Imatges de pàgina
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and wearing garments mingled with linen and woolen (a), though they were to be observed in the literal fenfe, feem mainly intended to difcourage the joining the worthip of idols with the worship of the true God, the intermarrying with heathens, and, above all, unnatural ways of gratifying luft. The feething a kid in his mother's milk (b), the killing a cow or ew and their young in one day (c), and the taking the dam and her young at once (d), were forbid in order to encourage mercy and humanity. And therefore the last of thefe precepts is backed with this reason, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayeft prolong thy days (). The moral intention of the precept againft muzzling the ox that treadeth out the corn (f), is pointed out by Paul, 2 Cor. ix. 9, 10. The forbiding the price of a dog to be brought into the house of the Lord, was probably intended to difcourage impudence and uncleannefs, as it is at the fame time forbidden to bring there the hire of a whore (g). -Some laws might be neceffary, in the climate where Judea lay, to preferve cleanlinefs, and thereby the health of the inhabitants.-In fome rites God might accommodate himself, as far as was fit, to the difpofitions and inclinations of his fubjects, by adopting into the Jewish ritual, ceremonies to which they had been accuftomed, and for which they had contracted a fondness, when in Egypt. At the fame time, that the admitting among them some ceremonies of this kind, might not facilitate the entrance of idolatry, a variety

(a) Lev. xix. 19. Deut. xxii. 9,-11. (b) Exod. (c) Lev. xxii. 28. (d) Deut. xxii. 6, (f) Deut. xxv. 4. (g) Deut.

xxiii. 19.
7. (e) Ibid.
xxiii. 18.

of

of rites were wifely prefcribed, diametrically oppofite to these of Egypt and other idolatrous nations. As things difficultly obtained are most valued and defired, it is not improbable, that the reason why fuch a multitude of legal pollutions, unfitted for the fervice of the temple, might be, to increase the reverence and affection of the Jews for that fervice.-Laftly, almost every part of the ceremonial law, befides its other purposes, was intended to typify either the Meffias, or the characters of the fubjects of his kingdom, or the bleffings of the Chriftian difpenfation. And here I cannot forbear transcribing an obfervation of the learned Bishop Warburton's Divine Legation, B. 4. Section 6. An inftitution of a body of "rites, particularly and minutely levelled against, " and referring to the idolatrous practices of thofe

ages; and, at the fame time, as minutely ty"pical, not only of all the remarkable tranfac"tions under that difpenfation, but likewife of "all the great and conftituent parts of a future "one, to arife in a distant age, and of a genius "directly oppofite, muft needs give an attentive "confiderer the most amazing idea of divine "wisdom."

And thus I am brought back to my fubject, and led to obferve, that as things were termed unclean, which were types or emblems of moral impurity, fo the Jews were termed holy, not only because they were feparated from other nations, but because they typified real Chriftians, who are in the fullest and nobleft fenfe a holy nation, and a peculiar people (a). Types are visible things, different in their nature, from the Spiritual things which they typify. If then the Jew(a) 1 Pet. ii. 9.

ifh difpenfation was typical, we may fafely conclude, that the holiness of the Jewith nation being intended to typify the holiness of the Chriftian church, was of a different nature from it. And it is for this reason, that the Jewish difpenfation is called the flesh and the letter, becaufe perfons and things in that difpenfation, typified and reprefented perfons and things under a more fpiritual difpenfation.

SECTION II. .

§ 1. IT is easy to fee, from what has been obferved in the preceeding section, that the bleffings of the Sinai covenant are merely temporal and outward.

God in that covenant acted as a temporal monarch. And from a temporal monarch, temporal prosperity is all that we hope, not spiritual bleffings, fuch as righteoufnefs, peace and joy in the Holy Ghoft.

The Jews were treated in that covenant as children and flaves, Gal. iv. 1, 24. v. 1. Rom. viii. 15. Heb. ii. 15. Imaginary bleffings are well adapted to please children, and the expectations of a flave reach not to intimate friendship with his master, but are confined to a paltry hire.

We are informed, Luke xvii. 7,-10. how God deals with a hired fervant. Though he performs the fervile work for which he was hired, he is not to look for any mark of affection and respect from his mafter, feeing it was only for hire that he ferved him. A fit emblem of the Sinai' covenant, in which the Jews were hired by the profperous poffeffion of the land of Canaan, to perform

perform a variety of flavish, burdenfome fervices. If they did the work, they were only to expect the wages. They had no claim to special intercourse with God, and the peculiar tokens of his favour, feeing they were deftitute of faith, the neceffity of which our Lord had afferted, ver. 6. and introduced this fimilitude to illuftrate. After having done all the things commanded them, as they merit no reward, fo they don't receive it. They are unprofitable fervants, and are treated as fuch. Their Mafter faith not to them, go fit down to meat: but make ready wherewith I may fup, and gird thyself and serve me. How different a representation do the facred oracles give of the honour and happiness of true Chriftians? Though none of them ever did the thousandth part of his duty; and though the best of them could not be profitable to their Maker: yet their good works are represented as glorifying to God, profitable to fociety, and useful to themfelves (a). God calls them not fervants, as the Jews were called, but fons and friends (b). And, when their work is over, instead of fitting down at table, and commanding them to ferve him, such is his boundless condefcenfion and love, that he girds himself, makes them to fit down at meat, and comes forth and ferves them (c).

If any plead, that our Lord's fimilitude of a hired fervant refers to the law of nature: I acknowledge, that by the law of nature, one who perfectly loves God, and obeys his commands, and has never in the leaft inftance, by thought, word or action, tranfgreffed any of them, has no

(a) Matth. x. 41, 42. Ephef. vi. 8. Phil. i. 11. Philem. xi. (b) John xv. 15. Gal. iv. 7. (c) Luke

xii. 37.

claim to the heavenly inheritance, from the intrinfic merit of his obedience. However, from the goodness of God, and his love to holiness, we have no reason to doubt, that upon fuch a one the heavenly inheritance would be bestowed. Neither the law of nature, nor the covenant of grace, but the Sinai covenant alone, placed men in the relation of mercenary flaves.

On this account, the prophet Hofeah's wife, who represented those under the Sinai covenant, was bought with fifteen pieces of filver, and an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley (a). And the elder brother, in the parable of the prodigal, who alfo reprefents the Jewish church, had none of those marks of special affection given him, that were vouchsafed to the returning prodigal (b). *

§ 2. But it is proper to mention fome more direct and unquestionable proofs, that the bleffings of the Sinai covenant were merely outward.

Ifrael's deliverance from Egypt, which was as it were the foundation of the Sinai covenant, was only an outward redemption. Is it then reasonable to fuppofe, that the bleffings founded upon it were spiritual and heavenly?

Read attentively, and without prejudice, Mofes's account of the Sinai covenant. There you will find, that the chief promifes of it were, that the Ifraelites fhould, with little difficulty, fubdue the mighty nations of Canaan; that they should enjoy a long, quiet, and peaceable poffeffion of that country, under the divine protection; that their land fhould abound with corn and wine, milk and honey, and every thing elfe neceffary for their outward profperity; that they should be (a) Hofea iii. 2. (6) Luke xv. 11,—32. preferved

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