Câ—nditiâ—ns and so do we because it is the Grace of God and the Satisfaction made by Christ that give us right and title to Pardon and Life and Eternal Glory But none of the Refâ—rmed Churches ever doubted whether Faith and Obedience are Conditions of the Evangelical Covenant in the sense above propounded viz. that they are such things without the performance of which we shall never obtain the Blessings promis'd to us And this is ingenuously confess'd by one who is thought by some to encline wholly to the contrary Opinion speaking of the true acception of the word Condition in this present matter he hath these express words If it be intâ—nded that these things viz. Faith and Obâ—dience tho promised in the Covenant and wrought in us by the Grace of God arâ— yeâ— Duties required of us in order to the participation and enjoyment of the full end of the Covenant it is the Truth that is asserted i. e. they are properly conditions And thus in some respect the Covenant of Grace may be said to be a Covenant of Works i. e. so far as it requires certain Conditions to be performed by us tho not in the same manner that the Covenant of Works required them for they are not to be look'd upon as a meritorious and impulsive Cause as they were then but only as an Instrument or Means in order to Eternal Happiness But otherwise as hath been said there is a vast difference between the Covenant of Works and of Grace for the tenour of the former was that our First Parents and in them all Mankind should without the least defect and transgression perform the Law which God gave them and that upon the sole account of this performance they should purchase Happiness But if they were deficient in their Duty they should perish without any hope of Mercy There was no provision of Forgiveness in case they should break God's Law there was no promise of being receiv'd into God's Favour again But the terms of the latter were that God would not be exact with us and require an Obedience void of all sin but that for the worth of Christ's sinless Obedience for the value of his perfect Righteousness we should be rewarded with Life and Bliss And this Covenant allows of hearty Repentance after we have transgress'd the Divine Law and assures us that we shall be reconciled unto God and be restored to his Favour For the sake of our Blessed Mediator our Sins and Failings shall be forgiven us if we sincerely repent of them and betake our selves to the practice of the contrary Duties This is the way and method of Salvation under this Covenant Instead of exact Righteousness i. e. wholly living without Sin God accepteth of our doing according to the utmost of our capacity and our acting with sincerity and uprightness And the defect of this personal Righteousness and Obedience is supplied by the meritorious Righteousness and Obedience of Christ Jesus Thus you see how these two Covenants differ and that they answer to the different states of Man's Innocence and of his Fall and that the Second Covenant was made because we cannot observe the strict Conditions of the First The Second Covenant or Covenant of Grace made with Adam first was a long time after that repeated to â—â—raâ—am Gen. 22. 18. and afterwards renewed and in a solemn manner confirmed to the Isrâ—â—liâ—â—s at the giving of the Law on Mâ—â—nt Sinai There was then this Covenant made between God and them God promised Life and they Obedience therefore Moses who transacted this on the Mount is said to be a Mâ—diâ—tâ—r between God and them It is said Mosâ—s took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the ears of the people Exod. 24. 7. which refers to all the words of the Lord which Moses wrote ver 4. i. e. all those Laws Precepts and Judgments which God gave to the People and which they unanimously accepted of and promis'd Obedience to But the Decalogue was the Sum of this Covenant as appears from Deut. 4. 13. God declared to you his Covenant which he commanded you to perform even ten Commandments Some hold that this Covenant made with the Israelites was the Covenant of Works the same as to the main which was made with Adam before the Fall I grant there was a kind of a going back as I have observed before a seeming reviving of the Old Covenant of Works and so the Covenant of Works was as it were after the Covenant of Grace or rather the Covenant of Grace and Works seem'd to be at the same time But this was not so in reality but only in appearance There was an Evangelical Promise to Adam and Abraham viz. that they should be justified by the Messias and there was a Promise also to the Iews that they should live i. e. be saved if they performed the Law But these two Promises were not inconsistent neither did the latter of these abrogate the former as the Apostle speaketh in Gal. 3. 17. The Covenant of Grace which was confirmed before of God in Christ the Law which was four hundred and thirty years after could not disannul that it should make the Promise or Covenant of none effect But as the Apostle subjoins The Law which look'd something like the Covenant of Works was added to it because of Transgressions until the Blessed Seed should come ver 19. The Law was to be serviceable to the Covenant of Grace and to be a Schoolmaster to bring them to Christ. Hereby they were to be convinced of Sin and of their inability to keep the Commandments And the same Law denouncing Wrath and a Curse stir'd men up to fly to Divine Mercy and to beg Forgiveness and the Assistance of the Spirit and so prepar'd them for the Gospel God gave that People Precepts about External Rites of Divine Worship and also Judicial Laws for their Commonwealth And besides these he writ in Tables the Moral Law and caused it to be promulged All which he closed with those solemn Sanctions This do and live and cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written Here was a very great resemblance of the Covenant of Works and the Law of Faith seemed to be laid aside Or there might seem to be two Covenants on foot together But the Design of Heaven was only this that hereby the Iews might be brought to see their great Guilt and their deplorable State that they might be sensible that they lay under Wrath and a Curse and that thence they might be provoked to look for a Remedy or when it was ofâ—eâ—ed to them to accept of it This was the Reason why they were under the Law which had some affinity with the Covenant of Works But the Covenant of Grace made with Adam soon after his Fall was not laid aside but still prevailed and no other but that Even under the Law they were not justified by Works but by Faith they obtain'd not
Precept in as much as Labour and Diligence in â— lawful Calling are useful and necessary in this present State and are indeed of the Law of Nature and Reason tho they are here made Positive as I have heretofore shew'd that these two are not inconsistent Moreover under this Dispensation the Marriagâ— of Parents and Children which was also against the Law of Nature was forbid by God Gen. 2. 24. And it is not improbable that there was a particular prohibition from God that none who were near by Nature and Blood should be joined together in Marriage for altho at first it was absolutely necessary in order to Propagation that the Brother should marry the Sister yet when this Necessity was removed we read that they observed the Laws of Consanguinity and Propinquity The next thing I take notice of must be more largely insisted upon viz. That Oblations and Sacrifices were the Religion of the People of this Adamick Dispensation Sacrificing and Offering are sometimes â—aken as synonymous When they offered up the Fruits of the Earth and other things they might be said to sacrifice Therefore Pâ—rphyriâ—â— distinguisheth between bloody and unbloody Sacrifices the former were of the Fruits of the Ground the latter were of living Creatures Of both these we read in Gen. 4. 3 4. where it is said that Cain â—ffer'd of the Fruit of the Ground Abel of the Firstlings of his Flock Both these viz. the Oblations of first Fruits and the Sacrifices of Beasts were constantly observ'd by the Antediluvian Patriarchs The question is Whether this kind of Worship was natural or by divine Command As for the offering the First-fruits of the Earth unto God St. Chrysostom gives his Judgment thus Cain had no Law concerning these but merely of himself and by the incitâ—ment of his own Conscience offer'd this â—ort of Oblation And so others afterwards offer'd their First-fruits unto God as an acknowledgment that they receiv'd those and all other good things from him They were grateful Recognitions of the Almighty's Soveraignâ—y and of their dependance upon him These Annual Oblations were owning the year's Income and the Mercies of all their Life to be from God By these first Fruits they acknowledg'd him the Author of all that particularly he was the Owner of the Soil whence those Fruits came and that a Blessing and Increase were to be expected only from him The best and most precious things that God bestoweth on us â—aith Porphyriuâ— are the Fruits of the Earth therefore with these we ought to worship God and these he calls the Natural Worship of a Deity There needed not a Command of God for these for the Law of Nature dictated this kind of Oblations tho it may be there was a Divine Command added to inforce the Natural Dictate As for the other sort of Offerings and which Porphyry calls Bloody Sacrifices the killing of Beasts and offering them up to God there is some Controversy and that not undeservedly about these It is disputed whether Abel and those before Noah offer'd this kind of Sacrifice by any natural Reason moving them to it or by God's Institution and Command whether it was done by the mere Light of Nature or by Revelation â— There are Learned Writerâ— on both sides Iustin Martyr or whoever was the Aâ—thor of the Questions and Answers to the Orthodox is very peremptory None of those saith he who offer'd Brutes as a Sacrifice to God before â—he Law did it by Divine Order Then according to him all of them did it by some Natural Instinct and Dictate of Reason And so say other 〈◊〉 and several of the Rabbins So say Beâ—â—armine Suarez Aquinas and most of the Papists So say Sociâ—us and his Followers and for this Reason that those Sacrifices may not be thought to be the Representations of the Sacrifice of Christ which without doubt was the chief end of the instituting of Sacrifices Some of other Perswasions likewise agree in this Tenent that Sacrifices i. e. the killing and offering of Beasts were by the Law of Nature But these are contradicted by others both Papists and Protestants who confidently aver that these Sacrifices were by the special Injunction of God and did not proceed from any natural Notions and Principles which they had Now it is my desire here as 't is in all other Cases to reconcile dissenting and disputing Men which may effectually be done by leading them off from their Extremes which they adhere to In my judgment neither to these Parties are in the right not those who say all Sacrifices are by the Law of Nature nor those who assert that all of them must needs be by Divine Revelation There is a middle way between these which I take to be the true one viz. that both Natural Reason and Supernatural Revelation concur'd here Reason taught them to offer some Sacrifices and a positive Word from God tho not express'd by Mosâ—s taught them to offer others I must remind you then that Sacrifices were either Eucharistical or Expiatory that is they were either offer'd to God in way of thankful acknowledgment or to atone and expiate for their Sins The former of these I conceive were dictated by the Light of Nature but the latter were wholly or partly from God First I say the offering of Eucharistical Sacrifices was part of the Law of Nature for Reason would teach them to offer their Flocks as well as their Fruits to God These no less than the other were Acknowledgments they were owning of God's Dominion and Soveraignty As Cain a Husbandman offer'd by the mere instinct of Nature the Fruits of the Ground as an Acknowledgment that God was his Benefactor so the same Principle moved Abel a Shepherd to offer the first of his Flock in way of Recognition that God bestow'd those good things upon him Yea Abel by the only instinct of right Reason judged that God was to be worshipped with the best things and that the Sacrifices ought to be of the fattest of the Flock I do not think Minutius Felix discourseth and argueth closely when to the Gentiles who objected against the Christians that they had no Altars and Sacrifices he replieth thus Shall we offer Sacrifices and Oblations to God which he gave us on purpose for our use and service It is Ingratitude to return him Gifts again And Arnobius saith the same in answer to the same Objection but with as little reason It is madness saith he to measure God by our Needs and to give the things that are useful to us to God who is the giver of them But this was a great mistake there was no madness in doing this but a great deal of reason and sobriety For natural Gratitude directed them to give something to God therefore Sacrifices are called Gifts in the Holy Scripture particularly Abel's Offering is stiled a Gift Heb. 11. 4. and so the Mosaick Sacrifices are call'd Corban i. e. a Gift Mat. 5. 23 24. The Law
