Air t T >'Js^'' 'T;Vj 'i 'iA^k*%' .J tfc" f t I> ' l "I give theft Booki far tie/aunding if a College in^ -thi^ Colony' Gift of 190dr AN EXPOSITION AND DEFENSE SCHEME OF REDEMPTION, AS IT IS REVEALED AND TAUGHT IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. By R. MILLIGAN, PRHSrOKNT OF THE CULLEQ^ OF THE UIBLE IN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY. ** / atn not asltamed i^f th£ Gosf>el of Christ ; for it is the power of God for salvation ^ nery one that btlUvtlk.** Romans ^ i6 ^ REVISED EDITION. CINCINNATI: CHASE & HALL, Publisheks, 180 Elm St. 1877. Entered according to Act of CongreFs, in the year 1868, BY CHASE i IIA.r.L, In the Clerk's Office of the D striol Court of the-United States for tire Southern District of Otiio. SEVENTH EDITION. GENERAL CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION il Book First. PRELIMINARIES 17 CHAPTER I. GOD, fg CHAPTER II. CREATION 23 Seciion I. — The Pre-Adamic Earth, 23 Seciion II. — The Adamic Renovation, 26 CFIAPTER III. MAN'S PRIMITIVE STATE 35 CHAPTER IV. MAN'S FALL 40 Section I. — Origin of Evil, 40 Section II. — E.xtension of the Penalty 48 Section III. — Comprehension of the Penaltv, ,..,.. 52 • rv GENEIiAL CONTENTS. ^OOK Second. tc'.GK SCHEME OF REDEMPTION IN PROCESS OF DEVELOP MENT, 63 PART I. DEVELOPMENTS FROM ADAM TO MOSES, ...'... 63 CHAPTER L THE WOMAN'S SEED 63 CHAPTER II. INSTITUTION OF SACRIFICE, .66 Section I. — Divine Origin of Sacrifice 66 Section II. — Design of Sacrifice and Other Types, ... 67 CHAPTER III. CALL OF ABRAHAM AND HIS POSTERITY ya Section I. — Delay of the Remedial System, 72 .Secpion II. — God's Promises to Abraham, ....... 75 Section III. — Covenant of Circumcision, 79 PART II. DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE BIRTH OF MOSES TO THE DEATH OF JOSHUA °j CHAPTER I. DESIGN OF THE LAW 85 • GENERAL CONTENTS. V CHAPTER II. PAGE. THE MISSION OF MOSES, 85 CHAPTER IIL THE PASSOVER 93 CHAPTER IV. THE EXODUS, etc, 102 CHAPTER V. THE DECALOGUE, 106 CHAPTER VI. LEGAL TYPES 117 Section I. — The Tabernacle, ; . iiS Section II. — Furniture of the Tabernacle, 124 Section III. — The Court and its Furniture, 131 Section IV.^Legai, Offerings, 137 Section V. — The Levitical Priesthood, ........ 149 Section VI.^Festivai^ and other Stated Solemnities, . . 162 CHAPTER VIL DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE GIVING OF THE LAW TO THE REST IN CANAAN, 186 Section I. — Journey from Sinai to the Jordan, .... 186 Section IL — The Israelites under Joshua 192 PART III.- HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE DEATH OF JOSHUA TO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, ...... 199 CHAPTER I. JEWISH DEMONSTRATIONS, 199 VI GENERAL CONTENTS. CHAPTER II. PAGE. GENTILE DEMONSTRATIONS, zoi PART IV. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LIFE, DEATH, BURIAL, RES URRECTION, ASCENSION, AND CORONATION OF CHRIST zio CHAPTER I. MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST 210 CHAPTER II. CHRIST'S NATURE, CHARACTER, AND PERSONALITY, . 213 CHAPTER III. WHY THE WORD BECAME FLESH 226 Section I.^^The Atonement, , 226 Section II. — Reconciliation through Christ, 236 Section III. — Christ our Exemplar, 244 Secpion IV. — Destruction of Satan's Works, 250 Section V.-^C1irist's Conservative Power and Influence, 254 PART V. THE HOLY SPIRIT 262 CHAPTER I REVELATIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE SPIRIT, 26a CHAPTER II. AGENCY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE CONVERSION OF SIN- NERS 266 GENERAL CONTENTS. vn CHAPTER III. PACK. NCY OF THE SPIRIT IN COMFORTING AND SANCTI FYING THE SAINTS, 276 Book Third. SCHEME OF REDEMPTION DEVELOPED IN AND THROUGH THE CHURCH OF CHRIST 285 PART I. MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH, 392 CHAPTER I. APOSTLES, , . S94 CHAPTER II. PROPHETS, 298 CHAPTER III. EVANGELISTS 304 CHAPTER IV. ELDERS.f 3'9 CHAPTER V. DEACONS, 338 riii GENERAL CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. PAGE. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS 343 Section I.^Elecpion of Officers, 343 Section II. — Ordination of Officers, 351 PART II. CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES 361 CHAPTER I. PREACHING THE WORD 362 CHAPTER II. PRAYER, 367 CHAPTER III. PRAISE, 380 CHAPTER IV. FASTING, 38S CHAPTER V. BAPTISM, 392 Section I. — Acpion of Baptism 392 Section II. — Design of Bap'pism, ....,, 403 Section HI.— -Subjects of Baptism, 40& CHAPTER VI. THE LORD'S DAY 4,5 CHAPTER VII. THE LORD'S SUPPER , 427 GENERAL CONTENTS. ix PART III. PAGE. MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH 443 CHAPTER I. CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP, 444 CHAPTER II. DUTIES OF CHRISTIANS, 472 CHAPTER III. CREED OF CHURCH MEMBERS 479 CHAPTER IV. ITS ADAPTATION TO ALL CLASSES 487 PART IV. CHURCH ORGANIZATION, COOPERATION, AND DISCI PLINE 508 CHAPTER I. CONVERSION OF THE WORLD 513 CHAPTER II. EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH $22 PART V. TORTUNES AND DESTINY OF THE CHURCH 536 INTRODUCTION. In order to understand fully and perfectly any one part or element of a system, it is necessary to ha\ e, in the first place, a general and comprehensive knowledge of the whole. ' The several elements must be viewed and considered in their relations to each other and to the whole scheme or system of which they are the compo nent and constituent parts. Nothing exists in a perfectly independent and isolated state. The universe is a unit — ¦ a vast system of means, agencies, and instrumentalities — • all the parts of which have a mutual dependence on each other, and none of which can be comprehended perfectly without some knowledge of the whole. Before the laws of universal gravitation were discovered by Sir Isaac Newton, the whole physical universe was a series of mysteries ; the laws of falling bodies, the weight of mate rials, the tides of the ocean, the motions of the several planets, and a thousand other terrestrial and celestial phenomena were all inexplicable even to the natural phi losopher. But as soon as it was discovered that "every body in the universe, whether great or small, tends to ward every other body, with a force which is as directly XI HI INTRODUCTION. as the quantity of matter, and inversely as the square of the distance," then, indeed, all was plain, the vail of mys tery was then removed, and a thousand subordinate questions were answered by the solution of this one great universal problem. And just so it is with respect to the Bible. It, too, is a unit. Its primary, general, and ultimate object is to develop one great and glorious System of Divine wisdom, justice, goodness, mercy, and love, through Jesus Christ, for the redemption of fallen man. But, nevertheless, like nature, it has its parts; its subordinate ends and pur poses; its wheels within wheels ; and its systems within systems — all of which, to be perfectly understood, must be considered in their relations to each other, and to the whole system of which they are but parts. The neglect or failure to do this has ever been a source of much error in the religious world. Owing, perhaps, to man's limited capacity, as well as to his "way wardness, rashness, pride, conceit, and indisposition to toil and labor, system-m.akers have always been prone to be satisfied with narrow, contracted, one-sided, and im perfect views of the great schemes and purposes of Jehovah. And hence it is that the common error of all humanly constructed systems of religion, as well as of medicine, education, philosophy, etc., consists in substi tuting a part for the whole. One system-maker, for in stance, gives undue relative prominence to the grace of God ; another to the blood of Christ ; another to the in- fiuence of the Spirit ; another to faith ; and another to works. All such systems contain some truth mixed with INTRODUCTION. xiii some error ; but none of them contains the whole truth. Pelagianism is about as one-sided as Augustinism, and Arminianism is about as defective and erroneous as Cal vinism. In this work there is no attempt made to construct a system of any kind. This has already been done, and done perfectly, by that Spirit which searches all things, yea, even the deep counsels and purposes of Jehovah. And whatever serves to draw away the minds and hearts of the people from the constant, earnest, and prayerful study of this Divine system, whether it be in the form of a Catechism, a Creed, a Periodical, or a Newspaper, I can not but regard as an unqualified curse to our race. But whatever, on the other hand, serves to clear away the rubbish, the mists and fogs which human traditions and speculations have thrown over and around this sys tem ; whatever serves to lead and to incline the people to study it more earnestly, comprehend it more fully, love it more ardently, and reverence it more profoundly, I can not but regard as a great blessing to our race. To accomplish this end, in some degree, is my sole object in the following work. My former work on "Rea son and Revelation " was written for the purpose of mak ing the reader feel and realize that the Bible as a whole, and in all its several parts, is the inspired Word of God. This work is written for the pttrpose of helping him to :omprehend its sublime and gracious contents, by leading and inducing him to study it by day and meditate on it iy night. And hence I have not attempted to exhaust any subject, but merely to give to the reader such hints. XIV INTRODUCTION. suggestions, illustrations, and explanations as will enable and encourage him to study the Bible for himself, and thus to satisfy his hungry and thirsty soul at the original, unwasting, and inexhaustible fountain of God's everlasting grace and love. Many thousand pages would of course be necessary to give any thing like a full exposition and defense of the Scheme of Redemption as it is presented to us in the Holy Scriptures. But I flatter myself that in the following pages I have given to the student of the Bible something that is really more valuable. Of thi.s, others of course must judge. I can only say that the work has cost me much labor and hard thinking, and as much for the sake of brevity as for any thing else. Primarily, this work, in connection with "Reason and Revelation',' is designed to serve, in part, as a substitute for such a course of preliminary lectures as are found to be necessary in all Colleges and Seminaries of learning in which the Bible is properly taught and studied as a regu lar Text-Book. In this way I hope it will be of great assistance both to Teachers and to their pupils. It will, I trust, reHeve the former from the necessity of deliver ing so full a Course of Lectures as would be absolutely necessary without it ; and it will rave the latter from the labor and toil of taking so full and copious notes as would otherwise be ne'^essary. But the work is aiso intended to serve as a helj) to the study and comprehension of the Bible in the Family, in the Sunday School, and in the Bible-Class. And hence it is written in the plainest and simplest style possible. All technicalities are avoided, and no foreign words are INTRODUCTION. xv introduced into the text that can serve in any way to perplex the English reader. The few Greek and Hebrew words used for the benefit and satisfaction of the classical student may, without embarrassment, be passed over by all who are not acquainted with the original. In quoting from the Scriptures I have generally used the common English version unchanged. But wherever the meaning of the text is obscure, or the words are either obsolete or barbarous, I have either used other translations, or modified the English text, or made a new translation from the original Greek or Hebrew. It is due to my brethren to say that no one is re sponsible for any thing contained in this work but myself To my friend and true yoke-fellow, Prof J. W. McGarvey especially, I am indebted for many valuable suggestions. But I have in all cases recorded what, after due consider ation, seemed to myself to be most consistent with the oracles of God. And now, dear reader, if this volume serves to draw you nearer to God and to the Word of his grace, which ¦ is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all the sanctified in Christ Jesus, my object will be accomplished. And "to Him who has loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God," even his and our Father, to him be all the honor, and the glory forever and ever. Amen! R. MILLIGAN. Kentucky University, ) May 19, 1868. ) Scheme of Redemption. BOOK first. PRELIMINARIES. My theme is the Scheme of Redemption. I wish to trace it from its origin, throughout all its sub- subject of the sequent phases and developments, till it finally i'''=^"=^- results in the complete and eternal salvation of the Re deemed in God's everlasting kingdom. Like its Divine Author, it is, of course, infinitely per fect. We have nothing, therefore, to add to perfection of it, and nothing to subtract from it. Our pur- "'^ scheme. pose is simply to ascertain what it is, and what it re quires of man. In this attempt the Bible will, of course, be our chief guide and instructor. The Scheme of Redemp- where taught tion is no part of the original system of na- "'"^ illustrated. ture. It is a subsequent development. And for a knowledge of it, we must of course look to what God has himself said and taught concerning it, in the Living Oracles. In these it is given as the Mystery revealed. 17 1 8 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. But first of all, the mind naturally dwells on God First Topic sug- himself, as its infinitely glorious and perfect gesied. Author. And I will therefore now submit, for the "consideration of the reader, a few thoughts on the Theology of the Bible. CHAPTER I. GOD. In speaking of God, we must be very careful not God properly to be wisc abovc what is written. For "no reveaJedoniyiu ^^^^^ knoivcth tfiB Sou but tlic Father ; neither and througli the ' Bible. knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him!' Matt. xi, 27. True, indeed, it may be said, that " Something is ; and cudworth's ar- therefore something eternally was." For as Eumeut from ^^^ ancients taught: "Ex nihilo, nihil fit"— philosophical *^ ' -' necessity. from nothing, nothing comes. And hence it follows of necessity, that something must have existed from eternity. But whether this was the Lord God of the Bible, as Unsatisfactory Moscs teaches, or whether it was the Cos- for two reasons, mos— thc adomed and perfectly arranged uni verse, as Aristotle supposed, is a question which can per haps never be satisfactorily decided by the dim light of nature. And even if we should arrive at the conclusion that the Cosmos is an effect, a creation of something else, it would still be a question what that preexisting something is — whether it is one or many ; whether Monotheism, GOD. 19 Dualism, or Polytheism, is the true theology of the uni verse. The Persians worshiped two supposed * ^ ^ lendency of the coeternal divinities. The Greeks sometimes mind to Poiy- spoke of the one Supreme God ; but they nevertheless worshiped their 30,000 imaginary created and uncreated deities ; and the Hindoos still continue to adore about 333,000,000. And hence it is evident, that under the present sin-perverted light of nature, the tend ency of the human mind is to Polytheism. When, therefore, it is said, "The heavens declare the glory of God ; and the firmament showeth his ° ¦' _ _ _ Meaning of Psa. handy work," Psa. xix, i ; and again, "The in- xix, i, and Rom. visible things of him, since the creation of '^°' the world, are clearly seen, being vinderstood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and God- hood," Rom. i, 20 — in all such passages, nothing more is intended than that such is the testimony of nature to him, to whom God has revealed himself, and whose mind is not blinded and perverted by sin. To the Bible, then, we must look primarily and chiefly for a knowledge of the being, character, and => °' ' What the Bible attributes of God. In it we are taught all teaches con- things that it is really necessary we should "'"'"^ know concerning him, in order to our present and oternal well-being. Such, for example, are the following particulars : I. That God is one. " Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah." Deut. vi, 4. His unity. II. That in this sublime and incomprehensible unity there is also embraced a threefold personalit'V. ¦> ^ -'His threefold This is evident from such passages as the Per^naiity /• n . proved. tollowmg : I. From Genesis i, i. It is true that in this verse 20 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. the verb created (x'J?) is singular ; but the name God (D-iri'7N) is plural. And hence it seems that From Gen. i, i. ' ' . . , , , .. r, the Holy Spirit labors even here, as it often does elsewhere, to guard the readers of the Bihle against the extremes of both Polytheism and Unitarianism. 2. A still more striking instance of this plurahty in Evidence from thc Diviuc Unity occurs in Genesis i, 26: Genesis i,=6. "And God Said, Let US make man in OUR image ; after OUR likeness." Here the name Eloheim, the pronouns us and oitr, and the verb vtake, (ng'j^J,) all serve to reveal and to express the plurality of our Cre ator in some sense. I know it is alleged by some that this language is used merely in imitation of the majestic style Hypotheses _ -' . with regard to of klugs ; aud by others, that this address was this address. 11. , , 1 delivered to angels. But In reply to the first of these hypotheses, it is enough to say that no such majestic style Why neither of ° _ -' _ . ¦' •' these is satisfac- was then iu being. And with regard to the ""^^' second, I need only remind the reader that angels are not creators, but simply creatures. God him self is the only Creator revealed to us in the Living Oracles. And hence we are constrained, by a fair and rational ^ , . exegesis of this passage, to regard these words Conclusion. x ^ ^ o of the Holy Spirit as an expression of plural ity in the Divine unity. 3. Another very remarkable exarnple of this Trinity Evidence from is givcu in the formula of Christian Baptism. Matt, xxviii, „. . Baptize them," said our Redeemer, " into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Here there is clearly but one Divinity, and yet a threefold personality. GOD. . 2 1 4. Each of these three persons is called God in the Holy Scriptures. See i Cor. viii, 6 ; John i. Evidence f.mn 1 A . the word God, I ; and. Acts v, 3, 4. O,,^.) I need not multiply e.xamples and illustrations. The Divine Utiity in one sense, and the Divine conclusion with Plurality in some other and different sense, ¦¦=s'""'J "> "'« Divine Unity are both as clearly revealed in the Bible as and the Divine any thing else. And for us who believe in ^'""'"i"- the plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, this is of course sufficient. To reconcile fully these two attri butes of the Divine nature and character, and to explain satisfactorily in what they severally consist, may, for aught we know, be above thg capacity of the Archangel. Indeed, to do this may require a perfect knowledge of the Divine nature. But, of course, the finite can not comprehend the Infinite, Job xi, 7. Let us, then, not attempt to be wise beyond or above what is written ; but let us humbly ^nd gratefully receive this sublime truth as a matter of faith, just as we are compelled to re ceive many other things that are clearly revealed in the three great volumes of creation, providence, and redenvptjon. Ill, ft is also clearly taught in the Holy Bible, that God is Spirit, John iv, 24 ; and, moreover '' God s essence that a spirit has not flesh and bones as we is spirit, not find in the human body. Luke xxiv, 39. And hencg it is only by a figure of speech (anthropomor phism) that we ascribe any form of material organization to God. IV. That he is omniscient — a being of infi- p^of ^f i„s nite knowledge. This is proved. Omniscience. I. By his works. He has weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in 4 balancg. 22 , SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. 2. By prophecy. None but a being of infinite knowl edge could have foretold what the Bible reveals to us. 3. By the direct testimony of the Scriptures. Isa. xl, 9, 10; Acts XV, 18; Romans xvi, 27. Finite knowledge is nothing compared with that which is infinite. His oranipo- V. That he is omnipotent. This is proved, '""'='=¦ I. By his works. Psalms viii and xix. 2. By direct testimony. Genesis xvii, i; and- Reve lation iv, 8. VI. That he is omnipresent, i Kings viii, 27 ; Psa. Hisomnipres- cxxxix, 7-10 ; Jeremiah xxiii, 23, 24; Acts ence. xvii, 27, 28. VII. That he is infinitely just. This is beautifully illustrated by Psa. Ixxxix, 14: "Justice and His Justice. 1 1 1 • • judgment are the habitation of thy throne.' And hence the death of Christ was necessary in order to the justification of the believer. Rom. iii, 25 ; Luke xxiv, 46. - VIII. That he is infinite in holiness. Isa. His Holiness. vi, 3 ; and Rev. iv, 8 ; xv, 4. IX. That he is infinite in goodness ; i. e., that in all , . „ cases he acts for the greatest good of the His Goodness. ° ° whole creation. Psalm cxlv, 9 ; and Matthew xix, 17. HisEternit ^" ^l^^^ l'-^ ^^ eternal; without beginning of days or end of life. Psalm xc, 2 ; and i Timothy i, 17. His immuta- XI. That lie is unchangeable. " With him ''"*'• is no variableness, not even the shadow of turning." James i, 17. The Source of XII. That he is the Creator of all things, *i things. p^QY, xvi, 4; Rom. xi, 33-36; Rev. iv, 11. PRE-ADAMIC EARTH. 23 INFERENCES. From these premises it follows : I. That God makes no experiments ; that he never re pents as man repents, (i Samuel xv, 29,) and He is never dis- that he is never disappointed in any issue or *i'p'"°'<^'1- contingency that can possibly arise. And hence it fol lows, that when God is said to repent, it is only by a figure, (anthropopathy,) in condesGension to our imper fections. See Genesis vi, 6. II. That his own nature is the Constitution His Nature, tha of the universe; according to which all things Constitution of Were created, and all laws enacted. III. That his ivill is the only proper standard standard of* of rectitude. John iv, 34; and i Cor. vi, 20. Rectitude. CHAPTER II. CREATION. SECTION I.— The Pre-Adamic Earth. How long Jehovah existed alone, or at what epoch hia creative voice first broke the silence of eter- First epoch of nity, we have no means of knowing with abso- spiritual crea- lute certainty. But it is probable that things material were first created, and afterward such beings as are purely spiritual or of a mixed constitution. Be this as it may, it seems pretty evident from Gen^ esis i, I, that in the beginning, perhaps in an ^ , . FrPCU and ex- instant, in the twinkling of an eye, all the tent of mate.- r ,, .. . . ;•(¦«/ creatifin. matter of the entire universe was at once 24 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. launched into being by a single and almighty fiat of Je hovah. No subsequent readjustment of forces was neces sary. At the simple command of the Great Architect, suns, and moons, and stars, and systems sprang into ex istence. And though they were perhaps at first in a chaotic state, they immediately commenced their march sublime under the laws and forces of universal gravita tion. " He spake, and it was done ; He commanded, and it stood fast." „ . , , That this was an absolute creation of matter. Meaning of the word create in and Hot z. mere renovation of something pre- Genesis i, x. . , ... . ... viously existing, is evident, I. From the context. For, , I. A mere change or renovation is ordina- Proof of this. rily expressed by the word ahsah, and not by the word bahrah. 2. The beginning of the Adamic renovation is evi dently described in the third verse of this chapter. 3. In Genesis ii, 3, both the words bahrah and ahsah are used : the former to describe creation absolute, as in Genesis i, i, and the latter to describe the Adamic reno vation, as it is given and explained in Genesis i, 3-31. II. From parallel passages. I. ^ohn i, 1-3. In these words we are assured that "all things began to be (Iri'-'^rii) through the Word." 2. Heb. xi, 3. ~Here the apostle clearly distinguishes this primary and absolute creation of matter from all sub sequent changes and renovations of the same by the state ment that " the things which are now seen were not made out of things which do appear!' Epoch of ere- When this beginning was, or how long it e™io,rof'gel occurred before the Adamic epoch, we have "'osy- no means of ascertaining with any high deoree PRE-ADAMIC EARTH. 2$ ' of certainty. But geology makes it quite probable, if not indeed absolutely certain, that it occurred many ages previous to the historic period ; and, moreover, that during these intervening ages, many distinct orders of vegetables and animals were created and destroyed at the beginning and close of each geological formation. But these matters have no direct connec- why Moses tion with the Scheme of Redemption. And Pitencethlseii," hence it is that Moses passes over them all in tervening ages. silence, and simply notices, in the second verse of his narrative, the chaotic state of the earth after Era of the the last great cataclysm that occurred shortly second verse of before the first day of the Adamic era. " The °°'^' ' earth," he says, "was wasteness and emptiness, and dark ness was on the face of the abyss ; and the Spirit of God brooded on the face of the waters." * * Several other modes of reconciling the known facts of geology with the Mosaic cosmogony have been proposed; the most plausible and popular of which is the one supported by Hugh Miller, Mo^es of rec- Profs. Silliman, Dana, etc, and which, for the sake of dis- ev and Genesis. tinction, may be called " The Hypothesis of Seven Successive and Indefinite Periods," as the one which we have adopted has been very properly called " Tfie Hypothesis of Intervening Periods." According to the hypothesis of seven successive and indefinite periods, each of the six days of creation represents a period of indefinite length; the first of which com menced with the epoch of creation, and the last of which ended with the creation of man. This theory is now advocated by many able interpreters of both Nature and Revelation. But to my mind there are -,, . . ., ... . . r. , r ' Objections to some weighty objections against it. Such, for instance, as ,],g hypothesis the following : of seven in- I. There seems to be no valid reason for using the word definite pe- day, as it occurs in the first chapter of Genesis in a figurative ''<"^s- sense. Compare Exodus xx, 9-1 1. II. This hypothesis does not harmonize well with the fact that no rain had fallen on the earth before the third day. See Genesis ii, 5. III. It does not account for the appearance of animals even as low down as the Silurian formation. This, according to Hugh Miller, was the product of the second day. But, according to Moses, no animals were created before the fifth day. 3 26 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION SECTION II. — The Adamic Renovation, or First Week of THE Historic Period. The third verse of Genesis evidently records the com mencement of the historic period. It is very the third verse remarkable that Moses introduces the work of each of the six days of creation by means of the same simple but expressive formula, " And God said!' At the beginning of the first day God said : " Let there be light, and there was light." In order that we may clearly and fully comprehend the meaning of this beautiful and sublime Imperfect state ^ _ of optical sci- oracle, it is necessary that we shall first un derstand the true nature and philosophy of light. But to do this in the present imperfect state of physical science is, perhaps, impossible. No man can be perfectly sure that we yet understand what light is. It seems quite probable, however, from recent dis- The robabi coveries in optics, that light is not an emana- correct, or now tloH from the suH aud other luminous bodies, most commonly received theo- as Sir Isaac Newton supposed ; but that it is '^' simply an effect in the sensorium, produced through the medium of the optic nerve, by the incon ceivably rapid vibrations of an extremely subtile fluid, Vf. The number of these geological formations is not yet well defined. Some of our ablest geologists make as many as ten or twelve. Ou the whole, then, I much prefer the hypothesis of intervening periods. It seems to harmonize better both with the facts of geology pendsol!'!rohy- ^"'' "'^ Cosmogony of Moses. But let it be distinctly un- pothesis. derstood that we do not suspend the truth of the Mosaic narrative on either of these hypotheses. It is sustained by better and stronger evidence than the recent developments of a science which is even yet but imperfectly understood. But nevertheless it is a sat isfaction to know that, so far as we do understand the Book of Nature it is in perfect harmony w;th the Mosaic history of creation. This can not be truthfully said of any other system of ancient cosrtiogony. ADAMIC RENOVATION. 2/ commonly called the Luminiferous Ether ; just as sound is produced through the medium of the auditory nerve, by the vibrations of the atmosphere. It seems, moreover, that it is the peculiar property of the Sun and other luminous bodies to set this fluid in motion, and to cause it to vibrate. On this hypothesis, then, it is evident that both the Sun and the Luminiferous Ether are essential The Sun and to the production of light. Let this Ether, as Ether both es- it now surrounds the Earth, be destroyed, or ^"'"' ° *'' in any way absorbed by the agency of other matter, and the whole world would be at once enveloped in absolute darkness. The Sun might exist in the Heavens, and the eye might exist here on Earth, but without this medium of connection between the Sun and the eye all here would be dark as Erebus. It is probable, therefore, that the darkness immedi ately antecedent to the Adamic epoch was hcw the pre- produced in this way, i. e., by the absorption ^.trL'Trt^ of the previously existing Luminiferous Ether ; ''""d. for that there was light long before the A..damic era is evident from the fact that animals having eyes lived during even the Carboniferous, Devonian, and Silurian periods. But the existence of an eye implies the exist ence of hght, and the existence of light, accordihg to the present generally received theory of Optics, implies the existence of a Luminiferous Ether. But this primordial Luminiferous Ether was, in all prob ability, not adapted to the wants of man and why the pri- other living species ; and hence, like the prim- ""ous'^EThet jtive atmosphere, it was absorbed, 'or otherwise "'as destroyed. destroyed; and darkness was an immediate and neces sary consequence. But as soon as it was reproduced, on 28 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. the first day, the whole hemisphere of the Earth next to How the Light the Sun was instantly illuminated. This was of the present probably done after the Sun had crossed the era was pro- sr j duced. meridian of Paradise ; and hence the evening occurred before the morning. Work of the On the second day God made the atmos- secondday. phero. Something similar to this had doubt less existed during the pre-Adamic ages. It Evidence of a o r _ o pre-existing at- was absolutely necessary to the life and growth mospiere. ^^ \io\}a. the auimals and the plants that then existed ; but, like the primordial Luminiferous Ether, it was Why it was de- ^ot adapted to the "wants of men and other stroyed. existiug spccies. Our present atmosphere contains ahout \ part of Oxy- Composition of ^^^ ' ^^^^^^^ * "^ Nitrogen ; ^^ part of Car- our atmos- bouic Acld ; about the same amount of Carbu- ^ "°' reted Hydrogen, and a very small portion of ammonia. But De Sausure and other naturalists have rendered Experiments of i* Very probable that, during at least the age De Sausure. gf j-jjg Carbouiferous Formation, the atmos phere contained a much larger proportion of Carbonic Acid. They have proved by experiments that vegetables under the full influence of the Sun's heat and light, attain to their maximum growth in an atmosphere that contains about xV part of Carbonic Acid. Such an atmosphere was, therefore, well adapted to the immense growth of vege tables out of which the Coal of the Earth was formed ; but it would soon prove destructive to the life and health of most living animals ; and hence it was, in all probability, that the primitive atmosphere was caused to pass away as a scroll, and another was produced that is more in har mony with the wants and constitution of existing species. ADA MIC RENO VA TION. 29 On the third day God collected the waters on the sur face of the earth into one place, and' covered ^ork of the the land surface with grass and other living """"^ ^'i- species of vegetables. These all seem to have sprung up instantly, in a state of perfection, at the command of God. Islands '^ ' Perfect state of and continents, which, on the subsiding of the these primitive waters, seemed naked and barren as the flinty *" *" ^' rock, were" now in an instant covered and adorned with all manner of trees, and fruits, and flowers. This is another fine illustration of the sublime and beautiful. On the fourth day God caused the Sun, and the Moon, and the stars to appear in the heavens, and work of the made (ahsah) them our time-keepers. '°"'"* ''^''¦ There is nothing in the text that implies that they were iust then created. They had doubtless „ ., -' •' No evidence of existed in some state, as had the Earth, from creation on that the beginning. But on the fourth day the ^^' clouds were most likely dispersed, the atmosphere be came perfectly transparent, and these luminaries then became visible from the Earth ; and hence this was the most suitable time that could have been selected for making them our Chronometers. On the fifth day God said, "Let the waters bring forth abundantly the creeping creature that work of the hath life, and let fowls fly above the Earth in s"'' ^¦^¦ the open firmament of Heaven." The bodies of the marine animals were most likely made out of the water ; -and from Genesis ii, partiy a for- 19. we learn that the bodies, of the birds were ™','|°'a„ ^^^ formed as the body of man, out of the ground. '"'^ creation. But the souls, or living principles of both, were no doubt a primary creation. 30 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. On the sixth day, God first created, in like manner. Work of tlie all terrestrial animals. And then he said, sixth day. « Lg|- us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the Earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth on the Earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him : a male and a female created he them. And God blessed them ; and God said unto them. Be fruitful, and multiply, and re plenish the Earth, and subdue it ; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over every thing that moveth upon the Earth. And God said. Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the Earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed : to you it shall be given for food." In the second chapter, which is but an amplification Complex na- of some of the leading thoughts of the first, we ture of man. learn that man is a compound being, consist ing partly of matter and partly of spirit. See Genesis ii, 7. ¦An analysis of his body shows that it consists of six- composition of tceu material elements ; eight of which are his body. metallic and eight non7metallic. The metallic are Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Iron, Manganese, and CopjDer; and the non-metallic are Oxygen, Hydrogen, Carbon, Nitrogen, Silicium, Phos phorus, Sulphur, Chlorine, and traces of a few others. Perfection of its This was the most perfect piece of ma- workmanship. chiucry evcr formed. But it was not till God Origin of the breathed into it the breath (hde^j, from D2?J, to hinnau spirit, breathe) of lives (D"n, plural of 'n, life, from ':n. to live) that man became a living soul. ADAMIC RENOVATION. 3 1 As this passage (Genesis ii, 7) is often quoted to prove Materialism — to prove that the human This oracle soul is but a very subtile and attenuated claimed by form of matter, it may be well to pause here for a moment, and consider this sub- Fallacyandref- ject with some particularity. Be it ob- utation of this . .1 assumption. served, then, I. That all our knowledge comes primarily from sen sation. By this I do not mean, as Aristotle i. origin of our and his followers have taught, that "Nihil in '''^^• intellectu, quod non prius in sensu :" " there is nothing in the intellect which was not first in sensation." This is a most pernicious maxim, and leads of necessity to gross Materialism. But, nevertheless, it must be conceded, I. That all our mental faculties are first .... . .,. 1 Explanations. awakened and excited, directly or indirectly, by sensation. 2. That our first acquired ideas have, therefore, all reference to sensible objects. 3. That these primary ideas become the occasion or antecedents of other ideas and emotions derived from our higher rational and moral nature. II. From these premises it follows that it , ¦^ Hence the law is natural, and in many cases necessary, to of the mind, to describe spiritual things analogically by apply- spiritL! by the ing to them the names and attributes of ma- "'•'"^'"'^'• terial objects. And hence it is, I. That God, who is spirit, is so often represented in the Bible as if he were clothed with flesh Illustrations. and blood. 2. That the Holy Spirit is designated in most lan guages by names that are equivalent to the English 32 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. word wind, or breath. Thus in Hebrew it is called ruahh; in Greek it is called pneumaf and in Latin Spiritus. 3. Hence, too, the philosophy and the propriety of all the Levitical and the Christian ordinances. 4. And hence it is that all the inspired writings, and especially the discourses of Christ, abound so much in metaphors, similes, parables, and allegories. There is, therefore, an antecedent probability that the word breath is in this connection used metaphorically. But, III. That the spirit of man is essentially different ^ ., , from any and all forms of matter, may be Evidence that -' _ _ ' ¦' the soul of man proved from its properties and its attributes. is not material. ~,, . , . r .. I. The essential properties ot matter are extension and impenetrability. 2. The essential attributes and characteristics of the human spirit are thought, feeling, and volition. They differ essentially in their properties ; and hence they differ essentially in their substance and essence. IV. But is the soul of man dependent for its existence, life, and activity on the body, or on any other Evidence that . . ¦' ¦ the soul sur- forms of matter .¦' Is it, like its clay tenement, wVedcs ""nd"'* mortal.? or, like its Creator, is it immortal? changes of mat- Thcse are questious which can be answered with clearness and certainty only from the I living oracles. The following passages are full and satis factory on these points : Exodus iii, 6 ; Daniel xii, 1 3 ; Matt, x, 28; Luke xvi, i'9-3i; 2 Cor. v, 1-9, xii, 1-3; I Phil, i, 21-23 ; Rsv. iv. From these Scriptures it is perfectly evident that the Cmchisions re- Soul of man must forever exist in a state of specting the .... soul. either happiness or misery. ADAMIC RENOVATION. 33 A few words respecting the creation of woman will suffice for this chapter. Woman! " The fairest of creation ; last and best Of all God's work ; creature in whom excelled Milton's eulogy "Whatever can to sight or thought be formed ; o>i woman. Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet." Man is a social being, and needs society. And God resolved to supply his wants in this respect. ^ ^ •' ^ Meaning of the " I will," said he, " make him a helpmeet for phrase, heip- him ;" or rather, " corresponding to him ;" his counterpart. Q'^^).^, from n^^, front.) The Septuagint has xard auTov, according to himself. This, then, forever settles the question concerning the rank and dignity of woman. If she were woman-s rank either man's inferior or his superior, she would ^"^ dignity. not be his counterpart, nor be according to him. But it does not follow that woman must be just equal to man in every respect. She is evidently, as in what respect Peter says, (i Peter iii, 7,) the weaker vessel, t^^^^^ Physically and intellectually, she may be man's ""''• inferior. But if man has the strongest head, it is very evident that woman has the greatest heart. Both are divinely qualified for theii: respective spheres of action and influence. We must not forget that man is the lord of the world. And hence a woman is not „To what extent allowed e"ven to teach, whenever this would woman is for- imply the usurpation of authority over the man. See i Cor. xiv, 34; i Tim. ii, 12. But, neverthe less, it is evident that woman has a sphere as wide, as important, and as influential as that of man. ¦ It seems to have been God's will and purpose that Adam should feel his need of a companion before he would supply this want of his nature. And for this 34 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. purpose he first caused all the beasts and birds to pass Why the beasts before Adam, probably in pairs, the male and birds were ^^ j^jg female. At the same time he so in- made to pass before Adam. spired Adam as to enable him both to com prehend their nature, and to name them according to their attributes and differentia. By the time that Adam had accomplished this work, Of what woman he uo doubt fclt dccply his need of a com- was formed. paniou, bearing like himself the image of God. And hence God immediately brought on him a deep sleep, and took one of his ribs, out of which he made a Marriage a wornau, aiid brought her to Adam as his wife. Type. Thus marriage was instituted in Eden. Fit emblem of the relation between Christ and his Church. Ephesians v, 22, 23. Adam awoke and beheld his bride in all her virgin What Adam bcauty and loveliness. And, no doubt, while called his wife. g|.jjj yndcr the influence of that inspiration by which he had named all the animals, he called his wife's name eeshshah, (nE^i*,) because she was taken out of eesh, (i^'X.) Here, then, ends the work of the. sixth day. The order was, Order of events on the sixth I. The creatiou of land animals. 2. The creation of man. 3. The naming of the animal tribes. 4. The creation of woman. MAN'S PRIMITIVE STATE. 35 CHAPTER III. MAN'S PRIMITIVE STATE. Several things in the preceding narrative clearly in dicate that it was God's will and purpose that '^ -^ God's will and man should be very happy, and that he should purpose con- occupy a very high, and honorable, and jnflu- '^"'"'""^ """'• ential position in the scale of creation. This is evident, I. From the fact that he was made in the „ j , • •f Proved and in- image and likeness of his Creator. No higher dic,itedy?;-rt iiy hi> being made honor could be bestowed on any creature than in ihe imaye of this. ""'^¦ But in what did this image and likeness consist 1 Not in any thing physical, for God is Spirit, but inwhatihisim- evidently in those God-like attributes of man's '^^ consisied. intellectual and moral nature that so eminently qualified him to act as God's vicegerent in the government of this world. See Ephesians iv, 23, 24; and Colossians iii, 10. II. The extent of man's dominion is also an evidence of his God-like nature, and of God's purposes of be- ' -^ . Secondly, in nevolence and grace concerning him. God never the extent of , . . - ^ , , his dominion. errs in his appointments. He always uses the best means for accomplishing all his ends and purposes. Whom he calls and appoints to any work, him he also qual ifies for its performance. Thus it was with Noah, Abra ham, Moses, Bezaleel, Aholiab, Joshua, David, , Illustrations. Solomon, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Paul, Luther, and Washington ; and thus it evidently was with Adam and Eve. When God said unto them. Have dominion over 36 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. the Earth, and the Air, and the Seas, he fully qualified and prepared them physically, intellectually, and morally for the work. They were divinely qualified to govern and to enjoy the world, with all its fullness, and to bring out of it a constant revenue of glory to their Creator. III. God's favor to man is further manifested in the Thirdly, in the fact, that for hts spccial benefit the whole earth, ofwhSrhTwas '^ith all its rich treasures of mineral, vegetable, made heir. ^;2^ animal Wealth, was provided. For him, / all the matter of the Earth was created in the beginning. I For him, all the .gold, and silver, and copper, and iron, and I granite, and marble, and coal, and salt, and other precious minerals and fossils, were treasured up, during the many ages that intervened between the epoch of Creation and the beginning of the Historic Period. For him, the light and the atmosphere were produced. For him, the world was clothed with grass, and fruits, and flowers. For him, the Sun rbse and set in the firmament, and the stars per formed their apparent daily and yearly revolutions. For him, the sea and the land were filled with living creatures, and the air was made vocal with the sweet voices of birds. All these things were provided for the good and happiness of man ; and then he was himself created to enjoy them. And thus it happened, that what was first in design was really last in execution. IV. But it is, perhaps, in and through tlie special pro- ^ _„ . visions of Paradise, that God's benevolence is Foitrlhly, in "^ . the special pro- viost fulfy and particularly displayed, and man's visions of Eden. ... , . . , - primitive happiness indicated. When God created man, we are told that he placed Man's primi- him ih a garden, eastward in Eden, (fif:', live abode. pleasantuess.) The site or location of Eden is uncertain. The only MAN'S PRIMITIVE STATE. 37 data that we have from which to determine this matter are the four rivers and the direction of the r -i^T , , . , r Site of Eden. garden from Moses stand-point, or place of writing. Some think that the four rivers are the Ganges, the Nile, the Tigris, and the Euphrates. Others again think that they are the Phasis, the Araxes, the Tigris, and the Euphrates. But it is most probable that subsequent Geological changes have destroyed even the site of Eden. See Hitchcock's Religion of Geology, page 138. Be this as it may, it was evidently designed merely as a temporary abode for man in a state of inno- „ , ,.^ . * -' God s object in cence. God does nothing in vain ; and fore- providing this seeing that man certainly would fall, he fitted and prepared the world at large for fallen man ; and the \ Garden of Eden particularly and especially for our first parents. This was wise, and just, and good. This Garden was of course exceedingly what it con- lovely and beautiful. It contained, '^'""^• I. All that was pleasant to the eye, to the ear, to the smell, to the touch, and to the taste of man. All that is There bloomed the most fragrant and beautiful pleasant to the of all flowers. There were all kinds of de licious fruits, and every thing else that could possibly de light and regale the senses.- '/' ^-j h cfut ,'/,_ 7' The principal events of this section are matters of almost universal tradition. Thus, for in- Testimony of stance, Hesiod speaks of the first, or Golden ^''li'f '"" '°t^s Age, of the world, before sin was born : Narrative. \ " When Gods alike and mortals rose to birth, A golden race the Immortals formed on Earth ; Hesiod's ac- Like Gods they lived, with calm, untroubled mind. Golden Age Free from the toil and anguish of our kind." The same poet thus afterward describes the introduc tion of evil into the world, through the agency and curi osity of woman : "The woman's hands an ample casket bear, jj. - She lifts the lid, she scatters ills in air ! the origin of Hope sole remained within, nor took her flight, '^''• Beneath the casket's verge concealed from sight. "With ills the land is rife, with ills the sea; Diseases haunt our frail mortality." — \, The agency of the Serpent in this tragic affair is also ; ,a matter of tradition. The following is from / ^ Zoroaster's ac- [ ' the Zenddvesta of Zoroaster, the Persian phi- count of the or- i ' losopher. He says : " The world was created '^'" ° in six different periods of time ; in the last of which man was formed by the immediate hand of God. Much happi ness for a time prevailed ; but Ahriman, the Evil One, after having dared to visit Heaven, descended to the Earth, assumed the form of a Serpent, and brought along with him a number of wicked demons. The whole 1 world was then corrupted and thrown into confusion, and most complex generalizations qf the Calcnliis. Or they may otherwise be compared to the combatant who has more confidence in his aquatic dex terity than in his own native strength, and who, therefore, contrives to decoy his qpponent into water so very deep tiiat neither qf them can toucli the bottom. In such a case the contest is not one qf strength, but qf dexterity Let the battle be always fought on terra fir ma. 48 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. until it was necessary to bring on a Deluge of waters to purify it." I need only remind the reader that every counterfeit implies a reality. SECTION II. — Extension of the Penalty. It has long been a question of interest. How far the penalty of death inflicted for the sin of Adam Question as to the extension of was extended. Was it confined simply to our enaty. ^^^^ pareuts, or did it also include their pos terity? Or did it extend even further, so as to embrace within its limits all the various tribes and races of animals ? From such passages as Romans v, 12; vi, 23; and First hypothe- I Corinthiaus xv, 21, some have inferred that sis based on j.jjg death uot ouly of all men, but also of all Romans v, 12, -' S:c. animals, is the legitimate and necessary con sequence of Adam's first transgression. But from Geology we learn that death was in the world long before the sin, or even the creation Lessons taught by Geology and of man. And, moreover, it is evident from iy=ioogy. Physiology that death is now a natural and necessary consequence of all animal organization. Here, then, it is supposed by some there is a dis- Aiieged dis- crcpaucy between Science and Revelation. crepancy. g^j jg jj j-gj^j_ qj. jg j^. qj^j^. imaginary? Let' us inquire. Be it remembered, then, that it is a fundamental Proof that it is principle of Logic that the conclusion of an """ '"'"'• argument can legitimately comprehend noth- Logicai Prin- i^g uiore than the premises from which it is cipie involved, ^jrawu. If they are limited and particular, it must also of necessity be limited and particular. EXTENSION OF THE PEN ALT T. 49 In this principle, then, we have a satisfactory solution of the whole difficulty. From the context what we leam of the aforesaid passages of Scripture it is ^".I'toT*; evident, passages. I. That they embrace the whole human race; and that all men, therefore, die in consequence of Adam's first transgression. But, II. It is just as evident that the meaning of these Scriptures extends no further. There is not in Paul's premises, as given in any of these passages, the slightest reference to brutes or other inferior animals ; and hence there can be none in his conclusion. And hence, more over, there is no discrepancy between these passages and the revelations of Natural Science. That there is, however, some connection between the Adamic transgression and all the pains and ,1 . 1 Scriptures im- agonies of this present world, seems evident piying a con- from such passages as the following : Genesis "^en"Adam°s iii, 17 and 19; and Romans viii, 18-23. Mil- sin and aii an- ton then expresses a^ great truth, when he says that, as a consequence of Eve's eating the for bidden fruit : "Earth felt the wound! and Nature from her seat Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe. That all was lost !" Book ix, 780. But what is the precise nature of this connection be tween sin and all the sufferings of this present ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ world, and how is this connection to be ac- solving this Problem. counted tor? Here it is best to fall back on elementary princi ples. The following will serve to throw light on this difficult subject : I. It is obvious that the scheme of the whole universe S 50 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. was known to God from eternity; and that every act of creation was but a part of the one prede- Statement of • i a Elementary tcrmined and harmonious plan. Acts xv, i8. Principles. jj_ ^^^^ ^^^ ^j^^j^ 'K2x^\ with all its Varied tenantry, was created, and from the beginning arranged with special reference to the wants of man. III. But to make a world free from all decay, suffer ing, and death — that is, such a world as would have been adapted to the constitution, wants, and condition of man f had he never fallen, when at the same time God foresaw that he -would soon sin and become mortal — to do so would have been very inconsistent with Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Benevolence. Even erring man would not act so unwisely. IV. And hence we find that the world in general was from the beginning constituted and arranged With refer ence to man as he is, and not as he was, in Eden. Paradise was a mere temporary abode for him, during the few days of his primeval innocence. From these premises, then, we conclude, Conclusionsfrom all the I. That, as before stated, the death of all men is an immediate consequence of Adam's disobedience. Rom. v, 12, 18, 19, and i Cor. xv, 21. II. That the whole irrational creation has, to some extent, suffered from the same cause, but that no other species than man has suffered unto death, mortality being a natural and necessary condition of the present constitution of all other earthly species of organized beings. But, III. That it is, nevertheless, highly probable that this arrangement was made from the beginning with special reference to man's foreseen condition ; that is, that the world was from the beginning differently constituted EXTENSION OF THE PENALTV. 5 1 from what it would have been had not man's death been foreseen as a certainty. And hence it follows that, though man's sin was not the cause of all death, it was, nevertheless, the reason why all other animals were made mortal. And hence, moreover, it seems that God has made the very groans and sighs of the brute crea tion an impressive demonstration of the exceeding sin fulness of sin. If it be objected that this theory connects objection to too much suffering with the sin of man, our ""= i'ii«o""y- answer is, I. That we are but poorly qualified to determine and decide the question, How much suffering 1-1 -I Reply to it. should be connected with any sin? II. That this suffering is not a chimera or a phan tom, but a sad and terrible reality, for the introducing of which God had certainly a good and sufficient reason, III. That the reason assigned is, on the whole, so far as we can judge, most consistent with the general scheme of both Creation and Redemption. Whether there will be any brutes in the New Heav ens and the New Earth may be a question, ouestionoftha I am inclined to think there will be none, existence and condition of chiefly for two reasons: BmtesinaFu- I. Because they were all created and now ""¦" ^""°- .exist simply for the goocJ of man. But when_this-.mor-tal/ I shall have put on immortality, it is not probable that we will have any more need of such helps as the cow and the horse. II. Because this seems to be implied in Ecclesiastes iii, 21. The words of the inspired writer are as follows: " Who knoweth the spirit (nn) of man that goeth upward, and the spirit (D""i) of the beast that goeth downward to 52 ' ^ "^'^"' 'scheme of REDEMPTION. the earth ?" Here it seems to be pretty clearly iniplied that there is a very marked_and_essentiddifegnce be tween the state of the 'BinitFa'nd thaFof man after death ; that while the brute has no other than a lower earthly life,^ man has a life which at death " goeth upward." For these and other like reasons I am of the opinion that there will be no resurrection of the various Depart ments, Classes, Orders, Families, Genera, and species of the Animal Kingdom, and that none such will be found in the New Heavens and the New Earth. But if there should be any they will most likely be immortal. SECTION III. — Comprehension of the Penalty. Having settled the question respecting the extension Scope of Sec- of the Penalty threatened and executed on tion Third. accouut of man's first disobedience, it now only remains for us to consider its proper Comprehen sion ; or, if you please, to inquire what God meant when he said, " On the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die!' Genesis ii, 17. The words life and death are both representatives of Mysterious im- "Very profouud and mysterious realities. And portof the hcuce it is not a matter of surprise that men words Life and sr Death. of a visionary and speculative turn and habit of mind should have formed some very strange and absurd notions and theories concerning them. Some, for example, suppose that life is equivalent to) „ , .^, . mere existence, and that death is equivalenti False Theories ^ ^ ^ ' of Life and to annihilation ; but this is absurd. I. Because there is existence where there is no life. Minerals exist, but they have no life. II. Because there is also death where there is no evidence of annihilation, as in the case of trees, flowfers, COMPREHENSION OF THE PENALTT. S3 etc. Indeed, there is no satisfactory evidence that any substance is ever annihilated, whether it be material or immaterial. It is evident, therefore, that life is not mere existence, and that death is not annihilation. But it is easier to say what they are not than to define what they are. Some of the necessary conditions of life, how- our knowledge ever, are very obvious. And it is probable "„ if^' coi'di-'^'^ that a knowledge of these is the nearest t'o"^. approach that we can now make to an understanding of the thing itself, just as our knowledge of mind and mat ter is of necessity confined to their phenomena. Be it observed, then, that one of the essential condi tions of life is union, and that one of the „ . , „ Essential Con- essential conditions of death is separation, ditions of Lifa There is no life in atoms, and there can be no death without a separation from some living substance. But it is not all union that gives life. The particles of rocks are united, but they have no life. Nor is it all separation that causes death. Som.e vegetables and even animals may be separated into parts, and still each part will retain its vitality. To give life, then, to any substance it must be prop erly united to some living and life-imparting agent. And to tvork death in any substance it must be separated from said agent by the destruction of its organization or other wise. Thus, for example, the carbon of the atmosphere is vivified by being united to living vegetables and ani mals, and by being separated from these life-imparting agents it again loses its vitality. The number of living and life-giving agents is, of course, very great. God has made every veg- Number of life- etable and every animal a depository of life. 8iv">s Agents. 54 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. But, nevertheless, he is himself the only original, un wasting, and ever-enduring fountain of life. See P^alm xxxvi, 9 ; John v, 26 ; and i Timothy vi, 16. And hence it follows that union with God in some way and by some means is essential to all life. Union with •' ^ _ _ _ -' ' God essential tn and that Separation from him is always death. " He gives to all life, and breath, and all things." Acts xvi, 25. This union with God is maintained through that sys- ... tem of means and instrumentalities that we How union with God is sup- call nature and Christianity, or the old and ^°' ^ ' the new creation. The links of connection seem to be numerous and various. And hence it is that we have different kinds of both life and death ; such, for example, are vegetable life, and animal life, and spiritual life. The branch separated from the vine dies, because the vine is a link, and also, to some extent, a depository of life, between the branch and God. Here, then, we have the proper philosophy of all life Metaphorical and of all death. It is true that these words woris'uffa'nd ^^^ ^^^° USQ& tropically in different senses ; Death. as for instance, when we say of a man that he is dead to sin, dead to the law, etc. In all such cases the meaning of the word is analogical. Whether inanimate objects are united to God in more than one way may be a question. But that man's union with his Maker is supported, by various chains Complicity of . man's union OT systems of instrumentalities, seems very with God. ^ . rr., 1 n certain. Through one system of means, for example, is supported his mere existence. Hebrews i, 3. Through another his animal life is continued, with an immense train of physical enjoyments ; and through still another is maintained his higher spiritual life — his COMPREHENSION OF THE PENALTT. 5$ union, communion, and fellowship with God, as the ever- enduring and only satisfying portion of his soul. Psalm Ixxiii, 25, 26. And hence it follows that there are also different kinds of death, and that a man may be alive in one sense and dead in another. See Matthew viii, 22 ; John v, 24 ; Ephesians ii, 1-7 ; i Timothy v, 6. What, then, was the kind of death involved in the threatened penalty? Was it animal death „. , , , , ^ ¦' _ _ Kind of death alone, or was it spiritual death alone? Or threatened in was it both of these combined? Or was it '^ "'*'^" both of these and something more ? That it was animal death alone, or a mere separation of soul and body, is a favorite hypothesis with many. • This most affects the senses, and D^alh fs""by makes the deepest impression on our social some "-egarded ^ ^ as the chief and sympathetic nature. And hence it is, and primary . element. perhaps, that many have long regarded it as being at least the chief and primary element of the threatened penalty.* * It is often said, that nothing more than mere physical or animal death could be implied in this penalty ; because, it is alleged, that in no other sense could Adam have understood it on the day j!"_^ groun!Sd of his creation. But this hypothesis rests on two unwarranted „„ Adam's in- assumptions : capacity to un- I. That Adam had gained by his own observation a derstand the knowledge of what is commonly called physical or animal "^^j""^ "' "'* death, previous to the enactment of tliis positive law. But it would perhaps be difficult to prove that there was any such death in Eden before the Fall of man ; and still more difficult to prove Two undue as- that Adam had witnessed any of its sad effects, before he re- sumptions iu ceived from God the law and penalty in question. ""* allegation. II. It is assumed that he had no other means of understanding the true and proper import of this penalty than his own observation and experience. But it is certainly very evident from the context, as well as from the nature of the case, that Adam was an inspired man ; that by the immediate and direct aid of the Holy Spirit he was enabled to converse with God, and to name understandingly tlie various species of animals in Eden, on the same day on which lie was created. And hence there is no room left for any reasonable 56 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. But that spiritual death, or a separation of the soul from God, is the chief and fundamental ele= Reasons for re- _ , . , . ¦ . , r. /'^ garding Spirit- ment of this penalty, is evident from several ual Death as ' ji ^ ..' the Primary cousiderations. and Chief i_ fji ^^q other sense did Adam and Eve die element. _ , . on the same day tlmt they sinned. But in a^ spiritual sense they certainly did die at the very time indicated. Genesis iii, 8. They then, by a common law of our nature, became enemies to God by their own wicked works. Colossians i, 21. II. Spiritual death seems, a priori, to be the root of all evils; the fruitful source of all our calamities and misfor tunes. Reunion with God implies every blessing, and^ separation from him implies the loss of every thing. And hence we find that this kind of life and death is always spoken of in the Bible as that which is chief and para mount. See Matthew x, 28, and John xi, 26. v__ III. This is further evident from the fact that the first and chief object of the Gospel is to unite man to God spiritually. It first gives life to the soul and then to the body. It first repairs those losses that are fundamental, and afterward those that are of secondary importance. IV. ft seems that by eating of the fruit of the Tree of Life, Adam might still have escaped physical or animal death. Genesis iii, 22. But surely this could not have saved him from all, nor even from the chief consequen ces of his disobedience. doubt that, by means of the supernatural aid of the same Spirit, he was also able to comprehend the meaning of the word death as it is used in the seven teenth verse of the second chapter of Genesis. And hence it is wholly un warrantable to' speak of the death of the body as literal, and Literal mean- ,|^g ^j^^j^ ^j ^j^^ g^^, ^^ figurative. The literal meaning of mg of the word ., j • •. . j . • , ^ , j ^^^J^_ the word is its true and proper meaning as given by God and as understood by Adam in the beginning. , COMPREHENSION OF THE PENALTT. 57 V. The Second Death will consist in an eternal separa tion from God, and 7iot in the separation of the soul and the body. Revelation xx, 14. From these premises the following conclusions seem to be fully warranted: . , Conclusions I. That spiritual death, or a separation of from the prem- the soul from God with the loss of its original '^^^ ^" ""'"^ " ht^iness, was the primary and chief element of the threatened penalty.. II. That fear, remorse, anger, strife, etc., were its nec essary, immediate, and implied consequences. III. That our physical relations being also very greatly disturbed, animal death followed also as a nec- ¦essary and implied consequence; and, moreover, that it would in all probability have also followed as an immedi ate consequence of sin, had not God mercifully sus pended it for a time for wise and benevolent purposes. Romans ii, 3-16. IV. That in all pain and suffering there is implied a threefold agency ; namely, the Satanic, the human, and the Divine. Satan tempts, man voluntarily transgresses, 'and God himself inflicts the penalty of the violated law. Isaiah xiv, 5-7, and Amos iii, 6. V. And as the consequences of Adam's first trans gression have extended to his entire posterity, as we have shown in the second section of this chapter, it .seems to follow of necessity that all men are, by virtue of their connection with Adam, diseased in their spiritual as well as in their physical constitution. And this infer- jence is abundantly sustained by such passages of Scrip- ture as Genesis v, 3 ; Psalm Ii, 5 ; John iii, 6 ; Rom. v, 12, 18, 19; Ephes. ii, 1-3, etc. The precise degree of this spiritual derangement or 5 8 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. hereditary sinfulness is no where clearly and logically defined in the Holy Scriptures. But that it Evidence that cur derived sin- is ouly of the posltlvc Or comparative and not fulness is not of - - ... . . ... the superlative of the Superlative grade is evident, degree. j pyojfi guf 0n)ji daily experience and obser vation. Nothing is more common than to see wicked men growing worse and worse under the influence of their own personal transgressions. But if all men were as bad by nature as sin can make them, there could, of course, be no progress in human depravity. II. This is further proved by the testimony of nearly all the inspired writers. See, for instance. Genesis vi, 12 ; Romans i, 21-32; iii, 9-18; 2 Timothy iii, 13. III. From the fact that all responsible adults who have the disposition or moral purity of little children are, in the estimation of Christ, fit for the Kingdom of Heaven. Matt, xviii, 3 ; xix, 14; Mark x, 14; Luke xviii, 17. The change wrought by the Gospel on the heart of the sin ner extends no further at present than simply to the removal of his own personal guilt. No man can ever in his present state become, purer than he was in his infancy. IV. From the fact that the presumptuous sin committed against the Holy Spirit is a personal sin, and that it is this and this only which fills up a man's cup of iniquity aiid makes him totally depraved. See Matt, xii, 31, 32; He brews vi, 4-16; x, 28, 29, etc. As the extremes of Augustinism and Pelagianism* *Pelagius was an English monk who flourished about the beginning of the fifth century. He went to Rome in A. D. 409, and while laXr*^ ° °' '''^"^^ ^^ became disgusted with the doctrine then prevalent in the Latin Church, which makes man a mere passri'e in strument of Divine grace. He then resolved, no dnnlit witli pious intentions, to work a reformation. But one extreme generally leads to anotner, and COMPREHENSION OF THE PENALTT. 59 are still prevalent in many parts of Christendom, I have thought it proper and even necessary to make why any refer. these few remarks on this confessedly dififi- '"« "" heredit- J ary depravity 19 cult and intricate subject. But I wish now, "f* necessary. in conclusion, to caution all young persons, and espe cially all young preachers, against the danger . of being led into public controversy on this young preach- speculative subject. Such discussions can never result in much good, and they may result in to this law of our fallen nature Pelagianism is not an exception. If Augus tinism degrades human ability and human character below their proper level, Pelagianism, on the other hand, too highly exalts and elevates them. In 411 Pelagius went to Palestine, where he was violently opposed by Jerome. His chief opponent in the West was Augustine, the famous Bishop of Hippo, in Northern Africa. The principal tenets of Pelagius were as follows : He maintained I. That the soul of Adam was neither holy nor unholy Ijy creation, but that it was a mere carte-blanche on which he was '^ pnncipa , ,. - ¦ ¦ . , tenets. left free to write his own character. II. That his body was made mortal by creation, and not by sin. HI. That the fall of Adam had no influence whatever on either the souls or the bodies of his posterity, but that every man when born into the world is just what Adam was when he was created — his body is mortal per se, and his soul is wholly without character. IV. That eternal death is the only punishment for sin, all temporal or physical death being purely natural. V. That the general prevalence of sin in the world is owing solely to the power of temptation and the influence of bad examples. And hence that it is possible for all men to live and die without the slightest defilement from sin ; that many, in fact, have so lived even among the heathen. VI. That Christ became a man in order that by his perfect teaching and example he might offer to us the strongest motives and inducements to self- government, and thereby redeem us. As we have been imitators of Adam in sin, so also we are to be imitators of Christ in virtue. VII. That all mankind, infants as well as adults, may therefore enjoy eternal blessedness without baptism, but that it is, nevertheless, an essential condition of entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. He held that there is a threefold state after death ; namely, damnation for sinners, eternal life for the virtuous unbaptized, and the Kingdom of Heaven for all baptized chil dren, and also for all baptized adults, who lead a pure and holy life. Shedd'i History of Christian Doctrine, Vol. II, Chapter IV. Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History, Vol. I, pp. 37o-374> Murdoch's Edition. 6o SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. much evil. For however good men may differ in their views of hereditary depravity or derived sin- Why the ques- ..^i • ¦ ^ ¦ i tion of heredit- fulucss, ouc thing IS Very certain ; namely, fidtse'ifrmatter ^l^'^^ wliatcvcr mankind have lost through the of Tio practical -fiy^f Adam, they will regain unconditionally consequence. •' ? o .? through the second Adam. If through the first all men die, so likewise through the second all will be made alive, i Cor. xv, 22. If by one man's disobedi ence the many were made sinners, even so by the obedi ence of one the many will, to the same extent, be made righteous. Rom. v, 18, 19. No man need, therefore, feel any concern or anxiety about the sin of Adam and its effects on his posterity. To remove all the bitter fruits and consequences of this first transgression is the peculiar and exclusive work of the second Adam. What ought now to concern us is the great and important practical question. How we may severally be saved from the effects and consequences of our own personal transgressions. And hence. Points to be ^ ... kept in mem- wheu you go out as Missionaries of the Cross, "^' it is enough for you to remember, I. That all men, save the redeemed, are now dead in trespasses and in sins. You need not ordinarily stop to inquire how this has come to pass. II. That the Gospel is the remedy — the only and all- sufficient remedy — provided by God and committed to your trust for the salvation of sinners. III. That its power to save men, however, depends on its being received into their hearts, and made the rule and guide of their lives. IV. That God has made you the honored instruments in his hand of persuading sinners to be reconciled to him ; and that your reward is great in Heaven, if you COMPREHENSION OF THE PENALTT. 6l continue faithful as the Ministers of his word. Re member that "they who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament ; and they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever." Daniel xii, 3. V. And besides all this, it may be well, also, to re member, that while many so-called preachers of the Gospel are wrangling about theories and questions that serve to gender strife and mahce rather than practical godliness, thousands for whom Christ died are going to perdition. Think of these things, and then let the love of Christ constrain you to do as Paul and the other Apostles did. 2 Corinthians v, 11-15. BOOK SECOND. SCHEME OF REDEMPTION IN PROCESS QF DEVELOPMENT. PART I. DEVELOPMENTS FROM ADAM TO MOSES. CHAPTER I. THE WOMAN'S SEED. That was a sad and sorrowful day to our first parents, when they were driven out of Eden. The impressions of great Milton has, no doubt, well described, in ^damand^ve *^ ' ' 'on leaving Par- the following lines, the feelings of our mother adise. Eve as she cast a last, long, lingering look on the groves and flowers of Paradise lost : " O unexpected stroke, worse than of death ! Must I thus leave thee. Paradise ! thus leave Thee, native soil, these happy walks and shades, Fit haunt for gods ! where I had hoped to spend Quiet, though sad, the respite of that day, Which must be mortal to us both ! O flowers That never will in other climate grow, My early visitation and my last' At ev'n, which I bred up with tender hand. From your first opening buds, and gave you names, Who now will rear you to the Sun, or rank Your tribes, and water from the ambrosial fount !" Book ii, 26S. 64 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. But the separation of Adam and Eve from Eden was Why they were ^ neccssity. " So God drove out the man ; cast out of it. j^jj(j he placed at the east of the garden of Eden, Cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the Tree of Life." Gen. iii, 24. But even in that dark and trying hour the unhappy pair were not allowed to mourn as those that God's preor dained scheme have no hope. God had, long before their mercy. creation, foreseen their fall, and provided the remedy. Of this we have clear and unmistakable evi dence in many such passages as the following: Romans viii, 28-30 ; Ephesians i, 4, if^p J' 4- '«™- That this institution was of Divine origin is evident, from several considerations. DIVINE ORIGIN OF SACRIFICE. 67 I. We learn from Hebrews xi, 4, that Abel offered his sacrifice in faith. But in Romans x, 17, ' Evidence that we are told that "faith cometh by hearing, sacrifice is of and hearing by the Word of God." And '""° "^'"' hence it follows that Abel could not have offered in faith without a command from God. "No testimony, tio faith" '^ is an oracle of the Scriptures as well as of common, sense. II. It could not have been a human invention, be cause Reason can perceive no connection between the means and the end. It is evidently a positive and not a moral or natural institution. III. Its universality is another proof of its Divine origin. Mr. Faber says ^.that "throughout the whole worM there is a notion prevalent that the gods can be appeased only by bloody sacrifices. There is no heathen people," he adds, " that can specify a time when tney were without sacrifice. All have had it from a time which is not reached by their genuine records. Tradi tion alone can be brought forward to account for its origin." IV. The distinction between clean and unclean beasts, even in 1;he" time of Noah, (Genesis vii, 2,) proves also the Divine origin of sacrifice. This is a distinction which is altogether positive, and which has no founda tion in either reason or philosophy. These reasons are, I think, abundantly sufficient to warrant the conclusion that sacrifice is of Divine origin. SECTION II. — Design of Sacrifice and other Types. Our next inquiry has reference to the object or design of sacrifice. For what purpose was it in- object of sac- stituted ? "'^"- 68 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. In order that we may understand this question aright Previous Ques- 'WC must first Consider briefly the nature and tion. object of types and symbols in general. The word type (rb-o<;, from Tbr.rio, to strike) means, I. A stroke, or a blow. Different mean- . . . , , , ingsofthewoid II. The impression or print produced by ^^''*' a blow. E. g., in John xx, 25, Thomas says, " Unless I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, yri'rj Tu:r"x rail' t/Xwi-.J and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." III. It denotes the model set before us for our im itation. E. g., the Apostles are said, in Philippians iii, 17, to be an example or a type for all Christians. See, also, Hebrews viii, 5 ; and i Thess. i, 7. IV. In Natural History it is that which most strik ingly possesses the principal characteristics of the class. E. g., the eagle is taken as the type of birds, and the lion as the type of beasts. V. In medicine it denotes the particular form or phase of a disease under given circumstances. Galen wrote a special work on diseases, called T.^p\ tS>\/ rh-mv. VI. In printing it means that which makes the im press or mark. VII. In a theological or religious sense it is simply a shadow of things to come, and generally of good" things to come. E. g., in Colossians ii, 16, 17, Paul says, " Let no man judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body \adiixa\ is of Christ." And again, in He brews X, I, he says, "For the law haying a shadoiv of good things to come, and not the very image of the DESIGN OF SACRIFICES, ETC. 69' things, can never with those sacrifices which they offer year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." From these passages it is evident that at least most of the religious rites and ceremonies of the Old Testa ment were mere shadoivs relating to Christianity as their substance. But in i Corinthians x, 6, 11, the word type is evidently used in the same sense, and to represent many things of the same category. And hence it fol lows that in a religious sense a type is a mere shadow or faint outline-picture of something pertaining to the future. The word antitype {fvjti, against, over against, and TOffo?, type) denotes the substance, or that , Meaning of ..4 «- which IS prefigured by the type. E. g., the tuype and Ar- paschal lamb was the type of which Christ ''"'^^"^ was the Antitype, The word archetype {apy_il, beginning, and To-oc, pattern) is used in nearly the same sense. It simply means the original pattern or model, according to v.'hich all the types were constructed. Several things are implied in these definitions. I. That there is always some resemblance or analogy existins' between the type and the antitype. ^ . . Things implied E. g., Moses resembled Christ as a deliverer in these defini- , ... tions. and mediator. II. That the likeness is but partial, and that care/ should, therefore, be taken not to press it beyond its 1 proper limits. E. g., Canaan was a type of Heaven, or ) of the New Earth, though the resemblance was but [ slight. Adam was a type of Christ, but the points of | difference were far more numerous than the points- of.' resemblance. III. That the points of reseptblmce \v?r( designed nnd ' 70 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. preordained. E. g., it was ordained concerning the pas chal lamb, I. That it should be without blemish. 2. That a bone of it should not be broken. 3. That it should be killed between the two even ings, etc. IV. That every type is a sort of prophecy. They all relate to the future. E. g., the sacrifices all pointed to Christ, but as soon as Christ came they were abolished. Three kinds of There are three kinds of types ; viz., the Types. Historical, the Legal, and the Prophetic. I. Historical types consist in such real events or series Historical ent. Thus, for example, the rottenness of Jeremiah's girdle, concealed for a short tinje on the banks of the Euphrates, indicated DESIGN OF SACRIFICES, ETC. yi the speedy ruin of Israel, Jeremialh xiii, 1-7. See also Ezekiel xxxvii, 1-14. From all this it is obvious that the design of all types is twofold: Design of I. To give a pictorial and outline represent- '^i'^^- ation of something in the future, and especially of the Scheme of Redemption. Such, for example, was evidently the primary object of all the sacrifices that were offered during both the Patriarchal and the Jewish age. See Hebrews ix, x, 18. II. The second object of God in giving to his ancient people such a typical system was in order that the type • might serve as a proof and demonstration of the Divine origin of the antitype. This is evident from Heb. iii, 5. The testimony furnished in this way respecting the truth of Christianity is very strong and con- ¦> J <=> Strength of the vincing. For observe,. evidence tims I. That these types must have all been or dained by one who perfectly understood the correspond ing antitypes. But God alone could have had this knowledge ; and, consequently, they are all of God. 2. We see that the Jews were all their lives engaged in setting up types and printing documents that they themselves could neither read nor understand. Hence they never could have invented their own system of re ligion ; and hence, moreover, the Bible is all of God. With these given explanations, it will now be an easy matter to distinguish between types, and em- Difference be- blems, and symbols. An emblem (i,j.^dnw) is ''^^l'^ ^^ '^^_ neither preordained, nor does it relate to the t'e-". future. It is merely a material or tangible object of some kind, that is used to represent a moral or spiritual quality or attribute, on account of some well-knoivn preexisting 72 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. analogy between them. E. g., the dove is an emblem of meekness, and a bee-hive of industiy. Types, then, are iaimt pictures ; but emblems are char acteristic marks. A horn is an emblem of power, but it is not a type of power. See Psalm xcii, lO, and Ha- bakkuk iii, 4. The word symbol is generic. It comprehends all types, emblems, parables, allegories, fables, preiiended un- enigmas, hieroglyphics, etc. It is from euix- der Symbols. n ., ^ jiaXXuj, to compare. And hence it is obvious that symb'ols are generally UseofSymbois "scd for the sake of perspicuity ; for the sake in writing. ^f presenting more clearly to the understand ing the spiritual and abstract qualities of things, by means of outward signs and pictures addressed to the senses. Sometimes, however, they are also used for the sake of energy and ornament ; and occasionally they are used, also, for the sake of obscurity. It was for this last pur pose that Christ sometimes spoke to the people in par ables. Matthew xiii, 10-17. CHAPTER III. CALL OF ABRAHAM AND HIS POSTERITY. SECTION I. — Delay of the Remedial System. The question is often asked. Why was the full de- Query concern- velopment of the Scheme of Redemption so ofVe'Remed' ^°^S delayed? Why did not Christ come and al sysiein. Suffer for mankind immediately after the Fall? And why was not the Kingdom of Heaven established, DELAT OF THE REMEDIAL SISTEM. 73 with all its provisions and in all its fullness, immediately after man's expulsion from Paradise ? A full and explicit answer to this question would re quire a very lengthy discussion, and would in volve the consideration of many very grave and °p >' ° ' complicated problems. But it may be said, in general, that some time was necessary in order to prepare Christian ity for mankind, and mankind for the reception and enjoy ment of Christianity. Sundry matters had first to be practically demonstrated before the Gospel could be fully and properly revealed to mankind as the power of God for the salvation of every true believer. Such, for ex ample, were the following: I. The inadequacy of the provisions and light of nature to meet and supply the wants of our fallen race. Preliminary II. Our present incapacity to save ourselves i'™'^'^™^. by works of law ; or, in other words, to render to the Divine law that perfect obedience which justice requires. III. The exceeding sinfulness of sin. IV. The necessity of holiness. V. The necessity of a new religious nomenclature; or of inventing some more perfect medium of communicating spiritual ideas than the ordinary forms of human speech. Even now, under the present reign of favor and the full-orbed glories of the Remedial System, there is a con stant proneness on the part of many to ignore the Gos pel, and to trust in self and the laws and ordinances of nature, as the only necessary means and sources of hap piness. This is evidently an Adamic weakness. It is a universal proclivity of our fallen race. And hence it was eminently right and proper that all such vain hopes and false refuges should be taken out of the way, and that mankind should be made to feel their need of Divine 7 74 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. help, of a Revelation and scheme of justification from God himself, before the Gospel should be revealed as his power for the salvation of every one who would receive and obey it. To demonstrate this problem was the work of the Work assigned Gcntilcs, and especially of the Greeks and the to the Gentiles. Romaus. This they did chiefly in two ways : I. By their numerous failures in theoretical and prac tical morality. II. By their failures in theoretical and practical Re ligion. (See Leiand on the Advantage and Necessity of the Christian Revelation.) And hence we find that after the lapse of near four thousand years, during which Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, Epicureanism, and every other conceivable scheme of philosophy had been unsuccessfully tried, we find that even then mankind were still sighing and groaning under the burdens of sin, and earnestly longing for some hitherto undiscovered remedy that would be adequate to the wants of their entire nature. The solution of other problems was reserved chiefly , , , . for Abraham and his posterity. While the Work assigned to the He- Gentiles were proving the inadequacy of the provisions and ordinances of nature to meet and to satisfy the wants of mankind, the Israelites were earnestly engaged in inventing a new religious nomen clature — in demonstrating the awful malignity and hate- fulness of sin — the beauty and the necessity of holiness — the impossibility of attaining to justification, sanctifica tion, and redemption, by complying with the require ments of a Divine law ; and hence the necessity of a scheme of salvation by grace, through faith, that would enable God to be just in justifying penitent believers. COD'S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM. 75 All this and much more will become more and more obvious as we proceed -vith the history of Abraham and his seed. SECTION II.— God's Promises to Abraham. When God called AbTaham out of Ur of Chaldea, he said to him, " Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, Promisemade -^ -^ . to Abraham, unto a land that I will show thee. And I will when called make of thee a great nation, and I ivill bless °"' ,f ^'^ °^ .> o ' — Chaldea. thee, and make thy name great ; and thou shalt be a blessing. And T will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee ; and in thee shall all the fam ilies of the earth be blessed!' (Gen. xii, 1-3.) The same promise variously amplified was afterward repeated, as we find in Gen. xiii, 14- '^'"' i"™™^' repeated and 17; XV, I-2I ; xvii, 1-27; xxii, 15-19, etc. amplified. From a careful examination and analysis of these passages, it is evident that we have given here what may be regarded as four distinct element ary promises. These are (i) That Abraham ^nvl^^^^i should have a numerous offspring (Gen. xiii, given to Abra- _ .. ..... r^, ham in these 16; XV, 3-5; XVII, 2, 4; XXH, 17) ; (2) That p,,^,^,,. God would be a God to him and to his seed after him (Gen. xvii, 1-8) ; (3) That he would give to Abra ham and to his seed, an everlasting possession (Gen. xii, 7; xiii, IS ; XV, 18-21 ; xvii, 8); and (4) That he would bless all the nations of the earth through him and his seed (Gen. xii, 3 ; xxii , 18). But nevertheless they may all in harmony with Scripture usage be regarded as but elementary parts of one and the same unityofthese promise, made to Abraham and his seed (Acts ii, 39; xiii, 23, 32; xxvi, 6; Rom. iv, 14, 16; Gal. iii, 18, 76 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. 22, 29, etc.) ; each part having however a double reference ; that is, looking to both the typical and the antitypical side of the Divine economy. The first element, for Their twofold jnstance, was a pledge to Abraham that he reference. would have a numerous family, first, according tp the flesh ; and secondly, according to the Spirit ; the second, that God would be a God to both of these families, though in a far higher sense to the latter than tp the former ; the third, that 'each of these families would be come heirs to an inheritance ; and the fourth, that through each of them the world would be blessed. For awhile the spiritual side or element of this prom ise was almost wholly concealed behind the Thetypicaior camal or typical side; which from time to carnal side of . , , . , ' time was made more and more prominent by sundry new developments, the most important of these was the Covenant of circumcision. At length, just four hundred and thirty years after the twofold promise was given to Abraham, the car nal or typical element of it was fully developed into the Sinaitic or Old Covenant* In this were of course embraced many various and distinct elements, such as the laws and ordi nances relating to the different kinds of sacri fices, the consecration of the Levites, the cov- * The word covenant (Fr. convenattt) is of Latin origin. It is derived from the two words con, together, and venio, to come. And hence it means literally, a coming together. The corresponding He brew word is b'reeth (fT'^j); but it is of very different ety mology. It comes from the Hebrew word barah (H"!!!!) which means to cut, to eat, and it is therefore now 5 enerally supposed that this word has reference to the cutting asunder of the victims which were sacrificed at the making of a covenant. See Genesis xv, 9-17 and Jeremiah xxxiv, 18, 19. Btit some derive the name from the second meaning of barah, to eat ; because when the Promise, for a time most promi nent. Carnal ele ment of the Abrahamic Promise, de- vdoped into the Sinaitic Covenant. Derivation of the word cov enant. Correspond ing Hebrew and Greek words. GOD'S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM. TJ enant of the Priesthood, etc. — all serving to illustrate in some way the glorious realities embraced in the spiritual element of the Abrahamic promise, which in due time was about to be developed into a far more glorious In stitution than the Sinaitic. In the meantime, the carnal was the stay and support of the spiritual ; while the spiritual served also to sanctify the carnal. They were united, but not blended together. For " the law is not of faith," says Paul (Gal. iii, 12). So matters stood until Christ came " made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law " (Gal. iv, 5,6). For about three and a half years, he instructed the people, and by his own personal ministry developed to a wonderful extent the ^''^'^' °^ Christ's per- beauties, riches, and superlative excellencies of sonai minis- the spiritual and antit3'pical element of the "'^' Abrahamic promise. But nevertheless it was still in but an imperfect state, not yet having received its full and complete development, as a separate and distinct In- the Orientals made a covenant with each other, it was their custom to partake of the slain victims. And hence it came to pass, that to eat with any one, was commonly regarded in many eastern countries as almost equivalent to m.iking a covenant with him. The Greeks had two words for covenant, viz., smitheke {avvHijKrj) and diatheke {6iad//K^). The former was used to denote a solemn agreement made between equals; and the latter, to denote any ar rangement made by a superior for the acceptance and observance of an in ferior. And hence it is, that all of God's covenants are expressed in Greek by the word diatheke. The word suntheke is not found in the New Testa ment; hvX diatheke occw-cs in it 33 times; ani b'reeth is used 267 times in the Old Testament. Three things are implied in every covenant, viz.. The covenanter, the cov enantee, and the various stipulations which are made and en tered into by the parties. In the Adamic covenant, for in- . ^^^ ^ ""8^ ^ ^ implied in ev- stance, God is the Covenanter; Adam and his entire posterity ^^^ covenant, are the covenantees ; and the conditions of life, health, and h.ippiness are the things stipulated. 