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}
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} Bissar and the other of the Greek word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which both signifie one thing namely to tell good news or bring glad tydings For the Greek word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} it is diversly used in Scripture and in other Greek Authors Sometimes for the reward which is given to one for bringing good newes as 2 Sam. 4. 10. where thereward which the man expected from David for the tydings of Sauls death is by the 70 called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and in the Hebrew Bessorah Sometime in heathen writers the sacrifices which men offered up in thankfulnesse for good newes as in Xenophon lib. 1. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in Isocrates Areopag Sometimes it signifies good newes in generall of what matter soever as 2 Sam. 18.27 David said of Ahimaaz he is a good man he bringeth good tydings the word is in the Hebrew Bessorah and in the Greeke {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} But in the New Testament the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} doth alwayes signifie the good tydings and joyfull message of Iesus Christ the Saviour of the world and of Redemption by him and so we alwayes use the word Gospell in our English tongue And when the word Gospell is thus restrained unto the message and tydings of Christ I finde it three wayes used in Scripture and in our common speech Sometimes it is opposed to the Doctrine of the Law which teacheth to seeke life and salvation by our owne workes and then it signifies the whole Doctrine of salvation by Iesus Christ written in the Old and New Testament and preached by all the ministers of Christ unto the end of the world as Rom. 1.9 God is my witness whom I serve with my Spirit in the Gospel of his sonne and Gal. 3. 8. where the promise of Christ to Abraham is called the Gospel and Eph. 1. 13. where the doctrine of beleeving and trusting in Christ is called the Gospel of salvation In this large sense it includes all the promises of Christ in it which were made from the beginning to the fathers before the Law and by the prophets under the Law Sometimes it is opposed to all the promises of the old Testament made to the fathers before the Law and by the prophets before the coming of Christ and then it signifies that joyfull message and word which is comprehended in the new Testament which declares that Christ is already come in the flesh and what he hath done for our redemption and how we must be brought to communion of life and salvation in him Thus it is used Mark 1. 14. where it is said that Iesus Christ preached in Galilee the Gospel of the Kingdome of God and Mark 16. 15. Goe preach the Gospel to every creature When the Word is thus taken it differs and is distinguished from the promises of Christ to come which are called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} It signifies Christ already come Sometimes this Word is restrained to the written History of Christ from his Conception and Birth to his Ascension as it is recorded by the Evangelists in the New Testament thus the word is used Marke 1. 1. Where the Evangelist beginning his holy History saith The beginning of the Gospell of Iesus Christ and thus we use the word when wee speake of the Gospell of Saint Matthew or of Luke or of Iohn meaning the History of Christ written by them Now having laide downe the true signification of these two words Law and Gospell and shewed the divers acceptions of them It is easie to gather the agreement and differences which are between them If we take the word Law in the most large sense for the whole word of God then it includes all the Gospell in it and then they differ and agree as the whole body differs from and agrees with a part of it selfe The Law is the whole Word of God and the Gospell a part of it If wee take the Law for the Scriptures of the Old Testament or for the writings of Moses then it includes in it a part of the Gospell namely the promises of the Messiah and the doctrine of salvation in him to come And from the other part of the Gospell to wit the glad tidings of Christ already come it differs as the Old Testament from the New and the mixt Covenant from the pure Covenant of Grace If we take the word Law for the new Law the Gospell of Grace then the new Law and the Gospell are all one and the same But if wee take the Law for the doctrine of Commandments Morall Ceremoniall and Iudiciall it differs from the Gospell so farre as the first part of the Covenant of God given by Moses differs frō the pure Covenant of Grace And lastly if we by Law understand the Morall then it differs from the Gospell so farre as the first Covenant of Workes differs from the second Covenant of Grace But if we take the Gospell in the most common and usual sense for the glad tydings of Christ already exhibited and for the whole Doctrine of the New Testament and by Law doe understand as the word commonly signifies the Covenant which God made with Israel by Moses and the pure Covenant of Grace made with all Nations doe agree and differ betweene themselves Now the use of these Doctrines is manifold First they serve to set us