ROM. 3. 27.
WE have confuted the false differences, and now come to lay down the true, between the Law and the Gospel, taken in a larger sense.
And, first, you must know that the difference is not essentiall,1 or substantiall, but accidentall: so that the division of the Testament, or Covenant into the Old, and New, is not a division of the Genus into it’s opposite Species; but of the subject, according to it’s severall accidentall administrations, both on Gods part, and on mans. It is true, the Lutheran Divines, they do expresly oppose the Calvinists herein, maintaining the Covenant given by Moses, to be a Covenant of works, and so directly contrary to the Covenant of grace. Indeed, they acknowledge that the Fathers were justified by Christ, and had the same way of salvation with us; only they make that Covenant of Moses to be a superadded thing to the Promise, holding forth a condition of perfect righteousness unto the Iews, that they might be convinced of their own folly in their self-righteousness. But, I think, it is already cleared, that Moses his Covenant, was a Covenant of grace: & the right unfolding the word Law, and Gospel, doth easily take away that difference which seemeth to be among the Learned in this point; for, certainly, the godly Iews did not rest in the Sacrifices, or Sacramenrs, but by faith did really enjoy Christ in them, as well as wee in ours. Christ was figured by the Mercy-seat: Now, as both the Cherubims looked to that, so both the people of the Jews and Gentiles did eye and look to Christ. For although Christ had not assumed our flesh then, yet the fruit and benefit of his incarnation was then communicated, because of the decree and promise of God, 1. Pet. 1. 20.
- This difference is more particularly seen, in respect of the2 degrees of perspicuity and clearness in the revelation of heavenly objects. Hence, 2 Pet. 1. 19. the light in the Old Testament is compared to the light in the night time; and that in the New, to the light of the sun in the day. The summ of all heavenly doctrine is reduced to these three heads: credenda, things to be beleeved: speranda, things to be hoped for: & facienda, things to be done.
Now, if you consider the objects of faith, or things to be beleeved,3 they were more obscurely delivered to them: The doctrine of the Trinity, the Incarnation of Christ, and the Resurrection, these things were but in a dark manner delivered, yet, according to the measure of that light then held forth, they were bound to beleeve those things: so that, as Moses had a vail upon him, thus also his doctrine had; and, as the knowledge we have here is […], in respect of that in heaven, so that in the Old Testament may be said to be […], in respect of that in the New.
As it is thus for the credenda, things to be beleeved, so it is also4 for the speranda, things hoped for. The opinion of the Socinians and others is very wicked, which makes them before Christ, only to hope in temporall good things, and the notion of the Papists observing that the Church under the New Testament is called Ecclesia, but never Synagoge; & the meeting of the Jews, called always Synagoge, but never Ecclesia, doth suppose that the Jews were gathered together as so many beasts, rather then called together as men. But this notion is judged false; and they instance Heb. 10. and James 2. where the Church of the Christians is called Synagoge; although Cameron, Praelect. de Eccles. pag. 66. doth industriously labour to prove that the Apostles did purposely abstain from the word Synagoge in reference to Christians: but his reason is not that the Papists urge, for howsoever the good things promised were for the most part temporal, and carnal, yet these figured spirituall and heavenly. It’s Austins observation, shewing that the Jews should first be allured by temporal mercies, and afterwards the Christians by spiritual: As, saith he, first that which is animal, and then that which is spiritual: The first man was of the earth, earthly; the second man was of heaven, heavenly: Thus we may say of the Jew and the Christian, That which was animal was first, and then that which is spiritual. Hence, Heb. 11. 16. Abraham and others are said to seek an heavenly country; so that although it be true which Austine (as I remember) said, though you look over the whole book of the Old Testament, yet you shall never find the kingdome of heaven mentioned there: yet we see David making God his portion, and professing that he hath nothing in heaven but him, which argueth, that they looked farther then meer outward mercies. These good things promised to the Jews were figurative, so that as a man consisteth of a soul and body, thus also doth the promises; there is the kernel and the shell: but the Jews, for the most part, looked only to the outward. Hence Christ, when he opened those things to his Disciples, did like a kind father, that breaketh the shell, and giveth the kernel to his children.