of the Covenant which they principally signifie and what speciall things are therein required I will therefore first insist upon it a little Secondly I will shew the severall sorts of Covenants which the words signifie and will briefly describe all the Covenants betweene God and Men Thirdly out of the severall descriptions I will gather the agreement and difference betweene the Old and the New Covenant And lastly I will make some use and application of these considerations to our selves First the derivation of the words of it if it be rightly considered may give us great light The Hebrew word Berith is of some derived from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Barar to purifie and to purge out Drosse Chaffe and all uncleannesse and to choose out and separate the pure from the impure the gold and silver from the drosse and the pure Wheate from the Chaffe The reasons of this derivation are two One because God in making the Covenant of naturall life did choose out man especially with whom he would make the Covenant And in the Covenant of Grace he doth chuse out the multitude of the Elect even his Church and faithfull people whom he did separate by Predestination and Election from all eternity to be an holy people to himselfe in Christ The other reason is because in a true and lawfull Covenant both parties must be of pure hearts free from all deceit and Sophistry and must deale faithfully and meane plainely and sincerely in every point and article Others derive the word Berith of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Bera which signifieth both to Elect or choose and also to divide or cut asunder The reasons wch they give are two The first because Covenants are not made but betweene choise persons chosen out one by another and about choise matters and upon choise conditions chosen out and agreed upon by both parties The second because God made the first Covenant of Grace and sealed it by sacrifices of Beasts slain divided and cut asunder and the choise fat and other parts offered upon the Altar and in making of great and solemne Covenants men in Old time were wont to kill and cut asunder sacrificed Beasts and to passe betweene the parts divided for a solemne testimony Gen. 15. 17. and Ier. 34. 18 Others derive the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth to eate and refresh ones selfe with meate whereof there is some reason to wit Because the Old Covenant of God made with Man in the Creation was a Covenant wherein the Condition or Law was about eating That Man should eate of all Trees and Fruits except of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill And in the solemne making and scaling of the Covenant of Grace in Christ the blessed Seed the publique Ceremony was slaying and sacrificing of Beasts and eating some part of them after the fat and choise parts were offered up and burnt on the Altar For God by vertue of that Covenant gave Man leave to eat the flesh of Beasts which hee might not doe in the state of innocency being limited to Fruits of Trees and Hearbes bearing Seed for his meate Gen. 1. 29. So also in solemne Covenants betweene men the parties were wont to eate together as appeares Gen. 31. 46. To these two other derivations may be added one that Berith may be derived of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth to create whereof there is good reason to wit because the first state of creation was confirmed by the Covenant which God made with Man and all creatures were to be upheld by means of observing of the Law and Condition of that Covenant And that Covenant being broken by Man the world made subject to ruine is upheld yea and as it were created anew by the Covenant of Grace in Christ The other derivation is of the Hebrew word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth fat because in the Covenant of Grace God promiseth to Man the fat of Heaven and of the Earth that is the most excellent blessings which Heaven and Earth can afford and Man offereth up to God the fat of his soul of all his goods that is the most precious things which he hath besides the sweet and most excellent and precious sacrifice which Christ offers up for him to God These are the divers derivations of the word Berith which I have observed out of the writings of the learned to which I have added these two last And because this word doth well agree with the sound and signification of all the words of which it is derived by severall learned men so that if wee should make choise of any one derivation we might seeme to reject and despise others which stand with as good reason I hold it the safest and surest way to account of this word as of a speciall word invented and given by the Spirit of God himself who sees and knowes all circumstances of every thing at once and that it is purposely framed out of all the words before named and includes in it the sum of them all being as it were the quintessence of them all distilled together into one perfect sense And howsoever it may seeme strange to some at the first blush that one word should be derived of many and receive a mixt signification from them all yet if they better consider it they shall see good reason for it and shall finde that it is no rare thing in holy Scripture for one word to signifie in one place divers things and one word to be derived of many and to borrow the severall significations of them all The proper name of the Prophet Samuel is derived of foure Hebrew words the first Shaal which signifies to Aske the second Hu which signifies Him the third Min which signifies Of the fourth El which signifies God And it is said 1 Sam. 1. 20. that his Mother called him Shemuel that is one asked of God because shee said I asked him of the Lord So the Prophet Isaiah called his sonne by Gods appointment Sheariashub wch is derived of severall words which signifie A remnant shall returne And the Prophet Ieremy by inspiration of Gods Spirit told Pashur the persecuting Priest that his name should be Magormissabib terrour round about or on every side because the Lord would make him a terrour to himselfe Ier. 20. 3. Now if one name may by the testimony of Gods Spirt be derived of divers words and borrow a mixt sense from them all as the word Samuel which is derived or compounded of foure words and doth hold the signification of them all though it includes but one letter of some of them much more may wee thinke that the word Berith is derived of all the words before named and includes in it the sense and signification of them all as well as it includes a syllable at least of every one of
