CHAPTER VII. THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST MILITANT HERE ON EARTH-THEIR ORDINANCES. An exclusively Spiritual State of Things: Salvation without Ordinances conceivable-But not the existing State of Things-Visible Ordinances Instituted from the Beginning-Man's Compound Creation-His Religion suitable thereto-The Tree of Knowledge-The Bleeding Sacrifice—The Rainbow-Circumcision-The Mosaic Types-The Person and Ministry of Jesus-And now, Ordinances rest on the same Authority with Spiritual Truth. THE blessings we have hitherto considered are purely spiritual, and as such belong exclusively to the true members of Christ's mystical body. But now we approach a more complicated state of things. The blessings now to be considered are not spiritual only, but material also. The material or visible part may be separated from the spiritual, and given to persons who have no participation whatever in the spiritual part. Hence, in reference to these matters, we have a mixed company to deal with; and as the name which belongs of right to the spiritual is given also to the visible, we have now a "visible Church." "And because this visible Church doth enfold the other (as one mass doth contain the good ore and base alloy; as one floor the corn and the chaff; as one field the wheat and the tares; as one net the choice fish and the refuse; as one fold the sheep and the goats; as one tree the living and the dry branches); because this society is designed to be in appearance what the other is in reality, the same with the other; because, therefore, presumptively every member of this doth pass for a member of the other (the time of distinction and separation not yet being come); because this, in its profession of truth, in its sacrifices of devotion, in its practice of service and duty to God, doth communicate with that therefore, commonly, the titles and attributes of the one are imparted to the other. "All,' saith St. Paul, are not Israel who are of Israel;' nor 'is he a Jew that is one outwardly;' yet in regard to the conjunction of the rest with the faithful Israelites, because of external consent in the same profession, and conspiring in the same services, all the congregation of Israel is styled 'a holy nation,' and 'peculiar people.' "So likewise do the apostles speak to all members of the Church as to elect and holy persons, unto whom all the privileges of Christianity do belong; although really hypocrites and bad men do not belong to the Church,' nor are concerned in its unity, as St. Austin doth often teach." -Barrow.1 6 It is quite conceivable that the persons composing the true Church of God might be renewed in the spirit of their mind, and so essentially united to Christ by the Holy Ghost working effectually in their hearts, and that after being so changed they might be preserved in a spiritual state of mind throughout the remainder of their lives, and then taken to heaven; and all this without any visible instrumentality employed, but entirely by the unseen ministry of angels, or by the immediate power of the omnipresent God. Such a constitution of things is conceivable. It is not indeed the actual one which God has been pleased to institute; but for the sake of the contrast to follow, and the consequent clearness, it is, I think, profitable to make the mental effort necessary for imagining such a state of things. A chosen company out of mankind, saved in each successive generation since the beginning of the world by the unseen agency of God or angels, or both, without any visible means used, or any intimation given to the rest of mankind, that these their fellows were of so very different a character, and going to so very different an eternity from themselves. Non ad eam pertinent avari, raptores, fæneratores. Ecclesia, non sunt. Aug. de Bapt. contr. Don. iv. 1, vi. 3. intelligere non audeo, nisi in sanctis et justis. Ibid. v. 27. Videntur esse in This is not unlike the notion which some spiritual persons seem to entertain as the actual truth of the case. They represent religion as consisting exclusively in an unseen commerce or communion between God and the believing soul; and they repudiate as foreign to it, and injurious to it, all outward forms and observances. I would ask such persons what they conceive to be the appropriate and characteristic duties of Christians from the time of their conversion till the time of their death. Are they to live on in wordliness and sin like those around them? surely not. What then? Are they to live no longer as other men live, but to be a peculiar people, loving God with all their hearts, and their neighbours as themselves? Are they to manifest this love in acts of worship towards God, and acts of affectionate interest and brotherly kindness among their neighbours, especially desirous of their eternal happiness? Grant this, and the fancied spirituality unencumbered with outward means, is immediately dissipated; because you have these Christians employing means, which in their use of them must be visible, on behalf of their friends and neighbours around them. In such a case, all the means adopted would be of man's devising, and might or might not be judicious, but some visible means would be inevitable. I have said this to show that the divine institution of outward ordinances, instead of being a needless encumbrance, is in truth a kind and considerate condescension to our infirmities. It belongs, indeed, to our complex creation, as described in the Book of Genesis. