Testament or the Law, not because it was first, as some suppose, but because it was to wax old,Heb. 8.13. and to give place to the more excellent Covenant succeeding, and finally to be abolished.
But here at the first we meet with a great difficulty, How, and whether at all the Covenant of Grace, was manifested by Moses?
Some make the Old and New Testament, as the Covenant of workes and grace, opposite in substance and kind, and not in degree alone: and that to introduce an unsound distinction, viz. of promise set against Covenant or Testament, as though God conferred Grace unto the Fathers only by promise, and not by Covenant, leaving all that Moses puts under Covenant to be the Covenant of works and old Testament, not considering that God calleth his promise of Grace to Abraham a Covenant. Gen. 17. 1. being in every branch a compleat Covenant: not adverting that the Apostle (who knew how to speake according to the sence of the old Scriptures) cals the promise made unto Abraham a Covenant or Testament. Gal. 3. 17. and the Covenant of promise, distinguishing the degrees of manifestation. Ephes. 2. 12. Neither can it be proved, that ever God made the Covenant of works with the creature fallen: but whensoever the Scripture speakes of Gods entring into Covenant with man fallen and plunged into sinne, and for sinne deserving wrath, it must be understood of the Covenant of Grace, as shall be shewed hereafter.
Others make the Old Testament a Covenant subservient to the Covenant of Grace, and describe it to be that which God made with Israel in Mount Sinai, to prepare them to faith, and to inflame them with a desire of the promise and Evangelicall Covenant (which otherwise had languished in their minds) and to restrain them from wickednesse as it were with a bit and bridle, untill the time wherein God should send the Spirit of adoption into their hearts, and governe them by the Law of liberty. This they make to agree with the Covenant of nature in this, that in both the one partie contracting is God, the other man, both hath a stipulation annexed, and that the same in respect of the morall Law: the promise is the same in generall, and both leade unto Christ. But to differ from it in this, that the Covenant of nature was made with all men, but this with the Israelites alone; that was made with man created and perfect in Paradise, and hadno
