which is good and let your soul delight it self in fastnesse Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David verse 1 2 3. And yet we see upon what termes it is tendered That which keeps from us the mercies and brings upon us the curses of the covenant is upon covenant-condition to be shunned This is true of all covenants made where any good is hoped and evil feared That sinne against God keeps us from the mercies and brings upon us the curses of the covenant is clear in what hath been spoke What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou should'st take my covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hast instruction and castest my words behinde thee Psal 50. 16 17. A people that keep to their termes of covenant are in communion with God but sinne separates between a people and God that is the ground of quarrel Hos 4. 1. between earth and heaven Men entring and keeping covenant with God are of God and not of the Devil They are turned from the Devil to God from fellowship with Belial to fellowship with God But he that committeth sin is of the Devil 1 John 3. 8. Christ that carries on the covenant as you have heard will never cast off those that walk up to the termes of the covenant but he casts off with a dreadful sentence all those that work iniquity Mat. 7. 23. As for those Antinomian spirits and ranting wretches that do contend that sinne is no barre to their communion with God That God is as well pleased with man in the greatest heighth of sinne as the most holy duties That this doctrine charges a change upon God to be now pleased and presently in wrath and displeasure they do but deceive themselves and make it their work to deceive others They neither know sin nor the direful guilt of it nor yet God nor his direful displeasure against it The Apostle makes it his businesse to undeceive them as Ephes 5. 6. having reckoned up a catalogue of sins he thus speaks Be not deceived with vaine words for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Neither is there any change according to this doctrine supposed in God The change is in them that covenant against it and walk in it Did they know the terrour of it they would tremble at the thought of running upon it and by heaping up sin to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgements of God Rom. 2. 5. They will finde this an aggregate of all miseries and let them take beed that they call not to the rocks and mountains to hide them from it The Positive part is to be followed as the Privative part to be shunned As Timothy must flee covetousnesse so he must follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith love patience meeknesse 1 Tim. 6. 11. Faith in the former place as an instrument serviceable for our accesse to God makes up as we heard a condition of it self As a work or inherent grace it is here comprised in this covenant-condition together with others to hold up our communion with God As we must cease to do evil so we must learne to do well As we must put off the old man with his deeds so we must put on the new man It is not enough not to bring evil fruit wilde grapes but we must be fruitful in every good work God hath a quarrel with his people upon a charge of negatives as well as affirmatives omissions as well as commissions She obeyed not the voice she received not correction she trusted not in the Lord she drew not neer to her God Zeph. 3. 2. We must not alone be free from that charge of Christ upon the Jews of doing the work of the Devil John 8. 44. but we must abound in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. And this upon the penalty mentioned in the former branch Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewen down and cast into the fire Matth. 3. 10. Upon these termes it is that we avoid the curse of the covenant Those on whom no condemnation is charged walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance Gal. 5. 21 22. Upon those termes salvation the mercy of the covenant is obtained Christ is the Authour of everlasting salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. When the Apostle makes light of outward priviledges he puts the whole stresse upon mans faith and obedience Gal. 5. 6. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God 1. Cor. 7. 19. That which is so mightily available with God in covenant is the walking up to the terms and observance of the conditions of the covenant But faith and the keeping of the Commandments of God are as we see thus available and prevalent These two are distinguished but never severed That faith which looks at Christs blood as a Saviour accepts him as a Sovereign and the latter about which there is most dispute is an evidence to conclude the former Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments where knowledge is put for faith as appears in the context 1 Joh. 2. 3. These are heard of God in prayer Joh. 9. 32. If any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Whatsoever we aske we receive of him because we keep his Commandment and do those things that are pleasing in his sight 1 John 3. 22. These are sealed of God by his Spirit 1 John 3. 24. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him And hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us These great mercies are for men in covenant that keep covenant But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousnesse unto childrens children To such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his commandments to do them Ps 103. 17 18. CHAP. XXIV Objections against the conditionality of Repentance answered HEre Objections must be removed Object First joyntly against faith and repentance some making challenge of both as no covenant-conditions So Mr. Baxters questionist How do you make faith and repentance to be conditions of the Covenant on our part seeing the bestowing of them is part of the condition on Gods part can they be our conditions and Gods too In case these two cannot stand together that they should be conditions both Gods and ours we may answer by way of retortion Answ and I am sure we have the better end of the staffe that
