them Thus if we understand these words in the Evangelicall sense we cannot bee deceived but may know the truth and how to answer all gainesayers I could bring many Instances of this nature but these are sufficient to shew that before wee can sufficiently expound rightly understand the Gospell it is meet that we should know and be able to shew the nature and also the agreement and difference betweene the Law and the Gospell and betweene the Old and New Testament Wherefore before I come to the particular expounding of the Gospell of Saint Iohn which I have undertaken I will follow the steps of the learned of former times and will endevour to shew briefely the agreement and difference betweene the Old and New Testament betweene the Old Covenant of Workes and the New Covenant of Grace and between the Law the Gospell in the first place And in so doing I will labour to reform some things which they have done before me and to handle this point a little more distinctly For whereas the most part of them doe confusedly compare the Law and the Gospel together without distinction of the words and while they labour to make the Gospell more glorious by all meanes they doe put too great a difference betweene it and the Law which hath beene a cause of much errour to many and even of vilifying and contemning the Old Testament and the Law My desire and purpose is first to shew the severall acceptations and the true sense and meaning of the words and then to declare the true agreement and difference and to make those differences which are observed by others to agree together so far as truth will suffer and to cut off all vaine and needlesse differences This doing I hope I shall reserve to each their due reverence and respect God shall have his glory by both the Law and Gospell Your hearts shall be enabled with love of both and you better enabled to understand the true meaning of the Gospell and to feele the power thereof in your soules CHAP. II. FIrst for the word Testament it doth signifie the last Will of a man which he makes before his death and leaves behinde him either in word or writing testified by seales and witnesses By vertue of which Will hee doth dispose his lands and possessions which he hath purchased and all his goods which he hath gathered in his life time and doth bequeath them as hee himselfe will and to whom hee thinkes fit either freely or with condition to have and hold them after his death and not before This is the true and proper meaning of the Word and thus it is used by the Apostle Hebr. 19. 16. And because the Apostle there cals the Covenant Christs Testament and also elsewhere in his Epistles wheresoever hee doth speake of the Old and New Covenant that is of the Covenant of the Law and of the Gospell doth use the Greeke word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} even the same which there he useth for the last Will and Testament of a Testator whereupon it comes to passe that the Bookes of the Law and the Prophets before Christ and the Covenant in them are called the New Testament and that very fitly in some respect I meane in respect of Christ the Mediator For the truth is that the Covenant of Grace more obscurely revealed to the Fathers in the writings of the Law and Prophets and more plainely in the Gospell and writings of the Apostles was never in force neither could be ratified but by the death of Christ It was before his comming sealed by his Blood in Types and Figures and at his Death in his Flesh it was fully sealed and ratified by his very Blood it selfe actually and indeed shed for our sinnes and in this respect it may be fitly called the Testament Because as a Testament is not inforce till the Testator be dead and where a Testament is there the death of the Testator must come between to ratifie it So it is with the Covenant of Grace and the promises therein made unto us Christ hath performed and purchased all things necessary for us doth freely give to us himself his righteousness and all his treasures as a man gives his Lands and Goods in his last Will but they cannot be of force to bring us to heaven till his death come betweene as a satisfaction for sin also It is as necessary that Iustice should be satisfied for sinne by his Death as righteousnesse of life performed and salvation purchased by him for us Secondly as a man doth seale his Testament when hee seeth or imagineth that his death is at hand So Christ at his last Supper by instituting the Sacrament of his Body and Blood and by the outward Signes and Seales therein contained did seale to his Church the Covenant of Grace Thus in respect of CHRIST the Mediatour God and Man the Covenant of Grace and the writings Old and New wherein it is contained are called Testaments But in respect of God the Father and in respect of God considered simply or as the Maker of the Covenant with man and the party betweene whom and man the Covenant is made the Covenant and the Writing Old and New wherein it is comprehended can in no case be called a Testament because a Testament is of no force without the Testators death But God the Father never dyed nor can die neither God simply considered nor God the Maker of the Covenant with Man and the other party in it wch is opposed to Man Only Christ dyed as hee was Mediatour God and Man and as he was made a partner with Man and stood on his side in the Covenant and as he is the Testator and free giver of his Word in the Old and New Testament and of his graces and gifts therein promised so they are called Testaments and in no other respect at all From the word Testament thus expounded wee may easily collect and gather what is the nature of a Testament and both the agreement and the true and maine difference betweene the Old and New Testament and the Writings contained in both First we see that they both agree in this that they are the Writings and Instruments of one and the same Christ and his last Will in which and by which hee doth give himselfe to his Church withall his righteousnesse and obedience and all the blessings which thereupon depend and they are both sealed by his Blood and ratified by his death This is manifest by the exposition of the word before laid downe wherein is shewed that both the Old and New Writings of the Covenant are called by the name of Testaments only in respect of Christ the Mediatour and as they are sealed by his Blood and ratified by his Death and he is the Testator in them as hee is Mediatour If either of them bee not sealed ratified and proceed from him as Mediator it is no Testament at all to call it a
