have the Mediatour Mofes to have more to doe with the delivery of the fecond writing then at the firft, which was the prologue to the lenifying of the Law, wherewith man had to doc. 2. Mofes must bring the Tables up, and God would write the words before written, which fhewed that God could not, nor would not alter the Law, which was a perfect draught of the first Law imprinted in Adam. 3. Confider that here was no preparation, nor any terror of wonders, but a foft breath of God in this paffage, noting this, that God had fufficiently thundred wrath in the former delivery, and now feekes to cover it that the people might beare and obey. 4. Mofes must provide an Arke to cover the Tables, which was not only for the fafe keeping of the Tables, but to cover the wrath and curfe, that the people should not fee it, which was the firft vaile. 5. We doe not reade that ever the Lord would have either the people or Prieft to reade these words out of ftone, but as they were mollifyed by Mofes his tranfcription, in his bookes efpecially; wherein Prince and people were to reade the duties of the Covenant and the promises. No more tables, there they are, but deale not with them, there is wrath at the first opening: which was the reafon why God fmote the men of Bethshemesh with fuch a flaughter, because they durft looke into, and reade upon thefe tables of the Arke of the Lord, I Sam.6.19. 6. We reade that God, Exod.34.5. when Mofes was standing before the Lord with his prepared tables, the Lord defcended, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord, and faid, The Lord God mercifull and gratious, long fuffering and aboundant: in mercy and truth, forgiving iniquity, tranfgreffion and finne. Thus the Lord would take away the edge of the curfe,though he would write it for ends unmentioned. Then the Lord upon the Mount rehearsed the Covenant of grace with Ifrael, and caufeth Mofes the Mediatour to write it, Exod.34.27. And now he had in his hand both the Covenant of works and of grace, the one bid in the Arke, the other open in his hand: the fame Commandements, but the one with wrath, the other lenified by God. 7. When Mofes came downe this appearance of God had changed the skin of his face, that he was glad to put a vaile upon him, for otherwise the people could not, nay durft not behold him, but ranne from him, as at firft from God when he delivered the Law upon Mount Sinai, which God would have for the very fame end, MTofas Mofes his fhining face fignifying the curfe and wrath of God in the Law, as a meere draught of the Covenant of workes, which the people could not behould, his vaile fignifying the covering of this curfe from the eyes of Ifrael. 8. Confider that till the Law as a meere draught of natures Law was inarked and thus vailed at Mofes his propofition of the remedy unto these carnall Ifraelites, in the blood of the facrifices, writ in the Ceremoniall Law, it could not quiet them,nor pacifie their confciences. 9. Obferve this one thing further, that Mofes in the five bookes doth so shun this rigid propofition of the Law, that the Apostle when he came to deale with the faife Apostles about this acceptation of the Law as ftanding full against the Covenant of Grace and Juftification by faith, could find but two teftimonies in all Mofes, which neceffarily convinced this manner of propounding the Law, the one, Deut.21.23. the other, Deut.27.26. But because this end of the vailing of Mofes his face, as tending to fignifie the curfe of the Morall Law, and the vailing of it from the eyes of carnall Ifrael is called into queftion by fome of prized judgement, and that from the paffage of 2 Cor.3. they fpend one propofition in clearing that place to prove that it was the vailing of the Morall Law in the Curfe. For firft fay they, it could not be the vailing of the blood of Chrift in the Ceremonials; for the Ceremonies was a fufficient vaile to hide that, and to have put an other vaile had been against Gods love, who would have the people fpirituall to locke into it for Salvation: one vaile was fufficient to hide fo precious a treafure. But to the Text, it is plaine in the beginning of the Chapter 2 Cor.3.3. that the Apostle meanes the writing of the Law in their hearts, namely the Commandements of the Morall Law by removing the Curfe, that the heart may clofe in with it. Secondly, Verf. 6. The miniftery of the Spirit is opposed not to the Cloud of Ceremonies, but to the letter of the Law Morall: for this killeth,fo did not the Ceremony,but quickning his measure. Thirdly. Verf. 7. The Miniftery of the Gospell is opposed to that which was graven in ftont, which was the Morall Law only. Fourthly, Verf. 13. Mofes his vaile was put on when Mofes was read, and not the Ceremoniall Law alone, as intending the vailing of the Curfe of the Morall Law. Fifthly, That which beates fhew is Verf. 14. where the Text faith, that the vaile was taken away in Chrift. It is true that the the Ceremonies were removed in the comming of the substance, but is it not as true, and here meant, that the curfe of the Law was removed by the comming of Chrift, and fo the vaile made needleffe, Gal.3.13. But Verf.15. the vaile yet remaines when Mofes is read, which cannot be the Ceremony vailing the blood of Chrift, for that is removed in aft: for the Jewes facrifice not for want of an Altar: but it is most true of the vaile of the Morall Law to cover wrath. For as it was a mercy to vaile it to that people till Christ came, fo it is now a judgement Chrift being come to shade it. For it might be, iffeene, an accidentall caufe to drive them to Jefus the Sonne of Mary for a Saviour. But the knot lyeth in the 18. verfe, But we all c. where it is thought, and itrongly spoken, that the vaile fignifieth the Ceremonialt Law. It is true there is a flat oppofition of Chriftian and Jew, the one with open face beholding Chrift, the other not daring to Lethe glory of the Lord in giving the Law. But all will be evident if it be fhewed what is here meant by the Image of Chrift, which we behold with open face, which is not the blood of Chrift vailed in the blood of the Sacrifices, but the Law of God writ in his heart, (promifed fer.31.34.) as the head, which is the new command of the Morall Law, fet up for us as a glaffe