Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/112

 100 the Ceremonies were removed in the comming of the substance, but is it not as true, and here meant, that the curse of the Law was removed by the comming of Christ, and so the vaile made needlesse, Gal. 3. 13. But Vers. 15. the vaile yet remaines when Moses is read, which cannot be the Ceremony vailing the blood of Christ, for that is removed in act: for the Jewes sacrifice not for want of an Altar: but it is most true of the vaile of the Morall Law to cover wrath. For as it was a mercy to vaile it to that people till Christ came, so it is now a judgement Christ being come to shade it. For it might be, if seene, an accidentall cause to drive them to Jesus the Sonne of Mary for a Saviour. But the knot lyeth in the 18. verse, But we all &c. where it is thought, and strongly spoken, that the vaile signifieth the Ceremoniall Law. It is true there is a flat opposition of Christian and Jew, the one with open face beholding Christ, the other not daring to see the glory of the Lord in giving the Law. But all will be evident if it be shewed what is here meant by the Image of Christ, which we behold with open face, which is not the blood of Christ vailed in the blood of the Sacrifices, but the Law of God writ in his heart, (promised Jer. 31. 34.) as the head, which is the new command of the Morall Law, set up for us as a glasse which behoulding by faith, we are changed into the same Image by the Spirit, and now it will appeare that the whole Chapter speakes of the Morall Law.

Another inforcement of this distinction is from the Apostle Gal. 3. where he disputes against the Morall Law taken as a rigid draught of natures Law, unto the 23. verse, for otherwise the Law had been no enemy unto him as a branch of the Covenant of Grace: but at the 23. verse he disputes the good ends of it, as propounded with Gods moderation. By the Law which we call the Morall Law, Moses and Paul meane the meere draught of the Law of nature, as it hath necessarily affixed eternall life to the punctuall performance, or eternall curse to the disobeyers in the least title. For the Law is complexum quiddam, containing in it command and blessing and cursing. Take command without blessing or cursing, and it is no more Law with Moses: take simple denunciation of blessing and curse from command, and then it is threatning and promise, but no Law.

This abstract of the Law here considered from the rest of Moses