Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

2. As they had the same Promise, so they had it upon the same ground that we have;¹ even by Faith in Christ Jesus: Abraham saw My Day, said Christ; and, Christ is the same Yesterday, and to Day, and for Ever: He is the same not only in regard of Essence, but also in regard of the Efficacy of His Office, from the Beginning to the End of the World. We believe (said Peter) that through the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,² we shall be saved even as they: And, Unto us was the Gospel Preached (saith Paul) as unto them. Some may think they had no Gospel, but only the Law, before Christ: But, What say you? Have we not observed a Thread of the Gospel, and of the Covenant of Grace, to run through all the Old-Testament, from First to Last? And, How plain is the Apostle? For, this cause also was the Gospel preached also to them that are Dead. Dead long since; for he speaks of them, who lived in the Days of Noah. Nay, the Apostle to the Hebrews, ³gives us a Catalogue of Old-Testament-Believers: By Faith, ⁴Abel offered up unto God a more excellent Sacrifice, than Cain. —By Faith, Enoch was Translated, that he should not see Death. — By Faith, Noah being warned by God, prepared an Ark. —By Faith, ⁵Abraham, when he was called to go into a Place which he should after receive for an Inheritance, obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whither he went. —These all died in Faith, not having received the Promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them. Besides these, he reckons up the Faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Joseph, and Moses, and Rahab, and Gideon, and Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah, ⟨p. 88⟩and David, and Samuel, and of all the Prophets; who through Faith did marvellous things, as it there appears. Surely they had the same Doctrine of Grace as we have; it is the very same for Substance, without any difference.