Part I. Chap. 6. XXXVIII. The Close of this ARecapitulation of what has been laid Afore con gelical Covenant was really before the Mofaick, it follows of neceffity, that the Mofaick Covenant can be faid to be the Firft or Old Covenant, and the Gospel Covenant to be the Second and New, only in fome particular Refpect, viz. forafmuch as the Gospel was not Fully reveal'd till and after the Coming of Chrift in the Flesh, and was not Fulfill'd as to Chrift's part, till he was Actually facrificed for our Redemption. In which Refpect it may be faid to Succeed the Mofaick Covenant, abolish'd by the Sacrifice of Christ. I have now taken Notice of All I judg'd even Neceffary to obferve in relation to the Law of Mofes, for the Right Understanding of the Nature or Tenor of the faid Law or Covenant. If Any one fhould think I have been too long on this Subject, I only defire him duly to confider, How much every Particular here taken Notice of conduces to the Right Understanding of the Gospel Covenant. I defire him to call to mind, that from a Wrong Understanding of the Law of Mofes have arifen Many and Very great Errors concerning the Nature of the Gospel Law or Covenant. For the more eafy Discovering, and fo Avoiding of which, as I have not been fparing of my Labour in laying thefe Particulars together, fo the Reader will have no juft Cause to be fparing of his Labour, in perufing and duly weighing them. Of the State of the Gofpel, from the Giving of the Obferv'd in Chap.3. that God presently after the Fall made the Gospel Covenant with Adam. In Chap. 5. cerning the State I obferv'd, that God renew'd the Same with Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob. In Chap. 6. I have obferv'd, for what Reafons God was pleas'd to give the Law of Mofes, and that it was Not a Law or Covenant of Eternal Life, of the Gospel. as 71 Part I. Of the Gofp.from the Law to the Promulg.of the Golp. as it is confider'd Literally or in its felf in Oppofition to the Gospel; but as it may be confider'd Spiritually to be Chap. 7. No other than the Gospel veil'd or obfcurely reveal'd by Types or the Shadows of outward Rites and Ceremonies. What was the State of the Gospel from the Fall to the Giving of the Law of Mofes, is fhewn Chap. 5. Which if the Reader do's not well bear in Mind, it may be advifeable for him to look it over again, before he proceeds in this Chapter, forafmuch as that will fave any Repetition here of what has been faid there; and will be a good Means to let the Reader the better fee the feveral Degrees throughout, (or from the first making of the Gospel Covenant presently after the Fall with Adam, to the full Promulgation thereof by Christ and his Apostles,) which the Wisdom of God faw good to make use of in making Known the Gospel to the feveral Ages of the World. II. I proceed now to lay before the Reader the feveral The Gospel ReveDegrees of making Known the Gofpel, which God faw lations made to fit to make ufe of, from the Giving of the Law to the Mofes After the Full Promulgation of the Gospel. I fhall begin with Mofes, who First took fufficient Care to take off the Ifraelites from Relying on the External Rites of the Law for Salvation or Eternal Life, and taught them to expect this chiefly from an Inward and Spiritual, i.e. Evangelical Piety or Holiness of Life; and therefore after giving the Law, by God's Command made with them another Covenant BESIDES That made with them at mount Sinai, i. e. the Gofpel Covenant, as appears from Deut.29.1, &c. compar'd with Rom.10.5-9. But not only the Gofpel Covenant, but alfo its Mediator Chrift was plainly enough made Known to the If raelites by Mofes, Deut. 18. 15-19. The Lord thy God will raife up to thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy Brethren, like unto me: unto him ye shall bear= &c. ken, c. There is an Emphafis in thefe words, Like unto me, which are to be understood of God's Familiarly converfing with Mofes, and of the Power Mofes was endu'd with to work Miracles. Whence it is faid Deut. 34. 10. that there arofe not a Prophet fince, viz. Part I. Chap. 7. during the Legal Difpenfation, in Ifrael Like unto Mofes, whom the Lord knew Face to face, in Signs and Wonders, c. But now Christ was not only Like, but even Far fuperior to Mofes in all thefe Refpects. Tis also observable what Mofes adds at the end of Deut. 18. 15. To bim fhall ye bearken: As if he had said, ye fhall hearken to and obey this Prophet in All things, even tho' he should command What may feem contrary to the Law. For God, that gave the Law, can change it in what refpect and at what time he pleases. Whence it follows, that the Jews ought to have hearken'd to Jefus of Nazareth, forafmuch as he had all the Tokens of a True Prophet, even tho' he had not been the promis'd Meffias or Chrift. And to thefe laft cited Words of Mofes God himself seems to have refpect, when the Voice that came out of the Cloud faid, This is my beloved Son (N.B.) hear ye him, Matt. 17. 5. Further Mofes adds Deut. 18. 