depart from the living God If wee shall againe breake this second covenant with him wee shall not onely misse of that salvation and life which wee hope for but we shall perish with a double destruction wee shall pay for all our treachery and unfaithfulnesse in this Covenant This concernes us to looke unto more then any people in the world let us not breake Covenant with God twice This aggravated Solomons sinne that he sinned against God which appeared to him twice God made a Covenant with us first in Adam and now againe in Christ and therefore let us take heed of breaking Covenant with him the second time Vse 4 It is a use of marvellous comfort to those that doe indeavour to walke uprightly and faithfully in covenant with God in whose hearts God hath written his covenant whom he hath made mindfull of it and faithfull to keepe it with him here is comfort for such that the blessing of life and salvation is as sure to such soules as the covenant of a faithfull God can make it the blessings promised in the covenant cannot faile them God cannot breake with them if they breake not with him he cannot lye nor alter the thing which is gone out of his lips When the Saints sometimes thinke of the greatnesse of the promises on the one side and consider their owne povertie and vilenesse the low and undone condition they have brought themselves into by their sins on the other side the promises seeme to them to be above hope and faith As the Sunne dazles the eye to looke upon so glorious a light so the great things which God hath promised in his Covenant doe even dazle the eye of faith and they thinke them almost impossible that they should have such neare communion with God and be made partakers of that everlasting happinesse c. These doe even set faith it selfe at a stand therefore looke at the stabilitie of the promise of God he hath passed over those things by covenant and he cannot be a covenant-breaker his covenant standeth faster then the mountaines that cannot be moved and therefore as long as they are not above the promise and covenant of God neither let them be above our faith and hope onely let us wait for them in the way of faith and obedience It 's said in Psal 25.10 All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keepe his Covenant 1 Cor. 1.9 Faithfull is he that hath called you to the fellowship of his Sonne Jesus Christ And to the same purpose is that of Moses Deut. 7.12 Therefore doe but enter into covenant with God and keepe it with him and then be confident of all that rich blessing which the Lord hath promised to his people There is a promise made to Christ Esa 49.7 that though he was despised of men and abhorred of the Nations and contemned by the rulers yet though it was very unlikely in reason Kings and Princes should bow downe to him and worship him But how shall this be brought to passe this shall be done saith the Text because of the Lord that is faithfull So though we be poore wormes yet the Lord hath promised to us life and glory and a Kingdome But can this be accomplished to such as we be Yes because of the faithfulnesse of God who hath promised and undertaken to performe it Therefore if God have made thee mindfull and carefull of his covenant to walke in obedience to him then know that the Lord is more mindfull of his owne covenant with thee to performe to thee all that mercy and blessednesse which he hath promised to thee and let this be a pledge unto thee of the accomplishment of all even the care that God hath put in thy heart to walke in Covenant with him Thus wee have heard the fourth generall observation noted out of the Text. But now by occasion thereof wee will lanch a little further into the deepe having sailed by the shore all this while and enter into a consideration more particularly of the nature of that Covenant by which God conveyes life and salvation to his people There are two covenants which the Scripture makes mention of one of workes the other of grace of both the Apostle speakes Gal. 4.23 24. The one is the Testament or Covenant of the Law that shuts up all under wrath the other of grace and that proclaimes libertie the one is usually called the commandement the other the promise the one is contained in the Law the other in the Gospel Now if it be demanded what covenant it is by which God communicates salvation to us I answer it is the covenant of grace and not the covenant of workes by which the blessing of life and salvation cometh For the more distinct handling whereof wee must consider these two things severally First To shew what the Covenant of grace is Secondly To shew that the Lord communicates his salvation by the covenant of grace and not of workes Concerning the former that wee may discerne what is the nature of the Covenant of grace this I will set forth by considering these five things 1. By comparing the covenant of grace with the covenant of workes shewing both wherein they are alike wherein they differ 2. By shewing the divers dispensations of the covenant both before Christ and since Christs coming 3. By shewing what are the benefits which wee receive by vertue of this Covenant 4. By shewing the condition of the Covenant what that is 5. By noting out the properties of the Covenant 1. For the first compare the covenant of workes with the covâ—nant of grace and therein first see wherein they are alike and doe agrâ—â— and that in sundry things 1. They agree in the author of them God is the author of both Covenants even the same God The Manichees thought one God was author of the Law the Covenant of workes and another author of the Covenant of grace contained in the Gospel but this heresiâ— was exploded long agoe 2. They agree in the parties contracting and making covenant together both of them are made with us God and man are the parties covenanting in both Covenants not as if one the covenant of workes were made with us the other the covenant of grace were made onely with Christ but both are made with us 3. They agree in one common end which is that God may be glorified in his creature in the manifestation either of his justice or mercy according to the nature of the Covenant made with him the glorifying of God is the common end of both 4. They agree in this that in both there is a promise of life and blessednesse the covenant of workes saith Doe this and live the covenant of grace saith Believe and live Life is promised in both Now whether the same life be promised in both or whether a terrene felicitie and life here on earth be promised in the one and an heavenly in the other as some
Jacob and not with Esau with Abel and not with Cain with David and not with Saul not with Iudas but with Peter with the Jewes first and not with the Gentiles and after with the Gentiles and not with the Jewes By this covenant one people becomes a more peculiar people then another As first of Peter 1 Pet. 2.9.10 2 chap. the covenant of grace is not universal it is not made with all as the covenant of works was Let none therefore look for the blessing of life and salvation by being a son of Adam Vse the blessing of the covenant of grace is no common blessing Naturall life is common to all but spirituall and eternall life is the peculiar blessing of the covenant of grace made onely with those that are given unto Christ Therefore the Lord speaking of those that he will be a God unto Zach. 13.8 9. Zach. 13.8 9. saith That two parts shall be cut off and to the third hee will say You are my people Let us not therefore flatter our selves with vain hopes that he that made us will save us No he that made you will have no compassion on you so long as you remain an impenitent and disobedient people Isai 27.11 Isai 27.11 All doe not so much as heare of this covenant nor know it all that doe heare of it and have knowledge of it doe not enjoy the blessing of it as Matth. 13.11 Matth. 11.25 Matth. 13. Matth. 11.25 Therefore it were good for every one of us that we would begin to suspect our selves and to question our interest in this covenant Ask our selves yea and ask others and goe and enquire at the Lords own mouth Am I within this covenant Have I any part or portion in the blessing of it Sure I am that I am by nature under the covenant of works but am I translated into the covenant of grace The salvation brought by this covenant Object is a common salvation Jude vers 3. True it is common to all that doe beleeve Answer whether they bee Jewes or Gentiles whether those that lived before the incarnation of Christ or since There is not one way of salvation for one and another for another but one way for all that shall be saved But it is not common to all flesh therefore doe not build upon this false principle that all that heare of the covenant of grace with their eares are partakers of the blessing comming by it No it is no common salvation but onely to those that enter into a covenant with God to those that beleeve and bring forth the fruit of a living Faith One that is under the covenant of works may get from under Differ 15 that covenant and may come to be under the covenant of grace but he that is once under the covenant of grace can never bee brought back under the covenant of works any more A member of Adams body may be lost but a member of Christs body can never be cut off Adam being under the covenant of works lost himself wholly and therefore may lose a member of his body much more But those that are engraffed into Christ are safe he saves himselfe and all that belong to him Esay 63.5 John 17.12 Vse 1 A word of incouragement to those that are yet under the covenant of works that yet live in their sins and find their consciences condemning them consider there is a possibility that you may come to be under a covenant of grace break off your sins give up your selves unto God it may be he will receive you Vse 2 See the safe estate of those that are under the covenant of grace here is a safe harbour here cast anchor upon this rock and here is no danger the ship may be tossed but cannot perish In Matth. 8. the ship in which Christ was was tossed with wind and water so as the Disciples were afraid yet it sunk not The law hath no more power against you yee cannot come under the power of the law any more Rom. 6. Thus much of the differences between the covenant of works and of grace which differences are carefully to be observed and kept inviolable for if we begin to confound these two covenants we bring in a confusion into all Religion As the Papists have done by confounding the differences between the covenants They make the covenant of grace to differ no otherwise from the covenant of works then a thing more perfect from that which is imperfect and to be distinct onely in respect of degree and so in effect they make them all one They call the commandements given by Moses the old Law and the Gospel the new Law and herein they make all the difference that the new Law as they call it giveth rules of greater perfection and difficulty then the old Law As where the old Law as they term it commanded Thou shalt not kill the new Law forbids one to be angry unadvisedly c. And hence scil from the confounding of these two covenants follows their doctrine of the possibility of the keeping the whole Law That whereas the Scripture speaketh of an Evangelical keeping of the law in uprightnesse and sincerity and acknowledgeth it in the Saints as in Zachary and Elizabeth they not putting difference betwixt Law and Gospel they apply this to a legall keeping of the commandement which is quite contrary to the mind of the Spirit of Truth speaking in the Word Hence also they teach that there is but oâ—e way of justification in both covenants which is by works as they say The new law gives more grace to fulfill the commandement of it then the old doth but the way of justification is the same thus they teach Therefore we must be carefull of keeping these differences between the covenant of works and of grace But Christ who was the Minister of the covenant of grace Object calls his doctrine a new commandement John 13.34 15. chap. 12. Joh. 13.34 cap. 15.12 and therefore it is a doctrine of works as well as the former commandement given by Moses It is true that the Gospel and Covenant of grace hath its commandement Answer 1 as well as the law and covenant of works but withall it reveales the free promise of grace and of righteousnesse without works which the law and covenant of workes doth not The commandements of the covenant of grace are in part Answer 2 different from the other commandements of the covenant of works For the great commandement of the covenant of grace is that we beleeve in the Name of the Son of God that we may have life by him 1 John 3.23 1 John 3.23 thereupon the Gospel is called the Law of Faith as opposed to the law of works Rom. 3.27 Rom. 3.27 Though the doctrine of grace command the same duties as the Answer 3 covenant of works doth as of love feare and of keeping the commandements and it ratifies the duties of the
