Of the Divine Service of the Church

The state and divine service of this church have varied from the beginning, according to the different periods in which it existed and flourished.

From Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to Moses, from Moses to Christ, from Christ to the end of the world, God ordained for each of these periods different customs as regards the external divine service of this church; also different signs, seals, and things belonging to them; though it is, was, and shall be the same church, the same people, and also the same God whom they served, still serve, and shall serve to the end.

Before Adam fell, divine service had no regard to Christ; He had not yet been set before people as a means of salvation, much less as their only Prophet, Priest, and King, or the only true way, entrance, and door to heaven, through whom alone people can be saved; but their happiness depended on their obedience to the command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. [n25-1] Genesis 2, verses 16 and 17.

After the fall, divine service had regard altogether to Christ, Acts 4, verse 12. God truly promised His Son to men, represented Him by types, and finally gave Him to them. In the meantime the fathers who lived before the coming of Christ hoped in Him, longed for His coming, and ordered and founded all their divine services, whatever these might be according to the time and the command of God, upon His only and eternal reconciliation. Compare Genesis 3, verse 15; 22, verse 18; 49, verses 10 and 18 with John 5, verse 46; 8, verse 56; First Peter 1, verses 10 and 11.

As to the external manner of divine service, this was not the same in all periods, but varied a great deal; for it seems that in the time from Adam to Noah people followed the implanted light of nature, or, to speak properly, the law engraved on the conscience or the mind, keeping no essential and express ceremonial commandments except Abel's offering, and the commandment that the sons of God, that is, the members of His church, should not marry the daughters of men, that is, those who were not members of the church of God; which was enjoined under a severe penalty. Compare Genesis 4, verse 4 with Genesis 6, verse 3.*

In the time from Noah to Abraham there was added God's command not to eat blood, and not to shed human blood. At that time God made a covenant with Noah and every living creature, that He would never again destroy them by a flood; and He set the bow in the clouds as a sign of the covenant. Compare Genesis 9, verses 4 and 5 with verses 11, 12, and 13.

In the time from Abraham to Moses God instituted circumcision among His people, which served the purpose of distinguishing the descendants of Abraham, of whom the church of God consisted, from all other nations, and served as a seal of the covenant which God had made with Abraham and his seed in particular. See Genesis 17, verses 10, 11, and 12; compare with Romans 4, verse 11.

From the time of Moses to Christ, God gave, in addition to circumcision, many laws and commandments, too many to mention, which were to be kept by His people. These consisted in many kinds of sacrifices, offerings, purifications, and so on, for the performance of which holy times were set apart, as the passover, Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles, new moons, and fast days; together with sacred places, as the Tabernacle of Moses, the Temple of Solomon, Shiloh, Mizpah, Moriah, and so on; also holy persons, as prophets, priests, Levites, singers, and doorkeepers. See Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

From the time of Christ to the end of the world, God, through Christ, has taken away the ceremonies of the Mosaic law, as well as the signs by which it is sealed; and, for the acknowledgment of the grace of Christ, has commended the keeping of other ceremonies and signs, as baptism, the Supper, and so on. [n25-3] These external commandments, together with faith, and true penitence of life, which is the spiritual and moral virtue, the Lord has very strictly enjoined upon all members of the church of Christ. See Matthew 28, verses 18 to 20; Mark 16, verses 15 and 16, compared with First Corinthians 11, verses 2 to 28; also the entire epistles of the apostles, which treat of the fulfillment of the Mosaic ceremonial law, as Romans 10, verse 4; Galatians 4, verses 10 and 11 and 5, verses 1 to 4; Colossians 2, verse 16.

Having now briefly shown the diversity of the external divine service of the church of God through all the times, we must state, on the other hand, in what points this church has always continued the same.