his part performeth are admirable farre surpassing mans reason The first is the All-sufficient Mediatour Christ his owne eternall Sonne whom God promised immediately after mans fall and who did then begin actually to mediate for man and did undertake to become Man and by a full satisfaction made in Mans nature to Gods infinite Iustice and just Law and a perfect and full ransom paid for mans Redemption to purchase pardon of all mans sins to justifie and make him righteous and to reconcile him to God The second is the Spirit to be given to man and shed on him through Christ the Mediatour Gal. 3. 14. and Tit. 3. 6. The third is spirituall Life derived frō Christ wrought in man by his quicking spirit together with all graces and blessings thereto belonging The fourth is union and communion with Christ of all his benefits as of his Son-ship to make all regenerate men sonnes of God and heires of eternall life glory and all blessings of his satisfaction and sufferings for remission of all their sins of his righteousnesse for justification The fift is a true right to the naturall life which Adam lost to the Creatures made for mans use and to all earthly blessings which are given him to possesse and injoy in this life The sixth is sanctification and holinesse whereby man is fitted to see and enjoy God Matth. 5. 8. and Hebr. 12. 14. The last which is the end of all is the eternall life of glory in the fruition of God in Heaven In this Covenant there is not any condition or Law to bee performed on mans part by man himselfe as in the first old Covenant of Nature and therefore it is called the free Covenant of Grace and not of Workes The perfect obedience righteousnesse and satisfaction of Christ which he performed to the whole Law for man in Mans nature though it stands in the place of every mans perfect obedience to Gods Law in his owne person and his subjection to the whole revealed will of God which was the condition of the Old Covenant of Works and when man is partaker of it by communion with Christ he is more perfectly justified and made worthy of life eternall than man in the state of nature could have beene by his owne perfect obedience and personall righteousnesse performed in his owne person Yet it cannot so properly bee called A condition of the New Covenant of Grace which God hath made with Mankinde because God imposeth it not as a condition to bee performed by every man in his person but is one of the blessings promised in the New Covenant So likewise the Gifts Graces and Workes and Fruits of the Spirit which are required to be in man to make him an actuall partaker of Christ and of life and salvation in him whether they be outward as the word preached and heard the Sacraments given and received and the like or inward as Faith by which Christ is received and applied Repentance Love Hope and other saving Graces they are all free gifts of God he gives them to us and by his Spirit workes in us both to will and to doe and without his Grace continually assisting us according to his promise wee cannot performe any thing which is mentioned in the Gospell as a conditionall meanes of life and Salvation in Christ And therefore this Covenant is foedus gratuitum a most free Covenant of Grace wherein no condition is propounded to man to be performed by any power of his owne for the obtaining of life but God of his owne free Grace promiseth all blessings and for his owne sake gives them and also all power to receive and enjoy them And the end and use of this Covenant is not any gaine which God seeketh to himselfe nor any good which he can receive from man or any creature but onely the making of man perfectly blessed in the fruition of himselfe and all his goodnesse and so gathering to himselfe all things in Christ This Covenant is that which is called the Covenant of Peace and is most highly extolled and commended in all the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament And howsoever the substance of this Covenant hath beene alwayes one and the same from the beginning even from the seventh day of the world wherein God first promised Christ the blessed Seed and so shall be for ever yet because the circumstances are divers and the manner of revealing the promise and of sealing it is far different in the Old and New Testament hereupon it comes to passe that the Spirit of God doth distinguish it into the Old and New Covenant and as it was revealed and sealed to the Fathers under the Law cals it the Old Covenant and as it is now revealed and sealed under the Gospell cals it the new Covenant Ier. 31. 31. 2 Cor. 3. 6. And both these are called by the name {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the Hebrew and by the name of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the Greeke Text CHAP. VI IN the Old Testament the Lord first made this Covenant with Adam but in very darke obscure and generall termes and in Types and figures even sacrifices wch were seales of it unto him and his posterity The words of the Covenant were these That the seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head the Serpent should bruise his heel that is Christ made man of the Seed of a Woman and being by the Old Serpent the Divell and by the generation of Vipers persecuted and put to an ignominious death should dissolve the Workes of the Divell and destroy sinne by satisfying for it to the full The sacrifices which God added to this promise further to illustrate and confirme it were clean and fat-fed Beasts wch the Lord commanded them to consecrate slay and to offer up to him by burning and consuming part thereof and the rest they themselves who were his Priests and Sacrificers did eate That the Lord taught Adam to sacrifice appeares by the practise of Cain and Abel and by their offrings which they brought to God being undoubtedly taught by their father Gen. 4. Yea it may be gathered from the Coates of Skinnes which God made and therewith cloathed our first Parents Gen. 3. 21. Those skinnes could be no other but of Beasts slain and offered in sacrifice For before Adams fal beasts were not subject to mortality nor slaine the slaughter and killing of Beasts and mans eating of their flesh came in by sinne and after mans fall In innocency mans meat was fruit of Trees and Herbes bearing seed Gen. 1. The first right which God gave to man to eat flesh was after the promise and after that Beasts were consecrated to be sacrificed as Types of Christ and of his Death Now these sacrifices of Beasts did shew the nature of the Covenant and the manner of mans reconciliation chusing of cleane and harmelesse Beasts shewed that Christ should be pure and holy
