The Covenant of God Entered with Mankind, Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Farther differences in the conditions in the Covenant of Works, and the conditions in the Covenant of Grace.
2ly. THe conditions, on mans part in the Covenant of Works, kept man within him ſelf for righteouſneſſe.The conditions in the Covenant of Works kept man within himſelf for righteouſneſſe. That righteouſneſſe in which he was to ſtand in Gods ſight, was inherent, wrought by himſelf; co-natural to him, flowing from the principles of his creation, in conformity to God. And therefore properly his own; as now a mans reaſon, will and affections are properly his, He needed no other, nor no more righteouſneſſe than that in which he ſtood. Though he had that faith which now ſerves to juſtifie; yet it needed not, nor could be improved to take in any other righteouſneſſe without himſelf for juſtification. Man ſtood then on his own bottome. His dependance was on God for being, but that being, which God pleaſed to communicate, was in that integrity and purity, that he needed not any farther. But the conditions of the Covenant of Grace, carry man out of himſelf,The conditions in the Covenant of Grace, carry a man out of himſelf to be righteous by anothers righteouſneſſe. He muſt be righteous with a righteouſneſs extrinſecal, or elſe he will never be able to ſtand in judgment. Paul was as high, as he that was higheſt, in that righteouſneſſe, which he could lay claime to, as his own, wrought by himſelf, as well before converſion as after. Before converſion he was as high, as a Phariſee, or a Jew according to the letter could reach, either in priviledges, or duties; as we may ſee in that gradation of his, Phil. 3. Circumciſed, and therefore of the body of the people of God, and no alien from the Common-wealth of Iſrael; Circumciſed the eighth day, and therefore born of Parents in the ſame Church-communion; Of the ſtock of Iſrael, and ſo the ſeed of Abraham, and not deſcended of anceſtors that had been Proſelytes; Of the Tribe of Benjamin, of that part of Iſrael that held the truth of worſhip; of whom was ſalvation, and not of the Apoſtated tribes; An Hebrew of the Hebrews, and therefore had not forgotten the language of Canaan; As touching the Law, a Phariſee, a man of no vulgar account, but of the moſt exquiſite Sect; Concerning zeal, perſecuting the Church, therefore not luke-warme or cold in the faith; As touching the righteouſneſſe that is of the Law blameleſſe, therefore of a converſation exact, walk up to his principles. After converſion, he knew nothing by himſelf, 1 Cor. 4. 4. His heart condemned him not, He exerciſed himſelf continually to have a conſcience void of offence, both to God and man, Acts 24. 16. Yet he durſt reſt, in none of theſe, I am not (ſaith he) hereby juſtified, 1 Cor. 4. 4. What things were gain to me, thoſe I counted loſſe for Chriſt; yea, doubtleſſe, and I count all things but loſſe for the excellency of the knowledg of Chriſt Jeſus my Lord; for whom I have ſuffered the loſſe of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Chriſt, and be found in him, not having my own righteouſneſſe, which is of the Law; but that which is through faith of Chriſt, the righteouſneſſe which is of God by faith, Philip. 3. 7, 8, 9. The ignorance of this, was the bane of the body of the Jewiſh Nation. The Gentiles which followed not after righteouſneſſe, have attained to righteouſneſſe, even the righteouſneſſe which is of faith. But Iſrael which followed after the Law of righteouſneſſe, hath not attained to the Law of righteouſneſſe; wherefore? becauſe they ſought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the Law, Rom. 9. 30, 31, 32. For they being ignorant of Gods righteouſneſſe, and going about to eſtabliſh their own righteouſneſſe, have not ſubmitted themſelves unto the righteouſneſſe of God, Rom. 10. 3. And ſtill, it is the undoing of a great part of the world; Man being naturally inclined, to look after a righteouſneſſe of his own, and extreamely oppoſite to this righteouſneſſe, which in the covenant of grace is tendered, and by which in a Goſpel-way he muſt be ſaved. The righteouſneſſe of the former covenant, was wrote in the heart by nature; and ſuch remainders left, that the man that minds any righteouſneſſe, alone looks after it. But this, is onelyonly of Revelation, He muſt have light without him to lead to this righteouſneſſe, which is not his own, nor inherent in him: What naturally he did not know, he is naturally ready to oppoſe and refuſe. Men know not how, till they be taught of God, to ſee a reaſon of it; or to underſtand that it is of any uſe. A man may be wiſe with another mans wit, ſtrong with another mans ſtrength, learned by another mans knowledge, as well as righteous (as they conceive) by another mans righteouſneſſe: Hence are the ſcornes that are put upon it, and the Treatiſes that are wrote againſt it; Vain man would faine be ſomewhat, as wiſe, Job 11. 12. ſo alſo righteous. This takes all from man, ſtrips him of all in, which he may glory, as Romans 3. 27. This which man ſo oppoſeth, the covenant of grace eſtabliſheth; And that which he ſo advanceth, the covenant of grace diſclaimes.The conditions in the Covenant of works were for mans preſervation in preſent happineſſe.
3. The conditions on mans part in the covenant of works were for mans preſervation in ſtatu quo; in that condition in which he was created, To hold him in communion with God, which was his happineſſe; he expected not to be bettered by his obedience, either reſpective to happineſſe (no more is promiſed than in preſent he had,) nor yet in his qualifications reſpective to his conformity to God in righteouſneſſe and true holineſſe. What improvement he might have made of the habit infuſed, by the exerciſe of obedience;The conditions in the Covenant of grace are for mans reparation. I ſhall not determine, But no change in qualifications was looked after, or given in promiſe.
The conditions of the covenant of grace are ſerviceable to man in his return to God, for his recovery, as to his ſtate of happineſſe loſt; ſo to the repaire or new frame of his qualifications depraved and ſpoiled. This is plain of it ſelf, and will be further explained in that which follows, Other differences there are aſſigned by Divines to difference theſe two covenants; ſome of which fall in with theſe that I have mentioned, and ſome to which I cannot in all things conſent. See Camero de triplici foedere, 1 Theſ. 9. * Theſe I thought to be moſt material, and with theſe I ſhall reſt ſatisfied.