place can comprehend his Majesty, but because there it pleaseth him by some visible signes to manifest his presence, so that all the difference betwixt the New Testament and the Old, consisteth chiefly in these respects.
1. The Old Testament doth signifie the Covenant and League which God made with his people, as to be their God, and they to be his people, Gen. 17. 7. 8. wherein the New and Old Testa∣ment doe much differ: 1. In that the one was given by Moses, and the other by Christ. 2. The one was propounded upon condi∣tions of their obedience, if they kept the Law; the New Testament requireth faith, and beliefe. 3. The Old Testament was conse∣crated by the blood of Beasts, but the New Testament is confir∣med with the blood of Christ. 4. That had but Types and Figures which are now abolished, the New Testament hath the very body and substance. 5. The one was particular to the Israelites only, the other in particular to all beleevers.
2. The Old Testament and the▪ New, are distinguished in time, that was before the comming of Christ, the New Testament com∣prehendeth the time since: and so they differ in manner, and mea∣sure of revelation, and opening of Gods will, as also all things are more plainly opened in the New Testament.
3. The Old Testament is taken for the Propheticall writings, the New for the Apostolicall; and so they differ, because the Old receiveth light from the New, and cannot well be understood without it, for as the Poet saith:
The Law was like a misty Looking-glasse,
Wherein the shadow of a Saviour was
Treating in a darke straine, by Types, and Signes,
And what should passe in after dayes divines:
The Gospel tells us he is come, and dead,
And thus the riddle of the Law is read:
So that,
Gospel is Law, the mistery being seal'd,
And Law is Gospel, being once reveal'd.
4. Againe, the Gospel may be termed the complement, or ful∣filling of the Law, which our Saviour verified upon the Crosse, when he had fulfilled it for us, Joh. 19. 30.