emolument that is attractive of him There must be a desire to please God and not men as Paul saith Gal. 1. for so a man cannot be a servant of Christ This fear to displease men whereby we do not reprove sin so Zealously so Cordially and Faithfully as we should hath eclipsed the comfort of some godly Ministers at their death It is too true that the Wise man saith The fear of a man is his snare Prov. 29. 25. The Camelion for fear saith Aristotle turneth into the likeness of every object it meeteth with These are the special qualifications of a Godly Minister whereby he will be able to say with Paul I have fought a good fight 1 Tim. 4. 7. Yea with CHRIST I have finished the worke thou gavest me to do John 17. 3. To all which must be added diligence and labour all the names they have denote labour more then glory office more then dignitie now in all these things there is one particular which doth much quicken and that is temptation one of those three things Luther said made a Divine we are not to desire temptations but God for the most part doth prepare those Ministers whom he intends to be serviceable by such exercises This is the sawing and the polishing of the stone by this he is brought into the deep waters and seeth the wonderfull works of God by this he is able to understand the depths of Satan and by this he is adapted to be a most speciall Instrument to comfort and refresh others when they shall see theirs is not a singular condition they must not think none are tempted like them for they shall find that even Pauls have had the buffetings of Satan and that by these soule temptations they have learned more then all Books or authors could teach them And thus I leave the first Doctrine and proceed to the second which is That a Godly People cannot but affectionately mourn under the losse of their faithfull Ministers You see here what these Ephesians did with what affection they were moved because they should never see Pauls face more Grace doth not lie in extinguishing but regulating affections Christ wept and they argued from thence behold how he loved him Joh. 11. 35 36. So that Nazianzens commendation of his Mother Nonna that she never wept under the many troubles she underwent submitting all to Gods hand was rather Stoicisme then Christianitie It is said of Ambrose when he heard of the death of any good Minister he could not forbeare weeping how then can a people forbeare when their own Minister their own Pastor is taken away should not the Congregation be a valley of tears or a place of mourners now there are these grounds for it 1. Because of that experimentall soul-good and spirituall advantage the Godly have reapt thereby Oh! when thou shalt remember what quicknings what meltings what warning of heart thou hast had this will cause grief to think they are gone Carnall naturall men never are affected with the losse of a Minister they never got any good by their Preaching it was no converting Ministry no inlightning no comforting Ministry to them and therefore the loss is no more troublesome 2. They must needs mourn because they have just cause to fear their sinnes have caused God to deprive them of such helps your unthankfulness your contempt and low thoughts of the means of grace your unprofitableness and negligence may make you mourn for if God upon the abuse of naturall Creatures will take away his Wine his Bread his flaxe will he not much more remove the candlestick for unfruitfulness under spiritual mercies mourne then lest thy sinnes thy unfaithfulness thy deadness and dulness of heart have provoked God to take such guides away yea in the third place may not some mourn who by their Disobedience and unwillingnesse to submit to Christs yoak and opposition to his way have so filled the Ministers heart with grief and sadness as thereby to hasten his death making his life the more uncomfortable and causing him to mourn in secret for your stubbornness and disobedience Thus your sinnes not only meritoriously but efficiently may concurre to the removing of him by death Consider that place Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that rule over you c. that they may give their account with joy and not with grief some make this particular to relate to the former that they may watch over your souls with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you A grieved Minister a discouraged Minister cannot do his duty so powerfully it will be unprofitable unto you you will find it in his study in his sermons A dull people are apt to make a dull Minister 4. There is cause to mourn because of the excellencie of the relation between a Pastor and a People in some respects it is above all naturall relations They are spirituall Fathers your souls receive good by them They are Instrumentall to bring you unto eternal glory and therefore there is more cause of Mourning in this respect then when God breaketh naturall relations no Father or Mother or friend happily hath done that for thee which his Ministery hath done 5. There is cause to mourn because it is a sign of Gods anger and displeasure to a people you are not so much to look upon it as the losse of a man as a token of Gods anger to the congregation The righteous man perisheth and none layeth it to heart Isaiah 57. 