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
both set before us Christs death and obedience and our communion with him and also confirme our faith and confidence in him As their Sacraments were parts of their profession and were testimonies of their love to God and were accounted Gods worship so are ours As their Sacraments did distinguish them from Pagans Infidels and all strange Sects so doe ours As their Sacraments had God their Authour so ours Ours and theirs are both Seales of the righteousnesse of Faith both are effectuall to beleevers onely both have the same effects increase of faith hope confidence love charity among men and the like Thus farre theâ—e two Covenants agree in the Seales Lastly they agree in the generall successe effect and sufficiency for both of them have had good successe and taken effect and bin sufficient to beget grace in the Elect to bring all true beleevers to eternall salvation and blessednesse As the Covenant plainely revealed in the Gospell brings all true Christians to beleeve in Christ and to finde comfort and salvation in his Mediation Intercession Righteousnesse Resurrection and victory over death So by the Covenant made of Old with the Fathers Adam Abel Enoch and Noah were brought to beleeve in Christ and were saved Enoch by faith in Christ was translated Noah by faith made the Arke to the saving of himselfe and his houshold Abraham saw by faith the day of Christ and by beleeving in him was justified Iob rejoyced that Christ God would plead for man with God and the Son of man for his friend and neighbour Iob 16. 21. and professed his faith and confidence in the Resurrection of Christ his Redeemer Iob 19. 25. CHAP. XIII The difference betweene the Covenant made with the Fathers and the Covenant with us THey differ divers wayes The first which is indeed the greatest difference of all is in respect of the darknesse and obscurity of the one and the plainnesse and perspicuity of the other The Covenant with the Fathers was every way and in every point more darke and obscure involved in types and shadowes of Christ The Covenant in the Gospell is plaine and perspicuous it removes the vaile and shewes Christ the substance with open face In the Old Covenant the severity of Gods justice and his just wrath and enmity against sinne did not so plainely appeare because the effect of them was not made manifest upon his own dear Sonne our Mediatour untill he came to suffer actually such ignominy reproach agonies and a most ignominious and cursed death for our sinnes which he tooke upon him to beare and which were imputed to him and punished in him our surety Gods not sparing him but afflicting him with all his stormes and delivering him up to hellish paines and agonies and to a cursed death doe wonderfully shew his infinite wrath against sinne which was but slenderly and darkely revealed to the Fathers in Types and Figures in the slaughter of Beasts and burning of sinne-offerings So likewise though in the Old Testament we reade of God and some mention of his Sonne Psalm 2. 12. Prov. 30. 4. and of the Spirit of God and doe finde many phrases which signifie more persons then one or two in one Iehovah yet the Mystery of the Trinity was not so fully revealed as now it is in the Gospell wherein wee have plaine affirmation of three distinct persons the Father the Son and the holy Ghost in the unity of Gods essence and all the three are said to be one though by distinct properties and divers works they are described unto us severally and distinguished one from another And hereby we see that the new Covenant of the Gospel is more plaine and the old more darke in respect of the parties God and man betweene whom the Covenants are made Secondly in the old Christ the Mediatour was darkly shadowed out to the Fathers they had onely this knowledge of Christ that they should be saved by a Mediator that this Mediatour should be the seed of the woman that he should be the Archangell or Prince of Angels and Emanuel God with us yea and should be called the mighty God and should make atonement for sinne and bring in eternall righteousnesse But how God and man should in him become one person how God in him should be incarnate and humbled and stand in our place and beare our sins how he should fulfill the law in every particular point how he should satisfie Iustice and suffer the wrath of God these things were not distinctly nor fully revealed unto them only the extraordinary Prophets had some foresight of them and did more plainely at sometimes describe some of them But now in the Gospel wee see the person of our Saviour and his two Natures most plainly set forth before us the manner of his Birth and Incarnation the personal union of his Natures the manner of his obedience death and satisfaction and the particular uses of them as also the vertue of his resurrection and ascension And therefore the new Covenant is more plaine in respect of the Mediatour Thirdly all the promises of eternall life and Salvation and the condition on mans behalfe how and after what manner it should be performed also the things signified and confirmed by the seales were farre more darke and obscure in the old Covenant But in the new Covenant of the Gospel all these things are so plaine that even children may learne and understand them And thus in all respects and in all parts the Old was more obscure and the New is more plaine And this is the first and the maine difference Out of this there doe arise two other even a second and third difference betweene