Christs Blood therein signified But to say that the Old Testament was not at all nor at any time sealed with Christs Blood but onely by the blood of Bullocks and Sacrifices and that the New Testament onely was sealed with Christs Blood is to make a false difference For verily the Old Testament being nothing else but the New folded up and the New the Old opened to all the sealing of the New by Christs Blood was the sealing of the Old also yea as our Sacraments and the outward Signes of Bread and Wine are true outward Signes consecrated to signifie Christs Death past so were the Sacrifices of the Law and the Old Testament true Signes consecrated to signifie Christs Death to come and as ours Seale the New Testament so did they Seale the Old As with our right outward Sealing there goeth the inward Sealing of Christs Blood so also with those outward Seales rightly understood and used And therefore as it is absurd to say that the New Testament is sealed onely by Bread and Wine and Water when we administer and receive the Sacraments because wee use no other outward Signes so it is absurd to say of their Sacrifices that in them there is no Sealing but by blood of Beasts sacrificed and thus wee see the vanity of this difference also The third difference which the Schoolemen make and which onely the Papists doe hold is that the Old Testament did onely promise eternall blessings and the eternall inheritance and did foreshew them in Types as in the blood of Sacrifices Christs Blood in the promised Land the inheritance of Heaven and such like but it did not give them till CHRIST the Testator was dead But the New Testament doth promise and also give and exhibit the things promised This difference is very false and impious and is easily confuted by the former Doctrine and by the whole Scriptures For that which onely promiseth and giveth not is not a Testament it is never in force neither ratified at all for being in force by the Testators Death it must needes give as well as promise If the Testators Death never come betweene then it is no Testament But the Old is a Testament and was in force and did give and doth give Grace as well as promise it This the whole Scriptures shew for the Legacies promised and given in Christs Will are Himselfe with all his benefits which doe accompany him First his Conception and Birth most holy without spot to sanctifie our conception in sinne and our uncleane birth Secondly His perfect righteousnesse of life to make beleevers righteous Thirdly His Death and Sufferings to ransome them from eternall death and Hell by satisfying for their sinnes Fourthly His Spirit with all saving Graces as Faith and such like by which they come to have Communion with him of his Son-ship inheritance righteousnesse and right to all blessings Temporall and Spirituall Now though Christ was onely promised in the Old Testament that he should come and obey and suffer for mans redemption but was not actually exhibited nor did obey and suffer till the dayes of the New Testament yet his Manhood Birth Obedience and Death were then as effectuall to save the faithfull as now they are And in that respect hee is called the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Also by the Words of promise in the Old Testament Christ communicated gave his Spirit to Adam Noah Abraham David and all the faithfull in the Old Testament wch Spirit wrought in them Faith and perfect Communion with Christ of his person so farre as to make them sonnes and heires of God of his Death for remission of their sinnes of his righteousnesse for their justification and of all saving Graces needfull to Salvation This appeares by Enoches translation into glory that hee might not see death and by Eliahs taking up into Heaven by vertue of Christs Resurrection and Ascention who is the first fruites from the beginning Also by that which is said of Abraham that hee by beleeving came to bee counted righteous And by that which David saith to himselfe That God is his portion Psal. 16. and with him hee had all things to make him blessed Therefore this difference is a blasphemous and wicked fiction excluding the Church of the Old Testament from Heaven and all fruition of Christs benefits and from all saving graces as Regeneration Remission of sinnes Iustification and Redemption which are the blessings promised and given in the Old Testament The fourth difference is that the New Testament is the end of the Old and the Old is but a meanes to obtaine the New This is confuted first by the Doctrine before for they which are both in substance one and the same Testament cannot the one be the end of the other But so are these two as I have before shewed and it is most manifest by the agreement betweene them that as the Old confirmes the New and serves to move men to receive it So the New being imbraced serves to give light to the Old that men may see into the true meaning of it and rightly understand it and so here is no difference in this respect they are both alike Secondly the Scripture is plaine even in the places which they cite to prove this difference to wit Rom. 10. 4. and Gal. 3. 24. and teacheth plainly that Christ is the end of both and both serve joyntly for this one and commō end to bring men to Christ and to perfect communion with him and therefore the New is no otherwise the end of the Old than the Old is the end of the New and so this difference is false and erronious The fift difference is that the Old Testament was given onely to the naturall Israelites the New to all the world which is here by the former Doctrine proved false For if the Old Testament is the Will of Christ as Mediatour who gave himselfe for all the Nations of the world and is one in substance with the New and giveth the same Legacies as is before shewed surely they were both given to all Nations even the Old as well as the New else what shall we say of Iob and the godly and the faithfull of his Countrey and Age mentioned in his Booke who had the promises sealed with bloody sacrifices and yet were not of the Nation of Israel Onely here is the difference the naturall Israelites had the keeping of the Old Testament and the Oracles of God committed to them for a time to wit from Moses untill Christ And yet even then it was lawfull for them to teach the Word and make knowne the promises to strangers of all Nations and to convert them and to receive them into the Church And many were converted and joyned themselves to to the God of Israel As Rahab of Iericho a Canaan itesse Ruth of Moab Ebedmelech of Ethiopia and divers others But the New Testament is committed to no speciall people but published to all the world