Abel and Iacob Gen. 4. 4. 28. 18. 46. 1. Whence I gather that was not the sole Prerogative of the First-born before the Mosaick Law For if the younger Brothers offer'd as well as the Elder the Office of Priest was not confin'd to the Primogeniture The Sum then of all is this that before the Priesthood was setled by the Law of Moses the First-born were Priests that is generally and for the most part but not always for some instances there are of others that offer'd Sacrifices So that this middle way which I have taken may decide the Controversie that hath been among some Learned Writers viz. whether the Priesthood at first resided altogether in the First-born In the next place the Difference of Clean and Vnclean Animals was part of this Dispensation We read of the Distinction between these first of all in Gen. 7. 2. where Noah is commanded by God to put up in the Ark seven pair of Clean and two pair of Vnclean Creatures Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens the male and his female and of beasts that are not clean by two the male and his female This account of the number of the Beasts taken into the Ark may seem to differ from what is said in Gen. 6. 19. Of every living thing of all flesh two of every sort shalt thou bring into the Ark and in Gen. 7. 9. There went in two and two into the Ark the male and the female But by comparing the former of these Texts with the foresaid place we shall find that it is only a general account of bringing the beasts into the Ark viz. by pairs a male and a female of every sort of living creatures But that place which I first produced speaks particularly and specifics the number of the pairs i. e. seven pair of clean beasts and two pair of unclean For whereas some have thought that of clean animals seven only of a sort entred the Ark it is evident from the Original that they are mistaken for the Hebrew word Shibgnah is repeated to signifie that there were two seven i. e. seven males and seven females taken into the Ark that they might have enough for Sacrifice and Food after the flood And as for the latter place that also speaks of all the Creatures whether clean or not clean as you will see in ver 8. and is to be understood of the manner of their going into the Ark they went by couples and here by the way observe that if there were only seven they could not go by Couples but this order of their march contradicts not what hath been said and is plainly gather'd from the other Text viz. that 7 males and 7 females in all of the clean Beasts were preserved in that Receptacle Having thus clear'd the Text which hath been misunderstood I come to the matter in hand Some think these Beasts are call'd Clean or Vnclean by a Prolepsis as much as to say some Beasts went then into the Ark which now since that time are reputed Clean and others went in which are now reckon'd Unclean Moses calls them Clean or Unclean because there was that distinction of Animals in his time Thus Rabbi Solomon on the place tells us that That is called Clean which was afterwards to be Clean Whence we learn saith he that Noah at that time knew the Law For it is a fancy of the Rabbins and Talmudical Doctors that the Mosaical Law was made and existed before the World was But this Historical Anticipation will not serve the turn here though at some other times I grant it is useful for you may observe there is a Reason included in the forementioned words why Noah was to shut up in the Ark more of one sort of Animals than of another viz. because at that time some were Clean and others Vnclean Wherefore did God order him to take fourteen of one sort of living creatures and but four of another Was there not a reason for this disparity And what can we imagin it to be but this that the creatures were of a different nature i. e. as 't is here expresly said that some of them were Clean and others not And this was before Noah's time for this is supposed here as a thing well known But how is this to be understood No creatures are Naturally Vnclean they are all Clean and Pure and Good from the first Creation In what sense then are any said to be Vnclean It is certain this Distinction could not be in regard of Eating for no Animals were eaten before the Flood as shall be proved anon but it is reasonable to think that it was with respect to the Sacrifices that they were call'd Clean or Unclean And if you consult Gen. 8. 20. you will see that this is spoken with particular reference to Sacrifices Noah made use of clean Beasts and Fowls in Sacrificing and whoever sacrificed then did so They did not sacrifice all sorts of Creatures but some only They look'd upon some Animals in respect of others as unfit for Sacrifice they offer'd to God the best or what they thought so as the Sheep and not the Hog c. This was founded in their natural Reason as Sacrifices themselves partly were These Animals which at that time they esteemed the best and choicest and fittest for Sacrifice were reputed Clean and Pure and were call'd so And on the contrary the meanest and worst Animals and which they thought unfit for Sacrifice were reckon'd as Impure and Vnclean and were so called And it is likely there was also a Positive Law for this as well as Sacrifices By this Law such and such Creatures were determin'd to be Clean our Unclean and this Law was before that of Moses yea it was long before the Flood Even then Beasts were call'd Clean or Vnclean in respect of Sacrificing as afterward they were call'd so in respect of Eating We may observe further that there was a Publick Setled Church in the days of those renowned and godly Patriarchs Seth and Enos Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord Gen. 4. 26. I know there is a contrary reading of these words for some think that huchal signifies prophaned as well as began and accordingly they render the words thus Then men prophaned by calling on the name of the Lord. So the Iewish Writers generally interpret this place and particularly the Chaldeâ— Paraphrast and Rabbi Solomon Iarchi understand it Whence Mr. Selden infers that there was Idolatry in those days and that it was set up then first of all But these learned persons considered not that the verb Chalal as it is here used i. e. in the Conjugation Hophal and with an Infinitive Verb after it is never us'd in Scripture to signifie prophaning but beginning Nor did these Writers give themselves time to remember that this place speaks of Seth and his godly Family and not of any Idolaters yea it is likely there was no such
peculiar People and taken into Grace and Favour There was a Distinction made between God's Servants and others under the Abrahamick Period but now it is more Visible and Remarkable now the Iewish State properly commenceth now these People are molded into a new Commonwealth and God is their peculiar Governour The Church of God was first united into One Politick Body or Society and grew to be National in Moses's time Now the Church in the Wilderness as 't is call'd by St. Stephen Acts 7. 38. became a Distinct Body of men known by the name of Israelites This Oeconomy is famous for the Delivering of a Threefold Law Moral Ceremonial Iudicial Tho Moral Ecclesiastical Civil may be a better Division of those Laws for some that are reckon'd among the Ceremonial and Typical Laws as Tithes and First-fruits are not such and some of those call'd Iudicial deserve not that name But the Usual Partition shall serve and by the Moral Law we understand those Precepts and Commands by the observance of which men are madereally Good and Virtuous The Ceremonial Law is the Iews Canon Law and directs them in their external Behaviour in Religious Worship and tells them what Rites and Usages they must observe By the Iudicial Law we understand the Civil Law of the Iewish Nation as Ius Civile is taken for the Particular Law of every single State This contains those Constitutions and Orders which respect Publick Justice and acquaints men what is Right and Equitable in their Dealings and Commerce with one another The first of these are such Precepts and Prohibitions as are good in themselves The Second are indifferent in their own Nature but are so far good as they are commanded by a Positive Law of God The third sort are of a mixt Nature being partly in their own nature good and partly indifferent This Triple Law is thought by the Iewish Writers to be comprised in those three words Commandments Statutes Iudgments Deut. 6. 1. Mitzoth Praecepta are said to be the Ten Commandments the Moral Law Chukkim Statuta are thought to be those Rites and Ceremonies that respect God's Worship as Circumcision c. Mishaphattim Iudicia are suppos'd to be all those Politick Constitutions that concern humane Society But it is not certain that by these three words are meant those three distinct kinds of Laws for these are mention'd in Gen. 26. 5. before there was this formal Distinction of Laws And in Deut. 11. 1. you will find these words transposed which intimates that those are too nice who understand them in the former manner for 't is not likely that the Commandments i. e. the Moral Law would be set in the last place Wherefore I think it more probable that this diversity of words is used only to signifie the whole body of Precepts of what nature soever that was given to the Iews But this is unquestionable that the Decâ—logue is the chief and most eminent part of these Laws and the rest are bâ—t Appendages and Supplements to it The Ceromâ—â—ial Injunctions are annex'd to the Precepts of the first Table and those that are Iudicial to them of the Second The former are Particular Instances of the Duty which was required of the Iewish people towardâ— God the lattâ—r of their Duty towards their Neighbours The Hebrew Doctors divide all the Commandments of the Law into 248 〈◊〉 and 365 Negative and both 〈◊〉 into Twelve Houses as they call them and under each House more or less Commandments The â—â—mplete Sum is 613 which they say is according to the number of the â—etterâ— in the 〈◊〉 in which all the Law is virtually and reductively comprised These Ten Words as they are called in the Hebrew and those other Iudicial and Ceremonial Laws which you may find set down from the 20 th Chap. of Exodus to the end of the Pentateuch began to be deliver'd on Mount Sinai three months after the Israelites came out of Egypt Exod. 19. 1. Moses was forty days or six weeks in the Mount or rather if you conâ—ult the â—â—â—tory you will find that he was twice or thrice on the Mount so long a time or a very considerable time and then it was that he receiv'd these Divine Laws First I will speak concerning the Moral Law comprised in the Ten Commandments I call the whâ—lâ— Decalogue the Moral Law although the Observation of the Seventh Day appâ—inted in the Fourth Commandment be not strictly Moral but because the Devoting some Certain Time to God's Service is Moral and is contain'd in that Commâ—ndment therefore I reckon it part of the Moral Law You meet with several particular Laws relating to Moral Duties scatter'd up and down in the four last Books of Moses but these Ten Words as they are call'd are a Summary Account of all those Laws and Rules which are more spâ—cially and particularly set down This Law of Morality and Natural Reason was in all the former Dispensations but that which makes it Peculiar in is this that this Law which before was Written in mens Hearts is now Ingraven on Stone If I should say that there were no Lettâ—rs at all before these which God used on Mount Sinai If I should aâ—sert that they had no Books or Writings before the 〈◊〉 but that the Characters of the Law were the first that ever were in the World and consequently that now God taught men to write I do not see how why man can disprove me But this we are sure of that from Adam to Moses which is above 2000 years there was no Written Word of God to direct the World The Church was without Scriptures God's Will which was communicated to them by Revelation was continued and kept up by Tradition If it be demanded why God suffer'd the World to live so long without a written Law and what was the Reason of the writing of the Law at last I answer 1. The long Lives of the Patriarchs as hath been intimated before were one main Reason why there was no Written Law for so long a time There was a College and Society of many Seniors living many hundred years together with one another Adam lived with Seth 800 years with Enes 695 with Cainan 605 with Mahalaleel 535 with Iared 470 with Methuselah 243 with Lamech 56. Or we may instance in Pious Shem who was both before and after the Flood he lived with Methuselah 97 years with Lamâ—ch 92 with Noah 447 with Arphaxad Sala and Heber about 430 with Peleg and Regu about 239 with Serug 230 with Nabor 149 with Terah 205 with Abraham 150 with Isaac 50. These therefore could conâ—er Notes with great ease they could inform themselves truly concerning the Faith and Religion and Practice of the First Man they could instruct one another concerning theiâ— Duty and the indispensible necessity of it Or take it more briefly thuâ— Adam lived to converse with Methuselah Methuselah lived to see and know Shem Shem lived till Iacob was born so that these
