiating on the fresh-dependent kin dom whi h afterwards,
ness and verdure of its orchards, the
variety and richness of its fruits, and,
more than all, its numerous streams,
and the clearness of its rills and foun-
tains. There is a tradition, that Moham-
med, coming to the city, viewed it with
great admiration from the mountain
Salehi, and then turned away, refu-
sing to approach, with the remark, that
there was but one Paradise designed
for man, and he was determined that
his should not be in this world; but
there is no historical foundation for this
story, Damascus is about six miles in
circumference, and its population is es-
timated by Mr. Buckingham at 143,000;
of whom 90,000 are native Syrian
Arabs, 10,000 Turks, 15,000 Jews, and
25,000 Christians, But Dr. Richardson
does not estimate the Christian popu-
lation at more than 12,000, Damascus
is the rendezvous of many thousand
pilgrims who proceed to Mecca in one

great body every year, and many of
whom make a considerable stay before
the caravan departs, and most of whom
unite commercial with religious objects,
loading their beasts with the produce
of their own countries, which they dis-
pose of on the road, bringing back in
the same manner the products of India,
received from Jidda, the port of Mecca.
This has contributed greatly to the
prosperity of Damascus, which is al-c
the emporium of an extensive caravan
trade with the ports of the Mediterra-
nean on the west, and with Bagdad on
the east. Damascus has obtained fanie
for some of its manufactures. The fine
temper of its sword-blades has long
been proverbial. This reputation has,
however, of late years much declined;
but the Damascenes still ex i the
art of inlaying metals with gold. The
manufacture of the kind of silk called
'Damask,' originated here. It would
seem from 1 Kings, 11. 23, 24, that
Damascus first became in the time of
David or Solomon the capital of an in-

as the kingdom of Syria,' was engaged in frequent wars with the Jews. It was ultimately annexed to the empire of Assyria, and afterwards, with the rest of Western Asia, passed to the Greeks, then to the Romans, and at last to the Arabians, under whom Damascus became for a time the capital of the khalifat, when Moawiyah, its governor, assumed that office, in opposition to Ali. It underwent many changes during the disorders of the middle ages, and was finally conquered, along with all Syria, by the Sultan Selim. In the late war between the Porte and the Pasha of Egypt, Damascus was taken by the troops of the latter, under his son Ibrahim Pasha, and it still remains subject to his authority, having been ceded to him by the treaty of peace in 1833. The inhabitants of Damascus have the reputation of being the most haughty and intolerant people of Tur

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17 ¶ And the king of Sodom | ley of Shaveh, which is the went out to meet him (after king's dale. his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him,) at the val

a Judg. 11. 34. 1 Sam. 18. 6. b Heh. 7. 1.

key, but the measures of Mehemet Ali have already tended greatly to subdue or control their former spirit.' Pict. Bible.

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of f the most high God.

c 2 Sam. 18. 18. d Heb. 7. 1. e Ps. 110. 4. Heb. 5. 6. Mic. 6. 9. Acts 16. 17. Ruth 3. 10. 2 Sam. 2. 5.

turn trom the slaughter of the kings, respecting whom the bare recital of the different opinions that have been entertained would fill a volume. The prevalent hypothesis among the Jews has ever been that he was no other than Shem, the son of Noah, who was undoubtedly still alive in the days of Abraham. Thus the Targum of Jonathan,' But Melchizedek, he is Shem, the son of Noah, king of Jerusalem.' Thus too the Jerusalem Targum, 'But Melchizedek, king of Jerusalem, he is Shem, who was the great priest of the Most High.' But to this it is reason

cause can be assigned why Moses, who has all along hitherto spoken of Shem under his own proper name, should here veil his identity under a different one. (2.) It is inconsistent with what we know of Shem that he should be said to be by the Apostle, Heb. 'with

17. The king of Sodom went out to meet him. This expedition of Abraham and his friends would naturally excite great attention among the Canaanites. At the very time when all must have been given up for lost, lo, they are, without any efforts of their own, recovered, and the spoilers spoiled! The little victorious band, now returning in peace, are hailed by every one that meets them. The kings of the different cities go forth to congrat-ably objected, (1.) That no sufficient ulate them, and to thank them as the deliverers of their country. If Abraham had been one of those marauders whom he defeated, he would have followed up his victory, and made himself master of the whole country; which he might probably have done with ease in their present enfeebled and scattered condi-out father and without mother,' since tion. But the principles by which he his genealogy is clearly given in the was governed as a servant of God pre- Scriptures, and the line of his progenvented him from doing this. The itors can be at once traced up to its valley of Shaveh, which is the king's fountain-head in Adam. (3.) It is in dale. A valley near Jerusalem, sup- the highest degree improbable that he posed to be to the north of the city, the should be a reigning king in the land direction which would naturally be ta- of Canaan, which was in the possesken to meet one returning from Damas- sion of his brother's son; nor is it easy cus, where Absalom afterward erected a to perceive how Abraham could be said monumental pillar, 2 Sam. 18. 18. Gr. to 'sojourn there as in a strange coun'This is the field of the kings.' Chal.' the try,' if his distinguished ancestor Shem valley-plain of refreshing for the king.' were at that time a co-resident with 18. Melchizedek. Heb. 3 him in the same country. (4.) On this i. e. king of righteousness. A much theory the priesthood of Melchizedek, more illustrious personage than the i. e. of Shem, would not be of a dif king of Sodom is here said to have ferent order from Levi's; directly concome forth to meet Abraham on his re-trary to the assertion of the Apostle

