Gods Effectual Calling, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of the word of God, or of the couenant in generall, and of the couenant of workes in ſpeciall.
THE common place in religion which is concerning The common places of religion how they follow in order.Gods word or couenant, is to be referred vntounto this of our effectuall calling, as to a moſt generall heade: next follow theſe points, of ſinne, and of the miſerie of mankind: thirdly, that of faith; then follow hope, louelove, and repentance.
Now therefore we are to ſpeake of the word, or of the couenant of God; hauing firſt ſet down this ground, that all the worde of God appertaines to ſome couenant: for God ſpeaks nothing to man without the couenant: for which cauſe al the ſcripture both old and new, wherein al Gods word is contained, beares the name of Gods couenant or teſtament.
The couenant of God generally is a promiſe, vnderunder Couenant defined.ſome one certaine condition. And it is twofold: the firſt is the couenant of works; the ſecond is the couenant of grace. Paul Galath. 4. verſ. 24. expreſſelie ſets downe two couenants, which in the olde Teſtament were ſhadowed by two women, as by types, to wit, Hagar the handmaide, and Sarah the freewoman: for ſaith he, theſe be thoſe two couenants. Let vsus then ſpeake ſomething of theſe two couenants, and firſt of the couenant of works. The couenant of workes, which may alſo be called a legall or Couenant of works, the firſt ground of it.natural couenant, is founded in nature, which by creation was pure and holy, and in the law of God, which in the firſt creation was ingrauen in mans hart. For after that God had created man after his owne image pure and holy, and had written his law in his minde, he made a couenant with man, wherein he promiſed him eternall life, vnderunder the condition of holy and good workes, which ſhould be anſwerable to the holineſſe and goodneſſe of their creation, and conformable to his law. And that nature thus beautified with holineſſe and righteouſnes, and the light of Gods law, is the foundation of the couenant of works, it is very euident: for that it could not well ſtand with the iuſtice of God, to make a couenant vnderunder condition of good works & perfect obedience to his law, except he had firſt created man pure and holie, and had ingrauen his lawe in his hart, whence thoſe good works might proceed. For this cauſe, when he was to repeat that couenant of workes to the people of Iſrael, he firſt gaue the law written in tables of ſtone: then he made a couenant with his people, ſaying; Doe theſe things, and ye ſhall liue. Therefore the ground of the couenant of works was Note.not Chriſt, nor the grace of God in Chriſt; but the nature of man in the firſt creation holy and perfect, endued alſo with the knowledge of the law. For as touching the couenant of workes, there was no mediator in the beginning betweene God and man, that God ſhould in him, as in and by a mediator, make his couenant with man. And the cauſe that there was no need of a mediator was this: that albeit there were two parties entring into a couenāt, yet there was no ſuch breach or variance betwixt them that they had neede of any mediator to make reconciliation betweene them: for as for the couenant of works, God made this couenant with man, as one friend doth Note.with another. For in the creation we were Gods friends, and not his enemies. Thus far of the grounde of the conant of works.
The thing promiſed in the couenant of works, is life eternall firſt, not righteouſnes: for that man, in his creation, was euen then iuſt and perfect, by that original iuſtice, as they call it: vnleſſe you will ſay that the righteouſnes of works was promiſed in that couenant, for which righteouſnes ſake, after that man had wrought it, God would pronounce and declare him to be iuſt. For we are to vnderſtand, that in this couenant there is a double righteouſnes: the firſt is that originall iuſtice, which is nothing elſe but the integritie of nature in that firſt ſtate of man. This iuſtice out of all doubt is not promiſed in the couenant of works, for it is the ground of it. The ſecond iuſtice is that which was to follow the good workes of nature in that integritie, & might be called the iuſtice of works: for after that man had liued godly and iuſtly according to Gods law in that integritie, then he might be ſaid to be iuſt againe, and to be declared of God to be iuſt by his good workes well pleaſing vntounto God, and ſo eternall life might be ſaide to be giuen vntounto him, as iuſtified by his works. For Paul to the Rom. teacheth, that there may be ſome imputation of righteouſneſſe by good works, if ſo be that works be perfectlie good: Hence come theſe manner of ſpeeches; Abraham was not iuſtified by his works: by workes no fleſh ſhall be iuſtified. Thus far of the promiſe Rom. 4. 2of the couenant of workes, or of the things promiſed in the couenant of works.