many and those very plaine in every place And this was a speciall cause which made the people of Israel to misconstrue the meaning of that Covenant and to thinke that all salvation was to be obtained by Workes and thus the Covenant was obscure and the end thereof was hid from their sight they could not understand the true use of the Types and Ceremonies But the Covenant of the Gospell is made in such plain words and doth after such a lively manner set forth Christ and his perfect Ransome satisfaction and righteousnesse unto us and the true way to justification and salvation by faith in him that the most simple may understand it and with that plaine Doctrine and multitude of Promises the Spirit of God workes powerfully and is given by Christ in such measure to all sorts of people that the darkenesse of their hearts is abolished also and so there is no vaile neither over their hearts nor over the Covenant it selfe but as Christ is plainely offered in the Word so their hearts are enlightned and enabled to looke on his glory and they are transformed into the same image and hereupon there comes to be great difference in this respect betweene the Covenant of the Gospell and the Covenant of the Law which God gave by Moses From these two last Differences there doe arise others which are there laid downe by the Apostle also to wit That the Old Covenant of the Law is the ministery of death but the Covenant of the Gospell is the ministery of the Spirit and of Life 2 Cor. 3. 7. The Old is the occasion of sinne and so the ministery of condemnation the New of righteousnesse to justification The Old brings bondage the New liberty The Old is lesse glorious and yet dazled the eyes of the Israelites that they could not looke on it stedfastly The New is full of glory and yet we can behold in it with open face the glory of God verse 18. These particular Differences are all named and noted by the Apostle and they doe arise from the two last going before For Reason tells us that because the Old Covenant was given by the Ministery of Moses a fraile man and was darke and obscure subject to be misconstrued and was not plainely preached by lively voyce but onely written in dead Letters in Tables of Stone therefore it was no fit instrument for the Spirit to worke by the Spirit did not worke by it such plenty of Knowledge Faith and other Graces It did onely shew them what they should do but enabled them not to do any thing rather made them more sinfull in provoking their corrupt naturewch more lusts after evils forbidden it made their sins more wilfull which before were done in ignorance and thus it became the Ministery of Sin Death and Condemnation unto them It also brought them into bondage by shewing them their slavish condition giving them no grace to flee from that miserable estate It dazled their eyes because it shewed them the glorious Majestie Iustice of God but gave them not the Grace of the Spirit to strengthen their sight to looke with boldnesse and comfort upon Gods majesticall justice But because the Covenant of the Gospell is made in plain words and given by a Mediatour who hath also the disposing of the Spirit dispensing of Spirituall Grace therefore it is a fit instrument for the Spirit to worke by the Spirit goeth forth in great power by and with the publication of it which regenerates men renues their hearts knits thē into one Body with Christ gives them the Communion of all his Righteousnesse and Obedience to justification of Life frees them from all feare and bondage makes them run freely and willingly in the way to life and in the pathes of Gods Commandements enables them to stand boldly before the glorious Tribunall of Gods Iustice and gives them an heavenly eye-salve to their sight that they may stedfastly behold GODS glory in the face of Iesus Christ And thus in those respects those two Covenants doe much differ betweene themselves The last difference is named by the Apostle in the 11 verse and it is this That the Covenant of the Law given by Moses and the glory thereof vanishes and is done away but the Covenant of the Gospell and the glory thereof abideth for ever Which Difference is thus to be understood not that the substance of the Law or the righteousnesse thereof ceaseth at any time neither that the Evangelical promises which were intermingled in that Covenant are abolished together with the Types and Ceremonies These things are in no case to be granted for the Law of God is an eternall rule of Truth and Iustice by the righteousnesse obedience and fulfilling thereof all the Elect shall be justified and saved for ever This our Saviour testifieth saying Think not that I am come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it for verily till heaven and earth passe not one jot or title of the Law shall passe Mat. 5. 17. Also his blessed Apostle Rom. 3. 31. Doe we then make void the Law through faith God forbid yea we estabish the Law Rom. 10. 4 Christ is the end or fulfilling of the Law for righteousness to every beleever And if we rightly consider the Ceremonies and the promises given to Israel wee shall perceive that Christ was the Body substance of them all and therefore so long as hee abideth the substance of them abideth firme sure and doth not vanish Wherefore the Law Covenant wch God gave by Moses doth vanish and is abolished onely in three respects First in respect of the extreme rigour thereof for as it was given to Israel it required obedience of every man in his owne person to justification and life but now it onely requires that a man have that righteousnesse which is a perfect conformity to it though performed by his surety and mediatour and that shall sufficiently save him Before it did require perfect righteousnesse upon paine of damnation performed by every man himselfe and threatned a curse to every breach of it Now it bindes a man himselfe to performe no more then he is able if hee doth his best and brings a willing minde God accepts the will for the deed because now we are not to obey the Law for justification Christ hath done that for us Now we are to obey it in thankfulnesse and in imitation of Christ that we may be conformable to his Image and by holinesse made fit to see God and to injoy the inheritance which Christ hath purchased for us Secondly the Law and Covenant givē by Moses is abolished in respect of the outward administration Their obedience to the morall Law was first preached and afterwards the sacrifice of Christ was promised in types and figures But now Christ is first preached and then after justification in him the Law is set as a rule to walk by in the wayes of sanctification and also
and difference This may quickly be dispatched in few words for their agreement and difference may easily bee discerned by those things which have beene already delivered the onely thing which is now necessarily to be touched is the meaning of the words and the divers significations of them These being made plaine it will appeare that all the agreements and differences between them have been before fully laid open and expounded First for the Law it is in the Originall Hebrew Scriptures called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Torah a word derived of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Horah which signifieth to teach to instruct to admonish and also to shoot forth Arrowes and Darts and so if wee consider it according to the true notation of the name by Law in Scripture may be understood any Doctrine Word or Writing which doth teach instruct and admonish men how they ought to live and how to walke before God or among men and any Precept which as a Dart or Arrow is fastened in our hearts by our Teachers But in the New Testament the Law is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and is derived of the verb {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifies to distribute because the Law injoyneth to distribute and give to God and men their due and the revelation of the Word and Law is Gods distribution or dividing of his promises and his will amongst men So then the word Law considered according to the naturall sense of it in the Originall Scriptures of the Old and New Testament may signifie any Doctrine Instruction Law Ordinance Custome and Statute humane or Divine which doth teach direct command or binde men to any duty which they owe to God or any of his creatures And indeed thus far the signification of it doth extend For in Scripture it signifies sometimes the speciall Lawes of Heathen Nations as of the Medes Persians and the statutes and customes of men according to which they live among themselves and their doctrines and instructions but I omit the humane significations of it as not necessary for our present purpose and I come to the divine which are divers in Scripture 1 First this word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Torah signifies in a most large sense any godly or profitable Counsell Doctrine Instruction or Precept which Parents give to their children or one man to another either by word or writing which is not contrary but according to the will of God and the rule of godlinesse and serves to direct a man how to live or how to walke either in his generall or particular calling Thus the word is often used in the Booke of the Proverbes as Chap. 3. 