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul" (chap. ii. 7). God is a Spirit; God has created spirits, angels, and principalities and powers. The communications which those created spirits hold with the great Father of spirits, is simply and exclusively spiritual. That is, the religion of angels, if we may use such an expression, is suitable to the nature of angels. They being spirits and nothing else, their religion is spiritual and nothing else. God has created man a compound being, consisting of both body and spirit. The communication which this compound being holds with God, that is, the religion of man, must be suitable to his compound nature. There must be something spiritual in it, answering to His spirit; and there must be something visible and corporeal in it, answering to His body. From these simple elements it will follow that the man who makes his religion to consist in visible and corporeal acts and forms, falls short of the truth, forgetting his spirit; and, on the other hand, the man who confines his religion to spiritual and invisible communion, falls short of the truth, forgetting his body. And without meaning any unnecessary or irritating reproach to any one, but simply for the sake of illustration and consequent clearness, I may add that the Church of Rome has erred on the one side, and the Society of Friends on the other. In strict conformity with this reasoning, we find, on reference to the Word of God (the only infallible source of information upon this subject), that in every stage of Jehovah's dealings with this world, since the creation, not only has man been called to a spiritual worship of God, but also visible bodily observances have been enjoined upon him in the exercise of that worship. The high place the highest place of true religion is spiritual, for God is a Spirit. But in the case of man, the ascent to that place, and the enjoyment of it when reached, have at all times, and under all circumstances, been aided by the authoritative appointment of something visible. The hidden spring of true religion is spiritual; but in every instance in the history of man, God has accompanied it with a visible index. This state ment may be exemplified and confirmed by detailed reference to the circumstances of Adam before his original transgression, and after that transgression; of Noah after the deluge; of Abraham after his call to leave his home, and country; of the Mosaic ritual, and, finally, of the Christian dispensation. 1. Take the case of Adam in his primeval blessedness, created in the image of God, and placed in the garden of Eden. The characteristic of this state was holy dependence. All creatures are, and must be, completely and absolutely dependent upon the great Creator. This principle might have been stated to Adam's mind in words, or communicated to his soul by some spiritual process, and doubtless so it was: but we observe now, as a matter of fact, that it was also exhibited to his body. His body was as dependent for natural life, as his soul was for spiritual life. And accordingly we see in his case not only spiritual communion with God, but also an outward and visible appointment or ordinance corresponding thereto, a corporeal restriction, a reserved tree, a visible sign of spiritual dependence. A most significant sign,-for whose did it prove the garden to be, with all its fruits? Not Adam's own, or he would have been under no restrictions from a higher authority. The prohibited tree, daily before his eyes, was a daily remembrance of the covenant of reservation, so to speak, which formed a part of his lease. This, therefore, was a standing memorial to him, and as he daily refrained from it, it was an outward and visible acknowledgment by him that he was a tenant and not the proprietor of the garden. And as neither lives nor years were specified in his lease, he was further reminded, and he did constantly acknowledge, that he was a "tenant at will," subject to ejectment by his great landlord at any moment. Thus the revelation of God's absolute sovereignty over all the works of His creation was the part of the dispensation answering to the spirit of His creature man; and the reserved tree was the part of the dispensation answering to the body of the creature. The medium through which the former was effectual to man's happiness was willing submission, and that submission was assisted by the latter. This will explain the depth and malignity of Adam's transgression. God reserved a token of His own sovereignty as the great proprietor of all things. Under Him Adam had the dominion. Of the trees of the garden, in all their rich profusion, he might freely eat; but he was a creature, and the garden contained one outward and visible sign to him of a creature's dependence. The nature of his transgression was therefore a usurpation of independence; or, in other words, a declaration of rebellion against God's sovereignty. It was saying, I will be no longer dependent, I will no longer hold |