but legall Christians and legall Preachers as allowed this way All her assurance was from revelation it was revealed unto her that shee was one of the Elect of God and shee knew all things by immediate revelation from above but I fear she knows not that her glorious revelations were but Satanicall delusions Let her damned heresies shee fell into denying the resurrection c. and the just vengeance of God by which she perished terrifie all her seduced followers from having any more to doe with her leaven which shee spred among them Beware of her sinne least yee perish in her plague Vse 2. Is there a condition of the Covenant Then let this provoke us all who look for the blessing which it brings to be faithâ—ull with God in keeping our Covenant with him take heed we fall not short of the condition least we be deprived of the blessing this is that which the Apostle teaches us Heb. 4.1 Seeing we have a promise left us of entering into his rest there is the blessing promised let us feare least through unbeliefe any of us should be deprived there is the condition required The words through unbeliefe are not in the Text expressed but they are evidently implyed as appears both by the coherence with the third Chapter and by that which followes Chap. 4.2 To be deprived of such a blessing is a heavy losse such as can never be recompenced and the preventing of this losse so far as concernes us is by keeping of our Covenant which the Lord commands us to walk in If we forsake the condition we forsake the promise and therefore it is also that when God took Abraham into a Covenant with him he did not only tell Abraham what he would be unto him a God to blesse him but he brings Abraham to walk in Covenant with him Thou also shalt keep my Covenant saith the Lord Gen. 17.9 Thou shalt walk before me and bee upright Gen. 17 1. When God takes us into Covenant with him we are said to be brought into the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20. to teach us that now we must look at our selves as tyed and bound unto God in a Covenant never to be broken we are not now any longer at our own liberty to walke as we list but must observe our Covenant to walk therein when we walk so that we may truly say before the Lord our heart is not turned back from thee neither have we dealt falsely with thee in thy Covenant as it in Psal 44.17 18 this keeps the heart in a comfortable expectation of the blessed hope which is set before us Thus Paul I have kept the faith I have finished my course and now henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Let us carefully walk in the condition and then the promise will be sure not only sure in it self but suâ—e to us 2 Pet. 1.10 These bonds of the Covenant are not like the fetters of a prison they are like the pleasing bonds of wedlock vincula nuptiarum which every one gladly enters into Oh let us love these bonds give up both our hands unto the Lord yea and our hearts also to be bound in them for ever these are sweet bonds they work no griefe seek not therefore to break them Psal 2. nor cast them from you say not we will be our own and walk by our will such lawlesse and licentious spirits as will be at liberty they shall be at liberty to their wo they shall have such a liberty as Jeremy threatned to the rebellious Jewes a liberty to the sword to the famine and to the pestilence Jer. 34. a liberty to goe to hell to their eternall destruction a liberty with a curse granted unto them in wrath which shall end in chaines of everlasting darknesse and bring them into that prison from whence there is no going out Therefore let all such as look for the blessing and life promised in the Covenant Let them walk faithfully in the condition of it and in this way expect the mercy which is promised Thus wee have shewed First That there is a condition of the Covenant Secondly Why the Lord hath put a condition unto it 3. The third point follows to shew what the condition is which though it hath been obiter mentioned before yet is now to be spoken of more particularly The condition then of the Covenant of Grace is faith Rom. 4.16 Rom. 10.9 10. If thou believest in the Lord Jesus thou shalt be saved so Acts 18.31 Joh. 3.16 hence in Rom. 3.27 The Gospel is called the Law of Faith because as the Law of works doth put works as the condition of that Covenant so the Gospel puts faith as the condition of the new Covenant Quest But why is faith made the condition of the Covenant Answ 1. The blessing of life promised is not in our selves but in Christ Christ is life and he which hath the Sonne hath hath life and he which hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5.12 We are dead Colos 3.3 and our Works are dead Heb. 9.14 there is no life in them they cannot bring life unto them that doe them nor can wee quicken our own soules but Christ is the life of men Joh. 1.4 Colos 3.4 and the way to receive Christ and the life which is in him is only by faith Ioh. 1.12 unbeliefe rejects Christ and puts him away But faith as an hand puts forth it selfe to receive him in whom our life is If we had life in our selves and could have found it in our own works it had then been needlesse to appoint faith as the condition of the Covenant but being that both we our selves are dead in sinne and our works are dead works nothing but death to be found in either therefore it s required that wee believe in Christ that we may receive life from him 2. The condition of the law is now become impossible unto us through the infirmity of our flesh Rom. 8.3 and therefore the Apostle saith that the Law cannot possibly give life Gal. 3.21 Therefore the Lord would go that way with us no more the Lord saw by Adam what would be the fruit of that condition if we had been put upon the same as Adam was we should have done as he did we should have shewed our selves men like men transgressing the Covenant as Hoseah speaks Hos 6.7 This condition being above our ability to performe the Lord hath in goodnesse appointed another which is possible through grace to be fulfilled by us having now received a spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 It is now given us to believe Phil. 1.29 this is possible 3. It is by faith that it might be by grace Rom. 4.16 The Covenant is stablished upon the condition of faith that it might appeare to be by grace that wee obtain the blessing the condition must answer the nature of the Covenant therefore being a Covenant of grace the
should have said unto us you have once broken my Covenant and yet if you will at last fulfill my Law which I gave unto you I will yet accept you as just unto life yet we could not have done it the condition was too hard for us to perform If we had been held close to this condition of fulfilling the Law we should have missed of life for ever The Lord therefore seeing and pittying of our infirmity was pleased to propound unto us another condition saying unto us only beleive Beleive on my son trust on my grace and thou shalt be saved herein the Lord hath condescended to our weaknesse taking compassion of our infirmities laying upon us no other burthen but this Beleeve my promise accept my grace and rest upon it and this thy faith shall save thee Thou shalt never perish 3. It serves for comfort to all Gods faithfull ones that have beleived through grace if you have received this first gift if it be given you to beleeve you shall not fail of a second gift even the gift of eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord Though your repentance be lesse then to equall the measure of your sins though your obedience be imperfect yea though your faith it selfe be weak also yet if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unfained syncere and sound this your faith is accepted of God and is imputed to you for righteousnesse Those that are of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham saith the Apostle Gal. 3.9 Blessed is shee that beleeveth saith the Angell Luke 1.45 and the Son of God comes in as a third witnesse testifying that whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but is passed from death to life Iohn 3. Here are three witnesses from heaven and earth all witnessing the blessed estate of such as do beleive Faith is well termed precious faith 1 Pet. 1.2 Pet. 1.1 because it makes us partakers of all the precious blessings of grace which are contained in the Covenant The faithfull are inheritours of all the priviledges which God hath promised to his chosen and therefore it is that they are called heires of promise Heb. 6.17 and heires of blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 You beleevers be exhorted to see and owne your blessednesse take notice of the great things the Lord hath done for you he hath made a covenant with you even a Covenant of peace and blessing and life for ever God is become your God he will be all things unto you and when all helpes under heaven fail you yet from himselfe he will do you good all your sins are forgiven you his spirit is yours to lead you to sanctifie you and to heal the evils that be in you he will uphold you in that state wherein you stand and will keep you that you shall never perish and will at last bring you to a full injoyment of himselfe in his heavenly Kingdome where you shall for ever blesse him and be made blessed by him and shall rejoyce before him with joy unspeakable and glorious pluck up your hearts therefore and be glad lift up your heads strengthen the weak hands and the feeble knees serve the Lord with gladnesse and joyfulnesse of spirit considering the day of our salvation draweth neer though now for a time you may be in heavinesse through manifold temptations and afflictions in this evill world yet faint not you being partakers of that precious faith you have the holy and faithfull God in Covenant with you to love you to blesse you and to save you and yet a little while and he that shall come will come and receive you to himselfe and then you shall fully know what it is to have beleived and to have been in Covenant with God what it is to have God to be your God when you shall see him and enjoy him as he is Only nourish your faith and live by faith make much of this precious grace cherish it by thinking often on the promises and of that grace which hath been shewed upon you from on high study to walke worthy of that mercy received and in so doing wait for the end of your faith the salvation of your soule 4. If faith be the condition of the Covenant then woe to all unbeleevers that go on in their impenitency and unbeleife Their unbeleife deprives them of that good which the Lord hath by his Covenant promised to his people they have no part nor portion in God they are without God without Christ without Covenant without promise without mercy their sins are unpardoned they are under the curse the wrath of God abides upon them there is nothing to take it away from them but if they abide in unbeleif wrath abides upon them for ever There is a wrath wherby God is angry with his own people but that anger lasts but for a little season it is but for a moment Isai 4.7 8. it passeth away and abides not upon them but the unbeleiver hath wrath abiding on him for ever John 3.36 In Iude 5. it is said that God afterwards destroyed those Israelites that beleived not when once they had had the means of grace made known then not beleiving God afterwards destroyed them you that tread in the steps of their unbeleif you are little troubled to thinke what misery is comming upon you as not knowing that you are in danger but you are under wrath your judgement hastneth and your damnation sleepeth not be awakened therefore be thinke your selves and consider what your end will be by your unbeleif you put a bar to exclude your selves from the blessing of life promised to Gods people you thus continuing the Lord neither will nor can save you You will thinke this an hard saying but you will finde it too true God cannot lye Titus 1.2 much lesse can he forswear but God hath sworne this that such shall never enter into his rest Psal 95. and Hebr. 3. ult In Mat. 13. ult It s said Christ did not many great works in his owne country for their unbeleifes sake But in Marke 6.5 it s said hee could not doe them he neither did them nor could do them unbeleif stops the course and diverts the stream of Gods goodnesse from comming unto us Christs usuall speech to those that expected any blessing from him was this According to your faith be it unto you faith makes all things possible Marke 6.23 It will reverse the sentence of death which is passed upon us and bring us back unto life but unbeleife makes it impossible so that we cannot be saved The Lord can do nothing against his own counsell and will and he hath concluded this with himselfe to save none but such as beleive and that whosoever beleeveth not shall perish all you unbeleevers consider this your unbeleefe will bee your destruction Secondly Is there such a work of faith in bringing us into Covenant with God and in enabling us to walk in Covenant with him 1. This serves to direct all the people of God
