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
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
as are already within it and when they are there they have but small light and some none at all there is I say as great a difference betweene the Covenant as it was revealed to the Fathers and the same Covenant being now renewed with us as there is betweene such an old darke house and the same house when it is repaired from the very foundation and is all whited over within and without all painted and beautified and trimmed from the roofe to the foundation and is made full of faire and wide doores on every side for all sorts of people to enter into it and hath many large windowes made in every roome whereof none is stopped up but all are glazed with pure Crystall Glasse through which the light of the day and the bright beames of the Sunne doe shine most comfortably This difference will appeare most evidently to us if wee compare the Old and New Testament together and observe the diversity of Revelation The Covenant which God made with the Fathers before Christ was a sure house builded on Christ and founded on Gods eternall Truth It was a safe shelter against all raine and soule weather of affliction and all stormes of temptations and did shrowd the Fathers from the scorching heate of an evill conscience and the fiery flames of Hell and the Devills fury but it had few doores and those narrow ones such as few could enter through to wit onely the naturall Israelites who were all included in it by the promise made to Abraham and those who were circumcised Proselytes The windowes of it were few also and those were the darke promises of Christ wch yeelded but little light shadowed over with Types and Figures as with a vaile of obscurity It had no glorious ornaments to allure men a farre off It was not whited nor painted nor set forth with variety of pleasant pictures which might delight people but it rather appeared all bloody with the blood of Bulls Goates Rammes and Lambs like a slaughter house and all blacke and smoaky with the continuall offering of burnt offerings and sacrifices and the smoaky fumes of Incense Yea so many were the ceremonies to be observed and so heavie and intolerable was the burden of them that it appeared unto all that passed by to be rather a Shop to worke and labour in a Mill to grinde in and an house of correction then any place of rest or pleasant and comfortable habitation But this Covenant as it is now renewed with us under the Gospell is much altered and made like an house repaired and renewed throughout from the top to the foundation The Rocke Christ upon which it is built is now set forth in all his glorious colours all all the Mosse of ceremonies which did over-grow and cover him is taken away hee now shines like Ivory Crystall and Adamant most finely polished The Truth of God in his promises which is the ground of our Faith is now made manifest and clear by the comming of CHRIST and by the fulfilling of his Word which he spake from the beginning and now we dare boldly relie and rest on Gods Word in sure hope and confidence that his Truth will never fail The Ministeriall foundations to wit the writings of Moses and the Prophets are now by the light of the Gospell changed as it were from rough and unhewen stones and made like smooth polished Marble The foure Gospels are as it were foure doores made in the foure sides of this square house looking towards the foure winds of Heaven ready to receive all men from all the foure corners of the earth The many Sermons of Christ and his Apostles in the New Testament are as so many Windowes through which as through Crystall Glasse much heavenly Light is conveyed and derived unto us even from heaven from the throne of God the sweet promises and many and divers gifts of the Spirit as Knowledge Faith Tongues gifts of Healing Prophecying Miracles and the like are as pleasant and delightsome Pictures and Ornaments able to draw allure and delight the hearts of all men And the many outward blessings of peace and plenty wch follow the preaching and profession of the Gospell where it is received are as it were a glorious painting whiting which doth make this house glorious a far off and fils and enflames all that passe by with admiration and love of it Now there is none so obstinate nor so strict in speech but hee will grant that an house so altered and renewed throughout as I have before shewed may truely be called though not another yet a new house because it is repaired renued and beautified in all parts though the foundation and substance of the walls and the Timber be the same And therefore none can deny but that the Covenant of Grace now under the Gospell though it be the same in substance and matter with that made to the Fathers and hath the same foundation yet being thus altered renewed and beautified may justly be called though not another yet a new Covenant at least and a better Covenant Secondly the Covenant of Grace which before GOD made with Abraham and his seed and which was inforce onely among the Israelites before the comming of Christ is now by the preaching of the Apostles made with all Nations and all the people of the world are received into it or at least have it offered unto them and there is free accesse made unto all through the new doores which are now made in every side of the Covenant as is before noted This is manifest by the very mission of the Apostles and the Commission which our Saviour Christ gave unto them Matth. 28. in these words Goe teach all Nations Now experience teacheth us that when an house is not onely repaired but also inlarged every way and the foundation of it is stretched out an hundred times more then before it may truely even in respect of it selfe be called a new house And when new inhabitants come to dwell in an house wherein they never dwelt before though the house hath beene long built and is old in it selfe yet to them it is a new habitation and men in such cases call their houses new houses Therefore by the same reason it followes necessarily that the Covenant of Grace which was made with the Fathers being now by the comming of Christ the light of the Gospell and more plentifull gifts of the Spirit much enlarged and made capable of all Nations and Christ the foundation of it being stretched out to all the world it may even in it selfe be called a new and better Covenant Also in respect of the new people which are received into it it may be called a new Covenant though in it selfe it were no whit altered or enlarged at all Thirdly where the seales of a Covenant are made new and the old are taken away and where the manner of sealing is altered and quite inverted there we may call it a