16, &c. a certain Reason, why God would raise up fuch a Prophet among the Jews, viz. According to all that thou defirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb,-faying, Let me not hear again the Voice of the Lord my God, neither let me fee this great Fire any more, that I dy not. And the Lord faid unto me, They bave well spoken that which they have spoken. Í will raise them up a Prophet, and will put my Words in his Mouth, and he shall speak unto them All that I fball command him. The Meaning whereof is: The Ifraelites defiring that they might no more hear the Voice of God as being terrible, by reafon of the Thundring and Fire from which the Voice came, God graciously promises that he would raise up fuch a Prophet, as that they who were Afraid of the Divine Majesty Speaking to them out of the Fire &c. should not fear to hear It fpeaking to them under the Cover of affum'd Human Nature. And at the fame time God admonishes them, that he would by the fame Prophet Fully reveal his Will to them, and therefore they were to hearken to and obey him in All things. Now these feveral Par ticulars exactly answer'd to Chrift, who as elsewhere, fo particularly on a Mountain (as Matth. 5. 1, &c.) deliver'd Part I. liver'd likewife the Gofpel-law, not with Fire and Lightning, Thunder and Earthquake, but with a gentle Chap. 7 Voice, kind Countenance, and altogether humble Behaviour. That the forecited Words of Mofes were spoken in reference to Chrift, is beyond all doubt, forafmuch as the Holy Spirit has interpreted them of Chrift more than once, viz. Acts 3.22,23. and 7.37. To these Words of Mofes are also without doubt to be referr❜d thofe Words of St Philip, John 1.45. We have found Him of whom Mofes in the Law-did write. To the fame likewife do's in all likelyhood refer, what our Saviour himself says to the Jews, John 5. 45, 46. There is One that accufes you, even Mofes For bad ye believ'd Mofes, ye would have believ'd me; for he wrote of me. Laftly Mofes, for the Age he liv'd in, not only taught the Ifraelites plainly enough, both the Spiritual or Gospel Righteoufnefs, that lay hid under the Rites of the Law, and the Coming of Christ himself; but also forewarn'd them of their future Unbelief, and of the Belief and Converfion of the Gentiles. In this Sense thofe Words of Mofes Deut. 32. 21. are plainly underftood by St Paul, Rom. 10. 19. First Mojes Jays, I will provoke you to Jealousy by them that are no People, or not my People at prefent as you are, and by a foolish Nation, or fuch as at prefent are Heathens, I will anger you, viz. by receiving them as my People on their Converfion or embracing the Gofpel. as to Chrift's De Next to Mofes, is defervedly to be taken Notice of The Gospel Rethe Royal Prophet David, who well understood the velations made to Gospel Righteousness couch'd or veil'd under the Le. David, and first gal Rites, and was not ignorant of the Gofpel Myfte-fcent or Birth. ries, fome of the Circumstances whereof were First of all reveal'd to him. The Gospel or Spiritual Righteoufnefs is fufficiently fet forth, or as it were preach'd, in feveral of his Pfalms, particularly the 119th, soth, 51a, 134th, and 143d. As to the Mysteries of the Gofpel, and their Circumstances, it was first reveal'd to David, that among the Families of the Tribe of Judah Chrift fhould be born of his Family, as Pfal. 132. 11. compar'd with Acts 2. 30. to pafs by feveral other places of the K Old Part I. Chap. 7. IV. Old and New Teftament. As David foreknew that Christ was to be born of bis Seed according to the Flesh, fo he also knew that Chrift was the Son of GOD according to the Spirit of Holiness, (Rom. 1. 3, 4.) that is, Very GOD of Very GOD. This is largely fhew'd Hebr. 1. where v. 10, &c. the Words of David, Pfal. 45.6, 7. are apply'd to Christ, viz. Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever c. So alfo David's Words Pfal. 102. 25, &c. (according to the Septuagint and our Old English Verfion in the Common-prayer Book,) Thou, Lord, in the beginning bast laid the Foundation of the Earth, c. are apply'd to Chrift, Hebr. 1. 10, 11, 12. Hence it fufficiently appears, that David was not ignorant, that as John 1. 1, &c. In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, that All things were made by him &c. Further, as David knew the Pre-existence of Chrift as God, fo alfo he foreknew both the Humiliation and Exaltation of Chrift as Man. As to Christ's Humiliation, David foreknew 1a, the Expiatory Death or Sacrifice of Chrift, and fo his Priesthood, as appears from Pfal. 40. 6-8. compar'd with Hebr. 10.5-14. Wherefore when he, viz. Chrift comes into the World, he says, Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldft not, but a Body haft thou. prepar'd me, — Lo I come to do thy Will, O God, By the which Will we are fanctify'd, thro' the Offering of the Body of Jefus Chrift once for All. Hitherto belongs alfo Pfal. 110. 4. The Lord fware and will not repent, Thou art a Prieft (or as Hebr. 5. 10. an Highprieft) for Ever after the Order of Melchifedec. 2ly, David forefaw that Chrift would humble himself, even to the Death of the Cross, as appears from Pfal. 22. 16. They pierced my Hands and mmy Feet. 3ly, David forefaw or foreknew moft of the Circumstances of Chrift's Death. For inftance, the Beginning of the fecond Pfalm is apply'd by the Apostles to the Confpiracy both of Jews and Gentiles against Chrift, in Acts 4. 24-28, Lord, thou art God, who by the mouth of thy Servant David haft faid, Why did the Heathen rage &c. For of a Truth against thy boly |