be considered consider how the name Christ is taken in Scripture and that is two wayes First Personally Secondly Mystically 1. Personally and that most usually as in those places A Saviour Christ the Lord In Christ are all the promises yea and amen There is one Mediatour between God and man the man Jesus Christ 2. Mystically not for Christs person alone but for the whole body of the faithfull united to Christ and so it is taken 1 Cor. 12.12 where the Apostle having spoken of the severall gifts powred upon the members of the Church saith As many members make one both so is Christ that is according to all Expositors the body of Christ the faithfull that are knit to him by faith and it cannot be taken otherwise and so it is taken here in this place Gal. 3.16 Marke then there is Christ mysticall as well as Christ personall And Christ mysticall being the whole company of the faithfull are this one seed of Abraham to which the promise is made as opposed to the carnall seed which seeke for righteousnesse by the law which have no part in the promise But how may it appeare will some say that this is the Apostles meaning that the name of Christ is so to be taken in this place for Christ mysticall 4. To cleare this therefore marke the next point namely the order how the promise is made to Abrahams seed and in what order the seed spoken of cometh to partake of the promise And that is thus The promise is made first to Abraham and then to his seed to Abraham at first hand and to his seed as second in order from Abraham Abraham is the root his seed are as the branches and therefore this seed being such a seed as cometh to have right to the promise as second in order from Abraham therefore this cannot be Christ personall but mysticall for Christ personall doth not come to have right to the promise from Abraham but rather Abraham from Christ Some more reasons to confirme this interpretation you shall see afterwards 5. Adde hereto the consideration of the Apostles scope and matter which he hath in hand and see whether this interpretation doe not agrâ—e with that also The scope then which the Apostle aymes at is to prove that wee are justified not by the works of the Law but onely by faith in Christ Jesus and that whosoever believeth in him whether Jewes or Gentiles are iustified by him there being but one way of life for both people Rom. 3.29 30. Now this one proposition that all both Jewes and Gentiles are justified onely by faith in Christ though it be but one compleat truth yet it stands of three branches or parts contained in it for first there is in it faith the instrument secondly Christ the object thirdly Jewes and Gentiles the subject to be justified and though no one of these is in any part of the Apostles discourse excluded yet in some passages he drives more especially at some one of them and in other passages at another as for example Chap. 3.5 6 7. here he speakes more especially of faith the instrument and meanes of our justification sometimes againe he poynts more particularly at the subject or persons to be justified as in ver 8.14 mentioning the Gentiles sometimes he aymes especially at Christ the object of our faith as vâ—r 17. The promise was made with respect to Christ Nâ—w because one of these branches namely that which concernes the Gentiles might seeme to be brought in by the Apostle beâ—â—des or â—â—ainst the intent of the promise made to Abraham and to his sâ—ed for it might seeme that the promise being so limited to Abrâ—ham and tâ— his sâ—ed therefore the Gentiles which were not the seed of Aâ—â—â—hâ—m were to have no part in the promise therefore to remove this douâ—t the Apostle shewes that the believing Gentiles are a paâ—t of that seed of Abraham to which the promises were made as he saith ver 7. Thâ—se that are of the faith they are the seed of Abraham And if it be asked how that can be he tells you ver 29. That if we be by faith beâ—â—mâ— Christs then wee are Abrahams seed and heires by promise so that be we Jewes or Gentiles if wee â—e of the faith of Christ we are Abrahams seed and partakers of Abrahams blessinâ— The reason whereof is given ver 17. Bâ—â—â—use the promise of blessednesse was made to Abraham and to his seed with respect to Christ as being one with Christ and no otherwise so that when the Apostle saith The promise is made to one seed which is Christ his meaning is as if he should have said Whether they be Jewes or Gentiles thâ—t believe in Christ and are one with him by faith they are alike partakers of the blessing because the promise is made to men as they are Christs and as they become one with him by faith And because the Apostle saw that some others might still object that though it was thus before the Law that men should be justified by faith yet after the Law given there was a new way of justification shewed namely by the workes of the Law To this the Apostle answers No and gives a double reason of his deniall First That the Covenant or Testament of God is unalterable no man may adde or alter any thing therein therefore much more is Gods Covenant unalterable ver 15. Secondly Because the Covenant was confirmed before in respect of Christ or with respect to Christ and onely to that seed which is by faith made one with Christ and therefore being made to that seed only which is Christs and with respect unto Christ it cannot be disanulled without disrespect and wrong doing unto Christ v. 16. And hereto agrees that which follows vers 17. that the covenant was confirmed before with respect to Christ Christ is the bond of the covenant betwixt God and us so as if that covenant which God hath made with respect unto Christ should be broken and disanulled it could not but be a neglect cast upon Christ himself but this cannot be therefore the covenant made with respect unto Christ and made with that seed which is Christs and one with him must needs stand fast and never be disanulled Thus then we see how the taking of Christ for Christ mysticall agreeth both with oâ—her Scriptures and with the scope of the Apostle in this place and therefore when they say the promise is made to Christ only and therefore not to us I say it follows not it is to Christ only and yet to us also because it is to Christ mysticall and not to Christ personall And when they say it is to one seed therefore not to us being many I answer it followes not if by many they understand many persons the persons of all the faithfull making up but one spirituall seed as the whole number of those that seek righteousnesse by the Law do make but one carnall seed 1. Thus much I
thinke or whether a heavenly life and glory in both as some others thinke I will not determine it not being much materiall It 's enough to know that life and blessednesse was and is promised in both 5. There is in both Câ—venants a condition required on our part for the attaining of the life promised wee are not left to our libertie in either Covenants neither of the two Covenants promise life absolutely whether wee obey or no and whether we believe or no but under the condition of faith or obedience the promise of life is made 6. Both Covenants require a perfect righteousnesse of us that wee may have life no life is promised in either Covenants but upon the bringing in of a perfect righteousnessâ— before God either of our owne or of anothers the covenant of grace as well as that of workes will make this good that no unrighteous person shall enter into the kingdome of God Hence Rom. 3. last the Gospel stablisheth the Law they agree herein and doe not crosse one another 7. Both Covenants are unchangeable never to be reversed or altered The covenant of grace is an unchangeable covenant it is an everlasting covenant more unchangeable then the covenant of the day and of the night more unmovable then mountaines that cannot be moved as Esa 54.10 Jer. 35.20 So likewise the covenant of workes is an unchangeable covenant Mat. 5.17 Heaven and earth shall passe away but not one jâ—t of the Law shall faile Though now in the estate of corruption no man attaines life by the covenant of workes yet this so comes to passe not because the covenant is changed but because we are changed and cannot fulfill the condition to which the promise is made the covenant stands fast but wee have not stood fast in the covenant but it is now become impossible to us that wee are unable to fulfill it as the Apostle speakes Rom. 8.3 yea it is the unchangablenesse and stabilitie of this covenant which condemnes all the world of sinfull and ungodly men The Law hath said Cursed is every one which continueth not in all things c. And the soule that sinneth and flies not to the covenant of grace shall dye This word takes hold upon them and condemnes them Nay more for the fulfilling of this Covenant the Lord Jesus Christ came downe from heaven and bâ—came man to fulfill that righteousnesse of the Law which was now becâ—me impossible to us Rom. 8.3 So unchangeable is the covenant of workes that rather then it shall not be fulfilled the sonne of God must come downe to doe it Thus wee see the agreements between the covenant of workes and the covenant of grace But the principall and wâ—ightier consideration is to set downe the proper diffâ—reâ—câ—s between thâ—m which some have gone about to darken and obsâ—urâ— and doe make them agree too neare and so make a compound of both Covenants aâ— if one should mixe wine and water togâ—â—â—â—r whereby they doe disanull the nature of the Covenant of grâ—â—â— and tuâ—â—â— it into a covenant of workes Herein tâ—â—â—â—fore â—ee â—usâ— labour the more carefully to set downe the true and reall differences between them which being done wee shall see the nature both of the one and the other more distinctly and clearly The differences are many Differ 1 The first difference is in the condition of the Covenants the one requires doing the other believing the one workes the other faith The one saith Doe this and live the other saith Believe and thou shalt be saved the way of life which the Law propounds is Doe these things comprehended in the Law and doe them constantly and then thou shalt live as Gal. 3.12 The Law saith The man that doth these things c. But the condition of the Covenant of grace is faith Acts 16.31 Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved But here a twofold doubt may be moved Quest 1. Whether faith be not required in the Law in the Covenant of workes 2. Whether workes be not required in the covenant of grace If both these be required faith in the Covenant of workes and workes in the covenant of grace then how stands the difference between the two Covenants Answ For answer to the first when it is demanded whether faith be not required in the Covenant of workes I answer It is but first it is not the same faith secondly nor required for the same end as in the Covenant of grace To explaine this I say the Covenant of workes requires faith and that in a threefold act thereof 1. In regard of dependance upon God the fountaine and author of all good wee were not in our first and best being which wee had by creation wee were not I say so perfect but wee stood in need still to depend upon him that had created us for the continuance of that being which he had given us It is imprinted in the nature of every creature to depend for sustentation upon that from whence it had its beginning as the chicken upon the hen c. So the whole creation lookes backe unto him that made it for preservation in their being as Psal 104.21.27 Psal 145.15 And if it be so in these unreasonable creatures thus to depend upon their Creator then was the same in man much more the covenant of the Law required this faith of man in the beginning though now we be as Gods in our owne eyes selfe-sufficient depending upon our selves and none else for all the good wee hope for yet at the beginning it was not so But man was to depend upon God for his being and well-being 2. Another act of faith required in the Law was a perswasion that God was well pleased with him whilst he walked in the way of love and obedience to his creator he was to believe without feare and doubt that so long as he obeyed the will of the Lord he was well-pleased with him 3. He was to believe the blessing of life promised in that covenant and to expect it according to the promise In all these regards faith was commanded in the Covenant of workes It may here be demanded Object If faith be required in the covenant of workes why is it not expressed in plaine words as well as doing the Covenant of workes saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and serve him but it doth not call for any act of faith at all The reason thereof is Answ because when the Covenant of workes was made with man he was then in his integritie sinne was not yet come into the world and therefore there was no cause for man to doubt of Gods love and acceptation of him But having received so great benefits from God made after his image but little inferior to the Angels and having dominion given him over all the workes of Gods hands he was now to be put in minde of his dutie towards his creator and therefore was to be stirred up to love honour
and obey him no need was there to stirre him up to believe Gods goodnesse towards him of which he had no cause to doubt But when God cometh to make a Covenant of grace with man he finds him in his sin and rebellion full of feares and doubts and therefore had need to be encouraged to believe that God will be reconciled but then it was not so there was then nothing to cause distrust and therefore faith was not expressed in that covenant yet faith was then required as wee have shewed though not the same faith that is required in the covenant of grace But they differ in three things 1. The covenant of workes commandeth faith in God as a creator to preserve our being but not as a redeemer to deliver us from misery Adam was not bound to believe on God as a redeemer for then he needed no redemption But the Covenant of grace requires faith in God as a redeemer redeeming us from sinne and misery The Jewes professed they believed on God but by what faith When the faith of the Gospel was preached unto them by Christ and his Apostles they counted it a strange thing they clave to the Covenant of workes they therefore believed on God as a Creator but believed not on grace revealed in the Gospel by this faith they believed not on him 2. The Covenant of workes required faith to believe in God loving mee as created holy and continuing in the same puritie and holinesse before him and no further but the Covenant of grace commands faith to believe in God loving us and pitying us lost sinners 3. The faith required in the Covenant of workes was mutable as now all the righteousnesse required in that Covenant and so might be lost as afterwards it was by the sinne of Adam but the faith required in the Covenant of grace is such as is begotten of an immortall seed 1 Pet. 1.23 and therefore cannot be lost but abideâ— and continues for ever It is a faith that cannot faile Luk. 22. Thus yee see the same faith is not required in both Covenants Secondly It is not required in the Covenant of grace for the same end as it was in the Covenant of workes In the Covenant of workes faith was required as a part of that righteousnesse which the Law required it is one of the duties of the Law but in the covenant of grace it is required not as any part of our righteousnesse but onely as an instrument to receive and apprehend the righteousnesse which is wrought for us by Christ and therefore the faith required in the Covenant of workes was a giving unto God but the faith required in the Covenant of grace is onely