Christs Blood therein signified But to say that the Old Testament was not at all nor at any time sealed with Christs Blood but onely by the blood of Bullocks and Sacrifices and that the New Testament onely was sealed with Christs Blood is to make a false difference For verily the Old Testament being nothing else but the New folded up and the New the Old opened to all the sealing of the New by Christs Blood was the sealing of the Old also yea as our Sacraments and the outward Signes of Bread and Wine are true outward Signes consecrated to signifie Christs Death past so were the Sacrifices of the Law and the Old Testament true Signes consecrated to signifie Christs Death to come and as ours Seale the New Testament so did they Seale the Old As with our right outward Sealing there goeth the inward Sealing of Christs Blood so also with those outward Seales rightly understood and used And therefore as it is absurd to say that the New Testament is sealed onely by Bread and Wine and Water when we administer and receive the Sacraments because wee use no other outward Signes so it is absurd to say of their Sacrifices that in them there is no Sealing but by blood of Beasts sacrificed and thus wee see the vanity of this difference also The third difference which the Schoolemen make and which onely the Papists doe hold is that the Old Testament did onely promise eternall blessings and the eternall inheritance and did foreshew them in Types as in the blood of Sacrifices Christs Blood in the promised Land the inheritance of Heaven and such like but it did not give them till CHRIST the Testator was dead But the New Testament doth promise and also give and exhibit the things promised This difference is very false and impious and is easily confuted by the former Doctrine and by the whole Scriptures For that which onely promiseth and giveth not is not a Testament it is never in force neither ratified at all for being in force by the Testators Death it must needes give as well as promise If the Testators Death never come betweene then it is no Testament But the Old is a Testament and was in force and did give and doth give Grace as well as promise it This the whole Scriptures shew for the Legacies promised and given in Christs Will are Himselfe with all his benefits which doe accompany him First his Conception and Birth most holy without spot to sanctifie our conception in sinne and our uncleane birth Secondly His perfect righteousnesse of life to make beleevers righteous Thirdly His Death and Sufferings to ransome them from eternall death and Hell by satisfying for their sinnes Fourthly His Spirit with all saving Graces as Faith and such like by which they come to have Communion with him of his Son-ship inheritance righteousnesse and right to all blessings Temporall and Spirituall Now though Christ was onely promised in the Old Testament that he should come and obey and suffer for mans redemption but was not actually exhibited nor did obey and suffer till the dayes of the New Testament yet his Manhood Birth Obedience and Death were then as effectuall to save the faithfull as now they are And in that respect hee is called the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Also by the Words of promise in the Old Testament Christ communicated gave his Spirit to Adam Noah Abraham David and all the faithfull in the Old Testament wch Spirit wrought in them Faith and perfect Communion with Christ of his person so farre as to make them sonnes and heires of God of his Death for remission of their sinnes of his righteousnesse for their justification and of all saving Graces needfull to Salvation This appeares by Enoches translation into glory that hee might not see death and by Eliahs taking up into Heaven by vertue of Christs Resurrection and Ascention who is the first fruites from the beginning Also by that which is said of Abraham that hee by beleeving came to bee counted righteous And by that which David saith to himselfe That God is his portion Psal. 16. and with him hee had all things to make him blessed Therefore this difference is a blasphemous and wicked fiction excluding the Church of the Old Testament from Heaven and all fruition of Christs benefits and from all saving graces as Regeneration Remission of sinnes Iustification and Redemption which are the blessings promised and given in the Old Testament The fourth difference is that the New Testament is the end of the Old and the Old is but a meanes to obtaine the New This is confuted first by the Doctrine before for they which are both in substance one and the same Testament cannot the one be the end of the other But so are these two as I have before shewed and it is most manifest by the agreement betweene them that as the Old confirmes the New and serves to move men to receive it So the New being imbraced serves to give light to the Old that men may see into the true meaning of it and rightly understand it and so here is no difference in this respect they are both alike Secondly the Scripture is plaine even in the places which they cite to prove this difference to wit Rom. 10. 4. and Gal. 3. 24. and teacheth plainly that Christ is the end of both and both serve joyntly for this one and commō end to bring men to Christ and to perfect communion with him and therefore the New is no otherwise the end of the Old than the Old is the end of the New and so this difference is false and erronious The fift difference is that the Old Testament was given onely to the naturall Israelites the New to all the world which is here by the former Doctrine proved false For if the Old Testament is the Will of Christ as Mediatour who gave himselfe for all the Nations of the world and is one in substance with the New and giveth the same Legacies as is before shewed surely they were both given to all Nations even the Old as well as the New else what shall we say of Iob and the godly and the faithfull of his Countrey and Age mentioned in his Booke who had the promises sealed with bloody sacrifices and yet were not of the Nation of Israel Onely here is the difference the naturall Israelites had the keeping of the Old Testament and the Oracles of God committed to them for a time to wit from Moses untill Christ And yet even then it was lawfull for them to teach the Word and make knowne the promises to strangers of all Nations and to convert them and to receive them into the Church And many were converted and joyned themselves to to the God of Israel As Rahab of Iericho a Canaan itesse Ruth of Moab Ebedmelech of Ethiopia and divers others But the New Testament is committed to no speciall people but published to all the world