1 and 4. 2. and 7. 2. In which places the wise man exhorts his sonne to keepe his Law that is all his Precepts Counsels and Doctrines and not to forget or forsake them 2 Sometimes it signifies in a large sense the whole Doctrine of the Word of God which he hath at any time revealed or doth reveale in the whole Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament and so it includes the Law of Moses the writings of the Prophets and all the Evangelicall promises made unto us in Christ from the beginning thus it is used Psal. 1. 2. in these words But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and Psal. 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule that is Gods Word for the Law alone without the Gospell cannot convert soules and Psal. 1 19. in divers places where the Law is said to quicken and to be the godly mans delight and to comfort him in trouble 3 Sometimes this word signifies onely the Scriptures of the Old Testament as Iohn 15. 25. where our Saviour citing a speech out of the 35 Psalme 19 verse saith it is written in the Law that is the Old Testament And the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. 21. repeating the words of Isaiah Chap. 28. 11. saith it is written in the Law 4 Sometimes it signifies the whole Doctrine of the five Bookes of Moses as Iosh. 1. 7 8. Let not the Booke of the Law depart out of thy mouth and Luke 24. 44. where our Saviour distinguisheth the Law that is the writings of Moses from the Psalmes and the Prophets Also Mat 12. 5. Ioh. 7. 23. and Ioh. 8. 17. things written in the Booke of Genesis as well as things written in the other 4. books are said to be writtē in the law 5 Sometimes the word Law signifies in a more strict sense The Doctrine of the Law as it is different frō the doctrine of Grace and is opposed to the plaine Doctrine of the Gospel that is the whole summe of Precepts Morall Ceremoniall and Iudiciall set downe in the Writings of Moses thus the word is used by the Apostle in the Epistles to the Romanes and Galatians where hee opposeth the Law and Doctrine of Workes to the Gospell and Doctrine of Faith 6 Sometimes by law in a most strict sense is meant either the morall Law conteined in the ten Commandements as Exod. 24. 12. or any of the Ceremoniall Lawes as the Law of the burnt-offering Levit. 6. 9. the Law of Sacrifice vers. 14. the Law of the sinne-offering vers. 24. or the Iudiciall Law and any precept therof as Exod. 18. 16. Deut. 17. 11. 7 Sometimes the word Law signifies the Doctrine of the Gospell which as a new Law commands us to repent of all our sins and to beleeve in Iesus Christ Thus the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is used Isa. 2. 3. where the Prophet saith That in the last dayes the Law shall go forth out of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem meaning the publishing of the Gospell from thence into all Nations of the world and the Gospell as it injoyneth us to beleeve is called the Law of Faith Rom. 3. 27. 8 Sometimes the word Law signifies the power authority and dominion either of the flesh and the Old man of sin dwelling in our members or of the Spirit and the New man ruling in the mind where the Apostle saith I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind that is I see the power of sinfull corruption and of the Old man striving against the Spirit or part renued and Rom. 8. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the law of sin and death These are the divers significations of the word Law which is called Torah in the Old and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the New Testament The word Gospel is in the Hebrew text in the old Testament called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Bessorah and in the new Testament {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they both signifie good news glad tidings and a joyfull message the one is derived of the Hebrew verb {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}
and eating of it while hee stood in the state of innocency before his fall he had certainely beene established in that estate for ever and the Covenant being sealed and confirmed betweene God and him on both parts he could not have beene seduced and supplanted by Satan as some learned men doe thinke and as Gods own words seem to imply Gen. 3. 22. The seals of the second Covenant are the Sacraments as Circumcision and such like in the Old Testament and the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper in these dayes of the Gospel wch whosoever hathonce truly received and is inwardly circumcised as well as outwardly washed with the Laver of Regeneration and baptised into Christ and hath true communion with him of his Body and Blood that man can never fall for the seed of God abideth in him 1 Iohn 3. 9. CHAP. X. The difference betweene the Covenant of Nature and of Grace BVt as they agree in these things so they differ divers wayes First though the parties are in substance the same yet in other respects they differ First in the Covenant of Nature the parties God man were friends God was the Creator man was his Creature made after Gods image God was mans good Lord and man was Gods good servant God loved man and man loved God with all his heart there was not any least occasion of hatred or enmitie betweene them but all causes of love But at the making of the Covenant of Grace God and Man were fallen out and become enemies God was provoked to just wrath and his unchangeable justice required that man should die and be consumed by the fire of Gods just wrath And man was become a rebell and an enemy and traitor to God and had conspired with the Devill against his Lord and King God was to man a consuming fire and man was as straw and stubble before him by meanes of his sinfull corruption Secondly in the Covenant of Nature God revealed himselfe to man as one God Creator and Governour of all things infinite in Power Wisedome Nature and substance But in the Covenant of Grace God revealed himselfe one infinite God and three persons distinguished not onely a Lord and Creator but also a mercifull Redeemer not onely in unity of essence but also in trinity of persons Thirdly in the Covenant of Nature God was one party and man alone was another But in the Covenant of Grace God is on both sides God simply considered in his essence is the party opposite to Man And God the second person having taken upon him to be incarnate and to worke mans redemption was on mans side and takes part with man that he may reconcile him to God by bearing mans