7.5 此约在建法时代和福音时代的施行各有不同¹：在律法时代，它藉应许、预言、献祭、割礼和逾越节的羔羊，以及其它交付犹太人的预表和蒙恩之道而施行。它们都预表基督要来²。在那时代，藉着圣灵的运行，它们足以有效地使选民因相信所应许的弥赛亚而受训诲，得建立³。选民藉着弥赛亚而有完全的赦罪和永远的救恩。此约称为旧约⁴。

¹林后3:6－9；²来8－10；罗4:11；西2:11–12；林前5:7；³林前10:1－4； 来11:13； 约8:56； ⁴加3:7－9

7.5 This covenant was differently administered in the time of the law, and in the time of the gospel:¹ under the law it was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all foresignifying Christ to come;² which were, for that time, sufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the Spirit, to instruct and build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah,³ by whom they had full remission of sins, and eternal salvation; and is called the old Testament.⁴

¹ 2 Cor 3:6–9; ² Heb 8, 9, 10; Rom 4:11; Col 2:11–12; 1 Cor 5:7; ³ 1 Cor 10:1–4; Heb 11:13; Jn 8:56; ⁴ Gal 3:7–9, 14.  

之前，我们在WCF7.3认识到人类导致自己无法以行为之约取得生命后，上帝指定他们藉着耶稣基督求生、求救——那就是恩典之约规定的范围。但上帝之人民如何确实亲身体验恩典之约呢？其实，这个与下个章节在此信条里给我们提供了表明此约如何被施行而被上帝之人民体验的方式。

We saw previously that after man made himself incapable of obtaining life by the Covenant of Works, God appointed that they should seek life and salvation through Jesus Christ under the provisions of the Covenant of Grace (WCF 7.3). But how do God’s people actually and personally experience the Covenant of Grace? Well, in the present and the next paragraph of our Confession, we are given to confess how this covenant is administered and therefore experienced by God’s people.

首先，我们承认——恩典之约只有一个，只是它在旧约与新约里有不同的施行方式。（我们在之前的章节认识到英文所翻译为“遗命”的词也能称为“约”。）它们因分别在基督道成肉身的前后而被称为“旧约”与“新约”。旧约确实是上帝在旧约时代对祂的人民所施行的恩典之约；新约确实是上帝在末后的日子（那就是从基督道成肉身至祂第二来临的时代）对祂的人民所施行的同样恩典之约。

In the first place, we confess that there is only one Covenant of Grace which is administered differently in the Old and New Testaments, or Covenants as we saw in the previous paragraph. They are called “old” and “new” to indicate their difference with respect to the incarnation. The Old Covenant is really the administration of the Covenant of Grace which God has appointed for His people who lived in Old Testament times. The New Covenant, similarly is really the administration of the same of Covenant of Grace for God’s people living in the last days, i.e. between the incarnation of Christ and His second coming.

其次，因为只有唯独一个恩典之约，旧约和新约的核心内容而言确实都是相同的。基督在道成肉身前后都是祂人民的救主，都以同样的方式拯救他们——唯本乎恩、唯藉着信、唯靠基督（对照：哈2:4；诗2:12；罗1:17；加3:11；来10:39）。因此基督被称为“从创世以来被杀之羔羊”（启13:8）。祂也是在旧约时所犯之罪的挽回祭（罗3:25；来9:15）。因此我们敢肯定旧约真正的信者能与新约圣徒享得“完全的赦罪和永远的救恩”。但我们表明基督将旧约其利益“藉应许、预言、献祭、割礼和逾越节的羔羊，以及其它交付犹太人的预表和蒙恩之道而施行——它们都预表基督要来”（西2:17；来10:1–10）。而这些旧约里的献祭与会幕因凭着基督的应验，就“在那时代藉着圣灵的运行为足以有效”。

In the second place, since there is only one Covenant of Grace, the essence of the Old and New Covenant is really the same. Christ is the Saviour of His people before and after His advent, and He saves them in the same way, namely, by grace alone through faith alone in Him alone (cg. Hab 2:4; cf. Ps 2:12; Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38). So Christ is said to be “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8). And He is a propitiation also for the sins committed under the old covenant (Rom 3:25; Heb 9:15). Thus we have no doubt that true believers in the Old Testament enjoy “full remission of sins, and eternal salvation” just as New Testament saints. But we confess that, unlike under the New Covenant, Christ and His benefits under the Old Covenant “was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all fore-signifying Christ to come” (cf. Col 2:17; Heb 10:1–10). And these Old Testament sacrifices and ceremonies were “for that time, sufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the Spirit” on the basis of their fulfilment in Christ.

换言之，我们必须否认旧约圣徒不在恩典之约其范围、有不同拯救途径的想法。就如新约圣徒不是以遵守十诫、应用蒙恩之道而得救，旧约圣徒也不是以遵守旧约之律法与仪式而得救。这些律法与教仪是上帝所指定给祂的人民当为圣约责任来应用，培养他们的信仰，也如同新约工具与方式一样被指定给我们恩典之约其成员，让我们负起圣约责任，体会上帝的怜悯。

In other words, we must not think that Old Testament saints are either not represented in the Covenant of Grace or saved differently from New Testament saints. Just as New Testament saints are not saved by keeping the Ten Commandments or by using the means of grace, Old Testament saints were not saved by observance of Old Testament laws and rituals. These laws and ordinances were appointed by God for His people to use as part of their covenant responsibilities for the cultivation of their faith in the same way as the New Testament means are appointed for us to fulfil our covenant responsibilities and to experience God’s mercies as members of the Covenant of Grace.

原文作者： 林集章 、蔡林斯 、欧阳效正