A Rejoinder to Daniel Williams, Part 4
II. Concerning the GOSPEL:
What Goſpel is.
1. The Engliſh Word Goſpel comes from Good, God, or Ghoſt, and Spell, which ſignifies a Word or Saying, ſo that Goſpel is as much as a Good Word, a comfortable Word or Saying of God,The Word comes of foreign bene, and foreign nuntius, & eſt laetum vel foelix Nuntium. or the Spirit, foreign, the proper Signification of it is a good Meſſage, or joyful News; and ſo its uſed by Ariſtophanes and Appian, and in that Senſe foreign is uſed Mat. 11.5. Rom. 10.15. Luc. 2.10, 11. The LXXII. uſe it expreſly for good Tidings, 2 Sam. 4.10. and ſo Iſa. 52.7. The Goſpel that we are to believe as the Glad Tidings of the Kingdom of Heaven, Mar. 1.15. Luk. 2.10. The Publication of Chriſt's Doctrine, 1 Cor. 4.15. Rom. 1.1. The Goſpel of Ages or eternal Goſpel, Rev. 14.6. I know no place that it is uſed otherwiſe than for acceptable News, and glad Tidings, and no where in the Senſe of a Law or Law-Covenant; and it can be no otherwiſe, becauſe to whom are theſe glad Tidings brought, but to poor Sinners, that are fallen under the Law, become guilty before God, utterly hopeleſs and helpleſs in themſelves? and by the ſaid Law, or any Law that requires the leaſt degree of Holineſs as a federal Condition of Life and Salvation. Chriſt himſelf Luke 4.18. from Iſa. 61.1. tells us who he came to preach Goſpel good Tidings to, it was to the poor, broken-hearted, Captives, Blind, Impriſoned. The Hebrew Word foreign is of the ſame ſignification, and foreign Chald. and Syr. See Iſa. 40.9.
2. Now then the Goſpel is the Manifeſtation of the Grace of the Covenant, the good News and glad Tidings of Life and Salvation, promiſed in the Covenant of Grace to Tranſgreſſors of the Law, that lye under the Curſe of it, and was promulgated immediately after the Fall (before the Sentence was paſſed) by way of Promiſe, without the leaſt mention of a New Law or Law Conditions to be performed by Man to inveſt him in the ſaid Promiſe: The Promiſe was to Chriſt and of Chriſt, That he ſhould deſtroy the Work of the Devil, and ſpoil Principalities and Powers, and give Life to to the World, that the Devil by his Subtilty and Malice had plotted to deſtroy; and as he thought had effected the total Ruine and Deſtruction of. The like Promiſe was to Abraham 430 Years before the Law. The manner of this Salvation was ſoon exemplified in Sacrifices, in Adam's Family, as Types of Chriſt the great Sacrifice for Sin; they were continued in the Families of the Faithful both before and after the Flood, and in Abraham's and the Patriarchs till the Church of Iſrael was erected and organized in the Wilderneſs, when the whole Ceremonial Service was eſtabliſhed, the OEconomy whereof was but an entire Type of Chriſt and the Goſpel in the Tabernacle and Temple, ſtate of the Church; ſo that the whole Service was no more than their Goſpel, wherein Chriſt was daily preached to them: Which Goſpel of theirs laboured under much faultineſs, comparatively to what it was afterward at the Appearance, and by the Miniſtry of Chriſt and his Apoſtles, 2 Tim. 1.9, 10. compared with Eph. 3.5, 6.
1. This Goſpel brings Life and Immortality to Light by the Promiſe, which was not ſo clearly diſcovered before Chriſt's Incarnation and Miniſtry, Eph. 3.5. He appears to be the great Sacrifice ſo long fore-typified, as likewiſe the great Prieſt that was to come, after the Order of Melchiſedeck, and the great Prophet Moſes propheſied of: To him gave all the Prophets Witneſs, and John the Baptiſt pointed him out, As the Lamb of God that took away the Sins of the World; and that he had received the Spirit without Meaſure. The Hiſtory of Chriſt's Life, Doctrine, Death and Exaltation are eminent Proofs of theſe glad Tydings, from whence the four Evangeliſts are rightly named. The Witneſs and Miniſtry of the Apoſtles contain likewiſe the ſame, whereby there is the giving the Knowledg of Salvation, Luke 1.77. and that through this Knowledg we ſhould have all things pertaining to Life and Godlineſs, 2 Pet. 1.3.