78 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Stitution. Nor could this be done in fact while the first Institution was standing. The Old Sinaitic Covenant had to be taken out of the way, before the New Covenant could be fully inaugurated as a separate and When the Old independent lustitution. This was done at the Covenant was abrogatedasa death of Christ (Col. ii, 14). Henceforth it religious and ^^g j^q lougcr binding on any one as a relig- also as a civil <^ j Institution. ious Institutiou ; though it was through the forbearance of God allowed to remain as a civil and social Institution, for about thirty-six years longer, until Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romaps in A. D. 70. In the meantime, the spiritual element of the Abra hamic promise, the covenant concerning Christ (sjc ^ptarbv. Gal. iii, 17), was, according to Jeremiah xxxi, 31, fully de veloped in the Church of Christ, which was set Inauguration ,jp ^g ^ distiuct Organization, on the day of of the New _ Covenant. Peutecost, which next followed after his death, burial, and resurrection. Then for the first time he was publicly proclaimed to the world as the anointed Sovereign of the universe (Acts ii, 36) ; and then also believing penitents were first commanded to be bap tized by his authority into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. (Compare Acts ii, 38 with Matth. xxviii, 19.) From that time the Church of Christ is spoken of repeatedly as an existing reality, and its members are said to partake of the many blessings and benefits of the New Covenant. See, for instance. Acts ii, 47 ; V, II ; viii, i, 3 ; ix, 31 ; xi, '15 ; and Col. i, 13. The following diagram may assist the reader in his en deavors to form a just conception of the gradual develop ment and intimate relations of these two Covenants, based on the two distinctive elements of the Abrahamic prom ise. GOD'S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM. 79 NEW COVENANT. "If ye be t'hrist's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heins accord ing to the promise." Gal. iii, 29. ^plriuial side of the promise. 1- Carnal side. / OLD COVENANT. "The law was ovir school master to bring us to Christ." Gal. iii, 24. Explanations. — a c Promise made to Abraham 1921 E. C. ; de Circum cision ordained 1892 B. C. ; fg Inauguration of the Old Covenant 1491 B. C; h i The Law abrogated, A. D. 34;/ k Jerusalem destroyed A. D. 70; / Birth of Christ ; m n Baptism of Christ ; o p Inauguration of the New Cove nant fifty days after the death of Christ, A. D, 34. For points of difference between the Old and New Covenants, see particularly 2 Cor. iii, 2-18 ; Gal. iv, 19- 31 ; and Heb. viii, 6-13. Those given in Gal. iv, may be briefly summed up as follows : I. The Old Covenant is here represented as a slave; but the New as a free woman. 2. The subjects of the former are also represented as slaves ; but those of the latter, as freemen. 3. The birth of the former subjects was natural, accord ing to the flesh ; but that of the latter is supernatural. 4. The former differ from the latter in character, as Ishmael differed from Isaac. 5. So also they differ in their fortunes. SECTION III. — Covenant of Circumcision. The fullest and most striking development of the Abrahamic covenants previous to the giving of the Law from Mount Sinai is the Covenant of Circumcision, 8o SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Genesis xvii, 9-14. This is not a new, separate, and in dependent arrangement made with Abraham Colenant''rf''° and his posterity. It is rather a wheel within Circumcision to ^yhecl I a svstem within a system; a mere the two Abra- " " ^ J y J ' hamic Cove- Subordinate, but essential part of the general arrangement that God had made with him before he left Ur, of the Chaldeans. Primarily and properly, it is an element of the national covenant ; of that which pertained to the family of Abra ham according to the flesh. But, like most of the other provisions of that covenant, it had also a typical reference to the covenant concerning Christ, and, of course, to the whole family of the faithful. The provisions of this covenant were as Its Provisions. follows : I. That every male child of the seed of Abraham should be circumcised. II. That this should be done on the eighth day after its birth. III. That all servants purchased with money, either by himself or by any of his posterity, should, in like manner, be circumcised. IV. That it should bean everlasting covenant; that is, that, like the covenant of the Levitical Priesthood, it should continue as long as the general and more comprehensive covenant, of which it was but an element, should endure. V. And, finally, that death should be the penalty for the neglect or violation of this covenant. The design of Circumcision was twofold: The first desi ^' ^° Separate Abraham and his posterity, of circumcis- ttccording to the fiesh, from the rest of mankind, and thus to serve as a sign, seal, and token of the Old, or National Covenant. And hence it was a pledge, COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION. 8l I. That God would bless Abraham himself, as it vvas also to him a seal of his justification by faith. Romans iv, ii. 2. That God would bless all his natural posterity, whether by Hagar, Sarah, or Katurah. 3. That of his seed according to the flesh (i. e., of a part of it) God would make a great nation, and give them the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. 4. That through him and his seed God would in some way bless all the nations and families of the Earth. So far, then. Circumcision was a sort of carnal, national, and political ordinance. But, II. It had, also, a purely religious meaning, ft was m.ade typical of the cutting off of the body of sin -'^ J i, M J J J Second design from the soul, and the subsequent sealing of it of circumcis- by the Holy Spirit. This is clearly proved by the following passages : I. Romans ii, 28, 29: "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision Evfdence of which is outward' in the flesh ; but he is a ""^• Jew who is 'one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter — whose praise is not of men, but of God." 2. Philippians iii, 3 : " For we are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." 3. Colossians ii, 9-12: "For in him (Christ) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are com plete in him, who is the head of all principality and power ; in whom, also, ye are circumcised with the circum.- cision made without hands, in putting off the body of thc sins of the fiesh by the circumcision of Christ; buried with him in baptism; wherein, also, ye are risen with him, 82 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." 4. Ephesians i, 13, 14: "In whom (Christ) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation ; in whom, also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inhetitance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." From these passages of Scripture it is evident, I. That the man who was a Jew outwardly stood to him who was a Jew inwardly, in the relation Lessons taught ^ by these pas- of the shadow to the substance, or of the type "^^^' to the antitype. See also Romans ix, 6, and Galatians vi, 16, etc. II. That the circumcision of the flesh was a type of the circumcision of the spirit ; and that in this, in fact, consisted its chief value. III. That the circumcision of the heart, or spirit, con sists in cutting off from it the body of sin. IV. That this is done through the agency of the Holy Spirit, in the baptism of every true believer. See also Acts ii, 38 ; Romans vi, x-3 ; and Galatians iii, 27. V. That the Holy Spirit itself, as it dwells in the heart of the Christian, is the seal of his circumcision. VI. That it is also to him an earnest of the pur chased possession, or a sure pledge that in due time he will enter into the full possession and enjoyment of the eternal inheritance. DESIGN OF THE LA W. 83 PART II. DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE BIRTH OF MOSES TO THE DEATH OF JOSHUA. CHAPTER I. DESIGN OF THE LAW. The reader is now prepared to understand Paul's answer to the question, "What, then, was the Purposes for purpose of the Law .' It was added," he says, which the Law "on account of transgressions, till the Seed '"^'^^"'"'¦ should come, to whom the promise was made." This is a very comprehensive oracle, and seems to imply the following particulars : I. That the Law was given to the Jews for all the pur poses of a civil government. The Jews were a First, for the nation, and as such they needed a code of ^nen, of^uiT'is- civil and political regulations. "The Law," "eU'es. says Paul, " was made for the lawless," i Tim. i, 9. In this respect it was well adapted to the develop ment, discipline, and happiness of the indi- us adaptation vidual and the family, as well as the tribe and '"'hisend. the nation. But, nevertheless, on account of the hard ness of the hearts of the people, Moses was under the necessity of permitting some things politically which are not in perfect harmony with the essential principles of morality and virtue. See, for instance, Matthew xix, 8. 84 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. This, however, is not to be regarded as an imper fection in the law of Moses. The perfection Perfection of . . . , civil govern- of civil government consists in its adaptation ™™'' to the capacity, habits, education, and circum stances of the people. And if" Solon could truthfully say that he had framed the best code of laws that could be mad^ for the Athenians, no doubt we may, also, safely affirm that Moses framed the very best code of laws that could be made for the fsraelites. II. It was added to convince and to convict inen of sin. Second, to con- l>y giving to tlicm a perfect standard and code victmanofsin. of moralitf. It Is truc that without a Written Revelation from God all men would have some knowl edge of right and wrong. But it was only by and through the Law that Paul himself was enabled to understand the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Romans vii, 7-25. III. The third object of the Law was to prevent the uni- Third,' to sup- versal spread of idolatiy, by preserving among port true Re- ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ knowlcdgc and the practice of true ligion in the " jr j world. religion, till Christ should come. True, indeed, the two schemes of justification by faith and by works of law were as diiferent and as distinct then as they are now. "The Law is not of faith," says Paul, Galatians iii, 12. But, nevertheless, the Law was a supporter of true re ligion. It served to preserve and to sustain in the* world the then imperfectly developed scheme of justifi cation by faith ; so that, no doubt, hundreds and • thou sands of Jews were saved through its influence and instrumentality who would have otherwise sunk into the basest idolatry. IV. 77^1? fourth and last object of the Law was to give Fourth, a pic- to the woi'ld a suitable relinous nomenclature, torial outline of . ciiristiaiiity. and a sort of pictorial outline of the Scheme of THE MISSION OF MOSES. 85 Redemption, by means of certain types and symbols, rites and ceremonies, addressed to their senses. As a logical proposition, this fourth item has already been demonstrated with sufficient clearness and fullness in the 'previous sections of Part First. But the subject itself has been but barely introduced ; and it is, therefore, to its consideration and development that I now invite the attention of the reader in the following chapters. 'We will begin with the Mission of Moses. CHAPTER II, THE MISSION OF MOSES. The bondage of the Israelites in Egypt is one of the most remarkable events of history. That God „ , ^ Bondage of the should select a people from among all the na- Israelites in tions of the Earth, give them laws and ordi- ^^''' nances, as well as many other special tokens of his favor, arnd then allow them to become the most abject slaves of a foreign and wicked despot, is hard for us to reconcile with our limited sense of propriety. But God's thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor are his ways as our ways. In treating of this why a neces- subject we must never lose sight of the fact ^"y- that the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh, were made typical of his seed accojding to the Spirit, and that the history of the former must, therefore, of necessity, be made to correspond with that of the latter. But, previous to their conversion and regeneration, all men are, by nature and practice, the slaves of sin. And 86 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. hence the obvious necessity that the IsraeUtes should, in like manner, become the slaves of Pharaoh. Otherwise the shadow would not have been in harmony with the substance, and the fearfully stupefying and enslaving power of sin would have had no corresponding phase in the Historical Types of the Mosaic economy. The bondage of the Israelites in Egypt was, therefore, a typological necessity, and so, also, was their Mission of emancipation. To effect this Moses was raised up and sent as God's embassador with good news and glad tidings to his enslaved brethren. For the accomplishment of this great work he seems to have been eminently qualified. By nature His qualifica- ^ tions for the he was a man of great power,, energy, wisdom, and prudence, and by education he was at least equal to any of his contemporary sages, haying been thoroughly instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Nor was this all: the power to work miracles was also, of necessity, superadded to all his natural endowments and his varied attainments. Mankind instinctively demand the evidence of miracles in attestation of any alleged Divine Commission to establish a new religion ; and the justice of this claim is conceded by Christ himself See John XV, 22-24. And hence, when Pharaoh demanded of Moses and T.- . ,»¦ , Aaron such evidence of their Divine lega- First Miracle ^ ^ wrought bv tion, (Exodus vii, 9,) Aaron, at the bidding of Moses, threw down his rod, and it became a serpent. Exodus vii, 10. But the Magicians also did so with their enchant- wonders mcuts : " for they cast down every man his rod, wrought by the and it became a serpent. But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." Exodus vii, 11, 12. THE MISSION OF MOSES 87 That the rod of Aaron was miraculously converted into a real serpent there can be no reasonable doubt. But with respect to the rods of the Magicians the evi dence is not so clear. And hence the ablest critics are still divided in their judgments concerning this matter. I. Some think that these extraordinaiy phenomena were nothing more than mere feats of iug- ° -* ° Four HypoChe- glery, and that they were performed simply by ses concerning human skill. II. Others think that they were feats of jugglery or legerdemain, but that they were performed by the joint agency of Satan and the Magicians, just as the temptation of Eve was effected through the joint agency of Satan and the serpent. III. Others suppose that they were real miracles, wrought by Satan through the instrumentality of the Magicians. IV. And others, again, think that they were real mir acles, wrought by God himself through the instrumentality of the Magicians. That the second of these hypotheses is the true one is, I think, probable, for the following reasons : Reasons for I. Because these facts seem to be superhu- secmd^Hy-'^ man, and yet not miraculous. If the Magi- pot'iesis. cians could work a real miracle in one case, why might they not do so in any other case.'' 2. Because Satan possesses power far above that of man. See 2 Thess. ii, 9. 3. Because he is ever ready and disposed to exercise his power against God and his servants. He did all that he could to bring discredit on the miracles of Christ, as well as those performed by Moses. 4. He nas actually done many wonderful works, 88 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. personally and through the instrumentality of his agents. This is proved, (i.) By the facts of ancient witchcraft. God would not legislate against a mere chimera of the imagination. But see Exodus xxii, i8 ; Lev. xix, 26, 31 ; xx, 6, 27, etc. (2.) By the works of Demons in the time of Christ and his Apostles. See Acts xvi, 16-19. (3.) By heathen Oracles. Most of these were palpa ble falsehoods ; but some of them, as, for instance, in the case of the damsel last referred to, seem to indicate a degree of sagacity that was far beyond the conceptions of men and women in the flesh.* (4.) By the superhuman feats of modern conjurers, fortune-tellers, table-rappers, etc. Be this as it may, one thing is certain, that this mira cle, performed in the presence of Pharaoh and What the mira- ' ^ ^ cie of Moses his scrvauts, served not only to prove the to prove. £)— jjg Legation of Moses, but also to show *The following example will serve to illustrate the ambiguous nature and character of most of the heathen oracles: •¦ Aio te Examples lllus- y^acida, Romanos vincere passe." This may be rendered with then^Oracks^*" ^^^^^ accuracy, "/ say that you, O, Pyrrhus, (son of jEacus^ can conquer the Romans ;" or, " That the Romans can conquer you, O, Pyrrhus.''' The Oracle was, therefore, safe, however the war might terminate. But the following reply of the same Oracle to Croesu? is not to be ex plained nor set aside by any such ambiguity of terms or construction. Being doubtful of the Oracle, Crossus resolved that he would first test its super human knowledge, and he accordingly sent a messenger to Delphi, with in structions to inquire, at the end of one hundred days from that time, in what business the king was then engaged. The reply of the Oracle was, " I smell the odor of a lamb boiled with a tortoise, while brass is both above and beneath it." And this, it is said, was actually the business in which Crossus was then employed. This seems to have satisfied Croesus that the Oracle was superhuman. And he therefore sent to it again, to inquire whether or not he would be victorious in his contemplated war with the Persians. To which the Oracle replied, " Tlu-t lie (Croesus) would overthrow a great empire." But not fully LEGATION OF MOSES. 89 the absurdity of the then prevalent system of serpent- worship. For " Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods " This was sufficient evidence that the God of the He brews was superior to the serpent gods of the Egyptians. With regard to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, it is only necessary to remind the reader that , , -^ ^ The hardening " what softens wax hardens clay!' What soft- of Pharaoh's ens and even melts an honest heart often hardens one that is dishonest. And hence it is that the Gospel itself is represented as being either a savor of life unto life or of death unto death." 2 Corinthians ii, 16. Had the evidence of the first miracle been duly re garded, that would, of course, have been an ,„, ° ' ' ' Why Plagues end of the whole matter. No punishment were sent on would then have been inflicted on Pharaoh or comprehending the meaning of this answer, Croesus sent again to inquire whether his power would ever be diminished. To this the Oracle returned the following ambiguous reply: ^'' Seek your safety in flight when u mule reigns aver the Medes." In both cases Croesus was deceived by the ambigu ity of the terms, as the sequel fully proved. There was evidently, therefore, much craft and cunning employed in framing these oracular responses. But that there was also _ .. , , . ,,.,., , . , Evidence of su- somethmg more than this, something above and beyond mere perhuman sa- human sagacity, is rendered quite probable by the fact that gacity in some for several centuries these Oracles were consulted and sus- of these Ora- taincd by the most enlightened kings, statesmen, and philoso- '^'^^¦ phers of the heathen world. But soon after the commencement of the Christian Era they lost all their authority and influence with the people. So much so Decline oflhese that even the poet Juvenal was constrained to say. Oracles. " Delphis oracula cessant, Kt genus humanum damnat caligo futuri.*' This was a great mystery to the learned heathen. They could give no rational nor plausible account of the change that had taken place. Even the infidel Porphyry complains witli Juvenal that " since Jesus began to be worsliiped, no man has received any public help or benefit from the gods." What a commentary is all this on the words ^"^^ ° '^ of Jesus, " I beheld Satan, as lightning, fall from heaven." Luke x, 18. 8 90 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. on any one else. But now the rod begins to smart. A series of plagues follow that are without a parallel in the history of the world. And observe that each of these, like the preceding, has a double reference. While it serves to Double refer- , t^. . x • r n/r ¦ i ence of each prove tho Diviuc Lcgation oi Moses, it also ^^^' serves to show in some way the absurdity of Egyptian idolatry, and the supreme Divinity of Jehovah. See Exodus xii, 12. The first Plague consisted in changing the water of the The first NUc, and all the waters derived from it, into Plague. blood. Exodus vii, 14-25. This was designed to disprove the alleged divinity of the Nile, and that, too, it would seem just at Its Object. . the time when Pharaoh was going out to pay to it his morning devotions. See v,' 15. The second Plague consisted in bringing up from the The second NUc, and its various streams and pools, an in- pi,igue. numerable multitude of frogs on all the land of Egypt. Exodus viii, 1-15. This was intended to show the absurdity of reptile worship, for which the Egyptians had long Its Object. been famous. The third Plague consisted in changing the dust into The third H'^^ tlirougliout all tlic land of Egypt. Exodus Plague. yiii^ 16-19. This seems to have been a blow aimed at the entire system of idolatrous worship. During its Its Object. ^ . „ , . continuance all worship was necessarily sus pended, for no priest was allowed to officiate with such an insect on his person. " To conceive of the severity of this miracle as a judgment on their idolatry," says Stackhouse, "we must recollect their utter abhorrence LEGATION OF MOSES. 9 1 of all kinds of vermin, and their extreme attention to external purity, above every other people perhaps that ever existed. On this head they were more particularly solicitous when they were about to enter the temples of their gods. For Herodotus informs us that the priests wore linen garments only in order that they might be washed daily. And every third day they shaved every part of their body, to prevent lice or any kind of impurity from adhering to their persons!' * The fourth Plague was the miracle of files, ^-he fourth Exodus viii, 20-32. ijiague. This was probably designed to illustrate the absurd ity of all animal worship, for these flies were a plague to both man and beast. But there is also reason to think that the Fly itself was worshiped in Egypt. It is known, at least, that a winged Asp was one of the guardian divinities of Lower Egypt. The fifth Plague was the murrain of their domestic animals. Exodus ix, 1-7. rj,,^^ gcj,^ This, too, was directed against animal i''''g"«- worship. The Egyptians regarded the death of even one of their sacred animals as a public calamity. How dreadful, then, must have been their con sternation when they saw them perishing by thousands ! The sixth Plague consisted in the miracle of boils and blains. Exodus ix, 8-12. xhe sixth This miracle was directed against the ^'^sue. worship of the idol Typhon. Plutarch, on the authority of Manetho, makes the following statement . . , ^ ... Its Object. concerning the ancient mode of worshiping this imaginary divinity in some parts of Egypt. He says : "Formerly, in the city of Idithya, the Egyptians were * Stackhouse's History of the Bible, Vol. I, p. 473. 92 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. wont to burn men alive, giving them the name of Typhos; Testimony of ^"d wlnuowing their ashes through a sieve, Manetho. go as to scattcr and disperse them into the air." They seem to have done this with the impres sion that every object on which a particle of these ashes fell was safe from the wrath of Typhon. But now, at the command of Moses, these ashes from the furnace of Typhon, become a plague throughout all the land of Egypt.* The seventh Plague was the miracle of thunder and The Seventh lightning, mingled with liail and rain. Ex Plague. Q(J^3 ix^ 13-35. This was a scourge on the vegetable idols of Eg)'pt. The Egyptians worshiped the Peachtree, th? Its Object. Pomegranate, the Vine, the Acanthus, the Fig; the Tamarisk, the Onion, the Garlic, the Papyrus, the Ivy, etc. The eighth Plague was an unprecedented swarm of lo The eighth custs, that covcrcd the whole land of Egypi Plague. Exodus X, I-20. This miracle was the supplement and consummation of the preceding plague on the Egyptian vege table idols. The ninth Plague was the miracle of darkness. Ex- The ninth OduS X, 2I-23. ^'''*"^' This miracle was directed against the Its Object. worship of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. The tenth Plague consisted in the death of the first- The tenth bom. Exodus xi, I- ID, and xii, 29-36. ^'''^"°" This was directed equally against all the gods of Egypt and their worshipers. But before this *The Egyptians also sacrificed red bullocks to Typhon. Fairbarn'3 Typology, Vol. II, p. 382. THE PASSOVER. 93 plague was sent on them the Passover was instituted. The consideration of this we must reserve for the next chapter. CHAPTER III. THE PASSOVER. There is perhaps nothing that is real, and valuable, and susceptible of being imitated, that Satan why certain and his emissaries have not attempted to 'i"'^";"^"'- i- teria ot miracles counterfeit in some way. This is just as true are necessary. of miracles as it is of money, religion, or any thing else. And hence the necessity of having some tests or criteria by which we may be able to distinguish between true and false miracles. The four Rules given by Leslie, in his "Short Method with the Deists!' are well conceived and ex- The four Rules pressed. They seem to meet and to satisfy of^eshe. all the reasonable demands of a candid mind and an honest heart. They are as follows : I. The facts must be such that men's senses can judge of them. II. It is necessary that they be performed publicly, in the presence of witnesses. III. That public Monuments be set up, and public actions be appointed to be performed in memory of them. IV. That these Monuments and actions be established and instituted at the time of the facts, and continued thence forward without interruption. The first two of these conditions are necessary for the satisfaction of persons living at the time the use of thess alleged miracles are said to be performed. ^"""^ T"»^- 94 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. And the last two are equally necessary for the faith and satisfaction of subsequent generations. And hence it is Monuments ^^^^ ^"^^ ^^^ couuected suudry Monuments, connected with or Commemoratlve Institutions, with all the the miracles of . ^ , c -\ir i r /-^;!-) It was'added Month. ^Q ^.]^g close of the Ecclesiastical year. V. With regard to the victim to be sacrificed observe, „.,,,. I. That it might be either a Lamb or a K-ind and quail- ties of the Vic- Kid of the first year without blemish. 2. Before the Exode it was slain by the fathers of the several families in their re.spective dwell- Kiiiingthevic- iigs. But afterward it was slaiu, either by the '''"¦ owner or by one of the Levites, in the place where the Lord had recorded his name ; i. e., in the Court of the Tabernacle or of the Temple. Leviticus xvii, 4; Deuteronomy xvi, 2; and 2 Chronicles xxxv, i-ii. 3. At the first Passover the blood was sprinkled on the lintel and door-posts. V. 7. But after The Blood. . • . ^ ' that it was sprinkled at the foot of the altar by the priests. 2 Chronicles xxx, 16. 4. The victim was then roasted whole, and was eaten by one or two families, according to the num- The Flesh. ¦' . ° . . ber of persons in each. The Rabbinical rule was that there should not be less than ten nor more than twenty for one lamb. 5. None but circumcised and clean persons were ordi- Persons allowed narily allowed to partake of it. Numbers ix, to partake of it. j_j2_ Scc, howcver, oue cxceptiou. 2 Chron icles xxx, 17. , „ 6. A bone of it was not to be broken. Its Bones. Exodus xii, 46. VI. The prescribed ceremonies of the Paschal Supper were as follows: * Jahn's Biblical Archieology, Part I, Chapter iv. Section 103. THE PASSOVER. 97 I. The first Passover was eaten by the Israelites while standing, with their shoes on their feet and ^ ° Ceremonies of their staves in their hands. But after they the Pasciiai entered Canaan they reclined around a table, this attitude, as they say, being more in harmony with that rest into which they had then entered. See John xiii, 23. 2. It was eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, to remind them of their haste and bondage.* * The following was the usual order of celebrating the Passover, accord ing to the best Rabbinical writers : jj^^^ ^^ ^^j^, I. The guests being arranged around the table, they first brating the mingled a cup of wine with water and drank it, after the Passover Master of the family had given thanks for it. among the II. They then washed their hands, after which the table J'^"'^- was furnished with the Paschal Lamb, bitter herbs, two cakes of unleavened bread, and a thick sauce called charoseth, made out of dates, raisins, and several other ingredients. This, they say, represents the clay in which their fathers wrought while in bondage. The remains of the Peace-Offerings sacrificed on the same day (the 14th of Nisan) were also served up at the same time. These Peace-OfFerings werg wholly voluntary. III. The Master of the assembly then took a small piece of salad, and having blessed God for creating the fruits of the ground, he ate it. Others then partook of th t same. IV. The dishes were then removed from the table, and the children in structed in the nature of the Feast. The passage of Scripture usually read on the occasion was Deuteronomy xxvi, 5-1 1. V. Then replacing the Supper, they partook of a second cup of wine, and sung Psalms cxiv and cxv. VI. Again they washed their hands, while repeating an ejaculatory prayer. After which the Master of the feast broke a cake of unleavened bread, the half of which he distributed among the guests. VII. They then ate the other half of the cake with bitter herbs, dipping the bread into the charoseth. John xiii, 26. VIII. Next they ate the flesh of the Peace-Ofierings that had been volun tarily offered on the fourteenth day of the month. IX. They then ate the flesh of the Paschal Lamb, which was followed by the offering of thanks and the washing of hands. X. A third cup of wine was then filled, over which they all blessed God. This was called " The Cup of Blessing." See i Corinthians x, 16. XI. A fourth cup of wine was then filled. This was called " The Cup of Hallel." They gave thanks over it, and sung or recited Psalms cxv, cxvi, cxvii, and cxviiL After this the whole ceremony was concluded with prayer. 9 g8 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. VII. The ceremonies of the Paschal Festival were as , follows : Ceremonies of , /- -i , i ¦ i i the Paschal I. On each of the seven days, besides the Festival. ^^.j^ Burnt-Offerings, and Meat-Offerings, and Drink-Offerings, the Children of Israel were required The daily Oflfer- tO offcr, >ngs. (i.) Two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, for a Burnt-Offering. (2.) An ephah and a half of fine flour mingled with oil for a Meat-Offering. (3.) One goat for a Sih-Offering. See Numbers xxviii, 1-8, and 16-25. 2. After they entered Canaan, they were also required to offer on the day following the Paschal Sab bath* a sheaf of barley. Leviticus xxiii, 11, ?Josephus says that this sheaf of barley was always waved on the i6th Day on which ^'^'^ °^ Nisan, (Antiquities, Vol. I, page 103 ;) and many learned the sheaf was commentators follow him in their explanation of Leviticus waved accord- xxiii, 4-14, 16. In this they, of course, assume that the first ing to Josephus day of Unleavened Bread was the Sabbath of the festival. and others. They do SO because it is said in the seventh verse of the chapter that on this day there was to be a holy convocation, and that no servile work was to be done on it. But the very same things are said of the seventh or last day of the festival. See verse 8th. Why, then, make the first rather than the seventh day of the feast the Sabbath ? Or, as we should rather say, Why make either of them the Sabbath ? Neither is so called Reasons for fix- either in the text or in the context. And as one Sabbath ing this on the prescribed by the fourth precept of the Decalogue would first day of the always occur during every Paschal festival, it seems clear to ^^'''- my mind that this seventh day of the week would, in the estimation of every Jew, be regarded as THE Sabbath of the Passover. And this corresponds exactly with the facts of the Antitype. Christ, the first-fruits of the Christian harvest, rose not on the i6th, but on the 17th day of Nisan. He ate the Paschal Supper, as did all the Jews, on Thursday evening, the 14th day of the month. On Friday, the 15th, he was crucified and buried. On the l6th, which was the seventh day of the week, or the Jewish Sabbath, he rested in the grave. And on the 1 7th day of the month, which was the morrow after the Sabbath proper, but the second day after THE PA SSO VER. 99 15. This being done, the products of the year were sanctified, or made fit for use. And juit so it^xypicaisig- Christ, having risen on the same day of the »''"'"""• v/eek, "the first-fruits of them that slept," has, in like manner, sanctified humanity. " This is the day the first ripe sheaf Before the Lord was waved ; And Christ, first-fruits of them that slept. Was from the dead received." 3. Besides all this many voluntary offerings were sometimes added. See, for example, 2 Chron- voluntary of- icles xxx, 23-26, and xxxv, 7-9. fering». VIII. The object of the Passover seems to have been threefold ; viz., commemorative, disciplinary, and typical. ¦I . Its primary object was, doubtless, to commemorate the Lord's passing over and sparing the Children ¦r o r o 1,5 mfluenca of Israel while he slew the first-born of the and importance Egyptians, and thus to hand down to poster- orative TnTtiiu- ity the most palpable and indubitable evidence """¦ of the Divine authenticity of all the facts and miracles connected with the emancipation of the- Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Had the miracles not been wrought, no such institution as the Passover could have ever been established and imposed on the people. Without the most reliable evidence of its Divine origin and also of all the miracles that resulted in their final deliverance, the first day of the festival, he rose from the dead, the first-fruits of them that slept. This, I think, is strong evidence that by the Sabbath of the Pas chal festival was always meant the seventh day of the week, whether it occurred on the 15th, l6th, 17th, 1 8th, igth, 20th, or 21st day of Nisan. It is worthy of note, also, that the Boethusians and the Sadducees, in the time of the second Temple, (Mishna, Menachoth x, 3,) took the word Sab bath, in Leviticus xxiii, 15, in its ordinary sense, as denoting the seventh day of the week. And since the eighth century the Karaites have inter preted it in the same way. Alexander's Kitto's Bibl. Cyc, Art. Pentecost. lOO SCHEME OF REDE'MPTION. they coyld never have been induced to leave their wives, their' children, and their homes exposed to their enemies while they went up to Jerusalem every year to celebrate this ordinance. But concede the reality of all the mira cles recorded, and then every thing that followed in the early history of this people is plain, simple, and natural. 2. The Passover was also a divinely ordained means How it also for educating the people. For, served as a /jx j^ provided for the instruction of the means of edu- ^ ^ ^ cation. children. Verses 26-28. (2.) By bringing together all the males once every year, to commemorate their deliverance from bondage, it served very greatly to cultivate their sympathies for each other and their reverence for Jehovah. 3. The Paschal Lamb was in several respects typical In what re- of Christ. I Corinthiaus v, 7. .pects it was ,^s j,. wlthout blemish, and so was he. typical of \ ' ' Christ. I Peter i, 19. (2.) It was killed between the two evenings, and so was he. Matthew xxvii, 45-50. (3.) Its blood procured salvation and deliverance, and so did his. I Peter i, 18, 19. (4,) Not a bone of it was broken, nor was one of his. John xix, 36. (5.) It was eaten without leaven ; and just so we are all required to partake of Christ, without the leaven of malice and hypocrisy, i Corinthians v, 7, 8. There may, perhaps, be other points of intended resemblance; but those given are sufficient for our present purpose. Dr. Godwin enumerates 13 points of resemblance; Dr. Lightfoot gives 17; and Dr. Keach 19. This is, no doubt, pressing the analogy beyond its true and proper typical limits. THE PASSOVER. 1 01 Note. — The Hebrew months, called CnT, (n^", a month, from X\y^, the moon, from n^', to be pale,) and sometimes D'syin, (tyil'l, a new moon, from tyin, to be new,) had anciently no separate names, ex cept X\ve. first, which was called Abib, (:1'PJ<, a green ear.) JJ'™"^"*^ "'° Exodus xiii, 4, etc But during the captivity the Hebrews > Months. adopted the Babylonian names. They were as follows : I. Nisan, (lO'J, reckoned from the new moon of March or April. Neh. ii, I. II. Ziv or Zif, (VI,) reckoned from the new moon of April or May. i Kings vi, I. III. Sivan, (IJ'P,) reckoned from the new moon of May or June. E*:her viii, 9. IV. Tammuz, (''^i?,) reckoned from the new moon of June or July. V. Ab, (3X,) reckoned from the new moon of July or August. VI. Elul, (7^7X,) reckoned from the new moon of August or September, Neh. vi, 15. VII. Tishri, (T'?''?.)) reckoned from the new moon of September or Octo ber. I Kings viii, 2. VIII. Bui or Marcheshvan, (7?3 or [lE'n'ID,) reckoned from the new moon of October or November. I Kings vi, 38. IX. Kislev, (i"7p3,) reckoned from the new moon of November or De cember. Neh. i, I. X. Tebeth, (nilB,) reckoned from the new moon of December or Jan uary. Esther ii, 16. XI. Shebat, (13?^,) reckoned from the new moon of January or Feb ruary. Zech. i, 7. XII. Adar, (TJK,) reckoned from the new moon of February or March. Esther iii, 17. The intercalary month was also called Adar or I'l*?!, and-Adar. See Jahn's Bib. Arch., p. 112. That the year originally began with the month Tishri is proved, I. From the fact that Tishri is derived from a root which signifies to be gin, (^'yO,) to begin. II. From the testimony of the best Jewish authority. See Josephus, Book I, chap. Ill, 3. I03 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. CHAPTER IV. THE EXODUS, ETC. When all the necessary arrangements had been madfe. Slaying of the j^st at the hour of midnight, the Lord went First-Born. q^^ ^j^j smote the first-born of the Egyptians, both of man and beast.* And there was a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt. This was enough. The haughty monarch could en dure no more. He and all his people rose Its effect on '- ^ Pharaoh aud Up, and Urged the Israelites to leave Egypt jects. immediately ; " for," said they, " We be all dead men." And in order to encourage and hasten their de parture, the Egyptians freely gave them aU that they asked.'\ So the Israelites left Rameses and came to Succoth. *This was most likely done through the instrumentality of an angel. See Exodus xii, 23. But this style is common in all languages, and is often applied to persons in authority, on the principle that, "Qui facit pet alium, facit per se." What a man does by another, he does by or through himself. tThe original word used here is shahal, (7SE'.) It occurs 169 times in the Hebrew Bible ; and is the word commonly used for to ask, Meaniiigofthe to request, et'c. Very seldom is it used with the intention or wore 1, y in j,j,p]ig(j obligation of returning ; and that this is not its mean- xo usxn, 35, .^ iiv this connection is evident from the context and all the etc. ° circumstances of the case. The Hebrew word most commonly used to express the idea of borrowing 5s lavali, (riy^.) It is used 26 times in the Bible, and generally in this sense. The word ahvat, (OSj;',) to exchange, is, also, sometimes used in the same sense. It occurs 6 times in the Bible. yOURNET FROM RAMESES TO SINAL I03 While the Israelites were at Succoth another com memorative Ordinance was passed. All the „ ., . Sanctification first-born of males, both of man and beast, of the First- were sanctified to the Lord. Exodus xiii, 2, and 1 1-16. The Levites and their cattle were afterward substi tuted for the first-born of all the tribes. See „ , . Substitution of Numbers iii, 40-5 1 . The number of the first- the Levites for born of all the tribes, from a month old and upward, was 22,273 ! ^^^ the number of the Levites, from a month old and upward, was as follows : The Kohathites were 8,600 ; the Merarites, 6,200 ; and the Gershonites, 7,500 ; making, in all, 22,300. Numbers iii, 14-39. ^^^ of these only 22,000 were exchanged for the first-born. The remaining 300 were, no doubt, the first-born of the Levites, and belonged to the Lord by virtue of the orig inal ordinance passed at Succoth. Exodus xiii. The 273 supernumeraries of the first-born were redeemed at the rate of five shekels apiece. Numbers iii, 46-48. The long continuance of this ordinance is another proof of the Divine authenticity of the Mosaic ^ ., *^ ^ Evidence de- histOry. rived from this From Succoth the Children of Israel went to Etham ; thence to Pihahiroth ; thence to the Red Sea, where they were baptized into Moses by the journey a-om cloud and by the sea. i Corinthians x, 2. wTdelrof Thence they went to Marah, where the bitter sin. waters were made sweet ; thence to EHm, where there were 1 2 fountains of water and 70 Palm trees ; thence to the borders of the Red Sea ; and thence to the 'Wilder ness of Sin, just one month after their departure from Rameses. Here it was that quails and manna were miraculously supplied. 104 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. With respect to this manna the following matters should be carefully noted and considered: I. The name. Its etymology is somewhat uncertain. But from Exodus xvi, 15, it seems pretty Etymology of evldeut that it is composed of the interrpga- theword. ^.jyg pronoun n?, what, changed into fa, for the sake of euphony ; and the personal pronoun H?n, he, she, or it. If this is its tri^ derivation, the word manna simply means What {is) it. But some think that it means a portion, and that it is derived from nm, to dis tribute. II. In appearance it was like coriander seed, con- its Appear- sisting of Small white particles. Exodus ance. jjyj^ 31. • III. Its taste was like that of honeyed wafers. Verse Its Taste. o j IV. It fell on every day of the week, except the Sab- whenandhow bath, for forty years. Verse 35. See, also, long supplied. Joshua V, I 2. V. The following were the principal directions given Directions concemiug it. See Exodus xvi. concerning it j_ That au omct* should be gathered for each one's daily allowance. 2. That it should be gathered every day except on the Sabbath ; and that that day's ration should be gathered and prepared on Friday. 3. That none of it should be kept over night, except for the Sabbath. 4. That an omer of it should be put in a vase, (nj^JS, Gr., pifjij Precept thee. " Thou shalt not kill. sixth Precept. " Thou shalt not commit adultery. ^'^'=°"' ^"¦' •^ cept. " Thou shalt not steal. Eighth Precept. " Thou shalt not bear false witness against . Ninth Precept. thy neighbor. " Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife; nor his man- Tenlh Precept. servant, nor his maidservant, nor hts ox, nor his ass, nor any thing tliat is thy neighbor's." Exodus XX, 2-17. This is the only part of the Law that was spoken in an audible voice to all the people. After it , Effect of this was delivered to them they retired from the Address on the foot of the mountain and requested that God ''^°'^"'' would henceforth speak unto them through Moses. Their request was granted, and these ten commandments were also afterward written on two tablets of stone by the finger of God, and delivered to the Israelites through Moses as their Fundamental Law and Magna Charta. Exodus xxxi, 18; xxxiv, i, 28; and Deuteronomy ix, 10. This Constitution or Organic Law of the Hebrews is 1 10 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. commonly called the Decalogue, because it consists of ten separate and distinct precepts. (Hebrew, Origin of the name Deca- D"?3in ^'^l^'i' ; Sept., ol 5i/.a Xl/pH and TO dixit ^°^"°' pT;/i.aTa; Vulgate, dccem verba, the ten words. Exodus xxxiv, 28 ; Deut. iv, 13 ; and x, 4,) The numerical Various Divi- division is not given in the Scriptures, and sions of it. heucc it is that different modes of dividing and classifying them have long prevailed among both Jews and Christians.* The following are the principal of these divisions : I. The Origenian. This is that which was supported by Origen, and which is still in use in the Greek Church, and in all the Protestant Churches except the Lutheran. It is the same, also, as that which is given by Josephus and Philo, and which I have followed on the preceding pages. II. The Talmudical. This is the division which is given in the Talmud, and that which is generally received by the modern Jews. According to this, the preamble of the Decalogue, as it is given by Origen, is the first Commandment. The second embraces both the first and the second of Origen ; and the remaining eight are the same as those of the Origenian, or Greek division, III. The first Masoretic Division. According to thia division, which is founded on the order and arrangement *This diversity of opinion shows how little reliance is to be placed on mere human authority in such matters. And the same thing may be illus- Division of the trated by the divisions of the whole Bible into chapters and Bible into verses. In these the most palpable eiTors are often manifest, Chapters and though the work Was performed by men of very high reputa- Verses. tioiufor their attainments in Biblical Liter.ature. The division of the whole Bible into chapters was made about A. D. 1240, by Hugo de Sancto Caro, a Roman Catholic Cardinal. And the Old and New Testa ments were afterward divided into verses, the former by Kabbi Mordecai Nathan, a learned Jewish Doctor, about A. D. 1445, and the latter by Robert Stevens, in A. D. 1551. THE DECALOGUE. Ill of words given in the twentieth chapter of Exodus, the first Commandment embraces both the first and second of the Origenian. The second corresponds with the third of Origen ; and so on, till we come to the ninth, which, according to the Masoretic text, is, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house;" and the tenth consists of what remains of the tenth of Origen, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife," etc. This is the division which was followed by Luther, and also by the Council of Trent. IV. The second Masoretic Division, sometimes called " The Augustinian',' is the same as the first made by the Masorites, except that it divides the tenth precept of the Origenian according to the order of words given in Deu teronomy V, 21. And hence the ninth precept of this division is, " Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife;" and the tenth is, " Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house',' etc. The Origenian is, I think, evidently the correct divi sion, and I will, therefore, make it the basis ^ ' ' ' _ The correct di- of the few femarks that I have to submit with vision of the regard to this wonderful document. Let us '"°s™- then notice) as briefly as possible, simply the main scope and bearing of the several precepts in order. I. The first implies two things : I. That all men should worship and serve scope of the Jehovah. *'=' ^¦''^"p'- 2. That they should worship nothing else. This precept, then, is opposed to both Atheism and Polytheism, and contains within itself the only sure and firm basis of all religion and morality; and, I may add, of all political, civil, and social order. II. The second relates to the proper mode of worship, and implies three things. 112 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION I. That God should be worshiped in spirit and in Scope of the truth, accordiug to his own prescribed or- second Precept. dinaUCeS. 2. That it is sinful to attempt to worship him under any material forms or images. All such attempts are idolatry. 3. That God can not and will not suffer any of his glory to be given to any thing else. On this so-called Divine jealousy rests the security of the universe. III. The third Commandment also implies three things; Scope of the I- That all men should speak of God with third Precept, ^.j^g most profouud revcreuce. 2. That any vain or irreverent use of any of God's names or titles is very sinful. 3. That God is jealous of his name, as he is also of his person. Learn hence that sacred things are not to be trifled with. IV. The fourth Commandment implies. Scope of the I- The propriety and necessity of sanctify- fourth Precept jj,g j.q ^j^c Lord 2, portlou of our time. 2. That this should be such as God has himself appointed. 3. That all under our authority should be encouraged and required to do likewise. V. The fifth Commandment implies. Scope of the I- That our parents and all in authority fifth Precept ^^gj. ^g should bc houorcd and respected. 2. That the Lord will reward and bless all who do this. VI. The sixth Commandment requires. Scope of the I- That we should use all lawful means to sixth Precept preserve the lives, the health, and the happi ness of all men. THE DECALOGUE. II3 2. That we should avoid every thing of an opposite tendency, such as anger, wrath, malice, etc. Matthew v, 21-26; I John iii, 15. VII. The seventh Commandment requires, I. That all our thoughts, words, and actions should be holy, pure, and temperate. ^ "^ ^ Scope of the 2. That we should avoid every thing that seventh Pie- may serve to create within us any impure ''*"' thoughts or feelings. Matthew v, 27-32. VIII. The eighth Commandment requires, I. That We should use all lawful means to preserve the property of other persons. Scope of the 2. That we should avoid all theft, unjust ''«''"' ^'^"=p'- dealing, and whatever else may serve to destroy or injure the property of others. IX. The ninth Commandment requires, I. That we should use all lawful means to promote the reputation and the good name of other scope of the persons. """' ^''^"'''• 2. That we should avoid every thing of a contrary and opposite tendency, and which may serve in any way to injure the character of others. X. The tenth Commandment requires, I. That we should be satisfied with such things as we have and as we may lawfully acquire. scope of the 2. That we should avoid all inordinate de- *'°* ^"'"'p'- sires concerning any thing and every thing that is our neighbor's. 'What think you, then, courteous reader, of this very short but comprehensive political, moral, and Depth, compre- religious Constitution of the Hebrew Theoc- Jd^'ptir'ty' of racy \ Have you ever found ^iny thing else in ""^ Decaiogua all antiquity that will compare with it.' 114 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. In the 321st Tract of the American Tract Society cTseoftheEn- there is an account given of a distinguished giish lawyer. English lawycr who was for a while skeptical on the subject of religion, and who commenced the study of the Old Testament with the view of satisfying himself with regard to the inspiration of the Bible. 'When he came to the Decalogue, and had studied it profoundly, he was constrained to exclaim, " Where did Moses get that lazvf Soon after this he became an earnest advocate of the Divine origin of the Holy Scriptures. In this case there is nothing strange or unaccounta- contrastbe- blc. The conversiou of this lawyer was but tween the Dec- ^^ natural consequcuce of his enlarged intel- alogue and Ilea- ^ ^ then Codes. ligeuce and more profound acquaintance with the Oracles of God. Compare the precepts of the Dec alogue with the maxims of the most illustrious of all the heathen philosophers, and mark the contrast. In Egypt, Babylonia, Persia, Phoenicia, Carthage, Greece, and Rome were tolerated, and in many cases licensed, theft, piracy, adultery, sodomy, incest, exposure of infants, human sac rifices, and many other crimes equally shocking and detestable. "Where, then, we may well exclaim with the skeptical lawyer, " zvhere did Moses get that law f" I need scarcely add that nearly all the principles of Perpetuity of the Dccalogue are immutable and of perpetual rf tife'''Deia- obligation. As the Constitution of the Jew- logue. ish Theocracy, it has, of course, been abol ished. See 2 Corinthians iii, 6-18; Gal. iv, 21-31 ; and Heb. viii, 6-13. But this does not destroy nor in any way impair the moral principles that underlie it, and that are expressed by it and through it. The Old Constitu tion of Kentucky, as such, was abrogated several years ago ; but most of its principles have reappeared in the THE DECALOGUE. I15 New Constitution. And just so it is with the Decalogue. The great moral principles of this wonderful document have their foundation and origin in the nature of God; and this, as I have shown in Book I, Chapter i, is itself the Constitution of the universe. And hence it follows that these principles are as immutable as the nature of God, and as enduring as his eternal throne. These fundamental principles of the Decalogue were afterward developed and illustrated by a e:reat , JO Subordinate variety of subordinate rules and regulations, Moral and civu enacted chiefly for the moral and civil govern- '''^"p'^- ment of the nation, all of which serve to maintain the worship of Jehovah ; to discourage idolatry ;* t,,^;, ^^^^^^ to preserve pure and holy the names and ^'^''p^- * It has been often urged as an objection by infidels against the Divine origin of the Pentateuch that " the Laws of Moses contain many things that are puerile, frivolous, and utterly unworthy Alleged objec- of the wisdom and m.ijesty of God." Such, for example, are ''™ "P"'*' "¦« , , , , . . , , . , , , , Mosaic Code. supposed to be the laws against cutting the hair and the beard in a particular way, Leviticus xix, 27; against boiling a kid in its mother's milk, Exodus xxiii, 19 ; against the use of certain kinds of animal food, Leviticus xi ; against wearing garments made of linen and woolen mixed together, Leviticus xix, 19; against the sowing of mixed seeds, Leviticus xix, 19 ; against the interchange of male and female attire, Deut. xxii, 5 ; against worshiping in groves and high places. Exodus xxxiv, 13, etc. Ir reply to this objection, I wish to say, I. That nothing should be regarded as trivial or frivolous which may serve to prevent in any way and to any extent the heinous sin of idolatry. fb'Sion" ""'' II. That most of the laws objected to, as such, have refer ence to some of the Idolatrous customs and practices of other nations. For instance, I. Herodotus says, Book III, Chapter viii, that the Arabs cut their hair round in honor of Bacchus, who, they say, had his hair cut in ^, . Illustrations. this way. 2. Dr. Cudworth says (quoting from a Karaite Jew) that "it was a custom of many ancient heathen when they had gathered in all their fruits, to take a kid and boil it in the milk of its dam, and then in a magical way to go about and besprinkle with it all their trees, and fields, and gardens, and orchards, thinking by tliese means to make them more fruitful, so thai II 6 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. titles of the one living and true God ; to sanctify the Sabbath ; to honor parents and all others in authority ; to preserve human life ; to encourage and promote chas tity ; to preserve and defend the right of property ; to prevent all slander and evil speaking ; and to make every one content with the lot which God has assigned to him in his providence. These laws are contained in the twenty-first, twenty-second, and twenty-third chapters of Exodus, and sundry other portions of the Pentateuch, and Should be stud- should be carefully studied by every scholar, iedbyaii. ^.xi^i especially by every teacher, preacher, lawyer, moralist, and statesman. But their full discus sion does not properly fall within our prescribed limits. And we must, therefore, now pass on to the considera tion of the Legal Types. These have a more direct and intimate connection with the Scheme of Redemption, arid will constitute the subject of the next chapter. they might bring forth more abundantly the following year." See Cudworth on the Lord's Supper, 3. The learned Maimonides, who carefully examined the whole history of idolatry, says " it was the custom of many Gentile priests to wear gar ments made out of both vegetable and animal products, hoping thereby to secure the beneficial influence of the planets on their sheep and flax." 4. The same author informs us that " it was the custom of both men and women to exchange garments in the worship of several of their gods." From such facts, the number of which might be greatly multiplied, we . see the wisdom and benevolence of God in forbidding many things which are in themselves perfectly harmless, but which, under the then existing circumstances, were liable to lead many into the sin of idolatry. For a similar reason. Christians are forbidden to do any thing by means of which a weak brother may be caused to stumble. See Romans xiv. LEGAL TTPES. 11/ CHAPTER VI. LEGAL TYPES. The Bible represents God as being omnipresent, "If I ascend into Heaven," says David, "thou ood is Omni- art there. If I make my bed in Hades, be- p'"™'- hold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me ; and thy right hand shall hold me." Psalm cxxxix, 8, 9. Bnt as the author of this beautiful and heart-search ing ode says in the same connection, "Such The natural de- knowledge is too wonderful for us." The "¦"''= i ""= '?"¦ o man heart with finite can not comprehend the Infinite. And respect to Cod. hence it is that the human heart has always desired, if not a local Deity, at least some local manifestation of his presence. " O, that I knew," says Job, xxiii, 3, " where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat!" To gratify this desire of the human heart was, there fore, evidently one of the benevolent objects ood's first ob- for which both the Tabernacle and the Tem- '^^l Tabe™cie pie were erected. God's primary design in ^^ xempie. both cases was simply to furnish a House in which his presence, _and his power, and his glory might be mani fested to his people, and where they might all seek and find him. See Exodus xxv, 8 ; xxix, 45 ; i Kings vi, 11-13; 2 Corinthians vi, 16; Hebrews iii, 6; and Revela tion xxi, 3. No wonder, then, that the Tabernacle and Temple Il8 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. were objects of so much interest to the Israelites. There Why they were was the place where Jehovah had recorded his much^ interest ^^1110 ; there were the symbols of his pres to the Jews. euce, and of his power, and of his glory ; and there he had promised to meet with them. But be it remembered that these things were also Reasons why Written for our instruction and our comfort. :Sdt'^^:! Romans xv, 4. In the Legal Types we have, ied by aU. ^s I bcforc Said, I. A beautiful pictorial outline of the Christian System. II. A most conclusive proof of the Divine origin of the wltole Bible. These two reasons alone are sufficient to make the study of the Legal Types a matter of profound interest to all who desire to understand the Holy Bible ; and to their consideration I therefore now invite the attention of the reader. 'We will begin with the Tabernacle. SFCTION I.— The Tabernacle. It is variously designated in the Bible as the Tent, ,. , (''UX,)* Exodus xxvi, 36; the Tabernacle of Names applied v • v > .j j j to the Taber- tlic Congregation, (that is, the Tabernacle of the appointed season for the meeting of the *The word oliel (/Hk) occurs 326 times in the Bible, and is variously Applications of appHed, the Hebrew I. To any movable dwelling. E. g., "Abraham pitched his words ohel and tent," (briN.) Genesis xii, 8. Mishkan. 2_ T^o t},g Tabernacle erected by Moses. E. g., "And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring to the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation," (^i?^D 7i^i<.) Exodus xxix, 4. 3. To the covering of the Tabernacle, made of goats' hair. E. g., " Thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering (a tent, ShN) upon the Tabernacle," ([32''?.) Exodus xxvi, 7. See, also, verses 9, 11, I2, 13, 14, etc. The word mishhan ([32'p) occurs 135 times in the Bible, and is used, I. For the whole Tabernacle erected by Moses. E. g., "Let them make THE TABERNACLE. 119 congregation, niira briJ«,) Exodus xxvii, 21, etc.; the Taber nacle of the precept or witness, {f^rsy p^p ; Sept., av.riv-q rou /lapropwu; Vulg., tabernacitlum te^imonii,) Numbers i, 50, 53, (and nnj;^ri«,) Numbers ix, 15, etc.; the House of the Lord, ipp] nu,) Deut. xxiii, 18; the Sanctuary, (sy'JpP,) Exodus xxv, 8; Lev. xii, 4; xxi, 12, etc.; the Holy, (J^lp,) Exodus xxxv, 19; and the Temple of jFehovah, (nin; by'r\,) I Samuel i, 9; iii, 3, etc. The materials of the Tabernacle were all free-will offerings, (Exodus xxv, 2,) and were of di- Materials for vers sorts; viz., of gold, silver, and copper, "«= Tabernacle. with blue, and purple, and scarlet fabrics, fine linen, goats' hair, rams' skins dyed red, tachash skins,* acacia me a Sanctuary, (Ey"Jpp,) that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, the pattern of the Tabernacle, ( j^K'p,) and the pattern ol jail the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it." Exodus x.xv, 8, 9. See, also. Numbers iv, 25, etc. 2. For the linen curtains of the Tabernacle. E. g., "Moreover, thou shalt make the Tabernacle ( [^K'P) ten curtains of fine twined linen." Exodus xxvi, I. See, also, verses 7, 12, and 13; and Exodus xl, 19, etc. 3. For any movable dwelling. Job xviii, 21. *The meaning of the word tachash (iVni?) is uncertain. The ancient in terpreters generally understood by it a certain color gi len to opinions con- the leather. Thus, the Septuagint has vaKive«i,^o-//^.- Aquila cerningtheHe- and Symmachus have 'lavBiva, violet-colored ; and the Chaldee brew word ta and Syriac versions have words signifying red. But the Tal- i^'"'"'- mudists and other Hebrew interpreters take tachash to be a species of animal, the skins of which were used for covering the Tabernacle, and also for shoes and sandals. See Exodus xxv, 5 ; xxvi, 14 ; xxxv, 23 ; xxxi.x, 34 ; Numbers iv, 6, 8, 10, II, 12, 14, 25; and Ezekiel xvi, 10. This is also the view that is now adopted by most Christian writers. But they are not agreed as to the kind of animal that was represented by it. According to Rashi, Luther, Gesenius, etc., it was the badger or the seal. Others suppose that it was a species of the antelope. The word occurs only 14 limes in the Bible, and in the Common English "Version it is always translated by the word badger. The badger, however, is not found so far south as Egypt, Arabia, or even Pales tine. It lives chiefly in northern Europe and Asia, and a species of it, called the ground-hog, is found in North America. The sea! is found in Arabia. On the whole, I am not prepared to translate this word, (D'ETin,) and I there fore transfer it. 120 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION.' wood,* oil for the lights, spices for anointing oil and for sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones for the Ephod. Exodus xxv, 1-8. The cost of all these materials is estimated by Dr. costofthema- Jo^hu Kitto at about ^^250,000 sterling, or terials. ;^I,III,IOO. The walls of the Tabernacle were composed of boards. Walls of the or rather of planks made of the acacia wood. Tabernacle. ^.nA. covered with gold. Each plank was ten cubits long, and a cubit and a half broad. The thickness of these planks is not given in the text ; but, according to Jewish tradition, each plank was one cubit thick. And hence the Hebrew word kehresh, {'^'^%) is in the Septua gint translated aruhi^, pillar. Exodus xxvi, 15-25. On this hypothesis, the internal dimensions of the Dimensions ot Tabemacle were thirty cubits in length, ten in the Tabernacle, breadth, and ten in hight ; and the external dimensions were thirty-one cubits in length, twelve in breadth, and ten in hight. The foundations of the walls were ninety-six sockets Its Founda- (H?) of silvcr ; each socket being equal to one tiousandBars. talent. Or about 93 3-4 lbs. avoirdupois.f See Exodus xxxviii, 27. The walls were also supported by five bars, made of acacia wood and covered with gold. Exodus xxvi, 26-29; and xxxvi, 31-34. *"The acacia," (nB'W, plur., D'BK',) says Gesenius, "is a large tree grow- g. . . , ing in Egypt and Arabia, from which the Gum Arabic is obtained. The wood is exceedingly hard, and when old it resembles ebony." t Dr. Arbuthnot estimates the weight of the Hebrew shekel, (7"?.^,) at 9 pennyweights and 2 4-7 grains, Troy weight, which is about half an ounce avoirdupois ; and hence, according to the Doctor's estimate, a shekel of silver is worth about 50 cents. And from Exodus x.xxviii, 25, 26, we learn that a talent is equal to 3,000 shekels, which, according to the preceding data, are equal to 93 3-4 lbs. avoirdupois, or nearly 114 lbs. Troy weight. On the same estimate, a talent THE TABERNACLE. 121 The coverings of the Tabernacle were four. The first (tSTO) was composed of ten curtains of fine coverings of twined linen. Each thread, according to the "•^i'^bemacie. Rabbis, was six double ; and the whole covering was beautifully variegated with colors of blue, and _ Structure and purple, and scarlet, and curiously embroidered uimensions of all over with figures of Cherubim. , Each of these curtains was twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits broad, and the ten were formed into two separate hangings of five curtains each, permanently joined together. And these again were united, when necessary, by fifty taches or clasps of gold, placed in fifty loops of blue tape, attached to the selvedges of the fifth and sixth curtains. This covering was, therefore, forty cubits long and twenty-eight cubits broad. Exodus xxvi, 1-6 ; and xxxvi, 8-13. This inner curtain is generally supposed to have been spread over the frame-work of the Tabernacle. But on the whole, I am inclined to think with Bahr, Fairbairn, and some others, that it was suspended within the frame-work by means of hooks and eyes, so as to form the interior lining of the whole Tabernacle. See 1 Kings vi, 29. The second covering (pxf'^ was composed of elevien curtains of goats' hair, each curtain being Materials, Di- thirty cubits in length and four in breadth, p^^t-™';,^",^ These were also joined together in two second curtain. of silver is worth about $1,500, and a talent of gold $24,000. Later writers, however, estimate the value of the shekel at about 60 cents. It is worthy of remark just here that the relative and commercial value o£ silver and gold was anciently much greater than it is at present, owing to their greater scarcity. It has been estimated that their value in the fourth century before Christ, was to its value in England in the year 1780 in the ratio of ten to one. See Jahn's Bib. Arch., p. 129. Thc Euboic and Attic talent is commonly estimated at ^51,179.75. II 122 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. hangings : the one on the east consisted of six cur tains, and the one on the west of but five. Th& two were united together by fifty brazen clasps. The first curtain in front was doubled. Exodus xxvi, 7-13, and xxxvi, 14-18. The third covering wds of rams' skins dyed red ; anc the fourth of tachash skins. Their dimen Third and fourth cover- sious are not given. Exodus xxvi, 14; xxxv^ '"«=• 19. The whole tabernacle was divided into two east and The Partition west rooms by a partition vail, ("3^3; Gr., '^^'i- xara-iTaana) It was made of the same kind of material as the inmost curtain, and was figured and embroidered in like manner. It was suspended directly under the golden clasps of the linen curtains, from golden hooks attached to four pillars of acacia wood, resting on four sockets of silver, of one talent each. Exodus xxvi, 31-34; xxxvi, 35, 36; and xxxviii, 27. The doorway, or entrance of the Tabernacle, was The Entrance closed by a^vail or hanging, 1^^'°, covering,) '*'^''- of the same kind of material as the partition vail. But it was not so highly ornamented. The Rabbis say that in the partition vail and inmost curtain the figures were made to appear on both sides ; but that they only appeared on the inside of the entrance vail. It was suspended from golden hooks, attached to five pillars, which rested on five sockets of brass. Exodus xxvi, 36, 37 ; xxxvi, 37, 38. The primary design of the Tabernacle, as before said, „ , ,. , was to furnish a house for God. But as God Symbolical -^ meaning of the dwclls both iu Hcavfin and also among his a ernac e. pgQpig qjj Earth, it was fit that the Taber nacle should be divided into two rooms or apartments, THE TABERNACLE, 123 each having its own proper furniture. And accordingly we find, I. That the Most Holy Place of both the Tabernacle and Temple was a type of Heaven. Hebrews TheMostHoiy vi, 19, 20; ix, 8 and 24. p'""- II. The Holy Place was a type of the Christian church. Acts xv, 16, 17; i Corinthians iii, Therioiy 16; I Timothy iii, 15, etc. ^'''"¦ III. The partition vail was a type of Christ's body. Hebrews x, 20. And hence, when his body J 1 M ' T,;r , 'J^li'Vail. was pierced, the van was rent. Matthew xxvii, 51. IV. The gold, the silver, and the fine linen, seem to denote merely the great value and purity of „ , ..>,,, ^ ^ ,. The Gold, etc. all that IS in God s presence. See Revelation xxi and xxii. V. The Cherubim were symbolical of the presence and ministration of angels. See Ezekiel i, and ° The Cherubim. x; also, Hebrews 1, 14, etc. Before we bring this section to a close, it may be well to notice a few points of resemblance and con- Points of Re- trast between the Tabernacle and the Temple. CoTnr^rt" "be- A «^l tween the Tab- ' ernacle and tha I. 'We find that the walls of the Temple 'lempie. were built of stone, and wainscoted with cedar boards covered with gold ; and the whole was covered all over with figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, i Kings vi, and 2 Chronicles iii. II. The ceiling was also made of cedar boards, cov ered with gold, and ornamented with cheru- ° ' The Ceiling. bim. III. The floor was of boards, covered with gold. I Kings vi, 30. The Floor. 124 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. IV. The dimensions of the Temple were sixty cubits TheDimen- loug, tweuty broad, and thirty high. Butthe sions. Most Holy Place was a complete cube of twenty cubits. And here it is worthy of remark that a cube was used among the ancients as a symbol of perfection. V. The general design of the Tabernacle and the Design of the Temple was the same. Compare Exodus Temple. ^xv, 8, with I Kiugs vi, 13. VI. And hence we may legitimately infer that all matters in "which the .Tabernacle and the Temple differed were circumstantial and not essential. SECTION II. — Furniture of the Tabernacle. The next thing that requires our attention is the Furniture of the Symbolical furniture of the Tabernacle. In Tabernacle. ^j^g lHo^t Holy Place we find the Ark of the Covenant, the Tables of the Testimony, the Mercy-Seat, the Cherubim, the Golden Censer, the Urn of Manna, and Aaron's Rod that budded. And in the Holy Place were the Altar of Incense, the Table of the Presence- Bread, and the Golden Candelabrum. Of these we will now speak in order FURNITURE OF THE MOST HOLY PLACE. I. The Ark of the Covenant. The Ark (pis) was a sort of chest, (Latin, area) two Materials and ^^^ ^ ^^^^ cubits loug, a cubit and a half Construction of broad, auds a cubit and a half high. It was the Ark. made out of acacia-wood, and overlaid both within and without with pure gold. Around the upper edge was a rim or cornice of pure gold, and on each side FURNITURE OF THE TABERNACLE. 1 25 were two rings of gold, through which were passed two staves of acacia-wood covered with gold, for the purpose of bearing the Ark. Exodus xxv, 10-16; xxxvii, 1-5. In the Ark were placed the Tables of the Testimony, the Urn of Manna, and Aaron's Rod. Heb. contents of the ix, 4. But it seems from i Kings viii, 9, that •*"'''• the Urn of Manna and Aaron's Rod had both been re moved and probably lost before the building of the Temple, which was about four hundred and eighty-six years after the building of the Tabernacle. II. The Mercy-Seat. On the Ark was placed the Mercy-Seat, (n^33; Sep tuagint, UaarTjptov; Vulgate, propitiatorium.) construction It was composed wholly of pure gold, and .^'^'Merc^'"' was two and a half cubits long, and one and seat. ' a half broad. Exodus xxv, 1 7 ; xxxvii, 6. III. The Two Cherubim. On the ends of the Mercy-Seat, and out of the same piece of solid bullion, were formed two Cheru- ^ ^ , ^ Construction bim (D'.an3) with extended wings, and having and Position of . , T, r t-^ , tlis Cherubim. their faces turned toward the Mercy-Seat. Exodus xxv, 18-22; xxxvii, 7-9. In Solomon's Temple, besides the two Cherubim which stood on the ends of the Mercy-Seat, ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ there were two others of colossal size, each ubim in soio- _.., I'.i'i 111 men's Temple. one of which was ten cubits high, and had wings extending tep cubits, i Kings vi, 23-27. IV. The Shekinah. Between the two Cherubim, and on the Mercy-Seat, was the Shekinah, (riJ'??',) or symbol of God's presence. 126 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. The word is not used in the Hebrew Scriptures, but it is common in the Targums and Jewish lit- piace- of the craturo. It is derived from the Hebrew word shekmah. p^^ ^^ dwcll, and heucc primarily means simply a dwelling.' But as it seems to have been always bright and luminous, it came also to signify the Divine glory, by means of which the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle and Temple was illuminated. To this Paul refers in Romans ix, 4, when, speaking of the Israelites, he says, "To whom pertained the adoption, and the glory, (ij Si'i^a.) and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God,' and the promises." It was also the Oracle from which audible responses were given to the High Priest. Compare Exodus xxviii, 30, with Numbers xxvii, 21, etc. V. The Golden Censer. The censers used for burning the daily incense on „ the Golden Altar were made of brass, Num- Two kinds of ' Censers and bers xvi, 39 ; and they were severally called by the Hebrews either a miktereth, (n'l.^pp, from iBj^p, incense, 2 Chronicles xxvi, 19; Ezekiel viii, 2;) or a machtah (nrino, that is, a fire-pan, from nnn, to take coals, Leviticus x, i ; and Numbers iv, 14.) But the Censer used for burning incense in the Most Holy Place was, according to the Talmud, made of gold. And this seems to be in harmony with the testimony of Paul in Heb. ix, 4, where he speaks of the Most Holy Place as having a golden censer {fpuaouv lyouaa duiuarrj^nov- — by some ren dered, a golden altar), as well as the Ark of the Covenant. The design of all these things was partly commem- Fourfoid De- orativc, partly typical, partly for the sake arrangement^' of omamcut, and partly to impress on each FURNITURE OF THE TABERNACLE. 1 27 successive generation, by means of sensible signs and symbols, suitable ideas of God and of his government. Thus, for instance, I. The Urn of Manna commemorated the miraculous supply of food furnished to the Children of Design of the Israel during the forty years of their sojourn ^°' °^ Manna. in the wilderness. II. The Rod of Aaron commemorated the rebellion of Korah and God's choice of Aaron's family of Aaron's for the priesthood. Numbers xvii, 1-13. ^'^¦ III. The Ark or chest on which the Shekinah rested was a symbol of God's throne, Hebrews iv, ^ ,.,... ^ , . . . Of the Ark. 16; Jeremiah 111, 16, 17; and its containing the Law indicated that said throne contains within itself the eternal principles of justice and righteousness. Psalm Ixxxix,. 14. IV. But these Tables of the Testimony needed a propitiatory covering, or otherwise they would of the Mercy- ever be openly testifying for God and against ^'"'• Israel. A,nd hence the great symbolic beauty and fitness of the Mercy-Seat, which, being sprinkled with the blood of atonement, Leviticus xvi, 14, 19, covered the Tables of the Testimony as Christ now covers all the testimony and demands of law and justice against his people. See Romans iii, 25, 26. V. The Cherubim evidently represent angels, who have ever looked with intense interest and of the cheru- wonder into the unfolding mysteries of re- ''""• demption. i Peter i, 12. How clearly, then, and how forcibly all this serves to prove the Divine origin of the Bible! He- Bearing of aii brews iii, 5. If it be said that the Egyptians, "?'" "" !''." ^K ' *^ o^ r ' vine Origin of the Greeks, and the Romans had their Adyta, i^^e Bibie. 128 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. their Penetralia, and their Arks, we need only -reply that all counterfeits imply a reality. FURNITURE OF THE HOLY PLACE. Let us now pass through the Partition Vail and notice briefly and in order the furniture of the Holy Place. I. The Altar of Incense. First in order, and directly before the vail, stood the Altar of Incense, (n^Bp nara.) It was made Structure of the ' . Altar of In- of acacia-wood, overlaid with gold, and was two cubits in hight, one in length, and one in breadth. Like the Ark and the table, it had a crown, or rather , „ . a rim or cornice of gold around its upper' Its Cornice, ° ^^ Rings, Staves, edge. It had also four rings of gold, through oms. -vvhich were placed two staves of acacia-wood covered with gold, by means of which it was carried by the Kohathites. Numbers iv, 4-15. It had also four horns, or projecting corners, covered with gold, on which the High Priest made an atonement once a year. Exo dus xxx, i-io; xxxvii, 25-29; Leviticus xvi, 18. On this altar, also, the Priests every evening and Offerings made every moming offered sweet Incense (-T^.op) ™''- made out of equal weights of stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. Exodus xxx, 34-38. The Altar itself seems to have had no further sym bolical import than simply to denote that God has an appointed place, where he will meet with his people and receive their vows and their oflTerings. The Incense was typical of the prayers of the saints. See Psalm cxli, 2 ; Luke i, 9, 10 ; and Revelation v, 8, and viii, 3, 4. FURNITURE OF THE TABERNACLE. 1 29 II. The Table of Shew-Bread. Next in order, and situated at the north side of the Tabernacle, was the Table of shew-bread, or Materials and' more literally. Table of the presence-bread, or '^""s"^""!""' "f ¦^ , f" the Table and bread of the face, (D'ja Dp7 tn^ty,) so called, no iis Fumiture. doubt, because it stood in the presence or before the face of Jehovah. This was also made of acacia-wood, over laid with gold. It was two cubits in length, one in breadth, and one and a half in hight ; and like the Ark and the golden Altar, it had four rings, two staves, and a cornice of pure gold. Its dishes (n'^.l'p) for the cakes, its cups (n'i3|) for the frankincense, its wine cups, (niK;p,) and its libation cups (n'rpJo) were also all of gold. Exo dus xxv, 23-30; xxxvii, 10-16. On this Table were placed every Sabbath by the High Priest twelve cakes (n'l^n) of fine flour, i . The Presence- Six in a row, and on each row a cup of Bread and frankincense. The cakes were eaten by the ''''*°'''°""^«- priests, and the frankincense was burned. Leviticus xxiv, 5-9.* The symbolic meaning of these cakes is easily under stood from their relation to the Tabernacle as ^heir symboi- Gods house. A well-furnished house always '"' ¦"'^"¦ns implies a table of provisions. It is evident, therefore, that these twelve cakes were symbolical of the spiritual food of Christians, who are all priests to God. i Peter * According to the statement made here in Leviticus, each cake (n^D) was to contain two-tenth deals or parts (CJ'l^jt? 'JK') of fine flour. And from Numbers xxviii, 5, it seems that the ephah, Quantity of consisting, according to Gesenius, of thirty-five quarts, was „"" '" '^' in all such cases the standard measure among the Hebrews. If so, the two-tenth deals of flour would be equal to seven quarts. If this estimate is true, which seems most probable, these cakes must have been of immense size. T30 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. ii, 5, 9. The frankincense seems to have been 'jr.iblem- atical of praise and thanksgiving. Revelation v, 8. III. The Candelabrum. The Candelabrum (n";'i3D ; Sept., Xuyvia) stood on the south side of the Tabernacle, over against the Structure and Position of ihe Table on the north. It was wrought or beaten out of a talent of pure gold, and consisted of one upright shaft, (the Rabbis say four cubits high,) and six branches, all ornamented with "bowls, knops, and flowers." On the top of the main stem and each branch there was a lamp, (13 ; Sept., Ay;^i/»?.) Its snuffers and its snuff-dishes were also of gold. See Exodus xxv, 31-40; xxxvii, 1 7-24. In these lamps (m'lJ) was burned pure olive oil Oil for the Continually. Exodus xxvii, 20, 21 ; Leviticus Lamps. xxiv, 1-4. The symbolical meaning of the Candelabrum is very obvious. It was simply a type of the Chris- Symbolical , ^ -^ . "' ^ meaning of the tlau Church as God's appointed means for pre- sei'ving and dispensing the light of the Gospel This is evident from such passages as the following: Zechariah iv, 1-14; Revelation i, 20, etc. And hence it follows that every Christian Congregation should be a light-dispenser. See I Timothy iii, 15. But observe that the Candelabrum was only a dis penser of light. It was the oil that produced Of the Oil. ¦ f , .7 , , it. And oil, throughout the whole Bible, is used as the common and appropriate symbol of the Holy Spirit. This will be made clear by a consideration of the following passages : Isaiah Ixi, i ; Acts x, 38 ; Hebrews i, 9; I John ii, 20, 27. FURNITURE OF THE TABERNACLE, 131 The seven lamps of the Candelabrum are symbol ical of perfect light. See Revelation iv, 5, of the seven etc. ^=""'''- In Solomon's Temple there were ten golden Candle sticks or Candelabra. candelabra of How beautifully, then, all this harmonizes "'° '^'""p-^- with the realities of the New Institution! Who that un derstands this lesson can doubt that Moses made all these things according to the pattern that was showed to him in the Mount? SECTION III.— The Court and its Furniture. Passing through the Entrance Vail or Hanging of the door eastward, we next come into the Court Diinensmns (¦*xn, an inclosure) of the Tabernacle. This and cunauis of was simply an inclosure of one hundred cubits long and fifty broad, surrounded by curtains of fine twined linen five cubits high. The Gate on the east was a hanging of twenty cubits lone: and five cubits high, made of blue, and => * . Its Gate. purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needle-work. These curtains were suspended on sixty pillars of brass, twenty on the north side, twenty on the south, ten on the east, and ten on the west. The pillars rested on sixty sockets of brass, and were joined or coupled together above by. means of sixty silver rods, which passed through the same number of silver hooks. Exodus xxvii, 9-19; xxxviii, 9-20. The object of this inclosure was merely to separate between the holy and the profane. It seemed Design of the to say to the unsanctified, as in the case of '^°'"''- 132 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. the Eleiisinian mysteries, "Procul, O procul este p-tofani, totoque absistite luco." Retire, far hence retire, ye profane, and quit entirely the sacred grove! None but Israelites had a right to enter this Court. It is much to be regretted, therefore, that in modern times this wall of separation between the sacred and the profane, between the Church and the world, has been in a great meas ure broken down, and in many cases even almost ob literated. Connected with Solomon's Temple there were two Courts of Solo- Courts. men's Temple. J jjjg j^ner Court, or Court of the Priests. I Kings vi, 36. II. The Outer, or Great Court. 2 Chronicles iv, g. The' Courts of Herod's Temple were as follows: Courts of Her- I- The Court of the Priests. This very od's Temple. nearly corresponded with the Court of the Tabernacle and the Inner Court of Solomon's Temple. II. The Court of the Israelites. This completely surrounded the Court of the Priests. III. The Court of the 'Women lay directly east of the Court of the Israelites. IV. The Court of the Gentiles. This was one stadium, or nearly one furlong, in length and the same in breadth. It completely surrounded all the other Courts, but the greater portion of it lay to the south. From this Court Christ drove the money-changers, etc. Matthew xxi, 11. This is also the Court to which reference is made in Revelation xi, 2. The chief articles of furniture in the Court of the Furniture ofthe Tabcmacle Were the Laver and the Altar of Court. Sacrifice. THE COURT AND ITS FURNITURE. 133 THE LAVER. The shape and dimensions of the Laver are not given in the Scriptures. But it is generally° ¦' Materia! and supposed to have been a circular basin of construction of brass, having for its pedestal another shallow "'° ^^^"' basin to receive the waste water. Its Hebrew name is I'l-?, a fire-pan, from 1:3, to boil up. Hence, also 1^3, a furnace for smelting metals. These were both generally of a circular form. The Septuagint has for "I'vs, X„ox-rip, a bathing-tub, from hibio, to wash. In water taken from this Laver (-"i;??, from it) the Priests were required, under penalty of death, y,^ „f „,^ La. to wash both their hands and their feet before ^"^ entering the Tabernacle or ministering at the altar. Exodus xxx, 17-21. The fundamental idea here symbolized is that of cleansing. And hence this washing was a . ° ° Typical signifi- beautiful type of the moral and spiritual canceofthe .purity that is required of all Christians.* '^"'*' * By some exjiositors these washings are .regarded as typical of Christian Baptism, and the Laver itself as a type of the bath (Kovrpov) tx^^^ Wash- . of regeneration. But it seems to me that this is an unwar- ings not a Type rantable hypothesis, for the following reasons : of Christian I. So far as we know one Legal type is never used to Baptism. , represent another. It seems always to point to a substance and never to a shadow. See Col. ii, 16, 17, and Heb. x, 7. II. Because this rite was performed daily by and for the same persons. But Baptism is to be administered but once to the same person. III. This ordinance consisted in washing merely the hands and the feet. But Baptism consists in the immersion of the whole person. Romans vi, 4, etc The Hebrew word used in this connection is ^D^, which means simply to wash the body or any part of it. The Hebrew word for dip or immerse is IV. This washing was not designed to make men priests, but simply to qualify for their daily duties those who had been previously ordained to the sacerdotal office. And hence it never changed the relations of any one. But Christian Baptism is essentially an initiatory ordinance. It is always 134 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Matthew v, 8; Hebrews xii, 14; i Peter i, 16. To this David beautifully alludes in Psalm xxiv, 4, 5, when, in answer to the question, " Who shall ascend into the hill of ydiovahf or who shall stand in Ids holy placet' the reply is, "He that hath clean hands and a pure heart ; who hath not lifted up his soul unto ^vanity, nor sworn deceit- designed to change the relations of the person baptized ; to transfer him from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God's dear Son. John iii, 5. Yhat there was some analogy between all these sacerdotal washings and Christian Baptism I freely admit. They were all symbolical of inward purity, and so also is baptism. This is evident from many such passages aa the following : 1. -Ephesians v, 26 : " Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify it, KaBapiaas Tui KovrpiZ tov vdaro? €v prinaTL, having cleansed it by a bath of water through the word." 2. Titus iii, 5 : " Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, fiii AovrpoC 7raAtyye»'e'-i'^'. traction oi presbyter, {tps« Ephod. border were tassels made of blue, and purple, and scarlet, in the form of pomegranates, alternating with golden bells. The Rabbis say there were seventy-two of each. Exodus xxviii, 31-35; xxxix, 22-26. II. The Ephod (ii'sx, from ^^x, to bind) This was a short coat worn over the Robe, and, with its curious Girdle, was made of gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cun ning work. To the shoulder-pieces were attached two onyx stones, on which were engraved the names of the twelve sons of Jacob "according to their birth." Exodus xxviii, 6-14; xxxix, 2-7. III. The Pectoral, or Breast-plate of Judgment, (•li?'n esTO.) This was a sort of pouch or bag of a ' ¦ ' ^ "The Pectoral. span or half a cubit square. It, too, was made of gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. To each of its four corners was at tached a gold ring, by means of which it was fastened to the Ephod. On the inside of its face were ^ . ,, r^ Precious Stones four rows of precious stones set in sockets and inscribed of gold, through which they were externally visible, and on these stones were engraved, most likely "according to their birth," the names of the Twelve 154 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Tribes of the Children of Israel, as follows. See Exo dus xxviii, 15-30. np.'13 Carbuncle. n-1133 Topaz. Vrp. Sardius. 'iS Levi. [ii'DK/ Simeon. |3^KT Reuben. b7n'. Diamond. TiJD Sapphire. ;"]3j Emerald. ''?r\3: NaphtalL p Dan. HT.n: Judah. n^^nx Amethyst. '\yw Agate. D^7 Ligure. •\'yB\ Issachar. 112'.^ Asher. nj Gad. npK'^' Jasper. DHii' Onyx. W'0'\r\ Beryl. pp'JI Benjamin. ^DV Joseph. JnSa.I Zebulon. Urim and Thummim. In the Pectoral were placed the Urim and Thummim, (?'sni D'l?.^, Lights and Perfections ; Sept., Srj?.ujat(; xal akrjOsta, Revelation and Truth; Vulg., Doctrina et Veritas, Doctrine and Truth) The Hebrew words are both plural, and they are generally supposed to be the plural of excellence, {pluralcs excellen- tice) meaning simply light and completeness, or perfection. It is also the common opinion of our best critics that the words are used metonymically for the things or the modes by and through which the light or revelation was given Three Hypoth- and the truth declared. But what these things fhrur'im"and '^^^''^ is Still a matter of uncertainty. Three Thummim. principal opinions have long prevailed con cerning them : LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD. 155 I. That they were identical with the stones of the Pectoral, and that by means of these God, in some way unknown to us, indicated his will to the people Hypothesis of through the High Priest as their representa- J<'-"'=p''"i^- tive. This is the view maintained by Josephus. In his Antiquities, B. Ill, Ch. viii. Sec. 9, he says: "God de clared beforehand, by these twelve stones which the Higli Priest bore on his breast, and which were inserted into his Breast-plate, when they should be victorious in battle, for so great a splendor shone forth from them before the army began to march that all the people were sensible of God's being present for their assistance. 'Whence it came to pass that those Greeks who had a veneration for our laws, because they could not possibly" cotitradict this, called that Breast-plate the Oracle. Now, this Breast-plate and this sardonyx (one of the stones on the High Priest's shoulders) left off shining two hundred years before I composed this book, God having been displeased at the transgressions of his laws." 2. The second hypothesis is that " the Urim and Thummim were .two small oracular images, Hypothesis of similar to the Teraphim, personifying Revela- ^'"'''¦ tion and Truth, which were placed in the cavity or pouch formed by the folds of the Breastplate, and which uttered oracles by a voice." This is the view maintained by Philo, the learned contemporary of Josephus. See his "Life of Moses," Vol. II, Book III, p. 152, of Mangey's Edition. 3. The third hypothesis is that the Urim and Thum mim were three precious stones, used for the Hypothesis of purpose of casting lots. On one of them, it M'':'"^"=- is alleged, was engraven the word p. Yes ; on the sec ond was engraved the word )^, No; and the third was 156 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION, left without any inscription. The question proposed was always put in such a way that the answer, if any were given, might be either Yes or No. These stones were carried in the purse or bag, formed by the lining of the Breastplate. "When the question was proposed, if the High Priest drew out the stone which contained Yes, the answer was affirmative ; if the one which con tained No, the answer was negative; and if he drew out the one which had no inscription, then no answer was given. See Michaelis on the "Laws of Moses." Art. 304. None of these hypotheses seems to be wholly free Conclusion re- from objectious ; and it may now indee 1 be UrTrl^^and "'^ imposslblc to asccrtaiu the exact impo? t of Thummim. these mystcrious terms. But this much is evident, that it was in some way, by means of the l^rim and Thummim, that God usually responded to the ques tions of the High Priest in matters of practical import ance involving doubt and uncertainty. See Numbers xxvii, 21 ; Judges xx, 27, 28; i Samuel xxiii, 9; xxviii, 6; and Ezra ii, 63. IV. The fourth article of the High Priest's golden attire The Golden ""^^^ i^^^ Plate of Gold, (^ni |"X,) which was ^''"^- fastened to Jiis Miter or Turban by a blue fillet. On this plate was inscribed the words, n'lrrS vr\b Holiness to Jehovah. To this inscription there is a beautiful allusion in Zechariah xiv, 20, 21. During the blessed era contemplated by the prophet, every thing will be sanctified to Jehovah, as was the High Priest during the Jewish Age. For a description of this Plate see Exodus xxviii, 36-38, and xxxix, 30. See also Psalm xciii, 5. LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD. 157 CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS. The ceremonies of consecrating Aaron and his sons to the Priesthood are given in Exodus xxix , T ¦ • ¦•• 1 • -t Ceremonies of and Leviticus viu and ix, and were as fol- ihePriest-s lows : Consecration. I. Moses brought Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tabernacle, and washed (fnij them in T ••¦ y The Washing water. Lev. viu, 5, 6. IL He clothed them in their proper gar- -. r The Investing. ments. Verses 7-9, 13. III. He anointed the Tabernacle and all its furniture; also the Laver and the Altar; and finally . 1 • , 1 r -v T The Anointing. Aaron himself Verses 10-12. IV. He brought forward the bullock for a sin-offer ing ; caused Aaron and his sons to place their The sin-offer- hands on its head, and killed it. He then put '"s- some of the blood on the horns of the Brazen Altar; poured out the rest of it at its foot ; burned the fat on it ; and the skin, flesh, and dung he burned without the camp. Verses 14—17. V. He brought the ram for a burnt-offering, and caused Aaron and his sons to place their The Bumt-of- hands on its head, and killed it. He then '*=""£• sprinkled the blood on the Altar round about, and after cleansing the legs and the entrails, he burned the whole ram on the Altar for a burnt-offering. Verses 18-21. VI. He brought the ram intended for a peace-offer ing, otherwise called " The Ram of Consecra- The Peace of- tion," and caused Aaron and his sons to lay '''^'''"s- their hands on its head, and killed it. He then took of the blood and put it on the right ear of Aaron and -r , • r I • Its Blood. his sons, to sanctify their ears lor hearing; 158 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. on the thumb of their right hand, to sanctify their hands for serving ; and on the great toe of their right foot, to sanctify their feet, for treading God's courts.