376 The rfeof the Lem. gre;ato,not perfôally or indivi ivally;and by Chrifi, the whole Church, Coufifting of the Head and Members, is he is elfewhere taken. i.Cor. i 2.1 z. Now thefe words doe further ratifie the {lability of the Covenant ; for though a Covenant be in it felfe never fo conflant and irreverfible, yet ifall the parties which have interefi in or by it fhould ceafe, the Covenant would ofit felfe by confequence expire and grow voyde : but here, as the covenant is moff conffant in regard of the wifdome,and unvariableneffe of him that made it, fo it can never ex- pire for want of a feede to whom it is made; for as long as Chrifi hath a Church, and members upon earth, fo long (hall the promife be of force. Verle 17. And this j fay, that the covenant which wii confirmed before of god in Chrifl., the Law which w. s foure hundred and thirty yeeres after, cannot difansrll that it íhould make the Promife of none eff 11.] Thefe words are a Prolepfis or prevention of an objec`Iion which might be ¡nade..Aman might thus argue : when two lawes are made,whereof the one is exprefly contra- diaory to the other,the later dot] in common prefümp- tion abrogate and djfanull the former ( elfe men should be bound to contraries, and fo punilhments would bee unavoydable.) But here we finde that foure hundred and thirty yeares after the promife to ei4braham, there was a Law publifhed extremely contrary unto the pro- mile : A law without mercy or compaffion,a law both impoffible & inexorable, which can neither be obeyed, nor indured : therefore it íhould feeme that föme caufe or other had hapned to make God repent, and revoke his former covenant.The Apofhc retorts this Objec4ió. And his meaning I thus apprehend. Ifthere be a cove- nant made, by a Lazrgivér in wifdome infinite,to fore - fee before hand,& to prevent any inconveniêces which might follow upon it, any rcaions which might fall out to abrogate it; A Lawgiver in all his wayes confiant and'
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