sinnes and satisfying Gods justice for them Thus they differ in respect of the parties Secondly they differ in respect of mediation for in the Covenant of nature man needed no mediatour to come betweene God and him he was pure upright and good created after Gods image the nearer he came to God the greater was his joy and comfort Gods presence was a delight unto him But in the Covenant of grace because man by sinne rebellion corruption and enmity was separated and alieuated in his mind nature and disposition from God therefore mā could not come unto God to enter into Covenant with him but by a perfect pure and holy Mediator infinit in power and favour with God that he might prevaile with him and pacifie his wrath and yet of mans nature and substance that in and by the nature which had sinned satisfaction might be made for sinne Without such a Mediatour there could bee no Covenant made betweene God and man If man being ever since the fall filthy and corrupt should in his owne person come near to God who is to him a devouring and consuming fire he as stubble and straw should presently be consumed and perish at the presence of God And therefore in making this Covenant a perfect Mediatour is necessarily required both to come betweene God and man and to make perfect satisfaction to Gods just Law in the behalfe of miserable and sinfull man and to worke his reconciliation and attonement Thirdly they differ exceedingly in the promises and conditions First the promises of God in the Covenant of nature were onely naturall life and earthly happinesse with all blessings necessary thereunto But in the Covenant of grace God doth promise over and above naturall life and felicity on earth spirituall life and blessings by the communion of his holy and eternall spirit not only the spirituall life of grace in this world but also of everlasting glory in the world to come in the presence of his glorious Majestie Secondly in the first Covenant God did not promise to give life but to continue life being before already given But in the second Covenant be promiseth to raiseman from the dust of death and eternall damnation in hell into which he was fallen head-long by transgression unto the light of life and that blessednesse in heaven of which his nature was never capable before no not in the state of innocency Thirdly in the first Covenant the promised portion and possession was of the earth and of all visible creatures which were fit to serve for mans use But in the second Covenant God promiseth heaven and himselfe who made the heaven to bee the God the shield and reward of the faithfull and their portion and inheritance Genesis 15. 1. Psalm 16. Fourthly in the first Covenant God promised and gave to man power over all living creatures to have them as a Lord at his command and to use them for his delight and to rule not to kill and eat them But in the second Covenant God gave them to him for sacrifice yea and also to serve for his food and nourishment The fourth difference ariseth from the conditions which God requires at the hands of man and on mans behalfe for all these great and wonderfull blessings In the first Covenant God required of man perfect righteousnesse and obedience to his whole law and will so farre as it was in mans power by nature and revealed unto him and this he would have man to performe by himselfe in his owne person But in the second Covenant he requires on mans behalfe a more excellent obedience and righteousnesse performed to the whole Law more plainely and fully revealed and greatly enlarged and that not by man himselfe or any meere creature but by mans Mediatour Iesus Christ God and man in one person who is the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10. 4. Now there is wonderfull difference betweene these two The righteousnesse required in the first Covenant was only the righteousnesse of a pure naturall man and able to save him onely who performed it but the righteousnesse of the second Covenant is the righteousnesse of a perfect pure and holy man filled with the holy Ghost which Adam had
reason of the obscurity of the old it hath taken lesse effect and beene of lesse power And the new by meanes of plainenesse and light hath brought with it more excellent gifts and more abundance of grace to many and hath beene of greater force power and efficacy and the Spirit hath wrought more powerfully by it For as the Apostle saith faith which is as it were the roote of other graces commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word where the Word is more plainely preached and heard with understanding there must needs be greater knowledge and faith and there the Spirit must needes worke more powerfully and effectually and shew all graces more abundantly in the hearers Hereupon it comes to passe that the Old Covenant did worke but weakely in all except those that were exâ—â—aordinarily called and enlightened because of the obscurity of it and unfitnesse to beget knowledge and faith But by vertue of the Nâ—w the Lord writes his Law in our hearts and makes us all know him more fully Ier. 31. 33. and doth poure out his Spirit with aboundance of Grace upon all flesh Ioel 2. 28 A fourth difference is in the circumstance of the promises and gifts The old Covenant did promise life and salvation in Christ who then was to come And Christ who is the foundation of all the promises though he had then taken upon him to worke mans redemption and his future death and obedience were actually in force from the beginning able to save all beleevers yet he was not actually come in the flesh neither had actually performed these things for man But the new Cove nant doth promise salvation and all blessings in Christ being already come in the flesh And Christ hath actually performed all things which were needfull for our redemption and we are by the new Covenant made partakers of his sacrifice already offered and his righteousnesse already performed for us A fifth difference ariseth from the order and mixture of the promises The old Covenant did first and chiefely promise earthly and temporall blessings as deliverance from bodily enemies and dangers and plenty of worldly goods as houses lands wealth riches encrease of children length of dayes and such like and in and under these it did signifie and promise all spirituall blessings and salvation But the new Covenant promiseth Christ and his blessings spirituall in the first place and after them earthly blessings First it brings us to the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and then it ministers other things unto us Againe the old Covenant abounded in earthly promises of worldly blessings but had few promises of spirituall and heavenly blessednesse intermingled But the new insists almost altogether on heavenly rewards and promises of spirituall blessings and hath but few promises of temporall and worldly good things And thus both the order of the promises and the unequall mixture of earthly and heavenly blessings doe make another difference betweene the old and new Covenant Sixtly they differ in the outward matter of the seales the outward rites and in the order of Sealing The seals of the old Covenant were many and those laborious costly heavy and burdensome circumcision was painfull sacrifices were costly and the many oblations offerings and purifications were a burden too heavy for the fathers to beare But the seales of the new are few and but two the least number that can be and those very easie without toyle or