Harmonies of the Bible and the church

Front matter

^m?i

HARMONIES

OF

Contents

CHAP. PAGK

I. THE TEEE OF LIFE .

The Tree, and the Water .

Preface

The foUowiug chapters luay at lirst glance seem to be nothing but collections of texts with which most persons are familiar 5 and that verj' familiarity may prevent a careful reading of every word of them, with a view to discover Avhat is revealed by the entire groups on comparing them together. It is also very necessary that an examination shall be made Avithoat prejudice; for nothing is so fatal to a just understanding of any subject, as judgment formed beforehand against it.

Bishop Horsley says:- "It is incredible to any one who has not made the experiment, what a proficiency may be made in that knowledge which maketh wise unto salvation, by studying the Scrii)tures with reference to the parallel passages without any other commentary^ or ex-position^ than what the different parts of the Sacred Volume mutually furnish for each other. Let the most illiterate Christian study them in this manner, and let him never cease to pray for the illumination of that Spirit by whom tliese Books were dictated, and the whole compass of abstruse philosophy and recimdite history shall furnish no argument with which the perverse will of man shall be able to shake this learned Christian's faith."

The typical significance of many parts of the Holy Scripture is no new idea. A reasonable recognition of it cannot fail to add force, as well as beauty, to the scheme of our salvation. It is undoubtedly p«»ssible

V^Ill PREFACE.

to indulge too far in fauciful interpretation; but there can be but little danger of going astraj^ so long as it points only to the "Bright and Morning Star,'' the end and hope of our salvation.

It is not pretended that these chapters 'are exhaust ive. They are only suggestive. Perhai)s they may be interesting to three classes of persons.

First: To Members of the Protestant Episcopal Church, especially to those who have never fully comprehended tlie true genius of their own Church.

Second: To members of other Christian Churches. These chapters may siiow a design and significance in the doctrine and ritual of the Church, Avhich they have not sui)posed to be so strictly in accord witli Scriptural teaching. While they may not be thereby convinced of the necessity of these things, they may yet be led to entertain a greater respect and tolerance for a faith which can thus give a reason for its existence.

Third: To the People of Israel, this book may be offered in the spirit of St. Paul : "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." Romans x. 1.

Both Christian and Israelite niay stand side by side on the ground of the Old Testament. The Old Testament cannot be ignored witliout ignoring as well the very existence of that numerous people. Our own Apostles testify of it that, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." 2 Tim. iii. 16. And, " Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.'' 1 Peter i. 21. Every fascinating form of literature, poetic, historic, descriptive, imaginative, is found in this Scripture. None appreciate its delights more fidlv than thev whose origin, life, and religion it re-

PREFACE. IX

cords. Even the humblest of them seem to be tamiliiir with it. It is a characteristic of* that i)eople of aucient descent, that their intellects partake of that poetical and imaginative character which is so (conspicuous in the Oriental writings. If, then, they could dispassionately and intelligently study the New Testament, in close connection with their own Scripture, the Old Testament, might they not possibly rejoice in realizing that the true stories of their Sacred Scriptures are replete with types and allegories, the explanation and fulfilment of which may be found in ours t This fact once acknowledged by Israel will make them in the strongest sense the chosen of God: chosen, first, to witness of the only true God; and again chosen to eternal salvation, when they shall say, with Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, "We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ." Then, the wondrous and awful sounds from Mount Sinai, which accompanied the giving of the Law, glancing from Mount Zion, {Fs. xiv. 7.) the Mountain of the Lord, {Ls. ii. 2, 3.) will reverberate with a clear and distinct echo of hope and joy, from the great and high Mountain, where sits that gTeat City, the Holy Jerusalem, des- (^ending out of heaven from God, with twelve gates, and, "names written thereon, which are the names of the Twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel ;" And the wall, "with twelve foundations, and in them the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb." Rev. xxi. 9-14.

[The idea of The significance of the Colours, ( Chap. II.) is mainly taken from "Hitherto, A story of Yesterdays," by Mrs. A. D. T. Whitney:]

City of Washington.

