The Sum of Sacred Divinity, Book 1 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Of the Couenant of Workes.
THE whole Doctrine of Righteouſneſſe inWith the Creatures, who are thus to doe his will, it hath pleaſed God to make a Couenant, which is called the Couenant of Workes: A Couenant of life (or bleſſednes) to the doers: of death (or of a curſe) vntounto tranſgreſſours. the ſeuerall parts and branches of it, hath hitherto beene declared, which is indeed the perfect rule & directorie of all duties whatſoeuer, which either we owe to God, or to our brethrē for his ſake. Now if a man ſhall aske but what good commeth to vsus by the keeping of theſe Commandements? This, if there were no more, is aboundantly ſufficient, that God is thereby glorified. So as if it were poſſible (which notwithſtanding cannot be) that doing his will, we ſhould periſh euerlaſtingly, yet ought wee as cherefully, and with as readie mindes to obey, as if wee were to gaine Heauen by it. But ſee the exceeding bountie and goodneſſe of God, that will not hauehave vsus ſerue him for nought. He is pleaſed for the perfect keeping of his Law, and the Righteouſneſſe by him inioyned, not onelyonly to promiſe a recompence of reward, but to contract and couenant with vsus, and vnderunder certaine conditions, as it were, to binde himſelfe vntounto it, which is the ſame that we call the Law or Couenant of workes; the firſt Couenant that euer God made with his Creatures. The ſumme whereof is in few words, He bRom. 10. 5.that doth theſe things, ſhall liue by them. As on the other ſide, cGal. 3. 10.Curſed is eueryevery one that continueth not in all the things that are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them. For this Couenant requireth workes done by the ſtrength of Nature, and according to the Law of our Creation, anſwerable to Gods Iuſtice, the expreſſe Image whereof is in the Morall Law: And therefore the nature of Men and Angels, beautified in their firſt Creation with Holineſſe, and the light of Gods Law written in their heart, is the ground and foundation of this Couenant: for otherwiſe it could not hauehave ſtood with the Iuſtice of God, to require theſe things at their hands, vnleſſe the Law of GOD had beene ſtamped and ſigned in them, and their nature made holy and pure, able by Creation to doe the ſame.
The Couenant therefore of Workes, hath thoſe two parts before remembred: for the Law of God, as all other Lawes that are but ſtreames and ſhaddowes of that euerlaſting Law, is vpholden by two things, reward and puniſhment; without which, there would bee neither care to obſerue, nor feare to breake it.
This reward commeth from Gods free and vndeſerued goodneſſe: for what can the Creature deſerue at the Creatours hands, doing nothing but that which the Law of his Creation bindeth him vntounto? Wherefore our Sauiour, Luke 17. 10. doth admoniſh, when wee hauehave done all things that are inioyned vsus, we muſt ſay, we are vnprofitable ſeruants: for we hauehave done nothing elſe but that we ought to doe.
And therein lyeth a mayne difference betweene the reward and puniſhment: for the puniſhment is in Iuſtice, and ſinne hath indeed a merit belonging to it, the merit of Gods heauie wrath and indignation as it is ſaid, dLuke 12. 48.He that doth things worthie of ſtripes, ſhall be beaten, &c. And againe, The eRom. 6. 23.wages and due deſert of ſinne is death. From this reward it followeth, that the exact obſeruation, of the Law of God, hath alwayes a good conſcience ioyned with it.
A good conſcience I call that, which beareth record to vsus, that we doe well in all things, and therefore are to be rewarded; whereof our Sauiour ſpeaketh, Iohn 8. 29. The Father hath not left mee alone, becauſe I doe alwayes the things that are pleaſing to him, called therefore good; becauſe telling vsus we doe well in all things, it aſſureth vsus of good. The fruit of this good conſcience, is perpetuall ioy and comfort, as the fPro. 15. 15.Wiſeman ſaith, A good conſcience is a continuall Feaſt. And therefore this is, as it were, the gate that leadeth into the poſſeſſion of the promiſed happineſſe.
Againe, from the puniſhment it followeth, that contrariwiſe, ſinne hath attending vponupon it, guilt and an euill conſcience.
Guilt is an eſtate, that, by reaſon of our ſinne, bindeth vsus ouer vntounto puniſhment, and maketh vsus ſubiect to the wrath of God, as our Sauiour doth expreſſe it, Mat. 5. 22. He that ſaith to his Brother, Foole, is guiltie of Hellfire, Geneſis 4. 7. It is compared to a Curre, or a Maſtiffe Dogge, which is alwayes arring and barking againſt vsus: If thou ſinne, ſinne lyeth at the doore, readie to flye in thy face, and to take vengeance on thee. gHeb. 10. 22.An euill, conſcience, (ſo called by the Apoſtle, from the effects) is that, which, by reaſon wee hauehave ſinned, telleth vsus of the puniſhment wee are guiltie of, and which abideth for vsus.
