f ; one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus; there never was any other, and he is the Mediator of the new covenant, 1 Tim. ii. 5. —4. In the subjects of these covenants, or administracions of covenants of grace, the elect of God, to whom the blessings of it are applied. It was with the chosen people of God in Christ, the covenant of grace was originally made; and according to election-grace are the spiritual blessings of it dispensed to the children of men, Eph. i. 3, 4. so they were under the former dispensation, from the beginning of the world, to the seed of the woman, in distinction from the seed of the serpent; to the remnant according to the election of grace among the Jews, the children of the promise that were counted for the seed; and election, or elect men, obtain the blessings of the covenant in all ages, and under the present dispensation, more abundantly, and in greater numbers.-5. In the blessings of it; they are the same under both administrations. Salvation and redemption by Christ is the great blessing held forth and enjoyed under the one as under the other, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. Heb. ix. 15. Justification by the righteousness of Christ, which the old testament-church had knowledge of, and faith in, as well as the new, Isai. xlv. 24, 25. Rom. iii. 21, 23. Forgiveness of sin through faith in Christ, all the prophets bore witness to, and the saints of old, as now, had as comfortable an application of it, Psal. xxxii. 1, 5. Mic. vii. 18. Acts x. 43. Regeneration, spiritual circumcision, and sanctification, were what men were made partakers of under the first, as under the second administration of the covenant, Deut. xxx. 6. Phil. iii. 3. Eternal life was made known in the writings of the Old Testament, as well as in those of the New; and was believed, looked for, and expected by the saints of the former, as of the latter dispensation, Job xix. 26, 27. John v. 39. In a word, they and we eat the same spiritual meat, and drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ, 1 Cor. x. 3, 4. II. In some things there is a disagreement between these two administrations of the covenant of Grace. 1. Under the first administration saints looked forward to Christ that was to come, and to the good things that were to come by him, and so were waiting, expecting, and longing for the enjoyment of them; but under the second and new administration, believers look backwards to Christ as being come, before whose eyes he is evidently set forth in the word and ordinances, as crucified and slain; and they look to the blessings of the co venant through him as brought in; to peace, pardon, atonement, righteousness, redemption and salvation, as wrought out and finished. There is a greater clearness and evidence of things under the one than under the other; the law was only a shadow of good things to come; did not so much as exhibit the image of them, at least but very faintly. The obscurity of the former dispensation, was signified by the veil over the face of Moses, when he spoke to the children of Israel; so that they could not see to the end of what was to be abolished; whereas, believers under the present dispensation, with open face, |