in a more sure way to salvation and also to guide and keepe us therein to the end in that they shew us every turning and every by-way both on the right hand and on the left and how wee may avoyd them all Many are the errours which have beene raised up in the Church of God from the first time of the publishing of the Gospell untill this day In the time of the apostles some taught that the law was to be observed together with the Gospell and the Ministery of Moses with the Ministery of Christ and that none could be justified or saved without circumcision and observation of the Lawes of Moses Against them the Apostle disputes in the whole Epistle to the Galatians Some did utterly destroy the Law and all use of good works taught faith alone without works of sanctification at all Against them the Apostle S. Iames disputes Some utterly rejected the Old Testament as the Manichaeans in Old time and now the Anabaptists Some did set up their owne righteousnesse as the Iewes Rom. 10. 3. and the Papists at this day Now if we rightly understand the doctrines before laid downe betweene the Old and New Covenant the Law and the Gospell wee shall easily discerne the wickednes of these errours and shall see the right way to justification and Salvation We shall so understand the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament that wee shall out of them be able to answer all Heretiques and adversaries of the truth And therefore whatsoever some thinke of this Discourse of the Old and New Testament the first and the second Covenant the Old and the New mixt and pure Covenant of Grace and concerning the Law and the Gospell Yet I am sure that others of better judgement who receive with due respect and reverence all holy doctrine shall find infinite profit benefit and comfort if they lay these things to heart and keepe them in continuall remembrance Which grace the Lord grant unto us all for his own mercies sake in Iesus Christ and to this small Worke of a weake Instrument give a blessing To whose holy Name be all praise and glory now and for ever Amen FINIS 2 Cor. 1. 11 Ephes. 6 18 Col. 4. 2. Act. 20. 32 Use 1. Acts 4. 12. Use 2. Use 3. Luke 24. Reas. 1. Reas 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. 1 2 3 1 2 3 3 4 5 6 Use 1 2 3 4. 5 2 6 Hebr. 11. Ioh. 8. 56. 1. Differ Isay 7. 9 Dan. 9. Differ 2. Differ 3. Differ 4. Differ 5. Differ 6. Act. 15. Differ 7. Use Use 2. Agree 1. Agree 2. 1 2 Differ 3. Differ 4. Differ 5. 1 Cor. 13. Vse Rom. 27. Vse
promise in Baptisme and whosoever doth wilfully live and continue in any sin and purposely abstaine from good when occasion is offered and omits holy duties which the law requires as observing of the Sabbath hearing of the word and such like we count him a carnall man and he hath no part as yet in the Covenant of grace For he that is justified is also mortified and sanctified and cannot purposely continue in any sin of omission or commission CHAP. XVI The Differences BVt the differences between them are many and great First they differ in the manner of requiring obedience to the law and exacting good workes The Covenant of Moses requires that a man shold first endeavour to fulfill the whole law that thereby he may be justified and live and if he cannot do so that then he should flie to sacrifices for sinne and free-will offerings and in them as in types to Christ and his righteousnesse and obedience that there he may finde that which by the law he cannot obtaine But the Covenant of the Gospel requires that a man should first renounce himselfe and all his owne righteousnesse and seeke salvation and righteousnesse in Christ by faith and that being justified by grace in Christ he should by way of thankfulnesse labour to the utmost to bring forth all fruites of holinesse righteousnesse and obedience to all Gods commandements and that for this end that he may glorifie God adorne his profession and be more and more assured of his communion with Christ and sincere love to God Secondly these Covenants differ in matter and substance The matter and substance of the Covenant made by the Ministery of Moses it was mixt it was partly conditionall and partly absolute partly legall and partly Evangelicall it required to justification both workes and faith but after a divers manner and it was a mixt Covenant of two divers Covenants both the Covenant of Workes and the Covenant of Grace First it required workes that men should doe the workes of the Law and live and this it did by way of the first Covenant For the morall Law written in two Tables of stone and consisting of the ten Commandements which God spake from mount Sinai is called by the name of a Covenant Deut. 4. 13. He declared to you saith Moses there his Covenant which he commanded you to performe even ten Commandements and he wrote them upon two Tables of Stone and Deuter. 9. vers. 9. These two Tables are called the tables of the Covenant by these testimonies it is plain that the law was given to Israel as a Covenant which required obedience for justification and life Secondly this Covenant given by Moses promised Christ and required that whēsoever they failed in their obedience to the Law they should flee to sacrifices and sinne-offerings which were Types of Christ and did prefigure signifie and seale his satisfaction and atonement for sinne and that by faith they should seeke righteousnesse and satisfaction in him and shoul rest upon those promises which God made with their Fathers that in Christ the blessed seed all Nations of the earth should be blessed And this is the second even the Evangelicall part of the Covenant and is called by the name of another Covenant Deut. 29. 