.

contemn and despise whatever is contrary thereunto, however tendered in a way of allurement or rage.

In these things, and others of the like nature and kind, consists that This, or consummation of the state of the church as to the persons of the worshippers, which the apostle denies to have been attainable, by or under the Levitical priesthood. The arguments wherewith he confirms his assertion ensue in the verses following, where they must be further considered. But we may not proceed without some observations for our own edification in this matter.

Obs. I. An interest in the gospel consisteth not in an outward profession of it, but in a real participation of those things wherein the perfection of its state doth consist.-Men may have a form of godliness, and be utter strangers to the power of it. Multitudes in all ages have made, and do make, a profession of the gospel, who yet have no experience in themselves of the real benefits and advantages wherewith it is accompanied. All that they obtain hereby, is but to deceive their souls into eternal ruin. For they live in some kind of expectation, that in another world they shall obtain rest, and blessedness, and glory by it. But the gospel will do nothing for them hereafter in things eternal, who are not here partakers of its power and fruits in things spiritual.

Obs. II. The pre-eminence of the gospel-state above the legal is spiritual, and undiscernible unto a carnal eye.-For, 1. It is evident that the principal design of the apostle in all these discourses is, to prove the excellency of the state of the church under the New Testament, in its faith, liberty and worship, above that of the church under the Old. And, 2. That he doth not in any of them produce instances of outward pomp, ceremonies, or visible glory, in the confirmation of his assertion. He grants all the outward institutions and ordinances of the law, insisting on them, their use, and signification in particular; but he opposeth not unto them any outward visible glory in gospel-administrations. 3. In 2 Cor. iii. he expressly compares those two administrations of the law and the gospel as unto their excellency and glory. And, first, he acknowledgeth that the administration of the law, in the institution and celebration of it, was glorious, ver. 9-11. But withal he adds, that it had no glory in comparison with that under the New Testament, which doth far excel it. Wherein then doth this glory consist? He tells us it doth so in this, in that it is the administration of the Spirit, ver. 8. " How shall not the administra tion of the Spirit be rather glorious?" He doth not resolve it into outward order, the beauty and pomp of ceremonies and ordinances. In this alone it doth consist, in that the whole dispensation of it is carried on by the grace and gifts of the

Spirit; and that they are also administered thereby. This, saith he, is glory and liberty, such as excel all the glories of old administrations. 4. In this place he sums it up all in this, that the perfection we have treated of was effected by the gospel, and could not be so by the Levitical priesthood, and the whole law of commandments contained in ordinances. In these spiritual things therefore are we to seek after the glory of the gospel, and its pre-eminence above the law. And those who suppose they render the dispensation of the gospel glorious, by vying with the law in ceremonies and an external pomp of worship, as doth the church of Rome, do wholly cross his design. And therefore,

Secondly, This Ts, or perfection, respects the worship of the gospel, as well as the persons of the worshippers, and the grace whereof they are made partakers. God had designed the church unto a more perfect state in point of worship, than it was capable of under the Levitical priesthood. Nor indeed could any man reasonably think, or wisely judge, that he intended the institutions of the law, as the complete ultimate worship and service, that he would require or appoint in this world, seeing our natures, as renewed by grace, are capable of that which is more spiritual and sublime. For,

1. They were in their nature carnal, as our apostle declares, ver. 16. and ch. ix. 10. The subject of them all, the means of their celebration, were carnal things, beneath those pure spiritual acts of the mind and soul, which are of a more noble nature. They consisted in meats and drinks, the blood of bulls and goats, the observance of moons and festivals, in a temple made of wood and stone, gold and silver, things carnal, perishing and transitory. Certainly God, who is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth, designed at one time or other a worship more suited unto his own nature, though the imposition of these things on the church for a season, was necessary. And as they were carnal, so they might be exactly performed by men of carnal minds, and were so for the most part, in which respect God himself speaks often with a great undervaluation of them; see Psal. 1. 8-13. Isa. i. 11-13. Had not he designed the renovation of our natures into his own image, a new creation of them by Jesus Christ, this carnal worship might have sufficed, and would have been the best we are capable of. But to suppose that he should endow men, as he doth by Christ, with a new spiritual supernatural principle, enabling them unto a more sublime and spiritual worship, it cannot be imagined that he would always bind them up unto those carnal ordinances in their religious service. And the reason is, because they were not a meet and sufficient means for the exercise of that new principle of faith and love which he

bestows on believers by Jesus Christ. Yea, to burden them with carnal observances, is a most effectual way to take them off from its exercise in his service. And so it is at this day; wherever there is a multiplication of outward services and observances, the minds of men are so taken up with the bodily exercise about them, as that they cannot attend unto the pure internal actings of faith and love.

