Exposition of the Laws of Moses, Exegesis 1 · Part 1
EXERCITAT. I. Of the reducing of the Ceremonies of the Law in generall unto the Commandements.
THe Apoſtle Paul willeth Timothy to hold faſt the forme of ſound words which he had heard of him, foreign proprie capſule in …uibus ſingula monetarum genera ordine certo diſponunt ut in promptu ſingula habeant cum opus fuerit.2 Tim. 1.13. In the Syriack it is, Hhora foramina, a ſpeech borrowed frō Merchants who have ſeverall boxes or holes wherein they put their ſeverall ſorts of Money. So ſhould Divines have proper places of reference to which they ſhould referre their ſeverall heads. Amongſt the reſt it is not the leaſt skill to referre the Ceremonies of the Law rightly, to their owne commandements, and digeſt them in their ſeverall places.
Thomas. 1:2. queſt. 101. Art. 4.The Schoolemen divide the ceremonies in foure ſorts, in ſacrificia, ſacramenta, ſacra, & obſervantias, In Sacrifices, Sacraments, holy things, as the place, the time of their worſhip, &c. and ordinances which they did obſerve, although all the ceremonies may be rereduced to theſe foure heads, yet we muſt follow another order, and reduce them to the Commandements.
Firſt, ſome ceremonies cannot be reduced to one Commandement,Some ceremonies belong to all the Commandements. but they belong to them all, as to weare fringes upon their garments, is a ceremonie that cannot be referred to one Commandement, becauſe it ſerved for the keeping of all the Commandements, Num. 15.39. And it ſhall be unto you for a fringe, that yee may looke upon it and remember all the Commandements. So Deut. 21.23. He that is hanged is accurſed of God, this ceremonie belongeth to all the Commandements, as the Apoſtle applyeth it to the breach of the whole Commandements, Gal. 3.10. and 13.
Some ceremonies belong to two Commandements.Secondly, ſome ceremonies belong to two Commandements, as the purification of a woman after her child-birth, is a ceremoniall Law which ſignifieth that they did conceive their children in originall ſinne, and therefore had neede to bee purged and purified after their birth. Now becauſe originall ſinne is condemned in the firſt and laſt Commandement, therefore this ceremoniall Law is annexed to them both: originall ſin is condemned in theſe two Commandements, for in the other commandements where the full conſent and act of ſinne is forbidden, it is not forbidden.
Thirdly, ſome ceremonies, in divers reſpects,Some ceremonies in divers reſpects belong to divers commandements. may be referred to divers Commandements, as Levit. 17.14. Yee ſhall eate the blood of no manner of fleſh; as they were to abſtaine from blood in reverence of the blood of Chriſt, which was to be ſhed for them, then it belongeth to the ſecond Commandement, as the reſt of the ſignificative ceremonies; but as they were to abſtaine from blood becauſe the life was in it, it was cruelty to eate it, and in that reſpect it belonged to the ſixt Commandement.
So Num. 18.21. and 24. and behold I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Iſrael for an inheritance. Now as the prieſts gathered the tithes, and received them from the people for ſerving at the Altar, it was a dutie required of them in the ſecond Commandement; therefore it is ſayd, the tenth ſhall be theirs for their ſervice which they ſerve, even the ſervice of the Tabernacle of the Congregation; but as the people payed theſe Tithes to the Prieſts, it is a duty required in the fift Commandement, to honour them.
So Deut. 21.17. He ſhall give the firſt borne a double portion of all that he hath, This ceremoniall Law, as the eldeſt ſonne was a type of Chriſt, is a dutie of the ſecond Commandement, to give him the double portion; but as he was his fathers firſt borne, to keepe the families diſtinguiſhed, that they ſhould not bee confounded in the Tribes, it is a duty required in the fift Commandement; becauſe parents ſhould provide for their children.
Laſtly, theſe ceremonies generally for the moſt part are referred to the ſecond Commandement.