fit for the presse the publike view of the world and here I offer them up to God as a sacrifice of thanksgiving for his bounty extended to me by you his instruments by whose charity my necessities have beene supplied the burthen of worldly care removed from my shoulders and I have beene enabled and encouraged to performe these workes with cheerfulnesse If with you to whom I tender them as testimonies of my love and tokens of my thankfull heart they find acceptation and prove profitable to the Church and people of God I shall thinke my vowes performed my desires in some good measure obtained and the best recompence of my paines which I expect and seek in this world received And with strength courage alacrity and cheerfulnesse shall proceed in the opening and unfolding of the rest of Gods great works of wisdome power goodnesse and mercy which concerne the restauration of mankind corrupted by which the elect are gathered unto God in Christ lifted up out of their wofull wretched and miserable condition to the state of grace in this life and in the end exalted to the blessed state of glory As namely the works which belong to redemption which God hath wrought only by Iesus Christ And the workes which belong to the application of redemption which God worketh in his elect by the holy Ghost shed on them aboundantly through Iesus Christ in their new birth and spirituall regeneration as their effectuall vocation adoption justification sanctification and glorification Divers of which I have in my course of preaching opened and unfolded out of severall texts of holy Scripture as occasion hath heretofore been offered and if God be pleased to continue life health and liberty they may be continued into severall treatises in that order and method which I have in the first beginning and enterance into the body of sacred divinity propounded in the treatise of God Deut. 6. 4 For the accomplishing of these workes by the good will and pleasure of God I do in the words of the Apostle exhort and beseech you to continue in prayer and to watch in the same with thanksgiving praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance supplication for all Saints withall praying for us his Ministers that God would open unto us a doore of utterance that we may open our mouthes boldly to speake as we ought and to make knowne the mistery of the Gospel And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified George Walker The Contents of the severall Chapters Chap. 1. THe great profit and benefit which doth arise from the knowledge of the true difference betweene the Old and New Testament the Covenant of Workes and the Covenant of Grace the Law and the Gospell page 1. Chap. 2. What the Word Testament signifieth and what is the nature of a Testament That the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament are called Testaments onely in respect of Christ who by his death ratified them and not in respect of God the Father who could not die to make them offorce The agreement and differencè betweene the Old and New Testament is plainly shewed 11 Chap. 3. The doctrine of the former Chapter is applyed by way of use to confute five differences which the Schoolemen have made and three differences which the Iesuites have added to them betweene the Old and New Testament and the vanity of them is therby discovered and a two-fold use is moreover shewed 21 Chap. 4. What the Word Covenant signifieth what is the Nature of a Covenant in generall 38 Chap. 5 The severall kindes of Covenants betweene God and men The Covenant of Nature is described The Covenant of Grace is unfolded and the blessings therein promised are rehearsed That this Covenant is a Covenant of free grace is plainely proved The division of it into the Old and New Covenant 49 Chap. 6. The Covenant of Grace first made with Adam after his fall The liberty thereby given to man proveth that we gain more by Christ then we lost in Adam Of the renuing of it with Noah The form of renuing it with Abraham and revealing it more plainly by 7 things Of the renuing of it with Israel at mount Sinah and by Moses That it is called the Old Covenant in respect of the New Covenant in the Gospell That it is mixt of the Covenant of Workes and of the Covenant of Grace The reasons why God in making it did renue the Covenant of Workes and mingle it with the Covenant of Grace made with man in Christ after his fall 58 Chap. 7. Of the New Covenant of Grace as it is made most plainely in the Gospell and in the New Testament The reasons why it is called the New Covenant 72 Chap. 8. The Method and Order propounded which is to be followed in shewing how the New and Old Covenants of Grace doe agree and differ 86 Chap. 9. The threefold agreement between the Covenant of Nature which is called the first Covenant and the Covenant of Grace which is called the second Covenant 87 Chap. 10. The sixe notable things in which the Covenant of Nature doth differ from the Covenant of Grace 90 Chap. 11. The profitable and holy use which may be made of the doctrine concerning those differences betweene the Covenant of Nature and the Covenant of Grace 100 Chap. 12. The sixfold agreement betweene the Covenant of Grace as it was revealed to the Fathers of the Old Testament and the same renued and more fully explained