2. What by their number, and what by their nature, and the manner of exacting of them, they were made a yoke which the. people were never able to bear with any joy or satisfaction, Acts xv. 10. And this yoke lay partly in the first place on their consciences, or the inner man. And it consisted principally in two things. 1. The multitude of ceremonies and institutions did perplex them, and gave them no rest. Seeing which way soever they turned themselves, one precept or other, positive or negative, "Touch not, taste not, handle not," was upon them. 2. The vail that was on them, as to their use, meaning and end, increased the trouble of this yoke. They could not see unto the end of the things that were to be done away, because of the vail, nor could apprehend fully the reason of what they did. And it may be easily conceived how great a yoke it was to be bound unto the strict observance of such rites and ceremonies in worship; yea, that the whole of their worship should consist in such things, as those who made use of them did not understand the end and meaning of them. And, 2dly, It lay on their persons from the manner of their imposition; as they were tied up unto days, times and hours, so their transgression or disobedience made them obnoxious to all sorts of punishments, and excision itself. For they were all bound upon them with a curse; whence "every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward," ch. ii. 2. For "he that despised Moses' law, died without mercy," ch. x. 28. which they complained of, Num xvii. 12, 13. This put them on continual scrupulous fears, with endless inventions of their own, to secure themselves from the guilt of such transgressions. Hence the religion of the Jews at present, is become a monstrous confused heap of vain inventions, and scrupulous observances of their own, to secure themselves, as they suppose, from transgressing any of those which God had given them. Take any one institution of the law, and consider what is the exposition they give of it in their Mishna, by their oral tradition, and it will display the fear and bondage they are in, though the remedy be worse than the disease. Yea, by all their inventions, they did but increase that which they endeavoured to avoid. For they have brought things unto that pass among them, that it is impossible that any one of them should have satisfaction in his conscience, that he hath aright observed any of

God's institutions, although he should suppose that he required nothing of him, but the outward performance of them.

3. Their instructive efficacy, which is the principal end of the ordinances of divine worship, was weak, and no way answered the power and evidence of gospel-institutions, ch. x. 1. Therefore was the way of teaching by them intricate, and the way of learning difficult. Hence is that difference which is put between the teachings under the Old Testament and the New. For now it is promised, that men "shall not teach every man his brother, and every man his neighbour, saying, Know the Lord," as it was of old. The means of instruction were so dark and cloudy, and having only a shadow of the things themselves that were to be taught, and not the very image of them, that it was needful that they should be continually inculcated to keep up the knowledge of the very rudiments of religion. Besides, they had many ordinances, rites and ceremonies, imposed on them to increase their yoke, whereof they understood nothing but only that it was the sovereign pleasure and will of God, that they should observe them, though they understood not of what use they were. And they were obliged unto no less an exact observance of them, than they were unto that of those which were the clearest and most lightsome.

The best direction they had from them, and by them, was, that indeed there was nothing in them, that is, in their nature or proper efficacy, to produce or procure those good things which they looked for through them, but only pointed unto what was to come. Wherefore they knew, that although they exercised themselves in them with diligence all their days, yet by virtue of them they could never attain what they aimed at ; only there was something signified by them, and afterwards to be introduced, that was efficacious of what they looked after. Now, unto the strict observance of these things, were the people obliged under the most severe penalties, and that all the days of their lives. And this increased their bondage. God indeed, by his grace, did influence the minds of true believers among them unto satisfaction in their obedience, helping them to adore that sovereignty and wisdom which they believed in all his institutions. And he gave unto them really the benefits of the good things that were for to come, and that were prefigured by their services. But the state wherein they were by reason of these things was a state of bondage. Nor could any relief be given in this state unto the minds or consciences of men by the Levitical priesthood. For it was itself the principal cause of all these burdens and grievances, in that the adminis tration of all sacred things was committed thereunto.

The apostle takes it here for granted, that God designed a mark, or state of perfection unto the church; and that as te

its worship, as well as unto its faith and obedience. We find by the event, that it answered not the divine wisdom and goodness, to bind up the church during its whole sojourning in this world, unto a worship so carnal, burdensome, so imperfect, so unsuited to express his grace and kindness towards it, or its sense thereof. And who can but pity the woful condition of the present Jews, who can conceive of no greater blessedness than the restoration of this burdensome service. So true is it what the apostle says, the vail is upon them unto this present day, yea, blindness is on their minds that they can see no beauty but only in things carnal, and like their forefathers who preferred the bondage of Egypt, because of their flesh-pots, before all the liberty and blessings of Canaan; so do they their old bondage-state, because of some temporal advantages it was attended withal, before the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

In opposition hereunto, there is a worship under the gospel which hath such properties as are constitutive also of this perfection. By gospel-worship, I understand the whole way and order of that solemn worship of God, which the Lord Christ hath commanded to be observed in his churches, with all the ordinances and institutions of it, and all the private worship of believers, in their whole access unto God. The internal glory and dignity of this worship must be referred unto its proper place, which is ch. x. 19-22. Here I shall only mention some few things, wherein its excellency consists in opposition unto the defects of that under the law, on the account whereof it is constitutive of that evangelical perfection whereof we treat.

First, It is spiritual, which is the subject of the apostle's dis course, 2 Cor. iii. 6-9. &c. And it is so on a two-fold account. 1. In that it is suited unto the nature of God, so as that thereby he is glorified as God. For God is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in spirit, which our Saviour asserts to belong unto the gospel-state, in opposition unto all the most glorious carnal ordinances and institutions of the law, John iv. 21-24. So is it opposed unto the old worship, as it was carnal. It was that which in and by itself, answered not the nature of God, though commanded for a season; see Psal. 1. 8—14. 2. Because it is performed merely by the aids, supplies, and assistances of the Spirit, as it hath been at large proved else where.

Secondly, It is easy and gentle, in opposition unto the burden and insupportable yoke of the old institutions and ordinances. That so are all the commands of Christ unto believers, the whole system of his precepts, whether for moral obedience or worship, himself declares. "Take my yoke upon you," saith he," and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls; for my yoke is easy, and