1. Who knoweth what soul-Judgements what bodily Judgements may hereafter come vpon you and therefore it is for a people to be sensible and mourn when the desire of your eies so I may call the Minister as well as the Wife is taken away The desire of your eies you long to see him in the Pulpit again and the desire of your eares you long to heare him again 6. There is cause to Mourn because of the sad consequents that many times falls upon the death of a faithfull Pastor sometimes the learning and soundness of a Minister keepeth a People from licentious errors and corrupt opinions His Gravitie and Pietie hath a speciall influence upon many but upon his removall then the weeds of a mans heart growes up After my departure saith Paul Wolves will arise from among your selves Acts 20. 29. Pauls presence was a great means to hinder them 2. What good Foundation is laid in Faith what Godly Order may be begun there is danger that all these will die when a Faithfull Minister dieth I wonder that you are so soon removed saith Paul Gal. 1. Alas that which the Ministers of God have with many years diligence many Prayers and much opposition brought about when the Minister is dead may quickly be destroyed so that we may wonder how such a Town such a place should be over-run with Bryars and Thornes immediately 3. Another sad consequent is sometimes divisions and breaches among the People while a Godly Minister is alive he is like
is performed to the beleeving and penitent To finde a promise made and made good that is tendered and performed to a man unbeleeving impenitent is indeed a labour One replying to this question What if I have not those conditions in me as to feel my self hungry thirsty and heavy-laden answers If you finde not these or such conditions in you Objections answered then you are not to apply your self to those promises that are made to such as have those conditions in them But you are to seek out for other and more suitable promises which are absolute and without condition It is worth asking where those suitable promises are to a man void of faith For that before by the Authour was mentioned or to a man impenient and not so much as hungring after them such a one I meane that upon good grounds is able to charge the want of these upon his soul I am sure they are under heavy Scripture-woes even Gospel-menaces and can they at the same time be fitted to receive the mercy of a promise Where are his promises that hungers and thirsts not when Christ saith Wo to you that are full for you shall hunger Where is his promise that mourns not but goes on frolick in his way When Christ saith Woe unto you that laugh now for ye shall weep and lament Luke 6. 25. Where is the unbeleevers promise when the Lord sayes He that beleeveth not is condemned already because he hath not beleeved in the name of the only begotten Son of God John 3. 18. Where is the impenitent mans promise when the Psalmist saith The wicked shall be turned into hell Psalme 9. 17. and the Apostle That no unrighteous person shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven 1 Cor. 6. 9. But instance is given Isa 43. 25. I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own name sake But this is not the unbeleeving the impenitent mans transgressions they still stand on record and the bond uncancelled This excludes motives from us not graces wrought in us when God justifies a beleever it 's for his own name sake or else he is a loser in his glory when he justifies those that beleeve in Jesus Rom. 3. 26. and Faith gives not glory to God as Rom. 4. 20. but takes glory from him As Peter said of the creeple that was cured His name through faith in his name hath made this man strong Acts 3. 16. So we may say of every sinner justified and pardoned His Name through faith in his Name hath acquit and freed him When God pardons a penitent man it is not for the merit of his returne that he pardons him if this were so Peter who is so zealous to advance his name in the place quoted had not presently urged Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3. 19. It is not for his honour to pardon any other This is with him a rule which he will for ever follow Those that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 3. 30. The same Author saith Conditions and qualifications are mentioned in some promises and therefore we may safely inferre are understood in all promises of life and salvation unlesse God deny himself He hath threatned death and condemnation against an unqualified man namely the unbeleeving and impenitent and therefore hath not promised them life and salvation Beleeving penitent ones have the promises of life to be made good to them exclusively to all others To lead the sinner to Christ for the gaining of the qualifications of grace in the way of his Ordinances is to lead him right He is the Author of our faith and he is a Prince to give repentance But to perswade a sinner to look for life in the want of all these or to tell him of Assurance of life without sense of these is to deceive him That happy Doctrine of free grace so timely abused even as soon as clearly preached is now no lesse abused Then inferences were made from it for encouragement to abound in sin Rom. 6. 