cost or paine of body or minde The matter of the old seales were oxen sheepe goats birds incense odours calves lambes cutting of the flesh shedding of the blood burning and killing of divers creatures The matter of the new seales is onely water sprinkled and Bread and Wine broken powred out distributed eaten and drunken and this is all that the seales differ much in outward matter also in the order of sealing for the old was first typically sealed with shadowes and after with the substance Christs Body and Blood The new was scaled first with Christs blood and death and is now sealed by the outward signes dayly in the Sacraments Lastly they differ in perpetuity For though the substance of both is one and the same eternall and unchangable yet the forme and manner of making and sealing is changable in the old but is in the new perpetuall The old Covenant hath new words added to it even the new Testament and the outward seales are abolished and new put in their place But to the words of the new Covenant no more or plainer words shal be added neither shall the outward seales thereof be altered but shall remaine till the comming of the Lord And therefore the old is but in substance onely but the new is in all respects perpetuall and unchangeable Thus much both of the agreement and the difference betweene the old and new Covenant of grace CHAP. XIIII FIrst the agreement which is between these two Covenants of grace doth serve to assure us that all the faithfull forefathers from the beginning did partake of the same graces with us and had fellowship and communion of the same spirit with one and the same Iesus Christ and were justified by his righteousnesse and saved eternally by faith in him even as we are at this day If sinne in them could have hindred the worke of Gods grace so it might doe in us for we are sinners as well as they and God hath as just a quarrell against us If our Mediator be of power to save eternally then must they also needs be saved as well as we for they had the same Christ He was yesterday is to day and shall be the same for ever If Gods promises be true if they cannot faile surely they had the same in substance which we have If salvation doth rest upon the condition of righteousnesse they had the same which we have even the righteousnesse of God in Christ and by the same faith they did partake of it If seales can helpe any thing at all they had them also as well as we And if we may judge of the power of the Covenant by the successe and effect in some persons we shall find that Enoch and Eliah were by the grace of the Old Covenant saved even from bodily death and taken up into heaven and happinesse And therefore let this consideration of the unity and agreement which is betweene the new and old Covenant of grace admonish us not to be puffed up with pride a false conceipt as if we onely under the Gospel were respected of God saved by faith in Iesus Christ Let this teach us to thinke reverently of the Fathers in the Old time and love and reverence the name and remembrance of them as Saints glorified in heaven spirituall members of the same Christ and partakers of the same grace with us But above all let this enflame our hearts with a deadly hatred and detestation of all those heretickes and their doctrine as the
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
order read frame and line 14. after the word Greeke put in word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and line 16. after the word New put in and the Septuagints in the Old page 51 line 8. read tree of Knowledge page 56 line 4. read in his owne person page 77. line 19. put out all page 90. l. 19. put in the page 103. l. 7. read unprofitable servants for unprofitablenesse page 142. line 22. for Christs read Christs blood CHAP. I. A briefe Treatise concerning the agreement and difference betweene the Old and New Testament the first Covenant betweene God and Man in Innocency which is the old Covenant of Works and the New Covenant made with Mankinde in Christ which is called the Covenant of free Grace also betweene the Law and the Gospell IT is an Ancient custome which hath beene for many Ages in use among the learned before the entrance into the large Exposition of the Gospell of Christ in the New Testament to premise and lay downe by way of preparation the nature difference and agreement between the Old and New Testament the Covenant of Workes and the Covenant of Grace the Law and the Gospell the Prophets and the Evangelists And surely if wee doe rightly consider the end and use of this practise and the profit and benefit which may arise from the knowledge of the nature of these beforehand and of the true difference and agreement betweene them we cannot but judge those learned men worthy of imitation and that it will be profitable for us to walke in the same steps when like occasion is offered For the knowledge of the true difference of the Old and New Testament the Covenant of Workes and the Covenant of Grace the Law and the Gospel will not only give us great light for the right understanding of divers particular speeches used in the New Testament by the Evangelists and Apostles but also may keepe us from many dangerous errours and enable us to answer the Objections of the Adversaries which they make out of the words of the Apostles and Prophets wrongfully wrested and misconstrued according to their owne foolish imaginations As for example sometimes the Apostles exhort us to observe the things which by Tradition have beene delivered unto us and command to observe the good orders and Ordinances established in the Churches Now a man not knowing the difference betweene the Old and New Testament the Law and the Gospel when hee heares such speeches may imagine that in those words he is injoyned to observe the Traditions and Ordinances of Moses and so may with the seduced Galatians fall into a great errour So in some places of the Apostles we read That they who are borne of God sin not That they who sin are of the Devill That they who sinne wilfully after that they have received the knowledge of the truth can have no sacrifice for their sinne And that he who beleeveth not is condemned already These things when a man heares or reades who is igno rant of the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell hee may imagine with our new up start Heretiques That every sinne which a man willingly commits doth prove him to be a childe of the Devill destitute of all grace And that when men are once called and justified they cannot willingly sinne any more And many such errours he may runne into but if he understandeth that sinne in those places signifieth sinne against the Evangelicall Law the two Commandements of the Gospell which commands us to beleeve and repent and not every sinne against any Commandement of the Law hee cannot bee deceived For sinne against the Gospell is when a man being before called to beleeve and professe the Gospell and having received the Commandements thereof which injoyne repentance of all sinne and beleefe in this Iesus Christ whom the Gospell preacheth doth afterwards rebell against these two Precepts that is falls into infidelity and impenitency which is wilfull Apostacy Now these sinnes none can commit who is borne of God or hath any true saving grace in him and if wee thus understand sinne wee shall not be deceived So likewise the Evangelists and Apostles do tell us that if we doe such and such good workes we are righteous if wee call on the Name of the Lord