The law contained a shadow of good things to come, Heb. 10, 1. These good things were the Saviour in the flesh, or the covenanted seed of Abraham, in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed, together with all the blessings he should obtain by his mission into the world. See also, Col. 2, 16, 17. But after the Saviour is come in the flesh, and accomplished our redemption, fulfilling the law and the prophets, and all the numerous types in him receiving their consummation, where then can there be any room in his church for types, or emblems ? Do we need emblems when we have the substance ? When the Saviour fills all things ? The Apostle saith, " And (God) hath put all things under his [Christ's] feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all," Eph. 1, 22, 23. And in chapter 4, v. 10, he saith, " He that descended (viz. Christ) is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things." From these passages it is manifest that Christ fills all things. This will still appear plainer, when I yet add what the inspired writer to the Hebrews saith, chap. 9, 12 ; " He (Christ) entered by his own blood into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us ;" and v. 24, he saith, " For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true ; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Thus Christ with or by his blood appears in the presence of God for us ; hence, wherever the presence of God is, there Christ also appears for us. Where is the presence of God ? Ans.–Every where. Thus saith the Psalmist, " Whither shall I go from thy spirit ? or whither shall I flee from thy presence ? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there : if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there," &c. Ps. 139, 7–10. Thus Christ is every where, not only with his spirit,–for the inspired writer says he entered by his own blood into the holy places, and appears in the presence of God : now blood belongs to the Lord's humanity ; hence the crucified God–man, or Immanuel, fills all things, so that there can be no types nor shadows, by which the spirit should shew him to us : nay, for where the substance, filling all things, appears, all shadows must be expelled. Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness, that rose with healing in his wings ; Mal. 4, 2–he shines in Jehovah's presence, and with his refulgent beams irradicates heaven and earth ; his excessive brightness extinguishes the great glory of burning seraphim : how should it therefore be possible for types and shadows to exist in the very face of such a heavenly meridian day ? It is out of the question ; the sacraments under the gospel cannot be emblems. If there was no Saviour in the flesh, in existence, it would be quite rational to have types, which was the case under the Mosaic dispensation. Before the Saviour's incarnation, the promises indeed were made ; yet the things promised were not present, nor in existence ; hence the types under the law. The types under the law shaded forth such things, that were not at all in existence, viz : the incarnation of Christ, and the concomitant blessings thereof: but types or emblems under the gospel cannot shade forth any future blessings of any future Messiah ; hence the doctrine of having emblems under the gospel is radically wrong, and has no foundation in the Holy Scriptures. It may also be justly concluded, to make emblems (which are the same as images) in divine worship of things that are in existence, must be idolatry ; for the commandment says, " Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath," &c. Exod. 20, 4, 5. Types under the law were no likenesses of any thing that was ; for the things they prefigured were not then at all in existence : hence they could not have come under the prohibition of this commandment ; for it prohibits the making and worshipping of likenesses of things that are. But the case stands far different under the gospel ; because there is nothing more to prefigure, no future Saviour whom we must expect at a distance. Now to make emblems in divine worship of those things which are present in reality, must be a notorious breach of this command, and a pagan idolatry. In vain protestants condemn the papish image-worship, when they themselves turn the sacraments into images in their most solemn worship !! Is not this the language of many protestants who deride the papists–baptism is an emblem of some spiritual gift ! bread and wine are holy emblems of Christ's body and blood ! Image-worship belongs to the kingdom of Antichrist ; but in the kingdom of Jesus there is no worship by types, nor in ancient Jerusalem ; but God is worshipped in spirit and in truth." See John 4, 21, 24. It is also contrary to the nature of the new testament to administer types and shadows ; for the Apostle saith, " Who (God) also hath made us able ministers of the new testament ; not of the letter, but of the spirit," &c. 2 Cor. 3, 6. Ministers of the gospel must be ministers of the spirit ; hence not of emblems. Many who call themselves ministers of the gospel, call the sacraments nothing but emblems ; hence they are ministers of emblems. But I must tell such plainly, whilst they are administering emblems, they can positively not be the ministers of the new testament ; for the apostle declares this ministry not to be of the letter, but of the spirit ; now if it be of the spirit, it cannot be a ministry of emblems, as the spirit is a reality, and no emblem. The apostle in this chapter also saith, v. 18, " But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord." Now suppose emblems are yet to be found in the church and in the ministry, how could we all with open face, as in a glass, behold the glory of the Lord ? Our faces would be veiled by emblems, and we could not see the substance as in a bright mirror. When I look with an unveiled face in a glass, there is nothing to hinder me from seeing what may be in the glass. Such, therefore, who yet look through emblems, do not see with open face, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord ; for the veil of Moses is yet upon their heart ; v. 14, 15 ; else they would not yet be dealing in emblems.

Back: 3d. Since in baptism the Holy Ghost is shed...

Next: Further, those who call baptism an emblem...