them Thus if we understand these words in the Evangelicall sense we cannot bee deceived but may know the truth and how to answer all gainesayers I could bring many Instances of this nature but these are sufficient to shew that before wee can sufficiently expound rightly understand the Gospell it is meet that we should know and be able to shew the nature and also the agreement and difference betweene the Law and the Gospell and betweene the Old and New Testament Wherefore before I come to the particular expounding of the Gospell of Saint Iohn which I have undertaken I will follow the steps of the learned of former times and will endevour to shew briefely the agreement and difference betweene the Old and New Testament betweene the Old Covenant of Workes and the New Covenant of Grace and between the Law the Gospell in the first place And in so doing I will labour to reform some things which they have done before me and to handle this point a little more distinctly For whereas the most part of them doe confusedly compare the Law and the Gospel together without distinction of the words and while they labour to make the Gospell more glorious by all meanes they doe put too great a difference betweene it and the Law which hath beene a cause of much errour to many and even of vilifying and contemning the Old Testament and the Law My desire and purpose is first to shew the severall acceptations and the true sense and meaning of the words and then to declare the true agreement and difference and to make those differences which are observed by others to agree together so far as truth will suffer and to cut off all vaine and needlesse differences This doing I hope I shall reserve to each their due reverence and respect God shall have his glory by both the Law and Gospell Your hearts shall be enabled with love of both and you better enabled to understand the true meaning of the Gospell and to feele the power thereof in your soules CHAP. II. FIrst for the word Testament it doth signifie the last Will of a man which he makes before his death and leaves behinde him either in word or writing testified by seales and witnesses By vertue of which Will hee doth dispose his lands and possessions which he hath purchased and all his goods which he hath gathered in his life time and doth bequeath them as hee himselfe will and to whom hee thinkes fit either freely or with condition to have and hold them after his death and not before This is the true and proper meaning of the Word and thus it is used by the Apostle Hebr. 19. 16. And because the Apostle there cals the Covenant Christs Testament and also elsewhere in his Epistles wheresoever hee doth speake of the Old and New Covenant that is of the Covenant of the Law and of the Gospell doth use the Greeke word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} even the same which there he useth for the last Will and Testament of a Testator whereupon it comes to passe that the Bookes of the Law and the Prophets before Christ and the Covenant in them are called the New Testament and that very fitly in some respect I meane in respect of Christ the Mediator For the truth is that the Covenant of Grace more obscurely revealed to the Fathers in the writings of the Law and Prophets and more plainely in the Gospell and writings of the Apostles was never in force neither could be ratified but by the death of Christ It was before his comming sealed by his Blood in Types and Figures and at his Death in his Flesh it was fully sealed and ratified by his very Blood it selfe actually and indeed shed for our sinnes and in this respect it may be fitly called the Testament Because as a Testament is not inforce till the Testator be dead and where a Testament is there the death of the Testator must come between to ratifie it So it is with the Covenant of Grace and the promises therein made unto us Christ hath performed and purchased all things necessary for us doth freely give to us himself his righteousness and all his treasures as a man gives his Lands and Goods in his last Will but they cannot be of force to bring us to heaven till his death come betweene as a satisfaction for sin also It is as necessary that Iustice should be satisfied for sinne by his Death as righteousnesse of life performed and salvation purchased by him for us Secondly as a man doth seale his Testament when hee seeth or imagineth that his death is at hand So Christ at his last Supper by instituting the Sacrament of his Body and Blood and by the outward Signes and Seales therein contained did seale to his Church the Covenant of Grace Thus in respect of CHRIST the Mediatour God and Man the Covenant of Grace and the writings Old and New wherein it is contained are called Testaments But in respect of God the Father and in respect of God considered simply or as the Maker of the Covenant with man and the party betweene whom and man the Covenant is made the Covenant and the Writing Old and New wherein it is comprehended can in no case be called a Testament because a Testament is of no force without the Testators death But God the Father never dyed nor can die neither God simply considered nor God the Maker of the Covenant with Man and the other party in it wch is opposed to Man Only Christ dyed as hee was Mediatour God and Man and as he was made a partner with Man and stood on his side in the Covenant and as he is the Testator and free giver of his Word in the Old and New Testament and of his graces and gifts therein promised so they are called Testaments and in no other respect at all From the word Testament thus expounded wee may easily collect and gather what is the nature of a Testament and both the agreement and the true and maine difference betweene the Old and New Testament and the Writings contained in both First we see that they both agree in this that they are the Writings and Instruments of one and the same Christ and his last Will in which and by which hee doth give himselfe to his Church withall his righteousnesse and obedience and all the blessings which thereupon depend and they are both sealed by his Blood and ratified by his death This is manifest by the exposition of the word before laid downe wherein is shewed that both the Old and New Writings of the Covenant are called by the name of Testaments only in respect of Christ the Mediatour and as they are sealed by his Blood and ratified by his Death and he is the Testator in them as hee is Mediatour If either of them bee not sealed ratified and proceed from him as Mediator it is no Testament at all to call it a