these Covenants The one which is the second in order is a difference in the parties received into the Covenants The old Covenant because of dimnesse and obscurity did shine forth but a little and gave light onely to them who were neare at hand and hereupon it came to passe that it reached to a very few sometimes but to one or two families and when it was in greatest force but to one Nation and people of the world But the new Covenant in brightnesse of knowledge and plainenesse of revelation doth shine like the Sunne and gives light farre and neere to all Nations even to them that sate in darkenesse and in the shadow of death And hereupon it comes to passe that people of all Nations are received into this Covenant and the parties which now enter league with God are not some few men or some one Nation but all Nations and people of the world God is one party and all Nations of the earth are the other party A third difference consists in the power efficacy successe and effect which is divers in these two Covenants For howbeit they agree in these generally because both of them have had successe taken effect and beene of power to bring many to salvation as is before noted Yet by
new Covenant though the substance be the same Experience teacheth this For when a man that hath a I ease of twenty yeares in an house gives it up and takes another of the same terme in more full and plaine words or when upon some defect which he findes in his deed of sale either in the forme of conveyance or in the sealing and the witnesses hee gives up his former deed and takes another of the same land sealed with other seales and testified by other witnesses this wee call a new deed though the land be the same and the purchase all one in substance and true meaning Now thus it is betweene the Covenant of Grace now under the Gospell and the same Covenant before the comming of Christ Though this is the same in substance and the salvation promised is the same even that wch is onely in Christ yet the manner of sealing is much altered and inverted and the outward seales also The Covenant had before many seales as Circumcision the Passeover and all the Sacrifices Ceremonies Types and Figures of the Law now it hath onely two Baptisme and the Lords Supper The old Seales were darke and obscure and had Christs image but dimly imprinted into them The new have a more lively resemblance of Christ In Baptisme there is the print of the whole Trinity The Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost And the signes in the Lords Supper are so like unto the Body and Blood of Christ that they are called by the same name Before the Gospell the Covenant was first sealed typically by Christs Blood and at last by the Blood it selfe Now the Covenant is first sealed by the Blood of Christ it selfe and afterwards to the end of the world it is sealed to us by evident signes and remembrances of Christs death given by himselfe as pledges to us The old seales were mutable the new are unchangeable The old sealing was much in outward shew and very little inwardly by the spirit The new is little in outward shew but more by the inward worke of the spirit The word of the covenant is now more abundantly written in mens hearts according to the word of the Lord Ier. 31. 33. This is the new Covenant I will put my law in their inward parts and will write it in their hearts Which words are to be understood thus not that the fathers had not the word written in their hearts but that it was not so deeply written nor in the hearts of so many as now it is Wherefore the seales and the manner of sealing being so much renewed and inverted we may truely call this a new Covenant Thus you see the description of the new Covenant now under the Gospel and the true reasons why it is called the new Covenant even when it is compared with the Covenant made with the Fathers which was the same in substance with it But if we compare it with the Covenant of Nature which is the Covenant of Works and of the Law made with Man in the Creation then it must of necessity be called new because that went before it and was in the time of mans innocency this came in after the fall that promised naturall life this promiseth spirituall also that tended to hold up the Old Adam this to build up the New So likewise if this new Covenant of the Gospell be compared with the Covenant which God made with Israel in the Wildernesse it may truely and must necessarily be called new For that was a mixt Covenant mixt of the Covenant of Nature and of Grace and contained in the Law which is the Covenant of Workes and the faith of the promise which is of the Gospell and of Grace as is before shewed And therefore in respect of the first part of that Covenant which promised life to the doers of the Law this is truely a new Covenant differing in substance from it and indeed the Apostles doe call this Covenant of the Gospell a new Covenant especially and chiefly in comparison of these two Covenants even that of pure nature and that mixt Covenant of the Law CHAP. VIII NOw having largely described the Covenant of the Gospell I proceed for our better satisfaction to shew more fully plainely and distinctly the true agreement and difference which is betweene the first Covenant of Nature and the second Covenant which is the Covenant of Grace and betweene the old and new publishing of the Covenant of Grace And first for orders sake I will shew how the Covenant of Nature and Grace doe agree and differ Secondly because the Covenant of Grace hath beene solemnly published