in the Gospell 103 Chap. 13. The sevenfold difference betweene the Covenant of Grace as it was made with the Fathers and the Covenant as it was made in the Gospell 112 Chap. 14. A twofold use is made of the doctrine in the two former Chapters 122 Chap. 15. The agreement betweene the pure and plaine Covenant of Grace in the Gospell and the mixt Covenant which God made with Israel on mount Horeh by the ministery of Moses which consisted partly of the Covenant of Workes and partly of the Covenant of Grce 127 Chap. 16. The severall differences betweene the pure and mixt Covenant 132 Chap. 17. The Use of the Doctrine is shewed for the discovering of Gods singular providence in preparing meanes of grace fit for the severall Ages of the World 154 Chap. 18. The signification of the words Law and Gospell How they agree and differ being taken in their severall senses The Use of the Doctrine 159 Iuly 30. 1640. Imprimatur The Wykes Faults escaped PAg. 1. line 4. for the read their p. 7. l. 2. for repentance read regeneration pag. 12. l. 6. read 9. for 19. and line 22. for New read Old page 13. line 13. read a for the page 37 line 14 blot out ye pag. 39 last line blot out of it page 47. line 2. for
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
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
new Covenant though the substance be the same Experience teacheth this For when a man that hath a I ease of twenty yeares in an house gives it up and takes another of the same terme in more full and plaine words or when upon some defect which he findes in his deed of sale either in the forme of conveyance or in the sealing and the witnesses hee gives up his former deed and takes another of the same land sealed with other seales and testified by other witnesses this wee call a new deed though the land be the same and the purchase all one in substance and true meaning Now thus it is betweene the Covenant of Grace now under the Gospell and the same Covenant before the comming of Christ Though this is the same in substance and the salvation promised is the same even that wch is onely in Christ yet the manner of sealing is much altered and inverted and the outward seales also The Covenant had before many seales as Circumcision the Passeover and all the Sacrifices Ceremonies Types and Figures of the Law now it hath onely two Baptisme and the Lords Supper The old Seales were darke and obscure and had Christs image but dimly imprinted into them The new have a more lively resemblance of Christ In Baptisme there is the print of the whole Trinity The Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost And the signes in the Lords Supper are so like unto the Body and Blood of Christ that they are called by the same name Before the Gospell the Covenant was first sealed typically by Christs Blood and at last by the Blood it selfe Now the Covenant is first sealed by the Blood of Christ it selfe and afterwards to the end of the world it is sealed to us by evident signes and remembrances of Christs death given by himselfe as pledges to us The old seales were mutable the new are unchangeable The old sealing was much in outward shew and very little inwardly by the spirit The new is little in outward shew but more by the inward worke of the spirit The word of the covenant is now more abundantly written in mens hearts according to the word of the Lord Ier. 31. 33. This is the new Covenant I will put my law in their inward parts and will write it in their hearts Which words are to be understood thus not that the fathers had not the word written in their hearts but that it was not so deeply written nor in the hearts of so many as now it is Wherefore the seales and the manner of sealing being so much renewed and inverted we may truely call this a new Covenant Thus you see the description of the new Covenant now under the Gospel and the true reasons why it is called the new Covenant even when it is compared with the Covenant made with the Fathers which was the same in substance with it But if we compare it with the Covenant of Nature which is the Covenant of Works and of the Law made with Man in the Creation then it must of necessity be called new because that went before it and was in the time of mans innocency this came in after the fall that promised naturall life this promiseth spirituall also that tended to hold up the Old Adam this to build up the New So likewise if this new Covenant of the Gospell be compared with the Covenant which God made with Israel in the Wildernesse it may truely and must necessarily be called new For that was a mixt Covenant mixt of the Covenant of Nature and of Grace and contained in the Law which is the Covenant of Workes and the faith of the promise which is of the Gospell and of Grace as is before shewed And therefore in respect of the first part of that Covenant which promised life to the doers of the Law this is truely a new Covenant differing in substance from it and indeed the Apostles doe call this Covenant of the Gospell a new Covenant especially and chiefly in comparison of these two Covenants even that of pure nature and that mixt Covenant of the Law CHAP. VIII NOw having largely described the Covenant of the Gospell I proceed for our better satisfaction to shew more fully plainely and