A SERMON on In the fidi Verfe he breaks in upon the Argument of the whole Epiflle Ire 'n to advance the Gofpel, and Chri!i and the Dodrme of the Oofpe\, before ;he Do~ dnne ot the Law, and that by reafon of Chn{i revealed in it, and Chri{i re– vealing n. He makes a comparifon between the times of the Law and the time of the Gofpel, and he prefers the t1me ot the Gofpel before the time of the Law. God .fpake nnto the Fathers 6y thr Prophets, hut tmto us hy his Son. Now look how much the Son of God cloth exceed the Prophets, fo much the Doctrine of the Gofpelthe Dodnne of the Law; and look how much the Sun, which is the Fountam of L1ght, cloth exceed the Stars, and the light of the Sun the light of the Stars, fo much cloth the L1ght that Chng; bath brought us in the Gofpel exce.ed the light of the Law. • ' Secondly, !It [pakt ta the Fathers but by degrees, """'"'!"' hy paretts. they had a little light now, and anon a little more light; but they'had not all a; once But in the tirue of tl~e Gofpelall is poured out to you at once. · Thirdly, Under the time of the Law the Lord did fpeak by fever&! waies and manners, but now ye have but one way, and that a plain way; before in the Old Te!iam<nt he revealed himfelf obfcurely, he was lain to mould his fpeech into "?any forms. As men,when they have Notions that are fomething obfcure, are fatn to ufe feveral expreiJions to make them plam; fo the Law being dark and obfcure, God was fam to dehvent feveral manner of ways, as m a riddle, by Vrtm and Thummtm, by the Prophets, ~c. btlt now he Jpeaks, plainly and clearly, by his So11; therefore he is called the hrightttejs of hu Glory, the Image, the Character, and lively exprcilion of God. Obferv. I· The fame God that fpakc in the Old Tell:ament, fpeaks in the New : he that fpake to Ahraham, Ifaac and Jaco6, be fpeaks to you now, that God that!fah hy the P_rophets, JPe~ks 1ww hy hu Son; therefore certainly the Faith ot the Fathers 1s not contradiCtory to the Fa1th of us, He6.13, Jejt~s Chrtjl, the fame yeflerday to day, andtht fame for ever; the fame Chri!i irom the beginning·of the World, the fame God that lpake; therefore all the Promifes that are in the Old Teftament, ye may apply them all now. Why? Becaufe it is the fame God which fpake to them and fpeal<s now to us. That God that heard the Pray– ers of Abrabam, Ifaac and Jacoh in the Old Tell:ament, and granted their Pe– titions, with whom they were fo familiar, we may have fellowlbip with the fame God. That Promife that was made to '}ojh11a in particular, I wiO not leave thee, 110r forfake thu, Chap. I. the Apoll:le Heh.I 1. cloth apply to all Be– lievers, and it is founded upon this, That the fame Godwhich JPah in the Old Tef/ammt, fpeaks i11 the New. Look over all the Old Te~a'?enr,and look what aGod you lind him there, the fame Gcd you !ball find h1mm the New. Look what punilbments be brought on them of the Old World, the fam.e be will now, And look how he dealt with his Servants, as be was angry With Mofes for a fmall fin, fo in the fame manner be will deal with you, if you walk in the fame ways. And as he pardoned men under the Old Te!iamenr, fo alfo will he under the New. And as we have the fame God,fo we have thefame Faith, 2 Cor-4- '3· if' have the fame Spirit of Faith,~c. Obftrv. 2. Our Great God doth not fpeak immediately unto men, but mediately by others. Before he fpake to men by his Prophtts, but now by his Son, who took our Nature upon him, that he might be a fit fpeaker. As we cannot fee God and live, fo we cannot hear God and live. The Lord, when he delivered his Law, began firfi to fpeak himfett; and the Ptop!e btar- bis ow11 voice, 'Deut.I8.t ),t6. Exod.2o. but the People could not bear God's Voice, for they fald toMofts, Speak thou with us and we wilt hear; lut !tt not God JPeak with us lef/ we du. They being Sinners as we are, they were not able to hear God from Hea– ven, for his Voice fpeaks TbuF.der, and firiketh dead. Upon this requefi that the •
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