448 STATE AND ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH [EXERC. XIX.
vii. 16, 17, 21, 23, viii. 83-5. 7. The sacrifices and services of them both, chap. viii. 3-5, ix. 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, x. 1-6, 11, xi. 11, 12. ©
It is plain and evident, that under these heads all the principal concernments of the ancient church, with the worship and rule of God therein, are comprised; and they are all of them reflected on, most of them explained and applied unto gospel ends, by our apostle. However, I shall not, in our present consideration of them, engage in the exposition of the particular places in the Epistle where they are treated on, which is to be done elsewhere, but only represent them as they are expressed in their institution and transaction in the Old Testament, so to make way unto a right conception of them as they are mentioned and made use of in the New.
2. Many of these things, I acknowledge, especially those concern- ing the temple, its fabric and its worship, have been so largely dis- cussed by others, as that I should judge my endeavours in a review of them altogether needless, would the nature of our present design admit of its forbearance; for besides what hath been formerly at- tempted with excellent success, with reference unto the fabric of divine worship and the ceremonies thereof, from the Scripture, Josephus, and the later Jewish masters, by Abubensci, Arias Mon- tanus, Villalpandus, Cappellus, Ribera, Constantine I’Empereur, Broughton, Ainsworth, Wemyss, Rivet, and all learned expositors on those parts of holy writ where these things are recorded, there are also some of late who amongst ourselves have travailed with much diligence in this subject,—persons worthily skilled in and in- dustriously improving their knowledge of all that learning which is needful unto the due and accurate handling of this subject, and that in large discourses. But as things are fallen out, considering the necessity of this discourse unto my present design, and that most of the things in our proposal from the Epistle above mentioned are such as fell not under the consideration of those learned persons, nor are handled by them, and that I design not an exact exami- nation of the particular concernments of all these things, with a discussion of the reasons and arguments wherewith various appre- hensions of them are attested, but only to represent such a scheme of them unto the reader as may enable him to judge aright of the references of the apostle unto them, and of the use that he puts them unto, I shall proceed in my designed way.
3. First, then, The call of Abraham, which was the foundation whereon all the following administrations of God towards his pos- terity and his whole worship amongst them were built, is excellently and fully described by our apostle, chap. xi. 8-19: “ By faith Abra- ham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not know- ing whither he went.” (Gen. xii. 1-4.) “ By faith he sojourned in
SECT. 2-4.] BEFORE THE GIVING OF THE LAW. 449
the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Gen. xii. xiii. xiv.) “Through faith also Sara her- self received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised,” (Gen. xvii. 19, xxi. 2.) “Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea-shore innumerable.” (Gen. xv. 5, xxi, 17.) “These all died in faith, not having received the pro- mises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Gen. xxiii. 4, xlvii. 9; 1 Chron. xxix. 15.) “For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.” (Gen. xxiv. 5-7.) “But now they desire a better, that is, an hea- venly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and” (or “ even”) “he that had received the promises offered up his only-begotten son, of whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called,”—so that he was his only-begotten with respect unto the promise,—(Gen. xxi. 12, xxii. 9): “accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”
The design of the apostle in this discourse, is to set forth and com- mend the faith of Abraham, from the fruits and effects of it, in the whole course of his obedience; but he builds it upon and resolves it into his call: “By faith Abraham, when he was CALLED,” etc. Neither is it my present purpose to open particularly the discourse of the apostle, which must be referred to its proper place; only, because what we do now is in a subserviency unto the right understanding of this Kpistle, I have laid down this account, given us therein, of the call of Abraham, and his faith and obedience, shown as the reason of our insisting on it, and the foundation whereon what we _ do therein is built. Neither shall I now at large declare the nature of this call of Abraham, with the several occurrences that accom- panied it; partly because it is already touched upon in a former Exercitation; and partly because I have elsewhere handled it more largely, and cleared it from the corrupt traditions and opinions of the Jews concerning it. But because this was the root on which the Judaical church did grow, the stock whereinto all Mosaical in- stitutions of worship were inserted and grafted, it is necessary that we give a brief historical account concerning it.