them this is one strong and invincible reason Secondly wee have good reasons of every derivation as I have already shewed Thirdly the deriving of the word from all and not from one onely doth reconcile in one all the severall opinions of the Learned and justifies their several derivations without rejecting or offering any wrong or disgrace to any Fourthly the Greeke word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by which the Septuagint in their Greeke translation doe expresse the Hebrew word Berith and which the Evangelists and Apostles in the New Testament doe use to signifie a Covenant is derived of the Greeke word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which hath divers of the significations of the Hebrew words of which Berith is derived for it signifies to set things in order and frame to appoint orders and make Lawes to pacifie and make satisfaction and to dispose things by ones last Will and Testament Now to compose and set things in order is to uphold the Creation to walke by Orders Lawes made appointed is to walk by rule to live to deal plainely and faithfully without deceit To pacifie and make satisfaction includes sacrifices and sinne-offerings To dispose by Will and Testament implies choice of persons and gifts for men doe by Will give their best and most choise goods to their most deare and most choise friends Thus the Greeke which the Apostles use in the New Testament to signifie a Covenant to expresse the Hebrew word Berith wch is used in the Law and the Prophets doth confirme our derivation of it from all the words before named And this derivation of the Hebrew and Greeke names of a Covenant being thus laid downe and confirmed by these reasons is of great use First to shew unto us the full signification of the word Covenant and what the nature of a Covenant is in generall Secondly to justifie the divers acceptations of the Word and to shew the nature of every word in particular and so to make way for the knowledge of the agreement and difference betweene the Old and New Covenant First there we see that this Word signifies all Covenants in generall both Gods Covenant with men and also the covenants which men make among themselves For there is nothing in any true Covenant which is not comprised in the signification of this Word being expounded according to the former derivations Heere also we see what is the nature of a Covenant in generall and what things are thereunto required First every true Covenant presupposeth a division or separation Secondly it comprehends in it a mutuall promising and binding betweene two distinct parties Thirdly there must be faithfull dealing without fraud or dissembling on both sides Fourthly this must be betweeene choice persons Fiftly it must be about choyce matters and upon choice conditions agreed upon by both Sixtly it must tend to the well-ordering and composing of things betweene them All these are manifest by the significations of the words from which Berith is derived But I hold it not so needfull to stand upon the nature of a Covenant in generall I therefore come with speed to the divers acceptations of the Word and to the description of every speciall and particular Covenant which is needfull to be knowne of us CHAP. V. FIrst the Hebrew word Berith as also the names of Covenant in the Greeke and English tongue signifies a Covenant betweene God and Men Secondly it signifies the Covenants of men among themselves as Gen. 21. 27. It signifies the Covenant betweene Abraham and Abimelech and Gen. 31. 44. the Covenant betweene Iacob and Laban But here I have little to doe with Covenants betweene men The Covenant which I am to insist upon is betweene God and Men First the Covenant of naturall life and blessings which God made with Man in the creation Secondly the Covenant of Grace which God made with Man in Christ after Mans fall In the Covenant of Nature the parties were God the Creator and Man the Creature made after Gods Image and likenesse and so not contrary to God nor at enmity with him but like unto God though farre different and inferiour to God in Nature and substance The promises on Gods part were these That Heaven and Earth and all creatures should continue in their naturall course and order wherein God had created and placed them serving alwayes for mans use and that man should have the benefit and lordship of them all and should live happily and never see death The condition on Mans part was obedience to Gods Law and subjection to God his Creator in all things and this he was to expresse by obeying Gods voyce in every thing which he had already or should at any time command more especially in abstaining from the Tree of good and evill The Signe and Seale which God gave to Man for the confirmation of this Covenant was the Tree of Life which was to man a Sacrament and pledge of eternall Life on earth and of all blessings needfull to keepe man in life The receiving of this Seale was mans eating of the Tree of Life The end of this Covenant was the upholding of the Creation and of all the creatures in their pure naturall estate for the comfort of man continually This was the first Covenant which God made with man and this is called by the name Berith Iere. 33. 20. where God saith If you can breake my Covenant of the day and night and that there shall not be day and night in their season then may also my Covenant with David be broken In these words he speakes plainly of the promise in the creation That day and night should keepe their course and the Sunne Moone and Starres and all creatures should serve for mans use This though man did breake on his part yet God being immutable could not breake it neither did hee suffer his promise to faile but by vertue of Christ promised to man in the New Covenant doth in some good measure continue it so long as Mankinde hath a being on earth The Covenant of Grace is that which God made with man after his fall wherein of his owne free Grace and Mercy hee doth promise unto Mankinde a blessed Seed of the Woman which by bruising the Serpents head that is destroying the power and workes of the Devill should redeeme Mankinde and restore all that beleeve in that blessed Seed Christ to a more happy and blessed estate then that which was lost In this Covenant the parties were God Almighty offended by Mans sinne and provoked to just wrath and man by his wilfull transgression now become a Rebell and enemy against God and deserving eternall death so that here is great contrariety separation opposition and cause of enmity betweene the two parties and betweene them there was no possibility of peace and reconciliation without a fit and all sufficient Mediator necessarily comming betweene The things which God promiseth in this Covenant and for
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