Gal.3.23,84, 85. For the better administration of this state and nationall Covenant, it pleased God to ordaine fatable Ordinances for the teaching and applying of this Covenant, fcil. of Miniftery and Pricfthood. The firft of these the Apoftle openeth, fetting down the ftate of the Gentile and Jew before Chrift came, compared both together, and how both stood in comparifon to the Church after Christ, in regard of this Ordinance of teaching. As the Gentile before Chrift was a man conftrained to live without a shelter: the Jew at the fame time is better provided for: for he had the Law taught to cover his head in a ftorme, that it be not too violent. But we after Chrift dwell in well-grounded, yea, feiled roomes, that we need not to feare the blowing, beating, or flowing in of the Sea, raine, or wind, for we have the Ordinances of the Gofpell. The Gentiles before Chrift ran wild like beggarly bruits without all fchooling; the Jew a great deale better for the time The Lord did being, he had a Schoole-mafter to teach and nourture him, even, thinke it goud the Law to bring him unto Chrift. But happy Chriftians after to fet forth the Chrift living in the University of the Church under the free TuRate of mino. tors of new Ordinances. The Schoolemastership of Mofes was rity in fuch kind of attires a good Ordinance for the body of the people under Covenant & habiliments with God, as we find this calling needfull and profitable in a as might beft Common-weake,though inferiour to the honour and worth of an fuit with the University. There was not a man of them undifcovenanted who nority: and fo took not benefit fome way or other by this pedagogie. For fome were kept thereby from notorious evils, as children that learne little at Schoole, get good in this, that they are kept from (hrewd turnes. Others get much ability of knowledge, though they never looked at Chrift; as fome at Schoole learn to write and read, caft account and make a bond, though they never intend any better ufe of their learning. But the fpirituall Jew got fome true meafure of grace to Salvation, though they reached not to that pitch and meafure which is attaineable under the Ordinances of the New Teftament; as in fome good Grammar Schooles thofe grounds of learning may be obtained, whereby men may be ferviceable to the Church or Common-weale in fome measure, though they come not to that ripenesse and maturity, which may be gotten in the University. tanfie of mi to teach and clothe his Church with types and Ceremonies, which is a kind of Image rie, and there fore of the two the Jewes had more liberty in that kind then Chriftians in times of the Gofpell. For the manner of this pedagogie under Mofes, we are not to conceive, that he taught his Schollers in things too hard for their capacity and practife only to fet them to others to aske: for it is the part of a bad mafter to fet his Schollars too hard a taske, that they might runne to their fellowes to make exercises, this is the way to non-proficiency. But Mofes in the Ceremoniall Ordinances did point-out Chrift, and fo as a good Schoole-mafter directed unto him; and by thewing unto the Jewes their weakneffe and inability, convincing them of finne, terrifying their confciences, he did drive them unto Chrift, and informed them how to walke being in Chrift, that they might inherite the promife. Thus the Law entred that finne might abound, it difcovered finne, wrought wrath, wounded, terrified and killed, and withall revealed the remedy to be had, not in the Law, but in Christ, that the distressed might not rest in the Law, but seek unto Chrift,and live. Ina Schoole we must have rods to keep refractory boyes in awe, and idle boyes to their bookes, according to the common Proverbe, A rod in a Schoole is alwayes in feason. This was found with Mofer in his Schoole, and used as occafion was offered. The Ceremonies were as an hand-writing against them, as they witneffed their uncleaneneffe,or bound them to the debt of the Law: and a curfe was denounced against them that hould not continue in all things that was written in the booke of the Law to doc them. Schoole-mafters must have Apples and toyes to traine up boy es of better and fofter natures, who be won with a Nut and loft with the fhell: This the Schoole of the Law wanted not in the hand of Mofes, as the outward temporall blef fings of this life plentifully fpoken too, and distributed by the hand of Mofes in his Booke: The Jewes were as Infants and little children that are much pleased with rattles and other toyes: and Moses the rather to winne and keepe them in obedience, doth make large promifes of corporall bleflings and an earthly inheritance, as did befit the state and condition of that people. But if these prevaile not, he hath his Ferula and gentle rod, which is the commination of temporall calamities and judge ments to be inflicted upon tranfgreffours. It is expedient a Schoole mafter bave fome other practifes befides Rods and Nuts to breake theite wils, and make them corrigible and teachable, tractable and gentle, which the Law provided for aboundantly, 1 having to doc with a ftiffe-necked people, and ftubborn Schollars. Three kinds of impofitions Mofes propounded unto his Schollars to beare. T3 First, Rom. 5.20. Gal.3.19. Rom.7.11. and 4.15. Col.2.14. Ephef.2.15 The Ceremonies are visible words preach ing Chrift,and they preach guile allo and wrath belon ging unto us, by confequent and to the Jew directly. Cere monies as they are a meere carnall kind of inftru&ting, do witneffe a gainst us. First, in the pedagogie of the Law he reftrained them from fome free creatures, whereunto they had strange naturall defires,as meats and drinks; making fome uncleane: as mothers lay Apples before the eyes of their children, which yet they must not touch upon paine of a frowne, chiding or whipping, to breake their wils, and traine them up in obedience. Secondly, He laid before them fome other indifferencies, which if they did adventure to use, they must undergoe fuch and fuch hardship as was not worth the while: their injoyment not worth the paiment, as we reade Levit.15. in many washings and purifications. Thirdly, He preferibed fuch duties about the free creatures, which were dangerous, painfull and coftly for the prefent, if it were poffible to bow their uncircumcifed hearts: wherein he prevailed,and they profited aboundantly. In all which he in creafed their homage to God, more