distinctly the true agreement and difference which is betweene the first Covenant of Nature and the second Covenant which is the Covenant of Grace and betweene the old and new publishing of the Covenant of Grace And first for orders sake I will shew how the Covenant of Nature and Grace doe agree and differ Secondly because the Covenant of Grace hath beene solemnly published three divers wayes First more darkly and obscurely to the Fathers from Adam untill the giving of the Law Secondly after a mixt manner to the Israelites by the Ministery of Moses Thirdly now at last most plainely and purely since the coming of Christ in the flesh by the Gospell preached and published to all Nations I will shew how this last publishing of the Covenant which is so glorious that it is called the New Covenant by a speciall prerogative doth agree with and differ from the two former publications made the one with the Fathers Adam Noah Abraham and the rest the other with the Israelites in the Wildernesse The cleer knowledge of which things may yeeld much fruit profit and comfort to the hearts and soules of true Christians CHAP. IX The agreement of the Covenant of Nature which is called the first with the Covenant of Grace which is called the second Covenant FIrst these two Covenants doe agree betweene themselves and that in three respects First the parties are in substance the same in both Covenants In the the first Covenant of Workes God was the one party and Adam the other And in the second the parties are still the same in Nature and substance to wit God and Adam with all mankinde his posterity Secondly they doe agree in divers of the promises and conditions In the first God promised unto man life and happinesse Lordship over all the creatures liberty to use them and all other blessings which his heart could desire to keepe him in that happy estate wherein he was created And man was bound to God to walke in perfect righteousnesse to observe and keepe Gods commandements and to obey his will in all things which were within the reach of his nature and so farre as was revealed to him In the second also the promise on Gods part is life and happinesse with all blessings thereto requisite Lordship over the creatures liberty to use them and a true right and title to them all and in lieu of these he requires of man perfect righteousnesse and obedience to his will and law in every point and title as our Saviour Christ saith Mat. 5. 18. Thirdly as the one had seales annexed unto it for confirmation so also hath the other The seale of the first Covenant was the Tree of Life which if Adam had received by taking
Manicheans Anabaptists Antinomians blasphemous Servetus and the rest who have not beene ashamed to teach boldly that the fathers did never partake of saving grace in Christ neither were under the same Covenant of life with us but onely were fed with temporall promises and earthly blessings as hoggs and calves for the slaughter And let us count the Popish fiction of Limbus patrum a doating dreame justly to be abhorred of all true Christians as a loathsome abomination Secondly the differences noted betweene the old and new Covenant of grace serve to magnifie in our eyes Gods extraordinary love and bounty towards us who now live in the light of the Gospel Though the Fathers were fed with the true Bread of life yet in a small measure and more coarse manner prepared and though the light of life shined to them yet it was dimly through clouds and mists The tast and sight which they had of Christ did in this life more increase their hunger then satisfie their appetite and more increase their thirst after him They had few examples and present patternes of holy men to follow the number of beleevers was small and so there were but few helpes and encouragements in true Religion The gifts of the spirit were rare scarce to be found in two or three among a great multitude and those gifts of knowledge faith and heavenly wisedome which those few had were small and not so eminent But the Lord hath opened to us the windowes and floodgates of heaven and rained downe more abundantly all blessings upon our heads he hath made the river of life which glads the citie of God flow among us in full streames he hath fed us to the full with the bread of life so that Hypocrites begin like Israel to loath his heavenly Manna we live in the glorious light and see Christ clearly we have many examples of godly men on every side round about us to provoke us many patternes to worke by much encouragement plenty of all gifts of learning knowledge wisedome Faith love and the like Now how comes this to passe Is it because we are better then our forefathers or because wee have better deserved Surely in no case for they were by many degrees more excellent in naturall gifts then we lesse rebellious and more ready to make good use of small meanes then we are of greatest Which of us dares compare with Ezoch Noah Abraham or David As the world grows old and we grow weake in bodily strength and low in stature so we still grow more and more strong in corruption and in frowardnesse of heart And the Lords mercy and bounty is so much greater to us then to them because we are further from deserving any mercy then they were and do deserve more misery The onely thing wherein we are