46. The utmost of the approach of the people was to “the nether part of the mount.” The Targum of Jerusalem hath a foolish ima- gination from this expression, which they have also in the Talmud, —namely, that mount Sinai was plucked up by the roots, and lifted up into the air, so that the people stood under it: which Jarchi calls a “midrash ;” that is, though not in the signification of the word, yet in the usual application of it, an allegorical fable.
In this posture the people trembled, and were not able to keep their station, but removed from their place, Exod. xx. 18. “ And the whole mount quaked greatly,” chap. xix. 18; so terrible was the ap- pearance of the majesty of God in giving out his “fiery law.”
In this general consternation of all, it is added that Moses him- self spake, verse 19, “and God answered him by a voice.” What he spake is not declared, nor was there any occasion for his speaking, nor can any account be given why he should speak to God, when God was solemnly preparing to speak to him and the people; nor is it said that he spake to God, but only that he spake. And it is signally added that God answered him p23, “in” (or “by”) “a voice.” For my part, I doubt not but that in this general consternation that befell all the people, Moses himself, being surprised with fear, spake the words recorded by our apostle, Heb. xii. 21, “I exceedingly fear and quake;” which condition he was relieved from by the com- forting voice of God, and so confirmed unto the remainder of his ministry.
480 THE LAW AND PRECEPTS THEREOF. [EXERC XxX.
These brief remarks being given upon the preparation for and the manner of the giving of the law, we shall summarily consider the general nature of the law and its sanctions in our next Exercitations.
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EXERCITATION XX.
THE LAW AND PRECEPTS THEREOF.
1. What meant by the “law” among the Jews. 2. The common distribution of it into moral, ceremonial, and judicial—The ground of that distribution. 3. This distinction not insisted on by the Jews—Six hundred and thirteen precepts collected by them. 4. Reasons of that number—Of these, two hundred and forty-eight affirmative, three hundred and sixty-five negative.
5. Twelve houses of each sort. 6. First house of affirmatives, concerning —
God and his worship, in twenty precepts. 7. The second, concerning the temple and priesthood, in number nineteen. 8. The third, concerning sacri- fices, in fifty-seven precepts. 9. The fourth, of cleanness and uncleanness,
eighteen. 10. The fifth, of alms and tithes, in thirty-two precepts. 11. —
The sixth, about things to be eaten, in seven commands. 12. The seventh, concerning the passover and other festivals, twenty. 13. The eighth, of rule and judgment, in thirteen precepts. 14. The ninth, of doctrine and truth, whose commands are twenty-five. 15. The tenth, concerning women and matrimony, in twelve precepts. 16. The eleventh, of criminal judgments and punishments, in eight precepts. 17. The twelfth, of civil judgments, in seventeen precepts. 18. Censure of this collection. 19. Negative precepts, in twelve families. 20. The first family, of false worship, in forty-seven pro- hibitions. 21. Remarks. 22. The second family, of separation from the heathen. 23. The third family, of things sacred. 24. The fourth family, of sacrifices and priests. 25. The fifch family, of meats. 26. The sixth family, of fields and harvest. 27. The seventh family, the house of doctrines. 28. The eighth family, of justice and judgment. 29. Theninth family, of feasts, 30. The tenth family, of chastity. 31. The eleventh family, of marriages. 32. The twelfth family, of the manner of thekingdom, 33-35. Concluding remarks,
1. THE law itself and its sanctions are the next thing that our apostle makes mention of in the economy of the Judaical church. By this law he especially understands the law given on mount Sinai, or partly there, partly from the tabernacle, the type of Christ, after it was erected. The Jews by the mn, or “law,” generally under- stand the whole five books of Moses, as they are also called in the New Testament; and all precepts that they can gather out of them anywhere they refer to the law: wherein they are not to be con- tended withal.
2. This whole law is generally distributed into three parts;—first, the moral; secondly, the ceremonial; thirdly, the judicial part of it. And, indeed, there is no precept but may conveniently be re- ferred unto one or other of these heads, as they are usually explained. That which is commonly called the moral law, the Scripture terms, dM273 Mey nan 27, Exod. xxxiv. 28, “The words of the covenant,
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SECT. 1-6.] THE LAW AND PRECEPTS THEREOF. 481
the ten words,” from whence is the Greek dexcéroyog, or the law of ten words or precepts; all which in their substance are moral, and universally obligatory to all the sons of men. That part of the law which the Scripture calls 122, “judgments,” Exod. xxi. 1, deter- mining of rights between man and man, and of punishments upon transgressors, with especial reference unto the interest of the people in the land of Canaan, is by us usually termed the judicial law; and the institutions of ceremonial worship are most commonly ex- pressed by the name of n'pn, the whole system whereof is termed the law ceremonial. .