THE DIFFERENCE Between the OLD and NEW COVENANT Stated and Explained WITH An Exposition of the Covenant of Grace in the Principal Concernments of it By SAMUEL PETTO Minister of the Gospel Isaiah 55. 3. I will make with you an everlasting Covenant even the sure mercies of David LONDON Printed for Eliz. Calvert at the Sign of the Black Spred-Eagle at the West end of St. Pauls 1674. TO THE READER IT is a matter of highest concernment unto the souls of men to have a special acquaintance with the Covenant of Grace the great Charter which all spiritual and eternal blessings are holden by and the way and means wherein they have their conveyance or are derived to them There are many useful Treatises already extant on this subject but still there are some weighty points referring to it as with Jesus Christ and especially concerning the Old mount Sinai Covenant and also the New which have need of farther clearing for the unfolding of many Scriptures the establishing the faith and promoting the comfort of Christians If it might be the fruit of my present undertaking to contribute any thing this way or to give light into those glorious mysteries so as God might be honoured thereby I should have my aim In order to the further opening of some matters insisted on in this Treatise I shall add that which followeth As the Covenant of Works was made with the first Adam and all his seed in him promising preservation in life upon condition of mans own perfect obedience to the will of God Gen. 2. 17. So the Covenant of Grace was made with Jesus Christ not meerly as God but as to be incarnate or designed to be Mediator as a second Adam and with a Gospel seed in him promising all spiritual blessings even eternal life and salvation upon the condition or consideration of his undergoing the curse and yielding perfect obedience to the Law on their behalf Isai 53. 10 11. Rom. 5. 6. to the end In this large sense it compriseth that between the Father and the Son for our redemption which was full of grace and did flow from the free favour of God to poor sinners 2 Tim. 1. 9. Tit. 1. 2. as well as that to or with us viz. the New Covenant for the application of what is promised thereupon which some speak of as if it only were the Covenant of Grace Thus its constitution was from eternity Tit. 1. 2. though its revelation was in time to Adam Abraham David c. Gen. 3. 15. 12 c. Now that being the condition of the Covenant of Grace that the righteousness of the Law should be performed or all the demands of it as to duty and penalty answered by Jesus Christ hence it was necessary that there should be some means for his coming actually under our very obligation to that end the Lord in infinite wisdom made a revival or repetition of the Covenant of works as to the substance of it with a new intent in the Covenant at Mount Sinai which did run upon Do and Live Gal. 3. 10 12. not that Israel should have eternal life by their own doing but that Jesus Christ should be born under the very Law that we were obliged by Gal. 4. 4. Not meerly to make a valuable satisfaction by something in lieu of it for his taking our nature and making intercession or other works of his being of infinite merit and valùe might then have served the turn without his sufferings but as that word Gen. 2. 17. required to undergo the very curse and to fulfil the very righteousness of it in our stead which he did accordingly and herein especially consisteth our redemption Gal. 3. 12. Gal. 4. 4 5. The fulfillng the Old and confirming the New Covenant are the immediate effects of his death He stood therein as the Mediator not of the Old but of the New Testament Heb. 9. 15. therefore he died not meerly to procure a New Covenant or that God might with honour deal with men upon new terms but to make good the terms or conditions of the New The Mount Sinai Covenant with reference to the matter of it may be said to express the Legal Condition of the Covenant of Grace as to be fulfilled by Jesus Christ even as the New Covenant holdeth forth the blessings promised unto us that condition being performed by him These are matters so distinct as I hope none will take offence that I as I have explained my self speak of the Old and New as two distinct Covenants when compared each with other as Gal. 4. 24. Heb. 8. Seeing I do not assert that at Sinai to be a Covenant of works for eternal life to Israel upon their obedience to it as some would have it rather its reference is wholly to that of grace though it be not the whole of it Neither do I assert two Covenants of Grace or ways of salvation for substance distinct But whereas it is usually judged that the Old is one and the same with the New differing from it only in some circumstances and accidents as rigorous exaction of duty by fear terror c. I on the other hand think that spiritual blessings were dispensed out by the Covenant with Abraham and though Israels obedience to the Moral Law was on another account a fruit of holiness and sanctification yet as the same obedience had relation to the Mount Sinai Covenant so it ushered in only temporals to them even as a child oweth obedience to his Father by a natural obligation but if a Father should promise an estate upon some acts of the same obedience then they would be cloathed with a double respect or have a double use so here The Mount Sinai Covenant being thus opened many Scriptures will be explained and it will be discovered what those works of the Law are which we are so often denied to have justification by viz. All works performed by our selves as the least of a righteousness unto justification or which cometh to the same as a condition giving right and title to Salvation Act. 15. 1. Rom. 9. 30 31 32. Phil. 3. 9. It is only the Obedience of Jesus Christ to the Law that availeth to these ends The Apostle industriously proveth that men have not such eternal mercies by their own works morla or ceremonial either without or in conjunction with Jesus Christ Rom. 3. 20. 9. 3. Gal. 3. 11 21. Gal. 5. 4. the seeking to be justified or saved thereby is opposite unto true sanctification whence discourses thereof are often interwoven in the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians It 's true the very works of the Law of Moses are most particularly opposed because the controversie of that day with the Jews and Judaizing professors of Christianity was concerning these yet if men give any other works the same place and office by acting upon a legal ground they become as works of the Law and the Apostles arguments are equally forcible against them For he
Rom. 6. 14. The accepting of Jesus Christ in our stead to be our second Adam was as by Covenant so of meer grace as well as what is promised to us through him they together make up but one Covenant of grace Some call the former a Covenant of amity or friendship because God and man were in perfect amity and a Covenant of nature because natural integrity did capacitate to perform it but these do not so fully express the nature of it seeing the promised life therein was to be by working Some call the latter a Covenant of faiths and there is indeed an opposition between the Law of faith and the Law of Works iâ— the matter of justification Rom. 3. 27 28. That particular priviledge of the Covenant viz. Justification is by saith and not by the works of the Law but in a distribution these are not the most distinct members oâ— the whole Covenant seeing Faith is but particular blessing and fruit of it hence that cannot be expressive of the whole nature thereof that is not the opposite Condition or doth not take the place that works had in that Covenant with the first Adam it is rather what was done or suffered by Jesus Christ that supplieth this Isa 53. 10 It is therefore improper especially unless by faith be meant the righteousness of Jesus Christ applyed thereby rather than that particular grace for application And note that in the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians justification is said to be by faith in opposition only to works not to Jesus Christ or free grace If we should give faith the place that was given by the false Prophets unto works we should be culpable and egregiously cross the mind of the Apostle in this matter as well as they did Some Grace in that Covenant with the first Adam do no more make it coincident with or deny that in and with Christ to be a Covenant of Grace than some Works viz. Evangelical in that with Christ doth deny that with the first Adam to be a Covenant of Works or than some faith in God required in the Covenant of Works viz. the believing that word Gen. 2. 17. doth deny that which they call the Covenant of faith to be so It must therefore be said it was not Gospel grace or faith in a Mediator that was found in the Covenant of Works and so as properly as this may be denominated of Works so may the other be called a Covenant of grace especially seeing the Gospel is called the word of grace Act. 14. 3. Act. 20. 32. As to the several parts following in the distribution of this Covenant of Grace some of them carry evidence with them as what is said of primary revelation renovation consummation c. the other will be further cleared in the sequel yet thus much I would say here for the clearing of them That the Covenant of grace was made with Jesus Christ that Text doth witness Isa 42. 6. for the Father is contracting with him yea all the Covenant of the people is firstly with him he not only removeth obstacles that would hinder their fruition of federal blessings as an interested Friend whose name is not in a Covenant may do among men but he is the great Covenanteer a Covenant of the people the promises are primarily made to him on the behalf of men and he maketh the first claim to all as his own right his own due by a grant or Covenant under the hand and seal of the Father to himself this will be proved in the next question That also the Covenant is made with us in Christ is no less evident Believers are of the seed of Abraham and David and of the house of spiritual Israel to whom the promises run they may lay claim to them in their head Gal. 3. 9 14 29. Rom. 11. 27. Ezek. 20. 37. Jer. 31. 31. Heb. 8. 8. If any doubt of the second distinction into Legal and Evangelical let them know I am far from thinking that the mount Sinai dispensation was a Covenant of Works to Israel as if the design and intendment of God therein had been to afford eternal life to Israel upon their own doing but yet it is called the Law Rom. 10. 5. Gal. 3. 10 13 17. Even in way of opposition to the promise vers 12. Yea. vers 8. God preached before the Gospel to Abraham Here the Covenant with Abraham is expresly called Gospel and that in contradistinction from the very Sinai dispensation which is called the Law undeniably he speaketh of the Law not as given to Adam before the fall for then man himself must have been the door for life and not another for him but as given at mount Sinai 430 Years after that promise to faithful Abraham vers 17. So that the Covenant of grace is rightly distinguished by legal and Evangelical for the holy Spirit here giveth us both parts of the distinction speaking expresly of that at mount Sinai as one member of it yea he maketh these so opposite as he saith vers 12. and the Law is not of faith and so is not the Covenant of grace but yet the Sinai Law appertaineth and referreth to it viz. as holding forth the Condition thereof to be fulfilled by Jesus Christ CHAP. II. Of the Oneness of the Covenant with Jesus Christ and us THe Covenant of grace was made or established not only with us but joyntly with Jesus Christ and us in him so as both are within one and the same Covenant For the great transactions with Jesus yea even the giving and sending of him and his accepting the office of a Redeemer and undertaking for us these are all of grace as well as what is promised to us through him therefore the Covenant of grace must take in all that conduceth otherwise than by a meer Decree to our restoration and eternal Salvation And in Isa 42. 6. the Father is contracting with the Son I will give thee for a Covenant of the people therefore that with the Son and with the people belong to one and the same Covenant Indeed as that which partaketh of the nature or is a part is put for the whole so that with the people alone even here beareth the name of a Covenant as being within the grand contract with Jesus Christ as a branch and parcel thereof yet both together make up that one Covenant of grace as appeareth thus 1. There is no Scripture Evidence for making these two Covenants one of Surety ship or redemption with Jesus Christ and another of grace and reconciliation made with us that distinction which some use is improper for the parts of it are coincident seeing that as with Jesus Christ was out of meer grace also John 3. 16. And it is promised that Jesus Christ should be given for a Covenant therefore it is of grace that we are redeemed by him 2 Tim. 1. 9. There was grace before the World was and that must be in the Covenant as
with Jesus Christ which was for the reconciling the World unto the Father 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. Coloss 1. 20 21. It is true Christ only is our surety and Redeemer not we in our own persons yea he is our head our Lord and King and on that account of his standing in those different capacities he hath some peculiar precepts and promises appropriated to him which are not afforded to us in the same manner or degree yet this hindreth not the Oneness of the Covenant with him and us as it is promised unto Abraham that in him all the Families of the Earth should be blessed that he should be a Father of many Nations Gen. 12. 3. and 17. 4. Which promises are of a higher nature than are made to us for every Believer is not the Father of many Nations yet we are within the same Covenant that was made with Abraham Rom. 4. 11 12 13. Gal. 3. As in Covenants between Princes some Articles may be concerning prerogatives or royalties that are peculiar to them in their publick capacities which the people share not in but in them as striking sayl c. other grants may concern the people in their private capacities as Merchants Mariners c. yet Prince and people within the same contract So doubtless there may be diverse grants to Jesus Christ in his publick capacity in the office of a Mediator other promises made to his Seed yet King and Subjects head and members are within one and the same Covenant as the principal debtor and the surety within the same obligation Gal. 4. 4 5. Indeed the same Covenant of grace may be distinguished as it is made with Jesus Christ and as with us yet not to intimate two distinct and compleat Covenants but two Subjects of the same Covenant As with Jesus Christ it had its constitution from eternity before we had a being as with us it hath its application in time after we exist I had rather therefore distinguish one and the same Covenant of grace into these two parts 1. For redemption and reconciliation this as with Jesus Christ for us Gal. 3. 13. Tit. 1. 2. 2 For Application this as with us in him Heb. 8. 10. From eternity Jesus Christ was a Mediator undertaking the Covenant but in time is executing and interceding for our participation of it 2. The Covenant of grace was made with Jesus Christ as a publick person a second Adam and therefore with all his Seed in him the Covenant of Works being violated Jesus Christ was appointed as the means for restoration and recovery He was our David King of Saints Isa 53. 3. Luke 1. 32. and so represented many Subjects he was a common parent having a great Spiritual Seed Isa 53. 10. The first Adam was a figure of him that was to come Rom. 5. 14. i. e. of Jesus Christ and wherein it is specified as the first standing for his Seed derived unto them sin and misery death and condemnation So the second standing for and representing his Seed deriveth unto them righteousness justification and eternal life vers 15. to the end 1 Cor. 15. 45 47. Thus they are compared together and Jesus Christ the Second preferred before the first If the first Adam had never fallen it is not imaginable that he should have injoyed life by one Covenant and his posterity by another their life would have been by keeping as their death was by breaking one and the same Law of Works So Jesus Christ the Second Adam and all his spiritual Seed injoy justification and life by one and the same Covenant of grace We are quickened together with him Coloss 2. 13. i. e. as our common person standing in our stead 3. All in the Covenant as with us is undertaken for and promised in the Covenant as between the Father and the Son and so together make up but one Covenant For his being the Covenant of the people implieth that all promised to or to be performed by the people it is secured in the contract with Jesus Christ Whatsoever was requisite unto our restoration redemption and reconciliation he agreed to work it out Isa 53. 10. there were the same objects and end in that as with him and that as with us 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. 1 Cor. 6. 20. Yea all necessaries also for application is in the Covenant as with him Is Justification and the giving of a new heart promised to us Jer. 31. 31. The same is promised to Jesus Christ Isa 53. 11. By his knowledge i. e. by the knowledge of him shall my righteous Servant i. e. Jesus Christ justify many and he shall see his Seed and be a light to the Gentiles Isa 4. 2. 6. Which implyeth newness of heart and having God for their God 4. All blessings afforded in a Covenant way to us were primarily granted to Jesus Christ and therefore the Covenant is joyntly with him and us as Mr. R. observeth Christ is first justified and acquitted from the guilt of sin and then we Isa 53. 11. Christ first Sanctified and filled with the Spirit and then we Isa 42. 1. He first glorified and then we Heb. 1. 2. Rom. 8. 17. Jesus Christ is our great Fcosee in trust he hath all the riches of grace and glory granted to and vested in him to our use and behoof both have them by the same Covenant Indeed he hath the precedency he excelleth in dignity and power he is the first-born among many brethren Rom. 8. 29. the first born from the dead Coloss 1. 18 19. All fulness dwelling in him all is firstly granted into his hands and in the Second place to us If we would obtain any Spiritual gists any graces any comforts any glory we must be beholden to him borrow all from his store receive all from his hand The Divine Spirit is from him Joh. 16. 7 8. All grace from him Rom. 16. 20 24. 1 Cor. 16. 23. Repentance from him Act. 5. 31. He is exalted to give repentance and the forgiveness of sins Faith it self from him Heb. 12. 2. Which argue that all flow from the same Covenant The Name of Jesus Christ is in the Covenant he is the principal party there to whom all the promises are primarily made on our behalf 5. Union with Jesus Christ is the only way to promised blessings and therefore the Covenant is made joyntly with him and us 2 Cor. 1. 20. Not only some but all the promises of God in him are yea and in him amen Twice in him none of the promises are made immediately to us but all invariable unchangable in their making and in their performance or accomplishment yet it is in him I might argue also from Jesus Christ his receiving the same signs with us Baptism and the Supper and why were they applied to him if he were under one Covenant and we under another 6. All the antient Covenant expressures run joyntly to Jesus Christ and also to Relievers which are his Seed the promises to
David thy servant When looking Death in the face it may be of comforting use 2 Sam. 23. 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant These were the last words of David vers 1. So that this unchangeable Covenant may make a dying man lift up his head with rejoycing His house was not duly ordered towards God and yet he could bear up with this against all his failings unworthiness undeservings Corol. 2. Hence there are transcended excellencies in the Covenant of grace far above what are found in the Covenant of Works For here the Father is promising unto the Son that he should be a Covenant of the people the excellency of this might be evinced from its properties it is a free gratious holy well regulated sure and an everlasting Covenant 2 Tim. 1. 9. Luk. 1. 72. 2 Sam. 23. 5. Isa 55. 3. These things being largely handled by others I do but touch upon them Also the vast difference between those Covenants of Works and of Grace clear this This Covenant of Works was made with the first Adam and with all his seed in him without a Mediator requiring perfect personal obedience by his natural concreated power with free-will to stand or fall implicity promising life upon keeping and threatising death and a forfeiture of all upon breaking of it Gen. 2. 17. It speaketh nothing of remission of sin upon the deepest sorrow and repentance if Adam could have wept day and night and even tears of blood yet that promised nothing not the least mercy or favour after its violation nothing but death to be expected from it which speaketh the misery of all who are in a natural condition and not come under a better Covenant But the Covenant of Grace is made with Jesus Christ the second Adam and with all his seed in him as their Mediator to make it conciliation and work out a righteousness for them so as now the promise is sure to all the Seed 1 Tim. 2. 5. Rom. 4. 16. The Father is Covenanting with Jesus Christ as a more glorious head than the first Adam promising to give him to be a Covenant of the people to stand on their side this must argue a pacification in that he who was God the person offended would be God-man a redeemer so as he and the people make but one party in this Covenant yea he wrought out that righteousness which is unto justification of life Rom. 5. 18 19. In handling the subject of the Covenant the clearest way is to compare the Covenant of Works with the first Adam and the Covenant of grace with Jesus Christ the second Adam together so the two Adams are paralleled Rom. 5. And also to compare the old Covenant at mount Sinai with the new Covenant as Jer. 31. v. 31 32. The jumbling of these together hath occasioned darkness in many matters these differences being rightly stated in a secondary way any of them might be compared with less danger of miscarrying Corol. 3. Hence it is rich grace and special favour to be in the number of the people that were Covenanted for between the Father and the Son seeing none are freed from the sentence of death and condemnation or saved but in the way of a Covenant of grace Ephes 2. 8. 2 Tim. 1. 9. The being under that is not a priviledge that betideth all it reacheth some and not others For there is no Covenant expressure that extendeth now to all man-kind without exception that Gen. 3. 15. implieth that some are the Seed of the Serpent as others are the Seed of the Woman all the world are not the Seed of Abraham or David nor the house of Israel and Judah with whom the new Covenant is made Jer. 31. 31. The Fathers act of donation was not of all without exception Joh. 17. 9. I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me The Antithesis or opposition doth strongly prove that some are of the world and these are not given unto Jesus Christ nor prayed for by him It would sound harsh to say either that he Covenanted with the Father to die for and redeem some that were never given him or that he would not intercede and pray for some that he did redeem and the giving act was absolute not upon the condition of our believing For Job 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me All them that were given shall certainly believe and so shall be saved Mark 16. 16. and therefore some were never given to him Impetration and application are of equal latitude and extent Rom. 5. 10. From reconciliation which is by the death of his Son the Apostle argueth unto Salvation with a much more All those therefore that it was purchased for shall certainly have it applied to them and be reconciled in their own persons Yea in the great Charter the Covenant as between the Father and the Son an effectual application of sederal blessings is absolutely promised Isa 53. 10 11. He Shall see his Seed and he Shall see of the travail of his Soul and be satisfied and he Shall justifie many How many Shall s are here and on this account because he Shall bear their iniquities All then whose iniquities he did bear he shall convert and justifie He hath the highest assurance that he should enjoy the very Seed which he travelled for it was not a meer conditional satisfaction that he made upon his death all matters became absolute the very persons were appointed and an unalterable determination of the Father concerning their conversion which cannot reach unto all men without exception for then all should certainly be saved So Isa 42. 6 7. It is not only promised that he should be a Covenant of the people the Jews but also a light of the Gentiles which importeth a removing of spiritual blindness by affording special illuminations not only will he be redemption to the Gentiles but a light for the applying of it to all that he hath redeemed Yea he will bring them from the Prison from their spiritual thraldom and bondage to sin and Satan which denote effectual vocation Acts 13. vers 47 48. Acts 26. 18. So that an effectual application of Covenant grace unto conversion is absolutely promised to be vouchsafed unto all those that Jesus Christ did undertake for yet you see there that the accomplishment hereof is by waies and means of his appointment and the Lord doth not mock or delude men in the general invitations and calls of the Gospel any more than he mocked Pharoah when he by Moses commanded him to let Israel go and yet declared that he would barden his heart that he should not let the people go Exod. 4. 21. 23. The Lord by his Will of Precept commandeth all where-ever the Gospel cometh to believe and all which do believe shall certainly be Saved Mark 16. 16. and therefore he doth not mock The dispensation of the Gospel is the
before they did believe else the Apostles argument were not cogent for the false Prophets might easily have answered that now in Gospel times we are not justified as Abraham and David were and so they might have waved whatever is urged from these instances seeing all that he saith is built upon this very foundation that we are justified as they were only this can hardly be evaded that David who lived under the Sinai Covenant yet is denied to be justified by works of his own Yea the Apostle excludeth them even from the nature of a Covenant of works which is such a ground as denieth lapsed man in any Age to be saved by his own obedience vers 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt Therefore unless it could be said that those under the Sinai Law had Eternal Life not of grace but of debt it must be said that they had it not in the way of a Covenant of works 2. Moses and the Children of Israel were antecedently under a Covenant of grace or before the making that at mount Sinai therefore that could not be a Covenant of works In the very Preface he saith Exod. 20. vers 2 5. I am the Lord thy God the Lord did not first become their God by that but was so before as they were the seed of Abraham and under that with him Exod. 2. vers 24. and 3. vers 6 7. I have seen the affliction of my people vers 15 16. And Moses himself entred into the same Sinai Covenant with the people Exod. 34. vers 27. I have made a Covenant with thee and with Israel Not only with Israel but with him also Now it is not imaginable that the Lord would reduce them and Moses himself from Covenant of Grace back to that of Works Surely the Lord would advance them highor rather than bring them lower He is ever one and the same in his Grace and Promises unto souls no such unconstancy and changeableness is found with him 3. The Sinai Testament typically revealed mercy for sinful men and therefore was not a Covenant of Works For that being once violated and broken holdeth forth nothing of mercy to the smner whatever his Repentance be giveth no hope of Salvation but denounedth Judgement Death and utter destruction against him Adam having eaten the forbidden Fruit that saith Gen. 2. 17. Dying thou shalt die Whereas the Sinai Covenant includeth the Ceremonial Law as well as the Moral as is plain Heb. 9. vers 1 2 3 c. The first Testament had Ordinances of Divine Service and a worldly Sanctuary a Tabernacle Priests and Sacrifices offerings for the errors of the people c. Although these services did not of themselves expiate sin and purge the Conscience yet they did point out a way wherein they might have an expiation of and freedom from sin which a Covenant of Works giveth not the least intimation of Yea the Sinai Covenant was ordained by Angels Gal. 3. vers 19. in the hands of Moses a typical Mediator and this argued a variance between God and Israel else no need of any and there is grace in a Covenant that doth admit of any way for the making up of such differences there was abundance of Grace wrapt up in many Types and Ordinances in the Sinai Covenant yea it was confirmed by blood and sprinkling called the blood of the Covenant Exod. 24. vers 3 4 5. Which typified the blood of Jesus Christ and therefore it was no Covenant of Works for that speaketh nothing thereof 4. There had been an utter impossibility for Israel or any other to have attained unto Eternal Life and Salvation if they had been under that at Sinai as a Covenant of Works For they could never have performed the works which were the condition of it and so must have been hopeless of the benefit which was promised thereupon Gal. 3. vers 21. If there had been a Law that could have given life righteousness had been by the Law This clearly concludeth that righteousness did not come by the Law i. e. as performed by us in our own persons and also that the Law could not give Life no Eternal Life to be expected by it and he speaketh of the Sinai Law as is clear vers 17. and therefore that could not be a Covenant of Works to Israel or us for Eternal Life Rom. 8. 3. also proveth the Law could not free from condemnation in that it was weak through the flesh and so no Eternal Life was attainable thereby 5. That way which the Lord had established with Israel for Life and Salvation before the Sinai Covenant was utterly inconsistent with that of Works and therefore that could not be a Covenant of Works Gal. 3. vers 18. For if the inheritance be of the Law it is no more of Promise These two waies cannot stand together if it be by one of them then it is not by the other they carry a contradiction each to other If Israel had the inheritance by the Law i. e. by works performed by themselves then it could not be by the obedience of another of Jesus Christ for them if it were by their own righteousness of the Law then it could not be by the righteousness of Jesus Christ entertained in the Promise by Faith one of these waies doth necessarily subvert overthrow and destroy the other so as the same person at the same time cannot have it both waies Now such an opposite way of a Gospel Promise was established with Israel long before the Sinai Covenant Gal. 3. ver 16 17. They were the seed of Abraham and be concludeth that the Sinai Law coming so long after could not disanul the Abrahamatical Covenant or Promise wherein they had interest which was so long before it and consequently it was no Covenant of Works to Israel for then it must necessarily have disanulled the foregoing Promise as that demonstration vers 18. doth evidence SECT II. Prop. 2. THat the Sinai Law was not a mixt Covenant for Eternal Life to Israel It was not partly a Covenant of Works to them and partly of Grace For 1. It is an undoubted obstacle or hindrance in the way of Salvation to be seeking it in a Covenant of works by personal performances and therefore that at Sinai could not be so much as in part such a one to Israel The reason why Israel obtained not righteousness and so life was because they sought it not by Faith i. e. in another in Jesus Christ but as it were by the Works of the Law Rom. 9. vers 31 32. He doth not say they sought it altogether by their own Works but after a sort as it were and this obstructed and hindred their arriving at it Thus their coming short of Salvation is resolved into the same cause Rom. 10. vers 1 3. They going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God A seeking Salvation then by
