our Justification CAP. VII Of Christs New Testament or Covenant 1. DIvines are not to make new works much less new Divinity 2. Testament and Covenant though commonly used for the same thing may have their several considerations 3. The Latin Interpreter highly magnified whiles Beza is unworthily taxed yet He also promiscuously useth these two words though both are more delighted with the word Testament then Covenant 4. The Catholick Church prefereth Testament above Covenant in the Title of the holy Bible and the Sept. never use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covenant but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testament as it were by special providence because that word pointeth at the death of Christ and Gods free Grace and mercy towards mankind more then the word Covenant 5. No Christian may oppose or diminish Gods free Grace in Christ. 6. Ill quarreling with words which have Custom Conscience and Truth to justifie the use of them 7. No assertion concerning the new Covenant ought to be Authentical which is ambiguous because that is to put Salvation upon unknown if not upon impossible conditions 8. A definition of the New Covenant ought not to be such as may fit the Old Covenant 9. The Old and New Covenant put far asunder by God and not to be joyned together by man God will judge the world not by the Old but by the New Covenant 10. The Law as a Rule of Righteousnesse reinforced in the Gospel but as a Covenant of Life abolished by it 11. The Jews under the Law expected to be saved by the Gospel and whiles they covenanted obedience did hope for Salvation by Faith and Repentance 12. The Covenant of works pressed upon the Jews to make them more thirst after the Covenant of Grace 13. Christ the Mediator of a better Testament then Moses because the Covenant of Grace hath better promises and better conditions then the Covenant of works How these came to be called Two Covenants and how they differ one from the other not only in the administration but also in the expression 14. St. Paul disputes against the Law not materially in it self as the Rule of righteousnesse for so it is the end of the Gospel but formally in its use to the Jew as a Covenant of life for so it stood in opposition against the Gospel And thus far we may proceed without being Antinomians and must that we confound not the New with the Old Testament 15. The vast difference betwixt the Old and the New Testament as betwixt Agar and Sarah 16. The condition of the New Testament is not to be placed in Doing but in Believing For Doing as a condition of Life belongs to Moses his Covenant not to Christs Testament if it be taken properly that is for our Personal and not for our Virtual doing 17. The true definition of the New Testament admits obedience into its constitution but only Faith into its condition 18. The obligation of the New Testament not lessened by taking Faith for its condition and what Faith is required to fulfil the condition of the New Testament The seventh Exception IBidem sect 5. pag. 244. Having said Christ is called the Mediator of the New Testament Hebr. 9. 15. not the Mediator of the New Covenant as in other places you say also a little after I am afraid of the Covenant and flye to the Testament in the precedent Chapter Verse 6. your Old reads Mediator of a better Testament and in the margent Or Covenant your New reads better Covenant and in the margent or Testament This better is called ver 8 13. by your New The New Covenant by your Old The New Testament In the Original The same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in all these places which properly signifies Testament yet in all these places Mr. Beza constantly translates faederis Covenant Nay you your self are not afraid of the Covenant but fly to it For in your ejaculation 20. using St. Pauls words Heb. 12. you say I am desirous to come unto Mount Sion and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant yet even there in the margent is or Testament And Mr. Beza contrary to his custome translates Testamenti Hence it appears that your own Translators use these two words indifferently to signifie but one and the same thing as meer synonyma insomuch as Mr. Beza above in the frontispiece writes novum faedus and a little beneath Novum Testamentum I cannot see then what comfort you can have out of those words Heb 9. 15. more then out of the rest For in very deed Christs New Testament is no other then a new conditional Covenant with us by which we are bound cooperating with his Grace to do very many things our selves docentes eos servare omnia quaecunque mandavi vobis Matth. 28. 20. for the obtaining of the promised inheritance wherein if we faile we shal never attain thereto For as your self say excellently well A covenant doth wholly depend upon mutual conditions which if either party fail the Covenant is broken and made of none effect The Answer 1. T Is unwarantable in Divines to make new work but t is unsufferable if not unpardonable in them to make new Divinity They make new work when they raise needless contentions and strifes about words They make new Divinity when they contend for those Things which God hath not taught or against those Things which God hath taught in his most holy Word This last and worst Age of the world hath been guilty of both and this your last exception may justly seem to come under the suspicion of the same Guilt For the first part of it makes new work by raising a needlesse contention about words Testament and Covenant which in common Scripture use are meer Synonyma signifying the same Thing And the latter part of it would faine make new Dâ—…vinity contending for such a new Covenant as is not whiles it labours to set up the Old instead of the New Covenant 2. But what though Testament and Covenant are promiscuously taken in their common use and have one and the same signification yet I hope in some peculiar respects they may have distinct notions and so come under several considerations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—…esbyter and Bishop are promiscuously used in the New Testament will you therefore turn Presbyteâ—…ian and deny the distinct Office and Function of Episcopacy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are promiscuously used in the Monuments of the Church this being in the first Ephesin Council the inscription of Neâ—…orius his Epistle to Cyril Patriarch of Alexandria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Copie of the Epistle of Nestorius to Pope Cyril for Patriach will you therefore turn Protestant and deny the Supreme Jurisdiction now arrogantly challenged and as insolently exercised in the Papacy I hope though you cannot gainsay the promiscuous and common use yet you will still maintain the distinct and peculiar considerations of