a receiving from God that which he freely offers us Quest So that if the question be asked and stated thus Whether the Law and Covenant of workes doe require the same faith and to the same end as the Covenant of grace doth Answ I answer No it doth not as is evident by that of the Apostle Gal. 3.12 The Law is not of faith i it is not the doctrine of faith requiring faith and promising life upon believing but the Law saith thus The man that doth these things shall live in them as if he should say the Law requires not believing but doing therefore those are deceived that would bring in the faith of the Gospel to be required in the Law For the second doubt Quest 2 Whether doth not the Covenant of grace require workes as well as doth the Covenant of workes I answer It doth as is evident Titus 2.11.14 Answ The grace of God that bringeth salvation teacheth us to be zealous of good workes and Mat. 5.16 Let men see your good workes saith Christ though Christ preached not a Covenant of workes but of grace yet he calls for good workes But marke the difference 1. The Covenant of workes doth not require workes for the same end as the Covenant of grace for that requires workes as the matter of our justification before God so saith Moses understanding him in a Legall way Deut. 6. last This is your righteousnesse but the Covenant of grace requires workes not as a part of our righteousnesse but that thereby wee should glorifie God and manifest it that wee are made righteous by Christ James 2. wee are thereby declared to be righteous the godly conversation of a Christian maketh it evident to the consciences of men that he is a justified man 2. The workes that are required in the Covenant of grace are not required from the same beginning the Covenant of workes requires workes to be performed from our own strength and abilitie received in the Creation it presupposeth abilitie in our selves to doe what it requireth But the Covenant of grace requireth workes to be done by the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 4.13 I can doe all things saith the Apostle through Christ strengthning mee that is the power which the Covenant of grace directs us unto 3. The Covenant of grace doth not require works in the same order as the Covenant of workes doth for the Covenant of workes requires workes first and then faith to believe our selves beloved unto life but the Covenant of grace requireth faith first and then that we bring forth good workes therefore saith the Apostle Titus 3.8 Let them which have believed be carefull to shew forth good workes He doth not say Let them which have done good workes believe but first believe and then doe good workes he placeth faith before workes and hence it is that the obedience of the Gospel is called the obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 as following faith and springing from it Thus then this difference of the condition of the Covenants remaineth the one Covenant commanding workes the other faith Vse Let therefore every soule looke unto his faith that expects to receive the blessing of life by faith wee are brought into Covenant with God and are enabled to wait for the blessing of it Those that are of faith are blessed with faithfuâ—l Aâ—raham Gal. 3.9 Though there be imperfection in your works yet if your faith be working and it be not a dead faith but fruitfull manifesting it selfe in a holy life here is comfort it is faith that gives interest in the Covenant of grace let it appeare that it is a faith unfeigned and this is the condition to which God hath promised life and salvation Differ 2 The second maine difference is this namely that the Covenant of workes is made without a Mediator to mediate between God and man But in the Covenant of grace there is a Mediator coming between to unite God and man together and make them one Hence Heb. 9.15 Christ is called the Mediator of the new Testament so also Heb. 12.24 but the first Covenant of workes had no Mediator The reason of this difference is because when God came to make a covenant of workes with Adam then there was no disagreement between God and man
I will forgive let every soule say within it selfe Surely then I will try I will seeke I will sue for mercy that I may be forgiven But what should I doe that I may be forgiven Quest 1. Enter into thine owne heart Answ and search out all the sinnes of heart and life which thou art privie unto Lament 3.40 Lam. 3.40 This is the Lords owne direction Jer. 3.12 13. Jer. 3.12 13. when the Lord first promised that he would shew himselfe mercifull and not let his wrath fall upon them yet presently addes But know thou thine iniquitie for thou hast fallen by rebellion c. 2. When thou hast found out thy sin goe then before the Lord and confesse and judge thy selfe before him as Ezra 9.6 Ezra 9.6 Confesse thy selfe worthy to be destroyed Doe as the Prodigall did Luke 15. Luk. 15. I am no more worthy to be counted thine 3. Present before the Lord the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus bring no satisfaction of thine owne make no mention of thine own righteousnesse or good deservings but fly onely to the bloudy sufferings and sacrifice of Christ to find acceptance reconciliation through him without that bloud there is no forgivenesse Heb. 9. Heb. 9. 4. Come not before God with an heart purposing still to continue in thy sinne but together with prayer for pardon joyne prayer for a spirit of grace and holinesse to make thee a new heart and a new spirit that sin may live in thee no more be willing to bind thy selfe by Covenant to the Lord to glorifie that grace shewed on thee if he will please to be gracious towards thee in taking away this sin Hos 14.3 with 9. Hos 14.3 with 9. Thus come before the Lord and then as men that have any great legacy left them by the will of another they will intreat for it they will plead the Testament of the Testatour and if that will not prevaile they will bring it into the Court of Justice and there sue for it So let us doe beg intreat require the performance of this legacy of the new Testament which grace hath bequeathed unto us and if this obtaine not then bring our cause into the Covenant of grace and there sue and plead before the throne of grace There bring out the words of the Testament and say Lord here is thine owne Covenant and promise hold the Lord fast to his promise which he hath made and plead with him and say Lord why are thy mercies restrained from me where is thy faithfulnesse why dost not thou pardon mine iniquitie Though I be worthy to perish yet remember thy Covenant make good thy promise in which thou hast caused thy servant to trust Such importunitie the Lord will not take ill he delights thus to be overcome by the pleas of his people Doe thus and he that hath promised will also fulfill and will take away all thine iniquitie and receive thee graciously Hos 14.3 Vse 5 For singular comfort to all the people of God who doe in any faithfulnesse and truth of heart endeavour to walke according to the Covenant they have made with him To all such this word of Consolation doth belong that their iniquitie is pardoned their sin is forgiven It was a word of comfort Christ spake to the palsie man Mat. 9.2 Mat. 9.2 Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee So Isai 40 1 2. Isai 40.1 2. And thence was that speech of Christ to Mary in Luke 7.48.50 Thy sinnes are forgiven thee goe in peace There is peace indeed when Christ promiseth sin to be forgiven Now so it is to all the covenanted people of God their sin is forgiven here is their comfort See Psal 103.17 18. Psal 103.17 18. If wee keepe his Covenant his loving kindnesse and mercy is ours to forgive us our sinnes Shall man saith Eliphaz be more just then God shall man be more pure then his maker Job 4.17 Job 4.17 So may we say in this case Shall man be more faithfull then God more mindfull of his Covenant and promise then his Maker No God is the faithfull God keeping Covenant and mercy with those that feare him If we then which are so apt to breake our Covenant with God and men if wee be carefull to keepe Covenant with him how much more will God performe this promise of his Covenant towards us to pardon our sinnes If wee be not unfaithfull towards him he cannot be unfaithfull towards us Nay though we were in part unfaithfull yet cannot he deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2.13 2 Tim. 2.13 Quest But how may I know that my sinnes are forgiven me Answ 1. A plainer evidence I cannot give then this before named scil a carefull conscionable and constant endeavour to walke in Covenant with God Psal 103.17 18. Psal 103.17 18. But I have many failings in the keeping of my Covenant Object Yet so long as you doe not renounce your Covenant Answ and breake the bond till you doe agree to the loosing of the knot in which you have bound your selfe chusing to turne back after your former liberties the substance of the Covenant is not yet broken though some article of the Covenant may be violated There be some trespasses against some particular clauses in Covenants which though they be violated yet the whole Covenant is not forfeited 2. An affectionate and cordiall love to the Lord Jesus who hath washed us from our sinnes in his bloud is a sure signe that our sins are forgiven us Luk. 7.47 when wee so thinke of Christ as that nothing is too much for him nothing enough all we doe or can doe is too little for him and as nothing to that which our soule desireth this love never goes alone but is accompanied with this blessing of forgivenesse And sure thus it is with those that feele in any measure the efficacy of Christs bloud easing their consciences from the guilt of sin They could be content to wash Christs feet not with teares onely but with their hearts bloud and to dye for love of him who hath loved them and given himselfe for them to save them from their sinne 3. The mortification and dying of sinne in our hearts is a signe that our sinnes are forgiven us When Christ takes away Jacobs sinnes he also turnes away ungodlinesse from Jacob Rom. 11.26 27. Rom. 11.26 27. If sin live in us the guilt of it remaines still upon us I meane if it live in us in full strength 4. If we have a tender heart to mourne over Christ whom wee have pierced Time was when we could tread under feet that precious bloud by which we are sanctified But now it melts the heart to thinke that that bloud which wee have so despised should yet be sprinkled upon us to wash us from our sinne This kindnesse of Christ towards us makes our hearts to mourne over him Zach. 12.10 Zach. 12.10 They shall mourne over
them good in the later end Deut. 8.16 The hardships which Israel suffered for awhile in the wildernesse was recompenced with a Land flowing with milke and honey Thirdly sometimes God withholds good things from us for a chastisement of our sinne according to that in Jer. 5.25 your iniquities have hindred good things from you when wee goe out of the way in which the blessing falls it s no marvell if it fall beside us In these cases when either by sin we turn aside from the path of righteousnesse or if the Lord will take a time to try our uprightnesse before him or if he see our enjoying of these outward blessings would be an hinderance to our spirituall good in these cases I say Gods children may be exercised with wants and necessities and yet the promise of God failes not not in the first case because the promise of outward things in the making of it is subservient to the spirituall good of our inward man nor in the second case because the Lord hath put an exception of tryall by which he will try all his Nor in the third case because these outward good things are promised as rewards of Grace whereby the Lord doth recompence the love and obedience of his people But to the third part of the demand if it be further questioned how farre forth a childe of God out of these cases forenamed may assure himselfe of the fulfilling of these promises unto him hereunto I answer thus Wee must consider two things first what is promised secondly how and in what manner First consider what is promised for here may be a mistake in taking the promise to containe more then indeed it doth when the Lord promiseth that riches and treasure shall be in the house of the righteous what doth he meane by riches and treasure not the riches of a Kingdome or that which shall be sufficient for a man of high degree but such a sufficiency as is sutable to every ones estate and condition which God hath set them in That which is want and poverty to one may be fulnesse and abundance to another That then is riches to any man when God gives him so much as is sufficiently enough for him in his estate and condition though he may still come short of many others of higher ranke this is that which is promised Secondly consider in what manner God promiseth these things and that is as was said before as rewards and as fruits of that faith and obedience which he requires of his people Dwell in the land and doe good and thou shalt be fed assuredly saith the Prophet Psal 37.3 But what is this good that we must doe Answ 1. In generall Be upright with God in our conversation before him 2. Walk diligently and faithfully in our particular callings be not slothfull and unprofitable unto our selves It is the diligent hand that hath the promise of abundance The talk of the lips brings nothing but want Prov. 10. 