The Covenant of God Entered with Mankind, Chapter 32
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, Differences between the Old and New Covenant.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) onelyonly 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, it is not a prophecie, but a Goſpel. 2. In the Old covenant, all was held out to the people under types, figures, ſhadows; All about the Tabernacle and Temple, Perſons, U…enſils, Sacrifices, did lead to Chriſt; all of theſe, darkly holding him forth. They had a ſhadow of good things to come, and not the image of the things themſelves, Heb. 10. 1. a little of reality in a great bulk of ceremony. In the New Teſtament, the truth of it, is clearly, and manifeſtly (without figure or type) held forth unto us. 3. In the Old Teſtament, knowledge was dim and obſcure.The Jews were in a ſtate of light comparative to Heathens. It could be no other, when it was wrapt up in prophecies and types. A prophecie is a riddle till it be unfolden, and little is known of a man by his ſhadow, comparative to that which is ſeen in the man himſelfe.In a ſtate of darkne…s comparative to Chriſti…ns. Therefore though the ſtate of the Jewes in Old Teſtament times was a ſtate of light, comparative to the darkneſſe that was with other people, and their land was called a valley of viſions, Isa. 22. 1. yet it was little more than darkneſſe, comparative to that light which in Goſpel times is revealed. Chriſt was a Miniſter of circumciſion, and when he began his Miniſtery in the land of Zebulon and Nepthali; the Text ſays, The people that ſate in darkneſſe ſaw a great light, Mat. 4. 16. Circumciſion therfore, in different reſpects, was both a Priviledge, and a Bondage, A Priviledge, Rom. 3. 1. It was a great mercy to have light let in at any crevice, promiſes any way ſealed and ratified to us. A Bondage, Acts 15. 10. To live in ſo dim a light, and to be laden in ſo burdenſome a way, was a heavy yoke; So that, as the Apoſtle putting the queſtion, What advantage the Jew had, and what priviledge there was of circumciſion, above and before the Gentile? Rom. 3. 1. anſwers, Much every way, and gives in his reaſon of the preheminence; So, in caſe the queſtion ſhould be put What advantage hath the Christian, and what priviledge there is of Baptiſme, above and before the Jew? Anſwer may be made Much every way, and the reaſon given of the preheminence in Goſpel-times, in the particulars above mentioned; So that, the New covenant, is a better covenant, eſtabliſhed upon better promiſes, Heb. 8. 6. Promiſes are more full and clear. Though it muſt be confeſt, that a Chriſtians preheminence above the Iewes, doth not equal a Iewes preheminence above the Gentile. The Iew was in covenant with God, and was heire of the Promiſe. The Gentiles were aliens from the Common-wealth of Iſrael, ſtrangers from the covenant of Promiſe; having no hope, and without God in the world, Epheſ. 2. 12. The Iew was in the ſame covenant in his time, as Chriſtians are in Goſpel-times. There is not a promiſe in the New covenant, whether it be for priviledges, conferred upon us, or graces wrought in us, but by the help of that light, we may finde in the Old covenant, the ſame held out, as after will be more clearly manifeſted. The betterneſſe is, in the greater eaſe being freed from that bondage, of the ceremonial yoke, and in their more diſtinct clearneſſe. The glory of all, that the covenant doth tender, being in ſo clear, and full a way held out in Goſpel-times, that he that is leaſt in the Kingdom of God, under the glory of the New Teſtament-revelation, is greater in the way of Goſpel-Myſteries, then John Baptiſt, who was the greateſt of Prophets, greater than a Prophet. Thoſe Prophets that did foreſee, and foreſhew the Birth, Life, Death, Reſurrection, Aſcenſion of Chriſt, the triumphant conqueſt of his enemies, his glory at the right hand of his Father, the ſpreading of the Goſpel, the call of the Gentiles, did not themſelves ſee it; as now the meaneſt that are in Chriſt do underſtand it, no more than they who now preach through Chriſt the Reſurrection of the dead, the everlaſting bliſſe of glorified Saints, in their eternal fruition of Gods preſence, are able to underſtand it in that meaſure, as the meaneſt that then ſhall have the happineſſe to enjoy it.
6. They differ in the Seales annext for either of their ratification and confirmation; for howſoever they are of the ſame uſe, leading to one, and the ſame thing ſignified, the Jewes had Chriſt in their Sacraments, 1 Cor. 10. 4 1 Cor. 5. 7. and we have no more in ours; yet they differ in the outward ſtamp or effigies, as I may ſo ſpeak, as well that, of initiation, as that of corroboration: The initiating Sacrament of the Jewes (which gave them the denomination of the people of God) was that painful circumciſion in the fleſh, ſignum vile, & incivile, yet, thoſe that would be the Lords, did, and muſt ſubmit unto it. All of Abrahams ſeed with him, received that ſigne; And all of thoſe, that with him would joyne unto the Lord. This was to be the leading Sacrament; He that was not circumciſed in the fleſh, might not eat of the Paſſeover, Exod 12. 48. And when a ſtranger ſhall ſojourne with thee, and will keep the Paſſeover unto the Lord, let all his males be circumciſed, and then let him come neer and keep it; and he ſhall be as one that is borne in the land, for no uncircumciſed perſon ſhall eat thereof. A full Text againſt all that plead for unbaptized perſons admiſſion to the Lords Table, God will not ſuffer that diſorder, that the leading Sacrament ſhould come after. The initiating Sacrament with Chriſtians is that of Baptiſme, no ſooner was a man brought into covenant, but he was ſtreight baptized; aſſoon as he made profeſſion, he had this ſealing engaging ſigne, the application of water, which is of an abſterſive cleanſing nature, implying our ſtaine and guilt, and leading us thither, where purification and freedome is found, the Spirit and blood of Jeſus Chriſt. The following Sacrament in the Old covenant, was that of the Paſſeover; a Lamp without blemiſh to be eaten in the place and way that God preſcribed. That in the New Teſtament, is the Supper of the Lord, in ordinary, common, uſeful, and neceſſary elements, Bread and Wine, which are of a ſtrengthning & cheering nature, Pſ. 104. 15. Implying our fainting, feeble eſtate, our diſconſolate and ſad condition, and leading us, where we may find both ſtrength and conſolation.