Telament, as well as under the New.

୨

1. It was dark, but the Gospel is clear: all things were involved in thick and dark fhadows Tho' there was a Light in that Mofaical Padagogy, which did appear and fhine forth into the Minds of God's Elect, yet withal there was a Cloud of Darkness, as to the outward Adminiftration, efpecially if compared with the Difpenfation of the Gospel fince the coming of Chrift.

There was and is a double ufe of Types and parables, and of that whole way of Argument by Similitude and Comparisons: They do both darken and illuftrate: If explained and understood, they do exceedingly enlighten and illuftrate; but if not explained, they are like a Riddle, they caft a dark mift and cloud upon the thing.

So was the Law of Alofes to all thofe that were not inflrued by the Spirit to understand the Mystery of it. The Reafon and Meaning of it was hidden to the most of them; hence a Vail is faid to be apos their Hearts, that they could not fee to the end of that which is abolished, &c. 2 Cor. 3. 13, 14, &c. as the Apoftle there difcourfeth at large.

2. It was weak, but the Gospel is powerful, 2 Cor. 3. therefore that is called the Letter, this the Spirit.

3. There was much of external Pump and Splendor, but little of that Power and Spirituality that is in Gofpel-worship Tho' that Pomp and Splendor were very pleafing to the people, yet upon this account partly the Apostle calls them carnal Ordinances, Heb. 9. 10. and a worldly Sar uary, ver. 1. because they confifted fo much in outward, low, fenfible things, fo fuitable to the relifh, defire, and difpofition of a carnal Heart. Therefore the carnal Jews were very tenacious of thefe externals of Mofes, tho' defperately averfe to the things themselves included and intended in them. Chrift oppofeth their local Worship to fpiritu al Worship, Job. 4. 21, 23. implying it was not fo fpiritual as Gospel worship. The carnal Jews did turn it into meer Law and Works by their abuse and misunderstaning of it. As the Pharifees; how did they truft in outward Works, and expected Salvation by their own Righteousness? They refted and fat down in the Shell and outfide of things Rom. 9. 32. As it were by the Works of the Law. For they had no real legal Perfection in them; but only in their own proud and falfe Conceit, they thought the bringing of a Sacrifice was that, which did expiate Sin, and Merit and deferve Acceptance with God: They did not look beyond all, to the meer Mercy and free Grace of God in Chrift; they did not look to the end of things, to the time of Reformation which was to come, and fo they fumbled at the ftumblingfone.

4. It was a burthenfome Difpenfation, Acts 15. 10. a Yoke which neither Our Fathers, nor we, were able to bear. Their Services were an infupportabie Yoke, an intolerable Burthen, both as to their number and nature: They had a great number of external Obfervations, from all which the Gospel hath fet us free.

5. The manier of Adminißration was legal, in regard of the Boxdage and Terror of it. It left impreflions of terror upon their spirits. God appeared in fuch dreadful Majefty unto them on Mount Sinai, as hook the Mountain, and fhook all their Hearts, fo terrible was it that. Mofes faid, exceedingly fear and quake, Heb. 12. 21. fo terrible to all the people, that they wished that God would never speak unto them immediately any more, v. 19. fo the Lord gave an Interpreter to reveal and fpeak the Mind of God unto them; and fo it hath been ever since. Hence was that Speech of Aufin, Brevis differentia Legis & Evangelii, timor & amor, the difference between Law and Gospel in brief is Fear and Love.

Thus you fee the Dorine cleared up, and fo much fhall ferve for the clearing up this Truth, and removing thefe Objections against it. We fhall conclude with two or three words of Use.