The fruit of an euill conſcience, is perpetuall feare and horrour, as appeareth by hGen. 4. 13.CAIN: Mine iniquitie (the guilt and puniſhment which through the ſame I am ſubiect vntounto) is greater then I can beare. And in the King of Babel, BELSHASSER, whoſe iDan. 5. 6.Royaltie was all changed, his thoughts perplexed him, the girdings of his loynes looſed, and his knees daſhed one againſt another, when hee ſaw the Bill of his Indictment drawne. Felix kActs 24. 25.alſo is ſaid to hauehave beene afraid, hearing PAVL dispute of Righteouſneſſe and Temperance, from which hee was ſo farre, and of the Iudgement that was to come, which he trembled to thinke vponupon. Such a terrour doth the guilt of an euill conſcience ſtrike into a man: and therefore is, as it were, the Hangman to leade him by the hand to the place of execution, as it is ſaid, Iob 18. 11. that terrors terrifie him round about, and caſt him downe, following him at the heeles, and leaue him not, till they hauehave brought him before the terrible King.
But neither the reward nor puniſhment are alike to eueryeveryBoth more or leſſe, as the righteouſneſſe or ſinne aboundeth. one; it is to ſome more, to ſome leſſe, as their righteouſneſſe or ſin aboundeth: For l1. Cor. 3. 8.eueryevery man ſaith the Apoſtle, ſhall receiue his owne hire, or meaſure of glorie, according to his owne worke. And the ſame is to be ſaid of the other member: for as the ſinne increaſeth, ſo doth the puniſhment, as our Sauiour ſaith, Hee mIohn 19. 11.that deliuered me vntounto thee, hath the greater ſinne, both for the guilt and puniſhment which he ſhall ſuſtayne. And Mat. 11. nMat. 11. 21, 22, 23, 24.It Life is a continuall progreſſe in holineſſe and happineſſe.ſhall be eaſier for Tyrus and Sidon at the Day of Iudgement, then for you.
The reward, as we heard, is life: oLeuit. 18 5. Ezech. 20. 11. Rom. 10. 5. Gal 3. 12.He that doth theſe things, ſhall liue by them. Life, the greateſt good that can poſſibly come vntounto a Creature, the full bleſſedneſſe and perfection of his nature: for by it is meant a continuance, with growth and increaſe in all Holineſſe, Happineſſe, Honour and immortalitie. And what more ſweet then life, wherein all pleaſures are inioyed?
The puniſhment is death, Geneſis 2. 17. In the day thou Death is the contrary to them both.eateſt of the forbidden fruit, thou ſhalt dye. Death therefore is the reward of ſinne: death both ſpirituall, in a ſubiection to the power of ſinne; and reall, in an eſtate ſubiect to deſtruction. Thus the Apoſtle Paul doth expound it, Epheſians, 2. 1, 2, 3. when hee teacheth, that by nature we are firſt, dead in ſinne, the ſonnes of diſobedience: and then, the children of wrath and condemnation. Wherfore this is the moſt fearfull puniſhment that can bee thought of, comprehending the whole Curſe of the Law, wherein all miſeries are enwrapped: pDeut. 27. 26. Gal. 3. 10.Curſed is eueryevery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them. Which becauſe in our corrupt eſtate, it is impoſſible for men to doe, therefore this Couenant is ſaid to ingender children vntounto bondage, Gal 4. 24.
Here therefore is threatned the vtter ruine and deſtructionNamely, in ſtead of holineſſe, darknes, and a totall corruption of the whole ſtrength of nature vntounto all vnrighteouſneſſe: in ſtead of happineſſe, the wrath of God, and all the euill that commeth of it, contrary to the former coniunction and communion with him. of the Creature; a ſinfull and damnable eſtate: Contrarie through-out and in all the parts, one to the holineſſe, the other to the happineſſe before deſcribed. Sinfull, both in blindneſſe of minde, or darkneſſe of vnderſtanding, and in a totall corruption of the whole man, and of all the ſtrength of nature, to the working of all vnrighteouſneſſe: Damnable and wretched, in the wrath of God, and all the euill that commeth of it: Separation from his preſence; Slauerie to ſinne and Satan; Weakneſſe and Infirmitie; Shame, Ignorance, and ſuch like. But all theſe things wee ſhall more particularly ſet forth hereafter.