of the Eternal Covenant of Grace, made between the Father and his
Son Chriſt Feſus, (who was in it both the Mediator and Surety ;)
which Covenant was promulged, as to Alam and Noah, fo to Abra-
hn; in theſe words, 1: thy Seed ſhall all the Nations of the Earth
be bI-ſſed, that is, in Chriſt. From whence the Apoſtle proveth,
That there is no Fuſtification by the works of the Law, but in and by Chrift, and the exerciſe of Faith in him.
17 And this I fay, that the Covenant that was be-
12. fore confirmed of God in Chriſt z, the law * which
.. was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot diſan-
3 f *! 1 I A NS (LNG) * —— THT
1 _— "2 0 "I - 3 PLS {* y oE mm that muſt be added 3 DUE either to rojrrain Sm, 7 775, Te ge. Or t5
ſhew and diſcover Sin, to make Men ſee thar thoy Rood in need of Chrift, vid. Rome7.13. u Till Chrift the promiTd 5evd ond come, who Rom. 10s 4s 7s the end of the Law for Richton foro every oe that beli-veth;, upon whoſe coming the Law contained in Ordinan- ces ceaſed. That Chriſt js here to be underftood by the $24, is plain by the addition, to whom the Promiſe ww #1270 Somo hero underftand by the Seed, Chriſt and the Church, (which both make up Ciriſt myſtical;) and interpret this Text by Epr. 2. 14. till the Jews and Gentiles ſhould he both made one. w This Law (he ſaith) was ordained by Angels; that Law which Lute, 47s 7.5%. ſpeaks of as publiſhed by one Angel, The Apoftle, 22:6. 2. 2. calls it, the word ſpoken by Angels. We read of no Anzels, Exod. ge. CEAP> and 20. nor of any of the Saints ; yet Deur. 2 3. 2» Moſes, faith God came from Sinai, with Ten Thonſand Saints, The Law was given either by the Miniftry of an Angel, or by God attended with An- gels. x In th? hand, that 13, (ſay ſome) under the power of Chriſt the Mediator ; but by the Medzator, 15 rather to be underftcod Moſes, which agreeth with Deur. 5.5. where Meſs telleth the Fews thar he ſtood berwixt the Lord and them at that time, to ſhew rhem the word of the Lord. Nor is Chrift any where called the Me4:ror of the 014,. but of the New Teſt zment, Heb. 8.6. and 12. 24.
20 Now a mcdiator is not a Mediator of one, but God is one y.
Y This is a Text acknowledged by all Interpreters to be very ob- ſcure; not ſo much conſidered in it ſelf, (for all know, that a Mediator tpeaks one that goes in the middle, betwixt two Perſons that are at odds ; fo cannot he of one ;) as in regard of the Con- nexion of it with what went before ; where he told us, That the Law was given in the hand of a Mediator. There are various Senſes given of this Verſe, and the variety much ariſeth from Men's diffe- rent underftanding of the Mediator, in whoſe hand the Law was given. To me the Apoſtle ſeems to magnifie the Promiſe above the Law, in that the Promiſe was given to Abraham immediately by God (who 7s one in Effence) but the Law was given not imme- diately by God, but by Msſes as Mediator, who in that ation was 2 Type of Chriſt, And God thereby ſhewed, That the Law would bring no Man to Life and Salvation without the one,” and only Mediator Chriſt Jeſus. Chyitt indeed is the Mediator of the New Teſtamznt, he mediated for it, he mediateth in it 5 but it was Men's Tranfgreſhon of the Law that brought them in need of a Nedia- tor, (Sin being the only thin, that ſeparateth between God and Man.) God 7s one, and there had been no need of mediating between him and Man, but for the Law which Man had tranſzrelſed. Thoſe that by the Mediator, ver. 19. underftand Chrijt, make this the Senſe; That as a Mediator ſuppoſeth two Parties at odds, fo Chrift's being Mediator, ſpeaks him to have reſpet to Jews and Gentiles. But this interpretation ſeems to make Chriſt the M-4:izror between Fews and Gemiles, whom (the Apoſtle ſaith) he made 4oth oe, breaking down the partition wall, Eph. 2.14. But we do not find the name of Mediator upon this account any where given unto Chritt.
jJ--1,7 #
14nul o, * that it ſhould make the promiſe of none ” effect p. # The word tranſlated Covenant, is the ſame as before ; ordina- rily fignifying on-": Aiſpoſal of things in his laſt Will and Teſta- ment. W'1ich name is given to the Covenant of Grace, with reſpect to the death of Chriſt ; for tho Chrift as. yet had not died, yet he was by virtue of the Covenant of Redemption, and in God's coun- ſels, The Lamb ſlain from the foundation of the World, Rev. 13. $. This (he faith) was #2 Chrift (as Abraham's promiſed Seed) confirmed ol God to Abraham, by God's Oath, Hb. 6. 17, 18. by frequent Repe- titions of it, by ſuch ſolemn Rites as Covenants uſe to be conſirmed by, Gen. 15. 17, 18, By the Seals of Circumciſion, Gem. 17. It. Rom. 4. 11. By a long preſcription, Tc. though it received indeed its final and ultimate conſummation by the death of Chriſt,yet it was before many ways confirmed. o The Law was given 430 years af- ter the giving the Promiſe to Abraham, tho* Gene 15. 13. the round number of 400 years only be mentioned, which are to be counted from the Birth of /ſazc; yet Exod. 12. 40. they are reckoned (as here) 430 years from Abraham's going out of Haran, Gem. 12. 4. from whence to the Birth of ſac, were 25 years, Gen. 21.5. compared with chap. 12. 4. From the Birth of Jſaac till Facob was born, 60 years, Ge. 25. 26. From thence till Facov went down into Ez ypt, 130 Gen. 47. 9. where they abode 215 years. p Hence the Apoſtle con- cludes, that it was impoſſible that the Law, which was not given till 439 years after the confirmation of the Promiſe, ſhould make the Promiſe confirmed of no effett. mM.5. 18 For * it the inheritance be of the law, :t is no more of promiſe q, but God gave iz to Abraham by
promuſe 7.
q If the Inheritance of the Heavenly Canaan, typified by the Earthly Canaan, the Promiſe of which was made to Abraham, be to be obtained by the fulfilling the Law, and yielding obedience to it, then "tis no more of the Promiſe. It is much the ſame with what the Apoſtle ſaid before, Rom. 4. 14. and with what he had faid, Rom. 11. Ge If by Grace, then it is n0 more of Works, otherwiſe Grace 1s 70 more Grace : But if it be of Works, then it is 20 more Grace ;, otherwiſe ork is 10 more Work. He ſhews that there is an oppoſition betwixt Grace and 1York, the Law and the Promiſe : That which is of Grace, and of the Promiſe, is of free Love ; That which is of Works and the Law, is Wages, and a Reward of Debr. r But (ſaith the A-