7 The Law had in ir ſomething of intrinfick Glory and Eire! lency, as it was the Revelation of the Will of God tO, and concern. ing, his Creatures; there was an inſeperable Glory atrending ir upon thar accounr: And ir was made glorious in tlie Miniſtraio ot It 3 as it pleaſed God thar the giving of it ſhould be arended with Thunder and Liphcning, Fire and Smoak, and an Earthquake, and a Voice like to the Sound of a Trumpet, (as we read Exii, 19, 16, 17, 18.) this was an accidental and advenricious Glory,-and made thar which was glorious in it ſelf, glorious alſo in thee of the People thar ſaw and heard theſe things. But yer (ach the Apoſtie ) if we compare it with the glory of the Goſpel, it hadcom-
£5 Dury, or afſiſting men to the performance of their Duty. + As the Goji pel 1s a lo c:lled the Spirit, both in oppoſition to the carnal Ordinances ot the Law, and becauſe Chriſt is the Matter, Subjeds, and Argi4Mnt of 1c; and chiefly becauſe, char the preaching of ir is fo fir ar:euiled by the Spirit of Grace, that where Men do not turn ;
their ears iron the hearirg of it, nor ſhut cheir eyes againſt the |
light of it, nor haren their hearts againſt the P:eceprs and Rule | of 1, It becomes (through the free Grace of God) effeRual ro | change their heart-, and co turn them from the power of Satan unto
G24; nd to make chem truly ſpiritual and holy. 1 For the Lerter, | (har 1s, che Law) 64il/:th; the Law ſhewerh men their Duty, ac- i cuicih, condemneth, and denounceth the Wrath of God againſt men, for not doing their Durv, Hut gives no ſtrength for the do- zng of it, # But the goſpel giveth life: The Goſpel, in the letter of it, ſhewe'h he way roLitez and the Goſpel in the hand of the S71vit, or with :h- Spi-it, working together with ir, (the holy Spi- ric uſing it as 115 I oſtrument) giveth Life; both that Life which is ſpiricual, and chat which is Eternal, asit prepareth rhe Soul for Life and Immo. caliry,
7 Forit the miniſtration of death + written, and ingraven In ſtones, was glorious #, ſo that the children of Iſrael : ould not ſtedfaitly behold the face of Moſes for the glury of his countenance, which glory was to be done away o ;
» The Apoſtle is manifeſtly comparing the Miniſtry of the Goſ- pel with the Miniſtry of che Law, and ſhewing the Excellency of the former above rhe latter. Tn the former verſe he had called the Law, the Letter; and the Goſpe!, in oppoſition to ir, he had
i
(
Miriſtration of Deat"z becauſe ir only ſhewed man his Duty, or things ro he done, bur gave no ſtcength or help, by which he fhou'd do them ; only curſing man, but ſhewing him no way by which he might eſcape that Curſe : So ir did kill men, and led them to eternal Death and Condemnation, without ſhewing them any means of Lite and Salyation, He alſo depreſleth the Law m compariion with the Goſpel, as being only written and in- graven upon Stones : whereas (as he had {aid before,) The Goſ- P<1 15 writren in thetleſhly Tables of mens hearts. Yer (faith he) te Miniſtration of tie Law (which was indeed but the Minſtration of Death ) was glorious: There was a great deal of tbe Glory
%
and Majeſty of God attending the giving ot the Law, {of which we
pararively no glory ; ſo much dorh that excel. For though the Law w..s the Revelation of the Divine Will, as well as the Gojel, yer the L:w was the Revelation of the Divine Will bur as to!) and Wrzth in caſe cf the non-performance of thai Duty : bucthe Goſpel is the Revelation of the Divine Will, as to Gracc and [#79 as to Remiſſion of Sin, and Eternal Life, And alrhough che Goipel came not 11a the World as the Law, with Thunder, and Light- ning, and Earchquakes; yet that was uſhered in by Angtls, foretels ling che Birth ond Office of Fon the Baptiſt, and of Chrif; by the great fign ot a Virgins conceiving and bringing torth a Son; by a Voice trom Heaven proclaiming Chriſt the Fathers 2" begotte Son, in whom he was well p/ea''d. Bur that which the Apoſ'le doth here principal'y intend, is the « xceeding Excellency of it, i. regard of irs further Uſetuineſs and comtcrtable Nature.
11 For if that which was done away, was 2lorious
much more that which remaineth :s ploriouss =» s The Apoſtle, by another Argument, proveth the 7/i/{122108 of the Goſpel to be much more glorious than che Mini(t «tio! of the Law, becauſe it is more durable and abiding. The ſtrength of the Argument dependerh upon this Principle, That any 440i 800% #5 more excellent aud glovious, than that which is but tranſto'1, an Jor e tine, The Miniſtration of the Liw is done away; che 1aV = rained in Ordinances, is ir ſelf done away ; and therefore —_— niſtrarion of ir muſt needs ceaſe. There are now no Prie/is a - vites, no worldly Sanftyary, nor any Miniſtrations in it, 0! _—_ ir. But our Saviour hath told us, Thar the Goſpel ſhall he x 1. ed to the end of the World 3 So as that Miniſtration mult _ 4 ing to all Principles of Reaſon) be more glorious, a5 #1 eternal is more glorious than that which is fluid and vanifhins:
. 12 Seeing then that we have ſuch hope | WE uſe great mo expeRarion lt
'] plainneſs of ſpeech 2.
rt Hope here ſignifiech nothing but a confident, certaiN Cal] of ſomething thar is heregfrer ro come to paſs, Th Ve referrethto ſomerhing which went before z the ſenſe 15) in a cettain confident expe&ation, that our Miniſtration _ - pel ſhall nor ceaſe, as the Miniſtration of the Law hath do Why that the DoQrine of the Goſpel brings in not a remporary> ante”; everlaſting Rigbteoz/neſs ; that there ſhall never be #1 = God, neſs reyeaicd, wherein any Soul can ſtand righteous. - ts faith; bur that which is revealed in the Goſpel to be jr0 fatn io.
read Exod, 1g.) o $0 that the Children of Trael could not ſtedfaſtly |
Goſpel with a
i ; ic we are vel;her aſhamed, nor atraid to preach freedom
inuch more doth the miniſtration * of rightevuſneg *fmy ,
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Lnap.
reat Fri!
19.
arion || 0,
(cb) 1/6 being > Gol- and zut an reoul- God, ſal £D 5 ith all eedon
Is 6,10, =” #4
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25.9,
III.
freedom and boldneſs: We do nor, as Moſes, cover our ſelves with a Veil when we preach the Goſpel ro people, bur we ſpeak whar God hath given to .us in Commiſſion to ſpeak, unconcernedly 4s to any terrours or affrightmenrs from men: we know, that reat is the Truth which we preach ; and that it ſhall prevail and out-live all che rage and madneſs of the Enemies of it; þ
13 And not as Moſes, which pur a veil over his face,