February, 1891.

HARMONIES

OF

THE BIBLE

AND

THE CHURCH.

Chapter I. The Teee Of Life

In the book of Genesis we read : —

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Gen. i. 1.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Gen. i. 26.

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him ; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it. Gen. i. 27, 28.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life ; and man became a living soul. Gen. ii. 7. The Breath of the Lord God-the Holy Spiritgiving man life, made him in the image of God,

without sin, or the knoAvledge of evil.

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden 5 and there He i)ut the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food ; THE TREE OF LIFE also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a rher went out of Eden to ivater the garden. Gen. ii. 8-10.

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying. Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat : But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not cat of it : for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Gen. ii. 16, 17.

Thus God, having" created man in His own image, left him to enjoy all good things at his pleasure, only forbidding him to seek even the knowledge of evil. Moreover, God distinctly told man that death was the penalty of sin, which would come by disobedieu(;e of His command. Xow the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. Gen. iii. 1. [T.hat old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan. Rev, XX. 2.]

And he said unto the woman. Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Gen. iii. 1, 4, 5.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. Gen. iii. 6.

And the Lord God said. Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the Tree of Life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed at the East of the garden of Eden, Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the Tree of Life. Gen. iii. 22-24. There are five significant parts of this allegory :-lst. The Tree; 2d, The Water; 3d, The Cherubim; 4th, The Flaming Sword; 5th, The Way of the Tree of Life. The first and the second are generally found closely connecjted together.

THE TREE AND THE WATER.

David likens a good man to a tree by tlie water.-- Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sittetli in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever lie doeth shall prosper, r^alm i. 1-3. And Solomon says :- Hajjpy is the man that tindeth Wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding... She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her. Frov. iii. lo, 18. But there is another significance belonging to the Tree. The Law says:-

If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a Tree : His body shall not remain all niglit upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury Inm that day ; for he that is hanged is accursed of God. Deut. xxi. 22, 23.

In the Levitical law sacrifices are commanded which, under the Old Testament, were types of the one great, all sufticient sacrifice of the New Testament. The esi-ence of the sacrifice is thus stated :- The life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for tlie soul. Levit. xvii.ll.

St. Paul aUudes to this when he says:- Abnost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without sheddiny of blood is no rcmi.ssion. Heb. ix. 22.

But : It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Heh. x. 4. Nor can the blood of sinful man :- They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches ; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God ;i ransom for him; For the ledemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever: [or^ as in the Fsalter rerdon^ For it cost more to redeem their souls; so that he must let that alone for ever.] Tliat he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. Fsalm xlix. G-1). But Isaiah thus i)rophesies of Messiah :- He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the cliastisement of our l)eace was upon Him; and with His stripes Ave are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid (m Him tlie iniquity of us all... It pleased the Lord to bruise Him ; He hath i)ut Him to grief: ichen thou shalt maJce His soul an ofierincj for sin, He shall see His seed. He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Is. liii. 5-10. St. Paul explains this w^hen he says :- Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us : for it is written. Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. Gal. iii. 13. ' Here may be noted the minute fulfilment of the tyi)e in its several parts. As the law required that the body of him who was lianged on a tiee should be taken down and buried that same day, so the body of Jesus Avas taken down the same day He was crucified. John xix. 31.

Again, St. Paul says :-God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we w^ere yet sinners, Christ b THE TREE OF LIFE .

died for us. Much more then, being- now justified by His hlood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Eom. v. 8, 9.

And again: Be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin ? that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor. v. 20, 21.

And St. Peter told the High Priest :-

The God of our fathers raised uj) Jesus, whom ye

slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with

His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give

repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. Acts v. 30-

Again, St. Peter said to Cornelius :- God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem : whom they slew and hanged on a tree : Him God raised up the third day, and shewed Him openly; I^ot to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead. And He commanded us to i^reach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins. Acts x. 38.