Now to come vntounto the condition: the condition of ye couenant of works, is the condition of good works; of good works, I ſay, not which proceed from Chriſt, or from his The condition of the couenant of works.grace, but frō nature only in the integrity thereof, & being informed with the knowledge of the law, and perfectlie good, as it was in the firſt creation; proceeding, I ſay, from that ground of the couenant of workes. Therefore works meere naturallie good, onlie are required as the condition of the couenant of works. So then by this condition, doe you exclude hence faith in Chriſt? I doe ſo. And do ye except here from the condition of the couenant of works, all the works of grace and regeneration? I doe except theſe alſo. But the couenant of works is often propounded in the Goſpell, to ſuch as be in grace and in Chriſt Ieſu? for how often is the reward of eternall life promiſed to ſuch as do well? wherefore it may ſeeme that the works of regeneration appertaine alſo to the couenant of works, for that ſuch works be required of them which be vnderunder grace? I anſwer, the antecedent is falſe: for if at any time we heare or reade in the Goſpell of grace, that good works be required of them which be in Chriſt and iuſtified by him, to that end that they may obtaine eternall life, we may not thinke that God ſpeakes Note.vntounto them after the forme of the couenant of works: for in the Goſpel, good works are required of them which be in Chriſt, not ſuch as proceede from their owne nature, or ſuch as they can yeelde of their owne ſtrength, but onelyonly ſuch as proceede from the grace of regeneration. For we neuer finde in the new Teſtament, that they which are in Chriſt, be commanded to do the workes aforeſaide of the couenant of works, which bee naturallie good; or that the couenant of works is ſet before thē, that by it, & the works therof acted by the ſtrēgth of nature, they may receiue eternall life. For thou ſhalt neuer finde it ſaide to them which are in Chriſt: Do this of your own ſtrēgth, that ſo ye may liue: which is the very ſum of ye couenant of works.
As for that place Math. 19. 17. where Chriſt ſaid to a certaine young man, which called vponupon him, ſaying: Maiſter, what good ſhal I do that I may hauehave eternall life? The Lord anſwered, and ſaide. If thou wilt enter into life, keepe the commandements: I graunt that heere hee vnderſtandeth the couenant of works, and that the Lord propoundeth to the young man the forme of the conenant of works. But obſerue that the Lord ſo anſwereth to one that ſought his life and ſaluation by the law, and which did before cleaue vntounto the couenant of works, and truſted to works as meritorious. For ſo the couenāt of works and the rule of the law of works muſt be ſet before eueryevery one which is without Chriſt, ſeeking righteouſneſſe by the law and the works of the law, to this end, if it may be, that by the ſenſe of ſin & the feeling of his owne miſery, he may be prepared to embrace the couenant of grace in Chriſt. For to returne vntounto his words: that young man ſaide to the Lorde, What good ſhall I doe? Therefore he ſought ſaluation by workes, and not by faith in Chriſt. So then the Lord anſwered fitly to his queſtion, Doe this, and thou ſhalt liue: Which manner of ſpeaking is neuer wonted to be propounded in the Goſpell to them which hauehave once imbraced and profeſſed Chriſt. For thoſe good works of nature be neuer required of them, according to the forme of the couenant of works, neither be the promiſes made vntounto them vnderunder condition of any ſuch workes.
I confeſſe good workes be required of them which be in Chriſt, and iuſtified by him: but all ſuch works belong to grace and regeneration; to grace, I ſay, only; and they be not the works of free will nor of nature. Know this thē, that to ſuch as be in Chriſt, the couenant of works to thē is aboliſhed, & of none effect ſo far forth as by it iuſtificatiō & ſaluation is obtained. I graunt, the law abideth which is the rule of thoſe works, which properlie & ſpecially How far the law is aboliſhed.did firſt appertaine to the couenāt of works: but now it hath another ſpeciall vſe; for it ſerueth for our direction in the workes of grace and ſanctification. So then the law hath ceaſed, as it was the rule of the works of nature required in the couenant of works: but it is ſtill in vſe to them which are in Chriſt, as it is the rule of the works of grace. For the ſame iuſtice of God is vnchangeable: and the law of God is the very image of diuine iuſtice: wherefore the law of God muſt abide for euer, albeit it hauehave not euer the ſame vſe, nor be not alwaies the rule of the ſame works. But of this we ſhal ſpeak more at large hereafter. It is a queſtion heere, whether in the firſt creation, good works in the couenant of works, were required of man, as meritorious for the promiſed life? I anſwer, not ſo: But they were due in the creation, as pledges of thankefulneſſe in man to his creatour, for that excellent worke of his creation, and to glorifie God his creator. But it may be obiected, that Paul to the Rom. diſputing againſt the works of nature (for in that epiſtle he diſputing principally againſt this kind of works) he reaſoneth againſt thē, as ſeeming meritorious, & not as duties & teſtimonies of mans thankfulnes vntounto God: wherfore it may ſeeme they were commanded vntounto man in his creation as meritorious. I anſwer, true it is, Paul diſputes there of thē as of merites, not for that this was his iudgement of them, but becauſe the Iewes had that conceite of them, which were ſo farre blinded, that they thought the good works of nature were not only good and iuſt, but alſo might merit iuſtification and life. But of this blindneſſe of the Iewes, we ſhal ſpeake more at large herafter. Thus farre of the condition of the couenant of works, and of this kinde of couenant accordingly, and as we purpoſed in this preſent treatiſe.