Besides the Worship of the Patriarchs tho not wholly void of Ceremonies was Simple and Plain in respect of what was now Under this Legal Dispensation the number of Ceremonies was vastly increas'd and the Worship was all Gay and Pompous by reason of them Moreover as you will have occasion to observe several of the Ceremonies used by the Iews differ from the same in use among the Patriarchs as to some considerable Circâ—â—stances and Qualifications The Cerâ—monial Law of the Iews comprehended in it 1. The External Worship it 〈◊〉 which consisted chiefly in Obâ—â—tions and Saâ—â—ifâ—ces in Offerâ—ng and Consuming 〈◊〉 to the Honour of God 2. The things belonging to the Persons who Officiated as High-Priests Priests 〈◊〉 3. The Place of God's Worship viz. the Tabernacle and Temple with all the Utensils and Instruments employ'd about them 4. The Sacraments Circumcision and the Paschal Lamb. 5. The Times and Set Seasons of Worship 6. Some things that respect the Coâ—â—ersation of the Worshippers as the difference of Meats and Drinks Uncleanness in touching the Dead Garments c. 7. The Religion of Vows Of these in their order I begin with Oblations and Sacrifices which were the principal Matter of the Ceremonious Worship commanded by the Mosaick Law These two are distinct things as we see in Psal. 40. 6. Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not And in Dan. 9. 27. He shall cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease Zebach and Minchah which are the words here used for Sacrifice and Oblation are answer'd by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Heb. 10. 5. And the same Author again makes this division of the Legal Offerings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gifts and Sacrifices Heb. 9. 9. The Iewish Writers keep this distinction inviolably in their Treatises relating to this matter First The Mosaick Law enjoined the Minchah the Gift or Oblation i. e. Meal Flower Bread Cakes Wafers Salt Oil Frankincense handfuls of green Ears of Corn and all other Fruits of the Earth These were brought and burnt before God or partly eaten and partly burnt But tho Minchah was the general Name for the Offering and Burning of all inanimate things which were presented to God yet the Bread Meal or Flower that was offer'd was more signally called Minchah For which reason I conceive if I may be permitted to be critical in this matter Minchah which we constantly translate in the â—entâ—teuch a meat Offering should rather be rendred a meal or flower Offering And the Sacrifices of Flâ—sâ— might be called the meat Offerings rather according to our usual way of speaking But the Mincah was a Câ—â—e made of fine Meal Oil and Frankincense and baked It was offer'd every Morning and Evening with the ordinary Sacrifices and at other times it was generally join'd with all bloody Sacrifices The like kind of Oblation among the Gentiles was called Libum The Oblations of the things before mentioned were sometimes stiled Terumoth or Heave-offerings from the manner of offering them viz. by holding them up and by shaking them up and down to signisy say the Jews that God was Lord of Heaven and Earth For Terumah was an Offering to God of something they had received to acknowledg God's Dominion over the whole Earth and to set forth his Praise and Honour It was an honouring of God with their Substance and a thankful remembrance of the Blessings they enjoyed in so good a Land The Oblations of these things were sometimes also called Tenuphoth or Wave-Offerings because they used this kind of gesture in offering them they waved them to and fro from the right to the left East and West North and South and this also was to declare that God was Lord of the whole World These Offerings were instituted by God as an Acknowledgment that the Fruits of the Earth which they enjoy'd were from him The liquid things which were offered to God were Water Wine Oil and Blood The way of offering these Liquors was partly by effusion they poured out the Water Oil and Blood and some portion of the Wine on the ground and spilt them about the Altar and upon the Sacrifices Thence that of the Apostle may be understood If I be poured forth for so it is in the Greek upon the Sacrifice and Service of your Faith Phil. 2. 17. And part of the Wine they drank whence you read of Drink-Offerings or Libations Of which the Psalmist speaks when he saith he will take the Cup of Salvation Psal. 116. 13. which is meant of the Drink-Offering of Praise which was in use when they sacrificed and feasted in the Temple These were the inanimate things of which 〈◊〉 Oblations consisted which were generally known by the name of Mincahor Meat-Offering as we translate it tho it is true likewise that Mincah which is a word of a large signification was the usual term for the daily Sacrifice Secondly Their Worship was accompanied with Sacrifices which were of living Creatures Zebach was the bloody Sacrifice such a one as was always attended with the shedding of the Blood of Beasts It is usually called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a Slaughter Offering and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Latins Victima and Hostia These Sacrifices properly so call'd were Animals kill'd and then burnt These Animals used in Scripture were either Terrestrial or AErial Beasts or Birds Of Beasts there were these three kinds only viz. the Bull or Cow or Ox which made but one kind the Goat or Kid the sheep or Lamb and this may be observ'd that a Lamb is applied to the young ones both of Goats and Sheep Exod. 12. 5. The Iewish Masters take notice that these were the only Cattel that were used in Sacrifice because they are mild and tame Creatures God made choice say they of those Animals that are driven by others not those that drive and worry others as the Lion the Wolf the Leopard Whence they make a good moral Observation that those are the Elect of God and are fit to be offer'd unto him who are of a meek and patient Spirit Tho I believe the true reason why Bulls Sheep and Goats were the standing Sacrifices was this that they were obvious and easy to be had Of Birds or Fowls they sacrificed Pigeons and Turtle Doves and some add the Sparrow But this is certain that if we reckon not this last among Sacrifices we must put it into the number of Oblations The Iewish Sacrifices were either Set and Determin'd or Vnlimited and Occasional The former were these that follow 1. Such as were Anniversary as that once a year in the Holy of Holies and those that were offer'd yearly at the Passover and other Solemn Feasts And the Paschal Lamb it self was a Sacrifice and often so call'd Exod. 12. 27. 23. 18. 34. 25. Deut. 16. 4 5. Why then is it not numbred among the Sacrifices by those that write on this Subject 2. Such as
beg leave to dissent from those who assert that these Sacrifices expiated only for lesser Sins and Failings and not for the greater ones of external idolatry Murder Blasphemy and the like It is not to be doubted that all kinds and degrees of Sin were expiated by the legal Sacrifices not only corporal Punishment in the sense which I have explain'd and legal Uncleanness but all moral Impurity and Guilt were taken away by them But this the Mosaick Sacrifices did not do of themselves but by virtue only of the Expiatory Sacrifice of the MESSIAS to come of which they were but Shadows To speak properly and strictly they did not really and formally but typically expiate i. e. as they were Significations and Figures of that great Sacrifice to be offer'd Lastly then the grand and principal End of the Judaical Sacrifices was to typify and represent the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Socinus denies not that the Anniversary Sacrifice on the Day of Expiation was a Type of Christ ' s Death But as for the other common and usual Sacrifices he holds that Christ was not prefigured by them but that the Spiritual Sacrifices of Christians were only typified thereby This is a gross Error for the Burnt-Offerings and Sin-Offerings and Peace-Offerings which were common and frequent were Expiatory Sacrifices as I shew'd before and they were as much Expiatory as that which was but once a Year Now being Expiatory they as such were Types of the great Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Lamb of God they prefigured Christ's Death and the Expiation and Satisfaction which he was to make for Sin It is a strange thing therefore to me that Socinus who denies Christ to be a Propitiatory Sacrifice should grant that the Sacrifice which the High Priest offer'd once a Year entring into the Holy of Holies prefigured the Death of Christ for the same reason he ought to grant that all the Expiatory Sacrifices of the Law were Types of our Saviour And he could not but see that the Holy Ghost in Scripture doth not only speak of that Annual Sacrifice as a prefiguration of Christ's Passion and apply it expresly to him in Heb. 9. 12. By his own Blood â—e entred in once into the Holy Place but the same Infallible Spirit in that Epistle applieth what is said of the other Sacrifices unto Christ Therefore the Apostle saith Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 15. 7. Therefore Iohn the Baptist call'd our Saviour the Lamb of God who takes away the Sins of the World John 1. 29. having respect without doubt to the Expiatory Sacrifices of the Old Testament which prefigured Christ the true Immaculate Lamb the Lamb that was slain as the same inspired Writer speaks from the Foundation of the World Rev. 13. 8. Christ's Offering was the Idea and Pattern of all the Levitical and Mosaical Sacrifices To this very end God instituted these that they might shadow out that to us A greater and better Sacrifice and Oblation of a higher nature was to succeed those viz. the Sacrifice of Christ Jesus by which God is appeased and all our Sins are expiated and therefore the Phrase of a sweet-smelling Savour applied to Expiatory Sacrifices under the Law is used and that properly by the Apostle concerning Christ his giving up himself for us and pacifying God's Wrath on our behalf That the Legal Sacrifices were Types and Symbols of spiritual things is acknowledg'd by Philo but we who have an infallible information from the New Testament are taught further viz. that they were Types of Christ the great Sacrifice And we have the greatest reason imaginable to assent to this because the Blood of Bulls and Goats was a poor Expiation of it self That Butchery that bloody Employment could have no real and intrinsick worth in it and therefore it must needs have been in order to something else it was to prefigure the expiatory Death and Sacrifice of the Massias And all the time that these Mosaick Sacrifices lasted they did not pacify God's Anger and satisfy his Justice and take away Sin and justify Persons by their own Force and Virtue or by their own worthiness but they did all this typically and mystically as they represented Christ and his Merit who was the Great Sacrifice they did it by Divine Order and Institution CHAP. VI. The High-Priest's Office His peculiar Attire The Imployment and Apparel of the Priests The Levites Particular Charge Whether they might sacrifice or no. Their Office in the Reigns of King David and King Solomon differ'd in some things from what it was before The ordinary and fixed Place of Worship and particularly of Sacrificing was the Tabernacle A particular Account of the three Divisions or Partitions of it viz. the Outward Court the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies with all things contain'd in them The Mystical and Spiritual meaning of the several Particulars The Travels and Removes of the Tabernacle and Ark. A distinct Account of the Parts of the Temple shewing wherein it differ'd from the Tabernacle Of the Fabrick it self and its Dimensions Houses and Chambers belonging to it The Sacraments appointed by the Ceremonial Law HAving spoken of Sacrifices we will now in the second place speak of the Sacrificers the Persons that officiated in the Ceremonial Worship under the Law There were three Orders of these the first whereof was the High-Priest For tho there were Priests before the Law who were Fathers and Heads and the First-born of Families yet we read of 〈◊〉 High-Priest This Office is now added and Aaron had it first of all to whose House it was tied by Divine Institution But it continued not long there only Eleazer succeeded his Father Aaron and upon Eleazer's Death three Priests of his Family successively were High-Priests Then the Office went out of the House of Aaron and came to Eli of the Family of Ithamar But generally afterwards the High Priesthood was by succession of Blood and lineally descended from the Father to the Son or if there were no Son to the next of the Kindred This High Priest was the great and supreme Ecclesiastical Minister among the Iews And even according to Philo and some other Iews was a Type of the Messias His Office was in common with that of the Priests of whom afterwards to pray for instruct and bless the People but his peculiar Province was to preside over the Priests and other inferior Officers of the Church to take care that they discharg'd their Function aright Whereas these administred daily he was obliged to officiate only on the solemn Day of Expiation He differ'd from them in the manner of his Consecration and was peculiar in some other things He had the singular honour to be the Metropolitan of the Jewish Church and the President of the Great Council or Sanhedrim To make him more pompous and venerable the Law took care of his very Attire I will only shew you this Sacred Wardrobe and