being actually disobliged for the subjects must exist before even a relative change can pass upon them also after they are born they are at a great distance from God without making up of that they are uncapable of an actual possession of Redemption As a common person Jesus Christ represented many that lived in several Ages of the World and therefore of necessity the actual discharge of particular persons must be at different times not all at once but when they become his Seed Further A debt may be charged upon the principal debtor by an Old Law till a New Law or Covenant declareth his discharge from the obligation Thus the Sentence of the violated Covenant of Works may stand against men till they be declared to be discharged by the New Covenant Heb. 10. 16 17. Yea observe Jesus Christ in suffering death for our Redemption stood as Mediatour of the New Testament Heb. 9. 15. Though therein he satisfied for our breaking of the Covenant with the first Adam as this was drawn into the Covenant of Grace as the condition thereof Once more A debt may be charged upon the principal debtor after a Sureties satisfying the obligation in case the Sureties name was not at first in the same obligation but is admitted afterward by voluntary contract Covenant and consent For there the Covenant is the only determining rule of all matters concerning the discharge Why are they not sanctified and glorified immediately after their coming into the World these being effects of the death of Christ but because the Covenant provideth otherwise If the Name of Jesus Christ as as Surety had been Originally or at first in Adams obligation then more might have been said for an immediate discharge upon his payment of our debt and suffering death but this was not the case for if it had then his suffering death had been necessary and unavoidable though no New Testament had ever been made yea the making of it had been unnecessary vain and useless Whereas it was extreamly necessary there could have been no transferring of our guilt to him without it and his submitting to death was by a voluntary contract Joh. 10. 17 18. And his name not being at first in our bond hence his payment was a refusable satisfaction It was by an act of Free Grace that he was admitted to undertake for us and his payment accepted in our stead and so though he paid the idem the same that we did owe yet there was nothing contrary to justice or equity if the Father added other terms than before and so no need that we should be ipso facto discharged And the Law passeth Sentence not only upon sinful actions but upon the persons for them Gen. 2. 17. Gal. 3. 22. And therefore no Justification till delivered out of this state which is at union with Jesus Christ and Faith 5. I might argue from the many absurdities that attend the asserting Justification from Eternity It would sound harsh to deny that Adam was an Elect vessel and being Elected if Eternal Justification be admitted then he must be actually both under the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace at once and so was bound at the same time to seek Life in two waies utterly inconsistent each with other Gal. 3. 12. viz. by Works and by Jesus Christ through Faith Yea then Adam was actually justified from sin before he had any sin to be justified from before sin entred into the World by his Fâ—ll Rom. 5. 12. and did not become guilty by â—his falling being disobliged from Eternity Neither will this be evaded by saying Our sin was imputed to Jesus Christ before committed and an actual existence of sin is no more requisite unto our disobligation than unto our obligation unto the punishment thereof I Answer The sins of the Elect were not actually upon Jesus Christ till he came actually under the Law which was their very obligation Gal. 4. 4 5. And thus all their sin by that Law did meet upon him before committed answerably when persons do actually come under the New Covenant I grant they are justified yea even virtually from sins not yet committed but the Old Law of Works must needs be in force against them till a New dischargeth from it and this is not till union with Jesus Christ and the gift of Faith And O how miserable then are all they who are out of Christ they are in an unjustified estate seeing they have no Word or Promise to assure them that the Lord hath laid down his Sute against them but great is the happiness of all in Christ of all believers in that they stand justified before the Lord Rom. 4. vers 7. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven c. it is sin alone that rendreth miserable and now the Apostle challengeth even Earth and Hell for all such Rom. 8 33 34. It is God that justifieth who shall condemn It was God that was injured by sin and who hath power to discharge from it none can reverse or disanul Gods act who shall lay any thing to their charge Sin Satan their own hearts may draw up many charges but will be able to make none good against them why it is God that justifieth It is very extensive it reacheth to all sins Col. 2. 13. Jesus Christ is a propitiation for the sins that are past Rom. 3. 25. that is for sins committed before his Incarnation for it is spoken in opposition to those that sought to be justified by the Works of the Law vers 20 21. To draw off from this he telleth them as Heb. 9. 15. that the Redemption of transgressions that were under the first Testament or their remission was not by legal sacrifices and observances but by the blood of Jesus Christ It doth not deny his being a propitiation for sins to come his faithfulness is ingaged to afford the remission of these 1 Joh. 1. vers 8 9. 1 Joh. 2. vers 1 2. even Believers are daily sinning and the Lord will be extending pardoning mercy unto them yea he will all their life long be magnifying this Title or part of his Name The Lord God pardoning iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34. 7. yea it is his glory that he is a sin pardoning God Mica 7 ver 18. Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity c. CHAP. XII Of the evidences of interest in the New Covenant IT may be Questioned How or by what means may a Soul know its actual Interest in and Title to the New and better Covenant and the better promises thereof For the clearing of this I shall not insist upon the testimony of the Divine Spirit which is the primary evidence Rom. 8. 16. 1 Joh. 5. 8. nor upon Sanctification as it standeth in spiritual dispositions and inclinations for compliance with the Divine Will either in causing an answerableness of heart to what is commanded from us comprised under a writing the Law there or working into Evangelical
our selves may be taken or derived But as to the New Covenant which is in and with us in Christ and so is comprehensive of the whole work of his Mediation it is the only instrument of our present relation unto God of his communicating of himself in a way of Grace Love and Mercy unto us of our fixing faith trust and affiance on him and yielding obedience unto him as also of the bringing of our souls unto the eternal enjoyment of him The knowledge hereof therefore is necessary to every one who thinks it necessary for him to endeavour an acquaintance with God or Christ the present state or future condition of his own soul It is therefore doubtless a labour worthy of acceptance in any whom God hath given light unto in this Mysterie of his Wisdom and Grace and ability for the declaration thereof to endeavour the direction and instruction of others in the Truth and Doctrine hereof where in all our faith obedience present comfort and future happiness do depend But yet further besides these two solemn stated Covenants the one suited unto the preservation of the state of integrity wherein we were created and the other to the renovation of the Image of God in us through Jesus Christ which we had lost by sin there is mention in the Scripture of sundry particular intervening Covenants that God made with his Church or single persons at several seasons Now whereas they did all partake of the Nature of a Divine Covenant in general so were they emanations from and particular expressions or limitations of one or other of the two solemn Covenants mentioned for a Covenant of another kind absolutely or more Covenants God never made with mankind But yet under the Old Testament while the wisdom of God was to be hid in its own mysteries and not clearly brought forth to light there was such a mixt dispensation revealing for certain ends the Notion Sense and Power of the first Covenant and preparative for the introduction of the full revelation and declaration of the latter by Jesus Christ who was in all things to have the preheminence as that it is not easie to discern and distinguish what belongs unto the one in them and what to the other or from whether of them they are to be denominated Here therefore is a blessed field of sacred Truth wherein humble sober and judicious persons may exercise themselves to the great benefit and advantage of the Church of God To state I say a right the Nature of a Divine Covenant in general with its Essential Properties which must be in every one that is so to manifest the true difference that is between the first and second Covenant which God hath made with us in themselves and their Nature with their different effects and ends to declare what Properties Doctrines and Ends of the first Covenant or Covenant of Works with what of the Nature Power and Efficacy of the second Covenant or the Covenant of Grace God brought in and declared in that dispensation under the Old Testament wherein there was a mixture of both though one only established in power to manifest what there was of Christ in the Law and how the whole power and sanction of the first Covenant was through the Law conferred upon Christ and in him fulfilled and ended is a work deserving the most diligent travel of those who are called unto the teaching of the Mysteries of the Gospel And in these things with sundry other of an alike importance hath this Worthy Author laboured if I am not much mistaken unto good success And as his design is to extricate things which seem perplexed to give light into the whole doctrine of the Covenants by declaring the proper Order and Method of the things contained in them with their respect one unto another that the grace of God in the Covenant of Grace may be exalted and his faithfulness with his holiness in the Covenant of Works both in and by Jesus Christ the end of the one and the life of the other so the Reader will find I hope that satisfaction in these great and deep inquiries which he will have occasion to return praise and thanks to God for John Owne THE CONTENTS Chap. 1. OF a Covenant in general and the distribution of the Covenant into that of works and of grace pag. 1◠Chap. 2. Of the Oneness of the Covenant with Jesus Christ and us p. 1◠Chap. 3. Of Christ as the Summ of the Covenant p. 36. Chap. 4. Of the date of Covenant mercies p. 48. Chap. 5. General Inferences from the whole p. 53 Chap. 6. Of the Old and New Covenant what they are and how distinct p. 6◠Chap. 7. Of the Nature of the Mount Sinai Covenant p. 10◠Chap. 8. Of the Sinai Covenant whether ceased or continuing p. 170 Chap. 9. Of the good that was in the Sinai Covenant p. 189 Chap. 10. Of the Differences between the Old and New Covenant and the excellency of the later above the former p. 195 Chap. 11. Of the time of first coming into Covenant p. 262 Chap. 12. Of the evidences of interest in the New Covenant p. 288 Chap. 13. Of the Use of Absolute Promises p. 299 Chap. 14. Of those that are called Conditional Promises p. 312 ERRATA Page 1. Line 7. Read vouchsafing p. 3. l. 14. and p. 36. l. 11. add the p. 17. l. 10. for door 〈◊〉 doer p. 34. l. 30. r. fail p. 59. l. 24. for attended r. attending p. 69. l. 29. and 70. l. 1. r. worser p. 91. l. 6. r betterness p. 97. l. 27. for this r. thus p. 104. l. 27. r. 2 Tim. 1. 9. p. 155. for course r. curses p. 171. l. 14. r. Mal. 4. 4. p. 222. l. 12. r. by his p. 224. l. 10. r. Tact. Sacr. p. 226 l. 26. add 4 p. 230. l. 24. for it r. in p. 245. l. 23. blot out to be THE Great Mystery OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE CHAP. I. Of a Covenant in general and the distribution of the Covenant into that of Works and of Grace THE All-wise God that he might magnifie his loving kindness towards miserable man in vouchsaving him fellowship and Communion with himself in all ages had this admirable contrivance of dealing with him not in the way of prerogative but in the way of Covenant When man was in a state of innocency there was a Covenant of Works wherein he put himself under engagements to him to continue him in life if he kept his standing and remained obedient And also man being in a fallen estate he chuseth still to Coverse with him in the way of a Covenant not as made with the first Adam but with Jesus Christ as a Second Adam and with all his Seed in him There are many Scriptures which give clear intimations of such a federal transaction between God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son in order to the recovery and everlasting Salvation of Sinners even where we do not find the
his Seed before the fall in that state man was to seek eternal life in the way of his own obedience Then God was upon those termes with man Do and live for that Divine threatning of death Gen. 2. 17. In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye doth strongly imply a promise of injoying life if he were obsequious else he might have said if I eat or eat not it is all one yet I am liable to death Doubtless as the threatned death was intended purposely to deter from eating so the hope of life was also a perswasive to this forbearance Yea the tree of life confirmeth this man was made an exile out of Paradise Gen. 3. 22. Lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live for ever such an act of banishment would have been needless for prevention if it had never been intended for such an end to establish man in life in case he had kept his standing Some Divine Law or Covenant therefore there must be this way Some may doubt whether this was a Covenant of Works because here is only a threatning of death upon eating the forbidden fruit Gen. 2. 17. upon disobedience to that one positive Law or Command and perfect obedience unto all moral Commands not so much as mentioned nor death threatned to the want of it I answer Man in his first Creation was under a Natural obligation to an universal compliance with the Will of God Eccles 7. 29. God hath made man upright this rectitude of nature imports an exact conformity to the Divine will it is opposed here to all those inventions evil devices new tricks vain and crooked Counsels which were the inlets to all iniquity He was created in the image of God Gen. 1. 27. which did not consist meerly in the faculties of the soul as understanding will c. but in gifts of illumination righteousness and holiness Coloss 3. 10. Eph. 4. 24. There was an inscription of the Divine Law upon Adams heart yea even the Gentiles by nature shew the work of the Law written in their hearts Rom. 2. 14 15. although this is exceedingly defaced and obliterated by the fall of man yet not wholly raced out or extinguished Now there being such original righteousness a Law of nature that obliged man as soon as created to all moral obedience it was needless for the Lord in entring into Covenant with him to make a repetition of that Law without which was antecedaneously written in lively Characters with a deep impression as a Law within All therefore that was necessary unto the making or forming of it into a Covenant of Works was the Addition of some positive Law or Command as a test or tryal of obedience to the whole and this we find in that Supervenient Command of not eating of the tree of knowledge Gen. 2. 17. under the highest penalty of death it self in case of disobedience This is the more evident because this positive percept was of such a nature and so intwisted with the other as Adam could not fall by transgressing of it in eating of the forbidden fruit without a violation or breaking of all the moral Commandments and involving himself in all sin and iniquity thereby Christ himself is giving the sum of the Law in these two of due love to God and the neighbour Mat. 22. 37 38 39. Now the tryal of love is by keeping his Commandments John 14. 21 24. and by eating that fruit Adam transgressed his Command Gen. 2. 17. and gave an evident proof of his want of love to God and to his neighbour also thereby murthering not only himself but all his posterity with him Yea though it seemed a small and indifferent thing in it self yet there was the summ of all sin in that first transgression which the Apostle compriseth in three things 1 John 2. 16. All that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life And Gen. 3. 6. The woman saw the tree was good for food in this pleasing of a carnal appetite was the lust of the flesh and pleasant to the eyes here is the seeking to satisfie undue desires the lust of the eyes and to be desired to make one wise or as the Serpent suggested verse 5. to be as Gods that is ambition or pride of life It might be manifested how all or most of the Commandments were broken by this act here was infidelity not believing the Word of God and seeking to Deifie himself against the first Commandment Adam's preferring the voice of his wife yea of the Serpent before the Word of God against the Second a conferring with Gods enemy about his word a part of his name without due zeal for his glory against the Third a not resting from his own work against the Fourth Eve out of her place in eating without her Husbands advice and consent against the Fifth a running under a Divine threatning of death to many thousands yea millions of men against the Sixth a giving way to an inordinate sensual appetite in eating the forbiddem fruit against the Seventh a taking what was not his own being reserved by God against the Eighth a receiving a false accusation against God Gen. 3. 5. against the Ninth Uncontentedness with the state and Condition God had placed him in aspiring to be higher than he saw it meer against the tenth Commandment And thus there was a Universal disobedience in Adams eating the forbidden fruit there is the seed of all sin in Original sin and therefore such an exact obedience to the moral or natural as well as to the positive Law was required there as rendred it a Law or Covenant of Works But man cannot now obtain happiness and Salvation by his own doing according to that for it is said to be Ephes 2. 9. Not of Works lest any man should boast So that Jesus Christ is not given for the renewing that old Covenant of Works with us again as the way to eternal life though the matter of it is drawn into the Covenant of grace to be performed by him for us as may be further manifested afterward 2. There is a Covenant of Grace provided for the recovery of some by Jesus Christ from a state of sin and death unto a state of righteousness and eternal life All that conduceth to Salvation is of grace Ephes 2. 8. By grace ye are saved Rom. 11. 6. If by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of works then it is no more grace otherwise work is no more work The way of Salvation is here ascribed unto grace the holy Spirit giveth us both the terms of the distinction by making grace and works such opposite terms as one excludeth the other that therefore made with the first Adam was a Covenant of Works that for restoration by Jesus Christ is a Covenant of Grace see vers 26. 27 28.
means which he sanctifieth and blesseth to that end for the working or begetting of Faith If any will neglect abuse and misimprove or make light of it Mat. 22. v. 5. and intreat spightfully the messengers that are sent with that blessed tidings or if they will be attended to their worldly matters their Farms and Oxen They sinning against the means of grace it is a putting a slight upon the grace and salvation tendred in the means and this leaveth inexcusable and will expose the sinners to just condemnation They had power to forbear such acts of sin against the means though they had not power to render it effectual and who either Speaker or Hearer knoweth that he is not of that number which Jesus Christ Covenanted for and will make it effectual to however the Lord is not bound to abatâ— of his demand of duty because of mans impotency and sinfully contracted disability to obey All therefore ought to give utmost attendance to the general call of the Gospel as a matter of highest concernment to their souls for Eternity and the neglecting hereof is a despising of Jesus Christ and his benefits Luk. 10. 16. And then no wonder if the wrath of God abideth on them Corol. 4. Hence there were glorious transactions in order to the salvation of the Elect long before their believing though the actual application of federal blessings to them is not one moment of time before the gift of Faith yet before that there are glorious advantages arising from the Covenant as between the Father and the Son on their behalf Vertually and ex faedere all conducing unto happiness was secured for them from Eternity then there was not only a passing such an act as they cannot eventually be damued which is so far from proving an actual justification as that a meer decree of Election would have been sufficient unto this seeing that must certainly have its execution but by a federal act so early was the undertaking of Jesus Christ on their behalf then was the Covenant made between the Father and the Son which had all blessedness in the womb of it Tit. 1. 2. Indeed he had not actually our sin upon him nor was so justified before his incarnation Isa 50. 7 8. For his coming in the flesh had been vain and unnecessary if he had been actually discharged before And this may shew that our justification doth not every way run parallel to his For believers under the Old Testament were actually justified before Jesus Christ was so but so early the Elect did in some special way belong unto God being federally made over by him to Jesus Christ for gratious ends Job 17. 6. Thine they were and thou gavest them unto me And this was a great business for he was appointed to be their representative and to pay their ransom money so as when he did it they were virtually deemed as justified yea sanctified and glorified there not in their own persons but in him Eph. 2. 5 6. Hath quickened us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Corol. 5. Hence there was some love in the bosom of God towards the Elect from all Eternity Sending Christ himself who is given for a Covenant and is the sum of it is the fruit and effect of it Joh. 3. 16 God so loved the world that he gave hiâ— only begotten Son And if the Covenant was from everlasting then that Divine love which is the Fountain and first spring from whence it floweth must needs be so early also God doth actually love the Elect before they are regenerate or can actually believe with a love of benevolence or good will though not with a love of complacency and delight He beareth love to their persons though not to their qualities and actions nor to their state and condition Yea God owneth them not only with electing but with redeeming love Rom. 5. 8. God commended his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us This extolleth his love and maketh it surmount all others that he gave his Son to die for them whilst they were in a state of sin and misery There was some federal love so far as to give them unto Jesus Christ to be redeemed by him Job 6. 37 39. So as to owne them as the persons which should share in Covenant grace afterward when others were left out The love of God is an unchangeable and eternal act of his Will ever one and the same admitteth of no increase or decrease in him he doth not begin to love any person that he hated before be changeth not Mal. 3. 6. But to help our weak understandings according to his acting towards us and to the change that is made in us and as we partake of his benefits so he is said to let it out to us 1 Job 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the Sons of God Thus the Lord loveth not his creatures equally or all alike but some more than others the regenerate more than the unregenerate and those most who share most in the effects of it both for this life and that which is to come From Eternity although God had not a love of approbation to the state of the Elect unconverted yet he had a love of commiseration unto their persons Psal 103. 17. But the mercy of the Lord which hath miserable creatures as the proper objects of it is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him c. Before the foundations of the earth were laid he considered them as possibly miserable and was a God of mercy Then he had such a love of benevolence to them as certainly issueth in a love of beneficence or soul inriching bounty Eph. 2. 4 5. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ c. Here the first operations of Divine grace the recovery of a soul out of a dead state unto spiritual life the first quickenings of a soul from the death of sin are made the issues of Divine favour they spring from mercy and rich mercy from love and great love Corol. 6. Hence the Covenant of grace as made with Jesus Christ hâ—d the precedency was before the Covenant of works that was first this after For though there was a Divine Decree concerning the Creation and the Covenant of Works to be in time yet that was not actually made so early because Adam who was to be the head of it was not then existing had not a being for it to be made with Whereas Jesus Christ who was the head of the Covenant of grace was not only really existing but undertaking from Eternity The Covenant of grace without any incongruity may be asserted in its constitution and making to be first or before the Covenant of
Works though in its execution and application it cometh after and presupposeth the breaking of it As a healing balsam may be prepared before the wound is made and a salve before there be a sore although the applying thereof be afterward So the Covenant of grace was made from Eternity not actually with us in our own persons but with Jesus Christ for us as our great Feoffee in trust though we then were unborn and had not a being Corol. 7. Hence the whole contrivement of the Covenant of grace must be ascribed to God alone seeing it was from all Eternity No creature was then existing to have any hand or stroke therein there was none to counsel advise or perswade this way It was conceived in the heart and bosome of God and none but he had to do in the concluding of it and so he is alone to be magnified and extolled therein A Christian as one transported may cry out on this account as Isa 25. 1. O Lord I will exalt thee for thou hast done wonderful things thy Counsels of old are faithfulness and truth Now there is no room for our boasting nothing to be ascribed to our selves God alone is to be admired in Covenant grace seeing it was working towards as from all Eternity 2 Tim. 1. 9. It is said to be not according to our Works The Eternity of our mercy is exclusive of our duty as any cause of his affording of it This putteth a glory upon Covenant grace and love that it is antient before the world began Corol. 8. Hence there is stability is Covenant mercies seeing that compact which giveth assurance thereof was from all Eternity Saith he Psal 25. 6. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses Why For they have been ever of old The antientness thereof is a good argument to urge for the obtainment of them We may have hope to receive what the Lord was so early determined to give out 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure The apostasie of eminent professors is a great temptation unto many sincere Christians they are apt to say If such glistering shining Stars fall good Lord how shall we stand But to help against it he telleth us the foundation that is stedfast firm unmoveable it standeth sure by the Covenant of grace they are granted to Jesus Christ from all Eternity 2 Tim. 1. 9. Such eternal acts of God are firm and stable abiding for ever will secure against defection or falling away Satan shall never utterly prevail against them grace shall never utterly be overthrown or extinguished Having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his He hath set his mark upon them and where ever they be he can distinguish them from the world as he knoweth them by number so also by mark or scal and when he maketh up his jewels not one of them which are his shall be wanting Corol. 9 Hence there is a bottom of consolation for all that are within the Covenant of grace in that it was established from all Eternity O how may it fill them with comfort that their salvation standeth by an eternal act of God that cannot be revealed altered or changed yea by a Covenant act wherein the fai hfulness of God â—s ingaged for the affording of it even by the Fathers gift How often doth Jesus Christ mention them as given to him Joh. 6. 37 39. Joh. 17. 2 9 12. as if he delighted and gloried in or boasted of this giving act How may this secure them gainst all fears of everlasting miscarrying that they are given to Jesus Christ from all Eternity For he will never forseit his Fathers gifts nor displease him so as he should withdraw them from him they will be gifts without Repentance This eternal act will never be recalled which may make for their everlasting Consolation CHAP. VI. Of the Old and New Covenant what they are and how distinct HAving cleared the Covenant of Grâ—â— as to the transactions between the Father and the Son from Eternity as to the first revelations of its grace to the Patriarchâ— as Abraham and David c. before the incarnation wherein the great thing promised was that blessed Seed so as alâ— blessings were to be expected only in him We now come to consider First that Dispensation which held forth the way and means whereby Jesus Christ came under our obligation and by answering of it confirmed the Covenant of Grace and this is contained in the Old Covenant made at mount Sinai Secondly that Dispensation whereby the special blessings and priviledges which an the issue of his obedience are imparted to us and this is the New Covenant The Apostle compareth these together iâ— diverse Chapters in the Epistle to the Hâ—brews and saith of Jesus Christ Heb. 8. He obtained a more excellent Ministry by bâ— much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant Which implies that there is another Testament viz. that at mount Sinai when they came out of Egypt ver 9. which the Aaronical Priesthood appeartained to that is worse but it is the excellency of Jesus Christ that his ministration is conversant about a better Testament that hath the pre-eminence on this account as being established upon better promises And the opposition is not laid between the Covenant of Works as with the first Adam and the New Covenant but between that at Sinai and the New The word for Covenant is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testament it noteth a disposition or declaration by way of Will or Promise and may be the act of one or more Indeed the Hebrew word Berith is used Jer. 31. 31 32. and the same expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 8. v. 8 9 10. But the Apostle intimated that a Testamentary disposition is intended by it Gal. 3. 15 17. As if Jesus Christ by fulfilling the condition of the Covenant of grace had turned it into a Testament the blessings of it being now legacies absolutely promised to us in the New It will be necessary here to inquire what is the worse Covenant and what is this better Testament which is compared with it Answ 1. The worse Covenant is that Conditional Divine grant of blessings upon the obedience required in the Law of Moses Or that Old Covenant which was made amount Sinai This is undoubtedly it which is compared with the other For it is that which the Levitical Priesthood did belong to which the Priesthood of Christ is compared with as is manifest Heb. 7 and 8 and 9. Chapters It is that Covenant which the Lord made with the Fathers in the day when he took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt Heb. 8. vers 9. And therefore undeniably it was the Sinai Covenant for then that was made with them Exod. 19. vers 1 2 3 4 5. c. In the third moneth when the Children of Israel were gone out of the Land of Egypt the same day they came to the
