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 this is one strong and invincible reason Secondly wee have good reasons of every derivation as I have already shewed Thirdly the deriving of the word from all and not from one onely doth reconcile in one all the severall opinions of the Learned and justifies their several derivations without rejecting or offering any wrong or disgrace to any Fourthly the Greeke word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by which the Septuagint in their Greeke translation doe expresse the Hebrew word Berith and which the Evangelists and Apostles in the New Testament doe use to signifie a Covenant is derived of the Greeke word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which hath divers of the significations of the Hebrew words of which Berith is derived for it signifies to set things in order and frame to appoint orders and make Lawes to pacifie and make satisfaction and to dispose things by ones last Will and Testament Now to compose and set things in order is to uphold the Creation to walke by Orders Lawes made appointed is to walk by rule to live to deal plainely and faithfully without deceit To pacifie and make satisfaction includes sacrifices and sinne-offerings To dispose by Will and Testament implies choice of persons and gifts for men doe by Will give their best and most choise goods to their most deare and most choise friends Thus the Greeke which the Apostles use in the New Testament to signifie a Covenant to expresse the Hebrew word Berith wch is used in the Law and the Prophets doth confirme our derivation of it from all the words before named And this derivation of the Hebrew and Greeke names of a Covenant being thus laid downe and confirmed by these reasons is of great use First to shew unto us the full signification of the word Covenant and what the nature of a Covenant is in generall Secondly to justifie the divers acceptations of the Word and to shew the nature of every word in particular and so to make way for the knowledge of the agreement and difference betweene the Old and New Covenant First there we see that this Word signifies all Covenants in generall both Gods Covenant with men and also the covenants which men make among themselves For there is nothing in any true Covenant which is not comprised in the signification of this Word being expounded according to the former derivations Heere also we see what is the nature of a Covenant in generall and what things are thereunto required First every true Covenant presupposeth a division or separation Secondly it comprehends in it a mutuall promising and binding betweene two distinct parties Thirdly there must be faithfull dealing without fraud or dissembling on both sides Fourthly this must be betweeene choice persons Fiftly it must be about choyce matters and upon choice conditions agreed upon by both Sixtly it must tend to the well-ordering and composing of things betweene them All these are manifest by the significations of the words from which Berith is derived But I hold it not so needfull to stand upon the nature of a Covenant in generall I therefore come with speed to the divers acceptations of the Word and to the description of every speciall and particular Covenant which is needfull to be knowne of us CHAP. V. FIrst the Hebrew word Berith as also the names of Covenant in the Greeke and English tongue signifies a Covenant betweene God and Men Secondly it signifies the Covenants of men among themselves as Gen. 21. 27. It signifies the Covenant betweene Abraham and Abimelech and Gen. 31. 44. the Covenant betweene Iacob and Laban But here I have little to doe with Covenants betweene men The Covenant which I am to insist upon is betweene God and Men First the Covenant of naturall life and blessings which God made with Man in the creation Secondly the Covenant of Grace which God made with Man in Christ after Mans fall In the Covenant of Nature the parties were God the Creator and Man the Creature made after Gods Image and likenesse and so not contrary to God nor at enmity with him but like unto God though farre different and inferiour to God in Nature and substance The promises on Gods part were these That Heaven and Earth and all creatures should continue in their naturall course and order wherein God had created and placed them serving alwayes for mans use and that man should have the benefit and lordship of them all and should live happily and never see death The condition on Mans part was obedience to Gods Law and subjection to God his Creator in all things and this he was to expresse by obeying Gods voyce in every thing which he had already or should at any time command more especially in abstaining from the Tree of good and evill The Signe and Seale which God gave to Man for the confirmation of this Covenant was the Tree of Life which was to man a Sacrament and pledge of eternall Life on earth and of all blessings needfull to keepe man in life The receiving of this Seale was mans eating of the Tree of Life The end of this Covenant was the upholding of the Creation and of all the creatures in their pure naturall estate for the comfort of man continually This was the first Covenant which God made with man and this is called by the name Berith Iere. 33. 20. where God saith If you can breake my Covenant of the day and night and that there shall not be day and night in their season then may also my Covenant with David be broken In these words he speakes plainly of the promise in the creation That day and night should keepe their course and the Sunne Moone and Starres and all creatures should serve for mans use This though man did breake on his part yet God being immutable could not breake it neither did hee suffer his promise to faile but by vertue of Christ promised to man in the New Covenant doth in some good measure continue it so long as Mankinde hath a being on earth The Covenant of Grace is that which God made with man after his fall wherein of his owne free Grace and Mercy hee doth promise unto Mankinde a blessed Seed of the Woman which by bruising the Serpents head that is destroying the power and workes of the Devill should redeeme Mankinde and restore all that beleeve in that blessed Seed Christ to a more happy and blessed estate then that which was lost In this Covenant the parties were God Almighty offended by Mans sinne and provoked to just wrath and man by his wilfull transgression now become a Rebell and enemy against God and deserving eternall death so that here is great contrariety separation opposition and cause of enmity betweene the two parties and betweene them there was no possibility of peace and reconciliation without a fit and all sufficient Mediator necessarily comming betweene The things which God promiseth in this Covenant and for