may justly be who seem to make it all one with the Old yet I ought not to be afraid of Jesus the only Author Preserver and Redeemer of my life the only joy and blessing and comfort of my death You say I am not afraid of the Covenant I know I am not afraid of Jesus nor do I say I am desirous to come to Mount Sinai where the Covenant properly so called was repeated but to Mount Sion where the Testament properly so called is really fulfilled and the inheritance conveyed thereby is actually possessed And the words that I quoted import no lesse I am desirous to come to Jesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant For the reason of my desire is because He is the Mediatour of the New Covenant the Covenant of Grace not of the Old Covenant the Covenant of Justice or of works for Moses was the Mediatour of that at least as it was renewed on Mount Sinai but of the New Covenant the Covenant of Grace whereof Jesus was the Maker to put Mercy in it and is the Mediatour to put me into that Mercy Thus you see it is a threefold Cord twisted with Custome Conscience and Truth as with three twists which labours to pull down this your Objection the Custome of speech the Comfort of conscience and the Truth of the Gospel all three concurring together to make me say I am desirous to come to Jesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant and seeing this I suppose you will no longer seek to maintain such an Objection for 't is not ingenuous to stand against Custome not Religious to stand against Conscience not Honest to stand against Truth 7. And thus much in answer to the Verbal part of your exception whereby you have made me some new Work I now come to the real part of it whereby you seem very willing to make some new Divinity for if it be not True it must be called New by that infallible Rule Id verum quod primum That is Trust which is Oldest as coming immediately from the Ancient of dayes or from the first Truth For in very deed say you Christs New Testament is no other than a new conditional Covenant with us by which we are bound cooperating with his Grace to do very many things our selves for the obtaining of the promised inheritance wherein if we fail we shall never attain thereto which seems to me a very strange Assertion for so you have vented it and yet a more strange definition for so you seem to intend it The Assertion is strange because it is Authentical and yet withal Ambiguous such as may be much admired but little approved For he that will speak positively ought not to speak doubtfully as you are positive in denouncing the irrecoverable losse of Heaven but doubtful in declaring by what means we may prevent that losse you speak with authority enough to terrifie us but not with perspicuity enough to instruct us You say plainly We are bound to do very many things for the obtaining of the promised inheritance wherein if we fail we shall never attain thereto But you say not one word concerning any of those things wherein we are bound not to faile So you put our Salvation upon unknown conditions which is the way to fill our souls with perplexity instead of piety and since what is not known cannot be done you may also put our Salvation upon impossible conditions which is the way to turne our perplexity into desperation our desperation into damnation 8. And I think this is enough to prove it a strange Assertion for it doth not explaine but rather obscure the thing defined as agreeing more with the Old than with the New Covenant For put Moses his Old Testament instead of Christs New Testament and you shall not need change any one particle of the whole definition but it will all agree with the one as well as with the other and so it may go after this manner For in very deed Moses his Old Testament is no other than an old conditional Covenant with us by which we are bound cooperating with Gods Grace to do very many things our selves for the obtaining of the promised inheritance wherein if we fail we shall never attain thereto So that you have given us a Definition that will fit the Old Covenant as well as the New and therefore truly fit neither since it cannot fit both which must needs be a very strange definition confounding that Covenant it should explaine for which cause it is Unlogical very strange to reason and making that one Covenant which God hath made two Covenants for which cause it is Untheological very strange to Religion For he which hath said Those things which God hath joyned together let not man put asunder Mat. 19. 6. hath thereby said according to the rule of Contraries Those things which God hath put a sunder let not man joyne together And God hath put the Old and the New Covenant as farre asunder as he hath put Heaven and Hell as he hath put Salvation and Damnation For by the Old Covenant Do this and live all mankind after the Fall must have perished there 's the Damnation But by the new Covenant Believe and thou shalt live none that lay hold on Christ and keep with him and stick to him shall perish there 's the salvation For S. Paul hath told us expressely that God will judge the World not by the Law which will condemn the most innocent and the most righteous since the losse of our first innocen'cy and righteousness but by the Gospel which will condemn only the unrepenting and unbelieving sinner In the day that God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Rom. 2. 16. never any yet though he had a most innocent hand had so innocent an heart that he durst say his secret thoughts were innocent wherefore he must needs be condemned in the Judgement if God should Judge him according to the Law and not according to the Gospel Nor yet will the Gospel acquit him if he be not innocent any more than the Law will acquit him because it hath the same precepts of innocency with the Moral Law according to which precepts the last Judgement will be given and pronounced only it will accept of his innocency by Faith and Repentance whereas the Law will accept only of his innocency by perfect Obedience The Judgement is not like to be the lesse righteous for being according to the Gospel but the more merciful because though Jesus Christ in Judging us will proceed according to the Rule of the Law which is the same with the Rule of the Gospel yet he will not proceed according to the Covenant of the Law Do this and live but according to the Covenant of the Gospel Believe and thou shalt be saved 10. For the Moral Law is to be considered as a Rule of Righteousness Do this and as a Covenant of Life Do this and live as
go to the Old Testament for a mitigation of the Covenat of works for even under the Law was a mixture of the Covenant of Grace Teaching salvation by Faith and Repentance For indeed presently after the fall of Adam whereby man had not onely broken the Covenant of works made Gen. 2. 17. but had also disabled himself for ever keeping it God was in mercy pleased to establish the Covenant of Grace and with it a new hope of Salvation in the promised seed Gen. 3. 15. though he thought fit afterwards again by Moses to repeat the Covenant of works Exod. 19. 