Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Section 8 – Section 12
SECT. 8.
2 WE may now ſecondly conſider, The ſecond conſideration making good the former.that in Gods new Covenant of Grace, the condition required of us, … alſo part of Gods Covenan… and promiſe made unto us. So that this is one maine difference betweene the Law (ſtrictly taken according to the Condition of workes,) and the Goſpell preached both before and after the death of Chriſt, that the Law promiſeth Life, and requires perfect obedience, but neither promiſeth nor gives power to performe what it requires; …t leaves a man wholly to himſelfe, and to his owne power.
But the Goſpell and new Covenant promiſeth the …ame life upon new and other conditions, The conditions required of us, are alſo part of Gods Covenant and promiſe made unto us. Difference betweene the Law and the Goſpell.no leſſe (I …ke) hard in themſelves …nd impoſſible to us to performe aright by our owne …rength then the other, and …hat is upon condition of …aith, Repentance, Holi…eſſe, and Perſeverance in …em all; Yet ſo as that it …oth promiſeth and gives power to keepe and performe the Conditions (this latter depending on Gods Election) in which regard it is ſaid, that the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, and that Chriſt is the Mediatour of a better Covenant, which is eſtabliſhed on better promiſes, And why better? But becauſe wh… the Law could not doe, Heb. 7.19 and 8.6. Rom. 8.2.3in th… it was weake, through the fleſh is done by the Law of the Spiri… of Life in Chriſt Ieſus, who… God ſent, &c.
The firſt Covenant … ſaid to be faulty, yet not … it ſelfe, for ſaith the Scripture, the Lord finding fau… with them, (not with … barely) ſaith, the day… come when I will make new Covenant with th… houſe of Iſrael & Iudah; Heb. 8, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, &c.not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers, becauſe they continued not in my Covenant (lo, there …s the fault of it) I regarded …hem not, ſaith the Lord; For this is the Covenant that I will make with the Houſe of Iſraell, after thoſe dayes, ſaith the Lord; I will put my Lawes …nto their minde, and write …hem in their hearts, &c.
Thus God promiſeth to …oe for us what he requires …f us: At leaſt hee requires …he Fact (or act) of us, and …e promiſeth the ability, or …ather indeed he promiſeth …nd effecteth the act alſo, …e promiſeth both, to write …s Lawes in our hearts, and to …orke all our workes for us; as …rticularly, not onelyonly power to beleeve, but the very act of beleeving, not onelyonly foreign poſſe Credere, but according to that foreign unto you it is given to beleeve on him, Phil. 1.29.and not onelyonly … beleeve on him (Chriſt) … alſo to ſuffer for his ſake. So not onelyonly the power, ability, and will to doe good but the will, power & dee… too; For it is God that worketh in you, ſaith Paul, both … will and to doe.
SECT. 9.
NOw all that is ſai… both in the form… and in this latter Conſideration, What God requires, he both promiſeth and worketh in the Elect.will better & mo… fully appeare by particul… inſtances and proofes, Go… promiſing Bleſſedneſſe a… Salvation by Chriſt, 1 requires ſome Conditions us, yet, 2. hee promiſeth to worke and effect the ſaid Conditions in us; and 3. he doth alſo indeed worke the ſame, and that by vertue of his new Covenant, wee will inſtance in ſome principall graces.
1 Faith God (promiſing Salvation and Happineſſe) doth firſt require Faith, This is ſhewed in divers graces, as in Faith. Which God Rom. 10.9.1 requires Marke 9.23as the Condition; and ſo promiſeth life upon that Condition▪ and that with an Iff, (as in my Text) ſaying: If thou ſhalt confeſſe with thy mouth the Lord Ieſus, and if thou ſhalt beleeve in thine heart that God hath raiſed him from the dead, thou ſhalt be ſaved. So elſewhere, If thou canſt beleeve, all things are poſſible to him that beleeveth. So alſo Ioh. 3.16, & Act. 16.30.31. Beleeve on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and thou ſhalt bee ſaved.Promiſeth Ier. 31.33. Iſa. 53.11.
2. Yet God alſo doth promiſe Faith; For is not Faith one of thoſe lawes, which God hath promiſed to put into our hearts? By his knowledge ſhall my righteous Servant juſtifie many; That is, by the knowledge of him, by which knowledge is ment faith, or at leaſt ſuch a knowledge as is not without Faith, which is alſo promiſed elſewhere, they ſhall all know me, of which knowledge that is true, this is life eternall that they might know thee the onelyonly true God, Ier. 31.34. Ioh. 17 3. Worketh. Eph. 2.8. Phil. 2.13.and Ieſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent.