wee shall be saved and our Saviour saith that he will pronounce them the blessed of his Father and will say to them Come inherit the Kingdome for yee fedde mee when I was hungry and visited mee in prison In that yee did these things to my little ones And againe Many sins are forgiven her for shee loved much If wee know not the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell we may by these speeches be moved to thinke that men are justified and saved by their workes and may merit heaven by good deeds as the Iewes and Papists doe beleeve But if wee know that by good deeds and righteous workes the Evangelists and Apostles doe commonly meane not simple workes of obedience to the Law but works done by a true saving and justifying faith he cannot be deceived For such workes have these two prerogatives above all others First in that they are fruits of a justifying faith which can never faile and doe proceed from the spirit of repentance which makes us one with Christ sonnes of God in him and abides in us as an immortall seed they are infallible tokens of our justification and do assure unto us the Crowne of glory which Christ hath purchased for us and the kingdome of heaven which is the inheritance of sons And therefore we may truely say that he which doth such workes is righteous and shall be saved and injoy all blessednesse not meaning that they make him righteous or merit Heaven but that they are the evidences of his right to heaven And the more they are and the greater and more excellent the more they testifie a mans union and communion with Christ by a lively faith and give more assurance of a greater reward Secondly being the workes of a man that is justified by faith and hath perfect communion of Christs righteousnesse they have all their spots and staines cleansed and covered with the robe of Christs righteousnesse and all their defects thereby supplyed to the full and so they are perfect righteous workes as well as the doer of them is a perfect righteous man not in themselves but by vertue of Christ his obedience which is communicated and imputed to the worker of them and in him to them also They are righteous and are so called not actually or effectually but passively that is not for making the doer of them righteous but by the doers receiving of Christs righteousnesse by that faith whereof they are fruits which righteousnesse doth supply all their defects and makes them righteous not by reason of a naturall change in themselves or alteration of their nature but by spirituall communion which they have of it together with the doers of
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
of the old Testament and the same renewed and more fully explained in the Gospell AFter the agreement and difference betweene the Covenant of nature and the Covenant of grace plainly laid open I proceed to shew how the second Covenant to wit the Covenant of grace doth agree and differ in respect of the divers publishings and promulgations of it in the old and new testament The Revelation of it in the old Testament I have reduced to two heads The one is that by which it was revealed to the Fathers before the Law and renewed in divers ages as first to Adam secondly to Noah thirdly to Abraham Isaac and Iacob The other is the revealing and renewing of it with Israel in the wildernesse in the giving the law by the Ministery of Moses after which it continued in one stay untill the coming of Christ With these two my purpose is now to compare the Covenant as it is now fully revealed in the Gospel And first with the Covenant as it was revealed to the Fathers before the Law That old and this new doe agree divers wayes First the parties in generall are the same in both Covenants In the Covenant with the Fathers the one partie was God offended by mans sinne and provoked unto wrath and displeasure by his rebellion and so made a consuming and devouring fire unto him And the other party was man by meanes of his fall and corruption now made a rebell and enemy unto God and as stubble and drosse before his presence And in the Covenant as it is revealed in the Gospel the parties are still the same even God offended and man the sinner and offender Secondly they agree in this that a Mediatour is required in both betweene the parties God and man so farre separated and standing at so great a distance for to make up the breach and the league between them being at so great odds And both have one Mediatour Iesus Christ the promised seed who alone in heaven and earth is able to stand before the devouring fire and to make atonement betweene God and man For that seed of the woman which in the first making of the covenant was promised to Adam to break the serpents head Gen. 3. that seed which was promised to Abraham and Isaac in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed Gen. 12. and 22. that Shiloh which Iacob spake of in his blessing of Iudah Gen. 49. He was the Mediatour in the Covenant betweene God and the Fathers before the law And he is no other but Iesus Christ who came in the fulnesse of time who by having his heel bruised in his sufferings hath broken the serpents head that is destroyed the workes of the devill who by his Apostles Gal. 3. 9. hath called all nations to the participation of Abrahams blessing and to justification by faith in him and who was made and born of a woman a pure virgin by the power of the holy Ghost Luk. 1. 35. and is now and ever hath beene yesterday and to day and the same for ever a perfect redeemer and eternall Mediatour of the Covenant now under the Gospel as appears Ioh. 8. 56. and 14. 6. Ephes. 4. 16. Heb. 13. 8. Thirdly in both these Covenants the substance of the promises is one and the same As we have the promise of spirituall Life by the Communion of the holy Ghost both of the life of grace in this world and of the eternall life of glory in the world to come so had all the Fathers from the beginning As we have the promise of a true right and title to all earthly blessings also in Christ so also had they As God is given to us in Christ to be our portion So he by Covenant gave himselfe to them to be their God As we have Christ God and man given unto us to be our Saviour and his righteousnesse and obedience with all the merits of his death to be apprehended by faith for our justification so had they from the first time of the promise All this the Apostle sheweth most plainly Heb. 11. where he sheweth that the forefathers did by faith receive not onely earthly blessings as the Land of Canaan deliverance from enemies and oppressors safety from the flood but also they embraced the promises of a better life and of a better country even an heavenly and God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a city ver. 16. They received Iesus Christ by saith and did so firmely beleeve in him that they esteemed reproach for his sake greater riches then all earthly treasures vers. 26. they by faith became heires of his righteousnesse vers. 7. and Act. 15. 