and difference This may quickly be dispatched in few words for their agreement and difference may easily bee discerned by those things which have beene already delivered the onely thing which is now necessarily to be touched is the meaning of the words and the divers significations of them These being made plaine it will appeare that all the agreements and differences between them have been before fully laid open and expounded First for the Law it is in the Originall Hebrew Scriptures called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Torah a word derived of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Horah which signifieth to teach to instruct to admonish and also to shoot forth Arrowes and Darts and so if wee consider it according to the true notation of the name by Law in Scripture may be understood any Doctrine Word or Writing which doth teach instruct and admonish men how they ought to live and how to walke before God or among men and any Precept which as a Dart or Arrow is fastened in our hearts by our Teachers But in the New Testament the Law is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and is derived of the verb {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifies to distribute because the Law injoyneth to distribute and give to God and men their due and the revelation of the Word and Law is Gods distribution or dividing of his promises and his will amongst men So then the word Law considered according to the naturall sense of it in the Originall Scriptures of the Old and New Testament may signifie any Doctrine Instruction Law Ordinance Custome and Statute humane or Divine which doth teach direct command or binde men to any duty which they owe to God or any of his creatures And indeed thus far the signification of it doth extend For in Scripture it signifies sometimes the speciall Lawes of Heathen Nations as of the Medes Persians and the statutes and customes of men according to which they live among themselves and their doctrines and instructions but I omit the humane significations of it as not necessary for our present purpose and I come to the divine which are divers in Scripture 1 First this word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Torah signifies in a most large sense any godly or profitable Counsell Doctrine Instruction or Precept which Parents give to their children or one man to another either by word or writing which is not contrary but according to the will of God and the rule of godlinesse and serves to direct a man how to live or how to walke either in his generall or particular calling Thus the word is often used in the Booke of the Proverbes as Chap. 3. 1 and 4. 2. and 7. 2. In which places the wise man exhorts his sonne to keepe his Law that is all his Precepts Counsels and Doctrines and not to forget or forsake them 2 Sometimes it signifies in a large sense the whole Doctrine of the Word of God which he hath at any time revealed or doth reveale in the whole Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament and so it includes the Law of Moses the writings of the Prophets and all the Evangelicall promises made unto us in Christ from the beginning thus it is used Psal. 1. 2. in these words But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and Psal. 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule that is Gods Word for the Law alone without the Gospell cannot convert soules and Psal. 1 19. in divers places where the Law is said to quicken and to be the godly mans delight and to comfort him in trouble 3 Sometimes this word signifies onely the Scriptures of the Old Testament as Iohn 15. 25. where our Saviour citing a speech out of the 35 Psalme 19 verse saith it is written in the Law that is the Old Testament And the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. 21. repeating the words of Isaiah Chap. 28. 11. saith it is written in the Law 4 Sometimes it signifies the whole Doctrine of the five Bookes of Moses as Iosh. 1. 7 8. Let not the Booke of the Law depart out of thy mouth and Luke 24. 44. where our Saviour distinguisheth the Law that is the writings of Moses from the Psalmes and the Prophets Also Mat 12. 5. Ioh. 7. 23. and Ioh. 8. 17. things written in the Booke of Genesis as well as things written in the other 4. books are said to be writtē in the law 5 Sometimes the word Law signifies in a more strict sense The Doctrine of the Law as it is different frō the doctrine of Grace and is opposed to the plaine Doctrine of the Gospel that is the whole summe of Precepts Morall Ceremoniall and Iudiciall set downe in the Writings of Moses thus the word is used by the Apostle in the Epistles to the Romanes and Galatians where hee opposeth the Law and Doctrine of Workes to the Gospell and Doctrine of Faith 6 Sometimes by law in a most strict sense is meant either the morall Law conteined in the ten Commandements as Exod. 24. 12. or any of the Ceremoniall Lawes as the Law of the burnt-offering Levit. 6. 9. the Law of Sacrifice vers. 14. the Law of the sinne-offering vers. 24. or the Iudiciall Law and any precept therof as Exod. 18. 16. Deut. 17. 11. 7 Sometimes the word Law signifies the Doctrine of the Gospell which as a new Law commands us to repent of all our sins and to beleeve in Iesus Christ Thus the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is used Isa. 2. 3. where the Prophet saith That in the last dayes the Law shall go forth out of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem meaning the publishing of the Gospell from thence into all Nations of the world and the Gospell as it injoyneth us to beleeve is called the Law of Faith Rom. 3. 27. 8 Sometimes the word Law signifies the power authority and dominion either of the flesh and the Old man of sin dwelling in our members or of the Spirit and the New man ruling in the mind where the Apostle saith I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind that is I see the power of sinfull corruption and of the Old man striving against the Spirit or part renued and Rom. 8. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the law of sin and death These are the divers significations of the word Law which is called Torah in the Old and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the New Testament The word Gospel is in the Hebrew text in the old Testament called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Bessorah and in the new Testament {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they both signifie good news glad tidings and a joyfull message the one is derived of the Hebrew verb {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}