Testament to the new, in the Church of God: the same proportion which Hagars off-spring had to Sarahs, the same proportion had the children of the Law, that is, the Jerusalem which then was, unto the Jerusalem which is above, that is, to the children of the Gospel or sons of promise. Now Hagar was sometimes a visible and principall member of Abrahams family, a kind of second wife to Abraham, and Ishmael her sonne was for a while Abrahams presumed heire: yet after Hagar did begin to despise and contest with her Mistresse Sarah, and Ishmael to flout or persecute Isaac, Abrahams heir apparent and son of promise, both mother and son were cast out of Abrahams house, and deprived of all hope of inheritance in the Land of promise. Sarah bearing the type of the true visible Church then on earth, did pronounce that sentence of Excommunication against them; Gen. 21.10.Cast out the bond-woman and her sonne, and God ratifying in heaven what she had bound on earth, injoyns Abraham to put her sentence in execution, Gen. 21. 12. The Covenant likewise which God made with this people upon Hagar or Mount Sinai, was as the be-trothing of Israel unto himselfe. The Law of Moses, whilst it was lawfully used was the only Catechisme or Introduction, without which there was no entrance into the Church of God. The children of this Covenant, did by vertue of it become the presumed heires or children of God. But when the deputed or nursing mother came once to contest with the true Spouse of Christ, with the new Testament or Gospel: and after her children, the Jerusalem which then was, began to persecute the children of the Jerusalem, which is above; the mother with her children, that is, the Law with such as sought to be under it, were cast out of the true visible Church, by the Apostles, unto whom our Saviour had committed the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven. For it now stood in such opposition to the Gospel, as Hagar did to her Mistresse Sarah at the time when she and her son committed those misdemeanours, for which both of them were cast out of Abrahams house. The Jerusalem which was on earth, was sometimes, or in some part rather a consort than an opposite or adversary to the Jerusalem which was above. So was the old Testament or Law, and all such as lawfully used it, rather subordinate allies, then foes or adversaries to the new Testament or heires of promise. They that used the Law as a School-master to bring them unto Christ, to them it was theCovenant