his part performeth are admirable farre surpassing mans reason The first is the All-sufficient Mediatour Christ his owne eternall Sonne whom God promised immediately after mans fall and who did then begin actually to mediate for man and did undertake to become Man and by a full satisfaction made in Mans nature to Gods infinite Iustice and just Law and a perfect and full ransom paid for mans Redemption to purchase pardon of all mans sins to justifie and make him righteous and to reconcile him to God The second is the Spirit to be given to man and shed on him through Christ the Mediatour Gal. 3. 14. and Tit. 3. 6. The third is spirituall Life derived frō Christ wrought in man by his quicking spirit together with all graces and blessings thereto belonging The fourth is union and communion with Christ of all his benefits as of his Son-ship to make all regenerate men sonnes of God and heires of eternall life glory and all blessings of his satisfaction and sufferings for remission of all their sins of his righteousnesse for justification The fift is a true right to the naturall life which Adam lost to the Creatures made for mans use and to all earthly blessings which are given him to possesse and injoy in this life The sixth is sanctification and holinesse whereby man is fitted to see and enjoy God Matth. 5. 8. and Hebr. 12. 14. The last which is the end of all is the eternall life of glory in the fruition of God in Heaven In this Covenant there is not any condition or Law to bee performed on mans part by man himselfe as in the first old Covenant of Nature and therefore it is called the free Covenant of Grace and not of Workes The perfect obedience righteousnesse and satisfaction of Christ which he performed to the whole Law for man in Mans nature though it stands in the place of every mans perfect obedience to Gods Law in his owne person and his subjection to the whole revealed will of God which was the condition of the Old Covenant of Works and when man is partaker of it by communion with Christ he is more perfectly justified and made worthy of life eternall than man in the state of nature could have beene by his owne perfect obedience and personall righteousnesse performed in his owne person Yet it cannot so properly bee called A condition of the New Covenant of Grace which God hath made with Mankinde because God imposeth it not as a condition to bee performed by every man in his person but is one of the blessings promised in the New Covenant So likewise the Gifts Graces and Workes and Fruits of the Spirit which are required to be in man to make him an actuall partaker of Christ and of life and salvation in him whether they be outward as the word preached and heard the Sacraments given and received and the like or inward as Faith by which Christ is received and applied Repentance Love Hope and other saving Graces they are all free gifts of God he gives them to us and by his Spirit workes in us both to will and to doe and without his Grace continually assisting us according to his promise wee cannot performe any thing which is mentioned in the Gospell as a conditionall meanes of life and Salvation in Christ And therefore this Covenant is foedus gratuitum a most free Covenant of Grace wherein no condition is propounded to man to be performed by any power of his owne for the obtaining of life but God of his owne free Grace promiseth all blessings and for his owne sake gives them and also all power to receive and enjoy them And the end and use of this Covenant is not any gaine which God seeketh to himselfe nor any good which he can receive from man or any creature but onely the making of man perfectly blessed in the fruition of himselfe and all his goodnesse and so gathering to himselfe all things in Christ This Covenant is that which is called the Covenant of Peace and is most highly extolled and commended in all the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament And howsoever the substance of this Covenant hath beene alwayes one and the same from the beginning even from the seventh day of the world wherein God first promised Christ the blessed Seed and so shall be for ever yet because the circumstances are divers and the manner of revealing the promise and of sealing it is far different in the Old and New Testament hereupon it comes to passe that the Spirit of God doth distinguish it into the Old and New Covenant and as it was revealed and sealed to the Fathers under the Law cals it the Old Covenant and as it is now revealed and sealed under the Gospell cals it the new Covenant Ier. 31. 31. 2 Cor. 3. 6. And both these are called by the name {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the Hebrew and by the name of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the Greeke Text CHAP. VI IN the Old Testament the Lord first made this Covenant with Adam but in very darke obscure and generall termes and in Types and figures even sacrifices wch were seales of it unto him and his posterity The words of the Covenant were these That the seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head the Serpent should bruise his heel that is Christ made man of the Seed of a Woman and being by the Old Serpent the Divell and by the generation of Vipers persecuted and put to an ignominious death should dissolve the Workes of the Divell and destroy sinne by satisfying for it to the full The sacrifices which God added to this promise further to illustrate and confirme it were clean and fat-fed Beasts wch the Lord commanded them to consecrate slay and to offer up to him by burning and consuming part thereof and the rest they themselves who were his Priests and Sacrificers did eate That the Lord taught Adam to sacrifice appeares by the practise of Cain and Abel and by their offrings which they brought to God being undoubtedly taught by their father Gen. 4. Yea it may be gathered from the Coates of Skinnes which God made and therewith cloathed our first Parents Gen. 3. 21. Those skinnes could be no other but of Beasts slain and offered in sacrifice For before Adams fal beasts were not subject to mortality nor slaine the slaughter and killing of Beasts and mans eating of their flesh came in by sinne and after mans fall In innocency mans meat was fruit of Trees and Herbes bearing seed Gen. 1. The first right which God gave to man to eat flesh was after the promise and after that Beasts were consecrated to be sacrificed as Types of Christ and of his Death Now these sacrifices of Beasts did shew the nature of the Covenant and the manner of mans reconciliation chusing of cleane and harmelesse Beasts shewed that Christ should be pure and holy
