Scriptures Opened and Cases of Conscience Resolved, Jeremiah · Passage 7:22,23
Jer. 7. 22, 23.
I ſpake not to your Fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning Burnt-offerings or Sacrifices, but this thing I commanded them ſaying, obey my voice, &c.
Qu. Did not God command the Paſſeover and other Sacrifices and ceremonial things in the old Teſtament?
A. Firſt, It's clear that he did command them as things to be obſerved in all the time of the old Teſtament for the education and aſſiſtance of that people, who were beſt led by ſuch outward things to thoſe Spiritual things which were therein held forth unto them. See the Commands, Exod. 12. 17. 42. and Exod. 13. 5. 10. 2 Chron. 30. 5. there was a writing for for the Paſſeover: So alſo, 2 Chron. 35. 4, 6. And for other Sacrifices, we find the Lords preciſe order in the book of Leviticus, Lev. 1. 2. ſo that it was a ſin for them and againſt the plain Commandment of God to omit that way of Worſhip; yea, Solomon declareth this as one difference between the righteous and the wicked, that the one Sacrificeth, and the other Sacrificeth not, Eccl. 9. 11. yet,
Secondly, It may be ſaid in divers reſpects that the Lord did not command them, that is,
1. Not for perpetuity and as things that he would have to continue in all times, as he ever did, doth and will, moral obedience; now therefore (in theſe Goſpel-times) there is Obedience preſcribed, 2 Cor. 10. 56, but no Sacrifices permitted; now there are Spiritual, not carnal Ordinances; now there is Truth and not old-Teſtament-Types, Joh. 4. 23, 24.
2. God did never command Sacrifices abſtractively, that is, as ſeparated from the Spiritual Subſtance, but in relation thereunto, and as fruits and furtherances thereof. Sacrifices ſet before them
1. Their ſin and guilt] The beaſt to be killed (in their room, as it were) ſhewed they deſerved to die.
2. Their Saviour and Ranſom, for as they deſerved to be kild in ſtead of the beaſt (there's their guilt); ſo the beaſts was kil'd for and in ſtead of them; there's their reſcue, and the type of their Redeemer. Now this being ſo, Gods Command, and intent in regard of Sacrifices, was, that they ſhould bring with them 1. Repentance, in regard of their ſin; Levit. 16. 21. 2. Faith in reſpect of their Saviour, Pſal. 4. 5. And he commanded no Sacrifices without and ſet apart from theſe; ſo now we may ſay, God commands not faſting as it is a forbearing of a meals meat, but as an help to repentance and prayer. They therefore that abſtract bodily exerciſes from their end, muſt go to him for their wages that ſets them a-work; for God commands them to do no outward things in that nature; we find him therefore diſclaiming all Sacrifices in that ſenſe, and as ſo us'd and abuſed, that is, offered to God inſtead of Decem variis phraſibus Ames in Pſal. 50. 6, 8.obedience; and ſaith (as here) Who hath required (or commanded) them? Iſa. 1. 11, 12, &c. It's another thing that the Lord requires, and that's Obedience, Mic. 6. 7, 8.
3. As God did not command them ſolely and without Obedience, ſo neither chiefly (if we put obedience and them together) and in that reſpect he may be ſaid not to command them, according to For, Hoc ſi illud conferatur, nihil eſt.that, I will have mercy and not ſacrifice; that is, My will is not to have the one without the other, nor the one in compariſon of the other: Hence God (where he purpoſly handleth this argument, to wit, Pſal. 50. 5, 8.) tells his people, I will not reprove thee for thy Sacrifices, (when yet the want of what is required, is to be reproved) for God looks higher, and will have a Covenant made and confirmed by Sacrifice; requiring Sacrifices only as appurtenances of Covenanted Obedience. We may obſerve alſo in Scripture, that the ſpiritual ſubſtance hath been accepted without the outward Ceremony, even then when Ceremonies were moſt in requeſt, (2 Chron. 30. 18, 19.) but when Sacrifice hath been pleaded without Obedience, or to be a protection for diſobedience, God hath extreamly diſliked it, 1 Sam. 15. 21, 22, 23.
4. God never ſo commanded Sacrifices and outward Ceremonies, as if he would be the God of the Jews, and they ſhould be his people, and all ſhould be well with them, if they brought him Sacrifices and Burnt-offerings: he never agreed with them upon ſuch terms, but (as it is here ſaid) upon the obeying of his voice, and walking in all the ways that he commanded them, v. 23. See therefore how the Covenant runs, Deut. 26. 17. Thou haſt avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and what then? to walk in his ways, keep his ſtatutes, and hearken to his voice. Again, (on the other ſide) The Lord hath avouched thee to be his peculiar people, as he hath promiſed thee, v. 18. But is that all? No; but, That thou ſhouldeſt keep all his Commandments.
Outward Exerciſes (though required Opus operatnm it but cadaver.of God) are but the body, it is Grace that is in the Soul (and if it be there, will ſhew it ſelf in the life) of the Servant, which is the Soul of the ſervice.