our own Works which are our own righteousness keepeth off from a submission unto that righteousness which is necessary unto Eternal Life and therefore if it were a mixt Covenant one part of it would hinder another as if the Lord in the same dispensation should pull forward and backward do and undo put upon seeking Life and yet on that which is a let in the way to it which were an impeachment to the wisdom of God for any to assert 2. Legal works are excluded out of Justification and Salvation in conjunction with Jesus Christ and therefore the Sinai Law could not be a mixed Covenant Gal. 5. vers 2 3. I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcisied Christ shall profit you nothing vers 4. Christ is become of no effect to you whosoever of you are justified i. e. seek to be justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace Act. 15. 1 11. Ephes 2. 8 9. This implyeth that they urged Circumcision or Works of the Law and Christ too for Justification and Life the Argument had been insignificant to them if they had not expected profit and advantage by Jesus Christ and by the Works of the Law too and the Apostle concludeth one of these to be exclusive of the other a mixture of our own Works is a falling from the way of Grace a taking any of our services in conjunction with Jesus Christ in that matter is enough to shut out from all benefit and advantage by Christ he shall profit nothing if he alone be not owned herein 3. After a violation of a Covenant of Works nothing less than utter ruine and destruction are threatned therein Gen. 2. vers 17. In the day thou eatest thou shalt die There is nothing Promised by it ever after whatever services be performed nothing but Death thenceforth to be expected from it and therefore the Sinai Law could not be a mixt Covenant in regard Israel is often accused by the Lord for breaking of it Jer. 31. vers 32. Which Covenant they brake c. no good could be reaped from that part which was supposed of Grace the death threatned in the other part hindreth all good so that unless Israel could have kept it without violation which they could not it must have been altogether unprofitable to them for as Dr. Bolton saith man was not able to stand to the lowest terms to perform the meanest condition 4. There is such an opposition between our Works and Divine Grace in relation to Eternal Life that they are inconsistent each with other therefore the Sinai Law could not be a mixt Covenant There is no medium participationis or so as to partake of both there was an impossibility of having life both waies this I cleared before from Gal. 3. vers 18. which is equally strong here It is further proved Rom. 11. vers 4 5. It is said to be by Grace vers 6. If by Grace then it is no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace but if it be of Works then it is no more of Grace otherwise Work is no more Work Which clearly intimateth that the way of Grace and Works are so mutually destructive one to the other that if it be by one it cannot be by the other If Israel had been to do any thing for Eternal Life though never so small it would have denied it to be of Grace Gratia nullo modo gratia nisi omâ—i modo grafia Aug. Grace is no way Grace unless it be every way free and therefore seeing Israel was justified and saved as we are Act. 15. 11. and we are justified freely by his Grace Rom. 3. 24. and saved by Grace Eph. 2. 8. hence the Sinai Law could not be a mixt Covenant partly of Works and partly of Grace the one way being so Diametrically opposite to the other SECT III. Prop. 3. THat the Sinai Law was not only a Covenant for temporal mercies as the Land of Canaan and such like but did in some further way belong to the Covenant of Grace and bad the great concernment thereof even our Eternal Salvation as its principal aim and end Temporal blessings were dispensed out and possibly those only by vertue of the Sinai Covenant upon Israels performance of it but yet as it was to be performed for them by Jesus Christ so it respected the great matters of the Covenant of Grace even Spirituals and Eternals as may appear For 1. There are Typical representations is it of Spiritual and Eternal blessings There was abundance of the Gospel wrapt up in those legal Types and shaddows of old There were Priests and a High-Priest an eminent Type of Jesus Christ who is therefore called a High-Priest also Heb. 8. 1. and else-where O what an advantage was it so long before the Incarnation of Jesus Christ to have such a lively Emblem of this his glorious Office which our everlasting Salvation had such a necessary dependance upon That as the Levitical High-Priest did stand and appear for the People in many waies and for many precious ends that none else could so they might expect that Jesus Christ would do the like for them As the Priests did offer Sacrifice for the errours of the People so they might look that the Lord Jesus would offer a better Sacrifice for them They might easily guess that the Anti-type Jesus Christ would far excel out-strip and go beyond the Types the substance beyond the shaddow so Jesus Christ would be far more excellent than any of those figures of him What a priviledge was it to have some lively resemblance of all this so long before-hand Heb. 9. vers 23 24. Those things under the Sinai first Testament are intimated to be patterns of things in the Heavens and figures of the true There was a holiest of all which the High-Priest alone went into once every year not without blood signifying that the holiest of all was not made manifest whilst the first Tabernacle was standing vers 3 7 8. this intimateth that Jesus Christ the great High-Priest should enter into that which was truly the holy of holies to appear in the presence of God for us vers 24. and so that their holiest of all was a Type of Heaven A like Type thereof was the Land of Canean and therefore it beareth the very name that Heaven it self is set out to us by it is called the rest of the Lord Psal 95. 11. If they shall enter into my rest i. e. into the Land of Canaan Deut. 12. 9. This was another Type of the rest in Heaven Heb. 3. vers the last compared with Heb. 4. vers 8 9. Many other instances might be given wherein the Sinai Covenant represented matters of the Covenant of Grace even Spirituals and Eternals to Israel 2. Some of the same Promises of Spiritual and Eternal blessings which are found in other federal expressures are under a conditional form in the Sinai Covenant and therefore that appertaineth some way to the Covenant of Grace and
of the Sinai Law vers 17. and giveth the same proof as before viz. Levit. 18. vers 5. and that doing he denieth to be of Faith It is evident then that the Sinai Law obliged to such doing as was not of Faith and therefore to an obedience specifically different in its use or end from that which was to be performed by Israel then or by Christians now which floweth from Faith And this with the former particular sheweth the invalidity of what is said by some for the unfolding the meaning of Do this and Live as it standeth in the Sinai Covenant as will appear especially under the sixth particular in the Affirmative part SECT V. Answ 2. AFfirmatively the Sinai Covenant was a Covenant of Works as to be fulfilled by Jesus Christ represented under an imperfect administration of the Covenant of Grace to Israel Or thus The Sinai Law is the Covenant of Grace as to its legal condition even for Eternals to be performed by Jesus Christ held forth under a servile Typical conditional administration of it for temporals unto Israel It promised its blessings especially Eternal Life upon the condition of the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ thereby was the procurement of all It promised temporal mercies to the Children of Israel upon condition of their due obedience thereby was the obtainment of them There were many Articles between the Father and the Son which are not found in this Sinai dispensation so that it was not the whole Covenant of Grace but referred to it viz. it is a Covenant for the performance of its legal condition both in respect of duty and penalty The Covenant of Works being broken by us in the first Adam it was of great concernment to us that satisfaction should be given to it for unless its righteousness were performed for us the Promised Life was unattainable and unless its penaliy were undergone for us the threatned Death Gen. 2. 17. was unavoidable All this condition in Moses time was unfulfilled and so the Lord putteth Israel who belonged to the principal party guilty viz. mankind upon entering into a solemne Covenant at mount Sinai therein owning their just debt and acknowledging their owing perfect obedience to God and deserving an Eternal Curse upon the least failure therein and promising a full payment of the whole debt all that the Lord hath spoken we will do Exod. 19. vers 8. and 20. vers 19. Exod. 24. vers 3 7. Not only some of his words but all that the Lord hath said will we do Yet the Lord intended that not Israel the principal debtor but Jesus Christ the surety should perform for them the obedience therein required unto Life his pay should be accepted for what Israel had hereby Covenanted to yield and through inability was never able to perform Yea thus much is manifested in the very dispensation it self in those many Types and other services contained in it they all intimate that the performance should be by Jesus Christ for them In one and the same Sinai Covenant the All-wise God exacted a double obedience for vastly different ends viz. a perfect obedience to be performed by Jesus Christ as the legal condition of the Covenant of Grace as the principal end and also an obedience to be performed by Israel belonging to the administration of it in order to their fruition of temporal injoyments under this latter the former is represented These are so twisted into one and the same Law as in the same breath the Lord demandeth both of Israel the principal debtor who Covenanteth universal performance but the Lord had this intention that Jesus Christ should fulfill the former on their behalf I shall endeavour the clearing of this matter under two Propositions SECT VI. Prop. 1. THat the Sinai Covenant did hold forth the Covenant of Grace as to its legal condition to be performed by Jesus Christ and so was a Covenant of Works as to be fulfilled by him Or It conditionally promised its blessings especially Eternal Life upon the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ then in Moses time not fulfilled The Sinai Covenant did not intend only an obedience to be performed by Israel but also a further and higher Obedience to be yielded by Jesus Christ Indeed Israel did undertake in a federal way the yielding thereof and so was obliged by that visible dispensation to perfect obedience they being of the principal debtors they came under the obligation to it by their own act yet the intendment was that the performance should be by their Surety Jesus Christ for them So as Do and Live in that Sinai Covenant primarily had respect unto the doing which was only by Jesus Christ for us This appeareth these 1. The Sinai Covenant exacteth a perfect obedience which maketh up a righteousness unto Life and therefore was the legal condition of the Covenant of Grace to be performed by Jesus Christ alone for it is impossible that Israel or any of the Sons of men should perform such a perfect obedience for themselves Gal. 3 vers 21. and so they must miss of Eternal Life if he did not perform it for them That such a perfect obedience is indispensibly required in the Sinai Covenant as a condition of Life is evident Levit. 18. vers 5. compared with Gal. 3. vers 10 12. it is such as standeth upon opposite terms to Faith and is impossible for any man to perform as I have proved and such as is a righteousness Deut. 6. vers 25. And it shall be our righteousness if we observe to do all these Commandments before the Lord our God as he hath commanded us Also in Rom. 10. vers 5. he evidently determineth that the Sinai Law imposeth that doing which amounteth to a righteousness unto Life and must be a perfect obedience which man is utterly unable to yield for himself and therefore admirably to our present purpose it is added vers 4. For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth This intimateth that the Law hath an end to be attained and that is righteousness and that Jesus Christ performeth it he becometh that end of it to believers not only accidentally and indirectly as the Law discovereth duty impossible for any man to perform and a necessity of looking to another for relief but directly Jesus Christ hath wrought out and fulfilled that righteousness which the Law exacted and so is the end of the Law For it is here opposed unto that righteousness which is of a mans own working out vers 3. We must know that when Adam was in innocency the Lord required a perfect fulfilling of the Law in order to his preservation in life and now man is in a fallen estate the Lord will abate nothing of it still without a righteousness specifically the some no Eternal Life to be had Rom. 1. urs 17. Rom. 4. vers 6. and 5. vers 18 21. 2 Cor. 3. 9 c. That end of the Law viz. righteousness must
still be come up to only under the Covenant of Works man was personally to perform it for himself but now Jesus Christ is admitted to work out this perfect righteousness of the Law for him Rom. 5. vers 18 19. By the obedience of one i. e. of Jesus Chist many are made righteous Hence he is said to be made of God to us wisdom and righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. and we are said to be the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. vers 21. It is not the righteousness of a meer man but of one who is also God that we must stand in Now the Sinai Covenant is a Platform of the legal righteousness which was indispensibly necessary unto Life there it is deciphered delineated and described more clearly than in any other federal expressurn The Sinai Covenant excelleth all other in discovering what that righteousness is upon which we enjoy Eternal Life The Promissory part of the Covenant of Grace is more fully revealed in other federal expressures as that with Abraham David and the New Covenant but the Mandator and Minatory part of it in order to Life the duty to be performed and the Curse to be indured is most fully set forth in that a◠Mount Sinai Adam was obliged to a righteousness in obedience to a Position Command of not eating of the Tree o◠Knowledge Gen. 2. vers 17. as well a◠to Moral Commands answerably in the Sinai Law there is a righteousness required of the same kind standing in obedience to many Positive and ceremonial Commands and this was fulfilled by Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 did take it as his Office to fulfill not only some but all righteousness Mat. 3. 15. And also the righteousness of the Moral Law Mat. 5. vers 17 18. he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it he yielded obedience to the Moral Commands yea and satisfied Heb. 9. 15. even for transgressions that were under the first Testament 2. The Sinai Covenant denounceth a dreadful Curse which can be undergone by none but Jesus Christ upon the least failing of perfect obedience and therefore expresseth the legal condition of the Covenant of Grace to be performed by Christ or is a Covenant of Works as to be fulfilled by him for that only threatneth a Curse upon the least imperfection in point of obedience Now the Sinai Law doth that Gal. 3. vers 10. For as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them The Law then runneth upon such terms as if a man should perform never so many acts of obedience yet if he should not come up to all that is written in the Book of the Law it curseth him If he should come up to all yet if he did not continue therein it curseth him it exacteth perfect obedience upon pain of a Curse Nothing can more fully express the nature of a Covenant of Works than this that with Adam in innocency cannot be one if this be not so For there is no more in that then if thou Eatest thou shalt Die and there is as much here if thou dost not all thou shalt be Cursed and yet the Apostle is not speaking here of the very Covenant with Adam in innocency but of one in the matter of it resembling that made a long time after even at Mount Sinai For he saith it is written thus now it is in Moses Law long after Adam that this was written viz. Deut. 27. vers 26. He speaketh of it as belonging to the Sinai Law as expressing the renour of that and he doth not mention it only as the opinion of the false Prophets amongst the Galations but as the intention of the Divine Law it self it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all Yea further let it be observed the scope of the Apostle is to evidence the impossibility of attaining Justification by the Works of the Law for saith he as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse and why Because it is impossible that any meer man should continue in all that is written in the Law the best of men will have some sinful infirmities and imperfections and the least transgression layeth under a Divine Curse according to that Law which must be undergone either by men themselves and that would sink and ruine them for ever or else by Jesus Christ and then the legal condition is performed by him for them 3. Jesus Christ by coming under and fulfilling the Sinai Covenant did work out Redemption for us and therefore that did hold forth not only an obedience to be performed by Israel but also such as was a legal condition of the Covenant of Grace to be performed by Jesus Christ For surely that whereby we are redeemed was not any work of Israel they did not redeem themselves or us but a work of Jesus Christ answering the demand of the Covenant of Grace which is for Redemption Now Gal. 4. vers 4 5. God sent his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to Redeem them that were under the Law He speaketh of that Law by which they were held in bondage before the Incarnation of Jesus Christ vers 3. which was that at mount Sinai vers 24. and a great design or end of his coming is said to be to Redeem them that were under the Law how this was accomplished or brought about is declared viz. by his being made under the Law and therefore thereby he performed the condition of Redemption Indeed I think one great end of God in bringing Israel under this Sinai Covenant was to make way for Christ his being born or made under the Law in order to the fulfilling of it for us I do not see how by any visible dispensation Jesus Christ could have been born actually under the Law if this Sinai Covenant had not been made For the Covenant of Works with the first Adam being violated it was at an end as to the promising part it promised nothing after once it was broken it remained in force only as to its threatning part it menaced Death to all the sinful seed of Adam but admitted no other into it who were without sin either to perform the righteousness of it or to answer the penalty it had nothing to do with an innocent person after broken for it was never renewed with man again as before therefore an admitting an innocent person as Jesus Christ was into it must be by some kind of repetition or renewing of it though with other intendments than at first viz. that the guilty persons should not fulfill it for themselves but that another a surety should fulfill it for them Some medium or means there must be whereby this innocent person Jesus Christ might be taken into it and come under the very same Law that was broken to fulfil the righteousness and
Cor. 3. Israels obedience is required for its due and proper end but yet under that the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ is principally intended for a higher end viz. Eternal Life for it is applyed unto Christ and the fulfilling of the Law and delivering us from it is ascribed unto him 6. The great difficulties about this Sinai Covenant vanish if we understand it primarily of the legal condition of the Covenant of Grace to be performed by Jesus Christ and any other way they will hardly be removed The tenour of it plainly is Do and Live and Cursed is he that doth not here lieth the difficult of it Hence on the one hand some account that at Sinai a Covenant of Works to Israel and deny it to be a Covenant of Grace or to belong to that it requiring perfect obedience and not dispensing with one offence Gal. 3. vers 10. There being a Curse annexed to the breaking of it as a blessing to the keeping of it even to doing vers 10. The Seed of it being out-casts Gal. 4. the latter end Now all such Objections melt away if we understand it of the Covenant of Grace as to its legal condition to be fulfilled by our Surely immediately it was thus Covenanted by Israel but terminatively it looked at a performance by Jesus Christ that he should be the only doer for Life and thus a perfect doing was aimed at in the Sinai Covenant and thus it was perfectly fulfilled by Jesus Christ no offence dispenced with the Curse fully undergone by him and they that crowd into the place of Jesus Christ in it and would fulfill it for that end he did even for Eternal Life they are the Seed which are the out-casts On the other hand some assert the Sinai dispensation to be an admistration of the Covenant of Grace only gradually or accidentally and in some circumstances differing from other federal expressures even from the New Covenant Whereas all the blessings of the New are promised as precious Fruits and effects of a pre-supposed accomplishment of the Old by Jesus Christ It is easie to discover the invalidity of other interpretations of Do and Live in the Sinai Covenant which confine the Doing to Israel and do not extend it primarily to Jesus Christ As Say some it is not spoken of the Law abstractly and separately considered but of the Law and the Promise joyntly or as including the Promise But this doth not satisfie for the Apostle saith the Law is not of Faith Gal. 3. vers 12. and addeth but the man that doth them shall live in them Therefore the Law speaketh of such a doing for Life as doth not include the Promise for then it should be of Faith Nay plainly it is a doing directly opposite to believing in the matter of Justification and Life Levit. 18. vers 5. with Rom. 10. vers 5 6. Gal. 3. vers 12. viz. if any men undertake to be the Doers Say others it is not Do and Live by Doing but in Doing Christians live in obedience though not by obedience But this doth not satisfie For it is such a doing as maketh up a righteousness unto Life and is contradistinguished from the righteousness of Faith Rom. 10. vers 5 6. and hence it cannot be meant only of sincere or Evangelical obedience to be performed by Christians at all times but vastly differeth therefrom Say others This Do and Live hath not reference to the Moral Law only but to the Ceremonial also Neither doth this satisfie for there is no ground to exclude the Moral Law it was such a Law as concluded all under sin Gal. 3. 22. Besides the difficulty is the same whether it be by one or the other If in Do and Live a ceremonial doing were intended for Israel that would speak as much for its being a Covenant of Works as if it were a Moral doing even that with Adam in innocency did run upon a Positive Precept concerning Eating or not Eating that Fruit Gen. 2. vers 17. Neither doth the Lord here make a repetition of the Covenant of Works to put them upon their choice whether they would be saved by Working or Believing For they were already within the Covenant of Grace and had the Lord for their God Exod. 20. 1. And doubtless the Lord would not leave them to a liberty to go back from that Grace much less would he enter into such a solemn Covenant as that at Sinai was with them for that end to open a door for their crossing his grand design of free Grace Say others If we look upon the Law separately so it standeth upon opposite terms but if you look upon it relatively as it hath respect to the Promise so those opposite terms have their subservient ends to the Promise and Grace convincing of our sin and impotency c. The Law considered absolutely in it self as Gal. 4. vers 21 to the end so it is nothing else but a Covenant of Works but considered respectively and rerelatively as Gal. 3. vers 17. to Gal. 4. vers 21. and so it is not a Covenant of Works Now it is true that the Sinai Covenant was designed for the ends of the Covenant of Grace or of the Gospel for the Apostle putting the Question Is the Law against the Promise Gal. 3. vers 21. He Answereth God forbid we must then so understand the Sinai Law as in respect of its design and end it may not be against the Promise vers 24. The Law was our Schoolmaster until Christ yet it was for a Gospel end not that we might be justified by the Law but that we might be justified by Faith But still the difficulty remaineth in that separately and absolutely considered it is the Sinai Covenant and runneth upon Do and Live Yea it gendreth to bondage Gal. 4. vers 24. Even as it is the Sinai Covenant It would not conduce to those ends the convincing of sin humbling for it exciting to believing c. But by its own inability for the getting of Life and the avoiding of the Curse as Arguments that way it is therefore presupposed as such a Covenant before its usefulness to these ends Neither can we imagine that the great God would trifle with men in entring into such a solemn Covenant with them on those terms Do and live if there must not be this very doing here intended by some or other or else no life to be attained and it is perfect doing that is called for as I have proved which could not be fulfilled by Israel they were utterly unable for it Gal. 3. vers 21. and therefore it is a doing by Jesus Christ for them that is there intended Say others The Law is taken largely for the whole Doctr ine and Administration of the Sinai Covenant and so it holdeth forth life upon believing in Christ Rom. 10. vers 4. Gal. 3. vers 23 24. and is a Covenant of faith or it is taken strictly as it is an abstracted rule of
performance the Apostle telleth them the least sin would lay them under the curse yea they thereby would frustrate and make void to themselves the whole undertaking of Jesus Christ so as they should have no profit or advantage by him Gal. 5. vers 2. 4. The Lord exacted perfect obedience without any abatement in order to Eternals it was a strict Covenant of works there But as to Temporals it was otherwise although these were promised in the Sinai Covenant upon condition of Israels perfect obedience yet when there was coming short of it and so a forfeiting them yet there was provision made for the forgiveness of many sins so as the Lord would not take the forfeiture or deal with them upon such strict terms as in the Covenant of Works for in case they duly offored sacrifices they should not lose their temporal mercies and thus it was an administration with some grace in it unto Israel This appeareth these ways 1. The Laws and Ordinances for the Publick worship of God among the Children of Israel were contained in the Sinai Covenant as part of its Condition and therefore it did belong to the administration of the Covenant of grace there is a description of the Tabernacle which was for the worship of God Exod. 26. and in Levitieus many sacrifices and services are required of the Children of Israel burnt offerings trespass offerings peace offerings c. and the Rules and directions left by the Lord must be exactly pursued by them in their several places at their utmost peril that they die not or be not cut off Exod. 28. vers 35. 30. vers 20 21 33. Levit. 7. vers 21 25 27. 15. vers 31. 16. vers 2 13. 17. vers 4 9. and many others The Lord would never so punctually have laid out the way of his worship if he had not intended that Israel should find acceptation in keeping close to him in those his appointments The free-will offering must be brought to the door of the Tabernacle Lev. 1. vers 3 4. and it shall be accepted for him i. e. for him that bringeth it he shall have acceptance with the Lord to some end and many of those ceremonial services are said to be for a sweet savour unto the Lord Lev. 4. vers 31. 6. vers 15. 23. vers 18. which implyeth their acceptation with God in those acts of worship at least to the affording promised temporals and so speak their appertaining to the administration of the Covenant of grace for sinners cannot be accepted but in that way of grace in any service yea the Lord owned them with eminent tokens of his presence when they duly acted therein Lev. 9. vers 23. The glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people 2. Israels obedience was not to be that righteousness which was the procuring cause of those temporal blessings promised in the Sinai Covenant and therefore that was an administration of grace the procurement even of those was by the righteousness of another by the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ and therefore of grace In the Covenant of Works man might have expected blessings for his own obedience but it is otherwise in the Sinai dispensation Deut 9. vers 4 5 6. Speak not thou in thy heart saying for my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this Land but for the wickedness of these Nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee and again vers 5. Not for thy righteousness or the uprightness of thy heart c. and a third time vers 6. The sruition of Canaan was a great mercy promised in the Sinai Covenant and with what vehemency doth the Lord deny that it was afforded for the righteousness of Israel three times over he doth inculcate this and therefore they must needs have it in a way of grace and favour 3. There is an intimation in the Sinai Covenant of a provision made against the sins and transgressions of persons under it and therefore it was an administration of grace for a Covenant of Works revealeth no relief or succour in case of sinning nothing but death and a divine course is there to be expected Gen. 2. 17. But it was otherwise in the Sinai Covenant the Children of Israel came exceedingly short of the obedience required therein yet behold divine indulgence even in the bowels of that very Covenant there is pardoning mercy represented in the ceremonial Law thus in case the Priest the Rulers and the whole Congregation or any of the common people became guilty of sins through ignorance against any of the Commandments of the Lord there was a sin offering provided Levit. 4. throughout and pursuing the directions therein it is said they shall be forgiven vers 20 26 31 35. so in case of sinning wittingly there were trespass offerings Levit. 6. Also there were days of attonement and many washings all which intimated that the Lord would not deal with them in a way of strict justice according to the rigor of a Covenant of Works and therefore that was to Israel a ministration of grace Indeed Israel had stood under an impossibility of reaping any temporal blessings by the Sinai Covenant if they had been held strictly by the Lord to the condition of perfect obedience without any way to be freed from their sin for Israel could never have answered the condition of it and so would have missed and come short of all the good of it and consequently this Covenant for temporal blessings would have been vain and useless which were an impeachment to the wisdom of God the maker of it to assert there must therefore be grace in it 4. Considerations of mercy are made great inducements to the obedience of Israel in the Sinai Covenant and therefore it was an administration of grace to them A Covenant of Works runneth upon perfect obedience as the condition of it urgeth duty in a way of Justice as in that with Adam in innocency the inforcement to obedience was primarily the danger of failing thereof viz. dying thou shalt die Gen. 2. vers 17. Or on the other hand the hope of a reward of debt Adam perfectly obeying the Lord in justice would be obliged to afford what he had promised Whereas in the Sinai Covenant a grand motive and provocation to Israels obedience was mercy in the very preface to the Decalogue Exod. 20. vers 2. I am the Lord thy God that noteth Covenant interest in him a choice mercy to a sinful people which brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage there was mercy in their redemption and this is mentioned to urge their observation of the following Commandments vers 3 4 c. so that covenant mercy and redeeming mercy are grand arguments unto Israels obedience in this Sinai Covenant and therefore there was grace in that ministration Likewise Deut. 27. ver 9 10. Thou are become the people of the Lord thy God here is their