in himselfe like a Lambe without spot The consecration of them shewed that Christ should in his conception be sanctified and take our nature and our sinnes upon him that hee might be our Redeemer and our Sacrifice The killing of the Beasts and the burning of the fat and some parts of them signified the manner of Christs reconciling of us and working our peace even by his Death and passing through the fire of Gods wrath Gods cloathing of Adam and his wife with their skinnes signified that Mans sin and shame is covered with Christs satisfaction and the faithfull are to be cloathed with the robe of his Righteousnesse The liberty which God gave man to eate flesh of Beasts which hee might not before sacrifices were ordained sheweth that we gaine more by Christ than we lost in Adam This was the first making and revealing of the Covenant Afterwards the Lord renued this Covenant with Noah Gen. 6 10. and did further reveale it in another Type namely the saving of Noah and his family in the Arke which was borne up by the flood of Waters Which Arke signified the Church The saving of them onely who were in the Arke shewed that salvation is found onely in the Church of Christ and none can be saved but they who by faith cleave to Christ and are members of his body in the true Church The water bearing up the Arke and so saving it and them that were in it signified that the and faithfull are saved by the washing of Regeneration Tit. 3. 5. The Baptisme of the Spirit and that Laver of Christs Blood which outward Baptisme signifieth 1 Pet. 3. 21. Thirdly the Lord renued this Covenant with Abraham and did somewhat more plainely reveale it unto him First by promise that in him all the Families of the Earth should be blessed and the promised seed and Saviour should come of him Gen. 12. 3. and 22. 18. Secondly by shewing the way to life and happinesse even justification by Faith apprehending Christ and seeking righteousnesse for a shield for reward in him alone Gen. 15. 1 6. Thirdly by Oath Gen. 22. 16. Fourthly by the promise of the Land of Canaan to him and to his Seed which was a Type of the heavenly Canaan and did praefigure the Countrey which is above Gen. 15. 18. Fiftly by the seale of the Covenant of Grace to wit circumcision which signified that Gods faithfull people must be circumcised in their hearts and have the fore-skinne of fleshly lusts cut away by mortification of the Spirit Gen. 17. Sixtly the offering up of Isaac the sonne of promise on Mount Moriah by Gods appointment did praefigure and foreshew that by the offering up of Christ the promised Seed in the same place all Nations should be saved Gods wrath pacified and perfect obedience fulfilled Lastly by the outward forme and ceremony of a solemne oath and covenant which passed betweene God and Abraham Gen. 15. 17. For there we reade that the Lord commanded Abraham to take an heifer of three yeeres old a shee goat of three yeeres and a ramme of three yeeres and a turtle Dove and young Pigeon and he divided them in the midst laid each peece one against another And it came to passe that when the Sun went downe and it was darke behold a smoaking Furnace and a burning Lampe that passed betweene those pieces Now this was the forme of taking a solemne oath among the Chaldeans and the Hebrewes instituted by God himselfe as appeares Ierem. 34. 18. where it is said That when the children of Israel made a Covenant to let their servants goe free they cut a Calfe in twaine and passed betweene the parts of it this was the ceremony of an oath and covenant and this God ordained for he calls it there His Covenant And hereupon it is that in the Old Testament the Hebrew word which is used for making of a Covenant is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifies to cut asunder as appeares Deut. 5. 2. and divers other places which sheweth that Covenants were solemnly made by sacrifices of beasts divided Now this dividing of the Beasts in two parts did signifie and teach two things First that there was a division made betweene God and men by sinne Secondly the division of the Covenant of Grace into two parts the Old and New Testament The comming and passing betweene signified First that God and men must be reconciled and the Covenant sealed and confirmed betweene them by a Mediatour Secondly that Christ the Mediatour was to come in the middest of yeeres betweene the time of the Old and the time of the New Testament to knit and linke both in one and to confirme both But in that God came betweene the parts like a smoaking Furnace and a burning Lampe to confirme the Covenant and to â—â—ale it to Abraham at that time this signified First that Christ the Mediatour comming betweene God and men should be God clouded in our fraile nature which is but like a vapour and smoake that he should passe through the Furnace of afflictions and yet in his life should be a burning and shining Lampe pure and perfect in righteousnesse and holinesse Secondly that the Lord in those times did reveale himselfe and his Sonne more obscurely like a smoaking Furnace in smoake and cloudes and like a burning Lampe which is but dimme in comparison of the light of Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse risen up in the Gospell and the brightnesse of Gods glory shining in the face of Iesus Christ Besides these wee reade of divers other renuings and explanations of this Covenant as that with David recorded Psal. 89. 3 28 34 verses where the Lord promised that Christ should come of the seed of David and should be a King for ever And many promises of speciall â—lessings which God of old promised are called Covenants But the speciall and principall Covenant which is especially called the Old and is distinguished from the New Covenant of the Gospell is Gods making and renewing of the Covenant with Israel partly by his owne mouth and partly by the ministery of Moses on Mount Horeb which is mentioned Exod. 19. 20. For that Covenant is a mixt Covenant partly of the Covenant of Workes which is the Old Covenant partly of the Covenant of Grace which was made after the fall First God sent Moses to the people to aske whether they would obey the Lords voyce and keepe all his Commandements that they might thereby live and be blessed They answered all together and said All that the Lord hath spoken we will doe Thereupon the Lord came downe upon Mount Sinai in fire and smoake and with terrible Thunders and Lightnings and the sound of a Trumpet and spake unto them the words of the Law immediately with his owne mouth promising life to them that kept it and threatning death to the breakers thereof Now this was but a repeating and renewing of the first Covenant of Workes to be performed by