its Magnitude it was just as big again as the Tabernacle for the one was 60 Cubits long 20 Cubits broad and 30 Cubits high but that was but 30 Cubits in length 10 in breadth and 15 in height But when 't is said in 1 Kings 6. 2. that the Temple was 30 Cubits high it must be meant only of the space which reached from the Floor to the first Story for when it is compared with the Tabernacle it is consider'd without a Roof or any Superstructure because the Tabernacle was such But if you take the whole height of the Temple it was no less than 120 Cubits as you read in 2 Chron. 3. 3. Thus then it is from the bottom to the first Roof were 30 Cubits from thence to the second Roof 30 more and from thence to the top 60 Cubits So the height of the Temple from the Floor to the top of all was 120 Cubits Thus the Learned Iewish Antiquary reconciles those Texts in Kings and Chronicles which seem to oppose one another I might add that as the Tabernacle when 't was fix'd in Shiloâ— had Buildings about it for the Priests and Levites to lodg in so likewise it was contriv'd in the spot of Ground where the Temple was erected there were Houses to receive those Sacred Officers of the Temple and in them they lodg'd and resided all the time of their Ministry as our Deans and Prebendaries Houses are round about their respective Cathedrals And about the Temple there were divers Chambers some of which were us'd as Storehoses to lay up the Tithes and Offerings 1 Chron. 9. 26. 2. Chron. 31. 11. Others were Repositories for the Vessels and Utensils and all things belonging to the Service of the Temple Nehem. 1. 39. 13. 5. And some of them were made use of as places of Reâ—ection Ier. 35. 2. So much of this Magnificent Temple at Ierusalem which was the Iews Cathedral as the Synagogues were their Parish-Churches where their Ceremonious Worship was perform'd with the greatest pomp and splendor Fourthly The Sacraments appointed by the Ceremonial Law are here to be taken notice of They were Circumcision and the Passover The former was in use before the Mosaick Dispensation it being appointed as a Sign of the Covenant between God and Abraham It was reestablished by God when he delivered the Ceremonial Law to Moses and it was to continue a Badg and Confirmation of the same Covenant that the Posterity of Abraham the Iews might receive comfort thence It was also to be a remarkable Token to difference the Iews from other Nations tho other People afterwards borrow'd Circumcision from the Israelites as the Idumaeans the Egyptians c. There were other Ends and Designs of this bloody Rite which you will find enumerated under the Abrahamick Dispensation and therâ—â—â—e I will not repeat them here The other Iewish Sacrament was the Passover but because I may more properly speak of it among the other Feasts I refer it thither and accordingly proceed to the consideration of the set Times of Iewish Worship CHAP. VII The Jewish Feasts Sabbaths New Moon Passover The Parallel between the Paschal Lamb and our Saviour shew'd in several Particulars This mystical Way approved of Christ celebrated not the Passover on the same Evening that the Jews did but in the Evening before This represented in a Scheme The Feast of Pentecost The Feast of Tabernacles The Feast of Trumpets Of Expiation Other lesser Feasts not commanded in the Law but appointed by the Jewish Church Fasts kept tho not injoin'd by the Law The difference of Clean and Unclean Animals Why the latter were forbidden to be eaten The chief Reason of the Prohibition was to prevent Idolatry Two Objections answer'd Vows proper to the Mosaick Dispensation They were either Personal or Real The Cherem IN the Fifth place I am to treat of the Solemn Times and Set Seasons of Worship appointed the Iews by the Mosaick Law These by a general Name were call'd Feasts but if you speak properly some of them were Fasts But because the word is sometimes taken by the Iews for a solemn Time of Religious Worship whether it was accompanied with Rejoicing or Mourning that term is applied to them all The Design of these Festivals was to commemorate some great Blessing to maintain mutual Love Friendship and Communion and to join together in the Service of God These Feasts are divided by the Iews into the greater and the lesser The greater Feasts are these 1. The Sabbaths For tho this word be of a larger signification and is applied to all Feasts and Solemn Times of Worship yet it hath a restrained Sense and is particularly applied to these certain Seasons viz. the Sabbaths of Days and the Sabbaths of Years The Sabbaths of Days are the lesser and the greater the lesser are every seventh Day call'd the Sabbath by way of eminence in memory of God's resting or ceasing from the Works of the Creation But it was commanded now with particular reference to the Iewish People and to their resting from their Captivity and Bondage in Egypt I say no more of it here because I am to insist largely upon it when I come to treat of the Fourth Commandment The greater Sabbath of Days was when the Passover â—ell on the Sabbath-day as it did that Year when Christ suffer'd Iohn 19. 31. This was call'd the Great Sabbath by the Iews And as there were the Sabbaths of Days so there were the Sabbaths of Years These were two first Every Seventh Year was a Sabbath of Rest to the Land Levit. â—5 4. and then there was no plowing or sowing nor making any the like provision but what the Ground yielded that Year of it self was sufficient and it was in common to all Persons to eat of it It was God's Pleasure to deal thus with this People to bring them to a sense of his Providence in the World that he was able without their Care and Art to sustain them that he was Lord of all things and the Supreme Disposer of them This was the reason why their Land enjoy'd its Sabbaths Secondly There was the Sabbath which was the end of seven times seven Years that is 49 Years Levit. 25. 8. This was the greatest Sabbath of all and was call'd the Iubilee But whether it was kept in the close of that 49 th Year as Scaligâ—r Petaviâ—s Calvisius think or in the Year after viz. the 50 th Year â—s those who follow Iosephus determine I will not dispute at present having said something of it in another place This we are certain of that when the Year of Iubilee return'd all Debts were to be cancell'd and mortgaged Lands were to return to their Owners and every Freeholder repossess'd what was alien'd from him and all Prisoners and Debtors were set free and Captives were released and all Controversies and Suits about Lands Estates Possessions and Properties were ended It is certain likewise that as on every seventh Year so in
this Sabbath was call'd Sabbath Bereshith because they began then to read Bereshith i. e. the beginning of Genesis They celebrated the foresaid day in thanking of God for his great Mercy in vouchsaâ—ing them the reading of the Law 2. The Eeast of the Dedication of the Temple instituted by Solomon 1 Kings 8. 1. and afterwards observ'd as some think by the Jews 3. The Feast of Dedication or Encoenia celebrated on the 25 th day of November which Month is call'd Kiâ—leu by the Hebrews It was instituted in memory of that great Hero Iudas Macchabaeuâ— who after the death of his Father Mattathias conquer'd the Greeks and Syrians who had taken Ierusalem and tyranniz'd over the Iews He recover'd that City and dedicated the Temple anew which the impious Antiochâ—â—â— had prophan'd He commanded this Festival to be solemnly kept yearly eight days together beginning on the 25 th day of the foresaid Month 1 Mac. 4. 59. 4. Pâ—rim or the Feast of Lâ—ts Esther 9. 21 c. in remembrance of the Deliverance in Esther's time It was kept on the 14 th and 15 th days of the Month Adâ—r the 12 th Month or February It was called Purim which is a Persian word and signifieth Lots in memory of Haman's throwing Lots that all the Iews in Aâ—asuerus's Dominions should be killed for this was an old Custom to cast Lots to find â—it and seasonable times for effecting of any great Business They writ the Days and the Months and put them into a Pitcher and so what they took out according to the Marks they had set down was lucky or unlucky This Feast then of Purim was celebrated in remembrance of the Massacre appointed by Lot against the Jews There were also Fasts among the Jews which tho they were not commanded by the Law of Mosâ—s yet the Jewish Church enjoin'd them to be kept of these you read in Zech. 8. 19. viz. the Fast of the â—ourth Month Tamuz or Iune in remembrance of the time when Ierusalem was invaded and the Tables of the Law broken and the Book of the Law burnt Ier. 52. 6 7. and the Fast of the fifth Month or Iuly for the destruction of the Temple Zech. 7. 3. and the Fast of the seventh Month Tisrâ— or September for the kiâ—ling of Gedaliah 2 Kings 25. 28 and the Fast of the Tenth in which Month Thebat or December the City began to be besieged Ier. 52. 4. Thus much of the Râ—ligious Feastâ— and Sacred Sâ—asons wherein the Jewish People used to lay aside Secular Business and to be imployed wholly in Religious Worship Sixthly There were in the Law of Moses some particular Obsâ—rvancâ—s whiâ—h râ—spected the Conversâ—â—ion of the Wâ—rshippers They were tied up as to their Commerce with others they were not at liberty to associate with every one they were confined as to their Garments and as to their Diet. There was no such thing as Vncleanness by touching the Dead among the old Patriarchs for we read that Ioseph kissed dead Iacob This was puâ—ely Mosaick and so was that of not coming near any Leprous Person or touching those who had issues of Blood and the like But the main thing remarkable was the difference of Meats and Drinks therefore I will speak particularly of that in this place and I may have occasion to glance on some of the rest afterwards Some have thought as hath been suggested before that this usage prevailed before the Mosaick Law i. e. that some Creatures were clean and others unclean in regard of their being permitted or forbidden to be eaten But I have already shew'd in what sense they were said to be clean oâ— unclean viz. in respect of Sacrificing and not of eating But under the Mosaick Law there is and never was before set down the Number of those Creatures which must not be eaten and we are particularly told what the Cleanness or Uncleanness of them is The clean Animals were only those that chew the Cud and divide the Hoof. This was the Sign and Mark of them and it must be observed that by dividing the Hoof is meant dividing it into two parts only not into more for some divide the Hoof into more parts and are not clean as a Dog a Lion a Wolf And Camels have the Hoof divided but not quite through it is paâ—ted above but not below therefore it is said of the Camel Levit. 11. 4. that he divâ—deth not the Hoof viz. from the top to the bottom but only in part as Naâ—ural Historians have observed And as parting the Hoof and chewing the Cud are two signs of a clean Beast so Fins and Scales make a Fish legally clean And as for Fowl you have a particular enumeration of those that are clean or unclean Bees also were unclean and forbidden Food to the Jews but their Honey was not I might observe further that Fat is forbidden to be eaten i. e. the Fat which covers the inward Parts as the Heart Liver Kidneys c. Levit 3. 16. This the Jews might not eat no not at home when they kill'd a Beast But it is to be understood of such Beasts as were used to be sacrificed to God as Sheep Oxen Goats Levit. 7. 23 25. The Fat of these Creatures was to be burnt but by no means eaten And as for the Blood of these and all other Animals it was to be poured on the Ground and by no means to be eaten or drank I could add that the Jews stretched this Abstinence from Meats beyond what was injoined for they would not eat the hinder Legs oâ— Animals because the Angel strained Iacob's Thigh whereupon the Sinews shrank But in Italy the Jews cut out these Nerves by Art and eat the Legs If it be asked What was the Reason that such and such Creatures were forbidden to be Food Why did not God suffer the Jews to feed on all Animals indifferently The Answer may be that of St. Augusâ—in in the like case Quia voluit because it seemed good to God to do so it was his Will and Pleasure and no Reason is to be given Thus Câ—naeus and Spanhemius resolve it wholly into God's Authority and Sovereignty But others offer Reason of God's acting thus 1. Some think that it was God's Pleasure to insâ—il Lessons of Morality by that Prohibition according to the Qualiâ—ies observ'd in those Creatures They conceive that so many Sins and Vices are represented by unclean Animals and so many Virtues and Graces by the clean ones In a mystical wâ—y God taught the Jews and Brutes were Symbolical and Hieroglyphical When God bid thâ—m not eat the Flesh of the Hare the Swinâ— and the Hawk he warned them against the Timorousness of the one the Filthiness of the other and the Ravenousness of the third Thus the antient Jewish Commentators and some of the Fathers of the Christian Church give moral Reasons why such and such Creatures were forbid to be eaten by the Jews And more particularly as to unclean Birds they
