Christian religion: substantially, methodicalli[e,] [pla]inlie, and profitablie treatised

IER. chap. 31. vers. 31, 32, 33, 34.

31 Behold, the daies come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new couenant with the house of Israel, & with the house of Iudah.

32 Not according to the couenant that I made with their fa∣thers, when I tooke them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, the which my couenant they brake, although I was an husband vnto them, saith the Lord.

33 But this shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel, After those daies, saith the Lord, I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in then hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

34 And they shall teach no more euery man his neighbor, and euery man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me from the least of them vnto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgiue their iniquitie, and will remember their sinnes no more.

WHat followeth to be spoken of?

The couenant of grace.

Seeing by the couenant of nor his life euerlasting

is propounded, what need is there that the coue∣nant of grace should be set before vs?

Because, as hath beene said, the couenant of works cannot through the infirmitie of our flesh giue life vnto any: And therefore if God should iustifie any by it, he should be vniust, as one that should giue the kingdome of heauen to wicked men.

Seeing the nature of a couenant is to reconcile and ioyne those together which are at variance; as we see in the example of Abraham, and Abime∣lech, Laban and Iacob: why is this called the couenant that can make no reconciliation be∣tweene God and vs?

Although it be not able to reconcile vs, yet it doth make way to reconciliation by another couenant: neither is it meet strictly to bind Gods couenant with men, to the lawes or couenants of one man with another; for amongst men the weaker seeketh reconciliation at the hand of the mightier: but God neither able to bee hurt or benefited by vs, seeketh vnto vs for peace.

What is the couenant of grace?

That God will giue vs life euerlasting through Christ, if we beleeue in him.

How are they conuinced by the giuing of this coue∣nant, which seeke righteousnesse in the law or old couenant?

Because thereby they make God vnwise, that would enter into a new and second couenant, if the former had beene sufficient.

Of how many sorts is this?

It is either the old or new Testament.

VVhat is the old Testament?

It is the couenant of God, vnder shadowes to giue life euerlasting by faith in Christ that was to come.

What is the new Testament?

It is the couenant of God, without shadowes to giue life euerlasting by faith in Christ that is come.

Are these Testaments diuers?

They be in substance the same, but in maner they differ.

What are the parts of this couenant of God?

Two: the one is the couenant that God maketh with vs; the other is the couenant that we make with God.

What is the summe of that couenant God maketh with vs?

That he will be our God.

What gather you from this couenant of God?

The surname of God, as it is in diuers places, and namely, Exod. 3.15.

What is properly ment when it is said the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob?

The singular glory and priuiledge of Gods peo∣ple, in that God is content to take his surname of them.

Why is this surname added?

For that it is a fearefull thing, to thinke of the pro∣per name of God alone, vnlesse this bee added to it: whereby he declareth his loue and kindnes to vs.

Notes

• Luk. 14.31.32.
• Act. 16.30.31.
• Heb. 8.7.
• Heb. 11.16.