Serm. LI. but pérfed the Law of Mofes. 363 ans? And ver. 14. he calls it the bleffing of Abraham; that is, the bleffing pro- mifed to all Nations by Abraham's Seed, namely, the Meftcas ; that the bleffing of Abraham' might come on the Gentiles through 7efus Chrifi, that we might receive the promife of the Spirit through Faith. And then for the fupporting ùs under aflli&ions, the Gofpel promifeth an ex- traordinary affì(lance of God's Holy Spirit to us, r Pet. 4. 14 ifye be reproached for the Name of Chrifl, happy are ye, for the Spirit of Glory and of God refleth upon you. But were there no good Men under the difpenfation of the Law ? Yes cer- tainly there were, and they were fo by the grace and Affiance of God's Holy Spirit : but then this was an effe& of the Divine Goodnefs; but not of any fpecial Promife, contained in that Covenant, of Divine grace and affaftance to be conferred on all chofe that were admitted into it. But thus it is in the New Co- venant of the Gofpel; and therefore the Law is call'd á dead letter, the oldnef of the letter, and the minifiration of the letter, in oppofition to the Gofpel, which is call'd the Miniftration of the Spirit. And this the Apoftle lays fpecial weight upon, as a main difference between thefe two Covenants, that the firfl gave an external Law, but the new Covenant offers inward grace and aftance to enable Men to Obedience, and hath an inward and powerful efficacy upon the Minds of Men; , accompanying the Miniftration of it, Heb. 8. 7, 8, 9, to. For if that fsrft Co- venant had been faultlefs, thenfhould no place have been fought for thefeond. For finding fault with them, he faith, behold the days come, faith the Lord, when I. will maáe a new Covenant with the houfe of Ifrael, and with the houfe óf Judah, not ac- cording to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers, &c. For this is the Co- venant which Iwill make with the houfe of Ifrael after thofe days, faith the Lord; Iwill put mÿ Laws into their minds, andwrite them in their hearts. And of this' inward Grace and aJflance we are further fecured, by the power- ,ful and prevalent and perpetual interceffion of our High Prieft for Sinners, at the right hand of God; not like the interceffion of the Priefts under the Law, who being Sinners themfelves, were lefs fit to intercede for others ; but wehave an High-Prieft that is holy, harmlefs, undefiled, and feparate from Sinners, who by the Eternal Spirit offer'd himfelf without ffiot to God, to purchafe for us thofe BIef- fings which he intercedes for. The Priefts under the Law were Interceffors upon Earth.; but Chrifi is entred into Heaven it felf, now to appearin the prefence of God for us, Heb. 9. 24. The Priefts under the Law were removed from this Office by Death ; but Chrifi, becaufe he continues for ever, bath an unchangeable Prielihood, and is an everlafting Advocate and Interceffor for us, in the virtue of his moft meritorious Sacrifice continually prefented to his Father, where he isalways at the right hand of God, to prefent our Prayers, to him, and to ob- tain pardon of our Sins, and grace tohelp in time of need, and by his interceffion in Heaven, to procureall thofe Bleffings to be a&ually conferr'd upon us, which he purchafed for us by his blood upon Earth ; wherefore be is able to fave to the utmofi all thofe that come to God by him feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them, as the fame Apoftle fpeaks, Heb. , 7. 25. And thus I have, as briefly as well I could, (hewed how the Chriftian Reli- gion doth fupply all the weakneffes and defe&s and imperfe&ions of theJewifh Religion, and confequently, does in no wife contraditl or interfere with the great Defign of the Law and the Prophets, but bath peefened and made up what- ever was weak or wanting in that Inftitution to make Men truly good, or, as the Expreflion is in the Prophet Daniel, to bring in everlafling Righteoufnefs ; that is, to clear and confirm thofe Laws of Holinefs and Righteoufnefs, which are of indifpenfable and eternal obligation. And if this be the great Defign of our Saviour's coming, and the Chriftian Doetrine be every way fitted to advance Righteoufnefs and true Holinefs, and to make us as excellently good as this imperfe& (tate of Mortality will admit, fince it hath many advantages incomparably beyond any Religion or Inftitution that ever was in the World, both in refpe& of the perfe&ion of its Laws, and the force of its Motives and Arguments to Repentance, and a Holy Life, A a a 2 and
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