* The rest of the blood he sprinkled on the Altar. Verses 22-24. He then took the fat, rump, kidneys, caul or omen- Parts consumed tum, and the right shoulder, with one loaf of on the Ahar. unleavcned bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer anointed with oil, and put them into the hands of Aaron and his sons, and waved them for a wave-offer ing, and then burned them on the Altar. Verses 25-28. The breast he waved and took as his own Moses portion of the Peace- portion. Verse 29. Offering. j^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ blood from thc of'^Bioo'd and Altar, mingling it with oil, and sprinkled it °''' on Aaron and on his sons, and on their gar ments to sanctify them. Verse 30. * It has often been urged against this application of blood, and other Infidel obiec- similar applications of oil and water, that "they are utterly tion to such ap- beneath the dignity and wisdom of that God who delights only plications of in the homage and ivorship of the heart" Blood, eic. ^„; le ji observed, I. That holiness of heart is essential to all acceptable worship. Without it all religious pretensions are worse than useless. ^'' '' "' II. That the whole world, both Jews and Gentiles, were in a great measure ignorant of this fundamental truth. They had no just and adequate conception of God's holiness, and had, therefore, no proper standard by which to judge of the degree of holiness that is necessary in order to enjoy God. III. To create this conception in the minds of the Hebrews was, therefore, very important, and at the same time extremely difficult. Every thing around them had an unfavorable and contrary tendency. IV. And hence the necessity that in a religion that was designed to pre pare the world for Christianity and Christianity for the world, there should be divers applications of blood, oil, and water in order that through these external signs and symbols the minds of all might be led to perceive more clearly the necessity of the blood of Christ, the renewing of the Holy Spirit, and that inward purity of heart without which no man shall see the Lord. V. And hence we find, as usual, that this objection has its foundation wholly in the ignorance of him who urges it. LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD. 159 After that he caused Aaron and his sons to boil the remainder of the flesh of the ram of consecration at the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation. There they ate it with unleavened bread. Verses 31, 32. VII. The same ceremonies, or at least a portion of them, were repeated for seven successive days, „Repetition of in order to indicate that the purification and the same cere- consecration should be perfect and entire. Verses 33-36; Exodus xxix, 35-37. VIII. On the eighth day, Aaron having been fully consecrated and set apart to the sacerdotal Aaron's Ofler- office, offered sacrifices for himself and also lugsandtheSa- for the people. At the close of his ministra tions the glory of Jehovah appeared to the people, and fire came out from him and consumed the flesh that was on the Altar. Leviticus ix. EMOLUMENTS OF THE PRIESTS. The emoluments and revenues of the Priests were derived chiefly from three sources. Revenues of I. From the perquisites of the thirteen "'« P"'=s's- Levitical cities that were assigned to them by lot. Joshua xxi, 4. II. From the tithes that they received from the Le vites. Numbers xviii, 25-32. III. From the sacrifices and other offerings of the Sanctuary; such as the skins of the burnt-offerings, Le viticus vii, 8 ; the flesh of the sin-offerings, Leviticus vi, 25, 26; the flesh ofthe trespass-offerings, Leviticus vii, i, 6 ; the peace-offerings of the congregation at Pentecost, Leviticus xxiii, 19, 20; the breast and the right shoulder of all the peace-offerings, Leviticus vii, 3 1-34 ; the shew bread, Leviticus xxiv, 9 ; the firsthng of every clean beast. l6o SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Numbers xviii, 15 ; the first-fruits of oil, wine, wheat, and whatsoever was first ripe in the land. Numbers xvii, 8-19; all devoted things, etc. RELATION OF THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD TO CHRISTIANITY. In the laws and ordinances of the Levitical Priesthood ,, , there was much that was of a merely local Matters of local -^ necessity and character. Many things of necessity had refer- couvenience in the Levitical cnco Only to the peculiar wants, organization, and circumstances of the Israelites as a people. But, nevertheless, the Levitical Priesthood, like all the religious rites and ceremonies of the Hebrews, was a shadow of good things to come. Every thoughtful stu dent of the Bible must see in it abundant evidence that the sacerdotal relations of the Old and the New Cove nant were designed and preordained by the Matters of ° •'^. . -' Typical sig- Diviue Author of both Institutions. It is evi- nificance. i ._ r • ,l dent, tor instance, I. That the Priests themselves were all types of the citizens of Christ's Kingdom. This is proved The Priests. _ . . , _ by a reference to i Peter 11, 5, 9, and Reve lation i, 6; V, 10. II. Their pure white garments and their sevenfold . washing were typical of the moral purity that ments and is required of all Christians. Revelation xix, as lings. g_ ^^^ Hebrews ix, 10-14. III. The repeated applications of blood and oil sig nified that the aforesaid purity of heart and The Blood and . Oil of their life cau be secured only through the atoning conse 1 1 . jjjQQfj Qf Christ, and the renewing and sancti fying energies of the Holy Spirit. See Hebrews ix, 14; x, 14, 19; Isaiah Ixi, i ; Acts x, 38 ; Hebrews i, 9 ; i John ii, 20, 27. LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD, tCl IV. The closing festival of their consecration was a beautiful symbol of the spiritual repast of those , , , ., The Feast of who have been reconciled to God. Revelation Peace-offer- iii, 20 ; Acts ii, 41-47. '"*'' V. And the separation of the Levitical Priests from all secular pursuits was evidently intended to ¦^ Their separa- denote that the chief business of all Christians tion from secu- is to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God through "' ''"''''"'"¦¦ Christ, and to attend to the concerns and interests of his Kingdom. Matthew vi, 33; Mark x, 28-31; i Timothy iv, 8 ; I Peter ii, 5, etc. In like manner we see many points of preordained resemblance between Aaron and Christ. Such, ' Points ofTyp- for example, as the following : icai resem- I. Aaron was called to his sacerdotal office A-irou anJ'^" by God ; and so was Christ. Hebrews v, 4, 5. '''"''^'' II. Aaron bore on his forehead evident marks of his entire consecration to God ; and so also did Christ. Of this his whole life is sufficient evidence. III. Aaron bore the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel according to the flesh, both on his shoulders and on his heart ; and in like manner Christ bears on his shoulders and on his heart all the promised seed. See Isaiah ix, 6; Hebrews ii, 14-18, etc. IV. Aaron went once a year in behalf of all Israel into the Most Holy Place ; and so Christ has gone, once lor all into Heaven itself, in behalf of all his people ; and to them that look for him he will appear again without a sin-offering for their salvation. Hebrews ix, 28. How evident it is, therefore, that the Bible is a unit ; and that the Old Covenant is but the shadow conclusion. of the New ! 14 1 62 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. SECTION VI. — Festivals and other Stated Solemnities In Leviticus xxiii, 2, etc., these are called moadeem, (o"i;riD,) from -^V, to appoint. The radical idea Sacred Sea,5ons \ -' '' -r> .ry- ^ appointed by couvcyed by the original is, therefore, not that of a feast or festival, as in the English Version, but rather that of an appointed season, or a meeting to gether for religious purposes. The most important of these were the weekly Sabbath, the Feast of the New Moon, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of the Passover, the Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles, the Sabbatical Year, and the Year of Jubilee.* "We will notice each of these briefly in order. THE sabbath. Five questions very naturally arise just here concern ing this ordinance : Questions con- ' . . cerning the I. "Wheu was it instituted .' II. For what purposes was it instituted.'' III. Is it, as an Institution, still binding on Christians .' IV. Does it belong to the Moral or to the Positive or der of institutions .^ * Besides these the Jews observed several Post-Exile Festivals ; the prin cipal of which were the following : FeStirak'* I. The Feast of Ptirim, (D'^-3, lots.) It was instituted by Mordecai, and was celebrated on the 14th and 15th days of the twelfth month, (Adar,) in commemoration of the deliverance of the Jews from the destruction that was threatened by the. wicked Hainan." See Esther iii, 7 ; and ix, 20-28. , II. Tlie least of Dedication, (H^in; N. Test., ri cvxaiVm,) This was in stituted by Judas Maccabceus, B. C. 164, in commemoration of the purifi cation of the Temple, after its profanation by Antiochus Epiphanes. It is still celebrated by the Jews during eight days, commencing on the 25th of the ninth month, (Kishlev.) John x, 22 ; i Maccab. iv, 52-59. III. The Feast of Wood-carrying. This has been celebrated by thc Jews on the 15th day of the fifth month, (Ab,) ever since their return from the Babylonish captivity. It commemorates the wood-ofTering that was every STATED SOLEMNITIES. 163 V. By what sacrifices was it distinguished } We will consider these questions briefly in order. And, first, IVhen was the Sabbath instituted >. The opinion has long been entertained, by some able writers, that the Sabbath had its origin in and „ . . , „ ^ Opinion of Pa- with the fourth precept of the Decalogue, and '•'y' '": . ^''h that, previous to the giving of the Law from origin Vtile Mount Sinai, there was really no such institu- ^"''''""'• tion known among men. But that this is an erroneous opinion is, T ,.1 ¦ 1 1 1 1 , , r „ ¦ Proof that their 1 think, clearly proved by the following pas- hypothesis is sages : '''''¦ I. "And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his prom Genesis works which God had created to make." Gen- "¦ ' esis ii, 3. No one, it seems to me, but a theorist can, after a fair examination of this passage, doubt that God rested and blessed the seventh day immediately after he had completed the work of the cosmos. 2. "And Laban said. It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the first- prom Genesis born. Fulfill her week, and I will give thee ™''' ^^''*- year made on this day for the supply of the Temple. Nehemiah x, 34 ; Jo sephus, Jewish Wars, Book II, ch. xvii, sec. 6. IV. The Feast of Water-drawing. This was held every year on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which was the 22d of the seventh month, (Tisri.) Tlie origin and design of the custom are both uncertain. John vii, 37 ; Mishna, Succa iv, 9 ; v, 1-3. V. The Feast of Nicanor. This was instituted by Judas Maccabseus, and celebrated on the 13th day of the twelfth month, (Adar,) in commemoration of the victory which on that day Judas gained over Nicanor. 1 Maccab. vii, 49 ; Joseph. Antiq. xii, 10, 5. VI. The Feast of Acra. This was instituted by Simon Maccabaeus, B. C. 141. It was annually celebrated on the 23d day of the second month, (Zif,) in commemoration of the recapture and purifying of Acra, the hill that stood north of the Temple, and on which Antiochus Epiphanes built a citadel, I Maccab. xiii, 50-52. l64 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week; and he gave him Rachel, his daughter, to wife also." Genesis xxix, 26-28. If the Sabbath had not been instituted ere this, how could Laban know any thing about weeks f Days, and months, and years are all Natural In- stitutions, but the week is wholly Positive. 3. See, also. Exodus xvi, 22-30. The laws and regu- From Exodus latlous here recorded respecting the Manna xvi, 22-30. were aiven some time before the Law was delivered from Mount Sinai. But in this passage there is a clear reference to the Sabbath as a previously existing Institution. 4. Exodus XX, 8-1 1. The Sabbath is here again From Exodus spokcu of, uot as 2. tiew, but as an old Institu- XX, 8-1 1. ^Jqjj )-]-,j^I- ^^s ^q ]3g remembered. 5. Hebrews iv, 3. The argument of the Apostle in From Hebrews thls passago is simply this. In Psalm xcv, 11, '"¦ ^- David, by the Spirit, speaks of a rest that was still in the future ; and he admonishes all Israelites to be ware lest they should fail to enter into that rest, just as many of those who left Egypt under Moses failed to enter into the rest of Canaan. But this rest, he argues, could not be the weekly Sabbath, because, he says, "the works were finished from the foundation of the world," which is equivalent to his saying that the Sabbath had been sanc tified and observed from the foundation of the world. For it is a law of all commemorative Institutions, human and Divine, that they should always be established in connec tion with the events which they are designed to celebrate. This law was strictly observed in the ordinance of the Passover, of the Pentecost, of the Feast of Tabernacles, the Pot of Manna, etc. And hence Paul very logically STATED SOLEMNITIES. 165 and forcibly argues, in the passage cited, tnat the rest spoken of by David could not be the weekly Sabbath. And for a similar reason he argues still further that it could not be the rest in Canaan. And hence he concludes that there is still a rest remaining for the people of God. Hebrews iv, 9. 6. Finally, we have the testimony of Christ on this subject. In Mark ii, 27, he says: "The Sab- From Mark ii, bath was made for man, and not man for the ^'' Sabbath." From this passage it is evident that the Sab bath was made not merely for the Israelites, as Paley and Hengstenberg would have us believe, but for man, (DH.xn ; Gr., 0 MOpio-oq ;) that is, for the race. Hence we conclude that the Sabbath was sanctified from the beginning, and that it was given to . - . Conplusion. Adam, even in Eden, as one 01 those primeval institutions that God ordained for the happiness of all men, Secondly. For what purposes was the Sabbath insti tuted.? Evidently, Purposes for I. To commemorate God's rest after creat- bath Vas^ insii- ing and arranging the universe with reference '"'"^• to man. Genesis ii, 3 ; and Exodus xx, 9-1 1. 2. That it might be a season of rest for man and beast. Exodus XX, 9-1 1. The importance of the Sabbath in this respect has often been proved experimentally, 3. That it might be a season for mutual instruction and social worship. See Leviticus xxiii, 3; Luke iv, 16; Acts XV, 21. 4. That it might serve as a type of that rest which we enjoy in and through Christ, both here and hereafter.. In Colossians ii, 16, 17, Paul says: "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days : 1 66 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. which are a shadow of things tp come ; but the body is of Christ." Here, then, it is evident that the Sabbath was intended to be a shadow of something pertaining to Christianity. But what is that substance of which the Sabbath was a shadow.' That it includes our rest after death is, I think, sufficiently obvious. But is this all } Does it mean nothing more than the rest that remains for those who die in the Lord "i Or does it also com prehend th.e partial rest that we even now enjoy through Christ from the toils and burdens of sin .' That the latter as well as the former is implied in the language of the Apostle, seems to me quite probable, for several reasons : (i.) It is required by the law of resemblance that must always exist between the type and the antitype. But the Israelites began to enjoy the promised rest as soon as they put off the yoke of bondage and started on their pilgrimage for Canaan. And just so it is now with all who become the real followers of Christ. All who come to him and take his yoke upon them find rest to their souls. Matthew xi, 28-30. (2.) The same thing is implied also in the law of con tinuity, or immediate sequence that exists between the type and the antitype. The sacrifices, for instance, were all continued till they were fulfilled in the Great Anti type. Then, and not till then, they all ceased. And just so it was with all the various Sabbaths of the Law. As shadows they must all have continued till the cor responding substance came into view. But from Colos sians ii, 14-17, we learn that they were all abrogated and taken out of the way when Christ was nailed to the Cross. And hence we conclude that the rest STATED SOLEMNITIES. 167 foreshadowed by the Sabbath is begun here, and that it is perfected" hereafter. 5. And, finally, the ordinance of the Sabbath was designed to remind the Jews of their emancipation from Egyptian bondage. " And remember," says Moses, " that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched-out arm ; therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day!' Deut. v, 1 5. Thirdly. Is the Sabbath, as it was originally instituted and reenacted in the Law of Moses, still bind- ' The Sabbath ing on Christians 1 not binding on , . . . . .1 • Chiisti.-ins. A negative answer is given to this ques tion in the passage previously cited from Colossians ii, 14-17. This passage covers all the typical and cere monial institutions of the Patriarchal Age as well as of the Jewish. Circumcision, for instance, was not of Moses but of the Fathers. John vii, 22. But, nevertheless, it was abolished with all the ordinances of the Law when Christ was crucified. Rom. ii, 25-29; i Cor. vii, 19; Gal. V, 6; vi, 15; Phil, iii, 3, etc. And the same may be said of the patriarchal sacrifices, tithes, priesthood. Sabbath, etc. All shadows disappeared when the sub stance came through Jesus Christ. The covenant made with Noah was of a different character. Fourthly. 'Was it a Moral or a Positive Institution .' The proper answer to this question is also implied in the same quotation from Colossians. If it . ^ its Positive and was abolished it must have been a Positive Moral charac- Institution, for God never abohshes any thing that is purely moral or natural. By this I do not mean that the ordinance of the Sabbath did not contain some moral elements. .Several such elements it certainly did 1 68 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. contain, all of which are of perpetual obligation, and, as we shall hereafter see, they have all reappeared in the still more sacred ordinance of the Lord's Day. But as an Institution the Sabbath was Positive, just as the Law of Moses and the Old Constitution of Kentucky were Positive ; and like them it is no longer of binding obliga tion on either Jews or Gentiles. Fifthly. By what sacrifices was the Sabbath dis tinguished .' In order to answer this question properly, we must The daily Of- ^'^^^ cousider the law of the daily sacrifices. ferings. This is givcu in Exodus xxix, 38-46, and Numbers xxviii, 1-8. From these passages we learn that the required daily sacrifices consisted, I. In two lambs, one of which was offered up in the morning and the other in the afternoon, (generally about 3 o'clock,) for a burnt-offering. 2. In two-tenths of an ephah of flour, (14 pints,) mingled with half a hin of oil, (5 pints,) half of which was offered with each lamb for a meat-offering. 3. In half a hin of wine, (5 pints,) the half of which was offered with each lamb for a drink-offering. The law of the Sabbatical offerings is given in Num bers xxviii, 9, 10. According to this the Offerings re- . . quired on Ihe sacrifices required on the Sabbath were jiist Sabbath. . , , „ , / ., twice as many as those that were offered daily. THE NEW MOONS AND FEAST OF TRU.MPETS. The beginning of each month was announced by the Solemnities of ^o^i^ding of trumpcts. Numbers x, 10. But the New tho souud of the trumpet on such occasions seems to have been symbolical of the voice of God. Numbers X, i-io. And hence we find that the STATED SOLEMNITIES, 169 first day of every month was distinguished by sundry marks of respect and religious devotion. It is no where in Scripture called a Sabbath. But it seems from sun dry passages that on that day the people abstained from servile labor, Amos viii, 5, etc., and on it they were required to offer an unusual number of sacrifices. These, as we learn from Numbers xxviii, 11-15, consisted of two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without spot for a burnt-offering, with their usual meat-offerings and drink-offerings, and one kid of the goats for a sin-offering, besides the daily burnt- offerings. The first day of the seventh month of the ecclesi astical year, which was also the first day of „ , .-' •' Solemnities of the civil year, was called a Sabbath, and also the Feast of the Feast (^i''ra) of Trumpets. Compare Levit- """'" icus xxiii, i, with xxiii, 23-25. On this day the people were required to abstain from all servile labor ; to meet together, as on the Sabbath, for religious instruction ; and to offer, besides the usual daily and monthly sacri fices, one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish for a burnt-offering, with their usual meat-offerings and drink-offerings ; and one kid of the goats for a sin-offering. Numbers xxix, 1-6. THE DAY OF ATONEMENT. The Day of Atonement, (D'.TSsn o'v ; Sept., -riplpa l^daa- P-ou) occurred annually on the tenth day of the „ ' •' ^ Sacredness seventh month. It is called a sabbath in Le- the Day of . . . , . ... Atonement. viticus XVI, 31 ; and in some respects it was the most solemn day in the year. For this reason all the services of the day were per formed, or at least superintended, by the High Priest IS 170 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. himself These, so far as we can learn front the Scrip- orderofits turcs and Jewish tradition, were conducted solemnities. ^g foUoWS : I. The High Priest laid aside his ordinary dress, bathed himself in water, and put on his golden garments. II. He went to the Laver, washed his hands and his feet, and proceeded to offer the usual morning oblations. III. He went into the Holy Place, trimmed the lamps, offered the incense, and came out and blessed the people. IV. He prepared himself and the people for the more solemn services of the day, by offering the sacrifices pre scribed in Numbers xxix, 7-1 1. These consisted of one young" bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish, for a burnt-offering, with their prescribed meat and drink offerings ; and one kid of the goats for a sin-offering. V. He washed his hands and feet a second time at the Laver; went into the Tabernacle and put off his golden garments ; bathed himself a second time in water, and put on his plain white linen garments. Leviticus xvi, 4. VI. He took the bullock, which had been previously selected as a sin-offering for himself and his family, laid his hands on its head, and uttered the following prayer and confession : " O Lord, I have sinned ; done jjerversely, and transgressed before thee — I and my house. I be seech thee, O Lord, expiate the sins, perversities, and transgressions whereby I have sinned, done perversely, and transgressed, I and my house ; as it is written in the law of Moses thy servant, saying, For in this day he will expiate for you to purge you from all your sins before tne Lord, that ye may be clean." Verse 1 1. STATED SOLEMNITIES. 171 VII. He killed the bullock, and reserved its blood. Verse 11. VIIL* He took a censer full of coals from the Brazen Altar, (verse 12. Compare i Kings viii, 64,) and his hands full of sweet incense ; went into the Most Holy Place, and there burned the incense before the Ark. Verses 12, 13. IX. He took the blood of the slain bullock, entered a second time into the Most Holy Place, and sprinkled the blood seven times on and before the Mercy-Seat. Verse 14. X. Pie came out into the Court, cast lots for the two goats, that he might know which was intended for Je hovah, ('"'P7,) and which for Azazel, or the Scape-Goat,* *The meaning ofthe word azazel, which occurs four times in this chapter, and no where else, is still a matter of uncertainty. The follow ing views are still entertained by able critics i Hypotheses I. That the word aza»el is used here as the name or des- Scaoe-Goat ignation of the goat ; and that it is composed of the two words I^, a goat, and 7TX, to depart. But it is difficult to see why a buck (TJ?tf') should be here represented t>y ^y.., which properly and usually means a she-goat. And besides, the pre fixed preposition 7 seems to designate the object for which the goat was intended. As the first goat was for Jehovah, so the second was for azazel. And hence, II. Some think that it is the name of the place to which the goat was sent. III. Others suppose that it is the name of Satan, or some other evil demon of the desert ; some of them alleging that the goat was a real sacrifice offered to .Satan to ajipease his wrath, just as sacrifices were sometimes offered to Typhon I But others allege that the goat was simply made the bearer of sins to their proper author. IV. Perhaps the most probable view is that the word azazel is formed by simply doubling the word Sjl?, to separate, in order to express more fully and emphatically 'the idea of r. complete and final .Provable Eiy- . T-r . U... U,,, , , . .¦ mology of the separation. Hence we have 7.'^ 'i^; ^""' '^y contraction, „„f^i „^„2^^_ SLTJi' ; and by a change of kindred letters, for the sake of euphony, we have finally '^.TXJ^. The first goat by his blood covered the sins of the people, and the second bore them away into a state of complete separation and eternal forgetfulness. The first goat was for Jehovah, the second was for an oblivious and eternal separation. 172 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. XI. He killed the goat on which the Lord's lot fell ; took of its blood into the Most Holy Place, and sprinkled it seven times on and before the Mercy-Seat.* After ward, lie made in like manner an atonement for the Holy Place and all that pertained to it. Verses 15-17; Exodus xxx, 10. See also Josephus, Ant. iii, 10, 3. XII. He then went out of the Tabernacle into the Court ; took of the blood of the bullock and ofthe goat ; put ofthe mixture on the horns of the Brazen Altar, and sprink led it with his finger seven times upon the Altar. Vs. 18, 19. XIII. "When this was done, he next laid his hands on the head of the Scape-Goat, confessed over it the sins of the people, and sent it away by a fit person into a place of separation. Verses 20-22. XIV. He went into the Tabernacle, put off his linen garments, washed himself in water, and put on again the rich garments peculiar to his office. Verses 23, 24. XV. He offered one ram as a burnt-offering for him self, and another for the people. Verse 24. XVI. He burned the fat of the sin-offerings on the Brazen Altar, and caused their flesh, etc., to be burned without the camp. Verse 25. XVII. Finally, he washed his hands and his feet at the Laver, and proceeded to offer the evening oblations and to trim the lamps. These ceremonies are of profound significance, and full of the most important practical instruction. Lessons taught by these cere- But the few followiug liiuts and reflections are all that I propose to say for the present con cerning them : I. The remembrance on this day of all the sins of the past year, made it a fit season for deep humiliation, fast ing, and prayer. Verses 29-31. STATED SOLEMNITIES. 1 73 2. It proved the inefficacy of all the daily, weekly, and monthly sacrifices that had been previously offered. Hebrews x, 1-4. 3. The sin-offering for Aaron and his family showed the imperfection of the Levitical Priesthood. Hebrews vii, 27. And hence Aaron was required to lay aside his golden garments, and to enter the Most Holy Place as a suppliant. 4. The use of incense with the blood proves that prayer is necessary in connection with the blood of Christ. 5. The two goats fitly illustrate the sin-offering of Christ, which both covers our sins and consigns them to oblivion. Hebrews x, 11-17. 6. The sprinkling of the Golden Altar and the re peated sacrifices of the day show that even our prayers and our most solemn acts of worship need the sanctifying influence of atoning blood. ""We must not repent," says Matthew Henry, "that we have repented, but we must repent that we have not repented better." 7. Finally, we see in many of these ceremonies much of the polluting nature and influence of sin, and the necessity of the Great Sin-Offering. THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER. This very solemn and interesting festival has already been sufficiently explained in Chapter III of Part II, Book Second, and we will, therefore, now pass on to the consideration of THE FEAST OF PENTECOST. This festival is called the Feast of Weeks (Exodus x.xxiv, 22; Deut. xvi, 9, 16; and 2 Chroni- Names given to cies viii, 13) because it was celebrated seven 'h'^t^^'™'- 174 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. complete weeks after the Paschal Sabbath. Leviticus xxiii, 15, 16. It is called the Feast of Harvest (Exodus xxiii, 16) because on it were presented the first-fruits of the wheat harvest. Exodus xxxiv, 22; Leviticus xxiii, 17; and Numbers xxviii, 26. The name Pentecost (d'v Dt?prj ; Gr., UsvrrjxoiTT^ r/jxipa) does iiot occur in the Old Testament, but it is common in the Jewish writings, (Tobit ii, i ; 2 Macab. xii, 32 ; Josephus, Jewish Wars, B. II, ch. iii, i, etc.,) and hence it is the name given to this festival in the New Testament. See Acts ii, i ; xx, 16; and i Corinthians xvi, 8. It means simply the. fiftieth, the word day being understood. And as it was reckoned from the Rule for reck- morrow after the Paschal Sabbath, (Leviticus of'"the"pente- xxiii, 1 5, 1 6,) it would, of course, always occur '°^'- on the first day of the week, but not always on the sixth day of the month Sivan, as many modern Jewish writers testify.* The length of time during which this festival was to ^ . , , be continued is not definitely given in the Duration of the ^ ^ ^ Pentecostal Scripturcs. Tho prescribed ceremonies have all reference to the fiftieth day after the Pas chal Sabbath, but it usually lasted seven days. By whom ceie- To it, as Well as to the Passover and the brated. Feast of Tabernacles, all the able-bodied male *This very prevalent error seems to have originated as follows : The first Probable Ori- ^ay of the first Paschal Festival fell on the weekly Sabbath. gin of the Phar- See «»&•, page g8. "The morrow after the Sabbath" would, isees' mode of of course, that year fall on the sixteenth of Nisan, and the fol- reckoning it. lowing Pentecost would be on the sixth of Sivan. And hence it happened that in the course of time, when tradition gained the ascendency over the minds of many, the Pharisees made the original day of the month, instead of the prescribed day of the week, the basis of their reckoning. But the Sadducees, who discarded all traditions, and who professed to follow the strict interpretation of the inspired text, always reckoned the Pentecost from the first day of the week, or the morrow after the Paschal Sabbath. This rale is also still followed by the Karaites. Alexander's Kitto's Bibl. Cyc. STATED SOLEMNITIES. 1 75 members of the Tribes were required to go up,* and none were allowed to go empty. Every one had to take with him a free-will offering according to his ability. Exodus xxiii, 14-17; xxxiv, 18-23; Deut. xvi, 16, 17. During their absence from home God promised that he would protect their families and their estates, so that no one would even "desire" to invade their territory nor to possess their lands. Exodus xxxiv, 24. 'V^'hat a strik ing illustration we have here given of the doctrine of God's special providence! 'Without God's protecting and restraining influence how very easy it would have been on such occasions for the surrounding hostile tribes to have captured the homes of these absent Israelites, and to have enslaved their wives and children ! But, never theless, history has not recorded a single invasion of Iheir territory during their attendance on these festi vals! How plain it is that "the zvay of duty is the way of safety !" The required solemnities and ceremonies of the day were as follows : Ceremonies of I. On this day there was to be held a holy p=""™='- convocation of the people, and they were required to abstain from all servile labor. Leviticus xxiii, 21 ; and Numbers xxviii, 26. II. A new meat-offering of the first-fruits of the wheat harvest, consisting of two loaves, (urh ^:^to scil. rii'nas) of leavened bread, made of fine flour, of two-tenths of an ephah (7 quarts) each. Leviticus xxiii, 17. III. A special offering in connection with these loaves, consisting of one young bullock, two rams, and seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt- *The Jewish Doctors say that all superannuated men, sick men, and boys undei thiit-'en years of age were exempt from the requirements of this law. 176 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. offering, one kid of the goats for a sin-offering, and two lambs for a peace-offering. Verses 18, 19. IV. The usual offering of the New Moon, and of each day of the Passover, consisting of two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year, without blem ish, for a burnt-offering, one kid for a sin-offering, besides the daily burnt-offerings and their required meat-offerings and drink-offerings. Numbers xxviii, 26-31.* *Some commentators have alleged that the burnt-offering and the sin- offering described in Leviticus xxiii, i8, 19, were designed to be identical with those that are given in Numbers xxviii, 26-31, and that there is, therefore, a real discrepancy in the two statements. But Josephus evidently regards them as distinct sacrifices. He says, in his Antiquities, B. Ill, ch. x, sec. 6 : " On the fiftieth day, which is Pentecost, they bring to God a loaf made of wheat flour, of two-tenth deals, with leaven. And for sacrifices they bring two lambs, and when they have only presented them to God they are made ready to sup per for the Priests ; nor is it permitted to leave any thing of them till the fol lowing day. They also slay three bullocks for a burnt-offering, and two rams and fourteen lambs, with two kids of the goats for sins." His specifying two rams instead of three is evidently a mistake, for in the Talmud (Menachoth iv, 3) it is said: "The kind of sacrifice prescribed in Numbers xxviii, 27, was offered in the wilderness, and the kind of sacrifice enjoined in Leviticus xxiii, 18, was not offered in the wilderness ; but when they (the Israelites) entered the promised land they offered both kinds." Still more specific and definite is the testimony of the learned Maimonides on this subject. He says : " On the fiftieth day, counting from the offering of the omer, is the feast of Pentecost. Now, on this day additional sacrifices are offered like the additional ones for the New Moon, consisting of two bul locks, one ram, and seven lambs, all of them burnt-offerings, and of a goat as a sin-offering. These are sacrifices ordered in Numbers xxviii, 26, 27, 30, and they constitute the addition for the day. Besides this addition, however, a new meat-offering of two loaves is also brought, and with the loaves are also offered one bullock, two rams, and seven lambs, all burnt-offerings, a goat for a sin-offering, and two lambs for a i3eace-offering. These are the sacrifices ordered in I^eviticus xxiii, 18. Hence the sacrifice on this day exceeds the two daily sacrifices by three bullocks, three rams, fourteen lambs, (all these twenty animals being a burnt-offering,) two goats for a sin-offering, which are eaten, and two lambs for a peace-offering, which are not eaten." (lad Ha- Chezaka Hilchoth Tamidin U-Mosaphin.) Hence I think that the alleged dis crepancy in this case, as in most others, is only apparent, and that both the sacrifices were offered as Josephus, Maimonides, and the authors of the Tal mud testify. STATED SOLEMNITIES. T77 The design of this festival, like that of the Passover, seems to have been threefold: „„ ,, A. hreefold oh- I. It ivas a sort of Harvest-Home ; and as ject ofthe Feast such had a very great influence on the moral, social, and religious education of the people, and espe cially did it serve to cultivate in their hearts sentiments of gratitude to the bountiful giver of the harvest, and, indeed, of every other blessing. Deuteronomy xvi, 9-12. II. It is probable that it zuas also designed to com memorate the giving of the Law from Mount Sinai. True, indeed, this is no where specially stated in the Bible. But it is according to the testimony of the most distin guished Jewish writers on this subject, as well as of many of the Christian fathers. Maimonides says : " Pentecost is the day on which the Law was given. . . . And because this great manifestation did not last more than one day, therefore we annually commemorate it only one day." More Nebuchim III, 43. III. But whatever may be thought of its commem orative design, there can, I think, be no ¦ doubt that its main object was typical. Its definite and specific relations to the Passover, as well as the ceremonies of the day, all seem to mark it out as the day when "the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" should be proclaimed in all its fullness from Mount Zion, Isaiah ii, 3 ; and the first-fruits of the world's great harvest should be pre sented as a thank-offering to God. Acts ii, 41. And hence the converts of that day are, by Paul in Romans xi, 16, called the first-fruits of the Jewish nation. And from this he argues that as the first-fruits had been offered and accepted, so now the whole mass of the people were in a legal sense holy, and might also be converted to Christ and made heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. 178 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. This festival was so called because during its continu- ance all the Israelites were commanded to live Names given to the third An- in booths, teuts, or tabernacles. Lev. xxiii, 42, 43. It was also called the Feast of Ingathering, Exodus, xxiii, 16; Deut. xvi, 13, etc., because it was held after both the harvest and the vintage were completed. It commenced on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and continued seven days. The eighth Time of Its com- ¦' ° mencementand day. Called lu Johu vfi, 37, " thc great day uraion. ^^ ^^ Feast," was not, strictly speaking, a part of the festival. It was rather an appendix to it ; a sabbath designed to be a solemn winding up of the festive season. And hence it became to the Jews one of the most solemn and interesting days of the whole year. See Leviticus xxiii, 33-43 ; and Deut. xvi, 13-17. From Nehemiah viii, 13-17, it seems that the tents , , were made out of olive branches, pine Use made of va- ^ rious kinds of brauchcs, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees. They were, of course, constructed previous to the fifteenth day of the month, for that day was a sabbath, and on it all servile work was forbidden. But on it the people were required to take in their hands boughs of goodly or stately trees, branches of palm-trees, boughs of thick trees or mount ain shrubs, and willows of the brook, most likely to symbolize the different kinds of vegetation in the wilder ness and in Canaan. „ ., , The required sacrifices of this festival were Sacvmces of fered during as follows : On the first day there were of fered thirteen bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs for a burnt-offering, with the usual meat-offerings STATED SOLEMNITIES. 179 and drink-offerings, and a kid of the goats for a sin- offering, beside the required daily offerings. On each of the following days the same number of rams, lambs, and kids was offered ; but the number of bullocks was reduced by one every day, so that on the seventh only seven bullocks were offered. And hence during the seven days of the festival there were offered 70 bullocks, 14 rams, 98 lambs, and 7 kids, with 33 3-5 ephahs of flour, 64 1-6 bins of oil, and 64 1-6 bins of wine ; that is, about 36 3-4 bushels of flour, 80 5-24 gallons of oil, and the same quantity of wine,* beside the usual burnt- offerings and their meat-offerings and drink-offerings. The offerings of the eighth day were one bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year offerings of the ¦ for a burnt-offering, with the required meat e'g'"i'day. and drink-offerings, and one kid for a sin-offering. Num bers xxix, 12-38. In later times it was customary to pour profusely on the temple courts water drawn from the pool r r"\ 1*1 1 Later ceremo- of Siloam, while the people were rejoicing and niesofnie Fes- the Levites were singing Psalms cxiii-cxviii. In the evenings they illuminated the court of the "Women and sung Psalms cxx-cxxxvi. To these customs there seems to be an allusion in John vii, 37-39; viii, 12, etc. The design of this festival was, I. To commemorate Israel's sojourn in the Design of the wilderness. Leviticus xxiii, 43. Feast of Tab- II. To give to them a suitable opportunity for national and social praise and thanksgiving, after all the products of the year had been collected together. Deut. *An ephah, according to Gesenius, etc., is equal to 35 quarts, or one bushel and three quarts ; others make it equal to but 3 pecks and 3 pints. Jahn's Bibl. Arch., p. 131. A hin is equal to 5 quarts nearly. l8o SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. xvi, 13-15. And hence, like the Feast of the Passover and the Feast of Pentecost, it had a powerful influence on the moral and religious education of the entire nation. III. To keep all Christians mindful of the fact that, like the Israelites, we are still dwelling in tents, but that we are traveling to a city which lias foundations whose builder and maker is God. See Zechariah xiv, 16—21. THE SABBATICAL YEAR. This Institution is called the Sabbath of Sabbatism, ( fina?; njty" ) Leviticus xxv, 4 ; the Year of Sab- Naines given ^ ' ^ '' ' -r r j to the Sabbat- batism, Leviticus xxv, 5 ; the Year of Release, Deut. XV, I, 2, 9; the Seventh Year, Deut. xv, 9 ; and in the Hebrew Canons it is called, by way of em inence, simply the Seventh. The time of the commencement of this year is some- Tirae of its ^^^^ Uncertain. But it is generally thought commence- that it bogau wlth thc Feast of Trumpets, on the first day of the month Tishri. So Mai monides and other Jewish Doctors testify ; though, from Deut. xxxi, 10, it would seem that the month Tishri was rather the end than the beginning of the Sabbatical year. The words of Moses are as follows : " At the end',' (|'p.p, [p, from, in, or at, and ^^.., the end, from T^j^, to cut off; com pare Genesis iv, 3 ; viii, 6 ; xvi, 3 ; xii, i, etc.) And when it is remembered that this Institution, so far as it re spected the Israelites, had reference chiefly to their agri cultural interests and employments, I think it worthy of consideration whether the seventh year did not commence with the beginning of their agricultural labors, and end after these were all brought to a close ; just as our colle giate or fiscal year may begin and end at any period ol the civil year. If so, it may have commenced either STATED SOLEMNITIES. l8r immediately after the Feast of Tabernacles or with the beginning of the month following. For in southern Palestine the Israelites commenced preparing the ground for the seed as soon as the autumnal rains had suf ficiently mollified it. This generally occurred about the last of Tishri, which on this account was called also Ethanim, (Q'JH'N ;) that is, the month of perpetuities or of fiowing brooks, i Kings viii, 2. By the end of October, then, or about the beginning of the eighth month, Bui or Marcheshvan, the ground was generally ready to receive the seed ; "and the sowing of wheat continued in different situations through November into December. Barley was not generally sown till January and February." Alex. Kitto's Bibl. Cyc, Art. Agriculture. The law of the Sabbatical year required, I. That on it all agricultural operations Things re- should be suspended. Exodus xxiii, lO, 11; L"a'wtinhi'r Levit. xxv, 2-5. Institution. II. That the spontaneous productions of the year should be free for the use of the poor, the hirelings, the strangers, and the cattle. Ex. xxiii, 1 1 ; Levit. xxv, 5-7. III. That at the beginning of the year all debts should be remitted. Deut. xv, 1-3. This release of the debtor was final and absolute. Talmud, Shebiith x, 1-5, etc. IV. That during the Feast of Tabernacles, at the end of the year, the whole Law should be read to all the people, men, women, and children ; and even to those that were strangers and sojourners in the land. Deut. xxxi, 10-13. The design of this Institution is not specifically stated in the Holy Scriptures. But from all that is ^ Its Design. said concerning it, we think it probable that it was intended, l82 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. I. To teach the Israelites that God is the only rightful proprietor of the soil, and that they were but his tenants. II. To teach them to be more trustful in God's provi dence, and to be more liberal and benevelent to each other as the servants of God. III. To typify and illustrate more fully the "rest that remains for the people of God',' and to magnify its import ance and significance as an element of the Scheme of Redemption. That this Institution was much neglected by the He brews, especially before the captivity, is evi- Neglect of it , . . ._ . . . , dent from comparing Leviticus xxvi, 27-36, with 2 Chronicles xxxvi, 21. But that it was observed Evidence of its ^o some cxteut — sufficiently so to test God's observance. fidelity to his promlscs- — is proved, I. From the implied testimony of the Scriptures them selves. The Sabbatical years, including the years of Ju bilee, from Moses to the captivity, were about one hundred and thirty-seven. And as God charges the Israelites, in the preceding reference, with having neg lected but seventy of these years, it is fair to presume that they had faithfully kept the remaining sixty-seven, or nearly one-half of the entire number. II. From the first Book of Maccabees, vi, 49. The author, while speaking of the war between Judas Macca baeus and Antiochus Eupator, the son and successor of Antiochus Epiphanes, says : " Then the King's army went up to Jerusalem to meet them (the Jews ;) and the King pitched his tents in Judea and against Mount Zion. But with them of Bethsura he made peace; for they came out of the city, because they had no victuals there to endure the siege, it being a year of rest to the land!' III. From the testimony of yosephus. Speaking of STATED SOLEMNITIES. 183 Alexander the Great and of his visit to Jerusalem, he says : " And when the Book of Daniel was showed him, wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks would destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that he himself was the person intended. And as he was then glad, he dismissed the multitude for the present ; but the next day he called them to him, and bid them ask what favors they pleased of him. 'Whereupon the High Priest desired that they might enjoy the laws of their fore fathers, and might pay no tribute on the seventh year. He granted all they desired." Antiq., Book XI, ch. viii, sec. 5. Again, the same author, quoting from the decrees of Julius Caesar in reference to the Jews, says : " Caius Caesar, Imperator the second time, has ordained that all the country of the Jews, excepting Joppa, do pay a tribute yearly for the city of Jerusalem ; excepting the seventh, which they call the Sabbatical year, because thereon they neither receive the fruits of their trees, nor do they sow their land." Antiquities, Book XIV, ch. x, sec. 6. IV. From the testimony of Tacitus. In Book V, sec. 4, of his History, he writes as follows : " Septimo die otium placuisse ferunt ; quia is finem laborum tulerit : dein, blan- diente inertia, septimum quoque annum ignavice datum!' " They " (the Jews) "' give the seventh day to ease, because it puts an end to labors : moreover, through the allurements of idleness, the seventh year is also given to inactivity!' THE YEAR OF JUBILEE. The etymology of the word Jubilee (7?'v) is somewhat doubtful. In the Targum of Jonathan, the Meaning and Talmud, and other Rabbinical writings, it is f^Htf yt supposed to denote primarily a ram. Gesenius *''"¦ calls this " an absurd conjecture," and derives the word l84 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. from '73;, to shout for joy and triumph. He thinks that this year was so called because it was introduced on the evening of the Day of Atonement with the sound of a trumpet and shoutings throughout the whole land. See Levit. xxv, 9. This is also the view taken by Dr. Julius p-uerst, and is most likely correct. The law of this Institution is given in Leviticus xxv. Laws respect- 8-55, and provldcd. Jug the Jubilee. . J jhat it should be celebrated every fiftieth year, beginning on the tenth day of the seventh month.* Verses 8, 9. II. That at the beginning of this year all Israelites who, through poverty or otherwise, had become slaves should go free. Verses 10, 39^43- HI. That during this year the land should remain fallow or uncultivated, as it had during the seven pre ceding Sabbatical years. Verses 11, 12. IV. That all unredeemed lands, houses in the country and villages, and also the Levitical houses in the cities, should, at the beginning of this year, be restored to their original owners. Verses 23-34. The design of the Year of Jubilee seems to have been fourfold : For what pur poses it was in- I. To remind the Jews that God was the only rightful owner and proprietor of their * Many Rabbinical writers allege that the year of Jubilee commenced hke the Sabbatical year, with the Feast of Trumpets, on the first day of the" seventh month. But they say that, from the Feast of Trumpets till the Day of Atonement, the slaves were neither allowed to return to their homes, nor were they used by their masters ; but they ate, and drank, and rejoiced, and wore garlands on their heads. On the evening of the Day of Atonement the Judges first blew their trumpets ; and this was foUowed by nine blasts on rams' horns from every Israelite ; so that the trumpet was literally soundeo throughout the whole land, from Dan to Beersheba. Then the slaves were manumitted, and tlie lands were set free. Mishna, Maimonides, etc STATED SOLEMNITIES. iSj lands ; and that they, as his tenants, were allowed to hold their estates on certain -conditions. Verse 23. II. To remind them of their own equality as the sons of Israel and the subjects of Jehovah. And hence, ac cording to the law of this Institution, no Israelite could be retained in servitude contrary to his own will beyond a limited period. III. To cultivate a sense of their dependeiwe on God and of their obligations to hint. For this purpose the ex traordinary fruitfulness of the second year preceding the Jubilee was peculiarly well adapted. See verses 20-22. IV. The Jubilee served to magnify even more than the Sabbatical Year the great importance of our release from Sin, and of the liberiy, rights, and immunities of which we have even now an earnest and a foretaste in and through Christ ; but zvhich we can never fully appreciate and enjoy till all the confiicts of life are over, and this whole Earth, purified by fire, shall have been restored to the redeemed as their proper and rightful inheritance. See Isaiah Ixi, 1-3 ; Romans iv, 13 ; Hebrews ii, 5-9 ; Rev. v, 10, and xxi. Finally, we have in this Institution, as well as in the Sabbatical Year, the most clear and convinc- proof from this ing evidence of the Divine legation of Moses, 1"="'"".°" °f ^ ^ ' the Divme Le- and also, indeed, of the Divine origin of the gation of Moses. whole Bible. For surely no legislator, unless conscious of being Divinely inspired, would have committed him self by enacting such a law as this. And hence we find nothing like it in all the other systems of ancient juris prudence. "How incredible it is," says Dr. Remarks of Graves, in his Lectures on the Pentateuch, DeanCraveson Vol. I, p. 230, "that any legislator would "^^"J"^'- have ventured to propose such a law as this, except in consequence of the fullest conviction on both sides that 16 1 86 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. a peculiar providence would constantly facilitate its ex ecution. 'When this law, therefore, was proposed and received, such a conviction must have existed in both the Jewish Legislator and the Jewish people. Since, then, nothing could have produced this conviction but the experience or the belief of some such miraculous inter position as the history of the Pentateuch details, the very existence of this law is a standing monument that when it was given the Mosaic miracles were fully be lieved. Now this law was coeval with the witnesses themselves. If, then, the facts were so plain and public that those who witnessed them could not be mistaken as to their existence and miraculous nature, the reality of the Mosaic miracles is clear and undeniable." Much more might be said on the subject of Legal Types. But all the main points, principles, and pro visions of this part of the Mosaic system have, I think, been sufficiently illustrated for our present purpose, and in the next chapter we shall therefore again take up the subject of Historical Types, as this is illustrated in the further journeyings and pilgrimage of the Israelites. CHAPTER VII. FROM THE GIVING OF THE LAW AT MOUNT SINAI TO THE REST IN CANAAN. SECTION I. — Journey from Sinai to the Jordan. In the Book of Numbers we have an account of the Sco e of the "'^'"bering of the Israelites, the order of Book of Num- their march and encampment, and the leading events and incidents of their journey from yOlfRNET FROM SINAI TO THE yORDAN. 1 87 Mount Sinai to the banks of the Jordan. To the very brief consideration of these matters I now invite the attention of the reader. 'We will begin^with their num bering and the order of their encampment. „ ,^ ° * Number of the The following diagram will furnish to the several Tribe.s, . - , . . r 1 ^"'^ Order of reader a synopsis ot the main points 01 the their Eucamp- narrative contained in the first four chapters: "™'' East. First Division — Camp of Judah ¦ 186,400. 0 Judah, 74,600. ¦^ li-» Issachar and Zebulon, w *" 54,400. 57.400. a; Ln to 0 1 S0 Moses, Aaron, and the Priests. ^ ^^ 8 S 0 >,^ '>i 0 'A .c e t^ s; 1 0 "S ?! a 1" 0 z 1 to> 1 e ^" ^3 ¦ f Si. Cn 8 gi 1•^ ^ X •oSg'z & ^ ^ ^S3;iU0llS.l3Q --^ &H §• w •oot'Se •ooi'e£ ^. 'uiuivfusff puv ypssmwjff Ln o- 4^ 11 •ooS'oi' 'uiw,iiff3 n •00 'go I :ik iw.tyd^ fo fuiDj — NOISIAIQ a^i HX -XSHAV In the preceding estimate the Levites are numbered from thirty to fifty years of age, according to Ages to. and Numbers xiv, 34-45, and the other tribes from t°Z "'''''' "" ' ^~ ~-^' Tribes were twenty to the age when they were free from numbered. 1 88 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. mihtary service. The Scriptures no where define this limit, but the Rabbis fix it at the age of sixty. Reckoned from a month old and upward, the number of the Kohathites, as before stated, was 8,600 ; the Merarites 6,200 ; and the Gershonites 7,500 ; making in all 22,300, 22,000 of whom were exchanged for the first born, the remaining 300 being, no doubt, the first-born of the Levites. The Rabbis estimate the extent of this Extent of the Camp of the Camp at about twelve miles square. According to tradition the Ensign of the four leading Judah was a Hoii ; that of Reuben, a man's '^ '¦'''"¦ face; that of Ephraim, a calf; and that of Dan, an eagle. This may help the reader to understand some of the symbols used in Rev. iv. Order of their The ordcr in which the Tribes marched is march. given in Numbers x, 14-28, as follows: I. Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon. II. The Gershonites, bearing the coverings, vails, hangings, etc., of the Tabernacle. III. The Merarites, with its boards, bars, pillars, sockets, etc. IV. Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. V. The Kohathites, bearing the sacred vessels. VI. The Priests. This was their usual position in the army, but it seems that on some occasions they bore the Ark in front. See Joshua iii, 6. VII. Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. VIII. Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. The signal for marching was' always the removal of The signal for the Cloud from the Tabernacle. Numbers ix, maiching. 21, 22. The souudlng of the silver trumpets (Numbers x, i-io) was merely to indicate the time when yOURNET FROM SINAI TO THE yORDAN. 189 the several divisions were required to move. Thus, for instance, on the sounding of the first alarm ° Sounding ofthe the camp of Judah moved forward; on the two silver second, that of Reuben, etc. rumpes. The people remained at Sinai one year, lacking ten days. Compare Exodus xix, i, and Numbers Time spent at X, II. But, all things having been prepared, ^"™- the signal for marching was now given. The Cloud was taken upfrom the Tabernacle, and the people principal sta- 1 r 1 tions aud events moved forward, i„ „,, „^^„ „f I. To Taberah, in the wilderness of Paran. I'leir march. Here the Lord consumed some of them for complaining, and hence the name Taberah, which means burning. From Taberah they moved forward, II. To Kibroth-Hattaavah. Numbers xxxiii, 16. Here we have an account, I. Of the people's murmuring. 2. Of the appointment of seventy Elders to assist Moses in the general administration of the government, etc. These Elders were chosen from among those who had been previously elected as chiliarchs, centurions, etc. Exodus xviii, 24-26. 3. Of a supply of quails. 4. Of the people's eating to excess. 5. Of the plague sent on them. And hence this place was called Kibroth-Hattaavah, which means the graves of lust. Numbers xi, 1-34. III. To Hazeroth. Numbers xi, 34. Here Aaron and Miriam were guilty of sedition. Numbers xii, 1-15. IV. To Kadesh Barnea, in the desert of Paran. Num bers xii, 16. Here we have an account, I. Of the sending out of twelve men to spy out the land of Canaan. Numbers xiii, 1-15. In this case 190 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. every Tribe had a representative except the Tribe of Levi. 2. Of the evil report brought back by ten of the spies. 3. Of the weeping, murmuring, and rebellion of the people. 4. Of God's purpose to cast them off". 5. Of the intercession of Moses in their behalf 6. Of God's judgment on all the murmurers over twenty years of age. 7. Of the death, by a plague, of the ten spies that brought back an evil report. 8. Of the purpose and determination of the people to go up and possess the land. 9. Of their rout by the Amalekites and the Canaan- ites. See Numbers xiii and xiv. Here also, most likely, occurred the events that are recorded in the fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth chap ters, for it is said in Deut. i, 46, that the people abode in Kadesh many days. V. To Rithma. Numbers xxxiii, 18. VI. To Rimmon-Parez. Numbers xxxiii, 19. VII. To Libnah. Numbers xxxiii, 20. VIII. To Rissah. Numbers xxxiii, 21. IX. To Kehelathah. Numbers xxxiii, 22. X. To Mount Shapher. Numbers xxxiii, 23. XI. To Haradah. Numbers xxxiii, 24. XII. To Mackheloth. Numbers xxxiii, 25. XIII. To Tahath. Numbers xxxiii, 26. XIV. To Tarah. Numbers xxxiii, 27. XV. To Mithcah. Numbers xxxiii, 28. XVI. To Hashmonah. Numbers xxxiii, 29. XVII. To Moseroth. Numbers xxxiii, 30. XVIIL To Bene-jaakan. Numbers xxxiii, 31. yOURNET FROM SINAI TO THE yORDAN. igl XIX., To Hor-Hagidgad. Numbers xxxiii, 32. XX. To Jotbathah. Numbers xxxiii, 33. XXI. To Ebronah. Numbers xxxiii, 34. XXII. To Ezion-Gaber. Numbers xxxiii, 35. XXIII. To Kadesh-Barnea again. Numbers xxxhi, 36. Here occurred several events worthy of notice, as we learn from Numbers xx, 1-2 1. I. Here Miriam died. 2. The people again murmured for water. Hence the place was called, also, Kadesh Meribah, "because the Children of Israel here strove with the Lord." 3. 'Waters were supplied from the rock. 4. Sentence against Moses and Aaron. 5. Message to the King of Edom, and his reply. XXIV. To Beeroth. Deuteronomy x, 6. XXV. To Mount Hor, (Numbers xx, 22,) and en camped at Mosera. Deut. x, 6. Here it was, I. That Aaron died. 2. That Eleazar was made High Priest. '" 3. That the Israelites gained a victory over Arad the Canaanite. Numbers xxi, 1-3. XXVI. To Gudgodah. Deut. x, 7. XXVII. To Jotbath. Deut. x, 8. XXVIII. To Elath and Ezion-gaber, by the way o.f the Red Sea. Numbers xxi, 4, and Deut. ii, 8. XXIX. To Zalmonah. Numbers xxxiii, 41. Here occurred the Plague of the fiery Serpents. Numbers xxi, 4-9, XXX. To Punon. Numbers xxxiii, 42. XXXI. To Oboth, Numbers xxi, 10. XXXII. To Ije-abarim. Numbers xxi, 11. XXXIII. To the brook Zered. Numbers xxi, 12, XXXIV. To the brook Anion, Numbers xxi, 13. 192 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. XXXV. To Dibon-gad. Numbers xxxiii, 45. XXXVI. To Almon-Diblathaim. Num. xxxiii, 46. XXXVII. To "Beer, in the desert. Numbers xxi, 16. XXXVIII. To Mattanah. Numbers xxi, 18. XXXIX. To Nahaliel. Numbers xxi, 19. XL. To Bamoth. Numbers xxi, 21. XLI. To Mount Pisgah, here put for the range of mountains called Abarim. Numbers xxi, 20, and xxxiii, 47. 'While here they conquered Sihon, king of thc Amorites. XLII. To the plains of Moab, by the way of Bashan. Numbers xxi, 33, and xxii, i. Here it was, I. That Balaam prophesied "concerning Israel. Num bers xxii-xxi\^ 2. That the Israelites fell into idolatry, and 24,000 of them perished by a plague, (Numbers xxv, 9,) 23,000 in one day. i Cor. x, 8. 3. That the people were numbered a second time from twenty years of age and upward, showing a decrease in thirty-eight years of 603,550 — 601,730=1820. Here, also, the Levites were again numbered from a month old and upward, showing an increase over the first census of 23,000 — 22,273=727, Numbers xxvi, 1-65. 4. Here Moses delivered his great valedictory, consist ing of the first thirty-three chapters of the Book of Deu teronomy. Deut. i, I. 5. Near this, also, Moses died on the top of Pisgah, a l^eak of Mount Nebo, which is one of the mountains of Abarim. Deut. xxxiv, 5-8. SECTION II. — The Israelites under Joshua. First Orders of After the death of Moses, Joshua, at the Joshua. command of God, took charge of the host of THE ISRAELITES UNDER yOSHUA, 193 Israel, (Joshua i, 1-9,) and gave orders for them to pre pare to cross the Jordan. V,erses 10-15. "And it came to pass when the people moved from their tents," on the third day, "to pass over crossing of the Jordan, and the Priests bearing the Ark of J""**"- the Covenant before the people ; and as they that bare the Ark zvere come unto Jordan, and the feet of the Priests that bare the Ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jor dan overfloweth aU his banks at the time of harvest,) that the waters which came dozvn from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan;* and those that came down toward the Sea of the plain, even the Salt Sea, failed and were cut off; and the people passed over right against Jericlio. And the Priests tliat bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan!' Joshua iii, 14-17. "For the Priests zvlio bare the Ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until eveiy thing was finished tltat the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses com manded Joshua; and the people hasted and passed over. And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, tliat the Ark of God passed over, and the Priests, in the presence of tlie people!' Joshua iv, 10, 11. Very soon after this the conquest of Canaan was commenced with the fall of Jericho, Josh, v. Conquest and 13; vi, 24; and in about seven years thirty- Division of ca- one of its kings were subdued. Josh, xii, 24, "^°' * The meaning of this somewhat obscure passage seems to be this : that the waters, being arrested by the passage of the Ark, formed a wall above it, and filled up the channel of the river as far up as Zaretan, supposed to be about thirty miles above the place of crossing. 17 194 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION, and the land divided by lot among the twelve Tribes of Israel. Joshua xiii-xix. Perhaps no other chapter of the Divine administra- objections tlou has been subject to so much censure and urged against animadvcrsion as that in which we have an this part of Sa cred History. accouut of the conquest of Canaan by Joshua. Infidels of all classes have objected to the extirpation of the Canaanites and the division of their land among the Israelites as "cruel," "unjust," "inhuman," "barbarous," etc. And the ancient Gnostics were wont to refer con stantly to this part of Sacred history to prove that the God or Demiurgus of the Old Testament was not the same as the God of the New. That this objection has not been urged without hav- Aiiegations of Jug some cffect on the public mind is evident '"T Christian ^^m the very unsatisfactory manner in which witers. it has bccn responded to by some Jewish and Christian writers. It has been urged, for instance, most likely from a false interpretation of Deut. xxxii, 8, that the Israelites had a prior claim to the land of Canaan ; that it was, in fact, given to them by "the Most High" when he separated the sons of Adam and divided to the nations their inheritance ; and, consequently, that in the conquest of Canaan Joshua was but subduing a set of usurpers, and vindicating the rights originally guaranteed to the Hebrews by Jehovah himself An attempt has also been made to still further soften and justify the apparent severity of the Israelites in this case by asserting that "Joshua sent three letters to the land of the Canaanites before the Israelites invaded it, or rather he proposed three things to them by letters : that those who preferred flight might escape ; that those THE ISRAELITES UNDER yoSHUA. 1 95 who wished for peace might enter into covenant ; and that such as were for war might take up arms."* But all this is utterly inconsistent with the plain in structions and obvious purpose of Jehovah ' ^ f Tliese AlJega- with regard to these abandoned idolaters, tious not satis- Of this the following passages furnish suffi- *""'^' ''' cient evidence : " I will set my bounds from the Red Sea 'even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand ; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods it will surely be a snare unto thee." Exodus xxiii, 31-33. "And he [God] said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as has not been done in all the Earth: and all the people among whom thou art shall. see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. Observe thou that which I command thee this day. Behold, I drive out before thee thi Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabit ants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee. But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: for thou shalt worship no other God ; for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God : lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods ; and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice ; and thou take their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters *Nachman, quoted by Selden de Jure Nat., etc., L. vi, c. 13. 196 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods." E.xodus xxxiv, 10-16. "But of the cities of these people, ivhich the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth; but thou shalt utterly destroy them : namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites ; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee: that they teach you ncJt to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods ; so should you sin against the Lord your God." Deut. xx, 16-18. It is evident, therefore, that the Hebrews were not jj. j^ J. 1,^ allowed to make any covenant or compromise Amorites, etc., with the Canaanitcs. Their doom was irre- canaan recog- vocably Sealed before the Israelites crossed "'"^- the Jordan, but not till they had first filled up the cup of their iniquity. This they had not done in the time of Abraham. Genesis xv, 16. And hence God did not allow even that distinguished patriarch to possess a foot of their land, save what he bought as a mere burying-place, and for which he gave a fair equivalent. Acts vii, 5 ; and Genesis xxiii, 3-20. But God foresaw that the time would come when the Canaanites, by filling up the cup of their in- When and how . . •' ox jr these claims Iqulty, would havc forfeited all just claims on vrere forfeited. ... , . , , . , , his bounty, his mercy, and his benevolence ; and when they would, in fact, be as ripe for destruction as were the Antediluvians when he swept them away by a deluge ; and as were the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah when he rained down on them fire and brim stone from heaven. And that they had actually done this before Joshua crossed the Jordan is evident from Leviticus xviii, and sundry other passages of Scripture. THE ISRAELITES UNDER yOSHUA. 197 No unusual severity was therefore ever exercised by Divine authority toward these Canaanites. „ ^ Destruction of They were cut off by virtue of a moral the Cairaanites . , . ... in harmony with necessity, and in harmony with a principle cod's general of justice that pervades the whole Divine Administration. administration. "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses." He brews X, 28; and Numbers xv, 30, 31. And the same principle is frequently recognized as a law of the New Institution. See, for instance. Proverbs xxix, i ; Matthew xii," 31, 32; Hebrews vi, 4-6; x, 26-29; I John V, 16. There was, moreover, in the case of the Canaanites, a typical necessity that they should be de stroyed. As we have already said, the Old dence from T • • • • 1 * n • • Typology. Institution was m its history, as well as m its laws and ordinances, a type or shadow of the New. . I Corinthians x, i— 12; and Hehr&NS, passim. The bond age of the Israelites in Egypt seems to have been in tended as a type of our bondage in sin previous to our conversion. Their emancipation by Moses was symbol ical of our deliverance by Christ. And just so the rest of the Children of Israel in Canaan fitly represented the rest that all the Children of Abraham, by faith, will enjoy on this Earth as their regained Paradise, after that it shall have been dissolved by fire, and thus freed from all its dross and impurities. See Romans iv, 13-16; Hebrews ii, 5-9; Matthew v, 5; Revelation v, 10, and xxi. But in the final conflagration the wicked inhabitants of the Earth will all be destroyed. See 2 Peter iii, 7 ; and 2 Thessalonians i, 6-10. And hence it seems prob able that the destruction of the Canaanites by Joshua 198 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. was intended to be a type of the baptism in fire which shall befall the wicked when our greater Joshua shall come to be admired by his saints, and to lead them into the possession and enjoyment of the eternal in heritance. yE WISH DEMONS TR TIONS. I QQ PART III. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE DEATH OF JOSHUA TO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. CHAPTER I. JEWISH DEMONSTRATIONS. It has been often said that "History is but Philosophy teaching by example!' This remark is certainly why so much true within certain limits ; and it explains to °'^, "'" ^*'^^. ',* *• taken up wiUi us, moreover, why it is that so much of the History. Bible is taken up with matters of history. Very few per sons can ever become philosophers. Their talents and learning are not sufficient to enable them to grasp and comprehend principles in the abstract. But all respon sible persons can at least apprehend a fact ; and most of them can be made to understand and comprehend it as an exponent of some law or principle. In this way the elements of most sciences are taught and illustrated ; and hence it pleased God to place the Jews under law, and then to allow them to work out historically certain great problems for the benefit of mankind. The inven tion of a religious nomenclature was in a great measure completed with the giving of the law. And Moses may be said to have finished this work before he Problems to b« expired on the top of Pisgah. And hence we ^=7"^'^^"^ ^ £- D historically by find that both Prophets and Apostles refer the jews. 200 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION: con.stantly to the Pentateuch for terms to express their religious ideas. But other questions required more time for their solution. Nothing short of a long series of ex periments, made under the most favorable circumstances, could satisfactorily prove to mankind their own utter in ability to attain to justification and sanctification by works of law, and to demonstrate in just and adequate terms the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the necessity of holiness as a condition and means of happiness. These and other like problems, preliminary to the full development of the Scheme of Redemption, were committed to the Jews, and about fifteen hundred years were allowed for their solution. The history of the Jews during this period is, there- How the facts fore, a subject of intense interest to every ToryTrfto^be studcut of humau uaturc, and of the laws regarded. and principles of the Divine government. To the enlightened Christian philosopher every fact em braced in it is an exponent of some great principle, just as the fall of an apple was to the mind of Sir Isaac New ton an exponent of the laws of universal gravitation. But on the discussion of this subject we can not now M.-.gnitnde of eutcr. To do it justice would require at least this subject. a respectable ociavo ; and I must, therefore, simply request the reader to study for himself all the his torical and prophetical books of the Old Testament, from the beginning of the Book of Judges to the end of Mal achi. He will there find developed, under a great variety of circumstances, all the principles and proclivities of the human heart. He will see the actual workings of God's Conclusions provldeuce and the operations of the Divine drawn from the govemmcnt on both the penitent and the im- lustorical and prophetical pcnitent ; and, unless he is blinded by prejudice '*°°''^- and infatuated through the influence of his own GENTILE DEMONSTRATIONS. 201 false philosophy, he will finally conclude, with Paul, that by the deeds of law no flesh living can be justified, and that a system of redemption by grace through faith is in dispensable in order to the salvation of mankind. See Paul's Epistles to the Romans and the Galatians, passim. CHAPTER II. GENTILE DEMONSTRATIONS. As we before intimated, the Gentiles had also a cer tain work to accomplish. To them were also „ , , Problems com- committed for solution some very important mined to the problems ; and particularly the problem of as certaining whether or not Natural Religion is adeqiiate to the wants of our fallen race. To the investigation of this subject the most learned of the heathen world have ever devoted their _ . . Tradition ofthe main energies. But, having all descended One Living and from Noah,* the father of the postdiluvian world, it is not probable that any of them, save, perhaps, * The unity of mankind may be proved, I. From the direct testimony of the Scriptures. In Acts xvii, 26, for example, it Is said that " God has made-of one Evidence that blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the Earth, ^f ^^^^^ species and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." This, be it remembered, is a part of Paul's speech before an assembly of philosophers, and in opposition to all the sys tems of caste that were then prevalent. And hence the word "all" in this quotation admits of no limitation whatever. See, also. Genesis ix, 18, 19, etc. II. From the fact that all men are endowed with the same physical, intel lectual, moral, and religious faculties. Men differ much in their size, strength, color, etc., but the same powers and susceptibilities belong to all. III. From the fact that Christ took upon himself the nature of but one species, and yet he is said to have "tasted death for every man." Hebrews ii, 202 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. some of the most degraded, would ever lose entirely their knowledge of the one only living and true God, received 9 ; John iii, l6. But if, as some allege, the human race is not a unit, then we would ask. For what species of mankind did Christ die, and whose nature did he assume ? IV. From the fact that God has given to mankind but one moral and re ligious code or system, and that this has been found to be equally adapted to the wants and happiness of all. See Romans i, l6 ; Revelation xiv, 6, etc v. From the fact that hybrids, such as mules, etc., have not the capacity to propagate their kind. But all the varieties of mankind intermarry and propagate the human species. VI. From the fact that all mankind were originally of one language. This is the testimony not only of Moses, but also of all the profane ancient histo rians who treat of this subject. VII. From the fact that all mankind, save Noah and his family, were de stroyed by the Flood. I am aware that the universality of the Noachic Deluge has been denied by many modern writers, and especi.illy by Geologists. But I do not see how this hypothesis can be well reconciled with the language of Moses in Genesis vii, 19-23, and ix, 8-17; and also with the testimony of Peter as it is given in the third chapter of his second epistle. Whatever the Word of God teaches, when fairly interpreted, must be received as true, though it should seem to conflict with all the received dogmas of Natural Science. We are not of that School that would limit the exercise of God's miraculous power by the comparatively feeble instrumentality of second causes. VIII. From the fact that no satisfactory division of their "genus homo" has ever been made by the advocates of a plurality of species. These gentle men can not agree among themselves either as to the number of species th.-it compose the human race, or as to the true and proper basis of such a division and cl.issification of mankind. .Some, making color alone the ground of their classification, would have us believe that there aie three species of the "genus homo ;" others make five, others ten, and others, again, affirm that there are as many as fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen. It would be well, then, for such vain speculators to agree among themselves touching, these points before they call on us to renounce the plain teachings of the Bible for their Base less hypotheses. IX. From the fact that the unity of the human race is taught in all sys tems of heathen mythology that treat of the origin of mankind. They all, in effect, testify as follows : That the first parents of the human race, Chronos, or Saturn, and Rhea, were born of Ccelus and Terra, by which is meant that they were made by Ccelus (God) out of Terra, (the Earth,) and that their three sons, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto, (Cain, Abel, and Seth,) divided the Earth between them. These were afterward confounded with Noah and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, wlio, under different names, were worsliiped, as Sir William Jones has shown in his "Asiatic Researches," throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. GENTILE DEMONSTRATIONS. 203 by tradition from their great common ancestor. Such knowledge, once embalmed in the hearts and literature of any people, is not easily obliterated. And hence we find traces of it in the history of at least all the most enlight ened nations, tribes, and families of the world. In one of the Vedas, or Sacred Books of the Hindoos, Religion of the for instance, we find the following reference to "¦"''<""*• God as the Creator of all things: "Originally there was soul only. He thought, I will create worlds. So he cre ated worlds. Then, I will create guardians of worlds. He framed out of the water an embodied being, and showed him to the deities whom he had made. They exclaimed, 'Well done! O, wonderful!" Soon, however, their di\ini- ties were multiplied. From Brahm proceeded Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Siva the destroyer. And, finally, "every thing that had liffe, whether animal or vegetable, was supposed to have something of the deity in it, and was worshiped." These imaginary gods, aniounliiig to about 333,000,000, were at length generalized, and Pan theism became the religion of India. In the Greek and Roman Classics there is frequent reference made to the "Supreme God." But Religion of the he is generally thrown so far into the back- Greeks and ground of their theology that he can scarcely be recognized among the immense number of their in ferior divinities. Plato, for example, often speaks of " God over all," " the first God," " the greatest God," " the sover eign mind which passes through all things," "who always was, and never was made," etc. But on this point, as well as on the doctrine of Divine providence, and many other matters that have been made plain by the Gospel, he was always in a state of doubt and uncertainty. In- de'"!, this may be regarded as a common characteristic of 204 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. all the religious discussions of the Greek and Roman philosophers. Socrates once said that "the only thing he knew was that he knew nothing." Plato maintained that our most fixed opinions amount at last to nothing more than mere probabilities. In like manner Aristotle complains, that " as the eyes of bats are to the brightness of daylight, so also is the understanding of our souls even toward those things which, by nature, are most manifest to all." Cicero, though a professed advocate of the doctrine of the soul's immortality, thus expressed his doubts on the subject. He says: "A question has been raised whether the soul dies with the body ; or whether, if surviving, it shall have a perpetual existence or only a temporary one. Which of these opinions is true," he says, "some god must determine." Not long after Cicero, and just about the time when Rome had reached the zenith of her glory, Juvenal uttered the following words of complaint respecting man's future state : " The human race,'' he says, "is cursed by the darkness which hangs over the future." No wonder, then, that when the Greeks and the Romans abandoned the traditions of their an cestors, they too, notwithstanding all their learning, be came polytheists and pantheists. 'What a commentary is all this on the saying of Paul, that " the world by wisdom knezv not God!" '\A^hile speaking of the theology of the Egyptians, Mr, Religion of the Hardwic says: "It is the same with the Egyptians. Egyptian as with the Hindoo. A vague idea of the unity of God lingered in the background of his metaphysical system long after it had ceased to have any practical effect. Fascinated by the mysterious powers and processes of nature, he abandoned the ancient faith in God, and bowed down in adoration to the world above GENTILE DEMONSTR.XTIONS. 205 him, beneath him, and around him." And to so great an extent did they carry their idolatry that even Plutarch, their friend and apologist, was constrained to say that "the greater part of the Egyptians, by adoring the ani mals themselves as gods, have filled their ritual with sub jects of laughter and opprobrium." Among the North American Indians we find a fuller, clearer, and more perfect recognition of the „ ,. . ' '^ ° _ _ Religion of the One Supreme Being than we find in the his- North Ameri- tory of any other heathen people. Professor Schoolcraft says : " There can be no doubt that, when properly viewed, the Great Spirit of the Indians is a purer deity than that of the Greeks and Romans, with all their refinement." These " philosophers of the woods see their " Jan!' or " Great Spirit',' in the thunder, the lightning, and indeed in all the phenomena of nature. But, never theless, like all the rest of the heathen, they have mul tiplied their inferior divinities. It is supposed that in North and South America there are not less' than three thousand mounds which the Indians have erected in honor of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, all of which they reverence and worship as inferior deities. They worship, also, an immense number of Manettos, by which they mean good and evil spirits who are engaged in doing what the great Jan or Wazatoad does not care to do. The ancient Aztecs, or Mexicans, recognized and wor shiped one Supreme God, under whom they ^ '^ .... . . Religion of the ranked and served thirteen principal deities, ancient Mexi- and more than three hundred inferior ones. They also believed in an evil spirit, who was the enemy of the human race. The chief of the thirteen inter mediate gods was the Mexican Mars, or god of war ; to whom, it is supposed by Prescott and other historians, 206 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. not less than twenty thousand human victims were of fered annually. According to the most reliable account that we have Religion of the of the religion of the ancient Peruvians, they Peiuviaiis. )-pQ j,a.d one supreme Deity, whom they called Con. But in process of time the worship of the Sun, Moon, and stars was introduced among them by Mango Capac, supposed to be a Buddhist priest. He was the first of the fncas, or Divine Kings of Peru, all of whom claimed divine honors from their subjects. To these were added many other inferior deities, such as the rain bow, thunder, lightning, the Earth, winds, rivers, etc. Indeed, every thing that had life became in time an ob ject of worship ; and finally these were all generalized as in India, and Pantheism became the religion of Peru. Many more instances and illustrations to the same effect might be given from the history of Scripture illus- . trated by these othcr uatlons. But thosc already cited are, I think, sufficient for our present purpose. They abundantly demonstrate the truth of what Paul says in Romans i, 21-23, that "when they (the Gentiles) knew God they glorified him not as God, neither zvere thankful, bnt became vain Iv r»i? dcah)'j-ta/i« now come. full revelation and manifestation of God's scheme of phi lanthropy. And hence the next great event in the Divine administration was the coming of Him of whom the Law and all the Prophets had spoken. approach of day. The Persians were looking for their Sosiosch, who should conquer Ahriman and his kingdom of darkness. The Chinese sage Con fucius pointed his disciples to a Holy One who should appear in the West. The wise astrologers who came to Jerusalem to worship the new-born King of the Jews we must look upon as the noblest representatives of the Messi anic hopes of the Oriental heathens. The western nations, on the contrary, looked toward the East, the land of the rising Sun and of all wisdom. Sue tonius and Tacitus speak of a current saying in the Roman Empire that in the East, and more particularly in Judea, a new universal empire would soon be founded. It was probably also the same blind, instinctive impulse toward the East which brought the Galatians from Germany and Gaul into Asia Minor." Histoiy ofthe Apostolic Church, by Prof. P. Schaff, pp. 182, 183. 18 2IO SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. PART IV. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LIFE, DEATH, BURtAL, RESURRECTION, ASCENSION, AND COR ONATION OF CHRIST. CHAPTER I. MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. We are told by ancient historians, that when Eastern Custom of Ori- mouarchs were about to set out on an import- entai monarchs. ^j^j. expedition, it was their custom to send harbingers or heralds in advance of their armies, with orders to provide supplies, make bridges, find the best fording-places over streams, level hills, construct cause ways, cut down forests, and, in a word, to do whatever might be necessary to prepare the way before them.* *This is well illustrated by the following account which Diodorus Siculus gives of the march of Queen Semiramis from Babylon into . .. Media and Persia: "On her way," says the historian, "she trations. j^ i » came tq the Zarcean mountain, which, extending many fur longs, and being full of craggy precipices and deep hollows, could not be passed without making a great compass. Being, therefore, desirous of leav ing an everlasting memorial of herself, as well as of shortening the way, she ordered the precipices to be digged down and the hollows to be filled up, and, at a great expense, she made a shorter and more expeditious road, which to this day is called from her, ' The way of Semiramis.' Afterward she went into Persia and all the other countries of Asia subject to her dominion, and wher ever she went she ordered the mountains and precipices to be leveled, cause ways to be raised in the plain or fiat country, and, at a great expense, made the ways passable." Diod. Sic, B. II. To the same effect is also the following passage from Arrian's History MINISTRT OF yOHN THE BAPTIST. 211 And just SO did Christ make his advent into this world, and begin his mighty conflict with Sin and . Manner of Death. To this the prophet Isaiah evidently Christ's Ad- refers in the following passage from the for tieth chapter: " The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Isaiah's refer- Prepare ye the way of the Lord ; ence to it. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted. And every mountain shall be made low ; And the crooked shall be made straight, And the rough places plain ; And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. And all flesh shall see it together ; For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." The primary reference of this prophecy is to th& Lord's leading Israel from Babylon up again ° , . -' f b Twofold refer- to Jerusalem. This is evident from the con- ence of this text. But that Isaiah refers here, also, to the *'"'' °"^^' coming of Christ and the ministry of his Harbinger, John the Baptist, is very obvious from Matt, iii, 3 ; Mark i, 2, 3 ; Luke i, "jQ; ni, 2-6; and John i, 23. See, also, Mal achi iii, I ; and iv, 5, 6. Be it observed, however, that the obstacles in the way of Christ's advent were not such as impeded Nature of the the march of eaVthly monarchs, nor, were they obstacles m -* -' the way of such as even Jehovah himself had to encounter Christ. in leading his people up through the great and terrible wilderness that lay between Babylon and Jerusalem. It was not literal mountains and valleys, nor was it the hos tility and opposition of semi-barbarous tribes, but it was the infidelity and wickedness of his own kindred and of Alexander the Great: " He (Alexander) now proceeded to the River Indus, a company going before which made a way for him, for otherwise there would have been no mode of passing through that region." B. LIV, Ch. xxx. 212 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. chosen people that Christ had to overcome before he could with propriety set up his kingdom and begin his reign on Earth. As has been stated in a previous chapter, the Jews as well as the Gentiles had at that time almost filled up the cup of their iniquity. And had not God just then used extraordinary means to check the tide of cor ruption that was threatening to inundate the whole Earth, another flood would no doubt very soon have been neces sary to free the world from a population as depraved as were the abandoned antediluvians. To remove these obstacles, then, so far as to prepare Scope of John's the Jcws for the coming of the great Hero, Hissiou. ,,y^g (.j^g special work of John the Baptizer. When he was about thirty years of age he appeared in the wilderness of Judea, and with a clarion voice that reechoed and reverberated throughout its hills and its valleys, and with an earnestness that roused into activity the slumbering energies of the whole nation, he called on the people to repent of their sins, to cease to do evil and learn to do well, and thus to prepare themselves for the approaching reign of Heaven. His appeal was not in vain ; for we are told that Effect of his "Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region preaching. rouud about the Jordan, went- out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins." Matt, iii, 5, 6. See also Mark i, 3-8 ; and Luke iii, 3-18. Here, then, we have in a few words the whole scope Only change of John's ministry. It was simply "to prepare required and a peoplc for the Lord." He neither chang-ed effected by i_ i i • . John's Min- nor abrogated the existing laws and institu- "^>'- tions of his country, and he added nothing to them save Baptism, which he himself had received directly CHRIST'S NATURE, CHARACTER, ETC. 213 from Heaven. Matthew xxi, 23-27. Those who were baptized by him rose from their liquid graves subject in all respects to the laws and institutions of Moses. The only change in their condition zvas a death to sin and a resurrection to a life of holiness, preparatory to the coming of their anxiously looked-for Messiah. In this work of reformation John and his disciples continued to labor, as is generally supposed, f' '' . His Death. for about a year and a half He was then im prisoned by Herod Antipas ih Machserus, a frontier fort ress between Peraea and Arabia, about nine miles east of the Dead Sea ; and soon after that he was beheaded by Herod, at the request of his stepdaughter Salome. See Matt, xiv, 1-12 ; Mark vi, 14-29; and Luke ix, 7-9. CHAPTER II. CHRIST'S NATURE, CHARACTER, AND PERSONAUTV. The questions, "Who is Christ?" and "What is Christ r are matters of paramount import- Two important ance to our entire race. They are matters Q^^^'ions- which have largely occupied the attention and considera tion of the whole civilized world for inore than eighteen hundred years ; and even to-day they are still growing in freshness and in interest, But as we might anticipate under the present lapsed state of human nature, very different answers , . ^ ^ Various an- have been given to these questions, Some swers given to make Christ to be one' thing and some an other, But all who profess to receive the Bible as the 214 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Word of God, save some of the ancient dreaming, semi- infidel Gnostics,* and a few other ancient Conclusion as to his Human- scctaries, agrcc that he was a man; not a "^' myth, not a phantom, not a mere creation of * The following brief account of thefSe ancient heretics is from Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. VI, p. 6. Lon- Views of the Jon Edition. The author says : " 'J'he prevailing doctrine of ancient Gnos- ^^ eternity and inherent pravity of matter infected the primi tive Churches of the East. Many among the Gentile prose lytes refused to believe that a celestial spirit, an undivided portion of the first essence, had been personally united with a mass of impure and contam inated flesh ; and in their zeal for the divinity, they piously abjured the humanity of Christ. While his blood was still recent on Calvary, 'the Docetes, a numerous and learned sect of Asiatics, invented the jantastic system, which was afterward propagated by the Marcionites, the Manichae- ans, and the various names of the Gnostic heresy. They denied the truth and authenticity of the Gospels, so far as they relate to the conception of Mary, the birth of Christ, and the thirty years that preceded the exercise of his ministry. He first appeared on the banks of the Jordan in the form of perfect manhood; but it was 7>. form only and not a substance — a human figure, created by tfie hand of Omnipotence to imitate the faculties and actions of a man, and to impose a perpetual illusion on the senses of his friends and enemies. Articulate sounds vibrated on the ears of the disci ples ; but the image which was impressed on their optic nerve eluded the more stubborn evidence of the touch, and they enjoyed the spiritual, not the corporeal, presence of the Son of God. The rage of the Jews was idly wasted against an impassive phantom, and the jnystic scenes of the passion and death, the resurrection and ascension of Christ, were represented on the theater of Jerusalem for the benefit of mankind." This hypothesis has long since been exploded, and none are now so ¦visionary as to maintain it. Even Dr. David Frederick DrStei'uir °^ Strauss, the great champion of the Mythical Hypothesis, con cedes, in his Life of Christ that he had a historical existence, and that he was, moreover, a man of great genius, power, and religious influence. But I wish it to be distinctly understood that in all these discussions I The only proper assume the Divine origin and plenary inspiration of the Holy Question in all Scriptures. For the present I have nothing to do with any discussions con- of the various rationalistic hypotheses of Imposture, or Self- ceniiug Christ. Deception, or Poetic Fiction. These have all been often tried and refuted. And the only legitimate question, therefore, that is now before us is simply this : What do the Scriptures, when fairly interpreted, teach us concerning Jesus of Nazareth ? This, when properly ascertained, is to us, at least, an end of all controversy. CHRIST'S NATURE, CHARACTER, ETC. 215 some fruitful imagination, but a man — a real person, hav ing a human body and a human soul, and endowed with all the faculties, powers, elements, and susceptibilities of human nature in its primitive sinless state. On no other hypothesis can we possibly account for the facts con nected with his birth, his early education, his baptism, his temptation in the wilderness, his pubhc ministry, his crucifixion, his burial, his resurrection, his subsequent interview with his disciples, and his ascension to glory. We shall, therefore, henceforth regard and treat the question of Christ's complete and perfect humanity as a settled matter. But what about his Divinity.'' Was he a mere man, having, no existence prior to his conception ,, <^ '- ^ Hypotheses on by the virgin Mary, as was taught by the the subject of ancient Ebionites, and as is still maintained "'^""sy- by the Socinian portion of the modern Unitarians 1 Or did he exist in any other state of conscious personality previous to that time .' If so, to what rank or order of beings did he belong .