1. Now inferences are drawn to cry down duty Righteousnesse imputed must overthrow righteousnesse inherent The Apostle would not suffer the former the Ministers of Christ must not bear the latter CHAP. XXX A people in covenant must come up to the termes of the covenant being engaged to God they must answer their engagements HEnce farther follows that all people in covenant must come up to the termes and propositions of the covenant Entring covenant they must see that their hearts art upright in it How do we aggravate their wickednesse and hold in detestation all those persons that break covenant with men that having past a promise especially having put upon it the sanction of an Oath yet violate and transgresse it These first involve themselves in the guilt of lying which every where in Scripture is followed with judgements an Art which they learne of the Devil who is a liar and the father of lies John 8. 44. And therefore with him have their doome in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstome Revel 21. 8. Secondly in the pollution of Gods Name which we should have in fear and dread Deut. 28. 5 8. Taking it in vaine in falsehood and deceit into their mouths endeavouring to bring in that God whom they pretend to serve in whom is all their expectation as a party in their falsehood and ungodlinesse This high crime is charged upon Israel in taking to themselves again those servants that according to covenant they had dismissed Jerem. 34. 15 16. Ye turned and polluted my name and caused every man his servaut and every man his handmaid whom he had set at liberty at their pleasure to returne and brought them into subjection to be unto you for servants and for handmaids Therein is the overthrow of all bonds of humane society of all converse and commerce whether in more publick or private negotiations Truth is the upholding and perfidiousnesse is the bane and utter destruction of it When Papists have maintained that Faith or covenant is not to be kept with Hereticks reformed Churches have concluded upon it that there is no safety of any league or intercourse of dealing with them The example of John Husse is a sufficient warning Those that hold no such principles yet being such in their practices are equally dangerous We look upon these as given up to a very Spirit of Atheism if not wholly in their judgements to deny a Deity and to utter with their mouths that which the Psalmists foole sayes in his heart yet utterly slighting his Sovereignty and disregarding his judgements They have arrived at that dedolency that the Apostle mentions Ephes 4. 19. and therefore rankt by him with the worst of Heathens Rom. 1. 31. and put into that black bill of ungodly persons that will be found in the last and
being sanctified they are holy Sixthly If children be not taken into Covenant with their parents then the most godly of Parents bring up children not in covenant but for a covenant not in any present interest of relation to God but at best in an hopeful expectation of it They bring not forth children to God but at best they have their desires to traine them for such a future visible relation But there is no such example in all Scripture of a parent in covenant training up the seed of their bodies for a covenant No one in all New Testament-Scripture ever bred up a childe in yeares to baptize him no more than in Old Testament-Scriptures they bred their children to circumcise them we read of many baptized in years but we read of none borne of Christian parents kept till yeares of discretion to be baptized Seventhly If children be not received into covenant with their parents but stand without covenant and in no right of Church-membership then they are without any Scripture-ground of hope of salvation then they are as all others that are out of covenant without Christ without God without hope And because some have risen up against this Argument with high clamours though hitherto with feeble or rather no reasons I shall somewhat more enlarge my self in confirmation of it That which the prime authours of and chiefest sticklers for the non-federation of infants freely confesse which the general consent of their adversaries Protestant Writers unanimously upon Scripture grounds conclude that the present Patrons can maintain with nothing but clamours and such reasons improved to the highest which will equally conclude the hopes of the greatest Drunkards Idolaters Adulterers Heathens that must be taken for an Argument of force and a reason conclusive this cannot be denyed But so it is here as I shall make good in several particulars 1. Those of the Church of Rome that have stood up against Infants covenant-holinesse do confesse that all infants going out of the world as they came into the world in that estate perish and so have provided a chamber in hell which they call by the name of Limbus Infantum and now since their Limbus Patrum by Christs death is made empty by the fetching out all that were there in expectation of him and the number of infants thus dying increasing it is said by some that these two are laid together howsoever it falls out with these places about which we have no reason to busie our selves this position that infants thus dying without any covenant or Church-interest do perish followes as directly from their principles as any conclusion from its premises 2. Protestant Divines who assert Infant-salvation and beleeve no such division of hell into chambers and have other thoughts of the condition of Infants still bring this interest of theirs in the covenant of God as their ground not prying into the secrets of Election nor urging prerogative above that which is written the covenant of God Gen. 17. 