2. For indeed this is the Covenant of Grace as the other part is the Covenant of Works This GOD propounds absolutely the other is conditionall that a man shall doe it if hee can and if hee can doe it hee shall live if hee cannot that he should flee by faith to Christ foreshadowed in types and promised to the Fathers Thus the Covenant which God made with Israel was not a simple but a mixt Covenant and the matter of it was mixt But the Covenant of Grace in the Gospell is simple without mixture and propounds no other way to salvation but onely in and through Iesus Christ no justification but that which is by faith in Christs obedience without our owne workes This is a second difference The rest of the maine differences are plainely laid downe by the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 3. One is that the Covenant which God made with Israel was an old Covenant For it is called by the Apostle {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} vers. 14. But the Covenant made with all Nations by the Gospell is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the New Covenant vers. 6. Now the Covenant with Israel may truely bee called Old and is so indeed in respect of the Covenant under the Gospell for two reasons First because the legall part of it which was the Covenant of Workes laid downe in the ten Commandements of the Law written in Tables of Stone is in substance all one with the first Covenant which God made with Man in the state of Innocency the summe of both is that one thing Doe this and live Secondly because the Evangelical part of it which promised life and righteousnesse in Christ the promised seed was given after the old manner as it was to the Fathers before the Law that is in generall darke and obscure promises did shew Christ onely afarre off to come in the latter ages of the world But the Covenant of the Gospel is every way new It is made with us after a new maner It sheweth Christ already come and that most plainely and it hath no reliques of the Old Covenant of works in it but teacheth justificatiō by faith without works even by communion of Christ and of his righteousnesse alone without any concurrence of our own righteousnesse and workes of the Law concurring for justification Another difference wch the Apostle makes betweene these Covenants is that the one is the Letter the other the Spirit For so he affirmes ver. 6 Now the reasons of this are two especially The first reason why the Covenant with Israel is called the letter and the Covenant of the Gospel the Spirit is because Moses who was the mediator of the Covenant with Israel did give onely the Letter of the Covenant that is the Law and the Covenant written in Tables and in Letters but he could not give the Spirit to make them understand the Covenant nor any inward grace and ability to make them keepe it But Christ the Mediator by whose Ministery the Covenant of the Gospell is given hath also the Holy Ghost in himselfe without measure which Spirit he by his Word and together with the word of the Covenant sends into our hearts and enables us to beleeve and to keepe the Covenant And as Iohn the Baptist comparing himselfe and his ministery with the ministery of Christ saith I baptize you with water but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire that is I give onely the outward signe but he gives the inward grace So it may be said of Moses and Christ that Moses gave onely the letter or writing of the Covenant but Christ gives the word and with it the Spirit of Grace also
which makes it effectuall to salvation And therefore the Covenant as it proceeds from Moses and comes by his Ministery is but a letter but that which Christ gave as Mediatour is the Spirit Another Reason may be drawne from the manner of giving Moses gave the Covenant written in Letters which many could see but could not read and many could read and could not understand and many could understand literally after a naturall and carnall manner according to the proper literall sense but they could not understand the words spiritually according to the spirituall sense they could not see nor discerne the true scope end and use of the Words But Christ did preach the Covenant of the Gospell by a lively voyce in words easie to be understood which did not onely sound in the eares but also pierce into the hearts and spirits of the hearers and did shew not onely the matter but also the manner end and use of every thing and how the Law and Commandements doe not onely binde the outward man and require the outward act but also do binde the inward man even the soule and spirit and doe require all holy thoughts motions dispositions of the heart and soul and thus the words of the New Covenant are fit Instruments of the Spirit and the Spirit doth worke powerfully by them Another difference laid downe by the Apostle verse 13 14 18. is that there was a vaile before the Covenant with