not in innocency yea the righteousnesse of that man who is one person with God and so it is the righteousnesse of God as the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. 5. 21. and is of value to justifie not onely those who have communion of it but also a whole world of men besides if they were made partakers of it Secondly the righteousnesse of the first Covenant was onely simple actuall obedience to the Law flowing from naturall uprightnesse But the righteousnesse of the second consists of habituall holinesse and of obedience both active and passive to the precepts and penalties commands and threatnings of the Law it hath in it both the sacrifice of righteousnesse and also perfect satisfaction for sinne by voluntary submission to sufferings and death Thirdly the righteousnesse of the first Covenant consisted onely in obedience to the morall Law But the righteousnesse of the second is obedience both to the morall and ceremoniall Law For our Saviour Christ was circumcised presented in the Temple did eate the Passeover and observed all the ceremoniall ordinances of God yea and was baptized by Iohn as the Gospel testifieth and that not for himselfe for he was free borne without sinne and needed not to offer sacrifice or to be circumcised or washed but onely to fulfill all righteousnesse and to supplie the defects of the Fathers in their obedience to Gods ceremoniall ordinances of old and also our defects in our baptisme and other Evangelicall ordinances so much he himselfe testifieth Math. 3. 15. Rom. 15. 8. Fourthly in the first Covenant God did not promise unto man a righteousnesse performed to his hand by a surety and intercessour but only gave man naturall strength and power to performe the righteousnesse which he required of him but yet such mutable strength that the devill by sudden tempration might prevent him before he was confirmed and so pervert and supplant him But in the second Covenant God gives both the righteousnesse performed to our hands and also his holy spirit which workes in us faith and strength of grace to receive and enjoy it yea by dwelling in us as Gods immortall seed doth unite us to Christ and bring us to communion of all his benefits as his sonship righteousnesse satisfaction and the rest and all this God doth both promise and give freely so that this is foedus gratuitum a most free Covenant The fifth difference is in the seales for though in this both covenants agree that seales were annexed to them yet they differ in the seales and manner of sealing both inward and outward The seale of the first Covenant was the tree of life But the seales of the second Covenant were the Sabbath of the seventh day sacrifices circumcision and the passeover in old time and now the sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper The seale of the first Covenant was but a pledge to confirme man in naturall life and in naturall beleefe and assurance But the seals of the second have the holy Spirit of God inwardly working with them and by them Lastly they differ in successe effect strength and perpetuity The first Covenant had no good successe it never tooke effect to save any one of Adams sons yea it is abolished only the law and condition of it stands firme in the matter and substance of it being Gods immutable will and eternall rule of righteousnesse to wit that without perfect obedience to Gods revealed will man shall never come to eternall life but is under the jawes of death But the second Covenant being made in such a perfect Mediator and sealed with the blood of Iesus Christ God and man which is of infinit and eternall value hath had good successe from the beginning hath taken effect in all ages and is of force and vertue for ever world without end CHAP. XI NOw the consideration of these differences serves to shew Gods infinit mercy and wonderfull bounty to miserable man In that by Adams fall he tooke occasion to be more good unto us and when we were become his enemies did more exercise and shew his goodnesse and give greater grace unto us If God had renued againe after mans fall the first Covenant of naturall life it had been a great favour but as if that were but a little in his eyes he makes a better Covenant even an eternall and that of better promises even promises of spirituall life and eternall blessednesse in heaven Also if God and man being by mans fault become utter enemies extremely contrary one to another God had yeelded so farre as to accept of a Mediator hired by man to speake for him surely it had been great mercy and clemency for we see that earthly Kings will admit no intercessors for rebells and traytors except feare and necessity drive them unto it But God in this point shewed mercy beyond all that reason could imagine or expect when man fled from God and had no minde will or inclination to sue for mercy God sought after him and offered freely to him a Mediatour not of the ordinary rank of creatures but his owne Sonne out of his bosome and that not to speake plead or intreat only for man but also to be incarnate and made man under the law and subject to the curse thereof in mans stead and by yeelding himselfe voluntarily to a cursed death to make a full satisfaction for mans sinne O heavens blush and O earth be a stonished at this to see the sonne of God thus abased for Gods enemies well might the sunne hide his face when this Mediatour suffered as the Gospel testifieth And yet the Lords bounty stayeth not here he goeth further when man neglecteth despiseth this his bounty and neither will nor can desire or seeke to be partaker of it he sendeth his word to call him and his spirit to convert him and change his heart and not only to make him hunger and thirst after Christ and his righteousnesse but also to unite him to Christ and to bring him to communion of all his benefits and heavenly treasures Thus the more that we have multiplied our rebellion and trangression against God to provoke him to wrath the more hath he magnified his mercy and enlarged his bounty towards us and the more that sinne hath abounded in men the more hath his grace abounded towards them O let us now at length when he hath done all these things for us remember our selves and turne unto him with sorrow and repentance for our sinnes past let us labour to redeeme the time formerly mis-spent in vanity by double thankfulnesse and obedience and yet when we have done all we can let us to his glory professe that we are unprofitablenesse we have not done halfe our dutie and if we have any mind to glory and rejoyce let us glory and triumph in the Lord and give him all laud and praise for ever and ever CHAP. XII The agreement betweene the Covenant of grace as it was revealed to the Fathers
