The Difference Between the Old and New Covenants, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Of the good that was in the Sinai Covenant.
I Shall now ſhew what excellency there was in the Mount Sinai or worſe Covenant.
The more good there was in this, the greater excellency will appear in the new, which is a better Covenant.
There was excellency in the matter of it; ſuch Precepts were contained in it, as had a ſtamp of righteouſneſs upon them, Deut. 4. verſ. 8. ſuch as did advance Iſrael above other Nations: Neh. 9. verſ. 13. Pſal. 147. verſ. 19, 20.
It was excellent, in the manner of its manifeſtation; there was a dreadfully glorious appearance of the Majeſty of God in giving of it forth, Exod. 19. verſ. 16, 17, 18. he revealed himſelf in an unwonted way, in thundring, lightning, thick darkneſs, &c. it was a ſtupendous diſpenſation to humble that rebellious people; the mountain was ſmoaking, the thick cloud covering it, the trumpet ſounding, all indications of his Divine Majeſty, that they might diſcern him from dumb idols, verſ. 22. ye have ſeen that I have talked with you from heaven: as if the Lord himſelf had ſpoken in an immediate way. It was not altogether immediate, the miniſtry of Angels was uſed in it, Act. 7. verſ. 38. but it was by the authority of God himſelf, with more than ordinary demonſtrations and tokens of his Almighty power, ſuch as ſtruck them into a marvellous conſternation, and admiration that they were alive. Exod. 20. verſ. 19. Deut. 5. verſ. 26. Who is there of all fleſh that hath heard the voice of the living God ſpeaking out of the midſt of the fire (as we have) and yet lived? O what grace is it, that the Lord is not dealing with us in ſuch a diſmaying terrifying diſpenſation, but in a milder and more familiar way in the diſpenſation of the Goſpel!
It was excellent in the ſpecial uſes and ends it ſerved to: the two principal I have opened already, which muſt here be remembred, viz. for eternals upon the obedience of Chriſt, for temporals upon the obedience of Iſrael. I ſhall now hint ſome other uſes and ends of the Sinai Covenant.
1. To be a provocation unto Iſrael to look unto a Mediator, the Lord Jeſus, to fulfil and accompliſh it for them: both the terrible publication and the experienced impoſſibility of keeping it themſelves were excitations this way, Exod. 20. 19. They ſaid unto Moſes, ſpeak thou with us and we will hear, but let not God ſpeak with us left we die. Here they asked a typical Mediator, and therein a real one Jeſus Chriſt, for ſo the Lord expoundeth their Petition and promiſeth to grant it, Deut. 18. 15. The Lord thy God will raiſe up unto thee a Prophet, &c. that thou deſiredſt at Horeb, &c. and that Prophet is ſaid to be Jeſus Chriſt, Acts 3. 20, 22. They were provoked by the terrour of the Sinai Law, to ask a Mediatour that he would paſs into the burning Mount, to receive it for them, and give it forth as a Law of Love, and this requeſt they are highly commended for, Deut. 5. 27, 28. ſo that the uſe of that fiery diſpenſation was not, that Life ſhould be attained thereby, but to impell to look out unto another Covenant for that.
2. To conſtrain to Duty, and reſtrain from Sin, Exod. 19. 9. Lo I come to thee in a thick Cloud, but to what end? That the people may hear when I ſpeak with thee, and believe thee for ever. It was then to ſtartle them out of their unbelief, and win credit to his Word. And under their affrightment, Moſes for incouragement, ſaith, Exod. 20. 20. Fear not, for God is come to prove you, that his fear may be before your faces, that ye ſin not. It was then one end of the Sinai Covenant to deter them from ſin.
3. To be a Directory to Iſrael for the Worſhip of God: The Church had been Domeſtical or in Families, but the Poſterity of Abraham ſwelling into a great number, the Lord would have them become Congregational; they muſt coaleſce and become federally united together, the whole to conſtitute one Eccleſiaſtical body, by this Moſaic diſpenſation, which had Ordinances of Worſhip ſutable to that new ſtate of the Church now introduced. The Lord gave to Moſes a pattern of the Tabernacle (which was for publick Worſhip) with a ſtrict injunction, Heb. 8. 5. See that thou make all things according to the pattern ſhewed thee in the Mount, Heb. 9. 1. Exod. 25. 40. And in that and the following Chapters of the Book, there are rules about the Ark, Table, Candleſtick, and the inſtitution of Miniſters uſed in the ſervice of the Tabernacle; as Aaron and his Sons in the Prieſts Office; here is direction for the conſecration of the Ark and Tabernatle, the Altar of incenſe and many Ordinances and Inſtitutions, which hold forth another uſe of the Sinai diſpenſation.
4. To be a Platform, model or rule for Government Eccleſiaſtical and Civil: Iſrael received righteous Laws, Statutes, and Judgements from God himſelf: therein they were differenced from and excelled the Nations; that they were more immediately under the Government of God as their only Law-giver: And not only an Eternal Curſe, but many Eccleſiaſtical and Civil penalties, and cenſures are threatned upon breaking of thoſe Divine Laws, Exod. 22. ver. 1, 4, 20. Levit. 20. Numb. 5. and 19. Deut. 13. and 25. with many others. This then was one uſe of it to be an inſtrument for the Government of the Children of Iſrael.
5 Another end of it was, to give a typical repreſentation of many glorious myſterious appertaining to the Covenant of Grace: theſe matters were not empty inſignificant rites, but by Divine appointment ſerved as ſhaddows, types, and patterns of heavenly things, Heb. 8. 5, 6. and 9. 23. Even their temporal mercies were typical repreſentations of Spiritual and heavenly bleſſings. The Land of Canaan figured out the heavenly reſt. The Levitical or Aaronical Prieſts were eminent Types of our great High-Prieſt the Lord Jeſus, Heb. 7. The Tabernacle a Type of his humane Nature; Whence he is ſaid to be a greater and more perfect Tabernacle, not made with hands, Heb. 9. 11. and 8. ver. 2. It might alſo figure out the true Church, Rev. 21. 3. The Ark, the furniture for the moſt holy place, which none but the High-Prieſt might enter into, (Heb. 9. ver. 3, 4, 7.) properly referreth to Jeſus Chriſt, who is the great repoſitory in whom the Divine Law is treaſured up for Believers; He is their glory and direction unto eternal reſt: many other Types there were of him. I might alſo note that Moſes was below with the people, for their incouragement againſt fear at the promulgation of the Law, and making and confirming the Covenant, but was called up higher towards the top of the Mount, for receiving the Tables of the Covenant, and the pattern of the Tabernacle, Exod. 19 ver. 24, 25. and 20. ver. 1, 20. and 24. ver. 12. 18. all which may typifie, that Jeſus Chriſt ſtandeth with us for our incouragement in receiving the fiery Law, and upon more immediate converſes with God, giveth forth the frame of his ſolemn Worſhip Theſe were the ends of the Sinai Covenant