5. and to hold the Jews a long time under it through the Pedagogie of the Law that he might prepare the souls of men by acknowledging their own sinfulnesse to hunger and thirst after his righteousnesse and by seeing how short they came of the Covenant of works to flâ—…e for refuge to the Covenant of Grace For neither did the Jews themselves obtain Salvation by the Covenant of works which they did outwardly and openly professe in the Moral Law but by the Covenant of Grace which they did covertly profess in the Ceremonial Law pointing directly at the death of Christ in its Sacrifices For God himself hath told us That the Jews continued not in the Covenant he made with their Fathers when he brought them out of Egypt that is the Covenant of works and therefore he had Promised by his Prophet Jeremiâ—… such a Covenant to the Christians wherein they should be able to continue even the Covenant of Grace 13. For this is the main scope and drift of the Holy Ghost Heb. 8. to shew that Christ was the Mediator of a better Covenant or Testament then that whereof Moses had been the Mediator because Christs Testament was established upon better Promises v. 6. For the first or the old Covenant by Moses had in it such dark promises as through manâ—… ignorance could not well be uderstood and such hard conditions as through mans infirmity were not possible to be kept and this he proves first from the effect They continued not in my Covenant 2. From the sad consequent thereof and I regarded them not vers 9. But the second or the New Covenant by Christ had such plain and clear promises as might well be understood and such easie conditions as might well be kept which accordingly he proves from the manner of Gods giving the second Covenant and from the Covenant that was given 1. From the manner of Gods giving the second Covenant which was not outward according to the letter that killeth but inward according to the Spirit that giveth life I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts v. 10. that is I will give them an understanding to know me and a will to love me so that this Covenant being not given without the Spirit of Grace is very fitly called the Covenant of Grace because there is Grace given with it enabling us to keep it which is very well hinted in that expression of yours cooperating with his Grace 2. From the Covenant that was given wherein the Promise was I will be their God The condition was They shall be my people which Covenant of Grace though it had been made with Adam Gen. 3. and explained to Abraham Gen. 17. and confirmed to Isaac and Jacob long before the giving of the Law yet was afterwards so obscured and darkned by the Repetition of the Covenant of works under the Law by Moses That the Covenants of the Old and of the New Testament are considered by St. Paul as Two several Covenants and that first by Moses is looked on as the worser this second by Christ as the better Covenant for if that First Covenant had been faultless then should no place have been sought for the second For finding fault with them he saith I will make a new Covenant v. 7 8. A new Covenant though not absolutely in it self yet comparatively in regard of us and that not only in the Administration but also in the very Expression both according to its promise and according to its condition For though the substance of the Covenant be the same both to Jew and Christian as to Gods intention promising salvation to both alike only in and through our most blessed Redeemer yet because of its different expressions it may nor be called the same in their apprehensions for it was neither apprehended nor received by them as the same For surely the Christian can not but think that he hath both better Promises and better conditions and consequently a better Covenant then the Jew since these two are the parts of a Covenant For all shall know me saith God vers 11. to comfort the Christian against his Ignorance And I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesse ver 12. to comfort him against his Infirmities whereas the Law did only shew the Jew his Ignorance and his Infirmity but did remedy neither And upon this account the Spirit of God saith of our blessed Saviour That he is the Mediator of a better Covenant better not only accidentally or extrinsecally for the burden that is taken from it and for the Grace that is given with it but also better formally and intrinsecally after some sort for the better promises and better conditions that are given in it For to the Jew who had Moses his veil cast over his face and Moses his yoke cast upon his neck the promise of the Covenant was clouded with darknesse and the Condition of the Covenant was clogged with difficulties nay indeed with impossibilities But to the Christian to whom that Veil is don away and from whom that Yoke is taken away in Christ both the Promise is clear and the Condition is easie He hath told us so who made it so My yoke is easie and my burden is light Matth. 11. 30. For the promise of a Redeemer which was only foretold and prefigured to the Jew is verified to the Christian and the condition of perfect Obedience which was enjoyned to them is fulfilled for us That Obedience which Moses required of the Jews Christ hath performed for the Christians according to that of the Apostle Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth Rom. 10. 4. What is the end of the Law but righteousnesse even perfect righteousnesse And the true believer hath that both positively from the imputation of Christ righteousnesse and negatively from the non-imputation or from the remission of his own unrighteousnesse Therefore it is no wonder that the Covenant under the Law and the Covenant under the Gospel are considered as two several Covenants and that under the Gospel is called the Better for that Covenant must needs be better which promiseth Salvation upon a possible then that which promiseth it upon an impossible condition And such iâ—… the Covenant of the Gospel or the Covenant of Grace promising Salvation upon Faith and Repentance whereas the Covenant of the
Here the primum Praedicatum the first thing Preached is Repent for not doing and Believe in him that hath done it and you shall live There perfect obedience was not only the obligation of the persons Covenanting but also the condition of the Covenant here though it is still the obligation of the persons Covenanting for God hath not lost his right of cluiming nor Gods Law her power of requiring perfect obedience yet is it not the condition of the Covenant for the New Testament promiseth life upon true Faith which the Old Testament promised only upon full and perfect obedience and though it bids us obey as well as the Old yet it annexes not the conveyance of life upon our Obeying but upon our Believing requiring our obedience as a duty of Rightteousness but not making it the condition of life And whereas you say The New Testament is a conditional Covenant binding us to do very many things our selves for obtaining the promised inheritance I challenge you to name that one thing to which you dare annex your Fac vives Do this as you ought to do it and live upon doing of which so exactly and perfectly as Gods Law requires you dare be so hardy as to venture your soul or so easie as to hazard your Salvation I doubt not but you will be glad to admit of a mitigation and pray God to accept of your serious endeavour instead of your exact performance and of your true Repentance instead of your due Obedience and of your Saviours compleat doing it for you instead of your incompleat doing it for your self and then your Fac Vives will be but our Crede Vives your do this and live will be but our Believe in him that hath done it and live and you will become one of those Evangelical brethren whom your proud Justitiaries now so scoffe at or having broken the condition of the Covenant that is perfect Obedience you must be contented to lose the Promise of the Covenant that is eternal Salvation for your self have approved that saying which I think no Divine is able to disprove A Covenant doth wholly depend upon mutual conditions which if either party faâ—…l the Covenant is broken and made of none effect which was the reason assigned by me why I was afraâ—…d of the Covenant and did fly to the Testament because I found better Conditions in the Testament properly so called than in the Covenant and 't is something strange you should at the same time dislike my Doctrine about the Testament and yet approve the reason of it about the Covenant For my part I cannot but think it neerly concernes all Christian Divines as the Trustees of Gods Truth and of their neighbours souls least they should betray them both together not to clog Christs Covenant of Salvation with impossible conditions such as God hath not required and man cannot performe even with the conditions of impeccable righteousness and perfect obedience in and from themselves which have been fulfilled and are to be expected only in and from their Saviour For he that said to his Apostles Docentes eos servare omnia quaecunque mandavi vobis Mat. 28. 