three divers wayes First more darkly and obscurely to the Fathers from Adam untill the giving of the Law Secondly after a mixt manner to the Israelites by the Ministery of Moses Thirdly now at last most plainely and purely since the coming of Christ in the flesh by the Gospell preached and published to all Nations I will shew how this last publishing of the Covenant which is so glorious that it is called the New Covenant by a speciall prerogative doth agree with and differ from the two former publications made the one with the Fathers Adam Noah Abraham and the rest the other with the Israelites in the Wildernesse The cleer knowledge of which things may yeeld much fruit profit and comfort to the hearts and soules of true Christians CHAP. IX The agreement of the Covenant of Nature which is called the first with the Covenant of Grace which is called the second Covenant FIrst these two Covenants doe agree betweene themselves and that in three respects First the parties are in substance the same in both Covenants In the the first Covenant of Workes God was the one party and Adam the other And in the second the parties are still the same in Nature and substance to wit God and Adam with all mankinde his posterity Secondly they doe agree in divers of the promises and conditions In the first God promised unto man life and happinesse Lordship over all the creatures liberty to use them and all other blessings which his heart could desire to keepe him in that happy estate wherein he was created And man was bound to God to walke in perfect righteousnesse to observe and keepe Gods commandements and to obey his will in all things which were within the reach of his nature and so farre as was revealed to him In the second also the promise on Gods part is life and happinesse with all blessings thereto requisite Lordship over the creatures liberty to use them and a true right and title to them all and in lieu of these he requires of man perfect righteousnesse and obedience to his will and law in every point and title as our Saviour Christ saith Mat. 5. 18. Thirdly as the one had seales annexed unto it for confirmation so also hath the other The seale of the first Covenant was the Tree of Life which if Adam had received by taking
Testament is to say that Christ is the Testatour and his Death comes betweene to make it of force And to say that he is not the Testatour or that it is not ratified by his Death is to say it is no Testament But all Christians grant that both the Old and New Writings of the Covenant are Testaments Therefore it is manifest even by their names that Christ is Testator in both that the Legacies given are his gifts even himselfe and all his treasures and inheritance that his Blood healeth and his Death ratifieth both and thus in substance they agree being of one Christ of the same things both confirmed by one Death they must needes bee one and confirme one another and run one way if they go divers waies they must needs destroy one another if they destroy not one another it is plain they go both one way and do confirme and illustrate each the other which wee see evidently The difference then betweene them is onely in circumstance and in quality not in substance First the Old Testament did bequeath unto the Fathers righteousnesse of life expiation of sinne adoption of sonnes and eternall salvation and happiness in and through Christ the Mediatour promised being not yet come in the flesh but onely seen a farre off and apprehended by faith as the Apostle sheweth Hebr. 11. But the New Testament gives and bequeathes all these unto us in and through Christ being already come in the flesh and having actually performed all things for us Secondly The Old Testament was more darke and obscure not opened but to few till the Testators death and did not beget ordinarily so much knowledge and faith as the New doth and therefore it was a weaker meanes of Grace and did convert but few unto Christ But the New is so plaine that it may beget knowledge in children and therefore by it the Spirit works more powerfully Thirdly The Old Testament was sealed and ratified typically by the Blood and Death of Christ and by types of them to come The New is ratified by his Death in very deed and in it selfe and to us it is sealed in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper by tokens and remembrances of his death already past and fulfilled Fourthly the Old Testament Christ the Eternall Word in his Godhead spake to the Fathers and published by Moses and the Prophets But the New Testament hee publishd by himselfe immediately as hee was Godincarnate and appeared in our Nature and by his Apostles and Evangelists taught by his owne mouth as appeares Hebr. 1 2. Fiftly the Old Testament in respect of the outward forme and manner of sealing and signifying was temporary and changeable and therefore the types are ceased and onely the substance remaines firme But the New is unchangeable and the seales thereof are commemorative and shall shew the Lords Death untill his comming againe CHAP. III. THese and such like differences the former Exposition of the word Testament may easily admit For both the Old and the New may be Testaments of Christ that is conveyances and bequeathings of all his graces and blessings and may both bee ratified by his Death and yet differ in these and such like respects But as for divers other differences wch many learned men have set down they are utterly overthrowne by the exposition of the word Testament and by the true agreement which from