Question 5 — Is there any farther alteration to be expected in or of those institutions and ordinances of worship which
John Owen A Brief Instruction in the Worship of God is now no moral duty since the institution is ceased, although it be enforced by many moral considerations.
Question 5 — Is there any farther alteration to be expected in or of those institutions and ordinances of worship which are revealed and appointed in the gospel?
Answer — No; the last complete revelation of the will of God being made by the Son, who is Lord of all, his commands and institutions are to be observed inviolably unto the end of the world, without alteration, diminution, or addition.
Heb. i. 1, 2, x. 25–27; Matt. xxviii. 20; 1 Cor. xi. 26; 1 Tim. vi. 14.
Explication — It was showed before that all the institutions of the Old Testament had respect unto the coming of Christ in the flesh, who was "the end of the law," Rom. x. 4; and thereupon they were subject to alteration and abolition upon a twofold account:—
1. Because that which they were appointed principally to instruct the church in, and to direct it unto the expectation of, was, upon his coming, accomplished and fulfilled; so that their end was absolutely taken away, and they could no more truly teach the mind and will of God, for they would still direct unto that which was to come, after it was past and accomplished. And this is that which the apostle
Paul so variously proves and fully confirms in his Epistle to the Hebrews, especially in the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth chapters.
2. The Lord Christ, during their continuance, was to come as the Lord over his whole house, with more full and ample authority than any of those whom God had employed in the institution of his ordinances of old were intrusted withal: Heb. i. 1–3, "He spake in time past by the prophets," but now "by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all." Chap. iii. 6, "Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we." And, therefore, they were all to be at his disposal, to confirm or remove, as he saw reason and occasion. And this he did, — (1.) Virtually, in the sacrifice of himself, or the blood of his cross, fulfilling and finishing of them all, John xix. 30; "breaking down the middle wall of partition; abolishing in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;" "blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances," he "took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross," Eph. ii. 14, 15; Col. ii. 14. (2.) Authoritatively, by his Spirit in the apostles, and the doctrine of the gospel preached by them: Acts xv. 10, 11, "Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." Gal. iii. 24, 25, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." Chap. v.
1–4. And, (3.) Eventually or providentially, when he caused sacrifice and offering to cease, by the prince of the people, that came with an army making desolate, to destroy both city and sanctuary,
Dan. ix. 26, 27, according to his prediction, Matt. xxiv. 2. But now, under the New Testament, the worship that is appointed in the gospel is founded in and built upon what is already past and accomplished, — namely, the death and life of Jesus Christ, with the sacrifice and atonement for sin made thereby, 1 Cor. xi. 23–26; which can never be again performed; neither is there any thing