.what you ought to imitate, and know also, by the consideration of actions dishonest in their undertaking and miserable in the event, what you ought to avoid.” And if this use may be made of human stories, written by men wise and prudent, though in many things ignorant, partial, factious, as most historians have been, unable in
32 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP III.
many things to judge of actions whether they were really good or evil, praiseworthy or to be condemned, and in all things of the intentions with which and the ends for which they were done; how much more benefit may be obtained from the consideration of those records of times past, which as they were delivered unto us by persons divinely preserved from all error and mistake in their writings, so they deliver the judgment of God himself, to whom all intentions and ends are open and naked, concerning the actions which they do report! Besides, the design of human story is but to direct the minds of men in things just and honest with reference unto political society and the good of community in this world, with respect whereunto alone it judgeth of the actions of men and their events ; but all things in the Scriptures of the Old Testament are directed unto a higher end, even the pleasing of God and the eternal fruition of him. They are therefore, with the examples recorded in them, of singular and peculiar use as materially considered. But this is not all. The things contained in them were all of them de- signed of God for our instruction, and yet do continue as an especial way of teaching. The things done of old were, as Justin Martyr speaks, spoxnpiywara réiv xurd Xpiorot,— fore-declarations of the things of Christ.” And Tertullian, to the same purpose, “Scimus ut vocibus, ita rebus prophetatum ;’—“ Prophecy or prediction consisted in things as well as words.” And Chrysostom, Serm. ii, de Jejun., distinguisheth between prophecy by speech or words, and prophecy by examples or actions.
Our apostle expressly treateth of this subject, 1 Cor. x. Con- sidering the state of the people, in their deliverance from Egypt and abode in the wilderness, he refers the things relating unto them to two heads ;—1. God’s miraculous works towards them, and marvellous dealings with them; 2. Their sins and miscarriages, with the punishments that befell them. Having mentioned those of the first sort, he adds, Tatra 6: rire judi eyerqdnoav,—* Now these were all our examples,” verse 6,—types representing God’s spiritual dealing with us. And having reckoned up the other, he closeth his report of them with Tatra 6: wévra rbmor ouviCasvoy éxeivois, —They befell them, that God in them might represent unto us what we are to expect, if we sin and transgress in like manner,’ They and their actions were our types. Tuoc, “a type,” hath many significations. In this use of it, it signifies a rude and imperfect expression of any thing, in order to a full, clear, and exact declara- tion of it. So Aristotle useth rayvads xa? as ev rie Im opposition. to dxpiCaig dsopiCev,—a general and imperfect description, to an exact distinction. Thus they were our types, in that the matter of our faith, obedience, rewards, and punishments, were delineated afore- hand in them.
VER. 7-11.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 33
Now, these types or examples were of three sorts:—1. Such as were directly instituted and appointed for this end, that they should signify and represent something in particular in the Lord Christ and his kingdom. It is true that God did not institute any thing among the people of old but what had its present use and service amongst them; but their present use did not comprehend their principal end. And herein do types and sacraments differ. Our sacraments have no use but that with respect unto their spiritual end and signi- fication. We do not baptize any to wash the body, nor give them the supper of the Lord to nourish it. But types had their use in temporal things, as well as their signification of things spiritual. So the sacrifices served for the freeing of the people from the sentence of the law as it was the rule of their polity or civil govern- ment, as well as to prefigure the sacrifice of the body of Christ.
Now those types which had a solemn, direct, stated institution, were materially either persons, as vested with some certain offices in the church, or things.
(1.) Persons. So the Lord raised up, designed, and appointed Moses, Aaron, Joshua, David, Solomon, and others, to typify and represent the Lord Christ unto the church. And they are to be considered in a threefold capacity:—[1.] Merely personal, as those individual men; unto which concernment all their moral good and evil did belong. In this sense what they did or acted had no respect unto Christ, nor is otherwise to be considered but as the examples of all other men recorded in the Scriptures. [2.] As to the offices they bare in the church and among the people, as they were pro- phets, captains, kings, or priests. In this respect they had their present use in the worship of God and government of that people according to the law. But herein, [3.] In the discharge of their offices and present duties, they were designed of God to represent in a way of prefiguration the Lord Christ and his offices, who was to come. They were a transcript out of the divine idea in the mind and will of God, concerning the all-fulness of power and grace that was to be in Christ, expressed by parcels and obscurely in them, so as by reason of their imperfection they were capable. (2.) These types consisted in things, such as were the sacrifices and other in- stitutions of worship among the people. That this was the design and end of the whole Mosaical divine service we shall manifest in our progress. This, therefore, is not the place to insist particularly upon them.