20. did likewise say to one of them and in him to all the rest Testificans Judaeis atque gentibus in Deum poenitentiam fidem in Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Act. 20. 21. He that said by St. Matthew Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded to make his people zealous of good works did also say by St. Luke testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ to make his people see their works were not so good but that they needed Faith and Repentance to make them better and therefore God though in Justice he required their most perfect obedience perfect in parts according to the Tenour of all his Commandements and perfect in degrees according to the rigour of them yet he was pleased in mercy to accept the will for the deed sincere obedience for perfect obedience the entire endeavour for the full performance and had accordingly in this Covenant of Grace annexed their Salvation not to the condition of their perfect obedience as in the Covenant of works but to the condition of their Faith in Christ who was made obedient to the death even the death of the Crosse to make an atonement for their disobedience Both the Covenants were made with Adam for all mankind the Covenant of Works before his fall the Covenant of Grace soon after it And though they were very neer joyned in time for Adam is generally thought not to have stood one full day in his innocency yet are they very farre separated in nature even as farre as Justice and Mercy in God or innocency and sin in man the one Covenant being to save the Righteous by the Rules of Justice the other being to save the sinner by the pleas of Mercy The Covenant renewed to the Jews by Moses was that of Works to keep them in bondage that they might gaspe and sigh and groan after their Redeemer The Covenant renewed to the Christians by our Saviour Christ is that of Grace to enstate them in libertie that they may see the Mercy and enjoy the Comfort of their Redemption What was of Grace or Mercy in the Covenant by Moses was not from Moses but from Christ Not from the Covenant but from the Testament and therefore that was properly called a Covenant because it gave life only upon the strict Rules of Justice But this is more properly called a Testament because it gives life upon the relaxation of those strict Rules of Justice and admits the condescensions and mitigations of mercy Each Covenant is Conditional promising everlasting life only to those who keep its Conditions Bur the Covenant of Works promiseth life upon the Condition of Doing accepting only of perfect Righteousness and Obedience The Covenant of Grace promiseth life upon the Condition of Believing accepting of Righteousness and Obedience if it be sincere though it be not perfect that is Accepting of Repentance for Obedience and of Faith for Righteousness So that the New Testament by Christ though it be a conditional Covenant as was the Old by Moses yet hath it not the same Condition with that as your words import but a Condition quite different from it sc. the Condition of Believing instead of doing For so it is said God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to blesse you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Act. 3. 26. In that our Jesus came to bless us by turning us from our iniquities 't is evident we must turn from our sins or we cannot have his blessing But in that 't is He that blesseth us 't is as evident our blessing depends not upon our Obedience but upon our Faith not upon our Own but upon His Righteousness Wherefore though we allow and affirme that all things
we have been reconciled so also that we shall be saved And therefore we must take that for the condition of Salvation in the Covenant of Grace which sends us immediately to Him to wit Our believing and not that which sends us to our selves though it proceed from him to wit Our Doing Thus hath the common mother of all Christians the Catholick Church taught all her sons to pray That in all our works begun continued and endâ—…d in thee we may glorifie thy Holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain ever lasting life placing all the hopes of eternal life not in mans Duty but in Gods mercy that is not in Doing but in Believing He that is constantly prevented in all his Doings by Gods most gratious favour and as constantly furthered by his continual Help must needs have the best confidence of his Doings yet may not hope to obtain the promised Inheritance of everlasting life by Doing without being a Schismatick in receding from the Unity and a Heretick in departing from the Verity of the Catholick Church in this excellent Prayer unlesse we will say which were impious once to think That the Catholick Church teacheth such Devotions as are contrary to her own Doctrine 18. Nor doth this assertion any whit lessen the Obligation though it doth very much sweeten the condition of the new Testament It is the same in effect with the old Covenant as to the Matter of its Command though not as to the form of its promise for it requires what we are bound but it accepts what we are able to perform It commends our entire Obedience but it assures Life upon our unfeigned faith and repentance And it is so far from diminishing or lessening any wilful sin either of omission or of commission that it rather augments and aggravates the same For whereas wilful offenders did before trample under foot the Word of God whereby they should have been restrained now they also trample under foot the Blood of God whereby they have been redeemed from their fins Tell me what is wanting in their Obligation who are bound by promise and vow to these three things 1. To fosake the Devil and all his works the pomps and vanities of the wicked world and all the sinful lusts of the flesh 2. To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith 3. To keep Gods holy will and Commandements and to walk in the same all the daies of their life And every childe that is trained up in our Church knows he was bound to all these when he first received the Seal of the New Covenant and therefore cannot but look upon all these as the material parts of his Obligation by that Covenant and upon himself as a most perfidious wretch if He wilfully fail in any part of his Obligation and as a most miserable wretch if he do not earnestly repent of his failings But will you therefore say That because he hath failed in these he hath forfeited his Salvation Is Doing all these as they ought to be done for else 't is not doing of them the formal part of the Covenant of Grace or the condition of life in that Covenant May we not say That he forsakes the world the flesh and the Devil who doth not follow and is not led by them That he believes all the Articles of the Christian Faith who cries out with tears Lord I believe help thou my unbelief and that he keeps Gods Commandements who prays with hearty sorrow Lord have mercy upon me and with hearty desire Incline my heart to keep thy Law or write all thy Laws in my heart I beseech thee If we may say so then this is that which God requires to our Salvation and by this we perform the condition of that Covenant by which we hope to be saved wherefore though Doing be derived into the Constitution yet it is not derived into the Condition of the New Covenant The Constitution of the New Covenant is as it was of the Old according to Justice exacting the compleat performance of our Duty as it is said This day thou art become the People of the Lord thy God Thou shalt therefore obey his voice and do his Commandements Deut. 27. 