than at the first in the Cove nant of works with Adams, or in any former manifeftation of this Covenane. And in these refpects the Law might well be called a burden unfupportable, which neither the Jewes,nor their Fathers.. were able to beare.. A good Schoolemafter will not fcorne to teach rudiments to leffer boyes, every letterand fyllable:fo Mofes and his fucceffors taught all the rudiments and legall precepts to all the Jewes, wherein though fome fticke as their furtheft perfection, yet fome went further to higher degrees,and all learned by them fome partiall obedience to draw on them and theirs fome partiall blef fings. Of this fort were thefe, Touch not, taft not. It befcemes an able Schoolemaster fo farre as he hath ability and authority to teach his Schollars Grecke, Hebrew, Logicke, principles of higher learning, efpecially when an univerfity is not at hand : so Mrfes in this pedagogie did rife to teach higher things to the spirituallifrael, asthe blood of Christ folded up in the blood of the facrifice, for the purging of their hearts from dead workes, and the mortification of linfull corruption in their burnt offerings, that fo they might discover how they were delivered from the eternall curfe of the Law. Now when his fpirituall Schollars felt the bondage of the Law, and came to learne the remedy, the very thing learned was their motive and reward, that they did not fo much need rods or nuts, that is, the promife of temporall blef fings, or denunciation of temporall judgements, and the want of fuch learning was a fmatt rod to beate them. Mofes alfo brought in the Prieft-hood as a fetled.ordinance for that prefent, which for the perfons were to fucceed him; The things which they had proper were two. First to offer Sacrifices. for the people and thereby to cleanse them from the breach of Ceremoniall commands put upon them by Mofes to teftifie their homage. But the blood of thofe facrifices, was a tipe of Chrifts blood our true and unchangeable high Prieft, whereby the confcience is purged from the guilt of finne, and from all failings in the least and highest degree of morall obedience. And though the carnall Jew faw it not in their facrifices, yet the fpirituall, which brought a right fence of finne and fitting difpofition, both faw it and reached pardon in thefe facrifices by faith in the blood Heb.9.9.810 4. & 9.23. of Chrift tipified by them. And hence we fee in what refpect, the Gal.3.27. Law is faid to be weake and unable to give life, to purge the con- Heb.8.7. &98! à fcience, or pacifie the wrath of God: becaufe if was not the 13. blood of Bulls or Goats, but of Christ, the immaculate Lambof God, who thorough the eternall Spirit offered up himselfe a facrifice to the Father, that did purge the confcience, and bring in eternall redemption, which was not fhed but tipified under that 3 Covenant, though the fpirituall feed by faith laid hold upon it, and were partakers of the benefits thereof. : Secondly, It was the effect of this ordinance to offer up prayyers to God for the people upon their Incense. To runne into eve ry particular in this kind were infinite. The effect of this Covenant, that it bringeth forth children, but in fome kind of bondage, preffed and kept under with fervitude. For the heire fa long as he is under Tutors and Governours dif, Gal.4.3.40. fereth not from a fervant, though he be Lord of all, The Jewes were: children and heires, but tutored and kept under with many Cere-. moniall ordinances and obfervations as appendices to the Law, expedient for that time and state. But there is a twofold fervi tude; one to damnation, which shuts the fonnes of fuch difpofition out of the Kingdome of Heaven, which was figured by the bondage of Ifmael and Hagars This the Covenant doth not be, get in it felfe, but in them that rejected Chrift the foule of the Law, and trufted in their workes to be juftified thereby. The o ther offonnes, which are held under the nourture of the Law and legall 14 Exod.12. legall rites, but rest not in them,but by them are led unto Chrift; which abide still in the house, and partake of the dignity of fons though under Tutours; and this fervitude is an effect of the Covenant thus adminiftred. Under this Covenant the naturall feed of Abraham bore the face of the Church and state, and God had promised abundance of temporals, and of fpirituall a fcantling: But all under the outward administration of the Covenant, were not in like manner partakers of the bleffings promifed in Covenant. For fome had their part in the temporall bleffings only, and the outward ordinances; others were partakers of the fpirituall bleffings promifed. But whatsoever good thing any of them enjoyed either temporall or fpirituall, it was conferred upon them freely according to the Covenant of Grace, and not for the dignity of their workes. It is true, the promife is conditionall, if they obey, they fhall reape the good things of the Land: but obedience was not a caufall condition, why they fhould inherit, but confequent, what they must doe when they should inherit the Land, God would not that his people fhould live diffolutely in the promised Land: but he gave them not that inheritance for their righteoufneffe. Certaine it is alfo, that God did reward partiall obedience with temporall bleffings, as he fpared fome upon their temporary humiliation and fained repentance:and he permitted fome obftinate and rebellious to abide in the promised Land,and take roote and profper for a feafon : but this he did of his free bounty,that he might performe the Oath which he fware unto the Fathers. So that herein there appeares no intexture of the Covenant of workes with the Covenant of Grace, nor any moderation of the Law to the strength and power of nature for the obtaining of outward bleffings. But rather that God of his aboundant goodneffe is pleafed freely to conferre outward bleffings promifed in Covenant upon fome that did not cleave unto him unfainedly, that he might make good his promife unto the fpirituall feed, which by word and oath he had confirmed unto the Fathers. In this expreffion of the Cove nant it pleased God to add unto the former,another feal for confirmation of their faith, fc, the Paffe-over which was a tipe of Christ, the immaculate Lambe of God, which taketh away the finnes of the world; ourtrue Paffe-over, who was facrificed for us, as well as a feale of their deliverance from the bondage of E |