observe that he Invited and Allured them as well as Terrified them The Promise of a Land flowing with Milk and Honey suited these Children well Pueris olimdant crustula blandi Doctores elementa veliâ—t ut discâ—râ— prima Earthly and Carnal things and the Conveniencies of this present Life were chiefly propounded to the Iews to encourage them to draw them on gently and to win upon them Children are taken with a gawdy Outside accordingly these were brought up with Ceremonies Fine and Gay things to please their Childish Fancies The goodly Garments and pompous Vestments of the High-Priest were a very agreeable Sight to them the jingling Bells of Aâ—ron were a very pleasing Musick Indeed the whole Mosaick Work was very Curious and Fine most of the Legal Furniture was Rich and Sumptuous and therefore a Sutable Entertainment for them To teach and instruct Children whose Reason is weak and imperfect we use Emblems Pictures and Representations Thus Types and Symbols were a sort of Instructions sutable to the Iews In those dark Times these Shadows served very well But these Ceremonious Rites and Practices were in order to something else God call'd the Iews by things Carnal and Sensual to those that are Spiritual by Temporal Objects to those that are Eternal and by things Earthly unto those that are Heavenly The Mosaick Laws were like Frames and Props which support an Arch till it is finish'd and can stand alone then the Supporters are removed and become useless to the Building When the Evangelical Oeconomy approached then the Iewish Ceremonies and Observances ceas'd and were laid aside for the Ritual Law of Moses was given on purpose to be a Governour and Manager of Childish and Imperfect Souls and to prepare and train them up to something that is Manly and Perfect viz. the Administration of the Gospel which was to succeed Nor is this unworthy of God for he wisely alters his methods in his administring the Affairs of the World according to the Times and Ages he deals with Wherefore he is wont to approve of such and such Practices for a season and then afterwards to change them Which argues not any mistake or error or want of foreknowledg in God as the Deists who laugh at the Iewish as well as the Evangelical Dispensation would suggest but the alteration is prudently made according to the circumstances of Times and Persons 5. It was the opinion of the Iewish Doctors and Rabbies that some of these Ceremonial Usages were design'd to instruct the Iews in their necessary Duâ—ies and Practices and to teach them wholesom Lessons of Morality This Mystical and Moral meaning of the different kinds of Sacrifices difference of Meats and all the other Mosaick Observances is set down by Theodoret in his Questions on Leviâ—icuâ— which I will not hâ—re recite And Aquinas and others in the Account or Rationale which they give of the Ceremonial Institutions speak something of this I know indeed that many of old and some more lately have most fondly and fantastically interpreted those Ritual Laws what they deliver is their own conceit and hath no foundation to support it They under the pretence of giving the meaning of those Iewish Rites say and write any thing This is that sort of men who fill all thingsâ— in Divinity with Allegory and Mystery and thereby abuse and prophane the Holy Scripture But yet there may be a Moral sense profitably made of the Mosaick Law which treats of the Ceremonies wholesom Instructions may be drawn thence for directing our Lives and Manners and this might be partly and by theâ— by design'd in the instituting these things 6. These Ritual Observances and Ceremonial practices were Types and Figures to represent greater things that were to come God chose out a certain People from the rest of the World to make them a Spectacle to all others and by his wonderful dealing with themâ— as in a Type to signifie to us the admirable method of his gracious Will to Mankind in future Ages All their Promises and Rewards were presignificative of the Mercy intended to be exhibited to the World afterwards And the same may be said of their Ceremonial and Ritual Worship I have shew'd already that the Mosaick Sacrifices and the Tabernacle and all the things appertaining to it and the Feast of the Passover signified higher Things but it is as true that the Other considerable Riâ—es enjoyn'd by Moses's Law did so too for there is the like Reason for one as for another That they were to represent Sublime Sacred and Heavenly things we are assured from the Infallible Scriptures where they are call'd the Example and Shadow of heavenly things and Patterns of things in the Heavens And more â—ully the Apostle declares that Meat and Drink i. e. the difference of these and Holy-Days and New Moons and Sabbath Days are a Shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ Col. 2. 16 17. The main design of those things was to prefigure the Messias and the Benefits of the Gospel these are the Substance and the others were the Shadow Thus St. Ierom speaking of the Book of Leviticus saith that all the Sacrifices in it yea almost all the syllables and the Garments of Aaron and the whole Leviâ—ick Order breat â—e heavenly Sacraments Thus Iustin Martyr informed the Iew whom he discours'd with that all the Ordinances and Rites of the Mosaick Law were Figures Symbâ—ls and Declaraâ—ions of the things which were to happen afterwards unto Christ. The Allegorical Interpreters who apply the Mosaick Rites to the Church of Christ and to the Messias himself tho they are sometimes more Ingenious than Solid and may be thought to strain and force some things yet as to the main they let us see that those Mosaick and Ritual Constitutions had some reference to the Gospel and that most of them â—ypifie and represent the great things of the Christian Dispensation Indeed the Mosaick Observances taken according to the mere Letter are very odd and strange and some of them seem to be very light and frivolous and unworthy of their Author I am bold to say with Origen that if these Ceremonial Laws of Moses have no other meaning than the literal one they come far short of the Roman Athenian or Lacedemonian Laws But if you consider that they were serviceable to try the Iews Obedience to restrain them and keep them in awe to divert them from Idolatry and that they were â—uitable to their present Condition and also that they were to inform their manners and Lastly that they were Images and Types of Spiritual things that they represented and pointed out the Messias with all his Blessed Undertakings and the unspeakable Benefits which accrue to us thence you will not say those Laws were light and ludicrous and unworthy of God but that they were of great and singular use and serv'd to most excellent purposes This is the best account I can give
Scripture by the name of Hagiographa This put Holy Men upon Pious Discourses and excellent Strains of Devotion and rais'd them above their ordinary temper Yea All the Holy Penmen of Scripture were moved and actuated by this Divine Influx By this they dictated and composed those Sacred Writings This is that degree of Prophecy or Prophetick Inspiration which is call'd the Holy Spirit Tho you may observe too that all those kinds of Revelation beforemention'd are stiled in the Jewish Writings Inspiration and the Holy Spirit and sometimes they are call'd Prophecy and the Spirit of Prophecy For Prophecy Nebuah is taken either strictly or largely In the strict acception according to the Jewish Notion of it it is when any thing is reveal'd to a person when he is asleep or in a rapture or besides himself And others of them say that Prophecy properly so call'd is either in the way of Dreams or Visions Prophecy in Scripture is taken in a restrained sense for seeing and foretelling things to come and hence as well as from what was suggested before it is probable the Prophets antiently were call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seers This also is that which most usually is call'd Prophecy by the Iews But Prophecy in the largest acception is the general word to comprehend all kinds of Divine Revelation it is the way whereby all revealed Knowledg and Truth are convey'd to us Therefore the Schools of the Prophets were those places where young Men were prepar'd for all sorts of Revelation and Inspiration and out of these Schools generally the Prophets were chosen Education and Improvement fitted them for the Prophetick Office and by these Testimonials they were able to go abroad There was a way to know who were True Prophets and who False and to distinguish one from the other Indeed when a Prophet foretold things to come to pass hereafter he could not be convinced of falshood presently because his Prophecy must be known to be true or false by the Event of his Prediction Deut. 18. 21. And yet here was some uncertainty for the thing he foretold might not come to pass and yet he might be a True Prophet for God could do otherwise than the Prophet foretold Ier. 18. 7 8. But then the Prediction was conditional not absolute or rather it was a Commination But if any one by the Prophetical Spirit dictated such and such things to be done it was possible to tell and that presently or in a very short time whether he was a true Prophet or no. This might be known first from the Qualifications of a true Prophet for first he must be no way inclined to Idolatry secondly he must predict nothing against the Law If he said any thing derogatory to the Law of Moses the Moral Law chiefly and the Worship of God he discover'd himself to be a false Prophet Deut. 18. 20. Deut. 13. 1 2 3. Thirdly some add that as he was one who said nothing against the Law so neither must he do any thing against it It was a Notion of the Iews that the Spirit of Prophecy was not communicated to any but Holy Men. But there is reason to doubt as to this Besides the Qualifications a Prophet might be known to be true when he was back'd by another Prophet who was certainly known to be true when this Prophet testified of the other Further when God himself testified concerning a Prophet by some manifest Sign as in 1 Kings 13. Thus they were to judg whether Prophets were counterfeit or no. Add this also that they were deterred from counterfeiting the Prophetick Spirit because by the Law a false Prophet was to be punish'd with Death Deut. 18. 20. Lastly The true Prophets might be discern'd and distinguish'd from the false ones by this that they were plain and downright in their Predictions whereas the others were generally ambiguous and equivocating as we see in the Example of those false Prophets whom Ahab consulted The Lord shall deliver it say they into the hands of the King 1 Kings 22. 6. So we render that place but the Relative it is not in the Hebrew and so the words have two senses either the Lord shall deliver Ramoth Gilead into the hands of the King of Israel or the Lord shall deliver thee and thy forces into the hands of the King of Syria This was frequently imitated afterwards by the Heathen Oracles and was of some advantage for from the ambiguity of the words mistakes might easily arise and by that means the credit of the false Prophets was salved But however this rendred their Predictions uncertain and wavering whereas those that had the true Prophetick Spirit were sure and fix'd and thus there could not but be a certainty of Prophecy among the Iews But at last the Spirit of Prophecy ceased and as the Jewish Writers and Christian Fathers agree ended in Malachi who was the last Prophet But this way of Revelation was afterwards restored by Christ as shall be shew'd afterwards To the foremention'd ways of God's communicating his Will and Pleasure may be added that Impulse whereby persons are stir'd up by God to undertake some extraordinary Enterprize and to accomplish some very notable Act. Thus Maimonides reckons it among the several kinds of Prophecy that Moses by a particular intimation from God slew the Egyptian Exod. 2. 12. So by the same Divine Motion Phineas knew it would be acceptable to God to kill those two notorious Sinners and he was stir'd up accordingly to do it By the same Heavenly Impulse Sampson was excited to destroy the Philistines tho with the loss of his own life And several other Instances might be produced of this nature in the Old Testament Thus you see what were the Ordinary ways of Revelation what was the frequent and usual manner of God's communicating his Will in the several Dispensations before treated of In the next place I will enumerate the Extraordinary Means of revealing God's Will As 1. That way of Revelation whereby God conversed with Moses on the Mount when he gave him the Law and whereby he was pleas'd to communicate himself to him at some other times The Jewish Doctors cry up This for the highest Degree of Revelation that ever was and some of them talk such strange things of it as are next to Blasphemy But this we are sure of that the Sacred Spirit represents this as an Vnusual and Extraordinary Revelation and such as was peculiar to Moses alone for it is said The Lord spake to Moses face to face as a man speaketh to his friend Exod. 33. 11. Indeed Iacob testifieth of himself that he had seen God face to face Gen. 32. 30. But tho he had seen God so yet we do not read that he talk'd with him after that manner which implieth something more I know Moses tells the people of Israel that God talked with them face to face in the Mount Deut. 5. 4. But this he means of himself viz. that after