Again, St. Paul said to the people of Antioch:- And Avhen they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree^ and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead. Acts xiii. 29, 30.

THE TKRE OF LIFE, i

And St. IVtei' : For even hereunto were ye called : because Christ also suffered tor us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps : Who did no

sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: Who

His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto rightecmsness : by whose stripes ye w^ere healed. For ye were as sheei) going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. I Peter ii. l>l-25.

The power to overcome that old Serpent, the

Devil, through faith in the death of Christ on the

Cross, was typified when tlie people spake against

God, and against Moses :-

The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the peoide: and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people cajue to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that He take aw^ay the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole : and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, w hen he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. Xiim. xxi. 5-9. In reference to tliis Jesus said :-

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up : That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John iii. 14, 15.

The type of tlie tree of life is thus shown to signify the Cross of Christ. If the tradition be true, that the pole upon which Moses hung the brazen serpent was in the form of a cross, there couhl be no more expressive emblem of St. Paul's saying :-

Our old man is crucilied with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Eom. vi. 0.

As a tree draws life and health from water, so from the water of Baptism, springs the grace to be nourished by the Supper of the Lord, the me- . morial of His crucifixion.

The mention of ivater in connection with a tree occurs in several places in Holy Scripture, beside those above quoted.

When the Cliildren of Israel came to Marah, they (50uld not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were

bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah

And Moses cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them. Exodus xv. 23-25.

So the broken baptismal vows may be reestablished by worthily receiving the Lord's Supper.

The sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Let

us go — unto Jordan, and make us a place there,

where we may dwell So he went with them. And

when they (^ame to Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe bead fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed Ijim tlie place. And he cut down a sticJi, tuid cast it in tliitUer; and tlie iron did swim.

Therefore said lie, Take it up to tliee. And lie put out

his hand, and took it. 2 Kin(/s vi. 1-7.

This singular miracle was hardly wrouglit with the simple purpose to gratify the man by restoring his lost property. It probably had an allegorical significance. "Alas, master ! for it was borrowed." So may a baptised person say, who sees himself in danger of losing, under the turbid waters of toil or temptation, the grace which he has borrowed in baptism, but has not yet made his oAvn by tliat other sacrament in memory of the atonement on the accursed tree. But the Master shcAvs him the tree of life, through which he may reciover that grace. Xor only soj He rewards the poor laborer's solicitude for the borrowed instrument, by freely confirming him in its possession, through faithful use of that branch of the Tree, the Eucharist.

THE CHERUBIMS, AND THE FLAMING SWORD.

The Cherubims represent the "Ministering Spirits, sent forth to minister for tliem who shall be heirs of salvation." Beb. i. 14.

In the directions for making the Ark of the

Covenant, God commanded Moses to make two

cherubims of beaten gold, one for each end of the

mercy seat, above upon the ark.

And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wines on high, covering the inercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another . . . And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the jnercy seat, from between the two cliernbims which are upon the ark of the testiiiioiiy, of all things whi(ih I will give thee in commandment unto the Children of Israel. Exodus xxv. 18-22. In allusion to this, David says :- Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock 5 Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, sliine forth. Fsalm Ixxx. 1.

Here is St. Peter's " Shepherd and Bishop of your souls"; He wlio says, "I am the Good Shepherd : the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." John x. 11.

So David says :- The Lord reigneth ; let the people tremble : He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. Fsalm xcix. 1.

Ezekiel says of his vision of the cherubims :- The sound of the cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when He speaketh. UzeTc. x. 5.

St. John says of One whom he saw, " like unto the Son of man :"-

Out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sicord. Eevelation i. lo, IG.

And of the " Word of God," he says:- Out of His mouth goeth a sharp sivord, that witli it He should smite the nations. Eevelation xix. 15. St. Paul says :- The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharj)- er than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb. iv. 12. Now St. eTohn says:- In the beginning was tlu' Word, and tlie Word was with God, aiul the Word wiis God All things were

made by Him; and without Him was not auj' thing

made that was made And the Word was made

flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, ) full of grace and truth. John i. 1, 3, 14.