to shew how it is impossible to finde perfect righteousnes to be justified and saved but only in Christ There the promises were set forth and sealed darkly in types and figures but now these figures and ceremonies are ceased and Christ the substance of them is set forth naked in his owne colours before our eyes Thirdly the Covenant given by Moses may be said to vanish and be abolished in respect of the light and glory of it For the light and glory of it which it then had is swallowed up of the great light of the Gospell The glory of it was but like a dimme light or candle but the glory of the Gospell is like the light of the Sunne at noone day so that before it the light of the Law is put out and appeares no more then the light of a Candle in the bright Sun-shine Now the Apostle tels us that When that which is perfect is come then that which is in part is abolished And in our common speech we say that the brightnes of the Sun destroyeth and putteth out the light of a Candle that it is as good as nothing and so wee may in the same sense say that the Covenant of the Law is abolished in respect of the light and glory of it For the glory of it which was but in part is swallowed up by the great light of the glorious Gospell But the Covenant of the Gospell abideth in all respects firme and sure for ever and we must never expect a plainer renewing of it to the end of the world And thus I have out of the holy Scriptures and especially from the words of the Apostle discovered plainely the agreement and difference betweene the mixt Covenant which God made with Israel by Moses and the pure and simple Covenant of Grace made with all Nations in the Gospell and published by Christ and his holy Apostles and Evangelists CHAP. XVII THe consideration whereof discovers to us the singular providence of God in ordering the world and his wonderfull wisedome goodnesse and mercy in preparing and giving meanes of grace and salvation fitted for the people of every Age according to their severall dispositions and the necessity of every Age and generation In the first ages next unto the state of Innocency when men lived divers hundreds of yeeres and had the helpes of long observation and great experience besides the instructions and historicall relations of long-lived Progenitors who as eye and eare-witnesses could from Adam Methushelah and Noah rehearse Gods great workes from the Creation and teach them the knowledge of God then the Lord dealt more sparingly and afforded but small and rare meanes even a few visions revelations and generall and obscure promises to turne men from their owne wayes and draw them to seeke salvation in him But when mens ages and lives were shortned by the increase of corruption and by mens multiplying of iniquity and growing more hard stubborne and rebellious The Lord to the former promises made to the Fathers added a fiery Law which he gave from mount Sinai in thunder and lightening and with a terrible voyce to the stubborne and stiffenecked Israelites whereby to breake and tame them and to make them sigh and long for the promised Redeemer when they were pressed with the bondage of the Law and with the intolerable burden of Rites and Ceremonies And when after many ages they were growne so desperately rebellious that they scorned Gods Messengers rejected his Lawes and Commandements misused and persecuted his extraordinary Prophets who wrought wonders in their sight and slew his servants which he sent unto them Then at last hee sent his sonne in whom hee fulfilled all the promises made to the Fathers who also fulfilled the Law both Morall and Ceremoniall and made reconciliation for sinne and iniquity and brought in eternall righteousnesse and hath made with all the world the New Covenant of the eternall Gospell of peace by which we receive the promise of the Spirit who workes in us all grace to the mortifying of the Old man subduing the rebellious flesh casting downe of the strong holds of sinne and Satan and bringing all thoughts in captivity to the obedience of Christ Thus as the world hath had more need of stronger helpes and powerfull meanes God in his wise providence hath increased and supplied them in severall Ages and as sinne hath more abounded and stubburnnesse and hardnesse increased so God hath more shewed his goodnesse magnified his mercy and enlarged his bounty by giving more powerfull meanes by renuing and explaining the Covenant of life and salvation and making his Grace more to abound towards the sonnes of men And therefore let us hereby be stirred up to take notice of Gods speciall providence how he respecteth the sonnes of sinfull men and is mindfull of them to visite them and take care for them in all Ages Let us admire his wisedome extoll his goodnesse and mercy and labour to bring forth abundance of fruit according to the culture and tillage and the powerfull meanes of Grace which God hath bestowed upon us under the Gospell Let us be ashamed and confounded in our selves for our barrennesse after so many plentifull showers powred downe upon us and acknowledge and confesse that we had long agone beene over-growne with all wickednesse and swallowed up of our sinnes and iniquities if the Lord had not by the strong hand of his glorious Gospell and his mighty and powerfull Spirit shed forth plentifully through Iesus Christ in these last dayes stopt the current of our sinfull corruption and staid us from running headlong into destruction As for them who in this great light of the Gospell multiply their workes of darknesse and make their sinnes and transgressions ascend up in great multitudes like thicke cloudes towards heaven and doe hate and persecute the truth which shineth unto them and love the darknesse of errours more then the light of sound doctrine Let them know that their rebellion against the light deserves the reward of the mist and blacknesse of darknesse for ever Let them feare and justly suspect that they are the ground which the Apostle speakes of Hebr. 6. 8. which when it hath drunken in the raine which oft commeth upon it doth bring forth no good fruit but thornes briers and poysonfull stinking weedes and therefore is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned And just it is with God that hee should send such persons strong delusions that they should beleeve the lies of the man of sinne and dote after errours and heresies that they all may be damned who have not received the love of the truth that they might be saved but have taken pleasure in unrighteousnesse as the Apostle hath foretold 2 Thess. 2. 11 12. CHAP. XVIII Of the Law and the Gospell and the agreement and difference betweene them NOw the last thing onely remaines to wit the description of the Law and the Gospell and their agreement