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But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away, how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?... And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished. It is argued from this passage, that the clauses
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and
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refer to the whole law, _moral_ as well as _ritual_, because mention is made of
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which is an evident allusion to the Decalogue. But, on careful examination, it will be found that
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was not the _Decalogue itself_, but
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which was then appointed--the same being emblematically illustrated by the glory of Moses' countenance, which was merely temporary. This clause refers expressly to the glory of his countenance, and not to the glory of the law itself. So also the clause
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does not refer to the Decalogue, but to the ministration of Moses, including the appended rites and usages, the priesthood and its sacrifices, which were useful merely for the time being. It cannot be supposed that the Decalogue was abolished, without expressly contradicting Christ's testimony, Matt. 5:17-19, as well as many other representations of the Scriptures. The abolishment spoken of, therefore, evidently respected no other than what the Apostle calls in another place
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inclusive of the entire ministration of Moses. There is unquestionably a reference in this chapter to the Decalogue, but not as abolished. It was merely the ministration of it, or the then instituted manner of teaching, illustrating, and enforcing it, which was abolished, to be succeeded by a new ministration of the same law by the Spirit. For it is written,
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I will put my law --(the very law of the ten commandments)--
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Again,
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We are not without law to God, but under the law to Christ. What law but the Decalogue is here referred to? Evidently none. For surely we are not under the Mosaic ritual. Again,
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Do we make void the law through faith?... Yea, we establish the law. The same, no doubt, which was contained in the Decalogue. Hence, the Apostle James says,
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If ye fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye shall do well. Here the title
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is given by way of eminence to the Decalogue; and its permanent obligation is manifestly recognized; for the precept alluded to is a summary of the last six commandments of this code, and the allusion is so made as to imply the continued obligation of the first four, which are summed up in supreme love to God. Again, the Apostle John testifies,
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Hereby do we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. And again,
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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.