9 10. and that is properly called Doing But the condition of the Nâ—…w Covenant is meerly according to mercy accepting our sincere resolution for our compleat performance and that is properly called Believing This is the Condition which we must fulfil or we can have no right to the promised Inheritance And since this is the only Condition we can fulfil we may not put in another instead of this no more then we may put our selves out of the Hope and Right to Gods Promises And we Protestants do conceive we have the greater reason to oppose your merit of works because That hath been a means to make you oppose the grace and mercy of Gods New Covenant yet to shew to you and to all the world That we so stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made 〈◊〉 free as to abandon all manner of Libertinism we acknowledge no other Faith to fulfil the Condition of the Covenant of Grace but such as teacheth us to fulfil all manner of righteousness A Faith that devotes the whole man to God In his understanding by knowing and believing In his will by loving and embracing In his affections by desiring and prosecuting In his Actions by conforming and obeying A Faith that believes in whole Christ even in Jesus Christ our Lord receiving him in all his Offices not only as a Priest to reconcile us by his death there 's Jesus and as a Prophet to instruct us by his word there 's Christ but also a King to rule and govern us by his Laws there 's Lord A Faith that believes not only speculatively to sanctifie the contemplation but also Practically to sanctifie the conversation having a firm resolution of obeying Christ in all things and a serious repentance for its defects and wants of Obedience And such a repentance that devotes the whole life to God by an entire aversion from all sin and by an entire conversion to all righteousness with the whole powers and faculties both of soul and body of soul to detest sin of body to decline it of soul to hunger and thirst after righteousness of body to endeavour and to act it He that is not thus qualified in some degree doth falsly think himself in the state of Grace and he that is not in the state of Grace doth in vain hope to be saved by the Covenant of Grace and concerning such a man the question is now as unanswerable and will be to the worlds end as it was at first making Can Faith save him Jam. 2. 14. For the Faith that fulfils the condition of the New Covenant labours for our full conformity with our blessed Saviour and laments and bewails all our failings and defects in the persuit and desire of that consormity It layeth an absolute necessity upon
Covenant is there must of necessity be the life of the Covenanter Therefore if I will have the full comfort of the death of Christ overcoming for me the sharpness of death and opening to me the gates of everlasting life and rescuing me from the guilt of sin the terrors of hell and the tyranny of the Devil I must go to the Testament which tells me of Christs death not to the Covenant which threatens mine own by shewing me the multiplyed offences of my sinful life And in truth he that will deny this to be the proper signification of the word Testament must also deny St. Pauls argument which here depends wholly upon the proper signification of that word And for this cause saith the Apostle He is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the Promise of eternal inheritance For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator Heb. 9. 15 16. He saith not the Mediator of the New Covenant which supposeth the life of the Covenanter but of the New Testament which supposeth the death of the Testator and accordingly he placeth all the strength of his argument in the word Testament which by vertue of Christs death gave us redemption from transgressions and admission to an eternal inheritance So that we had need go to the Testament not to the Covenant both for our Redemption and for our Inheritance For the transgressions which were under the Old Covenant that of works here called the First Testament because as it was repeated by Moses it was not dedicated without blood v. 18 19. could not be expiated but by the Redemption that was under the New Testament wherefore the Covenant puts us in fear of captivity and death and 't is only the Testament gives us hopes of liberty and life And accordingly the Apostle useth the word Testament of purpose to proclaime the abundant Grace and Goodnesse of God to mankind that after our fall he was pleased to give us not a Covenant but a Testament For a Covenant is a matter of strict Justice having mutual conditions between both parties which if either fail the agreement is of none effect But a Testament is a matter of more Grace as being the conveyance of an inheritance without any harsh conditions imposed upon the Heires and before any obliging offices performed by them And such was the Act of God to us sinful men when we had disabled our selves to performe the conditions of his Covenant It was a Testament to instate us in the right of Salvation by the death of our Redeemer and therefore the Apostle sets it forth with the adjuncts and properties not of a Covenant but of a Testament For the proper adjuncts of a Covenant are not Blood and the Death of the Covenant-Maker which two alone are here mentioned since a Covenant is rather voided than established by death but both these are the proper adjuncts of a Testament which though made before the death of the Testator yet is not established till after it wherefore since our blessed Saviour did presignifie and promise his own death and the effusion of his own blood by Typical Sacrifices till he verified that Promise by the real Sacrifice of himself upon the Cross the Spirit of God in this place thought fit to make choice of the word Testament whereby to express this Act of his free Grace and favour towards us and sure no Minister of Gods Church may justly be questioned for speaking after the dialect of Gods Spirit 5. For what should a sinful soul do but gaspe after Gods free Grace acknowledging it to be Grace because she is â—…worthy and to be free Grace that she may not be uncapable of it For as she may easily perish by opposing it so she must necessarily perish by not obtaining it And the desire of opposing Grace must needs be a great impediment in obtaining Grace for God that gives Grace