3. And then we must depend upon God by faith in the use of meanes not trusting either to our own uprightnesse or to the meanes used but rest by faith on the grace of the promise as knowing that when we have done all that wee can both in our generall and particular calling yet the Lord might justly blast all our endeavours so as all our labour and strength might be spent in vaine Here therefore our confidence must be pitcht not upon our selves nor meanes but look by faith to the blessing promised which blessing is all in all Believe and yee shall prosper said Iehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.20 and contra if yee believe not yee shall not be established said Isaiah Isai 7.9 There is much in the faith of Gods people It s a speciall meanes to obtaine the blessing It was usuall with Christ when any came unto him for help in outward things to ask them whether they believed or no and then he would tell them according to your faith be it unto you All Gods blessings are wrapt within his promises And faith is the hand to receive all whether they be spirituall blessings or outward concerning this life whatsoever the blessings be if they spring from Grace they must be received by faith The hand of Grace gives them and the hand of faith receives them And sometimes the want of faith onely cuts us short of the blessing we might enjoy we prosper not because we believe not The summe is this Let a man walk uprightly before God in his generall calling Let him be provident and diligent in his particular calling Let him withall in both these look by faith to the faithfulnesse of the promise of God believing that in this way he will give that which is sufficient for him Then I say that in the ordinary course of Gods dealing hee may be sure the Lord will not be wanting to him in such things as his state and condition doth require Vse 1. For confutation Are these outward blessings pertaining to this life blessings of Grace promised in the Covenant of Grace then first eternall life cannot come by merit when lesse blessings then that must come from Grace 2. Hence also falls down Popish satisfactions which they think are made by almes-deeds and such like works What satisfaction can we make to justice from that which we receive of meere grace of his own hand give we unto him 1 Chron. 29. 3. It makes against placing perfection in a state of voluntary poverty as if perfection could stand in renouncing the blessings of Gods Covenant Vse 2. For information 1. Concerning wicked men this may let us see that they have no true right before God unto the good things of this life I speak not of right before men but before God for if they have I ask by what Covenant Is it by the Covenant of works then they must fulfill it which they doe not nor can doe is it then by the Covenant of Grace but they are not within that Covenant They are within the Covenant of works but cannot fulfill it they are without the Covenant of Grace and therefore they can claime nothing by it But they say there is debitum naturae nature may claime so much as tends to the upholding of naturall life and being But I say again what claime can they have to life or to any thing which concernes life which have deserved to be destroyed and brought to nothing for ought I can see the old opinion herein must stand as truth that wicked men are but usurpers of the things they doe enjoy And if Christ bee the Heire of all things and we come to our right to them onely by Christ then those that are not Christs have no right unto them 2. Whereas some weak ones doe think they should pray only for spirituall blessings and not for outward things of this life they may hence see their errour They may lawfully pray for outward things look what God doth promise we may lawfully
a little season but for evermore Psal 16. ult Whiles we are here we enjoy life here is glory also in a degree and here are pleasures too but here they are not full there is some death mixed with our life some basenesse with our glory some sorrowes with our pleasures And though they were full which they are not yet they last but for a time But there and then they shall be full and for evermore I cannot passe by that admirable expression of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 4.17 where speaking of the blessed estate of Gods people in the life to come he calls it a farre more excellent eternall weight of glory 1. There is glory 2. A weight of glory as much as we are able to beare 3. There is an excellency in it and excellent weight of glory 4. There is one excellency added to another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most excellent glory 5. and lastly all this eternall a most excellent eternall weight of glory here is a large expression in few words This is the hope of Gods people which they wait for And for this they have Gods faithfull word and promise his Covenant and Testament and for our assurance he hath already given us the earnest of it in our hearts even the Spirit of Grace and the Spirit of glory which by guiding of us in the wayes of Grace here leads us on day by day to come nearer to our salvation then when we first believed till at last he bring us to glory even to the full end of our faith and hope the salvation of our soules And thus much of the benefits of the Covenant The fourth Part. THE CONDITION OF THIS COVENANT IT remaines now that we come to consider the condition of the Covenant in which we must walke that the Lord may performe unto us the mercy which he hath promised us There is a way of the Covenant in which the Lord conveyes his blessings as we may see in that expression used by the Lord himselfe concerning Abraham Gen. 18.19 I know Abraham saith the Lord that he will teach his houshold c. that I may bring upon Abraham that which I have spoken unto him The Lord fully intended to doe to Abraham as he had promised but yet the Lord will have Abraham to walk so and so before him and then God will bring upon Abraham the blessing which he had promised the like we have in Ier. 11.5 6. Great are the blessings which God hath promised to those which are the faithfull seed of Abraham and therefore as we desire to enjoy the blessing promised so we must see also what he requires of us that he may performe unto us what he hath promised and this is called the stipulation or condition of the Covenant And concerning this I will shew these foure things 1. That there is a condition required 2. Why the Lord hath put a condition to the promise of life 3. What the condition is 4. Whether the putting of such a condition doth or can stand with the free Grace of the Covenant yea or no. First That there is a condition of the Covenant The Lord doth not absolutely promise life unto any he doth not say to any soule I will save you and bring you to life though you continew impenitent and unbelieving but commands and works us to repent and believe and then promises that in the way of faith and repentance he will save us He prescribes a way of life for us to walk in that so wee may obtaine the salvation which he hath promised he brings us first through the doore of faith Act. 14. And then carries us on in the way of faith till he bring us to the end of our faith the salvation of our soules There are indeed some promises which seeme so absolute as to exclude all condition on our part as that promise in Esay 43.25 For mine own sake will I put away thy transgressions c. and so Ezek. 36.22 Where there is no mention made either of faith or any other Grace in us as a condition required on our part But if any shall hence argue that the promise of life is so absolute as to exclude all respect unto faith in those to whom the promise is made and because there is no mention made of faith in such promises therefore there is no intendment of it as if it were not understood but wholly excluded I may as well argue against the merits of Christ also and exclude them by the like reason because there is no mention of them no more then of faith in those absolute promises But as there is no remission without the blood of Christ Heb. 9.22 So neither is there without faith in that blood Rom. 3.25 as God never promised to forgive us our sins without respect to Christ though Christ be not alwayes mentioned in every such promise so neither doth he promise to save without faith though it be not alwayes mentioned particularly To prove that there is a condition in the Covenant of Grace it may be made evident sundry wayes 1. From the nature of a Covenant which is an agreement between severall parties Covenanting together upon mutuall conditions required on both parties Foedus saith Rollock is promissio sub certa conditione Roll. de vocatione efficaci A man may make a promise alone without any condition But a Covenant properly binds both parties and hath a condition annexed Abraham and Abimeleck promise one to another in their Covenant made betwixt them they mutually binde themselves Gen. 20. And so it is betwixt God and Abraham Gen. 17.27 I grant that the word Covenant is sometimes used concerning such promises as are without condition as in Gen. 9.9 Where the Lord speaking of his purpose and promise never to destroy the earth any more he calls that promise his Covenant though there be no condition there annexed But the Question is not how a word may be used upon some speciall occasion but what is the proper nature of a Covenant which doth require mutuall stipulation or condition on both parties This is but one place where the word Covenant is taken for a promise without a condition more such places I know not any in Scripture and besides there was speciall reason of calling it a Covenant namely to shew the unchangeablenesse of his purpose touching the mercy promised that it is as sure as if we had tyed him thereunto by Covenant upon some condition performed by us before hand But this is not properly a Covenant where there is not a mutuall obligation and binding of the parties one to another by condition Hereto agreeth that saying of Beza in 2 Tim. 1.12 Mutua est inquit depositi obligatio inter Deum Sanctos ipsius Though on Gods part this obligation is prorsus gratuita wholly free as hee there speaks though Gods binding of himselfe to us bee free yet ours is not so to God But concerning the freenesse of the Covenant
foundation of our assurance But may not will some say and doth not the Lord sometimes give comfort to his servants by an absolute promise and if so then what need we looke to those that are conditionall Ans I doubt not but the Lord doth give refreshings to the souls of his beloved by such absolute promises for there being a sum of grace contained in every promise whether absolute or conditionall the Lord may let the soule raste of the comfort of that grace by what promise he will when the soule is taken up with some deep and serious meditation of that abundant grace and free goodnes of God towards us and the minde is fastned upon some expression of such a promise setting forth that grace unto us the Spirit sends down that sweetnesse of grace into our hearts letting us taste and feel the comfort of it This none will deny But 1. the question is not whether we may taste of comfort by an absolute promise but by what kinde of promise we are to try our selves the Spirit may give refreshing by an absolute promise but our way of tryall is by the conditionall examining our selves by the graces expressed in them and thereupon making application to our selves of the mercy promised which we cannot doe by the absolute there being nothing expressed in them to helpe us in this way 2. Though comfort may he had by an absolute promise yet it is never given if it be true and not a delusion but where the condition of Faith and other graces are in being and are first wrought otherwise it is lying false comfort not true and saving 3. Though we may have comfort by an absolute promise yet when times of temptation doe return when scruples and doubts doe afterwards arise in our heart we must then turn to the conditionall promises trying whether the graces expressed in them be wrought in us and then finding in our selves that faith and love which is in Christ Jesus we doe thereby grow up in assurance that the former consolation was no other but the consolation of Gods own Spirit So that upon the point here is the usuall and ordinary way of tryall of our estates even to try our selves by the graces expressed in the conditionall promises And though the comfort so tasted as was before expressed be the more sweet and delightfull whiles it is felt yet the assurance which we have by the tryall of our graces is the more constant and durable If upon pretence of the seale and witnesse of the Spirit in an absolute promise any shall despise this way of tryall by the graces that are in them let them take heed least Sathan who knows how to transforme himselfe into an Angel of light doe deceive them with false flashes of comfort which in the end will cause them to lie down in sorrow It is but an unpleasing businesse to separate and oppose the things which God hath so nearely joyned together to oppose the absolute promises against the conditionall or the conditionall against the absolute the Lord hath made no such separation or opposition betwixt them The absolute and conditionall promises are both one in substance though they differ in manner of expression For when the Lord saith he will forgive our sins for his own sake Esay 43. which is an absolute promise this promise intends faith in those in whom it shall be fulfilled though he do forgive our sinnes for his own sake yet he doth it only to such as doe believe faith therefore is implyed in that promise though not expressed And on the other side when God promiseth life to such as doe believe which is a conditionall promise this promise implies the former freenesse of Grace as was before expressed in the absolute promise to doe it for his own sake the expressing of faith the condition doth not exclude the freenesse of Grace nor doth the expressing of freenesse of Grace exclude the condition these two kinde of promises help to explaine one another not to contradict or overthrow the truth of either When we heare a conditionall promise believe and be saved if any shall now aske Why will the Lord save such as believe without works To this the Lord answers in the absolute promise for mine own sake will I doe it On the