A Conciliatory Discourse Upon Crisps Sermons, Head 8
Head 8.
The Covenant of Grace hath no Condition, to which is oppos'd; The Covenant of Grace hath Conditions, though undertaken for, aſſur'd, enabled to, by Chriſt.
Conciliation. If we conſider the Covenant of Grace, as it is in its higheſt, nobleſt Repreſentation, it is an Ectype or Exemplification of the Everlaſting Covenant, the Covenant in Election; and therein it muſt needs be, as unconditioned, as Election is, and yet, as univerſally Wiſe and Holy, as the whole Scripture Frame is, even ſo Wiſe and Holy is the Counſel of that Will in Election, that God worketh all things after, Epheſ. 1. 11. More Self-conſiſtent is therefore the Hipotheſis or Scheme of a Conditionate Election, and a Conditionate Covenant of Grace, then an Inconditionate Election, and a Conditional Covenant of Grace; except we make the Series and Frame of the conſequent Diſpoſes of Election Conditions, God puts upon himſelf for the making good his firſt Choice; that is, he chooſes upon Condition, he himſelf will in time give Faith, Repentance, Holineſs; which we know, were both unreaſonably derogatory from the Divine Glory; and from that order, in which Scripture gives us theſe Supreme Acts of Grace; For Foreknowledge, Predeſtination, Election, in Chriſt, are the Fountain of Calling, Juſtification, Sanctification, Glorification, Rom. 8. 29. Whereas if Sanctification were the condition of Juſtification, Glorification coming laſt muſt be the condition of all the reſt; As if the Senſe were on condition God will Glorifie, he will Sanctifie. So Juſtification muſt be the condition of Calling, and Calling of Election. But how much more Beautiful and Orderly is the Scripture Chain? Making all after, Wiſe diſpoſes flowing from the Independent Firſt. And ſo every where Scripture Diſcourſes; he hath choſen us, that we ſhould be Holy, and without Blame before him in Love, Epheſ. 1. As, of God, viz. by the Eternal Fountain of Grace and in his Electing Love, are we in Christ, who is of God, 1. Cor. 1. 31. without any condition on our part, made Wiſdom in Calling; Righteouſneſs in Juſtification; Holyneſs in Sanctification; All theſe are brought into Glory in Redemption; that none might Glory in his Preſence, but he that Glorieth might Glory only in the Lord.
For if there were but one Thing ſuſpended upon us, as a Condition on our Part; even that ſingle thing would turn the Covenant of Grace into a Covenant of Works; For it would be Work done by our ſelves, and we might Glory, we have done, we have will'd, we have run, we have atchiev'd and attain'd; what ever indeed that might be Duly demanded of us, and is not required, is Grace; or whatever is given, is Grace; But what is required on our own Strength, is Work; and though it be ſaid, God aſſiſts by his Grace, by his Spirit; yet if there be 99 Parts given or aſſiſted, and but the 100th Part our Act, that 100th Part is Work, and all Grace is ſuſpended on that; For on the doing, or not doing that, All hangs: And ſeeing thouſands do not that 100th Part, if we do it, we have reaſon of Boaſting, that we were wiſer, we were better than they. For how ſmall, how little ſoever that nice and curious Point be, on which all the vaſt Globes, of not only Eternity, but Supreme Grace turns; and wherein Divine Wiſdom and Holyneſs placed all; That is ours, and we have done it. And though in all elſe, we are beholden to God, to Chriſt, to the Divine Spirit, yet in that which is the laſt Hinge we are beholden to our ſelves; Nay if all were firſt given, and but our Perſeverance only were the Condition on which all depended, the ſame might be ſaid of Perſeverance, that it turn'd the Covenant of Grace in that Part into a Covenant of Works. And whereas many do not Perſevere, we have reaſon to Glory we Perſevere, and there is ſome thing we have not received. And ſo the Vertical Point would be our ſelves, and we might Glory in his Preſence: For that, and not Chriſt, would be the Corner Stone, and to it we might cry, Grace, Grace.
And however, there is ſo much to be aſcrib'd to Grace, and what would in common Speaking, among Men, be call'd the making of us, and doing all for us; Yet it is to be conſider'd, whether the Glory, God will not give to another, be not parted with, and ſurrendred by him, if the laſt Deciſive Point Reſt upon us; which makes me Aſſured, it cannot be ſo; And ſo though I acknowledge with thoſe, who moſt acknowledge it; the neceſſity of Faith, Repentance, Holyneſs, and of our own Action therein; yet in ſpeaking of the Covenant, as the Covenant of Grace, and being an Ectype, or Exemplification of Everlaſting Grace; I ſay, Theſe, nor any Action of the Elect, ought to be ſtyled Conditions, but Wiſe and Holy Diſpoſitions of God the Author and Founder; and of Chriſt the Mediator, Surety and Teſtator; And which he will moſt certainly ſee to, that they ſhall moſt Infallibly take place in their juſt Series, Succeſſion and Order both of Nature and of Time.