11. we saith the Apostle beleeve to be saved by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ even as they Fourthly the Covenant made with the Fathers agrees with the Covenant now under the Gospell in one and the same condition on mans behalfe to wit the perfect righteousnesse of the Law and perfect obedience to the whole revealed will of God performed not by every beleever himselfe but by his Mediatour Iesus Christ God and man in mans nature This righteousnesse was made theirs and is made ours by one and the same meanes even by communion of the Spirit and by true faith laying hold upon it applying it and offering it up to God Both the righteousnesse and the meanes by which it is made ours are free gifts and graces of God both to the Fathers and us Neither they were nor we are sufficient of our selves or fit to performe any thing for salvation or to receive salvation when it is offred freely all our will all our sufficiency and all our fitnesse is of God and ever hath beene And therefore howsoever Christ his righteousnesse and satisfaction made unto God in the nature of man may in respect of Christ our head be called a condition of salvation which God required on mans behalfe yet in respect of us and the Fathers also it is rather a part of the blessing and one of the free promises in the Covenant and at our hands God requires no condition at all but such as he himselfe doth freely of his grace performe and worke in us and for us And therefore as the Covenant which God hath now made with us so also that Covenant with the Fathers before the Law was foedus gratuitum a free Covenant of Grace Fiftly the Covenants both Old and New agree in the Seales divers wayes First as in that Old so in this New outward Seales and Signes are required for to seale and confirme them Secondly as their seales did signifie the shedding of Christs Blood and his cursed death for mans sinne also mortification and sanctification so doe the seales of Baptisme and the Lords Supper which are annexed to our Covenant As their Seales did both teach the manner of mans redemption and also did serve to confirme their faith in it so doe ours
promise in Baptisme and whosoever doth wilfully live and continue in any sin and purposely abstaine from good when occasion is offered and omits holy duties which the law requires as observing of the Sabbath hearing of the word and such like we count him a carnall man and he hath no part as yet in the Covenant of grace For he that is justified is also mortified and sanctified and cannot purposely continue in any sin of omission or commission CHAP. XVI The Differences BVt the differences between them are many and great First they differ in the manner of requiring obedience to the law and exacting good workes The Covenant of Moses requires that a man shold first endeavour to fulfill the whole law that thereby he may be justified and live and if he cannot do so that then he should flie to sacrifices for sinne and free-will offerings and in them as in types to Christ and his righteousnesse and obedience that there he may finde that which by the law he cannot obtaine But the Covenant of the Gospel requires that a man should first renounce himselfe and all his owne righteousnesse and seeke salvation and righteousnesse in Christ by faith and that being justified by grace in Christ he should by way of thankfulnesse labour to the utmost to bring forth all fruites of holinesse righteousnesse and obedience to all Gods commandements and that for this end that he may glorifie God adorne his profession and be more and more assured of his communion with Christ and sincere love to God Secondly these Covenants differ in matter and substance The matter and substance of the Covenant made by the Ministery of Moses it was mixt it was partly conditionall and partly absolute partly legall and partly Evangelicall it required to justification both workes and faith but after a divers manner and it was a mixt Covenant of two divers Covenants both the Covenant of Workes and the Covenant of Grace First it required workes that men should doe the workes of the Law and live and this it did by way of the first Covenant For the morall Law written in two Tables of stone and consisting of the ten Commandements which God spake from mount Sinai is called by the name of a Covenant Deut. 4. 13. He declared to you saith Moses there his Covenant which he commanded you to performe even ten Commandements and he wrote them upon two Tables of Stone and Deuter. 9. vers. 9. These two Tables are called the tables of the Covenant by these testimonies it is plain that the law was given to Israel as a Covenant which required obedience for justification and life Secondly this Covenant given by Moses promised Christ and required that whēsoever they failed in their obedience to the Law they should flee to sacrifices and sinne-offerings which were Types of Christ and did prefigure signifie and seale his satisfaction and atonement for sinne and that by faith they should seeke righteousnesse and satisfaction in him and shoul rest upon those promises which God made with their Fathers that in Christ the blessed seed all Nations of the earth should be blessed And this is the second even the Evangelicall part of the Covenant and is called by the name of another Covenant Deut. 29. 2. For indeed this is the Covenant of Grace as the other part is the Covenant of Works This GOD propounds absolutely the other is conditionall that a man shall doe it if hee can and if hee can doe it hee shall live if hee cannot that he should flee by faith to Christ foreshadowed in types and promised to the Fathers Thus the Covenant which God made with Israel was not a simple but a mixt Covenant and the matter of it was mixt But the Covenant of Grace in the Gospell is simple without mixture and propounds no other way to salvation but onely in and through Iesus Christ no justification but that which is by faith in Christs obedience without our owne workes This is a second difference The rest of the maine differences are plainely laid downe by the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 3. One is that the Covenant which God made with Israel was an old Covenant For it is called by the Apostle {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} vers. 14. But the Covenant made with all Nations by the Gospell is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the New Covenant vers. 6. Now the Covenant with Israel may truely bee called Old and is so indeed in respect of the Covenant under the Gospell for two reasons First because the legall part of it which was the Covenant of Workes laid downe in the ten Commandements of the Law written in Tables of Stone is in substance all one with the first Covenant which God made with Man in the state of Innocency the summe of both is that one thing Doe this and live Secondly because the Evangelical part of it which promised life and righteousnesse in Christ the promised seed was given after the old manner as it was to the Fathers before the Law that is in generall darke and obscure promises did shew Christ onely afarre off to come in the latter ages of the world But the Covenant of the Gospel is every way new It is made with us after a new maner It sheweth Christ already come and that most plainely and it hath no reliques of the Old Covenant of works in it but teacheth justificatiō by faith without works even by communion of Christ and of his righteousnesse alone without any concurrence of our own righteousnesse and workes of the Law concurring for justification Another difference wch the Apostle makes betweene these Covenants is that the one is the Letter the other the Spirit For so he affirmes ver. 6 Now the reasons of this are two especially The first reason why the Covenant with Israel is called the letter and the Covenant of the Gospel the Spirit is because Moses who was the mediator of the Covenant with Israel did give onely the Letter of the Covenant that is the Law and the Covenant written in Tables and in Letters but he could not give the Spirit to make them understand the Covenant nor any inward grace and ability to make them keepe it But Christ the Mediator by whose Ministery the Covenant of the Gospell is given hath also the Holy Ghost in himselfe without measure which Spirit he by his Word and together with the word of the Covenant sends into our hearts and enables us to beleeve and to keepe the Covenant And as Iohn the Baptist comparing himselfe and his ministery with the ministery of Christ saith I baptize you with water but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire that is I give onely the outward signe but he gives the inward grace So it may be said of Moses and Christ that Moses gave onely the letter or writing of the Covenant but Christ gives the word and with it the Spirit of Grace also