of Israel as all other Prophets do but being wholly directed against the Ninivites who were Heathens and Strangers to the Commonwealth of Israel This Book saith he was written to shew that God is merciful to those that repent of what Nation soever they be This Example makes it evident that the Gentiles were not wholly rejected altho as to the greatest part they were but that many of them were accepted of God Yea it seemeth to be plain from Mal. 1. 11. that the Getiles worshipp'd God no less than the Iews The words are in the present time in the Original and therefore ought to be so meant that some of the Gentiles in those days had the true Worship of God among them in one part or other of the whole World he was Adored and Served The History of the Iewish Nation and of God's care of them was the thing chiefly designed in the Old Testament and therefore it cannot be expected that it should treat of other Nations and give a particular account of what was done there But it makes mention as you have heard of some Holy Persons among them and without doubt there were many more tho not spoken of The Gentiles were not deserted of God but taken notice of by him and encouraged The Visible Church did not altogether consist of Abraham's Family and Kindred but many others that were not of that Stock were true Members of it Especially among the neighbouring Nations several were converted to God by the Preaching of the Israelitish Prophets and in part receiv'd the Iewish Religion and by the Iews were call'd Proselytes These properly belong to the Gentile Dispensation because they were first Gentiles but converted from their Gentilism to the Knowledg and Worship of the True God These Proselytes or Converts were of two sorts 1. The Proselytes of the Gate as the Iews stiled them because they lived within the Gates of Isreal and they held free Commerce and Trade within their Houses the same with the Strangers within their Gates Exod. 20. 10. Deat 14. 21. They were those Heathens that abandoned their Pagan Superstition and Idolatry and receiv'd the True Faith and acknowledg'd the True God but were left to their liberty as to Circumcision Therefore this Rank of Proselytes remain'd Uncircumcised neither did they observe the other Mosaick Laws and Rites but were only tied to the keeping of the Seven Precepts supposed to be given to Noab's Sons as Maimonides and other Learned Writers among the Iews inform us These tho they were no Idolaters yet because they were Uncircumcised were not permitted to worship in the same Court of the Temple with the Iews but in a distinct Place by themselves therefore call'd the Court of the Gentiles and tho they went to the Iewish Synagogues yet they had a distinct Apartment there There were many of these Proselytes among the Iews every where in their Cities Of these you read in the New Testament where they are call'd Devout or Pious or Religious Men or Worshippers for the Greek words signifie any of these I conceive the Roman Centurion of Capernaum who built the Jews a Synagogue Luke 7. 5. was one of these Cornelius a Captain of the Italian Band Acts 10. 2. was another Proselyte of this sort i. e. a Gentile Worshipper of the True God but not Circumcised or counted a Member of the Church of the Iews And such a one it is likely was the Ethiopian Eunuch mentioned in Acts 8. 27. who came to Jerusalem to worship And such was Lydia of Thyatira who worshipped God Acts 16. 14. And hither may be referr'd those devout men out of every Nation under Heaven Acts 2. 5. and thâ—se that feared God Acts 13. 16 26. These were Proselytes from among the Gentiles And these it is likely are meant by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 9. 29. 11. 10. for tho this be the name for the Grecizing Iews who read the Scriptures in the Septuagint's Version and pray'd and did other Religious Offices in Greek whereas others perform'd them in Hebrew yet here by Heltemists we are to understand those that were converted to the Jewish Religion from Gentilism But tho they had renounced the Heathen Worship yet they had not receiv'd all the Jewish Ceremonies and Laws 2. There were another sort of Prâ—selytes call'd the Prâ—selytes of Rightâ—eousness or of the Covenant These were of a far higher degree than the former for they were Gentiles converted wholly to Iudaism and were initiated into the Jewish Church by Baptism and Circumcision and were tied to keep all the Mosaick Law and worshipp'd in the same Court of the Temple with the Natural Jews and so became every way Iews unless in respect of their Birth and Nation These in the New Testament are simply and absolutely call'd Proselytes Thus Persons of other Nations besides that of the Jews imbraced the True Religion and Worship and were accepted of God and obtain'd his favour Here then is the Gentile Oeconomy Not but that the Nations were generally sorsaken of God and given up to Idolatry and all manner of Wickedness and Prophaneness which the Apostle took notice of when he said God in times past suffer'd all Nations to walk in their own ways All Nations i. e. all those Kingdoms which were erected after the Flood viz. the Assyrian or Babylonian Monarchy which began soon after the Flood under Nimrâ—d the Son of Cush the Sicyonian Kingdom and the Old Germans who began at the same time with the Assyrian Monarchy next the Egyptian Empire under Cham and his Successor Misraim or Osiria About the same time began the Argives Kingdom under Inachus their first King Then the Kingdoms of Bactria and Iudia another Grecian Kingdom viz. the Athenian about the middle of the Chaldean Empire then the Lacedemonian or Spartan Dinasty the Kingdom of Italy the Lydian Corinthian Tyrian Macedâ—nian Dynasties besides the Persian whose King upon the expiring of the Assâ—rian Empire became Head of the Second Monarchy which is the boundary of the Sacred History of the Old Testament These were all left by God to themselves and Idolatry prevail'd among them all they worshipp'd the Sun Moon and Stars yea all kinds of Beasts tho never so base and contemptible Nay Worshipping of Devils was a common practice with them Thus God suffer'd the greatest part of the World to walk in their own ways until the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Thus they were as the Apostle speaks of the Gentiles without God in the World till he came into it But yet even then when they were addicted to Idolatry which is also to be observed in this Oeconomy of the Nations God left not himself without witness Acts 14. 17. He led them to the knowledg of himself by the Book of Nature they had sufficient light of God and Religion i. e. to teach them some general Duties of Virtue and Goodness and to instruct them in the Nature and Attributes of God
Shadows Christ in this sense is call'd the trâ—e Light and true Bread Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 6. 32. The Ceremonial Law was but a Figure of the Evangelical Truth And this is deservedly called Trâ—th because all the Ceremonial Types are Verified and Fulfill'd in Christ. All those Iudaick Hieroglyphicks are now unridled and plainly discovered to the World and he that runs may read them The Types and Symbols are gone and now the Things themselves are present and are clearly understood by us This makes the difference between the Mosaick Dispensation and the Evangelical One. The Doctrine of Salvation and the means of Life by Christ are more intelligible and plain than they were before Their Conceptions of those things were intricate and obscure but we have arrived to clear and distinct Notions concerning them In short the way of Salvation was before more dark and general they saw Christ through â—ertain Perspectives afar off but now the fulness of time is come and hath given us a near and more perfect view of those things which they saw but in a glass darkly 4. The Religion of the Gospel is more Inward and Lively than that of the Law and the Jewish Administration There is now introduced a Rational and Manly Service our Religion is chiefly the employment of our Minds and Understandings and not so much of our Bodies and lower Faculties We now worship God in Spirit as well as in Truth of which I spake befoâ—e we worship in a spiritual manner opposed to outward and bodily Service as Sacrifices Purifications c. The Evangelical Righteousness is a Spiritual Administration a Vital Principle able to beget a Divine Life whereas the Law comparatively was an external dead Letter and did not sufficiently actuate the Minds and Spirits of Men. It is true the History of the Gospel or the Doctrin of the Evangelists as it is merely propounded and written is as much external as the Law but the ministration of the Spirit as the Apostle calls it going along with the Gospel in a more especial and peculiar manner is a powerful Principle in the Souls of Men whereby they are inwardly renewed and transformed And so the Gospel compared with the Law is of greater Power Might and Efficacy and is able to produce a heavenly and spiritual frame of Soul and a sincere performance of the Divine Laws This is the Law promis'd to be written in the Hearts of Men and to be put into their inward parts Jer. 31. 33. 5. This Dispensation of the Gospel is larger and ampler than that of the Law and of other Dispensations before it For the Church was shut up in narrow bounds and confined to a few Families of the Patriarchs Afterwards it was limited to the Land of Canaan and to the Hâ—brew People excepting a few that were without who knew God's Will and were graciously accepted But after Christ came the Church was not tied to one Place or certain Nation but hath been ever since the Congregation of all such as truly know and worship Christ in any part of the World The Christian Dispensation is not local and temporary not confined to place or time not circumscribed by a particular Country Now not one Natâ—on only or a few of others are honoured with Laws given from God himself but Gentiles and Iews Greeks and Barbarians all Kindreds and Tongues all Countries and Regions of the Universe have heard the sound of the Gospel and have had the Divine Laws which were given by Christ himself offer'd to them Our Saviour bid his Disciples go into all the World and teach all Nations And accordingly as was observ'd before they travell'd into all the World which was at that time known and proclaimed the Messias to them Thus Christ came and preach'd Peace to them that were afar off and to them that were nigh Ephes. 2. 17. All Places and Countries had the privilege of the Gospel and might receive advantage by it This is one remarkable Difference between the Legal and the Evangelical Dispensation the former was Narrow and Contracted the latter was Full Ample Comprehensive and Catholick 6. Altho as hath been said the Conditions of Salvation are the same now as to the main with those before yet they vary as to several Circumstances To begin with Faith the first and chief Condition of Salvation the grand Fundamental Grace of Christianity This is reckon'd by the Reverend Bishop Taylor among the Instances of Duties which are new under the Gospel But the true account is this that Faith was not a Precept of the Natural or Moral Law but was a new Precept added to it by Revelation when the First Promise and New Covenant were made But ever since that it hath not been New for as I have proved the Antient Patriarchs were saved by Faith in Christ. He was the Object of Faith then as well as now the Faith of the first Believers was the same with the Faith of Christians Yet notwithstanding this this Grace of Faith hath a different aspect from what it had The Fathers believed in the Messias that was to come and we believe in the same Jesus who is come and hath taken on him our Nature and laid down his Life and shed his precious Blood for the redemption of lost Man and rose again and ascended into Heaven Thus the believing of Christ's Birth Passion Resurrection and Ascension is in this respect nâ—w that Faith looks upon them as accomplished But otherwise in respect of the things themselves it is the old Faith i. e. the same which those that lived before the time of the Messias exerted Christ that was to be crucified was the Object of their Belief and Christ already crucified is the Object of ours This is confirm'd â—rom Isa. 53. Acts 15. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Heb. 9. 11. and abundance of other Texts St. Augustine having affirmed that the Saints of old were saved in the same way that we are viz. by Faith in Jesus adds this distinction They saith he were saved by Faith in Christ's future Sufferings and we by Faith in those Sufferings as they are already past This is that which our Church saith speaking of the People of God that lived before Christ's Incarnation Althâ— they were not named Christian men yet was it a Christian Faith which they had for they looked for all the Benefits of God the Father through the Merits of his Son Iesus Christ as we now do This difference is between them and us that they looked when Christ should come and we are in the time when he is come Besides a more general Belief was sufficient for mens Salvation before the Messias's coming than is now It was not necessary to Salvation to believe so expresly and explicitly concerning Christ and his Undertakings as we are obliged to believe since So that tho there is not now a New Faith neither are there New Articles of Faith yet there are New Exertments of Faith and more clear