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Heb. 7. 6, and to the whole drift of his | Melchizedek was a priest, not by inargument. For if Melchizedek were heritance, but by immediate divine apShem, Levi was in his loins as well as pointment. Though as a man he in the loins of Abraham, from which it doubtless had a father and mother, and follows, that while he paid tithes in the was born and died like other men, yet loins of one of his ancestors he re- as nothing is said on these points by ceived them in another, that is, paid the historian, the Apostle, holding him them to himself; which is absurd. forth precisely in the light which Moses The identity of Melchizedek and Shem, does, and in no other, says that he was therefore, cannot with any show of without father, without mother, withreason be consistently held. Others out descent, having neither beginning accordingly rejecting the Jewish tra- of days nor end of life; but made like dition on this head, have adopted the unto the Son of God, abiding a priest opinion that Melchizedek was the Son continually.' That is, he derived his of God himself. To this conclusion office from no predecessor and deliverthey are led by an unwillingness to al- ed it down to no successor, but stands low that any mere man was superior before us in the sacred record single and to Abraham. But in this case we can alone, constituting himself an order of hardly suppose the Apostle would have priesthood. In this respect he was said that Melchizedek 'was made like eminently made like the Son of God;' to the Son of God; or that Christ was who was also a priest, not after the constituted a Priest 'after the order of manner of the sons of Aaron, by desMelchizedek;' or in other words, that cent from their predecessors, but after he was a type of himself! The most the similitude of Melchizedek, that is, probable view therefore of the true by an immediate divine constitution. character of Melchizedek is that given These are the grand points of resem by Josephus, viz. that he was a Canaan-blance between Melchizedek and Christ, itish prince, a pious and religious man; of which the Apostle makes so happy a personage eminently raised up by a use in writing to the Hebrews; and God, whose genealogy was perhaps de- we think it by no means unlikely, that signedly veiled in mystery, that he Moses, penning his narrative under might be in this, as in other things, a divine guidance, was moved to suptype of Christ. He is mentioned else- press the various particulars respecting where in the Scriptures only in the 110th the birth and parentage of Melchizedek, Psalm and in the epistle to the He- and the commencement and close of his brews, where the Apostle, aiming to priesthood, and to introduce him thus shew the pre-eminence of Christ's briefly and abruptly into the thread of priesthood over that of Aaron, avails his history, for the very purpose of afhimself of the somewhat remarkable fording to another inspired penman, in coincidences which happened to sub- after ages, the means of so pertinently sist between what is here related of and forcibly illustrating this sublime Melchizedek, and what he designed to feature of Christ's official character. affirm of Christ. As Melchizedek comKing of Salem. bined in his own person the dignity both of king and priest, this fact enabled him to illustrate more strikingly to the Jews to whom he wrote the union of the same offices in Christ, who sits 'a priest upon his throne.' Again, as far as appears from the sacred record,

מלך .Heb

melek shalem, i. e. king of peace, an import of the title of which the Apostle makes use Heb. 7. 2. Whether this were the same place with that which afterwards attained such eminence under the name of Jerusalem, is somewhat doubtful, though proba

19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the

most high God, possessor of heaven and earth.

g ver. 22. Mat. 11. 25.

tered in Christ. In the most ancient periods, among all nations whose records have reached us, the office of priest and king appear to have been conjoined in the same person.

bilities are in favour of the supposition that it was, Ps. 76. 1, 2. Bochart and others take it for the place called Salim on the banks of the Jordan, where John baptized, John, 3. 23. But as there was a 'king's dale' near this Sa- 19. And he blessed him, and said, lem, v. 17, and also in the vicinity of &c. That is, Melchizedek blessed Jerusalem, the latter was probably the Abraham, in doing which he performseat of Melchizedek's residence. Ted one of the characteristic functions Brought forth bread and wine. As it of a priest, whose duty it was 'to bless is evidently the post-resurrection priest- in the name of the Lord for ever.' hood of Christ which was prefigured I Chron. 23. 13, Num. 6. 23, 27. Viewby that of Melchizedek, we see no ob-ed in this light, the act of blessing on jection to considering the 'bread and wine' which he brought forth for the refreshment of Abraham and his followers, as an adumbration of the sacramental elements, which Christ in the institution of the supper has provided for the weary soldiers of the cross.

