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prevent myself in any thing of what must then, and there, be delivered.

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2. That there are precepts and promises attending the new covenant, is granted; but that it consists in any addition of precepts to the Mosaical law, carried on in the same tenor with it, with other promises, is a figment directly destructive of the whole gospel, and the mediation of the Son of God. By this means the whole undertaking of Jesus Christ, to lay down his life a ransom for us, our justification by his blood, his being of God made righteousness to us, the free pardon of our sins, and acceptation with God, by, and for him, as he is the end of law for righteousness, all communication of effectual grace, to work in us new obedience, the giving of a new clean heart, with the law of God written in it by the Spirit, in a word, the whole promise made to Abraham, the whole new covenant, is excluded from the covenant, and men left yet in their sins. The covenant of works was, 'do this and live,' and the tenor of the law, if a man do the things thereof, he shall live thereby ;' that is, if a man by his own strength perform and fulfil the righteousness that the law requires, he shall have eternal life thereby. This covenant, saith the apostle, God hath disannulled, because no man could be saved by it. The law thereof through sin was become weak and insufficient as to any such end and purpose; what then doth God substitute in room thereof? why a new covenant that hath more precepts added to the old, with all those of the old continued, that respected moral obedience. But is this a remedy? Is not this rather a new burden? If the law could not save us before, because it was impossible through sin that we should perfectly accomplish it, and therefore by the deeds of the law shall no man be justified.' Is it a likely way to relieve us, by making an addition of more precepts to them, which before we could not observe? But that through the righteous hand of God, the interest of men's immortal souls is come to be concerned therein; I should think the time exceedingly lavished, that is spent in this discourse. Let him that is ignorant, be ignorant still, were a sufficient answer. And this that hath been said, may suffice to the fourth particular also.

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3. That Moses was a mediator of a covenant of works, properly and formally so called, and that the church of the Jews lived under a covenant of works, is a no less pernicious figment than the former. The covenant of works was, 'do this and live;' on perfect obedience you shall have life. Mercy and pardon of sins, were utter strangers to that covenant, and therefore by it the Holy Ghost tells us, that no inan could be saved. The church of old had the promises of Christ; Rom. ix. 5. Gen. iii. 15. xii. 3. were justified by faith; Gen. xv. 6. Rom. iv. Gal. iii. obtained mercy for their sins, and were justified-in the Lord; Isa. xlii. 24. had the Spirit for conversion, regeneration, and sanctification; Ezek. xi. 19. xxxvi. 26. expected and obtained salvation by Jesus Christ things as remote from the covenant of works as the east from the west.

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It is true, the administration of the covenant of grace, which they lived under, was dark, legal, and low, in comparison of that which we now are admitted unto, since the coming of Christ in the flesh; but the covenant wherein they walked with God, and that wherein we find acceptance, is the same; and the justification of Abraham their Father, the pattern of ours.

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Let us now see what answer Mr. B. applies to his query. The first text he mentions is, Heb. viii. 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the Mediator of a better covenant, built upon better promises.' That which the Holy Ghost here affirms is, that the new covenant, whereof Christ is the Mediator, is better than the old; and that it hath better promises: which I suppose none ever doubted. The covenant is better, seeing that could by no means save us, which by this Christ doth to the uttermost. The promises are better, for it hath innumerable promises of conversion, pardon, and perseverance, which that had not at all; and the promise of eternal life, which that had, is given upon infinitely better and surer terms. But all this is nothing at all to Mr. B.'s purpose.

No more is the second place which he mentioneth, Heb. vii. 19. The law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did.

Not that by the law, in that place, the covenant of

e Rom. iv. 4, 5.

f

works is intended, but the legal administration of the covenant of grace. This saith the apostle, 'made nothing perfect ;' men were kept under types and shadows, and though they were children of God by adoption, yet in comparison they were kept as servants, being under age until the fulness. of time came, when the bringing in of Jesus Christ, that better hope,' made the administration of grace perfect and complete. Mr. B. all along obscures himself under the ambiguous term of the law; confounding its covenant and subsequent use. For the covenant use of the law, or as it was the tenor of the covenant of works, the saints of the Old Testament were no more concerned in it, than are we. The subsequent use of it, may be considered two ways. 1. As it is purely moral, exacting perfect obedience, and so the use of it is common to them and us. 2. As attended with ceremonial and judicial institutions in the administration of it, and so it was peculiar to them. And this one observation will lead the reader through much of the sophistry of this chapter, whose next question is,

'Q. Were those better promises of God touching eternal life, and immortality hidden in the dark, and not brought to light under the law?