mercy what improvement to be made of it Ver. 10. Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God and do his Commandments and his Statutes which I command thee this day Likewise Levit. 19. many Verses Levit. 20. ver 7 8. 5. No violation or breaking of the Covenant on Israels part deprived them of those temporal mercies promised unless it were against the substantials of the Sinai Covenant and therefore it was an administration of Grace to Israel for else every even the least sin would have cut them short of all the benefit thereof Now where the Lord speaketh of breaking the Covenant it is in some principal matters thereof as Levit. 26. vers 1 2 c. You shall make you no Idols nor graven Images c. despising his Statutes and breakng his Covenant are in connexion ver 15. also Jesh 23. ver 16. When you have transgressed the Covenant of the Lord your God which he commanded you and have gone and served other Gods and bowed your selves to them Every sin was some breaking of that Covenant but upon the account of the Covenant with Abraham they were only such transgressions as serving other Gods and Worshipping them that provoked the Lord to anger against them so as to destroy them see Jer. 11. ver 10. Deut. 8. ver 19 20. If we view the instances or examples of the Lords plucking away those temporal mercies from them the Lord did not take advantage to do it upon every sin of infirmity but upon grosser failures against the substance of the Covenant Deut. 4. ver 3. The Lord destroyed them that followed Baal-Peor there is judgement upon transgressors and in opposition to them ver 4. But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day ver 5 6. Those that were in the firmest adherence unto God yet were not sinless but the Lord doth intimate that he would not take advantage upon leffer sins of infirmity to deal in such a way of severity with them but upon greater miscarriages they that walked in a believing careful conscientious obedience were spared by the Lord as here he telleth us so their going into the Babylonish Captivity and other scatterings out of the Land of Canaan and deprivation of their temporal mercies were upon their crossing some main ends of that Covenant and not otherwise which argueth that there was Grace attending it unto Israel 6. After a violation of the Smai Covenant by Israel yet it admitted of Repentance and promised a return of mercy and therefore was an administration of Grace to them Had it been a Covenant of Works to them then no benefit could have been expected by it after a violation whatever Repentance had succeeded But it was otherwise here Deut. 30. ver 1 2. when under scatterings among the Nations then if ver 2. thou shalt return to the Lord thy God and obey his voice with all thy heart c. Ver. 3. Then the Lord thy God will turn thy Captivity and have compassion upon thee Ver. 5. And will bring thee into the Land which thy Fathers possessed and thou shalt possoss it and he will do thee good and multiply thee above thy Fathers When by their sin they had forfeited their temporal mercies yet on the condition of their Repentance they might repossess and reinjoy them and therefore to Israel it was an administration of the Covenant of Grace Object But did not the Lord dispence out Spiritual and Etennal mercies of the Covenant of Grace by the Sinai Covenant as well as temporals if so why is it mentioned as if it were only an administration of it to Israel for temporals Answ 1. Many persons under the Sinai Covenant did obtain Spiritual and Eternal mercies I freely grant But whether these were dispenced out by that is questioned Moses and other Israelites were enriched with Faith Heb. 11. and were saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ even as we Act. 15. ver 11. But they might injoy those blessings by virtue of the Covenant with Abraham and not by that at mount Sinai 2. Under those temporal things in the Sinai Covenant many Spiritual priviledges were typically represented The dealings of the Lord with Israel in that dispensation are said to be as with an heir whilst in infancy Gal. 4. ver 1 3. Now Children in their minority are led into apprehensions of and affections to things by the Pictures of them and are not so capable of right conceptions thereof other waies and therefore a great design of the Lord in this Sinai Covenant was to Picture and point out many spiritual blessings unto Israel under these shaddows Heb. 8. ver 5. for the drawing out that Faith which they had by the Covenant with Abraham to be exercised about them so as their Faith might be raised or helped by that at Sinai though the blessings themselves were not dispenced out thereby but by that with Abraham 3. The Sinai Covenant must be considered either as holding forth the condition of the Covenant of Grace and so it promised nothing but upon a perfect obedience and this not to be performed by Israel but by Jesus Christ and thus as it could not give life by any obedience of Israel Gal. 3. ver 21. Rom. 8. ver 2 3. so neither did Jesus Christ dispence it out thereby for he was the Mediatour of the New and better Covenant and his ministration did lie there Or we must consider it as it was an administration of the Covenant of Grace though but a servile one and the obedience thereof to be performed by Israel and thus it was added Gal. 3. ver 19. it was Additional or an Appendix to that with Abraham containing many Precepts Rules and Ordinances of Divine appointment as Sacrifices and other ceremonial services relating to the Tabernacle Priests and External Worship of God not before given forth and so the persons who were found in a due performance of these with an eye upon and relation to the antient Promise had many Spiritual blessings dispenced out to them but they might be only externally represented by the Siuai Covenant and dispenced out by their looking from thence to that with Abraham which it was annexed to and to be taken in conjunction with I cannot think that the Lord would require their exercising themselves about so many acts of Worship without intending that they should injoy his Spiritual presence and have acceptance in a due observance thereof Yea the temporal mercies themselves promised and afforded to them under the Sinai dispensation were fruits of the Covenant of Grace no outward mercies can be injoyed by sinful men in a federal way but there must needs be Grace therein And thus the matter cometh to the same reckoning in many respects whether those spiritual priviledges were derived to them through the one Covenant or the other I am far from thinking that the Israelites injoyed only temporal mercies doubtless they had Spiritual also though
and washed us from our sins in his own blood it is upon his satisfying the Sinai Covenant by his sufferings unto death as it was the condition of life it s not continuing as an administration of the Covenant of grace will be cleared in the following particulars 4. The Lord is not rigorously exacting duty from Believers now upon the legal terms of the Sinai Covenant cursed is he that continueth not in all therefore the Sinai Covenant is not continuing for such Coaction would inevitably follow a being under the obligation of it in regard that is the very nature and tenor of it Gal. 3. vers 10. Deut. 27. vers 26. and all the Promises run upon those terms If these curses be not in force against them then it is ceased as a Covenant if they be in force then they are under the same rigorous exaction of duty still as Israel was of old for then the inforcement to it is the same For we must know that the Sinai Covenant was not made with Pagans Infidels or professedly unbelievers the great God would not ingage himself by Covenant unto such but it was made with the Children of Israel with those who were the people of God already by the Covenant with Abraham before they came at Mount Sinai hence the preface runneth thus Exod. 20. vers 2. I am the Lord thy God c. not he became their God then but was their God before therefore if it be continuing to any as a Covenant it must be to the people of God for it was made with none else and they must if any be under the terror of it Whereas it is evident that Christians are to yield obedience upon more evangelical accounts the Gospel urgeth upon them duties of holiness the avoiding apostasie and profaness by sweetness and love not by legal terror but by their freedom from it Heb. 12. vers 14 to the end As if he had said ye are not come to a legal Mount Sinai dispensation inforcing duty by terror thundrings and lightnings but to Mount Sion to a dispensation of Gospel Grace vers 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh c. now the terror is upon abusing grace So Rom. 7. vers 6. Their being delivered from the Law in its compelling and condemning power is made the means to raise up unto new and spiritual obedience Not so much from the wrath as the mercy of God Rom. 12. vers 1. from the constraints of love 2 Cor. 5. vers 14. from an eying the promises of God 2 Cor. 7 vers 1. Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all pollution of flesh and spirit And here I may hint one considerable difference between the Covenant of Works and that Covenant at Mount Sinai the former extended to all mankind and was made with all in Adam their common head but the later was made only with some with Israel and Judah the people of God 5. If the Sinai Covenant were still continuing then the people of God within it might still be laying claim to the blessings of it by vertue of the same promises in the very form as they are found therein for if the form be altered then the claim is by another Covenant whereby such an alteration is made Whereas temporal mercies are promised in a new dialect more absoluely Jer. 32. vers 36. to the end and 31. vers 27 28 31 32. they are not afforded unto Christians now upon the same conditional terms that they were to Israel under the Sinai Covenant By way of Analogy those antient promises may intimate to Christians now that walking circumspectly is the way to be supplied with earthly blessings that are good for them but there is no such special Contract or distinct Covenant as that made at Mount Sinai whereby they may claim so large a portion of temporal injoyments as Israel could by that rather we find that those which were most obedient in the first times of the Gospel were put upon an expectation of little in temporals in comparison and were to look for a plenty of troubles losses perseoutions c. Mat. 6. vers 31 32 33. Mat. 10. vers 22. Act. 20. vers 23. 2 Tim. 3. vers 12. Act. 14. vers 22. Luke 9. vers 23. See Mr. Bisco in his book entituled the glorious Mystery of Gods Mercy who endeavoureth to prove that temporal blessings were made over and dispensed to the Jews under the Law in a peculiar manner and as never to any People or Nation but they 6. Various expressions holding forth our freedom from the Law do conclude that it is not continuing as a Covenant as Rom. 6. vers 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under grace Those then that are under the Law in the sense here intended cannot be under grace and are under the dominion of sin and therefore the direction of the Law for duties of holiness is not denied here but they are not under the Law as a Sinai Covenant exacting full and perfect obedience upon pain of an eternal curse not under it as a condition of life unperformed for that were inconsistent with grace and would infer that sin is still exercising Lordship over them Rom. 7. vers 4. Ye are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye might be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead c. He speaketh vers 1 2 3. of the Law as an imperious Husband which is by Covenant and thus they are dead to the Law not under the power of it by the body of Christ that is by his bearing the curse of the Law on his body and therefore they are dead to it as a Covenant for so he had it on his body Gal. 4. vers 21 24 30. The bond woman Hagar is expresly said to be the Covenant or Testament from Mount Sinai and she and her Son all that are of a legal birth must be cast out vers 30. that Covenant therefore from Mount Sinai was but temporary is cast out in Gospel times is not continuing In some respect that at Mount Sinai may be called as it is by learned Cameron a subservient Covenant viz. in respect of Israel as it discovered sin and provoked to seek after a Mediator Exod. 20. vers 19. in promising temporal mercies upon obedience representing spirituals and eternals but subserviency doth not fitly express its soederal nature as it promised life upon doing or perfect obedience threatning death and a dreadful curse upon falling short of it I do not call it the Covenant of Grace nor the Covenant of Works but to express the formality and essential nature of it I call it the Covenant of Grace as to its legal condition or a Covenant concerning the legal condition of the Covenant of Grace which is held forth under an administration of it for temporals unto Israel O let Christians yield utmost obedience to the royal
pardon will be as early as the actuality of the sin and hence he speaketh as if all were actually forgiven already 3. Believers are alwaies under Justification unto life and therefore cannot at any time be actually under the obligation of the Law unto Eternal death It is nothing less than a sentence of death and condemnation a dreadful Curse that the Law denounceth against sinners Gen. 2. 17. Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all c. So that if Believers were one day or moment laid under the obligation of the Law by new acts of sin then so long they must be unjustified again there must be an intermission of their Justification For condemnation is opposed to and utterly inconsistent with present Justification Rom. 5. 16 18. Rom. 8. 33 34. Whereas it is expresly said Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus There is not a bare suspension of the Curse but they are differenced in respect of their state from others which are out of Christ after union with him yea after the fullest pardon yet every sin deserveth condemnation pardon doth not remove the desert of sin but the legal obligation which is to condemnation that is taken off vers 33 34. Joh. 5. 24. He that believeth hath everlasting Life and shall not come into condemnation By daily pardons there is a continuation of a persons Justification and some Faith he hath but although the new acts of Faith may not alwaies be put forth the same moment that he sinneth yet he is secured from condemnation even at first believing or passing from Death to Life The same might be evinced from the declared freedom from the Law and in Curse Rom. 6. 14. Gal. 3. 10 13. At many as are of the works of the Law are under the Curse this strongly implieth that others viz. Believers are not under the Curse so ver 13. And though materially the afflâ—ctions of the Elect before conversion be the same with others under the Curse yet the least Atome of that doth not formally light upon them For Jesus Christ underwent the whole of it on their behalf They were sententially by the Law under the Curse before believing but not executively then much less after being united to Jesus Christ 4. Believers are continually under the New Covenant and therefore the very instant wherein their sins are committed they are remitted or the persons are disobliged from the Law Curse and so actually pardoned For unto this there is requisite only interest in the satisfaction of Jesus Christ which they have in union with him and the Lords declaring their discharge thereupon and this is by the New Testament which was established by his blood for the remission of sins Matth. 26. 28. All pardoning mercy is treasured up there this is the very act of Pardon Believers are alwaies within the New Covenant and therefore have an actual right to the pardon of all sins not only past and present but also to come they have it beforehand in the Promise though not actually in possession they have a ground of claiming after pardons may urge the faithfulness of God in his promise for the affording of them also the instant wherein their sin is committed the New Testament declareth it remitted for that is a standing pardon ever speaking on this wise to all under it your sins and iniquities will I remember no more Jer. 31. 31 34. Heb 8. 12. so as they cannot be under the Laws obligation to punishment any more Believers are under the Promise of a New Heart and writing the Law there which assureth that they shall further repent believe c. Yet such spiritual frames may not immediately be afforded seeing these are gradually attained by a real change but remission of sin is a relative change made in an instant by the Promise upon all under it when they want it And here let it be observed that pardon or forgiveness of sin is a Divine grant by the Law of Grace the New Covenant that is his act of Oblivion Heb. 8. 12. Heb. 10. 16 17. Rom. 11. 27. On which account we read of the Law of Works and the Law of Faith Rom. 3. 27. and this latter in reference to Justification and remission of sin As present condemnation is by a Law even by the Divine Law of Works that passeth Sentence upon sinners the seed of the first Adam who are under it the very instant of their sining whether they be aware of it or not So answerably present Justification and remission of sin is by the Law of Grace the New Covenant that passeth a Sentence upon all the seed of Jesus Christ the second Adam who are under it the very instant of their sinning when often at the very time they do not discern it And as among men oâ—â— may have his offences pardoned by an Act of Oblivion which he is under though no accusation be drawn up against him to put his case upon tryal before a Judge that may come afterward thus it is not by a judicial Act by an Act of God as a Judge but as a Law-giver that he giveth present Justification and Pardons they are the Sentence of his Law the New Testament which Believers are alwaies under accusations from Satan or their own Consciences may come afterward and a tryal before the Judge in the great day The not understanding this hath run into many mistakes some asserting Justification to be from Eternity whereas they might easily understand that the Elect may yea must be under a Sentence of the Law of Works without the least execution of the Curse upon them by the Lord as a Judge till by coming under the Sentence of another Law even the New Testament they be discharged from it Others talk of pleading to a charge and upon a plea being discharged as their Justification whereas that is only the Sentence of one Law declaring a discharge from the Sentence or Curse of another Law upon their interest in the righteousness of Jesus Christ by union with him The Lord is not dealing as a Judge there often the Lord is mentioning Judgement as a future thing Paul reasoned of Judgement to come Act. 24. 25. Matth. 11. 22 24. and 12. 36. 2 Pet. 2. 9. Joh. 12. 47 48. The Word will judge you at the last day The present work of Jesus Christ is not to judge the World but to save it Now he cometh in a dispensation full of Grace with intreaties and beseechings that he may win over Souls to a subjection unto the Law of Faith which is a ministration of righteousness and Life exceedingly glorious 2 Cor. 3. But he will deal in another way when he cometh forth as a Judge then he will come cloathed with terrour and we must all appear before his judgement Seat 2 Cor. 5. 10. When the times of refreshing shall come then will their sins be blotted out Act. 3. 19. Not as if they wanted
seed upon earthly comforts but Christians live by Faith by what is laid up in Divine Promises by these things they live they know not how to subsist in any state or condition without a Promise they would count themselves dead creatures without that whatever earthly enjoyments they had in possession Neither will a Promise alone satisfie without Jesus Christ in it Christ liveth in me he is the very Life of their lives without him nothing but spiritual swoonings faintings dyings and all from the want and failings of Faith That fetcheth in all influences from Jesus Christ for the supporting and hath the great hand and stroak in all the actings of spiritual Life all spiritual motions are managed thereby Heb. 11. 6. Without Faith it is impossible to please God And therefore Sanctification is but a secondary or after evidence That is not discernable till first there be a discerning Faith which speaketh Justification If Faith be inevident all other Graces will be so also Faith may be shewed unto others by Works Jam. 2. 18. A man may be Declaratively justified by Works but if a man doubteth of his Faith he will as well doubt of his Works whether they be from a Gospel root or not For no Love of the right stamp and so no due obedience but what is the fruit and issue of Faith in the Lord Jesus For that worketh by Love Gal. 5. 6. As first acts of Faith do not consist in believing that our sins are pardoned but in a receiving Jesus Christ and his righteousness as the way to pardon Joh. 1. 12. So if Christians kept up in acts of Faith by outgoings of heart to him in the way of the Promise for all that is wanted there would be not only sweet flowings of Love and Evangelical obedience issuing thence but also they would be filled with all joy and peace in believing Rom. 15. 13. I have often thought if Christians did give more attendance to such direct acts of Faith and spent less time in questioning their conditions or giving way to doubtings about them they would find their interest in the Covenant cleared up yea and consolation also coming in as by the by 3. By Faith Souls are venturing upon the Free Grace and faithfulness of God in his Covenant in the greatest distresses with good success The New Covenant is made up all of Promises and the Gospel is called the Word of Faith because it is the Work of Faith to draw out what is vesseled up there Heb. 10. 38. Now the Just shall live by Faith Not only as to Justification but as to expectation of mercy promised Many would be acting Faith in the concluding interest in Christ and Eternal Life but they should be acting it by a cordial owning of Evangelical principles Yea Christians should lead their whole Life in looking to the Love and Faithfulness of God in his Promise for all their relief and succour in any condition they come into here yea even for Eternal Mercy Heb. 6. 18. They are pursued by spiritual enemies corruptions and Temptations and are in great danger but by hope which floweth from Faith and can act no higher than Faith doth they go yea run for refuge to the hope to the heavenly glory that is set before them so as they lie as at Anchour in such stormy daies and here are two immutable things the Promise and the Oath of God that by these they might have strong consolation By Faith they realize the very things contained in the Promise or Covenant and so their interest in it is experimentally witnessed to them They can say at such a time when we were in Soul distress so as all the means in the World could contribute nothing towards inward ease quietment and consolation then we being inabled by Grace to bear the weight of our Souls and our conditions upon the Faithfulness of God in his Covenant or Free Promise we found relief and refreshment It was not meerly our own fancy and imagination but we were delivered out of our distresses by Faith we were inabled to draw out of the Promise the Milk of consolation which it was beyond the power of all creatures to afford us and thus they find that the Covenant or Promise is their own 4. By Faith in the Free Promise there is a standing Conquerours in Jesus Christ over all spiritual enemies it is a great matter of the Covenant that the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents bead Gen. 3. 15. And therefore there is through Grace a vanquishing all the enemies of Salvation Sin and Satan through the blessed Seed the Lord Jesus The Promises are accomplished within the Soul but the way is Ephes 6. 16. Above all take the Shield of Faith That not only is best for descrying Satan in all his Stratagems but for the withstanding of him also Joh. 5. 4. This is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith When the Soul hath Combates or Spiritual Conflicts and reason is foiled cannot bear up then Faith appeareth as Victorious not in its own strength but in the strength of Christ and his conquest which it maketh use of in these encounters And thus conquering acts of Faith as before venturing relieving and discovering acts are useful for witnessing interest in the Covenant I might shew that Faith hath other acts as acts of assurance drawing up conclusions he hath loved me and given himself for me Gal. 2. 20. But I have said enough to shew that it giveth a knowledge of being within the New Covenant CHAP. XIII Of the Use of Absolute Promises THe Question will now be What Use is there of absolute better Promises When or in what cases are they to be made use of Answ 1. They are of Use for the manifestation of the riches of Divine Grace and Love to sinners if there may be some Grace in promising great blessings upon a very small condition certainly there must be more Grace and Love in promising the same absolutely without any condition This maketh to the magnifying of the Lord in his owning Israel above all people that he loved because he would love Deut. 7. 6 7 8. not because they were greater or more lovely than others or had any beauty or comliness in them but for his own sake as is often intimated Absolute Promises are high expressions of Divine Love as Heb. 8. 10 11 12. They proclaim rich mercy and great Love Eph. 2. 4 5. That the Lord should break through all unworthiness and undeservings this may work into the greatest self-emptiness and self-abasement The Lord peremptorily promised the establishing of Davids throne for ever 2 Sam. 7. 13 16. and this Grace melts his heart into a deep sense of his own nothingness ver 18 19. Who am I O Lord God what is my house c. Thou hast spoken also of thy Servants house for a great while to come and is this the manner of man O Lord God So that absolute Promises of Divine
thus reasoneth That cannot be a justifying righteousness in our present fallen estate 1. Which is not perfect for the least sin is enough to condemn Rom. 3. 20. Gal. 3. 10. Nor 2. which is our own of our own working out Rom. 10. 3 5. Nor 3. Which leaves any place for boasting Ephes 2. 9. Rom. 4. 2. Nor 4. which is opposite unto grace Rom. 4. 4. And upon these accounts all Evangelical Works are excluded out of Justification for they are imperfect they are our own subjectively they would leave room for some boasting if acceptance to life were upon these seeing it should be by our giving unto God also the way were opposite to grace for if the condition were never so small yet being performed the reward might be claimed upon our act and so would be of debt not of Gospel-grace Rom. 4. 4. The works of Abraham and David after conversion are excluded out of justification vers 2 3 6. which argueth that although Evangelical obedience kept in its due place doth not derogate from the grace of God yet it doth and is opposite to it if introduced into justification So that Gospel-grace doth not consist in a bare abatement of the rigor of the Law nor in making a bargain with us for the sake of Christ to accept of our faith repentance and sincere obedience instead of that which is perfect but it standeth in excusing us from a personal performance of that righteousness which is the condition of life and admitting Jesus Christ to answer the Law in our stead For the grand difference between the Law and the Gospel is the one justifieth by our own the other by anothers righteousness If man himself be the Doer for life that is the righteousness of the Law which saith Rom. 10. 5. the man that doth them shall live in them In opposition to it that of the Gospel is called the righteousness of faith vers 6. and of God vers 3. because it is to be sought out of our selves in another in the free promise and that which we are the subjects of is to be disclaimed here Phil. 3. 9. Rom. 10. 3. The asserting it to be by any of our personal performances giveth them the very place of works in the Covenant of Works which is anti-evangelical and introduceth some merits as well as perfect works would have done The being enabled by grace to them doth not hinder meriting any more than as one saith my furnishing a man with my tools to work with hinders his deserving a reward All ability that Adam had in innocency was from the favour of God and what he was to do was duty Faith it self is not the least of that righteousness it is an act of obedience but as such it is not said to justifie nor as it worketh by love although it doth so work Gal. 5. 6. Nor as a condition of life as I have elsewhere manifested but only as a means for the applying Christ and his righteousness much less can any works of ours be a part thereof The new creature availeth to being crucified to the world Gal. 6. 14 15. i. e. as a means but it is not said that it availeth to justification To justifie is to declare a person to be righteous the true God cannot pass a false sentence therefore we cannot have justification without having a righteousness this cannot consist in any act of ours as faith repentance or obedience as is already manifested therefore it must be of anothers working out the very righteousness of Jesus Christ Rom. 5. 18 19. 1 Cor. 1. 30. And if his obedience being to the Law may be called a legal righteousness yet as the same is applied by faith it is to us an evangelical righteousness All the question then is whether evangelical works are not of the same use in justification that faith is of have they not the same place and office there that faith hath I answer negatively they have not for often we read of the righteousness of faith never of the righteousness of love in that business We are said to be justified by faith not in the same sense to be justified by love or works It 's true there is a necessity of Evangelical works to testifie our faith obedience and thankfulness to God but they are required not as conditions but as effects and declarations of our justification Things are said to be done when they are manifested as Rom. 3. 7. 4. 15. A tree is known by the fruits And thus not only open acts but those that are secret when regular have an aptitude to evidence faith and that a person is justified even when they are not actually seen Paul speaketh of being justified before God by receiving or applying the righteousness of Jesus Christ in the free promise this is only by faith James speaketh of being justified by manifesting to a mans self or others that it is applied this is by Evangelical works and not by faith only Thus by offering up Isaac the person of Abraham was declaratively justified as it did shew his faith to be true vers 18. Gen. 22. 12. and not his working but his believing is said to be imputed to righteousness Jam. 2. 23. if this be justification in the sense of Paul yet it is by faith and he was called the friend of God there is justification declared by works as God acted kindly towards him so he acted in a friendly way towards God He is a vain man that contenteth himself with a faith that standeth in a bare assent to some propositions of truth without the power of them upon his heart vers 14 19 20. That is a dead faith which doth not profit is not attended with salvation which remaineth without works vers 17 20 26. therefore it is not the same true faith which any are justified by but another thing That unfruitful faith which is blamed here certainly was as far from justifying them as it was from saving them and so is not the faith which Paul insisteth upon for by that men were justified and that in order before works for they cannot be performed in an instant though they certainly follow but the justification and faith which they are put upon and called to declare by works these are of a Gospel stamp The Lord Jesus having fully performed the Law as the condition of the New-Testament hence it becometh absolute to us If improperly a duty a way or means to the enjoyment of some blessings of it be called a Condition I contend not But a Condition properly is more than a causa sine qua non it is a cause that hath a moral efficiency in it for the fulfilling of it is that which giveth right and upon which a man hath a title to what is promised and without it none and so it is a moral efficient cause of the enjoyment of the good promised in a Covenant Faith and repentance are great duties but nothing performed by us can be such