above our deserts wil not give it against our desires since it is expressely said That God resisteth the proud and therefore most resisteth those that are most proud even the proud in spirit who dare capitulate with his Justice but giveth Grace to the humble and therefore most Grace to those who are most humble even to the meek and lowly in heart who rely wholly upon his mercy And this consideration alone though you see it is not alone was enough to make me say and is enough to justifie my saying I am afraid of the Covenant and fly to the Testament for by the Covenant I can look only for Justice which I am afraid to find but by the Testament I can look for mercy which I desire to find here for the Comfort hereafter for the Salvation of my soul And if any be so hardy as to venter his soul upon the terms of Justice I may allow him to have the greater confidence but I cannot allow him to have the greater Comfort and I wish he may not have the lesser Salvation 6. And whereas you tell me Nay you your self are not afraid of the Covenant but fly to it for in your ejaculation 20. using S. Pauls words Heb. 12. you say I am desirous to come to mount Sion and to Jesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant I crave leave to tell you that this objection was farre fetcht to shew you were willing to make it and may be as deare bought if I can shew you are not able to maintain it For I was bound to alledge St. Pauls words as I found them translated that none might be mistaken in my allegation and I found them thus translated To Jesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant Therefore in that I alledged them so I only shewed my self not afraid of the translation but I might still for all that be afraid of the Covenant For custome that ought to regulate speech which is established by it ought not to regulate conscience which it cannot establish The Word may be confined where the Thought is at liberty I speak for others but I Think for my self therefore I must speak according to Custome and yet may still think according to Conscience But I will not plead Custome when I may justly plead Comfort for in these words is nothing at all to terrifie my soul but very much to comfort and to settle it For it is said The Mediatour of the New Covenant which is every jot as comfortable as the Mediatour of the New Testament for it directs our hearts as immediately to our blessed Saviour since as the New Testament was confirmed so the New Covenant was signed and sealed with his Blood the only Balme to heal wounded Spirits the only Anchor to settle floating consciences Nay yet more here is Jesus expressely named To Jesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant so that if I were afraid of the New Covenant as you
if it said You shall not live unless you do this The Law as a Rule of Righteousness Do this is repeated and reenforced in the Gospel but as a Covenant of Life intimating we shall not live unlesse we do this it is abolished by the Gospel And so much of the Gospel was revealed to the Jews even whiles they were detained under the Law as to let them see they were not saved or delivered because they had performed the Duty but because God would performe the Mercy of his Covenant for this is the only reason that is given of their deliverance out of Egypt God remembred his Covenant with Abraham with Isaac and with Jacob Exod. 2. 24. which is farther explained and confirmed by the Prophet Ezekiel in his story of their rebellions in Egypt in the Wilderness and in the land of Canaan Ezek. 20. where all along the reason of Gods saving and delivering them is only his own undeserved goodness and mercy For when he looked upon their breaking the Conditions then it follows I said I will pour out my fury upon them ver 8 13 21. But when he looks upon his own Promise in the Covenant then it follows But I wrought for my names sake ver 9 14 22. Throughout the whole Chapter there is a kind of dispute betwixt Gods Justice and his Mercy His Justice calling for their destruction but his Mercy interceding for their deliverance And this God would have registred not only by way of doctrine for their instruction but also by way of praise and thanksgiving for their Devotion Hence we find it also recorded in the Psalmes which were the chiefest part of their Liturgy as Psal. 89. If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandements ver 32. Neverthelesse my Covenant will I not break ver 34. And again Psal. 106. ver 23. He said he would have destroyed them why did he not performe his saying Moses his chosen stood before him in the gap and if we look into Exod. 30. we shall find that Moses stood in the gap and besought God by three arguments 1. By his former benefits which would be lost ver 11. but that prevails not because they had abused them 2. By his own glorious Name which would be dishonoured among the Egyptians vers 12. but niether doth that prevail for better his Name be dishonoured among his Enemies then among his Servants 3. By his Promises made to the Fathers ver 13. and that alone prevailed for after that it presently follows And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people v. 14. The cause of their Salvation is wholly imputed to Gods goodnesse which made him promise them mercy before they were his Servants and shew them mercy after they had revolted from his Service And though Christians are grown so wan'on as to dallie with Christ or so bold as to contest with him about their Salvation yet t is clear the Jews did look to be saved only by their Messias which is the same with our Christ For their Faith passed through the blood of all their own daily Sacrifices to the Blood of Christ to which they had relation and from which they had their virtue as appears from the Title of the 22. Psalm as 't is explained in the Chaldee Paraphrast A Psalm to praise God withall at or for the powerful and perpetual oblation of the morning shewing that this Psalm was given to the Priests and Levites that it should be sung by them every morning to direct all their thoughts unto and fix all their hops upon the death and passion of Christ whereof this Psalm was rather a History then a Prophecy through whom alone all their oblations were powerfull and for whom they were Perpetual through whom they were accepted and for whom they were continued 11. And this the Jews themselves did know very well or else their Priests and their Scribes could not so readily have answered That Christ was to be born in Bethlehem and have cited the Prophecie of Micah to justifie their answer Mat. 2. For thus it is written by the Prophet And thou Bethlehem in the Land of Judah art not the least The Prophet had said Thou art the least sc. in thy self but they said and St. Matthew from them Thou art not the least sc. in relation to Christ who was the Gouernour to come from thence for thus both sayings are true in several respects And since 't is very probable that the Priests and Scribes themselves first made this change and that St. Matthew only related the same as he found they had made it T is evident that even in those times of greatest blindness They had light enough to see Christ though they had not Grace enough to receive Him Thus they looked unto Christ in all their worship which shews they hoped for Salvation more from their Faith then from their Obedience even whiles they were held under the Law as the Covenant of Obedience And therefore by the same reason they could not but also hope for salvation more from their Repentance then from their Righteousnesse because their Faith in Christ being commanded and accepted did shew the relaxation of the Law as it was the Covenant of Obedience and consequently did promise the acceptance of unfained repentance instead of impeâ—…able Righteousnesse Hence that General Rule of one of their greatest Doctors R. David Kimchi upon Jonah 3. 