The Covenant of God Entered with Mankind, Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV.
Objections againſt the conditionality of Repentance anſwered.
HEre Objections muſt be removed; Object. Firſt, joyntly againſt faith and repentance, ſome making challenge of both as no covenant-conditions. So Mr. Baxters queſtioniſt, How do you make faith and repentance, to be conditions of the Covenant on our part, ſeeing the beſtowing of them, is part of the condition on Gods part; can they be our conditions and Gods too?
In caſe theſe two cannot ſtand together,The Objection retorted. that they ſhould be conditions both Gods and ours; we may anſwer by way of retortion, Anſw. and I am ſure we have the better end of the ſtaffe, that they are our conditions; They are conditions on our part, and therefore they cannot be Gods: That they are ours, is made known of God, as by the beame of the Sun in his Word. And I ſhall not ſtand to diſtinguiſh of an abſolute and conditional covenant, that ſo making the whole in the abſolute covenant to be Gods, and in the conditional covenant, this part to be ours, which I know not whether exactly underſtood,Faith and repentance are our conditions, not Gods. the Scripture will beare, but in plaine terms deny that they are Gods conditions, and affirm them to be ours. I know what God ſpeaks in his Word concerning theſe works; That he will write his Law in our hearts, and put it into our inward parts; That he will take away the heart of ſtone, and give an heart of fleſh; which implies this work of which we ſpeak. I know likewiſe what in particular is affirmed of Chriſt, that he is the authour and finiſher of our faith, Heb. 12. 2. that he gives repentance, Acts 5. 31. that God grants to the Gentiles repentance to life, Acts 11. 18. And I have not forgot what I have ſaid before of the concurrence of grace in the performance of every Goſpel-work; Yet all this riſes not up hither to make them formally Gods act, & not ours. Whoſe acts they be, his conditions they are; this is evident: But they are our acts. We beleeve, We repent, It is not God that believes; It is not God that repents: That is an abſurdity which Arminians have laboured to charge upon us, to render that which we hold of the neceſſity of the concurrence of grace in theſe works odious; But it is that which the Orthodox party have ſtill diſclaimed. The Apoſtle calls upon the Philippians, Phil. 2. 12. To work out their own ſalvation; the work is their own, as the ſalvation. They are a Beleevers own act, and not barely a ſpontaneous act, (on which he is carried, as a Bird in preparing a neſt for her young, and Bees in preparing honey for their ſubſiſtence, in which Phyloſophy tells us, that they aime at no end) but they are voluntary actions of choice, done out of choice, aiming at ſalvation as his end. The mercy in the Covenant being on theſe termes tendred, With the heart man beleeveth unto righteouſneſſe, Rom. 10. 10. The juſt lives by his faith, Hab. 2. 4. They to turne to the Lord with all their heart, Joel 2. 13. They obey from the heart the form of Doctrine whereunto they are delivered, Rom. 6. 17. They do the will of God from the heart, Epheſ. 6. 6. Faith and Repentance are mans work, which man in covenant does, reſpective to ſalvation, in the covenant tendered, Object. not Gods. But the Apoſtle, ſome may ſay, in the next words tells us, that it is God that works the will and the deed, verſ. 13. There he ſeems to take them from us, and aſcribe the formality of them to God.Sol. In this co-operation of God, whether they be formally our works, or Gods, let Eſay determine, Iſa. 26. 12. Thou haſt wrought all our works in us; When God hath wrought it, the work is ours, we have the reward of it, and we ſhall beare our ſinne in caſe it be neglected, and let the Apoſtle explaine himſelfe, Epheſ. 2. 10. We are his workmanſhip, created in Chriſt Jeſus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we ſhould walk in them. God hath ordained good works as a Chriſtians way and walk.Via ad regnum non cauſa regnandi. They are charged upon man as is plain in the context, in order to ſalvation; They are the way that we hold in our paſſage on to that ſalvation which God of grace vouchſafes; and we are Gods workmanſhip created in Chriſt Jeſus for theſe ends. Our dexterity in holy duties,is from the frame into which grace put us; So ſtill the work is ours, though power for action is vouchſafed of God, And the conditions are ours, for diſcharge of which we have yet divine aſſiſtance:Arguments evincing that Faith and Repentance are our conditions, and not Gods, in the proper conditional covenant. That faith and repentance are our conditions, and not Gods, take theſe arguments.
1. Thoſe conditions that are not mentioned in the proper conditional covenant, as from God, but required of God, from us, are not Gods conditions, but ours, in that Covenant. This is cleare; Being there expreſly required of us, and not ſo much as mentioned, as from God; they cannot be his engagement, but ours to performe. But Faith and Repentance are not mentioned as from God, in the proper conditional covenant, but required of God from us. Therefore Faith, and Repentance are not Gods conditions in the proper conditionall Covenant, but ours.
2. The conditions of a covenant are his that performeth, and not his that impoſeth. This propoſition is cleare in reaſon, and confeſſed by the adverſary. But we perform, and God impoſeth Faith and Repentance. They are therefore our conditions, and not Gods, in this covenant.