thence I have before gathered This therefore shall be the first use which I will make of these instructions even to overthrow some other differences which the Schoolmen have devised betweene the Old and New Testament One is that the Old Testament is temporary and mutable The New eternall and unchangeable This cannot stand for if the Old Testament be a Testament it must needs bee the Testament of Christ the Mediatour if it was ever in force it was ratified by the Death of him the Testator as is proved before But if it was made of force by the Death of Christ how can it be changeable surely in no case except Christs Death be made voide and of no force wherefore the truth is that though the Old Testament be in quality and circumstance changeable and be changed in respect of the outward forme and manner of sealing it unto men and whereas before it was darke and obscure it is now become bright and cleere by the comming of Christ and the rising up of the Sunne of Righteousnesse and by the fulfilling of the Promises and the Doctrine of the Gospell in the New Testament Yet it is not changed in substance it loseth not the essence being of a Testament but is still Christs Instrument by which he doth give and bequeath all his treasures and benefits unto us as well as by the New Yea it is all one with the New in substance it is the New folded up and the New is the Old opened and unfolded Those Legacies which Christ gave to the Fathers by the Old are not made void but are rather perfected by the New And that which the Old gave by promise the New giveth by actuall performance The Types which are in themselves abolished doe stand firme for ever in the things by them signified which are the substance of them and therefore the Ceremonies of the Old Testament are truely called Ordinances of Eternity Exod. 12. 14. and in divers other places Thus we see the vanity of this first difference Another difference which they make is That the New Testament was sealed with the Blood of Christ the Old with the Blood of Bullocks Goats and other sacrifices This also cannot stand with the former Doctrine for if the Old Testament be Christs Testament and hath been of force at any time it was of force by vertue of Christs Death comming betweene for otherwise no Testament is in force but by the death of the Testator And so it is sealed by Christs Blood Now it is manifest by the former Doctrine that it is the Testament of Christ and hath been in force to the Fathers as all true Christians confesse and therefore it was sealed not by the blood of Bullocks onely but also by Christs Blood and so this difference is not true But because the words of the Apostle seeme to justifie it Hebr. 9. let me shew how farre it may be admitted and wherein it is faulty First it is certaine that the Old Testament was outwardly sealed at the first and so long as it stood alone in force by the blood of Bullocks and other Sacrifices onely But inwardly by the Blood of Christ onely which was signified and represented in the blood of Sacrifices And at length when Christ came and by the plaine Doctrine of the Gospell had explained it then it was together with the New sealed outwardly by Christs Blood shed unto death on the crosse But the New was at the first outwardly sealed by the Blood of Christ and is now ever since daily to us outwardly sealed by the Sacraments and inwardly by
every man in his owne person for the obtaining of life In this therefore there was no Mediatour betweene God and the people The Reasons why the Lord thus began with Israel and first renewed the Old Covenant were divers The first was their pride presumption and hardnesse of heart they presumed that they could doe all that the Lord would command them and therefore he gave them his Law to shew them their duty that they assaying to fulfill it and finding their owne insufficiency might bee humbled and brought downe from vaine confidence in their owne Workes Heere the Lord did deale with them as wise fathers deale with their foolish vain boasting sons who do promise largely that they will do any thing which their fathers will command them and that by their merits they will bind their fathers to love them and to give them the inheritance In such a case a wise father will put such a boasting sonne to the triall and will put him to a taske which he knoweth that he is unable to goe through not because hee beleeves or hopes that his sonne can performe it being through his own intemperance disabled but for this end to make him see his owne folly and insufficiency And so the Lord did deale with Israel Secondly the Lord gave the Law which is the rule of righteousnesse and withall shewed the punishment due to the transgressors of it that it might be as the rod of a Schoolemaster to drive them to Christ to learne the saving knowledge and way of life in him as the Apostle speakes Gal. 3. and to make them out of feare renounce themselves and seeke mercy in him Thirdly to teach them and us that howsoever it is impossible for us to be saved by the Law by reason of our sinfull flesh and our corruption which hath utterly disabled us that we cannot obey it yet the Law is still in force and requires perfect righteousnesse and without the righteousnesse of the Law fulfilled by Christ for us we cannot be justified nor saved according to that saying of the Apostle Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10. 