The Covenant of God Entered with Mankind, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Differences between the Covenants of Works and the Covenant of Grace.
HAving ſpoken to the agreement between theſe two Covenants, I muſt now more largely enquire into the differences, which will prove a work of greater difficulty, there being ſo much oppoſition. The firſt and leading difference is, that being both of them between God and man,The Covenant of Works was entred into in mans ſtate of integrity. they were entred into in a different eſtate and condition of man. The firſt was entered in ſtatu inſtituto, in mans integrity, when man had not at all, by ſinne incurred the diſpleaſure of God, or weakened his abilities for obedience; Man then ſtood as he came out of Gods hand, bearing in himſelfe a lively reſemblance of God.The Covenant of Grace was entered into in mans fallen condition. The ſecond was in ſtatu destituto, in mans fallen eſtate, now in ſinne, under wrath, dead in ſinne, and wholly diſabled from yeelding obedience, of this there is no controverſie, and therefore I need not make more words about it. And from hence all other differences which I ſhall obſerve; or which (as I ſuppoſe) are obſervable, have their riſe, which are theſe following.
The covenant of Works,The Covenant of Works was to mans preſervation. or (as learned Camero calls it) the covenant of Nature, was for preſervation of man in life, that is, in preſent bliſſe and happineſſe, to hold him in the condition in which it found him, which is implyed in the penalty threatned, as was before noted; man muſt not die till ſinne enter, and expreſt in that promiſe of God, Do this and live; His life muſt be continued as long as his obedience laſted, his happineſſe muſt have been perpetuated, (though not neceſſarily in the ſame degree, God might have tranſlated him from a life on earth to a life in heaven) had he kept to the terms of the covenant. The covenant of grace is for mans reſtitution,The Covenant of Grace was to mans reſtitution. reconciliation and recovery; He was before in bliſſe, and if he had ſo abode, he might with good reaſon have taken up Peters words, It is good for us to be here. Now he is in miſery, and muſt be reſtored, if ever he be bleſſed, and ſo a farther difference doth ariſe.
The covenant of works had its precedency,The Covenant of Works was firſt in time. The Covenant of Grace in order of time followed after. was firſt in time; The covenant of grace in order of time follows after; This muſt needs follow, Mans eſtate in integrity being before his fall, the covenant made in his integrity, muſt needs precede the covenant entred into in his fallen condition, unleſſe we will place the third of Geneſis before the firſt, the fall of man before his creation; And therefore that is utterly a miſtake in one, who in the very entrance upon his Treatiſe of the two covenants, gives the covenant of grace the precedency in time, giving this as his reaſon, why he places the covenant of Grace before the covenant of Works, becauſe the covenant of Grace was in being before the covenant of Works, quoting for proof, Gal. 3. 17. The covenant which was made before of God in Chriſt, the Law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot diſanul. But this can by no means ſerve his purpoſe, unleſſe we ſhould conclude that the covenant of Works had its beginning in Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law by Moſes, and the covenant of Grace, of only four hundred and thirty yeares more ancient ſtanding. And that, will as little ſerve his purpoſe which he after brings in, that there was an agreement and covenant between God the Father, and his Sonne Jeſus Chriſt about the ſalvation of man before Adam ſinned, yea, before the world began; Seeing that covenant between the firſt and ſecond perſon of the Trinity, was not the covenant, which he hath in hand to treat upon, namely the covenant which God entred with man, as he himſelf confeſſes; No covenant can be made with man before man be in being, A no…ens can be no party in a covenant. And whereas we are told that the ſame covenant which was made with Jeſus Chriſt before time, was afterwards made with man. I deſire that all would obſerve what is laid down in that Treatiſe concerning that covenant. Chriſt for his part was by covenant to become a Mediatour, Surety, and Saviour; for all thoſe that his Father ſhould give him. And muſt we become ſuch Mediatours Sureties and Saviours alſo? God the Father did promiſe to Chriſt, as is further ſaid, all the things that did belong to his Mediatourſhip, and things to gratifie and ſatisfie him for his Mediatourſhip. May we by covenant expect ſuch things from the Father likewiſe? If we are neither tied to the ſame work, to which Chriſt by covenant was tied, nor are to receive the like gifts, as he by covenant was to expect, we are not in the ſame covenant that paſt between the Father and Chriſt. And though theſe two were one, which muſt not be yeelded, (the covenants ad intra, which the perſons of the Trinity make with themſe…es, and thoſe ad extra with the creature may not be confounded) yet that would evince no ſuch precedence in time, ſeeing there was alike agreement in the whole Trinity for the creation of man, and Gods covenant with him in his integrity, as is fully aſſented to in the ſame Treatiſe, to the utter overthrow of all that which upon the former ſuppoſition he had built. To that queſtion, To what end ſhould the covenant of Grace be made before man ſtood in need of Grace? he anſwers, Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world; And he had all things then as preſent and real before the eyes of his glory, as now he hath, viz. Mans Creation, Fall, Recovery, and in this ſenſe there was no precedency of time in regard of any of Gods Counſels or ſecret actions. And then there can be no precedency of one of his covenants before another, we muſt finde then a ſenſe according to which there is a precedency, which is not found in any covenants of the Trinity among themſelves (which in exact propriety of ſpeech are purpoſes rather then covenants, and were before all time) but in the actual entrance and aſſent by the creature given, which is in time, and admits precedency; In which conſideration the covenant of works hath its precedency before that of Grace, as the ſtate of integrity was before the fall.
Whence farther yet follows that the covenant of works,The Covenant of Works was a ſmall time in force. was but a ſmall time in force, at leaſt but a ſmall time of uſe, only during the ſpace of mans integrity, which ſome ſay was only one day, in all probability not long, in that man enjoyed no fruit of that bleſſing in Paradiſe, Increaſe and multiply. The Covenant of Grace is of everlaſting continuance.But this ſecond, is, of everlaſting continuance, when the firſt Covenant was violated by our firſt parents, and ſo made uſeleſſe, that of grace ſucceeded, which is our only planck after ſhipwrack, but none ſhall ever ſucceed this ſecond. Adam failing of ſalvation by the covenant of Works (which he entred in the firſt place) is ſaved by the covenant of grace, into which after his fall he entred, and into which he was of grace admitted; but he that is not ſaved by the ſecond, muſt everlaſtingly periſh, and ſo I underſtand that text, Heb. 10. 26. If we ſinne wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, then there remaineth no more ſacrifice for ſinnes, but a fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation; where, by ſinning wilfully, I underſtand an utter rejection of Gods tender of this ſacrifice of Chriſts blood, which I gather from the Apoſtle in the words that follow, the proof that he brings of that ſad aſſertion, He that deſpiſed Moſes Law, died without mercy under two or three witneſſes, of how much ſorer puniſhment ſhall he be thought worthy that hath trodden under foot the blood of the Sonne of God, and counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was ſanctified, an unholy thing? This is that wilful ſinne of which there is no expiation. When man had caſt off the yoke, a ſacrifice was found, Chriſt made his ſoul an offering for ſinne; but when Chriſt is rejected, there is no other ſacrifice to be looked for. In the covenant of grace God hath made known his whole minde concerning mans ſalvation, by what means, and upon what termes man ſhall be ſaved.