Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/177

 Rh

an hand-writing against them: and the promises were many corporall, as of an earthly inheritance, so that by them their faith was to ascend up to spirituall and heavenly things, and the spirituall promises were obscure, in number fewer, and such as were farre off. But the commandments of the new Covenant are spirituall, and the promises spirituall, plainly revealed, nigh at hand, ratified by the comming of Christ, particular: earthly things are promised as an additament to them that seek the Kingdome of heaven, and included in the spirituall.

Fourthly, Moses was the Mediatour of the old Testament, a typicall, imperfect Mediatour, as not a right middle person; a Mediatour in respect of the outward administration, and that by the power and vertue of Christ, but the force of that Covenant had foundation in Christ, and it was in and through Christ, that the federates were partakers of the good things promised. But Christ the Mediatour of the new Covenant, a true and perfect Mediatour, a right middle person between God and man; who hath revealed the Gospel, satisfied revenging justice, brought in everlasting righteousnesse: who alone is able to remove the guilt of sin from the conscience, repaire the lost image of God in his people, bow their hearts to walk in obedience, and procure acceptance to their service.

Fifthly, The old Testament was confirmed with the bloud of beasts, because the typicall Mediatour was not Testator, and so was not to die: but in the new Testament the true and perfect Mediatour, was also the Testator, and so the Covenant was confirmed by his precious bloud.

Sixthly, The Law was written in tables of stone, yet so as it was engraven in the tables of the heart, though not in that plenty and abundance that afterward: for under the old Testament God would have both letter and spirit, but more letter and lesse spirit. But the Gospel is written in the fleshie tables of the heart, yet so as it is committed to writing: for in the new Testament the Lord would have both letter and spirit, but more spirit and lesse letter then in the old Testament.

Seventhly, The old Covenant was made with one selected Nation, though Proselites, if any offered themselves, might not be excluded; but in the new Covenant, the world in opposition to the Jewish Nations, all Nations, people and languages are taken to be federates.