¦' Was he a creature of some angelic or super-angelic order, as Arius and his followers be lieved, and as some Unitarians still maintain .-' Or was he an uncreated .^on, or emanation from the Deity, as was alleged by the Nominal Trinitarians and some of the ancient Gnostics .' Or was he God himself, one with the Father in essence, and endowed with all the attri butes of Divinity, but nevertheless having his own sepa rate and distinct personality, as has always been taught by the more learned, pious, and prudent of the Trinita rian School.'' Or is it true, as the Sabellians and other Patripassians maintained, that there is no distinction of persons in the Godhood, and that Christ was nothing 2l6 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. more nor less than the Eternal Father himself, invested with a human body.''* What think you, courteous reader, of these hypothe- Not a proper scs .'' It strikcs mc that these matters are too subject for phii- j^- j^ f^j. ^g f^j. beyond the reach and grasp osophical spec- o ' ^ o i uiaiion. of our feeble reason, and that it is therefore folly, if not presumption, in us to attempt to be wise beyond what is written on such subjects. " To the law and to the testimony" must ever be our appeal when we speak of the Infinite. This, however, should neither prevent nor discourage But so far as ns from making an honest and earnest effort revejiied, to be ^^ uudcrstaud what God has revealed to us on studied pro foundly, such matters. Whatever was writterv by in spiration was written for our instruction, edification, and encouragement. And surely no theme is more worthy of our constant and most profound consideration than the character and perfections of Him who died for our sins, and who was raised from the dead for our justification. What, then, do the Scriptures teach us concerning General Propo- Christ .' Evidently THAT HE WAS GoD AS ^'"°°- WELL AS MAN ; that in some respects he was one with the Father and the Holy Spirit ; and that in other respects he was different from them both. As evidence of the truth of this general proposition, I submit the following : I. The Scriptures ascribe to Christ, in a great many Evidence from • instaiiccs, tlic proper names of the Deity. This crTbed'o" "" is evident from the following passages : '^'if's'- I. Isaiah ix, 6: "For unto us a child is *For a full account of all the various theories and hypotheses on the subject of Christology and the Godhood, I refer the reader to the Ecclesi astical Histories of Neander, Mosheim, Gieseler, and Schafl; and also to Shedd's History of Christian Doctrine. CHRIST'S NATURE, CHARACTER, ETC. 217 Dorn, unto us a son is given ; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Won- .derful, Counselor, THE MIGHTY GOD, (iiaJ '^n,) The Father of the everlasting age. The Prince of Peace." 2. John i, I: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was GOD (dedc)."* 3. Hebrews i, 8: "But unto the Son," (the Father saith,) "Thy throne, O GOD, (6 ^eoc,) is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom." Still more conclusive, if possible, is the evidence de rived from the use of the name Jehovah. This has always been regarded as the most sacred of all names, and it is claimed by God himself as one that is untrans ferable. Thus, for instance, it is said in Psalm Ixxxiii, 17, 18, "Let them (the enemies of God's people) be con founded and troubled forever; yea, let them be put to shame and perish ; that men may know that thou whose name alone is JEHOVAH (njn;) art the Most High over all the Earth." And again, in Isaiah, xlii, 8, God himself is represented as saying, "I am JEHOVAH (nin;;) that is MY NAME, a'nd my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." But, nevertheless, * The Greek word Ao'yo! (Logos) is not properly synonymous with either €iro!, a word in its grammatical sense, or with pwa, a word spoken or uttered by the livinz voice. It comprehends usually both the Meaning of Lo- medium of the communication and the thing communicated, ^f Christ regarded as the reason, design, or object of the communication. In this comprehensive sense it is very happily used by John as the distinctive Title of the Messiah previous to his incarnation. For it is through him that God has made all his communications to fallen man ; and not only so, but he is also himself the reason, the subject, and the object of all these communica tions. He is the way, the truth, the resurrection, and the life — the wisdom of God and the power of God for the salvation of the world. 19 2l8 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Christ is often included in this name, as we learn from the following passages:* (i.) Psalm xcvii, 7: "Confounded be all the)- that serve, graven images, that boast themselves of idols. Worship HIM, all ye gods!' Here the proper antecedent of Him is the Jehovah of the first and fifth verses. But in He brews i, 6, it is pretty evident that these words are applied to Christ. (2.) Isaiah xl, 3 : " The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of JEHOVAH (nfn;;) make straight in the desert a highway for our GOD (?'rlVx)." From Matthew iii, 1-3, it is evident that the Herald here spoken of was John the Baptist, and, conse quently, that the names Jehoziah and Eloheem have both reference to Christ. See also Jer. xxiii. 5, 6, * It is not true, as some have supposed, that the name Jehovah is the dis- Restricted use ti"ctive appellation of Christ in the Old "Testament. When- of the name ever the Father and the Son are spoken of in cotttrast, the Jehovah in the name Jehovah, if used at all, is given to th'e Father, and the Old Testament, gg,, jg flesignated by some other name or title, as, for instance, in the second Psalm : " Why do the heathen rage," (says the Psalmist,) " and . the people imagine a vain thing.? The kings of the Earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against Jehovah (HiiT. ) and against his Anointed, (D'E'a, Messiah,) saying. Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. " He that sits in the Heavens shall laugh ; the Lord CJnX) shall have them in derision. Then will he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure, saying. Yet have I (Jehovah) set my King (my Son) upon my holy hill of Zion. "I will declare the decree, (says the Messiah ;) Jehovah (nini) hath said unto me, Thou art my Son ; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of "me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron ; thou shalt dash them into pieces like a potter's vessel. " Be wise now, therefore, (says the Psalmist,) O ye kings ; be instructed, ye judges of the Earth. Serve Jehovah (HirT) with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him." Sec, also, Psalm ex; Isaiah xlii, 1-8; Malachi iii, i, etc. CHRIST'S NATURE, CHARACTER, ETC. 219 (3.) Revelation xxii, 6: "And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true, and the LORD GOD of the holy Prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things jvhich must shortly be done." Here it is said that the Lord God sent his angel to reveal the future to his servants. But in the sixteenth verse it is said, " I, JESUS, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the Churches." And hence it follows that the names Lord God or Jehovah Eloheem are both applicable to HIM who became fiesh and dwelt among us. I grant that in none of these cases is the name Jeho vah applied to Christ exclusively. Nor is this necessary to our argument. It is enough to show that it compre hends the whole Godhood, and that it is, therefore, applied to the Son as well as to the Father and the Holy Spirit. In this comprehensive sense it is generally used in the Old Testament. For other equivalent expressions in the New Testament see John viii, 58; Revelation i, II, 17, etc. II. The Scriptures ascribe to Christ the J;^,y5„(.g f^in peculiar and exclusi-ve powers, honors, and "'= Powers, ^ ¦ Honors, and prerogatives of the Deity, For instance. Prerogatives of First. It is universally conceded that God alone has power to create, and that he is, in fact, the Creator of all things. Genesis i, i; Isaiah His creative xlviii, 12, 13; Rom. xi, 33-36; Rev. iv, 8-1 1. p""'=''- But in many other passages of Scripture the same power is ascribed to Christ. E. g., I. John i, 1—3 : "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God : the same was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him; and zvithoitt him came not one thing into being that is in being!' 220 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. 2. Ephesians iii, 8-i i : " Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the Principalities and Powers in heavenly places might be made known through the Church ('5i* ri;? ixxXijiriai;) the manifold wisdom of God, according to his eternal ' purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." 3. Colossians i, 16, 17: " For by Him (the Son) were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth, ' visible and invisible, whether they be ihrones or dominions, or principalities or powers : all things were crecited by him and for him ; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." 4. Hebrews i, 10-12 : "And thou Lord in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the Earth ; and the Heavens are the works of thy hands. They shall perish, "but thou remainest ; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment, and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed ; but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail." Second. God is the only proper object of worship. Deut. ,. , vi, 13 ; Matt, iv, 10; Rev. xix, 10; xxii, 9. The same kind ' > y and degree of But, nevertheless, this honor is, by divine erfof Mie'son authority, given to the Son as well as to the as for the Father. For the proof and illustration of this Father. ^ ^ ^ proposition take the following passages : p. John V, 22, 23 : "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Fatlier. CHRIST'S NATURE, CHARACTER, ETC. 221 He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father who hath sent him." 2. Hebrews i, 6 : "And again, when he bringeth his first-begotten into the world, he saith. And let all the angels of God worship him!' Here the highest orders of .created intelligence are required to do him homage. 3. Acts vii, 59, 60 : "And they stoned Stephen, call ing upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge!' Stephen was an inspired man ; and what he did and said on this occasion he did and said, therefore, by the authority of God. 4. Philippians ii, 9-1 1 : " Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, (Christ Jesus,) and given him a name that is above every name : that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven, and things in Earth, and tilings under the Earth ; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!' • Surely, then, we have no need of any further testimony on this point. Third. It is evident, from the general tenor and scope of the whole Bible, that it is God's peculiar and His authority exclusive prerogative to forgive sins ; and yet '° '"¦"^'''^ ^'"^' it is just as evident, from sundry passages, that Christ both claimed and exercised this authority, even during his public ministry here on Earth. In Luke v, 20-25, for instance, we read as follows : "And when he (Jesus) saw their faith, he said unto him, (the paralytic,) Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the Scribes and the Phar isees began to reason, saying. Who can forgive sins but God only .' But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered and said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts t Whether is it easier to say. Thy sins be forgiven 222 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. thee, or to say. Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of Man has power on Earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thy house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God." III. The Scriptures frequently represent the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as coordinate agents Evidence from ... . the coordinate aud autlioritics ill tlic work of creation^ provi- reiations of the ^^ ^^^^ redemption. Take for illustration Father, Son, _ ^ and Holy - the following passages : ^'"' I. Genesis i, 26: "And God (Eloheem in the plural number) said. Let us make man in our image, after our likeness ; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the Earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth." And in Genesis i, I, it is said that "in the beginning Eloheem created the Heavens and the Earth." Now that God the Father was present on these occa sions, and had an agency in the work of creation, is evi dent from Rev. iv, 11. That the Son was there, and exercised his power in the primitive creation, as well as in the Adamic renovation, is proved by John i, 1-3 ; and Colossians i, 16. And that the Holy Spirit was present and participated in this work is obvious from Genesis i, 2 ; and Job xxvi, 13. And hence it foflows that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were coordinate in the work of creation, and that they are all included in the Eloheem of the first chapter of Genesis.* * I use the names Father and Son proleptically, or by anticipation, just as we speak of Abraham before he left Ur of Chaldea, though he vvas not called CHRIST'S NATURE, CHARACTER, ETC, 223 , 2. The same coordinate relation between the Fatlier, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is beautifully expressed and illustrated by the formula of Christian Baptism, given by Christ himself in Matt, xxviii, 19: "Go ye, therefore," said Christ to his Apostles, "and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing tliem into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!' 3. In like manner they are often spoken of and repre sented as being conjointly the fountain and source from which all our blessings flow to us. Thus, for instance, it is said in 2 Cor. xiii, 14, " The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all!' See also Romans i, 7 ; i Cor. i, 3 ; 2 Cor. i, 2 ; Ephesians i, 2 ; Phil, i, 2 ; Col. i, 2 ; i Thess. i, I ; 2 Thess. i, 2 ; i Tim. i, 2 ; 2 Tim. i, 2 ; Titus i, 4 ; Phil, iii ; 2 Peter i, 2 ; 2 John iii, etc. IV. Tlie Scriptures often ascribe to Christ an equality and oneness with the Father. The following ,^. . ., *^ Direct evidence passages are sufficient to prove and illustrate of Christ's one- . . ness and equal- thlS proposition: itywlththeFa- I. John V, 17, 18: "But "Jesus answered "'*'^' them. My Father worketh hitherto and I work. There fore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God vvas his Father, making himself equal with God!' 2. John X, 30-33: "/ and my Father are one, said Christ. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from the Father : for which of these works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him saying. For a Abraham for twenty-nine years afterward. In Ijke manner the Messiah is called .?o« in the second Psalm; though Gabriel said to Mary, "that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called tlie Son of God." Luke i, 35. 224 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. good work we stone thee not, but for plasphemy ; and because that thou being a man, makest thyself God!' 3. John xiv, 8, 9 : " Philip said unto him. Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus said unto him. Have I been so long time zvitli you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip ? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then. Show us the Father ?" 4. Phil, ii, 5-8 : " Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus : who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God ; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men ; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Any attempt here at an explanation of these pas sages would be wholly superfluous. No lan- Cleamess and ^ ^ •' - fullness of this guagc cau bc plainer than that which the VI ence. Holy Spirit has itself used to express the relations which exist between the Father and the Son. For if Christ was God, and if he thought it not robbery to be equal with God, it seems to me that this should be an end of the whole controversy. I am aware that in some other passages of Scripture The Son's in- the Sou's inferiority in some sense is also mat"erof R^ve- "^^^7 clcarly Stated. But this neither implies larion. a contradiction in the Word of God, nor does it in any respect invalidate our conclusions. For, I. The inferiority spoken of may refer simply to the hit- _ manity of Christ, and have no reference zvhatever To what this ..... may have refer- to liis Divitiity. As a man, " he increased in wisdom and in stature." Luke ii, 52. His human nature had need to be educated as well as ours. CHRIS T'S NA TURE, CHA RA C TER, E TC. 2 2 5 Hebrews ii, 10; and v, 9. But his Divine nature was always perfect, as God himself is perfect. II. fn other cases it may refer merely_ to his official rela tions. Two persons may be perfectly equal both by nature and education, but nevertheless the one may be officially subordinate to the other. Nay, more, it often happens that a superior is made officially subordinate to an inferior. III. Or, finally, the inferiority of the Son may, in some cases, refer to something in the Godhood that lies wholly beyond the narrow limits of our comprehension. But it does not hence follow that we should reject as absurd the clearly revealed equality of the Father and the Son in other respects. The tyro in Mathematics does not throw' aside his Arithmetic as false and worthless because, forsooth, he does not, and perhaps can not, comprehend the mysteries of the Calculus. No more should we re ject as absurd the clearly revealed lessons of Christol ogy because we can not fully understand all the in comprehensible mysteries of the Godhood. On the whole, then, I think there is no reason to doubt that the LOGOS who became flesh and dwelt among us was himself God — one with the Father and the Holy Spirit in some respects, and different from them both in other respects. But to define clearly and fully in what these points of difference and identity consist is, in all probability, beyond the capacity of even the Archangel. Job xi, 7-9. Instead, then, of attempting to be wise on this subject beyond what is written, let us rather conclude with Paul that "great is the mystery of godliness : God was manifest in THE FLESH, justified hi the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up intt glory!' I Tim. iii, 16. J26 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. - CHAPTER III. WHY THE WORD BECAME FLESH. In the preceding chapter it has been demonstrated, Question de- I hopc, to the Satisfaction of every thought- monsirated in f^j reader, that Christ is God as well as man, the preceding ' ' Chapter. ' and that he is man as well as Go^; that he combines in his own person perfect humanity and perfect D ivinity, and that, in a word, he is himself " God mani fest in the flesh." A question, then, of very great interest, and also of Question to be 'vcry great importance, rises just here : Whj considered. jfj ^^g Word .bccomc flesh? Why did he become incarnate and dwell among us? To the earnest and prayerful consideration of this question I now re spectfully invite the attention of my readers. SECTION I.— The Atonement. That something is always due to offended and vio- Someihing due latcd Justlcc will, perhaps, be readily concedgd ,oL..wandJ,is- ^ ^JJ -J-J^^ f^^j^^^ ^j^^ ^^^^^ j^^j^^ j^j j^.j_ tice in ail oov- ^ ernmeuts. drcu responslblc for any of their misdemean ors will soon have the mortification of seeing all kinds of disorder prevaihng in his family. And just so it is in the government of a school, a Church, a state, or a nation. The demands of Justice must be met and the majesty of the law sustained in every human organi zation, or otherwise the bonds of the association will soon be severed, and anarchy and lawlessness will soon THE ATONEMENT. 227 universally prevail. Brutus felt this when he put his own sons to death for conspiring against the laws and con stitution of the Roman Republic. Zaleucus, king of Lo- cris, felt this when he divided between himself and his oft'"ending son the severe penalty required, by the laws of his realm.* Every President and Governor of this Republic feels this when, notwithstanding the petitions of many citizens, and the tears and entreaties of helpless women and children, he refuses to pardon the willful and presumptuous ti"ansgressor of the laws of his country. And may I not add, with reverence, God himself felt this when he banished from his presence the angels that kept not their first estate, " reserving them in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day ?" Jude 6. Biit what is it that is due to Justice in such a case? What is sufficient to meet an.d to satisfy the ^.„ ,. , -' Difficulty of as- claims of justice on account of transgressions ceri.nining her 1 • , r M • 1 1 1 ¦ 1 rightlul claims committed in the iamily, in the school, m the even in hiiman Church, in the state, or in the nation? Can "^¦""""¦"'s- any one now answer this question clearly, definitely, and authoritatively? How many parents are able to decide, with entire satisfaction even to themselves, what they should and what they should not require of their offend- * Zaleucus flourished about 500 years B. C. His government over the Locrians was severe but just. In one of his decrees, he for bade the use of wine unless it were prescribed as a medicine ; , ^ ' leucus. and in another, he ordered that all adulterers should be pun ished with the loss of both their eyes. When his own son had subjected himself to this penalty, the father, in order to maintain the authority of the laws, and to show at the same time a becoming parental lenity, shared the penalty with his son, by causing to be thrust out one of his own eyes and one of the eyes of his offending son. In this way, the majesty of his gov ernment was maintained, and his own character as a just and righteous sovereign was magnified in the eyes of his subjects. 228 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. ing children? What King, Governor,- or President has ever enjoyed the satisfaction of knowing that he has iii all cases exercised the power of pardon for the good of the offender, and also for the best interests of society ; that he has never err^d in the exercise of this most delicate and embarrassing of all his executive functions? Who has ever heard of such a case ? I know of none myself, and I presume that history records none. But, if this problem is so very difficult and embar- Greater com- rasslug cvcu in its rclatious to the small and piexity of the Comparatively unimportant governments of problem iu re lation to God's this world, what does it become when it is extended to the vast empire of Jehovah ; when it is made to embrace a government which has for its Con stitution the Divine nature itself, and on the proper admin istration of which depend the order, stability, and well-being of the whole universe f Who can say on what conditions a sin may and should be pardoned that has been com mitted against Him who has established his throne in the heavens, and whose kingdom ruleth over all? Psalm ciii, 19. For a long time this was the mystery of all mysteries. Probable infer- ^'^^ heucc it is that the history of Redemp- ence from the tiou is a history of successive wonders. So iar fall and destiny of s.itan and his as WC kuow it has HO parallel in the Divine ^"^^^" administration. When the angels sinned that was the end of their probation. Their hopes then van ished forever. Nothing remained for them but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversary. And it is most likely that when man sinned and fell his case was regarded as equally hopeless by all the higher created intelligences of the universe who were cognizant of the fact. They knew that THE ATONEMENT. 229 God is just, that he is impartial, and that his government must and will be sustained; and hence it is most likely that all the angels, both good and bad, looked upon man as lost — forever lost — the moment that he transgressed in Eden. With what feelings of surprise, then, must Satan and all his rebel host have heard from the lips of wonder excited Jehovah the awfully sublime and mysterious dealings ^ wi?h oracle. The Seed of the zvoman shalhbruise the f^''^" "'='"¦ head of the Serpent! How intensely they must have gazed upon the first lamb that was ever offered in. sac rifice! And with what mingled feelings of wonder, aston ishment, and disappointment must they have seen the soul of Abel, as it was separated from its clay tenement, borne by angels into the mansions of the blessed! If ever there was a time when any of God's creatures might be supposed to be ready to charge him with partiality and injustice, it seems to me tiaiity impossi- that that was the time. The fact that man had sinned was known in Heaven, Earth, and Hell. And the fact that Justice demanded satisfaction was also known. But when, where, and how had this satisfaction been given? Ah, that was the question. Nothing had yet appeared within the horizon of even the tallest angel in glory that was sufficient to justify such an event as the salvation of a soul that had been defiled by sin. And hence it seems probable that if the charge of partiality and injustice could have been made against God on any conditions it would have been preferred on that occasion. But no, that was impossible! Even Satan himself would not dare to entertain such a thought! More probable God must and will be just, though the whole "^^l^'Z bad created universe should prove false. The ^"e='=- 230 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. conception would therefore more naturally arise that there was something yet undeveloped in the purposes of Jeho vah ; something which no created eye had yet seen, but the shadow of which was . even then present on every patriarchal altar. This conception was more or less confirmed by ev ery new development of God's great purpose, sundry new de- whcthcr lit typc or in prophecy. Such proin- veopmeuts. .^^^ ^^ ^j.^^ j^ ^^ Sccd of Abraham all the nations of the Earth should be blessed, and that the scepter should not depart from Judah until Shiloh (riVK', tranquilizer or pacificator) should come, would greatly serve to enlist the feelings of all rational beholders. And hence we find that holy Angels became greatly , . , ., interested in the sublime drama of human re- Interest taken by good men demptiou. This is indicated not only by their and angels in , . . . the Drama of frequcut visits to thc heirs of salvation, but ecemptioii. ^|^^^ ^^^ uiore particularly, by some of the provisions of that typical system which Moses, at the command of God, constructed for a testimony to the peo ple, and also for the purpose of aiding all men in their honest efforts and attempts to rise to a just conception of the spiritual nature of the scheme and economy of re demption. The inner curtain of the Tabernacle, for ex ample, which was but the typical canopy of the Church, was covered all over with cherubic or angelic figures. So, too, was the Vail that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy. And from the Mercy-Seat that covered the Ark of the Covenant there rose up two of these same symbolic figures, with their faces turned downward, as if anxious to penetrate the sublime mysteries that- then lay concealed in and beneath the golden Propitiatory. To this Peter seems to allude when he says that the angels THE ATONEMENT. 23 1 desired to look into these things, i Peter i, 12. And the same Apostle informs us that the ancient Prophets earn estly inquired into these matters, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow, i Peter i, 10, 11. In the mean time, Satan and his emissaries were not idle and indifferent spectators of the scene. Evidence of He too became a diligent student ofthe types Satan's interest and prophecies. He was often found among the Sons of God ; and no sooner vvas Jesus introduced to the multitudes on the banks of the Jordan as the Messiah, the Son of God, than he was assailed by this diabolical Tempter with a degree of cunning and sagacity that indi cates not only a most profound knowledge of human nature, but also a very special acquaintance with the Scheme of Redemption, so far as it had then been developed. But still all was mystery. The Vail of the Temple made without hands had not yet been rent ; ^, „ ¦' . The Mystery the way into the true Holy of Holies had not not yet re- yet been • made manifest to any creature ; the grave had. not yet lost one of its victims, and life and immortality had not yet been fully brought to light by the Gospel. Even the Apostles of Christ were yet igno rant of the fact that their Master must suffer death, be .buried, and rise again the third day, according to the Scriptures. See Mark ix, 9-10; Luke xxiv, 45-47; John XX, 9 ; and Hebrews ix, 8. But in the fullness of time the Great Antitype of all the sacrifices that were ever slain by Divine The Problem appointment appeared on the Cross. And as ":"J- ' his flesh was torn and mangled for the sins of the world, 232 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. the vail of the symbolical Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom ; and the way into the Holiest of all was then typically revealed to the eyes of mortals. Soon after this the bars of Death were broken, and Christ rose from the dead, the first-fruits of them that slept. He spent forty days with his disciples, speaking to them of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God ; and then, having ascended to the Heavens as our Great High Priest, not with the blood of bulls and of goats, but with his own blood, he made an atonement for the sins OF THE WORLD. God accepted the offering as being fully adequate to meet and to satisfy all the demands of his government ; and th"us was solved the greatest moral problem that had ever occupied the attention of men or angels. It was then seen that what the Law could not do iji that it was weak through the flesh, God had him self accomplished by and through the death of his own Son, whom he had finally set forth as a propitiatory sac rifice for a demonstration of his administrative justice "in passing by the sins that were formerly committed through the forbearance of God, for a manifestation of his justice at the time then present, so that he might be JUST WHILE HE JUSTIFIES HIM WHO BELIEVES IN JeSUS." Romans iii, 25, 26. And, accordingly, soon after that, when the four Living Creatures and the twenty-four Elders fell down before, the Lamb to worship him in the Song of there- Hcavcns, they were heard to sing "a new song, deemed. sayiug, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." Revelation v, 8, 9. I do not mean to say that the problem of redemption was then fully and perfectly understood. By no means. THE A TONEMENT. 233 It is not even yet so understood. And it will, in all jorob- ability, require an eternity to trace out and -" ^ -' The Demon- comprehend all the effects of the blood of stration not yet Christ on the government of God and the '^°'"''^'' interests of humanity. But what I mean to say is simply this : that all that was necessary to be known in order to the salvation of the world was then revealed. All the just and reasonable expectations of the intelligent '^ ° Some of the universe were then fully satisfied. It was main points ^ , ,- , elucidated. then seen, lor example, I. That it had never been God's purpose to pass by any sin or transgression of his law without a just . , God*s purpose and adequate satisfaction. Had not the Re- from the be- medial System been in prospect, no doubt ^'"""'^' .Adam and his guilty bride would, like the angels that fell, have been at once banished forever from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. But " known unto God are all his works from eternity." He knew per fectly well that, in the fullness of time, he could and would demonstrate to the whole intelligent universe that he had acted justly in passing by, for the time being, many sins that were committed during the Patriarchal and Jewish ages. And hence it was that he permitted thousands, perhaps, indeed, millions, of the sons and daughters of fallen humanity to enter Paradise very much as those who die in infancy now enter it ; that is, without understanding either how or why it was that they were saved. But when the blood of atonement was offered in the Heavens, then it was that all was clear and satisfactory. Justice was then satisfied, and God's eternal government approved and magnified in the eyes of adoring millions. Mercy and Truth then met together, and Righteousness and Peace then embraced each other. Psalm Ixxxv, 10. 234 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. II. It was then also very manifest that no sin had evef been pardoned on any other ground than on the ground of merits of Christ's blood. It was then evident par on. ^^^ ^ ^^ sacrlficcs that had ever been offered on Patriarchal and Jewish altars had never taken away one sin ; that all these were but types or pictures de signed to illustrate the merits of the one great sacrifice about to be offered, on which they all depended, and with out which they were all as empty and- as worthless as a shadow. Hebrews x, 1-4. And hence it was that, in the Apocalyptic vision to which we have referred, John heard persons Illustration. r ii • t /- •, out of all nations, j ews as well as Gentiles, as cribing their salvation to the blood of the Lamb. And just so it will ever be. When the sea shall give up the dead which are in it, and when Death and Hades shall give up the dead which are in them, the same glorious song will be heard again in the Heavens. And, O my soul, what a song that will be when Abel, and Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham, and Moses, and Job, and Daniel, and all the blood-washed throng out of all the kindreds of the Earth shall tune their harps and join their voices to sing the praises of our Immanuel ! " O what a sweet, exalted song. When every tribe and every tongue, Redeemed by blood, with Christ appear. And join in one full chorus there !" Dear reader, would you join that glorious company? Do you desire to unite in that heavenly anthem, and to swell the song of our Immanuel's praises? If so, you must first be purified by his blood ; and if you would be purified by his blood, you must first obey his precepts. He has become the Author of eternal salvation to all THE A TONEMENT. 2^^ them, and to them only, who obey him. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Rev. xxii, 14. III. It was then evident that the demands of Justice and all the claims of the Divine government xhe claims of had been met and satisfied by the sin-offerinfc J"=''<:="'etand ¦i -^ .f o God s law mag- of Christ even more fully and inore perfectly "'fi^d. than if all the penalties of violated law had been directly infiicted on the offending parties. Do we, then, says Paul, make law void through faith? Nay, verily, but rather we confirm and establish law. Romans iii, 31. And to the same effect is God's own testimony through the prophet Isaiah. While speaking of the services of Christ, he says "he will magnify law [H'l'fjT] and make it honorable." Isaiah xlii, 21. This he has certainly done in the eyes of all who have any knowledge and comprehension of -' ° . ^ Inflexibility of this subject. For if nothing short of the the Divine blood of Christ could atone for our sins and bring deliverance to the captive, how exceedingly un yielding and inflexible must be the Divine government ! How true it is that justice and judgment are the habita tion of his throne, and that Heaven and Earth must pass away before any of his laws can be set aside with impunity ! Viewed from this stand-point, how very significant are the words of our blessed Savior as in the Scope of garden he thus prayed in agony to his Father : Christ's prayer ., /-. T-' . 1 1 .L . 1 • i" Gethsemane. " O, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." That is, if there is any other pos sible way in which poor sinners can be saved, the claims of Justice satisfied, and the Divine law magnified, then, 236 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. and only then, let this cup of indescribable suffering pass from me. But rich and inexhaustible as are the Divine resources, it seems that there was no other possi ble remedy. Christ himself had to suffer in order to meet and to satisfy the just and nec essary demands of the Divine government, or otherwise the whole human race must perish forever. He saw it ! He understood it ! He felt it ! He no longer hesitated. He accepted the dread alternative. He was borne to the Cross as an innocent lamb was borne to the altar, and his blood was poured out for the sins of the world ! Sei% alsOj Luke xxiv, 46 ; Hebrews ii, 10, etc. And now, O, sinner, will you reject the rich benefits procured for you through the infinite merits of that blood ? Or will you not rather say, " Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small ; Love so amazing, so Divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all ?" SECTION II. — Reconciliation through Christ. Justice is the fundamental principle of the Divine First object of govemmcnt. " Justice and judgment," says "'!,'rT'°f the Psalmist, "are the habitation of his and Death of ' Christ. throne." Psalm Ixxxix, 14. And hence it is evident that the first object of the incarnation and death of Christ was to meet and satisfy the claims of Justice against the sinner. It was to magnify God's law and make it honorable. It was to open up a new and living way through which God's mercy and grace might freely and justly flow to guilty man. This object ac- But all this has been done. All the de- compiished. mands of Law and Justice have been fully met RECONCILIATION. 237 and fully satisfied by the sin-offering of Christ. And hence it is that God now offers salvation to the whole world on the simple condition of their submitting to a few plain precepts which he has kindly and benevolently given to all men as a test of their loyalty, and also as a means of promoting their own growth in grace and prog ress in the Divine life. A very grave and important question, then, rises just here: Why are not all men saved? Why has Query. not every man submitted to rules and condi tions which all enlightened reason must approve as but just, and right, and benevolent? A very clear, and satisfactory answer to this question is found in the inimitably touching address Answer given of our Savior to Jerusalem, as he thought of ''^ '-'"''"• that devoted city and wept over it. "O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem !" said he, " thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would f have gathered thy children together as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings ; and ye would not !" Luke xiii, 34. Ah, yes, this is the solution of the whole mat ter. How often would I, but ye would not ! It is evident, therefore, that the cordial consent of two wills is essential to the salvation of any „„ , , -' 1 he consent of and every man. I speak not now of infants twowiiisessen- ,. . , . .,. ,, , , , tial to the salva- nor of idiots. I reier to such, and to such tion of every only, as are responsible for their own actions ; """¦ to such as have a will to choose or to refpse, to obey or to disobey. Before such a one can be saved there must, of necessity, be a concurrence of the will of God and the will of the sinner, God mu&t first be willing to par don the sinner, to justify, and sanctify, and save him, or otherwise thgre can, of covirsg, be IIP salyatiofi for him- 238 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. And it is just as evident that the sinner must also be made willing to receive these favors before it is possible for him to enjoy them. God will compel no man to receive them against his will. He stands at the door of every man's heart who hears his blessed word, and there he earnestly knocks for per mission to enter it, (Rev. iii, 20,) not being willing that any should perish, but anxious that all should be brought to reformation. But, strange to say, the sinner is not willing to Butthesinneris recclve thc proffered boon. He has no dis- not willing. position to receive and to entertain such a guest as the Holy One. His will is controlled by his de sires, and his desires are all deranged by sin. His whole moral nature has been greatly perverted, and his whole heart has been filled with enmity to God by wicked works. Now, Ihe second object of our Savior's incarnation and Second object death is to cliauge the disposition of the sinner. ?on and'oTa'th I* i^ to take away his hard and stony heart, of Christ. and to give him a heart of flesh. It is to re move his enmity, and to make him willing to become a child of God and an heir of Heaven. This is evident from the following passage of Scripture: "For it pleased the Father that in him (that is, in his Son) should all full ness dwell ; and having made peace through the blood of his Cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself ; by him, I say, whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven. And you who zvere fo-rmerly alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works, yet now has he reconciled, in the body of his fiesh through death, to present you holy, and un blamable, and unreprovable in his sight." Colossians i, 19-22. See, also, 2 Corinthians v, 18-21. RECONCILIATION. 239 But why is it, we are constrained to ask just here, why is it that any man should ever cherish • - 1 1-1. Q""^- enmity in his heart to his Maker? Why should beings who have been so constituted as to love that which is lovely, and to hate that only which is hate ful, ever cherish in their hearts enmity to One who is himself the very essence of all that is lovely and beautiful in the universe? "WiG. fact is patent to all. On no other hypothesis can we explain the spirit of rebellion and disloy- Evidence of ihe alty that we see on every hand. God, for ex- ^'^'^*' ample, commands all men every-where to repent. But very few do repent. God commands all to enter the Church — to become citizens of the Kingdom of his dear Son — through a bath of water and the renewing energies of the Holy Spirit. But the majority of those who hear and understand this plain, benevolent, and most reasona ble requisition positively decline and refuse to obey it. Now, how would such conduct be regarded and treated under any form of human government? Is Analogous that youth looked upon as a faithful and duti- ''^^^^' ful son who habitually neglects the known wishes and commands of his father? Is that man regarded as a friend and lover of his country who habitually disregards its laws and its institutions ? Most assuredly not. In every such case neglect of the laws is regarded as evi dence of disrespect to the lawgiver. And just so it is, and so it must ever be, under the Divine government. "They that are not with nte," says Christ, "are against me; and he that gathereth not zvitli me seattereth abroad!' Mat thew xii, 30. There is no neutral ground here. It is either loyalty or disloyalty ; it is either obedience or it is disobedience ; it is either love or it is hatred, 240 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Bst still the question recurs. How came this hatred.' Paul's answer Wheucc arosc tliis preternatural state of en- to the Question. ykAj lu the humau heart? Paul says, in the citation made from his letter to the Colossians, that it came by wicked zvorks ; that is, the evil germ implanted in the soul by temptation was developed and increased by wicked works. And this answer, however strange and paradoxical it may at first appear, is both scriptural and philosophical. It accords with the spirit and tenor of the whole Bible, and it is, moreover, in perfect harmony with our own natural constitution. One of the most clearly Law of Human defined laws of the human mind is this: that Nature. ^j^g injicrcr always becomes, de facto, an en emy to the injured. If A, for example, slanders B, he at once becomes B's enemy. If he fraudulently takes B's property, or in any other way trespasses on the rights of B, that moment his heart is filled with re sentment. And just so it was when man sinned in Paradise. Origin of man's Pi'evious to that he loved God with all his enmity to God. J^g^^,.^ ^;.,j g^^^j^ ^j.,j ^^J^^j^ ^j^j Strength. But no sooner did he transgress the commandments of his Maker than his heart was filled with enmity. And hence it was that when he afterward heard the voice of the Lord God in the garden he endeavored to conceal him self from him as from an enemy. How very true, then, and appropriate is the language of Paul to the Colossians: "Enemies in your minds by wicked works !" But "woe unto him that is at enmity with his Maker." For such a one Earth has no happiness, and Its removal es- * ^ sentiai to our Hcaveii itsclf has none. Every man who is in this condition may very justly apply to himself the following soliloquy, which Milton puts into RECONCILIATION. 24I the mouth of Satan as he lies floating on the burn ing lake: " Me miserable ! which way shall I fly Infinite wrath, infinite despair .' Which way I fly is Hell ; myself am Hell ; And in the lowest depth, a lower deep Still threatening to devour me opens wide, To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heaven." Ah, yes ; the flame of torment must be extinguished in the soul, the feeling of enmity must be taken away from the human breast, and the heart must be filled with love, and peace, and joy before any man can be made happy in any part of this wide universe. But how can this be done ? Can it be done by pains and penalties ? Can it be effected by punishments of any kind, whether on Earth or in Purgatory, whether in time or in eternity? So many have thought, and so they have taught. And hence the various theories of post-mortem salvation that now abound all over Christendom. But all such theories and hypotheses are mere vaga ries of the imagination. They have npt the Only way and shadow of a foundation on which to rest, means of effect- either in philosophy or in fact. All experi- '"^ ence shows that the only way to remove the enmity of the human heart is by proper manifestations of love. " If thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head." Romans xii, 20. So teaches Paul, and so teaches all sound philosophy and all correct history and experience. I am aware that punishment may often become an element of reformation. It is so used in all „ „ . . now Punish- human governments, and it is also so used in ment becomes ... /-. r .an element of the Divine government. God often provi- reformation and dentially compels men to pause and reflect 31 242 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. seriously on the solemnities of life, death, judgment, and eternity; and he does this sometimes by his judgment, even when the rich manifestations of his mercy and his love have been ineffectual. He did so in the case of Manasseh, and Nebuchadnezzar, and Saul of Tarsus, and many other persons less known to fame. But, nevertheless, all that punishment can do in such cases is merely to arrest the attention, to humble the proud heart, and to open up natural channels through which love, and mercy, and benevolence may freely flow into the dried-up fountains of the human soul. No man ever yet loved his fellow-man simply as an avenger of wrong, and no man ever loved God on this account. " We love God because he first loved us." So the beloved John testifies, and so our own experience testifies. But in no other conceivable way could the love of God . . be so fully, so directly, and so efficaciously tion of God's manifested to us as in the gift of his own Son. True, indeed, to him whom the Lamp of Truth illuminates, all nature is but an index or manifestation of the goodness and benevolence of God, as well as of his wisdom and power. But, nevertheless, there is no con verting power in nature. There is nothing in revelations of it to Warm the human heart and to draw the sinner nearer to God. The very reverse of this is seen in the history of the whole heathen world. They all had, at least for a time, some traditional knowl edge of the one only living and true God. But under the dim light of nature the poor blinded heathen saw nothing that was attractive in his character. In all cases the repelling influences predominated. And as time rolled on, we find that all heathen nations were being separat'id further and further from their Maker. RE C ONCIL IA TION. 243 But how very different are" the tendencies of the Gospel ! The man who believes and realizes practical eireci that "God SO loved the world that he gave "^ '^^ G'"*p=i *-* on tile heart of his only begotten Son, that whosoever be- "'« »"ner. lieveth into him should not perish, but have everlasting l.ie," feels a new impulse of life Divine begotten in his soul ; and, like the poor prodigal of our Savior's parable, he says, "I will arise and go to my Father, and I will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee, and I am no more worthy to be called thy son : make me as one of thy hired servants." Luke xv, 18, 19. But before he goes very far, even while he is yet a great way off, his Father meets him and embraces him. He takes away from him his filthy garments and clothes him with the habiliments of a son. And while the Heavens are rejoicing that another poor sinner has been redeemed, he himself feels that he is no longer a slave, but a son — a son of God and an heir of Heaven. He now realizes that God is not the severe, stern, and unfeel ing Being that he once supposed ; but that as a father pities his children, even so the Lord pities them that fear him. And thus it is that the enmity of his heart is slain, while he himself is by the cords of love drawn into the family of God, and is then made to rejoice with a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. And now, in conclusion, let me say to you, poor sinner, whoever you are and wherever you are, j-,,^ invitation that this is your privilege, if you see fit to " '° ^"¦ enjoy it. God now says to every man that thirsteth. Come to the waters and drink, And to him that has no money he says, Come, buy and eat ; yea come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price. Isaiah Iv, 1 244 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. SECTION III.— Christ our Exemplar. Another reason why the Word became flesh and dwelt Third object of amoug US was to show us by his own example the Word's be- ^^^^^ ^^ sliould all Walk and please God. coming incar- ^ nate- It is an old and trite, but, nevertheless, true maxim, that "Example is stronger than precept!' Importance of We are all greatly prone to imitate those that such a Model, ^yg most lovc and admire. Thus it is that children follow the example of their parents, pupils that of their most highly esteemed and venerated teachers, and soldiers that of their heroic generals. And hence we see the very great importance of having a correct religious model, after which all may safely mold their character and shape their destiny. This indeed is very important in all the relations of life; but in religion it is paramount. Here its importance can not well be exaggerated. But previous to the coming of Christ we look in vain, Christ the only amoug all thc sons of men, for such a model ; perfect Model. ^-^^ siucc his asccnslon from Earth to Heaven we look also in vain. Christ alone is worthy of such a place in our affections. True, indeed, history records many examples of moral greatness and goodness. Abra ham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, and Joshua, and Samuel, and David, and John the Baptist, and Peter, and James, and John, and Paul, and Luther, and Calvin, and Wesley, and a host of other soldiers of the Cross, are all worthy of our admiration, and in some respects of our imitation. But, nevertheless, they were all transgressors of the Divine law, and had themselves to be purified by the blood of Jesus before they were fit for the society of the redeemed, either on Earth or in Heaven. Christ is CHRIST OUR EXEMPLAR. 245 the only one of our race who was tempted in all respects as we are, and yet without sin. Him, therefore, has God presented to us as our only exemplar and leader in the great conflict of Evidence of hi? life. "Behold," says he, "I have given Him ^^rGuidriud for a witness to the people, a leader and com- Exemplar. mander to the people." Isaiah Iv, 4. And hence Paul admonishes his Corinthian brethren to be followers of him, even as he also was a follower of Christ. I Cor. xi, i. And to the Ephesians he says : "Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." Eph. v, i, 2. And again he says to the Thessalonians : "And ye be came followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit." I Thess. i, 6. And in like manner he admonishes his Hebrew brethren to look constantly to Jesus while they were earnestly running their Christian race. Heb. xii, 2. The importance of giving heed to these admonitions will be best understood by considering a few practical nius- particulars. We will select, merely by way of •"''°"^- illustration, a few out of the many lessons that are taught in the life of our blessed and adorable Redeemer. Be it observed, then, first of all, that Christ made the will of his Father his supreme rule of conduct. , christ-s s aia "My meat," said he, "is to do the will of Him "f conduct. that sent me, and to finish his work." John iv, 34. And to the last moment of his life, even during his agony in the garden, the burden of his prayer still was, " not my will, but thine be done." Luke xxii, 42. Now, who can estimate the advantages and the bene fits that would at once accrue to the Church and to the 246 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. world if all Christians would strictly follow the example of Christ in this one particular? If all, for Benefits arising from its general Instancc, who are now following the popular a option. party or the multitude to do evil,_ or who are led away by the sinful promptings of their own lusts, passions, and appetites, would simply ask, as did Christ and Paul, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?" how very soon would the Church be purified and the world saved ! But in order that we may understand, as far and as fully as we can, the beautiful workings and bearings of this rule of life, let us be still more particular. It was „, . , not merely in what we usually call ^reat and Christ s punc- -' -^ o tiiious exact- important matters that Christ followed the will ness in doing r 1 ¦ t- j 1 1 • 7 the will of his of his father, but also in even the most minute ^'"''"^' and circumstantial events of his life. This is well illustrated by the facts of his baptism. John was sent to baptize the people for the remission of their sins, on condition of their faith and repentance. But Christ was not a sinner. He had nothing of which to repent. And hence, so far as this was a ground of consideration, he might have justly declined being baptized by John. But no. He well knew the influence and force of ex ample, and especially of the example of teachers and others in authority. And he knew moreover that God was about to set him forth not only as a propitiatory sacrifice to take away the sins of the world, but also as our Exemplar in all our attempts to serve him. And hence when John hesitated to baptize him on the ground of his well-known personal holiness and purity of life, he simply and modestly replied, " Suffer it to be so now : FOR THUS y BECOMETH US TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUS NESS." Matt, iii, 15. CIIRIST OUR EXEMPLAR. 247 Courteous reader, have you ever comprehended the full import and meaning of these simple words of Christ ? If not, let me ask you to ponder them well. Embalm them in your heart. Let them be as frontlets between your eyes, and write them in letters of gold on your doors and on your gates. And whenever you feel in clined to neglect any duty or to commit any wrong, how ever trivial it may seem to-be under your very imperfect angle of vision, remember and apply to yourself these very precious words of our Redeemer, "It becomes us to fulfill ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS." This OHC rulc, properly considered and applied, would soon free society from ten thousand evils, and make the world a temple of God's praise. Another lesson of great practical importance taught and illustrated in the life of Christ is his Christ's mode manner of meeting and overcoming temptations, of resisting the He was in one sense infinite in knowledge. And hence, of course, whenever he was assailed by Satan, he could have easily overcome him and exposed his sophistry by philosophical arguments drawn from the nature and circumstances of the case. But nevertheless, in all his conflicts with the Evil One, his main reliance was on the Holy Scriptures. In every case and under all circumstances his great and chief argument was sim ply this : " It is written." When the Tempter came to him and said, " If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread," Jesus simply replied, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." And when the Devil, having placed him on a pinnacle of the Temple, said unto him, " If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down : for it is 248 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. written. He shall give his angels charge concerning thee ; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone," Jesus said to him, "It is written again. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." And again, when the Devil took him up into a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, saying, "All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me," Jesus said to him, " Get thee hence, Satan : for it is written. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Matt, iv, i-ii. Hence it is evident that in all cases and under all circumstances Christ attached the very highest authority to the written Word of God. It was with him an end of all controversy. And how happy it would be for the Church, and also for the world, if to-day even Aberrations ¦' from Christ's all thosc who profess to receive the Bible as exampe. ^^ Word of God would in this respect fol low his example! But instead of doing so, how many, alas ! exalt the authority of their own weak reason above that of the Holy Scriptures I God says, " He that believes and is baptized shall be saved ; and he that believes not shall be damn-ed." But says one, I do n't believe this. God is too good to damn any one. Again, God assures us that this damnation will be eternal ; thac those who, on account of their own personal disobedi ence, are condemned at their death and at the judgment, will be condemned forever. He has by his servant John revealed to us, as his own irrevocable decree, that the man who is found to be unjust on the great day when the books shall be opened, and when every man shall be judged for the deeds done in his own body, shall be unjust still; that he who is filthy then shall be filthy CHRIST OUR EXEMPLAR. 249 still ; that he who is righteous then shall be righteous still ; and that he who is holy then shall be ]ioly still. Rev. xxii, 1 1. But, says some weak-minded sophist, that would be unjust. And as I know that God is just as well as merciful, this so-called revelation must be untrue. All men will certainly be saved finally, the Word of God to the contrary notwithstanding. Thousands mistake all this for argument ; and thus it is that Hell is now being filled with immortal souls through the sophistries of Satan and their own disregard for God's authority. The last characteristic of Christ that I shall notice for the present is his entire personal consecra- Christ's devo- tion to God. Whatever he had was at the !i™'"'i'f^<^";ice and glory of disposal of his Father. He kept nothing " Ccd. back. Even his own life was finally given for the glory of God and the good of his race. Suppose now that all who profess to be the Disciples of Christ would really become his followers Effects of foi- in this respect ; would ever remember and '""""^ .'"^ !"?" r^ ' ample in this practically acknowledge that they are not respect. their own, that they have been bought with a price, and that they should therefore no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for their redemption, what effect would this have on their own happiness, on the welfare and interests of the Church, and also on the salvation of the world? Is it not perfectly evident to every believer in the Word of God that very soon the nations would all beat their swords- into plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks, and that the lion would soon lie down with the lamb and the leopard with the kid? But, alas! how far we all come short of this perfect standard ! How very imperfectly we realize our practical the extent of our obligations, our privileges, delinquencies. 250 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. and our birthrights as the sons and the daughters of th<; Lord God Almighty ! In many places the Church is now • famishing, and the world is actually perishing for want of that help which God has enabled us to give them if we would ; and yet how few, alas ! how very few, are willing to come to the rescue, in the spirit of their Master! O, that every one of us had a heart like that of our Re deemer, and that our lives corresponded in all pos sible respects with his life ! Then, indeed, would the wilderness and solitary parts of the Earth soon be made glad, and the deserts would rejoice and blossom as the rose. SECTION I'V. — Destruction of Satan's Works. " For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he Fourth object might dcstroy the zvorks of the Devil!' I John of Christ's be- j-j g ggg ^^^ HcbrCWS 11, I4. coming incar- ' . » -r ra's- The works of the Devil are both numerous and various. By his subtile artifice and diabolical cunning Summary of hc first Separated man from his Maker, and s.itan's works, ^j^^^jg deprived him of his chief good. As an immediate and necessary consequence of this man's facul ties were all deranged ; all the powers and susceptibilities of his entire nature were, to some extent, perverted ; his heart was filled with selfishness, pride, malice, hatred, and every other evil passion ; and in his physical constitution were sown the seeds of all manner of diseases. Nor was this enough to satisfy the hellish malice and the diabolical ambition of the Evil One. He became a usurper, took away man's dominion, deprived him of his home, made him his slave, and finally put an end to his earthly ex istence by hard and cruel bondage. The Earth was DESTRUCTION OF THE WORK'S OF SATAN. 25 1 converted into a graveyard, and the whole world was filled with groans, and sighs, and tears, and misery, and death. This is no fancy sketch. It is a sad reality, which every man constantly sees and feels for himself It was no small undertaking, then, that Christ re solved on, when he determined to destroy the ^ Greatness of works of the Devil. It is no exaggeration to chrisfs under taking. say, "'Twas great to speak the world from naught, 'T was greater to redeem." Of the truth of this we have already had suffidient evidence in what Christ has done to meet and Evidence of to satisfy the claims of the Divine Govern- "'"'• ment ; to remove enmity from the sinner's heart by revealing to him God in his true character ; and in illus trating by his own example how all men should honor God and labor for the good of their race. But all this was only preliminary ; it was only to prepare the way for the great conflict which was to follow. But a short time, however, intervened between the Cross and the Crown. Soon after his crucifixion our blessed Lord was invested with all authority in the Heavens above and on the Earth beneath. The reins of universal government were given to him, and all the loyal subjects of the vast empire of Jehovah were marshaled for the conflict. On the day of Pentecost, A. D. 34, the battle was begun ; and „ . ' . -'^' ^ ' The Conflict since that ever-memorable epoch every day has under the Mes- witnessed new victories and brought fresh lau rels to the crown of our Immanuel. Satan's influence over the world has been greatly curtailed, and a vast mul titude of happy spirits redeemed by the blood of the Cross out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, 252 SCHEME Op REDEMPTION. now fill the Heavens with their shouts of triumph and their songs of victory.* True, indeed, the victory has not yet been fully The victory not achlcved. More than half the world is still yet complete. under the dominion of the Wicked One ; the bodies of all the dead are still in their graves ; mankind have not yet regained their lost dominion over the world ; * It is often asked. If God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, why does he allow this conflict to be so long continued i" yuery propose ^^y does he not put an end to it at once by annihilating, if need be, both Satan and all those who are under his influence ? • This question is commonly urged as "an objection against the fitness and Divine origin of the Bible Scheme of Redemption ; but, as ep y o 1 . usual, the objector makes a false issue ; and he is either de ceived himself, or he attempts to deceive others by false analogies. If it were a physical contest, or such a one as is often waged by hostile nations for the sake of gratifying their inordinate ambition, or for other purposes of conquest, then indeed there would be some point in the query of the objector. But not so. If Satan and all his emissaries, human and angelic, were annihilated, God's object would not be gained. What he i?roposes is the salvation of man in har mony zvith alt the laws and principles of the moral universe. Justice must be sat isfied on the one hand, and the freedom of the human will must be respected on the other. Were man a mere machine, like a clock or a watch, God would of course treat him as such. But as God has endowed him with freedom of will, he will not allow any thing whatever to interfere with its proper exercise. He permits every man to choose or to refuse for himself, and simply holds him responsible for the right e.xercise of his freedom. If, during the allotted period of his probation, any man chooses to be saved through Christ, by a full and hearty compliance with God's revealed will, it is his blessed privilege to be saved. But if he is not willing to enjoy the great salvation ; if, not withstanding all the pleadings and motives of the Gospel, he still chooses to continue in his sins, then, indeed, by a necessity as profound as the Divine nature itself, and as enduring as the throne of Jehovah, he must and he will be banished with an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. This Earth and all that pertains to it must be forever freed from every vestige of the works and the workings of the Devil. This is all that is fairly implied in the words of the inspired writers. The word rendered destroy in i John iii, 8, is \va, which means -properly to loose, to dissolve, or to undo ; and hence to destroy. And the word used in Hebrews ii, 14, is «aToipyeu, (lara, intensive, a, privative, and tpyoi-, work,) which means to make idle, to bring to naught; and hence to destroy. See also i Cor. xv, 25. DESTRUCTION OF THE WORKS OF SATAN. 253 and even the Earth itself, and the atmosphere around it, are still polluted by the touch and the breath of sin. But as Paul, in his letter to the Hebrews, reasons with respect to man's dominion over the world, even Guarantee that so may we also reason with regard to every "" '"f,^^ "f -' o y complished m thing that comes within the scope of Christ's ^ue time. mission to the Earth. " We do not yet," says he, " see all things put under him, (man ;) but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, on account of the suffering of death, that by the grace of God he might taste death for every man — we see him crowned with glory and honor." Hebrews ii, 8, 9. This, in Paul's esti mation, was sufficient to insure the due fulfillment of_the promise that the whole world would yet be rescued from the power of the usurper and placed under the dominion and government of Abraham and his seed, according to the promise." Romans iv, 13. O yes ! this is enough. To see Jesus crowned Lord of all is a sufficient guarantee that all is well ; that in due time all the effects of Adam's first transgression will be fully and forever canceled, the spirits of the faithful redeemed, the bodies of all raised from the dead, the Earth and its surroundings purified from the defilements of sin, Satan and his emissaries- re moved hence and cast into the lake of fire, and the redeemed made forever happy in the new Heavens and the new Earth, where there will be fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. For all this and much more we may now look forward with as much certainty as we look for the rising of the Sun to-morrow. And now, dear reader, where do you stand in this mighty conflict? Are you on the side of Appeal to the Jesus? Have you enlisted under the banner i*'=^'^"- of our glorious Immanuel ? If so, maintain your position. 254 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION, Put on the whole armor of God, and fight on ; yes, living or dying, fight on, and soon your part of the victory at least will be won. But remember that in this warfare there is no neutral ground. "He that is not with me," says Christ, "is against me, and he that gathereth not with me seattereth abroad." Matthew xii, 30. If, then, you are not with Christ, you are certainly still on the side of Satan. And, if so, let me ask you, with all tenderness and affection, what motives or encouragements have you to serve him ? What has he done for you, or for any of your friends, that you should still continue in his ranks, and promote his_cause by your influence? What does he yet pro pose to do for you? Do you want to meet Death alone? Do you want to stand on the last day at the left hand of your Judge? Do you want to hear from his pure and sacred lips the dreadful words, "Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his an gels!" Matthew xxv, 41. Do you want to dwell for ever with Satan and his angels in everlasting burnings? If not, fly to Jesus, and fly now. "Behold now is the accepted time ; behold now is the day of salvation," 2 Corinthians vi, 2. SECTION 'V. — Conservative Influence of Christ's Mediation. We have no reason to think that Christ died to make ^, . an atonement for any others than the human The Atonement •' made only for racc. Hc took uot OU fiim the nature of an- mankind. ,, , ^.^..-a.. gels, but the nature of the Seed of Abraham ; or, more generically, of the human race. Hebrews ii, 16; John i, 14, etc. And hence we infer with a good degree of probability, if not, indeed, with absolute certainty, that CHRIST'S CONSERVATIVE POWER. 255 it was for mankind, and for mankind alone, that he bled, and died, and made reconcihation. But is the moral effect of his incarnation and death confined to this little planet that we call the whether its Earth? Or has it also a conservative influ- ^^^^2 ence on beings that inhabit other worlds and to<"her%vorid3. systems ? Whatever may be the truth on this subject, it is not probable that it would be made known to man Why not a mat- by any direct revelation. The Bible was not tec of direct given to us for the purpose of gratifying our curiosity, but to instruct us in the way of life and holi ness. It was designed to teach us what God has done for our salvation, and what he requires of us in order that we may enjoy it. Every thing beyond this is a matter of in ference, about which we may or we may not be mistaken, the conclusion in all such cases depending on the kind and degree of the evidence submitted. While, therefore, I would not affirm positively that the atonement of Christ was designed by God to Probabilities of have a conservative influence over the whole ""^"^'=- moral universe, I am nevertheless constrained to think that this is quite probable, for several reasons. I. ft seems to be implied in the fact that Chrisfs media torial reign is universal. That his reign is Argument from universal is evident from many such passages ll'y of'christ's of Scripture as the following: "¦'='e°- I. Matthew xxviii, 18: "And Jesus came and spake unto them, (the eleven disciples,) saying. All authority in Heaven and on Earth is given to me!' The words Heaven and Earth are commonly used in the Bible to denote the whole universe, and this, I think, is their obvious mean ing in this passage. 256 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. 2. John iii, 35: "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand!' The phrase "all things'' seems to be used here without any other limitation or ex ception than God himself 3. I Corinthians xv, 24-27: "Then cometh the end, when he (Christ) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy. Death, shall be destroyed. For he (God) hath put all things under his (Christ's) feet. But when he saith, All things are put under him, it is manifest that he is ex cepted, who did put all things under him." Here again, as in the preceding citation, we are assured that the Father himself is the only being in the whole universe who is not now put under Christ. 4. Ephesians i, 9, 10 : "Having made known unto us the mystery of his (God's) will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fullness of times (that is, under Christ's mediatorial reign) he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven and which are on Earth!' 5. Ephesians i, 18-23: "The eyes of your understand ing being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his (God's) calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly ^^X-ajz^?,, far above ez}ery Princedom, and Authority, and Power, and Lordship, and every name that is named not only in this age, but also in CHRIST'S CONSERVATIVE POWER. 257 that which is to come ; and put all things under his feet, and gave him as a head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all!' 6. Philippians ii, 9-1 1: "Wherefore God has highly exalted him, (Christ,) and given him a name which is above every name ; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in Earth, and . things under the Earth: and that every tongue should con fess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the ' Father!' 7. I Peter iii, 22 : " Who (Christ) is gone into Heaven, and is on the right hand of God ; angels, and authorities, and powers being made subject to him!' In these passages it is evidently implied not only that the reign of Christ is over all worlds and ° _ _ What IS implied systems of worlds, but also that this fact is in the passages well understood by their intelligent, moral, '"" " ' and responsible inhabitants,* all of whom are required to do him homage, and to receive him as their rightful Sovereign. But why make such an arrangement — why extend the scepter of the Lord Jesus over the whole * I afiirm nothing here positively touching the question whether the other planets ofthe Solar System and the ten thousand times ten thousand other worlds of the vast empire of Jehovah are j"^" '^° inhabited or not. If, however, the purpose of God, so far as it resjjects this little earth, was wholly incomplete till man vvas created in the image of his Maker and placed over it as its viceroy and governor, it is certainly nothing more than reasonable to suppose that all other worlds were created for a similar purpose. And the probabilities are, therefore, all in favor of the hypothesis now generally received by the learned that said worlds were made to be occupied by intelligent, moral, and accountable beings like men and angels. But whether this hypothesis be true or false, one thing is certain : viz., that said worlds, with all their varied tenantry, are noat) placed under the supervision and government of the Lord Jesus. Does not this fact furnish additional evidence that they are under CJod's moral government, and therefore inhabited by moral and lesponsible agents ? 258 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. universe if the influence of his incarnation, death, and atonement is to be confined wholly and exclusively to the human race? On the assumption that it extends, like the force of gravitation, to the utmost limits of Jehovah's . empire, all is plain and intelligible ; but on any other hypothesis the whole subject is, to us at least, involved in mystery. II. Another argument in favor of the aforesaid ex tended conservative influence of the incarna- Argument from the pr.,biibie tlou, death, and atonement of the Lord Jesus wants and cir- _., . cumst,iiices of Christ may be drawn from the probable zvants other worlds. ^^^^ circuuistauces of the moral and responsible inhabitants of the heavenly regions. Whatever may be Motves the ^'^^i'' '"^'^^^ ^^^ ^he scale of creation, they must only means of all have bccu endowed, like men and angels, preventing . , ^ , p .,, . , moral agents With frecdom of Will, With powcT to choosc or lora sinning. ^^ refusc, to obey or to disobey ; and this, of course, implies the possibility of falling. At any rate. there was no way in which this could be consistently prevented except by the presentation of proper motives addressed to the heart through the medium of the un derstanding. But it seems that previous to the, incarnation and No adequate death of Christ there were found no' motives motives known adcquatc to thls end. Angels fell, and so did previous to the ^ o » deaih of Christ, rnau, though they were, no doubt, both placed under the very strongest moral influences then known to induce them to remain loyal to their sovereign Lord and Lawgiver. It seems, however, that this liability to sin and to fall is not to continue forever. The destiny But the Re- ^ deemed can sin of thc redeemed, as well as of all holy angels, will be forever fixed 'at or before the day of CHRISTS CONSERVATIVE POWER. 259 judgment. Of this we have given the most clear and satisfactory evidence in the following passages: I. Matthew xxv, 46: "And these (the wicked) shall go away into everlasting punishment ; but the righteous into everlasting life!' , 2. Luke XX, 35, 36: "But they who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage ; neither can they die any more: for they are equal to the angels ; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." 3. I Corinthians xv, 53, 54: "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruption shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying tltat is written. Death is swallowed up in victory!' 4. Revelation xxii, 11:" He that is unjust, (after the judgment,) let him be unjust still : and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still : and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still!' Whence, then, we naturally inquire, comes this great change that is to take place in the moral status and liability of men and angels? Will they be deprived of their freedom, and governed henceforth as mere machines ? Will the problem of governing the moral universe on moral principles be then abandoned, and the whole spiritual universe be henceforth propelled, like the Sun, Moon, and stars, by forces ab extra ? This is not at all probable. Such an allegation is inconsistent with all enlightened reason, as well as with the plain and un equivocal teachings' of the Word of God. We find a far more satisfactory solution of this 26o SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. problem in the richly developed provisions and resources of the Scheme of Redemption. From all that is said in the Scriptures on this subject, it seems pretty evident that through the incarnation, death, burial, resurrection, atonement, coronation, and gloriously triumphant reign of the Lord Jesus, there will be given, at least to the redeemed of our own race, such a demonstration of the awful nature of sin, the beauty and the necessity of holiness, and also of the unyielding and inflexible nature of Divine justice, as to render it morally impossible for them ever to sin again. And hence Jesus says, "They can die no more." And hence, moreover, the decree of the Almighty that the holy at and after the judgment shall be holy still. But if such is to be the conservative influence of the God's eternal Schemc of Redemption on our own race, is it purpose re- j^^^ g^j j^^gj. jj^g probablc that it would have specting this '- *• Scheme. a similar influence on other minds capable of understanding and comprehending, to any considerable extent, the infinite love, and justice, and grace of God which are revealed in it, and by it, and through it ? And if so, is it not also probable that God would use this moral power for the purpose of preventing any further outbreaks and demonstrations of sin in any and all other parts of his dominions ? And is not this, in fact, the very lesson that Paul by the Spirit designs to teach us in the following sublime and beautiful passage ? " To me," he says, "by far the least of all saints, was this grace given to preach among the Gentiles the unsearch able riches of Christ, and to enlighten all as to what is the stewardship of the mystery which has been hidden ¦ from all time in God who created all' things : that there might nozv bc made known to the princedoms and the CHRIST'S CONSERVATIVE POWER. 261 authorities in the heavenly realms, through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God, according to a purpose of all time which lie brought about in Christ Jesus our Lord!' Eph. iii, 8-1 1. I am well aware that'such themes are too high for us, and that we are all .too prone to theorize and Conclusion. speculate on such matters beyond what is, per haps, either warrantable or profitable, But, nevertheless, I am constrained to conclude, from all the premises sub mitted, that the conservative influence of Christ's incar nation, death, atonement, and mediatorial reign extends far beyond the narrow limits of this Earth, and that it may, in fact, be a powerful means, in the Divine adminis tration, of preserving forever, in a state of holiness and happiness, not only the redeemed of our own race, but also, and in like manner, untold millions of other happy spirits that now occupy other parts and provinces of Jehovah's empire. 262 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. PART V. THE HOLY SPIRIT. The Divine nature of the Holy Spirit, as well as its Scope of Part distinct personality, has, I think, been suffi- Fifth. ciently proved and illustrated under the sub ject of Christology; and I will, therefore, now confine my remarks simply to its agencies, I. In revealing to mankind the Scheme of Redemp tion, and demonstrating its Divine origin. II. In turning sinners from darkness to light, and from the power and dominion of Satan unto God. III. In comforting, sanctifying, and saving the saints. CHAPTER I. REVELATIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. There was a time previous to which the whole The Scheme of Schcmc of Redemption was concealed in the feltT''by"the dopths of the Divluo mind. No creature had Holy Spirit. gygj. discovcrcd it, nor was it possible that any creature, however exalted, ever could discover it. P'or, as Paul said to his Corinthian brethren, "What man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE SPIRIT. 263 which is in him? Even so the things (or purposes) of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God." i Cor. ii, II. And hence it belonged to the Spirit, and to the Spirit alone, to reveal to mankind this scheme of God's philanthropy, as well as to demonstrate its Divine origin, "for the Spirit searcheth all things, even the deep things of God." i Cor. ii, 10. In doing so, however, it availed itself of existing means and instrumentalities, as far as pos- use made of sible. Indeed, this may be laid down as a =<:<='""' causes. universal law of the DiviTie administration. So far as we know or have the means of judging, God has never put forth any unnecessary power in any of the works of crea tion, providence, or redemption. His first miracle was, of course, wholly independent of second causes. By it nature was brought into being, and second causes were thus produced. But henceforth the laws and forces of nature were made in all cases to subserve the Divine purposes, as far as practicable. And hence we find that, in most cases, when the exercise of miraculous power became necessary the miraculous and natural forces used were supplementary to each other, and made to cooperate in effecting the end proposed. The recorded exceptions to this law are but few. They occurred only when it was necessary, for some wise and benevolent reason, to change, suspend, or modify in some way the laws and forces of nature.* * As, for instance, in the separatipn of the waters of the Red Sea, etc. And hence I would define a miracle as an eift-raordinary ifnan- ifestation of Divine power, operating either independently of the rj^ "', ""^ lawf and forces of nature, as in the original creation, or in oppo sition to them, as in the separation of the waters of the lied Sea, or in connection and harmony with them, as in tlie Noachic deluge. This, of course, implies in all cases the exercise of a power that is superior to the laws and forces Qf 264 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. This, then, is the law by which the Spirit of life oper- Two factors in atcd lu rcvcaling to mankind the Scheme of witte°nRfv°eil! Redemption. All written as well as most oral tions to man. communicatious were made through human instrumentality. Human learning and human talents were employed in all cases, so far as they could be made available, in working out a peifect result, and no further. And hence it follows that not only every book, but also every word and sentence of the Original Scriptures, is the product of two factors, the human and the Divine. In some cases a preponderance'seems to have been given to the former, and in some cases to the latter, depending on the nature and character of the truth that was to be expressed. But in no instance was any portion of the sixty-six canonical books of the Old and New Testaments recorded without the joint agency and cooperation of both these factors. As evidence of this see, for instance, the second chapter of First Corinthians. To the Holy Spirit it belonged, also, to demonstrate Divine Origin the Diviuc Origin of the Scheme of Redenip- ittionr'^danon- ^'"^'i ^^ ^^ ^^ ""^^ rcvealcd to us in the Living strated. Oracles. Nothing short of miracles was suffi cient for this purpose. As is the proposition, so must also be the proof, in every department of literature, sci ence, and philosophy. If the proposition is historical, the proof must also be historical ; if the proposition is de monstrative, the proof must be demonstrative; and if the proposition is miraculous, then the proof must also be miraculous. And hence we have recorded, in immediate connection with the various developments of the Scheme nature. And hence it follows that no creature can work a real miracle. All such pretenses are but signs, and wonders, and miracles of false hood. 2 Thessalonians ii, 9. DEMONSTRATIONS OF THE SPIRIT. 26$ C'f Redemption, a series of miracles that put to silence, for the time being, even some of the most violent op- posers of God's chosen and inspired embassadors. The Magicians of Egypt, for example, after having done all that they could to throw discredit on the Divine legation of Moses, were finally constrained to say of his miracles, "This is the finger of God." Exodus viii, 19. Nebuchad nezzar had to concede that no other God could deliver like the God of Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego. Daniel iii, 29. Darius the Mede, perceiving in the de liverance of Daniel the most clear and convincing evi dence of the direct interposition and interference of Jehovah, made a decree that all nations should serve and obey him. Daniel vi, 26. And Nicodemus expressed but the common sentiment of all honest men who were cog nizant of the miracles of Christ when he said to him, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him." John iii, 2. These miraculous demonstrations of the Spirit were continued till the Scheme of Redemption was „. , Miracles no fully revealed, and the Canon of the Holy longer neces- Scriptures was placed on a historical basis so ^^'^' firm and enduring that nothing can ever shake it. A rejection of the . miracles and facts of the Bible would now be equivalent to a rejection of all history. Jesus Christ is to-day the Alpha and the Omega not only of the whole Christian System, but also of the world's civilization. Without him and his religion all the splen did monuments and improvements of the last eighteen hundred years are but as the baseless fabric of a vision. And hence we no longer need miracles to prove the 23 266 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Divine origin of a scheme which is now sustained and illustrated by the history, philosophy, and literature of the whole civilized world.* CHAPTER II. AGENCY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE CONVERSION OF SINNERS. That the Holy Spirit has an agency ih the conver sion of sinners is evident from many such Evidence of the ^' /, ^ . Spirit's Agency passagcs of Scripturc as the following : r. Genesis vi, 3: "And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh ;" or rather, " by his erring he is become flesh ;" i. e., a sensual, corrupt, perishing creature. 2. Nehemiah ix, 30: "Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit in the Prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the land." 3. Jeremiah vii, 25, 26: "Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day, I have even sent unto you all my servants the Prophets, (speaking by the Spirit,) daily rising up early and sending them : yet they hearkened not unto me nor * I refer here simply to miracles of power as previously defined. But if with many modern writers we include also under the head Knowledge "'^ miracles every manifestation and demonstration of God's foreknowledge, then, indeed, we have still occurring in the fulfillment of prophecy a series of miracles no less convincing to every hon est and enlightened mind than were the manifestations of Divine powef witnessed in the miracles of Christ and his Apostles. THE SPIRIT'S AGENCT IN CONVERSION. 267 inclined their ear ; but hardened their neck. They did worse than their fathers," 4. Ezekiel xxxix, 29 : " Neither will I hide my face any more from them, (the Children of Israel :) for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God!' The Prophet here refers to the future con version of the Israelites, concerning which Paul speaks in the plainest terms in Romans xi, 11-31. 5. Joel ii, 28-32: "And it shall come to pass after- Ward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all fiesh ; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also upon the servants and upon the hand maids, in those days will / pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the Heavens and in the Earth ; blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The Sun shall be turned into darkness, the Moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall 'call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered : for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in (or upon) the remnant whom the Lord shall call," In this passage the Prophet refers to the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed on the primitive Christians for the conversion of the world as well as for the edification of the saints, 6. Zechariah Xii, lO: "And T will pour out on the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications : and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced ; and they shall mourn for him (the Messiah) as one that mourns for an only son ; and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born," Zechariah refers here 268 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. to the same event previously alluded- to by Ezekiel: the future conversion of the Israelities. See, also, Joel iii, 17-21. 7. John iii, 5 : " Jesus answered. