CHA P. V.

1

Of the Ceremonial Law of the Jews.

1QWHAT was the Ceremonial Law? A.

All thofe Commands which feem to have fome religious Design in them, especially fuch as related to their Cleanfings from any Defilement, and their peculiar Forms of Worship.

Note, I have hinted before that feveral of the Political Laws which were given to the Jews by God as their King, have something Ceremonial in them, and they were defigned to be Emblems, Types or Figures of fome fpiritual Parts of Religion. There were also fome Part of their Ceremonies of Purification, and their Rites of religious Worship which have a political Afpect, and were prefcribed by God as King of their Nation. But I chufe to rank all their purifying Rites and their Rules of Worship rather under this Head of the Ceremonial or Religious Laws, because their Forms of Purification, do more plainly and eminently typify or reprefent to us how much care the People of God fhould take to be feparated and purified from every Sin and from the Communion of Sinners; and the Jewish Rites of Worship reprefent to us, by way of Type or Emblem, that Spiritual and Evangelick Worship which fhould be paid to God efpecially under the New Teilament, as the Lord of Souls and Confciences; as well as thofe Bleffing of the Gofpel, which are brought in by Chrift and the Holy Spirit, are represented hereby.

SECT. I. Of the Ceremonies of Purification.

2 Q.

W HAT were the chief Rites or Ceremo nies appointed for Purification or Cleanfing aming the Jews? A. Washing with Water, Sprinkling

Sprinkling with Water or Blood, Anointing with holy Oil, fhaving the Head of Man or Woman, together with various forts of Sacrifices, and fome other Appointments, Heb. ix. 10, 13, 19. Lev. xv, xvi, and xiii. 33. Num. vi, 19. Exod. xl. 9.

3Q. What were thofe Things or Perfons among the Jews which were required to be purified? A. All Perfons, Houfes or Buildings, Garments or other Things which were fet apart for the Service of God; and all fuch as had been defiled by Leprofy, by touching human dead Bodies, or the Carcafes of any unclean Animal, or by other ceremonial Pollutions. See Lev. xi, xii, xiii, xiv, and xv. Exod. xl. 9-15. Numb. viii. 6. and xix. 9, &c.

4Q. How were the Perfons or Things of the Gentiles to be purified for the ufe of the Ifraelites? A. The things which could endure the Fire were to pafs through the Fire; other things were to be washed with Water, Num. xxxi. 20-24. And the Maidens were to have their Heads fhaven, and their Nails pared, before an Ifraelite could take any of them for a Wife, Deut. xxi. 12.

5Q. Were there not fome things which could not be purified at all by any Ceremonies? A. All the feveral Nations of Canaanites and the Males among other Gentile Captives in War who had refufed the Offer of Peace were judged fo unclean and polluted, that they were all to be destroyed, Deut. vii. 1-4. Joh. vi. 21. vii. 26. and x.. 28, 30, 32, 40, &c. Deut. xx. 13—17. And the Houles and Garments of the Ifraelites, where the leprous Spots could not be taken away, were to be deftroyed alfo, Lev. xiii. 57, and xiv. 45. and thofe Ifraelites in whom the Leprofy prevailed, were to

be

Chap. V. be shut out of the Camp as unclean, Lev. xiii.. 45, 46.

6Q. Were there any Crimes of real Immorality or Impiety, which could be taken away by any of thefe outward Ceremonies of Purification? A. The mere outward Performance of any of these Ceremonies did purify the Perfons defiled no further, than to fet them right in their political State, as Subjects under God as their King; and to cleanse them, as Members of the Jewish visible Church from ceremonial Defilements, Heb. ix. 13. The Blood of Bulls and of Goats, and the Ashes of an Heifer Sprinkling the unclean, fanctifieth no further than to the purifying of the Flesh. But Heb. x. 4. It is not poffible that the Blood of Bulls and Goats fhould take away Sins ; i. e. as they are committed against God as the Lord of their Souls and Con{ciences.