2. The Promiſe of the Goſpel to us, contains all good News, being free and abſolute to Sinners (ſuch 2 Tim. 1.15. 1 Joh. 5.11. ch. 2.25.) of Chriſt and of Eternal Life and Salvation in him. 2. Promiſes of the firſt Grace freely and graciouſly beſtowed on us as of Faith, Eph. 2.8. the Spirit, Luke 11.12, 13. the new Creation, Eph. 2.10. and free Juſtification, Ezek. 36.25. the new Heart, 26. a Promiſe to make us to walk in his ways, and that we ſhall be his People, ibid. a Promiſe to be taught of God, Joh. 6.45. Iſa. 54.13. Yea the bringing us into a true Goſpel Obedience to the Law, Jer. 31.33. the making Chriſt our Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs and Sanctification, 1 Cor. whereby Obedience to God's Law is graciouſly given us, Pſal. 119.29. the promiſe of Perſeverance, that we ſhall not depart from God, Jer. 32.40.
3. The Promiſes made to Chriſt, and of Chriſt, wherein our abſolute Salvation is wrapped up, ſo as to be a Covenant, Iſa. 42.6. c. 49.6. c. 53.11, 12. Promiſes to him of the Throne and Dominion of David, in a ſpiritual Senſe, ſuch as concern his prieſtly and prophetical Offices, as Heb. 7. Pſ. 10. To inſtance in all would be long.
4. All the Names of Chriſt, as Meſſias, Jeſus, Emanuel; the account of his Natures, of his Offices, of his Office in general, Mediator, Redeemer, Saviour; of Chriſt in particular, of his Prophetick, Prieſtly, Kingly Offices; his exerciſe of them, and his excellent Spirit which he ſhewed therein, full of Meekneſs, Compaſſion, Wiſdom and Zeal. All this is Goſpel, and good News to Sinners.
5. The gracious free Invitations that are made to Sinners, as Iſa. 55.1. Mat. 11. lat. 2 Cor. 5.1. with Promiſes for Encouragement. Here's high and rich Goſpel.
6. The Promiſe of Principle and Strength to perform every Duty required; of his Spirit, to work in us to will and do; of God's Love ſhed abroad in our Hearts to conſtrain us, of life itſelf; and that he will be the Reſurrection and Life; of Love, ſpringing from the Love of God; of making us good Trees, that we may bring forth good Fruit, is all wonderful Goſpel.
7. All the Diſcoveries Chriſt hath made of his Father; his eternal Election, his tranſacting with him in a Covenant-way, ſhewing us the Myſtery of the Father, revealing him, by his glorious Deſigns to glorifie his Juſtice and Mercy in ſuch a way of Salvation; his Deſigns to magnify his Law, and make it honourable; to exalt his Son Jeſus to be a Prince and Saviour, and give Remiſſion of Sins; to exalt his free Grace in this ſalvation by a free juſtification, adoption, ſanctification, and glory; and in doing this, Juſtice ſhould loſe nothing of its due, is all great and glorious Goſpels.
8. That in all theſe great and precious things, there is ſuch a connexion together that one encourageth and leadeth to another, Promiſe leads to Duty, and Duty to the receiving of Promiſes, Grace leads to Glory, and that Perſeverance is as infallibly ſetled in electing Grace, and as abſolutely as the firſt Grace. This is admirable Goſpel.
9. The great and clear diſcoveries that are made of the evil of ſin, of the dangers ſin leads to, and ſinners are in and running into, by continuing in ſin, and laying open the ſtrict nature of the Law, that it diſpenſeth not with the leaſt ſin, it requires ſtill perfect righteouſneſs and holineſs, and ſentenceth the ſinner to eternal death and damnation for it; and therefore it's impoſſible, that any fleſh living, by ordinary deſcent from Adam, can be juſtified by the Works of the Law; it's a gracious and neceſſary piece of Goſpel to take off a poor ſinner from the love of ſin and fondneſs of his own righteouſneſs, which every ſinner by nature is apt unto, and to ſet up the Lord Jeſus as the only Name whereby he can be ſaved, and to ſhew, that he is able and willing to ſave to the uttermoſt, whereby a ſinner becomes dead to the Law, and married by faith unto Jeſus Chriſt. This is in the glorious Goſpel of God and our Saviour: It is the light of it that ſhines into the heart doth this.