a more restrained sense of the Kingdom of God in this place It is granted that we have not an express Command from Christ for this practice but the Scripture is silent as to many other things which yet we must suppose to have been â—aid or done Again 3 ly There is our Saviour's Example and Fact for it for we find that he set himself in the midst of his Apostles every first day of the week till his Ascension to Heaven Mat. 28. 18. Mark 16. 14. Luke 24. 36. Ioh. 20. 19. Moreover his Spirit speaking and acting in his Apostles taught them to meet constantly together on this day and in a more solemn manner to perform the Offices of Divine Worship at this time Ioh. 20. 9 26. Acts 17. 7. Acts 20. 7. 25. 66. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. By reason of this divine Institution from our Lord himself this first day of the week began to be call'd the Lord's Day Rev. 1. 10. and afterwards it was call'd so by Ignatiâ—â— as well as St. Iohn Constantinâ— the Great renew'd and revived this Name which some had laid aside and caused the Day to be constantly known and call'd by that Appellation and by Edict commanded it to be solemnly kept by all Persons The short is both in the Apostles times as the Scripture informs us and in all succeeding Ages this Day hath been unanimously observed by Christians as being of Evangelical Appointment Thus the Gospel may be said to add to the Law in some New Particulars Christ hath introduced some things peculiar and proper to the state of Christians But there were the same Constitutions before under the Law in general There were two Sacraments the one to admit Infants into the Church the other to confirm the Adult There were Laws of Ecclesiasâ—ical Discipline there was a Time set apart for Divine Worship Prop. 2. All those things which our Saviour forbids or commands in the Gospel are comprehended in the Law if not expresly yet virtually and by true consequence and rational deduction Thus Killing being forbidden Anger and Wrath which stir up Mens blood and cause them to thirst after the blood of others are forbidden So Christ in his Sermon on the Mount lets them know as I shall shew you anon that not only this but many 〈◊〉 things were included and contained in the Moral Law which they acted contrary to foolishly imagining that they were to go no further than the bare Letter of the Law Prop. 3. The Commandments and Duties of the Old and of the New Testament are the same as to Substance tho they differ as to Manner and Circumstances The Faith of the Saints under the Legal Appointment and of those under the Evangelical one is as hath been shew'd before the very same as to the main only they differ as to their Relation or Aspect the one to Christ who was then to come the other to him already come So praying to Christ relying on the mercy of Christ desiring to depart and be with him and the like Duties which seem to be new are so only in respect of the foresaid Relation or Manner The Messias expected and the Messias come solve the difference Prop. 4. As the Dispensation of the Law and the Gospel being the same in Substance differ as to the Manner so they differ likewise as to the Degrees Humility and that which we call Christian Liberty are reckon'd by a Learned Writer as New Duties introduced by Christ. But I conceive the Substance of these was before they are only more Improved and Inhanced by our Blessed Lawgiver Christ Iesus And this you shall see is made good of several otherâ—r Duties mention'd by our Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount He hath made them more perfect than they were and therefore in respect of them the Gospel is stiled a Perfect Law Jam. 1. 25. Thus I have briâ—fly shew'd you how there are New Laws and Duties added by Christ and how not Some few Particulars are New because the new State of things required it Others may be said to be New because they are more Expresly set down or in respect of Circumstances Manner and Degrees But still they are not New but the same in the general besides that they are virtually the same and as to the main and in the Substance of them It is scarcely worth taking notice what Episcopius suggests viz. that there is no express Precept in the Law for Praying unto God and consequently it was nâ—t a Duty required in the Old Testament and therefore is a new Commandment of Christ. In which as in some other things he agrees with the Socinians but is therein very palpably mistaken for there are set Forms of Prayer enjoin'd in the Old Testament there are determinate Expressions dictated there Most of the Psalms are Prayers and particular Prayers of Ezra Nehemiah and Daniel are recorded Praying is expâ—esly commanded in Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble The Temple was call'd the House of Prayer Isa. 67. 7. and Prayers were mix'd with all the Sacrifices as appears from Luke 1. 10. How then can any Man have the confidence to say that Prayer is a New Testament Precept only But here it may be alledged that Love is call'd a New Commandment both by our Saviour Ioh. 13. 34. and by St. Iohn 1 Epist chap. 2. ver 8. therefore there is this Commandment at least added anew by Christ to what was before I will reply to this by explaining to you how Love may be said to be a New Commandment 1. I have suggested before that it may be call'd New because of the New Motive annex'd to it in Iohn 13. 34. A New Commandment I give unto you that ye love one â—nother as I have loved you This latter Clause is New tho the former be Old This is one Reason which a Learned Writer gives why Love is call'd a New Commandment 2. Another is because it was Renâ—wed by Christ and urged on his Disciples afresh as their particular badg A New Commandment give I unto you that ye love one another said our Saviour to his Apostles that night when he celebrated the Passover with them and instituted the Holy Sacrament of his Body and Blood and when he was taking his leave of them and the World Now he seasonably presses what he had exhorted them to before now he calls upon them more especially to exercise the Grace of Love Thus it is a New Commandment because Christ repeats it anew 3. Because Christ vindicated it as you shall hear more by and by from the false Glosses of the Pharisees and so made it as it were New They thought that Love was due only to those that were their Neighbours and Brethren and that â—ll who injured them were to be hated but our Saviour tells them they must love their Enemies he acquaints them that Iews as well as Christiaâ—â— were obliged to this Duty that the
Gentiles which is absolutely against Iudaism for the Priesthood amongst the Iews was tied to that certain Nation yea to a certain House and Family amongst them Therefore it is evident that the Iewish Religion was Temporary and was to cease This is obscurely intimated in Ezekiel's Model of the Temple Chap. 40. c. There never was any such thing no such Dimensions and Platforms it is a vast unwieldy thing his Temple is as big as all Ierusalem and the Ground allotted the Priests and Levites equals all Canaan It is likely therefore that this prefigureth the Christian Temple or the Church under the Gospel which was to be capacious and large But I need not make use of these obscure and mystical Places after I have produced so plain and evident ones as those before mention'd It is undeniable that those several Prophesies could not be accomplished if the Old State of the Iews was to be perpetual Ierusalem was too little the Land of Iudea could not serve for those purposes which are there spoken of Here also it might be observ'd that the Passover their great and most famous Ordinance was a Memorial of a particular Deliverance vouchsafed to the Iewish People and therefore was proper to them and appertained not to other Nations Hence it was that the Iews themselves did not require of the Proselites a Conformity to this Law nor indeed to any other of the like peculiar Nature Yea themselves were not obliged to observe some of the Mosaick Laws if they were in other Countries as those of First-fruits Tithes and the Sabbatick-year the Iubilee In Canaan only these and other Constitutions were to be kept as is confess'd by their own Writers Their Laws concerning Sacrifices and Incense and Feasts are ceas'd at this day amongst them because they were confin'd to that place and were not to be observ'd any where else Thus a considerable part of the Iewish Laws are now abolish'd by their own Confession they being dispersed into other Countries This might convince them that Iudaism was to give place to Christianity which is large and fitted for all the World which hath God the Church Religion and Salvation all in common This is a great Prerogative of Christianity that it is Universal and excludeth no People or Nations whereas the Religion and Worship of the Iews was narrow and scant and confined to themselves which is a Demonstration that it was Temporary and that there was to be a change of the Mosaick Law and Administration 2. This appears if you consider likewise that God dispensed with the Mosaick Rites and Ceremonies and did not always exact the observance of them which he would have done if they had been perpetual Laws and were designed to continue to all Ages Thus God dispensed with Circumcision not only as to the Time which was punctually assigned by the Law viz. the eighth Day for when the Infants were sick Circumcision was put off till they were well but he dispensed with the very Act and Performance it self All the time the Israelites were in the Wilderness which was forty Years they neglected to circumcise their Children and indeed there was no occasion for it because they then needed not to be distinguished from the Nations being not mingled with them and besides it was inconvenient in their Marches and Removals as may be gather'd from Ios. 5. 2. Circumcise again c. and more plainly from what follows v. 5. The People that were born in the Wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt them they had not circumcised All that time the Celebration of the Passover was omitted in the Wilderness or it was celebrated but once in those forty Years Num. 9. 1 2. Ios. 5. 10. All the Sacrifices and Oblations tho commanded and appointed them the first Year they came into the Desert were omitted all the time they were there excepting some Peace-offerings and Sin-offerings which you read of in Exod. 40. 29. But the daily Sacrifice was not offered and the constant use of all sorts of Sacrifices prevailed not And afterwards when they came into Canaan God dispensed with the Law concerning Sacrificing only in the Tabernacle for Elias sacrificed at Carmel and Samuel at Mishphat unless we shall say that the Law had not reference to these Extraordinary Sacrifices and more Instances might be produced of that kind As to the Resting on the Sabbath-day which was a direct Injunction of the Law it was not observed when they besieged Iericho on that day And other punctual and peremptory Commands of the Mosaick Law were not observed And I could add that many things commanded in the Iudicial Law were dispensed with by God for he who enjoyned them had Power to do it A Bastard was not to come into the Congregation Deut. 23. 2. Yet Iephtâ—ah who was of that Character was preferâ—d and that by Gods own Order to be Judge of Israel So the Judicial Law was violated by letting Saul's Sons who were hang'd up remain so long a time on the Gibbets Hence it appears that the Obligation of the Mosaick Laws is not perpetual for this relaxing and dispensing made way for annulling them and were a certain vindication that the Iewish Laws were to be laid aside 3. You may take notice that as God himself dispensed with these Laws so the best Men were oftentimes very neglectful of them Thus Gideon Manoah and David sacrificed not according to the strict direction of the Law And the last of these eat the Shew-bread when he was press'd with extream hunger and Hezekiah ordered the Passover to be celebrated otherwise than it was written in the Law 2 Chron. 30. 18. So careless were they of precisely observing the Cermonial Injunctions And here it might be observed how the holy Men and Prophets despised the service of Sacrifices and all the other Duties of the Law in comparison of inward Goodness Vertue and Holiness and spiritual Exercises and Performances of Religion The Psalmist speaks to God after this manner Psal. 51. 16 17. Thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I give it thee thou delightest not in Burnt-offering The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O Lord thou wilt not despise The Son of this Royal Prophet is plain and downright in this matter to do Iustice and Iudgment is more acceptable to the Lord than Sacrifice Prov. 21. 3. Whom Philo that worthy Jew follows saying God is not delighted with the Flesh and Fat of Animals but with the harmless Disposition and pious Intention of the Worshipper And not only this Writer but several other professed Iews acknowledg that Sacrifices were but a secondary sort of Service they were not in their own nature good nor required for their own sake but the primary and main part of divine Service and Worship are Prayer Repentance and Obedience As for Circumcision it was not esteem'd to be of absolute necessity and accordingly was not always perform'd