which behoulding by faith, we are changed into the fame Image by the Spirit, and now it will appeare that the whole Chapter fpeakes of the Morall Law. Another inforcement of this diftination is from the Apoftle Gal.3. where he difputes against the Morall Law taken as a rigid draught of natures Law, unto the 23. verfe, for otherwile the Law had been no enemy unto him as a branch of the Covenant of Grace: but at the 23. verfe he difputes the good ends of it, as propounded with Gods moderation. By the Law which we call the Morall Law, Mofes and Paul meane the meere draught of the Law of nature, as it hath neceffarily affixed eternall life to the pun&tuall performance, or eternall curfe to the difubayers in the deaft title. For the Law is complexum quiddam,containing in it command and bleffing and carfing. Take command without blefling or curfing, and it is no more Law with Mofes: take fimple denunciation of bleffing and curfe from command, and then it is threatning and promife, but no Law! This abftract of the Law here confidered from the rest of Mofes his Oeconomy is pure Law flashing wrath upon the fallen creature, and therefore called a fiery Law, or fire of Law,Deut.33.3. And for fpeciall caufe expreffed in generall by the Apostle, Gal.3. The Law, that is thus abftracted, was added, because of transgreffion. For firft, in that long courfe of time betwixt Adam and Mofes, men had forgotten what was finne, and had obliterated the very Law of nature. Therefore God fets out the lively Image of it by Mofes in this draught and abstract, to which end, all the commands faving two are propounded in the negative, that fo men by the Church might know the nature of finne againe, Rom.3.19. Secondly, God propounds the Law with curfe eternall to work death, and to fhew Gods eternall difpleasure against fin, Rom.4. 15. which was usefull not only to the world and wicked in generall, but fpecially to the ftiff-necked and refractory Nation, to be as a rod to fcourge all their rebellions and backflidings. The Law thus laced with bleffings and curfings eternall, abitracted from the I reft of his frame, makes Mofes now to begin to breath bleffings, and no leffe then Gofpel. This comming from a pacified God (as Exod.33.6,7,8.) may be looked on by the fallen creature with comfort, and from this confideration it is that we affirme this Covenant made with the body of Ifrael to be a Covenant of Grace: for it is one, and therefore never by Mofes called Cove nants. Again, It cannot be denied, that fo farre as it concerned the fpirituall Ifraelite (whom God especially eyed and for their lakes infolded the carnall in the compact) it was a Covenant. Thus farre for confirmation of that diftinction. But thefe diftinctions feeme not to remove the doubt. Not the first, because it. cannot be conceived how the old Covenant fhould as a condition of the Covenant, exact perfect obedience deferving life as neceffary to Salvation, and yet promife pardon to the repentant believer for thefe two are contrary the one to the other. Not the fecond, because the Covenant that God made with the Jewes is but.. one, and how should we conceive the Law in one, and the fame. Covenant to be propounded as a rigid draught of prime nature,and with moderation alto, as the Covenant of works, and the Covenant of Grace likewife, when the Covenant is but one, and the conditions the fame, Besides, where the Apostles doe oppofe the 0:3 Law : The Law was never given or made pofitive without the now without the Law, al. though the old Teftament be ufually called the Law, and the new the Gospel.because dominant in the Gospel in the other. Exod.19.4.5. Law and Gospel, or the old and new Teftament, not only the Morall Law, as it was given upon Mount Sinai, but the whole Jewish Pedagogie, or Law of Mofes is understood, as it is maniteft in fundry paffages. Other things to be obferved in that explication I will not infilt upon at this prefent, because they will come to be touched hereafter, as we pale along. Some Divines hold the old Teftament, even the Law, as it was given upon Mount Sinai, to be the Covenant of Grace for fubItance, though propounded in a manner fitting to the state of that people, time and condition of the Church. It was fo delivered as it might ferve to discover fin, drive the Jews to deny themselves and flie to the mercy of God revealed in Jelus: but it was given to be a rule of life to a people in Covenant, directing them how to walk before God in holineffe and righteoufneffe, that they might inherit the promises of grace and mercy. This I take to be the truth, and it may be confirmed by many and ftrong reasons out of the word of God. As first, by the contract of that fpirituall marriage a little before the promulgation of the Law, defcribed in these words: Yee have feene what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on Eagles wings, and brought you unto my felfe. Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keepe my Covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people : for all the earth is mine. And yee shall be unto me a Kingdome of Priests, and an holy Nation. Thefe are the words which Jer. 11.2,3,4" thou shalt speak unto the children of Ifrael whereunto the Prophet Jeremiah hath reference, faying, Heare ye the words of this Covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of ferufalem, and fay thou unto them, thus faith the Lord 1 King 8.21. God of Ifrael, Curfed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant, which I commanded your Fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt, from the iron for nace, faying obey my voice and doe them, according to all which Deut.4.23. & I command you, fo shall ye be my people, and I will be your God. And this without doubt is to be understood of the Decalogue, as it was given upon Mount Sinai, feeing Mofes himfelfe doth in Hof.8.1. Jer.7. expreffe words teftifie it. God himselfe (faith he) declared unto 11. Ex.34.27, you his Covenant, which he commanded you to performe, even 28. Eph.2.1,8. ten words, and he wrote them upon two tables of Stone.. In thefe Rom.5.10. paflages obferve, that the Law is called a Covenant, as it is often Deut. 4.13. 2 King.23.2. Booke of the Covenant, Ex. 5.2. & 9.9. Jer.3.16. 23. 2 Chro.6. : elf |