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the Kingdom of God." 8. John xvi, 7-1 1 : " Nevertheless (said Christ to his Apostles) I tell you the truth : It is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you ; but if I -depart, I will send him unto you. And zvhen he is come, he will reprove {Uiy-xw, rather convince, or convict) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment ; of sin, because tliey believe not on me ; of righteousness, because I go to my Father and ye see me no more ; of judgment, because the Prince of this world (Satan) is judged." 9. Acts vii, 51:" Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so i and bitfiphTi<;.* It is found thirty times in the Common English Version of the New Testament ; in twenty of which it is used for dtdxovix; ; five for Xttroup-j^ui, and five for 6r.-qpiT-q<;. It may, therefore, denote any one who waits on or serves another. This is evident from many such passages as the following : I. Matt. XX, 25-28: "But Jesus called them (the Apostles) to him, and said. Ye know that Illustrations. , . r ..1 .— i-i ¦ 1 ¦ • the princes ot the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you ; but who soever will be great among you, let him be your minister, (dcaxovoc; ) and whosocver will be chief among you, let him be your servant, ('JuDA«? :) even as the Son of Man came *Ai T^^'-"^- The latter means good news ; and the "sy- former, to proclaim good news. And hence the word evangelist, according to its etymology, means simply a proclaimer of good news. But this gives us only its generic meaning. And in this sense Christ himself was an Evangelist, and so was every Apostle and Prophet ; and so also is every faiths ful disciple. For it is certainly the duty as well as the privilege of every Christian to say to his neighbors, and friends, and fellow-citizens, " that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures ; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the Scrip tures." I Cor. XV, 3, 4. But in Ephesians iv, 11, the word evangelist is evi- „ , , dently used in a more definite and official Proof that it is ^ used also in an SCUSC : official sense. -p, ... , . I. Because it is here used in connection and in contrast with other official names. 2. Because, on any other hypothesis, there would oe EVANGELISTS. 305 no propriety in making a distinction between Evangelists and any other class of Christians. What, then, is its official meaning.' In order to answer this question properly, and in the light of the Living Oracles, it is necessary that we first ascertain what was the work of the primitive Evangeli-sts. What did these public functionaries do under the guidance, direction, and supervision of the Apostles ? The title is first given to Philip in Acts xxi, 8. He was one of the seven Deacons who were first „. Given first to' chosen and appointed to attend to the secular Phiiip as an wants of the Church at Jerusalem. But it seems that he afterward became an Evangelist, and pro claimed the Gospel with great success to the g^ope of pwi- Samaritans, and was afterward instrumental 'p'^ 'abors. in converting the Ethiopian eunuch, and evangelizing all the cities from Azotos to Caesarea. Acts viii. From this very brief account, then, of the evangelical labors of Philip, we would naturally infer that his chief business was to convert the people ; to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power and dominion of Satan to God. The next specific use of this term occurs in 2 Timo- othy iv, 5: "But watch thou in all things," „,...,. ¦' ' ^ . . Proof that Tim- says Paul to Timothy ; " endure afflictions, othy was an do the zvork of an Evangelist, fulfill your ministry!' In this passage it is clearly implied that Timothy was an Evangehst, I. Because it is evidently Paul's object, as we learn from the context, to express, in a few words, a summary of all the duties that pertained to his ministry. He had made quite a number of specifications in his first Epislle 26 306 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. to Timothy, and had added several particulars in the second. He had, for instance, commanded him to preach the Word, to see that Elders and Deacons were duly chosen and appointed to their office, to labor earnestly for the edification of the Church, etc. But now, in the conclusion of his second letter, and while many things were weighing heavily on his mind, he aims to sum up in a few words, all that he would have Timothy observe and do. This he has done, most appropriately and eflfect- ually, by simply urging and exhorting him to do the whole work of an Evangelist, and to see that nothing pertaining to his ministry was neglected. The last clause is ampli- ficative as in Hebrew parallelism. II. Because it is very absurd to suppose that a man in one oflfice would, in terms so very general and qomprehcn- sive, be urged and required to perform the duties of an other. On what reasonable ground can it be alleged that in a body where all is intended to be order and harmony, where every joint and every ligament is expected to per form its own proper functions, one member would be re quired to perform all the duties of another! The Elder, for example, to do the work of the Deacon, and either or both of these to do that of the Evangelist! " Credat Jii- dcBits Apella; non ego!'* I will, therefore, regard it as a settled fact that Timo- Extent and va- thy was ail Evangcllst according to the an- e'vangeiicai la- cicut Order, and proceed now to ascertain, as bors. fjir as we can, what were his labors and his duties. We learn, then, from his history, as it is given by Luke and Paul, I. That, about A. D. 51 or 52, he accompanied Paul on an evangelizing tour through Asia Minor; thence 10 * The credulous Jew, Apella, may believe it ; not I. EVANGELISTS. 307 Philippi, and thence to Thessalonica, Berea, and Corinth. Acts xvi-xviii. II. About A. D. 56 he and Erastus were sent by Paul on missionary business from Ephesus to Corinth. Acts xix, 22; I Cor. iv, 17; xvi, 10. A short time after this he met Paul in Macedonia, and united with him in send ing Christian salutations to the Church of Corinth and the saints throughout all Achaia. 2 Cor. i, i. III. In the Spring of A. D. 58, he was with Paul at Corinth, and joined him in his salutations addressed to the brethren at Rome. Romans xvi, '21. Here he is called Paul's workfellow. IV. From Corinth he accompanied Paul on his last recorded journey to Jerusalem, A. D. 58. Acts xx, 4. V. We next find him with Paul while he was a pris oner at Rome, and still acting as his fellow-laborer in the Gospel. Phil, i, i; ii, 19; Col. i, i; Philem. i. These letters were all written in A. D. 61 or 62. Not long after this he is again honorably mentioned in Hebrews xiii, 23. VI. Finally, he was left at Ephesus, about the same time that Titus was left in Crete, most likely A. D. 65, to set in order the things that were wanting in the Ephe sian Church: that is, as we learn from the , „ .,- ' An Outline of two epistles addressed to him, to see that vvhat he was re- , , . ^ quired to do in none taught any thing contrary to sound doc- the church of trine; that all things were done in love, out ^i"''^^"^- of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned ; that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings were made for all men ; that women behaved themselves in a manner becoming their sex and relations; that well-qualified Elders and Deacons were chosen and set apart to their proper spheres of labor; and that the. 3o8 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. disciples were admonished to beware of seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. He was commanded, also, to- be "a pattern to the believers, in word, in behavior, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in piety ;" to give attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching; not to neglect the spiritual gift which he had received through prophecy by the imposition of Paul's own hands, with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery ; to give himself wholly to the work, that his proficiency might be manifest to all; not to rebuke an old man severely, but to beseech him as a father, and the younger men as brothers, the elder women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, with all purity; and to provide for the comfort and sup port of superannuated widows. His instructions required, also, that all faithful Elders or Bishops should be duly honored and rewarded ; that an accusation against an Elder should not be received unless it was supported by the testimony of two or three witnesses ; that those con victed of sin should be publicly rebuked before all, for the sake of a warning to others; that in the solemn work of ordination he (Timothy) should impose hands suddenly and rashly on no man ; that he should have a proper re gard for his own health and physical comforts ; that the servants of both believing and unbelieving masters should be careful to fulfill all the duties and obligations of their several relations ; that the members of the Church should all be warned against the errors and follies of those who, contrary to the doctrine which is according to godliness, place man's chief good in his mere external relations, hon ors, and possessions ; that he (Timothy) himself should es pecially avoid all these evils ; that he should follow after righteousness, godliness, fidelity, love, patience, and meek ness ; that he should fight the good fight of faith, and lay EVANGELISTS. 309 hold on eternal life ; that he should admonish the rich not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, and be rich in good works ; and that, as a teacher of Christianity, he should avoid profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called. In his sec ond epistle Paul further admonishes Timothy not to be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, but to be a par taker of the afflictions of the Gospel; to hold fast the form of sound words in which he had been taught; to be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus ; to provide for the spiritual wants, and especially for the future in struction of the Church and the world, by committing to other able and faithful men the same things in which he had himself been instructed ; to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ ; to keep the disciples mind ful of the facts, precepts, promises, and threatenings of the Gospel ; to give very special heed to his ministry, that he might be a workman who would have no occasion to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth ; to avoid youthful lusts, and to follow righteousness, faith, love, and peace with all them who call on the Lord out of a pure heart; not to engage in debate about foolish and untaught questions, but to be patient and gentle to all men, and to persevere in sound doctrine, notwithstand ing the many errors that would be taught and the aposta sies that were about to happen. And, finally, in view of his own approaching death, and of the solemn realities of the future judgment, the Apostle again repeated a very brief summary of all the duties that devolved on Timothy in the very respon.sible position in which he was placed : he exhorted and commanded him to preach the Word ; to be instant and vigilant in all seasons, whether favorable or unfavorable ; to bear evil treatment ; to do the work of an 310 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Evangelist; and to fully and faithfully perform all the duties of his ministry. We might greatly extend this induction of facts by Labors of other referring to the labors of Mark, Luke, Titus, Evangelists. Silas, Epaphras, Trophimus, and other Evan gelists.* But from the data now furnished it is evident that the work of an Evangelist, as it is defined and illus trated in the New Testament, is threefold : I. To convert and baptize the people according to the teaching and example of the Apostles. Summary ofthe "^ * _ '^ Duties of an II. To collcct the couverts into such con gregations as may be found most convenient for their own improvement and edification, and to watch over, edify, and instruct them until they are capable ot sustaining themselves, when Elders and Deacons should be appointed, and the Evangelist relieved from his local charge. III. To have a constant oversight, as far as practical, over all the Churches, and to give to those that are weak and sickly such aid as may be necessary for their sup port and for their restoration to a state of healthfulness and usefulness.! * Philip and Timothy are the only Ministers who are personally called Evangelists in the New Testament. But it is evident from Ephesians iv, il, that this title was applied to a class of ministers, and hence, no doubt, to all who, like Philip and Timothy, went every-where with the Apostles, arid, under their Instructions, preaching the word ; such, for instance, as Apollos, ¦ Barnabas, Mark, Lnke, Silas or Silvanas, Sopater, Crescens, Gains, Seciin- dus, Trophimus, Epaphras, Clement, Aristarchus, Tychicus, Fortunatus, Stephanas, Achaicus, Demas, Epaphroditus, etc. 1 1 am well aWare that just at this point it will be urged by some as an objection that this interferes with the rights and prerogatives t^ln^to^tWs^ar- °^ *^ Elders. But such an objection always reminds me of raugement. ^^^ P^'*y disputes which the Apostles themselves had in theii infancy as to which of them should be the greatest. See Matt. XX, 20-28 ; Mark i.x, 33-37 ; Luke ix, 46-48 ; xxii, 24-27. It is founded on the false assumption that there are to be tovds of different r.anks and EVANGELISTS. 31I The next question which naturally arises respecting the Evangelical ofiice has reference to the ^ . " • Duration of tha period of its duration. Has it ceased to be. Evangelical or will it continue while the Church continues in her present militant state .'' The former is the opinion of some. They allege that this is clearly pirst hypothe- taught in Ephes. iv, 1 1-16, where it is said ^'^• that Christ gave some (that is, qualified some) to be Apostles, and some to be Prophets, and some to be Evangelists, and some to be Pastors and Teachers, for the purpose of adapting and fitting the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, until, the whole Church should be brought to such a degree of perfection that she would be able to sustain herself and perform all the duties of her high and holy calling by the joint labors and cooperation of her several members. Then, it is alleged the evangelical office orders over God's heritage. But nothing of this kind is known or recog nized in the New Testament. The ruling principle of the Kingdom of Heaven is love. And from this it follows that 't^P'''. '° '""''^ 1 . - - 1 - ,,,.,, objection. the man who is greatest in authority and endowed with the greatest gifts, is also the greatest servant, (See the preceding references.) So long, then, as this principle prevails, (and any other state of the Church is abnormal,) so long there can be no conflict of rights, privileges, and pre rogatives among the followers of Christ. What Evangelist, for instance, under the influence of this principle, would ever think of interfering with the regular instruction and discipline of a well- ordered and well-instructed congregation .' And on the other hand, what Elder, influenced by the law of love, would not most willingly and anxiously avail himself of all the assistance that he could get from any and every Evangelist that would in any way serve to edify the body of Christ or any member of it? What Elders ever complained of the interference of sucli Evangelists as Alexander Campbell, John T. Johnson, Jacob Creath, Wil liam Morton, John Smith, John Rogers, etc. ? And what would now be the condition of many congregations throughout the Mississippi Valley had not these eminent Evangelists exercised a timely and judicious watch-care over them ? The fact is, that our own experience has fully demonstrated both the wisdom and the necessity of this apostolic rule and regulation. 3X2 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. ceased, and ceased forever, just as did the apostolic office. But on this hypothesis the office of Pastors and Objection to Teachers ceased also at the same time. And this view. hence it would follow that the Church is now left without any officers, unless, peradventure, the diaco- nate should be continued. But this would prove too much for all men of common sense and common experi ence. None but a mere visionary enthusiast, carried away by his Qwn vain theories and speculations, can believe that the Church will ever accomplish her mission here on Earth without Pastors and Teachers. And hence we may here again apply the old adage and say that "what proves too much proves nothing.'' Evidently, then, the Apostle designed to teach us a very different lesson in this passage. But what is it.' What does he mean when he says that these gifts were to continue until all who compose the Church should come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, even to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.'' To my mind it is evident that he refers here simply True hypothe- ^"'i exclusively to the continuance of super- ^'^- natural or miraculous gifts. Two classes of ecclesiastical officers are clearly recognized in this chap- Two classes of ^^''' ^^ ^^"^^ ^^ '" many other portions of the ecclesiastical of- Ncw Tcstamcut. The first were necessary ficers in the ,,.,,_, Primitive to establish the Church on a firm foundation. Church. ^j^^ j.^ administer her affairs until the Scheme of Redemption should be fully revealed and the Canon of the Scriptures completed. The second are necessary to her perpetuity, power, and efficiency. To the former the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit were indispensable. EVANGELISTS. 313 but to the latter the Oracles of God are a sufficient guide. As soon, therefore, as miraculous gifts ceased, those offices that depended essentially on them, such as the Apostolic and prophetic, ceased also. But the evangelical office belonged to a different category. True, indeed, it was for a time necessary that Evangelists and all other teachers and preachers of the Gospel should be divinely inspired.* The New Testa ment was not then written, and the Apostles could not always be present to tell them what to say and what to do for the edification of the Church and the conversion of the world. And hence it is most likely that all the first-appointed Evangelists were miraculously qualified to reveal the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to the people. But that the office itself _ . , ^ '^ Evidence that was designed to be perpetual, and did not, ti'e Evangelical ... , ,. -- •! 1 office was de- like the apostolic office, necessarily depend on signed to be per- miraculous gifts of any kind, is evident from ^""'' several considerations : I. The evangelical work is a perpetual work. While time endures it will be the duty of the Church, prom the per- through her own chosen and appointed repre- g^'^^i'^eiicai"'* sentatives, to convert and baptize the people ; ^ork. to gather the converts together into separate and dis tinct organizations for their edification, improvement, and efficiency ; and to have a watch-care over many weak and sickly congregations. II. Evangelists from the beginning received their com mission from the Churches, and not directly from Christ, as did the Apostles and Prophets. This may be illustrated * The Deacons seem to have been the only class of ofiicers in the primi tive Church who, as such, had not the gift of inspiration. In their case it was not necessary, as their business was not to teach, but simply to attend tu the secular affairs and interests of the Church. 27 314 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. by the case of Timothy, one of the most prominent and efficient of all the primitive Evangelists. He From the . source of their was wcll reported of by the brethren of both Commission. -. . it* i i - i' Lystra and Iconium, and was ordained as an Evangelist by the laying on of the hands of the Pres bytery. Acts xvi, 1-3 ; and i Timothy iv, 14. The im position of Paul's hands (2 Timothy i, 6) was for the purpose of imparting to him those miraculous gifts which in that age were necessary in order to enable him to fulfill the commission which he had received from the Church of Lystra and Iconium. See also Acts xiii, 1-4. Here, then, we have a clear distinction drawn between the apostolic and evangelical offices. The former was not only created, but it was also filled by Christ himself, for the purpose of establishing the Church and preparing her members for the work of the ministry. The latter was created for the purpose of enabling the Church to fulfill her mission in converting and saving the world. And hence it follows that every Evangelist is but a creature and servant of the Church. From her he re ceives his commission, and to her he is responsible. Every such office was evidently intended from the be ginning to endure while time endures. III. ft is, furthermore, very clearly intimated by Paul, From the in- ill his sccojid letter to Titnothy, that the evan- Paur'irTiin- S^Hi^^l offlce is to be continued throughout all ¦"hy- coming'time. "The things," said he, "which thou hast heard from me through many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able. to teach others also." 2 Timothy ii, 2. That this has reference to Evangelists, and not to Elders or Bishops, seems clear from two considerations : I. The Apostle had but a short time previous to this EVANGELISTS. 3 IS (in his first letter) given full instructions to Timothy respecting the appointment of Elders and Deacons ; and it is not, therefore, probable that he would think it neces sary to refer again to the same subject in his second letter. 2. From the whole scope of the passage it is evident that the Apostle refers to persons of the same official rank and order with Timothy himself, "Do you, my son," said he, "be strong yourself in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. And in order that the work may not fail when your warfare shall have ended, do you commit to other faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also, the same things which you h'ave heard from me through many witnesses." * Here, then, we have not only very clear and conclusive * It might be urged, as a fourth argument in favor of the permanency of the Evangelical office, that it has actually been continueij from . the beginning to the present time ; not always, indeed, under drawn irom the same name. Even in the primitive Church Evangelists Ecclesiastical were sometimes called Apostles or Missionaries of the li'sffy- Church, (Acts xiii, 4, 14 ;) just as Elders are often called, also. Bishops or. Overseers. But that evangelist was the name by which these servants of the Church were usually designated in primitive times seems evident from the testimony of several of the Christian fathers. Eusebius, for instance, the learned Bishop of Cesarea, who flourished A. D. 315-340, thus speaks of the Evangelists who lived and labored during the reign of Trajan, A. D. 98-117: "Leaving their own country," he says, "they performed the office of Evan gelists to those who had not heard the faith ; whilst with a noble ambition to proclaim Christ, they also delivered to them the Books of the Holy Gospels. After laying the foundation of the faith in foreign parts as the jjarticular object of their mission, and after appointing others as Shepherds of the flocks, and committing to these the care of those who had been recently introduced, they went again to other regions and nations, with the grace and cooperation of God. The Holy Spirit also wrought many wonders as yet through them ; so that as soon as the Gospel was heard, men voluntarily in crowds, and eagerly, embraced the true faith with their whole minds," Eusebius' Eccl. Hist-, Book III, Chapter xxxvii. 'J'he name evangelist was, at an early date, given to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, because they bore written testimony ta >-he main facts of the Gospel. 3l6 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. evidence that the evangelical office is to be continued Qualifications ""^11 thc Chutch sliall have accomplished her of Evangelists, earthly mission, but we have also given the necessary quahfications of all who are to be appointed to this office. These are, t. Ability to make known to others, in a clear, forcible, and becoming manner, the whole Counsel of God. II. Fidelity in the discharge of all their duties and obligations. These are both very remarkable generalizations, and comprehend severally a vast number of subordinate par ticulars. Let every candidate for the evangelical office consider them well. In the evangelical work much is of course left to the Evidence that wisdom and discretion of each individual. Evangelists Many questions of ways and means can be should cobper- i i • i ate with each properly decided only by considering all the circumstances of each particular case. But that all the Evangelists of any given district, state, or _territo'ry, as the case may be, should often meet and confer together, and adopt some plan of cooperation in harmony with the Word of God, is evident from several considerations : I. It follows, of necessity, from the extent and character From the ex- of tlic work Committed to them. Their field of actcr^of aielr l^bor Is the world. By them, as the repre- work. sentatives and servants of the Church, the Gospel is to be preached to every creature : to the rich and to the poor, to the bond and to the free, to the wise and to the unwise. Their office is no sinecure. Their warfare is offensive as well as defensive, and it must be carried on with energy until all the strongholds of sin and Satan are broken up, and the kingdoms of this vVorld E VANGELISTS. 3 1 ^ shall have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. But to do this most successfully will, of course, require much counsel and earnest cooperation on the part of these soldiers of the Cross. II. From the great diversity of their talents, learning, experience, etc. Much, very much, depends on -^ ' ... ' r p„,j, the di- every man's being in his own proper place, versity of their Some men are, by nature and education, qual ified to command an army of one hundred thousand men ; others can command but ten thousand, and others one, while others,, again, are fitted for but a sort of guerrilla warfare. Each, however, may be useful in his own proper sphere. But much experience, wisdom, and cooperation are necessary, in order that each and every one may be allowed to work in that position for which he is, by na ture and education, best qualified. III. It is required by the general laws, rules, and regu lations of the Kingdom. Specific rules would. From the gen- of course, be here wholly out of place. But "^^J^Jt the religion of Christ is, from its alpha to its kingdom. omega, a social system. It teaches us that we are all members of the one body, and that we should all labor together for the same end. This is, of course, as true of the officers of the Church as it is of the other members See, for further proof and illustratior, Romans xii, 3-8 ; I Cor. xii, 12-30; Ephesians iv, 16. IV. It is clearly taught by the example of the Apostles and primitive' Evangelists. There was . evi- p^om primitive dently an agreement among the apostles as "'•wie- to their respective fields of labor. See Gal. ii, 9. And, after their separation, each one seems to have called to his aid as many well-qualified Evangelists as possible, and to have assigned to each of them that part and portion of 3i8 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. the work for which he was best qualified. What a noble band of young evangelical heroes followed Paul in all his labors and travels! And these, we find, were constantly cooperating, not only with him, but also with each other, in every way that they could, to promote the cause of Christ. Would it not be well if the advocates of primitive Christianity would profit more by the example of these primitive soldiers of the Cross .¦• If all our aged Evangel ists would adopt Paul's plan, call young men to their aid, and assign to each of them his proper sphere of labor, what a host of able and faithful men might soon be gath ered together and brought up to the help of the Lord against the mighty! V. Such cooperation is authorized and required by the common consent and universal practice of man- From the com- moil practice of kiiid ill all similar cases. No body of men mankind. i • i i . i , -r- ever accomplished a great work such as Evan gelists are expected and required to perform without much conference and cooperation. Even the Elders of a single congregation, consisting of a few hundred persons, find it necessary to meet together, appoint their chairman and secretary, agree on the best conceivable division of labor, and make their weekly or monthly reports. Why, then, should Evangelists be debarred from the same priv ilege in their earnest efforts to discharge with efficiency and fidelity the still more difficult and embarrassing duties of their office?* The election, ordination, and responsibility of Evan gelists will be best considered in connection with the * It would be well if some good brethren, who think they see in all such meetings a tendency to Popery, would remember that this monster of iniquity grew out of an abuse of the Elder's office. The Pope is an overgrown Bishoft not an Evangelist. ELDERS. 3 ig election, ordination, and responsibility of Bishops and Deacons. And I will, therefore, now proceed to the Elder's office. CHAPTER IV. ELDERS. The fourth class of ecclesiastical officers known in the New Testament are variously called Elders, Names given to Bishops, Overseers, Pastors or Shepherds, and J,fEc°tei'astS Teachers. officers. That these names are all used to designate the same class of officers will appear evident from a comparison and proper consideration of the following passages of Scripture : I. Acts XX, 17, 28: "From Miletus he (Paul) sent to Ephesus, and called the Elders of the Evidence that Church. And when they were come he said JheTmrcLI to them, . . . take heed to yourselves, °^ officers. and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you Overseers, that you be Shepherds to the Church of God which he has purchased with his own blood." Here the same persons who are called Elders in the sev enteenth verse are called, also. Overseers in the twenty- eighth, and are, furthermore, exhorted to be Shepherds or Pastors to the flock. On this passage Dr. Bloomfield remarks as follows: "As these persons (the Tzpsa^brsptn, Elders of RemarksofOr. the seventeenth verse) are, in verse twenty- J*''"""''^'''- eight, called iitiaxo-rm, (Bishops or Overseers,) and espe cially from a comparison of other passages, (as i Tim. iii, 320 SCHEME OP REDEMPTION. I,) the best Commentators, ancient and modern, have, with reason, inferred that the terms as yet denoted the same thing. ' ETdc;) The Bishop must not go tc sleep as a drunkard. He must be watchful with regard both to himself and the congregation. IV. "Sober" (awifpmv) He should be a man of a sound and well-balanced mind, possessing a large amount of good common-sense. This qualification will often be brought into requisition. V. "Of good behavior" (xi'kt/xhk;) He should be a man of good manners, chaste, courteous, and polite in his whole demeanor. A man of slovenly, rough, and boorish manners should never be made an Overseer of the Church of God. VI. "Given to hospitality" ((fdu^Bvot;) He should be a lover of strangers ; a man of the same spirit as the good Samaritan, always ready to pour into the wounds of bleeding and suffering humanity the oil and the wine of the Gospel, and especially to receive into his house and entertain any and every stranger that is in want. VII. "Apt to teach" (liiSaxTtxo-) He should have an accurate and comprehensive knowledge of the whole Scheme of Redemption, and be able to communicate it to others. This is a necessary qualification of every Elder, Bishop, or Overseer. And hence an order of merely "Ruling Elders" is not an order of the Apostolic Church. Every Elder is officially a Teacher as well as a Ruler, and consequently he should always be well quali fied for the full and faithful discharge of all the duties of this twofold office. VIII. "Not given to zvine" (»4 T.dptnvm;) A Bishop should not indulge in the habit of drinking wine, or any other kind of intoxicating liquors. He should keep him self pure from the evil effects of this and every othei species of intemperance. ELDERS. 331 IX. "No striker" Qitj tt^jjztijt.) He must not be quar relsome and pugnacious in a physical sense, but a peace able man. X. "Not greedy of filthy lucre" {iit} ale-ypuxepdrj:;) He must not be a person who gains money by base and dis honorable means. This would exclude from the Elder ship, for example, many who are now engaged in the traffic of ardent spirits. XI. "Patient" (i^utzijc) He should be distinguished for his general mildness and amiability of character; "in meekness instructing those who oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the ac knowledging of the truth." XII. "Not a brawler" {oliioj^ik) He should not be dis posed to fight, in a metaphysical sense. He should not be captious, not given to strife and debate, not too tenacious of his own rights; but quiet and peaceable, and, in the spirit of the great Apostle, while contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, he should, as far as possible, accommodate himself to the prejudices of all, that he may gain the more. XIII. "Not covetous" {Aipddpyopot;) ' He should not be avaricious, not a lover of money ; for "the love of money is a root of all evil." XIV. "One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity!' It is important, just here, to distinguish between that which is, in -itself, a qualification, and that which is a mere proof of its exist ence. If the view which we have taken of the second qualification is correct, it does not follow that, in order to become a Bishop, a man must, of necessity, have a family This test, as we have said, would have excluded Paul him self from the Eldership of a congregation in which, foi 332 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. three years, he had discharged with fidelity all the duties of an Overseer. But this much certainly does follow, that, if a man who is a candidate for the office of a Bishop has a family, it should be well governed ; if he has chil dren, then, indeed, they should be brought up in the nur ture and admonition of the Lord. The Bishops were chosen from among the old men, and, of course, they generally had families. And their qualifications for the in struction, care, and government of a congregation would be most apparent from the manner in which they had educated their own families. It was a maxim with Confu cius, the great Chinese philosopher, that "He who knows not how to govern and reform his own family can not rightly govern and reform a people." And a greater than Confucius has said, "If a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God ?" XV. "Not a novice" (/i-i] vsoipuroq) He must not be a neophite — a new convert — "lest, being lifted up with pride, he fall into the same kind of condemnation as that into which the Devil fell." XVI. "Moreover, he must have a good report of them that are without" — of them who are not Christians — " lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil." Such, then, are, in brief, the essential qualifications of every Christian Bishop, Elder, or Overseer. Those who do not possess them should beware that they touch not the ark of God. The next point to be considered is the number of The required Blshops that should bc appointed in each derflnlvfry cougregatiou. This will, of course, depend congregation, ycry much OU the number of its members ELDERS. 333 and the amount of labor to be performed.* In a con gregation composed of but few members but few Elders are necessary. But in all cases it seems from the teach ings of the New Testament that there should Evidence of be at least a plurality of Elders in every ""^• Church. This is clear from such passages as the fol lowing : I. Acts xi, 29, 30:. "Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren who dwelt in Judea. Which also they did, and sent it to the Elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul." 2. Acts xiv, 23 : " And when they had ordained them Elders in every Church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed." 3. Acts XV, 4 : " And when they (Paul and Barnabas) were come to Jerusalem, they were received by the Church and the Apostles and Elders ; and they declared all that God had done with them." See, also, verses 22 and 23. 4. Acts XX, 17: "And from Miletus he (Paul) sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church." 5. Philippians i, i : " Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi, with the Bishops and Deacons." * In some of the primitive and pqst-apostolic Churches the number ot members and officers was very great. In the Church of Rome, for instance, in A. D. 252, there werg oiie pishop, forty-six Presbyters, seven Deacons, (after the original mo4et of t}ie Jeryisalem Church,) seven sub-Deacons, forty-two Acolyth^, or attendants, and fiflry-two Exorcists, Readers, and Janitors. But there were in the Church at thg sanip time more than fifteen hundred widows and other needy and afflicted persons, besides an immense number of other members, some of whom \yere in opulgnt and others in only iiiQderate circumstances. Enseb. Eccl. Ifist., VI, 43. 334 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. 6. I Timothy iv, 14 : " Neglect not the gift which is in thee, which was given thee according to prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery, (rou T.ps^^uTspUiu) an assembly of aged men or Elders. Luke xxii, 66, and Acts xxii, 5. 7. I ' Timothy v, 17: " Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in word and teaching." 8. Titus i, 5 : " For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are want ing, and ordain Elders in every city, as I commanded thee." 9. James v, 14: "Is any sick among you, let him call for the Elders of the Church ; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." 10. I Peter v: "The Elders who are among you I exhort who am also an Elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory which shall be revealed." The only apparent exception to this rule is found in .„ , Revelation, first, second, and third "chapters. Alleged excep- j- ' tion to this geu- whcrc cach of the seven Churches of procon sular Asia is represented as having but one angel to preside over it. This title is by many supposed to denote the presiding Bishop of each Church. And hence it is that these chapters are often cited to prove that the Episcopal form of Church government was prev alent in the Churches even in the apostolic age. But in reference to this matter it is enough to say. Reply to this I- That WC sltould bc vcry cautious not to allegation. ^^-^^ ^^ ^^^ word Or passage in the Bible a meaning which is manifestly in confiict with the plain and obvious meaning of other passages. The Bible is a unit, ELDERS. 335 and every word in it must be interpreted in the light of every book, and chapter, and verse of both the Old and the New Testament. II. That it is especially important to observe this rule in interpreting those books which are confessedly symbolical. The language of symbols is a sort of short-hand writing, and it must, therefore, be interpreted in the light of the more plain, simple, and didactic portions of the Scrip tures. We have reason to suspect the correctness of any theory which has its origin in the Apocalypse. III. That in symbolical language it is very common to put one for many, an individual for a class, or a species for a genus. In the prophecies of Daniel, for instance, the word king means sometimes a kingdom and some times a whole dynasty, or race of kings. And just so it is in this most symbolical of all books, the Apocalypse of the Apostle John. The four Living Creatures and the twenty-four Elders are evidently but the representa tives of the Redeemed out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Rev. v, 8-10. The star which fell from Heaven (ix, i) denotes the Teachers of Chris tianity in Western Asia, most or all of whom had fallen before the Mahometans came as locusts out of the relig ious darkness that was then brooding over a large por tion of the Eastern world. And the Angel of the four teenth chapter, who had the everlasting Gospel to preach to all mankind, is manifestly but a symbolical representa tion of all those faithful missionaries of the Church who are even now going forth to fulfill this sublime and beautiful prophecy. IV. It is, therefore, most probable that the name angel is used in like manner in the first, second, and third chap ters, to denote simply all the elders zvho were then presiding 336 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. over each of the several Churches of Asia.* And hence, I think, we may safely conclude that it is a law of the Kingdom of Heaven that a plurality of Elders shall pre side over every congregation which has attained to its majority, and which, of course, no longer needs the in struction and guardian care of an Evangelist. These Elders are of course all officially equal. But . . this does not forbid their appointing a Chair- Orgamzation of x a o the College of man and Secretary of their own Board, and adopting such subordinate rules and- regu lations for their own benefit as may be necessary in order to the full and faithful discharge of all the trusts com mitted to them. All native-born American citizens are, according to the Constitution, free and equal. But it does not hence follow that they are all fit to be presidents, governors, judges, and legislators. Our representatives in Congress, having their proper credentials, all go to the Capitol on terms of legal equality. But it does not follow from this that they are all equally entitled to the Speaker's Chair. There are in every body of men natural and educational differences, which should ever be regarded in its organization ; and to this general law the Presbytery of a congregation forms no exception. It is absurd to suppose that five, ten, or twenty men elected to the Elder ship of a Church are all equally well prepared to discharge all the duties of their calling. The best Ruler is not ?Another mode of interpreting the word "angel" in these letters rests on the assumption that each of the seven Churches named had sent a messenger to John in Patmos, as Epaphroditus was sent to Paul in Rome, (Phil, iv, i8,) and that John was directed to send these epistles to the afore said Churches by their several messengers. This interpretation is favored by the etymology of the word ayyekiK, which primarily means a messenger; but it does not well harmonize with the fact that throughout these seven epistles the angels are addressed as the responsible rulers and guardians of their several Churches. ELDERS. 337 ajways the best Teacher ; and the best Teacher is not always the best Pastor. Every one has his proper gift from God. In the primitive Churches all Elders were Rulers, but only some of them labored constantly in word and doctrine ; and hence it is obviously both the duty and the privilege of every college of Elders to form just such an organization of their own body, and to make such a division of their labor as will best enable them to meet all the wants of the congregation over which the Holy Spirit has made them Overseers. Their field of labor extends no further than the limits of their own congregation. To preach the The Eiders- Gospel to the heathen is no part of the Elder> *'^'<'°'' '^'^<'¦¦¦ office ; and to rule over other congregations would be usurpation. The Elder who leaves his own Church and goes to another enters it simply as a private member, just as the Governor of Kentucky would have no rights in Ohio beyond the rights of citizenship. That the Elder's office is to continue while the Church continues is evident, Perpetuity of I. From the fact that Elders will always be the Eider's needed in the Churches. Their work is a per petuity, and hence so, also, is their office. Christ has not created a body without giving to it the necessary members. II. From tlte fact that no Church in primitive times was regarded as complete and capable of sustciining itself with out Elders. Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders in every Church that they established during their first missionary tour through Asia Minor, Acts xiv, 23 ; and Titus was left in Crete that he might ordain Elders in every city. Titus i, 5. III. From the fact that the office has been continued 29 338 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. without interruption, though often very greatly perverted, from the beginning to the present time. To this fact alii ecclesiastical historians bear witness. CHAPTER V. DEACONS. The word deacon is from the Greek Stdxovo^, a waiter, Derivation and attendant, scrvant, or minister ; and this is fng™ uie"'wor"d ^^°^ ^hc vcrb Staxovioj, to Wait upon, to serve, deacoii. to minister; and this again is derived from Sidxw or di^xw, to run, to hasten. The radical idea is, therefore, active service. In this generic sense it is applied, I. To Christ himself. Romans xv, 8 ; and Illustrations. .-,,.. Gal. 11, 17. 2. To him who would be chief of the Apostles. Matt, XX, 26; xxiii, II ; Mark ix, 35 ; x, 43, etc. 3. To any and all of the Apostles, i Cor. iii, 5 ; 2 Cor. iii, 6 ; vi, 4. 4. To Evangelists. Eph, vi, 21; Col. i, 7; iv, 7; I Thess. iii, 2 ; i Tim. iv, 6. 5. To any and every faithful servant of Christ. John xii, 26. 6. To civil magistrates. Romans xiii, 4. 7. To the emissaries of Satan. 2 Cor. xi, 1 5. 8. To waiters at festivals, etc. Matt, xxii, 13 ; John ii, 5, 9- But besides these various applications of the word in its first intention, it is used, also, in a more limited DEACONS. 339 and official sense to denote a particular class of Chris tian Ministers. This is obvious from the Evidence that following passages: _ VT'j2, I. Philippians i, i: "Paul and Timothy, "nee the servants .of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the Bishops and Deacons." Here the Deacons are distinguished from the saints in general, and are ranked with the Bishops as an order of Ministers. 2. 1 Timothy iii, 8-13: "Likewise must the Deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre ; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved ; and then let them use the office of a Deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they who have used the office of a Deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus." In this passage Paul again associates the Deacons with the Bishops as a distinct order of ecclesiastical officers. Like the Elders they must first be proved ; and then they are permitted to officiate {dta-xoysirwaa-!} as Min isters of the Church. And those who perform the office of a Deacon {SiaxmyjiTavTsz) well we are assured procure for themselves a good standing-place and much con fidence in the faith. These passages, therefore, prove, beyond all reasonable doubt, that the Deacons of the primitive Church were a distinct order of Christian Ministers. But what was their rank, and what duties were they required to discharge? 340 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. This question will be best answered by referring to the occasion of their first appointment. This Circumstances ^ ^ which led to is given in Acts vi, 1-7, as follows: "And in the appoint- _,,.., ment of the tltosc days, when the number of the disciples was first Deacons. ^fiultipHcd, tlicrc arosc a murmurii.ig of the Hel lenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were neg lected in the daily ministration. Then the Twelve called the multitude of the disciples to them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, wliom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to tlte ministry of tlte word. And the saying pleased tlte whole multitude : and they chose Stephen, a man full of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch; whom they set before the Apostles. And when they had prayed they laid their hands on them. And the word of the Lord increased ; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of tlte priests became obedient to the faith." From this narrative, then, it appears, I. That it was made the duty of these men to attend Duties of the simply to the secular wants and interests of Diaconate. ^j^g Congregation. It is true that the neglect of a particular class of widows was the immediate occa sion of their appointment. But surely np one would thence infer that they were officially restricted to the particular case which suggested the necessity of their appointment ; that in case of further neglect by the con gregation it would be necessary to appoint others to feed the Hebrew widows, others to clothe the naked, others to DEACONS. 341 wait on the sick, and others, again, to administer to the wants of the superannuated. This would be to multiply offices and officers rather too fast for even the most vis ionary. The historian here records a fact, not as an iso lated abstraction, but rather as an exponent of a great principle. The fact is a simple one, but the principle involved is very broad and comprehensive. It embraces all that pertains to the secular business of the Church. Those who feed the widows must have under their control the treasury of the congregation. And hence the prop osition of the Apostles was to surrender this department of labor entirely to the seven, and give themselves exclu sively " to prayer and to the ministry of the Word." To wait on the secular concerns of the Church was, therefore, the limit of their official duties. Their office comprehended nothing less, and it certainly embraced nothing more. It conferred no authority whatever, either to teach or to preach, in either the public or the private assembly. The Elders must all be apt to teach, and every Evangejist is required to preach the Word. But, in all that is said of the Deacons in the New Testament, there is not given a single intimation that either teaching or preaching is any part of their office. They may, indeed, in a certain sense, preach the Word unofficially. This is, to a certain extent, the duty and privilege of every disciple. Rev. xxii, 17. And certainly there is no better time to administer to the wants of the soul than when we are feeding and clothing the body. Every Deacon should, therefore, "know his opportunity," and improve it. He should ever be ready to speak a word of comfort and consolation to the weary soul while he is laboring to supply the wants of its clay taberna cle. But, in doing so, it is well to remember that he 342 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. acts simply as a Christian, and not as an officer of the Church. II. From these premises we also learn that, in order to Qualifications bc eligible to this oflfice, every candidate must of Deacons. posscss thc thrcc following qualifications: I. He must be a man of honest repori. That is, he must have a good reputation, a well-attested character, both in the Church and out of it. 2. He must be full of the Holy Spirit, so that its fruits, love, joy, peace, long-sufifering, gentleness, goodness, fidel ity, meekness, and temperance, may characterize his entire demeanor. 3. He must also be full of wisdom, and distinguished, of course, for his prudence, and other practical virtues which are necessary to the proper discharge of his official duties^ For, if a man can not manage his own temporal affairs well, how can he take care of the house and treas ury of the Lord .' All this is but a summary of what Paul says of the qualifications of Deacons in the third chapter of his first letter to Timothy. It is not probable that the number seven is given here as an essential element of the Diaconate. Required num ber of Deacons The uumbcr of Deacons, like that of the El ders, should, no doubt, vary according to the various wants of each congregation. So we would judge from all the data furnished in the New Testament. But, nevertheless, many of the primitive Churches followed strictly, in this respect, the example of the Mother Church. And, to supply the deficiency in the Diaco nate, they appointed Sub-Deacons, Acolyths, etc. In the Church of Rome, for example, about the middle of the third century, there were only seven Deacons, though ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 343 the number of Elders was forty-six. Euseb. Eccl. Hist., vi, 43- The Diaconate of the primitive Church was not con fined to male members. Deaconesses were Deaconesses of also appointed to attend to the wants of the the primitive sick and the needy, especially of their own sex. This is evident from Rom. xvi, i, and i Timothy v, 9-15. This order was continued, in the Greek Church, till about the beginning of the thirteenth century, and it is to be regretted that it was ever discontinued in any Church. The poor and the needy will always be with us, and will require the attention of both Deacons and Deaconesses just as much as they did in the Churches of Jerusalem, Cenchrea, and Ephesus. CHAPTER VI. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS. This, in its widest and most comprehensive sense, implies three things : Three things I. The law in reference to their qualifi- "^^.j^ cations. officers. II. The law in reference to their election. III. The law in reference to their ordination. Of the first of these I have already spoken with suffi cient fullness, and I will, therefore, now proceed to the brief consideration of the second and third. SECTION I.— Election of Officers. I speak now only of the permanent Ministry of the Church, consisting of Evangelists, Elders, and Deacons, 344 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. By whom should they be elected to their respective General law officcs .? Should they bc choscn by the few, The'^eiecXn of o"" ^y the many; by the Church herself, or Officers. ]3y her officers.' That it is the law of Christ that the Church should ELECT all her OWN OFFICERS is evident from several considerations. I. Because the Church is now, tinder Christ, a self- governing and self -perpetuating body. There Evidence drawn . . , , j. , . from her being was a time whcu she was incapable ot this. self-governing I" ^cr lufaucy cxtraordiuary helps were nec- and seif-perpet- essary, both to her growth and to her pros- uatmg body. -' ° / perity. But these helps were to be continued only during her minority, "till we should all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ ; that we might no longer be chil dren tossed and carried about with every wind of doc trine, through the artifice of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive ; but speaking the truth in love, we might grow up in all things into Him who is the Head, even Christ ; from whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love." Ephesians iv, 13-16. This point having been reached soon after the Canon of the Holy Scriptures was completed, all miraculous helps were then taken away, and henceforth the Church was to govern, extend, and edify herself by her own inherent energy, and through the agency of such officers as she might herself choose and appoint. II. Because the Church herself, and not the Ministiy -¦ ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 345 of the Church, is the pillar and support of the truth. I Timothy iii, 15. She is herself the stone .^^^^ ^^^ cut out of the mountain without hands, which "s""^'' '" ^"p- porling and IS to utterly destroy and consume the iron, propagating the and the clay, and the brass, and the silver, and the gold of all antichristian power and dominion. Daniel ii, 44. She is the Golden Candlestick in the hand of the Lord to dispense the light of the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. Rev. i, 20. She is the Tem ple and dwelling-place of Jehovah, where all the pure in heart may now find refuge, i Cor. iii, 9-17. She is the body of Christ; the fullness of Him who filleth all in all. Ephesians i, 23. III. Because the Church herself is the heritage {xk-ijpoi;, clergy) of God, and all her Ministers are but From her reia- her servants, "i Peter v, 2; 2 Cor. iv, 5, etc. tZVLmt And hence it is nothing more than becoming '^'t- and right that she should choose those who are to minis ter to her wants and comfort. IV. Because the members of the Church at Jerusalem were required to choose their own Deacons, not- From the exam- zvitlistaiiding the presence of the most august pie of the jeru- and impartial body of Christian Ministers ever found in any one congregation on Earth. Acts vi, 1-7. Surely, if ever there was an occasion when the popular vote might, with propriety, be suspended, and the ofificers of a congregation be elected by the suffrages of a few, that was the time when the first Deacons were chosen in Jerusalem. There was evidently danger that party spirit would be excited unless the whole matter were disposed of with great prudence. And there were the Apostles, who knew all the members well, and their respective qualifications, and in whose judgment and impartiality 346 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. the whole congregation had entire confidence. Surely to the eye of sense and finite reason, the shortest and best way to settle the whole matter would seem to be that the Apostles themselves should choose and appoint men to wait on the poor and the needy. But no ; under the infallible guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles thought very differently. They knew well that one of the great and important objects for which the Church was established on Earth was to elevate and educate her own members; to call out the energies and the resources of all; to make every one feel that he should be a living stone in the Temple of our God, and that he is, to some extent, responsible for the edification, growth, and influ ence of the whole body. And hence they, as the pleni potentiaries of Christ and the inspired lawgivers of the Kingdom of Heaven, said to the whole miiltitude of dis ciples: "Look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. . . . And the saying jjleased the whole multitude ; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch." Acts vi, 3, 5. This one example, then, when fairly and fully considered, should really be an end of the whole controversy touching the election of Church officers. V. Because Timothy was recommended to Paul as a From the case '««'^ "^^11 qualified for the Evangelical work, of Timothy. ^y fj^g i^retlireu of Lystra and Iconium. The testimony of Luke is as follows : " Then came he (Paul) to Derbe and Lystra. And behold a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a certain woman who was a Jewess, and believed, but his father was a ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 347 Greek, who was well reported of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with him ; and he took and circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in those quarters : for they all knew that his father was a Greek." Acts xvi, 1-3. From this it seems that it was in compliance with Paul's wish that Timothy was at this time set apart to the Evangelical work. But in making this choice he was evidently influenced by the recommendation of the brethren of both Lystra and Iconium. And as these things were written for our instruction, we are, I think, warranted in the conclusion that every candidate for the Evangelical office should, as a condition of his ordina tion, be first recommended by at least a plurality of Churches.* VI. Because it was the custom of the primitive Churches to choose their own messengers and agents, even for tempo rary purposes. This is proved by such passages as the following : I. I Corinthians xvi, 3: "And when I (Paul) come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send fo bring your liberafity to Jerusalem;" From this we learn that even the Apostle Paul, with all his plenary *This case is somewhat different from that of the Deacons before men tioned. They were chosen by the members of but one „ , , ^ ^ r 1 1 T Reason of Ihe Church ; but it seems that the brethren of both Lystra and difference be- Iconium concurred in the choice of Timothy, or at least in tween the elec- recommending him as a person well qualified for the Evan- tion of Timothy gelical work. The reason for making this difference is most ™'' '''i!' °^ '''-'' likely owing to the fact that every Deacon is a servant of but one congregation. Beyond its limits he has no official authority. But all the Churches are, to some extent, interested in the labors of every Evangel ist. And hence it is eminently becoming and proper that at least two 01 more of thein should concur iu his appointment. 348 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. power and inspiration, would not interfere with the right of the Corinthians to appoint their own messengers to convey their bounty to the suffering brethren in Judea. 2. 2 Corinthians viii, i8, 19: "And we have sent with him (Titus) the brother (unknown, probably Luke) whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the Churches. And not only (is his praise in all the Churches, but it is he) who was also chosen by the Churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind." 3. 2 Corinthians viii, 22, 23 : " And we have sent with them (Titus and the brother whose praise was in all the Churches) the brother (unknown) whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, and now much more diligent through the great confidence which he has toward you. If any inquire concerning Titus, he is my partner and fellow-laborer for you : or if our brethren be inquired of they are the messengers (a-Kuatoh)) of the Churches, and the glory of Christ!' See, also. Acts xv, 22. This evidence is, I think, abundantly sufficient to ^, . , ^, establish our main proposition. True, indeed, Election of El- _ ^ ^ ' ders: how de- there is nothing in all this which relates directly and specifically to the election of Elders ; and there is nothing of this kind in the New Testament. The reason is obvious : it is not necessary : the law of election is made sufficiently plain without it. If the Churches are competent to elect their own Dea cons, Evangelists, and special agents and messengers, surely they are also competent to elect their own Elders. And hence we conclude that it is a law of the Conclusion. . -' Kingdom of Heaven that the Churches should severally elect all their own officers. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 349 How they shall do this is no where stated clearly, distinctly, and definitely in the New Testa- „ ., Specific mode ment. Much is here left to be determined of election un- by the Churches themselves, or their chosen """"^ ' and acting representatives. There are, however, many general laws which should be as strictly re- II- ,1 , • r , General laws. garded m all such cases as if they were a thousand-fold more specific and definite.* Such, for ex ample, are the following : I. " Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God!' i Cor. x, 31. This law positively excludes all selfishness, party spirit, and every thing else that is inconsistent with the glory of God and the unity, harmony, and prosperity of the Church. II. "Let all things be done decently and in order!' *Ha'd the Divine Founder of Christianity attempted to govern his Church in all cases simply by specific rules and precepts, impracticabil- truly, indeed, the world itself would not have contained the ity of governing books which would have been written. The " lex scripta," or the Church in written code of England, consists of thirty-five large quarto all cases by j/>«- volumes, besides cart-loads of local and private acts of "^' "^ Parliament. And yet it very rarely happens that an existing law can be found which is in all respects applicable to a given case. Almost every new case of law and equity differs, in some respects, from every antecedent one. Every lawyer knows that it is only by analogy that court-decisions are gen erally applied to new cases of litigation. What, then, would have been the magnitude of the Divine code had God attempted to govern his people in all ages and under all circumstances by specific rules and regulations ! Surely we can not too much admire that wisdom which for such a code has substituted a little volume of a few hundred pages, and which, notwithstand ing its great brevity, has made it a perfect rule of faith and practice for every accountable being in every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation while time endures ! In doing so he has, in the first place, made the whole Bible, and especially the New Testament, a book of motives ; secondly, he has enacted some very general laws and regulations ; thirdly, he has illus trated these laws and the general principles of his government by a great variety of authoritative examples ; and finally, he has given to us such specific laws and ordiiuinces as are necessary to make the Bible a perfect Rule of faith and practice. 350 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. I Cor. xiv, 40. This law requires that all those rules which have been found necessary for conducting and governing popular elections should be duly regarded in the election of Church officers, and that the house of God should appear to all persons and under all circum stances as a house of order. Much, indeed, must always be left to the force of cir cumstances. The same degree of formality, for instance, is not always required in small assemblies which would be necessary in larger ones. But in all cases the general rules and precepts of the New Testament Order of elect- '^ ing Church require that something like the following order should be observed in the election of all Church officers : I. That the Church should, through her ozvn. chosen representatives, determine how many persons sho-uld be elected. In every organized Church the Elders are, of course, the proper persons to determine all such ques tions after due consultation and conference with the members. But in unorganized Churches prudence would require that a committee of the more aged and thought ful brethren should be appointed to prepare such matters for the action and approval of the congregation. No exhibitions of licentiousness nor of a wild and reckless democracy should ever be allowed to appear in the house of God. II. That said Representatives should also act in the case as a committee of nomination. The views, wishes, and sentiments of all should, of course, be duly consid ered and regarded ; and as many persons may be nom inated as the members severally desire, provided that in the judgment of the committee they be not notoriously destitute of the required qualifications. But all nomina- ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 35 1 tions should be made through the Elders or other chosen representatives, and never at random in the popular assembly. III. Due notice as to the time of the election having been given, at a meeting called for the purpose, the suffrages of the congregation should be taken by ballot ; each member voting for as many of the nominees as are to be elected. In some cases it may not be expedient for all to vote. Very young persons and others not well acquainted with the character and qualifications of the nominees, would do well to waive their right of suffrage in so important a matter. But all the members of the Church should be allowed to vote who desire to do so. IV. The votes having been counted, tlte persons, to the number previously agreed on, having the greatest number of votes, should be declared the officers elect of the congre gation ; provided, however, tjtat each has received a majority of all the votes cast. No one should attempt to serve any Church in any capacity who has not been elected by the suffrages of at least a majority of his brethren ; and, if possible, the vote should be made unanimous. SECTION II. — Ordination of Officers. The persons duly elected should then be ordained or set apart to their respective offices by the whole con- General Propo- gregation, zvith prayer and fasting, and through ^'''°"- the imposition of the hands of their Elders, or other chosen representatives. It is not enough that they be elected by the suffrages of the people. The common-sense of mankind requires that all candidates for impprtant offices, whether civil or ecclesiastical, shall be installed with some solemn and impressive ceremonies. And hence the Apostles said 352 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. to the disciples at Jerusalem, Do ye choose and we will appoint. This is all that is meant in the Scriptures by Meaningof Or- ordiuatiou. ft is simply a solemn setting apart diiiation. ^ g^ii-ii persons to their respective offices as have been previously elected by the suffrages of the disciples, according to the standard of qualifications laid down by the Holy Spirit. That this was always done by the imposition of hands, with prayer and fasting, seems clear from the Evidence that . c c~ • .. it was always followiug passagcs 01 bcnpturc : XTtsting, I- Acts vi, 5, 6: "And the saying pleased and the impo- t^e wholc multitudc. And they chose Ste phen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte of An tioch, whom they set before the Apostles ; and when they had prayed they laid their hands on them!' 2. Acts xiii, 1-3 : " Now there were in the Church which was at Antioch certain Prophets and Teachers : as Barnabas, and Simeon, who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said. Separate to me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away!' 3. Acts xiv, 23 : " And when they had ordained them Elders in every Church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed." 4. I Timothy iv, 14 : " Neglect not the gift which is in thee, which was given thee according to prophecy, with the laying on of the liauds of the presbytery!' Com pare 2 Timothy i, 6. ORDINATION OF OFFICERS. 353 In the first of these passages mention is made only of prayer and the imposition of hands ; in the ._ False inference second, prayer, fasting, and the imposition of from these hands are all mentioned ; in the third, only p""""""- prayer and fasting ; and in the fourth, only the laying on of hands. And hence some have too hastily inferred that in the primitive Church there was no uniform practice in the solemn rite of ordination. But this is a very loose and unsatisfactory way of in terpreting the facts and phenomena of the . . ^ Illustration Bible. To the ancients the celestial system drawn from was, in like manner, a labyrinth of confusion. ^ ™"°™>'- The phenomena of the heavens seemed to be without order and without harmony. But the genius of Sir Isaac Newton has removed this false impression. That great interpreter of nature's laws has demonstrated that the God of nature is a God of order ; that every sun, and moon, and planet, and comet, and asteroid, moves under the influence of one general principle, which binds in eternal harmony the whole material universe. It is so, also, in Revelation. To the superficial reader of the Bible there seems to be a want of uni- illustration formity in many other cases, as well as in f|"™cotciwous ordination. In the Great Commission, for ex- of pardon. ample, Christ said to his Apostles : " He that beheveth and is baptized shall be saved." Some ten days after this, in reply to the anxious inquiry of the multitude, " Men and brethren, what shall we. do ?" the Apostle Peter said : " Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." To the important question of the Philippian jailer, " Sirs, what must I do to be saved.'" Paul replied, "Believe on the 30 354 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." But in his letter to the. Roman brethren the same Apostle says : " With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." From such premises some have hastily concluded that the Bible is a chaotic mass of palpable contradictions. Others have inferred that the apparent want of harmony is owing to the unimportant character of some of the con ditions specified. They allege, for instance, that it is evident from Paul's reply to the Philippian jailer, that confession and baptism may be dispensed with as unnec- . essary to salvation. But others again see none of these imaginary difficulties. They have made Christianity a study ; they have surveyed the whole Christian System, from its center to its circumference, just as Newton sur veyed the celestial system ;;, and to them, therefore, all things pertaining to it seem to be in perfect order and harmony. They see in the circumstances under which these responses were given a sufficient reason for not expressing what was then well understood, or what was evidently implied and about to be practically illustrated ; and hence they very rationally and properly conclude that none of these conditions can, in any case, be safely dis pensed with. They infer that these are all divinely ap pointed means of salvation ; that no one can, in fact, have a well-grounded assurance that his sins are all forgiven until he has believed with his heart, confessed with his mouth, repented of his sins, and been baptized into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The same rule of interpretation evidently applies to those passages which relate to ordination. Luke says ORDINATION OF OFFICERS. 355 that the Apostles prayed and laid their hands on the seven Deacons ; but he does not say that they did not fast at the same time. One of these ordtnatfoT, in seven afterward became an Evangelist : and ""', '¦^^'""" *^ ' analogous to nothing is recorded concerning either his ""e Law of election or his ordination. But will any one hence infer that, like some precocious youths in modern times, he went out to do the work of an Evangelist on his own responsibility, without any of the formalities of a regular appointment .¦" Paul says that his own hands and the hands of the Presbytery were laid on Timothy. He says nothing here about prayer and fasting. But will any one presume to say that in the ordination of Timothy these solemnities were omitted .¦• Such an inference is just as illogical as the conclusion that repentance, con fession, and baptism are not conditions of pardon in the Christian System, because, forsooth, Paul said to the Philippian jailer, " believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." But enough has been said on this subject — enough to warrant the conclusion that all the Dea- Conclusion. cons, Elders, and Evangelists of the primitive Church were ordained by tlte imposition of hands, with prayer and fasting, and, consequently, that no one can, even now, be legally and properly set apart as an officer or minister of the Christian Church without these solemnities. I know it is alleged by some that, in the cases cited, hands were imposed for the purpose of im- '^ ' Whether hands parting spiritual gifts, and not for the pur- were imposed in r ,..¦ -r*. 1 n t* ' these cases for pose of ordination. But such an allegation is ,^e purpose of wholly unwarranted by the facts as they stand '.'^Pf''."g spir- , -' •* -' itual Gifts. recorded. For, I. In Acts vi, 3, 6, it is clearly implied that the 356 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Apostles laid hands on the seven merely as a part of the Examination of ccrcmony of ordination, or for the purpose Acts vi, 1-6. pf setting them apart as the Deacons of the Church. Their instruction to the multitude was simply as follows : Do ye choose seven men whom we may appoint over this business. The disciples did so, and set them before the' Apostles ; and when they had prayed they laid their hands on them. Here there is hot a word said about spiritual gifts, and nothing is to be found in the context which warrants the conclusion that any thing of the kind was then imparted. II. The case of Paul and Barnabas, given in Acts xiii. Examination of 1-3, IS cvcu more couclusive against any and Acts XIU, 1-3. every such allegation. For, I. The command of the Holy Spirit to the Prophets and Teachers was not to qualify Paul and Barnabas for the work to which they had been called, but simply to set them apart to the work. Nothing is here said about im parting spiritual gifts. 2. It does not appear from the inspired record that these Prophets and Teachers had the power to impart such gifts. This was one of the peculiar and incommu nicable functions of the Apostolic office. Even Philip the Evangelist, though able to work miracles himself, was not able to bestow this power on the Samaritans whom he had converted. And hence the necessity that Peter and John should go down from Jerusalem to Samaria for this purpose. They did so. And when they had prayed and laid their hands on some of the young converts they immediately began to work miracles, to the astonish ment of Simon Magus and the whole multitude. Acts viii, 5-25. 3. But even if it could be proved, which it can not. ORDINATION OF OFFICERS. 357 that these Prophets^ and Teachers had power to confer on o*hers the gift of working miracles, it would, nevertheless, be sufficient for our present purpose to know that Paul at least stood in need of no such gifts. He was not depend ent on these, or on any other set of men, for his qualifica tions to preach the Gospel. See Galatians i-ii. III. The case of Timothy is equally clear and conclu sive. From I Timothy iv, 14, compared with Examination of Acts xvi, 1-3, it is evident that the Elders of ¦ i™- '^- h- Lystra laid their hands on him for some purpose. But to impart miraculous gifts they had no power. And hence we are constrained to believe that it was simply for the purpose of ordaining Timothy as an Evangelist, and that the same order should be observed in the Church through out all coming time. See Numbers viii, 9-1 1, etc. But who, it will be asked, should impose hands on candidates for ordination.' This is a very „„ •' The persons grave question, and it is one which should who should or- be very seriously considered. In the ordination of the seven Deacons in the Jerusa lem Church this was done by the twelve Apostles. But in what capacity did they then and there ofifi- j_^ ^^^j ^^^^_ ciate.'' Did they act in this case with all -their -'y ihe Aposties . acted in ordain- plenary authority as the Apostles of Christ.' iug the first Or, as Evangelists, did they labor, like Timo thy and Titus, to set in order the things which were wanting.' Or, did tliey officiate merely as the Elders of the Church? In order to answer this question satisfactorily we should, I think, distinguish between the legislative part of this important transaction and the mere act of ordina tion, To legislate was an exclusive function of the apos tolic office. The Apostles alone had a right to make laws 358 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. and ordinances for the Kingdom of Heaven .' To them, as the plenipotentiaries of Christ, it certainly belonged exclusively to say what should be done in the pending crisis. But the work of ordination was transferable. It was transferred. Titus was left in Crete to set in order the things which were there wanting, and to ordain Elders in every city. And one of the purposes for which Timo thy was left in Ephesus was, evidently, to ordain Evangel ists, Elders, and Deacons. Besides, as we have seen, the Elders of the Church at Lystra took part in the ordina tion of Timothy. And hence I think it follows, beyond all reasonable doubt, that in the ordination of the first Deacons the Apostles did not act as Apostles, but merely as the representatives of the Church in Jerusalem. And when it is remembered that all existing orders of the Ministry, whether they be Evangelists, Elders, or Dea- concinsionwith cous, arc but the servants of the Church, the wor^of ordi'na- couclusion sccms to be inevitable that it is the ''<>"• business of the Church to ordain, as well as to elect all her own officers. In all fully organized Churches this should, of course. Who should of- ^^ done by their Elders as their duly chosen ficiate for organ- and appointed representatives, with the aid of ized and un- organijed sucli Evaugelists as they may see fit to invite. But in every unorganized Church the officia ting Evangelist should act, as did Timothy and Titus, as the representative of the congregation, in connection with such other persons as she may herself select for the purpose of cooperating with him. But in the New Testament there is no clear evidence that any one man was ever authorized to ordain another. - Titus was re quired to ordain Elders in every city, as' Paul had com- vianded him ; and that, as we learn from all the examples ORDINATION OF OFFICERS. 359 recorded, was by the joint agency and cooperation of several persons. As a general rule, ordained Ministers should be al lowed and encouraged to remain in office so period of Min- longas they continue to labor faithfully within '^'"''¦'' =""'<:=' the sphere of their appointment. But it is always implied that those who confer the gift of office have also power to take it away whenever, in their judgment, the glory of God requires it. The power to create implies, of course, the power to destroy. In view of all that has been said, then, on the sub ject of the Christian ministry, how very great are their responsibilities ! How very solemn is the account which every servant of the Church will have to render to Christ at the judgment of the great day ! Let me entreat you, then, my dear brethren, as many of you as may read this work, and especially my young brethren, I. To make the Word of God your constant and only guide. Tradition may mislead us, and so also may all speculative philosophy ; but " all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished for every good work." II. Be men of prayer. Pray always. Pi'ay without ceasing. It is not enough that you study the Bible to know your duty. You must also look to God constantly for help to enable you to perform it. " Ask," then, " and ye shall receive ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened to you." III. Be men cf energy. Give ail possible diligence to make your ministry a success. We have abundant reason to rejoice and thank God that primitive Christianity is 36o SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. making constant and rapid progress in the world. But how much, alas ! how very much still remains to be done before the world is converted and the Church herself brought up to the Divine standard of spiritual purity and practical godliness ! Remember, then, dear brethren, that for much of all this you are personally responsible. IV. While you labor to do every thing for the glory of God, study at the same time to cultivate a spirit of kindness and benevolence toward all men. Remember that " the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and out of a good conscience, and out of faith unfeigned." Cultivate, then, in this respect, the spirit of your Divine Master. " Bless those who curse you ; do good to those who hate you ; and pray for those who insult you and persecute you," and soon you will sit down with Christ on his throne, even as he has overcome and sat down with the Father on his throne. " Ve servants of the Lord, Each in his ofiice wait ; With joy obey his heavenly word. And watch before his gate. Let all your lamps be bright, And trim the golden flame ; Gird up your loins, as in his sight, For awful is his name. Watch I 't is the Lord's command ; And while we speak he 's near ; Mark the first signal of his hand, And ready all appear. O, happy servant he In such a posture found ! He shall his Lord with rapture see, And be with honor crowned." CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. ^6l PART II. CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. The word ordinance is from the Latin ordino, to set in order, to arrange, to regulate. It is used origin and in the Common English Version of the Old '"^'""g^"'' "'« *-* word ordi- Testament for the Hebrew pn and nprj, a ««««• statute ; nixp, a command ; n^^iz^p, a charge, or office, in trusted to any one ; and bsto, judgment ; and in the New Testament it is used for the Greek words Siaray-^, an arrangement or disposition ; Sixaiu>i±a, a just or right eous deed, a decree or precept ; SoyiLa, a decree or edict ; zTiVi?, a creature or creation ; and TcapdSoan;, delivery, tra dition, traditional law, etc. It is evident, therefore, that the word ordinance may denote any law, right, decree, institution, or constitution given by Divine authority. And hence I do not present this to the reader *- _ The subject to as a strictly logical division of our subject, be considered But under this general head I wish to con- "''^'"''^ sider, merely for the sake of convenience, a few of the most prominent ordinances of the Christian System, such as the Preaching of the Word, Prayer, Praise, Fast ing, Christian Baptism, the Lord's Day, and the Lord's Supper. 31 362 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. CHAPTER I. THE PREACHING OF TllE WORD. There was a time when the JeWs were trusting in the Law and the Greeks were seeking after Announcement *-* of God's pur- wisdom as a means of justification, sanctifica- pose to save . ,,.-,. ^^ ,- , . , men by preach- tiou, and bcatificatiou. But. alter that, m the "'^" wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God, by what the Greek philosophers were wont to call the foolishness of preaching, to save those who through it were led to believe in the Lord Jesus. I Cor. i, 21. And hence the commission of Christ to his Apostles, " Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature ; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned." Mark xvi, 15, 16. And hence, after they were endowed with power from on high, they went every-where preaching the Word, so that in about thirty years after the ascension of Christ, Paul could truthfully say to the Colossians, (i, 23,) that the Gospel had been preached to every creature under heaven. That this arrangement was permanent and designed Evidence that *° ^^ contlnucd as an ordinance of God this arrange- through all comlug time, is evident from ment was de signed to be many considerations, such as the following : permanen . j Pj.gp^ fj^g nature Olid necessittcs of the case. The whole Bible is a demonstration of the fact that it is God's will and purpose to save all who will call n him in sincerity and truth. But, as Paul says, (Rom. PREACHING. 363 X, 14, 15,) "How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed.' and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher ? and how shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things !" To say, therefore, that the Gospel is no longer to be preached to the world is virtually to say that God has abandoned his purpose to save mankind. II. From the fact that the Church has been constituted the pillar and support of the truth, i Tim. iii, 15. In this respect she is compared to a Sun rising on the benighted nations, (Isa. Ix, 1-3 ;) and then again to a golden candlestick. Zech. iv, 2 ; Rev. i, 20. And hence, as we have seen, the necessity of an order of ecclesias tical officers, who, as the servants and repre'sentatives of the Church, may go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. III. This important truth is also frequently taught and variously set forth and illustrated in the prophetic writings. Take, for instance, the following passages : I. Romans xi, 15 : "For if the casting away of them (the Jews) be the reconciling of the world, what shall the reception of them (into the Kingdom of God) be, but life from the dead.'" Here Paul compares the effect of Israel's conversion on the Gentile world to a resurrection from a state of death in trespasses and in sins to a life of holiness. But such an effect can and will be produced only through the preaching of the Gospel by these faithful missionaries of the Cross. See Daniel xii, 3, and Ezekiel xlvii, 1-12. 2. Revelation xiv, 6, 7: "And I saw another angel 364 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. flying in the midst of Heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell on the Earth, even to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come ; and worship Him who made Heaven and Earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water." The word angel in this passage is used to denote not one of the celestial host, such as Michael or Gabriel, but simply the messengers of the Church. "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance ;" and if having committed to us the word of reconciliation, he would not allow an angel to preach the Gospel to Cornelius and his household, we may feel perfectly sure that he will never allow any but his redeemed and ransomed saints to preach it to mankind hereafter. To the Church of God it be longs, by Divine appointment, to convert the nations by preaching to them the everlasting Gospel in its primitive purity and simplicity, through the agency and instrument ality of her own dvangelical missionaries. This, thank God, she is now doing ; and soon, therefore, we may ex pect to hear the announcement of the second messenger, that Babylon the Great is fallen, and that the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. But in what does the preaching of the Word consist .' In what the This is a very grave question ; and it is one fhe wtd con- '^hich should be very carefully considered by sists. every Christian, and especially by every Chris tian Preacher. It may be well, therefore, to answer it briefly, both negatively and positively. And, I. It does not consist in preaching one's self. The Preacher should, if possible, never appear in his own PREACHING. 365 discourse. This treasure has been put into "earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power might be of God, and not of us." 2 Cor. iv, 7. II. It does not consist in tlte defense and advocacy of any party views and measures. This is a weakness to which all men are, perhaps, more or less prone ; and it is, there fore, a weakness against which the Christian Preacher especially should be on his guard. It is often much easier to glory in a party than in the Cross of Christ. But re member that the end of the Commandment is not the love of Calvinism nor of Arminianism, but that it is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned, i Tim. i, 5. III. It does not consist in the defense and demonstration of any system of science, literature, or philosophy. It is very well to understand the book of nature, and to be well read in the whole encyclopaedia of the sciences, literature, and the arts ; but, at the same time, it is well to remember that there is nothing in all these that can either justify, or sanctify, or redeem a soul. A man might preach elo quently on natural science, and metaphysics, and poHtics all his life, and lie down in sorrow at last, to suffer as keenly from the piercings of the undying worm, and from the flames of the unquenchable fire, as the most ignorant and stupid of his admiring auditors. But, IV. It does consist simply in preaching Jesus Christ and 1dm crucified. This was the scope of Paul's entire ministry. "We preach Christ crucified," said he, "to the Jews indeed a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolish ness ; but to them who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." i Cor. i, 23, 24. And hence he could say to the Corinthians, " I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus 366 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Christ and him crucified." i Cor. ii, 2. And, again, to the Galatians : " God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Gal. vi, 14. It is faith in Christ, and not in any system of religious philosophy, or of the philosophy of religion, that saves the soul. This, then, suggests to us the twofold object of all Twofold object correct evangelical preaching : of preaching. J Jq couvlnce thc world that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, through whom alone any sinner can find peace and pardon. II. To persuade men to receive, honor, love, serve, and obey him. " Blessed are they that do his command ments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Rev. xxii, 14. See these two points illustrated in Acts, passim. With regard to the proper style and manner of preach- Best models of ^"^ ''¦ ^'^^^ sluiply rcfcr the reader to the Sacred Rhet- example of Christ and his Apostles. Their discourses are still our best models of Sacred Rhetoric and Pulpit Oratory. The following fines from Cowper are well conceived Extract from ^ud happily oxprcsscd. They may be instruct^- Cowper. jyg J.Q some of my young readers. He says : " Would I describe a preacher, such as Paul Were he on Earth would hear, approve, and own, Paul should himself direct me. I would trace His master-strokes, and draw from his design. I would express him simple, grave, sincere ; In doctrine uncorrupt ; in language plain, And plain in manner ; decent, solemn, chaste, And natural in gesture : much impressed Himself, as conscious of his awful charge, And anxious mainly that the flock he feeds PR A TER. 367 May fee! it too ; affectionate in look. And tender in address, as well becomes A messenger of grace to guilty men. He that negotiates between God and man. As God's embassador, the grand concerns Of judgment and of mercy, should beware Of lightness in his speech. 'T is pitiful To court a grin, when you should woo a soul ; To break a jest when pity would inspire Pathetic exhortation." Th£ Task, Book II. CHAPTER II. PRAYER. Prayer, from the Latin prex, means simply, according to its etymology, a petition, a request, or an en- \ . ! i, . 1 ' Derivation and treaty. But in its Scriptural usage, as well as meaning of the in common parlance, it includes not only peti- "" t>ver. tions, but also confessions and thanksgivings. It proceeds from the natural instincts and impulses of every feeling and grateful heart. Every man player is natu- who has a proper sense of his dependence on "'"""='"• God will supplicate his favor ; every one who has a proper appreciation of the benefits received will express to him his gratitude ; and every one who has a realizing sense of his own delinquencies will seek relief for his broken and contrite spirit by confessing to him his many faults and aberrations. It is, therefore, a most benevolent and gracious pro vision of the Scheme of Redemption that God privilege of permits, invites, and encourages his children ,^eY"o^rnTf to pray ; to pray always, to pray every-where, '^°^'^ children. and to pray for all things that are necessary to their pres ent and eternal well-being. That this is now our privilege 368 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. is evident from many such passages of Scripture as the following: I. Matthew vii, 7-1 1 : "Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you: for every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone.' or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give good things to them who ask him.'" See, also, Luke xi, 5-13. 2. Matthew xviii, 19: "Again I say to you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing thai they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Fathei who is in Heaven." 3. Matthew xxi, 22: "And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." 