a cause or condition in the New Covenant There is Absoluteness 1. In the form of the New Covenant 2. In the actual admission into it 3. In the freedom of those under it from the curse of the Old and in their participation of the blessings of the New 1. Wherever the form of the New Testament is given forth it is in an Absolute way I will and ye shall Heb. 10. 16 17. Heb. 8. 8. to the end He insisteth upon it that now Jerem. 31. 31 32. was made good and this purposely to draw off the Hebrews from the Old Covenant which they did too much take up in and to put them upon looking unto the New Other Scriptures may discover what is our duty before and after being actually interested in the blessings of it but the nature of the Covenant is most fully expressed here in these Texts which speak of the great matters or promises contained in it of the Mediator and subjects of it The tenure thereof must be fetched from these places where the Covenant is purposely insisted upon rather than from others where only one promise is named and it not so much as mentioned And here it is not called a purpose or prophecie but a Covenant or rather Testament and is so absolutely held forth as God undertaketh all He promiseth as well that they shall be his people as that he will be their God He promiseth not only that he will remember their sins and iniquities no more but also that he will write hiâ— Laws in their hearts i. e. give a frame of faith and new obedience these are as absolutely promised here as any other matters and therefore believing and obeying cannot properly becauses or conditions but are fruits and effects of the Covenant by its being accomplished upon them Their duty iâ— necessarily implied yet as it standeth here in the Covenant the design of iâ— plainly is to express the work of God what he will do for them how he with furnish and capacitate them to discharge it towards him 2. The actual admission of all that Jesus Christ stood for into the New Covenant or the bringing them under it is absolutely determined he had an absolute assurance that his undertaking should take effect on all those that he designed therein Isai 53. 10 11. He shall see his seed all that he travelled for and therefore they must be effectually brought into Covenant with him There was no condition that his obedience had dependence upon or upon which it was to be accepted for such souls otherwise not He did not suffer at any such uncertainty but for those which were assuredly to become the heirs of promise Yea the making Covenant with us is challenged by the Lord as his work Isai 53. 3. 61. 8. I will make or cut an everlasting Covenant with you so Jer. 31. 31 32. Jer. 22. 40. Ezek. 16. 8. Heb. 8. 10. God hath undertaken to bring under the promise and make an application of it Attendance upon means is duty but it is not said that men do make the Covenant with God or bring themselves into it by an act of theirs but God maketh it with them they do but take hold of Gods Covenant Isai 56. 4 6. The will of God is not determined by any act of man When God will work who shall lett him what he undertaketh shall be absolutely accomplished hence as those under the Old Covenant who were to be redeemed are represented under the name of Israel so also are those under the New to whom all is to be applied the same are the subjects of both 3. Those that are actually in Covenant have an absolute freedom from the curse of the Old and a like Promise of the blessings of the New Jesus Christ hath not only suspended but redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. Hence we are said not to be under the Law and to be dead to it Rom. 6. 14. 7. 4. Gal. 2. 19. Christians then have not only a conditional freedom from the curse of the Law in this life but such as is absolute and if they should believe themselves to be under it they should believe a lie Rom. 8. 1. Yet Divine threatnings are of great use not only to the unregenerate but even to believers to strike them into a filial fear so as to deter them from sin which hath such punishment annexed to it and this when they see themselves secured from it even as an ingenuous Child will be afraid upon hearing his father threaten another for a fault and will beware of committing it The non-elect are formally under the curse of the Law and vindictive Justice The Elect before conversion are not only materially under it but the Laws sentence of condemnation is against them Believers are so freed from it as their sicknesses death c. are but materially the same mentioned in the curse and turned into blessings to them Also all the Promises of the New Covenant are absolute to all that are under it Heb. 8. 6 c. No act of ours induceth an obligation upon God to vouchsafe salvation to us That great blessing of the Covenant Justification is by faith not said to be by it as a condition and the same may be said of other blessings thereof yet I deny not but figuratively that may be ascribed to faith which belongeth to Jesus Christ alone The absoluteness of the Covenant is not attended with any such consequence as that then man is at liberty but God is not for such as are yet out of Covenant or want a personal interest in the blessings of it even all men are under a Divine Law and an obligation to obedience else they could not be charged with sin as they are Rom. 3. 23. 5. 12. where there is no Law there is no transgression seeing sin is the transgression of the Law 1 Joh. 3. 4. So then the obligation unto duty doth not arise meerly from entring or coming into Covenant and that is so far from taking off the tie that it superaddeth strength to it but no man is at liberty whether he be in or out of Covenant As to the way of the Lords entring into Covenant with men it is thus He by his Spirit in the Gospel revealeth and giveth Jesus Christ for he is the first saving gift and all the Promises are vouchsafed in and with him Coloss 2. 6. 1 Joh. 5. 12. Rom. 8. 32. Eph. 3. 6. 2 Cor. 1. 30. 2 Pet. 1. 4. The same New Covenant or Testament hath various effects As the Spirit worketh effectually by the Promise of it upon the souls of men so it is a Covenant of life and grace to them it is by the New-Testament that the Lord saith to any souls live and that first grace is wrought in them Ezek. 16. 8. 36. 26. Heb. 8. 10. 2 Cor. 3. 6. As the Lord by giving and promulging the Promises obligeth or putteth
himself under engagements to make them good to men so it is a Covenant to or with them because they obtain personal interest therein so as to have a ground to claim many priviledges thereof thus often the Covenant was renewed with Abraham after his being in it As by the same Covenant or Promise the Lord obligeth himself to all acts of Communion and expressions of love and kindness suitable to or that can be expected in a conjugal relation so it is a Marriage Covenant with them the same instant they are enabled to consent by faith Heb. 8. 10. Joh. 1. 12. to receive and enjoy the blessings promised as a necessary fruit and effect of the Covenant It is promised therein that they shall be his people they shall resign up themselves to the Lord. He hath undertaken that one i. e. one by one shall say I am the Lords Isai 44. 3 5. A consent is promised by the Lords as well as any other matter So that our engaging our selves to God or Covenanting with him is not constitutive of the Covenant of grace but executive namely that which is produced in the execution of it and may often be repeated or renewed by distinct engagings God dealing with men as reasonable creatures that act out of judgement and their own choice urgeth duty as believing repenting c. by arguments from the advantage of coming up to it All that believe shall be saved and the danger of neglecting it such shall be damned as Mark 16 16. Rom. 10. 9. Rev. 3. 20. Such general propositions do not express the full tenure of the Covenant but only are means towards the execution of it for the invitations extend to all Nations Matth. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. since the death of Christ not before Psal 147. 19 20. Whereas the Covenant is only with the Israel of God Heb. 8. 8. I shall add no more at present to this but that my design in all is the right stating evangelical duty and the asserting the doctrine of free grace which as it is the most Christ-exalting so it is the most sin-mortifying soul-humbling and abasing and self-emptying doctrine it is not the Law of works but of faith that excludeth boasting Coloss 1. 18 19. Rom. 6. 1 14. Tit. 2. 11 12. Rom. 3. 27. Reader the following Treatise hath been divers years prepared and not one leaf added to it since October 1672. which I mention for a special reason My desire is that all which I have said for clearing up of the mind and will of God in this great matter may be weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary and received as it holdeth weight there And that thy sharing in the blessings of the everlasting Covenant may be promoted hereby shall be the prayer of him who is Thy Servant in the work of the Gospel S. P. Mon. 4. day 20. 1673. Christian Reader THE ensuing Discourse containeth a sober endeavour for the declaration and true stating of the nature and difference of the two Covenants of Works and of Grace A subject this is which by reason of the weight and use of it in the whole business of Religious Obedience hath been attempted by many and wherein by reason of the difficulty of it in conjunction with their own Prejudices not a few have miscarried Neither do I know of any who have yet handled it with that fulness and perspicuity as to shut up the way unto the diligence of others in the investigation and declaration of the Truth or to render Labour in the same kind either useless or superfluous The stores of heavenly wisdom grace and truth which are treasured up in the Divine Revelations concerning Gods Covenants are far from being fully exhausted or drawn forth by the labours of any in this kind although very many have already brought to light excellent and useful instructions in the mind of God and the duty of them who do believe But the thing it self is so excellent the mystery of it so great the declaration of it in the Scripture so extensive and diffused throughout the whole body of it from the first to the last as also in its concernment unto the whole course of our faith and obedience that there is a sufficient ground whereon to justifie a renewed search into the mind of God therein as revealed in his word There is no doubt but the greatest product of Divine Grace Goodness and condescension next unto the sending of the only Son of God to take our Nature on him with the direct effect and consequence thereof is this of his entring into Covenant with the Children of men nor hath any thing a greater tendency unto the advancement of his own glory God might have dealt with mankind in a way of soveraignty or meer dominion as he doth with the remainder of the creatures here below but then it must be acknowledged that in such a way of rule and procedure there would not have been that evident demonstration of the divine excellencies his goodness righteousness and faithfulness as ensues upon the supposition of his condescension to take mankind into covenant with himself And thence it is that he never did nor ever would treat with any of that race any otherwise or on any other terms Wherefore when the first Covenant was broken by the entrance of sin God had no other relation unto mankind but that of a supreme Ruler and Judge to reward them according to the penalty threatned and established in the Covenant But as for any advantage in a way of Love Peace and Goodness there was none remaining until he had made and established a New Covenant to that end and purpose And this fully discovers how great a concern there is of the glory of God in the Covenant which he made with us and proposeth unto us seeing he never declared or intimated any other way of gracious or acceptable intercourse in him and the effects of iâ— do issue in eternity Moreover this dispensation of God in making a Covenant with our first Parents was the greatest evidence of the preheminence of that nature where with in time we were endowed and only demonstration of our being capable to be brought unto eternal enjoyment of him For God herein admitting us into an intercourse with him by a declared Rule of his own Goodness and faithfulness manifested that we were capable of eternal rewards which he proposed unto us in himself And these things make the investigation of the true nature of the Covenant with God first made with Adam and the terms whereby it was made both necessary and profitable For although that Covenant is ceased by the entrance of sin as unto any spiritual or eternal advantage unto us yet is it as revealed still instructive in the wisdom and goodness of God as also in the excellency of that state and condition in which we were created with the honour that God put upon our Nature whence directions unto due apprehensions of God and
very notion or name of it Thus Isa 53. 10 11 12. There is a mutual agreement something to be undergone by Jesus Christ he is to make his soul an offering for sin something promised to him thereupon he shall see his Seed So Isa 42. 6. Here are the parties Covenanting the Father and the Son not men but I the Lord who cannot err in my appointments who am faithful and able even the almighty God I have called thee i. e. Jesus Christ and will give thee the speech is turned and directed to him thee who art my only beloved Son Here is the Fathers designation and sealing of him John 6. 27. to the mediatorial imployment promising him much upon his undertaking it and his acceptation of this office and voluntary submission to the Will of the Father in it so I come to do thy Will c. Heb. 5. 4 5. Psal 40. 7 8. John 10. 17 18. And these together amount to or make up a Covenant between them for what more can be necessary thereunto Here we have the matters or things promised viz. all that conduce to the compassing the great end of salvation Was man under alienation from God Behold it is promised I will give for a Covenant no way imaginable whereby this wide breach could be made up but by a Covenant and that of Works being broken man would not be trusted any more and therefore now Jesus Christ as a Surety undertaketh all necessary for the ending and making up the difference and the retaking and restoring his Seed into Divine favour again for ever so as he is even the Covenant of the people all the condition of life on their part to be performed is found in him Yea he hath undertaken the removal of all obstacles and impediments within that would hinder their attainment of Covenant mercy he is given for a light of the Gentiles he taketh away the inward blindness that is found with them No sinfulness or unworthiness may be a discouragement for behold all is in a way of free grace I will give thee Christ himself the fountain of all is freely given and the Father is upon the highest determination and resolution for bringing all to effect I will give thee So there are many promises made to Jesus Christ of assistances and all requisites to the mannagement of this great work I will hold thy hand i. e. will assist and be thy helper as Isa 41. 13. and many promises of success and of his being Victorious over all his enemies and having the Heathen for his inheritance c. Psal 2. 8 9. Zech. 9. 10. Psal 72. 8. Dan. 7. 14. upon his obedience all which plainly argue a Covenant between the Father and the Son It is implied also in the ascribing to him the working out of redemption for unto that is requisite an agreement between parties The Father promiseth that upon the payment of such a price by his Son such Souls should be ransomed and set free Jesus Christ consenteth yea payeth it and thus becometh a Redeemer this amounteth to a Covenant But in order to the further clearing of this matter I shall consider a Covenant in general and then its distribution into that of Works and that of grace the interest of Jesus Christ in the latter and also the date of it The Word Covenant in Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Berith is taken either properly for a mutual contract or agreement between two parties and is differenced from a Law which is without obligation on the Law-giver or Commander and from a single promise which is without stipulation from him to whom it is made Covenant may be thus taken when applied to the whole Covenant of grace between the Father and the Son for therein was stipulation Or Covenant is taken figuratively in Scripture either for a bare Divine promise as Gen. 9. 9 10. that was with every living Creature many of which were uncapable of contracting with God or of making any stipulation So Covenant is taken for a bare sign or seal of it Gen. 17. 10. Also for a part as the moral Law which was but a part of the old Covenant is called the Covenant Exod. 34. 28. Deut. 9. 9 11. 15. Thus Covenant and promise may be used promiscuously a part for the whole Rom. 4. 13. Gal. 3. 17 18 19. and thus figuratively Jesus Christ himself is called the Covenant Isa 42. 6. The Covenant of God on the behalf of man is two-fold and is thus distinguished The Covenant 1. Of works with the first Adam and his Seed 2. Of Grace 1. With Jesus Christ the Second Adam for all his from eternity 2. With his in and with him in time considered in its 1. Legal Condition typical manifestation and servile temporary administration at mount Sinai 2. Evangelical disposition as to matter and form viz. Spiritual promises free and lasting dispensation and all this considered in its 1. Prima y revelation and renewing with the Fathers as Abraham David c. before the incarnation of Jesus Christ Gal. 3. 14 16 17. under the old Testament when the Messiah was promised and priviledges in him 2. Ratification consummation or perfection after the incarnation of Christ under the new Covenant or Testament Heb. 8. and 9. wherein the Mediator is exhibited and priviledges coming and to be applied absolutely by him more clearly enumerated Or thus The Covenant of God on the behalf of men is two-fold and is thus distinguished The Covenant 1. Of Works with the first Adam and his Seed in him 2. Of Gracein its 1. Constitution with Jesus Christ the Second Adam and his Seed in him from Eternity consisting of Promises and agreements for their i. e. his Seeds recovery from a state of sin and death to a state of righteousness and life in and by him 2. Declaration and manifestation as with us in and with Christ in time and thus it is considered in its 1. More private dispensation whilst the Church was Domestical or in families as to its 1. Primary revelation and promulgation to Adam Gen. 3. 15. 2. After Secondary renewing execution and application to the Patriarchs as Abraham c. Gen. 12. 15. 17. 2. More Publick dispensation when the Church became Congregational as to its 1 Legal Condition and administration in the mount Sinai Covenant Exod. 19. 20. 2. Evangelical disposition viz. Absolute Promises and unchangable administration in the new Covenant Heb. 8. 8 9 10 11. The first part of this Division is Generis in Species viz. into Covenant of Works and of grace The Second part viz. the Division or distribution of the Covenant of grace is threefold 1. Accidentis in Subjecta viz. with Christ as principal and with us in him 2. Effecti in suas causas and that extrinsecal and intrinsecal viz. legal condition Evangelical disposition 3. Accidentis in accidentia viz. primary revelation ratification 1. There was a Law or Covenant of Works made with the first Adam and
foundation can no man lay then the is laid which is Jesus Christ The Covenant of Works was founded upon something in man his concreated ability and natural strength all the obedience of the first Adam if he had stood and the fruits thereof would have been resulting from the sufficiency of his own power and free-will and he failing all the fabrick fell But the Lord hath established another glorious Covenant and this is built upon what is firmer and of greater strength even Jesus Christ this stone that is laid in Zion is a tried stone Isa 26. 16. A sure foundation Now the structure of our Salvation will never fall because it hath such a sure ground-work able to bear up the weight and stress of all that is laid upon it No other can be laid He is the only foundation of all the promises of all the graces of all the obedience of all the peace of all the comfort of all the glory that is promised That with Abraham before his incarnation was confirmed of God in Christ Gal. 3. 17. He was the Mediator of Abrahams Covenant and therefore that had in it the same for substance with the new Indeed Jesus Christ is the foundation of all the blessings and special priviledges in the Covenant as with us If the Lord be a God to any it is in Christ if their iniquities be forgiven it is in the blood of Christ if the Divine Law be written in their hearts it is by the finger of the spirit of Christ thus he lieth at the bottom of all and so is the Covenant of the people 2. Jesus Christ maketh way for our injoyment of all federal blessings by standing in manifold relations to the Covenant As he standeth between God and us as a middle person to make reconciliation so he is the Mediator of the Covenant Heb. 9. 15. There was a wide breach that we could never have made up yea such a variance as there was no possibility of our approaching to God to enter upon a Treaty of Peace much less to procure our own reconciliation sin raised such an enmity as the Lord would have been a consuming fire to us if we had come near to him now the Lord Jesus interposed and took up this case undertook to compose and put an end to this difference There were iniquities in the way to hinder our fruition of promised mercies but he took an effectual course for the removal of these He is the Mediator of the new Testament to what end for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament Satisfaction was made by him to Divine Justice to the full he answered all the demands of the righteous Law and so wrought out reconciliation for us As he undertook for the parties at variance so he was the surety of the Covenant Heb. 7. 22. Jesus made a Surety of a better Testament The Lord would not take our bond for that great debt which we had contracted and were never able to pay It was now with us as with a poor man under an arrest for a vast sum unless there can be procured an able sufficient man to enter bond with him he must to prison without hope of being released any more so the Law of the righteous God arrested us for infinite breaches thereof it exacted a great and yet most just debt at our hand which we being already bankrupts were never able to answer it required a debt of infinite suffering the just due of our sin which if laid upon us would sink us for ever for the wages of sin is death The Lord demanded a debt of perfect obedience universal righteousness unto life which we were never able to yield and now unless one able and sufficient will undertake and be bound for us there is no possibility of escaping the prison of Hell the chains of infernal darkness the everlasting wrath of the Omnipotent God under this misery we must have layen without hope of recovery this was our state upon the fall of our first parents and in this strait and distress one not of our procuring but of his own grace offering it even Jesus Christ stepped in and became a surety for us to pay our ransom to answer our debt to the utmost farthing he put his name into our Obligation was made under the Law to redeem those that were under the Law Gal. 4 4. Yea he became God's surety to us to free us from all doubtings about the fulfilling of the Covenant to us he undertook and promised that he would lose nothing that was given him John 6. 39. But would raise in up at the last day i. e. to everlasting Salvation for others shall be raised up also unto Condemnation but these unto eternal glory As he ratified and confirmed all so he was the Testator of the Covenant Heb. 9. 16 17. Where there is a Testament then must also of necessity be the death of the Testator for a Testament is of force after men be dead Nothing less than death it self was threatned upon the first transgression Gen. 2. 17. that must be indured if ever Sinners be recovered unto a fruition of eternal life and now behold the matchless love of Jesus Christ saith he I will die in their stead to save them from eternal death and thus he hath turned it into a Testament a new Testament fealing it with his own blood As he acteth for our obtainment of the blessings promised so he is the Messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3. 1. The Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in behold he shall come We should have been without a knowledge of this grace altogether strangers to it and unacquainted with it if he had not revealed it to us and so we should not have made out after but come short of those spiritual blessings of the Covenant but now Jesus Christ himself travelleth with these blessed tidings he maketh a report of all the federal transactions between the Father and him in order to our Salvation he openeth all those soul-ravishing Mysteries and all those precious promises yea the way to our participation of those blessed priviledges and so he is the Messenger of the Covenant As he seeketh to satisfie us of the reality of God in all those federal transactions so he is the wâ—tness of the Covenant Isa 55. 4. Behold I have given him for a witness of the people When poor sould hear the tidings of Covenant love in the heart of God towards them they are ready to suspect it is too good news to be true are apt to be incredulous here are hardly perswaded to believe the truth thereof at least as to themselves now Jesus Christ condescendeth so far as to take upon him the Office of a Witness to assure of the truth of all yea now he is in heaven he doth not throw up that Office he continueth still in this work and sendeth down news from heaven thereof Revel 1. 5. 3. 14. He
is the faithful Witness still as if he should say I lay in the bosom of the Father I have seen all transactions all passages I know how the heart of God standeth towards this Covenant work if my word may have any credit with you I testifie saith Jesus Christ that the Father is real herein and the work is done the Covenant is struck yea ratified and sealed with my blood When souls are full of jealousies concerning the willingness of God to give entertainment to them and admittance into Covenant grace and to deal with them in a Covenant way though they cannot peep into Heaven and look into the bosom of the Father and read all things there yet Jesus Christ stoopeth so low as to take upon him the Office of a faithful Witness to give assurance thereof As he is our Spiritual head and the blessed Seed so he is a party contracting in the Covenant he is the chief Seed of Abraham and of David Gal. 3. To whom the promises are made vers 19. Matth. 15. 22. All is assured to him as well as to us and his standing on our side as a party with us in the sme Covenant as it is an honour so it is a comfort to us in that it giveth assurance of its accomplishment to a tittle for the Lord will not fail his only Son Jesus Christ of any thing which he hath promised to him and he being a party it were an injury to him if any thing were unfulfilled As he is the Substance of the Covenant so he is said to be the Covenant of the people and well may he bear this name he standing in all these relations to it 3. Jesus Christ was the principal promise of the Covenant this denominates him the Covenant his being really the chief part of it or thing firstly promised in it and all other things for his sake Thus he primarily was the Seed of the woman that was promised to break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. Heb. 2. 14. 1 John 3. 8. He is that Seed of Abraham in whom all the Nations are blessed Gen. 22. 18. Gal. 3. 16. He is the royal Seed of David to be enthroned of whose Kingdom there shall be no end Luke 1. 32 33. Indeed this is a grand priviledge of Gospel times that what was of old the great thing under promise to come viz. a blessed Seed a Messiah is now turned into a performance and he now standeth actually a Mediator in stead thereof All the prophesies were of him Act. 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witness Of the Scriptures he saith Joh. 5. 39. They are they which testifie of me as if they said nothing else but Christ Christ and thus he is the Covenant 4. Jesus Christ is really to us all that which under any antient Covenant was typically represented unto men and so he is Substantially the Covenant of the people as Dr. Sibs observeth Christ is all to us which was held forth of old either in personal types he is the Second Adam the true Isaac Joseph Joshua Solomon Melchisedeck Or in real types he is the true brasen Serpent that cureth sin-stung souls which by an eye of faith are looking to him Joh. 3. 14 15. He is the true Manna bread of life to all those that believingly feed upon him Joh. 6. 31 33 35. He is the true sacrifice the Paschal Lamb our hearts being sprinkled with his blood the destroying Angel shall pass over us He is our true Tabernacle true Altar and true Ark all typified by these is really fulfilled in him 5. Jesus Christ is the excellency marrow and sweetness yea the sum and Substance of all that is under promise and so he is the Covenant of the people indeed he is the very store-house where the promises are treasured up All mercies from the Father must have their conveyance to us through the hands of his Son Yea Jesus Christ is the very quintessence the chief in the very life of all the mercies themselves and all come with him Rom. 8. 32. How shall be not with him also freely give us all things It is Christ that putteth fulness into other things and addeth sweetness to them they are imbittered and as nothing if without him The promises though full in themselves yet are empty to us unless taken with Christ all priviledges empty all injoyments empty unless taken with him hence he is said to be all in all Col. 3. 11. He is all in all graces all in all peace in all promises in all comforts in all glory 6. Jesus Christ doth all that is necessary for the procurement of all federal blessings and so he is the Covenant of the people as he is the resurrection i. e. the cause of it John 11. 25. So he is the cause and procurer of all federal blessings Not only shall he make a Covenant with the people but be a Covenant of the people i. e. All that is required in a federal way from the people that Jesus Christ shall be so them if the Father demandeth it of them they must not present him with any duties or performances of their own for acceptation unto life but with Jesus Christ he is their Covenant to perform all for them which they are obliged to in order to that end Saith the Lord I will not enter into Covenant or deal in an immediate way with them as with the first Adam but I will take a surer course I will give thee for that end thou shalt undertake all the matters therein even for thy Seed I will look to thee for the performance thereof and thus he is the Covenant of the people All that is promised to Jesus Christ or to us it is upon his obedience Isa 53. 10 11 12. Not by the obedience of every one for himself but by the obedience of one i. e. of Jesus Christ many are made righteous Rom. 5. 19. Justification of life and remission of sins are procured by him vers 18. Rom. 3. 24. And so reconciliation or promised peace Isa 53. 5. The Chastisement of our peace was upon him We must for ever have stood at enmity if he had not stepped in for the procurement of our peace hence he is our peace Ephes 2. 14. Not only the Author and Procurer but even the sum of it So the promise of propriety in and Communion with God hath its procurement and taketh effect only upon the obedience of Jesus Christ all are afar off from God under the greatest estrangement till made nigh by the blood of Jesus Christ Ephes 2. 12 13. the promise of the Communication of Sanctifying grace of giving the Law into the heart is from him Isa 53. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Yea the promise of Salvation and eternal life taketh effect from him his death was for this end Heb. 9. 15. That they which are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance And thus he is for a Covenant of the people CHAP. IV.