of the old Testament and the same renewed and more fully explained in the Gospell AFter the agreement and difference betweene the Covenant of nature and the Covenant of grace plainly laid open I proceed to shew how the second Covenant to wit the Covenant of grace doth agree and differ in respect of the divers publishings and promulgations of it in the old and new testament The Revelation of it in the old Testament I have reduced to two heads The one is that by which it was revealed to the Fathers before the Law and renewed in divers ages as first to Adam secondly to Noah thirdly to Abraham Isaac and Iacob The other is the revealing and renewing of it with Israel in the wildernesse in the giving the law by the Ministery of Moses after which it continued in one stay untill the coming of Christ With these two my purpose is now to compare the Covenant as it is now fully revealed in the Gospel And first with the Covenant as it was revealed to the Fathers before the Law That old and this new doe agree divers wayes First the parties in generall are the same in both Covenants In the Covenant with the Fathers the one partie was God offended by mans sinne and provoked unto wrath and displeasure by his rebellion and so made a consuming and devouring fire unto him And the other party was man by meanes of his fall and corruption now made a rebell and enemy unto God and as stubble and drosse before his presence And in the Covenant as it is revealed in the Gospel the parties are still the same even God offended and man the sinner and offender Secondly they agree in this that a Mediatour is required in both betweene the parties God and man so farre separated and standing at so great a distance for to make up the breach and the league between them being at so great odds And both have one Mediatour Iesus Christ the promised seed who alone in heaven and earth is able to stand before the devouring fire and to make atonement betweene God and man For that seed of the woman which in the first making of the covenant was promised to Adam to break the serpents head Gen. 3. that seed which was promised to Abraham and Isaac in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed Gen. 12. and 22. that Shiloh which Iacob spake of in his blessing of Iudah Gen. 49. He was the Mediatour in the Covenant betweene God and the Fathers before the law And he is no other but Iesus Christ who came in the fulnesse of time who by having his heel bruised in his sufferings hath broken the serpents head that is destroyed the workes of the devill who by his Apostles Gal. 3. 9. hath called all nations to the participation of Abrahams blessing and to justification by faith in him and who was made and born of a woman a pure virgin by the power of the holy Ghost Luk. 1. 35. and is now and ever hath beene yesterday and to day and the same for ever a perfect redeemer and eternall Mediatour of the Covenant now under the Gospel as appears Ioh. 8. 56. and 14. 6. Ephes. 4. 16. Heb. 13. 8. Thirdly in both these Covenants the substance of the promises is one and the same As we have the promise of spirituall Life by the Communion of the holy Ghost both of the life of grace in this world and of the eternall life of glory in the world to come so had all the Fathers from the beginning As we have the promise of a true right and title to all earthly blessings also in Christ so also had they As God is given to us in Christ to be our portion So he by Covenant gave himselfe to them to be their God As we have Christ God and man given unto us to be our Saviour and his righteousnesse and obedience with all the merits of his death to be apprehended by faith for our justification so had they from the first time of the promise All this the Apostle sheweth most plainly Heb. 11. where he sheweth that the forefathers did by faith receive not onely earthly blessings as the Land of Canaan deliverance from enemies and oppressors safety from the flood but also they embraced the promises of a better life and of a better country even an heavenly and God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a city ver. 16. They received Iesus Christ by saith and did so firmely beleeve in him that they esteemed reproach for his sake greater riches then all earthly treasures vers. 26. they by faith became heires of his righteousnesse vers. 7. and Act. 15. 11. we saith the Apostle beleeve to be saved by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ even as they Fourthly the Covenant made with the Fathers agrees with the Covenant now under the Gospell in one and the same condition on mans behalfe to wit the perfect righteousnesse of the Law and perfect obedience to the whole revealed will of God performed not by every beleever himselfe but by his Mediatour Iesus Christ God and man in mans nature This righteousnesse was made theirs and is made ours by one and the same meanes even by communion of the Spirit and by true faith laying hold upon it applying it and offering it up to God Both the righteousnesse and the meanes by which it is made ours are free gifts and graces of God both to the Fathers and us Neither they were nor we are sufficient of our selves or fit to performe any thing for salvation or to receive salvation when it is offred freely all our will all our sufficiency and all our fitnesse is of God and ever hath beene And therefore howsoever Christ his righteousnesse and satisfaction made unto God in the nature of man may in respect of Christ our head be called a condition of salvation which God required on mans behalfe yet in respect of us and the Fathers also it is rather a part of the blessing and one of the free promises in the Covenant and at our hands God requires no condition at all but such as he himselfe doth freely of his grace performe and worke in us and for us And therefore as the Covenant which God hath now made with us so also that Covenant with the Fathers before the Law was foedus gratuitum a free Covenant of Grace Fiftly the Covenants both Old and New agree in the Seales divers wayes First as in that Old so in this New outward Seales and Signes are required for to seale and confirme them Secondly as their seales did signifie the shedding of Christs Blood and his cursed death for mans sinne also mortification and sanctification so doe the seales of Baptisme and the Lords Supper which are annexed to our Covenant As their Seales did both teach the manner of mans redemption and also did serve to confirme their faith in it so doe ours