This is He who, in the beginning, created the heaven and the earth. Gen. i. 1.

So, He that sitteth between the cherubims, u])- ou the mercy seat, is the Son of man ; the Lord who reigneth ; the Word who was God ; the Shepherd of Israel; the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. This is He of whom Isaiah prophesied :- He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground : He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows : yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Isaiah liii. 2-4.

THE WAY OF THE TREE OF LIFE.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. John xiv. 6.

And St. Paul says:-

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say. His Hesh . . . Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Meb. x. 19-22.

Jesus Olirist, tlie Good Shepherd and likewise tlie Judge, by giving His life for tlie slieep, opens to tliem again tlie way to tlie Tree of life) while, with His flaming sharjj sword, He drives away from it the sinful people. And this is His promise :- He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saitli unto the churches ; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the teee of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Eev. ii. 7.

Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Eev. xxii. 14. And here are the gates :- Then said Jesus unto them again, Yerily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep — By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. John x. 7, 9. When a child is baptised, the minister says :- And humbly we beseech thee to grant, that he beingdead unto sin, and living unto righteousness may

crucify the old man, and utterly abolish the whole body of sin ; and that as he is made partaker of the death of thy Son, he may also be partaker of His resurrection.

The Church also, in the Collect for the Sunday next before Easter, thus teaches us to pray for eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ :- ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon Him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of His great humility; mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of His patience, and also be made partakers of His resurrection, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CHAPTER 11.

THE COVENANT OF THE EAINBOW.

We read of covenants wliicli God made witli man at various times, beginning many thousands of years before the birth of Christ. It is curious to mark how the ivater and the Mood run through them all, like a cord binding together the whole system.

The first covenant was made Avith Adam, when the Lord God planted a garden, and made every tree pleasant to the sight and good for food, and a river to icater the garden 5 and then gave to man the right to eat of every tree, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Here the covenant was one of peace. God's bounty to man is set forth as His part; obedience is man's part. And here, only the fertilizing icater is found, for as yet the cause for the shedding of blood has not arisen. But after man's disobedience, there appears a hlood ofi'ering as atonement, in Noah's sacrifice. For, when he left the Ark :-

Noah builded an altar unto the Lord and ofiered

burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in His heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake . . . neither will I again smite any more every thing living as I have done. While the earth remain eth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Gen. viii. 20-22. And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, ... I will establish my coveuant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood

to destroy the earth I do set my bow in the cloud,

and it shall be for a tohen of. . . the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. Gen. ix. 8-16.

Again, God said to Abraham :- I will establish my coveuant between me and thee

and thy seed after thee for an everlasting covenant^

to be a God unto thee.... This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after tliee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised — it shall be a tolcen of the covenant betwixt me and you. Gen. xvii. 7-11.

Circum(;Js ion was the token of the old covenant of atonement by blood. The heads of families, or tribes, then served as priests for their own families. As a first step towards an established priesthood :-

The Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there : and I will take of the Spirit wldch is upon thee, and will put it upon them ; and they sball bear the burden of the people with thee, that tliou bear it not thyself ahme. Num. xi. IG, 17. Afterwards, when the L(U'd instituted the system of worship for the Church of Israel, He conjnumded Moses, saying :-

Take thou Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him from among the children of Israel, that he may minister

THE COYE]^A]S"T OF THE RAINBOW. 15

unto iiie in tlie priest's otlice, even Aaron, Nadab and Abiliu, Eleazar and Itlianiar, Aaron's sons. Ex. xxviii. 1

TlTe priest's oftic^e shall be theirs for a perpetual ntatate: and thou shalt (M)nsecrate Aaron and his sons — And I Avill sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. Exodus xxix. 1), 44, 45.

And the Lord said unto Aaron — Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve : I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall he put to death .... Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel ; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. Num. xviii. i, 7, 8. For his zealous vindication of the law, Phinehas

the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest,

was thus commended :-

The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Phinehas