9. Omne verbum quod loquitur Deus malefacere filiis hominum est sub conditione si non refipuerint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every word which God speaketh threatning to do hurt to the sons of men is to be understood with this condition If they do not repent so that the curses for transgressing the Moral Law which were incurred through default of Obedience were not inflicted but for defect of repentance and that even under the Law whiles it remained in its greatest force as the Covenant of works and of Obedience For even then was it a part of the Jews Faith to believe and of their Religion to give thanks after this manner Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy name Praise the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits which forgiveth all thy sin and healeth all thine infirmities which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness Psal. 103. What better Faith can any Christian have then to believe that God for Christs sake forgiveth all the sins he hath committed healeth all the infirmities he hath contracted saveth his life from the destruction he hath deserved And what better Thanks giving can any Christian use then to say Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits 12. So that if Christians will not go to the Gospel they may go to the Law if they will not go to the New they may
Law or the Covenant of works did promise Salvation only upon perfect Obedience 14. And hence it is That St. Paul disputes so eagerly against the Law calling it our Gaoler to shut us up in prison Gal. 3. 23 Our Scholemaster to keep us under the Rod Gal. 3. 24. Our Accuser to work wrath Rom. 4. 15. nay our Executioner to minister death and condemnation 2 Cor. 3. 7 9. not speaking of the Law materially as it is in it self but Formally as it was then in its use For the Law in it self is the rule of Justice and Holinesse even an undefiled Law converting the Souls both of Jews and Christians and in that respect the very end and scope of the Gospel 1. And if we thus consider the Law t is all one to be Antinomian and to be Antichristian But the Law in its use to the Jew was a Covenant of life and Salvation requiring of him perfect Obedience if he would be saved and in that respect besides that it engaged to ritual observances the Law stood in opposition against the Gospel 2. And if we thus consider the Law we must be Antinomian that we may not be Antichristian wherefore the same Apostle St. Paul entring a comparison between the Ministers of the Law and of the Gospel proveth that the Ministery of the Gospel is so far more excellent then the Ministery of the Law as the Gospel of life and liberty is more glorious then the Law of death and condemnation 2 Cor. 3. For saith he the Law or the Old Testament was only external of the letter that killeth But the Gospel or the New Testament is internal of the Spirit that giveth life ver 6. 3. The Law was of the letter shewing us our duty and killing us for not doing it The Gospel is of the Spirit giving us grace to do our duty and life for doing it So excellent is the New Testament above the Old in its conditions Again The Law was obscure as it were vailed with Types and shadows with a kind of curtain before it that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of it because their minds were blinded and even unto this day when Moses is read the vail is upon their heart v. 13 14 15. But the Gospel is clear and perspicuous making us with open face behold aâ—… in a glass the glory of the Lord v. 18. So excellent also is the New Testament above the Old in its Promises Therefore to confound the Gospel with the Law or the New with the Old Testament is to confound light with darknesse life with death liberty with bondage 15. This made St. Paul so vehemently expostulate with or rather exclaime against the Galathians saying Tell me ye that desire to be under the Law do you not heare the Law Gal. 4. 21. He justly upbraids them with desiring it saith St. Chrys. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it was not a thing that had been of his Preaching but only of their own phansying not a thing that God required but that themselves desired not a matter of their Obligation but only of their Contention to be under the Law as it was a Covenant of Life and Salvation and accordingly he confutes this their desire even by the Law it self shewing that if they looked into the Allegory therein delivered by Moses they would find as great a difference betwixt the Old and the New Testament as was betwixt Abrahams two wives Agar and Sarah which represented the said two Testaments For as Abraham had two wives the one a bond woman the other a free woman so God had made two Covenants or Testaments with mankind the one under the Law which gendred unto bondage the other under the Gospel which hath free born children These are the two Covenants ver 24. And as Agar though accounted fruitful yet brought but a small progeny to Abraham by Ishmael whereas Sarah who was looked upon as barren brought a great progeny to him by Isaac So the Old Testament brought forth children to God only in the confines and precincts of Judea but the New Testament is fruitful over the face of the whole Earth Therefore it is said Rejoycâ—… thou barren that bearest not for the desolate that is The Christian Church represented by Sarah hath many more children than she which hath an husband that is the Jewish Synagogue represented by Agar ver 27. And as Agar had children borne after the flesh or according to the course of nature But Sarah had children born after the Spirit or by vertue of Gods Promise So the Old Testament for what appeared in the letter had nothing but the ordinary strength of nature to bring forth children but the New Testament hath the extraordinary Grace of God Now we brethren as Isaac was are the children of Promise ver 28. Again as Ismael was of an unquiet and malicious disposition hating and persecuting his brother Isaac So those who look to be saved by the Old Testament trusting to themselves and the endowments of nature do scoffe and persecute those who look to be saved by tâ—…e New Testament trusting to their Saviour and the endowments of his Grace As then he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit even so it is now ver 29. Lastly As Ismael was at length cast out of his Fathers house and Isaac was made his sole heire so those that rely upon Moses and look to be saved by the Old Testament will be excluded out of Gods family whereas those who rely upon Christ and look to be saved by the New Testament will without doubt be admitted to his heavenly iuheritance Cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heire with the son of the free-woman ver 30. 16. But why should I labour to add light to the Sun-beam the most glorious beam of the Sun of Righteousness for by the consent of all Christians the very ground upon which Christianity is justified against Judaisme is this That the Old Testament delivereth but the figure and the shadow of the New wherefore we can go to the Old Testament only for the figure and shadow we must come to the New Testament for the body substance both of our Religion and of our Salvation So vast a difference is there betwixt the Old and the New Testament both in Gods and in his Churches account yet you seem to confound these two Testaments by saying The New Testament is a conditional Covenant by which we are bound to do very many things our selves for the obtaining of the promised inheritance wherein if we fail we shall never obtain the same For this definition placeth the obtaining of our inheritance not in Believing but in Doing whereas perfect obedience was the condition of Salvation in the Old but Faith is the condition of Salvation in the New Testament There the primum Praedicatum the first thing Preached was Do this and live
