free-grace and mercy of God looking at poore sinners in Jesus Christ. They have both one common matter:Heb. 5.8.
Act. 3.19.
Eph. 1.14. the obedience of faith required, and life everlasting, and all secondary good things promised by the imputation of the righteousnesse of faith, and free adoption in Jesus Christ. They have both one object Jesus Christ, who being promised to the Fathers in propheticall Scriptures, God hath in due time exhibited under the Gospel. They have both one generall end, viz. the praise of the glorious grace of God in Jesus Christ. Both Covenants are struck with man-kind, as invested in one and the same reall and formall consideration, whither before or after Christ, viz. with sinners, and those which worke not, but beleeve in him that justifieth the ungodly. In both the same spirit sealed up the truth of the Covenants to all under Covenant: for seeing the adoption, and inheritance in some measure belonged to the Fathers in the old Testament, the earnest of that inheritance cannot be denied them. But the new Covenant doth in many things out-strip the old, which do nothing derogate from their substantiall and reall unity and agreement.
First, In the old Testament the Lord did proclaime himself to be mercifull and gracious, slow to anger, aboundant in goodnesse and truth, which he confirmed by great and wonderfull deliverances of his people out of Egypt and Babylon: but yet at first he gave his Law with signes of Majesty, glory and terrour, yea of anger and displeasure against sin and wickednesse.Exod. 19.18.
Heb 12.21,22,23.
Eph 2.17,18.
2 Cor. 5.17,18. But the new Testament was given with manifest tokens of love, favour and free mercy, God being reconciled in the Son of his love, and therein he hath revealed his superaboundant and transcendent love, mercy and long suffering, as shall be shewed hereafter.
Secondly, In the old Testament Christ was knowne to be the seed of the woman, the selected seed of Abraham, his bloud and death typified in Moses, his person and office, humiliation and resurrection fore-told by the Prophets, but all these were more obscure and darke to the Jewes: but in the new TestamentJoh. 1.12,13.
Rom. 1.4.
Gal. 3.19.
2 Co. 1.20. he is openly manifested to be the Son of God, made unto us of God wisdom, righteousnes, sanctification and redemption, to whom the promise was made, and by whose love & authority, as the great Testator of heaven, they are all made, put forth, ratified & established.
Thirdly, The commandments of the old Testament were many of them carnall,Heb. 7.16.
Col. 2.14,15. standing in ceremoniall observances, and containing