4. For these and such like reasons God gave the Law But when the people of Israel heard the Law which was the Covenant of Workes to be performed in their owne persons and that immediately from God himselfe it is said that they were sore afraid and being not able to abide the sight of Gods glory nor the sound of his voice they cryed out Why should we die and hereupon they began to desire a Mediator even Moses saying Goe thou hear the Lord speak thou to us Exod. 20. 19. and Deut. 5. 25 26 27. This was some good beginning the Law began to take effect and to drive them towards a Mediator And therefore the Lord said They have well spoken all that they have said to wit in desiring a Mediatour added withall O that there were in them such an heart that they would feare mee and keepe my Commandements alwayes that it might be well with them and their children Which words shew the Will and Minde of God wishing after a sort their increase and continuance in this good minde and feare of him and seeking to keepe his Commandements in and by a Mediator Whereupon hee proceedes to deale with them by a Mediator and to renue the Covenant with them by appointing divers figures of Christ as Sacrifices Rites Ceremonies the Tabernacle the Arke of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat in all which as in Types he did reveale Christ though obscurely unto them and shewed that sinne was to be expiated and purged away by his Death Afterward also when they came into the land of Moab he did renue the Covenant of Grace in more plain termes than he did on Mount Horeb insomuch that by reason of the greater plainnesse it is called another Covenant Deut. 29. 2. There he told them that Christ should bee their Rocke Deut. 32. 4. and that the Word his Gospell was among them Now because of the first part of this Covenant to wit the ten Commandements which God spake first and after gave them written in two Tables which are called by the name of Covenant Deu. 4. 13. and 9. 9. and indeed are the summe of the Old Covenant which God made with men in the Creation This Covenant which God made with Israel is called the Old Covenant and the Covenant of the Law and is opposed to the Covenant of the Gospell that is to the Covenant as it is now revealed in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles and plainely preached and published over all the world Thus much for the Old Covenant CHAP. VII THe New Covenant which was foretold by the Prophets Isa. 42. 6. Ier 31. 31. Zach. 9. 11. it is the Covenant which God hath now made by the preaching of the Gospell in this New Testament It is the Covenant of all happinesse all blessings and all salvation in Christ plainely preached and revealed sealed also and confirmed not by Blood of Christ in Types and Figures but by the very Blood it selfe bodily shed on the Crosse for our sinnes and by the two plaine Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper this is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the New Covenant Ierem. 31. 31. and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Luke 22. 20. and 2 Cor. 3. 6. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a better Covenant Hebr. 7. 22. For in it the Lord reveales his promises so plainley and cleerely that all men may see and know the way to life And howbeit in this Covenant there is nothing expressed wch was not implyed and included in the general obscure promises made unto Adam and unto Abraham David and the rest of the Fathers in old time And although Iesus Christ the perfect Saviour and Eternall Redeemer God and Man with all his righteousnesse obedience and full satisfaction and all his benefits blessings gifts and graces which serve to bring men to perfect blessednesse and salvation and which are fully expressed in the Covenant of the Gospell were darkely and obscurely offered unto the Fathers and were apprehended by their faith in that Covenant which God made with them Yet certainely this Covenant as it is now renewed by the comming of Christ and by the preaching of the Apostles and Evangelists may justly be called a New Covenant and is truely so called both by the Prophets and Apostles for divers good reasons and considerations First because there is as great difference betweene this Covenant thus revealed and the Covenant as it was revealed before Christs incarnation as there is betweene an old darke house builded up strong but yet without any whiting or painting having very few doores or windowes in it and those either very narrow or else shut up with boords or stopped with Bricks and Morter that few can enter in save such
as are already within it and when they are there they have but small light and some none at all there is I say as great a difference betweene the Covenant as it was revealed to the Fathers and the same Covenant being now renewed with us as there is betweene such an old darke house and the same house when it is repaired from the very foundation and is all whited over within and without all painted and beautified and trimmed from the roofe to the foundation and is made full of faire and wide doores on every side for all sorts of people to enter into it and hath many large windowes made in every roome whereof none is stopped up but all are glazed with pure Crystall Glasse through which the light of the day and the bright beames of the Sunne doe shine most comfortably This difference will appeare most evidently to us if wee compare the Old and New Testament together and observe the diversity of Revelation The Covenant which God made with the Fathers before Christ was a sure house builded on Christ and founded on Gods eternall Truth It was a safe shelter against