them in the least none but God could alter them who designed to do so in due time for he intended those Mosaick Precepts should continue to such a certain period of time and no longer These Words of Ieremiah are very observable Chap. 3. 16. It shall come to pass in those days saith the Lord they shall say no more the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord neither shall it come to mind neither shall they remember it neither shall they visit it neither shall it be magnified any more i. e. The Mosaick Rites and External Ceremonies of the Law shall not be in request as they were before Men shall not prize and value them as they used to do yea they shall lay the use of them aside but this they must not do till they have Authority from God And God revealed to the Prophet Daniel that he would alter the Law after a certain Revolution of Years The Messias shall cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease Dan. 9. 27. But it was unalterable in respect of the Jews themselves 3. The Promises and Predictions in the Old Testament which are very many concerning the perpetual Duration of Ierusalem and the Temple and the Iewish Worship and their Polity and Government are to be understood of the Perpetuity of the Church of Christ and his spiritual Kingdom And to this purpose you may observe that in the Writings of the Old Testament where the Times of the Gospel are foretold the Evangelical Worship and Service of God are set forth by sacrificing and other the like Observances commanded in Moses's Law By the Ritual Worship of the Jews is express'd the reasonable and spiritual Service of the Gospel and by those Expressions which seem to denote the Perpetuity of the former the Duration of the latter is signified and ascertained to us This is a most certain Truth and the observing of it will lead us to a right understanding of a great number of Texts which speak of the Iewish Laws and Government as if they were to continue for ever without any Limitation and Restriction We are to know that those places especially the Prophesies in Isaiah concerning the glorious things that shall befal Ierusalem and the Iews are to be interpreted of the State of the Christian Church they are to be understood of the Spiritual Kingdom of the Messias and the Times of the Gospel Sacrifices and the Temple signify Spiritual Oblations and the Gospel-Church for the Evangelical Prophet is to be understood in an Evangelical Sense The Angels Words concerning Christ in Luke 1. 32 33. The Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall reign over the House of Iacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end are a plain Comment on all those places in the Old Testament where the Perpetuity of the Mosaick Laws and the Jewish Oeconomy and Government is promis'd They shew that they are all meant of Christ and his Kingdom i. e. his Church both here and hereafter which was prefigured by David's Kingdom From what this Heavenly Messenger saith here we learn that the Prophesies concerning the endless continuance of the Throne of David of raising up to 〈◊〉 David their King Jer. 30. 9. of raising up the Tabernacle of David Am. 9. 11. of God's setting up his Servant David Ezek. 34. 23. are all accomplish'd in Christ. And indeed the Jewish Commentators themselves acknowledg that the Messias is often stiled David in these and other Prophesies of the Old Testament nor are they backward to confess that by David's Throne and Kingdom is meant the Messias's Government as is plain from Psal. 132. 11. 2 Sam. 7. 12. 1 Chron. 22. 10. where God promised David that Christ should sit on his Throne which is taken notice of and applied not only in the forenam'd place in St. Luke but in Acts 2. 30. For Christ is represented by David and the Evangelical Dispensation is express'd in Terms which relate to the Iewish Administration and Government So that it is no wonder this is said to be for ever for it shall last to the end of the World and afterwards Christ shall reign in the Kingdom of Glory to eternal Ages This if duly considered cannot but yield a satisfactory Answer to the foregoing Objection as well as give light to several Prophesies of the Old Testament But here it will be asked where hath God formally abrâ—gated the Ceremonial Law of the Jews I answer it is not necessary he should do this for the Law ceaseth when the Reason of it ceaseth Now the Reason of the Câ—râ—monial Law and all its Observances was chiâ—fly to prefigure Christ and the Gospel of which he was the Institutor and therefore they are now ceased Christ being come of whom they were but Figures and Shadows The Abrogation then of those Mosaick Rites wherein the Religion of the Iews was placed may be proved by this one Argument viz. that Christ was designed by the legal Rites that the Ceremonial Law was a Prefiguration of the Gospel-Dispensation Here it might be shew'd that the Evangelical Oeconomy was prefigured by certain Persons as Abel Noah Abraham Isaac Ioseph Melchisedec about the last of whom the Author to the Hebrews spends a whole Chapter these were Typical Persons as well as Moses and Ioshua and some others afterwards And not only Persons but Things were Typical as the Pillar of a Cloud the Red Sea the Manna and the Rock which two last were Symbols of the Evangelical Sacraments the Eucharist and Baptism 1 Cor. 10. 1 2 c. and the lifting up of the brazen Serpent signified Christs Crucifixion Iohn 3. 14. But if I should speak of those that are properly Legal Rites and Vsages it is yet further evident that they were Representations of our Saviour and of the grand things of the Gospel As for Sacrifices I have treated of them already and made it appear that they foresignified the expiatory Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. As for the Tabernacle and all the appurtenances of it I have particularly display'd their Typical Nature and how they all pointed to this Dispensation I am now speaking of I might proceed to make this good concerning the Ceremonious Washings and Purifications under the Law that they typified some greater Purity they signified the Spiritual cleansing and sanctifying of the Soul and the abstaining from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit The Apostle acquaints us that the difference of Meats and Drinks observing of a Holy Day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath Days were a shadow of things to come but the Body of this Shadow is Christ Col. 2. 16 17. The Truth the Solidity the Substance are to be sought for in some higher things than those were even in Christ Jesus and in the Benefits of the Gospel Yea he tells us that the whole Mosaick Law is but a shadow of good things to come Heb. 10. 1. All the things contained in it are but rude
and imperfect Delineations of that compleat Frame of Religion which the Messias was to introduce This was the thing designed all along the Ritual and Ceremonial Law with all its external Rites tended to this pure and uncorrupted Model of Religion It was appointed that the Law should adumbrate the Gospel that that Oeconomy should prefigure this Therefore the Apostle saith the Law was our School-master to bring us to Christ which shews the inferiour Nature of the Law and that it was to indure but for a time for the Authority of a School-master over those whom he teacheth is but Temporary The legal Pedagogy was to cease and Christ was to be the end of the Law to every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. It is then evident from the Premises that the Iewish Law is disannul'd for when the Reason of a Law ceases that is sufficient to change the Law because as it commenced upon Reason so when that is taken away the Law it self is abolish'd also This is the present Case the Ceremonial Rites and Types were designed to represent and foresignify Christ and the Evangelical Benefits Wherefore Christ being come and having brought with him those Benefits the former mystical Representations and Figures ought to have a Period So that the Reason and Occasion of these Ceremonious Observances being removed this is sufficient to repeal and reverse those Laws especially when you consider that Christ's Miracles of which I shall speak afterwards were plain Evidences of God's Intention to repeal the Law But to close this Point we are not destitute of a Formal Abrogation of the Jewish Laws for such we may justly reckon our Saviour's Words to be in Iohn 4. 21 23. The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father The hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth Where first he acquaints us that the publick Worship of God shall not be restrain'd to one particular place which very thing is a cancelling of the Mosaick Law which gave Directions chiefly concerning the Temple-Worship They shall not saith he be confined to Mount Gerizim where the Samaritans had fix'd the Seat of their worshipping or to Mount Ephraim in Samaria where Shiloh was the place where the Tabernacle and Ark rested from the beginning of Ioshua's time till Samuel nor shall they be confined to Ierusalem whither the Tabernacle was afterwards brought and at length converted into a Temple nor in any other place exclusively shall Men worship God but every Place and Country shall be alike and God shall have Worshippers in every part of the World This utterly makes void the Iewish Ceremonial Service which was tied to a certain place And our Saviour adds this which doth yet further evacuate it that the Worship under the Gospel must be in Spirit and Truth in contradistinction to the legal Worship which was made up of carnal Ordinances and mere Shadows and Types which were but Representations of that which is true and real Thus he plainly erases and abolishes the Mosaick Service and calls those that worship God in the Evangelical Manner the true Worshippers Again the greatest part of the Epistle to the Hebrews is a direct and downright repealing of it Nay we want not the formal Words of Abrogation as in Heb. 7. 18 19. There is verily a disannulling of the Commandment going before i. e. the Legal and Iudaical Oeconomy which he calls a carnal Commandment ver 16. for the Weakness and Unprofitableness thereof for the Law made nothing perfect Here is an express disannulling of the Mosaick Law And moreover the Reason of it is rendred viz. because it was weak and imperfect and had little Power to amend and reform Mens Lives You will find it also formally repeal'd in Heb. 8. 7 8 13. where the Apostle treating of the Old and New Covenant by which he means the Law and the Gospel as I have before shew'd he thus concludes If the first Covenant had been faultless then should no place have ben sought for the second For finding fault with them he saith Behold the Days come saith the Lord when I will make a New Covenant c. In that he saith a New Covenant he hath made the first Old Now that which decayeth and waxeth Old is ready to vanish away or according to the Greek it is near to vanishing Certainly this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaks as much if not more than Abrogating And in another plâ—ce where he speaketh of the legal Worship which consisteth chiefly in Sacrifices and Offerings for Sin and not in inward Holiness and sincere doings of God's Will which is the Evangelical Service he applieth the Psalmist's or rather our Saviour's words Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not Then said I Lo I come to do thy Will this is infer'd that he taketh away the first that he may establish the second i. e. the Messias abolisheth the Iudaical Service that the may set up and perpetuate the Evangelical one It can then be no longer questioned whether the Iewish Law was abrogated and that in formal and express Terms Those carnal Ordinances as the Apostle speaks Heb. 9. 10. were imposed upon them only until the time of Reformation i. e. of the Gospel When that came they were made void null and dead And this Epistle to the Hebrews seems to be the Sermon which St. Paul preached at their Funeral or the Office of Burial on that occasion Here is Ashes to Ashes and Dust to Dust a fatal Period put to the Iudaical Rites the Law interred and intombed never to rise again but the Gospel springs out of those Ashes a new and a more noble Dispensation succeeds in its room And thus I have abundantly proved what I undertook that the Law of Moses consisting in Ceremonies was not to continue but was in time to be nulled and dissolved and that by the coming of Christ they are accordingly nulled dissolved and abrogated Hitherto I have in a more remote manner proved the Certainty and Authority of the Evangelical Oeconomy and consequently of Christianity it self But now I will approach nearer and proceed to a more positive and particular Proof of the Authority of the Gospel-Dispensation Christ succeeds Moses the Gospel follows the Law but quo jure There must be as great Testimony for the one as there was for the other or else it cannot be received on good Grounds Let us see then how this Dispensation will acquit it self There are two kinds of Evidence Humane and Divine the Testimony of Man and the Testimony of God The first creates a humane Faith the second a divine one in us Both of these we have in the present Matter First we are furnished with Humane Testimony i. e. we are assured of the Truth of the Christian Religion by a sufficient number of credible Persons who have been either Ear or Eye-witnesses or both of all the Transactions relating to