-T And he was the priest of the most high God. Heb. 173 335 priest to the most high God. Chal. 'Minister before the most high God.' The leading idea conveyed by the original term for 'priest' cohen, is that of ministration in general, but yet, as predicated of him who is next in rank to the supreme power. Thus, 2 Sam. 8. 18, 'And David's sons were chief rulers;' Heb. 'cohens,' priests, is rendered literally in the parallel passage, 1 Chron. 18. 17, 'And David's sons were the first at the king's hand.' So also 2 Sam. 20. 26, And Ira also the Jairite, was a chief ruler about David;' Heb. 'a priest to David.' In its general usage, however, it is appropriated as the office-title of one who performs the functions of a sacrificer, an offerer of sacred oblations to God, and an intercessor for, and blesser of, the people, 1 Chron. 23. 13. Under the gospel dispensation this office is abolished among men, its functions being cen

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the part of Melchizedek would imply more than a personal well-wishing; it would be prophetic. In pronouncing a benediction, he would set his seal to what God had done before him. It is not unlikely that he might have known Abraham previously to this, and have been well acquainted with his being a favourite of heaven, in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed; and to whose posterity God had prom ised the land of Canaan. If so, his blessing him in so solemn a manner implied his devout acquiescence in the divine will, even though it would be at the expense of his ungodly countrymen.- T Possessor of heaven and earth. Heb. 1 w :p. The idea of a 'possessor' is very intimately related to that of a 'disposer,' especially when, as in the present case, the possession is founded upon creation; and we think it highly probable that the words were intended to convey a tacit acknowledgment of the sovereign right of the most high God, who had created all things, to make such an allotment of the earth or any part of it as he saw fit. The speaker, therefore, in employing this language virtually puts his Amen to the Divine promise which secured to Abraham and his seed

20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

h ch. 24. 27. 1 kiev. 7. 4.

the possession of the land of Canaan. The rendering of the Sept. and the Vulg. 'who created the heaven and the earth,' is not exact, and has probably flown from confounding the literal with an inferential sense of the original word.

21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, G ve me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

22 And Abram said to the king

who minister to men in spiritual things, who are to be esteemed very highly in love for their work's sake, and who, while they serve at the altar, are ordained to live of the altar.

21. Give me the persons. Heb. the soul; col. sing. for 'souls;' correct20. Blessed be the most high God.ly rendered 'persons,' according to a This discloses the native working of a usage of very frequent occurrence. It truly pious and devout spirit, which means of course the captive men and cannot contentedly stop short of the women. Gr. Give me the men.' It fountain-head of all blessing. Instead would seem that while these things of launching out into encomiums on were going on between Melchizedek and Abraham's valour and skill as a war- Abraham, the king of Sodom stood by rior, he rises in his ascription of praise and heard what passed, but without tato the God of Abraham, who had gra- king any particular interest in it. What ciously conferred the victory upon his occurred between these two great charservant. - He gave him tithes of all. acters appears to have made no impresThat is, Abraham gave to Melchiz- sion upon him. Apparently he thought edek, as the Apostle assures us, Heb. of nothing, and cared for nothing, but 7. 2. The expression is thought by what respected himself. Though there some too general to be confined to a is no evidence that he could claim any tenth of the spoils taken from the con- right at least to the goods, yet he federate kings, but as it does not appear speaks in a manner as if he would be that he had any thing else there to thought not a little generous in relintithe, we think it more probable that a quishing them.-¶ And take the goods tenth of the spoils is all that is meant, to thyself. 'It would seem that here and in this we are evidently sustained the king claims his own due, and alby the testimony of Paul, Heb. 7. 4. lows Abraham his. According to Arab As Melchizedek in this transaction had usage Abraham had an undoubted right officiated in his priestly capacity as a to the recovered goods and cattle. The kind of mediator between God and custom is, if an enemy has spoiled an him, it was undoubtedly in this light Arab camp, and carried away some of that he regarded him in making the the persons as prisoners, and if the oblation. He gave him tithes, not as whole be afterwards recovered by a friend, but as God's representative. another party, for the persons to be reThe present was undoubtedly accom-stored, but for the property to remain panied by sentiments of personal re- in the possession of those by whom it spect and gratitude, but it was principal- was recaptured. This elucidation, ly designed as a tribute of piety to God. which has escaped the notice of annoConsidered in this light it was a very tators, exalts the conduct of Abraham early and significant intimation of the in declining to receive his due, and de debt of temporal support due to those tracts from the generosity for which

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