Use I. Incouragement to fudy the Old Testament, and the Types and Shadows of the Law. Is it fo that the Gofpel was preached to them under the Old Teftament, as well as to us under the New? We fee then the ufefulness of the Old Teftament to New-Teftament Saints: We fee what use there is of fearching into thefe ancient Difpenfations. Will you fearch into the Mystery of the Gofpel? Then confider how God inftructed and taught them of old. There are fome Gofpel Truths Eminently and exprefly revealed and mentioned to them of old, as that of Forgiveness of Sins, &c. Therefore let us fearch into thofe ancient Adminiftrations, because there is much Gofpel there; tho' the Shell be hard, yet there is excellent Subftance in the Kernel.

fe 2. Direction how to attain to the understanding of those Myferies; fudy the Gofpel: For it was Gospel that was preached to them. Fœdus gratia clavis tothis Scripturæ.

Ufe 3. We may here learn another leffon, which wife Agur learned (and it was his wifdom) to know that he wanted Wisdom, Prov. 30. 2,3. Many, coming to read Chapters in the Levitical Law, are apt to think, this is a fealed Book, we are not to bring thefe Offerings to God now, we know not what ufe to make of it: Many Chriftians make no more ufe of them, than of Apocrypha. This may flew us our ignorance. For there is no part of the Scripture but is of ufe; we might fee much of God, and of the Gospel in them, if we had skill to search out the meaning

meaning and Mystery of them. But we bave not the understanding of the buly. Poor, dark, ignorant Creatures we are, the Lord knows. Quantum eft quod nefcimus!

Ufe 4. Incouragement to believe and receive the Gofpel: For it is the everlafting Gofpel. This ufe is the direct Scope of this Text, they had a promife of entring into reft, but came short of it thro' Unbelief. Take we heed therefore of unbelief, left we enter not into rest For the Gospel is preached to us as well as to them. There is ground of encouragement to believe the Gospel, to embrace and clofe with it; for it is that which all the Saints of God both under the Old and New Teftament have ventured their Souls upon. The Gospel was preached to them as well as to us, and to us, as well as unto them. Thou mayeft fafely venture thy Soul in that way wherein fo many Saints in all ages are gone to Heaven: Let us take heed left we fall fhort by unbelief; for the Gofp! was preached to us as well as unto them; but the Word profited them not, becaufe it was not mixed with Faith in them that beard it. Take heed, having the Promifes of entring into reft, left any of you fall short; Take heed of falling fhort of the good things of the Gospel, of that Reft which the Gofpel gives to fintul, guilty, weary Souls. Is fuch a Gofpel preached, and fuch glad tydings revealed, and wilt not thou clofe with them, and receive them gladly and thankfully?

All the Gospel Difpenfations in the Book of God will rise up against thee, if thou art an Unbeliever; all the Saints of old will judge thee, and teftifie against thee. They had but a little glimmering Light, yet they ventured all upon that. But now the Sun appears and fhines on the World in Clearnefs and Glory. They might have objected, that the height of Gofpel-light is not difcovered, which might be great hinderance to them; therefore if God was angry with them then, how much more with us now, how fhall we efcape, if we neglect fo great Salvation? If every word spoken then was ftedfaft, and was fufficient to bring Souls out of the state of Sin and Death, to Happiness; bow much more the Word and Light that we enjoy? For if the Word Spoken by Angels was fedfaft, and every Tranfgreffion and Disobedience received a just recompence of Reward, Heb 2. 2, 3. how shall we escape, if we negleft fo great Salvation? Unbelief is a damning Sin in all ages; but the more clearly the Gospel is preached, the more inexcufable is the Unbelief of finners that perifh in their Sins; the more inexcufable is their Sin, and the more deep and dreadful will their Damnation be. The Apoftle calls the Gofpel the Word of Truth; Unbelief faith it is a Lye It gives God the Lye, it makes him a Lyar, and makes the Gospel a Fable. It there be a way of recovery, why should't not thou believe

C 2

and

and venture thy Soul on that; if there be no fuch way, then the Goft pel is a Lye, and wilt thou fay the Gospel is a lye? We have a proverb, as fure as.Cofpel. There is nothing fo clear, and fure, and certain, as the Gospel. All Happiness depends on the believing of the Gospel. Therefore take heed of, and ftrive against Unbelief, labour as nuch against it as against any other Corruption: And the chief help is a clear understanding, a clear infight and understanding in the Mystery of the Gospel, this will help against all thy Unbelief; then all thy Obje cious will vanifh as Darkness before the Sun. It's Ignorance of the Gospel from whence fo many Objections arife: Beg of God to give thee clear Gospel-Light, and this will be the best means to overcome and overpower that Sin of Unbelief. Did men fee the Excellency, the Truth and Goodness of the Gofpel; they would receive it gladly and thankfully. The Gospel is both true tydings and glad tydings, it's both true and glad tydings. Now were this believed, it would chear up the Hearts of poor Sinners.

