he freely offereth unto finners life and salvation by Jesus Chrift, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be faved f; and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto life, his Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe g. IV. This covenant of grace is frequently fet forth in the fcripture by the name of a testament, in reference to the death of Jefus Christ the teftator, and to the everlafting inheritance, with all things belonging to it, therein bequeathed h. a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. Rom. viii. 3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son, in the likeness of finful flesh, and for fin condemned sin in the flesh. Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be juftified 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. iii. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy feed and her feed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Ifa. xlii. 6. I the Lord have called thee in righ teousness, 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 creatüre. v. 16. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be faved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned. John iii. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlafting life. Rom. x. 6. But the V. This righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wife, Say not, in thine heart, Who shall afcend into heaven? (that is, to bring Chrift down from above.) v. 9. That if thou shalt confess 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. 11. But that no 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 ftony 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 fent me, draw him: and I will raise 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 teftament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the tranfgreffions that were under the first testa ment 1 V. This covenant was differently adminiftred in the time of the law, and in the time of the gospel i: under the law it was administered by promises, prophecies, facrifices, circumcifion, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all fore-fignifying Christ to come k, 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 promifed Meffiah 1, by whom they had full remiffion of fins, Likewife also the cup after supper, faying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. 1 Cor. xi. 25. After the fame manner also 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 remembrance of me. V. i 2 Cor. iii. 6. Who alfo hath made us able minifters of the new teftament, not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit 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 ftedfafily 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 con demnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteouf. ness exceed in glory. k (Heb. viii. ix. x, chapters.) Rom. iv. 11. And he received the sign of circumcifion, a feal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcifed; that righteousness might be imputed unto them alfo. Col. ii. 11. In whom also ye are circumcifed with the circumcifion made without hands, in putting off the body of the fins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ: 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. I Cor. v. 7. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is facrificed for us. / 1 Cor.x. 1. Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the fea: v. 2. And were all baptized unto Mofes in the cloud, and in the fea; v. 3. And did all eat the same spiritual meat; v. 4. And did all drink the same spiritual drink; fins, and eternal salvation; and is called the Old Tefta ment m. VI. Under the gospel, when Christ the substance n was exhibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is difpensed are the preaching of the word, and the administration of the facraments of Baptifm and the Lord's fupper o, which, though fewer in number, and administred with more fimplicity, 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 Gentiles tiles g; and is called the New Testament r. not therefore two covenants of grace differing in fubstance, but one and the fame under various dispensa 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 promises, but having seen them afar off, and were perfuaded of them, and embraced them, and confefsed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. John viii. 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced to fee my day: and he saw it, and was glad. m Gal. iii. 7. Know ye therefore, that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 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 blessed with faithful Abraham. v. 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Chrift; that we might receive the promife of the Spirit through faith. VI. n Col. ii. 17. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. o Matth. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: v. 20. Teaching them to obferve all V. 24. things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with you alway even unto the end of the world. Amen. 1 Cor. xi. 23. For I have received of the Lord, that which alfo I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread: 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 teftament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. p 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 assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, 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 fprinkling, 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 There are tions f. we turn away from him that speak eth from heaven : v. 26. Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake 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 me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, faith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their fin no more. q Matth. xxviii. 19. (See letter o immediately foregoing.) Eph. ii. 15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments, contained in ordinances, for to make in himself, of twain, one new man, so making peace: v. 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having flain the enmity thereby: v. 17. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. v. 18. For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father. v. 19. CHAP. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. r Luke xxii. 20. Likewise also the cup after supper, faying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you. / Gal. iii. 14. That the bleffing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. v. 16. Now to Abraham and his feed were the promises made. He faith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy feed, which is Chrift. Acts xv. 11. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they. Rom. iii. 21. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets: v. 22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference : v. 23. For all have finned, and come short of the glory of God. v. 30. Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcifion by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Pfal. xxxii. 1. Blessed is he whose tranfgreflion is forgiven, whose sin is covered. With Rom. iv. 3. For what faith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. v. 6. Even as David alfo defcribeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteouf nefs CHAP. VIII. Of Christ the Mediator. T pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man a; the Prophet b, Prieft c, and King d; the Head and Saviour of his Church e; the heir of all things f; and judge of the world g: unto whom he did from all eternity give a people to be his nefs without works. v. 16. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the feed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. v. 17. (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. v. 23. Now it was not written for his fake alone, that it was imputed to him; v. 24. But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Heb. xiii. 8. Jesus Chrift the fame yesterday, and today, and for ever. 1. a If. xlii. 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my foul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Pet. i. 19. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot: v. 20. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. John iii. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have, everlasting life. 1 Tim. ii. 5. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jefus. b Acts iii. 22. For Mofes truly faid unto the fathers, A prophet fhall the Lord your God raife up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. c Heb. v. 5. So also, Christ glorified not himself, to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. v. 6. As he faith alfo in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchifedec. d Pfal. ii. 6. Yet have I fet my King upon my holy hill of Zion. Luke i. 33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. e Eph. v. 23. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Chrift is the head of the church: and he is the Saviour of the body. f Heb. i. 2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. g Acts xvii. 31. Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof F |