better then they is this that the Lord hath shewed more goodnesse to us then them wherefore let us all confesse and say to the glory of God that it is his mercy not our merit to him belongs all the praise It is not of him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy To him be glory and honour for ever world without end CHAP. XV NOw having laid downe the agreement and difference betweene the new and old Covenant of grace that is the Covenant as it was made with the Fathers before the law and the Covenant as it is now plainly published in the Gospel It followes now that I should shew the agreement and difference betweene the same pure and plaine Covenant of grace in the Gospel and the mixt Covenant wch God made with Israel on mount Horeb by the Ministery of Moses which consisted partly of the Covenant of workes and partly of the Covenant of grace as is before noted If I should insist upon all the Differences and Agreements which are betweene these two Covenants I should repeat all the agreements and differences which I have before declared to be betweene the Covenant of nature and of grace and also betweene the old Covenant of grace and the new For the first part of the Covenant which God made with Israel at Horeb was nothing else but a renewing of the old Covenant of works which God made with Adam in Paradise And the second part which God made with them first obscurely when he gave them by Moses the Leviticall Lawes and ordeined the tabernacle the Ark and the mercy seate which were types of Christ and secondly more plainly in the plaines of Moab which is set downe in the book of Deuteronomie this was nothing else but a renewing of the Covenant of grace which he had before made with their Fathers Adam Abraham Isaac and Iacob And therefore the same agreements which I have before shewed to be betweene the Covenant of nature and of grace the same are betweene the first part of the Covenant which God made at mount Sinai and the Covenant under which we now live in the Gospel Likewise there are the same differences one only excepted for whereas in the first Covenant of nature God and man were friends both just and righteous both lovers and neither of them offended now in renewing the same Covenant with Israel the parties were at variance for God was provoked to wrath and man by sinne was become an enemy even as they were at the making of the Covenant of grace In like maner if we consider the second part of the Covenant made with Israel it being the same with the old Covenant of grace we shall finde betweene it and the new Covenant of the Gospel the same agreements and differences which I have last before shewed to be betweene the old and new Covenant of grace Wherefore I will now take the whole Covenant which God made with all Israel by the ministery of Moses as it consists of both these parts joyntly together and so I will compare it with the Covenant of the Gospel and shew the agreement and difference betweene them And first for the things wherein they agree besides those before named wherein the parts of the Covenant made with Israel doe agree with the covenant of the Gospel I find but two onely First they agree in the maine and principall end namely the revelation of the glory of the goodnesse justice and mercy of God in mans salvation at this they both ayme and in this they both agree Secondly they both agree in this that both of them doe promise unto us justification and salvation in Christ and both require in us a continuall endeavour to fulfill the whole law as neare as we can every man in his own person For although Christ is the end and fulfilling of the law for righteousnesse to all true beleevers yet after that we are justified by his righteousnesse it is required in every one of us that we should labour to avoid every sinne against the Law and doe all holy duties which the law requires so farre as we are able this we
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
every man in his owne person for the obtaining of life In this therefore there was no Mediatour betweene God and the people The Reasons why the Lord thus began with Israel and first renewed the Old Covenant were divers The first was their pride presumption and hardnesse of heart they presumed that they could doe all that the Lord would command them and therefore he gave them his Law to shew them their duty that they assaying to fulfill it and finding their owne insufficiency might bee humbled and brought downe from vaine confidence in their owne Workes Heere the Lord did deale with them as wise fathers deale with their foolish vain boasting sons who do promise largely that they will do any thing which their fathers will command them and that by their merits they will bind their fathers to love them and to give them the inheritance In such a case a wise father will put such a boasting sonne to the triall and will put him to a taske which he knoweth that he is unable to goe through not because hee beleeves or hopes that his sonne can performe it being through his own intemperance disabled but for this end to make him see his owne folly and insufficiency And so the Lord did deale with Israel Secondly the Lord gave the Law which is the rule of righteousnesse and withall shewed the punishment due to the transgressors of it that it might be as the rod of a Schoolemaster to drive them to Christ to learne the saving knowledge and way of life in him as the Apostle speakes Gal. 3. and to make them out of feare renounce themselves and seeke mercy in him Thirdly to teach them and us that howsoever it is impossible for us to be saved by the Law by reason of our sinfull flesh and our corruption which hath utterly disabled us that we cannot obey it yet the Law is still in force and requires perfect righteousnesse and without the righteousnesse of the Law fulfilled by Christ for us we cannot be justified nor saved according to that saying of the Apostle Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10. 