10. It is good News and glad Tydings, that the grace of God in the Goſpel doth not make void the Law, but eſtabliſheth it, Rom. 3.31. Neither is the Law againſt the Promiſe, Gal. 3.21. tho' that he that is under a Law for juſtification, is under a Curſe, and that by the oeconomy of the grace of Chriſt in the New Covenant, the Law and Goſpel do ſweetly harmonize: 1. In that the Law hath been fulfilled in Chriſt as to all righteouſneſs, it hath a full Sanction as to every believer in the active and paſſive obedience of Chriſt; their delivery from the curſe of it being by this, that he was made a curſe for them; all their ſins are condemned in his fleſh, he bearing them on the Croſs; the Law hath its end as to all righteouſneſs and compleat perfect holineſs in Chriſt; believers are all compleat and perfect in Chriſt as to the Law. 2. It's good News, that Chriſt's death was not only the ſatisfying of the Law and Juſtice of God on the account of our ſins, and, together with his active obedience, the merit of grace and glory; but that this ſame death of Chriſt was the Sanction and Ratification of all the Grace of the New Covenant, as a Teſtament, being by the death of the Teſtator, and as a Law to Chriſt, which he lay under by his Father's injunction to perform. And this is the Sanction ſpoken of H…b. 8.6. and more fully explained, c. 9.15 16, 17. compared with c. 10.7. 3. It's good News to a believer, that God hath provided a way for him to come into an acceptable obedience through Jeſus Chriſt, to the Law of God,Lex attemperata foederi gratiae & juxta illud inſcripta cordi electorum jubet ea omnia quae in Evangelio proponuntur, fide non ficta amplecti & convenienter iſti gratiae & gloriae Vitam ſuam inſti tuere. Quando ergo Deus in foedere gratiae promittit p…ccatori electo fidem Reſcipiſcientiam & conſequenter vitam aeternam, tum Lex cujus obligatio nunquam poteſt ſolvi quae que ad omne officium ſeſe extendit obſtringit hominem ut illi veritati aſſentiatur, promiſſa illa bona magnifaciat, Impenſe deſideret, quaerat, amplectatur. Witſ. de Foed. p. 198. becauſe the Grace of the Goſpel cauſeth him to love the Law and the Commands of Chriſt in the Goſpel-way of performance. He ſaith, Oh how do I love thy law; Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy ſtatutes; and he deſires, that now God would grant him his Law graciouſly: ſee Pſal. 119. For the grace of God in the Goſpel writes the Law in his heart in a true love to God with all his heart, and a love to the Law of God, to the holineſs, juſtice and goodneſs of it, and his great deſire is now, that in Chriſt Jeſus, and conformity to him, God's Law may be honoured, and therefore he looks upon the very performance of holy Duties accordingly, as his benefit and priviledge by the grace of the Goſp…l▪ Chriſt is ſanctification to him, he is created in Chriſt Jeſus to good works, he is redeemed from all iniquity, Tit. 2.12, 13. and taught by the grace of God to deny all ungodly and worldly luſts, &c. from love and thankfulneſs to Chriſt to keep his Commandments; and this New Goſpel reſtored Principle of obedience is the New Commandment ſpoken of Joh. 13.34. 1 Joh. 2.7, 8. 2 Joh. 5. not that it was materially a New Command. 4. Laſtly, It is great and good Tydings, that Jeſus Chriſt is ſet on the Holy Hill of Zion; that he is King, Head and Governour to his Church; and that he hath provided particular right Laws, Rules and Precepts for them to walk by, according to the original deſign, purity and intention of God's Law; and that now the Law of God goes no longer out of Mount Sinai, but out of Mount Zion, and the Word of the Lord from the heavenly Jeruſalem, Iſa. 2.2, 3. Mic. 4.1. Heb. 12.18, 22, 23. And it's Goſpel, that all Power is not only given to Chriſt in his Church as King thereof, but all Power in Heaven and Earth is committed to him, as to governing Providence, and that he ſhall judge the World at the laſt day. Theſe things are all the good Tydings of the Goſpel, ratified in the Covenant of Grace, graciouſly, freely and fully beſtowed on us in the Goſpel, and upon no federal condition of our own performance, either before or after converſion.