The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1866-07-12

| ltS usefulness nad ceased 10 Uae type
and shadow, when the ante-type and
substance had come.
1t was true, God had given them that
sensuous worship: but never as sub
stitute for personal holiness and com
munion with him. This they should
have seen in their ancient records
Abraham was justified by his faith, not
by CIRCUMCISION or sacrifices he had
offered. Samuel told them that obedi-
ence was better than sacrifice. David
declared that the sacrifices of God are
a broken heart, broken and contrite
spirit, Isaiah declared that the fasting
which God approved was, the emanci-
pating of slaves.
There are two inquiries concerning
this worship of importance to consider:
why it was instituted-why it was
abolished Why was the Jewish ritual
instituted?
Man begins his education in spiritual
things by the aid of material instru.
ments and the pictorial symbols Of the
infant school. Hence the Law was a
schoolmaster leading to Christ, and was
the shadow of good things to come
1t prepared the minds Of men, for in
stance, by the almost impossible avoid
ance of ceremonial deflement, to teach
our constant exposure to the defilement
of sin; by the penal consequences of
! ,,o,,,,,, op;oi daGlapoont to chou tbo
dreadful consequences of SIM and by
the ceremonial efficiency Of the temple
services, to exhibit the cleansing eff
cheney of Christ's atoning sacrifice: by
the priest to show his priesthood: by
the sacredness Of the Most Holy, the
purity of heaven.
This form of teaching was suited to
the low spiritual condition of the race
at that period. We do not know what
the primitive language of man was;
and particularly whether it had a vo-
cabulary purely spiritual. But all ex.
isting languages have few words de-
scriptive of material objects, or whose
root is not a word expressing material
object. "Spirit' is an example; mean
ing wind, or breath, originally. Atten-
ton, Imagination, recollection, all come
from words signifying material things
or acts This is a necessity of our con-
dition on earth; and, inpart, it itexplains
the Mosaic ritual.
Another result was secured by an i'm
posing system Of rites and restrictions.
1t subserved the interests Of true religion
by securing the religious and political
separation of the Jewish race from
surrounding tribes sunk into the gross
est idoatry. And hence we find the
Jews, faulty as they were, far superior
to their neighbors. The vital power of
those institutions is seen, also, in the
preservation Of national sentiment in
the Jewish heart, depending for its sus-
tenance on no common national life nor
any local attachments Then,
Why was this system not perpetua-
ted?
Because the end of its institution had
been secured, and its further existence
would hinder spiritual worship. 1t was
designed to be preparatory and tenn
rary.
: The rough shell that forms this au-
tumn on the bud of the horse chestnut
tree, a covering for the flower Of next
spring; the coat of gum that seals it
Theoretically against the trosts Of winter,
must dry and burst, and fall off when
the sun returns to the equator: so we
see that the ceremonial system continu-
ed until God had become incarnate.
p The Temple, the Ark, the Shekinah,
were representatives of the unseen.
But in Christ alone did "the fullness OF
the Godhead dwell bodily"
The old priesthood and the sacrifices
continued until the true Atonement had
been made, and the true High Priest
had entered into the holy Of holies, with
his own precious blood.
But when men had seen Christ, they
had entered the true temple, and had q
vision of the Father. For that time
men were to worship neither on Geri.
zim nor on Moriah; but anywhere and
everywhere, in spirit and in truth.