which makes it effectuall to salvation And therefore the Covenant as it proceeds from Moses and comes by his Ministery is but a letter but that which Christ gave as Mediatour is the Spirit Another Reason may be drawne from the manner of giving Moses gave the Covenant written in Letters which many could see but could not read and many could read and could not understand and many could understand literally after a naturall and carnall manner according to the proper literall sense but they could not understand the words spiritually according to the spirituall sense they could not see nor discerne the true scope end and use of the Words But Christ did preach the Covenant of the Gospell by a lively voyce in words easie to be understood which did not onely sound in the eares but also pierce into the hearts and spirits of the hearers and did shew not onely the matter but also the manner end and use of every thing and how the Law and Commandements doe not onely binde the outward man and require the outward act but also do binde the inward man even the soule and spirit and doe require all holy thoughts motions dispositions of the heart and soul and thus the words of the New Covenant are fit Instruments of the Spirit and the Spirit doth worke powerfully by them Another difference laid downe by the Apostle verse 13 14 18. is that there was a vaile before the Covenant with Israel which hindred their sight so that the people could not looke into the end nor see the right use of the Law and the ceremonies thereof But the Covenant of the Gospell is given with much evidence of speech and therein we all with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord Now this vaile consisted of two parts The first was the darknesse and blindnesse of their hearts and the weaknesse of their sight The second was the obscurity and darknesse of the Covenant it selfe which both in respect of the words and also of the Seales the Types and Figures was very darke and hard to be understood First the people themselves were naturally by reason of originall corruption blinde and ignorant and not able to see the right end and use of the Law and Covenant yea their sight was so weake that they could no more looke upon Gods glory then the weake eye of a man can looke upon the bright Sunne when it shineth in full strength and therefore being not able to looke upon the glory of God shining in the Covenant they could in no case see into the end and use of it and so their owne weakenesse and blindnesse was a vaile unto them and is this day to all the Iewes till their hearts be converted to the Lord vers. 16. and till he powres out his Spirit on them Secondly the words of the Covenant were spoken and the Seales and Ceremonies ordained after such an obscure manner that a vaile of darknesse did hang over them till Christ by his actuall fulfilling of them and by the words of the New Covenant in the Gospel did make all plaine and pull away the vaile of darknesse This obscurity of the Covenant proceeded from three speciall causes the first was Gods hiding and concealing of his purpose in the giving of the Law For his purpose in giving the Morall Law was not that Israel should doe it and be justified thereby which after mans fall and corruption is impossible but onely to teach them and us what is true and perfect righteousnesse which leadeth unto life and to make all men examine themselves by it as by a rule that by it finding themselves destitute of righteousnesse and utterly unable to performe righteousnesse they might be driven out of themselves and so prepared to receive Christ and embrace his righteousnesse Also Gods purpose and counsell in giving the Ceremoniall law was not that men should performe them as any part of righteousnesse to justification neither did he ordaine them to be of themselves purgations from sinne and expiations of iniquity but onely to be Types foreshadowing Christ and his all-sufficient sacrifice and seales of the Covenant wch did seal it not by any vertue in them but by vertue of Christs which they signified Now though this was Gods counsell and purpose in giving the law morall and Ceremoniall yet he did conceale and not in plaine words expresse it he told them not that he meant by putting them upon the performance of the law to make them find out their own weaknesse and insufficiency and thereupon flee to Christ the end of the law and the substance of the Ceremonies and sacrifices But contrarily he required their performance of the Law for the obtaining of life and did so speake as though it had beene possible for them to fulfill it and to be justified thereby and so they commonly did understand his words erroniously even as the Papists doe at this day thinking that God would never have commanded them to doe the Law if hee had not knowne that it was in their power to doe it as he commanded and this was the first cause of the obscurity of that Covenant The second cause was the mixture of the legall part of the Covenant with the Evangelicall and the joyning of them both as it were in one continued speech For first God required by the morall law that they should do it for the obtaining of life then immediatly he addes unto it the ceremoniall law and ordained sacrifices for sin which did declare them to be sinners and so destitute of righteousnesse and gave them divers types and shadowes of Christ and by that law he required obedience and doing upon paines of death and cutting off so that the people of Israel did still imagine themselves to be in the Covenant of workes and from that manner of speech used by God and from the title of laws and statutes which God gave to the Ceremonies and from the words before going they gathered that the sacrifices oblations and other rites were rather laws to be observed for righteousnesse then seales of the Covenant of grace and signes of Christ and his righteousnesse they thought the use of them to consist in doing not in signifying and stirring up of faith to lay hold on Christ and this was a second cause of the darknesse of that Covenant The third cause was the great penurie and scarcitie of Evangelicall promises in that Covenant and the great inequality and disproportion which was betweene them and the legall Commandements of Workes For in that Covenant we finde few promises of life salvation but only upon condition of Workes Christ is very seldome pointed at in plaine words The Evangelicall promises as they are rare very few in all the Bookes of the Law which God gave them by Moses so they are either very generall or else very obscure more then those which were given to the Fathers long before But the Legall Commandements and Promises are