4. Luke xviii, 1-8: "And he spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying. There was in a city a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man ; and there was a widow in that city ; and she came to him, saying. Avenge me of my adversary. And he would not for a while: but after ward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I .will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said. Hear what the unjust judge saith ; and will not God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night to him, though he bear long with them .' I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.'' 5. John xiv, 13, 14: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified PRA TER. 369 in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." 6. John XV, 7: "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in jyou, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done for you." 7. John xvi, 24: "Hitherto ye have asked nothing in rny name: ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." 8. Philippians iv, 6: "Be anxious about nothing; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanks giving, let your request be made known to God." 9. Colossians iv, 2 : " Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." 10. I Thessalonians v, 17: "Pray without ceasing." See, also, Romans xii, 12; Ephesians vi, 18, etc. II. James v, 16-18: "Confess your faults one to an other, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain ; and it rained not on the earth for the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." See, also, i Timothy ii, 1-4. 12. I John i, 9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all - unrighteousness." 13. I John V, 14, 15: "And this is the confidence which we have in him, that, if we ask any thing accord ing to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we desire of him," etc. From these and many other like passages it is obvious 370 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. not only that it is our duty and our privilege to pray tc Benefits result- God at all tlmcs, lu all places, and under all ing from prayer, clrcumstanccs, but also that prayer is a means of procuring for ourselves and for others many great and precious benefits. Such, for example, are the following: I. It serves to cultivate and educate our own spiritual nature. If it is a law of the human constitu- As a means ,, , . , , , - , of spiritual cui- tiou that all our faculties are developed and '"™' strengthened by exercise, then, indeed, what can be more serviceable in the way of self-culture than the devotions of the closet .' There is no other place be neath the heavens which is so favorable for the proper ex ercise of all our moral powers and susceptibilities. Even in the religious assembly the attention is often arrested and the heart is made to wander by some improper dis play of the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life. But from the closet all such evil influences are excluded. Here there is no motive to deceive, or to make a vain display of our persons, our dress, and our good works. But there the mind turns in upon itself There the conscience is awakened ; there we see our selves in the light of Heaven. And there, under the deep and solemn conviction that we are on holy ground, and that the eye of God is upon us, we are almost com pelled to be humble, to repent of our sins, to forgive our enemies, to sympathize with the afflicted, to adore our Creator, love our Redeemer, and exercise all the powers of our souls in harmony with the will of God. There is, therefore, a deep significance in the words of our Savior when he says, "But when thou prayest enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret will reward thee openly." Matthew vi, 6. PRA TER. 371 II. //' enables us to form a habit of close and intimate union, communion, and fellozvship with God. as a means of The law of habit is well understood. All men ^7"'""'°" ^."f fellowship wuh live and act more or less under its influence. '^'"'¦ The man who frequents the theater, the ball-room, the drinking or the gambling saloon soon feels that he is, by an invisible and almost irresistible influence, drawn to these haunts of idleness, Tice, and dissipation. He may see poverty, disgrace, misery, and wretchedness before him, and he may feel keenly the awful forebodings and warnings of a guilty and awakened conscience ; but, nev ertheless, the force of habit overcomes all his fears and feeble resolutions. Under its still-increasing power he visits and revisits these charnel-houses of iniquity"till a dart strikes through his liver," and, by his own folly, he seals forever the doom of his eternal infamy. But the man who begins his course of life on the ascending scale, who for.ms habits of industry, frugality, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and philanthropy, will soon find that there is but little diffi culty in ascending still higher and higher on the way that leads to the everlasting Zion. These habits become to him helps and encouragements in the way of virtue, and he now hungers and thirsts after righteousness, as the weary hart pants after the brooks of water. The habit of prayer, and especially of secret prayer, is altogether in harmony with this general law of human character. In no other religious exercise are we brought so near to God ; in no other can he be so familiar with the Creator of our bodies and the Father and Preserver of our spirits. And as it is a law of our nature that we form attachments to and for those with whom we as sociate, and even become assimilated to them in th 372 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. elements of our character, it follows that no other acts of devotion are so favorable for the cultivation of godli ness. And hence we find that those most devoted to the closet have always been the most pious and the happiest of men. III. It serves to preserve us from many evils. Our Its influence on worst encmics are our own lusts and passions. the Passions. ;gyj. ^hesc may all be very much weakened and even subdued through the influence of prayer. How can a man, for instance, cherish pride in his heart while he is honestly communing with his Maker.' How can he cultivate a spirit of revenge while he is imploring the forgiveness of Him who has said, " Vengeance is mine ; I will repay, saith the Lord?" How can he indulge in anger, wrath, malice, or any of the other works of the flesh while he is seeking for the aid of that blessed Spirit whose fruits are always "love, joy, peace, long- suffering, gentleness, goodness,, fidelity, meekness, and temperance?" Prayer, properly offered,, must always have a soothing influence on the affections. Its tendency is to allay the passions, promote the virtues, and harmo nize all the powers and faculties of the soul. IV. ft secures to us and for us much positive good by , . ^ fulfilling a condition on which God has prom- its influence on .> .j , to touch, to feel, to play on a stringed . . , , ' _ -,,-., Meaning of tha instrument with the fingers, and, finally, to words />i»/»«. make music or melody in the heart, as in %TrZi7l^i Ephesians v, ig. The meaning of the noun '" *¦'*• "' "'• . ° and Col. iii, 16. corresponds with that of the verb, and de notes a touching, a playing on a stringed instrument, a song accompanying music on a stringed instrument, any song or ode. And hence it is evident that the word psalm may or may not refer to instrumental music. Its proper meaning, in any and every ease, must be determ ined by the context. And, according to this fundamental law of interpretation, it is pretty evident that in Ephe sians and Colossians the term ^.''aA/iu? has no reference whatever to instrumental music ; for, in both cases, it is the strings or chords of the heart, and not of an instru ment, that are to be touched. The ancient Israelites, however, usually connected in strumental with their vocal music. And hence, in the Septuagint version of thp Old Testament, the word (paXixoi, psalms, is prefixed as the general title of the one hundred and fifty lyric odes used in their social worship. But the Hebrew title is D'^ni^, which means hymns or praises, though the word t'raip, a psalm, is prefixed to fifty-eight of these sacred odes, while but one (the 145 th) has the distinctive title; Thr]i^. The word hymn is from uiivoi;, a song of praise, which comes from the primitive verb bdiiu, to tell of, to celebrate. By the Greeks the word uixvut; was used to denote the fes tive songs which they were wont to sing in honor of their gods and heroes. The word amdrj, contr. u>8-ij, which is used by the Apos tle in Ephesians v, 19, and Colossians iii, 16, for song, is 382 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. from aziSia, or aSm, to sing. It is commonly used in the Septuagint for the Hebrew ^T, and is the generic term for ode or song. The restricting and qualifying epithet msoparuix;, spiritual, may denote either that these songs were dictated to the spiritual men by the Holy Spirit, as were the songs of EHzabeth, Mary, and Zechariah, (Luke i, 42, 46, 67,) or simply that they were composed on spir itual and religious subjects. On the whole, then, it is most probable that by psalms and hymns the Apostle meant the inspired odes of the Old Testament, and that by spiritual songs he meant all those pious and devout poetical effusions which resulted from the spiritual gifts bestowed on the primitive Chris tians. But of this we can not be entirely certain, for it seems that in i Cor. xiv, 26, one of the last class is called a psalm, {ipaktiu^) and Josephus uses both uivmh and wSai in reference to the Psalms of David. Antiq. vii, 12, 3. These terms may, therefore, refer to some technical or conventional distinctions which were current in the apos tolic age, but of which we can now know nothing. Be this as it m^y, one thing is evident from our prem- Kind of matter iscs : that the subject-matter of all Christian ar^^chrfstian psalmody should be spiritual God gave to psalmody. t^g Jcws a Book of Psalms, inspired both as to their matter and their form. He did so, I. Because it was then a necessity. In that age of „„ „ , comparative darkness, before the Scheme of Why God gave ^ the Jews a book Redemption was fully revealed, no uninspired of inspired odes. , . _ , man was qualified to write or compose any thing pertaining to a system of worship which had for its object not only the moral and religious education of the Israelites, but also the development of God's great and gracious purposes concerning our race. And hence it PRAISE. 383 was that prophets were inspired, as in the first age of the Christian Church, to utter and compose spiritual songs for the people. II. Because, the Jezvs being of one language, it was as easy to express, for their benefit, appropriate sentiments of praise and thanksgiving in poetry as in prose. But for the Christian Church God has left no' special form or collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs on record. I. Because this was not necessary. Since the whole Scheme of Redemption has been revealed and .^y,^ he has not the Canon completed, we have in the Greek siveu a similar . ... . collection of iu- and Hebrew Scriptures all things pertaining spired songs to to life and to godliness. And by slightly '--''"^"¦''"''¦ varying the phraseology of the facts, promises, senti ments, admonitions, etc., of the Holy Scriptures, so as merely to adapt them to our own immediate wants and circumstances, we can now, without much difficulty, com pose a book of sacred odes adapted to the condition of any and every kindred, and tongue, and people, and na tion beneath the whole heavens, just as we can now make a prose translation of the Scriptures into all the languages and dialects of Earth. II. Because, in order to have done so successfully, it zvould have been necessary to give said form of psalmody in all the various languages and dialects of Earth. No uninspired man can, with absolute precision and perspi cuity, translate the poetry of one language into that of another. The translation, at best, will be but an approxi mation to the original. Such has always been the result of every attempt to give to the world an E"ghsh poetic version of the Psalms of David. Even the comparatively literal version of Rouse is only an approximation to the 3S4 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. original Hebrew. The proof of this may be found in the very first verse of his translation. The meaning of the original stands about thus: " O ! the blessedness of the man who has Not walked in the counsel of the impious. Nor stood in the way of sinners, Nor sat in the seat of scorners !" This is rendered by Rouse as follows: " That man hath perfect blessedness Who walketh not astray In counsel of ungodly men. Nor stands in sinner's way. Nor sitteth in the scorner's chair,'' etc. The same sentiment is more elegantly but not quiio so literally rendered into English by Dr. Watts as follows: " Blcss'd is the man who shuns the place Where sinners love to meet. Who fears to tread their wicked ways. And hates the scoffer's seat." The difference between these two versions is mani festly a difference in degree rather than in kind. Neither of them expresses the meaning of the Original, much less its poetry, with absolute accuracy. Nor do I think it at all necessary that they should do so. So long as the sentiment of the Scriptures is retained, the poetry and the music of our psalmody and hymnology may be so varied as to suit all the tastes, wants, and circumstances of mankind. But every thing which is false in sentiment, or which is in any way inconsistent with the dignity and purity of the Holy Scriptures, should be excluded from every collection of Psalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. This will be still more obvious if we take into con- PRAISE. 385 sideration some of the main objects for which this part of our social worship was instituted. These are. Design and ob- I. To honor God as our Creator, Preserver, .^^"^' °^ ^mgmg ' ' 111 social wor- and Redeemer. But it is evident that he ship. should never be approached through falsehood, nor in any way that savors of lightness and frivolity. II. To cultivate and improve our own hearts. The habit of expressing our sentiments has a very powerful infiuence on the development of our intellectual, moral, and religious faculties. And hence there should be no singing done by proxy. Good order, of course, requires that in every Christian congregation some one person, assisted and sustained by a sufficient number of others, should be appointed to lead in this part of our worship. But the whole congregation should always follow and express aloud their feelings of joy, or gratitude, or peni tence, etc., as the case may be. " Let the people praise thee, O God," says the inspired Psalmist, "let all the PEOPLE praise thee." Psalm Ixvii, 3. Even in our social worship, though it is not, of course, consistent with good order that all should pray aloud at the same time, they should all, nevertheless, unite in saying the hearty amen (ro a/i^v) at the close of each prayer, i Cor. xiv, 16. III. To convict sinners and persuade them to repent. The well-known reflex influence of sympathy in popular assemblies is very great. And hence it is that the Gospel may sometimes be proclaimed even more suc cessfully by singing than by preaching. But if our psalmody is erroneous in sentiment, instead of exciting in those present a zeal which is according to knowledge, and which is elevating, refining, and purifying in its in fluence, it may, of course, only serve to produce in them a wild, debasing, and extravagant enthusiasm. 1,7, 386 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. In reply to the question whether instrumental music should now be used in Christian Churches as Instrumental music in it was anciently among the Jews, I am con strained to give a negative answer chiefly for the following reasons: I. Such a practice is wholly unwarranted by any thing that is either said or taught in the Nevt) Testament. The inspired Psalmist said to his Jewish brethren, " Praise him (Jehovah) with the sound of the tfumpet j Praise him with the psaltery and harp ; Praise him with the timbrel and dance ; Praise him with stringed instruments and orgatls j Praise him on the loud cymbals j Praise him on the high-sounding cymbals." Psalm cl, 3-5. But Paul says to all Christians, "Teach and admonish one another in Psalms, and Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, singing and making melody {i/,dXXovTeq, psalming) in your hearts to the Lord." Eph. v, 19, The antithesis here is certainly very marked, and seems to be intentional and significant. II. It is at least doubtful whether such a practice is in harmony with the tenor and spirit of the Christian Insti tution. The Old Covenant was a covenant of rites and ceremonies, but the New Covenant deals mainly with realities. The shadow was given by Moses, but the sub stance came by and through Jesus Christ. And hence it would seem to be improper to connect with our woT- ship any thing qf a mere formal or ceremonial nature, save only such rites and ordinances as God has himself prescribed and commanded. III. The tendency of instrumental music is, I think, to divert the minds of many from the sentiment of the song to the mere sound of the organ, and in this way it often serves to promote formalism in Churches. If all who. attend PRAISE. 387 religious meetings were as humble and as pious as they should be this might not be the case. All the organs and melodeons in Christendom could not seriously inter fere with the devotions of some men. But I fear that many are not yet sufficiently advanced in the Divine life to use the organ with safety in our Churches ; and perhaps when they arrive at the required stage of moral culture and spiritual development, they will not need an instrument to support and promote their devotions, IV. / am not aware that instrumental music has ever served to promote unity, peace, harmony, and love in any congregation of Christians ; but I am azvare that in some of them it has had a contrary effect. If, therefore, we may judge the tree by its fruits, it would seem necessary to exclude all organs, melodeons, etc., from at least some Churches. V. // is often at variance with the law of love. Grant, if you please, for the sake of illustration, that the use of' the organ is not wrong in itself, still if it serves to offend a weak brother, it would certainly be very un charitable in other members of the same Church to in troduce it. To any and all who insist on their right to do so, I would respectfully recommend the profound study of the fourteenth chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans. For these and some other hke reasons I am con strained to think that instrumental music should not be used in Churches. Whatever tends to division, strife, ami formality should be excluded from the assemblies of thc saints. Let all things be done in love, and let the world still have reason to exclaim with reference to our devotions, "Behold, how good and hoza pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity /" 388 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. CHAPTER IV. FASTING. It is a gracious law and provision of the human con- Pasting a nam- stitution that its nervous and vital energies lutionai n°e'ces- "^^Y' ^^ ^ great mcasurc, be concentrated and ^''y- directed to the accomplishment of one given object ; its other functions being, in the mean time, either wholly or partially suspended. Thus, for instance, if while a man feels hungry and is about to take the required sus tenance, he receives a message that his wife, or child, or some other very dear friend, is dead, he has no longer a desire -for food; his vital energies are now mainly directed from his stomach to his brain, and to him the richest viands would now be altogether loathsome. He now chooses to go, to the house of fasting rather than to the house of feasting, in order that he may give full scope and free exercise to the swellings and impulses of his soul. And hence it is that on great and solemn occasions fasting has ordinarily, in all ages and in all nations, been When, where, conncctcd wltli prayer as a means of spiritual and for what strength and religious discipline. This fact is purpose ob- o o jt served. well Illustrated by the following ordinance in reference to the most solemn of all the days of the Hebrew calendar : " On the tenth day of the Only fast pre scribed by the sevcuth mouth there shall be a day of atone ment. It shall be a holy convocation unto FASTING. 389 you, and ye shall afflict your souls,* and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. And ye shall do no work on that same day ; for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the Lord your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work : it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls : on the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath." Lev. xxiii, 26-32. See also Lev. xvi, 29-33 ; and Acts xxvii, 9. This was the only fast prescribed by the Law. But besides this the Jews observed, also, many je„ish voiun voluntary fasts : some of which were occa- '^'^ '^^'''• sional and extraordinary, and some were annual or weekly. See Zech. vii, 1-7; viii, 19; Matt, ix, 14; Luke xviii, 12, etc. The number of regular annual fasts now kept by the Jews amount to twenty-eight. Under the dispensation of the New Covenant no regu lar fasts are prescribed by Divine authority. ^ "^ Evidence that But that fasting is, nevertheless, an ordinance Fasting is a of God, and that as such it should be fre- "'"^° "^^ quently observed by all Christians, is evident from the following passages : * The word most commonly used in Hebrew for fasting is D?S ; Or., vy\ choice and fast ? when should we abstain' wholly from discretion. the use of food, and when will a partial abstinence be sufficient.' — touching all such matters there are no spe cific rules laid down in the New Testament, for the obvious reason that none are necessary. The man who really loves God, and who desires to serve him with all his heart, and soul, and mind, and strength, need not be told that it is his duty to abstain from food on this, that, or the other special occasion. It is enough for him to know that it is his privilege to do so ; that God has honored him by allowing him to decide for himself how often and to what extent he should chasten his body for the good of his soul. " Thy people," said Jehovah to his Son, "shall be freewill offerings in the day of thy power, in ornaments of holiness ; from the womb of the morning shall be to thee the dew of thy youth." Psalm ex, 3. This passage beautifully represents the cheerful service, the attractive piety, and the perpetual repro duction, in untold numbers, of the offspring and subjects of the Messiah during his mediatorial reign. Finally, as all religious ostentation is peculiarly odious and offensive to God, it would be well for all who fast, and especially for those who fast for their own personal benefit, to remember the following very impressive caution and admonition of our blessed Savior : " When ye fast be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance ; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say to you, they have their reward. But thou, when 392 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face ; tliat thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father who is in secret ; and thy Father who seeth in secret will reward thee openly." Matt, vi, 16-18. CHAPTER V. BAPTISM. This subject will be most conveniently considered Division of the uudcr the three following heads : ''"''j"'- I. The action expressed by the word bap- , tism. What is it? II. The design of Baptism. For what ends and pur poses was it instituted? III. The proper subjects of Baptism. SECTION I.— Action of Baptism. The meaning of the word baptisma (j^A'K-^tap.d) rendered baptism in the New Testament has long been a subject of controversy. Some maintain that it is a Different generic term, and that it may denote either a views enter tained of fa/- Sprinkling, a pouring, or an immersion. Others tuma and conccdc that it originally meant an immersion ; haptizo. . . but they insist that, as used by Christ and his Apostles it means only a sprinkling or a pouring. While others again maintain, that although it is used in the New Testament to denote a Christian ordinance, and has therefore in the Living Oracles a religious significance and application unknown to the ancient Greeks, it is nevertheless used here as in all other writings, in but the one definite and specific sense of a dipping or an immer- BAPTISM. 393 sion. The same diversity of views is also entertained of its cognate verb baptizo {^(nn'iC,m). In favor of the last of these views there is certainly a very strong presumption growing out of the fact that Baptism is a Positive ordinance. (See Presumption Great Commission, pp. 88-97, by the Author.) ^^,,^^^J°se'of If Baptism is an exception to the general law, these terms. that every Positive ordinance should be set forth in the plainest and most specific terms possible, then cer tainly this should be very plainly indicated to us in some way. But quite the reverse of this is true. The histor ical use of both baptizo and baptisma shows beyond all doubt, that they were severally used in both classic and Hellenistic Greek to denote but one definite and specific action. This, the reader will perceive very clearly from the following illustrations. I. — Examples from Classic Authors. ' I. Pindar, the prince of lyric poets. Was born in 522 B. C, and died about 440 B. C. In his Pythic odes (ii, 79, 80), comparing himself to a cork on a fishing net, which floats on the surface of the water, while the hook sinks beneath, he says, — " For as when the rest of the tackling is toiling deep in the sea, I, as a cork abovethe net, am unimmersed {a^aTtrcaToq) in the brine." 2. Aristotle, who flourished about 350 B. C. and who is justly celebrated throughout the world for his great ac curacy in the use of terms, says in his work " Concerning Wonderful Reports," Vol. vi, p. 136, — " They say that the Phoenicians who inhabit the so-called Gadira, sailing four days outside of the Pillars of Hercules, with an east wind, come to certain desert places full of rushes and sea-weed ; 394 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. which, when it is ebb-tide, are not immersed (jir^ ^aKze^e- adac), but when it is flood-tide are overflowed." 3. Poly bins flourished about 150 B. C. In his His tory, Book iii, ch. 72, 4, speaking of the passage of the Roman army across the swollen Trebia, he says, "They passed through with difficulty, the foot-soldiers being im mersed {^a-KTc^oiisnoi) as far as to their breasts.'' 4. Lucian, the celebrated humorist and satirist, was born at Samosata about A. D. 130 or 135. In his "True History,'' Book ii, ch. 4, while humorously describing men with cork feet as walking on the sea, he says, — " We won dered therefore when we saw them not immersed, (j3a.7:Tl^- 0/2SV0U;), but standing above the waves, and traveling on without fear." 5. Porphyry, a Platonic philosopher of Tyre, and vio lent opposer of Chri-stianity, was born about A. D. 232. In his work " Concerning the Styx," while speaking of the " Lake of Probation," in India, and the custom of making criminals pass through it in order to test their guilt or innocence, he says, — " When the accused comes to it, if he is guiltless, he goes through it without fear, having the water as far as his knees ; but if he is guilty, after proceeding a little way, he is immersed (fia:TTi^sTai) to the head." In all these examples, which might be greatly multi plied, it is quite manifest that nothing but the word itn- merse or some one of its equivalents, will satisfy the re quirements of the context. To substitute for it either sprinkle or pour, in any of these examples, would make sheer nonsense. And hence we conclude that from Pin dar to Porphyry, the classical meaning of the word baptizo was simply to dip or to immerse. BAPTISM. 395 II. — Examples from the'Creek Versions. I. The Septuagint version of the Old Testament was made in Egypt, under the patronage of Pj:olemy Philadel- phus, about 280 B. C. In it, the word baptizo {^utttc^io) occurs but four times : twice in the canonical books and twice in the Apocrypha, as follows : — (i) 2 Kings V, 14: "And Naaman went down and immersed himself [i^o.'Kx'iaaro) seven times in the Jordan." (2) Isaiah xxi, 14 : " My heart wanders, and iniquity overivhelms {l^a^Ti^sc) me." (3) Judith xii, 7: "Thus she abode in the camp three days ; and went out in the night into the valley of Be- thulia, and bathed herself {t^aTcvi^aro) in a fountain of water by the camp." ~ (4) Wisdom of Sirach xxxiv, 30 (Eng. Version, Ecclesi- asticus xxxiv, 25) : " He that immerses himself {^ar.riZ^l)- liivoi) after touching a dead body, if he touch it again what is he profited by his bath ?" In the first of these examples, the word baptizo is man ifestly used in its literal physical sense. There can be no doubt that Naaman "dipped" or immersed himself seven times in the Jordan. In the other examples the word is used figuratively ; but nevertheless it retains in every case the ground idea of an immersion. 2. About A. D. 150, Aquila, a learned Jew of Pontus, tran-slated the Old Testament into Greek. In Job ix, 31, he says, " Even then thou wilt plunge ifianrlazcc) me in corruption : " for which we have in the English Bible, " Thou shalt plunge me in the ditch." Here the idea of an immersion is quite obvious. 3. Another version of the Old Testament into Greek was made by Symmachus of Samaria, about A. D. 20Q 39^ SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. In I'sa. Ixix, 3 (2), the author represents the Psalmist as saying, " I am plunged (ifiaTTTcaSyji^) into bottomless depths." Here again we have unmistakably the idea of an immer sion. Neither pouring nor sprinkling would express the conception of the author. HI. — Examples from the New Testament. The verb baptizo {^a-KviCto) occurs in the New Testa ment eighty times, and the noun baptisma (pdnzcaim) twenty-two times. Of these, the following examples will suffice for illustration. I. Matthew iii, 5, 6: "Then went out to him Jerusa lem, and all Judea, and all the region round about the Jordan, and were immersed {l^aTtTi^ouro) by him (John) in the Jordan, confessing their sins." 2. Mark i, 9: "Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was immersed (i^oKziaQr^ by John in the Jordan." 3. John iii, 23: "And John was immersing {j3a7TTc!^ci)>^) in fE.non near to Salim, because there was much water there." 4. I Cor. X, 1,2: " Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, that all our fathers were under the cloud ; and all passed through the sea ; and zvere im mersed (i^arcTiamzo) into Moses, in the cloud and in the sea." 5. Col. ii, 12: " Buried with him in the immersion {iv Tw fjaTTTiff/jiaTi) , wherein also ye are risen with him." In all these examples, the radical idea of an immersion is made quite obvious by the terms and conditions of the context. In the first and second, this is so very plain that no other words could express the idea more clearly. In the third, the reason assigned for choosing .^Enon as a place to baptize, is wholly without significance on any BAPTISM. 397 Other hypothesis than that John was an immerser. The word .cEnon faeans a fountain, or more literally a great fountain. It comes from the intensive form of the Hebrew word aJiyin (f,J7) which means an eye or a fountain. In the fourth, the historical circumstances all go to show that the Israelites were immersed into Moses, in the cloud and in the sea. And from the fifth, it seems quite obvi ous, that in every legal baptism, there must of necessity be a symbolical representation of a burial and a resurrec tion. This is witnessed in every case of immersion; but never in a sprinkling or 2. pouring. IV. — Examples from Josephus. Flavins Josephus was born in Jerusalem A. D. 37, and died in Rome about A. D. 100. He was a Pharisee of the sacerdotal order, and was well instructed in both Greek and Hebrew literature. After the destruction of Jerusa lem A. D. 70, he accompanied Titus to Rome, where he spent the rest of his days in literary pursuits. His " His tory of the Jewish War " and his work on " Jewish An tiquities" were both written in Hebrew, and afterward translated by himself into Greek. The former was pub lished about A. D. 75, and the latter about A. D. 90. He is certainly one of the most learned of all the Hellenistic Greek writers ; and as he was contemporary with the Apostles, his writings are of the highest value and au thority in settling the question as to the New Testament meaning of the word baptizo. The following examples are sufficient to illustrate his use of this term. I. Antiquities, Book ix, ch. 10, 2 : Speaking of the case of Jonah, Josephus says, " Now at the first they durst not do so (cast Jonah into the sea), esteeming it a wicked thing to cast a man who was a stranger, and who 398 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. had committed his life to them into such manifest perdi tion. But at last when their misfortunes overbore them, and the ship was just going to be submerged (jSuTTTc^sffdM), and when they were animated to do it by the prophet himself, and by the fear concerning their own safety, they cast him- into the sea." 2. Antiquities, Book xv, ch. 3, 3 : Describing the murder of the young High Priest, Aristobulus, who at the command of his brother-in-law, Herod the Great, was drowned in a swimming-bath, our author says, " Con stantly pressing down and immersing (/9«;rr«(^ovr£(r) him, as if in sport, while swimming, they did not desist, till he was entirely suffocated." 3. Jewish War, Book ii, ch. 20, i ; Having described the retreat of Cestius, the Roman general, from the walls of Jerusalem, Josephus says, "After this calamity had be fallen Cestius, many of the most eminent of the Jews swum away from the city, as from a ship when it is going ^ to be submerged {fiaTrzit^ofisi^r^;;)," 4. War, Book iii, ch, 10, 9 : Speaking of the unequal contest between the Jews and the Romans on the sea of Galilee, he says, " And when they (the Jews) ventured to come near the Romans, they became sufferers themselves, before they could do any harm to the others, and were submerged {ii^anTcf^oi^rd), they and their ships together. And those of the submerged (jiaTtTia- OivTcoi!) who raised their heads above the water, were either killed by darts, or caught up by the vessels." Other examples might be given ; but these are quite sufficient to warrant the conclusion, that in the writings of Josephus, the word baptizo always means to immerse, submerge, plunge, or dip. To this there is no exception found in any of his works. BAPTISM. 399 V. — Examples from the Greek Fathers. As the testimony of Josephus is of the highest author ity in settling the current Hellenistic meaning of the word hapt.izo in the first century of the Christian era, so also is the testimony of the Christian Fathers, of paramount value in determining what was the practice of the primi tive Church in administering the ordinance of Baptism. This, it gives me pleasure to say, is full and unequivocal. The following examples from a few of the Greek Fathers, will suffice for illustration. I. Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, was born at or near Jerusalem, about A. D. 315, and was made Bishop in 350. In his "Instruction on Baptism" he says, "For as Jesus assuming the sins of the world, died, that having slain sin he might raisC thee to righteousness ; so also thou going down into the water, and in a manner buried {zafeiq) in the water, as he in the rock, art raised again walking in newness of life." What a beautiful and impressive com mentary is all this on Rom. vi, 4 and also on Col. ii, 12. 2. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea, and one of the most learned of the Greek Fathers, was born at CaBsarea in Palestine, A. D. 328, and died Jan. ist, 379. In his work on the Holy Spirit he says, "Imitating the burial of Christ by the immersion {dca zou l^aTTvlafmroc). For the bodies of ; hose immersed (JiaTTn^o/iivcoi) are, as it were, buried in tht, water." And again he says in the same passage, "The water presents the image of death, receiving the body as in a tomb." 3. Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, a man eminent for both his learning and his piety, was born at Antioch about A. D. 347, and died in exile A. D. 407. In his "Commentary on First Corinthians," Discourse xl, 400 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. he says, " For, to be immersed (jiar.zi^taQai) and to sink down, then to emerge, is a symbol of the descent into Hades, and of the ascent from thence. Therefore Paul calls the immersion {zo j9d7Tzia/ia) the tomb ; saying, " We were buried therefore with him by the immersion {&ia zoti ^aTzzca/iazo^) into death." Such extracts from both Greek and Latin writers might be multiplied indefinitely. But more than I have already cited would be quite unnecessary. These, in con nection with the examples taken from the Greek Classics, Greek Versions, the New Testament, and Josephus prove beyond all reasonable doubt, that the proper fror ITthe meaning of baptizo is, to iikmerse; and that bap- premises sub- tlsuia uicaus slmply an immersion. And hence we conclude that Christian Baptism consists in immersing a proper subject by the authority of Christ into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. That this, and this only, was the primitive practice, has ever been maintained by the Greek and Baptist churches : and that it was for several centuries the common, if in deed not the exclusive practice of the primitive of^filpt^sr^ Christians, is conceded by the most learned and andPaidobap- pious of the Pasdobaptlsts. The testimony of the following eminent scholars and impartial witnesses will suffice for illustration. I. Luther "On the Sacrament of Baptism" says, " The name baptism is Greek ; in Latin, it can be rendered immersion, when we immerse any thing in water, that it may be all covered with water. And although that custom has now grown out of use with most persons (nor do they wholly submerge children, but only pour on a little water), yet they ought to be entirely immersed and immediately BAPTISM. 401 drawn out ; for this, the etymology of the name seems to demand." 2. Calvin in his " Institutes of the Christian Religion," Book iv, ch. 15, speaking of Baptism, says ,"The word baptize itself signifies immerse ; and it is certain that the rite of immersing was observed by the primitive Church." 3. Dr. John Laurence Von Mosheim, speaking of the rite of Baptism as practiced in the first century of the Christian era, says, " In this century, baptism was admin istered in convenient places, without the public assem blies, and by- immersing the ^candidate zvholly in water. {Eccl. Hist., Vol. i, p. 87, Murdoch's Ed) And of the same rite in the second century, he says, " Twice a year, at Easter and Whitsuntide, baptism was publicly adminis tered by the Bishop or by the Presbyters, acting by his command and authority. The candidates f^r it were immersed zvholly in zuater!' {Eccl. Hist, Vol. i, p. 137). 4. Brenner, a learned Roman Catholic writer, in his " Historical Exhibition of the Administration of Baptism from Christ to our own times," says on page 306, " For thirteen hundred years, zvas baptism generally and regularly an immersion of the whole person under the water ; and only in extraordinary cases, a sprinkling or pouring with water. The latter was moreover disputed as a mode of baptism, nay even forbidden." 5. Conybeare and Houson in their work on the " Life and Epistles of Saint Paul," page 384, " People's Edition," bear testimony as follows : " It is needless to add that bap tism was (unless in exceptional cases) administered by im mersion, the convert being plunged beneath the surface of the water to represent his death to the life of sin, and then raised from this momentary burial to represent his resurrection to the life of righteousness. It must be a 34 402 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. subject of regret, that the discontinuance of this original form of baptism (though perhaps necessary in our north ern climates), has rendered obscure to popular apprehen sion some very important passages of Scripture." And again, speaking of Rom. vi, 4, they say, " This passage can not be understood, unless it is borne in mind that the primitive baptism was by immersion.'' 6. To the same effect is the testimony of Dr. Philip Schaff". In his " History of the Christian Church," Vol. i, p. 123, he says, "That the usual form of the act was immersion is plain from the original meaning of the Greek ^uTzzi^sti, and ftaTzziff/itx; ; from the analogy of John's bap tism in the Jordan ; from the Apostles' comparison of the sacred rite with the miraculous passage of the Red Sea, with the escape of the Ark from the flood, with a cleans ing and refreshing bath, and with a burial and resurrec tion ; and finally from the custom of the ancient Church which prevails in the East to this day." Why then, it may be asked, has the practice of sprink ling and pouring become so prevalent ? This may be readily inferred from what is immediately added ' iing^and''pour- ^y the samc learned and pious author. On ing have be- tjjg Same page of his history, he says, "Un- come so prev- . , , . . , . , ,- aient. questionably, immersion expresses the idea ot baptism more completely than sprinkling ; but 1 it is a pedantic Jewish literalism, to limit the operation of j the Holy Spirit, by the quantity or quality of the water. I Water is absolutely necessary to baptism, as an appropri- ' ate symbol of the purifying and regenerating energy of the Holy Ghost ; but whether it be in large quantity or small, cold or warm, fresh or salt, from river, cistern, or , spring, is relatively immaterial." So reasoned Cain when ' he brought of the fruits of the ground instead of a bleed- BAPTISM. 403 ing lamb, as an offering to God (Gen. iv, 3) ; and so 1 reasoned King Saul, when in violation of the 1 The reasoning command of God, he spared of the flocks of of Padobap. j the Amalekites for the purpose of offering sac- "".' °" "" ', ^ ^ ^ action of Bap- ! rifice (i Saml. xv, 15). But he was very tism, is ra- ; promptly informed by Samuel, that, " To obey '""••'"''"= is better than sacrifice ; and to hearken, than the fat of , rams.'' It is not then with us a question of either Jewish or /Gentile pedantry ; but of obedience or disobe- \dience to a positive command of God, whether The real We shall have a little water sprinkled or poured 155^6."°" on our faces, or be " immersed into the name of ;the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Let Ithe earnest inquiry of every penitent believer be simply this: "Lord, zvhat wilt THOU have me to do!' and very jsoon all controversy about the action of Baptism will cease ' in the Churches : for then, all who tremble at the word of the Lord, will be promptly buried with Christ in baptism, and rise with him " to walk in newness of life." SECTION II.— Design of Baptism. Seldom, if ever, is the full design and import of a Divine ordinance formally stated in the Holy -q^^ „f Scriptures. In this respect God often acts Cod's ordi- 1 Ml/- 1 1 • • TT 1 1 • nances not al- like the skillful physician. He has an object ways fuiiy and to be accompHshed: some disease, if you f'"-"'-^")'^-'"=d- please, to be eradicated from the human soul. He pro vides and administers the remedy, and leaves us to infer his design from the effects produced, and the general statements and incidental remarks made concerning it. This, I think, is true of Baptism ; as it is also true of the Passover, the feast of Pentecost, the feast of Tabernacles, 404 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. the Sabbatical Year, the Year of Jubilee, and many other ordinances of the Old Covenant. True, indeed, it is often stated in the New Testament Remission of ^'^'^ Baptlsm Is for (si'?) the remission of sins. sins the gener- gut thls is just as truc of faith, repentance, specific or and confession, as it is of Baptism. They are characteristic jj ^ rathcr, lu ordcr to the remission of design ot Bap- ' ' ' ''^'"- sins. Compare Mark xvi, 16 ; Acts ii, 38 ; iii, 19 ; xvi, 31 ; Rom. i, 16 ; x, 10, etc. They are all links in the chain of God's appointed means, which serve to bring the sinner under the influence of that blood which alone can procure his pardon and render him just before God. And hence, to say that Baptism is for the remission of sins is to give but its general design, which it has in common Its character- ^i^h faith, rcpeutance, and confession. But istic designs. bcsldcs this, it was, I think, evidently intended, I. To remind us of the burial and resurrection of Christ. commemora- Thls sccms cvldent for the following reasons : ^"^' I. It is certainly in harmony with the effect produced on the mind of every intelligent person who sees the ordinance properly administered. As he beholds the candidate for Baptism buried in the water and again raised out of it, he is involuntarily led to think of the burial and resurrection of Christ. 2. It is in harmony with God's gracious plan and , purpose to p^Bmmem orate fhp grg^ and leading ,jvents / of his administration by means of suitable rites and_^ ] ordiiiafic esT ' The complefion of theAdamic creation, for \ instance, was commemorated by the Sabbath ; the sparing . of the first-born of the Children of Israel when the I first-born of the Egyptians were slain, by the Passover; the giving of the Law from Mount Sinai, by the feast \of Pentecost ; the sojourn of the Israelites in the desert, BAPTISM. 405 by the feast of Tabernacles^ etc. And hence it would seem to be peculiarly appropriate that the three great and leading facts of the Gospel, viz., the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ, (i Cor. xv, 1-4,) should also be commemorated. The first has been com memorated by the Lord's Supper, and certainly nothing could more appropriately commemprate_the second and tjiird . than Christian Baptism. True, indeed, in one sense and _in_^ne aspect the Lord^s Day very forcibly reminds' us of the resurrection and triumphs of our blessed Lord and Redeemer. But an event so very important as this is deserves to be commemorated and illustrated in every conceivable way. It was not enough to sacrifice the one goat as a sin-offering on the Day of Atonement to cover the sins of the people ; a scape goat was also found to be necessary in order to bear them away into a state of complete and everlasting separation. And just so it is with respect to the resur rection of Christ. The time zvhen is historically repre sented and commemorated by- the Lord's Day ; but the act or the thing itself is symbolically represented and commemorated by the ordinance of Christian Baptism. 3. The Apostle seems to intimate this pretty clearly by connecting Baptism with the burial and resurrection of Christ. See Rom. vi, 4, and Col. ii, 12. II. To indicate to us in the most impressive way possi ble the great change which then and there takes ^ . . Symbolical of a place in our own relations ; that is, our transfer change in our from the kingdom of darkness into the King dom pr Church of Christ. Col. i, 1 3. And hence we are all baptized by.- the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ into (=1?) the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Matt, xxviii, 19. Without the / /¦ / 406 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit producing in our hearts faith, hope, love, and repentance, Baptisnv is but an abortion, and can, of course, be of no benefit to any one. There must of necessity be a renewing influence of the Holy Spirit before there can be a normal birth of water. But the man who has been begotten by the ; ¦ Spirit of God is, according to the Divine arrangement,J / introduced by his Baptism into the Kingdom of Christ, (John iii, 5,) made partaker of the Holy Spirit, (Acts ii, 38,) and constituted an heir of the eternal inheritance. Rom. viii, 12-17. III. To indicate to us, in like manner, our chatige of state; or, more particularly, our death to sin Symbolical of a -^ f change in our and our resurrectioit to a life of holiness. This point is presented with great force by the Apostle Paul in the first part of the sixth chapter of his letter to the Romans. In the closing paragraph of the fifth chapter he speaks of the great and superabounding fnllness of the grace of God in the Scheme of Redemp tion. " Moreover," says he, " the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound : that as sin has reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." But just at this point of his argument Paul perceived that the Jew would, in all probability, urge an objection. To the blind Pharisee or Sadducee this would seem to be entirely too much grace, and he would therefore, no doubt, attempt to turn Paul's whole argument into ridi cule, or to reduce it to a practical absurdity, by endeavor ing to show that its tendency would be. to induce men to sin more and more. "What shall we say, then?" would be his reply. " Shall we continue in sin that BAPTISM. 407 grace may abound?" Certainly not, says Paul. The supposition implies a manifest absurdity ; for " how," says he, "can we who have died to sin live any longer therein ?" That is, how can we who have been sepa rated from sin continue to live in it ? But, Paul, will you please to inform us when, and where, and hozv we were separated from our sins ? Why, says he, " do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into ^^hrist were baptized into his death f A little reflection on the meaning and force of the preposition into {tlq) will enable us to perceive and com prehend the force of the Apostle's argument. It is a particle of transition, and always implies a change of relations and a change of state, and hence, also, a change of influences. Thus, for instance, when a man, in order to avoid the violence of a storm, enters into a house, he is shielded and protected by the house ; when he reck lessly plunges into debt he suffers from the annoyances and inconveniences of debt ; and when he falls into a paroxysm of anger, love, or any other passion he can not but feel and experience all its various influences, whether they be for good or for evil. And just so the man who is, by the Divine arrange ment, baptized into the death of Christ is made to realize and to enjoy all the blessings and benefits of his death. And hence we see why it is and how it is that Baptism is for the remission of sins. It procures for us pardon, not by virtue of any intrinsic efficacy in itself, abstractly considered, but simply by bringing us, through the Divine arrangement, into contact with that blood which cleanses from all sin. And "therefore we are buried with him (Christ) by Baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the 408 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Compare, also. Acts ii, 38 ; Ephesians v, 26 ; Titus iii, 5 ; Hebrews x, 22, etc. IV. It is probable that baptism was intended also to typify or foreshadow our own death, burial, the final resur- and resuiTection. I. Because this is its natural and neces sary tendency. Whenever and wherever we see a bap tism properly administered, we are led to think not only of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, but also of our own. 2. Because, in i Cor. xv, 29, Paul draws from it an argument in proof of the final resurrection. "Else," says he, "what shall they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all ? Why are they then baptized for /the dead?" As much as to say, What is the meaning of ( bajjtism if there is no resurrection of the dead? On that hypothesis, why are you baptized for or on account of the dead? Of what avail or advantage will it ever be to you or to any one else thus to symbolize a falsehood ? SECTION III.— Subjects of Baptism. The law of Christian Baptism, with regard to its sub- Law of Christ jects, is thus clearly and definitely laid down XVu"fec"of ^y Christ himself, in the Great Commission: Baptism. <'Qo YE," Said hc to his Apostles, "into all THt WORLD, AND PREACH THE GoSPEL TO EVERY CREA TURE. He THAT BELIEVETH AND IS BAPTIZED SHALL BE SAVED ; BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT SHALL BE DAMNED." Mark xvi, 15, 16. Proof that this This Commisslou evidently embraces such doesrotrdude pcrsons, and such only, as are capable of hear- infants. jiig^ belicving, and obeying the Gospel. For BAPTISM. 409 if infants and idiots are included in it, then, indeed, they must all be damned with other unbelievers. But such an allegation is manifestly absurd. And, therefore, the hypothesis that the Apostolic Commission includes in fants and idiots must be false. This view of the matter is further sustained by all that is recorded in the New Testament touching " Evidence drawn the labors of the Apostles in carrying out the from the labors scope and object of this Commission. There " ^ ^°^ "' is not, in all their history, a single intimation that they ever baptized either an infant or an idiot. The uniform testimony of -the inspired record is simply this: that the people first heard the Word, and then believed, and then were baptized. See Acts ii, 41 ; iv, 4; vi, 7; viii, 12; x, 44-48 ; xvi, 30-34 ; xviii, 8, etc. And hence many even of the ablest pedobaptist writ- •ers now concede that infant baptism was not „ Concession of practiced by the Apostles and primitive Evan- many pedobap- gelists. The very learned Dr. Augustus Ne- ' ander, for instance, says: "Baptism was administered at ', first only to adults, as men were accustomed to conceive baptism and Faith as strictly connected. We have all rea- ' son for not deriving infant baptism from apostolic institu- • tion, and the recognition of it which followed somewhat \ later as an apostolic tradition serves to confirm this hy- I pothesis." Hist, of the Christ. Religion and Church, Vol. I, p. 311. Whence, then, originated the practice of infant bap tism? We will allow the very candid and origin of infant erudite Neander to answer this question. He •'"p"*'"- says: "Irenasus is the first Church teacher in whom we find any allusion to infant baptism^ and in his views of ire- , mode of expressing himself on the subject he "*''^' 35 4IO SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. leads us, at the same time, to recognize its connection with the essence of the Christian con.sciousness ; he testi fies of tlte profound Christian idea out of which infant baptism arose, and which procured for it, at length, uni versal recognition. Irenaeus is wishing to show that Christ did not interrupt the progressive development of that human nature which was to be sanctified by him, but sanctified it in accordance with its natural course of development, and in all its several stages. 'He came (says Irenaeus) to redeem all by himself, all who through him are regenerated to God, infants, little children, boys, young men and old. Hence he passed through every age, and for the infants he became an infant, sanctifying the infants ; among the little children he became a little child, sanctifying those who belong to this age, and at the same time presenting to them an example of piety, of well doing, and of obedience; among the young men he be came a young man, that he might set them an example, and sanctify them to the Lord.' "Infant baptism, then, (continues Neander,) appears Explained and here as the medium through which the princi- op"d"by^Nt- P'^ of sanctification, imparted by Christ to ander. humau uaturc from its earliest development, became appropriated to children. It is the idea of infant baptism that Christ, through the Divine life which he im parted to and revealed in human nature, sanctified that na ture from the germ of its earliest development. The child born in a Christian family was, when all things were as they should be, to have this advantage above others, that he did not first come to' Christianity out of heathenism or the sinful nature-life, but, from the first dawnings of con sciousness, unfolded his powers under the imperceptible preventing influences of a sanctifying, ennobling religion ; BAPTISM. 411 that with the earliest germination of the natural self-con scious life another, divine principle of life, transforming the nature, should be brought nigh to him ere yet the un godly principle should come into full activity, and the lat ter should find here its powerful counterpoise. In such a life the new birth was not to constitute a new crisis, be ginning at some definable moment, but it was to begin imperceptibly, and so proceed throughout the whole life. Hence baptism, the visible sign of regeneration, was to be given to the child at the very outset; the child was to be •consecrated to the Redeemer from the beginning of its life. From this idea, founded on what is inmost in Chris tianity, becoming prominent iu the feelings of Christians, , resulted the practice of infant baptism!' But immediately after Irenaeus, in the last years of the second century, "Tertullian appears as the zeal- opposition of ous opponent of infant baptism, a proof that i'"'""'^"- the practice had not yet come to be regarded as an apos tolical institution, for otherwise he would hardly have ventured to express himself so strongly against it. It seems," in fact, according to the principles laid down by him, that he could not conceive of any efficacy whatever residing in baptism without the conscious participation and individual faith of the person baptized, nor could he see any danger accruing to the age of innocence from delaying it, although this view of the matter was not log ically consistent with his own system. " But when now, on the one hand, the doctrine of the corruption and guilt cleaving to human nature, (3r„,„j „„ in consequence of the first transgression, was *''''-.'' '"f^"' baptism was reduced to a more precise and systematic form, finally deemed and on the other, from the want of duly distin- """ "" ' guishing between what is outward and what is inward in 1 412 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. baptism, (the baptism by water and the baptism by the Spirit,) the error became more firmly estabhshed that without external baptism no one could be delivered from that inherent guilt, could be saved from the everlasting pun- \ ishment that threatened him, or raised to eternal life ; and \when the notion of a magical infiuence, a charm connected \with the sacraments, continually gained ground, the theory \ was finally evolved of the unconditional necessity of infant baptism. About the middle of the third century this theory was already generally admitted in the North African Church. The only question that remained was. Whether the child ought to be baptized immediately after its birth, or not till eight days after, as in the case of the rite of circumcision." Hist, of the Christ. Religion and Church, Vol. 1, pp. 3 1 1-3 13. It seems, therefore, that infant baptism had its origin Fallacy of this i^ ^ f^lsc and mistaken view of the design theory. gf ^j^g primitive apostolic Institution. For though it is certainly true that, by means of the first transgression of Adam, the whole human race have, with out any agency on their part, been made sii*ful, it is equally true that, through the sin-offering and mediation of Christ, and without any agency on their part, they will, to the same extent, be made righteous : " Wherefore, as by one offense, sentence came on all men to condemnation, so also, by one act of righteousness, the gift has come on all men to justification of life. For as by the disobedience of. the one man the many have been made sinners, so also, by the obedience of the one, the many shall be made righteous!' Rom." V, 18, 19. To remove the influence of the sin of the first Adam from our suffering world is, therefore, the peculiar and exclusive work of the second Adam. It is a matter BAPTISM. 413 in which we can have no agency whatever. This is evident. Evidence that I. From the passage of Scripture just cited. Jjjf'^ '"m ™i'ted No language could more clearly and forcibly depravity is a matter in which express the fact that we all inherit a sinful we have no nature from the first Adam ; but neither could Xich'^'w^e" are any one, by any form of words, express more '""responsible. ¦ clearly than the Apostle has done the additional fact that our whole race, infants as well as adults, and heathens as well as Christians, will be finally and forever freed from all this inherited sinfulness, through the obedience and agency of the second Adam. II. From the fact that baptism has no infiuence zvhat ever in removing this inherited sinfulness. The baptized child is just as corrupt and as prone to sin as the unbap tized child. It is a thorn in the flesh of every human being, from which he • can never be delivered, while his soul remains in its clay tabernacle. III. From the fact that there is not in the whole Bible a single intimation that any man was ever required to be baptized or to do any thing else, in order that he might be saved, or delivered from this inherited sinfulness. Men are often called on and exhorted to repent of their own personal transgressions, but never on account of what they have involuntarily inherited from Adam. IV. From the fact that in the final judgment every man will be judged according to the deeds done in his own body, whether they be good or whether they be evil. See Matt. xxv, 31-46; John V, 28, 29; Rom. xiv, 12 ; 2 Cor. v, 10; Rev. XX, 12, 13. It is, therefore, quite probable that if the fifth chapter of Romans had been rightly understood by the Christian 414 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Fathers the practice of infant baptism would never have had a place in the history of the Church.* As the controversy about infant baptism progressed Ground of the othcr rcasous. were alleged and pleaded as a second argu- orround for contiuuing the practice. The most ment in favor of c> o i infant baptism, plauslblc of thcsc Is the argument drawn from analogy, or from the alleged identity of the two Churches under the Old and New Covenants. It is of course con ceded that infants were embraced in the terms of the Old Covenant ; and hence it is inferred by many that they are also, of necessity, proper subjects of the New Covenant. But this again is manifestly in opposition to the teach ings of the Holy Spirit in such passages as Jeremiah xxxi, Refiitationof 3 1-34 J ^ud Hebrcwsviii, 6-13. In each of this argument, thcsc there is a contrast drawn between the two Covenants ; and the points of difference are clearly and definitely stated. One of these has reference to the intellectual and moral attainments of the subjects of these two Covenants. Most of the subjects of the Old Cove nant were introduced into it by a birth of flesh. And hence it was necessary that they should afterward be taught by their fellow-citizens even to know the Lord. But not so with the subjects of the New Covenant. " These," said Jehovah, " shall all know me, from the LEAST OF THEM TO THE GREATEST." I am aware that this declaration is by many referred to the whole population of the world at a given period. * We have in the histoiy of this controversy about inherited depravity a Tendency of melancholy illustration of the proneness of human nature to the human run from one extreme to another ; and also of the evil fruits mind to run to and bitter consequences of such extremes. The Pelagian extremes. party can very easily demonstrate the errors of the Augustin ian, and the Augustinian can just as easily point out the errors of the Pela gian. But how few, alas ! of those who are wedded to such vain theories and speculations can ever discover the golden mean of inspiration ! THE L ORD'S DAT. 4 1 5 But in this sense it never was true, and never can be true while time endures. To the subjects of . . Conclusion. the New Covenant, and to them alone, it is manifestly applicable, according to all the terms and con ditions of the context. And hence there can be no infants in the New Covenant, so far as it relates to the Church militant ; but, nevertheless, all who die in their infancy will, through the rich merits of our Savior's blood, obtain an abundant entrance into God's everlasting Kingdom. And then will be fulfilled, in its highest sense, the saying, that, " Out of the mouth of babes and suck lings tliou hast perfected praise!' CHAPTER VI. THE LORD'S DAY. We have in the New Testament abundant evidence that in and^ through the death of Christ were . , . Abrogation of abolished all the typical and ceremonial' in- aii Patriarchal stitutions and ordinances of the Patriarchal ^"p^ef an'd'cere- and Jewish ages. See, for instance, Rom. """"j" with the .. ... .... death of Christ. vii, 1-6; 2 Cor. iii, 7-1 1 ; Gal. iii, 19-25 ; iv, 21-31 ; Col. ii, 14; Heb. viii, 6-13 ; xii, 26, 27, etc. And hence Paul says to the Colossians, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect to a feast, or the new moon, or Sabbaths : which things are a shadow of tilings to come ; but the substance is in Christ!' Col. ii, 16, 17. And again he says, in his letter to the Romans, " One man thinks tliat one day is better than another ; another thinks that every day is alike. Let each be fully assured in his own mind. He that regards the day, to 4 1 6, SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. the Lord he regards it ; and he that does not regard the day, to the Lord he does not regard it. He that eats, eats to the Lord ; for he gives God thanks ; and he that eats not, to the Lord he eats not, and gives God thanks." Rom. xiv, 5, 6. From these premises some persons have too hastily Erroneous con- inferred that all distinctions between days are elusions drawn j^q^ abolishcd ; that under the New Covenant from these premises. no ouc is rcqulrcd to sanctify any portion of his time to the Lord, and that all seasons are, in fact, now equally holy. But in this case we have an illustration of the very common fallacy of drawing a universal conclusion from particular premises. There is not in the passage cited the slightest evidence that the Apostle has reference to any thing more than the rites, and ceremonies, and voluntary customs of the Jews and Gentiles. And to extend his remarks any further is to commit what logi cians call the fallacy of illicit process. But that one day in seven should be sanctified wholly Evidence that to the Lord may be fairly and legitimately "eed"a'^day*of Inferred from the common physical, intellectual, sacred rest vtoral, social, and religious wants of mankind. " The Sabbath," says Christ, " was made for man!' Mark ii, 27. Of course, then, he needed it. And if he needed it in Eden, and during the Patriarchal and Jewish ages, doej he not need it still ? Does not the proper cultiva tion of his whole moral and religious nature require the sanctifying influence of a stated day of sacred rest as much now as it ever did? This question is answered in the affirmative by the light and facts of all history. Indeed, we may challenge the world to produce an instance of a Church or community THE LORDS DAT. 417 distinguished for their virtue and piety win have lived in the habitual neglect of a Sabbath — of one day in seven consecrated to the service and worship of God. I profess to have given some attention to this matter, and I think I am prepared to say that history furnishes no such ex ample. StraTige, then, it would be, indeed, if in an Institution like Christianity, gracious and benevolent in all its provisions, and designed especially for the moral and spiritual improvement • of mankind, there were 'no Sabbath — no portion of time sanctified to the Lord ! The omission of such an element would serve to mar the character of the whole Institution. We infer, therefore, a priori, that the Gospel has a Sabbath as well as the Law. But on what . Evidence 'that day does it occur? Evidently on the first the First Day day of the Week, for the following reasons : shoui'^be Taut I. On this day Christ rose from the dead, ''fiedtothe -^ . . •' ' Lord. and thus brought life and immortality to light. Surely this of itself is enough to constrain every man who has a spark of the love of God in his From the resur- Boul to consecrate the day wholly to the Lord, rection of For four thousand years previous to this event "'^'' Death had been victorious. Seventy-three generations of the human race were then confined in the charnel- house of this relentless monster. The long-expected Deliverer appeared at length in the Land of Promise. He healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, cast out demons, and for a short time rescued even Lazarus and a few others from their chains and dungeons. But Death became alarmed, and all the hosts of Satan were sum moned to the conflict. Finally, after a protracted strug gle, the Prince of Life, the only hope _of a fallen world, immersed in sufferings, bathed in blood, and pierced with 4:18 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. agonies before unknown, bowed his head and expired on the Cross ! Hope died, and all the expectations of the righteous perished ! But on the morning of the first day, what a contrast ! "A silent prisoner in the tomb Our great Redeemer lay, * Till the revolving skies had brought The third, the appointed day. Hell and the grave unite their force To hold our Lord in vain ; The sleeping Conqueror arose And burst their mighty chains." Need I say that on this event are suspended all our hopes of happiness for time and for eternity ? " If Christ is not risen, then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain." " But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Redemption has been purchased, the grave has been opened, and life and immortality have been brought to light by the great Captain of our salvation. And hence the most feeble soldier of the Cross can now sing the victor's song, " O death, where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy victory ?" Regarding, then, the First Day of the week merely as commemorative, and having no other object than simply to celebrate the triumphs of the Prince of Life, and our victories through him, does any one calling him self a Christian still ask for authority to sanctify it and to consecrate it wholly to the Lord? Tell it not in Mecca, lest the worshipers of the false Prophet rejoice. Publish it not to the world, lest those who celebrate the birthday of a Paine, a Hume, and a Voltaire triumph. Tell it not to the American patriot, whose heart with THE LORD'S DA T. 419 each and every rising sun of the Fourth of July is carried back to the scenes of "seventy-six," lest he re proach you with falsehood. II. On this day it' seems that Christ zvas wont to meet with his disciples, between the time of his res- From the exam- urrection and ascension. At least we have evi- ^'^ °^ ^'"¦'^'' dence of his meeting with them on two successive First Days, under circumstances which seem to indicate that he intended, by his example, to honor and sanctify the day. "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the dis ciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them. Peace be unto you. . . . And after eight days again, his dis ciples were within and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said. Peace be unto you," etc. John xx, 19-29. The .attentive reader of this passage will at least pause and /inquire. Why were the disciples assembled together on \ the first day of the week? Why did Jesus, on that day, jappear in their midst and bless them? Why were the Isame things repeated on the eighth day following, or tlte \ first day of the next week? To these questions enlight ened reason gives but one answer: as God gave the world an example by resting on the seventh day, so Christ has here left us an example by meeting with his disciples and blessing them on the day of his resurrection. III. On this day the Spirit came, and the Apostles were miraculously qualified for the work of their From the de- mission. We learn from Acts ii, 1-4, that the o""thr''Hoiy descent of the Holy Spirit was on the day of ^p'"'- Pentecost, and from Leviticus xxiii, 9-21, that Pentecost ;/ always came on the first day of the week. / 420 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. IV. On this day the Christian Church began, and be' ... lievers were for the first time baptized by the ning of Christ's autliority of Jcsus Clirist, itito the name of the commencement Father, and of tlic Soii, and of the Holy Spirit. ofthe Church, ggg ^^^g ^j^ ^^ .pjjjg gyg^j Jg second in im portance only to the resurrection of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Surely, then, a positive command to sanctify such a day as this \vould be wholly superfluous. V. On this day the primitive Christians were wont to meet together for the purpose of attending to From the cus- "^ ^ •' . . torn ofthe prim- tlic Lord's Suppcr aiid engaging in other acts itive Churcli. ^ . . , . , r^., . . ... of social worship. I his is evident, I. From Luke's testimony concerning the Church of Troas. Acts xx, 6, 7,: "And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came unto them (Sopater, Aristarchus, etc.) to Troas in five days, where we abode seven days. And on the First Day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech till midnight." This was not an extraordinary or called meeting. Had such a meeting been in harmony with Paul's object in meeting with the Church of Troas, he would certainly not have remained there six days without calling the disciples together: for he hasted, if it were possible for him to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. It is, therefore, evident from the whole narrative that the brethren of Troas came together, according to their usual custom, on the First Day of the week, to celebrate both the death and the resurrection of Christ. 2. From Paul's directions given to the Churches of Galatia and Corinth, i Cor. xvi, i, 2: "Now concerning the collection which is for the saints, as I ordered the THE LORDS DAT. 42 1 Churches of Galatia, so also do you. On the first day of every week {xara fiiav aappdTw!) let each of you lay some what by itself, according as he may have prospered, put ting it into the Treasury ; that there may be no collections when I come." It is evident, from all the facts and cir cumstances of this case, that the first, day of the week was designated as the proper time for making these col lections simply because that on this day the disciples of the aforesaid Churches were wont to meet together for public and social worship. 3. From the testimony of the Christian Fathers and other ecclesiastical writers. In a letter written about A. D. 72, by Barnabas, the companion of Paul, it is said, " The eighth day is the beginning of another world ; and therefore with joy we celebrate the eighth day, on which Jesus rose from the dead." About eighty years later, A. D. 150, Justin Martyr, in his Apology to the emperor Antoninus Pius, says, "On the Lord's Day all Christians in the city or country meet together, because that is the day of our Lord's resurrection; and then we read the Apostles and Prophets. This being done, the President makes an oration to the assembly to exhort them to imi tate and to practice the things which they have heard, and then we all join in prayer, and after that we cele brate the Lord's Supper; then they who are able and will ing give what they think proper, and what is collected is laid up in the hands of the President, who distributes it to the orphans, and widows, and other necessitous Christians as their wants require." See Mosheim's Eccl Hist., Vol. I, p. 135, note 10. Still thirty years later, about A. D. 180, Irenaeus says, "On the Lord's Day every one of us Chris tians keeps the Sabbath." And still later Eusebius, the father of ecclesiastical history, testifies as follows: "From 422 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. the beginning the C4iristians assembled on the first day of the week, called by them the Lord's Day, to read the Scriptures, to preach, and to celebrate the Lord's Supper." To these statements might be added the testimony of Pliny, Ignatius, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Athanasius, and Jerome, as well as that of Dr. Mosheim and other ecclesiastical historians. But this is not necessary. The facts already given concerning the Churches of Troas, Galatia, and Corinth are, of them selves, sufficient for our present purpose. They prove, beyond all reasonable doubt, that the first day of the week was, from the beginning, sanctified to the Lord by the Apostles and all other primitive Christians. VI. The proper and specific name given to this day From the ^y ^^^^ Holy Spirit shows, beyond all reason- proper name able doubt, tliat it is the duty of every Chris- given to the day _ -f j ^ by Divine au- tiau to cousccrate it wliolly to the service of iiority. ^^^ Lord. See Rev. i, lo. If, then, the first day of the week is the Lord's Day, it is not, of course, our day, and >much less is it the Devil's day. A thou sand precepts like the fourth commandment could not more clearly and specifically express God's resei'^ed right to this portion of time than the name by which he has here seen fit to designate it. What belongs to A does not belong to B. And what belongs to God does not belong to man, any further than God, as the great Pro prietor of all things, has delegated to him the right to use it. This right he has bestowed very liberally. The cattle on a thousand hills, all the fowls of the mountains, the fishes of the sea, and the entire vegetable and mineral kingdoms he has given to man in fee simple. Six days. also, out of every seven have been granted to mankind for secular pursuits, so far as may not be inconsistent THE LORD'S DAT. 423 with the glory of God and their own chief good. But one day in seven has been as certainly sanctified to the Lord as the Lord's Supper has been sanctified. If, then, some of the Corinthians were punished for appropriating some of this sacred feast to their own sensual gratifica tion, is that man any less guilty before God who apjDro- priates any portion of the Lord's Day to his own selfish or secular purposes? VII. Some of the prophetic utterances of the Old Testa ment prove, also, very clearly that it was always From the an- Gods purpose that a day of sanctified rest should '^'^'" i'''''p''='3. be consecrated to his glory and to the good of his people, under the New Covenant as well as under the Old. For the present I will cite but one example as an illustration. In Ezekiel xlvi, i, the Prophet says : " Thus saith the Lord God : the gate of the inner court that looketh toward the East shall be shut during the six working days ; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened." What is the meaning of this ? What does this Sabbath signify ? It is very evident that this prophecy relates to the future. There has not yet been a shaking in the valley of dry bones ; the twelve tribes of Israel have not yet been re stored to their own land ; the stick of Judah and the stick of Ephraim have not yet become one ; God has not yet led his unnumbered hosts against the mountains of Israel ; the great battle of Armageddon has not yet been fought in the valley of Hamon Gog ; the spirit of grace and of supplications has not yet been poured out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem ; they have not yet looked upon Him whom they pierced ; the symbolical Temple has not yet been reared, nor have the holy waters yet issued from its threshold for the sanc tification and salvation of the world. 1.24 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. The last nine chapters of Ezekiel are not, therefore, a literal description of the rites and ceremonies of the Old Institution. The old partition wall has been demolished, and will never again be erected by Divine authority. The Gospel has placed the whole world, both Jews and Gen tiles, on a common platform. "In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncirCumcision." " Now smoking sweets and bleeding lambs. And kids and bullocks slain — Incense and spice of costly names Would all be burned iu vain.'' But the name of the type is often metaphorically trans ferred to the antitype. This is very common, especially in the writings of the Prophets. And hence it is evident that the .last nine chapters of Ezekiel are but a symbol ical representation of the organization, works, services, and missionary labors of the Israelites converted to Chris tianity, when the vail shall have been taken away from their hearts and they shall have seen the end of that Old Institution which was abolished in Christ more than eighteen hundred years ago. And hence the Temple is not a building of stone and cedar, of gold and silver ; it is the Temple of the Living God, of which the tabernacle of Moses and the temple of Solomon were but mere shadows. Hence the waters which issued from under its threshold are not the overflowings of Siloam, Bethesda, or any other natural or artificial fountain, either within or without the walls of Jerusalem : they are the living waters of Calvary; they are the stream which flowed from the side of our Redeemer ; they are the same in kind which issued from the Holy City eighteen hundred years ago for the healing of the nations, and which will again burst forth with all their healing efficacy when the scattered THE LORD'S DAT. 425 tribes of Israel shall have been converted and builded into a holy Temple in the Lord, on the foundation of the Apostle and Prophets, JESUS CHRIST himself being the chief corner-stone. And hence it follows that the Sabbath here spoken of is not the seventh day of the week ; it is not the Patriarchal and Jewish Sabbath, for that will never be again restored by Divine authority ; but it is the Lord's Day, the birthday of the new cre ation.* There remains, therefore, a rest, an earthly Sab bath for the converted Jew, and of course also for the converted Gentile, "where there is neither Greek nor Jew, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free ; but Christ is all, and in all." Our obligation, then, to sanctify the Lord's Day is enforced by the analogy of the primitive Sab- summary ofthe bath ; by the laws and wants of our own phys- ""''="«¦ ical, intellectual, and morah nature ; by the highest moral, social, and religious interests of society ; by our natural desire to commemorate the great and leading events of history; by the resurrection and triumphs of the great Hero of man's redemption ; by the example of Christ, of * It is true that previous to the destruction of Jerusalem the Jewish Christians observed both the first and the seventh days of the - ..- ,. ¦' Sanctification, week. Schaff's Hist, of the Christ. Church, Vol. I, p. 129 ; also of the and Mosheim's Eccl. Hist, Vol. I, p. 85. And hence, says seventh day by Dr. Mosheim, on the same page, note (3,) " Some learned Jewish con- men labor to persuade us that in all the early churches both ''^'¦'^¦ days, or the first and last days of the week, were held sacred. But the Churches of Bithynia, mentioned by Pliny, devoted but one stated day to their public worship ; and beyond all controversy, that was what we call the Lord's Day, or the first day of the week." To this day, therefore, as the only day of the week that was ever set apart and sanctified to the Lord by apos tolic authority, the Prophet Ezekiel here evidently refers. It is here, and also in Isaiah Ixvi, 23, metaphorically called a Sabbath ; just as prooer and Christ is called a shepherd, a door, a lion, a la-mb, etc. ; but its metaphorical proper name, as given in the New Testament, is the Lord's names of the Day. *''^' '^'¦l- 36 426 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. his Apostles, and of all the primitive Churches ; by God's reserved right to a portion of onr time ; and also by the consideration that when the Jews shall have been con verted to Christ, and organized into one body, according to the pattern of Moses and the precepts of the Apos tles, they will still have a Sabbath — a holy day for holy purposes. From these premises, then, we infer that every thing is sinful on the Lord's Day which in any way Conclusions. , ... in i • • interferes with its own hallowed associations ; with the proper discipline of our own hearts, and with the proper education of our own families ; and, conse quently, that much of the traveling, visiting, reading, conversation, and other exercises of this day, are an abomination in the sight of God, and utterly inconsistent with our Christian profession. And, finally, it is evident from what is now before us, that the proper sanctification of the Lord's Day by all Christians would very greatly serve to promote their own enjoyment and to enlarge the sphere of their usefulness : that it would, moreover, be a powerful check on many of the social and national evils that now curse the world ; and that it would, also, be one of the most efficient means of bringing about that most glorious era ih the world's history, when "The wolf shall lie down with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid ; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together ; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed ; their young ones shall lie down together ; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox ; and the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, THE LORD'S SUPPER. . 427 says Jehovah ; for the earth shall be full op THE knowledge OF THE LORD AS THE WATERS COVER THE SEA." CHAPTER VII. THE LORD'S SUPPER. How very difficult it is for us, living as we do in fiouses of clay, whose foundation is in the . . . Material media dust, to rise to a just conception and appre- necessary to our elation of that which is purely spiritual! We rp"p"ci:irof now see, and hear, and taste, and feel, and "» ^^oo, to Hades), neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of joy with thy countenance." Now, says Peter in commenting on these words, David can not here refer to himself; for he is dead ; his flesh has seen corruption, as you all very well know. " But being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn to him with an oath, that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; — he seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left to Hades, nor did his flesh see corrup tion" (Acts ii, 22-31). Here again then, the application of prophecy is clear and unmistakable. (2) He proves it by the direct testimony of the Apos tles themselves ; for the confirmation of which they were ready if necessary to lay down their own lives (Verse 32). (3) He proves it by the miracle itself There were the miraculous demonstrations before them ; plain, clear, and manifest to all. These manifestations of Divine power proved not only that the Apostles were the chosen embassadors of God, and as such spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit ; but they served moreover to prove through the testimony of the Apostles, that Jesus was himself the author and worker of the miracle. "He',' exclaimed the bold and heroic Peter, " he having been ex alted to the right hand of God, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, — he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear" (Verse 33), CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. 453 (4) And finally, he proves still further Christ's exalta tion, and, by implication, also his resurrection, from Psalm ex, I. "For David," he says, " has not ascended into the heavens ; but he himself says, Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand till I make thy enemies thy footstool " (Verses 34, 35). 3. From these premises Peter very forcibly concludes that Jesus had even then begun his mediatorial reign. " Therefore," he says, " let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made that same Jesus whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ " (Verse 36). This conclusion was wholly irresistible. There was no fair way of avoiding it. The people were ¦' ° I- r Effect of pierced to their hearts by the sword of the Peter-s ad- Spirit ; and under the conviction of their own ^'^'^^ °" ** minds and sinfulness, the righteousness of Christ, and the hearts of the just claims of the Divine government on them, p=°p'"- they cried out to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do ?" In these words of earnest inquiry, we have given un mistakable evidence of faith in Christ, and also of the re newal of the Holy Spirit, as effected in the hearts of the people through the preaching of Peter. For before the delivery of his sermon, all that were the people then present, save only the one hundred and ^'"^''«go"<=n , . . , . , f. by the Spirit, twenty disciples, were without faith in Christ, through the and also without that spiritual life which unites '"''''' °^ ""^ truth. the soul of the believer to God in holiness and love. But now what a change. Many who had previ ously cried out with the multitude, " Crucify him, crucify him," are now convincfed that he is the promised Messiah ; •'the Chief among ten thousand, and the One altogether lovely." Their hearts are no longer filled with enmity to 454 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. him, but are now deeply agitated with sundry other emo tions, indicative of the new life which is springing up in their souls through the belief of the truth. And hence when they were commanded to repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus, for the remission of their sins, and in order that they might receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, they at once submitted to the Divine injunction ; and on the same day three thousand persons, begotten by the Spirit and born of water, were added to the infant Church. And just so it was in every other case of conversion re corded in the Acts of the Apostles. The people always heard the word, believed it, obeyed it, and then went on their way rejoicing. From these premises then it is an easy matter to per ceive what is the nature of faith, and what also are its proper functions. The word of God, sustained Nature of faith, and its by Its accompauying evidences, is first ad- proper func- (jrcsscd to thc Understanding, where after due tions in the _ scheme and examination it is received as the truth. But economy of this truth is " livlug and powcrful." It contains redemption. *^ ^ within itself moral elements adapted to the en tire moral nature of man. And hence we find, that unless interrupted by extraneous influences, it at once permeates the heart, and fills it with sundry living and powerful emotions. Through the heart, it affects the will ; and through the will, it helps to control the life of all who honestly receive and retain it. In the course of this proc ess, we have then clearly and distinctly marked (i) A change of views and sentiments ; (2) A change of heart ; (3) A change of will ; and (4) A change of life. These are all implied in the faith of the Gospel, though they are not all expressed by the word faith {sziaziz) as it occurs in the New Testament. The third change is commonly ex- CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. 455 pressed by the word repentance; and the fourth, by the word conversion and its cognates. And hence we find that the word faith is usually and properly applied to the first and second of the aforesaid changes. But even these are indicated by it only in part. From each of them some things must be eliminated which do not properly belong to that state of mind and heart which, in' the Holy Script ures, is commonly designated by the word faith. It seems however, when used to denote a condition of salva tion, to embrace in all cases (i) A strong conviction of the truth of the Gospel, as "the power of God for salva tion to every one that believeth ; " and (2) A firm and abiding trust in Christ, as the way, the truth, the resur rection, and the life. To believe in a fact, is simply to be fully persuaded that it did actually occur ; but to believe in Christ is, not only to believe that he exists, but also to trust in him as our wisdom, justification, sanctification, and redemption. For it is not only with the intellect but also with the heart that "man believeth .unto righteous ness " (Rom. X, 10). ' III. — Love of Christ. This is a very important element of the Christian sys tem. Without it indeed even faith itself is valueless. For "Though I have all faith," says Paul, "so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing." And again he says, " Now abideth faith, hope, Origin and and love, these three ; but the greatest of these importance of is love" (i Cor. xiii, 2, 13). It is however one °"'' '^^'''' '" Christ. of the legitimate fruits of faith, and springs up in the heart of every true believer, as soon as ho has just conceptions of Christ in his various personal and official relations, as the greatest and best of all God's gifts to 456 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. man, and the very highest manifestations of his love. " We love him," says John, " because he first loved us " (i John iv, 19). This is therefore one of the very first and clearest manifestations of that spiritual life which unites the soul of every true believer to God through Christ. Indeed " the end of the commandment is love, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned" (i Tim. i, 5). And hence we learn from the highest authority, that no one can be a disciple of Christ, who does not love him supremely (Luke xiv, 26, 27). IV. — Repentance. The word repentance {/lezduoia) means according to its etymology, a change of mind. It implies therefore that the sinner has obtained new views of Christ, How the truth , _ , , .,..,.. of God affects of Sin, and of holiness. He is made to reahze thesiunerwho ^j^^^ j^ ^^^ f^j. j^j^^^ ^j^^^ J^g^g ^^ ^ ^^^ y^^^ receives it. ^ *¦ and died. And this conviction begets in his heart a godly sorrow for his sins. As he now looks on Him who was pierced for his transgressions and bruised for his iniquities, he is himself greatly grieved in spirit on account of his manifold sins and transgressions ; and he resolves that with the help of God he will henceforth cease to do evil and learn to do well. This resolution is no sooner formed than a change begins to be effected in his life. His simple inquiry now is, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?" And having obtained an answer to this question, he " no longer confers with flesh and blood ; but with a loyal, loving, praying, and obedient heart, he at once takes the yoke of Christ upon him, and submits in all things to his will and government. Here, then, as before stated, we have given four dis tinct and radical changes. The first of these is an intel- CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. 