Yea 3. Hee worketh it both for habit and for act. So we read, by grace yee are ſaved through Faith, and that not of your ſelves; For it is the gift of God, and as wee heard, unto you it is given (not onelyonly) to beleeve on him, &c.
SECT. 10.
2. REmiſſion of ſins, Remisſion of ſinnes which requires we ſhould ſeek 1 Cor. 6.9. with 11. Ioh. 8.24.which God requires wee ſhould ſeeke after, Luke 11.4. and without which (wee know) no Salvation, no bleſſedneſſe, for as bleſſedneſſe is made to belong to ſuch Rom. 4.7, 8. So we know that there can be no bleſſednes, no ſalvation, without it. Know ye not that no unrighteeous (that is, ſuch as are not waſhed and juſtified,) ſhall inherit the Kingdome of God, and to dye in our ſinnes, is threatned: if we believe not It then hath God appointed as a meanes of life.
2. God promiſeth it, 2 Promiſeth. Ier. 31.34.ſaying, I will forgive their iniquitie, and I will remember their ſinne no more. And this is my Covenant unto them, when I ſhall take away their ſinnes.
3. He alſo worketh it, 3 Worketh. Iſa. 43.35.I even I am he, that blotteth ou… thy tranſgreſſions for min… owne ſake, and I will n… remember thy ſins. And wh… is a God like unto thee, Micah. 7.18 19.that pardoneth iniquity, &c. Hee will ſubdue our iniquities, &c And of Chriſt, it is ſaid: Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince, and a Saviour, for to give Repentance to Iſrael and forgivenes of ſins.Acts 5.31.
SECT. 11.
3. ANd ſo for Repentance 1. 3Repentance which God requires. Ezek. 18.21. Ier. 4.1.God requires …t, as without which no …ife, Luke 13.3. Except you …epent yee ſhall all likewiſe …eriſh; God promiſeth life …nto it, and upon condition of it with an Iff: If the wicked will turne from all his ſinnes that he hath committed, and keepe all my Statutes, and doe that which is lawfull & right, he ſhall ſurely live; he ſhal not dye; And, if thou wilt returne Oh Iſrael, ſaith the Lord, returne unto me; and, if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my ſight, then ſhalt thou not remove. So Mat. 3.2.8.
2. Yet the ſame Go… doth promiſe it, Promiſeth.ſaying… wil poure upon the hou… of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jeruſale… the Spirit of Grace an… of Supplications, and the… ſhall looke upon me… whom they have pierce… and they ſhall mourne fo… him as one mourneth fo… his onelyonly ſon, Zach. 12.10and ſhall … in bitterneſſe for him, … one that is in bitterneſ… for his firſt borne.
3. Yea he alſo works … hee gives it as is now ſa… out of Acts. 5.31. and elſe where: Worketh.Then hath Go… alſo to the Gentiles gra… ted repentance unto life and it is preached in h… name. Luke 24.47. that i… by his power, Acts 11.18.Acts 3.12.1… So that he both appointe… …t, to be preached, and works it by preaching.
SECT. 12.
…. SO for new Obedience, 4New obedience which God requires.and walking in the wayes of God in all ſince…ity and holineſſe, without which no man ſhal ſee God, …eb. 12.14.
1. God requires it in his Covenant: Gen. 17.1. Rom. 6.3.4.Walke before me, and be thou perfect, or upright and ſincere; So we are buried with Chriſt by Baptiſme unto death, that like as Chriſt was raiſed up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even ſo alſo we ſhould walke in newneſſe of life.
2. Yet God promiſeth this, ſaying: PromiſethThis ſhall be the Covenant that I will make with the Houſe … Iſrael, Ier. 31.33. Ezek. 36.26 72.after thoſe dayes ſaith the Lord, I will p… my Law in their inwar… parts and I will write i… in their hearts, &c. An… elſewhere, I will put … Spirit within you, an… cauſe you to walke in m… Statutes.
3. Yea he performes it i… us, Worketh.(and for us) according to that: Thou haſt wrough… all our workes in us (or fo… us) Iſa. 26.12. cauſing us indeed to walke in his Statutes, and to bring for… good Fruit; For, ſaith Chriſt: As the branc… cannot beare Fruit of … ſelfe, except it abide i… the vine; Io… 15.4.5.No more can y… except ye abide in me; … am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me, and I in him, the ſame bringeth forth much Fruit, for without me ye can doe nothing.