otherside when hearing an absolute promise As for mine own sake will I doe this If any shall here aske To whom will the Lord performe this mercy promised To this he answers in the conditionall promise I will doe it to them which doe believe so sweetly doe these promises agree betwixt themselves helping to explaine and expound one another Let us not then dash them on against another and betwixt themselves they will not jarre The Apostle found no disagreement betwixt Grace and Faith or betwixt being saved by Grace and being saved by Faith Ezek. 2.8 and if Grace and Faith agree so well then must the absolute and conditionall promises agree also the one expressing the Grace of God as the cause of our salvation the other expressing the condition Faith by which it is received and our interest in it discerned this way of tryall by conditionall promises Let none count a legall course as not agreeable to the spirit of the Gospel This is that way of tryall which Paul who was no legall Preacher directed the Saints unto So doth Peter also 2 Pet. 5. to 11. v. Some that love to be wise above that which is written and not according to sobriety despise this way as fit for novices but not for such as are perfect as they are They have their assurance by revelation seeing the very book of life unsealed and opened unto them so that they may see and reade their own names written in it it is too low a work for them to descend into themselves and to examine how it is with them within whether they be in the faith or no. But if this people have any eare to heare Let them take heed of speaking evill of the way of the Lord which is so clearely laid down in the Word or if they be already hardned in their own way and being wise in their own eyes will count this way legall and contrary to the free Grace of the Covenant I doubt not to tell them that an humble soule which is able to prove his estate in life by his faith and other Graces accompanying it as holy mourning for sinne which they set so light by love of God and of the bretheren care to please God and such like shall finde more setled and sure comfort in the truth of these then they shall doe in their fancyed revelations and absolute way neglecting the state of the inward man That wretched Jezabell whom the Devill sent over hither to poyson these American Churches with her depths of Sathan which she had learned in the Schoole of the Familists who made her selfe a Prophetesse as understanding all secrets of the counsell of God shee counted all such
condition must be such as may stand with grace but if works had been the condition this could not have stood with grace Rom. 11.6 Gods maine end in this Covenant is the maniâ—estation of his grace towards his chosen that his grace may be glorified in them Ephes 1.6 2 Thes 1.10 that nothing might be left unto man to glory in but that he which glorieth might glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. ult c. 4. It is faith that the blessing might be sure to those to whom it is promised Rom. 4.16 Adam had a promise of life but being made upon condition of working he never got the blessing by that Covenant when Adam first entred into Covenant with God it was uncertaine whether he should live by it or no in regard that it was uncertaine whether he would fulfill the condition and thereupon it was that he had one Sacrament of death as well as another of life to assure him of death in case he sinned as well as to assure him of life in case he obeyed but now the promise of life being made to us upon condition of faith it is thereby made sure to those that doe believe Christ is a sure foundation for them to rest upon Esay 28.16 the promise also is sure and faithfull 2 Sam. 23.5 and faith is as an anchor sure and stedfast Heb. 6.19 and Christ being so sure a foundation the promise sure and faith taking such sure hold upon both these three together are as a threeâ—old cord not easily broken so that the blessing in the Covenant of grace now is not so uncertaine and doubtfull as in the Covenant of works but is sure to those that believe And hence it is that in this Covenant though we have two seales added unto it as well as in the Covenant of works yet there is no Sacrament or seale of death but they are both seales of life and salvation assuring us that if we believe in the name of the Lord Jesus we shall surely have everlasting life 5. Faith is sufficient to make us partakers of all the blessings of the Covenant Look back unto all those blessings before named and you shall see how faith doth possesse us of them all God promiseth to be a God unto us Jer. 31. but how comes he to be our God It is by faith Rom. 3.29 30. He promiseth forgivenesse of sinnes and to remember our iniquities no more and it is faith which maketh us partakers of this blessing also Acts 10.43 Rom. 3.24 25. By faith wee are made partakers of the Spirit of holinesse Gal. 3.14 faith purifies the heart Acts 15.9 26.18 By faith we are kept in the estate of grace unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Rom. 11.20 we stand by faith 2 Cor. 1.24 By faith we are made heires and owners of all the good things of this life We are sonnes by faith Gal. 3.21 and being sonnes we are also heires Rom. 8.17 even heires of the world as Abraham was Rom. 4.13 and if by faich we be partakers of Christ then are we with him interested in all other things also Rom. 8.32 yea all things are ours whether things present or things to come all are ours we being Christs 1 Cor. 3. Lasty by faith we obtaine that great and last blessing of the Covenant even the blessing of eternall life Joh. 3.16 36. So that faith alone makes us possessors of all the blessings of the Covenant and therefore there needs no other condition but faith alone Object But may some say if faith alone be the condition of the Covenant and doe make us partakers of life and forgivenesse of sinne then what need is there of any obedience or works of holinesse faith alone is sufficient in stead of all Answ This was the old plea of loose Libertines in the Apostles times I have faith saith one and though I have no works yet my faith will save me But understand O thou vaine man saith the Apostle James chap. 3. that if thy faith be without works such faith is vaine but like a dead carkasse without soule or spirit it is dead in it selfe and leaves the soule in death wanting life in it selfe and yeelding no living fruit it cannot bring life unto the soule A good tree saith Christ is known by its fruit and so a right and sound faith Let a man believe in truth he cannot but love and if he love he cannot but seek to please God in well doing faith is as a tree of life which abounds with good fruit as therefore when a man desires to have good fruit in his orchard he doth not set the fruits themselves in it but plants the trees which use to beare the fruit as knowing that if the trees be good and kindly the trees will yeeld the fruit so God delighteth to see the fruits of righteousnesse in the lives of his Saints and for this end plants in their hearts the tree of faith as knowing where this tree is planted and takes root the fruit will and cannot but follow faith and holinesse can no more be separated then light can be separated from the Sunne such as say they have faith and hope to partake in the blessing of the Covenant and yet live loosely carnally unconscionably they doe but deceive themselves they may be in Covenant with hell and death but have no part of the Covenant of life and peace Quest 2. But whereas in speaking of faith wee speak sometimes of the habit sometimes of the act of it It may be demanded which of these is the condition of the Covenant whether is it the habit or the act of faith which is required of us Answ It is the latter that is the act faith acting and working towards the promise and from the promise and causing us to live by faith in the promise according to that in Gal. 2.20 the life which I now live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God the habit is freely given us and wrought in us by the Lord himselfe to inable us to act by it and to live the life of faith and then we having received the gift the habit then I say the Lord requires of us that we should put forth acts of faith both by waiting upon him to receive from him all the good which he hath promised and by walking in all obedience of faith in an humble submission to his will this work of faith the Apostle shews fully to have been in those Saints in Heb. 11. both in expecting the promise with patient suffering under the hope of it and in obedient submission to any Commandement of God and these acts of faith are implyed in that expression of walking by faith 2 Cor. 5. and the work of faith 1 Thes 1.3 and in that faith is said to work by love Gal. 5. all tending to shew that it is the act and work of of faith which is required on our part Reas 1. It is the act of faith which receives the promise
till he call and justifie but first he calls to faith and justifies and then glorifieth him that believeth And here though the giving of life to him that believeth be conditionall and followes the giving of faith yet is the giving of life as free grace as the giving of faith both one and other springing from the same fountaine even from the purpose of his grace by which he purposed first to call unto faith and then by faith to bring unto life and salvation so that the adding of a condition doth not abrograte the freenesse of grace promised but only shews in what order and way we must expect the blessing one blessing of the Covenant of life going before another following the former being conditions to the latter faith a condition of salvation but both faith and salvation springing from the same purpose of Grace Secondly These conditionall promises are promises of the Gopel and therefore also promises of free grace either these promises are promises of free grace or else the Gospel is not a Doctrine of free grace It is the Gospel only and not the Law which saith Believe and be saved The Law never made promise of salvation upon such a condition If then these conditionall promises bee promises of the Gospel then they are promises of free Grace or else the Gospel is not a Doctrine of free Grace Object But some stick not to affirme that in such sayings or promises as these Believe and thou shalt bee saved the commandâ—ment requiring Faith is legall Faith being as they say commanded in the Law Though they will acknowledge that the promise of giving faith is a promise of the Gospel not of the Law yet the Commandements which commands us to believe is a Commandement of the Law not of the Gospel as they teach Answ It is confessed that there is a Faith commanded in the Law as hath been shewed before but now when we speak of faith in Christ unto justification and salvation the Commandement enjoyning this faith is no Commandement of the Law but of the Gospel which I prove by these ensuing Arguments 1. The Apostle in Gal. â— 12 is expresse for this which I say when he saith the Law is not of faith that is the Law is not a Doctrine or Commandement teaching or commanding faith which to be the meaning is evident by the opposition which the Apostle makes presently shewing what it is which the Law commandeth Namely this the man that doth these things shall live in them vers 12. and so before in vers 10. Cursed is every man which continueth not to doe c. That which the Law requires is expressed under the word doing not believing And let us marke the manner of the Apostles arguing In the 11th vers besides other Arguments before laid downe the Apostle proves by testimony of Scripture the point hee had in hand sc That a man is justified by faith and therefore not by works of the Law 2. Now whereas some Galathian that mixed faith and the works of the Law together in point of justification might object and say that a man might be justified by faith and yet bee justified by the Law also because the Law commands faith and therefore justification by faith and justification by the Law commanding faith may stand together Hereto the Apostle answers by denying that which is supposed Namely that the Law commands faith affirming the plaine contrary the Law is not of faith It s not a Doctrine teaching or commanding faith Hereto also agrees these words of the Apostle in Rom. 3.27 Where the Apostle distinguisheth between the Law of works and the Law of faith by the Law of works understanding the morall Law by the Law of faith understanding the Gospel the morall Law is called the Law of works because it commands works the Gospel is called the Law of faith because it commands faith Here are two distinct Lawes having two distinct commandements as two distinct conditions of the two Covenants each of these severall commandements must be referred to their own Law commanding them not works to the Law of faith nor faith to the Law of works but works to the Law of works and faith to Law of faith that is the Gospel Object But by this meanes if we make the Gospel a law to command we shall perhaps seeme to joyn hands with the Papists making Christ another Moses another Law-giver to give us a new Law as they use to speak Answ That Popish dung of making Christ a Law-giver in that sence as they meane sc to give us a Law of greater perfection then Moses Law was thereby to justifie our selves by a more perfect righteousnesse c. we detest and abhorre and yet neither must we deny Christ to be a Law-giver unlesse we will both deny plaine Scripture which gives him that title Isai 33.22 Iames 4.12 and deprive him of his Kingly Office making him no King though therefore Christ be not a Law-giver to give a Law of works to justifie our selves by it yet he is a Law-giver to give us a law of Faith commanding us to believe and giving us also a law of obedience and subjection in doing whereof we must testifie our love and thankfulnesse unto God Thus then the Gospel being a law of faith distinguished against the law of works the commandement to believe cannot belong to the law of works but to the Gospel which is the law of Grace And hereto agrees that also Rom. 1.1 with verse 5. where Paul speaking of his Apostleship and being put apart to preach not the law but the Gospel of God he shews the end of his preaching was that obedience might be given unto the faith that is that the Doctrine of Faith being made known and the commandement of Faith published men might be brought to submit to that Doctrine of Faith revealed It is the Gospel then which calls for this obedience of Faith as the Apostles own words import 2. Out of the same place in Rom. 3.27 compared with Rom. 4.1 2. I argue thus That which doth exclude glorying or boasting cannot be commanded in that Law which doth not exclude boasting But faith doth exclude boasting Rom. 3.27 The Law of works doth not exclude boasting Rom. 4.1 2. and therefore faith cannot be commanded in that Law 3. Faith stands in reference and relation unto Christ looking to him and resting upon him for salvation therefore called the faith of Christ and faith in his name c. Christ is the proper object of Faith as it justifies and saves whence it followes that if the law doe command faith it must of necessity set forth Christ also as the object or foundation on which it is to rest The act cannot bee without the object nor Faith without Christ might be though there were no Faith in men to believe on him But Faith cannot be but it must have Christ to rest on There is no believing to salvation without Christ nor can the law therefore