457 lectual change, caused by the force of the truth and the testimony submitted ; the second is a change ' Four change^ of heart, brought about by the antecedent wrought in the change of the understanding; the third is a ='"""=¦¦ ''y ^ *-* ' means of the change of the will, affected by the change of tmth. the heart ; and the fourth is a change of con- „„. , , '-' Which, of duct, resulting from the change of the will, these consti^ Which then of these four elementary changes ^^^^*,^^ "" constitutes true and genuine repentajice? ment of re^ They are all essential links in the same chain ''*'"™"^°- of causation ; anfl it may therefore be conceded, that they are all implied in the word repentance. But the question is not, What 'is implied in it, but what is expressed by it, as it is used in the inspired writings ? ' That it denotes a change subsequent to that ° ^ Proof, that which is effected in the intellect by means of repentance testimony, and also to that which takes place ¦f'f'^^ •i * change of the in the heart, is manifest from such passages as intellect and the following. "Now I rejoice," says Paul, '^^l^^^ "not that -ft were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance (sJC fizzdvotm) ; for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive dam age by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repent ance QiBrdvocm) to salvation, not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world •worketh death. For behold this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge ! In all things, ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter" (2 Cor. vii, 9-1 1). From this it seems that Paul, by a prudent and judicious presentation of thc truth, had wrought a logical change in the minds, of 39 458 SCHEME OF REDE.VPTION. these Corinthians ; and this change of judgment had pro duced in turn a corresponding change in their feelings. Their hearts were now filled with godly sorrow by means of Paul's first Epistle to them. But neither of these changes constitutes repentance. It is something which follows after all this in the chain of moral causation ; for, says Paul, "Ye sorrowed to repentance;" and again he says, "godly sorrow worketh repentance." Godly sorrow, then, is essential to repentance, as an adequate cause is always essential to every effect. But repentance follows. godly sorrow, as godly sorrow itself follows also a certain class of our moral judgments. Does repentance, then, consist in a change of the will, or in a change of conduct, or in both ? Peter answers this question in Acts iii, 19, when he says to the multitude, " Repent then and turn pemllce/r'- {^^tavpsipazs) ixi ordcr that your sins may be cedes conver- wlpcd out ; and that there may come times of ^formation. refreshing from the presence of the Lord." Here the word turn manifestly expresses all that is properly included in the required change of con duct. And as repentance is antecedent to this, con^hK^ssen- ^^ foUows as a logical necessity that repentance iially 'ma coiisists propcHy and essentially in a change of cllcLtlG^C Ol the viii. the will, effected by means of godly sorrow in the heart. That his word is often used in a more comprehensive sense, so as to include godly sorrow, and also conversion and reformation of life, is, Repentance t j.i • i 'r .. c ^ c in its widest I thiuk, manilest from sundry passages ot and most Scrlpturc. Thc latter is indeed clearly im- sive sense. pUcd In the passagc already cited from 2 Cor. vii, 9-1 1. See also Matth. iii, 3; iv, 17; xi, 20, 21 ; xii, 41 ; Luke xiii, 3, 5 ; xv, 7, 10 ; xvi, 30 ; Acts CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. 459 xvii, 30; Heb. vi, l ; Rev. ii, 5, 16, 21, 22; iii, 3, 19; ix, 20, 21, etc. But the essential element of repentance in all cases is a change of the will. Genuine repentance consists always in a full and unreserved submission of the will ofthe sinner to the will of God. This change is ef fected by means of godly sorrow in the heart, and always leads to reformation of life. It is manifest therefore that repentance is the result of faith, as faith itself is the result of testimony. „ •' Relation of No testimony, no faith ; no faith, no repent- Repentance ance ; no repentance, no conversion ; no con- '° ^*'*' version, no reformation ; and no reformation, no salvation. The truth understood, begets in the understanding of the sinner, a conviction 'that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior of sinners. This conviction under favorable circumstances, penetrates the heart, and fills it with godly sorrow ; and this sorrow leads to repentance. But while it is quite manifest that there can be no repentance with out godly sorrow, and that there can be no godly sorrow without some faith in the testimony of God concerning Christ, it is at the same time equally obvious, that the faith of the sinner is in turn greatly increased and strengthened by his repentance. This arises of necessity out of the very terms and conditions of offered pardon. The promise of salvation is to those who believe, repent, and reform. But faith, as we have seen, implies both be hef in the testimony of God, and trust in God himself through Christ. But how can the impenitent sinner trust fully and confidently in God ? Manifestly, this is im possible. He may indeed, under a firm persuasion that Jesus has by the grace.of God tasted death for every man, cherish some degree of hope, and exercise some measure of trust in God, even before he fully repents of his sins. 460 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. and resolves to reform his life. But it is not until after that his will is wholly subjected to the will of How Faith . -, , _ , and Repent- God, that hc cau fully trust in God, and rely ante serve to ^^ j^j^^ ^jfj^ confidcncc for every needed bless- mutually in- crease and lug. And hcncc it is that faith and repentance strengthen j^^^^ always a mutual and reflex influence on one another. -' each other. Faith leads to repentance, while repentance again serves very greatly to increase our faith ; and especially that element of it which we call trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. From these premises, then, the necessity of repentance in order to salvation is very obvious. v.— Conversion. . Conversion means simply and properly a turning. (intffzpowri) : but in a religious sense, it means In what Con- ^, ' \''' . . ^ ,, ,, version cott- the tumiug of 3. siuucr mentally, morally, and; »'=«¦¦ physically, from the service of Satan to the service of God. True indeed it has reference primarily to the turning of the soul ; but this involves also of ne cessity a turning of the body ; for as is the soul of a man religiously, so also are all the outward manifestations of his life. If his will is to serve " the world, the flesh and the Devil," then indeed his whole life will be given up to " the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life." His face will be hellward ; and every step he takes will be toward the bottomless pit, prepared for the Devil and his angels. But let his will be changed, and then also his life will change with it. As his mind turns, so also his body turns. His face is now heavenward ; and every step of his life now brings him nearer and nearer to the celestial city " whose builder and maker is God." And hence it is that conversion always implies a \ CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. 46 1 turning of the body, as well as of the soul and spirit to God. The man who turns mentally from dark ness to light and from the power of Satan to genninTcon- God, at the same time .ceases to do evil, and ''"^'°°- learns to do well. His only inquiry now is, " Lord what wilt thou have me to do ? " and henceforth his whole life is devoted to the service of God. Otherwise we are con strained to believe that he is really not a converted man. "Hereby we know," says John, "that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected : hereby know we that we know him. He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk even as he walked " (i John ii, 3-6). It is ea.sy therefore to perceive the impor tance and necessity of conversion. Christ co^nverliL." came, not to save men in their sins, but to save them from their sins. And hence the cry of Mercy to all is, " Turn you, turn you ; for why will you die ? VI. — Prayer. Prayer is the natural outpouring of every believing, grateful, and penitent heart; and hence it is Prayer an ev- always one of the very first indications that the idenceofcon- soul has been truly converted to God. I do '"="'™- not say that this alone is in all cases sufficient evidence of conversion. Sometimes men are prompted to pray from motives of mere selfishness. They are convinced that God is, a.nd that he bestows his blessings in response to the prayers of his people. And feeling, as they do, their own weakness and utter insufficiency, they often, in times of severe trial and affliction, instinctively and self- 462 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. ishly pour out their prayers and supplications to him for mercy. But no prayer is acceptable to God which does not flow from a heart that is truly converted to him. " He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law,'' says Solomon, "even his prayer shall be an abomination" (Prov. xxviii, 9). But when the heart is really converted to God, it as naturally seeks after him, as it seeks for the common comforts and blessings of life. " Behold he pray eth" is the testimony of Jesus himself in proof of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (Acts ix, 11). And what was true of Saul, is also true of every one who like him feels deeply his own spiritual poverty and wretchedness, and his great ne'ed of salvation, through the infinite merits Prayer.acon- ^^ 0"'' Savlor's blood. Praycr is therefore as dition of par- really a condition of pardon and church fellow ship, as is faith, or repentance, or confession, or baptism. Were it otherwise, Joel and Paul would never have said by the Spirit, " Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Joel ii, 32 ; Rom. x, 13). But by this I do not mean, that when a man believes, repents, and is converted, he has nothing more to do Prayer, to be than slmply to pray that God would pardon his acceptable, glu and bcstow on him the gift of the Holy must be fol- _ . . ^^ . . lowed by obe- Spirit. Certainly not. He must pray ; and if dience. jjc Is a truly and thoroughly converted man he will pray ; and he will pray for the pardon of his sins as well as for every other needed blessing. But he will do more than this. God hears and answers the prayers of the obedient. And hence Ananias said to Saul, "Why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." This is still Heaven's order of pardon. It is not faith alone, nor re pentance alone, nor conversion alone, nor prayer alone. CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. 463 nor confession alone, nor baptism alone, but all of these combined in God's own appointed order, that secures for us the forgiveness of our sins through the rich merits of our Savior's blood. And hence it follows that every be lieving penitent should, like Saul of Tarsus, be instructed to arise and wash away his sins, " calling on the name OF THE Lord." VII. — Confession. It is said of Christ, that before Pontius Pilate he wit nessed " the good confession ; {zr^v xaXr^v ofiol.oycai) ; and of Timothy that he confessed " the good confession " {zi^v xa/.ijv 6/io?.oyiau) before many witnesses (i Tim. vi, 13). And after the same formula of speech, thl't^ar'the all Christians are exhorted to hold fast " the members of r ¦ » /TT I ¦ 1 \ T^ ^^^ Apostolic confession (Heb. iv, 14 ; x, 23, etc). From church made such expressions, then, it is very manifest that, ap"ti"<: ""- , ¦ 1 f fession of in the Apostolic Church, a particular truth, most ti.eir faith. likely expressed in a given formula of words, was publicly Confessed by all candidates for church mem bership, and which on account of its very important practical bearings in the scheme and economy of redemp tion was commonly known and designated as "THE GOOD CONFESSION." This seems to be implied in the use of the definite article in all cases where this con fession is spoken of But what was this "good confession," to which so much prominence is given in the New Testament ? The answer to this question is, I think, found in Matth. xvi, 16. " When Jesus came into the , ^ ^, ' '' ^ ^ ^ In what this coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disci- good confes- pies, saying, Who do men say that I the Son ^^- ---'=• of man am? And they said. Some say that thou art John the Baptist ; some, Elias ; and others Jere- ,464 ^SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. mias, or one of the prophets. He said unto them. But who say ye that I am ? And Simon Peter answered and said. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona ; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in Heaven. And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter i^szpot^, and upon this ROCK {fikzpd) I will build my Church ; and the ^ates of Hades shall not prevail against it " (Matth. xvi, 13-18). From this it seems pretty .evident that it was the purpose of Jesus to build his Church on the funda mental truth that he is himself the promised Messiah, the Son of the living God, by requiring all who would become members of his Church to confess this truth as did Peter. And if so, then it follows that the confession of Peter is really " the good confession " of the Church, the same that was made by Timothy before many witnesses. And this view of the matter is further supported by the fact that Christ himself made this confession before Caiaphas (Matth. xxvi, 63, 64), and no doubt also before Pilate (I Tim. vi, 13). True indeed this is nowhere recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke or John ; but neither is the impor tant saying of Christ, found in Acts xx, 35, recorded by any of these four witnesses. And as John tells us that he had purposely omitted in his narrative, many of the sayings and doings of Christ, we have no right to call in question the accuracy of Paul's statement as given in his first Epistle to Timothy. The central -^ . andfunda- ^i ^uy further evidence is needed on this mental tmth point. It may be found in the fact that the truth of the whole Bible. confessed by Peter is in fact the great central and fundamental truth of the whole Bible ; for " the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy " (Rev. CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. 465 xix, 10). "To him gave all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him, shall re^ ceive the remission of sins " (Acts x, 43). The confession of Peter is therefore one of the most wonderful general izations in the whole Bible. To believe it understand ingly, is in fact, to believe all that is recorded in both the Old and the New Testament. And hence it is eminently proper that this fundamental truth of the Christian reli gion should receive the prominence that is given to it by Christ and his Apostles ; and that while it is believed with the heart, it should also be confessed with the mouth that " Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God " (Rom. X, 10). It is manifest moreover that this fundamental truth may with propriety be regarded as the Creed of the Church ; and many do so actually consider church. it. But as the word creed is now commonly used to denote not only what we beheve as essential to our salvation, but also what we receive as our authorita tive standard of faith and practice, it may be best to call the whole Bible, Old Testament and New, our Creed. For " all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profit able for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruc tion in righteousness, that the man of God may be per fect, thoroughly furnished for every good work" (2 Tim. iii, 16). VIII. — Baptism. The man who has been begotten by the Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ ; who has repented of ^ Qualifications his sins ; has been converted to God ; and who for Baptism. with an humble, loving, prayerful and obedient heart has made " the good confession," is now ready in submission to the authority of Christ, to be baptized 466 SCHEJUE OF REDEMPTION. "into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matth. xxviii, 19). This is the next step in the economy of grace ; and in this, he, according to the Divine appointment, receives through Benefits re- . • ¦ ' r n i_ ¦ ceived in and thc blood of Christ the remission ot • all his through Bap- g,. g-^^g (Mark xvi, 16 ; Acts ii, 38 ; xxii, 16) ; is formally introduced into the kingdom of God (John iii, 5) ; and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts ii, 38 ; Gal. iv, 6), as an earnest ofthe eternal inher itance, " until the redemption of the purchased posses sion" (Eph. i, 13, 14). Having died to sin practically, it is fitting that he should be buried with Christ in baptism, and rise with him "to walk in newness of life " (Rom. vi, 4 ; Col. ii, 12; iii, i). Henceforth Sin has no longer domin ion over him ; but as the servant of Righteousness he now brings forth fruit unto holiness, and rejoices in hope of the glory of God. From our present stand-point and the premises sub mitted in this chapter, we are now prepared to explain to advantage certain alleged difficulties, which are by some regarded as inconsistencies in the Christian economy. We see, for instance, I. Why it is, and how it is that the offered conditions of pardon and church membership seem to dif- AUeged in- * consistencies fcr SO much under different circumstances. in the condi- j^^^g g^^jj ^^ j^jg A stieg .. He that believeth tionS of of- "^ r- » fered pardon and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark xvi, 16); m"emberehip. ^^^^ Pctcr Said to the inquiring multitude on the day of Pentecost, " Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the re mission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts ii, 38) ; and Paul and Silas said to the Phil ippian jailer, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Clirist, and thou CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. 467 shalt be saved, and thy house'' (Acts xvi, 31) ; while Ananias, as we have seen, simply said to Saul, " Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts xxii, 16). These instruc- .„ , ^ ' Explanation tions may at first seem to involve some incon- of these ap- sistencies. But they are all plain to him who '''"^'"" '?'^" J ^ crepancies. understands properly the conditions of pardon, and who at the same time takes into due consideration the various circumstances of the persons and parties ad dressed. For as we have already seen, the faith of the Gospel, from its very nature, always implies of necessity the obedience of the Gospel. It is not, as we have shown, a mere logical assent of the understanding to the truth of the proposition that "Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God ; " but it is a living, active, fruit-bearing principle, which, while it has its root in the understanding, at the same time pervades the heart ; and through the heart it influences the will ; and through the will it controls the life. And hence it is often given as a summary of all that is required of the sinner in order to salvation. Thus, for instance, to the jailer who knew nothing of Christ, nothing could be more appropriate than the address of Paul, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house ; " but to the inquiring Pentecostal believers, the response of Peter, " Refjcnt and be baptized," was better adapted, than would have been such a reply as Paul made to the jailer. And in the case of the believing, praying, and penitent Saul of Tarsus, nothing more was necessary than simply to say to him, as did Ananias, " Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." And hence it must be evident to every reflecting mind, that the laws of the Kingdom of heaven are like the laws 468 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. of nature, uniform. Whatever was required of any one person as a condition of pardon and church membership, is still required of all. 2. We see how it is that we are said to believe into (e^c) Christ (John i, 12; iii, 15, 16, etc.), and also to be baptized into (e/f) Christ (Matth. xxviii, 19; Gal. iii, 27, etc). Here again there is really no discrepancy. For it is not by faith alone, nor by repentance alone. How it is that •' . we both be- nor by prayer alone, nor by confession alone, cMst'lnd "^'^ ^y baptism alone, nor even by love alone, are baptized but by vlrtuc of all these combined, that we put mto rist. ^^ Christ, and so become members of his body. We say, for the sake of illustration, that the Mississippi river floats steamboats. But where ? At its source ? No ; but after that it has united with sundry other streams. And just so it is with respect to our faith. It too is a stream, a living stream which runs through the whole Christian life, and gives character to every thought, and word, and action. Faith then in connection with re pentance, love, prayer, confession, and baptism, puts us into Christ, and gives us a right to all the privileges of the sons of God. 3. We see why it is, that so many things are for or in order to the remission of sins. In Matth. xxvi, 28, for in stance, it is said that the blood of Christ was quirements in shcd for (sfc) thc rcmisslon of sins ; in 'John order to the jij^ jg. ^cts X, 43; xvi, 31, and many other remission '^f "i, , sins. parallel passages, it is very clearly implied that faith is for the remission of sins ; and in Acts ii, 38, repentance and baptism are both specifically required for (ejc) the remission of sins. So also it might be very easily shown that conversion, love, prayer, and confession are all for the remission of sins. But to the CONDITIONS OF ME.MBERSHIP. 469 careful and diligent student of the economy of redemp tion, it is scarcely necessary to say that the preposition for in these several cases is used senses in in very different senses, and is expressive of "''"<='^'''= . ^ preposition very different relations. It .has of course in >#-isusediii all such instances the same general significa- ^""^'"^^¦ tion ; but it is used specifically in different senses, accord ing to the nature and character of the antecedent or con sequent. The shedding of Christ's blood, for instance, was necessary not only to purge our consciences from dead works, and to so qualify us in various ways for the service of the living God (Heb. ix, 14) ; but it was fur thermore also necessary to so meet and satisfy the claims of the Divine government on man, as to make it possible for'God to be just in justifying every one that believes in Jesus (Rom. iii, 25, 26). But not so with regard to faith. There is really nothing meritorious in it ; nothing to make an atonement for the sin of any one. It is how ever absolutely necessary in order to so prepare the sin ner's heart, as to make it morally possible for God to pardon his transgressions, even by virtue of the blood of Christ. And hence it has in all ages and under all cir cumstances been required as a condition of forgiveness in case of personal transgressions (Rom. xiv, 23 ; Heb. xi, 6). And the same is also true of repentance. The will of the sinner must yield to the claims of the Divine gov ernment, or, by a moral necessity, he must be banished " with an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power" (2 Thess. i. g). But baptism is a positive ordinance. It has no founda tion in nature ; but it depends for its existence and its place in the economy of redemption, solely on the will and appointment of the Divine Lawgiver. Thousands 470 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. during the Patriarchal and Jewish ages were saved with out it ; and if any are now really in like circumstances, we may indulge the hope that they too will be saved, as were Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. But like the for bidden tree in the garden of Eden, baptism is given under the Christian dispensation as a test of our loyalty to God. And hence it follows, that the man, who, with the New Testament in his hand, willfully neglects this Divine or dinance, shows by this very omission of duty, that his heart is not right in the sight of God ; and he has there fore need that some one teach him the way of the Lord more perfectly. 4. We see how it is, and in what respect it is, that both God and man have an agency in the work of regen eration. To God, and to him alone it belonged an°d manC^ ^o provldc salvatlou for our lost and perishing work in the worfd. In thls part of the work man could do economy of ¦,. i,, ,• t-» ^-.. redemption. nothiug ; absolutcly nothing. But " God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John iii, 16). Nor was this all : but knowing as he did our ignorant, fallen, and help less condition, he sent also his Spirit to beget in us a new life through the word of truth, and so to help our infirm ities, as to give us a victory " over death and him that has the power of death." And hence we may all say with Paul, " By grace ye are saved through faith ; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph. ii, 8). But nevertheless it has pleased God to make our enjoy ment of the great salvation depend in a great measure on our own voluntary agency. " Not every one," says Christ, "that saith unto me. Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. 47 1 Father who is in heaven" (Matth. vii, 21). And h'ence it is, that in the whole economy of redemption, man's own natural powers are always called into requisition so far as they can be made available. His ear, for instance, is made the medium through which the word of truth is comnjunicated to his understanding ; his understanding is made the medium of access to his heart ; his heart is used to influence his will ; and his will is made the regu lator of his life. Thus it is that God encourages and re quires us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, while he himself works in us " both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil, ii, 12, 13). The wisdom and benevolence of this arrangement will, on a little reflection, appear obvious to all. For in this way God permits and enables men ^ttTence"'^ (i) To demonstrate their loyalty to himself "f God's ar- andto his government; (2) To educate them- ^XgTlan selves for higher spheres of enjoyment both ^" ^z'^^'^y in here and hereafter ; and (3) To imitate Christ, redemption. as good stewards of the manifold grace of God, by doing good to all men as they have opportunity. And hence we find that the most pious and godly men have al ways been the most active and zealous in every good work. 5. Finally, we see in this whole arrangement of the economy of redemption multiplied evidence of , ". _ '- . - Evidence that its Divine origin. What earthly legislator, the Oospei is governor, king, or potentate would ever think °!^^™°= °"- of offering pardon to his rebel subjects on such conditions as the foregoing ? To open all jails, prisons, and penitentiaries, and say to the depraved in mates. You may all go free, and enjoy the highest, hon ors, privileges, and emoluments of the commonwealth, on condition that you confess your faults, bow to the author- 472 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION, ity of the government, and live in harmony with its re quirements, — such a course, as every one knows, would very soon result in the overthrow and ruin of any earthly monarchy. But God's thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor are his ways as our ways. But as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are his ways above our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts (Isa. Iv, 8, 9). And hfence he has offered to all men pardon, justification, sanctification, and redemption, on terms which, though without a parallel in the history of all human govern ments, are nevertheless alike honorable to God himself and to man who was made in his image and after his likeness. And now we realize that in the economy of grace, " Mercy and Truth have met together ; Righteous ness and Peace have kissed each other" (Psa. Ixxxv, 10). CHAPTER II. DUTIES OF CHRISTIANS ; OR, THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF CONTINUED MEMBERSHIP, AND OF FINAL ADMISSION INTO GOD'S EVERLASTING KINGDOM. In the Commission given by Christ to his Apostles, Three items Matt, xxvlli, i8-20, they wcrc required, Te'^Grtat'' ^- ^o make disciples of all the nations. Commission. ii_ fo baptlzc them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. III. To teach them to observe all things which Christ hkd commanded them, and which the Holy Spirit would bring to their remembrance. To ascertain definitely and precisely what all these things are would require a critical analysis and examin ation of all that is taught in the New Testament, from DUTIES OF CHRISTIANS. An the beginning of Acts to the end of Revelation. But for such a work I have neither the time nor Detailed ac- the space at present. All that I aim to give ™"" °^ "'= * ^ o things com- in this chapter is a very brief outline or sum- manded. mary of Christian duty. Such a summary is contained in 2 Peter i, 5-1 1. The Epistle is addressed summary of to Christians;* to those who, through faith; christian duty. repentance, confession, and baptism, had been received *In the New Testament the members of the Christian Church are variously designated as follows : „ ; J Names given I. 1 hey are called Disciples (^0.61^7,^, learnei-s, from f.avei.vu, ;„ ,i,e New to learn,) Acts vi, 1, etc., because they professed to follow Testament to Christ as their Teacher. In like manner the pupils of the »'¦« followers of ancient Philosophers and Rhetoricians were called their Christ. disciples. II. They are called Christians, (xpt-nTiavoi, from XptirTo!, Christ,) Acts xi, 26 ; xxvi, 28 ; I Peter iv, 16, because they professed to be the followers of Christ. It has long been a question whether this name was at first given to the Disciples by the heathen, or whether they voluntarily assumed it them selves, or whether it was given to them by Divine authority. Be this as it may, one thing is very certain, viz., that this name was, in a short time, re ceived and indorsed as appropriate by the Apostles themselves, (i Peter iv, 16, and James ii, 7 ;) and very soon after the death of the Apostles it became the common distinguishing appellative of all the followers of Christ. This is evident from the writings of Tacitus, Lucian, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Archelaus, Eusebius, Chrysostom, etc. The apostate Emperor Julian, wish ing to deprive them of a name in which they so much gloried, ordered that they should be called, not Christians, but Galileans. Greg. Nazianzen. Oral, iv, 86, p. 114. III. They are called Believers, (irio-revoi'Te! and jtio-toi,) Acts v, 14, and i Tim. iv, 12, because of their belief in Christ. IV. They are called saints, (oyiV., pure^ Acts ix, 13, 32, 41, etc., with reference to their consecration to God and the purity of their aims and objects. V. They are called Brethren, (i.U\^o\, brothers^ Acts ix, 30 ; x, 22, etc., with reference to their relations to each other. VI. They are called the Chosen or the Elect, (iKkeK-ioi, from inXeya, to select,) Rom. viii, 33 ; Col. iii, 12, etc., because they are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, in order to obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. I Peter i, 2. VII. They are called the People of God, (koAi toC 0eoD,) Hebrews iv, 9 ; i 40 4 474 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. into the Church of Christ. To all such the Apostle says : " Giving all diligence, add to your faith heroism ; and to heroism, knowledge ; and to knowledge, temperance ; and to temperance, patience ; and to patience, godliness ; and to godliness, brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and can not see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if ye do these things, ye shall never fall ; for so an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!' It would be very difficult to give a more plain and simple directory to any one, and for any purpose, than that which is here given by the Apostle to all Christians, respecting the way of holiness. A few words of expla- Peter ii, lo ; and the Children of God, (rticra ©eoi!,) i John iii, i, 2, etc., be cause of their covenant relation to him. VIH. They are reproachfully called by the Jews Nazarenes, (Na^oipoloi,) Acts xxiv, 5. The primitive Christians had an intense feeling of opposition to all human and party names ; and for a long time they held to the Primitive op- „^jjjg Christian as a symbol of unity, and as a safeguard position to ...iTi- ^ ^ . party names. against all schisms. Gregory Nazianzen says, Jibout A. D. 350 : " I honor Peter ; but I am not a Petrian : I honor Paul ; but I am not a Paulite ; because I am of God. He is my Father." Epiphanius says : " The general Church is called by but one name. Sects only are called after their founders : as the Donatists, Manichaeans, etc So also testifies Chrysostom, Basil, Augustine, etc. 1 he name Catholic (koBoKucos, KitoKm, «aio, and oAot, on the whole, general) originated from an intense feeling of opposition to all sects CatMic'^ ancl parties. For a time it was used merely as an epithet, but afterward it became the distinctive ««?/« of the Church. The common style of confessors in the- third century was this : " Christian is roy name, and Catholic is my surname." DUTIES OF CHRISTIANS. 475 nation and illustration are all that is here necessary for our present purpose. Notice, then, I. The preface to this directory: "Giving all dili gence, add," etc. This implies a great deal ; ^^^ ^^j^^^ but nothing more than is really necessary, ^ive character T 7 1 r ij 1 r ¦ T r 1 T 1 of the Preface I. In order to the full and faithful discharge to this di- of our duties to- God. We are not our own. ''"""¦y- We have been bought with a price. Our bodies, our spirits, our time, our influence, and our all, t^ ' ' ' ' Threefold ne- belong to God. He has, therefore, the right cessity ofaii to require all this of us ; and it would cer tainly be very ungrateful and wholly inexcusable on our part to withhold it. 2. It is necessary in order to the preservatidn and increase of our own spiritual life, health, and happiness. There can be no growth nor progress in the Divine life without activity. And hence it is that God has most wisely and benevolently permitted us to cooperate with him in the great work of saving ourselves and redeem ing a world. It is, indeed, a striking evidence of the Divine origin and adaptation of the Scheme of Redemp tion that it does not leave dormant and unemployed a single faculty of our nature. It calls into active exercise for the sake of our own happiness and improvement all the powers and susceptibilities of our bodies, our souls, and our spirits. And hence we are exhorted and encour aged to work out our own salvation with fear and trem bling, while God himself works in us both to will and to do his own good pleasure. Phil, ii, 12, 13. 3. It is essential to our own usefulness and the fulfill ment of our various obligations to society. Christ has, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man. He has, by his atoning sacrifice, rendered it possible for God to 476 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. be just in justifying every true believer. But he has committed to us the word .of reconciliation. To us it now belongs to preach the Gospel "to every creature, and to do good to all men as we have opportunity. Gal. vi, lo. And to do this as it ought to be done will certainly require all diligence on our part. II. Notice, secondly, the several specifications of this Specifications Dlviuc dircctory, and which are to be sought of the Chris- ^fj-gj. ^.^^ cultlvatcd with all diligence. These tian s Oirec- toi-y- are, I. Heroism, {dpETTj, from 'A'pTjz, Mars, the god of war) This term is not equivalent to virtue in general, but it seems to include all the heroic virtues, such as courage, fortitude, manliness, bravery, and intrepidity. Every Christian must be a soldier of the Cross. As he rises from the liquid grave he enters the army of the faithful and engages in the mightiest conflict that is known in the annals of earth and time — a conflict that will never end till the last enemy. Death, shall be destroyed. Hence he has need of courage and bravery to meet danger, of fortitude and manliness to endure the trials of the con flict, and of intrepidity anc? vigilance so as to be always ready not only to meet the assaults of the enemy, but also to carry forward the standard of the Cross and put to flight the armies of the aliens. 2. Knowledge, {yvugig) that is, the knowledge of his calling. It is very pleasant in some respects to have a knowledge of every thing. But much of this would be of but little value to any one as a means of saving him self and the world around him. "This is eternal life," said our Savior, "to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." John xvii, 3. It is to the study of the Bible,- therefore, and such other DUTIES OF CHRISTIANS. A77 sciences merely as will serve to illustrate its sacred pages that the Christian is required to give all diligence. 3. Temperance, {eyxpdteta; from Iv, in, and xpdroq, strength) This term is equivalent to self-government. It implies that the Christian should have the mastery of all his powers, passions, and appetites. For " he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty ; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city," Prov. xvi, 32. 4. Patience, {ono/imTJ, a remaining behind) This means simply patient endurance. Trials are now necessary for the purpose of developing and cultivating all our virtues. Rom. V, 3, 4; 2 Cor. iv, 17; Heb. xii, 5-13, etc. But it is only to those who are properly exercised thereby that they bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness. And hence we should labor to let patience have her perfect work, that we may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James i, 3. 5. Godliness, {thal^sia; eu, well, and irifiio, to honor, worship) Under this term, is embraced simply that ardent piety which keeps the heart ever glowing with spontaneous feelings of love, reverence, and gratitude to God, and which serves, therefore, to make us like him. 6, Brotherly-kindness {ipdaStXipia; ixoxti e Jewish Age. received no light from the Sun, the Moon, or the stars. A fourfold covering of fine linen, goats' hair, rams' skins, and badgers' skins excluded every ray of external light from the inner Courts of that symbolic edifice, but the Priests who walked in the light of the Shekinah and golden Candlestick had no need of the light of nature. But still more full and glorious was the light of the Sun of Righteousness. Looking down Thirdly, from through the long vista of future ages, Isaiah speSng^the"' beheld the wilderness and the solitary places christian Age. rejoicing under the genial and transforming power of this most glorious luminary of the moral universe. Under his renewing influence the eyes of the blind were opened, the 496 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION, ears of the deaf were unstopped, the lame man leaped as a hart, the tongue of the dumb began tb sing, and the way of holiness became perfectly plain to the eye of the astonished Prophet. This way seems to have especially attracted his at tention ; and therefore he very narrowly and carefully considered whatever he saw upon it. The passengers were all men and women of holy and spotless character. There was no lion there, nor any other kind of ravenous beast ; and no unclean person polluted it. But there were the pious of every rank and order. There was the true philosopher ; and there was the man of the weakest intellect — one " who never had a dozen thoughts In all his life, and never changed their course, But told them o'er, each in its customed place, From morn till night, from youth till hoafy age. Little above the ox which grazed the field His reason rose : so weak his memory That the name his mother called him by he scarce Remembered ; and his judgment so untaught, That what at evening played along the swamp Fantastic, clad in robe of fiery hue, He thought the Devil in disguise, and fled With quivering heart and winged footsteps home. The word philosophy he never heard, Nor science ; never heard of liberty, Necessity, nor laws of gravitation : And never had an unbelieving doubt" And yet that man was one of the Redeemed : he was one of the ransomed of the Lord, who were returning and coming to Zion with songs and everlasting joys on their heads ; and who shall hereafter walk the golden streets of the New Jerusalem. This glorious vision of the Prophet was even more than realized by the Primitive Church. In Jerusalem, for instance, through the simple instrumentality of the THE BIBLE ADAPTED TO MAN. 497 Word of God and the demonstrations of the Holy Spirit, three thousand persons were on one day trans- Fourthly, from Isated from darkness to light, and from under 'I"' '''"°''5' °^ *-* the Primitive the power and dominion of Satan into the chmch. Kingdom of God's dear Son. No doubt was then enter tained about the Apostles' meaning. The way of salva tion was made so very plain that all understood it. The people simply heard the Word ; they believed it ; they obeyed it ; and on the same day or night, as the case might be, they zvere added to the congregation off he saved. See Acts, passim. But they did not stop there. They continued steadfast in the Apostles' teaching, and in the fellowship, and in the breaking of the loaf, and in the prayers. And great grace was upon them all. Acts ii, 41—47. Why, then, has not this happy state of things always continued in the Church ? Why has not „„ ^, . ¦^ why Chris- Christianity, ere this, triumphed over all op- tianity has not, .. ^TTTi 1 1 1 • T r , • ^'"^ iMx?,, uni- position ? Why have the kingdoms of this versaiiy tri- world not yet become the kingdoms of our "'"p''^'^- Lord and of his Christ ? Why has not every city on earth become a Jerusalem ? And why has not every succeed ing day of the reign of Heaven been a new Pentecost ? It is not because the Gospel has changed. It is not because the Bible is now less adapted to the genius, wants, and circumstances of man than it was eighteen hundred years ago. But it is simply because the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ have not alzvays, like the primi tive Christians, continued steadfast in the Apostles' teaching. Like the ancient Jews, they have committed two great evils ; they have, in a great measure, ignored the Bible, and they have substituted for it the vain and empty dreams and speculations of human philosophy. 42 498 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. These are certainly very strange and marvelous phe nomena in the history of human nature. We might Unreasonable- rcasouably suppose that the children would ness of this havc Icamcd more wisdom from the experience course of con- ^ duct. of their fathers: that four thousand years of darkness, superstition, misery, and crime, would have taught mankind the folly of attempting to solve the great problems of human happiness and human destiny, with out the aid of Divine Revelation ; and that no one who had once beheld the full-orbed glories of the Sun of Right eousness would ever again be bewildered by the ignis fatuus of an empty, deceitful, and false philosophy. " When the young eagle, with exulting eye. Has learned to dare the splendor of the sky, . And leave the Alps beneath him in his course, To bathe his wings in morn's empyreal source ; Will his free wing from that majestic hight Descend to follow some wild meteor's light. Which far below, with evanescent fire. Shines to delude, and dazzles to expire ? — No ! still through clouds he wings his upward way, And proudly claims his heritage of day." But it should be remembered that the eagle has never suffered from the evil and pernicious influences of a false Howaccounted cducatlon. It has never felt the enslaving *°''- power of prejudice. This is one of the evil demons that are found only in the human heart ; and it is, moreover, the very last of the legion that relinquishes its dominion over the powers and susceptibihties of the soul. The Apostles were certainly as free from its influence Illustrations ^® ^^^ '^"°^* ^^"^^^^ '^^"- Their occupations, of the power of hablts of life, and idiosyncrasies of character, prejudice. n r , , were all favorable to at least an ordinary de gree of mental independence. But a term of three and a THE BIBLE ADAPTED TO MAN. 499 half years in the School of Him who taught as never man taught, was not sufficient to free their minds from the obnoxious biases of a false education. So great, indeed, was the power of prejudice over their whole in tellectual and moral nature, that they did not and could not, for the time, understand some of the plainest and most important oracles that ever fell from the lips of their Divine Master. What, for instance, could be plainer than the language of the Commission: "Go ye, there fore, into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature ?" But the demon of prejudice whispered in their ear : " This means every creature of the elect world." And when, on the day of Pentecost, Peter said to his inquiring auditors, "The promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even to as many as the Lord our God shall call," the broad and very comprehensive terms of this proclamation were at once restricted in his mind to the narrow limits of his own sectarian creed.* The Apostles had yet no idea that the Gentiles were ftbout to be made fellow-heirs with the Jews : the mystery vvas not even yet revealed to them in all its length, and breadth, arid fullness. And hence it was necessary to convince Peter, by a special miracle, that God is no re specter of persons, but that in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him, before he would consent to proclaim the good news and glad tidings of life and salvation even to the family and friends of the devout Cornelius. But while he was speaking, " the Holy Spirit fell on all them who heard the word. And they of the Circum cision who believed were astonished, as many as came * It is evident, therefore, that even the fullest and highest degrees of inspiration bestowed on the Apostles did not make them omniscient. SOO SCHEME OF REDEMPTION, with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy. Spirit : for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God." This was, of course, sufficient evidence to satisfy Peter and his six brethren who accompanied him. But the prejudice of the multitude was not yet removed. The report was, no doubt, soon circulated far and wide that Peter — ^yes, the bold, courageous, and heroic Peter — had transcended the limits not only of the Commission, but even of the Divine benevolence. And therefore, when he • came up to Jerusalem, he was summoned to appear before his Jewish brethren to answer to the grave charge, " Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them!' But when they heard Peter's defense "they held their peace and glorified God, saying. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." Henceforth the extension of the Commission was a . . settled question ; but its comprehension was llingling of Jewish Tradi- Still a subject of earnest debate and bitter tions and Gen- . rr., t t i tile Philosophy coutrovcrsy. Ihe Hebrew converts were ex- with Christian- cecdiugly zealous for the traditions of their fathers, and many of their teachers still said to the people, " Unless ye be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses, ye can not be saved." From their in fancy their minds had been thoroughly molded in their own Rabbinical traditions. They saw every thing through a false medium, and therefore they never did and never could enjoy the pure sunlight of Heaven's own effulgence. Like their fathers they still continued to make void the law of the Lord by mixing and commingling with it the doctrines, precepts, and commandments of men. The infiuence of Gentile prejudice was equally per- THE BIBLE ADAPTED TO MAN. SOI nicious. If the Jewish mind was fettered by the false theology of the Scribes and Pharisees, the Gentile mind was equally enslaved by the tenets of Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, Epicurus, Zoroaster, and other distinguished party leaders. It is true, indeed, that for a short time the power of the Gospel seemed to neutralize and triumph over every thing else. Under its potent influence some of the worst forms of human nature were molded into the image and likeness of Him who became flesh and dwelt among us. Many of the Egyptian, Persian, Grecian, Roman, and other idolatrous tribes and families renounced their super stitions, destroyed their idols, and consecrated themselves in body, soul, and spirit to the service of the Lord. But the early impressions of a false education were not yet wholly eradicated, Nothing short of a special miracle could have done this. Evil this on the habits became a second nature, and therefore it was an easy matter for the Tempter to revive old associations. Soon the old leaven began to work. The Bible was neglected, And from that hour the rites and ceremonies of Heathen Mythology have been more or less associated with the pure Gospel in nearly every society on Earth that claims to be the Church of Christ. Rome is full of them. And even Protestantism has not yet been wholly purified from the leprous contact of Pagan and Papal abominations. By this I do not intend to detract one iota from the honor that is due to the great and good Re- Apology for the formers of the sixteenth, seventeenth, eight- p'',tstanfRef- eenth, and nineteenth centuries. They have ormation. turned many to righteousness, and will, therefore, shine 502 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. as Stars of the first magnitude in the firmament of God's Everlasting Kingdom. But if the Apostles, inspired as they were, did not for some years understand the full import of their own mission, surely it is not wonderful that men, educated in the lore of mystic Babylon, should fail to comprehend at once the length and breadth, the depth and hight of the truth as it is revealed to us in the Living Oracles. If with an honest heart and a good conscience Peter could say to the people, "The promise is to you and to your children, and to all that are afar off," and nevertheless continue to treat the whole Gentile world as unclean, surely it is no marvel that Luther should disclaim against the errors of popery while he was himself celebrating mass ; that Calvin should oppose the persecutions of Rome and at the same time cause Michael Servetus to be put to death chiefly on account of his opposition to the doctrine of the Trinity ; and that Chillingworth should proclaim that "the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible is the religion of Protestants," and yet con sent to fetter the minds of the rising generation with the erroneous formulas of an uninspired creed. Nay, verily, let us rather wonder that since these fathers fell asleep so few have risen to plead for the paramount claims of Divine Revelation. It is true that during the present eventful century „ .. ,. much has been done for the cause of the Continued inex cusable neglect Bible and the restoration of primitive Chris tianity. But how much still remains to be done in order to restore the Holy Scriptures to their proper place as the only infallible and authoritative standard of Christian education. Christian faith, and Christian practice! How many parents in every com- THE BIBLE ADAPTED TO MAN. 503 munity pay little or no regard to the religious education of their children ! How many still continue to mold the minds of their infant offspring in the patent forms of Edinburgh, Westminster, or Philadelphia! How little Bible reading, not to speak of Bible training, is now required and practiced in the Church, in the School, or in the family ! And even in our Theological Seminaries how often is the Bible laid aside and treated as a mere work of reference, while the minds of the students are thoroughly cast and molded in the Institutes of Calvin, the Divinity "of Dwight, or the Theological System of some other uninspired man! And as a consequence of all this neglect, how seldom is the Bible made a theme of conversation in any of the public, or private, or social circles of modern Christendom! Such, then, are, in brief, the reasons why the last eighteen centuries have not been one con- no evidence of tinned and uninterrupted season of refreshing: "5'"»"'°fp°"'- ^ *-" er and adapta, from the presence of the Lord. It has not tion that it does , . (. ^ T r • ¦ '^^^ produce ef- been owing to any fault or deficiency in feci s where it is nut. Heaven's appointed means, but simply to the general and inexcusable neglect of them. The Bible can not produce or effect a change where it is not. It must be received into the understanding and cherished in -the heart before it can reform the life. No one ascribes imperfection to the Sun because it does not give color to the flower that blooms in the dungeon. It is sufficient evidence of its perfection that it gives health and vitality to every thing that comes within the sphere of its influence. This is all that we claim for the light of Divine Revelation. And this much we have now proved a priori and a posteriori. Still, however, it may be well to draw a iz^ additional 504 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. facts from the records of history. Every successive period of the Christian Era furnishes some ical evidence of ucw proof that thc Blblc is divinely adapted iaiitifytg^"'' to the wants and genius of human nature. powerandtend- Eycu durlug the world's midnight, when dark- encies. ness covered the Earth, and gross darkness, the people, the few who followed the Star of Bethlehem, safely navigated the sea of life and, found a calm and sure repose in the heaven of eternal rest. As we pass from the eleventh to the sixteenth century the light gradually increases. And since the beginning of the German Reformation facts have so accumulated that the historical evidence of this period alone now amounts to a moral demonstration. Indeed, any correct geographical atlas or map of the present state of the world is sufficient to satisfy any one who honestly, and without prejudice, seeks for the truth on this subject. What is it, for instance, that has so far elevated Protest ant England over Catholic Spain and priest-ridden Italy? Why are these United States so far superior to Mexico and the South American Republics in all that serves to adorn, refine, and purify human nature? The primary and chief cause of all this can be found only in their greater respect and reverence for the Holy Scriptures. You can not find it in the fertile soil of these coun tries ; you can not find it in their balmy atmosphere ; nor can you find it even in their civil and political in stitutions. But you can find it in the relative use that these people have made of that heaven-inspired Volume in which God has given to us all things which pertain to life and godliness. Argument by I kuow that thls argument is only an ap- approxiin.itiou. proximatiou toward the point at which we aim. THE BIBLE ADAPTED TO MAN. 505 But if the natural philosopher can justly infer that a ball rolled on- a plane surface would forever move in a straight line, were it not opposed by some external forces — which forces, however, he can never wholly remove — then, in deed, may not the Christian philosopher conclude, with equal certainty, that if all things which now oppose the truth were taken out of the way, and the Bible were allowed to exert all its Divine influence on the human soul, it would, with the blessing of God and the renewing and sanctifying energies of the Holy Spirit, very soon reunite all the scattered fragments of the Christian world, and cause the moral deserts of the Earth to rejoice and blossom as the rose. Such, in fact, is the attractive power of the Living Oracles that all the obstacles of a false educa- 1 , . . r 1 ' r Argument tion and the inventions ot modern priestcraft drawn from the are not sufficient to keep apart the purest ^f^",^^ ""'f"',^ and most enlightened members of sectarian '"'"'' ^'"^ "" power of truth. Churches. Ever and anon the unnatural and unscriptural bonds of these associations are burst asun der, and, like purest drops of heavenly dew, their kindred spirits mingle into one. This has often happened, espe cially during the last fifty years, and such events will become more and more frequent as we progress in Bib lical knowledge and Biblical education. For if such is the plastic nature of the infant mind that it may, during the process of its development, be easily cast into the mold of Mahometanism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Catholicism, or any of the numerous forms of Protestantism, it would be strange, indeed, if a system framed by the finger of God, and divinely adapted to all the wants, capacities, and cir cumstances of the human soul should fail to unite in the bonds of Christian love and affection all who have been 43 506 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. properly educated in all its gracious provisions, and who honestly seek to know the truth as it has been revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. The great want, then, of Christendom, at this\ time, is a more general, thoroiagh, and systematic great want of course of BiBLE TRAINING. And by this I do Christendom. , , i , i i i not mean that we need merely more preach ing, teaching, and exhortation. All these are, of course, necessary, but none of them will supply the want of Bible training. It is one thing to impart knowledge to the human mind, and quite another to so train, develop, and discipline that mind that it may be fully qualified to receive, appropriate, and enjoy the knowledge imparted. Many a youth ten years of age knows more now about the Scheme of Redemption than did Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, or even John the Baptist. But it would be very difficult to find a youth in the nineteenth century who has received a better religious education than that which was severally enjoyed by these ancient worthies. Tlte minds of the rising generation must, then, be devel oped and thoroughly molded in the Living Oracles. We would not, of course, exclude all other books and sources of information, but we would regard and treat them all as subordinate to the Bible. The Book of Life has too long been laid on the shelf as a mere work of reference. We would take it down from its neglected position ; we would wipe away from it the accumulated dust of ages. We would substitute it for the licentious novel, and every other form of corrupt literature in the family circle ; for all human systems and bodies of Divinity in the Theolog ical Seminary; and in every School, Academy, College, and University we would make it a subject of as pro found study and as rigid examination as the Logic oi THE BIBLE ADAPTED TO MAN. 507 Aristotle, the Geometry of Euclid, or the Fluxions of Newton. Let this mode of instruction be generally adopted in every department of education ; let the minds Anticipated re. and hearts of the youth of both sexes be thor- eourse°o/Bi'bic oughly molded in the Institutes of Heaven's 'fining. own appointment ; and soon, very soon, the voice of the apocalyptic angel will be heard proclaiming under the whole heavens, "The kingdoms of this zvorld are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christs!' 5o8 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. PART IV. CHURCH ORGANIZATION, COOPERATION, AND DISCIPLINE. It will, perhaps, be a saving of both time and space if we consider here, first of all, some of the Fundamental r . , • • i r /-.i i principles of fundamental principles ol Church orgamza- ^aHmf coTera- ^i°"' coopcratlon, and discipline. Observe, tion, and disci- tllCU I. That the Church of Christ is really but ONE BODY. The proof of this will be found in the Unity of the following passages : '-'""¦'^''- I. Romans xii, 4, 5: "For as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." 2. I Cor. X, 17: "For we, being many, ar» one bread and one body ; for we are all partakers g^f the one bread." 3. I Cor. xii, 12, 13: "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ; (that is, the Church as united in him. i Cor. vi, 15.) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit." 4. Eph. i, 22, 23: "And (God) hath put all things under his (Christ's) feet, and has given him to be the Head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the CHURCH ORGANIZATION, ETC. 509 fullness of Him that filleth. all in all." See, also. Col. i, 24. 5. Eph. iv, 4 : "There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling," II. This one body is composed of an indefinite number of members, all of zvhom are most intimately Mutual reia- related to each other, and at'e required to labor '''""' ^""^ "''''" ? ., - ,¦ , gallons of its and cooperate for each other's good, as zvcll as members. for tlte increase and edification of the zvliole body. See Rom. xii, 4-21 ; i Cor. xii, 7-27; Eph. iv, 16, etc. III. But, nevertheless, for the sake of order, convenience, and efficiency, this one body may be divided into Local division's as many churches or congregations as may be "^ "'* °"^ ¦^ " -' body ; for what thought necessary ; each one of which, when fully pufpose. organised, should have its own corps of Elders and Deacons. And hence we read, in the New Testament, of the Church of Jerusalem, the Church of Antioch, the Church of Ephe sus, the Church of Corinth, etc. IV. Care should be taken, however, not to multiply con gregations beyond what is really necessary. We Their number should never lose sight of the fact that, "in """'''• union there is strength ; and in separation there is weak ness," By carrying the process of division too far we may lose much more than we gain by the operation. And hence the unity of .the Church, even in the matter of its organization, should be preserved and maintained as far as practicable. This is well illustrated by the history of the Church during the apostolic age. In the provinces of Galatia, Asia, Macedonia, Judea, etc., we read of a plu rality of Churches ; because, in such districts, the mem bers could not, without great inconvenience, meet together in one place for public and social worship, i Cor. xvi, i, 19; 2 Cor. viii, i ; Gal. i, 22, etc. But in each of the large SIO SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. cities, such as Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, Corinth, etc... we read of but one congregation of Christians. Acts viii, 1 ; xiii, i; xx, 17; i Cor. i, 2. It would seem, however, from sundry passages in the New Testament, that the members of at least some of these Churches were in the habit of meeting together in different parts of the same city for social worship ; just as we now frequently meet for prayer and praise in such private houses as may best suit the convenience of members living in different local ities. See Rom. xvi, 5; i Cor. xvi, 19; Col. iv, 15; and Philemon 2. V. Every member of the one body is, also, de facto, a member of some one congregation, to which he is ofm7oiTb"d" personally responsible, and with which he is amember.aiso, jjQ^ind to cooperatc iu all that pertains to the of some one ^ ¦* local congre- glory of God, the edification of the Church, and the conversion of tlte world. I have no objec tion to the common practice of giving to those recently baptized in a Church the hand of Christian affection, pro vided it be done, not for the purpose of receiving them into the Church as members, for which there is not the slightest authority in the word of God, but simply as a fraternal recognition of their existing membership. But I do protest against the opinion entertained by some, that a man may be baptized and yet be irresponsible to any Church or body of disciples ; or that he may receive from the Church of which he is a member a letter of commen dation, and then be irresponsible to any Church so long as he may see fit to retain said letter in his own posses sion. Good order requires that every Christian shall be responsible to the Church where he is baptized, and from the moment of his baptism. If for any valid reason he wishes to leave said Church, even on the self-same day CHUR CH OR GANIZA TION, ETC. 5 1 1 of his adoption, let him receive from it a letter of com mendation to the congregation nearest to the place of his destination. If he neglects or refuses to identify himself with it, let him be called to an account by the Church that recommended him, and to whom he is still respon sible, so long as he retains their letter of commendation. It is high time that these wandering stars should be arrested in their erratic course, and that every Christian should be made to feel that he is responsible to his brethren for his regular attendance on the ordinances of God, and his general demeanor as a member of the body of Christ. VI. In all purely local matters, such as pertain to their own order and discipline, the aforesaid con^re- ^ , ./ o Independency gallons are independent of each other ; and of the locai should ordinarily be allowed to manage their '^''"s''^s="™5- ozvn affairs, according to the word of God, in whatever way tltey may think best. This is evidently implied in the divinely authorized division of the one body into separate and distinct local congregations. The separation was made wholly for the sake of convenience ; for the purpose of simplifying the machinery of the Church, and of more accurately defining the duties, obligations, and responsi bilities of the several members in their several localities. And hence there is not given in the New Testament a single instance of one congregation's interfering in any way with the local interests of another. Every one was allowed and required to manage its own affairs according to the laws of Christ, without let or hinderance. See Acts and Paul's Epistles, passim. VII. But in all matters of general interest, such as per tain to the increase, order, power, gloiy, and ^heirri htand efficiencv of the whole body, these several congre- duty to coop. gallons may aud should cooperate, whenever Ijy 5 1 2 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. SO doing they can better accomplish any of the great and be nevolent objects for which tlte Church was established on Earth. Their right to do so is clearly implied, I. In their relations to each other as members of the one body. Their separate organizations are purely for the sake of convenience and eflSciency in relation to per sonal and local matters. But they are, nevertheless, still but members of the one body; and are, therefore, of course bound to cooperate with each other in all that pertains to its growth and prosperity. This follows with just as much certainty from our premises as that the different persons composing any one congregation are bound to cooperate with each other for its welfare, 2. It is implied in the example and practice of the apostolic Churches. The congregations of Galatia, Mace donia, and Achaia, for instance, cooperated with each other in giving relief to the poor saints in Judea. See Rom. XV, 26, 27; ] Cor. xvi, 1-4; 2 Cor. viii, 1-5, 13, 14, 23 ; ix, 1-4, etc. 3. It is implied in the nature and extent of the work which is to be accomplished. This may all be summed up under the two following heads : (i.) The conversion of the world, and (2.) The edification or proper religious education of the converts. Of these we will speak more particularly in the two following chapters. CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 513 CHAPTER I. CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. More than eighteen hundred years have passed away since the Gospel was first proclaimed fo the 11 .. -y r .^ -, f . Triumphs ofthe world as the power of God for the salvation cospei ks yet of every one that believeth." But neverthe- ''"' '""'"'' less its triumphs are yet very far from being complete. Of the twelve hundred millions of human being who now inhabit the Earth, more than eight hundred millions are still under the shadow of Death, without God and with out hope in the world. Why is this ? Is it because God is not willing that all men should be made happy by believing ~,. sr r J J o ^his not owing and obeying the Gospel ? Surely not, for he '° = deficiency in any of tho " so loved the world that he gave his only nivine eie- begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Is it, then, owing to any want of sympathy on the part of Christ or to any deficiency in the provisions of the Gospel ? It can not be, for Christ is the same yester day, to-day, and forever. His sympathy for our fallen, wretched race is just as great now as it was when, by the grace of God, he tasted death for every man, and the Gospel is in all respects the same to-day that it was when, eighteen hundred years ago, it triumphed over all the combined opposition of the Roman empire. But there is a human as well as a Divine side to this question. The Scheme of Redemption is itself all of S 14 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. God, and in a very important sense, too, its success and final triumphs are all of God. i Cor. iii, Part ofthe work assigned to 7, "ctc. But, ncverthcless, to us has 'been committed the word of reconciliation, (2 Cor. V, ig ;) the Church has been made the pillar and support of the truth, (i Tim. iii, 15 ;) she is the candlestick or moral luminary by means of which the light of Divine truth is to be dispensed throughout the whole Earth. Isaiah lx, 1-3 ; Matt, v, 14 ; Rev. i, 20. How this work is to be done is not fully stated in the Holy Scriptures. Many of the details of the enter prise are wisely and of necessity left to the discretion of the Church herself But, I. It is made the duty of every man to do what he can, Extent to which Consistently with the word of God, for tlte con- everymanisre- -version of tltc world. " Lct US uot," says sponsible for the . , r • ^ salvation of the Paul, " grow wcary in well-doing : for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. As we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good to all men, Evidence of but especially to them who are of the house- ""=¦ hold of faith." Gal. vi, 9, 10. And again he says, "We thus judge that if one died for all, then were all dead ; and that he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live to themselves, but to him who died for them and rose again." 2 Cor. v, 14, 15. Every man, therefore, who has been redeemed by the blood of Christ, whatever may be his rank or calling, is solemnly bound to make the salvation of the world (including, of course, that of his own soul) the supreme object of his life and labors. This is, in fact, the only way in which he can live to and for Christ. No living man can serve him in any other way or in any other part of his domin ions. The regulation and government of the Sun, Moon, CONVERSION OF THE 'WORLD. 515 and stars fall not within the Hmits of our jurisdiction. The Earth is at present our only field of labor, and it presents but two ultimate objects in behalf of which it is possible for us to exert our energies. Every thought, every word, and every action of our lives, whatever may be its proximate results, must ultimately serve to estab lish and strengthen either the Kingdom of Christ or the Empire of Satan. It is a great delusion to suppose that self may constitute a third object, that we may live for ourselves without exercising an influence for good or for evil upon others. There is, of necessity, a reciprocal influence exercised between the one and the many. This is just as fixed as are the laws and forces of universal gravitation. You might as well attempt to place an atom of matter beyond the limits of solar attraction as to dissolve the ties that bind the individual to society. And hence it follows that the man who lives for self lives for Satan. The man who is not with Christ is against him, and he who gathers not into the Kingdom of God's dear Son is giving his influence to enlarge the dominions of the Evil One. But the most direct evidence of this is to be found in the second and last great Commission given by Christ to his disciples, (Rev. xxii, 17:) "Let him that heareth SAY, Come." The first Commission was given directly to the Apostles and through them to the Church only by implication. Matt, xxviii, 18-20. But this second Com mission is given expressly not only to the Church, but more particularly to every member of the Church. " Let him that heareth say. Come," 4s the gracious command of our blessed Lord to every one of his true and faithful disciples. This does not, of course, imply that it is the duty of 5l6 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. every disciple to go, as did the Apostles, into all the world and preach the Gospel to every crea- se"oudandi'ast turc. For this he may not be qualified either "LrhTm"!^! by nature or by education. But these gracious heareihsay, ^ud solcmu words of Chrlst evidently do im- Come." ply and require, I. That every man who has the necessary qualifications should, as far as possible, devote his whole life to the minis try of the Gospel This is a call, a Divine call, to eyery disciple who has the necessary talents and acquirements to consecrate himself wholly and entirely to the procla mation of the Word. H'e is hereby authorized and re quired to say to all men, so far as he may have the opportunity to do so. Come to the Savior ; come to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world ; take his yoke upon you and learn of him, and you shall find rest to your souls.* 2. It is evidently implied in these words of our Re deemer that every disciple of his, hozvever destitute of intellectual and literary qualifications he may be, should communicate the good news and glad tidings of life and salvation to others, privately and socially. He is hereby authorized and required to say, in all his social inter course with his own family, and friends, and neighbors, and fellow-citizens, "Come to the Savior; come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem ; and to an innumerable company of angels ; and to the general assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are enrolled in heaven ; and to God the Judge of all; and to the spirits of just men made perfect; *This passage, however, authorizes no one to go out as an Evangelist without the consent of his brethren. They must in all cases judge of his qualificatitms for the work. CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 517 and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant ; and to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than Abel." Hebrews xii, 22, 24. This was the primitive order of things, and this is the natural order. And hence they that were scattered abroad from Jerusalem on account of the first persecu tion went every-where preaching the Word. Acts viii, 4. There was no attempt made to compromise with the false etiquette of the world in this matter; no stopping to con sider how men of wealth, and learning, and fashion would regard the simple story of the Cross. Not at all. Out of the abundance of their hearts they simply and joy fully communicated to others the good news of salvation through a once crucified, but now risen and glorified Savior. And just so it will ever be. So long as it is written, "Out of the abundance .of the heart the mouth speaketh," (Matthew xii, 34,) so long will every consistent disciple of the Lord Jesus make the story of the Cross the main burden of his conversation in all his intercourse v/ith his fellow-men. To all such it must ever be a source of unspeakable pleasure to be able to say to the dying and destitute every-where, "Come and take of the bread and water of life freely." Isaiah Iv, i, and Rev. xxii, 17. 3. This is a commission to all the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, to preach to the people not only in word, but also in deed ; not only by precept, but also by example. It is a commission to let our light so shine before others, that they, seeing our good works, may thereby be con strained to glorify our Father who is in heaven." And especially is it a commission to us all, and a most solemn requisition upon us all, to contribute liberally of our means for the comfort and support of those who are able and will ing to go forth into all the zvorld and preach the Gospel to 5l8 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. eveiy creature. In this way we can all say indirectly to the benighted of all nations, " Come to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." II. It is the duty of every congregation of disciples, so Ever con e- f'^''' ^^ ^^^^^ ^'^^'^ ^l'^ ability aiid opportunity, to gation responsi- prcach tlic Gospcl to tltc uiicoiiverted in their ble for the proc- , _ . , , . , . lamation of the midst, aiid also til Other adjacent destitute com- °^''°" muiiities. This may be proved, I. From what has been said of the duties of the sev eral members of the Church. For what is a Proof . f. .. . . , . . « congregation oi disciples but an association of Christians united together for the purpose of doing jointly what they could not so well do by each one's acting in his own separate and individual capacity? Romans xii, 4-8, and I Cor. xii, 4-27, etc. And hence every congregation of Christians is really an evangelical society, divinely ordained and authorized to send out missionaries of the Cross whenever and wherever she may have the means and the opportunity to do so. 2. From the example and practice of the primitive Church. The Church of Jerusalem, for instance, sent out Barnabas as a missionary to Antioch, (Acts xi, 22,) and after that Church was firmly established and well supplied with Prophets and Teachers they were required to send out Paul and Barnabas on one of the most im portant and successful evangelical tours recorded in the New Testament. Acts xiii and xiv. ^ III. It is the privilege, and, I may add, the duty, of all The Churches ^^'¦^ Cliiirclies ill any given district to cooperate jointly responsi- ^ifji g^ch Other to the full exteiit of their abil- ble for the con- . -^ -^ version of the ity, tlirougli tlicir Eldcrs, Evangelists, or other chosen representatives, in sending the Gospel to foreign lands, and in making disciples of all tlte nations. CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 519 This is a work which, of course, requires the united efforts of many Churches, and to the extent of this cooperation there is no limit whatever prescribed in the Word of God. Whether the association should consist of all the disciples within the limits of a village, or a city, or a county, or a state, or a nation, or a continent, or the world is a matter of mere expediency, which God has wisely and benevo lently left to our own discretion. For be it remembered that after we shall have made all the divisions and subdi visions that may be thought necessary for the sake of con venience, there is, nevertheless, still, by Divine appoint ment, but the ONE BODY, (Ephesians iv, 4,) and that it has been made the pillar and support of the truth, i Timothy iii, 15. In every such cooperation, however, great care should be taken to introduce no principle or line of Limited ri his policy which is inconsistent with the Scriptural ='"'' privileges of such a co- rights and privileges of the several Churches, operation of The delegates who compose it are but the representatives of their respective congregations, and they have, therefore, no right to legislate on matters of faith and piety, nor to make money in any way or in any sense a condition of membership, nor to adopt such a constitu tion or code of laws as will allow unconverted and wicked men to become members of the cooperation. But they have a right, as the representatives of the body of Christ, to transact all their legitimate business by the common rules of decorum and good order, and to use whatever means may be found necessary in order that the Gospel may be preached to every creature. It is evidently, then, the duty of all Christians to labor and strive together in every way that they can consist ently with the word of God for the conversion of the 520 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. whole world. And if they had all done so from the be ginning, how very different would now be the Answer to o O' J query, tvhy ihe nioral, soclal, and religious condition of our Gospel has not i tt universally tri- fallcu and pcrishiug race! How many of mnphed. thosc lu heatheuish darkness might now be rejoicing in the full light of the glorious Gospel! And how many precious souls that are now in Hell, among the wailings and agonies of the damned — forever weep ing, but not in Mercy's sight — O, how many of those lost ones might at this moment be tuning their golden harps among the redeemed in Heaven if the Church had but faithfully fulfilled her mission to the world ! Here, then, we have the answer, and the only proper answer to the question. Why it is that the Gospel has not long since triumphed every-where. It is not, as before suggested, owing to any unwillingness on the part of God, or of Christ, or of the Holy Spirit ; it is not owing to any deficiency in the Gospel scheme of salvation which God has so wisely and so perfectly adapted to the wants, capacities, and circumstances of all men ; but it is simply owing to the fact that the Church has failed to do her duty. It is because so many of the professed followers of Christ have turned aside to vain jangling, and forgot ten their mission of love and mercy to our perishing race, that the ways of Zion now mourn, and that the triumphs of the Gospel have been so very greatly retarded. But let the Church be made pure ; let her be forever All that is separated from all her unholy alliances ; let wanting to none but regenerated men and women be re- success. ceived into her communion and fellowship ; let those be united as they should be in the bonds of love and peace ; let them live worthy of their high and holy calling ; let them make the Church, as far as practicable, CONVERSION OF THE WORLD. 521 the medium of all their active benevolence; let her be their alms society, their temperance society, their Bible society, and their missionary society ; let her constitution be their only poUcy of insurance ; let them regard her as their chief joy ; let her courts be no longer deserted for the pleasures of the ball-room ; let her social meetings be no longer forsaken for the honors of the lodge, or any other secular institution ; let her increase and prosperity be the subject of their daily prayers ; and soon will the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold be broken in pieces together ; soon will all vice be checked, oppres sions cease, and error of every kind vanish as darkness before the rising Sun of the morning ; soon will the world become one temple of praise ; the nations will be united in the bonds of fraternal affection ; glory will be ascribed to God in the highest ; and on Earth peace and good-will abound to all men.* ?Queries for the Thoughtful. — I. Is it right for Christians to insure their lives and their property ? Does such a course of conduct serve to cultivate in the hearts of those who indulge in it that sense of dependence on God, and that trust in his providence which the Scriptures so often com mend, and which they always require .' See, for instance, Matt, vi, 19-34, II. Is it right for Christians to become members of such associations as the society of Masons, Odd-Fellows, etc. ? Have they any time, money, or influence, for which they are not responsible to God, and which he does not require them to use in and through other channels of benevolence, for his own glory and the good of mankind ? And, besides, is the obligation of secrecy enjoined by these societies entirely consistent with that spirit of candor, frankness, and mutual confidence, which is but the natural and legiti mate effect of the Gospel on good and honest hearts; and which should, therefore, ever characterize all the members of the one body .' 44 522 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. CHAPTER II. EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH. Tha.t it is the duty of the Church to provide for the Proof that the cdificatiou {oixodo/irj) of all her members is evi- second great jgjit from the followlug passagcs : duty of the '^ "^ ° church'isto I. Rom. xiv, 19: "Let us, therefore, follow ^j^caiioiVoi after the things which make for peace, and her converis. tblugs whercwlth ouc may edify another." 2. Rom. XV, 2 : " Let every one please his neighbor for his good to edification!' 3. I Cor. X, 23 : "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient : all things are lawful for me, but all things do not edify!' 4. I Cor. xiv, 3-5 : " But he who prophesieth speaketh to men for edification, and exhortation, and consolation. He who speaketh in a foreign language edifieth himself; but he who prophesieth, edifieth the Church. I wish, indeed, that ye all spake in foreign languages, but rather that ye prophesied ; for greater is he who prophesieth than he who speaketh in foreign languages, unless he interpret that the Church may receive edification!' 5. I Cor. xiv, 12, 26: "Wherefore, ye also, since ye are earnestly desirous of spiritual gifts, seek them, that ye may abound for the edification of the Church How is it, then, brethren ? When ye come together every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a foreign language, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all tilings be done to edification!' EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH. 523 6. 2 Cor. xii, 19: "Again: think you that we excuse ourselves unto you? We speak before God in Christ, (that we do not ;) but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edification." 7. Eph. iv, 16: "From whom (Christ) the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edification of itself in love!' See, also. Acts ix, 3 1 ; r Cor. viii, i ; 2 Cor. x, 8 ; xiii, 10 ; Eph. iv, 12, 29 ; i Thess. V, 1 1, etc. The word edify {ohoSoiiiw, from oho<;, a house, and Ssixm, to build ; Latin, czdificio, cedes, a house, and Derivation and facio, to make,) means properly to build a meaning of the house; then simply to build, to build up, to ^°' " '^' establish, to confirm. It is applied to the Church meta phorically, as the Temple, or habitation of God, through the Spirit ; and in this very comprehensive .^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ sense it includes every thing which in any way of chmch edi- , . , - , . , fication coin- serves to enlighten, educate, and improve the prebends and several members that compose the one body. '^"'"""• And hence it requires, I. That all the members of each and every congregation be regularly and systematically instructed in the <^ -' •' -^ Instruction in Holy Scriptures. Without this there can be the Hoiy scrip- no building up of the body of Christ. The Word of God is the food of the soul. Matt, iv, 4 It is that, says Paul, " which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified." Acts XX, 32. And hence it was that the primitive Chris tians "continued steadfast in the Apostles' teaching, and in the fellowship, and in the breaking of the loaf, and in the prayers." Acts ii, 42. 524 SCHEME OF REDEMPTIOt^. II . That they be all required to study the Holy Scrip- The study of turcs for tlicmselves. Preaching and teaching the Scriptures, ^^g jjoth neccssary as a means of moral and religious edification. But they are not all that is neces sary to this end. Unless the members of the Church can be induced to study the Scriptures for themselves, the most eloquent and appropriate instructions from others can accomplish tbut little. No one ever became an emi nent mathematician, or linguist, or naturalist, or philoso pher, by simply listening to a course of lectures. In order to excel in any of these departments of knowledge the hearer must become a student ; he must himself be a co worker with his instructors. And just so it is in religious matters. The man who would excel in his knowledge of the Scriptures, and have his soul cast into their mold of doctrine, must, like David, study them for himself by day, and meditate on them by night. And hence the necessity that every Christian family and Church shall be a school of Christ. We. need the discipline of the nursery, and the Sunday school, and the Bible class, as well as the instruc tions of the pulpit. III. That they diligently attend on all the ordinances of God's house. These, like the ordinances of Attention to God's Ordi- nature, are all divinely adapted to the capacity, wants, and circumstances of man as he is; They are the means by which, and the media through which, God pours into our hearts the rich streams of his grace, which ever flow from the unwasting fountains of his own benevolence. And hence we find that those who, like Zachariah and Elizabeth, " walk in all the com mandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless," grow constantly in the favor, as well as in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH. 525 IV. That they be all regularly and systematically en gaged, according to their several capacities, in Activity of the the work and service of the Church. In no "•^"¦'''fs- other way is it possible to educate properly their moral, social, and religious powers and susceptibilities. Every faculty of man's nature was made to be exercised, and hence the necessity that the life of every disciple should, like that of Christ, be one of constant activity. And just here lies the great secret of success in training and edifying a congregation ; it consists simply in having every one of its members actively engaged in doing good in some way. It is a great mistake to suppose that the officers of a Church must do most of the work them selves. He is not the ablest and most successful general who does most of the fighting himself, but who so uses and manages his army as to bring out and successfully apply the strength, energy, and resources of all the men under his command. And just so it is in the army of the faithful. The Elders and Deacons of a congregation are but the generals and captains whose business it is to oversee, develop, direct, and apply to the best advantage the talents, learning, and other resources of its members. And hence their first duty is to see to it that all are earnestly and prayerfully engaged in soinp work of benevolence. Let every one do somethipg, If a brother can not be a successful preacher or teacher he may, per haps, make a good and efficient sexton. If a sister can not do the work of a Priscilla or a Phoebe, she may at least wash the saints' feet, or serve the Church ip some way. V. That the %pants of the poor, the sick, and th? afflicted be well supplied. No congregation careforthe of disciples can flourish whije some of them, P<"'f- 526 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. like Dives, are faring sumptuously every day, and while others are, like Lazarus, lying at the gates z.\\& begging to be fed with the crumbs which fall from their tables.. The rich must te made to feel that they are not their own, that they have been bought with a price, that their bodies, their souls, their spirits, their property, their time, their talents, and their all belong to God, and that it is, therefore, their business as good stewards of his. manifold favors to dispense to the needy the rich boun ties of his providence as they have opportunity. And on the other hand the poor must be made to realize that, if they are indeed the children of God, they are then heirs of all things, that their bread shall be given them,. and their water shall be sure, and that those who seek the Lord and serve him faithfully shall not want any good thing. There is 2i fellowship {xocvwvia) in the Church of Christ which gives to all its members a right to what ever is really necessary to their comfort, and which, if properly understood, would render all secular policies of insurance wholly unnecessary. VI. That the Church herself, as well as her members, keep out of debt, and walk honestly toward them Prompt pay- . ment of all tliat are zvithout. "Owe no man any thing," sjiys Paul, (Rom. xiii, 8,) "but to love one another." And this love must be out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith unfeigned." i Tim. i, 5. Every other kind of indebtedness serves to paralyze our energies, disqualify us for the enjoyment of religion our selves, and unfit us for exercising- a proper influence on those around us. It is useless to recommend to others the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ while we are ourselves neglecting the principles of common justice. "Let," then, "your light so shine before men that they EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH. 527 may see your good works and glorify your father who is in Heaven." Matt, v, 16. VII. That in order to meet promptly all the wants and liabilities of the Church, as well as for the pur- systematic con- pose of cultivating in themselves habits of sys- ;"'""'°" f*"" -' -^ benevolent pur- temattc benevolence, all her members be en- poses. coitraged to contribute liberally of their substance to the treasury of the Lord on the First Day of every week, as they may have severally prospered. That this was the practice of the primitive Church is, I think, evident from what follows : " Now concerning the collection which is for the saints, as I ordered the congregations of Galatia, ~so, also, do you. On the first day of every week let each of you lay by somewhat by itself according as he may have prospered, putting it into the treasury : that when I am come there may then be no collections." 1 Cor. xvi, I, 2. In this passage it is clearly implied and required, I. That every member of the Church should give something for benevolent purposes. 2. That the amount contributed by each should be according to his ability, or in the ratio of his prosperity. 3. That this contribution, whatever it is, should be made weekly, on each and every successive Lord's Day. The advantages of a scheme of systematic benevo lence and ecclesiastical finance, founded on these elementary principles, are obviously very su],^„g "^^^3 great. For, judicious *^ ' . scheme of sys- I. Such a practice would serve to create tematic benev olence. in every one an interest in the mission and welfare of the Church. "Where your treasure is," says Christ, "there will your heart be also." Matt, vi, 21. And hence it follows that, if we wovdd induce men to 528 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. pray for the Church, to live for the Church, and, if need be, to die for the Church, we must first persuade them to contribute liberally of their means for her increase and support. 2. It would, also, serve to develop, mold, and perfect our Christian character, by the frequent and systematic exercise of all our moral and religious faculties. This is essential to the proper development and discipline of both head and heart. It is the means ordained by God for educating our whole spiritual nature, and making it sub servient to the Divine will. And hence, if we would educate our benevolent affections properly, we must do so by contributing frequently for benevolent purposes. Giving annually, or quarterly, or even monthly, is not sufficient. It may, peradventure, be sufficient to re lieve the wants of the poor and the destitute ; but it can never secure to ourselves, as contributors, the full measure of God's benevolent purpose in making us the favored stewards of his bounty. It requires a long, severe, and systematic process of education in such mat ters, in order to enable us to realize the truth of the sentiment that "it is more blessed to give than to re ceive." Acts XX, 35. 