Chap.27. The Old and New Covenant. 201 of the Covenant, and viably appear as,,the people of God, and is not reffrained only to the Ele$ regenerate. The confe- quence is evident , feeing the termes plainly imply a Covenant. Here is a Covenant - people or no where: But thefe termes, a chafen Generation, a royal' Priefthoad , an holy Nation, a peculiar People, are applied to Chriftians as well as to Jewes , to one in as great a latitude as to the other. That which God fpeaks to lfrael in the wildernefs, that Peter fpeaks to the Church to which hq,writes ;All Ifraelites in Mofes dayes, all Chriftians profeffing in `.Peters time, had thofe titles, when only thofe that kept Covenant , were at any time worthy of them , and had the comforts of them. Here 'cis objected that this Text is meant of the Church as it is invifible; So Mafter Tombes in his PoNeript, page 128. and fo it followes not that it is fpoken by the Apoffle in that latitude, as it was by Mofes to the Ifraelites ; but in as great a difference as the Church viable Itá'nds from the Church, as it is inviable ; but I would wifh Mailer Tombes to take into more ferious confide- ration. Firít, Whether the f rft Verfe of this fecond Chapter, be meant only of inviable members ? Whether the Apoffle perfwades Regenerate men, and only Regenerate men, to lay afide all malice, and allgeile and hypocrifzes,and evil J eakiings z"IY. Whether the third verfe be to be thus limited; whether the Apoffle makes doubt in that manner, whether they had tafted that the Lord is gracious? And yet thofe words in both thofe ver- fes muff needs be underftood of the fame men , and under the fame notion as thefe, verf. 9. The Apoffle brings his fpeech to no full period till verfe ri. Thofe that muff lay aide all malice, guile, &c. of whom he makes queftion, whether they had tailed, that the Lord weregracions; they are this chofen Generation, this royal! Prieft- hood. j . Thirdly, Let him ferioufly confider the Apoffles farther enlarge - ment of this honour ofthefe Chriftians, Whtchin times paft teere not a people of Cad; words borrowed from Hof. J. to. Ho!: Z 23. and fpoken of the call of the ten revolted Tribes, and in Deut. 32. 2 t. of the call of the Gentiles into a vifible Church - {te . and pofeffion, and fo applied by the Apoffle, Rom, 9. 2 4, 2$, 26;' Whence I argue, The call of the ten revolted Triht, and of the Gentiles into a viahle Church -way is not to be meant of the ; D d Church 1 Arguments carrying this Text to the Church as vi- fible.
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