The Covenant of God Entered with Mankind, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
A further difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace.
ANother difference of great importance between theſe covenants,The Covenant of Works had no Mediatour. and which neceſſarily (as the two former) flows from the firſt, is, That the firſt covenant between God and man was immediate, no Mediatour intervening, no dayes-man ſtanding between them, to make them one; But for the ſecond, man being fallen by ſinne, a Mediatour was neceſſary that God and man now in that diſtance, ſhould be reconciled. I know ſome have contended, that not only man in integrity, but the Angels themſelves, ſtood in need of Chriſts mediation, producing their grounds for their aſſertion, and then this difference between theſe covenants, falls, neither of both are immediate, both ſtanding in need of a Mediatour. The grounds are,
Firſt, Obj. That the obedience of man and Angels was imperfect, and ſtood in need of pardon, and for the righteouſneſſe of Christ which he performed to the Father, was accounted perfect, quoting that place of Eliphaz in his ſpeech to Job, Job 4. 18. Even his Angels he charged with folly. If Angels ſtood thus in Gods eye, under ſuch a charge, then much more man, as Eliphas there argues.Sol. But I would demand of theſe, concerning this ſuppoſed imperfection in man and Angels, thus ſupplied by Chriſts perfection, whether it were properly, and of its own nature a ſinne? If not, then there is no place for pardon; If it were, then it muſt be divolved on Chriſt, and laid upon him to expiate, and ſo man fell,Cujus enim participatione juſti ſunt, ejus comparatione nec juſti ſunt. Aug. ad Oroſium contra Priſcil. cap. 10 (or at leaſt lay down groveling) before his fall; and the good Angels by reaſon of ſin, are evil as well as thoſe that are fallen; but theſe are abſurd. In that of Eliphaz therefore (if it muſt be underſtood of Angels of glory) ſin, is not charged or implied, but only defect, ſtanding in compariſon or competition with God, an imperfection negative is yeelded, they match not God in perfection, but in his preſence cover their faces with their wings, Iſa. 6. 2. but no imperfection privative, they want no perfection of which they are in any capacity, and whereof they have any neceſſity; God made no creature in ſuch a neceſſity of ſinning, or in ſuch a being that needed pardon.
A ſecond ground is, Obj. That though a Mediator was not neceſſary by way of reconciliation, yet he was neceſſary by way of preſervation in righteouſneſſe. Sol.The ſecond fully overthrows the firſt, in that which it grants, and I know not how that can be proved that it affirms, Man was not preſerved, and therefore it appears, that he had no ſuch Mediatour appointed for his preſervation. And it ſeems (according to this opinion) man could not have ſtood, unleſſe Chriſt had been incarnate, and ſo his fall was not, from the freedome of his will, but the principles of his creation, For the Angels, how they can be ſaid, to ſtand by grace received from Chriſt, a Mediatour; I know not, they being no fellow-members with us, though fellow-ſervants; And howſoever accidental benefits come to the Angels, by Chriſt, in their joy to ſee loſt man reſtored, and reconciled; as to God, ſo alſo to their fellowſhip and communion; (according to that of the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 1. 10. Col. 1. 20. in their experimental knowledge alſo, of the wiſdome of God in this great myſtery, 1 Pet. 1. 12. Epheſ. 3. 10.) yet, I doubt not that it was for man, whoſe nature he aſſumed, that Chriſt was incarnate, and that he is a Mediatour between God and man, 2 Tim. 2. 5. and not between God and Angels, and that for fallen man, and not for man in his integrity; Therefore I conclude the firſt covenant was immediate; no Mediatour intervening, all the bleſſings of the firſt covenant flowed from the whole Trinity, as the Creation it ſelf, without reſpect to Chriſt incarnate, there was no revelation of that high myſtery to man in innocency, In which the Reader may conſult G…marus in Coloſ. 1▪ 20.
The covenant of grace is by a Mediatour;The Covenant of grace is by a Mediatour. mans fallen condition in ſo great a diſtance from God, neceſſarily calling for it. Two cannot walk together unleſſe they be agreed, Amos 3. 3. That fallen man may walk in covenant with God; it is neceſſary that a way of agreement be found, This the ſecond perſon of the Trinity, by covenant with the Father hath undertaken, and therefore he is ſtiled The Mediatour of the New Teſtament, Heb. 9. 15. A Mediatour of a better Covenant, Heb. 8. 6. The Mediatour of the New Covenant, Heb. 12. 24. Many obſtacles were in the way of mans covenanting with God; and attaiment of the mercies and grace of the covenant, all of which lay on the Mediatour, to remove, that God and man might once more be at one; All of theſe Chriſt undertakes and effects, and ſo is the Meditatour in this work.