MESSALIANS

or MASSALIANS. So called from a Chaldee word, which signifies to pray , as does the Greek εὐχομαι , from which these sectaries had also the name of Euchites , because they prayed continually, and held nothing nece ary to salvation but prayer: they rejected preaching and the sacraments: they held that the supreme God was visible; and that Satan was to be worshipped that he might do no hurt: they pretended to cast out devils; and rejected almsgiving. This heresy prevailed under Val ent in i an and Valens, about A. D. 370. MESSIAH signifies the anointed. (See Christ , Jesus , and Lord .) It is the title given by way of eminence to our ble ed Saviour , meaning in Hebrew the same as Christ in Greek, and it alludes to the authority he po e es to a ume the characters of prophet, priest, and king, and so of the Saviour of the world. Christ the Me iah (“anointed”) was promised by God , (Gen. iii. 15; xxi. 12,) and foretold by the prophets, (Gen. xlix. 10; 1 Sam. ii. 10 and 35; Ps. ii. 2; xlv. 7; Micah v. 2, with John vii. 42; Mal. iii. 1,) as the “redeemer” of Israel, (Job xix. 25; Isa. lix. 20; Luke xxiv. 21,) and “the desire of all nations” (Haggai ii. 7). He who was born in the days of Herod, of a pure virgin, and called “ Jesus ,” according to prophecy, (Luke i. 31,) is that “Me iah,” “the Christ ,” (John i. 41; Acts ii. 36,) as he declares himself to be, (John x. 24, 25,) whose coming was then expected (Matt. ii. 1, 2; John iv. 25, 29, 42). Who was “anointed,” not with any material and typifying “oil,” as were those who preceded him—his types—but with “the Spirit of God ,” (Matt. iii. 16; John i. 32, 33,) “the Spirit of the Lord ,” as promised, (Isa. xi. 2; xlii. 1; Matt. xii. 18,) a spiritual unction—“the oil of gladne , above his fellows” (Ps. xlv. 7); and thus was he consecrated to the three offices, divided in others, being the great Prophet predicted, (Deut. xviii. 15, 18,) and acknowledged, (John vi. 14; vii. 40,) the eternal High Priest, (Ps. cx. 4; Heb. viii. 1; x. 12, 14,) and universal King (Gen. xlix. 10; Num. xxiv. 17; Ps. ii. 6; Dan. vii. 14; Zech. xiv. 9; Matt. xxv. 34; Rev. xi. 15). And this Spirit he received as the head, (Heb. i. 9,) and conveys to the members of his body (2 Cor. i. 21; 1 John ii. 20).