Colossenses 2:17

DISCOURSE: 2179
THE NATURE AND USE OF THE TYPES

Colossenses 2:17. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

MAN is naturally addicted to superstition; partly from a consciousness of his needing mercy from God, and partly from a desire of reconciling himself to God by some meritorious services of his own. The Jewish economy had rather a tendency to foster this disposition, inasmuch as it prescribed many rites and ceremonies as means of acceptance with God. But from these the Gospel has set us free; and, in so doing, has introduced a more free and liberal spirit. Nevertheless, even under the light of the Gospel, we are prone to indulge the same servile desires, and to prefer a yoke of bondage to the freedom of God’s children. Such was the case with many even in the apostolic age. St. Paul is cautioning the Colossians against two sorts of teachers, who were endeavouring to mislead them; against the advocates for heathen philosophy [Note: ver. 8.], and against the Judaizing brethren, who insisted on the observance of the Mosaic ritual [Note: ver. 16.]. In opposition to the latter of these, he bids the Christians to assert their liberty from the observances of the ceremonial law, that being, in fact, no more than a shadow, of which they now possessed the substance.

We shall take occasion from his words to shew,

I. The nature of the types—

The Scripture sets before us several kinds of types—
[Christians are in general but little acquainted with the types: yet the scripture abounds with them, and mentions various kinds of them. They may be reduced to three classes; natural, historical, and legal. The natural are such as may be seen in the works of nature (in this view, the creation of the universe is a type of the new creation, which the regenerate soul experiences through the word and Spirit of God;) the historical are such as Moses, Joshua, David, and others; and the legal are all the ceremonies of the Jewish law.]

These are shadowy representations of Christ and his benefits—
[All of them relate to Christ in some view or other; either to his person and offices, or to his Church and the benefits he confers upon it. They are the shadow, whereof he is the substance: and as a shadow represents, though but faintly, the image of the substance, so they portray, though in a very indistinct manner, the character and work of Christ.]
In fact, they were instituted of God for this end—
[The paschal feast, with all its attendant observances, was not merely commemorative of a deliverance that was past: it was to shadow forth an infinitely greater deliverance that was to come; as St. Paul says, “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth [Note: Hebreus 8:5; 1 Coríntios 5:7.].” In like manner, we are told, that all the ordinances relative to the priestly office “served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: For, see, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewn to thee in the mount [Note: Hebreus 8:5.].” The Law was the shadow; the Gospel the substance: the Law was the model; and the Gospel the edifice erected in perfect accordance with it [Note: We are not at liberty to consider every common similitude as a type, or to launch into the boundless ocean of conjecture: in some instances indeed observations drawn from analogy may be almost as convincing as the declarations of God himself: but it is safest to adhere to those points which Scripture has determined for us: in them we are in no danger of erring, and therefore can speak with precision and authority. Nor should we ever forget, that, as those things alone are sacraments to us which God has appointed to be so, so those things alone were types to the Jewish church, which God instituted for that express purpose.]

The text, in connexion with the context, leads us further to declare,

II.

Their use—

God would not have appointed them, if they had not been beneficial to his Church. But with respect to the Jewish and the Christian Church, we shall, as they subserved different purposes, notice their use to each:

1. To the Jews—

[The types served to shew them what sort of a person their Messiah should be: he was to be a Prophet, like unto Moses, a Priest, like Aaron, a King, like David. He was to be a suffering no less than a reigning Messiah. They further kept up the expectation of him in the world. The first promise had been nearly forgotten; and most probably the repetition of it would have made but a transient impression: but the multitude of observances, daily repeated, and continually directing the eyes of the worshippers to him, could not fail of exciting a general and increasing expectation of his advent. They moreover led the people to exercise faith on him. Every intelligent worshipper must see that the blood of bulls and of goats could not take away sin; and therefore (as we are sure Abraham, David, and others did) the devout Jews must look through the ordinances to Christ, and rely on him who was to come, just as we rely on him who is come.]

2. To us—

[The types are of signal use to us, in that they testify of Christ as the person promised from the foundation of the world, and prefigured in the whole of the Mosaic ritual. When we compare the account of Christ in the New Testament with the various ordinances of the Old, we see how impossible it was that such a coincidence of character should ever happen, but by the express ordination and appointment of God. But they are of further use to us also, in that they wonderfully illustrate the fulness and excellency of Christ. As there are myriads of stars, yet all of them together are no more than a taper in comparison of the sun; so all the typical exhibitions of Christ are but a shadow in comparison of him: and “though they are exceeding glorious in themselves, yet have they no glory by reason of the glory that excelleth [Note: 2 Coríntios 3:9].” To this effect the Apostle says, “If the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God [Note: Hebreus 9:13.]!” This is the view which we are to take of the types, this the improvement we are to make of them. We could not have formed any adequate idea of Christ’s work and offices, if we had not been assisted by the typical institutions: these serve to embody our notions, and to make them, like a picture, visible to the eyes of men, and therefore intelligible to the meanest capacity: whereas, if we could not thus invest them, as it were, with matter, we could only offer to our bearers some abstract ideas, which, after all, would convey but little meaning, and leave no abiding impression.]

Infer—
1.

How great are the privileges of the Christian Church!

[The Jews were oppressed with a yoke of ceremonies, which they were not able to bear—the import of which they could very faintly discern—and the observance of which yielded no permanent satisfaction to their consciences [Note: Hebreus 10:1.]: but we are freed from that yoke, and enjoy a dispensation of light, and liberty — — — Let us be thankful for our privilege, and “stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.”]

2. What spirituality of mind should we possess!

[Our superior privileges doubtless demand a correspondent pre-eminence in our spirit and conduct. If we are “no longer servants but sons,” we ought to manifest a filial affection towards God, and a delight in his service. But do not many of the pious Jews reproach us? O let us walk worthy of our high vocation, and shew forth the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvellous light [Note: 1 Pedro 2:9.]