Testament is to say that Christ is the Testatour and his Death comes betweene to make it of force And to say that he is not the Testatour or that it is not ratified by his Death is to say it is no Testament But all Christians grant that both the Old and New Writings of the Covenant are Testaments Therefore it is manifest even by their names that Christ is Testator in both that the Legacies given are his gifts even himselfe and all his treasures and inheritance that his Blood healeth and his Death ratifieth both and thus in substance they agree being of one Christ of the same things both confirmed by one Death they must needes bee one and confirme one another and run one way if they go divers waies they must needs destroy one another if they destroy not one another it is plain they go both one way and do confirme and illustrate each the other which wee see evidently The difference then betweene them is onely in circumstance and in quality not in substance First the Old Testament did bequeath unto the Fathers righteousnesse of life expiation of sinne adoption of sonnes and eternall salvation and happiness in and through Christ the Mediatour promised being not yet come in the flesh but onely seen a farre off and apprehended by faith as the Apostle sheweth Hebr. 11. But the New Testament gives and bequeathes all these unto us in and through Christ being already come in the flesh and having actually performed all things for us Secondly The Old Testament was more darke and obscure not opened but to few till the Testators death and did not beget ordinarily so much knowledge and faith as the New doth and therefore it was a weaker meanes of Grace and did convert but few unto Christ But the New is so plaine that it may beget knowledge in children and therefore by it the Spirit works more powerfully Thirdly The Old Testament was sealed and ratified typically by the Blood and Death of Christ and by types of them to come The New is ratified by his Death in very deed and in it selfe and to us it is sealed in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper by tokens and remembrances of his death already past and fulfilled Fourthly the Old Testament Christ the Eternall Word in his Godhead spake to the Fathers and published by Moses and the Prophets But the New Testament hee publishd by himselfe immediately as hee was Godincarnate and appeared in our Nature and by his Apostles and Evangelists taught by his owne mouth as appeares Hebr. 1 2. Fiftly the Old Testament in respect of the outward forme and manner of sealing and signifying was temporary and changeable and therefore the types are ceased and onely the substance remaines firme But the New is unchangeable and the seales thereof are commemorative and shall shew the Lords Death untill his comming againe CHAP. III. THese and such like differences the former Exposition of the word Testament may easily admit For both the Old and the New may be Testaments of Christ that is conveyances and bequeathings of all his graces and blessings and may both bee ratified by his Death and yet differ in these and such like respects But as for divers other differences wch many learned men have set down they are utterly overthrowne by the exposition of the word Testament and by the true agreement which from thence I have before gathered This therefore shall be the first use which I will make of these instructions even to overthrow some other differences which the Schoolmen have devised betweene the Old and New Testament One is that the Old Testament is temporary and mutable The New eternall and unchangeable This cannot stand for if the Old Testament be a Testament it must needs bee the Testament of Christ the Mediatour if it was ever in force it was ratified by the Death of him the Testator as is proved before But if it was made of force by the Death of Christ how can it be changeable surely in no case except Christs Death be made voide and of no force wherefore the truth is that though the Old Testament be in quality and circumstance changeable and be changed in respect of the outward forme and manner of sealing it unto men and whereas before it was darke and obscure it is now become bright and cleere by the comming of Christ and the rising up of the Sunne of Righteousnesse and by the fulfilling of the Promises and the Doctrine of the Gospell in the New Testament Yet it is not changed in substance it loseth not the essence being of a Testament but is still Christs Instrument by which he doth give and bequeath all his treasures and benefits unto us as well as by the New Yea it is all one with the New in substance it is the New folded up and the New is the Old opened and unfolded Those Legacies which Christ gave to the Fathers by the Old are not made void but are rather perfected by the New And that which the Old gave by promise the New giveth by actuall performance The Types which are in themselves abolished doe stand firme for ever in the things by them signified which are the substance of them and therefore the Ceremonies of the Old Testament are truely called Ordinances of Eternity Exod. 12. 14. and in divers other places Thus we see the vanity of this first difference Another difference which they make is That the New Testament was sealed with the Blood of Christ the Old with the Blood of Bullocks Goats and other sacrifices This also cannot stand with the former Doctrine for if the Old Testament be Christs Testament and hath been of force at any time it was of force by vertue of Christs Death comming betweene for otherwise no Testament is in force but by the death of the Testator And so it is sealed by Christs Blood Now it is manifest by the former Doctrine that it is the Testament of Christ and hath been in force to the Fathers as all true Christians confesse and therefore it was sealed not by the blood of Bullocks onely but also by Christs Blood and so this difference is not true But because the words of the Apostle seeme to justifie it Hebr. 9. let me shew how farre it may be admitted and wherein it is faulty First it is certaine that the Old Testament was outwardly sealed at the first and so long as it stood alone in force by the blood of Bullocks and other Sacrifices onely But inwardly by the Blood of Christ onely which was signified and represented in the blood of Sacrifices And at length when Christ came and by the plaine Doctrine of the Gospell had explained it then it was together with the New sealed outwardly by Christs Blood shed unto death on the crosse But the New was at the first outwardly sealed by the Blood of Christ and is now ever since daily to us outwardly sealed by the Sacraments and inwardly 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
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