Gods Effectual Calling, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. Of ſuch as be comprehended in, or may truly be ſaide to be vnderunder, the couenant of God.
NOW it followeth that we ſpeake briefelie of ſuch as be vnderunder the couenant of God, or (if I may ſo ſpeake) confederates with God. EueryEvery reaſonable creature muſt of neceſſitie be liable to one of both couenants, either that of works, or this of grace. For the very Angels are vnderunder the couenant of works: but becauſe the Scripture ſpeaks ſo ſparinglie of them, therefore we ſay this onelie in a worde, that they alſo be vnderunder the couenant of workes, Againe, man muſt bee vnderunder ſome one couenant. Adam in the ſtate of his innocencie, was vnderunder the couenant of works: man after the fal, abideth vnderunder the couenant of works; & to this day life is promiſed him vnderunder condition of works done by ſtrength of nature: But if he wil not do well, death and the euerlaſting curſe of God is denounced againſt him, ſo long as he is without Chriſt, and without the Goſpell. And being freed from the couenant of works, he is not become a libertine, or not ſubiect to Gods people in grace be not law-les libertines.any couenant, or as it were law-leſſe, but forth with he is admitted to the couenant of grace, and thence forth liueth vnderunder it. Therefore concerning Angels and men, it is euident, that they are vnderunder ſome one couenant.
It is a doubt indeede concerning Chriſt, whether he were then vnderunder any couenant, when he dwelt among men, and did conuerſe on earth? I anſwere, there be two natures in Chriſt, a diuine and humane: Chriſt as hee is God, and the Sonne of God, is not vnderunder the couenant of works or of grace: for that he is no creature, but the bleſſed Creator, to whom, to whoſe couenant and law euerie creature is and muſt be ſubiect. But as he is man, he is vnderunder the couenant of works; and that in two reſpects. Firſt, Chriſt vnderunder the couenat of works in what reſpect.in reſpect of himſelfe, becauſe he is a creature; becauſe he is a ſeruant, and made man, and was in the loines of Adam, when that couenant of works was firſt made with him. But wee be to ſpeake ſparingly of that ſtate of the man Chriſt, which is in reſpect of Chriſt himſelf, whether that his humane nature as touching itſelfe, were vnderunder the couenant of works? whether this nature did purchaſe for it ſelfe life eternall by obſeruation of the couenant of works? Next, I ſay the *Or chriſt the Mediator hath ſubiected himſelfe in his humanitie to the law for our ſake.humane nature of Chriſt, is vnderunder the couenant of works in reſpect of vsus; for being vnited to that diuine nature, it is become a mediatour for vsus, to make interceſſion and peace betweene God offended, and man offending. For Chriſt our Mediatour, albeit he be God and man in that perſonal vnion, yet was he made ſubiect to the couenant of works, and to the courſe of the law for vsus, properly in reſpect of his humane nature, that, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, he might redeeme vsus from the law, and the curſe of the law. See Gal. 4. 4. and 5. After that the fulneſſe of time was come, God ſent his Sonne made of awoman, made ſubiect to the lawe, to redeeme them which vvere vnderunder the lawe. And Galath. 3. ver. 13. But Chriſt ſaith he, hath redeemed vsus from the curſe, while he was made a curſe for vsus. Chriſt therefore our mediator ſubiected himſelfe vntounto the couenant of works, and vntounto the lawe for our ſake: and did both fulfill the condition of the couenant of works, in his holy and good life, euen in the higheſt degree of perfection, as being God and man (euen that moſt holy one of God) in one perſon: and alſo he did vndergoe that curſe, which was denounced againſt man in that couenant of works, if that condition of good and holy works were not kept: for in the couenant of works ye hauehave together with the promiſe of life to him who doth well, a commination of euerlaſting death to him who doth not well. For this cauſe Chriſt our mediator, both did wel according to the promiſe, & died alſo according to the curſe denoūced. Wherefore we ſee Chriſt in two reſpect, to wit, in doing & ſuffring, ſubiect to the couenant of works, & to hauehave moſt perfectly fulfilled it, & that for our ſake, whoſe mediator he is become.
