A Body of Divinity, Vol. 2 (of 4): Wherein the doctrines of the Christian religion are explained and defended, being the substance of several lectures on the Assembly's Larger CatechismRidgley, Thomas
Religion
A Body of Divinity, Vol. 2 (of 4): Wherein the doctrines of the Christian religion are explained and defended, being the substance of several lectures on the Assembly's Larger Catechism
There were many other ceremonial ordinances, or types, which God gave to
the Jewish nation, which were significant representations of the grace
that was to be displayed in the gospel, or, as it is expressed in this
answer, they fore-signified Christ then to come, which contained as the
apostle expresses it, _A shadow of good things to come_, Heb. x. 1. so
that they all pointed at the grace of the covenant, or the
accomplishment of what was to be performed by Christ, after his
incarnation: but this will be more particularly considered, when we
speak of the ceremonial law, as distinguished from the moral, under a
following answer[103]. Therefore, at present, we shall only consider the
types in general, and their reference to the grace of the covenant,
whereby the Old Testament church were led into the knowledge of the
Messiah then to come, together with what he was to do and suffer, to
purchase and apply the blessings of this covenant to his people. And
here we shall shew,
_1st_, That there were typical ordinances under the ceremonial law. This
we are obliged to maintain, against those who have advanced several
things relating to the origin of the ceremonial law, which tend very
much to divest it of its spirituality and glory[104], when they assert,
that all the rites and ordinances thereof were derived from the
Egyptians; and that they were first observed by them, before known and
received by the church; and that the reason why God accommodated his law
thereunto, was because he knew how tenacious they were of that religion
in which that generation had been trained up in Egypt, and how difficult
it would be for them wholly to lay it aside, and to give into another
way of worship, which was altogether foreign to it: nevertheless, they
say that he cut off, or separated from it, every thing that was
idolatrous, and adapted other things to that mode of worship, which he
thought most conducive to his glory. But though he commanded his people,
when they left Egypt, to borrow vessels of silver and gold, to be used
in that service they were to perform in the wilderness; yet far be it
from us to suppose, that God, in ordaining this law, borrowed any part
of it from them. It is true, there were rites of worship used by the
Egyptians, and other nations, which had some affinity with the divine
law, and were received by them in common with other heathen nations, by
tradition, from the church, in former ages; and it cannot be denied, but
that the Israelites sometimes corrupted the worship of God, by
introducing some things into it, which were practised by neighbouring
nations: but God gave no countenance to this matter, by accommodating
his law to theirs. But since this has been purposely and largely
insisted on, with much learning and judgment, by others[105], I shall
pass it over.
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