'A. Christ Jesus hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel; 2 Tim. i. 10.',

The whole ambiguity of this question lies in those expressions,hidden in the dark, and not brought to light;' if he intend comparatively, in respect of the clear revelation made of the mind and will of God by Jesus Christ, we grant it if he mean it absolutely, that there were no promises of life and immortality given under the law, it is absolutely false. For,

1. There are innumerable promises of life and immortality in the Old Testament given to the church under the law. See Heb. xi. 4. Deut. xii. 1. xxx. 6. Psal. xix. 10, 11, Deut. xxxiii. 29. Psal. cxxx. 8. Isa. xxv. 8, 9. xlv. 17. xv. 6, 7. Jer. xxiii. 6. Psal. ii. 12. xxxii. 1, 2. xxxiii. 12.

2. They believed eternal life, and therefore they had the promise of it, for faith relieth always on the word of promise. Thus did Job, chap. xix. 25-27. and David, Psal. xvii. 15. So did Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Heb. xi. 10-12. yea,

f Gal. iv.

and some of them as a pattern and example, without dying obtained it, as Enoch and Elias.

3. The covenant of Abraham was that which they lived in and under. But this covenant of Abraham had promises of eternal life. Even that God would be his God, dead and alive; Gen. xvii. 1. 7. And that the promises thereof were promises of eternal life, Paul manifests, Rom. iv. 3. Gal. iii. 14. but this hath been so abundantly manifested by others, that I shall not longer insist upon it. We are come to the last query of this chapter, which is,

'Though the promises of the gospel be better than those of the law, yet are they not as well as those of the law, proposed under conditions of faith, and perseverance therein, of holiness and obedience, of repentance, and suffering for, Christ; how speak the Scriptures?' John iii. 14-16. 18.26. Hab. ii. 14. Heb. ii. 6. 2 Tim. ii. 11. Rom. viii. 13. Acts iii. 19. Rev. ii. 5. 16. John v. 17.

Neither will this query long detain us. In the New Testament, there being means designed for the attainment of an end, faith, obedience, and perseverance, for the attainment of salvation, and enjoyment of God through Christ; the promises of it are of two sorts: some respect the end, or our whole acceptation with God; some the means, or way whereby we come to be accepted in Christ. The first sort are those insisted on by Mr. B. and they are so far conditional, as that they declare the firm connexion and concatenation of the end and means proposed. So that without them it is not to be attained; but the other of working faith, and new obedience and perseverance, are all absolute to the children of the covenant, as I have so fully and largely selsewhere declared, that I shall not here repeat any thing there written, nor do I know any necessity of adding any thing thereunto. I thought to have proceeded with the Racovian catechism also, as in the former part of the discourse; but having made this process, I had notice of an answer to the whole by Arnoldus, the professor of divinity at Franeker; and therefore, that I may not actum agere, nor seem to enter another's labour, I shall not directly, and Karà modà, carry on a confutation thereof hereafter, but only divert thereunto, as I shall have occasion, yet not omitting any thing of

8 Persever. of Saints.

weight therein, as in this chapter I have not, as to the matter under consideration.

CHAP. XIX.

Of the kingly office of Jesus Christ, and of the worship that is ascribed and due to him.

Or the nature of the kingly office of Jesus Christ, his investiture with it, his administration of it, with the efficacy of that power which therein he puts forth, both towards his elect, and others, Mr. B. doth not administer any occasion to discourse. It is acknowledged by him, that he was, or at least is, a king, by the designation and appointment of the Father, to whom, as he was Mediator, he was subject: that he abides in his rule and dominion as such, and shall do so to the end of the world, and I shall not make any farther inquiry, as to these things, unless farther occasion be administered. Upon the account of this authority, they say, he is God. Now whereas it is certain, that this authority of his shall cease at the end of the world, 1 Cor. xv. 28. it seems, that he shall then also cease to be God; such a God as they now allow him to be.

By some passages in his second and third questions, he seems to intimate, that Christ was not invested in his kingdom before his ascension into heaven. So quest. the second, 'Is Christ already invested in his kingdom, and did he after his ascension, and sitting at the right hand of God, exercise dominion, and sovereignty over men and angels?' And quest. third, For what cause, and to what end was Jesus Christ exalted to his kingdom?' To which he answers from Phil. ii. 8-10. In both places intimating, that Christ was not invested with his kingly power, until after his exaltation. (As for the ends of his exaltation, these being some mentioned, though not all, nor the chief, I shall not farther insist on them.) But that this, as it is contrary to the testimony that himself gave of his being a king, in a kingdom which was not of this world, it being a great part of that office whereunto he was of his Father anointed; so it is altogether inconsistent with Mr. B.'s principles, who maintains, that he was worshipped, with religious worship and

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