7. confirmed by the New Testament-Scriptures before mentioned They very well know that in case Papists can wrest this covenant-interest of infants from them they conclude according to Scripture-ground their damnation Luke tells us there were daily added to the Church such as should be saved namely to the Church visible as the Text is clear Acts 2. 47. Now if they stand not admitible into the Church they stand without hope of salvation see how the Apostle joynes these together Ephes 2. 12. Without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the world If any can conclude against the interest of any in the Common-wealth of Israel that is the Church of God and the covenants of promise which those do that will have them to be no Church-members nor to be taken into covenant with Parents they sadly doome them to be without Christ without God without Hope Those that disclaime Zuinglius his opinion that Hercules Socrates Aristides Numa and such like Heathens are now in heaven would be desired to shew how they cast those out upon that account as Heathens and take in infants as great strangers according to them to any Church-interest Infants want not sin for condemnation our first Original estate being a corrupt estate and by nature children of wrath and putting them out of covenant they can finde no Scripture-way to entitle them to Christ for redemption They seeme to conceive other hopes of the salvation of infants of Heathens that upon the same ground they may be charitable to the infants of Christians that with them are in the same posture with Heathens when they speak of Hercules and other Heathens as before yet speaking of the infants of Heathens they say It is bad to say that God doth not save some of the infants of Indians pro bene placito according to his good pleasure For any warrant we can finde in Scripture it is as bad to say it of the parent as of the childe The Scriptures leave the whole of the Family root and branch under the fury and wrath of God Jeremiah 10. 25. Psal 79. 6. 3. The present Patrons of this non-federation of infants can maintaine their salvation with nothing but clamours and such reasons improved to the highest that equally conclude the salvation of the greatest drunkards adulterers idolaters Heathens I shall now purposely for peace sake passe by those high clamors and bitter invectives that we meet with on this occasion and come to take notice of the reasons produced to exempt infants from this doom of condemnation and all that I can find is one and the same thing to fly for refuge to prerogative This is my judgement saith one that God will have us to suspend our judgment of this matter and Rest on the Apostles determination Rom. 9. 18. For satisfaction of which I need to adde no more than what I have said page 15. of my Answer seeing it rests not one word yet replied to it The Text of Scripture which we have over and over is that God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy telling his adversary that it is bad to say that God doth not save pro bene placito which no adversary of his will deny But God is pleased in his Word to make known the way of the dispensation of his mercy otherwise the vilest person against whom in our ministerial way we denounce Gods judgments may reply that his hope of salvation is as good as the best for God saves ex bene placito and hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and the best soul in a case of disertion will take off all his applications of comfort with the close of that Scripture And whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9. 18. And so the Jews even in their rejection of which the Apostle speaks so largely being cut off by unbelief might have pleaded their hope
conclude our Assurance of happinesse but the determination of that being thus put is easie No man in true grace shall go to hell or misse of heaven God doth not adorne man with that glory to reject him The Apostle exhorts to love not in word nor in tongue but in deed and in truth and for a motive adds Hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him 1 Joh. 3. 18 19. But the minimum quod sic when it is that grace may be accounted true is not so easie to determine It is not every faintish desire that is the work on which all this glory rests It must be a work of farther power and efficacy on the soul for satisfaction of which I shall referre the Reader to the learned labours of my much honoured neighbour Master Anthony Burgesse in his spiritual refining CHAP. XXXI The distribution of the Covenant of Grace into the Old and New Covenant with the harmony and agreement that is found between them BY Gods assistance we have been thus farre carried on in the work in hand to finde out the nature of a covenant and Gods way of entring covenant with man And for the more clear discovery of both we have held forth the agreement which is found between the covenant of Works which God entred with man in his state of integrity and the covenant of Grace entred of God with man in his fallen condition as also their respective differences So that all that is essential in this covenant and necessarily required to the attainment of the priviledges and mercies promised in it hath been made known and a compleat definition given with such corolaries and inferences that have been judged necessary Now this covenant thus entred with man in his lapsed estate and hitherto cleared admits of distinction and is distinguished in Scripture by the names of the Old and New Covenant Heb. 8. 