Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 358

334

§ GQ.

SACRED THEOLOGY

representation of a special revelation.

Sancta was no accident, our effort

renew the use

of that

name

in our

serting Sancta before Tlieologia

understood, that

we

is

As

the omission of

equally intentional, to

Reformed

we

[Div. Ill

desire

circles. it

By

in-

to be clearly

take no part in the secularization of it has a sphere of its own.

Theology, but maintain that

The Church word

ures this

of Christ has

borrowed from the Holy Scriptimmerevelatioji. This prefix is con-

sacred as a prefix to whatever stands in

diate relation to the special

New, Testament. burning bush is called lioly ground, because there the holiness of the Lord revealed itself to stantly used in the Old, as well as in the

The spot

of

]\Ioses.

The

is

ground

at the

TTIp in Israel, or the congregation of the people,

called holy.

In Exod. xvi. 23

it

speaks of "the holy

The people itself is called an members are called "holy men"

sabbath unto the Lord."

"holy people," and its (Exod. xxii. 31). In a still more pregnant sense the altar is called " holy " and " whatsoever touches the altar " (Exod. xxix. 37), which refers to places and buildings, as well as to persons, their garments, tools and acts. Jerusalem itself is called the "holy city" (Neh. xi. 1). Holy, therefore, is the definite epithet not only for what is in heaven, with all the hosts of angels, but equally for that which on earth is chosen of God for His service. Thus the Psalmist speaks of " the " God's faithfulness is in the saints that are in the earth." assembly of the holy ones." Thus the Proverbs speak of the knowledge the people of God received by higher light, as " the knowledge of the holy" (A. V. ix. 10 and xxx. 3); and, in short, without a closer study of the idea of t^Hi'p, it may be said that in the Old Testament this title of "holy" is attached to everything that transmits the special revelation, flows forth from

it,

or stands in immediate relation to

it.

That it will not do to explain this prefix, " holy," simply from the symbolic and typical character of the Old Dispensation, appears from the entirely similar use of " holy " in the writings of the New Covenant. Here also we find Jerusalem spoken of as the "holy city" (Math. iv. 5; xxvii. 63 and Rev. xi. 2 Christ also xxi. 2 and xxii. 19). ;

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