command us to believe unto life but it must shew us Christ on whom we must pitch our Faith But this the law doth not Christ is only revealed by the Gospel not by the law the Law knows him not Adam in his best estate knew not Christ and yet Adam had then the knowledge of the whole law and of all that the law required The law then not revealing Christ cannot command faith because faith cannot bee without Christ who is the object which it is carried unto Object If it bee said that the law is a Schoole-master to lead us unto Christ and therefore the Law reveales Christ Answ I answer if we take the law for the morall law then its bringing of us to Christ is only occasionall in as much as it drives us from it selfe as making us to see that by it there is no hope of life it curseth all it gives hope of life to none but the Gospel shewing us a salvation to be had in Christ now the Law by the severity of it is an occasion unto us of seeking life where it is to bee found But to bring us to Christ is no proper work of the law It is no otherwise then as if a child knowing the tendernesse of his Fathers love and finding his Schoole-master to be very severe and sharp runnes from the severity of his Master to hide himselfe under his Fathers wing yet not by the teaching or bidding of his Master but his severity is the occasion of it so it is in the point in hand But if we take the Law for the Law Ceremoniall It s true that the Ceremoniall law points out Christ unto us but the Ceremoniall law was Gospel in the substance of it though vailed over with types and shadowes which were to continue till the body was come How the carnall minded Jewes misunderstood those ceremonies it matters not It s certaine that in the primitive institution of them they were ordained for Evangelicall ends and therefore this infringeth not the truth before laid downe namely that the law sc the law of works properly so called doth not reveale Christ and therefore cannot command faith in Christ 4. If faith be commanded not in the Gospel but in the law then unbeliefe is no sinne against the Gospel but only against the law for where there is no commandement or law to bind there is no transgression Rom. 4. so that if the Gospel have no commandement to command us to believe then not to believe is no sinne against the Gospel and if so then those that have had the Gospel preached unto them all their life long shall lie under no more guilt of sinne then those that never had any more then the law only 5. If our calling be by the Gospel not by the law then the commandement which commands faith is a commandement of the Gospel not of the law our faith is wrought by our calling our calling is by the Gospel Gal. 1.15 2 Thes 2.14 and therefore the commandement of faith is a commandement of the Gospel Object Our calling and Faith also is wrought by the Gospel yet not by the commandement but by the promise Answ It is by the commandement though we exclude not the promise the commandement is indeed made more alluring more drawing by the promise annexed but the very name and terme of calling imports that it is not wrought without the commandement and therefore it is that we have these and the like voyces and commandements of Gods calling unto us Come unto me Return unto me Come out from among them Separate your selves and I will receive you Are not these so many commandements of God and by these the Lord inclines and drawes the heart to come unto him In Esay 55.5 there are the words of God the Father unto Christ Thou shalt call a Nation saith the Father unto him and they shall runne unto thee But what voyce is that by which Christ shall call the Nation that comes unto him The Prophet tells us in vers 1.3 Come to the waters yee that thirst saith Christ Come unto mee and I will make a Covenant with you These commandements backed with promises doe draw and make the Nation so called to come to Christ and runne after him so Jer. 3.22 Return O backsliding Iâ—rael Here 's a commandement and what followes Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God See therefore how the Lord makes use of the commandement joyned with the promise to draw men unto him Thus it was with those Bretheren Mat. 4.19 21. and with Matthew the Publican whom Christ called from the receit of Custome Matt. 9. Follow me saith Christ to him he said no more but presently hee riseth up and followes him Matth. 9.9 And thus usually Come unto me saith Christ follow me believe on me c. which commandedements being accompanied with a Spirit of grace going with them the soule follows Christ to apprehend that grace to which it is called The summe of this argument is this that if there be a commandement concurring to our calling then there is a commandement concurring to the working of our faith and if our calling be by the Gospel then the commandement by which we are called to faith is a commandement of the Gospel and not of the Law 6. In 1 Ioh. 3.23 This saith the Apostle is his commandement that we believe in the name of his Son Iesus Christ Here is a direct commandement to believe Is this a legall commandement the whole Epistle breathes nothing but a spirit of grace and of the Gospel many passages in the Epistle might be noted for the confirmation thereof but I am loth to spend time in a thing so cleare 7. The commandements of the law wound and kill as it is in 2 Cor. 3.6 they doe not heale nor give life but the commandement of believing doth heale and give life to those that are wounded How many dying soules have been raised to life how many wounded consciences have bin eased and healed by that sweet invitation and drawing commandement of our blessed Saviour Come unto me all yee c Matth. 11.28 This comming is all one with believing Joh. 6.35 and the commandement to come is a commandement to believe and will any say this is a legall commandement then could it never have healed and given life as it hath done for the law woundeth but healeth not The comfort and sweetnesse which is in this invitation shews of what nature it is not legall but Evangelicall In Mark 10.49 when Jesus had called Bartimeus To come unto him those about him speak encouragingly unto him Be of good comfort say they for he calleth thee there is comfort in the very call invitation or command of Christ To come unto him It encourageth us to come it shews us that it is his will we should come unto him and that he is willing to receive such as come and will not cast them away Ioh. 6. But the Law
makes us to flie from God and to stand afarre off Exod. 20. The Gospel only draws us and brings us unto God This commandement therefore Come unto me that is believe in me being so alluring and drawing as it is must needs be a commandement not of the law but of the Gospel 8. If the law do command faith in Christ then it commands things contrary as namely to look for life by our own personall working and to look for life not by our own working but by anothers That law which binds us to personall fulfilling of it doth not also send us to another to have it fulfilled in him but the law commands us personall obedience to fulfill the commandements in our own persons It urgeth us thus Thou shalt love Thou shalt not lust Thou thy selfe must fulfill all these things and no other for thee but faith looks for these things to be done for us by another and therefore cannot be commanded in the Law By the law the righteousnesse of the righteous shall be upon himself and the man that doth these things shall live in them but by faith the righteousnesse of Christ is upon others even upon those that doe believe faith therefore is not commanded in the Law 9. That which confounds the two Covenants is not to bee admitted but that the commandement commanding faith is a commandement of the law doth confound the two Covenants Law and Gospel and therefore is not to be admitted as true If the commandement commanding faith be a commandement of the law this must needs make a confusion betwixt Law and Gospel so as these two sayâ—ngs Doe and live and Believe and live shall be in effect all one both of them legall one as well as the other which to affirm is to confound things as different as heaven and earth Now that by this opinion this confusion must of necessâ—ty follow I shew thus When a promise is annexed to a commandement the commandement and promise are ever of the same kind either both Legall or both Evangelicall The nature and kind of the promise doth depend upon and follow the nature and kind of the commandement which goes before it The quality of the commandement doth qualifie and distinguish the promise annexed to make it either Legall or Evangelicall For when the Lord saith doe this and live and when he saith believe in Christ and live the life promised is for substance one and the same in both promises yet these promises do differ because the commandement which goes before as the condition of the promise is different in the one and in the other Doing being a Legall commandement Believing being Evangelicall the ground therefore of difference in the promises is from the diffâ—rence of the commandâ—ment which is the condition of the promise so that when it s said Doe this and live Here the promise of life is legall because the commandement of doing is legall on the other side when it s said Believe and live here the promise of life is Evangelicall because the commandement of believing is Evangelicall But if we make the commandement of believing to be legall then the promise of life upon condition of believing must be legall also and then there is no difference left betwixt these two do and live and believe and live which confounds Law and Gospel heaven and earth and makes the two Covenants all one Papists turn the Covenant of grace into a Covenant of works This doth the contrary turning the Covenant of works into a Covenant of grace Chemnitius speaking of the point of justification brings in Andradius his conceit which is this That utraque justitia Legis Fidei c. both righteousnesses both the righteousnesse of the Law and the righteousnesse of Faith doth consist in observatione Legis in the observation of the Law only with this difference that when the Law is fulfilled by the unregenerate then it is justitia Legis the righteousnesse of the Law when by the regenerate then it is justitia Fidei the righteousnesse of Faith Like hereto is this Doctrine that the commandement of faith is a commandement of the Law for then both Covenants both Law and Gospel must stand in observatione fidei in the duty of believing only perhaps the maintainers of this opinion will make a difference thus That that faith which is wrought by the commandement is the faith of the law or Covenant of works and that faith which is wrought by the promise is the faith of the Covenant of grace But as he notwithstanding his distinction of men regenerate and unregenerate doth in effect confound both Covenants changing the Covenant of grace into a Covenant of works So doe these notwithstanding their distinction of commandement and promise they confound both Covenants changing the Covenant of works which stands in doing into a Covenant of grace which stands in believing and so by this Doctrine one of the principall differences betwixt the two Covenants is taken away the one requiring works the other faith the one doing the other believing 10. This is confirmed further by that which is spoken of our Saviour Christ in Mark 1.14 15. where it is said of him that he came preaching the Gospel not the Law but the Gospel and saying Repent and believe the Gospel here the commandement to believe is directly called a preaching of the Gospel and therefore it is a commandement of the Gospel and not of the Law Other Reasons might be added as namely if faith be commanded in the law then a man may be saved by a work of the Law and cannot be saved without it Secondly That this opinion makes the righteousnesse of the law and the righteousnesse of faith to be all one if faith be a duty of the law c. Thirdly What the law commands it commands it as a work but faith is not requird as a work being everywhere in the Gospel opposed to working But these I passe by the other may suffice Thus farre then we are come that the putting of faith as a condition of life in the Covenant of grace doth no whit derogate from the freenesse of grace First Because the gift of faith flows from the same purpose of grace towards us as life it selfe doth Secondly Because faith is an Evangelicall grace of the Gospel not of the Law Thirdly I adde this also that it derogates nothing from grace because faith receives all the blessings of salvation promised only from the hand of grace alone we acknowledge no such condition as by which we might receive life from the hand of justice as putting a price into our hand to be a meritorious cause of life such a condition could not indeed stand with grace but the condition we put is both received by grace is by grace wrought in us and doth also receive all from grace and therefore doth nothing derogate from the grace of the Covenant The Apostle cleares this in that one short speech of his in
