[2.] The witnesses on earth. The Spirit, the water, and the blood, these agree in one ; they are not one as the former were, 1 John v. 8. This is internal, ver. 10. The work of regeneration of the soul by the power of the AVord and Spirit is signified by water. The work of jus- tification of guilty souls by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the testimony of the Spirit bearing witness to our spirits, is an assured testimony that Jesus Christ, whom we believe, is the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The changing, pacifying, converting, and comfort- ing of souls crieth aloud that Jesus Christ, in whom we believe, is the true and living God, whom to know and believe is eternal life. The great work of applying all the privileges of the saints, and making them actual partakers of the blessings of Christ's death, is committed to the Holy Ghost. All agree in this, that Jesus Christ is a sure re- fuse for sinners ; that that was without us is now within us, tran- scribed by the Spirit of grace upon our hearts,
Secondhj, We are not only to consider a testament, but a ne^7
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482 A SACRAMENT SEEMON ON LUKE XXII. 20,
testament. For the uaderstanding of this, note that Christ made his testament two ways —
1. One in typical promises under the law, before he came in the flesh ; and so in types and figures he died as it were, and was the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, Rev. xiii. 8.
2. The other after his incarnation, in plain and clear terms, when he fulfilled the types, actually laid down his life ; then it was as a closed, sealed will, now it is an open one. In short, these two testaments differ in three things — in excellency, clearness, and efficacy.
[1.] In excellency. We have better promises and better ordinances. Better promises : Heb. viii. 6, ' But now hath he obtained a more ex- cellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, established upon better promises.' Though in effect they were the same, yet now more sphitual. The first testament had a greater mixture of temporal promises ; and in the importance of it, it more concerned this life. Their hell was Egypt, their heaven was Canaan, their eternity was long life, their salvation was temporal de- liverance, their gladness was the affluence of worldly comforts and blessings. The promises then were clogged with more conditions. And also better ordinances. The first testament was a dispensation full of dark and painful and chargeable rites ; all the services tended rather to stir up brokenness of heart than faith, and signified the death of the sinner more clearly than the death of a saviour and redeemer ; and as much as they presignified a redeemer, they typed out his person rather than our benefit. None but the priest could enter within the vad ; the way to the holy place was not yet open. The priest could only eat of the sin-offering. Lev. vl 26. The priest was only to eat what is offered for the people's sins : eating implieth union, to show the death of the sacrifice should become the death of the priest himself. The priest became one with the beast slain ; but now sinners eat the sin-offering, feed upon the sacrifice. It is notable that neither priest nor people could eat of the sin-offering for the whole congregation. This social communion was reserved for the gospel. God and they would not eat at one table, lest they should think their communion full and perfect without us, Lev. xvii. 11, 12. Blood was forbidden upon this very ground, Ijecause given upon the altar for the remission of sins. Now this is the reason why we are bidden to drink of it : Mat. xxvi, 27, ' Drink ye all of it ; for this is the blood of the new testament, which is given for the remission of sins.' It is not the blood of the old testament, but the new. In short, so much as the blood of Christ doth excel the blood of the sacrifices, and as far as heaven is above the earthly sanctuary, and men's souls above the vessels thereof, so far doth our covenant exceed. We have better promises, more comfortable ordinances ; the new covenant is set forth with new -•igns ; there needeth nothing to complete it but new hearts.
[2.] In clearness. All was dark and obscure then ; there was the blood of lambs, and goats, and other sacrifices. Christ's death was then exhibited but in types and figures. The promise of laying down his life was then accepted in the old testament ; the actual perform- ance is in the new. He was then slain in figure. The doctrine of the Trinity was not clearly known, nor the incarnation, death, and resur-
A SACRAMENT SERMON ON LUKE XXII. 20. 483
rection of Christ, union with Christ, and the recompense of reward, and the saints' resting-place. God did not so familiarly reveal himself as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ : 2 Cor. iii. 18, ' But now we aU, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spuit of the Lord/