he is bound over to the wrath of God p, and curfe of the law q, and so made subject to death r, with all miseries fpirituals, temporal t, and eternal v. CHAP. VII. Of God's Covenant with Man. THE HE distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of him as their blessedness and reward, but by fome voluntary condescension on God's part, which he hath been pleased to express by way of covenant a. work of the law written in their hearts, their confcience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accufing, or elfe excufing one another, Rom. iii, 9. What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under fin. v. 19. Now we know, that what things foever the law faith, it faith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God, p Eph. ii. 3. Among whom alfo we all had our conversation in times paft, in the lufts of our flesh, fulfilling the defires of the fieth and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. q Gal. iii. 10. For as, many as are of the works of the law, are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. r Rom. vi, 23. For the wages of fin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Eph. iv. 18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated Da 11. The from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. 1 Rom. viii. 20. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the fame in hope. Lam, iii. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his fins? v Mat. xxv. 41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed, into everlafting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. 2 Theff. i. 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the prefence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. I. a Ifa. xl. 13. Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord? or being his counsellor hath taught him? v. 14. With whom took he counsel: and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and raught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? v. 15. Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the fmall duft of the balance: Behold, he taketh up the ifles as a very little thing. v, 16, And Lebanon is not Chap. VII. II. The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works b, wherein life was promised to Adam, and in him to his pofterity c, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience d. III. Man by his fall having made himself uncapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second e, commonly monly called the Covenant of Grace: wherein he freely offereth unto finners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be saved f; and promifing to give unto all those that are ordained unto life, his ho ly Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe g. fufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof fufficient for a burnt offering. v. 17. All nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him lefs than nothing, and vanity, Job ix. 32. For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. v. 33. Neither is there any day-man betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. I Sam. ii. 25. If one man fin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man fin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Pfal.cxiii. 5. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high? v. 6. Who humbleth himfelf to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth. Pfal. c. 2. Serve the Lord with gladnefs: come before his prefence with finging. v. 3. Know ye that the Lord he is God, it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves: we his people, and the sheep of his paAure. Job xxii. 2. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wife may be profitable unto himself? v. 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous; or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? Job xxxvii. 7. If thou be righteous what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? v. 8. Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteousness may profit the son of man. Luke xvii. 10. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable fervants : we are we have done that which was our duty to do. Acts xvii. 24. God that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands: v. 25. Neither is worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life and breath, and all things. 11. b Gal. ii. 12. And the w is not of faith; but, The man that doth them shall live in them. e kom. x. 5. For Mofes describeth the righteoufnefs which is of the law, that the man which doth these things shall live by them Rom. v. 12. to 20. (See chapter vi. Sect. 3. letter f.) d Gen. ii. 17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt furely die, Gal. iii. 10. For as many as are of the works of the law, are under the curfe: for it is writ. ten, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them. III. e Gal. ii, 21, Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid; for if there had been a law given, which could have given life, verily righteoufness should have been by the law. Rom. viii. 3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the fiesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of finful flesh, and for fin condemned fin in the flesh. Rom. ii, 20z There : IV. This covenant of grace is frequently set forth in the fcripture by the name of a testament, in reference to the death of Jesus Christ the Teftator, and to the everlasting inheritance, with all things belonging to it, therein bequeathed h. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his fight: for by the law is the knowledge of fin. v. 21. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, Gen. ii. 15. And I will put enmity be tween thee and the woman, and be tween thy feed and her feed: it shall bruife thy head, and thou shalt bruife his heel. Ifa. iv 6. I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles. Mark xvi. 15. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. v. 16. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be faved; but he that beheveth not, shall be damned. John ii. 16. For God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. Rom. x. 6. But the righteousness which is of faith, speaketh on this wife, say not in thine heart, who shall afcend into heaven? (that is to bring Christ down from above.) v. 9. That if thou shalt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Gal. iii II. But that no V. This man is justified by the law in the fight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. g Ezek. xxxvi. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh v. 27. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. John vi. 44. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him: and I will raife him up at the last day. v. 45. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. IV. b Heb. ix. 15. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new testament, that by means of death for the redemption of the trantgressions that were under the first teftament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. v. 16. For where a testament is, there must also of neceffity be the death of the teftator. v. 17. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the teftator liveth. Heb. vii. 22. By so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better teslament, Luke D3 xxii. ! V. This covenant was differently adminiftred in the time of the law, and in the time of the gospeli: under the law it was administred by promises, prophecies, facrifices, circumcifion, the Pafchal Lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all fore-fignifying Christ to come, which were for that time sufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the Spirit, to instruct and build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah 1, by whom they had full remiffion of fins, and eternal salyation; and is called the Old Testament m. xxii. 20. Likewise also the cup after fupper, faying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. 1 Cor. xi. 25. After the same manner alfo he took the cup, when he had fupped, saying, This cup is the new teftament in my blood; this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in re membrance of me. V. i 2 Cor. üi. 6. Who also hath made us able ministers of the new restament; not of the letter but of the spirit: for the letter, killeth; but the fpirit giveth life. v. 7. But if the ministration of death written and engraven in stones was glorious, so that the children of Ifrael could not stedfastly behold the face of Mofes, for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away; v. 8. How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? v. 9. For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the miniftration of righteouf ness exceed in glory. k (Heb. vii. ix. x. chapters.) Rom. iv. II. And he received the sign of circumcifion, a seal of the righteousness of the faith, which he bad yet being uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcifed: that righteoufness might be imputed unto them alfo. Col. ii. ? In whom also ye are circumcif. VI. Under ed with the circumcifion made without hands, in putting off the body of the fins of the fiesh, by the circumcifion of Chrift: v. 12. Buried with him in baptifm, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raifed him from the dead. 1 Cor. v. 7. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Chrift our Paffover is facrificed for us. 11 Cor. X. 1. Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all paffed thro the sea: v. 2. And were all baptiz. ed unto Moses in the cloud, and in the sea; v. 3. And did all eat the fame spiritual meat; v. 4. And did all drink the same spiritual drink : (for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ.) Heb. xi. 13. These all died in faith, not having received the promifes, but having feen them afar off, and were perfuaded of them, and embraced them, and consessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. John viii. 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he faw it, and was glad. m Gal. iii. 7. Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the fame are the children of Abraham. ٢٠ VI. Under the gospel, when Christ the substance n was ex hibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is dispensed are the preaching of the word, and the administration of the facraments of baptifm and the Lord's supper o, which though fewer in number, and administred with more simplicity, and less outward glory; yet in them it is held forth in more fulness, evidence and spiritual efficacy p, to all nations, both Jews and Gen v. 8. And the scripture foreseeing, that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gofpel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed, v, 9. So then they which be of faith are bleffed with faithful Abraham. 7. 24. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jefus Chrift; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. VI. n Col. ii, 17. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Chrift. • Mat. xxviii. 19. Go ye there fore, and teach all nations, baptiz. ing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: v. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you, alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. I Cor, xi. 23. For I have received of the Lord, that which I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread: v. 24. And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and faid, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. v. 25. After the same manner also, he took the cup, when he had fupped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. tiles; Heb. xii. 22. But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerufalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. v. 23. To the general affembly and church of the first born, which are written in hea. ven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, v. 24. And to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. v. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh: for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. v. 26. Whore voice then thook the earth! but now he hath promised, faying, Yet once more I thake not the earth only, but also heaven. v. 27. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Jer. xxxi. 33. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Ifrael, after those days, faith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. v. 34. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know D4 1 |