that he may establish the Second Nothing cometh in the room and stead of it self but of something else now the Second better Covenant cometh in the place and stead of the First so as the one must be removed and taken away that the other may be established and so they must be two distinct Covenants the first is Old and Heb. 8. vers 13. That which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away Heb. 7. vers 18. There is verily a disanulling of the Commandment going before i. e. of the first Covenant The Old then is such as it is disanulled and vanisheth away whereas the New Covenant cannot be disanulled never vanisheth away neither is it said that one administration vanisheth is disanulled and taken away that another might succeed though this is true but one viz. a first Covenant it self is taken away that a Second may come in the room of it 6. They are expressly called two Covenants or Testaments The Apostle mentioneth Abrahams two Sons the one by a Bond-woman who was born after the flesh the other by a Free-woman who was by Promise and maketh this application of it Gal. 4. vers 24. Which things are an Allegory for these are the two Covenants or Testaments the one from the Mount Sinai which gendreth to bondage which is Agar What can be more plain Here it is expressly affirmed that there are two Covenants or Testaments and neither of these two was formally though material one might be the Covenant of Works or of friendship made with the first Adam in his estate of Innocency For then man himself must have been the worker for Life and therefore of necessity there must be two Covenants besides and so it is no way incongruous to speak of three Covenants seeing that with Adam is generally acknowledged to be One and here the Scripture expresly speaketh of two Covenants and that with Adam is none of them It is not that signified by the Free-woman and her Son Isaac for that in opposition to the other is said to be free and to be by Promise v. 23 26 31. Neither is it signified by the Bondwoman and her Son for after he said these are the two Covenants it immediately followeth vers 24. The One from the Mount Sinai which gendreth to bondage which is Agar So then not the Covenant of Works as made with Adam but the Sinai Covenant is the other here intended And plainly he speaketh of both according to Divine Ordination or Institution and concludeth them so to be two Covenants in this Allegory he doth not mention them considered abusively according to the intention of the Judaizing Prophets but in themselves vers 21 22. Ye that desire to be under the Law do ye not hear the Law for it is written Abraham bad two Sons c. therefore as they warrantably heard the Sinai Law so it and the free Promise made two Testaments Yea in the times of the Old Testament these were kept very distinct hence it is observable that when the Children of Israel had sinned egregiously in making the Calf and the Lord severely threatned even to consume them Exod. 32. 10 11. Moses in interceding for them doth not plead the Covenant newly made at Mount Sinai but that with Abraham vers 13. Remember Abraham Isaac and Israel thy servants to whom thou swarest c. He saw he could not ground his plea upon the Sinai Covenant already violated by them and therefore he fleeth to another founded upon free grace So Deut. 9. 27. 2 King 13. 23. The Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them and had respect to them he doth not say because of his Covenant with Moses at Mount Sinai but because of his Covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. So that whilst the Sinai Covenant was in force yet that with Abraham which went before was not swallowed up in it or mixed with it but remained intire and distinct still dispencing our blessings to the Subjects of it they were not one and the same Covenant in that day O then let Christians beware of mixing and confounding the Old and New Covenant which are so distinct It is the great design of the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians to beat off from this mixture both have their great use but they must have their due place Gal. 4. 21. Ye that desire to be under the Law c. there is a great aptness to legalize or desire to be under the Law The false Prophets were ready to be branding Paul for an Antinomian as if he rendred the Law unprofitable by his Preaching the Doctrine of free grace for the taking off this aspersion he putteth the question Gal. 3. 19. Wherefore then serveth the Law that is if the Law doth not justifie why then was it given or what use was it of He answereth it was added because of transgression till the seed should come to whom the Promise was made Where observe how carefully the Apostle doth distinguish these he doth not make the Sinai Law or Covenant one and the same with the Promise but something added or put to it a distinct thing it was additional and so not the Promise it self but yet was of admirable use it was added because of transgression say some to reveal and discover sin and lay restraint upon men that they run not into it but the Law in the hand of Christ is of such use to Believers still whereas he speaketh of such a use of it as lasteth only till the coming of the promised Seed and therefore I understand it thus because or for the sake of transgression viz. that Jesus Christ by coming under it might make full satisfaction for that transgression which man was in it was added not for Justification but for transgressions sake that its curse might be indured and removed and this additional use of the Law was but till the promised seed came then it ceased having its accomplishment in him the Law was added that he might finish transgression and make an end of sin as Dan. 9. 24. And this way was made for the Divine Promise to pass upon us Now there is a sinful mixing these two Covenants the Old and the New which are distinct 1. When there is a joyning any thing of ours with Jesus Christ in the matter of acceptation unto eternal Life this was the case of those Judaizing Prophets Act. 15 1. they taught except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved The like we have Gal. 5. 2. If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing They expected advantage by Jesus Christ else this Argument would have been of no force to them vers 4. Christ is of no effect to you c. They were therefore jumbling works of their own and Jesus Christ together mixing these in the matter of their acceptation unto Life and this is intimated to be desperately dangerous Christians ought to perform all duty in conformity to Jesus
Christ in the way to Salvation but not in the least or that which justifieth or saveth See what earnestness and vehemency the Apostle useth herein vers 3. I testifie again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to the whole Law Where is intimated that an acting in any work upon a legal account or on a legal ground is a putting our selves under the obligation of and is all one as if we sought life altogether by the Law For if they were circumcised upon a principle or opinion of its conducing to their Justification they became debtors thereby to the whole Law though they did not think other services required or themselves obliged to them yet by one they put themselves under the bond of the whole Thus then if any should act in any Gospel Institutions as Baptisme or the Supper of the Lord upon a like account as they did take up circumcision viz. with an opinion of their conducing to justification and acceptation with God unto Eternal Life they would thereby make themselves debtors to the whole Law So if they should give Repentance mourning for sin self-emptiness yea Faith it self the same place and act therein upon such a ground as they did in Circumcision Christ would be rendred of no effect unto such Souls 2. When there is a living in the Spirit of the Old Covenant in dealing with the Promises of the New then indeed there is a mixing of the two Covenants which are so distinct The Old Covenant carried with it a Spirit of bondage and terrour Rom. 8. 15. Heb. 12. 18. And if Souls in looking to the Promise carry it as if they were conversing with God upon the burning Mount eyeing chiefly Divine wrath dwelling more upon a Divine curse than upon the Grace of God in the free Promise in looking for mercy here is the Spirit of the Old Covenant so when souls are shie of the Promise and ready to stand at a distance from it when they carry it towards God as if Jesus Christ had not satisfied the curse of the Law and yet in part look to the Promise The Old Covenant did run upon Dâ— and Live intending that Jesus Christ should be the doer in reference to Eternal Life but when souls are like those who were hired into the Vineyard Mat. 20. vers 1 2 c. when they are indenting with God for their penny when they must have such incomes and such injoyments from God in case they act in duty when they seek the reward upon their own doing they may work hard and sink under their burthen and have little thank for their pains as that Parable sheweth When duty is not mannaged with a Gospel Spirit when the Divine Spirit is not acting the Soul by the Promise of the New Covenant it cometh to little The Old Covenant did run upon condition and so when Souls dwell upon conditions performed by or wrought within themselves and build their Hope Peace and Comfort upon them so as they look little or nothing to the free Grace of God in absolute Promises make but little use of these in comparison of the other then they are too much in the Spirit of the Old Covenant and mixing with the New CHAP. VII Of the nature of the Mount Sinai Covenant IT will now be asked What manner of Covenant was that at mount Sinai which is called the worse Covenant what kind of Covenant was it Sol. In general it was a Covenant of Works as to be fulfilled by Jesus Christ but not so to Israel Or It was the Covenant of Grace as to its legal condition to be performed by Jesus Christ represented under a conditional administration of it to Israel This is a knotty puzling Question in Divinity for the clearer opening of it I must answer both Negatively and Affirmatively SECT I. Answ I. NEgatively in four Propositions Prop. I. The Sinai Law was not given as a Covenant of Works to Israel It was designed to be a Covenant of Works as to be accomplished by Jesus Christ as will appear afterward but the end of the Lord was not that it should be so to Israel For 1. The nature of a Covenant of Works and also the general current of Scripture denieth the Sinai Law to be such A Covenant of Works requireth perfect personal obedience promising life or a reward of Justice thereupon and threatning death upon the least violation thereof This is evident from the Covenant with Adam in innocency Gen. 2. vers 17. He obeying it is implied he should live he disobeying by eating the forbidden Fruit the sentence of death passeth upon him and apparently this is a true description of a Covenant of Works for whatever is opposite unto this speaketh Grace if Justification and Eternal Life be attained by anothers righteousness or obedience without their personal performance of it there is Grace herein if the reward be not of Justice it must be of Grace if imperfections and sinful failings be not followed with death there is Grace in that also Now the design or intendment of God in giving the Sinai Covenant was not that Israel should by their own obedience obtain Eternal Life and Salvation Indeed the false Apostles in Gospel times did put upon personal obedience they urged Circumcifion and other works of the Law as necessary unto Justification and Eternal Life but in opposition to them the Apostle argueth in diverse Chapters in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians proving that they come by a righteousness performed for us by Jesus Christ Rom. 3. vers 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law i. e. as performed by themselves shall no flesh be justified in his sight it is vers 28. Without the deeds of the Law Gal. 2. vers 16. Gal. 3. vers 10. As many as are of the works of the Law i. e. as performed by themselves are under the curse and vers 11 12. Gal. 5. vers 2 3. Yea our Salvation is not of works Ephes 2. vers 8 9. 2 Tim. 2. 9. Adam forfeiting life when he might have had it on the terms of his own doing hence the Lord would never deal with man in that way any more And lest any should think that this was only since the Sinai Covenant was at an end the Apostle proveth that our works are now excluded from the instances of Abraham and David Rom. 4. vers 2 3. For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God and addeth it is to him that worketh not vers 5. and vers 6. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works Where it is plainly intimated that we are justified in Gospel times in the same way for substance with them of old and he expresly saith that this was not by works of their own performance no not by such as they came up to after they were in a state of grace much less by any works of theirs
satisfie or undergo the penalty which the Lord still required without substantial abatement Now in infinite wisdom the Lord contrived this way of the Sinai Covenant wherein Israel who were guilty by voluntary compact and agreement obliged themselves and their Seed to the perfect obedience which the Law required and that under pain of the Curse and Jesus Christ being born of their Seed and under the Sinai dispensation or Covenant was born under the same Law which the guilty persons were included in I see not how that could have been though he had been born of the Seed of Adam without this renewing of it at mount Sinai If he had not been born under the very Law as a Covenant of Works he should not have satisfied it by answering the penalty or fulfilling the righteousness of it but had only done and suffered something in lieu and stead thereof it would not have been the idem for us and this sheweth how exceedingly necessary the Sinai Covenant was It is true there was an agreement between the Father and the Son from Eternity about it the Covenant of Grace was then struck and had a being but the Sinai Covenant was a necessary medium or means for the execution thereof 4. Jesus Christ actually underwent the very Curse of the Sinai Law so as thereby he hath obtained our freedom from it and therefore that held forth the legal condition of the Covenant of Grace to be performed by him on our behalf how else should his undergoing the Sinai Curse give us immunity from it Now it is said Gal. 3. vers 13. Christ hath Redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us c. that the blessings of Abraham might come on the Gentiles c. Here is our priviledge we are sharers in the blessings of Abraham we are Redeemed from the Curse of the Law of the Sinai Law for of that he speaketh vers 10 17. and in order to our fruition of this priviledge Christ was made a Curse for us he actually underwent the very Sinai Curse that we might be delivered from it And the scope of the Apostle here is to discover how we attain unto Justification and Eternal Life it is by Jesus Christ his Redeeming of us from the Curse of the Law and therefore his bearing of it is the condition of our Salvation as to penalty even as his active obedience is the condition of it as to righteousness And let it be observed these Galatians were Gentiles and yet before their conversion they were under the Curse mentioned in the Sinai Covenant and needed to be Redeemed from it by Jesus Christ as well as Jews though the Sinai Covenant was made only with the Jews the Gentiles were never formally under it that expired as a Covenant before the conversion of the Galatians Gal. 3. vers 13. and 14. vers 21. and 5. vers 1. Jesus Christ did bear the Curse not to prevent these Gentiles coming under it but to Redeem them from it And therefore in the Sinai dispensation was contained the condition of the Covenant of Grace which Gentiles were concerned in as well as Jews 5. Many ceremonial Services in the Sinai Covenant did typically point out the sufferings of Jesus Christ for us and therefore the design of that Covenant was to hold forth the legal condition of the Covenant of Grace It may stumble some that in the Sinai Covenant all seemeth to be between God and Israel and the obedience of it to be required at the hands of Israel not of Jesus Christ But let them know that Israels obedience injoyned therein was not only about Morals but also about ceremonial services Levit. 18. 5. and 26. vers 46. his Statutes or Institutions which clearly typified Jesus Christ and that in his passive obedience his shedding of his blood which was the great requisite to our Redemption and Salvation these were as much imposed upon Israel as the other and yet Jesus Christ must be principally intended therein so as Israel could not have any share with him in making the least satisfaction for sin by all those Sacrifices Offerings and sheddings of Blood therein Christ was alone and there was none with him Now if the principal condition of the Covenant of Grace for remission of sin be undeniably wrapt up in those ceremonial services of the Sinai Covenant why should it seem strange to any that under the obedience to the Moral Commands imposed upon Israel should also lie wrapt up the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ for our righteousness as the principal aim and intendment thereof We are not to think that those legal Sacrifices did expiate sin realiter but typice they were patterns and shaddows of better things Heb. 9. vers 9. They offered both Gifts and Sacrifices that could not make him that did the Service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience those services though imposed by God himself did not please him ex opere operato from the work wrought they did not sanctifie the inward Man the Conscience of the sinner but directed to Jesus Christ in whom alone they might have remission of sin and sanctification Heb. 7. vers 19. The Law made nothing perfect Heb. 9. vers 12 13 14. Israelites were obliged Typically by their Priests to offer Sacrifices for sin and make attonement upon pain of the Curse and to do many such acts that did bear some relation to the passive obedience of Jesus Christ but yet Jesus Christ alone was the real attonement It is certain the intendment was not that Israel by their own works should attain Eternal Life And seeing both the ceremonials and morals are in the same manner urged upon Israel in the Sinai Covenant and seeing also such an obedience to the Moral Law was unquestionably performed by Jesus Christ as our righteousness hence all the inconveniencies that lie against the one for expressing the condition of the Covenant of Grace do also lie against the other where yet it must be acknowledged If any will yet urge that the Sinai Covenant was between God and Israel not between him and Jesus Christ Let them consider that in Old Testament times things were expressed very darkly and seemed at the first blush to have relation only to some lower matters these were most obvious when other higher things were principally intended in them Thus many passages to outward appearance seem to relate only to David or Solomon who indeed had their share in them but yet they were Prophetical or Typical of Jesus Christ and under them he was principally intended as the interpreting and applying of them to him doth frequently evidence as Psal 16. vers 10. compared with Act. 2. vers 31. and 13. vers 35. Psal 69. Psal 22. vers 18. with Joh. 19. vers 24. Psal 89. vers 36. with Luk. 1. vers 32 33. So in like manner in the Sinai Covenant which was a dispensation full of darkness noted by the vailing of the face of Moses 2
righteousness consisting in Precepts Threatnings and Promises holding forth life upon an impossible condition to lapsed man perfect doing in this sense Moses gave it not nor is it a Covenant of faith but of works But this doth not satisfie for I see no ground for that large acceptation of the Law Rom. 10. vers 4. speaketh of the Law for righteousness and so is taken as strictly as vers 5. only it is said to be performed by Jesus Christ and then by believing souls are interessed in his performance and Gal. 3. vers 12 23 24. he speaketh of the Law as a Schoolmaster to Christ which we are not under Besides the Law in that strict sense wherein this Objection granteth it to be a Covenant of Works is that in which it was given at Sinai Rom. 10. vers 5. Moses describeth the righteousness of the Law he that doth them shall live in them Therefore the Law was given in that restrained sense by Moses Further in that large acception it cannot be proved to be cloathed with the nature of a Covenant whatever in that is of a foederal nature or can belong to it as a Covenan trunneth upon the terms of that perfect Obedience in that strict sense Do and Live and so apparently it putteth on the Nature even of a Covenant of Works though not intended to be performed by Israel for life but by Jesus Christ for them SECT VII Prop. 2. THat the Sinai Covenant under a typical servile administration of the Covenant of grace promised temporal mercies to Israel upon the condition of their Obedience It s servile and typical nature is clearly holden forth Gal. 4. vers 3. 24. Heb. 8. vers 9. and will be more fully manifested elsewhere It s Conditional form is obvious it promiseth nothing but upon the condition of obedience and that not only to be performed by Jesus Christ but also by Israel Exod. 19. vers 5 6. If ye Israel will obey my voice and keep my Covenant c. Deut. 4. vers 13. He declared unto you his Covenant which he commanded you to perform even ten commandments you i. e. Israel as v. 1. is required to yield obedience or commanded to perform it and he speaketh of the same Covenant made in Horeb or at Sinai when the Lord spake to them out of the midst of the fire vers 10 11 12. yea Israel is blamed for violating that Covenant Jer. 31. vers 32. Which Covenant they brake c. therefore it was their duty to keep it That it promised Temporal mercies to Israel upon the condition of their obedience is manifest Levit. 26. vers 3 4 c. If ye walk in my statutes and keep my commandments and do them what then then will I give you rain in due season and the Land shall yield her increase c. these are outward mercies vers 6. I will give you peace in the Land c. there is another temporal mercy And not only obedience to the judicial commands which respecteth them as a Commonwealth but to all moral and ceremonial precepts is required to these ends The Ten Commandments are rehearsed Deut. 5. and then Statutes and Judgements mentioned and observing all is urged to this end that they may live and enjoy the land of Canaan and length of dayes therein V. 31 32 33. Deut. 6. vers 1 2 3 17 18 24. and Deut. 11. vers 8. Therefore shall you keep all the commandments which I command you this day here a universal obedience is injoyned they were to keep not only some but all the Commands and what will follow Vers 9. I will give you the rain of your land in his due season c. by all which it appeareth that Israels obedience to the whole Sinai Covenant was required in order to their fruition of temporal blessings Yea not only external viz. that of the outward man but cordial obedience is required to this end Deut. 11. vers 13. If ye will hearken diligently to my commandments which I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul Then vers 14. I will give you the rain of your land c. send grass c. outward mercies So Deut. 6. 5. Conscience then was concerned even about these things and disobedience to moral precepts which did bind their Conscience was given as a reason of their being excluded from their temporal mercies Jer. 11. vers 8 10 c. Jer. 44. vers 21 22 23. It resteth then to be proved that the Sinai Covenant as to be performed by Israel did belong to the administration of the Covenant of grace or had grace in it to them It is true it required of them not only sincere but perfect obedience even in order to temporal mercies it must be to all commands with all the heart as I have proved their coming short of that was sinful for in that very Covenant some Sacrifices were appointed where sincere obedience was performed for sins of infirmity as of ignorance c. as well as for others Lev. 4. vers 26 29 31 35. and 5. vers 10 13 16 18. and alsewhere This providing a relief a remedy doth imply that Israel would fail would sin and stand in need of that forgiveness which in many cases was here promised yet in pursuance of these directions which are punctually given by the Lord in offering sacrifices exactly according to appointment they should be forgiven that is so far as temporal judgements threatned should be averted and temporal mercies promised should be afforded these sins should not be any hindrance in the way of them thus far it was a real forgiveness for if there had been no real expiation by those sacrifices and something forgiven how could they have been typical of that forgiveness which Believers have of their sins by the true sacrifice Jesus Christ It was not real spiritual forgiveness as to the Conscience that was promised there so the Law could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Heb. 9. 9. And let it be observed when the Apostle speaketh not in relation to temporals but to eternals then he mentioneth the tenor of the same Sinai Law to be Do and live and cursed is he that continueth not in all things Gal. 3. vers 10. Rom. 10. verf. 5. We are not to think that the righteousness whereby we are justified is to be performed by our selves as if the sacrifice of Jesus Christ were intended only to expiate and obtain the pardon of our sins in coming short thereof No such a righteousness is exacted unto justification and eternal life as is absolutely perfect hath no flaws or sinful imperfections in it no forgiveness is needed there it is such as could not be performed by any but Jesus Christ alone vers 4. Rom. 5. latter end hence if the Romans and Galatians would so much as attempt the seeking it by any works of their own
possibly by another Covenant But for the clearing of that Sinai dispensation and preventing some ill effects even in practice of misunderstanding the nature thereof I shall add 4. It is probable that Spiritual and Eternal blessings were not dispenced out to Israel by the Old Sinai Covenant but only were typically represented therein I take the main purport and design of it to be under that servile administration of the Covenant of Grace to point out the higher and more Spiritual matters thereof and to shew that as upon literal Israels performing the obedience which was required of them as a condition thereof they did injoy temporal blessings therein promised to them so upon the performance of the main condition thereof by Jesus Christ even perfect obedience the true Spiritual Israel should enjoy the Spiritual blessings promised unto them So that Temporal blessings were afforded by the Sinai Covenant but Spiritual blessings were not dispenced out thereby This with submission to better Judgements seemeth to me to be so upon these among other grounds 1. No life was attainable by Israels performing of the Sinai Covenant and therefore other Spiritual blessings were not dispenced out to them thereby Gal. 3. ver 21. For if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousness should have been by the Law The great blessings then of the Covenant of Grace viz. life could not be had by their obedience to the Sinai Law of which he there speaketh Ver. 17. And therefore neither could other blessings be had thereby which had their dependance upon and issued from that As Christians are not now so Israelites were not then to do for Life That Moses and Aaron must not enter into the Promised Canaan but go up to the Mount and die may be to signifie that the Sinai Covenant would not give an entrance into the heavenly Canaan Moses obtained that not through the works of the Law but in a way of Faith 2. Spiritual blessings were not dispenced out upon the condition of Israels obedience to the Sinai Covenant for they often violated that Covenant Jer. 31. ver 32. Which Covenant they brake And therefore their Spiritual mercies had been forseited and lost if they had been dispenced out then upon the condition of their keeping that Covenant seeing they come so much short of it whereas there was no falling from special Grace in that day any more than now When they had made a forfeiture of their temporal mercies therein Promised by breaking of it they were forced to make another plea Exod. 34. ver 13. Remember Abraham Isaac and Israel thy Servants to whom thou swarest by thine own self c. When the anger of the Lord waxed hot against Israel ver 11. for committing Idolatry by making the Calf Moses doth not plead that made at Sinai but fleeth from that to the Covenant with Abraham for their relief Indeed there was an external representation of Spirituals in the Sinai Covenant As they making attonement and offering Sacrifices for diverse sins it is said they should be forgiven them Levit. 4. ver 26 27 28 29 31. Levit. 5. ver 10 13 16 18. Num. 15. ver 28. But no real attonement was made thereby for the Law made nothing perfect Heb. 7. ver 19. Heb. 9. ver 9. No real forgiveness was afforded by these acts of obedience unless so far as that those sins should not hinder their attaining the temporal mercies promised in that Covenant or that the temporal Curses of it should not be inflicted these did but typically represent the Spiritual forgiveness which they by another Covenant even that with Abraham should attain unto Thus their entring into Covenant with the Lord is said to be that he might establish them that day for a people to himself and that he might be unto them a God Deut. 29. ver 12 13. They were thereby owned or confirmed in a federal relation unto God but so as upon their miscarriages he could say to them Loammi Hos 1. ver 9. Ye are not my people and I will not be your God and therefore it was externally only that they were his and he theirs by that Covenant 3. The ceremonials which seemed most to intimate the dispencing out of Spiritual blessings were only typical representations thereof these were but shaddows of heavenly things Heb. 8. ver 5. The forgiveness of sin in the Sinai Covenant was such as not to have temporal punishments inflicted and thus it was but a shaddow of the real and true forgiveness which in opposition thereunto is restrained unto Jesus Christ Heb. 9 and 10. Chapters Their acceptance was unto some end viz. so as to be priviledged with their temporal mercies and it was but a shaddow of Spiritual acceptation Their long Life in Canaan a shaddow of Eternal Life in Heaven Spiritual blessings seem not to be dispenced out but only to be signified by these 4. Those that look for Spiritual blessings only by the Sinai Covenant and their personal performance of it are excluded from being sharers in them Gal. 4. ver 30. Cast out the Bondwoman and her Son for the Son of the Bondwoman shall not be Heir with the Son of the Free-woman The Bondwoman is expresly said to be the mount Sinai Covenant or Testament this is Hagar ver 24. and that as a Covenant must be cast out and also those that are the seed of it begotten to a profession only in a legal way by legal duties or terrours those that stand upon an Old Covenant bottom and put themselves under that shall not inherit shall not be Heirs of the everlasting Inheritance it is another an opposite seed begotten by a Gospel Promise which shall injoy that and therefore that Sinai Covenant was not intended that Souls should have Spiritual and everlasting blessings dispenced out by yielding obedience unto that for then its seed should inherit as well as the other but that by the sight of the impossibility of their keeping it they might be provoked to become the Children of the Free-woman which are born by Promise by a distinct Covenant Neither doth he speak in these things of the Law only taken abusively in the sense urged and intended by the false Prophets but really in its self as it was established by God at mount Sinai For as an Argument to draw them off from the errours of the false Prophets he saith ver 21 22. Tell me ye that desire to be under the Law do ye not hear the Law for it is written that Abraham had two Sons one by the Bondwoman the other by a Free-woman c. And further that these were an antient Allegory foreshewing two Covenants or Testaments the one gendering to bondage whose seed must be cast out as giving no inheritance and therefore he concludeth that the Lord himself in giving that Covenant at mount Sinai never intended that it should be for communicating of the eternal inheritance unto the Sons of men he telleth them that