3. These things, then, being so, it follows as another advantage of such a scheme, that more money can be raised in this way for benevolent purposes than by any system of annual, quarterly, or monthly contributions ; and consequently, that by adopting it, the Church will always have at her command a greater amount of means for charitable and evangelical purposes. Whatever serves most to educate the heart and to engage the affections will, of course, have the greatest influence over the purse and fortunes of the individual. EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH. 529 VIII. That all transgressors and delinquents be promptly waited on, and exhorted and encouraged to fier- , . - ^, . . Treatment of severe m their begun Christian course. " If a the weak and man be overtaken in a fault, ye who are spirit- """^' ual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness ; con sidering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Gal. vi, i. " Wherefore, lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees. Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way ; but let it rather be healed." Heb. xii, 12, 13. "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth and one convert him, let him know that he who converteth the sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and hide a multitude of sins." James v, 19, 20. But any delay in this matter may be hazardous. It is generally an easy matter to check vice in its beginnings, but it is exceed ingly difficult to do so after it has become a habit. And hence we are admonished to exhort one another daily, while it is called To-day, lest any of us be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Heb. iii, 13. IX. Tliaf the Church be kept in a pure and healthy condition. That is, comparatively so. Abso- ' sr J ^ Treatment of lute perfection is not to be expected in and obstinate trans. of the Church militant. Some darnel will, of ^^^''^' necessity, be found among the wheat till the time of the harvest. Matthew xiii, 24-30. But this is no reason why thorns, and briers, and thistles should be allowed to grow with it. Nothing .can be mo^e plainly taught in the Scriptures than that it is the duty of the Church to withdraw her fellowship from every member who persists in a disorderly course of conduct. Thus, Right of the for instance, Paul says to the Thessalonians, communicate"' "Now we command you brethren, in the a-Us"":!!. 45 S30 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw your selves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not according to the tradition which he received from us." 2 Thess. iii, 6. See, also, i Cor. v. , And just so it vvas under the Law which was a shadow of good things to come. Every leprous and unclean person had to be removed from the camp in which God then dwelt sym bolically as he now dwells in the Church by his Spirit. Numbers v, 1-4. It is not, then, a matter of choice or of privilege, but of imperative duty, that those who openly and obstinately transgress the laws of Christ shall be cut off from all the privileges of the Church and delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that, if it be possible, their spirits may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. In dealing with such matters it is well to distinguish Distinction be- between public and private offenses ; that is, Inrpriva'te of- bctwcen such as are committed against the fenses. Church hcrsclf, and those which are com mitted against some one of her members. The law in .^,_ ., . the latter case is laid down by Christ in Mat- The Law in re- ^ -' lationtotheiat- thcw xviii, 1S-18, and requires, I. That the offended party shall go to the offender, and tell him his fault between themselves alone. If they agree as to what is right and proper in the case, the matter is ended, and no further proceedings are necessary. 2. But if they do not agree, then the person offended is required to take with him one or two others who shall cooperate with him in trying to bring about a reconcilia tion. If they succeed, the whole matter is settled, the brother is gained, and peace restored. 3. But if the second effort should also fail to effect a EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH. 531 reconciliation, then the offended, party is further required to lay the whole matter before the Church, and the breth^ ren who cooperated with him in his last interview with the offender are now to serve as witnesses in the case. After this it is to be treated in all respects as a public offense. Offenses committed against the Church are, of course, to be treated in hke manner, with all allowa ble forbearance. The Elders, assisted by oth- ing° puWof- ers distinguished for their wisdom, piety, and '^"""' knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, are to do all in their power to bring the offender to repentance and reforma tion. If they succeed, all is well ; the case may be simply reported to the Church, and the members allowed to ex press publicly, by rising or otherwise, their willingness to forgive the transgressor, and to retain and treat him as a brother. But if the Elders do not succeed in -bringing the offender to repentance, then their hne of duty will gen erally be about as follows: I. They should make out a clear and distinct written statement of the charge laid against him. 2. They should sustain the charge by clear and unmis takable evidence, or otherwise abandon the whole case. 3.. If the charge is sustained, they should next decide . the matter according to the law of Christ and the evi dence submitted. 4. They should report the case to the congregation, stating clearly and distinctly the charge preferred, the facts proved, and the law of Christ in the case, in con nection with their own verdict; and then they should require the whole congregation to execute, in a public and solemn manner, said verdict against the guilty person. 532 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. 5. They should see to it that all the members act afterward in harmony with the expression given by the whole Church ; that they really cooperate with each other in executing the sentence on the offender; that they abstain from holding any social intercourse with him; that might in any way serve to encourage him to persist in his sinful course. 6. They should still labor, however, as they best can, for his recovery and restoration. And if at any time they succeed in bringing him to repentance, they should imme diately report his case to the Church, and again require the members to express pubficly their willingness to for give him and treat him as a brother in the Lord. For all this the following Scriptures furnish ample , . , authority : Acts xx, 28 ; Romans xii, 8 ; i Authority for -' .... these proceed- Thcss. V, 12, 13; I Tim. Ill, 5; V, 17; Heb. '"^^ xiii, 7, 17, 24; I Peter v, 1-3; i Cor. v; and 2 Cor. ii, 6-1 1. From these and other like passages it is evident that in all such matters it is the business of the Elders to teach and to rule, and that it is the duty of the congregation to execute the sentence of the Elders on the guilty person according to the Law and evidence sub- Good effects of mitted. If this were done in all cases, the eriy''''admi'iS- discipline of the Church would have an ele- tered. vatiug and purifying influence that would soon be felt and acknowledged by all her members. But it is useless for a judge to pronounce sentence on a criminal if the sheriff and other officers of the government refuse to execute it. X. That all weak and sickly Churches, as zvcll as Care for weak individuals, be promptly .and properly cared Churches. j^^ Truc, Indeed, as before said, the sev eral Churches or congregations of which the one body is EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH. 533 composed are largely independent of each other in all local matters. But, nevertheless, whenever any one of them is in danger of being corrupted or destroyed by false teaching, maladministration, or any thing else, it is the imperative duty of other Churches to interfere, in a prudent way, for its safety. This is plainly and positively required by the mutual relations that they all sustain to each other as members of the body of Christ. It will not do, as Paul very forcibly shows in his first letter to the Corinthians, for the hand to say to the foot, I have no need of thee; nor for the stomach to say to the other members, I will assert and maintain my independence by even taking poison whenever I please to do so. This is not in harmony with our mutual relations to each other as members of the one body. Every man is, in a cer tain sense and to a certain extent, independent of every other man. But, nevertheless, no true philanthropist would stand by and see his brother perish without in terposing in his behalf, lest, peradventure, he might be charged with unduly interfering with his personal lib erty! God did not so allow the world to perish in their folly. XI. That unity of sentiment, faith, and practice be main tained, as far as possible, in all the Churches of unity of faith the saints. The great importance of this is ^"''p™''"- well illustrated by the following passages : I. Matthew xii, 25: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation ; and every city ns importance or house divided against itself can not stand." i""='"'=^- 2. John xvii, 20, 21: "Neither," says Christ, "pray I for these (my Apostles) alone; but for them also who shall believe on me through their word ; that they all may be one : as thou Father art in me and I in thee, that they 534 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. also may be one in us ; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." 3. I Cor. i, 10: "Now I beseech you, brethren," says Paul, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." 4. Ephesians iv, 1-6: "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called ; with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; en deavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all, and through all, and in you all." And hence we find that schismatics, (Gr. o^i'ir/ia, a split) that is, those who cause divisions in the Church of Christ, are every-where denounced in the Scriptures as carnal and unregenerate men. See, for instance, i Cor. iii, 1-4; Gal. V, 19-21 ; Jude 19, etc. XII. That those who love and fear the Lord, and espe- ^, . , cially the officers of the Churches, should often Meetings of -^ ¦*' -^ ' -' consultation mcct aiid coiifcr together on all the wants and and conference. . ^ ^ r .r t^- 7 -r r • . .. interests of the Kingdom. If it is essential to the growth of a single congregation that her Elders, Dea cons, and other prudent and influential members shall often meet and confer with each other as to the best ways and means of supplying her wants, why may not this be, to some extent, equally true of all the Churches in a given district ? It will not do to say that in all such deliberative assemblies there is danger of being misled by the unhallowed ambition of proud, vain, selfish, and EDIFICATION OF THE CHURCH. 535 ungodly men. This may be true even of the presbytery of a single Church. The power to do good implies, of course, the power to do evil. And hence, if the principle of the objection is right and valid, we should all, like the foolish servant, bury our talents in the Earth, and simply do nothing, lest, perchance, we should be inclined to do evil. But this, of course, proves too much for any and every one who longs for the increase and prosperity of Zion. Christianity is a power, and its influence must be aggress ive. We dare not, if we would, avoid doing every thing that we can, individually, socially, and collectively, for the edification of the Church and the salvation of the world. The path of duty is here, as in every other case, the path of safety. Let every man be taught, as he should, to tremble at the Word of the Lord ; let all Christians make it, in all cases, the man of their counsel ; let them act in harmony with its precepts in their families, in their re spective congregations, and in the assembly met for the purpose of considering the wants of the Churches in any given district, state, or territory, and then all will be well. Their own hearts will then be filled with love to God, and with an ardeftt sympathy for our race, while the world will look on and exclaim, "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." 536 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. PART V. FORTUNES AND DESTINY OF THE CHURCH. The Church has passed through many days of ad- Triais and vcrslty.* Focs without and enemies within afflictions ofthe j^^^g plotted her destruction; and at times Church during ^ the Dark Ages, the Gatcs of Hadcs seemed to have almost prevailed against her. The Dragon drove her into the wilderness : the Beast followed her with persecutions ; and the False Prophet, animated with the malice and cunning of Satan, endeavored to blot out her very name and memory from the face of the Earth. The sun of her glory went down ; and for more than one thousand years darkness, superstition, and idolatry, brooded over the face of this sin-cursed world. This is one of the most singular of all the moral phenomena in the government of the universe. Mysterious * " . character of That Hc who crcatcd all things, who supports all things, and who does what is pleasing in his sight in Heaven and among the inhabitants of the Earth, should permit the combined powers of darkness to gain even an apparent temporary advantage over the Church — an institution of his own appointment, and de signed for the most benevolent of all purposes — is a problem too profound for all who have not been well in structed in the principles of the Divine government ; * For an account of her past trials and sufferings see the Ecclesiastical Histories of Neander, Mosheim, Gieseler, and Schaff. FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 537 and hence, this has been a standing objection with a class of skeptics for the last fifteen hundred skeptical ob- years. They have never thoroughly studied ^"t'of God's '" the philosophy of the spiritual universe ; they administration. do not properly comprehend the laws and principles of the Divine administration ; their minds have been molded in the grosser ma'terials and false philosophies of the world. They have studied much more carefully the policy of Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander, Caesar, and Tamerlane, than the wisdom of Him who has ever re garded with profound respect the voluntary principle of both men and angels. But it is not our design at present to philosophize. Facts are sufficient for our present purpose. Reply to this To those who urge the past weakness, mis- o'^J«''o"- fortunes, and inefficiency of the Church as an argument against Christianity, it is enough to say that they have made their discovery too late. All this was known to Christ, and made known by him to his disciples more than eighteen hundred years ago. See Matt, x, 16-39 J xxiv, 9-13; Luke xii, 49-53; xxi, 12-18; John xv, 20; xvi, 2, etc. Paul also predicted that there would be a great apostasy from the truth, 2 Thess. ii. And John, in his Apocalyptic vision, saw the Church under the symbol of a forsaken and disconsolate woman, flying into the wilderness to escape from the persecutions of the great Red Dragon, animated and excited by that evil spirit which has ever worked in the hearts of the children of disobedience. Rev. xii. This, then, is no new discovery of infidels. It is one of the revelations of that Spirit which comprehends all things from the beginning. But there is a brighter view reflected on and from the same prophetic canvas. The same Spirit which so 538 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. graphically described the misfortunes of the Church has „ , . also, in like manner, revealed to us her future Rc/elations concerning the glorlcs. Of thls all the Prophcts and Apos- it'y'of the""''^'^ ties are witnesses. It is one of the favorite churcii. themes of the eloquent and evangelical Isaiah : see, for instance, the sixtieth chapter of his prophecies. And through his servant Jeremiah the Lord says to his Church : '' I will restore health to thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord ; because they called thee an outcast, saying, "This is Zion, which no man seeketh after." See Jer. xxx, 10-17.* The testimony of John, the beloved disciple, is also very clear and satisfactory on this point. No one who has carefully studied the Apocalypse can any longer entertain a doubt on this subject. The solemn and sub lime scenes of this wonderful book bring us down three times to the glorious period of which we now speak. The seven vials and the seven trumpets respect chiefly the political events of the world ; in which, however, the in terests of the Church were very deeply involved. The last trumpet, like the two preceding, was a woe to the inhabitants of the Earth ; but it was full of blessings to the citizens of Christ's Kingdom ; for when the seventh angel sounded, "there were great voices in heaven, say ing. The kingdoms of this world are become the king doms of our Lord and of his Christ ; and he shall reign forever and ever. And the four and twenty Elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying. We give thee thanks. Lord God Almighty, who art, and wast, and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and has reigned. * In this passage there is a double reference, first to the type, and then to the antitype. FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 539- And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward to thy servants the Prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great ; and shouldest destroy them who destroy the Earth." Rev. xi, 15-18. The second series of symbols is that of the symbolic monsters described in chapters twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth. It reveals to us still more clearly than the first series, the awful calamities of the saints of the Most High. But in the sequel we see the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having God's name written in their foreheads, and singing a new song before the throne ; while their persecutors are cast into the wine-press of the wrath of God. The third series refers exclusively to God's judgments on the enemies of the Church. And hence, while the seven angels were preparing to pour out the bitter con tents of the seven golden vials on the Earth, those who had gotten the victory over the Beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name, stood on a sea of glass, having the harps of God ; and in anticipation of their glorious deliverance, they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, " Great and marvelous are thy works. Lord God Almighty ; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who would not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou only art holy; for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest." Rev. XV, 1-4. But it is only by going somewhat into details that we can understand this matter aright. And as some ¦54° SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. knowledge of it is essential to our plan and purpose, we will bring our discussion of the scheme and economy of redemption to a close by considering, very briefly, in their probable chronological order, the main and leading events connected with the future developments and final triumphs of the Church. These, after much couMclerwith reflection on the whole subject, I am inclined the future prog- ^^ ^J^ijjjj. .^^JJl ^^J^g pj^^g ^^ folloWS : ress and final sr triumphs of the I. Fall of tlic TurMslt or Ottoman empire. Church. . ,,.,... This seems to be pretty clearly indicated, I. By the series of events recorded in the eleventh and twelfth chapters of Daniel. That the Turkish Sultan is the present king of the North (Daniel xi, 40-45) we have already proved, I hope to the satisfaction Evidence from ¦' the Book of of the reader, in " Reason and Revelation',' pp. 174-177 And that all has been fulfilled which is said of him previous to the forty-fourth verse of the eleventh chapter, has also been shown in the same work, and in the same connection. And hence we may anticipate that what is recorded in the two following verses will soon occur. " But tidings oiit of the East and out of the North shall trouble him. Therefore he shall go with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace (or his palace-like tabernacles) between the seas, in the glorious holy mountain ; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." In this passage we have, I think, clearly given the last struggles and final overthrow of the Turkish empire. France and England may continue to sustain her for a short time, but all the powers of western Europe can not do so very long. She must and she will come to her end very soon, and none shall help her. When, how, and by FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 541 what means this will take place is not so clearly revealed. But it is probable, (i.) That Russia and some eastern power, most likely Persia, will be made the instruments of her overthrow. It has long been the fear of the Turks and the growing expectation of the Greeks that Russia will one day put an end to the Ottoman empire. These impressions have been strengthened by the events of more than two hund red and fifty years. Ever since the reign of Peter the Great Russia has been encroaching on the limits of Tur key, and all the world now knows that Constantinople would very soon be tributary to St. Petersburg were it not for the combined influence of England and France. But these western powers can not always serve as her guardians. The events of another year may change their policy in relation to her, and then tidings out of the North and East may very soon trouble her. (2.) That the last great and decisive conflict, resulting in the complete overthrow of the Ottoman empire, will take place in the hill country of Judea, between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean. "He shall plant his palace like tabernacle between the seas, in the glorious holy mountain!' In the forty-first verse of the same chapter the appellation "glorious land" is applied to the land of Canaan, and in other passages it is called "the holy land',' "the pleasant land',' "the goodly heritage',' "the glory of all lands',' etc., to distinguish it from the idolatrous territory of the Gentiles. It is, therefore, quite probable that this "glorious holy mountain" is the mount of Olives, Calvary, or some other sacred elevation near Jerusalem. 2. By the vision of the Apostle John, Rev. xvi, 12: "And the sixth angel poured out his vial on Evidence from the great river Euphrates; and the water "'^Apocalypse 542 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. thereof was dried up that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared." The most eminent commenta tors are, I think, generally agreed that the pouring out of the seven vials of the wrath of God on the Earth is sym bolical of his righteous judgments on all the enemies of the Church, that the first five have already been poured out, and that the pouring out of the sixth has reference to the final ruin of the Ottoman empire, an event which can not, therefore, be very remote. Indeed, the signs of the eastern world would seem to indicate that we may reasonably anticipate the fulfillment of this prophecy at almost any time. \1. A series of events involving great public embarrass ments, most likely in relation to the division of the Ottoman dominions, and particularly in relation to the allotment of Palestine. "And at that time shall Michael stand up. Evidence from thc grcat prlucc who standeth for the chil- Prophecy. ^j.g^ ^f (-j^y people ; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time ; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Daniel xii, i. It seems, then, from this, in connection with the pre- Evidence fiom '^ious scctiou, that the fall of Turkey will be the relations the first of a scrics of cvcuts that will cause and established policy of Euro- vcry great trouble and excitement in the east- pean na ions. ^^^ world. Aud thls, Indeed, we might very readily anticipate, even without the aid and light of proph ecy. The long-established policy of nearly all the great powers of the civilized world renders it highly probable that such will be the issue of events when the Ottoman empire shall fall to rise no more. If England and France would spend so much as they havc recently done to FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 543 prevent the court of St. Petersburg from infringing on the borders of the Sultan, not on account of any sympa thy that they have for the Turks or their respect for the rights of man, but simply for the purpose of preserving the balance of power among the nations of Europe by holding in check the ambition and avarice of Russia, what sacrifice would not they and other rival powers make to prevent Russia and Persia, or any other two kingdoms, from taking and appropriating to themselves the wealth of a fallen empire? If it is still a sound maxim that "Wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together," what a tremendous conflict of nations may we reasonably anticipate in any attempt that may be made to divide and appropriate the spoils of Turkey! England, France, Germany, Austria, Prus sia, Russia, Greece, Persia, Egypt, and the scattered Tribes of Israel will probably all be there to urge their respective claims, and to serve as umpires in the great controversy. But at that time Michael will again stand up in be half of Israel. For many generations he was Guardianship their prince and national guardian. Daniel "f Michael. X, 21. Under Jehovah, he seems to have been employed to lead them out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage ; to conduct them through the Red Sea and the dreary deserts of Arabia ; to lead their armies to victories in Canaan, and to comfort them in their afflic tions in Babylon ; to move Darius to promote Daniel, and to stir up Cyrus to rebuild the temple; to accompany their emancipated hosts in their return from captivity; and for many years to preside -over their interests in Pal estine Compare Exodus xxiii, 20-25; xxxii, 34; Num bers' XX, 16; Joshua V. 13-15 ; Isaiah Lxiii, 9; Daniel x, 21, 544 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. and xii, i. But the cup of their iniquity was at length filled to overflowing; the Spirit of God was grieved by their obstinacy and repeated acts of rebejlion ; Jerusalem was encompassed with armies ; and soon after, if Josephus is worthy of credit, a voice — it may have been of this same guardian angel and his associates — was heard in the Temple saying, "Let us remove hence." Jewish War, Book VI, chapter v. From that time Jerusalem has been trodden down by the Romans, the Persians, the Saracens, the Seljukians, the Mamelukes, and the Ottomans, and the Jews themselves have wandered as sheep without a shepherd. The predictions of Moses concerning this remarkable people have been most particularly fulfilled. They have been scattered among all people, from the one end of the Earth even to the other; they have found no ease nor rest, but have been oppressed and crushed always and every-where ; they have been left few in number among the heathen; they have pined away in their iniquity in their enemies' land ; and they have be come an astonishment, a proverb, and a by-word among all nations.* Deut. xxviii. But the times of the Gentiles will soon be fulfilled. Result of the Lukc xxi, 24. The Ottoman scepter is about w'iT"rI^ard to ^o be brokcu. Michael will again stand up in Palestine. behalf of Isracl, "and at that time shall be de livered every one that shall be found written in the book!' Every Israelite on Earth who, like his fathers in the time of Ezra, can trace his genealogy to the stock of Abraham * On this one chapter of fulfilled prophecy we might very safely rest the question touching the Divine authenticity of the whole Bible. No honest man cau consistently read this chapter in the light of history and then refuse to believe that Moses wrote these words as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. But, if Moses was inspired, so also were all the other writers of the Old and New Testaments inspired. Of this there can be no reasonable doubt. ' The Bible is, Uke the Solar System, a unit. It must all stand or fall together. FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 545 will then be emancipated. And whatever disposition may be made of the other provinces of the fallen Sultan, Pal estine will be again restored to the Tribes of Israel for an everlasting possession. III. Revival of the Israelites, and their return to Pal estine. "And many of them that sleep in the Evidence from dust of the Earth shall awake; some to ever- ^""^'• lasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Daniel xii, 2. In all our attempts to interpret the Bible it is very important to discriminate between what is i^p„rta„ce. of literal and what is figurative. The whole discriminating . _ . . between what is doctrine 01 transubstantiation is based on a uterai and tigu- misconception of a single term, and that, too, one of the smallest words in our vernacular: "This is my body." The question to be determined is simply this: Does the copula is express the relation of identity, or merely that of analogy between the subject and the pred icate of this proposition ? Is it used in a literal or in a metaphorical sense? The Roman Catholic maintains the former, and hence infers that the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper are transmuted into the body, blood, soul, and Divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ! Similar to this, I humbly conceive, is the error of those who refer the prophetic words at the head of „ ^ ^ Query as to the this section to the final resurrection of the meaning of this , . rr-i . . • • • . 1 ¦ prediction. dead. Their interpretation is, in the main, too literal. It is, I think, inconsistent with the context for several reasons: I. In the final and literal resurrection the bodies of all will be raised. John v, 28, 29. But in the case to which the angel here refers only many of them that sleep in the dust shall awake. 46 546 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. ^ 2. There is, in several respects, a want of chronolog- . ical harmony between the revival here described and the final resurrection. (f.) The former must take place very soon, probably in about twenty-four years from this time. Thousands of the present generation may yet live to witness it. But the latter is an event that is yet far distant. At least a thousand years of peace and plenty shall intervene before all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of Jesus and come forth. All this will, I hope, appear more evi dent in the sequel. (2.) After the revival here described the work of con version will still go on. Some of these Israelites will, after their own resurrection, turn many to righteousness. Compare x, 14, and xii, 3. But after the literal resurrec tion of the dead there will be no more preaching, no more exhortation, no more calling on sinners to repent, no more conversion to God. See i Thess. iv, 15-17, and 2 Thess. i, 6-10, etc. (3.) The partial and figurative resurrection of which the angel here speaks will take place at the end of three and a half years of prophetic time, when God shall have accomplished his purpose in scattering the power of the holy people. Daniel xii, 5-7. But the angel afterward defines two other periods of time which, if reckoned from the same chronological epoch as the first, which is most probable, will terminate, the one thirty and the other sev enty-five years later.* Daniel xii, 11, 12. * In the eleventh verse of this same chapter the taking away of the Daily The three neri- "^ Jerusalem is given as the terminus from which it seems ods spoken of probable that all these periods are to be reckoned. This was in the twelfth first taken away in a typical sense, by the Romans, in A. D. chapterofDan- yo^ and in its true and proper antitypical sense by the Sara- " cens, in A. D. 632 ; this, at least, was the year in which they FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 547 From these premises, then, we conclude that the words under consideration have no reference to the „ , . , . , , Conclusion. final resurrection, but simply to the general re vival of the oppressed Israelites in the lands of their dis persion, and to their restoration to Palestine through the agency and superior diplomacy of their guardian angel. For the proof of this we rely chiefly on the following parallel passage from Ezekiel. The Prophet says : " The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried „Corroborating me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me evidence from down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones. And he caused me to pass by them round about : and behold ! there were very many in the open valley ; and lo ! they were very dry. And he said unto me. Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. And he said unto me. Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones : Behold ! I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live : and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live ; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded ; and as I prophesied there was a noise, and behold! a shaking, and the bones came to gether, bone to its bone. And when I beheld, lo ! the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin commenced their conquests in Palestine. Gibbon, Vol. vi, pp. 402-407. If, then, to A. D. 632 we add, according to the year-day theory, 1260, 1290, and 1335 years we have given 1892, 1922, and 1967 as three important epochs in the future history of the Israelites. And hence it is probable that the first of these refers to the time of their return to Palestine, the second to their conversion to Christ, and the third to the conversion of the world through their agency. 548 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. covered them above ; but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me. Prophesy unto the wind ; prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind: Thus saith the Lord God : Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them ; and they lived and stood up upon their feet ; an exceeding great army." Ezekiel xxxvii, i-io. Had no explanation been given of this vision, how very few persons would have ever understood it! Most commentators would, no doubt, have regarded it as a symbohcal representation of the final resurrection. But, fortunately for us, all uncertainty as to its true meaning and application has been removed ; for, in explanation of it, the Lord himself immediately adds: "These bones are the zvliole house of Israel^ Behold, they say, Our bones are dried and our hope is lost ; we are cut off for our part. Therefore prophesy, and say unto them : / will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves. And I will put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live ; and I will place you in your own land. Then shall ye know that I, the Lord, have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord." For further evidence on this point see Isaiah xi, 10-12 ; Jeremiah xxiii, 3-8 ; Ezekiel xxxvi, etc. IV. Purpose of many nations to dispossess the restored Testimon of Israelites. After describing symbolically the John the fall of Turkey, John says : " I saw three un- ''°^"' clean spirits, like frogs, come out of thc mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the' FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 549 Beast, and out of the mouth of the False Prophet. For they are the spirits of demons {dainwof!) working miracles, which go forth to the kings of the Earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle' of that great day of God Almighty." Rev. xvi, 13, 14. This very obscure and enigmatical language of John becomes much more luminous when compared with the more full and explicit revelations of Ezekiel on the samc subject. In the thirty-sixth and seventh chap- Testimony of ters, the Prophet speaks chiefly of the return '^"'''''' *'"* ^ •' respect to the of the Israelites to Palestine, with an occa- a"'<=d nations. sional reference to their conversion; and in the first seven verses of the thirty-eighth chapter he describes the various belligerent nations that will invade Palestine with the view of resubduing it. These are Gog, or the host of Magog, Meshech, and Tubal .; with whom will be asso ciated. Persia, Ethiopia, Lybia, Gomer, the house of Togar- mah, and many other tribes. Magog, Meshech, and Tubal, were sons of Japheth ; and,, according to the most reliable accounts, their descendants occupied the countries North of the Caspian and Black Seas ; the same that now com pose a large portion of the Russian empire. And when we connect with this fact the testimony of the Prophet, given in the fifteenth verse of this same chapter, that this despotic power will come from the North, that is, from the North of Palestine, we can scarcely entertain a doubt that Gog, the leader of this inimense host, is the Russian army, or perhaps the Autocrat himself And this certainly corresponds well with the parallel passage cited from Rev. xvi, 13. The Dragon of the twelfth chapter evidently represents the pagan Roman empire. But that empire fell ; an4 in its place rose the ten-horned Beast. The Dragon of the sixteenth chapter 5 so SCHEME ' OF REDEMPTION. is, therefore, not identical with that of the twelfth ; but it is used metaphorically, to denote a government very simi lar to the old Roman empire. And, be it observed, that this political monster must exist now, or at least rise to supreme power very soon ; for the contents of the sixth vial are now being poured out. From all of which it seems quite probable that the Dragon of the sixteenth chapter is the Russian empire. No other government on Earth so much resembles the ancient Roman. In extent of territory, in thirst for glory, and a desire for conquest, the empire of Russia may well be compared with that of the Caesars. But Russia will not be alone in this invasion and attempt at conquest. According to John, the same kind of unclean spirit will animate, also, the Beast and the False Prophet. And Ezekiel says that Persia, Ethiopia, Lybia, Gomer, the house of Togarmah, etc., will be asso ciated with Gog. Here, again, therefore, these two in spired witnesses agree perfectly in their testimony ; for it is generally conceded that Gomer settled in Asia Minor, and that from Togarmah and other sons of Gomer have sprung most of the interior and western tribes of Europe ; and hence the bands of Togarmah may be regarded as identical with the Beast, which evidently represents the Catholic powers of the same locality. And it is of course known to all that the Persians, Ethiopians, and Lybians are followers of the False Prophet.* We, therefore, infer, with a good degree of certainty, that this immense host of invaders will consist chiefly of Russians, Catholics, and Mahometans. From the eighth to the seventeenth verse of this * This title is, by the common consent of all Christendom, given to Ma homet and his followers. FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 55 1 chapter, (Ezekiel x.xxvii,) the Prophet describes the cir cumstances of this invasion. These enemies t,,^,, i^^^^io^ of Israel will come from the North, riding upon °^ Paies>'"e- horses, in immense numbers ; so that as a cloud they will cover the land. And there they will be met by merchants from Sheba, Dedan, and Tarshish, who will flock to their camp with the hope of enriching themselves with the spoils of victory. But the Jews will take them captive, whose captives they were ; and they shall rule over their oppressors. Isa. xiv, 2. And all this, it is said, shall be in the latter days, after that the Israelites shall have been gathered out of all nations into the land of Canaan. Then will Gog conceive a mischievous purpose, and say : " I will go to them that are at rest ; that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil and to take a prey." This is the purpose of Gog ; but the purpose of Jehovah is very difi'erent. " l\ will bring thee against my land," says the King of Israel, 1 " that the heathen may know me, when I am sanctified in/ thee, O Gog, before their eyes." V. Utter overthrow of these hostile powers in the battle of Armageddon,* resulting in the general conversion of the Israelites. " And they (the unclean spirits) gathered them (the kings of the Earth) together, into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." Rev. xvi, 16. Here again the words of John will be best understood by comparing them with the fuller and more Destruction of explicit account which is given of the same "'^ "™'''='-=- great battle by Ezekiel. In the following paragraph, * Armageddon, or more properly Harmageddon, from in, a mountain, and nin, Megiddo, was the name of a hill near to which good king Josiah was slain in battle with Pharaoh Nccho, 2 Chron. xxxv, 20-25. And hence the name is used metaphorically, like Marathon, Arbela, or Waterloo, for any decisive battle-field, or place of great mourning. See Zech. xii, 11. 552 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. extending from xxxviii, i8, to xxxix, 20, inclusive, the Prophet describes the defeat and massacre of these in vading foes. The description is awfully animated and sublime. The anger of God is kindled, and even all the elements of nature seem to sympathize with their Cre ator, and conspire against the invading foe : the Earth quakes, the mountains fall, the pestilence rages ; and mingled torrents of rain, hail, fire, and brimstone, are poured out on the devoted multitudes. Every man's sword is turned against his fellow ; and of that immense army, gathered out of nearly all the principal nations of Europe, Asia, and Africa, five-sixths fall down slain on the mountains of Israel. The consequences of this victory are given in the Consequences remainder of the thirty-ninth chapter. Some of this victory, ^f thcsc havo reference to the Jews, and some to their enemies. It is said, in particular, that "All the heathen shall see my judgment, which I have executed ; and my hand which I have laid upon them;" "and the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity,^ because they have trespassed against me;" "so the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day and forward. Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God who caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen ; but I have gathered them into their own land, and have left none of them any more there ; neither will I hide my face any more from them, for I have poured out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God!' From these premises it is evident. Inferences I. That thls prophccy relates to the future. dltrofihrsec' "^^^ heathen do not yet so recognize the hand tion. of Qq(] ij^ (-{^e government of the world, the FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 553 Jews are still in captivity on account of their sins, God's face is still concealed from them, and his Spirit has not yet been poured out upon them. 2. That the change here described in the relations, condition, and circumstances of the Jews seems to imply nothing short of their general conversion to Christianity. For thus saith the Lord, " The house of Israel shall know me from that day and forward." They now know him as Jehovah, and have ever done so since they became a na tion. But this language evidently implies that they will then know him as he is more fully and more perfectly revealed in the New Testament, under the threefold per sonality of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The reader will find strong corroborating evidence of all this in the third chapter of Joel and the twelfth of Zechariah, both of which refer to joei and Zech- the same occasion described in the thirty- ^"'''' eighth and ninth chapters of Ezekiel. But we have stronger testimony than that of either Ezekiel, Joel, or Zechariah. The language of all these writers is highly symbolical, and we may, therefore, often fail to compre hend the precise import and bearing of their predictions. But in Romans xi, 11-32, Paul, in his usual Testimony of plain, didactic style, places the fact of Israel's ^^"'" conversion beyond all legitimate controversy. He first argues the possibility and the probability of their conver sion to Christ from several considerations, such as the great influence that it would have for good on the rest of mankind, the fact that a part of them which he here com pares to the first-fruits had already been received into the Christian Church, etc., and then he plainly and positively announces the fact that all the Israelites will yet be saved. "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of 47 554 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. this mystery, lest ye (Gentiles) should be wise in yout own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in ; and so all Israel shall be saved : as it is written there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is my covenant tinto them when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake ; btlt fls touching the elec tion, they are beloved for the fathers' sake: for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye (Gentiles) in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through thelf (Israel's) unbelief; even so have these also not now believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mefcy;*' This, then, I think, is entirely conclusive. The word Conclusion re- Lsracl iu this councction evidently refers to converfion^rf ^hc sccd of Abraham according to the flesh, Israel. aud thc word all is used in the sense of the greater part, just as it is in many other parts of Scripture. And hence there can be no doubt that the time will come when the Jews, as a people, will be converted to Christ. The precise time of this important event is, of course, somewhat uncertain, but I am inclined to the opinion that this will all be fulfilled about A. D. 1922. " Then, 'neath the fig-tree and the vine, Shall Judah's daughters peaceful rest, And gray-haired fathers safe recline On sacred Calvary's hoary breast. Those tuneful harps that hung so long Upon the weeping willow's stem Shall swell again old Zion's songs Within thy walls, Jerusalem." VI. Destruction of Popery, Mahometanism, and other antichristian powers and combinations. "And the seventh FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 555 angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of Heaven from Effects foiiow- the throne, saying, It is done. And there ¦''s;"«=p<'™"«out of llie sev- were Voices, and thunders, and lightning; and ^uthviai. there was a great earthquake, such as has not been since men were upon the Earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts ; and the cities of the nations fell ; and great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every isl and fled away,' and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent : and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great." Rev. xvi, 17-21. We have in these impressive words of the Apostle an . awful presage of the speedy judgments of God on all the surviving enemies of his Church. She is now divinely authorized to bear the olive branch to all the nations. Those that regard her warnings, and that live in harmony with her laws and institutions, will still flour- ood's Decree ish as the palm tree; they will ever grow like .^'etemfes of the cedars of Lebanon. But woe to that na- "lechmch. tion that will not yield to the moral power and influence of the Church of the Living God. Its doom is sealed ; its destiny is fixed. For says the Lord by Isaiah, in ad dressing his Church, "The nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish: yea, those na tions SHALL BE utterly WASTED." Isaiah Ix, 12. The Gospel is to kindreds, and tongues, and sects, and nations, as it is to individuals, a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. It either kills or cures. It is the ax that is even now laid at the root of every tree in Christendom, 556 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. and every one which does not speedily bring forth good fruit must soon be cut down and cast into the fire. Soon after the battle of Armageddon the seventh vial Doom of mys- of thc Wi'ath of God will be poured out into ™and"'t'be the ail", and then will follow a series of revo- Faise Prophet, lutious that Will shakc the political as well as the religious world, to its very center. During these con vulsions "the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience," will no doubt himself be greatly discomfited, and all his chief human organizations and fortifications will be totally de stroyed. Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots, will sink with violence, to rise no more, (Rev. xviii, 21,) and the Beast and the False Prophet will both be cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. Rev. xix, 201 It is all folly, then, to suppose that these antichris tian powers can ever be reformed. No doubt there are still in them many individuals who are, or who may be, converted to Christ ; and to all such the voice of warning has already gone forth : " Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Rev. xviii, 4. This cry must yet be heard a little longer in these devoted kingdoms, and then will the end come. VII. Conversion of the world by the Israelites. "They ^ . ^ that be wise shall shine as the brightness of 1 estimony of ^ Diiniei and the firmament ; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars, forever and ever." Daniel xii, 3. The angel refers here exclusively to the Israelites ; to those who are of the seed of Abraham according to the fiesh. Daniel x, 14. And, again, Paul says concerning them : " If the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them thc riches of FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 557 the Gentiles, hozv much more their fullness ? (That is, how much more will their general conversion be the riches of the world .?) For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles. I magnify my office, if by any means I may provoke to emulation them who are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them (as the people in covenant with God) be the reconciling of the world, what shall the re ceiving of them (into the Church of Christ) be, but A LIFE (or a resurrection of the whole Gentile world) from the DEAD?" Rom. xi, 12-15. The Apostle here evidently speaks of a spiritual resurrection. The Jews will of course have . . 17/. r r Character of no agency in raising the bodies oi men irom the hfe and their graves. This is the exclusive work of 3'^XT'of" b Him who has said : " I am the resurrection." p^""! ™ ^°- mans xi, 15. But that the Israelites, when converted to Christ, will have a powerful influence in reviving the soids of men, may be inferred from several considerations. I . Their conversion will most likely be a complete resto ration of primitive Christianity. The Gospel , . . -^ First element was corrupted at a very early period. Even that win give in the days of the Apostles the spirit of schism ;f;Xr*f and discord was at work in many of the <•'= convened Israelites. Churches. One said I am of Paul ; another, I am of Apollos ; and another, I am of Cephas. Some attempted to combine with the doctrine of Christ the spiritual vagaries of a Plato ; others labored to introduce the metaphysical abstractions of an Aristotle ; while others again sought to make out a perfect system of religion and morality, by uniting the precepts of the Gospel with the licentious tenets of Epicurus, or with some other system of Jewish or Gentile philosophy. Many isms were the 558 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. natural and legitimate offspring of these vain attempts to improve what God had already made perfect ; and it is a well-attested historical fact that, through the strife of debate, the abuse of human authority, and the vain pre tensions of erring man, . Christianity was almost wholly excluded from the popular theologies of the Middle Ages. And though Luther, Calvin, Arminius, Wesley, and a host of other great reformers, have done much to restore the pure Gospel, it is, nevertheless, true that all the Protestant parties are still too much devoted to the mere politics and metaphysics of Christianity. These abstrac tions are but poor nourishment for the hungry soul ; they are miserable substitutes for the bread and the water of eternal life. And hence the comparative failure of nearly all modern missionary efforts to convert the world. But it is not probable that the Jews will ever be con verted to any mere abstract theory of Christianity, whether Papal or Protestant. They will never give up the tradi tions of their own Rabbis for any of the uninspired creeds of modern Christendom. It is Christ himself, the chief among the ten thousands, and the one altogether lovely, that will woo their hearts and bring their whole nature of body, soul, and spirit, under subjection to the will of God. It is the heart-felt consciousness that they have despised, crucified, and so long rejected the Lord of life and glory, that will work in them that godly sorrow described by Zechariah xii, 9-14; and that will induce them to cry out, like Saul of Tarsus, " Lord, what wilt thou have us to do ?" Like the primitive Christians, then, these new converts will go every-where preaching the Word. The spirit of the Apostles, which has for ages slumbered under the secularized and corrupted forms of Christianity, will be revived in these new heralds of the Cross. They will FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 559 become the most zealous and devoted of all missionaries ; and, with the influences of a pure Gospel in their heads and in their hearts, and stimulated by a thousand exciting reminiscences, who can estimate the changes and revo lutions which these ransomed millions of our race may soon effect in the world ? Even under the most unfavor able circumstances their influence must be immense. The Gospel has not lost a single element of its power. God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and holy angels desire as much as ever the salvation of the world. And hence it would seem that the only thing which is now wanting to bind Satan and to fill the whole world with the glory of Jehovah, is just such a band of missionaries as the Jews are likely to become when the vail shall be taken away from their hearts. 2. But besides the great zeal of the Jews, and the resto ration of the pure Gospel, there are some other other elements matters connected with their present relations of 'I'^ir success. and the advanced state of the arts and sciences which, under God, will greatly serve to promote the object of their mission. Nothing happens by chance in the moral changes and phases of society. He who made the universe still gov erns it ; and to govern the whole, he must first take care of the parts : to regulate suns and systems he must first weigh and adjust their atoms ; and in order to Means always 1 , provided with feed, clothe, and preserve man, he must num- ^ference to ber the hairs of his head, and regulate every special ends. pulsation of his heart. This he has always done. The history of the world is one continued illustration of his providential adaptation of means to the accomplishment of special ends. To save our race from utter ruin an ark was prepared. To preserve Jacob and his family, and to illustrate, at the same time, some of the most profound 56o SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. principles of the scheme and economy of redemption, Joseph was born, loved, hated, sold into Egypt, im prisoned, and made governor over all the land. To restore the Israelites to Canaan, and to complete the shadow of which the Gospel is the substance, Moses was born, laid in an ark of bulrushes, adopted by Pharaoh's daughter, instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and then divinely commissioned and qualified to lead his brethren out of the house of bondage to the Land of Promise. And to prepare the world for the advent of the Messiah the folly of all human wisdom was exposed, the temple of Janus was closed, and an expectation was ex cited among all nations that some great reformer was about to appear, " Whose genial power would whelm Earth's iron race, And plant once more the golden in its place." And hence it seems that God does nothing in vain ; and that the feeblest instrumentalities for good are always provided with reference to some special end. These things, then, being promised, we may now very Vast accumuia- propcrly ask, Why have the Jews been scat- utTwreemh tered among all the nations? Why, amidst century. tjjg wrcck of throucs and the fall of empires, have they always been preserved as a distinct people? Why do they now speak all the languages and dialects of this babbling Earth? What mean those important discoveries that distinguish the nineteenth from all* pre ceding centuries? For what purpose has the telegraph been invented, the power of steam applied to machinery, and the resources of Mathematics exhausted in the ad vancement of the physical sciences and the improvements of their kindred arts? Why is so much now said and done to promote the principles of civil and religious FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 561 liberty among all nations? Why has education advanced so rapidly, and why have the Holy Scriptures been multi plied more than tenfold during the last fifty years ? Such an accumulation of means certainly seems to indicate that God is about to accomplish some Endandobiect great purpose. And what can this be but the "^ '" """¦ conversion of the worid? Men of secularized minds and limited conceptions may see nothing very remarkable in the fortunes of the Jews, and to such persons some sHght improvements in commerce or in the science of agricul ture may seem to be the grand ultimatum of all discovery. But the Bible reveals to us a very different philosophy. It teaches us that the kingdoms of this world are yet to become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Anointed, that the increase and perfection of the Church is the end of all things earthly, and that every thing else pertaining to this world is a mere circumstance. And hence it is but reasonable to infer that the Israelites have been preserved for this very purpose, that they have been widely dispersed in order that they may acquire a knowledge of all the lan guages of the world, and that after their conversion they may return and announce to each nation, in its own ver nacular, the glorious facts, precepts, and promises of the Gospel, and that to this same end may be referred the present wonderful progress in science and the astonishing improvements in all the arts of civilization. This induction of facts might, of course, be very greatly extended. But I think enough has been said to illustrate the Apostle's meaning, and to show that he uses no undue exaggeration when he compares the effect of the influence which the converted Jews will exert over the unconverted portion of the Gentile world to a resurrection from the dead. 562 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. This subject may be further illustrated by Ezekiel's vision of the holy waters. Ezekiel xlvii, 1-12. Scope of Fze- _ , . i , ¦ 1 i kiei's Vision of Concemiug which be it observed, the holy waters. ^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ evidently symbollcaf of the stream of Gospel light and influence which will go Proof that they lofth fiom tfic Chuixh of the redeemed Israel- are symbolical, jfgg fQj. jj^g conversion of the world. No such river now flows from Mount Moriah. But when the sym bolical Temple of converted Jews shall be erected on its summiti-a stream of salvation will again flow from Jerusa lem which will cause the wilderness and the solitary parts of the Earth to be made glad, and the very deserts to rejoice and blossom as the rose. 2. These waters greatly increase in depth and in Their increase breadth as thcy flow eastward. "And when in volume. ^j^g vc\2.n who had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters ; and the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand cubits, and brought me through the waters ; and the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters ; and they were to the loins. Af terward 'he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass over; for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over." xlvii, 3-5. The great and rapid increase of these waters very beauti fully illustrates the speedy conversion of the whole Gen tile world by these new missionaries of the Cross. The stream of their influence will be small at first, but it will become wider and wider, deeper and deeper, till it shall finally fill the whole world, and the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. 3. The healing virtues of these waters are also very FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 563 remarkable. "And he said unto me. Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me and Their Healing caused me to return to the brink of the river. »"""• Now when I had returned, behold at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then said he unto me. These waters issue out toward the East country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea, (the Dead Sea;) which being brought into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: and they shall be healed; and every thing shall hve whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it (the shore of the Dead Sea) from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, (the Mediterranean,) exceeding many." Verses 6-10. This is a beautiful illustration of the sanctifying and soul-redeeming influences of the Gospel. The world is a sea — a Dead Sea. Mankind are all dead in trespasses and in sins. But a fountain has been opened in the house of David ; a living stream has gone forth from the side of our Redeemer. It has purified the Sanctuary ; it has cleansed the temple of God. But it can not be con fined within the narrow, limits of any one town, city, or continent. It is the remedy which God has provided to supply the wants of a fallen world, and hence he has made it as free as the air or the sunlight of heaven. , "Let the glad tidings reach the dead ; This river runs through death's dark shade ; 564 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. I Where'er it comes, this living spring Gives life and health to every thing." 4. "But the miry places thereof and the marshes Evidence of thcrcof shall not be healed ; they shall be some existing giveu to Salt." Vcrsc 1 1. Thc meaning of evil during the , , . j. overflow of thcsc words IS very obvious irom the context, these waters. .pj^^ influencc of thc Gospcl will be felt and enjoyed under the whole heavens; it will cover the whole Earth as the waters cover the sea. But all parts of the Earth will not enjoy it equally. In some places the water will be so shallow and so mixed with clay that they will only produce mire. These localities will still, like the banks of the Dead Sea, remain unproductive. That is, some persons, and probably even some communities, will not receive the Gospel in the love of it. Like the ancient Pharisees and some modern professors of Christianity, they will still continue to make void the law of God by their.traditions and their own inventions. The particular forms of error to which the Prophet here refers we can not of course now determine with any degree of certainty. Some dregs of Popery may still con tinue to curse the world ; or some new abominations, more in harmony with the then existing state of society, may spring up in those halcyon days of Gospel light and glory. But certain it is, that while the sanctifying and saving influence of the Gospel will be general, it will not be universal : while nations will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks, some persons will still continue to conceal, under the garment of the assassin, the revolver and the bowie-knife: while the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard with the kid, the growl of the hyena will still be heard in some dark corner of the Earth ; and while the world wiU be a FORTUNES. AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 565 temple filled with sweet incense from a thousand altars, the moral miasma of this sin-polluted Earth wiU ever con tinue to rise from a few remaining bogs and quagmires. The saint and the sinner will, therefore, live together during even the Golden Age of Christianity. The tares and the wheat will grow together in the same field till the time of the world's great harvest. 5. And, finally, many perennial and fruitful trees will line the banks of this river of life. " And „. ., Significance by the river, upon the banks thereof, on this aud import of side and on that side, shall grow all trees for banks of the meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall '^"""'' the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to its months, because their waters issued out of the Sanctuary. And the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof shall be for medicine." Verse 1 2. The river is symbolical, and, therefore, so are the trees which grow on its banks. They represent the means through which God supplies his people with spiritual food and medicine adapted to the wants of their immortal souls. The figure is evidently drawn from the Tree of Life, which was watered by the river of Eden. That tree was, for a time, the panacea of Heaven ; those who ate of it had no need of a physician. The Apostle John uses the same beautiful imagery in describing the New Jeru salem, and the abundant supplies of God's grace and goodness to his redeemed people in a future state. He saw a river flowing from the throne of God : on each side of it he saw the Tree of Life, which bears twelve kinds of fruit, and yields its fruit every month ; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Such, then, is a brief symbolical representation of the great and manifold blessings that will abound to all 566 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. nations when the Jews .shall be converted to [Christ and become missionaries of the Cross. When they become preachers of righteousness the world will soon become a temple of God's praise ; and these new heralds of the Cross, having, turned many to righteousness, will them selves shine as the stars forever and ever. In the mean time the evangelical labors of the Gen- Nocessationof tllcs wlll,. of coui'sc, be contluued. Thank God, Gentile labor, thcre Is HO mouopoly in the work of saving the world from sin. While there is a soul to be redeemed it will be the privilege, not to say the duty, of every Christian to labor for its salvation ; but, owing to circum stances, it would seem from such passages of Scripture as we have examined, that to the converted Jews will be long largely the honor of binding Satan and filling the whole Earth with the knowledge and glory of Jehovah. VIII. Millennial reign of 'the saints. Of this we have .,„ „. . , the most particular' account given in Rev. xx. The Vision of -^ =" ' John concern- 1-6: "And I saw," says John, "an angel come '"^ ' ' down from heaven, having the key of the bot tomless pit and a great chain in his hand ; and he laid hold on the Dragon, that Old Serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years ; and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal on him, that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled. After that he must be loosed for a little season. And I saw thrones ; and they sat on them ; and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of them that were be headed for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God ; and who had not worshiped the Beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark on their foreheads, nor in their hands ; and they lived and reigned with Christ a FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH 567 thousand years ; but the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection : on such the second death hath no power ; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." When we say that this language is symbolical we simply affirm that it is similar to other parts r 1 A 1 1 r r Absurdity of in- 01 the Apocalypse. Very few persons, we pre- terpreting aii sume, would insist on a strictly literal inter- '"^ "^aHy- pretation of this passage. That an angel, in the ordinary sense of this term, will ever descend from heaven, and literally lay hold on the Dragon, that Old Serpent, which is the Devil and Satan ; that he will bind him with a literal chain of gold, silver, iron, brass, or any other kind of material ; that he will literally cast him into the bot tomless pit and lock him up, as a culprit is confined in a jail or penitentiary ; that during the period of his impris onment the souls of the martyrs and of those who had not worshiped the Beast and his image, will sit on literal thrones, and literally reign with Christ, while all the rest of the dead will slumber in their graves ; and that at the expiration of one thousand years the literal chain will be literally taken off Satan, the doors of his prison opened, and he permitted thus to go out once more to deceive the nations — this we presume is rather too hteral for almost any one. The Apocalypse is, by common consent, one of the most highly figurative and symbolical books symbolical ever written. The four Living Creatures, the ^'Xsf'" twenty-four Elders, the Lamb in the midst of illustrated. the throne, the little book in the right hand of Him who sat on it, the opening of the seven seals, the sounding of the seven trumpets, the Two Witnesses in sackcloth, the 568 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION woman clothed with the Sun, the great red Dragon, the ten-horned Beast that rose out of the sea, the two.-horned Beast that rose out of the earth, the False Prophet, the pouring out of the seven vials, and the Harlot on many waters, are all as certainly symbols as were the patterns that were given to Moses in the mount. We have no reason to think that the twentieth chap- what is iin- tcr Is au cxccption to the general law of sym- phed m the bollc representation which characterizes all binding of ba- ^ tan. Other parts of this wonderful book. Indeed, it is very difficult to conceive how Satan, who is a fallen spirit, could be bound with a material chain and confined in a material abyss of any kind. But he has always been a proper subject of moral restraints. In the case of Job, for instance, he could not go one hair's breadth beyond the permission of God. And since the coronation of the Messiah, and the new order and arrangement of all the powers of the moral universe under him, the chain of this arch-apostate has been very much contracted. Every Bible since published has served to limit the sphere of his influence. And when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the whole Earth, as the waters cover the sea, then the effect will be as if he were bound with fetters of brass ; as if he were cast into the bottomless pit, and as if the world were delivered from the tyranny of his iron scepter. And then the saints will rise and reign with Christ a thousand years. That is, I presume, the eff'ect In what sense .,, , , .r i • • r i the souls of the Will bc the samc as ii the spirits ot the most I^i'giT^whh pious of the ancient saints should return to Christ a thou- fhg Earth, take possession of it, and reign sand years. over it for a thousand years. The resurrec tion is, I think, the same, in part, with that which is FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCII. 569 described by Paul in the eleventh chapter of the Romans, and which, as we have seen, will be brought about by the evangelical labors of the Jews, resulting in the conversion and spiritual resurrection of the whole Gentile world. The passage does not mean that the bodies of the ancient martyrs will then be raised from the dead, nor does it mean that even their identical spirits will then rise and be promoted to places of honor and distinction in the government of the world, but it means simply that per sons of like spirit and character will then have the su premacy, and hold in their hands, under Christ, the reins of universal government. This figure is very common, even in books that are far less symbolical than the Apocalypse. Isaiah, ^„ ^ 1^1 Illustrations of for instance, says, " Upon the land of my peo- the use of tins pie shall come up thorns and briers ; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city: because the palaces shall be forsaken ; the multitude of the city shall be left ; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks, until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilder ness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilder ness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field: and the work of righteousness shall be peace ; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever: and my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places." Isaiah xxxii, 13-18. That this has reference to the future restoration of the Jews is evident from the context. And hence the pronoun us can include neither the prophet himself nor any of his contemporaries, except by analogy. In like manner, Paul says to the Thessalonians, "The 48 570 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in'the air." r Thess. iv, i6, 17. That the Apostle does not refer here to the generation then living is evident from his second letter to the same Church. It seems there were among the Thessalonians certain literalists who inferred from the words cited that the second advent of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment were just at hand. And hence they began to walk disorderly, neglecting their own temporal wants and the wants of their families. But in his second letter Paul corrected their mistake. "Let no man," he says, "deceive you by any means: for that day will not come, except there come a falling away first ; and that man of sin be re vealed the son of perdition." The phrase "we who are alive" must, therefore, refer to persons then unborn, but who would be of like character with Paul and his con temporary followers of Christ. Still more direct and appropriate are the following words of the Lord by Malachi: "Behold I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord ; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the Earth with a curse." Mai. iv, 5, 6. From this promise many of the Jews inferred that Elijah himself would come in propria persona; but we find that Christ applied these words to John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah. Matthew xvii, 10-13. From such examples, then, it is evident that by the FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 571 words, " the souls of them that were beheaded for the zvit- ness of Jesus and for the word of God',' etc., John may simply mean those who shall bear the image and moral likeness of the ancient martyrs. And, in a book of sym bols, this is by far the most rational conclusion. It would be very difficult to show why these words should be made an exception to the general style of the narrative. But it is quite evident, from this and many other passages of Scripture, that during the Millennium nearly all persons then living on Earth will greatly resemble the ancient martyrs in all the elements of their Christian character. Every thing will then be holiness to the Lord. There will be no apostasies from the truth ; those who shall have a part in the first resurrection will also rise among the first to meet their Lord in the air, and so shall they ever be with the Lord.* * It is well known that those who are now technically called Second Ad ventists rely chiefly on this passage in support of their pecul iar tenets, the principal of which are as follows : 'c^"^'j °Ad'''° I. That at the beginning of the Millennium Christ will de- ^jg'^jj^i'sjs. scend from Heaven and reign personally on Earth for a period of one thousand literal years. 2. That he will make Jerusalem the capital of his empire. 3. That the righteous dead will then be raised in immortal bodies, and assist Christ in the government of the world during the Millennium. 4. That at the beginning of this period the world will be subdued, not by the moral power of the Gospel, but by the personal presence and reign of Christ. 5. That at the close of the one thousand years the rest of the dead will be raised, the world judged, and the Kingdom given up to the Father. See Elliott on the Apocalypse, Lord on the Apocalypse, Bickerstith's Divine Warning, A. Bonar's Redemption Drawing Nigh, H. Bonar's Prophetical Landmarks, etc This hypothesis, though supported by many great and good men, is liable to sundry very grave objections, some of which seem to me to objection to be wholly unanswerable. Of these I will state but one at the hypoihesis present. After the most careful examination of this whole ^''_j^'^'^^|^^^'^°"'' subject, I must confess that I am unable, without doing vio- ''¦^^ ^ =• lence to the Scriptures, to separate the second personal coming of Christ 572 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. With regard to the duration of the period denoted by DuraUouofthe the phrasc "a thousand years',' there are three. Millennium. ^.^^ Qj^jy thfce couccivable hypotheses : I. That these words are to be understood literally. This is the view of most of the Second Adventists. 2. That they denote, according to' the year-day theory, a period of three hundred and sixty thousand years. 3. That they denote simply a long, indefinite period. This is most likely their true meaning. IX. P ostmilleiinial apostasy. The most particular ac count given of this apostasy is contained in the following extract from the Apocalypse: "And when the thousand John's account ycars are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of thisaposiasy. q£ j^jg prison ; and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the Earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the num ber of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the Earth, and compassed the camp of the saints' about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them. And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the Beast and the False Prophet" are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." Rev. xx, 7-10. All this is, of course, highly symbolical, and care should, therefore, be taken not to press the What we may learn from this aualoglcs too far. But, from what is here re- passage. cordcd, it is evident, from the final renovation of the Earth by fire, and the simultaneous judgment of both the righteous and the wicked. I^et the reader consider carefully the following jiassages in their proper logical connection, and then let him draw his own conclusion from the premises : Matthew xiii, 30, 41-43 ; xvi, 27 ; xxv, 31-46; John V, 28, 29; Acts xvii, 31 ; Romans ii, 5-16; I Cor. xv, 51-54; I Thess. iv, 15-18; 2 Thess. i, 6-10; 2 Timothy iv, i ; 2 Peter iii, 7-10; and Rev. x.\, 11-15. FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. 573 X. That after the Millennium there will be a very alarming and wide- spread departure from the truth. 2. That this will be brought about by the agency of Satan, who, having been freed in some measure from his previous restraints, will go out again to deceive the nations. 3. That this conflict between the enemies of the Church and the followers of Christ will be short and decisive. ^ 4. But, nevertheless, that it will continue till God himself interposes, in a very sudden and unexpected manner, for the deliverance of his saints. And this will most likely be at the close of the present dispensation, for, from the following passages, it is evident that wick edness will abound in the Earth, even at the coming of Christ: "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and de stroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot: they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven, and destroyed them all. Even tltuf it shall be when the Son of Man shall be revealed!' Luke xvii, 26-^30. See, also, Luke xviii, 8 ; i Thessalonians v, 2, 3 ; 2 Peter iii, 3, 4, etc. X. The second personal coming of Christ, and the events immediately connected therewith. That Christ will come again in person is clearly proyed by such passages as the following : " Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye Proof of ., r^,- T Christ's second gazing up into Heaven i" J. his same jesus, person:(i tm- whc is. taken up from you into Heaven, will '"s. 574 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION.] come In the same manner in which ye saw him go into Heaven." Acts i, ii. See, also. Matt, xxv, 31 ; i Thess. iv, 16; 2 Thess. i, 6-10; 2 Tim. iv, i ; 2 Peter iii, 3-13 ; Jude 14, etc. With this will be associated sundry other events of intense interest, and which will most likely Other events ^ ^ -^ connected with occur In the followiug order : I. The resurrection of the dead saints, and the siimdtaiieoiis change of the living. Thus Paul testifies in his first letter to the Thessalonians : " For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord, shall not antici pate them who are asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God ; and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord." i Thess. iv, 15-17. And, again, the same Apostle says to the Corinthians : " Behold ! I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep ; but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet ; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption ; and this mortal must put on immortality. And when this cor ruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written : Death is swallowed up in victory." i Cor. xv, 5 1-54. 2. The destruction of the wicked, and the renovation vf the Earth by fire. This is very clearly proved by the fol lowing passages : " Seeing it is a righteous thing with FORTUNES AND DESTINY OF THE CHURCH. 575 God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you ; and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ : who shall be punished with an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, on that day when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." 2 Thess. i, 6-10. " The Lord is not slack con cerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us ; not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night ; in which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat ; the Earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up. Seeing, then, that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the Heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fer vent heat. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new Heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter iii, 9-13. 3. The resurrection of all the wicked out of the burning and melting Earth. This is a matter of inference, and not of direct revelation. Byt from 2 Peter iii, 7, it is evi dent that one object fpr which the Earth will be set on fire is " the perdition of ungodly men!' And from Matt. xxv, 3 1-46, etc., it is equally plain that the wicked will all be judged with the righteous, according to their works. And hence it seems to follow, of necessity, that they will 576 SCHEME OF REDEMPTION. all be literally baptized in the final • conflagration ; and that they will rise out of the lurid fiames and appear before the great white throne, to give an account for the deeds done in their bod\es. 4. The final judgment of the whole human race: old and young, rich and poor, bond and free, male and female, saint and sinner. "And I saw," says John, "a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away ; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God ; and the books were opened ; and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life ; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it ; and Death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them ; and they were judged, every man according to his works." Rev. XX, 11-13. 5. The final and eternal separation and allotment of the righteous and the wicked. " These," says Christ, " shall go away into eternal punishment ; but the righteous into eternal life." Matt, xxv, 46. God is a God of order. He has a place for every thing. Fish swim in the sea ; birds fly in the air, and beasts roam on the Earth. So, when Dives died, he went to his own place; and so did Lazarus ; and so will every other man, both at his death and at the judgment. When the great Judge says to the wicked, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the .Devil and his angels," their destiny will be forever fixed. He that is filthy then must be filthy still. Rev. xxii, 11. Nothing will remain for them but the piercings of that worm that will never die, and the torments of that fire that will never be quenched. And FORTUNES AND DESTINT OF THE CHURCH. Syy when he says to the righteous, " Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," their happiness will be com plete ; they can die no more, for they will be like the angels. Luke xx, 36. And whether they remain forever in the New Jerusalem, on the newly renovated Earth, or wing their way as messengers of love and mercy to worlds unknown, the same gracious hand that conducted them safely through their earthly pilgrimage will ever lead them to fountains of living waters, and wipe avi^ay all tears from their gyes. Rev. xxi, xxii. Thus will be consummated the zvork of human re demption ; but the infiuence of the Scheme conservative will be as enduring as the throne of God, and ^|,'e!i'"of Re- will, in all probability, be forever felt through- d^np^i""- out his vast dominions as the great attractive and con servative power of the moral universe. Suns may grow dim with age, and the Heavens themselves may pass away as a scroll, but that time will never come when holy angels and the redeemed of Earth will cease to look with wonder and admiration into the history, philosophy, and conservative influence of the Scheme of Redemption, and to exclaim, with the great Apostle, in reference to it, "O! the depth of the riches, and of the wisdom, and of the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out ! For who hath known the mind of the Lord 1 or who hath been his coun selor? or who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed to him again ? For from him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen." THE END. 49 INDEX. Aaron, 86, 157, 191. Adam, sin of, 49, 57» ^» ^o* Adventists, 571, note, Ahriman, 47, 209. Alexander the Great, 183, 21T. Altar of incense, 128; of burnt offerings, 135, 136. Antitype, 69, 231, Apocrypha, 395. Apostasy, post-millenarian, 572, 573. Apostles, different ranks of, 294 ; their num ber, 294; authority, 295; qualifications, 296, 297 ; no successors, 297. Aquila, 395, Arbuthnot, 120, note. Archetype 69, 148, note, Aristotle, 18^ 204, 393. Arius, 215. Ark of the covenant, 124, 125, 127, 193. Armageddon, battle of, 551, 532. Arrian, 210, note. Atmosphere, creation of, 28. Atonement, day of, 169 ; services of, 170-172 ; design of, 173 ; of Christ, 226-236; only for mankind, 254 ; conservative influence of, 255-261. Augustinism, 58, 59, 487. Badger, 119, note. Balaam, 192. Baptism (^ John, 212; of Christ, 392; evidence respecting its action, 392-403 ; design of, 403-408 ; subjects of, 408-415 ; a condition of pardon, 466. Barnabas, 421. Basilj the Great, 399. (578) Bible, divided into chapters and verses, no, note: inspired, 264; a book of motives, 349, Ko/tf.* adapted to the wants of man, 487-507. Bishop, 319, 321, note, 324 ; of Rome, 333, note. Bloomfield, 319. Brahm, 203, 207, Brahma, 203, 207. Breastplate, 153, 154. Brenner, 401. Brutus, 227. Csesar, Julius, 183. Calvin, John, 401, 502. Camp of the Israelites, 187. Canaan, conquest of, 193-195. Candlestick, 130, 131. Care for the poor, 525; for dehnquents, 529; for weak and sickly churches, 532, 533. Censer, 126. Cherubim, 64, 125, 127. Chiliasts, 571. Chillingworth, 502. Christ, his humanity, ai3-2is ; Dmnity, 216- 225 ; inferiority to the Father, 224, 225 ; his atonement, 226-236; example, 244-250; rule of life, 245 ; temptation, 247 ; conflict with Satan, 251-253; second coming, 573. Christians, 473, note. Church, its names, 289 ; elements, 290 ; min istry, 292, 293 ; conditions of member ship, 444-472 ; its creed, 465, 479 ; or ganization, 508-512; unity, 508; a mis sionary society, 513-521; fortunes of, 536-577- INDEX. 579 Chrysostom, 399. Cicero, 204. Civil government, perfection of, 84. Clergy, 345. Commission of Christ to his apostles, 472 ; to his disciples, 513, Confession, 463-465. Congregations, their dependency and inde pendency 508-512, Contribution, weekly, 527, 528. Conversion, as a work of the Spirit, 266, 276 ; a condition of pardon, 460. Conybeare and Howson, 401. Cosmogony of Moses, 26. Council of Trent, iii. ' Court of the Tabemacle, 131, 132, Covenant, meaning of, 76 ; the Old, 76 ; thc New, 78. s^ Cowper, 366, Create, meaning of, 24. Creed, 465, 479-486, 502, Cudworth, 18, 115. Cyril, 399 Daily sacrifi.ce taken away, 546, note. Day of atonement, 169-173, 184, note. Deacons, the name, 338, 339 ; duties of, 340, 341 ; qualifications, 342. Deaconesses, 343. Death, how fiir a consequence of Adam's sin, 48-52 ; meaning of, 52-61, Debt, to be avoided, 526. Decalogue, when given, 107, note 4 divisions of, 110, III ; analysis of, 111-113 ; perfec tion of, H3-115. Delay of Christ's coming, 72-74 ; of his final victory, 252. Demiurgus, 194. Destiny of the righteous, 576 ; ofthe wicked, 576, 577- Devil, see Satan. Diligence, necessity of,'47S. Diodorus Siculus, 210, note. Disciples, 473. Discipline, 529-532- Docetes, 214, note. Dragon, 536, 537, 549. 55°, 566- Duties of Christians, a summary o(, 472-478. Earnest of the Spirit, 280. Earth, its renovation, 574. Ebionites, 215. Eden, its locality, 37. Edification, duty of, 522, 523 ; means of, 523- 53S. Elders, their different appellations, 319-325 ; duties of, 326, 327 ; qualifications, 328- 332 ; number, 332-335 ; co-operation, 336 ; duration of office, 337, 33S. Election of church officers, 343-351. Eloheem, including the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20, 222. Emblem, 71. Enmity to God, 238-240 ; removal of, 241- 243- Ensigns of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan, 188. Ephah, 179, n^te. Ephod, 153. Eusebius, 315, note. Evangelists, thc name, 304, 305 ; their labors, 306-310; duration of office, 311-315; qualifications, 316; co-operation, 316- 318 ; number of, 310, «<»&?. Evil, origin of, 40-45. Example of Christ, 244-250. "Exodus, 102. Faith, 449-455 479-48r. False Prophet, 536, 550. Fasting, natural, 388; duty of, 389-391. Fathers, Christian, 399. Feasts, 162-186 ; of trumpets, i6g; of Pente cost, 173 ; of Tabernacles, 178; post-ex ile, 162, noi 176; design of, 177. Persians, 19. Pharaoh, 86; hardening of his heart, 89. Philo, 155. Philosophy, evil effects of, 501. Pindar, 393. Pillar of cloud, 188. Pisgah, 192. Plagues of Egypt, 90-92. Planets, 257. Plato, 203, 204, 207, Plutarch, 91, 205. Polybius, 394, Pope of Rome, 318, note. Popery, destroyed, 554-556. Porphyry, 89, 394, Pot of manna, 104, 127. Praise, an ordinance of God, 380; design of, 385. Prayer, natural, 367; privilege of, 367-369; benefits of, 370-375 ; duty of, 376 ; con ditions of, 377-380; a condition of par don, 461-^63. Preaching, an ordinance of God, 362, 363 ; object of, 364- j66. Precepts, Moral and Positive, 39, 167. Prejudice, power of, 498-500. Prescott, 205. Priests, Patriarchal, 149 ; Levitical, 150- 161; their duties, 150; qualifications, 150-152; clothing, 152-156; consecra tion, 157-159 ; emoluments, 159, 160; typical significance, 160, 161. Problems for Jews and Gentiles, 73, 74, 199-201. Promises to Abraham, 75-79; double refer ence of each, 76. Prophets, the name, 298 ; ofiice, 299-301 ; , qualifications, 301,302; rank, 303, Providence of God, in protecting his people, 175; in conversion, 272; in sanctification, 282. P.salmody, Jewish and Christian, 382-384 Psalms, 381. Queries, 521, note. Rationalism, hypothesis of, 214, note. Reconciliation, 236-243. Religion of the Hindoos, 203 ; Greeks, 203, 204 ; Egyptians, 204, 205 ; Indians, 201; ; Mexicans, 205; Peruvians, 206; inade quacy of natural religion, 209. Remission of sins, 404, 468. Renewing of the Holy Spirit, 448, 449. Repentance, 456-460. Resurrection of the saints 574; of the wicked, ^5. Robe of the Ephod, 153. Rock of Horeb, 105, Russia, 541, 543, Sabbath, origin of, 162-165; design of, 165- 167 ; no longer binding, 167, 415 ; Posi tive as to the time, 167, 168; sacrifices of, 168. Sacrifice, origin of, ^t, 67, Salvation from the eff'ects of Adam's sin, 60, 270, 412; from personal tran<;grej-.- sions, 444-472. Sanchoniathon, 207. Satan, 42-4=;, 65, 87, 229, 273 ; works of, 250. Schaff, Philip, 208, wi?/^, 402, Scheme of redemption, perfection of, 17 ; revealed only in the Bible, 17; first reference to it, 64 ; delay of, 72. Schoolcraft, 20'5. Scriptures, see Bible. Seal, no, "('/<¦. Seed of thc woman, 64, 65; Df the king dom, 273. Self-examination, 43O-44Z* 582 INDEX. Semiramis, 210, note, Septuagint, 395-. Serpent, 41-47, 66. Sheaf of barley, when waved, 98, 174. Shekel, 120, note. Shekinah, 125, 126. Shepherd, 324. Shiloh, 230. Sin, of presumption, 145, note; of Adam, 49, 57, 60, 207, 412. Sinai, Mount, 106, Siva, 203, 207. • , Skepticism, 208. Socinians, 215. Socrates, 204. Solon, 84. Songs, spiritual, 381, 382. Sosiosch, 209, note. Soul of man, immaterial and immortal, 32. Spirit of God, see Holy Spirit. Stillingfleet, bishop, 321, note Strauss, Dr. D. F., 214, note. Study of the Scriptures, 524, Sun, Moon, and Stars, creation of, 29 ; wor ship of, 207. Symbols, 72. Symmachus, 395. Tabernacle, design of, 117, 118; names of, 118, 119; materials of, 119; walls and dimensions of, 120 ; curtains of, 121, 122 ; vails of, 122 ; symbolical meaning of, 122, 123. Tabernacles, feast of, 178; time of, 178; solemnities of, 178, 179 ; design of, 179, 180. Table of shew-bread, 129. Tachash skins, 119, note. Tacitus, 183; Talent, 120. Talniiid, no, 176, note. I'en.pie, iltbign ot, 117, 118, 124; courts of, 132. Tertullian, 411, Testament, the New, perfection of, 3491 note^ 493. Theories, scientific, 25-27. Tree of Knowledge, 37, 38 ; of life, 37, 64. Trinitarians, 215. Trumpets, feast of, 169 ; silver, 188. Turkish empire, fall of, 540-542. Type, meaning of, 68, 69 ; kinds of, 71. Types of nature, 146-148, note. Unitarians, 215. Unity of mankind, 201, note; of the Church, 483 ; of faith and practice, 533. Urim and Thummim, 154-156. Vedas, 203. Vegetables, creation of, 29. Vials, the seven, 539. Virgins, vestal, 136. Vishnu, 203, 207. Voltaire, 40. Washings, design of, 133, 134. Water of purification, 143-146; of life, 562. Witchcraft, 88. Woman, creation of, 33, Word of God, its efficacy in conversion, 273-276 ; in sanctification, 282. Work of Jews, 73, 74, 199, 200 ; of Gentiles, 73, 74, 201-209. Worship of Heroes, 206, 207 ; of Sun, Moon, and Stars, 207; of other creat ures, 207, 208; of God and Christ, 220, 221. ' Year, the Sabbatical, iBo ; time of, 180 ; law of, 181 ; design of, 181, 182 ; neglect and observance of, 182, 183 ; of Jubilee, 183 ; time of, 184; laws of, 184; design of, 184. 185. Zaleucus, 227. Zoroaster, 17. YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 9002 07796 9005 'rm