both set before us Christs death and obedience and our communion with him and also confirme our faith and confidence in him As their Sacraments were parts of their profession and were testimonies of their love to God and were accounted Gods worship so are ours As their Sacraments did distinguish them from Pagans Infidels and all strange Sects so doe ours As their Sacraments had God their Authour so ours Ours and theirs are both Seales of the righteousnesse of Faith both are effectuall to beleevers onely both have the same effects increase of faith hope confidence love charity among men and the like Thus farre theâ—e two Covenants agree in the Seales Lastly they agree in the generall successe effect and sufficiency for both of them have had good successe and taken effect and bin sufficient to beget grace in the Elect to bring all true beleevers to eternall salvation and blessednesse As the Covenant plainely revealed in the Gospell brings all true Christians to beleeve in Christ and to finde comfort and salvation in his Mediation Intercession Righteousnesse Resurrection and victory over death So by the Covenant made of Old with the Fathers Adam Abel Enoch and Noah were brought to beleeve in Christ and were saved Enoch by faith in Christ was translated Noah by faith made the Arke to the saving of himselfe and his houshold Abraham saw by faith the day of Christ and by beleeving in him was justified Iob rejoyced that Christ God would plead for man with God and the Son of man for his friend and neighbour Iob 16. 21. and professed his faith and confidence in the Resurrection of Christ his Redeemer Iob 19. 25. CHAP. XIII The difference betweene the Covenant made with the Fathers and the Covenant with us THey differ divers wayes The first which is indeed the greatest difference of all is in respect of the darknesse and obscurity of the one and the plainnesse and perspicuity of the other The Covenant with the Fathers was every way and in every point more darke and obscure involved in types and shadowes of Christ The Covenant in the Gospell is plaine and perspicuous it removes the vaile and shewes Christ the substance with open face In the Old Covenant the severity of Gods justice and his just wrath and enmity against sinne did not so plainely appeare because the effect of them was not made manifest upon his own dear Sonne our Mediatour untill he came to suffer actually such ignominy reproach agonies and a most ignominious and cursed death for our sinnes which he tooke upon him to beare and which were imputed to him and punished in him our surety Gods not sparing him but afflicting him with all his stormes and delivering him up to hellish paines and agonies and to a cursed death doe wonderfully shew his infinite wrath against sinne which was but slenderly and darkely revealed to the Fathers in Types and Figures in the slaughter of Beasts and burning of sinne-offerings So likewise though in the Old Testament we reade of God and some mention of his Sonne Psalm 2. 12. Prov. 30. 4. and of the Spirit of God and doe finde many phrases which signifie more persons then one or two in one Iehovah yet the Mystery of the Trinity was not so fully revealed as now it is in the Gospell wherein wee have plaine affirmation of three distinct persons the Father the Son and the holy Ghost in the unity of Gods essence and all the three are said to be one though by distinct properties and divers works they are described unto us severally and distinguished one from another And hereby we see that the new Covenant of the Gospel is more plaine and the old more darke in respect of the parties God and man betweene whom the Covenants are made Secondly in the old Christ the Mediatour was darkly shadowed out to the Fathers they had onely this knowledge of Christ that they should be saved by a Mediator that this Mediatour should be the seed of the woman that he should be the Archangell or Prince of Angels and Emanuel God with us yea and should be called the mighty God and should make atonement for sinne and bring in eternall righteousnesse But how God and man should in him become one person how God in him should be incarnate and humbled and stand in our place and beare our sins how he should fulfill the law in every particular point how he should satisfie Iustice and suffer the wrath of God these things were not distinctly nor fully revealed unto them only the extraordinary Prophets had some foresight of them and did more plainely at sometimes describe some of them But now in the Gospel wee see the person of our Saviour and his two Natures most plainly set forth before us the manner of his Birth and Incarnation the personal union of his Natures the manner of his obedience death and satisfaction and the particular uses of them as also the vertue of his resurrection and ascension And therefore the new Covenant is more plaine in respect of the Mediatour Thirdly all the promises of eternall life and Salvation and the condition on mans behalfe how and after what manner it should be performed also the things signified and confirmed by the seales were farre more darke and obscure in the old Covenant But in the new Covenant of the Gospel all these things are so plaine that even children may learne and understand them And thus in all respects and in all parts the Old was more obscure and the New is more plaine And this is the first and the maine difference Out of this there doe arise two other even a second and third difference betweene these Covenants The one which is the second in order is a difference in the parties received into the Covenants The old Covenant because of dimnesse and obscurity did shine forth but a little and gave light onely to them who were neare at hand and hereupon it came to passe that it reached to a very few sometimes but to one or two families and when it was in greatest force but to one Nation and people of the world But the new Covenant in brightnesse of knowledge and plainenesse of revelation doth shine like the Sunne and gives light farre and neere to all Nations even to them that sate in darkenesse and in the shadow of death And hereupon it comes to passe that people of all Nations are received into this Covenant and the parties which now enter league with God are not some few men or some one Nation but all Nations and people of the world God is one party and all Nations of the earth are the other party A third difference consists in the power efficacy successe and effect which is divers in these two Covenants For howbeit they agree in these generally because both of them have had successe taken effect and beene of power to bring many to salvation as is before noted Yet by
