Eighthly, The Law was weake, unable to give life,Gal. 3.21. & 4.9.
Heb. 8.7. & 9.13. to purge the conscience, to pacifie the wrath of God, and therefore to be abrogated, when Christ was come, whereunto it pointed, and the new ordinances were set up and established: but the Gospel containeth the unsearchable riches of God,Eph. 3.8. is the power of God to Salvation,Rom. 1.16. to continue for ever, and the blood of the new TestamentMat. 26.28. doth expiate sin, purge the conscience,Heb. 9.14,15.
& 12.24. and speak better things then the bloud of Abel.
Ninthly, The federates under the old Covenant are compared unto an heire under age,Gal. 4.1,2,3,4.
Gal. 4.23,24,25. needing a Guardian, Tutour or Schoole-master, little differing from a servant, subject to the bondage of the Ceremoniall Law, and servitude of spirit, because the curse of the Law was more severely pressed, and the bloud of Christ, whereby freedome was purchased more covertly and sparingly revealed: but the federates under the new are growne up unto a ripe age in Jesus Christ, freed from the bondage of Ceremoniall ordinances, endued with holy liberty, partakers of the spirit of adoption, whereby they cry Abba Father. But of the priviledges of the federates under the new Covenant, and the excellency of that Covenant in the Chapters following.
C h a p. XI.
Of Truth and Uprightnesse.
IT hath often been said, that God accepteth true, unfained and upright obedience, and when the servants of God intreat mercy, we find they alleadge the truth, uprightnesse, and integrity of their hearts, to shew they were rightly qualified to make a faithfull plea for mercy: therefore (I conceive) it will not be out of place here to shew what Truth and Uprightnesse is, and then proceed to the doctrine of the new Covenant.
Truth the Septuagint renders righteousnesse:Gen. 24.49
Isa. 38.19.
& 39.8.
Josh 24.14. for uprightnesse and integrity they put truth:Isa. 45.19.
Pro. 28.6. and for the paths of judgement, they have it, the paths of truth.Pro. 8.20. And in this sence to doe truth, Joh. 3. 21. is, not to doe perversly, to doe right, justice, integrity, as to deale perversly or unjustly, Isa. 26. 10. they translate, not to doe truth. In like manner, lies or false-hood, deceitand