must be done by Christians which Christ hath commanded and that Christ hath commanded all the moral duties that were before commanded by Moses for Be ye perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Mat. 5. allows not a lesse but rather requires a greater perfection under the Gospel than under the Law yet we dare not take our Personal doing that is our doing by our selves for the condition of the New Covenant as if our Salvation depended upon that but only our Virtual Doing that is our Doing by our blessed Saviour whose obedience is made ours by the power of Faith or our hearty desire of Doing and sorrow for not Doing which is accepted as Obedience by the power of Repentance Bona opera per peccata mortificata reviviscunt per poenitentiam is the general Tenent of the School good works that have been buried by sin are revived by Repentance As our sins have power to bury our good works so our Repentance hath power to raise them up again which clearly shews it is not our Righteousnesse but only our Repentance that is above our sins For our Righteousnesse may be overcome and conquered by our sins but our sins cannot be overcome and conquered by our Righteousness we must go to our blessed Redeemer for that conquest but only by our Repentance 17. Wherefore I will make bold to change your definition and say Christs New Testament is a new conditional Covenant with us by which we are bound to repent for not perfectly doing all those things our selves which God hath commanded us and to believe in him that hath perfectly done them all for us that we may obtain the promised inheritance in which condition if we fail sc. of believing but not of Doing we shall never attain thereto for to put Doing properly so taken and 't is not for a Divine to speak improperly as the Condition of life or Salvation is to set up the Covenant of Works not the Covenant of Grace and that is to puzzle not to Preach true Christianity We find Adam had but one poor Commandement upon the first Covenant viz. Not to eat of the fruit of one single Tree among so many and he kept it not though he was endued with strength to keep it he was to do but one thing whiles he had his perfect strength and he did it not And how can you say that a better Covenant binds us to do many things or else to forfeit our inheritance now we have lost our strength and are not able to do rightly and perfectly so much as one Therefore pray let the Condition of life in the second Covenant not be our Doing but our Believing not our entire Obedience but our entire Repentance And let him alone have the glory of perfect Obedience who came from Heaven to purchase it and the rather because he purchased it not for himself but for us allowing the benefit of it to his Servants though he reserve the glory of it only to himself we must do the best we can to keep off and to east out the great Dragon that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan but pray let it be only the seed of the Woman that shall break this Serpents Head and let not us think we are able to break it Nor have you made the condition of Salvation any whit lighter or easier by saying we are bound to do many things our selves then if you had said we are bounâ—… to do all things For if Doing be the condition of life it must reach to All Things that are to be done else not Doing will be the Condition as well as Doing And without doubt if we can do any one thing so exactly and perfectly as fully to satisfie the Obligation of the Law we may do many and consequently All and then what need we the seed of the Woman to break the Serpents Head since we can break it our selves for if we can take away his sting we may easily break his Head Now the sting of the Serpent is sin and the strength of sin is the Law Therefore if the Law be fully kept sin can have no strength and the Serpent can have no sting I do not think there is in all Christendom so religious a Votarie but will confesse that the old Serpent hath at some time or other by his sophistry beguiled him with his venome defiled him by his power overcome him and that therefore in himself he hath been captivated under Ignorance guiltinesse and infirmity even through his actual sins and should still have been detained under that captivity if God had not mercifully given him such a Redeemer who was pleased to be his Prophet to instruct his Ignorance his Priest to expiate his guiltiness and his King to strengthen his Infirmities If he confesse this he hath great reason to mistrust his own doing If he confesse it not He hath the greater reason to instruct himself For his ignorance keeping him from the knowledge of what he is to do his guiltiness keeping him from the desire and his weaknesse keeping him from the power of doing it he cannot hope to be saved by his Obedience but by his Faith not by his Doing but by his Believing Thus St. Paul preached the Covenant of Grace saying He was an Apostle of Jesus Christ according to the Faith of Gods Elect and the acknowledgement of the Truth which is after Godlinesse there 's the Obligation to righteousness in the Covenant of Grace But this righteousnesse is not the condition of life in that Covenant for it follows In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began Tit. 1. 1 2. The eternal life is not annexed to mans performance but to Gods promise not to mans duty but to Gds mercy For this promise of eternal life was made before man was created and it was made to Christ the eternal Son of God on mans behalf That all who should believe in him according to the Faith of Gods Elect and the acknowledgement of the Truth which is after Godliness should through that Faith come to eternal life Upon this Promise did God seek us when we were lost restore us when we were dead reconcile us when we were his enemies and upon this same promise will he save us now we are his Servants For though all men are lyars and fail of their Godliness yet God that cannot lye will not fail of his promise Thus again saith the same St. Paul For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10. There was first an Atonement to be made for our reconciliation before there could be a Covenant made for our Salvation And as mans righteousness did not make the Atonement so neither doth mans righteousnesse fulfill the Covenant we are eternally obliged and should be wholy devoted to our blessed Saviour for both alike as That