they did hear the Law and this was the language thereof that those who are born by it or are the seed of it are not of the Free Promise and must be cast out they are excluded even by the Law it self from the eternal inheritance therefore it was alwaies an abuse of it to expect the dispencing out of Spiritual blessings thereby the Lord ordained another way viz. the Free Promise for that end CHAP. VIII Of the Sinai Covenant whether ceased or continuing IT is Questioned by some Whether the mount Sinai Covenant be still continuing so as Christians are laid under the obligation of it in Gospel times I may premise that it is called the Law Mal. 4. 4. Rom. 7. and a Covenant or Testament Exod. 34. 23. Deut. 4. 13. Jer. 31. 31 32. Gal. 4. 24. Answ The moral Law which was contained in the Sinai dispensation is still obliging but consider it as a Covenant or Testament and so it is not continuing Cessavit lex ut norma est operum naturae ex formula foederis operum manet vero iis qui in Christo sunt ut est regula operum gratiae saith Rolloc de Vocat Cap. 2. 1. The moral Law as an external Rule of obedience is universally and perpetually obligatory to the Sons of men Some circumstances as the coming out of Egypt and prolonging the daies in the Land i. e. in Canaan Exod. 20. 2 12. were peculiar to the Children of Israel and it is union with Jesus and an internal vital principle that all acceptable obedience no weth from Joh. 15. 5. but the substance of the ten Commandments is still obliging For 1. The moral Law is a perfect rule of righteousness and conformity to the Will of God and therefore is perpetual All good is commanded and all evil forbidden there 1 Joh. 3. ver 4. Sin is the transgression of the Law The very description of sin is fetched thence that if we be bound not to sin then we are to keep the Law Mat. 4. 4. Remember the Law of Moses and this referreth to the times of the Gospel when the Sun of righteousness ariseth with healing in his wings Indeed it is a repetition of the Law of Nature which is ingraven upon the hearts of those which are most barbarous Rom. 2. 14 15. The work of the Law is upon their hearts and therefore so long as the Nature continueth the obligation to the Law of it must also be continuing Rom. 7. 13. The Law is holy and the Commandment holy just and good whatsoever therefore is opposite to it must be unholy unjust and evil The same moral Law that was delivered at mount Sinai was before and since as it referred to the Free Promise a rule of inward holiness Sanctification and obedience and had Spiritual injoyments attending of it as it had relation to the Sinai Covenant and its end so it ushered in temporal mercies unto Israel 2. The Lord hath declared his approbation of conformity to the moral Law and with great severity witnessed against disconformity to it in all Ages Long before the Sinai ministration Abel is commended for his Faith owning and Worshipping the true God and Cain for the contrary disapproved Gen. 4. 4. Heb. 11. There was a reverend use of the Name of God Gen. 14. 19 20. The Sabbath Instituted Gen. 2. 3. Superiours honoured Gen. 9. 23. and 22. 7. Murther witnessed against in Cain Adultery and Unchastity punished in raining Fire and Brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah Abraham reproved for bearing false witness saying of Sarah she is my Sister Laban accused for defranding and coveting Gen. 31. 7 8 9. So that though the wording of it in the formality of ten Commandments was at mount Sinai yet immoralities were ever sinful Yea in the times of the New Testament Jesus Christ declareth his observing the waies actings and inclinations of men and some are blamed others commended even in his Churches Rev. 2. and 3. the least swarvings from the rule are sinful 3. The Natural tendency of the moral Law is to promote love Jesus Christ himself is giving the Epitome and summ of the Law and reduceth all the ten to two great Commandments Mat. 22. ver 36. to 41. viz. Love to God and the Neighbour Doubtless men are obliged at all times to let the Streams of their Love run out towards God to Love him with all their Heart with all their Soul with all their Mind and to Love their Neighbours as themselves and upon these two hang all the Law and Prophets ver 40. Yea the fulfilling of these is the keeping of the Law 4. The moral Law is explained and obedience to it earnestly pressed in the times of the Gospel to free it from the false glosses of the Jewish Rabbins Jesus Christ himself giveth an explication of it Mat. 5. declaring that not only grosser acts are to be avoided but whatsoever hath a tendency that way unchast looks unclean thoughts are sinful ver 28. Christians are under an obligation not only to sincere but to perfect obedience unto the royal Law of liberty Jam. 1. 15. so as the least failing of it it sinful though it doth not bring believers under condemnation Yielding Worship to God is duty still Mat. 4. 10. as the way to withstand Satan in his temptations and the duties of the second Table are plainly urged Eph. 6. 3. Rom. 13. 8. Love is undeniably a duty in Gospel times and the fulfilling of the Law is wrapt up in it ver 9. Thou shalt not commit Adultery thou shalt not Steal thou shalt not bear false Witness thou shalt not Covet These Commandments then are in force still and the Romans who were Christians of the Gentiles were under the obligation of them and therefore they are perpetual Yea Jesus Christ owneth them as his Joh. 15. 10. If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love c. keeping these by believing and loving one another is the way to the manifestations of his Love this of Love he calleth a new Commandment Joh. 13. 34. Indeed this putteth sweetness into it Christians are under the Law but it is to Christ 1 Cor. 9. 21. to their Mediatour who satisfied for their breaking of it they take it not from the hand of Moses in its terrour and rigour but from the hand of Jesus Christ who hath Redeemed from the curse of it The first Tables which were the work of God were quickly broken Exod. 32. 16 19. but the second Tables that were to be hewed by Moses a typical Mediatour they were more durable of longer continuance and then the Lord proclaimeth his pardoning Mercy Exod. 34. 1 4 6. The moral Law in the hand of Jesus Christ the true Mediator is abiding and pardoning Grace and mercy experienced under it Of old the Ark of the Covenant had only the moral Law put into it not the ceremonial Deut. 10. 2. to note this was to be abolished but the Moral to abide with the
to Moses a pattern of the Tabernacle which was for publick Worship with a strict injunction Heb. 8. 5. See that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed thee in the Mount Heb. 9. 1. Exod. 25. 40. And in that and the following Chapters of the Book there are rules about the Ark Table Candlestick and the institution of Ministers used in the service of the Tabernacle as Aaron and his Sons in the Priests Office here is direction for the consecration of the Ark and Tabernatle the Altar of incense and many Ordinances and Institutions which hold forth another use of the Sinai dispensation 4. To be a Platform model or rule for Government Ecclesiastical and Civil Israel received righteous Laws Statutes and Judgements from God himself therein they were differenced from and excelled the Nations that they were more immediately under the Government of God as their only Law-giver And not only an Eternal Curse but many Ecclesiastical and Civil penalties and censures are threatned upon breaking of those Divine Laws Exod. 22. ver 1 4 20. Levit. 20. Numb 5. and 19. Deut. 13. and 25. with many others This then was one use of it to be an instrument for the Government of the Children of Israel 5 Another end of it was to give a typical representation of many glorious mysterious appertaining to the Covenant of Grace these matters were not empty insignificant rites but by Divine appointment served as shaddows types and patterns of heavenly things Heb. 8. 5 6. and 9. 23. Even their temporal mercies were typical representations of Spiritual and heavenly blessings The Land of Canaan figured out the heavenly rest The Levitical or Aaronical Priests were eminent Types of our great High-Priest the Lord Jesus Heb. 7. The Tabernacle a Type of his humane Nature Whence he is said to be a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands Heb. 9. 11. and 8. ver 2. It might also figure out the true Church Rev. 21. 3. The Ark the furniture for the most holy place which none but the High-Priest might enter into Heb. 9. ver 3 4 7. properly referreth to Jesus Christ who is the great repository in whom the Divine Law is treasured up for Believers He is their glory and direction unto eternal rest many other Types there were of him I might also note that Moses was below with the people for their incouragement against fear at the promulgation of the Law and making and confirming the Covenant but was called up higher towards the top of the Mount for receiving the Tables of the Covenant and the pattern of the Tabernacle Exod. 19 ver 24 25. and 20. ver 1 20. and 24. ver 12. 18. all which may typifie that Jesus Christ standeth with us for our incouragement in receiving the fiery Law and upon more immediate converses with God giveth forth the frame of his solemn Worship These were the ends of the Sinai Covenant CHAP. X. Of the Differences between the Old and the New Covenant and the excellency of the latter above the former IT may be inquired How is the New Covenant wherein the ministration of Jesus Christ doth lie a better Covenant than the Old which was made at Mount Sinai I would premise that in Heb. 8. and also Jer. 31. ver 31 32. the opposition is not between the Covenant of Works as with the first Adam and the New but between the Old made when Israel came out of Egypt at Sinai and the New Covenant These are they which are compared and therefore the Differences between these either in their matter or form must hold forth the excellency and betterness of the New Covenant above the Old 1. The New Covenant presupposeth obedience unto life to be performed already by Jesus Christ and so is better than the Old which required an after performance of it The very tenour of the Sinai Covenant was Do this and Live Levit. 18. 5. Deut. 27. 26. Rom. 10. 5. Here Israel was ingaged in a federal way to perform the righteousness required in the unspotted Law the very doing is injoyned which our Eternal Life hath dependance upon even perfect doing Gal. 3. 12. Indeed Israel ingaged yet they were to perform this by their Surety Jesus Christ But all was then undone unfulfilled unperformed Jesus Christ not being then manifested and hence the Law had then a commanding force might exact that obedience at the hand of Israel who Covenanted there that it should be yielded in time to come But the New Covenant taketh it for granted that all this doing for Life is over already past and not to come Jesus Christ being actually exhibited that as the Old Covenant seemed to be made up of Precepts or Commandments so the New is made up of Promises consisteth of nothing else Heb. 8. ver 8 to the end giving a declaration that all is fulfilled there remaineth nothing to be done either by Principal or Surety for that end viz. Life The Lord is so fully satisfied as in the New he giveth a general acquittance and acknowledgeth that he hath no more to demand all is turned into Promise I will and ye shall Jesus Christ is said to be the Mediatour of the New Testament ver 6. that is actually so to intimate that in this short term Mediatour we have now in accomplishment the summ of all the doing required in the Old Covenant and way is made for our receiving the Promise Heb. 9. 15. Within the seventy weeks the Messiah came Dan. 9. 24. To make reconciliation and bring in everlasting righteousness before righteousness was commanded viz. in the Sinai Covenant but then it was introduced By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. Nothing remaineth to be done for the procurement of these Eternal blessings Hence in opposition to that Sinai Law which ran upon those terms Do and Live under the dispensation of the New we hear so often of Believe and be saved and he which believeth hath everlasting Life Mark 16. 16. Joh. 3. 16 36. Not that believing now taketh the place of doing in the Old Covenant For then it must be our righteousness unto Justification Gal. 3. 12. Rom. 10. 5. whereas that which justifieth is called the righteousness of Faith ver 6. and Phil. 3. 9. and therefore Faith is distinct from that righteousness it self is not the least Atome of it therefore not our believing but the obedience of Jesus Christ is that which cometh in the room and stead of that doing for Life intended in the Law Rom. 5. 19. He is the Lord our righteousness Jer. 23. 6. 1 Cor. 1. 30. But to note that it lieth wholly out of our selves that it is not by any of our performances but in another even Jesus Christ it is said to be by Faith i. e. as a means of application Believe that the work is not now to do Jesus Christ hath done all and saith he Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not
that I am he ye shall die in your Sins Thus the Apostle speaking not meerly of the false opinion of the Jewes concerning the meritoriousness of their good works or their external services being perfect obedience to the Law unto Life I say he not insisting upon these errours but having mentioned the very righteousness of the Law Rom. 10. 5. in opposition to that he saith ver 6 9 10. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be Saved It is then a believing in him as already come and having all righteousness subjected in him yea as dead and risen that is called for When they were doting upon works of the Law as performed by themselves to take them off from this he telleth them that all this legal doing for Life must be found in Christ alone and as it followeth for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness that is as a means unto righteousness It is not his own working that will be his righteousness nor his saith it self only that is a means for the applying that righteousness which is subjected in Christ alone So that the Apostles aim is not to call them off from a legal doing by natural power and ability and instead thereof to put them upon Evangelical believing and doing as the condition giving right to Life but his design is to put them upon looking wholly out of themselves and all their own doing whether by nature or grace unto Jesus Christ alone for righteousness unto Life If a man should set about any Gospel service upon a legal ground he would be culpable as the Judaizing Professouâ—s were It is such a doing as giveth a little unto Life by performing the condition of it that is rejected in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians as dangerous Evangelical services are required on other accounts and to be performed to testifie conformity to the Will of God and these may evidence Life in the way to it but Faith it self though necessary yet doth receive a title from Jesus Christ doth not give one Joh. 1. 12. That Axiom he that believeth shall be Saved is not expressive of the tenour of the New Covenant we claim Salvation not in the right of any act of ours not upon the Rent of Faith as men hold Tenements by the payment of a Penny a Rose or such like no such thing here all is paid to the utmost Farthing by our Surety and we hold and claim upon the obedience of Jesus Christ alone Rom. 5. 18 19 21. 2. The New Covenant representeth the Lord as dealing with his people universally in a way of Promise and so is better than the Old which representeth him as treating them in a way of threatning The New consisteth all of Promises Heb. 8. ver 8 c. as if the heart of God were so full of Love and running over therewith that he could express nothing else but what he would be to and do for his people The Father having received full satisfaction to all demands in the Old Covenant by the mediation of his Son now he maketh it his business to give the fullest assurance by a constellation of Promises in the New that he will fulfill to a tittle whatsoever on his part resteth for performance Believers are wholly freed from the Curse there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. Heb. 12. 18. They are under a ministration of righteousness 2 Cor. 3. ver 9. But the Old Covenant represented God as a consuming fire denouncing Curses and threatnings against the Children of Israel who were his own people for with them was the Sinai Covenant made and not with unbelievers of the Gentiles there were indeed some Promises sparingly scattered up and down in it but they run conditionally and Israel failed of coming up to the condition that if they had not been priviledged with the Covenant with Abraham to run unto for relief what might they think would become of them By Divine appointment there were some to stand upon mount Ebal to Curse as well as others upon mount Gerazim to bless Deut. 27. 13 c. There are about twelve curses which they were injoyned to declare their assent unto all the people shall say Amen yea the last was a general one ver 26. If they continued not in all things they were liable to it Gal. 3. 10. which sheweth that although a temporal Curse was not excluded yet an Eternal was also some way intended on which account it is called a ministration of condemnation 2 Cor. 3. 7. It was otherwise with them in reference to that Curse than it is with Christians under the New Israel by that voluntary act the Old Covenant passed Sentence upon themselves yea the Curse of the Law was not then actually undergone by Jesus Christ it was not then satisfied and so might be presented before them as their obligation or bond uncancelled to their great affrightment But Jesus Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law Gal. 3. 13. Now all is discharged for us and so the New is a better Covenant 3. The New Covenant consisteth of absolute Promises and therefore is better than the Old Sinai Covenant which did run upon conditional Promises yea had works as its condition In the times of the Old Testament the price of our Redemption was not paid by Jesus Christ and therefore Life was then held forth upon the condition of obedience the Lord said Do and Live Lev. 18. 5. Rom 10. 5. Gal. 3. 12. Yea as that which under the New seemeth to be conditionally mentioned in one place is absolutely promised in another so on the contrary what seemeth to some to be absolutely propounded in the Old in one part of it yet is conditionally promised in another Exod. 29. 45 46. I will dwell among the Children of Israel and be their God Indeed this is not properly absolute but as the foregoing Verses shew upon what Aaron a Type of Jesus Christ should do however the very same is clogged with a condition Levit. 26. 3 11 12 13 14 15. The promise of circumcising their heart and the heart of their Seed to love the Lord Deut. 30. 6. runneth upon condition If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God and keep his Commandments c. ver 9. But the New Covenant consisteth altogether of absolute Promises Heb. 8. ver 10 11 12 13. I will and ye shall When the condition of any Covenant is performed it becometh as absolute as if there had never been any annexed to it Now Jesus Christ is mentioned as our great High-Priest and Mediatour and that as having finished the work of Satisfaction ver 1 2 6. and the condition contained in the Old being exactly and compleatly fulfilled by him it naturally or necessarily must turn into an absolute form as in the New because upon his performance nothing more
is to be demanded of him but all must certainly be accomplished unto us The Apostle in the Text is purposely putting a difference between these and seeing the Old Covenant was unquestionably conditional and the New here in opposition to it or distinction from it is as undoubtedly absolute must it not needs be concluded that herein standeth much of the excellency of the New above the Old It was Prophesied of Jesus Christ Dan. 9. ver 27. He shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week A great end of his coming and death was the confirmation of the New Covenant on the behalf of the many which he stood for so as now it is turned into a Testament as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which generally it is expressed by doth evidence Gal. 3. 15 16 17. Though it be but a mans Testament yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto The Free Promise was confirmed by Oath before and by way of Testimony since but especially confirmed by the death of Jesus Christ by his performing the condition of it and therefore it can admit of no addition or alteration Heb. 9. 16 17. For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the testator for a Testament is of force after men are dead c. It beareth the name of a Testament as in relation to his death so in such a proper sense as it hath the Laws of a Testament attending it on which account he mentioneth a necessity of the testators death and its being in force thereupon Indeed a man may put some conditions into his last Will I do not argue thus it is a Testament and therefore absolute but therefore unalterable and so being delivered in an absolute form I will and ye shall hence it must abide in it even in its accomplishment and whereas some argue for conditions from the nature of a Covenant against that it is asserted to be a last Will or Testament which may bequeath Legacies without any condition There is a vast difference between the way of Jesus Christ his acting in the Work of his mediation before and since his Incarnation and the latter is much more glorious than the former Before he might plead Father thou hast promised me upon my obedience hereafter to be performed that those Souls which I have undertaken for should enjoy such blessings there was a mutual trust between them and so he might plead it in point of faithfulness but now he hath actually performed the condition of the Covenant and may plead it in point of Justice Christ being actually exhibited as a propitiation upon that God is said Rom. 3. 25 26. to declare at this time his righteousness c. in opposition to the time of the Old Testament he saith at this time that is at the time of the New Testament wherein the Blood of Jesus Christ is truly shed now God declareth his righteousness in the justifying him that believeth in Jesus it is an act of Grace to those who attain the remission of Sin but an act of righteousness to Jesus Christ he may plead Father I have made satisfaction to the full for the sin of these Souls now declare thy righteousness in pardoning of them it is that which I have purchased for them I have finished the Work which thou gavest me to do Joh. 17. 4. I have paid the full price of their Redemption now let them have what I have procured for them thus he appeareth in Heaven in our nature not as a meer Intercessor but as an Advocate 1 Joh. 2. 1. to plead that in Law in right we are to be discharged and this putteth a great excellency upon the New Covenant that it is in it self and to Jesus Christ thus absolute And note if some priviledges of the Covenant were dispenced out properly in a conditional way as suppose Justification were afforded upon Faith as a condition or temporal mercies upon obedience yet this would be far from proving any thing to be the condition of the Promise or of the Covenant it self Indeed even Faith is a particular blessing of it and therefore cannot be the condition of the whole Covenant for what shall be the condition of Faith And there is no such special Covenant now extant as the Old was for temporal mercies they are indefinitely promised and Soveraign Grace is the determining rule of dispencing out these to the Saints when they are wanted for time and measure as it is most for the glory of God and their good Matth. 6. 32 33. Nothing performed by us then is conditio foederis the condition of the Covenant it self Jesus Christ hath performed all required that way But whether any thing be conditio foederatorum cometh now to be considered Object Is the New Covenant absolute to us or conditional Are there not conditional promises therein to us as there were in the Old unto Israel Can we expect any mercy but upon our performing some condition that it is promised to Answ 1. If condition be taken improperly for that which is only a connex action or medium fruitionis a necessary duty way or means in order to the injoyment of promised mercies in this sense I acknowledge there are some promises belonging to the New Covenant which are conditional and thus are many Scriptures to be taken which are urged this way That this might not be a meer strife of words I could wish men would state the Question thus Whether some Evangelical duties be required of and graces wrought by Jesus Christ in all the persons that are actually interested in the New Covenant I should Answer yea For in the very Covenant it self it is promised that he will write his Laws in their hearts Heb. 8. 10. and that implyeth Faith Repentance and every gracious frame and those that have the Lord for their God are his people If the accusation be that there is a want of interest in Jesus Christ they need not plead that they have fulfilled the condition of the Covenant but that the Covenant it self in some promise of it which uses to be distinct from its condition hath its accomplishment upon them therein And those that are altogether without those precious Graces are strangers to the Covenant Ephes 2. 12. they cannot lay claim to the blessings of it It is our duty earnestly to be seeking after what is promised and one blessing may be sought as a means to another as the Spirit as a means to Faith and Faith as a means to obedience Gal. 5. 6. Believing is a great Duty in connexion with and a means of Salvation he that believeth shall be saved Mark 16. 16. Joh. 3. 36. Ephes 2. 8. 1 Pet. 1. 5 9. There is an order in giving sorth these blessings to us and that by Divine appointment so as the neglecting to seek them therein is highly displeasing unto God This is our priviledge that Divine promises are so conjoyned and twisted together for
short of all its blessings No I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me If there were any danger of forfeiting and losing these it must be either on Gods part by his leaving of them or on their part by their departing from him and here the Lord hath undertaken to secure against both these and so the matter is out of Question it was not thus in the Old Covenant Indeed what the Lord hath absolutely promised yet he hath appointed means in order to the attaining of it internal as Faith and external as Ordinances and commands utmost attendance upon him ordinarily in the use thereof this is necessary as a duty and sin ariseth upon the neglect of it Thus the Lord is unalterably determined to vouchsafe a frame of obedience Ezek. 36. 25 to 30. Yet obedience is to be performed by us we are to be the Agents and we may sin about the means in the way to the injoyment of such mercy as is laid up in absolute promises Faith is to be exercised in these else what use are they of and we may be faulty in not attending to it 3. If there be any such condition of the New Covenant it were most like to be precious Faith but that is not A condition properly taken is influential into right if performed it giveth right to the benefit promised if not performed there is no right and therefore is a cause it giveth jus ad rem which a man may have and yet be forced after to Sue for possession If it be only in a Mode or accident it is thus as if a great Estate be granted upon paying a white Lilly if a person bringeth a yellow Lilly and not a white he hath no right all is null and void upon such a tickle point are they who stand upon such conditions for Eternal mercies Now Faith giveth no right Joh. 1. 12. To as many as received him gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name Jesus Christ is offered in the free Promise of the Gospel Faith that consenteth or receiveth him and a right and title in him to the blessings of the Covenant it doth not give one The Father offereth righteousness in a way of gift Rom. 5. 17. Faith accepteth the offer receiveth Jesus Christ for righteousness and so conduceth to Justification Rom. 4. 3. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness i. e. it was reckoned a means unto righteousness so ver 5. Not that Faith it self was reckoned the least of that righteousness whereby we are justified but a means for the applying of Jesus Christ who is our righteousness The Covenant as to that priviledge of it Justification is not so absolute as to be without all means yet may be absolute without any condition properly so called As condemnation without any new act of receiving is the resultancy from the Law upon disobedience to all under the Covenant of Works so Justification is the resultancy of a Divine Promise upon the obedience of Jesus Christ to all those that are under the New Covenant That unbelievers are not justified by it is because they are not actually under it Not because they have not fulfilled the condition of it but because they are not interested in the obediential righteousness of Jesus Christ which is the condition of it Rom. 10. 10. The act of God in justifying is to be answered by the act of Faith consenting to the offer of the Gospel As the death and satisfaction of Jesus Christ is enough to answer if the accusation be that we are sinners and deserve Eternal wrath so if the accusation be that we have no interest or portion in this satisfaction any thing that can evidence our interest in Christ is a sufficient plea to answer that be it Faith or other Graces they may be pleaded as evidences but not as titles as fruits and effects of a right given but not as causes and conditions fulfilled by us giving us that right It is a great mistake to think that there is no plea in this case but from the performance of a condition For an evidence may be from the effects as well as from causes even in civils a meer witness may carry it in such a charge when he can testifie I saw the person put into peaceable possession of such an Estate Besides if this charge he drawn up against those out of Christ many things may make it good if against those that are in Christ then who draweth this up Not God for he it is that justifieth and therefore he will not condemn Rom. 8. 33 34. if Satan or their own hearts then as gracious effects are enough to answer so by direct acts of Faith there ought to be a stedfast resisting and withstanding of Satan and he will flee from them 1 Pet. 5. 9. Jam. 4. 7. No necessity of pleading the performance of a condition to help against this 4. Our obedience though evangelical is no such condition of the New Covenant as there was of the Old unto Israel For the Lord hath undertaken that his people shall obey Ezek. 36. 25 to 30. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my ways Heb. 8. 10. obedience is as absolutely promised as any other blessings in the New and therefore it cannot be the condition thereof The Apostle having asserted and largely proved Rom. 3. that justification is by faith not by the works of the Law he further cleareth it from the instances of Abraham and David Rom. 4. 3. Abraham believed c. and vers 4. Now to him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt This strongly implieth that the reward must be reckoned of grace but of debt This strongly implieth that the reward must be reckoned of grace and not of debt the emphasis is upon this so as if it were otherwise the whole force of his argument were taken away and the stress is not upon the word reckoned yet if it were the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being applied to both must signifie a true judgement and just estimation as Rom. 8. 18. 9. 8. 1 Cor. 4. 1. for really and in true account the reward is of grace and it is as firmly asserted that if it were of works it were in the same account of debt Say some only meritorious works would make it so but let it be considered that works can be meritorious only one of these two ways either 1. By being of such value and worth as that in justice such a recompence is deserved by them yea though there were no contract that way and dare any say that any works of men even in innocency could thus merit at the hands of God is not all obedience due to God so as when we have done all we are unprofitable servants Luk. 17. 10.