And why ſhould we be ſo afraid to ſpeak of the Covenant of Grace, as Inconditionate? For what is there that we would ſingle out as a condition, that is not to be aſcrib'd to Gods Immediate Gift? Is it Faith? Is it the Gift of God? Epheſ. 2. 8. To you Is it given to believe? Is it Repentance? He hath made Chriſt a Prince to give it, Acts 5. 31. If God peradventure will give Repentance, 2 Tim. 2. 25. Is it Holyneſs? Chriſt is made ſo Sanctification to us that we cannot Boaſt; Is it the Laws of God in our Hearts, A new Heart, a new Spirit, a ſoft Heart, his Fear within us, that we may never depart from him? One Heart, and one Way to fear him forever, to know him by his Spirit? All theſe are aſſurd to be given, even as Pardon in Sin, and by as free a Gift. All by a plain abſolute Inconditionate Grant; How many and great Scriptures run in this abſolute Style, and yet how expreſly is all this call'd a Covenant? Jer. 31. Heb. 8. Jer. 32. Ezek. 11. Chap. 36.
But if it be ſaid, how then comes it to paſs, that the whole Strain and Stream of Scripture, to which Preaching ought to be conform'd, ſpeaks of theſe Graces and all the Actions agreeable to them, as Conditions of the Covenant of Grace? There are three grand Accounts to be given of it.
I. It becomes the Wiſe and Holy Rector and Governor of the World and of his Rational Human Creation, to treat and deal with, and give them all Scope, Room and Buſineſs, and Advantage in, and for Intellectual Action; Men, as Rational Creatures, know not how to deal with one another, or to move themſelves, but by the Activities of Underſtanding, Conſcience, Will, Affections; So that they muſt lye ſtill, and not act at all, or be moov'd only, as Bruits or Machines, or thus; There is therefore the continual Rational Breathing, and Motion of Doctrine, Inſtruction, Promiſe, Threat, Reproof, Correction; and all kind of Motion and Action, ſuitable and agreeable to it: All Scripture is therefore prepared, and Profitable hereunto. Beſides the Commands and Precepts of Holyneſs being ſo abundant, they ſhew the neceſſity of a continual Recourſe to Chriſt for Strength, Grace and Aſſiſtance, for Righteouſneſs from him, and Pardon through him, wherein we fall ſhort; Nothing mooves more to run to the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, than the ſight of Imperfect Grace and Action, to which we are called; if by our ſelves; though under Divine Aſſiſtance from Chriſt.
II. Now under this Oeconomy, and Diſpenſation of Things; the Grace of God, according to Election, and according to the Mediation, Suretyſhip and Teſtamentary Grace (or the laſt Will of Jeſus Chriſt) diſplay themſelves; as if all things were carryed by Intellectual Conditionalities, and the Obedience and free Complyances of thoſe who are the Election of God, of thoſe, that are Called according to Purpoſe; while in the mean time, they are moſt Efficaciouſly, and yet moſt ſweetly Swayed, and Influenc'd by the Power and Grace of God in Chriſt, and by the Increated Spirit, that cannot miſs of the end deſign'd; and though all be Veſted in the Action of thoſe, who are thus Choſen and Called, yet not under the Incertainty of a Condition; but the Infallible Certainty of a Divine Diſpoſition, a Teſtamentary Gift of our great Teſtator, a Diſcharge of our Surety for us, though within us; an Acquiſt of our Mediator by Interceſſion on his own Blood of the Everlaſting Covenant, preſented in Heaven for us, Heb. 9 12.
III. And thus alſo, there is a Juſtification of God in his Holyneſs and Righteouſneſs, as alſo in his Patience and Long Suffering towards thoſe, whom he leaves to themſelves; who being applyed to, according to their own Nature, as Creatures of Reaſon and Underſtanding, according to all the Riches of the Word of God to that purpoſe, are condemned in not receiving ſuch every way ſufficient Applications, taking them ſo every way, as ſuch Rational Creatures, and ſuited thereunto; which could not be ſo gloriouſly Demonſtrated and Illuſtrated, if there were not ſuch a fittedneſs of the Word of God, and of the Overtures of Life and Salvation, by way of Condition. To one, Mat. 13. 11. it is given, to the other, it is not given. So vain is that Expoſition of Dr. Hammond, and violent a Perverſion of Scripture; As many as were ordain'd, viz. as he ſpeaks, fitted by former Diſcipline to receive the Eternal Life of the Goſpel, Acts 2. ult. believed: As appears from, Rom. 9. 23. For what Diſcipline prepared beforehand the Gentiles to Calling or Glory?