These ordinances or statutes were so Aarps/as, “ of service;” that
ney os is, aS we render it, ih divine service.” Aarpsfe is origin-
ally of as large a signification as dovAe/a, and denotes any service whatever. But it is here, and constantly in the New Tes- tament, as is also the verb Aarpebw, restrained unto “ divine service,” John xvi. 2; Rom. ix. 4, xii. 1; “cultis,” “of worship:” and so were it better rendered than by “divine service.” In one place it signifies by itself as much as dixaidware Aarps/as doth here, Rom, ix. 4, “ Unto whom belongeth the giving of the law, xa? # Aurpsia,” —and the worship;” that is, dixawara Aarpsias, “ the ordinances of worship,’—the ordinances of the ceremonial law. For although God was served in and according to the commands of the moral law, or the unchangeable prescriptions, “ the ten words;” and also in the
Aixaiaon,
eS
VER. 1.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 185
duties required in the due observance of the judicial law; yet this Aarpsix, or NIAY, was the immediate worship of the tabernacle, and the services of the priests that belonged thereunto. Hence the Jews call all idolatry and superstition 7! nyay ,»— strange worship.” And this was that part of divine worship about which God had 80 many controversies with the people of Israel under the old tes- tament; for they were always apt to run into noxious extremes about it. Hor the most part they were prone to neglect it, and to run into all manner of superstition and idolatry. For the law of this worship was a hedge that God had set about them, to keep them from those abominations; and if at any time they brake over it, or neglected it, and let it fall, they failed not to rush into the most abominable idolatry. On the other hand, ofttimes they placed all their trust and confidence, for their acceptance with God and blessing from him, on the external observance of the ordinances and institutions of it. And hereby they countenanced themselves not only in a neglect of moral duties and spiritual obedience, but in a course of flagitious sins and wickednesses. To repress these exorbi- tancies with respect unto both these extremes, the ministry of the prophets was in an especial manner directed. And we may observe some things here in our passage, as included in the apostle’s asser- tion, though not any part of his present design :— . Obs. II. There was never any covenant between God and man but it had some ordinances or arbitrary institutions of external divine worship annexed unto it—The original covenant of works had the ordinances of the tree of life, and of the knowledge of good and evil; the laws whereof belonged not unto that of natural light and reason. The covenant of Sinai, whereof the apostle speaks, had a multiplication of them. Nor is the new covenant destitute of them or their necessary observance. All public worship, and the sacraments of the/church are of this nature. For whereas it is in- grafted in natural light that some external worship is to be given unto God, he would have it of his own prescription, and not, as unto the modes of it, left unto the inventions of men. And because God hath always, in every covenant, prescribed the external worship and all the duties of it which he will accept, it cannot but be dan- gerous for us to make any additions thereunto. Had he prescribed none at any time, seeing some are necessary in the light of nature, it would follow by just consequence that they were left unto the finding out and appointment of men; but he having done this him- self, “ let not us add unto his words, lest he reprove us, and we be found liars.” And in his institution of these ordinances of external worship there is both a demonstration of his sovereignty and an especial trial of our obedience, in things whereof we have no reason but his mere will and pleasure.
186 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [ CHAP. IX.
Obs. III. It is a hard and rare thing to have the minds of men kept upright with God in the observation of the institutions of divine worship.—Adam lost himself and us all by his failure therein. The old church seldom attained unto it, but continually wandered into one of the extremes mentioned before. And at this day there are very few in the world who judge a diligent observation of divine institutions to be a thing of any great importance. By some they are neglected, by some corrupted with additions of their own, and by some they are ‘exalted above their proper place and use, and turned into an occasion of neglecting more important duties. And the reason of this difficulty is, because faith hath not that assistance and encouragement from innate principles of reason, and that sen- sible experience of this kind of obedience, as it hath in that which is moral, internal, and spiritual.
[2.] That these ordinances of divine worship might be duly ob- served and rightly performed under the first covenant, there was a place appointed of God for their solemnization. It had +6 re dysov xoou1x6v,—“alsoa worldly sanctuary.” He renders¥3p2 by déysov; properly a “ holy place,” a “sanctuary.” And why he calls it xooa:x6v, or “worldly,” we must inquire. And some things must be premised unto the exposition of these words:—