The Excellency of the Gospel Above the Law, Treatise
Excellency of the GOSPEL above the LAVV.
2 COR. 3. 17, 18.
Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But wee all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same Image, from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord.
THe Apostle beginneth this Chapter with the commendation of his Ministry, having beene put upon it by their undervaluing of him; yet so, as together with himselfe he commendeth them as his best and onelyonly Testimoni…l, and Letters of commendation, vers. 2. and so maketh way for himselfe to fal into a more set and large commendation of the glorious Gospell it selfe, whereof God hath made him so able a Minister to them, vers. 6. And because the excellency of any thing is best commended by comparing and setting by it something else that excels, in it selfe, and yet is exceeded by it; therefore he carrieth along his commendation of the Ministery of the Gospell through the whole Chapter▪ by comparing it with the Law, and the Ministery of the Old Testament. This comparison is made by the Apostle,
First,A comparison … the Law and the Gospell. more briefly, in laying down some distinct properties and prerogatives of the Gospell wherein it excelleth the Law, vers. 6. as, 1. that this was the Min…stery of the New Testament, that of the Law of the Old: 2. and not of the letter, as the Law was; but of the Spirit: 3. nor of death, for the Letter killeth: but of life, for the Spirit qaickeneth.
And then, by Inferences drawne from these properties thus briefly summed up, the Apostle more largely illustrates the transcendent Glory of the Gospell and howfarre it exceedeth the glory of the Law, although it be granted the Law be glorious.
As 1. if that which was but a ministration of the Letter written and ingraven in s…ones was glorious, verse the seventh; that is, if the litterall notions and bare knowledge of the Law, which (like so many dead words or Characters) maketh no a…eration at all, but leaueth their hearts hard and stony, like the Tables on which the law was written, which remained stones still. If this was glorious, even the litterall …owledge of the Law. as … was, both in the Jewes own account of themselves, and in the judgement of the Nations amongst whom they liued: How shall not the ministration of the Spirit bee rather glorious? verse the eighth: the meaning whereof is largely explained in the third Verse; where the Corinthians are said to be an Epistle written not with inke, or dead Letters, but with the Spirit of the living God; which kind of writing leaveth not the heart a heart of stone, as the dead writing of the Law did, but changeth it into a heart of flesh, and maketh such a through alteration in the wholeman, as the writing within, in the Tables of their hearts, is knowne and read of all men: so that their lives and conversations being answerable to that spirituall and gracious writing of Christ in their hearts, they are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ: and therefore such a Ministry as this is, by which the Spirit of the living God is received, (and no by the Law, Gal. 3. 2.) which is a Spirit of glory, and worketh gloriousthings both in the hearts and lives of men, must needs be rather glorious.
2. Another Inference wee have in the 9. verse; if the ministration of condemnation be glorious; that is, if that word which concluded men under sinne, and pronounced the sentence of death upon them bee glorious; much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceed in glory: For it is more glorious to pardon than to condemne; to give life, than to destroy. It is the glory of a man to passe over an offence, Prov. 19. and in God it is called the riches of his glory, Rom. 9. 23 The Law, which was made glorious, in terrifying, condemning, and stopping the mouthes of men, in so much as they had not a word to say for themselves, hath no glory, by reason of the glory of the Gospell that excelleth, even in this respect that it bringeth such a righteousnesse, as by the merit whereof, and satisfaction given by it, we are justified and have peace towards God, notwithstanding the utmost rigour of the Law.
3. The Apostle argueth further, verse the eleventh, if that which is done away was glorious, as the old Covenant is, which was made old by the comming of the New, Heb. 8. and by it removed as a thing growne weake and shaken, Heb. 12. much more that which remaineth, which is the New Covenant which cannot bee shaken but shall remaine, and is the everlasting Gospell, Rev. 14. is more glorious: as Gods last works exceed the former, and taketh away the remembrance of them in comparison; as when hee createth New heavens, and a New earth, the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde. Esa. 65.
4. There is another excellency of the Gospell above the Law, which the Apostle addeth, and insisteth upon it more largely then upon all the rest; and that is, the comfortable plainnesse and perspicuity of the Doctrine and Ministry of it, verse the twelfth; Seeing we have such hope, wee use great plainnesse of Speech. In which it excelled the Ministry of Moses, which was in much difficulty and obscurity, and that in a threefold respect layd downe in the 13, 14, and 15 verses.
1. The Matter of it was terrible, tending to the shame, confusion of face, and condemnation of the hearers; insomuch as they were notable to stand before him nor stedfastly to behold his face, it was such a dazling and amazing light that shined in his Ministry.
2. The Manner of delivery was in obscure and darke expressions, that the Children of Israel could not see to the end of that which is abolished: that is, they could not see the drift and scope of his Ministery, by reason of the Types and Shadowes, which was the vaile hee put upon his face.
3. Their minds were blinded, there was a vaile upon their hearts, which is evident by experience in the Jewes at this day; who so cleave in their affections to Moses, and to the Shadowes and Ceremonies of his Ministry, that they reject the scope and end of it, which is Jesus Christ crucified. And they can doe no other; for although the vaile that was upon Moses face by removed, as it is by the doctrine of the Gospell, which sheweth us in all possible plainnesse what the drift and meaning of Moses was in all those Types and Ceremonies, yet untill the Gospel in the Spirit and efficacy of it commeth home to their hearts, and taketh off the vayle that is upon their hearts also: that is, untill their naturall blindnesse and obstinacy be taken away, which cannot be (but is rather increased) by the Law, (for although Moses bee read, yet untill this day remaineth the same vayle untaken away,) the Jewes will unavoydably abide in their Ignorance and bondage.
Now in opposition to this darknesse and obscurity of the Law in all those respects, the Apostle exalteth the Gospell in this high and excellent privilege of it, That it is plaine, and evident, and full of demonstration; and that the light of it is not terrifying and amazing, but sweet and comfortable; so that wee may with much liberty and boldnesse of Spirit looke constantly upon the great & glorious things set before us in it, although it be no other but the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And there is moreover such an efficacy and working power in this Ministery of the Gospell, as it will not suffer men to remaine the same without alteration, as they did under Moses Ministery, though hee was read daily; but it will change them even into the Image of Jesus Christ, and the carry them on still in that Image and likenesse from one degree of glory to another, after a most admirable and spirituall manner of working.
This speciall excellency and prerogative of the Gospell is laid downe in the two last verses of this Chapter, which are the words upon which wee shall more largely insist in the following discourse.