Israel which hindred their sight so that the people could not looke into the end nor see the right use of the Law and the ceremonies thereof But the Covenant of the Gospell is given with much evidence of speech and therein we all with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord Now this vaile consisted of two parts The first was the darknesse and blindnesse of their hearts and the weaknesse of their sight The second was the obscurity and darknesse of the Covenant it selfe which both in respect of the words and also of the Seales the Types and Figures was very darke and hard to be understood First the people themselves were naturally by reason of originall corruption blinde and ignorant and not able to see the right end and use of the Law and Covenant yea their sight was so weake that they could no more looke upon Gods glory then the weake eye of a man can looke upon the bright Sunne when it shineth in full strength and therefore being not able to looke upon the glory of God shining in the Covenant they could in no case see into the end and use of it and so their owne weakenesse and blindnesse was a vaile unto them and is this day to all the Iewes till their hearts be converted to the Lord vers. 16. and till he powres out his Spirit on them Secondly the words of the Covenant were spoken and the Seales and Ceremonies ordained after such an obscure manner that a vaile of darknesse did hang over them till Christ by his actuall fulfilling of them and by the words of the New Covenant in the Gospel did make all plaine and pull away the vaile of darknesse This obscurity of the Covenant proceeded from three speciall causes the first was Gods hiding and concealing of his purpose in the giving of the Law For his purpose in giving the Morall Law was not that Israel should doe it and be justified thereby which after mans fall and corruption is impossible but onely to teach them and us what is true and perfect righteousnesse which leadeth unto life and to make all men examine themselves by it as by a rule that by it finding themselves destitute of righteousnesse and utterly unable to performe righteousnesse they might be driven out of themselves and so prepared to receive Christ and embrace his righteousnesse Also Gods purpose and counsell in giving the Ceremoniall law was not that men should performe them as any part of righteousnesse to justification neither did he ordaine them to be of themselves purgations from sinne and expiations of iniquity but onely to be Types foreshadowing Christ and his all-sufficient sacrifice and seales of the Covenant wch did seal it not by any vertue in them but by vertue of Christs which they signified Now though this was Gods counsell and purpose in giving the law morall and Ceremoniall yet he did conceale and not in plaine words expresse it he told them not that he meant by putting them upon the performance of the law to make them find out their own weaknesse and insufficiency and thereupon flee to Christ the end of the law and the substance of the Ceremonies and sacrifices But contrarily he required their performance of the Law for the obtaining of life and did so speake as though it had beene possible for them to fulfill it and to be justified thereby and so they commonly did understand his words erroniously even as the Papists doe at this day thinking that God would never have commanded them to doe the Law if hee had not knowne that it was in their power to doe it as he commanded and this was the first cause of the obscurity of that Covenant The second cause was the mixture of the legall part of the Covenant with the Evangelicall and the joyning of them both as it were in one continued speech For first God required by the morall law that they should do it for the obtaining of life then immediatly he addes unto it the ceremoniall law and ordained sacrifices for sin which did declare them to be sinners and so destitute of righteousnesse and gave them divers types and shadowes of Christ and by that law he required obedience and doing upon paines of death and cutting off so that the people of Israel did still imagine themselves to be in the Covenant of workes and from that manner of speech used by God and from the title of laws and statutes which God gave to the Ceremonies and from the words before going they gathered that the sacrifices oblations and other rites were rather laws to be observed for righteousnesse then seales of the Covenant of grace and signes of Christ and his righteousnesse they thought the use of them to consist in doing not in signifying and stirring up of faith to lay hold on Christ and this was a second cause of the darknesse of that Covenant The third cause was the great penurie and scarcitie of Evangelicall promises in that Covenant and the great inequality and disproportion which was betweene them and the legall Commandements of Workes For in that Covenant we finde few promises of life salvation but only upon condition of Workes Christ is very seldome pointed at in plaine words The Evangelicall promises as they are rare very few in all the Bookes of the Law which God gave them by Moses so they are either very generall or else very obscure more then those which were given to the Fathers long before But the Legall Commandements and Promises are