13. The first and second covenant Heb. 8. 7. The first some call and not unfitly a covenant of Promise under that covenant Christ was known in promises only and not manifested in the flesh Others call it a subservient covenant being to lead in the second in its full lustre and glory which alone they call a covenant of Grace and make it a third covenant But I shall content my self with the Scripture-termes calling the first Old not because it was first in being but because it is to be abolished and another to succeed the later New because it is never to be antiquated as the Apostle Heb. 8. 13. explains himself Now it must needs contribute much to the clear understanding of the covenant as well of the termes of it as the mercies in it and be a great advantage for the better understanding of sundry both Old and New Testament-Scripture in case the agreement between this Old and New covenant together with their true differences be rightly assigned and those imaginary differences assigned by some erroneous on either hand to the great prejudice of either of the covenants be throughly examined A work of difficulty but were it well followed of singular profit On this by the help of Gods grace I shall adventure and in the first place lay down their agreement afterwards their respective true and real differences and then proceed to examination of such differences which some have assigned which I reserve to the last place seeing in the two first I shall be brief The last will be found a businesse full of tedious difficulty and trouble In several things there is a full agreement between these covenants 1. In the Authour propounding God is the Authour of them both God is the God not of the Jews only who were in the first covenant but of the Gentiles also taken through grace into the second covenant Rom. 3. 29. 2. In the party accepting as specifically considered they are both entred with man Neither Angels nor any other creature articles or is articled with in it and hitherto there is an agreement of both with the covenant of works 3. In the motive or impulsive cause Both of these are of singular grace entred with fallen man in his lost condition there was no hint of this grace before the fall nor any need or use of it being not for mans preservation but his restitution 4. In the Mediatour Christ Jesus who was one and the same in both For though Moses have the name of Mediatour Gal. 3 19. Receiving the lively oracles and giving them to the people Acts 17. 38. as the Judges in Israel had the name of Saviours Nehem. 9. 27. and thereupon Camero makes this difference between the Old and the New covenant That Moses was Mediatour in one Christ in the other Thes 68. yet he confesses that that mediation by the benefit whereof men are truly and effectually united to God belongs only unto Christ De trip foedere Thes Moses work was only to deliver the way of the worship of God in those times and that not in his own name but as a servant Heb. 3. 5. He that Moses did serve of whom he wrote Joh. 5. 46. that Prophet like unto Moses whom God promised to raise Deut. 18. 15. in all ages was Mediatour 5. They agree in the conditions annext Both these covenants have one and the same conditions on Gods part Remission of sins and everlasting happinesse as after shall be shewed more fully They are the same on mans part Faith and Repentance The just then did live by faith Heb. 2. 4. And without faith it was then impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins God then called for returne to himself and sincerity in our returnes accepting those that were sincere Ezek. 18. 31. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are perfect before him 2 Chron 26. 9. 6. They agree in the unity of Church-felloship constituting one and the same Church of Christ The Church in those dayes in which the Fathers lived is one and the same Church with this in Gospel-times In Gospel-times men come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of heaven Matth. 8. 11. One and the same Kingdome receives both Their Faith was terminated upon Christ as well as ours Abraham saw his day and rejoyced John 8. 56. Moses bore his reproach and esteemed it greater then the treasures in Egypt Heb. 11. 26. They did eat the same spiritual meat and did drink the same spiritual drink they drank of the Rock that followed them and the Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10. 3. The same not among themselves but the same with us They are saved by the same free grace and mercy as we Jews by nature are justified by the same faith in Jesus as
sinners of the Gentiles Gal. 2. 15 16. All these identities evidence one and the same Church ours and theirs Therefore say I unto you the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof Matth. 21. 43. The same Kingdom was taken from them and given to us was taken from the Jewes and given to the Gentiles where Sem left there Japhet took possession Gen. 9. 