3. Covenant-conditions are theirs, that are charg'd with falſhood in caſe of failing in them, and non-performance of them. This is plaine in all covenants: To make conditions, and to faile in them, is to be falſe to them. But in caſe of failing in Faith and Repentance, man is charged, and not God. God fails not, but man deals falſly. Therefore, they are mans conditions, and not Gods.
4. Covenant-conditions are theirs, who upon failing in them, and not performance of them, ſuffer as covenant-breakers. This is clear, Iſrael covenanted to diſmiſſe their Hebrew ſervants, and diſmiſſed them not, and Iſrael ſuffered for it, Jer. 34. But upon failing in Faith and Repentance, God ſuffers not, ſo much as in his Name, as a covenant-breaker. He is not charged with mens unbelief and impenitence: Men themſelves ſuffer. Therefore Faith and Repentance are mans conditions, not Gods.
2. There are objections peculiarly againſt repentance, as it compriſes the whole frame of obedience, Object. as before held forth to diſable it from being any Goſpel-condition.In what manner Works are called for in the Covenant of Grace.
By this means the covenant of Grace will be (ſay ſome) a covenant of works; Repentance in this latitude (to which we have ſpoken) containes the whole of obedience, and being made a condition of the Covenant of Grace, Works are introduced, and a Covenant of Works re-eſtabliſhed.
As there was grace in the firſt covenant, Anſw. as you have heard, which we call a covenant of Works; So works are not wholly excluded from this covenant, which we call a covenant of Grace. God ſtill keeps up his Sovereignty, as you have heard, and how this can be done when he leaves man, at that wilde freedome, not ſo much as to call for homage from him, cannot be conceived, his rule even in this covenant, is to reward men according to their works. Behold I come quickly, and my reward it with me; to give every man according as his work ſhall be, Rev. 22. 12. Works then are not excluded from this covenant; yea, Chriſt the Mediatour of the covenant aforehand tells us, Except our righteouſneſſe exceed the righteouſneſſe of the Scribes and Phariſees, ye ſhall in no caſe enter into the Kingdome of heaven, Matth. 5. 20. They had their righteouſneſſe, and (as was ſuppoſed) they made a great progreſſe in the way of righteouſneſſe; yet we muſt have an exceeding righteouſneſſe, above that which they taught, and practiſed, or elſe there is no ſalvation in this covenant. Theſe two covenants notwithſtanding remaine diſtinct, and not confounded together. There is a legal righteouſneſſe; ſuch as the Law in the higheſt extremity of it requires, without the leaſt indulgence in caſe of failing; This the covenant of Works calls for, and in this we fall ſhort; but Chriſt anſwers, and therefore He is the end of the Law for righteouſneſſe, Rom. 10. 3. and by this, we are ſaved. There is a righteouſneſſe of the Goſpel which God in covenant calls for, to which it is his Spirit enables, and in this we are ſaved.
2. Goſpel-obedience is called for in the Covenant,Repentance neceſſarily flowing from Faith, is not thereby diſabled from being a condition in the Covenant of Grace. but not as any condition of the Covenant; Faith is the alone condition, obedience neceſſarily flows from it, and follows upon it when once we believe; it need not to be conditioned, or indented for; ſeeing when we are in Chriſt by faith, we can then do no other than obey.
I anſwer. This poſition here laid down, that obedience neceſſarily follows, and flows from Faith, is a poſition indeed maintained by the reformed Churches againſt Papiſts, Arminians, Socinians, and other oppoſites of it, from which poſition of ours, they inferre as by neceſſary conſequence that all commands, requiring obedience, are then needleſſe, and all exhortations, reproofs, motives and promiſes to no purpoſe. None either commands or perſwades the Heavens to move, the Sunne to give light, the Fire to give heat, or the water to give moiſture; That which neceſſarily works is let alone to work, and to take its courſe in working. And this Objection (taking away this Goſpel-condition on this ground) is of the ſame ſtamp; Obedience neceſſarily flowing from Faith, includes Goſpel-commands, exhortations, reproofs, as well as Goſpel-conditions. If God need not, to condition, and engage for obedience, from Beleevers, becauſe they thus neceſſarily obey, then he needs not give commands, or preſſe obedience for the ſame reaſon, when yet the Goſpel is full of exhortations, commands, menaces, promiſes, with application to Beleevers, to men profeſſing Faith, to men in Chriſt by Faith.
For ſatisfaction then of this Popiſh-Arminian objection, we muſt diſtinguiſh of conſequents which neceſſarily flow from their principles. Some are natural, which of themſelves have their effects, as thoſe in the objection mentioned; Here is neither command impoſed, condition required, nor promiſe held forth: They are not in any capacity of acting or working otherwiſe than they do. Others are moral, who work not by way of Phyſical neceſſity, but are kept in their way by the power of grace upholding; which does not exclude, but neceſſarily takes in mans endeavour in the uſe of meanes, to yeeld obedience, and to hold on, in all patience and perſeverance. This argument followed home will be of equal force, againſt Faith (as a condition) as, againſt ſincerity; ſeeing Gods Elect ſhall beleeve, as they that beleeve ſhall yeeld obedience. There is a like neceſſity of faith, flowing from election, as there is of obedience, to flow from Faith, as Faith therefore, ſo obedience, either of both in their places are covenant-conditions.