all raine and soule weather of affliction and all stormes of temptations and did shrowd the Fathers from the scorching heate of an evill conscience and the fiery flames of Hell and the Devills fury but it had few doores and those narrow ones such as few could enter through to wit onely the naturall Israelites who were all included in it by the promise made to Abraham and those who were circumcised Proselytes The windowes of it were few also and those were the darke promises of Christ wch yeelded but little light shadowed over with Types and Figures as with a vaile of obscurity It had no glorious ornaments to allure men a farre off It was not whited nor painted nor set forth with variety of pleasant pictures which might delight people but it rather appeared all bloody with the blood of Bulls Goates Rammes and Lambs like a slaughter house and all blacke and smoaky with the continuall offering of burnt offerings and sacrifices and the smoaky fumes of Incense Yea so many were the ceremonies to be observed and so heavie and intolerable was the burden of them that it appeared unto all that passed by to be rather a Shop to worke and labour in a Mill to grinde in and an house of correction then any place of rest or pleasant and comfortable habitation But this Covenant as it is now renewed with us under the Gospell is much altered and made like an house repaired and renewed throughout from the top to the foundation The Rocke Christ upon which it is built is now set forth in all his glorious colours all all the Mosse of ceremonies which did over-grow and cover him is taken away hee now shines like Ivory Crystall and Adamant most finely polished The Truth of God in his promises which is the ground of our Faith is now made manifest and clear by the comming of CHRIST and by the fulfilling of his Word which he spake from the beginning and now we dare boldly relie and rest on Gods Word in sure hope and confidence that his Truth will never fail The Ministeriall foundations to wit the writings of Moses and the Prophets are now by the light of the Gospell changed as it were from rough and unhewen stones and made like smooth polished Marble The foure Gospels are as it were foure doores made in the foure sides of this square house looking towards the foure winds of Heaven ready to receive all men from all the foure corners of the earth The many Sermons of Christ and his Apostles in the New Testament are as so many Windowes through which as through Crystall Glasse much heavenly Light is conveyed and derived unto us even from heaven from the throne of God the sweet promises and many and divers gifts of the Spirit as Knowledge Faith Tongues gifts of Healing Prophecying Miracles and the like are as pleasant and delightsome Pictures and Ornaments able to draw allure and delight the hearts of all men And the many outward blessings of peace and plenty wch follow the preaching and profession of the Gospell where it is received are as it were a glorious painting whiting which doth make this house glorious a far off and fils and enflames all that passe by with admiration and love of it Now there is none so obstinate nor so strict in speech but hee will grant that an house so altered and renewed throughout as I have before shewed may truely be called though not another yet a new house because it is repaired renued and beautified in all parts though the foundation and substance of the walls and the Timber be the same And therefore none can deny but that the Covenant of Grace now under the Gospell though it be the same in substance and matter with that made to the Fathers and hath the same foundation yet being thus altered renewed and beautified may justly be called though not another yet a new Covenant at least and a better Covenant Secondly the Covenant of Grace which before GOD made with Abraham and his seed and which was inforce onely among the Israelites before the comming of Christ is now by the preaching of the Apostles made with all Nations and all the people of the world are received into it or at least have it offered unto them and there is free accesse made unto all through the new doores which are now made in every side of the Covenant as is before noted This is manifest by the very mission of the Apostles and the Commission which our Saviour Christ gave unto them Matth. 28. in these words Goe teach all Nations Now experience teacheth us that when an house is not onely repaired but also inlarged every way and the foundation of it is stretched out an hundred times more then before it may truely even in respect of it selfe be called a new house And when new inhabitants come to dwell in an house wherein they never dwelt before though the house hath beene long built and is old in it selfe yet to them it is a new habitation and men in such cases call their houses new houses Therefore by the same reason it followes necessarily that the Covenant of Grace which was made with the Fathers being now by the comming of Christ the light of the Gospell and more plentifull gifts of the Spirit much enlarged and made capable of all Nations and Christ the foundation of it being stretched out to all the world it may even in it selfe be called a new and better Covenant Also in respect of the new people which are received into it it may be called a new Covenant though in it selfe it were no whit altered or enlarged at all Thirdly where the seales of a Covenant are made new and the old are taken away and where the manner of sealing is altered and quite inverted there we may call it a