Hebrews I. i, ii,.iii;

God, who at fundry times, and in divers manners fpake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets, bath in thefe last days fpoken unto us by bis Son, whom be bath appointed Heir of all things, by whom alfo be made the Worlds: Who being the Brightness of his Glory, and the exprefs Image of his perfon, and upholding all things by the Word of bis power, when he bad by himself purged our Sins, fat down on the right hand of the Majesty on bigh.

T

HAT the Gospel was preached to them under the Old Teftament, as well as to us under the New, hath been cleared from Heb. 4. 2. where the Apostle faith, Unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them. We are next to confider, How it was preached unto them. Now to this the Text anfwers, that it was done in liv rs nan-. ners, and at fundry times, ΠΟΛΥΤΡΟΠΩΣ and ΠΟΛΥΜΕΡΩΣ;

The fcope of the words is to compare and prefer the Gofpel fcoveries and manifcftations of God before the Legal. Which he doth by a most elegant Antithefis between them: Then God fpake to the Father, now to us; that was by the Propbets, but now by bis Son: Thofe Discoveries. were of old, and fo are pafled away, but the Gospel is in these last days; And finally, hen he spake in divers manners, and at fundry times: now he hath fixed upon this one way, and once for all, to reveal himfelt by his Son..

But

We

We may refolve the Text into four general Propofitions or points of Doctrine.

1. That it hath pleafed God to speak or reveal Himself, and his Mind, and Will, unto poor loft Man, in order to his Happiness and Salvation. For he fpeaketh here only of the Gospel Discoveries.

2. That there be two grand Discoveries or Difpenfations of the Mind of God unto the Sons of Men; the one before, the other fince the coming of his Son.

3. That under that former Difpenfation God did reveal and speak his Mind of old unto the Fathers by the Prophets in divers manners, and at fundry times.

4. That in this laft Difpenfation, instead of all thofe former various Discoveries used of oid, he hath spoken his Mind unto us only by his Son.

You fee the two laft Doctrines do contain and hold forth the Differences and peculiar Characters of each Difpenfation.

It is only the third Doctrine that we are now to fpeak unto, viz. that under the old Difpenfation God did reveal and speak his Mind unto the Fathers by the prophets in divers manners, and et fundry times.

1. It was of old; therefore now palled away, as Heb. 8. 13. that which decayeth, and waxeth old, is ready to vanish.

2. To the Fathers; that is, to their Ancestors; for he writes this Epiftle to the Hebrews, as the Title of it fhews.

3. By the Prophets; all thofe by whom God revealed his Mind to others were in that respect Prophets, that is, Discoverers or Revealers of the Mind of God.

4. In divers manners.

5. At fundry times.

Thefe two laft I intend a little to infist upon, viz. thefe divers manners, and fundry times. I fhall endeavour to fhew,

:. What were the fe divers manners or ways of Discovery.

2. What were the feveral times, or the feveral pieces and parcels of it. For this is the Impcitance of the two Words, полIPоп

ΠΟΛΥΜΕΡΩΣ

and

1. I hal peak firft to the Alanner; as being first in confideration, tho' last raentioned in the Text. The Lord was pleafed herein to use great variety; he did not limit and confine himself to one way and manner of Difcovery; but he spake fometimes in one manner and fometimes in another. It concerns us to enquire into it, fo far as we have Scripture-light to guide us. For me are built upon the Foundations of the Prophets and Apofties, Ephef. 2. o. Yet we must do it with Sobriety of

Spirit,.