Job 22. 3. 35. 7. If thou be righteous what givest thou him Rom. 11. 35. Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed to him again Credendum est firmiter dari nihil ab hominibus per modum indebiti vel accipi à Deo per modum lucri Tract Sacr. Or else 2. They merit ex pacto by some contract or Covenant that though the works be inconsiderable in value to the reward yet the Lord hath promised such a reward to them thus only and no otherwise could the obedience of Adam in a state of innocency be meritorious for he did owe all as duty to God even by right of creation he might have required all without ingaging himself to give any reward and finite services could not merit in worth and value an infinite reward but the Lord promised it to his perfect unsinning works No otherwise did any among the Romans or Galatians expect justification or eternal life in a way of works but only falsly imagining that the Lord had made a promise of salvation unto these Thus a reward may be of merit and of debt and yet of grace in some sense though not of special Gospel grace for all good promised or given by the Lord to his creature is of grace seeing God oweth nothing to any Thus the making of a promise to Adam in a state of innocency for the rewarding of his works was of grace yet the promise being made if he had continued in that state the reward would have been of debt and therefore upon the same ground if the reward were now promised to us upon evangelical obedience then that were as truly meritorious though the condition were more favourable and life as really of debt as it would have been to Adam upon his sinless obedience for only the promise must have made it so there and the same is found here The Text in hand must refer either to the works of the Law which cannot properly merit because due even by the Law of Nature or else to those performed by Abraham after believing and then he concludes that if the reward were of these it were reckoned of debt neither of these could render it so but only by a Divine promise assuring such a reward upon the performing such works as the condition thereof and therefore seeing he concludeth it not of debt hence no obedience of our own can be such a condition of the New Covenant It is difficult to understand how the reward can be a debt legally and in justice due and yet not God a debtor when it is only his compact or Covenant that it becometh debt if that may be our due which another possesseth though he be not bound to us yet where it becometh due only by promise as in the case in hand and that upon an act of ours as the supposed condition it seemeth that the promiser is a debtor though considered antecedently to his promise he was free and in Rom. 4. 4. not only is God denied to be a debtor but the reward is denied to be a debt therefore there is no promise of it upon such a condition as our works which would make it of debt in opposition to that it is said to be of grace that is of Gospel Grace It 's true there are Divine Promises of the reward upon Christs works but they are not made immediately to us either upon our believing or obeying but mediately and at the second hand so as the ground of our claim is not our performing any Gospel condition upon which it is promised for then it were as really of debt as Adams but all the Promises are immediately made to Jesus Christ upon his righteousness and meritorious obedience on which account all become debt to him and thus God is not a debtor to us but to himself to his own goodness and faithfulness and to his Son and not our works but faith is the means unto our being counted righteous in his righteousness which only merited our eternal reward 2 Cor. 1. 20. All the promises in him are yea and in him Amen c. We cannot claim any one promise in our own name upon performing any Gospel condition our selves though by the help of grace for then though it were never so small it were of debt to us but our only claim is in him in the right of our elder brother Jesus Christ and thus it is of debt to him but only of grace to us Saith Augustin in Psal 83. Debitorem Dominus ipse fecit se non accipiendo sed promittendo we can plead for nothing promised but upon the account of Divine faithfulness whereas if any act of ours though never so small were the condition of any promise then being performed we might plead for what is promised in a way of Justice whose formal reason Aquinas teacheth is ut sit ad alterum justice consisteth in giving to another what is his due viz. by contract promise or otherwise If Divine Promises pass into a debt it is to none but himself saith Dr. Arrowsmith in his Tract Sacr. Ipsi etiam Deo competit duplex debitum condecentiae unum fidelitatis alterum And a little after out of August Deus sibi debitor est ut agat condecenter prout congruit bonitati suae uâ—i seipsum negare non potest ita non debet aliquid se indignum facere And a little after out of Davenant Cum Deus dat vitam aeternam Petro aut Paulo Divina voluntas non solvit debitum creaturae sed sibi ipsi See more ibid. pag. 335. It either saith or obedience were a condition then there were a suspending acts of God upon some acting of the Creature which saith Dr. O. of Persev P. 53. cannot be without subjecting eternity to time the first cause to the second the Creator to the Creature yea then by our performing of it the Lord were laid under an obligation to afford mercy promised even life and salvation to us and we might claim these upon our own act In short therefore we may have the recompence of reward in our eye as an incouragement unto duty 1 Cor. 15 last Heb. 11. 26. 12. 2. Yea we may exercise faith as a means to the fruition of life and salvation and yield evangelical obedience that we may shew forth the praises or may honour him that hath called us by such choice fruits and effects thereof and as evidences of interest therein Thus we may in the strength of Christ strive to enter in at the strait gate conflict with and overcome spiritual enemies and work out salvation 1 Cor. 9. 24 25. Rev. 2. 7 11 17 26. Phil. 2. 12. We may pray read hear believe repent as ways or means to the obtainnent thereof seeking the right thereunto only in Jesus Christ But we may not believe or obey as a condition for then upon the performance thereof we have right and title to the promised blessings even to eternal
a compleat pardon till the day of Judgement They are now as fully and perfectly justified and pardoned as they were condemned It was by a Law against them that they were under condemnation and so it is by a Law grant viz. the New Covenant that they are justified and have the remission of sin Some call it a sentential Justification there will be a repetition of its Sentence so as they will be judicially acquitted before all the World in the great day In what Court or by what Judge are any so pardoned here If the Bar or Tribunal of this Judgement be a mans own Conscience that can hardly pass Sentence without discerning and knowing it self within the New Covenant and pleading that against the accusation of Satan whereas a Soul may have the righteousness of Jesus Christ and justifying Faith before he knoweth it or be able to discern it and therefore Justification and Pardon may be before any judicial act of Conscience Object If Believers be not actually under the obligation to punishment which is guilt then asking the removal of it or praying for daily pardon of sin is unnecessary Yea if they be not obliged they cannot be disobliged and so not pardoned therefore it seemeth that the Curse of the Law must be in force against them for some space before the new Pardon cometh Answ I. Believers in their daily pardons are declared to be discharged from the very obligation and Curse of the Law it self but not from a personal obligation to it There is an obligation to punishment residing in the Law but it doth not actually pass upon the persons of Believers one moment It must be remembred that present pardon is not a judicial act but it is a Sentence of a Law of Grace which declareth all under it to be discharged from the penalty of another Law Observe when a violated Law hath already passed Sentence upon an offender an act of pardon coming afterward in force to him there it dissolveth or taketh off an obligation to punishment which is already passed upon the person and this is the case of the Elect at first conversion But where an Act or Law of Pardon is in force to any persons and reacheth to offences yet to come or not yet committed there the obligation to the penalty never passeth one moment upon the persons and yet they have as much forgiven even the whole penalty of the Law as the other and more Grace in it For it preventeth the passing of the Sentence upon them Now this is the case Believers are alwaies under the New Covenant which is a Divine Act of Pardon this Law is in force to them before their Commission of new acts of sin and declareth their discharge from the penalty of the Law of Works that the instant wherein the sins are committed they are remitted thereby The commanding Law is not repealed for then they were no offences but yet the Curse of it resteth not upon their persons one moment 1 Joh. 2. 2 3. If any one sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is a propitiation for our sins 1. Pardon 's afforded to sinners are from Jesus Christ as an offering Priest making satisfaction for sin but if one of those who have fellowship with God if Believers sin their succour and relief is also by the standing Advocateship of Jesus Christ Now an Advocate or Atturney pleadeth a Law in force whereby his Client is discharged so Jesus Christ pleadeth Believers being already under the New Testament whereby they have a right unto indempnity that though the Cursing Law remaineth in force still to unbelievers yet this new Act of Grace granteth a pardon to the Saints for all transgressions committed against it 2. It is yet unquestionably the duty of Believers to be daily praying for pardoning mercy Those who are taught to cry unto God Our Father Luk. 11. 2. yet are to say ver 4. Forgive us our sins Those then which have the Spirit of Adoption yet are to be praying daily for the pardon of Sin There is reatus simplex as well as reatus redundans in personam though Believers are not to confess themselves to be personally i. e. in their persons to be under the obligation or Curse of the Law there is cause for highest thankful acknowledgement of Grace in their freedom from that yet there is room for the deepest acknowledgement of their own sin and guiltiness in deserving of it and here is enough for their humiliation though the person by Grace is acquitted or pardoned yet there is a dueness of such a penalty to such an offence according to the Divine Law and this may be owned even under the clearest evidences of pardon for that doth not remove the desert of sin but freeth from what is deserved thereby Yea there is a great deal of work for Faith in Prayer upon this account Believers are to pray for the continuation of the Pardon which they do already injoy and for the remission of those sins which shall hereafter be committed by them The New Covenant containeth in it a Promise of future pardons and therefore Faith may act upon the Lord in it and that although they know they shall be forgiven The Promise-assurance of a mercy doth not exempt us from praying for it Jesus Christ had assurance that he should be glorified and yet he prayeth Joh. 17. 5. Father glorifie thou me he knew that he should be kept and yet he prayeth for it ver 11. David had an absolute Promise of establishing his House and Kingdom for ever 2 Sam. 7. 14 15. 16. and yet he the rather prayeth for it and upon that ground even the Promise of it So we may ask future Pardons though we certainly know we shall have them Also we are to ask clearer manifestations of our interest in pardoning mercy But further Believers in praying for pardon of Sin are 1. To ask a fresh application of the blood of Jesus Christ in the promise of pardon he is said to be to that very end a propitiation through Faith in his blood Rom. 3. 25. not only is a manifestation of pardon to be sought after but Faith is to be exercised in an application of the blood of Jesus Christ as that which hath purchased and procured the pardon that is to be eyed as the price of Redemption as that which ratifieth the New Testament for the remission of sins Mat. 26. 28. it is that blood which cleanseth those that have fellowship with God from all Sin 1 Joh. 1. 3 7 9. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins It must be by a Word or Promise that the faithfulness of God is ingaged this way and it is the work of Faith to own that and the Grace of God that shineth forth therein Act. 10. 43. whosoever believeth on him shall receive the remission of sins The Lords giving it is in order of nature first but to be followed
it and comparatively with the New Covenant which hath more Evangelical inforcements unto duty by Grace and the free Promise The Sinai Law hath a tendency to work into the fear of a Servant towards his Master and so as the Apostle saith gendreth to bondage rather than to the fear or love of a Son which is the issue of Gospel Revelations Christians now are to act upon more Evangelical accounts from more Love yea and more Faith having received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father it is by this believing Spirit that Souls have liberty of access to God with that freedom that Children use to have in going to a tender Father The fearing Spirit kept them at a distance from the Lord like a Servant that durst not come near an austere Master but by this they may with a holy boldness and firm assurance repair to him and cry Abba Father This will appear more clearly if we compare it with that parallel place Gal. 4. 1 2 c. The Heir so long as he is a Child differeth nothing from a Servant c. Even so we when we were Children were in bondage under the Elements of the World c. Here the state under the Old Sinai Covenant plainly is expressed by bondage not absolutely that of bondslaves they were not in pure slavery nor so in the condition of Servants but as under Tutors and Governours and in a state of subjection that they differed little in outward appearance to themselves or others from Servants they seemed to have more of that Spirit being acted by fear than of the Spirit of Sons but since the dispensation of the New Covenant they are freed from the servile state redeemed by Jesus Christ from the rigour of the Law and have much of the Spirit of Adoption ver 5 6. there is such an alteration for the better as if their Sonship now began ver 7. that is comparatively with the other therefore Christians now are to act in a different way from what they did of Old more in a free Spirit of Adoption thus bondage and freedom are opposed ver 24 25 26 31. not as taken for simple slavery but for a state of less freedom though in the same Family and House as Hagar and Sarah were the one expresly intending the state under the mount Sinai Covenant the other under the Free Promise so Gal. 3. 24. The Law was our Schoolmaster until Christ so it is in the Original we have not there those words to bring us This Text doth not speak of a work of the Law still continuing in order to conversion before closing with Jesus Christ for the bringing Souls unto him but telleth us of the rigorous discipline of the Law of Old to Israel the people of God like a Schoolmaster with a Rod compelling to duty until Christ i. e. until his Incarnation until his satisfaction it speaketh of such a use thereof which is now at an end in Gospel times as appeareth by the Antithesis ver 25. but after faith is come we are no longer under a Schoolmaster c. that is after Christ the object of Faith is come in the flesh and hath satisfied the Law hath purchased Redemption for us now we are no longer under the menaces and severities of the Law as a Schoolmaster as Christ is said to be our hope so he is our faith that is the object of it the thing believed That which is held forth here by the coming of faith is expressed by the coming of the seed vers 19. which is Jesus Christ and our present freedom from the Law as a severe Schoolmaster speaketh the betterness of our state and so of the New Covenant 6. The New Covenant is established upon spiritual Promises and so is better than the old Sinai Covenant which did run upon temporal promises to Israel now I speak of it as an administration to them all the promises of the New are of a spiritual nature that promiseth to give the Law into the heart that God will be their God their sins shall be pardoned Heb. 8. these spirituals are firstly promised and temporal things are comprised in these godliness hath the promise of this life but spirituals are mentioned here that we might be taken up mostly with spiritual injoyments grace peace communion with God c. I have wondred why the New should be made up of such promises as if only real Christians could be interested therein but I consider he speaketh of it not to exclude all from visible interest which elsewhere is witnessed to Act. 8. 12. even when the â—â—al was wanted but in opposition to the old to discover how these promises are better than those of the Old Covenant which run upon temporal things to Israel is long Life the Land of Canaan c. Deut. 5. 11. Levit. 26. these were most obvious there and better things represented by these whereas the New putteth on to duty rather by spiritual promises and blessings than by temporal and so is a better Covenant 7. The New Covenant it self ushereth in spiritual blessings and in a more immediate way than under the Sinai Covenant and so is established on better promises the more immediate mercies of God the better the more new pure and fresh from the fountain of Divine Love Immediate visions of God in Heaven will render them surpassingly excellent and in this world those that are not without all means but comparatively immediate are the best mercies as the more immediate judgements are the worst of these The Old Covenant did not it self dispense out spiritual and eternal blessings but provoked to have recourse unto the Abrahamatical Covenant for these they must setch a greater compass in travelling to those injoyments than under the New they must look from the Old for remission of sin which was typified there and so for such other mercies unto the free promise In the New Covenant mercies are absolutely promised Heb. 8. and therefore the application of them is more immediate than under the Old they may forth with by an eye of faith look to Jesus Christ for a fruition-of them there is not such a vail of typical institutions to intervene that is a better way to the obtainment of those blessings Joh. 1. 17. Yea the dispensation is also better the Apostle saith Heb. 1. 1 2. That God in the last days hath spoken to us by his Son This is the excellency of Gospel discoveries above visions dreams and such like afforded in old restament times that now Jusus Christ himself speaketh to us with his own mouth we have more immediate manifestations and on that account there is infinite danger in non-attendance to what is spoken Heb. 12. 25. As the Gospel is more extensive it reacheth not to Jews only but to Gentiles also as equal sharers in the blessings by faith the partition-wall being broken down Eph. 1. 12 14. Rom. 3. 22. So there is a more open door of access to
the first saving gift of God Christ and the Promises go together There are special marks of distinction whereby persons in Covenant are differenced from the World which agree to none that are out of Christ Heb. 9. 15. they are called ones that receive the Promise Abraham that famous Covenanter was not actually so till the time of his effectual calling from thence the four hundred and thirty years do commence which give the first date to the Covenant or Promise as made with him Gen. 12. Gal. 3. 17. not from the day of his Nativity much less from Eternity although then he was an Elect Vessel by becoming Christs men become Abrahams Seed and Heirs of Promise ver 9. 14 26 29. So the New Covenant runneth to the House of Israel and Judah Heb. 8 13. and none are the spiritual Israel for Life and Salvation till in him Rom. 2. 28 29. Till then they are so far from a Covenant state which is of Life Peace Mercy Salvation Mal. 25. Isa 54. 10. and 55. 3. Luk. 1. 71 72. Rom. 11. 26 27. That they are declared to be in an opposite state they are at enmity dead in trespasses and sins and children of wrath as well as others Ephes 2. 1 2 3 5 8 15 16. Col. 1 21. This may appear further by an enumeration of the principal blessings of the New Covenant it is promised there that he will write his Law in their hearts and be to them a God Heb. 8. 10. but till in Christ they are without God in the World Ephes 2. 12. The greatest difficulty is as to the great priviledge of Pardon or Remission of sin under which the whole of Justification is signified Heb. 8. 10 12. Rom. 11. 27. Some think that we are justified from Eternity others at the death of Christ but actual personal Justification of a sinner before God is at his union with Jesus Christ and the gift of Faith not before For 1. None are actually interested in the righteousness of Jesus Christ before union with him and the gift of Faith it is he that is made unto us righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2 Cor. 5. 21. if without Christ then without his righteousness Rom. 5. 18. By the righteousness of one upon all unto Justification of Life none therefore ever attain Justification without a righteousness For it consisteth in a Divine declaration of a persons being righteous and if he were not so it were a false Sentence which is incompatible to the true God Neither will a righteousness of his own working out though by the help of Grace serve for this end of Justification but of that one Jesus Christ hence ver 19. By the obedience of one many are made righteous As his suffering and death did make satisfaction for sin so his obedience is a righteousness meriting blessings even Eternal Life ver 21. and it is called the righteousness of Faith Phil. 3. 9. that being a means for our application of that righteousness which is given Rom. 3. 22 25 26. Not that Faith is the meritorious procuring cause of our Justification it hath not the same causality therein that Jesus Christ hath No more is required to the release of our obligation it self than what the Law by which we are obliged doth exact which is satisfaction as to Duty and Penalty the solution thereof was by Jesus Christ alone but more is required partly to make way for this viz. a compact or new Covenant concerning it without which all sufferings by another had been of no advantage to us partly as a means of application viz. Faith Rom. 10. 10. with the heart man believeth unto i. e. as a means unto righteousness and hence Justification is often said to be by Faith Rom. 3. 28. Rom. 5. 1. And the Question then was not how are men manifested and declared in their own Consciences to be justified but how are they justified before God and in his fight and that is not before but by Faith Gal. 3. 11. The scope of the Apostle Rom. 4. is to prove that we are justified by Faith and the righteousness thereof and not by works of the Law without cause of glorying ver 2. from the instances of Abraham and David ver 3. for what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness and ver 6. David deseribeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without Works And here note Pardon of sin is not the whole of Justification there is also necessary unto that end a righteousness if it were of our own working out then we were justified and saved by our own works which the Scripture generally denyeth this were to confound Justification and Sanctification as if Jesus Christ only satisfied for the sins and defects of a righteousness which we perform so as that is accepted unto Life whereas it is by a righteousness of Faith which is not of our own working out but wrought out for us by Jesus Christ The false Prophets themselves from among the Jews that urged these works of the Law upon the Romans and Galatians insisted much upon the ceremonials which plainly implieth an acknowledgement of sin and argueth that they did not expect Justification without pardon but carnally looked for pardon in the way of their own works and the Apostle in opposition to them excludeth out of Justification not only works wrought by their own natural power but even those which were by sanctifying Grace for the works of Abraham and David who were believers are here excluded Some think the righteousness of Jesus Christ or his active obedience in our stead needless unless as a part of his satisfaction for sin because say they the Law requireth not of us both suffering and obedience I Answer The Law as a Covenant of Works required suffering in satisfaction for sin and as it belongeth to the Covenant of Grace so it requireth perfect obedience to be fulfilled by Jesus Christ as the condition of the Justification and Life of sinners and new obedience which referreth to sanctification is to be performed by Christians as the fruit and effect of their spiritual Life Rather it was needless that Jesus Christ should fulfill righteousness or yield active obedience to the Law as part of a satisfaction for sin when by his passive obedience he underwent death which was the very same and all that the Law threatned against the sinner If man had never violated or broken the Covenant of Works or had never sinned then the Law would have required only righteousness of him for Life the tenour of it being Do and Live When man had sinned then the Law at a Covenant of Works required only suffering and threatned death Gen. 2. 17. but ceased in its promise of Life that immediately became null and void It is true the Law as a natural rule of righteousness required still perfect obedience that was due to God by right of Creation and his sinning could not
free him from the obligation of it It promised nothing to a sinner it would imply a contradiction that it should promise Life to him still upon perfect unsinning obedience when he was already a sinner under the threatning of Death Yea if immediately after Adams sinning satisfaction had been made and he pardoned yet he had been but in statu quo prius in his former state If the Covenant of Works had been in force again is at the first he must afterward have yielded perfect obedience else no promise of Life and therefore there is no incongruity in saying that man sinning the Law required satisfaction for sin and yet also required righteousness unto Life much more in our case for there is another Covenant viz. of Grace made with Jesus Christ the second Adam wherein he hath undertaken by suffering to make satisfaction for our sin without which we could never have been freed from the threatned death there was no other way to it the Lord might have refused a substitute and therefore might without any shew of injustice put in what terms he pleased for our restoration unto Life If freedom from threatned death were obtained still the Lord might have annihilated us we had no promise of Eternal Life that in the Covenant of Works being null and void upon the transgression of the first Adam Behold therefore the Lord agreeth to stand to the first terms the second Adam undertaking to do what the first should have done to fulfill the same righteousness the Lord doth thereupon promise Life again Thus the Law is drawn into the Covenant of Grace and requireth the same perfect righteousness as before to be fulfilled not by our selves for Life but by Jesus Christ the second Adam as the aforementioned Scriptures do witness which assert not only suffering but also the righteousness of that one Jesus Christ to be necessary unto Justification and Life as Rom. 5. 18 19 c. and hence the Sinai Covenant which he fulfilled did run in the first form of Do and Live The ground of this mistake is a false supposition viz. that no more is needful unto Life but satisfaction for our sin and disobedience as if Life would naturally follow upon that which is to say either that we have Life without any righteousness whereas there is no Promise of it to Adam or to any since that run that way or else that we have it by a righteousness of our own working out Christ satisfying for our sins and defects therein and this is to affirm that we have life still by the Covenant of Works and in the way thereof which to affirm is very anti-evangelical and unscriptural For there are many Testimonies that unto the pardon of sin there is needful a New Covenant Heb. 8. 12. and that Life is by that and the righteousness required to it wrought out not by our selves but by another for us even Jesus Christ And thus the death of Jesus Christ was needful to our freedom from death although we obeyed in him or he obeyed in our stead to merit for us Eternal Life which is promised thereupon not now by the Old Covenant of Works but by the New Covenant of Grace And thus although Christ fulfilled the Law for us so as it is imputed to us and we made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. Yet it doth not follow that we should be freed altogether from the obligation of the Law unto obedience For the righteousness of Jesus Christ his obeying and fulfilling of the Law for us was as the condition of Life or that upon which the Lord hath promised Justification unto Life but we may be and are obliged to obedience not for that but for other ends not in the least for our Justification and title to Life but as a part of our Sanctification and we sin in not obeying that we may glorifie God by those fruits of our being Spiritually alive Christs obedience was for one end ours is for another as his sufferings were for one end our afflictions for another and neither of them unnecessary 2. No actual interest in the promises of the New and better Covenant before union with Jesus Christ and Faith Even the Elect of God so long as unconverted and without Christ are without promises as I have manifested Ephes 2. 12. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Gal. 3. 22. they were not from Eternity the Seed of Abraham ver 29. he had no Seed so early If the sinner himself had satisfied then it had been no pardon for he is not-pardoned that payeth his whole debt himself but Jesus Christ interposed he underwent the Curse and the New Covenant or Free Promise is Gods grant or act of Pardon Heb. 8. 11. and 10. ver 16 17. This is my Covenant Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Remission of sin then is a glorious fruit and benefit of the New Covenant not only manifested but conferred thereby God justifieth Rom. 8. 33. and this is his pardoning act Not Faith it self or any Grace within us is that which giveth the pardon Faith only receiveth the Remission of sins Act. 10. 43. and the Divine gift of it is by an immutable thing even by the Promise of the New Covenant And hence if any Object That Jesus Christ as a Surety had the obligation of the Elect transferred upon him and made full satisfaction to the Law for them and so disabled it for holding them obliged because they cannot eventually be damned It is Answered As our obligation and condemnation was by the Covenant of Works so our declared freedom from its obligation and our Justification must be by the New Covenant that is the way laid out for the giving of it forth And though our sin was transferred upon him and an Act passed which rendred it certain that we should be justified yea and sanctified too in due season yet not so as that we were immediately disobliged but in the way laid out by Divine appointment for that end The Covenant of Works being violated though satisfaction must be given to that yet that contained no Promise of Life to a sinner upon anothers undergoing the very penalty threatned therein and therefore was so far from giving ipso facto deliverance that it would have availed nothing towards it without a New Covenant because payment by a Surety was a refusable satisfaction the Lord without any appearance of injustice might have said the Soul that hath sinned it shall die Therefore the Sentence of the Law lyeth against us till by the Covenant of Grace we be discharged from it in the way and time therein appointed which is at union with the Lord Jesus 3. None are actually and personally the Seed of Jesus Christ as the second Adam before union with him and Faith therefore none are actually and personally justified till then They are only his Seed such as he redeemed that he doth justifie Isa 53. 10 11. Rom. 3. 24 25. The two Adams
Covenant of Grace because so few are enumerated where it is mentioned as with us Gen. 12. 17. Heb. 8. 10 11 12. But seeing all are made and fulfilled in Christ hence they must all flow as living streams from that Fountain The Covenant of grace with Jesus Christ that is the great Charter that we hold all our priviledges by and all the promises do some way or other appertain to that Some Promises are Constitutive of the Covenant as those between the Father and the Son concerning a Seed others are executive or referring to the execution and application of it Isa 53 10 11. Heb. 8. 10 11 12. Some are principal and concerning the end eternal life Heb. 8. Heb. 9. 15. Gal. 3. 8 9 18. Others less principal concerning the means internal the Spirit and faith or external as ordinances Not only Spiritual but even promises of temporal blessings as of succour and relief in particular cases and conditions in outward straits and distresses yet these belong to the Covenant of grace Psal 105. 39 40 41. He spread a cloud for a covering here is protection a fire to give light by night that intimateth direction he brought quails and satisfied them with the bread of heaven here is gracious provision he opened the rock and the waters gushed out this speaketh miraculous refreshment and consolation And whence was all this care over them vers 42. For he remembred his holy Covenant and Abraham his Servant All these then were to be deemed Covenant mercies Where had the Lord particularly promised any such extraordinary relieves unto Abraham or his Seed O he witnessed himself to be their God and promised the land of Canaan and that implyeth all mercy and means necessary for them in the pursuance of the Call to it So that all protections preservations provisions all for the sustaining upholding and succouring of the people of God yea even their lowest mercies have a tincture of Covenant-love to put quickness into them So returns of prayer in a day of outward affliction are in remembrance of his Covenant Psal 106. 44. 45. 2 King 13. 22 23. Yea observe in some places where the Covenant is mentioned there are promises added and so belong to it which in other repetitions of it are left out As Jer. 32. 38 39 40. One-ness of heart and way and his fear in their hearts are promised in the Covenant yet are omitted in the recital thereof Jer. 31. 31 to 35. And the Word Covenant is omitted and yet many promises thereof are mentioned Ezek. 36. 25 to the end as appeareth by the identity of some with those expresly in it else-where So that we are not to confine the Covenant of grace to those mentioned in the new Covenant all the promises to us are some way comprised in it Corol. 2. Hence there is infallible certainty in and grounded consolation issuing from the Covenant of grace seeing it is made joyntly with Jesus Christ and us All the promises are his right as well as ours and so can never fail Is Jesus Christ the Seed of the woman who hath assurance of being victorious over the Serpent Gen. 3. 15. So are Believers yea they are of the Seed of Abraham and David interested in the same promises Gal. 3. 19 21. If any thing be a Condition of the Covenant of grace it must be so of the promises to Jesus Christ as well as of those to us that taking in all and being joyntly with both and principally with him and with us but in him as his Seed and so faith cannot be it for the promises were not made to Jesus Christ upon Condition of our believing but upon what he himself should do and suffer rather therein he hath a promise assurance that we shall believe Isa 5â— 10. he shall see his Seed It would highly derogate from the honour of the Lord Jesus to say that the efficacy and effect of all his undertaking had dependance upon any act of ours as that of believing It is by the efficiency of the Word of the new Testament that faith is given Rom. 10. 14 15 16 17. Act. 13. 47 48. Yea the gift of faith is promised in that of writing his Law in their hearts Heb. 8. â—0 and therefore by its Obligation for it is a contradiction to speak of a promise without Obligation for performance unto the persons to whom it is made and what matter is it whether it be upon an Obligation to the Sinners themselves or to another to Jesus Christ their Feofee in trust for them it is by the new Covenant which is made to them and that of grace is joyntly with Christ and them Believers are not only the objects for 〈◊〉 concerning whom he promiseth to Jesus Christ that he will do them good as bruit oâ— inanimate Creatures are improperly said to be in Covenant with him but the Subjectâ— to whom he promiseth special blessings iâ— Christ so as the promises are directed to and may be claimed by them Jesus Christ had an interest therein they are his right as we as theirs and this is no damage but 〈◊〉 advantage as giving assurance that they wiâ—â— be made good to a Tittle Jer. 33. 20 21 If you can break my Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night then may all so my Covenant be broken with David my servant Long before the prophesying oâ— Jeremiah David had been in the dust and yet the Covenant with him holdeth still and it being made with Jesus Christ who is our David hence the order of nature the entercourse and revolutions of night and daâ— might as readily fail as any promises madâ— to him be disanulled or go unaccomplished yea he will sue them out for us when by reason of inward cloudings and darkness even about an interest in them we cannot lay any claim unto them our selves He should be a loser if they should not be fulfilled he should lose his right as well as we ours Christ and we having a joynt interest therein Had Christ assurance of being Victorious over the Serpent we also have assurance of standing Conquerours over him in Christ by the same promise and that under the same notion of the Seed of the woman So that this is a bottom of everlasting consolation that Jesus Christ and we are within one and the same Covenant CHAP. III. Of Christ as the sum of the Covenant THe Covenant of grace running primarily to Jesus Christ and to us in him so as he not only maketh it with but even is the Covenant of the people Isa 42. 6. It will be necessary to inquire What interest Jesus Christ hath or how and in what place and Office he standeth in reference to the Covenant 1. Jesus Christ is the very foundation which Evangelical Covenant is built upon as he is our life Coloss 3. 3. 1 John 5. 20. the cause of it So he is the Covenant i. e. the very basis of it as 1 Cor. 3. 11. For other