A little cabinet richly stored with all sorts of heavenly varieties, and soul-reviving influences.: Wherein there is a remedy for every malady, viz. milk for babes, and meat for strong men, and the ready way for both to obtain and retain assurance of salvation: being an abridgement of the sum and substance of the true Christian religion; wherein the cause of our salvation, the way, the guide, the rule, the evidence, the seals, &c. and the connection of these points together, and dependancy of them one upon another: this I have endeavoured to do orderly, exactly, methodically, with much plainness and clearness. / By Robert Purnell.

Which is first to be preached, the Law or the Gospel.

THis is the Commission and message of Christ, Mark 16. 15. Go and preach the Gospel. And it was the practice both of Christ and his Apo∣stles to preach the Gospel in the first place. First, we find it to be the practice of Christ, as for exam∣ple, our Saviour Mat. 5. 3. to the 12. he pro∣nounced nine blessings of the Gospel in his Sermon on the mount, before he spake one word of the Law. So Mat. 4. 23. We read that Jesus went about a••l Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues, and preach∣ing the Gospel of the Kingdom, &c. So likewise it was the practice of the Apostles, viz. we read of Paul, 1 Cor. 2 2. That he determined to know or make known nothing amongst the Corinthians save Jesus Christ, and him crucified: Hence Ministers are called the Ministers of the New Testament, 2 Cor. 3. 6. And in another place they are called the Ministers of Christ, and of righteousness, be∣cause they did preach the Gospel in the first place. So again, Paul when he came to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 15. 3. He delivered unto them, first of all that which he also received: how that Christ dyed for our sins, according to the Scriptures, which was plain and pure Gospel. So again, Paul and Sylus, upon the first question propounded unto them by the keeper of the prison, Acts 16. 31. They exhort and teach him to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; and good reason, because believing was to

be taught before doing, Heb. 11. 6. Tit. 3. 8. with∣out faith it is impossible to please God: and those that had believed in Christ, should be carefull to maintain good works. So again, Peter in Act. 2. before he spake of the Jews crucifying of Christ, he did preach the free and blessed Gospel to them.

Object. 1. But I have heard some of our brethren of the Presbyterian Congregations object against this truth, and say, how can men come to see the want and need of Christ, if the Law be not first preached?

Answ. It is supposed that all men do look upon themselves as sinners, and acknowledge themselves to be sinners, although they have not such a parti∣cular and sensible conviction the••eof, and so the work of the Minister is not so much to shew men the need of Christ first, but rather the love of God in giving Christ, John 3. 16. and to shew and set forth the riches of Christs grace to sinners in ge∣neral, Romans 5. 8.

Object. 2. But is it not the first work of the Spirit to convince men of sin? John 16. 8.

Answ. By sin in that place is meant the sin of unbelief. Of sin, saith he, because they believe not on me, ver. 9. and this sin is not convicted by the Law; For that which doth not command Faith, cannot discover the sin of unbelief; or else consider, the Gospel was preached to these people before, and they would not believe nor embrace that Gospel, but continue under the Law, and so the Law is to be preached to them.

Object. 3. If the Law be not to be preached first, when and to whom is the Law to be preached?

Answ. 1. The Law is to be preached after the Gospel, unto such as do not imbrace the Gospel, and yet justifie themselves, as the Jews did, and that think by their misunderstanding the Law, that they keep the Law; thus Christ did preach the Law, Mat. 5. from 21. to the end.

2. The Law is to be preached to those that would make it void, and null, and of no effect.

3. The Law is to be preached, and taught unto men after they do believe, so far as it doth teach Be∣lievers their duty towards God and Christ, and their neighbour; but the duties and commands of the Law are not ••o be urged to Christians upon any other ground, th••n upon that ground which Christ himself did urge them. John 14. 15. If ye love me, keep my commandment▪ Titus 3. 8. These things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they that have believed in Christ, be careful to maintain good works. Much more might be said to prove this point.