many and those very plaine in every place And this was a speciall cause which made the people of Israel to misconstrue the meaning of that Covenant and to thinke that all salvation was to be obtained by Workes and thus the Covenant was obscure and the end thereof was hid from their sight they could not understand the true use of the Types and Ceremonies But the Covenant of the Gospell is made in such plain words and doth after such a lively manner set forth Christ and his perfect Ransome satisfaction and righteousnesse unto us and the true way to justification and salvation by faith in him that the most simple may understand it and with that plaine Doctrine and multitude of Promises the Spirit of God workes powerfully and is given by Christ in such measure to all sorts of people that the darkenesse of their hearts is abolished also and so there is no vaile neither over their hearts nor over the Covenant it selfe but as Christ is plainely offered in the Word so their hearts are enlightned and enabled to looke on his glory and they are transformed into the same image and hereupon there comes to be great difference in this respect betweene the Covenant of the Gospell and the Covenant of the Law which God gave by Moses From these two last Differences there doe arise others which are there laid downe by the Apostle also to wit That the Old Covenant of the Law is the ministery of death but the Covenant of the Gospell is the ministery of the Spirit and of Life 2 Cor. 3. 7. The Old is the occasion of sinne and so the ministery of condemnation the New of righteousnesse to justification The Old brings bondage the New liberty The Old is lesse glorious and yet dazled the eyes of the Israelites that they could not looke on it stedfastly The New is full of glory and yet we can behold in it with open face the glory of God verse 18. These particular Differences are all named and noted by the Apostle and they doe arise from the two last going before For Reason tells us that because the Old Covenant was given by the Ministery of Moses a fraile man and was darke and obscure subject to be misconstrued and was not plainely preached by lively voyce but onely written in dead Letters in Tables of Stone therefore it was no fit instrument for the Spirit to worke by the Spirit did not worke by it such plenty of Knowledge Faith and other Graces It did onely shew them what they should do but enabled them not to do any thing rather made them more sinfull in provoking their corrupt naturewch more lusts after evils forbidden it made their sins more wilfull which before were done in ignorance and thus it became the Ministery of Sin Death and Condemnation unto them It also brought them into bondage by shewing them their slavish condition giving them no grace to flee from that miserable estate It dazled their eyes because it shewed them the glorious Majestie Iustice of God but gave them not the Grace of the Spirit to strengthen their sight to looke with boldnesse and comfort upon Gods majesticall justice But because the Covenant of the Gospell is made in plain words and given by a Mediatour who hath also the disposing of the Spirit dispensing of Spirituall Grace therefore it is a fit instrument for the Spirit to worke by the Spirit goeth forth in great power by and with the publication of it which regenerates men renues their hearts knits thē into one Body with Christ gives them the Communion of all his Righteousnesse and Obedience to justification of Life frees them from all feare and bondage makes them run freely and willingly in the way to life and in the pathes of Gods Commandements enables them to stand boldly before the glorious Tribunall of Gods Iustice and gives them an heavenly eye-salve to their sight that they may stedfastly behold GODS glory in the face of Iesus Christ And thus in those respects those two Covenants doe much differ betweene themselves The last difference is named by the Apostle in the 11 verse and it is this That the Covenant of the Law given by Moses and the glory thereof vanishes and is done away but the Covenant of the Gospell and the glory thereof abideth for ever Which Difference is thus to be understood not that the substance of the Law or the righteousnesse thereof ceaseth at any time neither that the Evangelical promises which were intermingled in that Covenant are abolished together with the Types and Ceremonies These things are in no case to be granted for the Law of God is an eternall rule of Truth and Iustice by the righteousnesse obedience and fulfilling thereof all the Elect shall be justified and saved for ever This our Saviour testifieth saying Think not that I am come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it for verily till heaven and earth passe not one jot or title of the Law shall passe Mat. 5. 17. Also his blessed Apostle Rom. 3. 31. Doe we then make void the Law through faith God forbid yea we estabish the Law Rom. 10. 4 Christ is the end or fulfilling of the Law for righteousness to every beleever And if we rightly consider the Ceremonies and the promises given to Israel wee shall perceive that Christ was the Body substance of them all and therefore so long as hee abideth the substance of them abideth firme sure and doth not vanish Wherefore the Law Covenant wch God gave by Moses doth vanish and is abolished onely in three respects First in respect of the extreme rigour thereof for as it was given to Israel it required obedience of every man in his owne person to justification and life but now it onely requires that a man have that righteousnesse which is a perfect conformity to it though performed by his surety and mediatour and that shall sufficiently save him Before it did require perfect righteousnesse upon paine of damnation performed by every man himselfe and threatned a curse to every breach of it Now it bindes a man himselfe to performe no more then he is able if hee doth his best and brings a willing minde God accepts the will for the deed because now we are not to obey the Law for justification Christ hath done that for us Now we are to obey it in thankfulnesse and in imitation of Christ that we may be conformable to his Image and by holinesse made fit to see God and to injoy the inheritance which Christ hath purchased for us Secondly the Law and Covenant givē by Moses is abolished in respect of the outward administration Their obedience to the morall Law was first preached and afterwards the sacrifice of Christ was promised in types and figures But now Christ is first preached and then after justification in him the Law is set as a rule to walk by in the wayes of sanctification and also