27. Sems Tents are Japhets These speak the covenants into which we have successively entred to be one and the same in substance A covenant entred by the same parties upon the same termes and propositions on either hand is the same covenant Such is the Old covenant entred with the Jewes and the New covenant entred with Christians they are therefore one and the same in substance CHAP. XXXII Differences assigned between the Old and New covenant THese covenants are not in that manner fully and entirely one but there is difference in the way of administration They are one in substance constituting one Church one Kingdome but different in circumstances Upon which account they are distinguished by the names of the Old and New the first and second Covenant Some have made it their ambition to rise as high as may be in the number of differences and have assigned several where there is a full accord and perfect agreement I shall lay down such where the difference is clear and afterward take view of those imaginary differences upon which any controversie of moment hangs 1. They differ in the agents employed in administration of these respective covenants entred of God and upheld and continued with his people The Old covenant was administred and held forth by Servants only Prophets Priests and such as God pleased to appoint whether by ordinary call as those of the Tribe of Levi who were appointed among men in things appertaining to God Or extraordinary to whom he spake in visions and dreams God in sundry wayes and manners as the Apostle to the Hebrews observes then speaking to his people Heb. 1. 1. The New covenant is held forth by the Son as in the same place the Apostle witnesseth He was the Angel or Messenger of the covenant Upon that errand he came from the Father clothed with our flesh This is that great salvation which first began to be spoken to us by the Lord Heb. 2. 3. And this he carries on by his delegates and deputies whom from the right hand of the Father he gifts and qualifies 2. They differ in their extent and latitude as to the Nations taken into covenant The Old covenant received only the Jews To them appertained the Adoption the Glory and the Covenants Rom. 9. 4. Circumcision the Seale of the covenant was proper to them with some few of other Nations that forgetting their own people and their fathers house joyned themseves to them whilest other Nations were known by the name of uncircumcision being without title to that Seale and were without Christ aliens to the common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of Promise Eph. 2. 12. Therefore the Apostles before the vaile was taken away had that restraint upon them Matth. 10. 5. Go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not The lost sheep of the house of Israel being in covenant onely were in their commission That was a valley of vision All other people were in darknesse They were a people of God Others were no people The New covenant takes in all Nations respective to the covenant no Nation hath any barre put to it but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him Act. 10. 35. Christ having taken away the partition wall the Apostles have a commission for the discipling of all Nations so that in Christ Jesus There is neither Jew nor Greek Scythian nor Barbarian Col. 3. 11. 3. They differ in their duration or continuance The Old covenant had but its date of time which being expired it must give way for the New to succeed Thus the Apostle reasons from the Prophets prediction of a New covenant Heb. 8. 13. In that he saith A New covenant he hath made void the Old now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away This was to stand till times of reformation Heb. 9 10. This second covenant must remaine till the end of time These are called the last dayes in that after these there must be no change of Ordinances The Ministery now established is to remaine to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. and the Sacraments until Christs second coming unto judgement 4. They differ in the way of dedication or consecration The Old covenant was dedicated and purified with the blood of Bulls and Goats and other Sacrifices which according to the Law were slaine and offered as the Apostle to the Hebrews observes from Exod. 24. 7 8. Heb. 9. 19 20 21. When Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the Law he took the blood of calves and goats with water and Scarlet-wool and hysope and sprinkled both the book and all the people saying This is the blood of the Testament which God hath enjoyned you Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the Tabernacle and all the vessels of the Ministery But in the New Testament the dedication is in the blood of Christ This is my blood in the New Testament shed for you and for many for the remission of sins Where we see 1. An agreement Either of both are Testaments and covenants Either of both have their dedication Either of both are dedicated in blood 2. An answerable difference and opposition The first was the Old Testament to be antiquated The second the New to succeed in place of the Old The first was dedicated in the blood of Bulls and Calves The second in the blood of the Mediatour in my blood saith Christ The first had no possible power to take away sinne as the Apostle presently shews chap. 10. 4. But this is shed for many for the remission of sins The Apostle in the words immediately before these quoted gives the covenant the name of a Testament though a covenant and a mans last Will and Testament really differ seeing herein they agree that the covenant had its validility as a Testament by the death of him that made the covenant Heb. 9. 16 17. 5. They differ in the way of exhibition of Christ the glory and grace of the covenant And upon a threefold account here there is a difference 1. In the Old covenant we have Christ only in a Promise to be incarnate to suffer and to rise again and to be received unto glory Under that covenant light was by way of prophecie In the New covenant he is evidently set forth as come in the flesh Having been dead and now alive Rev. 1. 18. Having suffered in the flesh risen again and entred into glory To us