Eph. 2.8 9. ye are saved by grace through faith There is first the maine blessing of the Covenant yee are saved There is secondly the fountaine or cause of it by grace yee are saved by grace Then thirdly there is the condition through faith And if any should now ask how it could be by grace and yet depend upon the condition of faith the Apostle goes on and shews how that may be namely 1. Because faith is not of our selves but it is the gift of God and 2. Because faith doth not come to God boastingly to claime life by the works of righteousnesse which we have done but comes to him with an empty hand to receive what grace and mercy is willing to give such a condition as this doth no more derogate from the freenesse of grace then doth the beggers receiving of the almes given him derogate from the kindnesse of him that gave it 4. The grace of the Covenant is free notwithstanding the condition because we doe not put any condition as antecedent to the Covenant on Gods part whereby to induce and move the Lord to enter into Covenant with us as if there were any thing supposed in us which might invite and draw him to take us into Covenant with himselfe only we suppose a condition antecedent to the promise of life which condition we are to observe and walk in and in the observation thereof to expect the blessing of life which the Covenant promiseth If God had not purposed to have dealt with us after his rich grace he might have said to us when he saw us polluted in our bloud I will no more have mercy as it is in Hoseah 1.6 9. ye shall no more be my people neither will I be yours But yet he is pleased to over-look all our sinfull pollutions and to sprinkle clean water upon us and then to take us by the hand and to enter into Covenant with us here is grace free notwithstanding the condition of faith to which the promise is made In a word The Lord out of his free grace purposing life and salvation to his chosen then to make way for the accomplishment of his purpose in bringing us to life first he works in us renewing grace and puts within us a spirit of faith and so leads us on in the way of faith to the obtaining of that great blessing the salvation promised the one of these being antecedent and as a condition to the other 5. It s a good consideration which Doctor Ames hath in Coron Arâ—ic 5. cap. 3. That eadem res absolutè promittitur quia certò efficietur cum conditione quia non alià s efficietur nisi per media in illis mediis hominis ipsius exigitur cura thus forgivenesse of sinne is absolutely promised Esay 43. For mine own sake will I put away thy transgressions and yet it is promised also with condition 1 Joh. 1. If wee confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes These promises are both of them promises of free grace the annexing therefore of a condition doth not impaire the free grace of the Covenant Vses And first from this that faith is the condition of the Covenant from whence first we may conceive how it is that even in the Covenant of grace life is promised unto good works and to well-doing as it is in Iohn 5.29 Luke 14.14 Gal. 6.9 1 Tim. 6.18 19. Hebr. 6. by all which it might seeme that works have the same place in the Covenant of grace as in the Covenant of works even to be proper causes of salvation but where we finde the promise of life made unto good works we must not look at them as works of the Law but as works and fruits of faith wrought by a beleever wrought forth by the power and by the life of faith which being a living grace cannot be idle and fruitlesse but will be working and fruitfull in well doing These kind of promises which promise life unto works are if I may so call them not casuall but declarative making manifest who be those true beleivers to whom the life promised in the Covenant doth belong In these promises workes are not set as the causes of our salvation but as evidences and signes of those that do beleeve unto life distinguishing betwixt beleevers and unbeleevers between those that are sincerely faithfull and seeming professors which professe and say they beleive but indeed their faith is but a dead faith and therefore vaine the promise is made to works not as the cause of our salvation but to note out the nature and quality of that faith which is the condition of life seeing faith is a grace more inward and that act of it by which it saveth is secret and cannot be seen for who knows our resting on or adhering unto Christ therefore this saving faith shews it selfe by some other acts of it setting love a worke which discovers it selfe by obedience in all righteousnesse and true holinesse and these fruits being seen do make knowne the tree from whence they come although therefore the promise of life is made sometimes to faith sometimes to workes yet this is not to note out a twofold condition of the Covenant as if the condition were partly faith and partly works but to note out the property and nature of that faith which hath the promise of life belonging to it not an idle but a working faith not a dead faith but living not ineffectual in word or tongue only but operative and effectuall making us carefull to shew forth good works Tit. 3.8 Otherwise if we look at workes by themselves as separated from faith to such works there is no promise of life made in the Covenant of grace The same work done by a beleever hath a promise of reward and the same work being done by an unbeleever hath no promise which shews that the promise is made rather to the worker or to the beleever thus working then to the worke it selfe and by this meanes the promise of life being made to this kinde of faith which doth thus work hereby the faithfull are enabled the better to see their own estate in the promise of life as having a good foundation of assurance thereby that they shall obtaine eternall life 1 Tim. 6.19 hereby also carnall professors who talk of saith but have no works walking unholily are convinced to have no part and right thereunto 2. This may let us see the kindnesse and love of God towards us in that he hath appointed such a condition of life unto us as through his grace is possible for us to fulfill To fullfill the righteousnesse of the Law is now become impossible through the infirmity of our flesh but it is not impossible to beleeve on him who hath fulfilled all righteousnesse for us Here is grace in appointing such a possible condition for though the Lord should have fully pardoned all our former breaches of Covenant with him and
hereof it is that all the blessings of the Covenant are said to be everlasting forgivenesse of sinnes is everlasting being once forgiven they are never remembred any more Ier. 31.33 The peace and joy which comes thereby is everlasting also your peace shall no man take from you Ioh. 16. and our joy is everlasting Esay 35.10 our salvation is an everlasting salvation Esay 45.17 our life is an everlasting life Ioh. 3.16 All the blessings of the Covenant are to continue not only like Iosephs blessing to the end of the everlasting hills Gen. 49.26 but for ever and for ever This new Covenant of grace is like the new heavens and new earth which shall never wax old nor vanish away Esay 66.22 Hence it is that baptisme is but once administred because the Covenant is but once made the promise of it being given once and for ever The supper is often administred because of the many breaches on our part and the manifold weaknesses of our faith which we are subject unto the Lord being pleased in that Sacrament to renue the seale of his Covenant towards us for the setling of our faith and the stablishing of us in the assurance of his grace which hath been so often witnessed to us in the renuing of the Seale of the Covenant but baptisme being the Seale of our enterance into Covenant with God is but once administred because the Covenant is but once made and being once made stands fast for ever The Reasons why this Covenant is everlasting are these Reas 1. From Gods vnchangablenesse he is a God that changeth not and therefore whom he loves once he loves for ever and to the end Joh. 13. his gifts and calling by grace are without repentance Rom. 11.29 his love is everlasting Jer. 31.3 his kindnesse is everlasting Esay 54.8 and his goodnesse shall be everlasting towards them that he takes in Covenant with him Object If this reason hold that the Covenant of grace is therefore everlasting because God is unchangeable then by the same argument the Covenant of works may be proved to be everlasting also so that that Covenant should not have been broken Answ It followeth not because the Covenant of works speaking of the accomplishment of it by man with whom it was made was not built upon Gods purpose within himselfe but was left to the liberty and will of man either to fulfill it or break it as himselfe would but the Covenant of grace is built upon Gods immutable purpose which cannot change The Apostle joynes these two together purpose and Grace 2 Tim. 1.9 to give us to understand that all the wayes of his grace which he leads his people into and therefore also this way of his Covenant is according to his eternall purpose within himselfe Herein that first Covenant was not as this latter is and therefore though the one was broken yet the other cannot Secondly This may be added also that that first Covenant in respect of the substance of it is unchangeable and everlasting and it is the unchangeablenesse of it which doth condemne all the Sonnes of Adam and did bring Christ from heaven to fulfill it for those which should believe Gods unchangeable justice will not suffer any unjust person to live in so much that either we must have Christ to fulfill the justice of that Covenant for us or else for the breach of it we must perish for ever None but righteous ones saith justice shall have life the reward of righteousnesse This justice in God is unalterable and changeth not and thus farre there is little or no difference between the one Covenant and the other but both are alike but here is the difference that in the Covenant of works God promised life to Adam in case he obeyed but did not promise to uphold him in a way of obedience to the end that he might not misse of the life promised Whereas in the Covenant of grace God doth not only promise life to those that doe believe but promiseth that their faith shall not faile and that he will keep them by faith unto salvation and preserve them to his heavenly Kingdome The promises therefore of this Covenant are larger and better then of that other this being made with none but with those that the purpose of his grace doth reach unto He makes this Covenant with his chosen Psal 89.3 and with them only It is revealed to many but made up with few even with those that are vessels of mercy prepared unto glory thirdly In the Covenant of works distinguish these two First the terme substance or heads of the Covenant propounded and agreed upon betwixt God and man secondly The fulfilling or violation of it by man with whom it was made The substance of the Covenant is one the fulfilling of it is another The substance of it doe this and live is not changed though the fulfilling of it by Adam did faile as well it might because God never promised him to cause him to fulfill it but only to give him life in case he did work therein But in the Covenant of Grace both these are promised one as well as the other the Lord not only promising life to those that doe believe but that he will uphold us in the faith unto the end And hereupon it follows that though in the Covenant of works man failed in his duty yet the Covenant on Gods part remaines inviolate for if God give life upon obedience performed or inflict death upon disobedience God doth in so doing performe this Covenant towards man this being all that God promised in that Covenant but in the Covenant of Grace there can be no totall breach on our part so as to dissolve the Covenant betwixt God and us but it will import a failing of the Covenant on Gods part also because he hath promised us to keep us with him for ever and gives this as the reason why his Covenant with us shall be everlasting namely because he will put his feare unto our hearts so that we shall never depart away from him so that if the Lord should now suffer his Covenant-people wholly to depart and to break Covenant with him there must follow some change of minde in God as having thoughts of love towards us when he took us into Covenant with him and of dislike when he suffers us to depart from him but there is no such change in God therefore this his Covenant with us is everlasting Reas 2. From the everlasting mediation and intercession of Christâ— who for ever stands betwixt God and us to make up all breaches which might be made by our default As he hath obtained an eternall redemption for us Heb. 9.12 and hath brought in an everlasting righteousnesse for us Dan. 9.24 So doth he sit at the right hand of the Father and lives for ever to make eternall intercession for us Rom. 8.34 And by this intercession of his we continue for ever in favour with God and the Covenant