7 Q. How then were the Sins of the Jews cleanfed or pardoned, I mean their real Immoralities and Impieties against God as the Lord of Conscience? A. They obtained Pardon of God according to the Discovery of Grace and Forgiveness fcattered up and down through all the five Books of Mofes, and especially according to the Promises made and the Encouragements given to Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, and in general to all thofe who fincerely repent of Sin, and truft in the Mercy of God fo far as it was then revealed, and to be further revealed in time to come, Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. Deut. iv. 29, 30, 31. Ifai. lv. 7, &c. But this Forgivenefs is owing to the effectual Atonement of Chrift, which was to be made in due time, and which took away Sins paft as well as to come, Rom. iii, 21, 24, 25, 26.

8Q Did thefe outward Rites of Purification

then

then do nothing towards the removal of their moral Defilements or Sins? A. As their outward or ceremonial Defilements were appointed to be Emblems and Figures of the fpiritual or moral Defilement of the Soul by Sin, fo many of these Ceremonies of Purification, and particularly those by Water and Blood, were Pledges and Tokens to affure them that God would forgive Sin: and they were alfo Figures and Emblems of the Removal of moral Defilement or Sin from the Souls of Men by the atoning Blood of Christ, and by the fanctifying Spirit of God, which is represented under the Figure of clean Water. See Heb. ix.

and x.

Note, The following Queftion perhaps might come in properly after the Account of Sacrifices: But having here enquired whether the Ceremonies of Purification did any thing toward the Removal of the moral Defilement of Sin, I thought it as proper to introduce it' here, as a kind of Objection against the foregoing An- fwers.

Q. But were there not fome Jewish Sacrifices and Methods of Purification and Atonement appointed for fome real Immoralities and Wickedness, as, when a Man had committed a Trespass against the Lord, by lying to his Neighbour, by cheating or robbing him, or by fwearing falfly when he had found any thing that was left, and with-held it from the Owner? Lev. vi. 1-7. Is it not faid, He fhall bring his Trefpafs-Offering to the Lord, and the Priest fhall make an Atonement for him before the Lord, and it fhall be forgiven him? A. This Trefpafs-Offering would fet him right indeed in the Sight of God as King of the Nation, against whofe political Laws the Man had com

Chap. V. mitted this Trefpafs; but it was never defigned to free him from the Guilt of this Sin in the Sight of God as the Lord of Confcience, unless he repented of this Sin in his Heart, and trufted in the Mercy of God fo far as it was revealed in that Day; for it is a certain Truth, that the Blood of Beafts cannot take away Sin, Heb. x. 4.

SECT. II. Of the Holy Perfons.

HERE the Reader may take notice that fe

veral things mentioned in this and the two following Sections, (viz ) of Holy Perfons, Places and Things, are defcribed in Figures, to give a plainer Idea of them.

10 Q. Having finished the Rites of Purification, let us enquire now what were the most remarkable things relating to their Forms of publick WorShip? A. Thefe five, (viz.) holy Perfons, and holy Places, holy Things, holy Times, and holy Actions.

11 Q. What mean you by calling all thefe Holy? A. I mean fuch Perfons, fuch Places, fuch Things, and fuch Times and Actions, as were devoted to God and his Worship, or appointed for his fpecial Service, Numb. xvi. 5. Lev. xxi. 8. and xxii. 15.

12 Q. Who might be called the holy Perfons among the Jews or Ifraelites? A. The Priefts and the Nazarites and all the Levites, Lev. xxi. 1, 6. Num. vi. 2, 8. and viii. 14. though fometimes the whole Nation are called holy, Exod. xix. 6...

13 Q Who were appointed to be Priests? A. Firit Aaron himself, and then the eldeft of Aaron's Family were appointed to be High Priefts in Succeffion, and the reft of his Sons and their

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