It may be demaunded, Had it not beene ſufficient for our good, and to the end he might redeeme vsus, if he had only liued well and holily, and not alſo ſo to hauehave ſuffered death for vsus? I anſwer, it had not ſufficed: for all his moſt holy & righteous works had not ſatisfied the iuſtice and wrath of God for our ſins, nor merited the merciemercy of God, reconciliatiō, righteouſnes & life eternal for vsus: the reaſon is, for that the iuſtice of God did require, for our breach of Gods couenant, that we ſhould be puniſhed with death eternall, according to the condition denounced and annexed to the promiſe of that couenant. Therefore no good works of our owne, or of any Mediator for vsus, after the breach of that couenant of works, could hauehave ſatisfied the iuſtice of God, which of neceſſity after aſort required the puniſhment and death of the offender, or certainly of ſome mediator in his ſteed. If then all the good & holy works of the Mediator could not satisfie that wrath and iuſtice of God for ſin, it is cleere they could not meritany new grace or mercy of God for vsus.
But you will ſay, that the good and holy works of Chriſt our Mediatour hauehave wrought ſome part at leaſt of that ſatisfaction, whereby Gods iuſtice was appeaſed for vsus: and ſome part of that merit whereby Gods fauour was purchaſed for vsus? I anſwer, theſe works did ſerue properly for no part of ſatisfaction or merit for vsus: for that to ſpeake properly, the death of Chriſt and his paſſion onelyonly did ſatisfie Gods iuſtice, and merited his merciemercy for vsus.
If anie will yet further demaund: May we not diuide the ſatisfaction and merit of Chriſt, into his doings and ſuffrings, that we may ſpeake on this manner, Chriſt by his death and paſſion hath ſatisfied Gods iuſtice, and by his good and holy works he hath merited Gods merciemercy for vsus, that ſo ſatisfaction may bee aſcribed to his death, and merit to his workes; that the righteouſneſſe wherewith wee are iuſtified before God, may bee partly the ſatisfaction which Chriſt perfourmed by his death for vsus, partly the merits which he obtained by his works for vsus? I anſwer, to ſpeake properly, the ſatisfaction and merit which is by the only paſſion of Chriſt, both He ſaith, we are iuſtified only by the paſſiue righteouſneſſe of Chriſt.was and is our righteouſneſſe, or the ſatisfactorie and meritorious death of Chriſt, or the ſatisfaction which was by Chriſts death, or the merit of his death, or the obedience of Chriſt, as being obedient to his Father vntounto the death, the death alſo of the Croſſe; to bee ſhort, that iuſtice of Chriſt, which he obtained when in his paſſion he ſatisfied his Fathers wrath, this is our righteouſneſſe. For we may ſay, that either the death of Chriſt, or his ſatisfaction, or his merit, or his obedience, or his righteouſneſſe is imputed vntounto vsus for righteouſneſſe. For all theſe are taken for one and the ſame thing.
But here it may bee replied: If the works of Chriſt cannot properly procure for vsus any ſatisfaction, nor merit, nor anie part of ſatisfaction or merit; then it may bee demaunded: What hath beene, and what is the vſe of Chriſts works, or of his actiue obedience, or of the obedience of his life? I anſwer, that the holineſſe of the perſon The actiue obedience of Chriſt, or the righteouſnes and holineſſe of his perſon and life, how it is the ground of the ſatisfactorie and meritorious paſſion of Chriſt.of Chriſt, and of his natures diuine and humane, and of his works, is the verie ground or foundation of the ſatisfaction and merit which wee hauehave in the paſſion of Chriſt, that is, the excellencie and worthineſſe of that perſon, and of his works did cauſe that his paſſion was both ſatisfactorie and meritorious: for if this perſon which ſuffered, had not beene ſo holy and excellent, as alſo his life ſo pure and godly, it is moſt certaine that his paſſion could neither hauehave ſatisfied Gods wrath, nor merited merciemercy for vsus. For which cauſe the Apoſtle Heb. 7. 26. ſpeaking of this ground of this meritorious paſſion of Chriſt, ſaith, that ſuch an high Prieſt it became vsus to hauehave (which is) holy, blameleſſe, vndefiled, ſeparate from ſinners, and made higher then the heauens. And thus farre of Chriſt, and how hee may bee ſaid to be vnderunder the couenant of works.
And that he was not vnderunder the couenant of grace, the matter is ſo cleare, that it needs no diſputation. For the couenant of grace was made in him, and eſtabliſhed in his bloud, and the promiſe in the couenant of grace is made to them, which were vniuſt and dead in ſinne, becauſe of the breach of that couenant of works: and laſtly, Chriſt not vnderunder the couenant of grace.the condition in the couenant of grace is faith in Chriſt the mediator. Wherfore if ye reſpect either the ground, or condition, or promiſe of the free couenant, Chriſt can not be ſaid to bee vnderunder it. And thus farre of both couenants, & of them which are vnderunder the couenant of God, either of works, or of grace.