4. For these and such like reasons God gave the Law But when the people of Israel heard the Law which was the Covenant of Workes to be performed in their owne persons and that immediately from God himselfe it is said that they were sore afraid and being not able to abide the sight of Gods glory nor the sound of his voice they cryed out Why should we die and hereupon they began to desire a Mediator even Moses saying Goe thou hear the Lord speak thou to us Exod. 20. 19. and Deut. 5. 25 26 27. This was some good beginning the Law began to take effect and to drive them towards a Mediator And therefore the Lord said They have well spoken all that they have said to wit in desiring a Mediatour added withall O that there were in them such an heart that they would feare mee and keepe my Commandements alwayes that it might be well with them and their children Which words shew the Will and Minde of God wishing after a sort their increase and continuance in this good minde and feare of him and seeking to keepe his Commandements in and by a Mediator Whereupon hee proceedes to deale with them by a Mediator and to renue the Covenant with them by appointing divers figures of Christ as Sacrifices Rites Ceremonies the Tabernacle the Arke of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat in all which as in Types he did reveale Christ though obscurely unto them and shewed that sinne was to be expiated and purged away by his Death Afterward also when they came into the land of Moab he did renue the Covenant of Grace in more plain termes than he did on Mount Horeb insomuch that by reason of the greater plainnesse it is called another Covenant Deut. 29. 2. There he told them that Christ should bee their Rocke Deut. 32. 4. and that the Word his Gospell was among them Now because of the first part of this Covenant to wit the ten Commandements which God spake first and after gave them written in two Tables which are called by the name of Covenant Deu. 4. 13. and 9. 9. and indeed are the summe of the Old Covenant which God made with men in the Creation This Covenant which God made with Israel is called the Old Covenant and the Covenant of the Law and is opposed to the Covenant of the Gospell that is to the Covenant as it is now revealed in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles and plainely preached and published over all the world Thus much for the Old Covenant CHAP. VII THe New Covenant which was foretold by the Prophets Isa. 42. 6. Ier 31. 31. Zach. 9. 11. it is the Covenant which God hath now made by the preaching of the Gospell in this New Testament It is the Covenant of all happinesse all blessings and all salvation in Christ plainely preached and revealed sealed also and confirmed not by Blood of Christ in Types and Figures but by the very Blood it selfe bodily shed on the Crosse for our sinnes and by the two plaine Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper this is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the New Covenant Ierem. 31. 31. and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Luke 22. 20. and 2 Cor. 3. 6. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a better Covenant Hebr. 7. 22. For in it the Lord reveales his promises so plainley and cleerely that all men may see and know the way to life And howbeit in this Covenant there is nothing expressed wch was not implyed and included in the general obscure promises made unto Adam and unto Abraham David and the rest of the Fathers in old time And although Iesus Christ the perfect Saviour and Eternall Redeemer God and Man with all his righteousnesse obedience and full satisfaction and all his benefits blessings gifts and graces which serve to bring men to perfect blessednesse and salvation and which are fully expressed in the Covenant of the Gospell were darkely and obscurely offered unto the Fathers and were apprehended by their faith in that Covenant which God made with them Yet certainely this Covenant as it is now renewed by the comming of Christ and by the preaching of the Apostles and Evangelists may justly be called a New Covenant and is truely so called both by the Prophets and Apostles for divers good reasons and considerations First because there is as great difference betweene this Covenant thus revealed and the Covenant as it was revealed before Christs incarnation as there is betweene an old darke house builded up strong but yet without any whiting or painting having very few doores or windowes in it and those either very narrow or else shut up with boords or stopped with Bricks and Morter that few can enter in save such